((Okay, sorry peeps for taking so long. School, volleyball, just got the works up so not as much time to type, not to mention a little spout of writer's block O.o But anyway, for the one review that said my chapter was getting kind of sappy. I only have on thing to say, if you dun like it, dun read it, and dun tell me about it. Just the little reminder of no flames, I wouldn't mind so much but I get paranoid that everyone else thinks the same thing. and that doesn't help. So ANYWAY, that's all I gots to say for now. Read on!. oh, p.s. a little forewarning, might be some sort of icky junk in this chapter.. Not the most original idea I've ever had, but it still might get a little, um, weird . ))

Mokuba was sitting at the lunch table to next day eating the turkey sandwich his brother had made him. Looking up from his food he stared over at the older one who was leaning against the counter with his arms crossed staring at the floor.

"Seto?"

Kaiba's head came up and looked over at him so Mokuba continued.

"Um.. The company called this morning. They were wondering what happened to you... Since, you like, haven't been working and stuff... And I was also kind of wondering, are you feeling okay?"

There was no answer, just the resounding silence that had been drifting through the mansion for the last two days. After a few minutes Mokuba started getting fidgety and decided to go onto something else.

"Well, um, anyway... Wanna play a game?" He flashed his best smile and pulled some cards out of his pocket. "I added what you gave me yesterday to my deck. I think it's pretty good and I'd like to try it out.. If you wouldn't mind that is..."

Seto stared at him blankly and shrugged.

"But brother... Why not?"

Kaiba shrugged again and left to go back up into his room.

Mokuba watched him leave with a distressed face. 'Why doesn't he want to play with me? I know!' Jumping up the younger Kaiba grabbed his coat and headed out the door.

****************

"Um. I'd like that one, and um. that one." Mokuba pointed out the cards under the glass case. He'd picked up a few common ones, but he figured that his brother would like the more rare, more powerful, ones the best.

As Grandpa was ringing the price up there was a voice from the back.

"Blue Eyes White Dragon in attack mode!"

Mokuba's head drifted to the side as he tried to get a better view and caught a glimpse of Joey and Yugi dueling on the floor. Giving the money to Yugi's grandfather he took the bag and wandered into the room to stare at the game going on.

Yugi looked from behind his handful of cards and smiled. "Oh hi Mokuba. What brings you here?"

He returned the smile and sat down to look at the duel going on. "I just bought some cards." His eyes fell back to the duel. "So who's winning?"

Joey smiled proudly. "Me!"

"That's cool. With wha-" Mokuba's eyes locked down onto the current monster the blonde had on the field and they grew wide and then narrowed as he lifted his gaze again at Joey. "How did you get that?"

"Oh, didn't he tell you? You're brother gave 'em to me."

The younger Kaiba's eyes slitted further. "You're lying. Now give them back."

Joey's expression became slightly confused. "But Mokuba, he gave them to me."

"I don't care how you got them. Just. Give. Them. Back." Reaching forward he took the one card off of the field. "All of them. Now."

****************

Yugi was bandaging up Joey's hand and shook his head. "I told you, you shouldn't have kept those cards."

The blonde winced and took his hand away once it was done. "Well I didn't know he was going to bite me. It's not like this happens to me every day ya know.."

Yugi couldn't help but smile as he rolled his eyes. "Well, that's what you get for messing with a member of the Kaiba family."

Joey glared at him. "Hey, you're supposed to be on my side."

This was answered with a shrug and another smile. "It's the truth though."

Letting the thing go Joey went onto other thoughts of moping. "We didn't even get to finish our duel.. And I was winning too!"

Yugi rolled his eyes and patted his blonde friend's shoulder. "I don't think you would've been really happy if you'd won anyway. You should win with what you've earned Joey. You're a great duelist whether or not you have really rare cards or not."

"Heh, thanks Yug."

((sorry bout that seen, not the best.. but had to do something))

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"Seto!"

Mokuba came running into the house waving the cards proudly in the air.

"Seto! Brother! I got something to show you!"

Taking the stairs two at a time he burst into the little black hole that was his older sibling's room and flicked on the light switch. Making another little dash he launched onto the bed and bounced a couple of times as he gave a wide grin to the blank expression that was receiving him.

"Guess what I got for ya?"

There was no answer to him, but he continued all the same. Reaching his hand forward he shoved the recovered deck into his brother's face and smiled even wider. "I got your deck back! Aren't you happy?"

Still nothing and Mokuba's expression sank some. "Brother... aren't you glad I got your cards back?"

The head looked away from him and his heart sank a little more. "Big brother, are you okay?"

No reply, no answer, just silence causing the small one's world to drop further. "Are you mad at me?"

"..."

Mokuba's soft crystal eyes tried to meet with the swirling orbs of the one sitting on the bed unsuccessfully. Crawling down off the bed he put the cards down on the stand next to it before slowly making his way to the door. As he opened it up he sent a glance back at his brother. 'I'm sorry Seto. I was only trying to help... I just wanted to be a good little brother to you...'

*********************

Tea walked out of Joey's late that night and waved back to her friends.

"See you later guys!"

Tristan and Yugi were going to sleep over, but Tea had to go home because her parents were going on another trip the next day and they wanted to spend as much time with her before they left.

As she decided to take the long route home through the park, she was walking over one of the bridges when a shadowed figured stepped out from behind a tree...

*********************

'I should've said something... but the words... they just won't come out. I tried to tell him, but I couldn't... I hope he's not too upset. I should've just said something...'

Seto had actually decided to go out that night ignoring the feeling that his dream would decide to come at the absolute worst time possible... But he needed some time out of the house.

'Maybe I should just give up on this whole thing. Try to swallow what little pride I may have left and put up a fake act of happiness. I am nothing. I've established that. But I have no reason, and no right to drag others down with me... Why does Mokuba always have to be so worried about me? Why does ANYONE ever have to be worried about me? If they all would just ignore me and leave me alone then no one would be upset. They all would be happy... More than I deserve. But that's what I'll do... Force my self to look happy so that no one can tell the difference. Maybe I should just-'

"HELP!"

'What?' His head jerked up from staring at the ground and to his left as the cry reached his ears.

*******************

"HELP! SOMEBODY!"

"Shut up!" A hand clasped over her mouth as the strange man ran his tongue over her ear and gave a vicious grin. As his other hand slowly worked away at undoing her braw underneath her shirt while he still tried to stop her from struggling.

Tea tried to kick backwards with her foot but found that the man's leg wrapped around hers to stop its process and he did likewise with the other before she could even move it. Giving a sly chuckle he whispered into her ear.

"What's a beauty like you doing out on a night like this? You should know better... Let me take you home to my nice warm bed and you can get nice and cozy there."

All Tea could do was let out a muffled, high-pitched shriek as she felt the man pulling her backwards into the bushes.

Breaking through the foliage, she was shoved down onto the ground as the man jumped on top of her and gnawed at her neck until...

"Tea!"

The last thing that entered her vision was the blurry form accompanied with a familiar voice before her head spun and everything went black.