Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh, yadda yadda yadda

NOTE: From what I've read, Kaiba loses his god card to Yugi during the Battle City Tournaments, but that's not how it's going to be in my story. In this story, Kaiba still has his god card. I wrote this chapter before I found out about that. (WB only just played the "Friends 'Till the End 4" episode, but I found this whole synopsis on the episodes up to like, 150, so yea) Anyways, read and please review ^_^

Chapter Eight – Hello Again

"Kaiba?" he heard his name being called in an all too familiar voice.

He turned around and stared straight into her eyes, his own cold and hard.

"Hello again," she said gently, averting her eyes from his stony gaze.

"What do you want?" he questioned her coldly.

"You're the only one I can turn to. I need your help," she said quietly, falling to the ground as tears slowly consumed her.

As she fell down and drew her knees to her chin, Kaiba noticed a long scar at the base of her neck. "What is that?" he asked, trying to show no concern yet still feeling alarmed.

"What is what?" she asked, moving her hand to cover the scar she knew he had seen.

"This," he said unwavering, moving her hand forcefully and inspecting the scar.

"I…"

"Serena, tell me." He looked deep into her eyes and chose to let down his guard. Something inside of him was stirring to help her, to make sure she would be ok. He wanted to pummel the person who had done this to her.

"It's just an old scar from when I was younger, it's nothing," she hedged, laughing nervously and looking away.

"Don't lie to me," he said angrily, forcing her to look back into his eyes. "You are asking for my help so I expect the truth!"

Unchecked tears began spilling out of her eyes as she slowly stood. "It's from the man who is after this," she said, slowly slipping off her necklace and handing it to Kaiba. "Please, keep it safe."

"Serena, wait! I need an explanation!" he yelled, grabbing her arm before she could walk off. One look in her eyes, and he suddenly worried for her. "What about you?" he said softly, his true feelings shining through.

"I will be safe Seto Kaiba." 'If only I could trust you.'

He heard her mind speaking to him, but he didn't understand how. "Serena!" he yelled to her as she slowly began to disappear.

~*~*~*~*~

"Leave her alone!" Kaiba yelled angrily as he saw her being thrown against a wall. The men then ran off as Kaiba hurriedly approached.

"Kaiba…" Serena said weakly as she struggled to open her eyes.

"Everything will be ok Serena. I promise."

She stared up into his calm, yet worried, eyes as he slowly picked her up and carried her away. She was injured badly and needed a doctor soon. The necklace she always wore on her neck was missing, but he didn't notice; all he noticed were the bruises and scratches. He didn't understand why, but he felt propelled to protect her. He still wasn't sure he could trust her, but maybe if she explained her past to him and why those men did that to her, he could. Maybe for once in his life, he could learn to depend upon another person.

~*~*~*~*~

"Move!" Kaiba yelled as a man stood before them, blocking their path.

"I think not Seto Kaiba. I am claiming my daughter's life," the man said, pulling a gun out. "Unless you tell me where the millennium ruby necklace is; then, I may reconsider."

"Don't tell him," Serena said weakly. "My mother died to protect me and this necklace's powers from falling into the wrong hands, now I will do the same." Her voice refused to falter as she straightened herself and stared into the eyes of her father.

"Then prepare to die Serena Pegasus, my daughter."

'No,' Kaiba's mind screamed. He couldn't let her die; he had to protect her, somehow. A duel!

"Wait! I challenge you to a duel…to save Serena," he said, his eyes narrowing and cold.

The man laughed cynically and appeared to consider it. "I accept this duel, Seto Kaiba, but know that when I win, not only does Serena die, but you die as well."

"Kaiba no…for this one time, please be selfish…Mokuba needs you!"

'You have to trust me Serena, I may not trust you, but I need you to trust me.'

~*~*~*~*~

Kaiba sat up in his bed, his eyes darting around his room. It was the same dream he had had since he'd last seen Serena. Three different scenes, all different yet all seemed to somehow fit together. It was as if each was a different scenario, all of them revolving around Serena Pegasus and her necklace.

He laid his head back down against his pillow. It was just a dream – that was all. Dreams meant nothing; they were only pictures made by the eyes. But, why do I keep on having the same one? He closed his eyes and there she was, looking at him. It was as if she were repeating the same phrase to him over and over again: "I cannot trust you Seto Kaiba because you cannot trust anyone but yourself. Putting trust in a man who trusts only himself can lead me to no where but devastation and foolish dreams that will be crushed."

He opened his eyes again and stared at his ceiling. Why must she plague my dreams? I want to never think of her, and yet she doesn't leave my mind. It's as if she is right here…I wish she would just leave my mind. I can trust no one but myself. A dream cannot and will not change that.

~*~*~*~*~

Serena closed her eyes, trying to block out the images she had seen in her head. She didn't know where they came from, but she was more than sure it was a dream of Kaiba's.

She didn't mean to tap in to his mind; she didn't know how she had. And she most definitely didn't want to. She'd always thought she needed to be within close proximity to the person. But now she knew otherwise. What a nightmare…she thought solemnly, wondering why he was dreaming about her. I don't even know my father…was he the man who killed my mother? Are these even just dreams? Confused agony was clouding her thoughts. I can't trust him! her mind cried out in anguish. I don't understand. It's as if I can sense them, coming for me and my necklace, and I know the only person I can trust to save me is Seto Kaiba…he has the power and resources to do so…I think…but I also know that I cannot trust in a man who can only trust in himself.

~*~*~*~*~

"Serena, ya gonna go with us?" Joey asked as soon as the door to the apartment opened.

Serena smiled over at Joey; he was kind of cute, and to top that off, he was a great person. "I'm not sure I'm going to go anywhere today Joey, I'm expecting something important to arrive at any minute."

"So important that ya can't leave?"

"Well…I guess so. It's a few of my uncle's strongest cards from his deck. I need them to help me duel. The competition is getting stronger as all the weaker duelists are losing their locator cards and I need stronger cards. I trust in the heart of the cards and all, but a monster with 1000 attack points doesn't fair up to one with 3000," she said, biting her lower lip. Her uncle wasn't just sending her any ordinary card; he was sending her the collection of Gate Guardian cards – Sanga of Thunder, Kazejin, and Sujin. By offering those three as a tribute, she would be able to summon Gate Guardian, a monster with 3750 attack points and 3400 defense points.

"You're thinking of when you're gonna battle Kaiba aren't ya?" He asked, seeming to catch on.

"Well…in a way. I know Kaiba has three Blue Eyes and when combined, they form the Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon. I also know he has Obelisk the Tormentor, which is one of the three strongest monsters. Yugi doesn't seem to use his Egyptian god card," Serena said, her thoughts slipping through her lips.

"Yug doesn't really like to use it because it's nearly impossible to beat. He's a fair duelist ya know; it's how he wins all the time. He doesn't trust the power of the cards but trusts in the heart of them, like me and you."

You're right Joey, Yugi is a fair duelist, unlike Kaiba... I've kept up with his record; he's already got his six locator cards. He's used his god card and Blue Eyes in nearly every duel. He's a strong duelist, but he doesn't trust in the heart of the cards, like we do, and that's why he is unable to defeat Yugi; Yugi's trust in those cards is unbelievable and unbreakable. I know that if I trust in my deck, I can beat Kaiba, regardless of the card he chooses to play.

"So what do ya say?"

"Huh?" Serena asked, breaking away from her thoughts. "I'm sorry Joey, my mind got carried away."

"Are ya gonna go with us? Your package will be sittin' on the doorstep when we get back."

"I would love to Joey, but those cards are too important to leave sitting on a doorstep, even if they are in a package. Plus, my uncle is sending one of his men to bring it here directly and I already promised I'd be here. Maybe I'll catch up with you later," Serena declined him yet again.

"Alright, suit yourself. Téa, you comin'?" Joey asked, yelling down the hallway.

"Just a second Joey!" she yelled back.

A few minutes later, Serena was alone, staring out the window of the apartment. As she waited for her uncle's package to arrive with one of his servants, her mind couldn't help but wander back towards earlier that morning and the dream she had seen that wasn't her own. The scenes before her began to swirl and blend together as the images of the dream fled back to her.

~~~ "Wait! I challenge you to a duel…to save Serena," he said, his eyes narrowing and cold.

"I accept this duel, Seto Kaiba, but know that when I win, not only does Serena die, but you die as well."

"Kaiba no…for this one time, please be selfish…Mokuba needs you!"

'You have to trust me Serena, I may not trust you, but I need you to trust me.' ~~~

A knock on the door startled Serena out of her flashback. Uncle Max's package! she thought as she ran to the door and opened it. "Thank you so much Charlie, this means more to me than you can imagine!" Serena exclaimed as she eagerly accepted the small box and bid her uncle's servant farewell.

She walked over to the couch, eager to look at her new cards when there was a knock on the door yet again. Slowly and feeling disappointed, she placed the box on the couch and went back to the door. She flung it open, wondering who it could be, but the person standing there had his back turned. She thought she could recognize him by his clothing, but she still wasn't sure. She coughed quietly, hoping to get this young man's attention.

He closed his eyes, wondering why he had come to her. He didn't want to see her, did he? No, he really didn't, not after the way they had acted a week or so before. The events of earlier that morning returned to his thoughts and he knew he had to speak with her, regardless of his pride; her very life depended on it.

Taking a deep breath and putting his hard exterior in place, he turned around and faced Serena, his eyes as cold as always. He was surprised to see her eyes stare at him with a seemingly cold expression of their own. Slowly, her eyes began to glow, but as quickly as the glow came, it left.

"Hello again," she said softly, her voice too kind for the expressions they were giving each other.