MnS: This one is fun to write, so I'm back sooner than usual!!

KnH: -_-'

Seto: There you are!!! ::lunges at MnS:
MnS: Eeeeeep!! ::hides behind Kami no Hakai::

KnH: -_-' ::sweatdrop::

MnS: Seto!! Do the disclaimer and stop trying to kill me!! I said I was sorry!!! Many times!!!

Seto: Hn. -_-' Megami no Shi doesn't own Yu-gi-oh or any of the affiliated people, places or things. She does, however, own Sasha Mave Kaiba and this half baked and thoroughly screwed plot. But, more than obviously, you wouldn't be caught dead taking that.

MnS: ;_; Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!

KnH: -_-' ::gives MnS a hug::

Seto: -_-' Just write you wuss.

MnS: ::sniff sniff:: Fine, you meany!

Chapter 2: Meetings and a mother

//

"Well, really, the idea of Event Horizons on black holes was created in Einstein's theory, E=Mc² , but there is substantial evidence that there could be another dimension in it, or at least, a portal to one. But, I read about them a while ago, and so, I could be mistaken, but I think that's correct, isn't it?" She genuinely seemed to want his contribution to the conversation, and she had answered as casually as if he had simply asked for her opinion on the weather. Blinking, he seemed to consider this as their first conversation of many began……

//

Four Months Later: December 23rd

Seto sat, reading a book again for the umpteenth time; he almost had it memorized for pity's sake. He had nothing to do; he hated going out in the snow, especially when there was so much of it on the ground, it having just snowed about 20 inches a few hours ago. He was completely surprised as there was a soft knock on the door to his room, but easily recovered and said,

"Come in. It's open." He already knew who it was; she was the only one who ever bothered to knock on the door before entering. Sasha wore an emerald green turtleneck that looked fuzzy and quite warm and a pair of jeans that were dyed dark maroon. Her hair was again the same way it always was, with the exception of a sprig of holly twisted in a few of the curls above her right ear. She wore white sneakers on her feet, and she was carrying something in her left hand, smiling at Seto. Then, her soft-spoken voice came across the room to the brunette's ears.

"Hello Seto-san. Am I interrupting you? I'll come back later if I am." she seemed to have noticed that Seto was reading the old worn out book that he had set in his lap when she entered. She never invaded his privacy. Whenever she came to visit, she always made sure that it was convenient for him. The ice eyed boy shook his head and said,

"No. I've already read this book; it's almost finished again anyway." She stepped forward at this and when she was closer, she said,

"I'm sorry I wasn't here last week. Mast-My husband had to take a trip on business and I had to manage the house." She approached his bedside, which was where he was sitting, and handed him the red and green package that she had been carrying. "I-I know you probably don't like getting presents from strange people, but I hope you'll like this. I found it a few days ago, and I thought of you." She always referred to herself in a derogatory manner, Seto noticed. In truth, he was surprised to see that she had had the courage to give him a present; she was very timid and didn't like to do something unless she was told. She had been coming to see Seto and his brother every week consecutively for the past four months, just to "hang out". Though, she had confided in the boy that she was trying to convince her husband, Gozobaru Kaiba, to adopt both him and his brother.

Taking the package into his lap, the brunette carefully took off the paper, which was red and green plaid with an emerald green bow on it. Opening the now revealed box, his blue eyes widened just the tiniest fraction. How could she have known?! How in the world could she have known that this was his favorite duel monster? For, as Seto reached down and picked up the card, he was amazed to read the words 'Blue Eyes White Dragon' at the top. Looking up into her smiling gold eyes, she seemed to have held a slight anxiety that dissolved as she saw him open it.

"Do you like it? I thought you might, because I've seen you duel before, and it's my favorite card." she said to him. To this, he answered,

"This was your card?" Why in the world would she have given him such a rare card? There were only four in the entire world! In response, she nodded and said,

"Yes, I have a collection, but I've lost my knack for dueling; I used to be alright at it. I've really no use for this card any more, and so, I thought maybe you'd like to have it." This was something new. He hadn't known that she had a duel monsters collection. Then, she said in a slightly more somber tone, "Besides, my husband decided that it was too much of a child's game for me to indulge in, and so, told me to get rid of my cards. This was one of the only ones I could save; he burned the rest." He burned them?! How could anyone burn a duel monsters card? That was……absurd, to say the absolute least! Seto's shock must have shown on his face, because she tried to amend, saying,

"Oh it's not so bad. There were only 382, not counting the three I managed to salvage." Almost 400 cards, burned? Seto was starting to doubt that he would like this man named Gozobaru. Breaking him out of his musings, Sasha said,

"Oh, I had a question I wanted to ask you." Seto looked her in the eyes, waiting for her to continue, which, she did.

"Have you ever played chess before?" Seto nodded, having not the slightest idea where this conversation was headed. This brought the smile back to her lips as she said,

"Well, I've made a little, proposition to my husband. I told him I'd ask you if you played chess. If you did, he would play you in a game. If you won within ten moves, he would adopt you and your brother, Mokuba. If you won with eleven or more moves, he would adopt only you, and if you lost, he would forbid me to come here looking for a child again, and he would adopt neither of you. What do you say?" Seto blinked. Not where he thought this conversation was headed, that's for sure. A game of chess to decide the adoption; hmmmm… This Kaiba-san must have quite a big head to accept this; Sasha had told the brunette once that her husband (that was what she always called him) didn't like the fact that she came here so often, and wanted her to stop coming; she had refused, for reasons she would not say. Well, he was fairly positive that he could beat this man within ten moves; he'd beaten people before in four. Nodding to Sasha, he said,

"Alright. I'll play him in a game of chess. When do you think he'll come?" Sasha looked thoughtful for a moment, as if she hadn't planned it out that far yet, and finally said,

"Well, I wouldn't expect it to be after St. Patrick's day in March, and so, I'd say in about three months time. He's slightly busy with the Christmas season and all, and will be swamped for a while I think, but three months will probably be around the time that he's just coming out of that before he dives headfirst into Easter." Seto picked up what went unsaid as well. What she didn't say, though he was sure she meant for him to pick up, was that it would be soon after Kaiba-san got out of vocation, and so he would be exhausted from so many consecutive hours of work. This would give Seto the advantage of being coherent and at his best, while his opponent would be more apt to making stupid mistakes. At this, Seto smirked. Sasha must really want to adopt him and Mokuba; she was giving him every advantage, including three months to play hard until he got even better, should he so desire.

"Why don't you come outside, Seto-san? Mokuba-san and I were building a snowman before I came in. Why don't you join us?" came her voice again, timid and silvery. Seto thought about it, and then, after laying his new duel monsters card carefully in his nightstand drawer, he consented, pulling on a pair of boots after some thick socks and his only clean sweatshirt. Following Sasha outside, he joined in the traditional building of a white man in the winter time, and for the first time in his ten years of existence, he didn't mind the snow so much……

It was March 20th. March 20th was the day that Seto would meet his would be adoptive father, and when he was to play him in chess. He had played Sasha a few times every month (she seemed to be coming more frequently) and had beaten her every time in under 10 moves, and she was quite a brilliant player. Sitting in the game/play room this time, he waited for about three minutes before someone walked in. He was a tall, heavyset man, not very attractive with slicked black hair and a tailored suit on [1]. He sneered in an unkind manner at Seto as he approached the boy. Behind him, Seto saw Sasha, head bowed in the same submissive way it had been when he had first met her, and her hands were clasped tightly behind her back, left hand holding right wrist. Today she wore a pale gold colored turtleneck sweater and a pair of black pants; the heels of her very uncomfortable looking Mary Janes fell silently on the thin red carpet that was on the floor. She seemed to always be wearing a turtleneck, no matter what the temperature outside was, and she never wore anything that went above her knees. The cruel looking man raised his left hand to his shoulder, and for a moment, he thought Kaiba-san was going to strike Sasha, but what he did was hold his hand shoulder height and clear his throat. This made Sasha just about run in front of him and say,

"Kaiba-sama, this is Seto-san, the boy that you agreed to play chess with to decided the terms of adoption." Her voice quivered as it had on the first day the brunette had met Sasha; it was obvious to anyone that she was terrified of Gozobaru. Gozobaru said nothing, simply sat down at the chair across from Seto, who had previously set up the only chess board in the room that had all of it's pieces. Taking out a coin, Sasha looked at Seto pointedly and flipped it. The brunette, taking the hint, said,

"Heads." as the coin went up in the air. It landed in her delicate hand and she flipped it to the back of her right hand, showing it to Gozobaru and then to Seto in turn. It was indeed heads. Seto picked up his king's side knight, and the game began……

……Seven moves by the ten year old later, and the brunette said in a neutral tone, not betraying any of the smugness that he felt,

"Check mate." The black haired man was stunned, and it showed plainly on his face. This was not how he had obviously thought the match would go. Standing with a controlling air, he spoke for the first time to Sasha.

"Onna, wa tsuretekuru karera ni ima. Itte Kimasu. [2]." His voice was tough and unpleasant to listen to; almost like the sound of a tarp dragging on blacktop, except about 50 decibels lower. With that, Gozobaru Kaiba turned and left the room. Sasha still visibly shook, and didn't look up from the floor where she had been the entire time until they heard the door close. When she did look up, she smiled broadly at Seto and said,

"Great job. I knew you'd win; of course, you don't need me to point that out. Is your stuff packed up, or should I come and help you get ready to leave? We can go as soon as you and your brother are ready." Seto nodded and went to his room to pack up the few possessions he had, Sasha following him. Mokuba was there, just zipping up his small book bag with all of his belongings in it. When he saw Seto and Sasha walk in though, he stopped and tackled his brother in a hug, saying,

"You did it!! Yay!! I knew you could!! Now we can go live with Sasha!!" Seto smiled at his brother and ruffled his hair gently, and then said,

"Well, if I can't get up, than how can I pack so we can go?" his tone was clearly joking, and at that, Mokuba hopped off and said,

"Alright, alright big brother. I'm going to the game room to say goodbye to Sachiko and Toad." Seto nodded and began to pack up his things in the navy blue colored book bag that he pulled from under his bed, and about five minutes later, he was completely ready never to see this miserable place again. Following Sasha to the game room to get Mokuba, he wasn't surprised to see a group of kids talking to the black haired energy ball. Sasha smiled right-out at the sight, and then said,

"Can I possibly get a picture of all of you guys? Maybe around the chess board, since it's still set up?" She ushered Seto to one of the chairs, and Mokuba got into the other one, and with that, she pulled a camera out of her pants pocket and said,

"Everyone say 'Chizu' [3]!!" And with that, Seto smiled and the flash went off; he was truly happy for once in his young life [4]……

TBC……

MnS: How was that?

KnH: Better than the last chapter, though still not the best thing out there…-_-'

MnS: :P I know that already! I personally thought that it was terrible, but hey, maybe someone out there liked it? ::looks hopefully at the reader::

Reader: ::sweatdrops::

MnS: -_-'

Seto: -_-' R'n'R. Another chapter will probably be out soon. Unfortunately……

Footnotes:

[1] - I have no idea what Gozobaru Kaiba looks like, and so, I made this up entirely. Don't flame me for it please!! ^^;;;

[2] - This big long sentence means "Woman, you will bring them now. I'm leaving." And the way in which he addresses Sasha is about as degrading as you would address a slave, to put it in context for you.

[3] - Not very hard to figure out that this one means "Cheese". ^_^!

[4] - Guess what picture this is……^_^!!