Chapter 7
Silent Destines Intertwine

After months of recovery, Nodoka went back home. Mokuba watched her closely and every other Friday, Dr. Keshi would stop by and visit. One dark night, Nodoka was watching TV when Mokuba jumped over the back of the couch and landed on the floor with a thud. "Someone's at the door," Mokuba said.

Nodoka blinked awkwardly and got to her feet. She walked over to the door grabbed her sword which she had set on a corner table on the right side of the door. She opened the door and Seto stood there. Nodoka was scared to see him. She took a step back, tripped over the rug and land on her butt. She yelped and scooted back. He stepped backwards down the front steps. Mokuba crawled out from behind the couch and then sat on his legs. They all silently looked at each other. Mokuba jumped to his feet and ran infront of Nodoka. He said no words, just stared at his elder brother. Seto lowered his gaze and stepped into the house. The young Mokuba became tense, his muscles twitched. Seto approached his brother. Mokuba, now grown to a few inches shorter that Seto's shoulder, looked his brother in the eye and forced him to step back. Seto slowly lowered himself to sit on the floor. Nodoka slowly got to her feet, feeling weak; she used the banister of the stairway to support herself.

Mokuba growled. "You aren't supposed to be here!" he shouted. "I had a restraining order put on you and Mai two months ago!"

"I know," said Seto. "I wish for you to have it removed."

"No!" said Mokuba. Seto got to his feet and took a step towards Mokuba. "Get back now, you hear? Stay away!"

Seto knelt infront of his younger brother. "Mokuba, please, I beg you, let me at least talk to Nodoka!" he pleaded.

Mokuba looked at Nodoka. "You can't. No one can," he said calmly.

"What? Why not?"

"She hasn't spoken since four months ago in the hospital. She woke up from her sleep suddenly. She was clutching her chest, she said her heart hurt."

Seto got to his feet. "Her. heart?" Mokuba nodded in response.

Nodoka whimpered. Mokuba turned his head to look at her. "I'm going to take her up to bed. I'll be back in a moment." Mokuba helped Nodoka walk up the stairs and into her room. He tucked her in and walked back down the stairs.

"So, she hasn't spoken at all?" Seto asked.

"Not once." Mokuba walked into the living room and sat on the couch.

"You've grown a lot since the last time I saw you," Seto said.

"Sheesh, how long ago was that?" They laughed. "So how have you been?"

Seto sat down heavily on the couch. "It's been troublesome. I don't know what I'm doing anymore."

"It's Mai, she's been messing with you. Get over it, or go home," Mokuba snickered.

"Hey, 'Kuba. I'm fine. I'll stay for a little." Mokuba nodded. Seto looked around the house. "It's been a while since I've been in here. It's quite peaceful when I'm not getting yelled at by someone." Mokuba smiled. Seto jumped to his feet and turned to face Mokuba. "I'm sorry!" he shouted.

"What?"

"I called you 'Kuba. I'm sorry. I won't do it again."

"Hey, it's alright Seto." Mokuba stood and walked over to the kitchen. "Big brother. you want something to eat?"

Something was heard rolling down the stairs. Seto ran into the other room. "Nodoka!" He knelt down at her side and held her close to him. She was shaking. She clutched onto his jacket.

Mokuba ran into the room, he held a damp rag in his hand. Nodoka moved her arms to Seto's back and held on tightly. Seto's back twitched. "What's wrong Seto?" Mokuba asked.

"She's clawing me."

"But she's asleep now." It was true. Nodoka had fallen asleep in Seto Kaiba's arms. Seto lifted the sleeping girl and walked up the stairs. "Seto. don't try anything funny. alright."

"No worries." He took her up to her room and set her in the bed. He knelt at her side and held her hand. "Nodoka, I'm sorry I ever did such a thing. It isn't my intention to hurt you anymore. I hope you understand that I would do anything for you. anything."

Nodoka's eyes flew open. She had heard two of those sentences before, in her dream at the hospital. "Seto," she whispered weakly. Startled by her voice, Seto looked up at her. "I. I cannot love a man with such a cold heart as yours. Such a man that would turn against his own flesh and blood. It does not matter that Mai is in your life." She paused for a minute. "Blood is thicker than water." Tears trickled down her face. "And for the choices you have made, I can't love you."

Broken, Seto stood. "I understand," he said. "Good bye." Seto Kaiba turned and left the tearful Nodoka in her bed. Seto walked down the stairs. Mokuba leaned against the rail. Gaze on the floor, the elder Kaiba said, "Go comfort her. She needs it." With those remaining words, Seto disappeared. Confused, Mokuba ran upstairs. He spoke with Nodoka and they agreed she should go out and get some fresh air tomorrow.

The next day, Nodoka went to get groceries. Her temperament had improved and she was feeling better. But as she was on her way to the store she noticed two men following her. Only until they disappeared around a corner did she feel a little better. But when she walked past an alley they jumped out and grabbed her. They flung her into the alley. It was a dead end. "Rapists during the day? That's rare." Nodoka prepared herself to fight. They approached and grabbed her. She struggled violently. One of them ripped open her shirt. Nodoka bit down on one of their shoulders. He slammed her to the ground. Something came from above. The dark figure attacked the two men and trapped them in a nearby dumpster. "Who are you?" Nodoka asked as she held her shirt together.

"My name, is Terran Mason," he said turning. He wore a black jacket, blue jeans and a dark green shirt; on his forehead was a tenugui with the print of the American flag on it. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Nodoka."

"I thank you. for helping me, that is," she said

Terran removed his leather jacket and handed it to her. "Here, I'll walk you home." Nodoka took the jacket and zipped it up. "Let's go."

Nodoka and the mysterious Terran walked through the streets. When they arrived at the house, Mokuba opened the door and looked at them confused. "Right, so you walk out on the street and find a boyfriend, is that it?" Mokuba laughed.

"I don't think so 'Kuba. He just helped me," Nodoka laughed. She walked upstairs, and changed her shirt. She walked down in her black long-sleeve shirt and tossed Terran his jacket.

"I had no idea you guys knew Seto Kaiba. Shit. his brother and the girl he likes in the same home. Sheesh. that's insane," Terran said sitting on the couch.

"Shoes off the couch," Mokuba said.

"Oh, sorry." Terran looked at Mokuba, then to Nodoka. "So, are you two like, going out or something?" Nodoka and Mokuba looked blankly at each other and then threw a pillow at Terran, who fell off the couch trying to dodge them. He then started laughing.

"Don't make us hit you again!" Nodoka growled.

"Next time it will be harder, do you understand?" Mokuba said.

Terran spent the night on the couch. In the middle of the night, Mokuba walked downstairs from his room and into the kitchen. "Hey," said Terran.

"What?" Mokuba looked at him with an annoyed expression.

"What have you got against me, kid?" Terran sat up on the couch and looked over the back at Mokuba.

Mokuba sighed. "Nothing. I guess I'm just too worked up about some things. I wanted Nodoka to be with Seto. But they aren't getting along. So I've given up on that decision. Then there was Tristan. They were great together. But he let her go so that he could be with Joey's sister, Serenity." Mokuba sat down at the table. "I think Bakura would rather run away scared."

"Kid, what you gotta do is let things take their course," Terran said. "Ya know?"

"Yeah," said Mokuba. "But, it's really hard to do that when someone takes care of you and you can't do anything back for them." Mokuba sighed. "It just eats at me when I hear her crying at night."

"Ms. Nodoka cries?" Terran asked.

"Yeah," Mokuba set his head on the table. "I'm just so tired of their arguing."

"Think of it this way," Terran said. "If it's meant to be, then it will happen."

Mokuba stood up. "Good night Terran."

"Later Mokuba."

The next day, Mokuba and Terran were watching TV. The doorbell rang and Mokuba stood up with a soda in his left hand. He walked over to the door and opened it. "Hello?"

"Mokuba." Seto stood in the doorway. He was wearing something that made his little brother choke. Seto wore a yellow t-shirt and a blue Hawaiian shirt over it with blue jean shorts and brown sandals.

"S. S. Seto!" Mokuba shouted. "What the hell are you wearing?"

"I was wondering if you and Nodoka wanted to go to the beach," he said.

"Um. why don't you ask her, she's upstairs," Mokuba said as he snickered and went back to the couch.

Seto walked up the stairs and went to the room on the right. He knocked on the door. "Nodoka?"

"Come in." Seto walked in and his jaw dropped. "Shut the door you moron," Nodoka said. She had just gotten out of the shower and had her hair wrapped up in a towel and hand a towel wrapped around her. "What was it you wanted?" she asked, with her back to him.

"I was. I was. um. wondering if. you and Mokuba wanted to go to the beach," Seto said.

Nodoka slowly turned around and looked down at Seto's crotch. "Is that a banana in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?" she said.

Seto looked at her puzzled and looked down. "Whoa!" He turned around, opened the door and ran out.

Nodoka ran to her bedroom door. "Don't fall down the."

Too late, Seto tripped rolled down the stairs and landed with at thud on the floor. Mokuba stood and walked until he was five feet from his brother. "You got excited again, didn't you Seto?" he said.

"Yes." Seto mumbled.

Mokuba turned and took a sip of his drink. "Baka," he said. He walked back over to the couch and sat down.

Terran looked to Mokuba. "What happened," he asked.

"Seto saw Nodoka in her bath towel. you know what happened," Mokuba said. He sat back and Terran began laughing.

Seto stood up. Mokuba tossed his older brother a couch pillow. Seto caught it and put it infront of his 'standing ovation'. Seto then walked over to Terran. "Who the hell are you anyway?"

Terran stopped laughing and looked awkwardly at Seto. "I'm Terran Mason, Ms. Nodoka's bodyguard."

"Hm? Bodyguard? What does she need a bodyguard for?" Seto growled.

"I'm not official, I just hired myself as such," Terran yawned.

"So what happened?" Seto growled.

"Don't get mad Seto," Mokuba said. "You weren't there, and Terran saved her. You don't know the story."

"Well I would if someone would tell me!" Seto shouted at them.

Terran stood up, this forced Seto to take a step back. "Mr. Kaiba, I request that you do not yell in the house of a lady."

"Huh?" A puzzled look came over Seto's face.

"Sir," Terran said, turning his right side to Seto. "You have no right asking Ms. Nodoka and Mokuba to go with you when you have a fiancé, or wife, which ever. So sir. it is with my deepest respect that I ask you to leave."

"What the hell?"

"Sir, I am hell," Terran looked to Seto, his blue eyes shone red. "And like I said before. I ask you to leave."

Seto growled and threw a punch at Terran, hitting the red-eyed boy in the face and sending him over the couch. Mokuba stood up and dropped his soda on the floor. "Ah! Seto! What'd you do that for?"

Seto looked at his hands. "What am I doing?" He began to tremble.

Nodoka came down the stairs drying her hair with her towel and wearing black jeans and a white v-neck blouse. "What's going on?" she asked, extremely clueless. Terran slowly got to his feet. Blood streaked from the right corner of his mouth. "Terran? You alright?" Terran nodded, but kept his eyes on the trembling Seto. "Seto?" Nodoka dropped the towel.

Seto looked to Nodoka. "I'm sorry," he said.

Nodoka froze. "What did you say?"

"I. I gotta go!" Seto walked past Mokuba and was about to walk past Nodoka when she stopped him by putting her left hand out and on his chest.

"Seto," she said, staring at the wall, and not at him. Both of their gazes fell to the floor. "I don't know what's going on. with you and Mai that is. But. even though things can't work between us, I'd be glad to talk to you about it," she said softly. "So if you're leaving, go ahead." She paused, lowered her arm and looked him in the eyes. "Make the right choices Seto. Don't do anything that's going to make you unhappy!" Seto said nothing; he just walked to the door, opened it, and left. Nodoka walked to the door and watched him leave. When he was out of sight, she closed the door.

Nodoka walked into the living room. Terran was sitting on the couch, his mouth still bleeding. "You can't trust him, Ms. Nodoka," he said.

She looked at Terran. "You better not be bleeding on my couch, damn it!" she shouted at him.

Terran jumped to his feet and looked at her with a startled expression. "Blood? Oh I forgot!"

"Get in the kitchen. baka." Nodoka and Terran walked into the kitchen "Over the sink." Terran leaned over the sink and Nodoka handed him a towel. "Wipe your mouth and then dampen the cloth and get the inside of your mouth. Trust me.the taste of blood really sucks."

Nodoka left the kitchen and jumped over the back of the couch, landing next to Mokuba. "Mokuba," she said. "Have you been going to school?"

"Nodoka," Mokuba said. "It's Sunday, you're losing it."

"Damn. it's Sunday?"

"Yeah," Terran said, walking from the kitchen with an ice pack on his cheek.

Nodoka sighed. "That proves it. I have no life. nor a brain." She then laughed. Mokuba looked at her with a questioning look. "Who's up for laser tag?"

Terran and Mokuba jumped up from the couch. "I AM!" They both shouted.