**AN update, yay…. I try not to take that long, I really do but you know I don't want to put them up like one after the other, one day and then the next. This one I kept of purpose, I'll try to update about ever two weeks and if I don't, add me and yell at me lol… I'll get my butt in gear. But yah…I'm pretty sure this is edited, my editor gave me a disk and said everything on it was edited and if it's not let me know and I'll get right on that. Anyway… I highly doubt any of you can guess what happens at the end of the next chapter… but if you do then good for you.. I have it done, it's edited and everything actually… so is chapter 9… but I'm not putting them up yet, I'll probably wait longer after shapter 8 lol… we'll see… anyway, review and let me know what you think J J **

Depression Overload

Serenity pulled the thick dark blanket over her head, trying to escape the bright spring sun pouring into her room. Why hadn't she closed the bloody blinds? It wasn't until she rolled over and didn't fall off the bed that things began to register in her mind. For one thing, she didn't have a thick dark blanket, she had a sheet pinned up on her window so the light didn't get in and she only had a single bed. She suddenly shot up, flinging the blanket off her upper body and blinking in the bright light. She was in the Kaiba mansion. Memories suddenly came flooding back into her mind. She recalled receiving a package in the mail, and then going to a huge ball type thing with Mokuba. The guns, the shooting, the screaming and than Kaiba. She screamed and curled up into a little ball, bringing the blanket back over her head. She wanted to cry but it seemed her eyes refused to. She remembered crying and crying, over and over all last night. Then she remembered paramedics, and police and leaving the hotel, but after that she couldn't recall much of anything except crawling into bed. She secretly wondered what it was she'd done during the hours of the night she couldn't recall at all. Though her thoughts were interrupted when a very worried looking Mokuba came scrambling into the room.

"Ren, Ren, are you okay?" Mokuba asked, but he didn't get an answer. "Serenity!" he said loudly.

Serenity rolled onto her back and brought the blanket down just far enough so he could see her eyes. She examined him closely. His head was bound tightly in white bandages, as where several other places on his body, including his ribs. There was a scratch just below his left eye and several others on his arms and chest. She blinked a few times before slowly sitting up. She slid her hand into his and looked deep into his worried eyes. Then she kissed him and threw her arms around his neck and started crying, again.

"You're okay!" she sobbed into his shoulder.

It was Mokuba's turn to blink, "I'm okay? You're the one who was chased around a 29 story hotel by two mad men with guns."

"Yes, but they hurt you," Serenity said loosening her grip on his neck so she could see his face.

"They could have killed you," Mokuba said sitting down on the bed, just beside her.

"Yes but…" Serenity didn't really know what to say. They sat in silence for a few moments, staring into each others eyes before Serenity blinked and got a confused look on her face. "How'd I get here?" she asked.

"You don't remember anything?" Mokuba asked.

"Well I remember getting all bandaged and getting a few needles and then every thing pretty much went blank," Serenity told him.

Mokuba laughed quietly, but didn't tell her anything about her adventures the night before. She was probably better off not knowing she had stripped in the middle of his stairway or that she had attached herself to Seto's leg. "I brought you here," he answered.

"Why didn't you take me home?" she asked.

"Well two reasons actually. One, I don't know where you live and two, I was in no state to be explaining anything to your brother," Mokuba explained and stood up.

"Oh, I understand," Serenity said, nodding.

"Yes" Mokuba said, walking towards the door.

"Wait!" Serenity shrieked, jumping out of bed and running over to Mokuba. "Where are you going?"

"Well I thought I'd let you get dressed…" Mokuba said slowly as he looked up and down Serenity's short body.

Serenity too looked down at herself and blushed. She grabbed Mokuba's chin and made him look her in the eye. "You better not be looking at me," Serenity scolded him playfully.

"Would I do that?" Mokuba asked, flashing one of his sexy smiles and wrapping his arms around her bare waist. Serenity squealed when his cold hands touched her skin, but followed his lead and put her arms around his neck. Together they stood drowning in each other's loving glares until Seto Kaiba's face flashed in front of Serenity and she went limp in Mokuba's arm, crying into her hands. It didn't help that Kaiba walked into the room just then either.

"What's wrong with her?" Kaiba asked.

Serenity gasped and looked up. She saw Kaiba's buckled boots and followed his long legs up and looked into his icy, hateful glare. Serenity recalled the looks she'd gotten the night before from the all powerful Seto Kaiba and these weren't it. He didn't look like he was going to protect her anymore. He looked like, should the opportunity come up, that he'd simply call her a whore again. Perhaps worse, now that she'd pretty much proved she was a whore. She accepted his kisses despite that fact she was involved with his younger brother.

"Get up," Kaiba ordered.

"Piss off, Seto," Mokuba frowned at his brother. "Whatever happened last night it's obviously upset her. Tell me what happened."

Seto looked back down at Serenity's tear streaked face, and squinted. Serenity gave him a pleading look. The last thing she needed now was to have to deal with Mokuba hating her because of what had happened.

"Hmm, well, she was nearly shot several times over, she ended up in a mental hospital where she was molested by some psychopath, those men ripped her 500 dollar dress generally exposing her to me and then she was drugged." Kaiba said shrugging, Serenity eternally grateful for him skipping over the part in the dark room. "I'm not so sure what's upsetting her so much."

"Nothing," Serenity said, wiping the tears from her eyes and standing up. Though she regretted that move when she watched Kaiba's eyes look at her practically naked body. Mokuba noticed it too though and immediately stepped in the way.

"We'll let you get dressed," He said leading his brother out of the room.

Serenity sighed as they left and looked around the large bright room. It was then that she realized she didn't have anything to get dressed into. Serenity poked her head into the hallway where Seto and Mokuba spoke quietly. She cleared her voice slightly and both heads flashed towards her.

"Er- ah, I have no clothes…" Serenity said quietly.

Mokuba opened his mouth to speak but then closed it again. "No, I don't suppose you do…"

"Get her one of the uniforms," Kaiba suggested, not too sure why he cared. "Ask Marie where they are, I'm sure one will fit. They are fairly skimpy but I suppose a whore like you wouldn't mind."

Serenity blinked back tears again and nodded, closing the door behind her. She was so confused. She didn't know what to do, she liked Mokuba a lot but every time she thought of him Seto Kaiba popped into her head. It didn't matter though, Seto hated her, and he had made that incredibly obvious. She wouldn't consider going after Kaiba anyway, he was cold, and harsh, and every other mean thing Serenity could think of. Serenity grabbed a blanket off the bed and sat on the windowsill. Her room faced the front of the house. She watched as Seto Kaiba walked down the walkway and got into the long black stretch limousine. She could have sworn he looked at her. When Mokuba came back with clothes for her she quickly put them on and had Mokuba take her to Mai's house. She need some time to think, alone, away from either of the Kaiba's.

~*~*~*~*~

"How'd it go?" Mai asked as Serenity walked into her apartment. Serenity thought about that answer for a while and then decided to tell Mai most of what happened.

"Oh god!" Mai gasped when Serenity told her first about the molesting crazy man and then being shot at. "And where was Mokuba during all of this?" she demanded.

"He was sitting in the back of a car, bleeding from his head with a concussion," Serenity told her. "But Kaiba was with me... not really a good thing, but he didn't let me get shot."

Mai leaned back in her chair, thinking of something. "I think perhaps… you should stay at my house for a few days, until your scratches heal, we don't want to have to explain any of this to your dearest brother."

Serenity nodded and began walking towards the bathroom. "I'm going to borrow some of your pajamas after I have a shower and sleep for the next 24 hours. Call the school and tell them I'm dead," Serenity mumbled.

"Uh… can I just tell them you're sick?" Mai asked.

"Whatever," Serenity said closing the door behind her. She did just as she'd said too. She got up once and a while during the next two days to eat and go to the bathroom. She was seriously considering spending a few extra days doing this, but then she ran her finger through her hair and felt the grease. Serenity sighed and rolled out of the now rather familiar bed and got in the shower. She threw on a pair of sweats she found in the very corner of Mai's closet. Finding a shirt was a bit more difficult though because Mai constantly insisted on showing off her stomach, and Serenity wasn't big into that, especially not right now. Serenity sat down in front of the T.V. and found herself rather restless, and craving chocolate. She went into the bathroom and looked at herself. Her hair was stringy, and kind of dull looking. That she could have lived with, it was the dark bags under her eyes that finally convinced her to throw on some of Mai's make up, just a bit of cover-up.

She left the apartment building, grabbing an extra key and heading for the convenience store three blocks away. She didn't even bother to change her shoes and still wore her slippers. She secretly wished she had put a little more effort into looking half-decent when some guys in an alley started laughing at her and talking about trash. But she just kept on walking, she wanted chocolate and she wanted it now!

She bought five chocolate bars and a pail of mint chocolate chip ice cream before walking back to Mai's and sitting down in front of her TV. She turned it on and gasped when she saw her face on the screen. She listened as it talked about the people at Kaiba's conference and how two people had been shot and Kaiba and some mystery girl had been chased around the hotel while Mokuba had only narrowly been rescued from the mad people. She silently thanked God that Joey never watched the news, though she wasn't so sure about Yugi and Tristan, or even Tea. They would tell Joey. Serenity chewed on her fingernails and she continued to watch the story and slightly amused by the fact that neither of the Kaiba brothers had given the reporters her name.

Serenity's mind was suddenly filled with the episodes of that night. She'd purposely made her body think she had a hangover so she'd be able to forget it for at least awhile. She sighed when she thought of Mokuba and nearly screamed when she thought of Seto. How was it possible for two people to be so incredibly different? Maybe Mokuba was adopted… but that made no sense. Then again, their birth parents had died, not abandoned them, so it could make sense. But Kaiba being that much older would know. There was no way either of them could be adopted and them not know about it. But maybe they had different fathers… that was a possibility. The two didn't really look alike at all. Though they had the same blue eyes… they could have gotten that from their mother. Or perhaps they had the same mother and father and Seto was just completely like his father and Mokuba like his mother. But why would anyone want to marry someone as horrible as Seto Kaiba? Maybe it was an arranged marriage, even now those still existed. They weren't common, but they exist none-the-less. Or maybe Seto was an alien from a race that looked completely like humans with highly advanced brains who was secretly planted into his mothers womb…

Serenity shook her head; she was just being silly now. They were obviously related and maybe they just got completely different personalities. Her and her brother weren't that much alike… well no that wasn't true… deep down they were generally the same. That brought Serenity to think about making out with Kaiba… and then kissing Mokuba. She slouched down a little, that's really not how she'd wanted their first kiss to be like. She'd wanted it to be romantic, by the ocean, in the moonlight… well at least when they were both dressed. She blushed remember how both the Kaiba brothers had seen her in her underwear. She was still un-aware of her actions the night before. It was probably going to stay like that too.

Serenity was suddenly bolted back to reality when something cold and wet went running down the side of her leg. Her ice cream was melting right through the box.

"Whoever came up with putting ice cream in boxes should be shot," Serenity mumbled as she got up and put the ice cream in the freezer and opened a crunch bar instead. She munched happily while watching one of her favorite shows, Sailor Moon. Sailor Moon always made her happy, she was such a happy girl. Though, it didn't last for long when a scene with Usagi and Mamoru-chan came in. She threw the remote at the TV as they told each other how much the loved each other and then she got the close-up of them kissing.

"Stupid lucky cartoon character," Serenity mumbled retrieving the remote and flipping through the channel again. "Oh Dragonball Z! There's never any kissing in this show." Serenity squealed as Goku brought home some blue haired chick named Launch to Master Roshi. Though, that show didn't last long either when Launch turned into the blonde bandit and started shooting everyone, it reminded her of Kaiba, running down the halls and then hiding the blasted 'help me' room!

"Stupid guns, stupid men!" She shouted, once again chucking the remote at the TV. After a few moments of hyperventilating she retrieved it again and shouted enthusiastically when she found Inu-Yasha. "There's no kissing or guns in this show!" Serenity watch, cheering Inu-Yasha on as he fought the evil Thunder brothers although ended up lying face down on the couch screaming into her pillow when Inu-Yasha killed a toad like Thunder Brother and the normal one got all brotherly and blabbed on about avenging his brother.

"Stupid cartoons!" she screamed, though managing to keep her composer this time as she flipped to Medabots, and watched as Metabee helped Oceana find her body. She managed to keep watching through all their lovey-dovey constant eye contact scenes though she finally threw the remote again at the very end when Metabee went running to the edge of the cliff, crying and yelling out Oceana's name after she left him.

"Whoa, hot stuff!" Mai said as she walked in just in time to see Serenity chuck the remote at the TV. "Those suckers aren't cheap these days." Serenity threw a completely evil look at Mai before ripping into her third chocolate bar and chewing loudly. "Oh dear Serenity…" Mai said as she looked at the mess on her living room table. "Perhaps allowing you to sit around all day in such a state isn't such a good idea. Come on, put some clothes on. We'll go get ice cream." Everyone who knew Serenity knew that ice cream was her weak spot but this time the ice cream reminded her of the stuff in the freezer that had just recently got running down her leg which just happen to be during the news program all about her and the Kaiba brothers. Serenity took on deep breath, and then another, continually until she was sure she wouldn't kill Mai if she said something else.

She turned, a frown on her face before cheerfully answering. "How about pizza?"

~*~*~*~*~

Things just went downhill from there though. Serenity had fully convinced herself she didn't deserve Mokuba and avoided him at all costs. She never turned her cell phone on, and when she was home she never answered the phone. Mokuba had even gone so far to find out where her and Joey's apartment was located and came usually two or three times a day. Serenity just sat on her bed, hugging her Sailor Moon plushie, wishing him away. She didn't have the guts to face him. She knew she'd lose control, and if she didn't then she'd hurt him by running away and refusing to talk to him. More than once she saw him at school and quickly ran away before he could either see her or catch up to her. She was fairly sure he knew she was avoiding him by now.

Serenity took to wearing hats too. That was for when Mokuba drove around trying to find her she could easily disguise herself. Though one time he saw right through her disguise, she had only narrowly been able to get away in time and not only did she have to buy a new school uniform after that but she'd sprained her wrist. It was shortly after that, that she decided to get a hair cut.

"Oh dear," the hairdresser said when Serenity walked in. Apparently her hair was looking particularly dead. "What do you want done with it?"

"I don't know…" Serenity admitted. "I just want it totally different."

"Well we could go really short," the hairdresser suggested.

Serenity bit her lip as she looked in the mirror and shook her head. No matter how dead her hair was looking right now she still couldn't bare to have it all cut off. In the end they decided to cut about five inches off and then streak it a kind of burgundy red color. Serenity actually kind of liked it, it looked different and Mokuba would have more troubles seeing her and it looked good, she was rather proud of herself.

It didn't stay looking nice for long though. And it didn't help disguise her for long either. Only three days after she'd gotten it done Mokuba managed to corner her. Thankfully Joey had been there to bale her out. And thankfully for Mokuba, Mai had been there to bale him out. Serenity had pretended she didn't want Mokuba even looking at her and he'd gotten some fairly nasty threats from Joey when Serenity started screaming how she wanted him to leave her alone. It didn't make her feel very good though and for the next several days she found herself to be particularly sick… every morning… and evening. Even Joey, as unobservant as he was, could tell his sister wasn't well. He went so far as to ask her if she was pregnant.

"No!" Serenity said quickly.

"You can tell me Ren… just as long as you don't tell me the guy he should be okay," Joey assured her.

"I'm not pregnant Joey!" Serenity insisted.

"Well something's wrong," Joey said.

"I- I'm just not feeling well," Serenity lied.

"Yes, well I can see that," Joey said, one eyebrow raised.

Serenity examined herself in the mirror. She was incredibly pale, her lips were blue and the bags beneath her eyes refused to go away no matter how much she slept. Her hair, which was now only about 4 inches below her shoulders, hung limply, showing no evidence to it's former beauty. Her skin seemed to be hanging off her, as if she was half dead. She felt half dead, that was a fact. She'd grown rather fond of Mokuba, and she didn't feel she deserved him, yet she couldn't bring herself to tell him anything.

"You've got to go see a doctor," Joey said.

"No, I'm fine," Serenity argued.

"No you're not!" Joey yelled. Though their argument was interrupted when the doorbell rang. "Coming!" Joey ran to the door. Serenity gasped when she heard Mokuba's distressed voice.

"I've got to talk to your sister," Mokuba said urgently.

"She said she wanted you to leave her alone and if you don't get out of here right now I'm going to have to hurt you," Joey threatened.

"Ren," Mokuba shouted. "Ren please!"

Serenity stood, clutching the edge of the counter, fighting her urge to run to him. Her knuckles turned white, and her face slightly red as she forgot to breathe. She took short quick breaths until Joey finally managed to get him to go away. Serenity fell to her knees on the bathroom floor, unaware of the pain she was inflicting upon herself. Joey picked her up and carried her to the couch in their living room. He wrapped his arms around her, and they sat silently together. Joey expected her to cry, or at least talk to him. But she didn't, she sat, staring into space, feeling only partially safe in her brother's muscular arms. It was a familiar feeling, that same warmth, but a different scent. For hours they said nothing, until Serenity finally fell asleep. Joey carried her to her bed, and sat, his head in his hand, tears streaming down his cheeks. His sister obviously wasn't well and there was nothing he could do about it. He felt incredibly helpless.

~*~*~*~*~

I've got to get her alone, when her brother isn't there, and where she can't run away, Mokuba thought as he laid in his dark room, eyes wide open, staring at the roof. He too knew she wasn't well, he saw her at school, and watched as she ran away from him. She was not the Serenity he remembered. Something had happened that night, and Mokuba just couldn't figure out what it was. The thought that perhaps something had happened between her and his older brother never crossed his mind. Ever since he'd been younger he'd completely trusted his older brother. Even looked up to him. Never did he think his brother would betray him, and so he continued to rack his brain for other explanations.

His first assumption was that she just needed time, being chased by mad men, and being molested by some crazy guy couldn't really have been good. Especially for some one as quiet as Serenity. She probably still hadn't told anyone. Though most people probably knew, it had been all over the news for nearly a week after. After much persuasion Mokuba had convinced his brother not to tell the press her name. That was the last thing he wanted for her, especially now. Reporters watching her every move, crowding outside her door, following her to school.

Mokuba sighed, she barely ever came to the class they had together. And when she did she usually left halfway through, not giving Mokuba the chance to corner her again. Once he followed her though, but she'd gone into the girl's bathroom.

Mokuba listened; he heard her gag and then throw up. Normally, he'd have been disgusted, but this time he was worried. He stayed outside the girl's bathroom until she finally came out. She tried to run back in but Mokuba grabbed her arm.

"What's wrong?" he demanded.

"Nothing," she mumbled trying to pull her arm free.

"Something is wrong Serenity, you're sick. Why won't you tell me?" he asked.

"I- I can't," she told him, keeping her eyes on the ground.

"Serenity, Serenity look at me. What did I do wrong?"

"Nothing… you didn't do anything," she said quietly, though she didn't look at him.

"Then why are you avoiding. Dammit, why won't you look at me!?" Mokuba shrieked.

Serenity then wrenched her arm free and ran back into the bathroom and threw up again. Mokuba immediately regretted getting upset but he refused to leave her like she was. He continued to talk to her, but she didn't answer.

"Serenity, please, just let me take you home, or to the hospital or something. You're not well," Mokuba begged.

After ten minutes of him pleading she finally replied, though it wasn't the reply he wanted. "No!" she shrieked. "Just leave me alone!"

Mokuba was about to reply again when the bell rang and students came pouring out of the classroom. Joey immediately began eyeing Mokuba up and asked Tea to go see if Serenity was in there. Tea brought her out and they took her home and put her to bed. Though not until after they'd taken her to the hospital, but she'd refused to go in, and when Joey had just carried her in kicking and screaming she'd refused to let the doctor look at her.

Mokuba didn't want to get on Joey's bad side. If he ever wanted Serenity to forgive him for whatever he'd done he'd need Joey's approval too… or at least his consent. Serenity and her brother were really close. He took care of her really well, but Mokuba had the ackward feeling that this was beyond Joey's control. It had something to do with the night at the hotel, but Mokuba just couldn't figure out what it was. He asked Seto more than once what went on and his answer was always the same. He never mentioned anything about him kissing her, and he easily fooled Mokuba. He didn't really care either, just as long as Mokuba didn't end up like Serenity, he didn't care. She wasn't his problem.

Serenity had said that he hadn't done anything, but Mokuba found it difficult to believe her. He'd obviously done something or she wouldn't be avoiding him. Even if something had happened to her in the hotel, it must have involved him in one way or another to make her avoid him.

Mokuba finally fell asleep, but his dreams where littered with Serenity's pale face.

~*~*~*~*~

"I'm worried about Serenity," Joey told Mai.

"So am I, but even considering what happened that night, she shouldn't be like she is. I can see her being upset, but not sick over it," Mai said.

Joey leaned back on the couch and put his feet up on the coffee table. "Do you think it has something to do with Mokuba?"

"Hey, that could be it," Mai agreed.

"I mean, I know what it's like to be in love and I don't think I could live very healthily without you," Joey said.

Mai smiled, and blushed. "But it doesn't explain why she avoids him. It's not like he doesn't try to see her, and every time she either avoids him or you run him off."

"Well I can't let him come near her if she doesn't want him too," Joey said, slightly distressed.

"Joey, sometimes what we want, isn't what we need," Mai said seriously. "Maybe you should let Mokuba bug her once and awhile. Maybe she'll finally tell him why she avoids him. It's obvious she likes the kid. I know you don't want to admit that your baby sister might think of any other man in any other way but she's sick Joey. Something's wrong with her."

"I know!" Joey yelled, a tear falling from his eye.

"It's okay Joey," Mai said, wrapping her arms around him. "Maybe it's just one of those things you have to let her get through on her own. But we should try letting Mokuba get at her once and awhile. When she shrieks, just pretend you don't hear it or something."

"I can't do that," Joey said. "I just can't do that."

"Well maybe you should just try to avoid her more often then. Give Mokuba more chances to corner her. I think it'll help her Joey, I really do," Mai said, tears in her eyes too. Over the last several years Mai had grown rather attached to Joey's younger sister. She was just like a really cool little sister that didn't get on your nerves but you still had to look out for. But she was still delicate, and young. She was going through something Mai just couldn't relate too. Until recently, when she'd met Joey, she'd never known real love and so long as she knew Joey she'd never known real heart break. That's what Mai thought Serenity was going through, though it was different all at the same time. Because Mokuba obviously wasn't rejecting her. It seemed that Serenity was rejecting Mokuba, even though she didn't want to. Mai secretly wondered if it didn't have something to do with the elder Kaiba brother.

**Soooo…?? Any one got any ideas of what happens next?? Lol I'm curious to see what you all think is gonna happen next. This was an amusing chapter to write, especially the part where she's watching TV lol… yes I know she's a cartoon character and that she's talking about watching other chartoon characters but what can you do, those are my other favorite shows… at least the old episodes of medabots were, I don't like the new ones. She's eating my favortie kind of ice cream to and … yah I t was just a really fun chapter to right and I hope you all like it. The next chapter is really.. something lol… at least the second part of it is.. I'm going to stop now… review and let me know what you think oh and ppl with MSN feel free to add me and talk to me, don't expect any spoilers though, cuz you don't get any. Though I am writing another story that's kind of a carry on of this one, but not… lol I'll put that one up soon too… it's really cute so far. Be waiting for it. Anyway… I hope you like it and I will update as soon I feel I ought to lol, the more reviews the sooner it'll be, feel free to tell your friends about this story lol… if you like it… anyway.. **