You, Revisited

Chapter 6: Lies You Can't Disguise

If I could turn the page
In time then I'd rearrange just a day or two
Close my, close my, close my eyes...

... No more broken hearts
We're better off apart let's give it a try
Tell me, tell me, tell me lies...

... Tell me lies
Tell me sweet little lies
(Tell me lies, tell me, tell me lies)
Oh, no, no you can't disguise
(You can't disguise, no you can't disguise)
Tell me lies
Tell me sweet little lies
(Tell me, tell me lies)...

From: Little Lies – Fleetwood Mac

Sesai studied her sister's form as it ascended the stairway. She had lacked advice for the first time in a long time. As a legal consultant to some of the largest companies in Asia, Sesai was unaccustomed to being in such a position. She really hated it...

Four years and something-months ago, Seto Kaiba had entered her life by accident. While on a spur of the moment shopping trip in downtown Tokyo, she had been caught in a sudden downpour. The most practical thing to do was to wait it out at her little sister's apartment. Anzu had not been expecting her that much was for sure...

A soaking wet Sesai stood outside the door to Anzu's flat, ringing the doorbell impatiently. Wondering what was taking her sister so long; Sai concentrated on finding the nearest tea cup as soon as she was let inside. Finally, with a violent lurch, the apartment door was pulled open to reveal a very flustered looking Anzu. "Sai!"

The addressee raised an eyebrow. Was her baby sister supposed to look that lust-riddled? Anzu's hair was tousled, her cheeks were flushed, and her pyjamas looked like they'd been thrown on hurriedly and hung haphazardly on her slender frame. Most of all, she was radiating heat. On such a cold day, that was something to ponder. Curious, Sesai asked, "What have you been up to?"

It was obvious that the young Mazaki was guilty of something as her cheeks flared while she attempted to affect incredulousness and lie blatantly. "I haven't been up to anything, Sai. Wha-what would ever make you think th-that?"

Sesai almost snorted. And she had once considered her sister a potential candidate for a lawyer? Not with that weak a poker face. She noted that Anzu's voice was also rather breathless. All the signs were pointing in one direction the question was: was it the right direction? Anzu was barely nineteen and, of the two, had been the more reserved one when it came to boys and intimacy. Sure she had lots of friends who were boys but those friendships were platonic.

"Can I come in? It's freezing out here," Sai said gesturing around the chilly corridor she was standing in. To her amazement, Anzu looked hesitant. Suspicions confirmed. Someone else was in that apartment and her sister was not doing what their parents would regard as morally acceptable. After a moment, the door was opened wider and Sesai stepped into the apartment.

"Do you need to dry off?" Anzu queried, casting rapid, surreptitious glances at her bedroom door. "I can get you something dry to wear..."

For a moment, Sesai went with the face value and nodded. She rose and began walking in the direction of the bedroom when Anzu appeared in front of her, effectively blocking her from moving forward. This must be big, she thought. She let herself be steered towards the bathroom on the pretext of the bedroom being in a state.

The bedroom was separated from the bathroom by a walk-through closet. So, instead of beginning to undress, Sai opened the door to the closet, walked in, and pressed her ear against the closed one that separated it from the bedroom. She could clearly hear voices. One belonged – obviously – to Anzu. The other was a deep, sexy male she couldn't identify. She didn't even know Anzu had a boyfriend! Currently, Anzu was whisper-shrieking that he had to get out.

"...have to leave!" There were sounds of draws opening and Sesai assumed that Anzu was, in fact, looking for clothes for her. "If my sister realizes you're here... I'll be up the creek with no paddle. My dad would be so furious." Anzu's quick footsteps came to an abrupt halt. The guy's voice was quiet, low-toned and slightly husky which made it harder for Sesai to make out what he was saying. She caught a snatch.

"Calm down, Anzu. I'm leaving, ok? Now, just help me find my underwear..." Ok, that left little to the imagination. Except, what did he look like? She knew he sounded handsome and there was a hint of humour in his tone.

"No, find your own damn underwear. I'm trying to find something for my sister. The longer you take, the more elaborate an excuse – Seto!" And then there was quiet. Due to personal experience, Sesai knew what an exclamation like that generally meant. Without a doubt left as to what her little sister had been involved in, Sesai returned to the bathroom, mulling over this information as she dried. Seto, hmm? Interesting name. If she wasn't mistaken, Anzu had mentioned him once in a while. Never in this sense though. It had always had the spice of dislike. Well, apparently, they liked each other well enough now.

Seconds later, Anzu rapped at the bathroom door and handed her some clothing then scampered quickly off. Instantaneously, Sesai opened the door a little and peeked out. She could see the front door clearly. When two figures stepped into her line of vision, she gasped. She knew who 'Seto' was now. Seto Kaiba, the Seto Kaiba, was sleeping with her sister? She couldn't tell Anzu about bad taste in men anymore... She watched their brief exchange raptly.

"I'm sorry about this, Seto," Anzu said, stroking his cheek. "I'll make it up to you, I promise."

He sighed, looking disappointed but smirked as he asked, "Promise to finish what we started?"

Anzu blushed and nodded almost undetectably then, with an expression Sesai had never seen on her sister's face – a mixture of wickedness, anticipation and lust – she tiptoed to whisper something in Seto's ear. His eyes widened and darkened at the same time. Sesai was glad she didn't hear what that was. As Seto turned to leave, Anzu asked, "You'll be back though, won't you?"

He grinned rakishly at her as he replied, "Have to come sometime."

Anzu's face was scandalized as she caught on to the pun. "Just go. She should be out any minute." Then she reached up and pecked him on the cheek. Not bothering to see him leave, Anzu turned on her heel and walked back to the bedroom. Although Anzu missed it Sesai saw the look of total devotion that flashed across Kaiba's face before he left.

If she loves him half as much as that, Sai thought, then they might as well do what they want. They're going to end up married anyway.

Sesai frowned solemnly. Oh, how wrong she had been.

"Good day, Ms. Jonouchi. How may I help you?"

Shizuka knew that Ashiro (1) was above reading the tabloids she had seen on her way here this morning but she still felt uneasy standing before the formidable personal assistant to her now ex-fiancé. Something about the way this lady treated her was reminiscent of the way Mokuba reacted to her presence, with tolerance and not much more.

"I'm here to see Mr. Kaiba, please. If he has the time." Ashiro raised an eyebrow seemingly at the formality of her request. However, even if she was curious, nothing further was said as the older woman turned and spoke quietly into a private line that connected her directly to the CEO. After a few brief words, Ashiro turned back and nodded, signalling that she could proceed.

Quietly, slowly, Shizuka made her way into Seto's office. She had only been allowed in a handful of times and even then, she remained rather far from his desk. Now, she wondered why that was. She had never questioned it before but as she thought back, it seemed odd that she should be kept distanced from his desk and his bedroom. She remembered thinking that she had not found any incriminating evidence of another woman's presence but perhaps she had never been in the right places to find it.

"Good morning, Shizuka."

She looked up at Kaiba's face and noticed that he looked rested. Well rested. "Good morning Seto. I came to speak to you."

"If this is about last night, Shizuka, I meant what I said. It really is alright with me if you prefer to pursue a relationship with Devlin. I haven't been the... best boyfriend, I can admit that, and you deserve happiness."

"Thank you, Seto. But that wasn't what I came here to talk about. I understood that you were serious – even if you were laughing like a lunatic, which had me worried, by the way. I have other questions."

Seto was interested. She had other questions. What could she possibly-? And then it hit him. He shot a quick glance at the photo to his right, one slightly nearer than his picture of himself and Mokuba. Damn. Feigning ignorance of the fact that he had another woman's picture framed on his desk, he gestured for his ex-fiancée to sit in one of the plush leather chairs opposite him. He leaned forward, indicating that he was listening. "Hopefully, I've got answers."

She smiled at him, looking at ease in his company once again. "I know you think this is none of my business but... I had to compete with her for three years, Seto. Can't you at least tell me who she is?"

His eyes widened for a split second before he dropped his mask of confusion dropped neatly into place, the perfect disguise. "What?"

"You know what I'm talking about, Seto. Don't insult my intelligence." She smirked to see him redden minutely. "I know there was... someone before me. I know you loved her. In fact, I think that.... you still love her."

She peered at him intently as she repeated her question, "Who is she?"

His lips were pulled in a grim line as he fought an internal battle over whether to tell her or not. Last night, he had broken up with her rather unceremoniously although his intentions had been more expansive. Figuring that he owed her this – after all, like she said, she'd been running blind against an invisible opponent throughout their relationship – he took a deep breath and picked up the photograph he had forgotten to hide.

It was a clear shot of her face, easily recognizable. She was smiling at the camera with her arms wrapped around his shoulders from behind. He'd been lifting her up somewhat and it had been a windy autumn day so their hair was flying this way and that. But there was no way anyone could mistake the face.

Shizuka waited patiently as he studied the image. She ventured a quiet, "Is it Ishizu?"

He looked up, befuddled. "Ishizu? Why would you think that?"

"Because... I don't know. It seemed logical enough."

"It's not as obvious as you'd think, Shizuka," he confessed while fingering the frame. "It was a well-guarded secret. Tea and I had something very special."

He turned the photo toward her and, as she gasped, smiled half-bitter half-apologetic and said, "Anzu and I had something incredible."

"Are you going home?" Sesai asked as she fed her daughter Gerber apple snacks. "Or are you going back to Tokyo?"

Anzu plopped down on the sofa, looking much more like her easy-going, relaxed self in a loose t-shirt and jeans. "Home. Technically, I'm off work for the next few months. After a full two-year stint, I'm supposed to get a break... but it was awful to leave."

"You weren't cancelled though."

"No. We pick up again later in the year. Different theatre, same troupe, new act. The Heads like variety."

"That's good, right?" Anzu chuckled at her sister's slightly clueless look. Sesai really had no idea what it was like to work as a performer. Anzu equated it to her own inability to grasp working through huge corporate cases. "Yeah, it's a good thing."

"So have you decided what you're going to do about Kaiba?" The unexpected inquiry stunned Anzu for a moment. Shaking herself out of it, she seriously pondered her possible responses. She had only spent fifteen minutes thinking about it last night. She had fallen asleep, more exhausted than she had been in a long time. Finally, she realized something:

"I can't do anything about him."

"What? Why not?" The elder Mazaki sister was confused.

"Think about it, Sai. He said he still loves me but he didn't say anything else."

"He told you that his present relationship with what's-her-face is a mistake."

"The operative word there is 'is'... He's still with her and I don't remember hearing anything about him planning a change of status."

"But Anzu-"

"Sai, he's still engaged. I can't do anything to change that and, really, even if I could, I don't know if I'd want to," she stared out the window with a pensive expression on her face. "Seto Kaiba is a... complicated can of worms."

"But you love him."

Anzu turned and smiled guiltily, "Yes. I do... with all my heart. But sometimes, love just isn't enough."

"Wh-why didn't you tell me?" Shizuka asked when she regained the capacity for speech. She was beyond shocked. Never – never – in all her time with him had she thought that Seto had been dating Anzu Mazaki. As in: her brother's best friend, one of her oldest friends, the dreamer, the dancer, the star. Anzu? ...Oh no.

Suddenly, she was on her feet, pacing up and down, the photograph still gripped tightly in her hand. She looked from it to Seto to it again and then she paced some more. The look on her face was the most horrified and guilty look Seto had ever seen her wear. "Oh my God! This was – it was – Oh! Seto, I'm so sorry!"

"It's nothing to be sorry about, Shizuka."

"No! It is. I-I have something – I have to... Oh, I'm sorry, Seto. I feel like a prize idiot now. How couldn't I-? Was it-? Ooh, you two were good liars."

"Shizuka, sit down and form a coherent sentence," he commanded. So she did. It was the most sensible thing to do, after all. She remained quiet for a period, thinking back over the years, wondering how the two of them could have possibly kept something so big a secret for such a long time.

It was impossible for them to have been together throughout Battle City. She had been blind for some of it but when she was able to see again, she was pretty sure that there had not been anything to hint at any emotional attachment between them. Anzu had rooted for Yugi – or Yami depending on how one looked at it – instead of Kaiba in the finals. But then again, Anzu stared spending less time with them after the tournament. No one doubted the excuses Anzu gave to run home, to dance class. No one doubted Anzu. Maybe they should have been a bit more observant.

"Oh God," Shizuka mumbled. Though the memory was jumbled due to the blurring effect alcohol tended to have on her brain, Shizuka knew that Anzu had said something important the night she (Anzu) had returned to Domino to celebrate Joey's 20th birthday. The bash had been held at Yugi's place. Because she was drunk and did not want to take the chance of doing something stupid that she would regret in the morning with the boys (for example, egging someone's house) Anzu had spent most of the time in Shizuka's company.

Anzu had admitted something. It had to do with Kaiba but Shizuka, being under-aged and drunk as a fish, hadn't had and still did not have the capability to remember what she'd said. There was a nagging feeling at the back of her mind that Anzu had told her about the two of them. Conversely, she vividly remembered the way Seto had looked when she'd next come across him after their first encounter. He'd been distraught. He had told her that he'd lost his will to live. And he had just given her the answer to the questions she had mentally asked him in the limo two months ago:

What are you hiding, Seto Kaiba? What causes your world to crash? What makes you cry? Why won't you tell me? Who was she? The answer to all of these was a simple, four letter word: Anzu. She shook her head, she was in trouble.

"Seto, I have s-something t-to tell y-you." Shizuka took a deep breath, knowing now that she was about to confess to one of the vilest sins known to man: the ruination of another's happiness. "I know why you broke up. It was that night that you and I first... slept together. That one night in Kyoto, right?"

The reply was instantaneous and non-verbal. The look in his eyes, on his face, was enough. She had never felt so...wretched. "I-I know this isn't anything now but I'm sorry, Seto. If I'd known I wouldn't have... I'm sorry." She took a deep breath.

"What are you talking about, Shizuka?"

"The night you and I slept together, I – I spiked your drink." Quickly, she continued, hoping the implication wouldn't sink in before she was able to tell him the whole story. "I was drunk, I had just broken up with my old boyfriend, one of my 'friends' had some E, I wasn't thinking straight, it was a bet – a stupid bet – and...I'm really, really, really sorry."

She watched him realize the significance of her admission. It wasn't a pretty sight. A part of her wanted to flee, run as fast and as far as her legs could carry her. It insisted that he was going to kill her. But to turn and run would be worse than what she'd just said she'd done. He opened is mouth more than once to speak and closed it again, looking more lost than she'd ever seen him. Then, salvaging his composure, his face went completely straight. When his eyes locked on hers she didn't know what to think.

Teeth clenched, he said in a deadly calm, even voice, "In your...ignorance, you took away... the most precious thing in the world to me. I've spent the past three years... wasting time wi-" He paused, seemingly aware of the fact that he was going to hurt her. This did not, however, stop his eyes from raking over her face with what appeared to be revulsion. He took a deep, soothing breath then continued. "I can see you didn't mean to do you what you did... and now, I have the freedom to set things right again."

He stood up and walked to his door. When he got there, he turned and faced her again with an air of finality about him.

"Goodbye, Shizuka."

"The whole issue is that I'm not quite sure what to do about this. It's obvious that there is some truth in it but I simply can't believe all of it. Especially this."

Anzu waited patiently for someone to answer. She knew how busy the office could be. Finally a familiar voice emanated from the telephone.

"Tokyo Dance Theatre, Shigeru Owaru's office, how may I help you?"

"Hey Kasumi, it's Anzu."

"Morning Anzu, welcome back. I'll put you right through, ok?"

"Thanks." After a few moments of pleasant classical holding music, Anzu was greeted by her manager. He sounded aggravated, tired and relieved. Exactly as she had predicted.

"Listen Mazaki, no small talk. I'm trying to deal with a major situation so just tell me where you've been." Though he was not hostile, he was crisp. It had Anzu taken aback.

"I'm sorry Shigeru. I've been at Sesai's. I know I should have called when I left France but... it's a long story. What wrong?"

"Why did you leave France, Anzu?" On her end of the line, Anzu frowned. It was her business. But he seemed to know something she didn't.

"I wanted to see my sister." Liar, she thought to herself.

"Don't lie to me, Anzu." He knew something that much was for sure. "In case you haven't seen this morning's papers, you're the cover page."

"Me? Why?" She hadn't done anything spectacular. Her show had closed and she'd been living quietly out of town since. Still, even with this knowledge, she had a growing feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach.

"I had no idea you had... friends," the way he said the word made it sound insufficient, "...in such high places."

"What?"

"Precisely what I said."

It was rare for Seto Kaiba to spend a day away from the world. He had spent all of the previous night putting the finishing touches on one of his latest projects. Exhausted, he had retired to his room, showered and fallen asleep on his bed as the sun rose. With every method of communication with the outside world turned off and a 'Do Not Disturb' sign on his bedroom door; Seto had not seen another human all day long.

A solitary creature by nature, this did not bother him. Unfortunately, he had realized as he lay staring at his ceiling that he was going to be late for his weekly session with Yugi and Joey. Thus, he made his way down the stairs of his mansion at 7:30 p.m., not bothering to stop for the day's headlines.

Later, he parked his Honda-NSX Type R (he didn't trust downtown enough to use his more expensive vehicles, even if it was Yugi's posh area) in the parking lot of Yugi's downtown Domino apartment complex. Being the still reigning champion of Duel Monsters, the 'King of Games' was not doing badly for himself. What Kaiba found ironic was that even though the duel disks had mostly been designed specifically to aid in Seto's own defeat of Yugi Motou, it was Yugi who now endorsed them to the world, working exclusively for Kaiba Corp.

Wheeler too was another surprising employee of Kaiba Corp. He worked in the Development and Testing Department. Apart from his history, familiarity and somewhat exclusive knowledge of all the versions of Seto's duel disks, Joey also had a sound knowledge of computer engineering and the degree to prove it. Though not a regular duellist any longer, Joey was still world-ranked and often did charity gigs for various causes.

Kaiba smirked. Talk about a bite in the ass. Sometimes it amazed him how far they had come; from enemies to friends, from dimwits to degrees. Fate had quite a sense of humour. Speaking of which...

Yugi's door was yanked open seconds after he rung the doorbell. Service was prompt. He raised a signature eyebrow at a fuming Joey. He sent a quizzical glance in Yugi's direction. No help. Motou was deep in thought before a spread of newspapers across his dining room table. Seto's gaze reverted to Wheeler.

"What Mutt?"

"What is exactly what I wanna know, Kaiba." Joey produced a newspaper and lifted it to Kaiba's eye level. Seto's eyes widened as he read the headline. Joey growled as he observed it.

"Explain."

The headlines ranged from 'brief and tasteful' to 'long and offensive'; from 'acceptable if slightly suggestive but mostly true' to 'downright outrageous'. They included: The Best for the Best - the KAIBA/MAZAKI Connection. It was by far the most factual and accommodating. Others tended to be more inflammatory, for example: UNFAITHFUL - SETO KAIBA's affair revealed! ANZU MAZAKI in hiding! Yet the worst was: DEVIL IN DANCE SHOES - Local dancer ANZU MAZAKI ensnares CEO SETO KAIBA in dangerous web of SEX, LIES AND DRUGS.

After a while, Seto stopped reading. Anymore and he would have to hurt something. He looked from Yugi's contemplative face to Joey's confused and angry expression and finally to Mokuba's imploring look. It was time to come clean.

"How long have you two been in love, Seto?" The quiet question stunned three of the four men back to reality. Yugi sat looking as wise as the Pharaoh opposite Kaiba and waiting patiently for a reply.

"We're not gonna hurt you or anything, ya know. What's done is done," Joey added. He sensed Seto's reluctance to say anything. In his most serious tone he said, "Shizuka told me what happened so you don't have to worry about me maiming you."

"Seto," this was Mokuba, "they have a right to know. They're your friends – yours and hers."

So he consented. He was going to tell them the whole story. It was what they wanted to know. No doubt they were curious. He took a deep breath - for he was not one to frequently expound on his deepest emotions to a rapt audience - and began.

"Anzu and I started dating -"

"No Kaiba, start at the beginning," Yugi interrupted. Seto stared at him for a while before nodding. It was farther back than he had wanted to pry but perhaps it was for the best.

"I think the initial attraction happened at Duellist Kingdom. She was so...alive. There was something about her...the was she spoke her mind, the way she could stand up for herself and for what she believed in with such... vigour. And her eyes... they sparkle when she's angry, did you know?"

Joey was grinning and Seto noticed it. "Yeah Wheeler, she got to me. But I didn't do anything about it. She was your friend and I valued my life, as meaningless as it may have been."

All three men narrowed their eyes at his confession but said nothing. He continued, "I... Well, I suppose you could say that I really had a hard time until Battle City."

The audience grinned, recognizing the insinuation.

"Nothing became of those thoughts though. I attributed them to too much time spent in Pegasus' mind games. I continued to live my life the way I always had, ignoring the fact that she could be anything more than Yugi's cheerleader. It didn't help. There were still those last few weeks of high school. Finally, summer arrived. Then it was easier to pretend that she didn't exist. I was too busy with work, with duelling, with trying to defeat Yugi, with Ishizu -"

"Cough it up Yuge," Joey suddenly interrupted, turning to Yugi who was digging a hand into his pocket. "Told ya they had something."

"Wrong Mutt." Joey's face fell. "I tried. She had... a prior engagement."

Yugi smiled smugly. He murmured a single word: "Yami."

Then he pulled out his handkerchief and wiped his fingers. Joey muttered an oath under his breath and turned back to Seto.

"So Anzu was some kind of fall-back from Ishizu?" Joey asked, clearly displeased with the idea. Mokuba's eyes widened as he waited for Seto to explode. However, his older bother surprised everyone in his reply. Though his face remained mainly expressionless, his midnight eyes blazed with palpable fury as he retorted sternly, "She was never a fall-back for anyone. I loved Anzu. Never doubt that, Wheeler."

Joey nodded solemnly and Seto returned to his tale. "But, as I was saying, things happened, weeks passed and suddenly I owed her my brother's life. So when you two had that crazy-ass duel on the docks and she was chained under that container, I realized that that was my chance to repay the debt. As much as I wanted to just get it over with, I saw that the risk was too great..."

Seto settled his eyes on his younger brother and said, "Mokuba asked me to do something to stop you two but I couldn't. If either of you stopped, Anzu was dead... Somehow I knew that you two would never be worth what she was. At least not to me. So I waited, almost unable to breathe – yes Mokuba, that's why I wasn't talking – until the duel was over."

He took a shuddering breath and admitted, "Those were probably two of the most agonizing hours of my life. She wasn't an active part of my life but she represented something I needed – she was hope. They say the opposite of love is not hate but indifference and that there's a thin line between love and hate. She was never indifferent to me. She showed enough emotion to allow me to think that – perhaps – someone other than Mokuba cared for me; could care for me. I refused to lose that. I don't know if either of you are aware of this but while you two were rescuing each other, the Rare Hunter tried to drop that container. I was so pissed I threw my Blue Eyes card at him without a second thought. Mokuba got her out of the chair, which I was glad of because my fingers were shaking."

He glanced down at his hands then, taking everyone else's gazes with him. They were trembling visibly. Yugi and Joey were beginning to wonder if their insurances were up-to-date for if Kaiba kept surprising them at this rate, both of them would have heart attacks before the night was out.

"Nothing was the same after that. She haunted me. Even after I lost to Yugi in the finals, her image was there, her presence was there. It was driving me crazy minute by minute. Then it happened."

The smile on his face was nothing less than the acidic of the saccharine. It pulled at the guts of all three men there. There was no way to fake that expression.

"It was night, too quiet and I was sick of seeing her face everywhere so I went for a walk. I don't believe in fated accidents but it had to have been one for me to end up at the docks just minutes before she did... Right there and then, the first thing she said to me was 'thank you'. A week later, we met in Tokyo, both in the same university. And it had begun." His expression grew wistful.

"It was awkward at first. She got frustrated with my unresponsiveness a lot, I used to be irritated by her perkiness and unrelenting attempts to, and I quote, 'make me friendly'. But somewhere in the middle of trying to get rid of each other, we became friends. From there things grew. It took me a while to realize that what we had going on was more than friendship, that the fact that I needed to at least hear her voice everyday was not platonic. And one day she tried to pull me into one of her ideas. She told me that I was still much too uptight but she looked... I kissed her. I had to." He smirked. "She didn't exactly mind."

Quickly, Seto glanced away from them, his cheeks warm. "We were friends for about three-quarters of a year. We were together for two years – exactly two years. The week before our second anniversary I took a short weekend trip to Kyoto – a routine business thing. I walked into a bar and woke up the next morning next to the most unexpected of people." Here he sent a pointed glance in Joey's direction. The blond made the connection and understood: Shizuka.

"We celebrated at my place, she spent Saturday night. She found out on Sunday. And I didn't see her again until earlier this year in February. She is one woman who knows how to disappear." He picked up one of the discarded newspapers and stared at the photograph – a large one, a clear shot of her in his arms with their mouths fused, their kiss looking only half as passionate as it had been.

"On the trip to Rome, Shizuka said she didn't want to accompany me to France. I didn't argue with her. But I am becoming a believer in Fate. All these pictures are real." And that was all he had to say.

They were hushed incorporating this new information and adjusting their memories to fit. Some things made more sense, some made less. Then, Joey voiced a question that had been nagging at the back of everyone's minds:

"So why didn't you guys tell us?"

Author's Note: It's been a while since my last update. Although there is no real Seto/Anzu interaction, I think this chapter serves its purpose. Have started work on new chapter already. I had a few things to do, like graduate.

I would like to point out that I do not condone the use of prohibited drugs. I also advise moderation when consuming alcohol. Neither does one any good. As to the issue of pre-marital sex, that's a personal something you have to decide. Don't let me influence you.

With regards to my choice of song, I realize that no one has actually told anyone an outright lie in the chapter but they are being made aware of lies that they were told in the past. I think it fits.

A small note of explanation:

Ashiro – See my other Seto/Anzu story, Despite What You Might Think. As an original character, she is my version of Seto's personal secretary.

And now, to reply to Azurite:

First up; thank you. It's a real compliment to have other great authors praise your work. In response to your comment about my calling Shizuka 'the Katsuya girl', I have checked it out (i.e. in the official manga) and have to admit that you were quite correct. 'Jonouchi' is the family name. I have made the necessary revisions. Thanks for pointing it out -!

Disclaimer (for series): I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh and make no profit off this piece of fiction.

Disclaimer (for song): I do not own the song (Sweet) Little Lies by Fleetwood Mac. The lyrics are reprinted without permission and, once again, I make no profit off their use. It's one my favourite FM songs.

LEAVE A REVIEW PLEASE! ANYTHING IS GREATLY APPRECIATED. HOWEVER, CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM WILL BE TAKEN IN BETTER STRIDE THAN FLAMES.