Reviewer Responses:

vendred13- Yep! Another fight. But without the fights, we wouldn't have a plot.

Tinyflyer02-  I did start! I'll probably get to the other fic of yours soon.

AllanaStar- well, you're new. By now I have all my reviewers practically memorized! I'm flattered that my story is one of your favorites and I hope you review the remaining chapters!

kikoken- I did update. No. It will be a happy ending, I promise!

Sakura- Well, Kaiba will get over all the "I'm the only one that exists" faze by the end of the fic… hopefully.

Court12- Well, when he talks to her next chapter, there might even be a kiss. Hint hint. What do you think?

Chibi-Kari- thanks. Is it really that good?

Black-Fire Eclipse- yeah, this chapter was fun to write. Joey talks too weird for my COM though…

Subaru the Jaguar- well, Seto's going to show kindness next chapter. You'll see!

Squallsgurl- I like Picard and Felix for Golden Sun and I like Alex/Mia as a pairing. Most people don't but I guess that just sucks for them. No offense if you don't like that couple… or if you just plain don't care…

Now that that's taken care of, Alex, give the disclaimer!

Alex: Smurf Cat does not own Yu-Gi-Oh! She wishes she did, but she doesn't. If she did, Malik would be her personal manservant… that's gross.

Malik: Ewww! Not me!

BTW, the word "Nostalgia" means a great desire to have the past back. It's used a lot in the beginning of this chapter.

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Chapter 9: Nostalgia's Desire

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     As Serenity looked out over the balcony of her room, she pondered what Seto had said, what Seto had done to her. He had hurt her deeply by his words. Maybe he was right, she thought, to tell her that she was only a Wheeler and then call her by that name instead of her own. It was depressing at best to live with this rich man who had no feelings. Serenity remembered a thought that she had had not long ago, that Seto was only a human body and nothing more. He took up space, he was emotionless… only a void…

     Serenity knew the belief not to be true, but she knew that whatever was coming between them was beyond Seto. And furthermore, it was beyond the relationship. The clash of the weak and the strong, the poor and the rich could be compared to clashing religions. Neither party will ever give up. Serenity had been Poor all her life. She knew the ways of the poor, the attitude of the poor, and how to live poor, with little money to spare. Seto didn't have to spare money. He was rich beyond anyone's wildest dreams. And just as Serenity knew the ways of the poor, he knew the ways of the rich.

     'This is hopeless,' she thought as a wind passed by her, blowing her soft, brown hair. 'and it might as well come to an end… though I do dread that end…'

     Now as she looked out at the colors of the sunset, she awaited tomorrow and what troubles it may bring. She could only stand there as the light began to fade. It was as though the light was calling her home, back to ancient memories best left forgotten. They were memories of a happier life with Seto… times when she wouldn't have to worry about his anger or about the angst of their life as it was now. It had been a time when nostalgia didn't exist to her, now it was all that existed to her…

     Nostalgia… the want of the past, the lust for the past. Yes, Serenity lusted for the past, wanted it so badly that it was driving her insane. Day in and day out she would secretly want it, carefully hiding the emotion from herself. Heavy nostalgia like this episode, which she was experiencing currently, came only rarely when she had some form of reality relating to the past. This reality was the sunset to her at that moment. It was all that existed. She remembered the sunsets like this that they had looked out into together, but even more, she remembered the age of those sunsets. They were engraved in her mind and would never leave her alone.

     She couldn't explain what she was feeling. She only wanted to hang on to it, now while she could pretend that she had only just met Seto. She now blocked out her memories of the past few weeks and focused on those from a year ago, two years ago…

     "I love you" she spoke into the fading light, savoring each moment as she pretended to talk with Seto, her Seto. The one that lived years ago.

     And then the light of the sun left her…

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     Joey arrived the next evening. As Serenity came to the door, she greeted her brother with a warm hug.

     "I've missed you." She said, smiling up at him. He made her happy. The nostalgia of the previous night had passed on with the sunset and a long cry.

     "How ya' doing, Serenity?" he asked her in his old, funny accent. Serenity still didn't know how he had acquired it.

     "Fine." She said softly, barely audible.

     Joey's smile faded like it always did when he knew something was up, "Sis, is there somethin' wrong?" he lowered his voice, "how's the royal pain in the a- I mean butt treating you?"

     "Fine." Answered Serenity.

     Joey wasn't satisfied, but over the years he had learned when to shut up. He only looked her deeply in her eyes, the way a brother might do, and added, "I'm worried for you."

     "I know." said Serenity, signed and announced, "I made dinner."

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     Dinner would be hectic to say the very least. Serenity could already tell by the way that Seto glared daggers at Joey's head when he wasn't looking that the two wouldn't get along. It was like Seto was meeting Serenity's parents, but instead of parents, he got an over protective big brother with an ego too big for his own good. Seto's ego was big enough for the Kaiba Mansion; Serenity really didn't want to deal with Joey's also.

     As she came out into the dining room, bringing with her, Seto's hired maids that were helping her to bring out the dinner that she had helped make, she could see the way Seto and Joey were staring each other down. They were silent, but Serenity could see it in their eyes that they were dying to fly insults at each other. She suspected that the reason they did not was because they had expected her to enter the room soon, which she did.

     Now as she came across the floor and to the table with soup in her hands, she glared at Seto. She could see the look of victory on Joey's face as she saw Seto scowl and subside. After this, she quickly made a harder and more deadly glare at her brother, after which, he promptly stopped and frowned. Seto smiled. Serenity sighed before glaring at the both of them.

     'I swear! You two are like children!' she thought aloud, glancing at the both of them.

     The table they were seated at was a long, dining table, not meant for parties of three. Seto rarely entertained guests and when he did, it would be a whole flock of business men, thus the table too long for any ordinary dinner. Seto saw no reason to buy a smaller one for the dining room. They had one in the kitchen, but it wasn't as nice as this one and Serenity had wanted to impress Joey.

     She set the soup down in the middle of the table. She had to glance at either side to see bother her brother and her lover. They were both seated at the ends, Seto at the head and Joey at the foot. Serenity sighed and ordered the maids to set all of the food near the middle.

     Next she called out to Seto and Joey without looking at either, "if you want food, you're going to have to come to the middle and eat together" she put as much emphasis on the last word as she could.

     "We'll eat at the head of the table, then." declared Seto.

     Serenity made a glace at him, but dare not argue.

     Joey scowled, "since when was that side the head. I thought mine was." It was trying to be smart and apparently it wasn't working.

     "Do you see the metal moldings on your chair?" asked Seto.

     "Uh… yeah, what about 'em?" answered Joey back, still trying to be tough.

     "They're silver. Mine are gold."

     Then realizing his mistake he tried to cover it up, but to no avail. An argument broke out and Seto called Joey a puppy… again…

     At this point, serenity was ready to yell at them both and give a lecture on how each one was ruining her life. All she heard was the drone of the argument as she shut her eyes and put her hands to her temples as if she was fighting off a headache. And then she heard her named called, "Serenity!"

     "What is it, Joey?" she asked. She wasn't exactly in her happiest of moods.

     "Why do you like this guy?"

     "You know what?" she announced, "forget this dinner! You two are just too immature to let bye-gones be bye-gones! So what if Seto can beat you at Duel Monsters, Joey! So what if Joey is a little annoying sometimes, Seto! So what if I'm poor!" at this point she was breaking into tears, "just get over it, will you! …I'm sick of this…"

     And with that, she made her way up to her room, running and crying the whole way.

     Seto turned to face Joey, "I think you should leave."

     "I'm not leaving 'til I find out what's wrong here!" yelled Joey.

     "Do you want me to call the police, Wheeler?"

     Joey cringed, "you wouldn't."

     "I would. Not get out before I have to put your leash on and lead you outside, puppy."

     "No." yelled Joey, "and I'm not a puppy!"

     Seto rolled his eyes. "I really don't have time for this petite nonsense. I have to go help… Serenity." It had taken everything that Seto had to admit that to Joey. He didn't really know why he had said it to him…

     And then, seeing Seto's intentions, Joey backed off. He did it grudgingly and reluctantly, but he did it. "Fine, but I'll be waiting right here for you when you get back! I'm her brother. I want to talk to her too."

     "Have it your way, Wheeler." Was all Seto said before bounding up the stairs to Serenity. For some reason he didn't care whether or not Joey waiting in the dining room to talk to her as well. He only wanted to talk to Serenity and to make things better.

     No, he would make things better.