Author's notes: I've started college now so updates won't be that often.

You know the drill for disclaimer.

Chapter 16: Family

Kaiba urged the driver on as he struggled with his own thoughts. Who could have ever thought that hatred could turn to love in such a short amount of time? What a fool he had been! Now he had lost her forever...or had he? Suddenly he felt like crying but he remained in control not willing to show weakness again. What would he say to her when he got there? Would she even talk to him? He guessed not but he had to try...if he didn't he was sure he would go insane. Please Kira don't leave me. Something told him that his plea had not fallen on deaf ears, but even if she had heard it (a desperate fancy he thought) would she even take heed? He hoped she would, even though he had never believed in anything before he prayed that she would listen. Sadly he cast his eyes out of the tinted windows and realised that they had arrived.

He could see Kira walking from the apartment with a key in her hand. She still as beautiful as ever, but he was a little disturbed by what he saw. Even though he'd had that dream two weeks ago it came back to haunt him. She wore the same dull brown knee high boots, the bay knee length dress and the crimson thread at its collar. The car hadn't even stopped before he jumped out of it and ran towards her. She caught sight of him and sped up a little so that he couldn't catch her up. Well not while he was walking anyway and he wasn't. But as he tried to catch up with her he saw that she was heading to a small cream coloured car. He frowned at it, never had he seen that car before it was almost new. Certainly Kira couldn't drive but maybe..."Kira," she was ignoring him though she quickly picked up the pace, "Kira wait I need to talk to you!" she stopped then and so did he. Kaiba lent down to catch his breath and found that she was staring at him intently.

"Kaiba we have nothing to discuss." She answered him coldly sending shivers down his spine. She turned and walked to the car and Marik moved from the shadows to open the door for her. Kaiba stood there for a second in complete astonishment; no one had directly disobeyed him before. Anger boiled in him then and he knew he was angrier at himself than Kira...but she was there and he wanted her so badly.

Marik stepped into his path and gave him a cruel smirk. Kaiba frowned at him and stared into his violet eyes. "Marik will you please remove yourself from my path." He laughed at that and made Kaiba want to hit him. No he wouldn't do that not in front of Kira. Sighing he stepped to Marik's side and the white haired boy grabbed his arm.

"She told you she didn't want to see you." The other spoke with the most annoying voice he could even muster, it set his teeth on edge.

"I need to speak to her."

"There is nothing to talk about Kaiba, now leave her alone."

"I've told you I need to talk to her!" he was practically shouting by this time.

"Marik leave it alone and get in." Kira's voice was still cold and as sharp as a knife, "As for you Kaiba, like Marik said there is nothing to discuss." She pulled her head in the window and wound it up so that she couldn't hear him. The car was gone before he could do anything. That so had not helped his situation.

"Kaiba, I know what we can do." Mai intoned from behind him.

It was a three hour drive to All God's and pretty uneventful. They did of course have enough stops to make the trip last almost the whole day. When they arrived it struck Kira as one of the most beautiful towns in Japan. There were all the old houses lined stylishly up against the new ones so that it looks natural. She was amazed at the simplistic designs that had been created and how geometrical everything was. It was so streamlined even with the intricately carved wood. Of course there were things that intrigued her the most, even among all the houses and offices that looked the same. There was one house in particular. It had two large dragons hanging over the doors. They were fiery red lacquered with a bright sap. The eyes were large blue crystals that reminded her...she had to look away then. Her heart wrenched at what had happened today. How could she have been so calm to talk to Kaiba like that? He was right of course they did have things to talk about but she still didn't have the nerve to do so. She hoped he hadn't followed her and had been pestering Marik since they left. Had he followed? Did he know where they where? Marik's answer to these was always no but it helped to have him there talking to her.

She settled back into the seat and closed her eyes letting her mind wander. Tonight they would be a wonderful four star hotel and then she would be able to investigate. Ever since that red guy had said those words she had known there was something here...something she was meant to find. She would find it and with Marik's help it would be easy...wouldn't it? Silently she wished that she had never left her brothers, that they had come wit her to Egypt. Of course that was impossible, or at least that was what Mafuyu had told her. Where had she been born? Where had she lived? Why had those things even happened? She wished that she could have known her mother as Marik had. Even though she was welcome in their family she was not like Rishid. He was adopted and therefore truly part of the family...she was not. She had always been an outcast in that place, not of the great guardians but important to them, like porcelain doll to be put on a shelf and admired...never touched. She felt it as well in those first few years when she had to wear the kimono she had been taken in. It was silk and cool but not enough that was why she had to sit around all day doing nothing until she could no longer fit in it. Then she had borrowed one of Isis' until she had made her own. That had caused more trouble between the two girls and she hated it. Now that she thought about it actually she had never hated Isis only herself...only those who had caused her to run from her family and never return. She had never liked depending upon the Ishtar family and had never really wanted to. Now she worked harder than was sometimes necessary to pay them back.

"Hey sleepy head we're here." Marik smiled at her as he pulled on her arm. Her vision blurred for a second and then came back to her. How handsome he looked in the dim light of the street lamps. His face softly illuminated by the tall lamps but enough of it shadowed to leave some mystery about him. He wore a long black trench coat with the collar turned up so that it brushed against his cheeks, a pale purple shirt clung to his well muscled torso and dark jeans clung to his slender frame. She smiled over at him. She hoped she had made the right choice about marrying him. It was the last thing she would have to do to pay off her debt. Sighing she turned to face the road along the high street. Desperation filled her heart and made it sink in that moment. She was with the one she loved wasn't she? Why so much fuss and what was with all her sudden depression. She didn't feel right here she felt she was needed somewhere else, by someone else. How was that meant to work? Shaking her head she turned back to her companion who wore a worried look. "Are you alright Kira?"

"I'm fine," she smiled grabbing her handbag from by her feet, "I was just thinking..."

"Well stop."

It was half an hour later and the two of them sat in the room their bags at the end of the bed. Kira stared off into space but made sure it looked like she was staring at the luggage. The room was nice but very opulent. It was deep relaxing red trimmed with gold and small gold flur-de-les on the wallpaper. All the furniture was a deep, dark mahogany with small gilded handles. There was a small screen TV in the corner s that it didn't take up much of the room but you could still watch it. The bed was a four poster with velvet curtains all around it and red satin sheets. Marik sat on one of the chairs resting his head on his hands, the back of the chair helping him rest his head. He was staring at her; soft purple eyes full concern and worry. It was causing her to sink into her self more. Never did she want a reprise of what happened after battle city...

-Flash Back-

Kira sat wit her back to Marik desperately trying to ignore him. She was mad at him and really didn't want him to be watching her. "I did all that for you Kira...please understand."

"No Marik you did it for yourself and whatever crazy 'Yami' you suddenly had posses you." She tried to keep her eyes on the paintings covering the ancient walls and not to turn to him. Not to show him how much he had hurt her and how much he had destroyed in their relationship. Her trust in him was dead...for now.

"Kira please let me explain..."

"Explain what? Why you tried to kill an ancient Pharaoh who you are meant to be protecting?" this caused her utmost concern but still she remained with her back to him. She heard a chair thump as it hit the floor and heavy foot steps walking towards her. Fear coursed through her veins but she tried to stay under control. He was much stronger than her and could do anything to her. She covered her eyes with her hands for a second and realised she was being weak.

"Kira that Pharaoh killed my father and..."

"The only person to kill your father was you Marik." She screamed and instantly regretted it. He slapped her then and it hurt her, not physically but mentally. Gracefully she stood then standing on tip-toes to see into his eyes, "You shouldn't have done that." And it was Marik who had regretted his actions every day since then.

-End Flash Back-

Of course he wouldn't do that now; he was too frightened of her. Lots of people where, the fact that in Egypt she had been trained by Rishid to fight in many ancient ways, she had beaten Marik viciously after this incident giving him more than a couple bruises and cuts. She frowned at her self, all that strength she had but never used. The truth was she was afraid to use it...afraid to hurt those she loved the most. They always despised her for a while after she showed them her skills. "We should rest now," she finally turned her eyes on him and saw him visible relax, "We have a lot to do tomorrow."

She woke from her dreams relatively peaceful compared to those from the other nights. It didn't make her want to cry. No quite on the contrary to that, she wanted to leap out of bed and find the place her brother had shown her. It was a large warm room lit only by torches in the walls. She hadn't liked it in there; it smelt of damp paper and dust. He had taken her to a small pine table and sat her down. Itsuki then brought a book out from the many shelves that lined the walls and opened it to a curtain page. It was a family tree and a very large one at that, going back a long time before the medieval period. She smiled at it and traced it down to her self smiling as she did so. Then she traced it back to her mother's generation and found that there was a sister. She had woken up there, but not from fear but by Marik rolling over and hitting her on the face. It made her giggle at first how they had to play the part of boyfriend and girlfriend but it was for appearances. That was what disturbed her in her dream tonight. She had not been the little girl she was when they found her in Egypt she was the way she was now. Tall, slender the woman she had grown into. She knew somehow that the book existed somewhere in this village and this place...maybe that was what the man had been talking about.

Groggily she got up from the bed and grabbed her day clothes. She pulled on her pale blue jeans with a silver dragon down one leg and criss-crossed two black belts with studs across her waist. She wore a black gypsy top that hung from her shoulders and ended just above her waist leaving her midriff exposed. She smiled down at herself and pulled on a small pleather jacket. Finally she grabbed a bit of paper and wrote a note to Marik. "Marik have gone to the records hall see you later." Smiling she left it in an obvious place and went out. She couldn't help but giggle as she left and made her way down the hotel stairs. There was something about acting that made her have to giggle. She smiled at herself she was so happy even though things had not gone her way yesterday. Walking out of the large hall and into the high street so early in the morning was brilliant. There was plenty of fresh air and nearly no people about to bother her. She was too happy to believe; maybe she would find out what had happened to her family...or even if there were any left.

When she finally reached the hall with a large sign 'records' above the door she was as high as a kite. Giggling uncontrollable she thought of her friends that she would be leaving in Domino. That sobered her up enough to go into the hall and up to the reception. There was an elderly lady behind the desk with a kind face and a soft sort of smile. Kira returned it before asking her question. "I've been looking for a family tree of a family that lived around here."

"Which one there is many?" the woman smiled again but it didn't stop her loosing hope. "I have though," the woman said seeing Kira's crestfallen look, "been asked to give a young girl by the name of Kira special permission to look through the older archives. Kira's head snapped up.

"What someone knew I was coming?" She frowned and furrowed her brow, who knew she was here? The woman stood and called over another younger girl to take her place.

"Apparently they did my dear. I do hope your name is Kira." She nodded and followed her as she slid from behind the desk and into some of the many isles. There were loads of old books and new ones all mingled together and holding thousands of what looked like birth certificates. "Well as you can see All God's has quite a lot of old families." The woman turned and had a genuine smile on her face. "But it is a long time since we had a Tsuchihara in this place."

"A tsuch-what," Kira's head hurt at the sound of the name though it was familiar.

"Yes, the man that came in last night told us you were coming. He said he wanted you to see the books."

"What did this man look like?" she asked narrowing her eyes a little.

"Well..." the woman stopped and rested her chin on her hand. There was a waiting table near to them with a magazine that had Kaiba on the front cover. Kira winced as the woman pointed at it. Alshin did this and she didn't understand why.

"I know him..." she frowned as they started walking; she kept her eyes on the front cover of the magazine for a second until she could feel tears running down her cheeks. Angrily she brushed them away with the back of her hand. Why did she think of Kaiba so highly and why did she still care?

"It's nice though to have someone make everything ready...especially for a family with your high status."

"High status..." Kira sopped outside a large door and watched as the lady pulled out a large bunch of keys, "What do you mean by that?"

"Well no one has seen your family for years but you belonged to the village down the road. You do remember that don't you?" she frowned and shook her head.

"I was very little when I was taken from my home." She smiled politely at the lady and she opened the door.

"Well the books are all on the table there."

It was about ten o'clock when Kira finally looked up as the door swung open. Marik walked in looking rather tired with his hair as neatly combed as he could get it. She smiled over at him and stretched. It had been almost two hours since she had sat down and started reading. She was pleased with what she had found out and now needed a good long drink. "I'm finished here." She smiled over at him. He returned it and stared down at the book she had just been looking at.

"A family tree why this?"

"Because it's mine," she folded her hands neatly and rested her chin on them, "And I have found out that I have relatives."

Author's notes: I need your input here. Do you think this story should be a tragedy or a happy ending? I would also like to know if anyone was willing to help me with ideas...thanks.