The letter had been sealed in a plain white envelope that was stuck in one of the many files she had to process. So mechanical was she in her work that she didn't even notice it until she had gripped it with the other papers and it stuck in her hand awkwardly She had been curious but didn't open it there at her desk- she'd be in too much trouble if she was discovered doing personal things at her desk. And she knew this was personal, first of all it was addressed to her first name with nothing else written on it. And there were two other things that she wasn't sure should chill her or flatter her. A heavy scent of cologne wafted off the thick stationary. And through the paper she could feel the unmistakable shape and gloss of a picture- and for some strange reason she was afraid to see.

Dashing swiftly across the street just as the light changed Anzu threw her hand up as a bus blew its horn at her. 'Tourists' she thought to herself making it safely to the other side of the street. The bus blew by her and she thought she could make out Pennsylvania license plates. It hadn't been so long ago that Anzu had wondered around this city as helplessly as the tourists she now could barely tolerate. But it is amazing what a person can learn in such a short time when forced to. Yami had told her once that it was amazing how quickly she picked up life in the city. He had lived there is whole life and often told her that she functioned better then he did. It was probably because Anzu's life in New York City had started off in the place she had just battled her way down from Midtown to reach. Little Italy probably wasn't the smartest place for a girl who didn't speak a word of Italian and whose English could be horrible at times. But through the friend of a friend of a friend that had helped her get to New York in the first place Anzu had managed to get a job in a small travel agency and a decent apartment. But reminiscing was not on Anzu's agenda for the day.

Moving off the main street, a quick cut through a short ally, and down a set of stairs had Anzu in her destination. It was something out of a movie-a tiny Italian restaurant full of whispering Old Italian man who immediately stopped talking when she walked in. The oldest of them stood behind a bar in the center and smiled as she entered. Smiling back Anzu glared at a handful of the other inhabitants who had scowled at her entrance, apparently some of them still didn't like her. "Oh get back to your whispering you stuffy old bats," Anzu called to the group in the corner where most of the animosity seemed to be located. "How are you Tony?" Anzu asked upon reaching the bar.

"Not bad, not bad. Long time no see Ms. Mazaki. What brings you to our lowly part of town?" the old man asked.

"I was actually hoping to find Vito. Is he…" she trailed off feeling a hand snake around her waist from the right. Grabbing the webbing between the stretched fingers on her hip Anzu gave a painful pinch resulting in her unwanted suitor to give a little wail of pain. "I didn't like you six years ago, I didn't like you six months ago, and I certainly don't like you now Pancrazio so hands off." Anzu commanded throwing the hand off her and back to the greased up Italian on her right. The other man who had joined her on her left gave a loud bark like laugh. Ignoring the scowling pervert on her right Anzu turned and grinned at her new companion. "How have you been Anthony?" she asked the blonde. He gave a shrug.

"I can't complain," he told her. "But," he continued leaning in to her, "I have spent many a sleepless night dreaming of your beautiful eyes." Anzu grinned.

"And does your wife know of these sleepless nights?" she asked but didn't get an answer as the person she'd come to see interrupted.

"I thought I heard a familiar voice," a deep rich old voice commented echoing across the restaurant. Anzu spun a smile on her face.

"Its good to see you Vito," she said rushing over to give him a hug. She was one of the few people who could approach the mob boss so freely, let alone hug him without having a gun pulled on her. The old man returned the hug, lifting her up off the floor a few inches before setting her back down on her feet. "How have you been?" she asked as the mob boss slung his arm around her shoulder leading her toward her office.

"Things have been good, very good. But you," he said closing the door to his office in back after they entered, "I've heard some pretty interesting things about you lately."

"Oh?" Anzu asked actually curious as to what was being said about her. "Like what?" She sat down opposite of the desk as he poured himself a drink. Raising the bottle in offering but Anzu shook her head. "So what's so interesting?"

"Isn't that why you're here?" he asked sitting down looking at her curiously. Anzu returned his look. "I heard you were getting into some pretty heavy stuff involving the Ishtars." Anzu laughed.

"Does anything ever stay quite in this city?"

"Not when it involves people like you and me," the Italian mob boss said with a grin.

"Speaking of which I heard that you had a very good week last month." Anzu was referring to a deal involving the moment of a Vincent Van Gogh original that had been sold a private buyer through the Salzono family which Vito was currently running. "How'd you get a hold of that painting anyway?"

"You know, I have some good connections," he trailed off.

"Hm? Connections huh?" she asked giving him an accusing look.

"Don't give me that look Anzu. You know that my family has been legitimate for years now. We just don't go through all the same, er, protocols that normal people do." Anzu just snorted.

"Now, what is everyone saying about me?" Anzu asked leaning back in her chair.

"Apparently you made some members of the Chinese mafia in LA very angry."

"That was over four months ago," Anzu lamented, "news moves slow cross country I guess. So nothing else?"

"Not that I've heard. Why, what are you into now?" he asked looking interested.

"That's not really important, but I was wondering if you could tell me if you'd heard about something that had happened up in Boston over the Memorial Day weekend?"

"Now Anzu," Vito scolded, "how long have you known me?" Anzu shrugged. "It's been over six years and you think that I can't tell when you are lying to me? And more importantly do you think that I don't know when you are actually dying to tell me? Like that first day we met?" Anzu looked up at the ceiling to avoid his gaze.

"If I remember correctly it was right after I broke your pervert son's hand." Anzu reminisced which earned a laugh from Vito.

"And he still hasn't changed has he," Vito mused. Anzu shook her head and looked back at him. When Anzu had started living and working in little Italy she had the bad luck to meet up with Pancrazio Salzono and a group of his pervert friends on the way home from work. She had broken his hand when he grabbed her butt and had then run home. But it had not ended there. She had been greeted at work the next day by members of the Salzono 'family' and dragged to meet the head of the family Vito. Despite all that Anzu had been through in the previous months she still had a temper and not really understanding the severity of her situation and so had fought every inch of the way, and as fate would have it managed to punch out one of her captors. That's what must have amused Vito so much about Anzu, the fact that she didn't give up until the last possible moment. In fact when she had been literally thrown into his office she was swearing quite profusely in Japanese. It hadn't taken long for the truth of Anzu and Pancrazio to come out and for Vito to come to like Anzu easily. Vito and Anzu had talked for hours after their first meeting and Anzu made her first powerful friend in the city. He knew everything about her and she knew as much about him as was safe to know.

And over her years in New York, even after she had left her little apartment in Little Italy, she and Vito had stayed close- helping each other as need be- and providing Anzu with a family, no matter how unorthodox it may seemed. Vito had also proven a valuable ally and informant when Anzu had made her sudden career change. But Anzu had never introduced Yami and Vito. Seemed odd to her to cross two worlds. Despite that she still keep Vito and the Salzono family(well most of it) in her life and in her heart, Yami and Vito were apart of two worlds. One world that Anzu was trying to preserve and one she was trying to forget.

Shaking the thoughts loose from her head Anzu smiled at Vito. "No, no. He is defiantly still a pervert." Vito sighed.

"I don't know what I'm going to do with him," Vito seemed to muse to himself. "But anyway Boston on Memorial Day huh?" Anzu nodded and he continued. "Well what do you need?"

"Did you have anyone up there, or even around there at the time? I've got to know why it has taken this long to have this story brought to anyone's attention. Let alone the press." Vito looked interested.

"Press isn't saying anything? Odd, what kind of case is this again?" Anzu hesitated telling him. Out of anyone in the city he would react the most to her answer. He was the only one who knew her whole story. Why she had come to America in the first place.

"Well, as odd as this may sound coming from me it's a rape case." Silence occupied the office for a moment and Vito looked thoughtful.

"Up in Boston," he whispered to himself. "This doesn't have anything to do with the Barros family does it?"

"How did you," Anzu started to say but Vito shaking his head and giving her a look, the look, made her stop.

"I know all about it. They're accusing the Ishtar boy of raping Barros' oldest daughter Madeira right?" Anzu blinked unbelievingly at the older Italian.

"You're amazing," she muttered amazed. "But how did you know?" she asked answering her own question in her head before the words were even completely out of her mouth. There was something big going on here, something more then she knew as of yet. Vito did not keep updated on things that did not matter to him or to his business affairs. "So what's going on with this? What am I missing?"

"I think its just best that you stay out of this Anzu," Vito told her looking uncomfortable suddenly. "Why are you into this anyway?" When Anzu didn't answer he continued, "All that I can tell you is that this supposed attack isn't all that it going on with the Barros'. Something bigger is going on and I'm not sure what. All I know is that I don't want a part of it. Its much," he seemed to have a problem finding the right words, "much too dirty."

"Hmm," was all Anzu could come up with. This gave her something to think about. Vito was obviously uncomfortable about something that he didn't want to divulge to her. Anzu sighed thanked Vito porously for seeing her on such short notice while he insisted that she come by more often. Anzu grinned as she opened to the door and stepped to the side. Pancrazio came tumbling into the room, obviously unprepared for the door to open. Behind him Anthony and the rest of the restaurant burst into laughter. Glancing back at Vito who was shaking his head in disgust Anzu grinned and then kneeled down to Pancrazio's level. "You suck at this. I think it's about time you give up," Anzu said patting his greasy head and stepping over him. "See you all later," she called walking out of the restaurant leaving a fuming Pancrazio behind who it seemed had finally had enough.

"But I don't wanna," Yami whined looking out at Anzu from behind a partially closed door, all decked out in running gear. She scowled at him struggling to keep the door that separated them open.

"Yami you lazy bum! Come running with me!" she said puffing throwing her full weight against the door finally getting it open. The only reason that this worked was that Yami was still half asleep and had been stretching from a yawn. They both went down in a tumble. Somehow Anzu managed to land under Yami and they both let out a rather large 'umph' of air. Realizing the position they were in Yami immediately pretended to be asleep and gave a few exaggerated snores. Anzu laughed and tried to push him up off of her. He only went limp which caused more of his weight to fall on her. "Ahh, come on," Anzu said between laughs still trying to lift him off of her. He didn't make a move and Anzu managed to wrestle a hand free and poked him in between the ribs. Yami's crimson eyes immediately shot open.

"Don't, don't, don't! That tickles," he reprimanded her catching the offending hand. He looked down at her and raised an eyebrow.

"Oh! Don't do that! You know that I hate that I can't do that!" He only responded by lifting the other and then the opposite again making them look like they were dancing. Anzu gave a bark like laugh. (AN: one of my best guy friends does that all the time just to piss me off. I'm so mad that I can't do that!!) Anzu continued to laugh until Yami joined her. After a moment she tried to push him off of her again and groaned. "You really do need to go running with me. You are getting really heavy."

"Hey! I am still the buff specimen that I always have been," he told her not moving an inch. Anzu snorted and Yami settled down again. He rested his head right under her chin, his chin resting just above her chest and made a contented sound. Anzu didn't fight him. Physical contact had never been an issue before between them. The only thing they really didn't do was see each other naked- except for that one time and Yami had sported a black eye for it.

"Hmm, you're warm. I could fall back asleep right here," he told her. His apartment door was still open behind them and a few people had walked by making noises and some stopped to look. Anzu gave a sigh thinking that it would be nice just to go back to sleep like this but she really wanted to run.

"Come on Mouto," Anzu scolded, "we're going running." She made to push him away again and this time he gave by simply rolling off of her to the side. He was wedged on his side next to the wall and her body.

"You are a slave driver," he sighed and struggled to his feet. Half and hour later the two of them had walked over to Central Park and were running along one of the paths, breathing in the sharp morning air as Anzu updated Yami on what she knew about the Ishtar case.

"So something fairly big could be going on along with this rape case?" he confirmed. Anzu nodded watching the path ahead of her for a moment.

"The Barros are a pretty big family. They started out with lobsters I guess up in Maine so it no surprise that they were in Boston at that museum opening in May. According to public records they do a lot of philanthropy work and the main reason they were in Boston was for the 'gala' for the children's hospital- the museum opening was just a publicity stunt. And you can't say museum without hearing from the Ishtar's. If they aren't opening one then they have an exhibit in the it." Anzu sighed and picked her feet up a little higher to avoid tripping over a root. Yami fooled suit.

"So are we going up there?" he asked sounding a little wounded. Anzu just shrugged.

"I think it's a little early for that. Lets get some more info first and then if we need to we'll go up there but if we can I'll avoid it." Anzu gave a little shudder. "I hate Boston- the people up there are just so weird." Yami laughed obviously remembering a weekend a few years back when they went up there for the 4th and she had been groped by a drunk man in a cartoon costume. Anzu seemed to have bad luck with men wanting to grab her ass. "You're an ass whole Yami," Anzu muttered at her still laughing friend who a moment later was down in a heap in the ground. Anzu stopped and turned back to look at him his feet tangled with an uprooted branch in the path. Both were silent for a moment before the both resumed laughing so hard Anzu joined him in a heap on the path.

"Morning Serenity!" Anzu chirped as she and Yami entered the office later in the morning. The young college student looked up and smiled.

"How you guys doing?" she asked looking up from the computer. While Ms. Clay would work hard, long, forever with physical paper work (well proper paper work that was filed and filled out completely and correctly, much unlike Yami and Anzu's) Serenity did everything that could be done electronically. Which was good since her handwriting was illegible.

"How was Atlantic City?" Yami asked hanging up his coat.

"Oh it was nice, but its good to be back" Serenity said with a sort of far away look in her eye. Anzu grinned recognizing a look that clearly said 'I've got a secret'. So she hung back as Yami went into to their office to start making phone calls.

"So what do you have to tell me?" Anzu asked leaning forward on the desk that separated it. Serenity returned the grin.

"Not to tell," she corrected, "show." She stood and turned her back to Anzu and both pulled up her shirt and pull her jeans down slightly. Anzu gave a little gasp at the new tiny tattoo on her hip.

"Oh Serenity,"Anzu said sucking in her breath sharply while examining the Kanji character for 'serenity' surrounded by a star. "Oh man Serenity your brother is going to kill you!" Serenity made a little 'tut' noise and clicked her tongue.

"Not if you don't tell him!" she hissed replacing her jeans on her hips. Anzu shook her head with an exasperated sigh. "Oh you are no fun Anzu."

"No, I just no that your brother will go crazy."

"He's not my father," she told her, "and I'm a big girl. I tie my own shoes and everything."

"Do me a favor though," Anzu asked and Serenity nodded. "Don't let me be around when your brother does find out. I know that he'll find some way to blame me."

"He wouldn't do that," Serenity told her and then look thoughtful. "Ok you're right. I'll make sure that you aren't around." Anzu smiled and then picked up her messages and walked into his office.

"What took you so long?" Yami asked hanging up the phone after Anzu had sat down. Anzu only shook her head. "What? What's up with Serenity?" he pressed.

"Why do you assume that it has something to do with Serenity? Maybe I had something to tell her." Yami continued to give her a look.

"Ok, fine" Anzu caved. "The truth is that she's pregnant." For a moment Yami didn't say anything but just open and closed his mouth wordlessly while Anzu desperately tried to keep a straight face. Suddenly something snapped on Yami's face and he found his words again.

"Was it Duke! That Bastard!!" Yami exclaimed jumping up. "I'll kill him! How could he?"

"Yami," Anzu tried to interrupt.

"When I get my hands on him"

"Yami," Anzu said again.

"He's going to wish he never even looked at her"

"YAMI!" Anzu yelled finally getting him to stop and he looked over at her stupidly.

"What?"

"Serenity is not pregnant," Anzu said calmly watching the color on Yami's face slowly return to normal. "I am," she added as all color left his face. Yami very well have gone into shock because he looked immobile. Anzu snorted, "God you are so gullible. How the hell did you ever become a detective?" When Yami still didn't move Anzu sighed and logged onto her computer to check her mail. She didn't get very far when a hand snaked around her neck cutting of her air.

"I'm going to kill you," came Yami's dangerous whisper as Anzu brought her hands up to try and push the hands off. He instead pulled her up off her chair and let her feet dangle an inch or two of the ground.

"Yami," she barely managed to squeak out try with no avail to kick him enough to actually hurt him. Yami didn't seem to notice but seemed content enough to just let her run out of air slowly. On the verge of passing out the office door opened revealed a confused looking Serenity. Her confusion added when she took in the scene she had walked in on.

"What's up Serenity?" Yami asked calmly not moving an inch while Anzu whispered obscenities still trying to free herself of his grasp.

"Um, there's a call for Anzu on line one," she said looking between the two.

"Can you take a message?" he asked as Anzu clawed at his arm still kicking for all she was worth.

"He was really insistent about talking to her. I think she should take it. Besides," she smiled, "he sounds really cute."

"Who is it?" Yami asked.

"Malik Ishtar? Did I say that right?" she asked looking between the two shocked detectives. Anzu had stopped kicking and looked at her in disbelief. A moment later Yami dropped her and being unprepared fell to the floor hard. She scrambled back up quickly and looked at her phone that was blinking that she had a call waiting for her. Seeing Yami move out of the corner of her eye she dove for the phone to beat him to it.

"Hello," she said quickly.

"Is this Anzu Gardner?" asked a perturbed voice on the other end.

"Yes it is," Anzu looked up and mouthed thank you to Serenity and then tried to literally kick Yami out but he seemed to not get the message. "What can I do for you Mr. Ishtar?" She glared at Yami who had taken a seat on her desk.

"I just wanted to ask one more time if you would drop the case," he said bluntly.

"Nothing has changed since last week Mr. Ishtar. This is still your sister's case and I'm working for her. Until she asks me to stop looking into it I won't." She heard him sigh on the other end.

"And there's nothing I can do to convince you otherwise?" Anzu blinked in surprise. Was this really the same man who had practically broken into her office a week ago and straight faced threatened her to stay out of his business. And now here he was talking to her like a normal human being speaking both calmly and rationally.

"What can I do for you Mr. Ishtar? It is obvious that I am not going to be dropping the case any time soon. There must be something productive you can do with your time and therefore allow me to the same."

"Worth a shot right?" he responded and Anzu could almost see if smile on the other end- this both surprised and confused her. "I thought I'd give you another case to give it up willingly." Anzu stiffened.

"Is that a threat?" she whispered turning away, hoping Yami wouldn't hear but she could sense him stand up.

"God no!" he practically shouted and then for an after thought added, "would it work?" Anzu let her silence answer and he continued. "Since you won't give it up and I obviously don't want you to be poking around my business unbridled I thought that we might be able to help each other."

"Oh?" Anzu asked intrigued wondering were this was going.

"Yes, you keep me included in what is going on and let me be involved then I won't fight you or try to keep you from what you need to know. We work together." Anzu stopped and let this all sink in. This didn't make a whole lot of sense to her. Why would a man who was being charged of such a horrible crime and involved with so many high-ranking families be so unwilling for a person to try and prove his innocence? Of course she had never heard him declare his innocence or guilt. In all of her records he had not said a word about anything. And here he was offering her a truce, an alliance really. Could she get involved like this right now? His voice interrupted her thoughts. "Just know that you work with me or against me," his voice cautioned. "I can help make this really easy or very, very difficult."

"Interesting," Anzu mused more to herself then him.

"So do we have a deal?" he asked. From his stop on the desk Yami watched his half of the proceedings from in front of Anzu's desk feeling extremely agitated that he didn't know what was going on. He was about to say something when Anzu said a few parting words and then hung up.

"What," Yami asked trying to keep his temper in check, "what was that about?" The events of his first meeting with Malik still had him angry whenever he thought about it. If there was one thing that Yami prided himself on it was how he ran his business and the fact that Malik had disturbed that would leave him with a last grudge. He studied Anzu's face which was a mixture of amusement and confusion. "Anzu?" he pressed. "Anzu!" he called snapping his fingers toward her face. This seemed to snap her out of her daze. She pushed his hand away with a low growl.

"Don't do that, I hate it when you do that. Its so rude." She stood and stretched rubbing the back of her neck. "Thanks for the neck ache by the way. Its not like I need help with those."

"You wanna fill me in? I thought we were in this together?" Yami practically whined. Anzu snorted thinking how much he sounded like a five year old when he did that.

"Well, I'm not sure if you're going to believe me or not but I just had a very interesting, and slightly intelligent conversation with our prime suspect." She paused for a moment thoughtfully but a look from Yami pressed her forward. "It seems that instead of fighting us in this, which he clearly intended to do originally, he wants to work with us." She looked over at him and his expression showed just what she was thinking. "I know, but he's obviously trying to cover his ass in regard to something. I think we are right in assuming that this is much more then a tiff between Madeira Barros and Malik Ishtar. Not only is he trying to cover something up but so are the Barros. They would have brought this to the media long ago for both publicity and public sympathy otherwise." By this point in time Anzu was just think aloud to herself and Yami was processing his own thoughts.

"That maybe but working with us?" Yami asked looking a little uncomfortable and worried. "I mean has anyone ever really 'worked' with us on a case before? Let alone a suspect who is the sister of our client?"

"I don't think anyone in the history of time has been faced with something like this before," Anzu sighed. "And add on to that the fact we're, well I'm, supposed to be working for the police as well just adds to the fun." She sat on her desk with her back to him looking out her little window. "And I don't even know where to start." Yami smiled sadly at her feeling her stress.

"Don't let this get you down," he counseled, "we are going to get through this fine. Remember the Donner's case?" he asked and Anzu laughed. "That stupid wild goose chase in Canada for the deed to a diamond mind that didn't even exist?"

"I was this close to going to South Africa, remember?" she asked throwing her head over her shoulder and grinning wolfishly at her.

"And then in the airport Yugi tackled that poor woman thinking it was you when she was trying to get on the plane." Both of them were laughing fairly hard by now.

"That was even before all the terrorist paranoia but they still dragged me off the plane cause they thoughts I was going to blow it up. And then the best part was you had to flirt with the head of airport security to keep all of us from going to jail." Anzu continued to laugh hard but Yami's face dropped.

"I thought we agreed to never talk about that again," he said in a low dangerous voice. Anzu laugh and hopped off of her seat on her desk.

"Oh come on," she joked, "it was your finest hour." A moment later she found herself in the same headlock she had been in moments before her phone call with Malik. So when Serenity walked in and Anzu was still sputtering and kicking like she had been when she found them she reason to say, "you two are ridiculously insane."

A man who was known only as Shadi was currently standing in front of a museum display case in Warsaw, Poland. His eyes were sweeping over the cuneiform engraved on the many vases that lined the wall and was speaking fluent Polish to the museum worker that stood next to him. Although his specialty was Egyptian history he was extremely talented in many fields. That included both modern and ancient/dead languages. He finished translating and swept quickly away from the frazzled worker who was still trying to copy everything down. She called after him to please repeat the translations again but his steps had already taken him away from her.

He descended the steps of the museum into the city's busy streets pulling from his jacket pockets a cell phone that double as everything from a laptop to a GPS locator and beyond. (AN: this story obviously does not retain much, if anything, from the original story line. Therefore, while Shadi will still maintain his mystery and odd ways. But he will also be a bit more modern. For example in this scene Shadi will be in a business suit and using a…well I can't remember what they are called but want one- but one of those do it all phones- just wanted to explain some things a bit.) He punched a few buttons on the keypad as he walked and the screen lit up. He moved swiftly through the streets as he entered his stored messages and read the two new ones he had. The first one was of no real concern to him but the second intrigued him.

He read the three-line message once, twice, and a third time committing it to memory before deleting it. He stopped and hailed a cab and allowed himself to laugh at the irony of the whole situation. The first message had been a reprimand from one Anzu Gardner, berating him for handing her name out to Isis Ishtar. The second message was from a person he never expected to hear from again. The man was powerful and liked to use his power quietly. That's probably what made him so dangerous- he did nearly everything in silence and therefore the people around him were silent spreading his web of power. And although he hadn't asked for her directly, it was clear enough that he was looking for her, Anzu Mazaki. Yes, Mazaki. The girl Anzu used to be when she lived in Japan, a person totally different from Anzu Gardner. And after all these years he was looking for her again. Seto Kaiba and Anzu Gardner- he had to be around for this reunion.

I'm pretty sure most people have figured out where this story is going but if not… well then I'm not sure I should be proud for keeping it a secret or not! Anyway its been nearly a year since I updated this story (I am so bad) but I hope that I still have some readers. If not I hope that I can attract you all back and maybe get some new readers along the way!! But anyway, happy belated Thanksgiving for all of you in the US and pre-Happy Holidays to all of us. Be seeing you soon with a new chapter of 'Thinking Over' and another of 'You Wish'. Sorry this one is kinda short but I wanted to get it out and not give too much away. Peace! Love yea all

-Star