Chapter 2

There came a day at the end of the third week in which Kaiba was going for a walk outside. Sitting for long hours at the computer or desk was not easy on one's legs, especially legs as long as his. Also, with the added stress and lack of patience having an infant in the house caused, it was good to release some tension in the fresh air.

However, he was just nearing the end of the property when he encountered something unusual. If he had been paranoid, he would have labeled it suspicious.

Standing at the end of his yard, right next to the tall fence, stood a person staring at the mansion. Now, that was nothing unusual for people, only they usually attempted to sneak furtive glances in order not to be considered rude. This person, this girl, actually, was openly looking hypnotized by the house. Despite the fierce wind that tugged at her long coat and hair, whipping them in different directions in the span of seconds, she seemed to hardly feel it as she focused on the mansion.

There is where I must go, she thought to herself. There is where I belong.

Even as his steps brought him nearer, she did not turn. Almost, she appeared like she was hearing other sounds farther away. He was tempted to stand there for however long it took for her to notice his scowl and therefore be embarrassed and shocked, but the length of time it was taking to be observed was growing to a time unbelievable. Kaiba was not known for his patience.

"Excuse me," he began in a cold voice, waiting to see her jump. At least there she did not disappoint him; the girl gave a start and quickly turned toward him with wide eyes. Smirking, Kaiba proceeded, "What are you doing?" He hoped it sounded exceedingly accusatory.

The girl cast a glance back at the mansion as if it still called to her and pried at her attention. "I…" she started in a near-whisper and stopped. The breeze tore free a few long strands of silver-white hair from her coat to swirl around her as if dancing. A few strands were determined to remain fluttering on her face. Almost, with her pale skin and hair, there was a glow around her. The young man shook his head, guessing the uncommonly cold wind to be affecting his wits.

To get back to his question, Kaiba prodded, "Why don't you just move on? I might call my security to have you removed if I have to."

Again, when she turned back to him, she was shocked. "So you live there…" she murmured. Then, greatly daring, the girl looked straight up into his eyes with her own deep blue ones.

Something unnerving happened. Kaiba felt he might actually know this girl, whoever she was. But that was unnatural and impossible. There was no way he knew anyone like her, with so fair skin it was white as frost. Impossible that he was acquainted with someone's whose coat was ragged, though long, and stained from mud, tar, and grass. Inconceivable she could trigger such a reaction of déjà vu in a young businessman who did not believe in such ideas.

Such thoughts dissipated any more patience he might have had and unsettled him enough to make him want to snap at her. Still, she was in such a pathetic state that he decided to be generous for now. If the mesmerized one was still here after his walk, he would have further conversation with her. Now, he just wanted to get away.

Hurrying, almost as if this apparition were some kind of deadly spirit, he made good time escaping her. As he continued on, however, harsh brays and calls came to him from ahead of him. Those bullies…

That was why Kaiba liked to have his brother picked up from school either by car or by an accompaniment.

Right then, the little mob was whooping and jeering at anyone who walked by, zooming along on their scooters. While these younger boys and girl were not as dangerous as older gangs that truly fought with others, they were growing more daring. The police, whenever they could come, seldom were fast enough to find them. Cockiness and youth made them feel they were unstoppable, so they had ceased taunting the weak, young, and elderly long ago. Now, they would chase after stronger people and hurl rocks with their insults. Still, the small gang took what options they could find and still preyed on those who were easy to cow.

It seemed that today they had found such easy prey.

Muttering under his breath, Kaiba glanced back at what they were rushing toward, and his heart, for he did indeed have one, sank.

He certainly had no connections to the odd person, but that did not mean Kaiba would simply let it proceed. For one, the gang needed a lesson in humility and a warning. Two, there was no way a murder or beating was going to happen immediately outside his grounds. Three, he simply hated bullies. The three reasons seemed like excuses to justify his acting even to him.

His long strides had brought him at least forty feet away from the end of his property, so he had to run to get back quickly. The bullies, on scooters, were already nearing the pale girl.

"Why're you so pale? You an albino? We'll add some color to you!"

"You look like a dumb cow standing in a field with jaw agape!"

"Come on, try and fight us!"

Those and ruder comments came from all seven members of the gang. The girl in the gang was the first to grab a rock and hurl it at the astounded, nervous figure clinging with one hand to the fence.

With a sickening thud, it landed right where it was aimed: the forehead. The girl gasped once before teetering and falling to the ground unconscious. Sensing great amusement coming, the gang jumped from their scooters and ran forward to surround her with more insults, rocks, and kicks. The figure was strewn out on the ground, her soft body great amusement to sink their feet in. If they felt also more than the usual amount of bones under their feet or heard more cracks from the rocks than past times, evidence of her pathetic diet, it did not deter them. They were only beginning to get going when something startling happened.

The boy nearest the western end of the circle suddenly flew into the air and collided with the two boys next to him. Groaning, they all were trying to rise to see what had happened. The other four stared at the tall figure absolutely livid in their presence.

The bullies were like most bullies, and when someone began to fight back, they fled. These were a sorrier sort than most because they even left their three comrades behind to flee as best they could. Then, on the safety of their scooters, they hooted and swore several times before going off again.

Hardly knowing what he was going to do, Kaiba rolled the girl onto her back and gently took her in his arms. Already, blood was festering from the head wound and stood out starkly from her skin that had, if possible, gone even whiter. Now, it was difficult to determine if it was a corpse he held or a pale breathing girl.

Two gatekeepers had already run forward to help, but when they saw the crowd flee, one took a look at the girl and opened the gates. Kaiba went in with his limp burden, setting her down in a room and looking for the phone in order to call for help.

Kaiba did not know what to do. The doctor was gone, the infant was crying, the girl was still in one of his rooms, and he had a lot of work to get done. At least someone else was making the baby quiet, but the other problems were his own.

Mokuba had left Metskiao in the hands of a maid and come to see the strange girl. He looked at his brother once, sensing there was something his brother had to get off his chest.

For some reason, Kaiba felt he needed an excuse for her remaining presence here. "There was no one looking for her when I informed officials. And, since the girl seems old enough to survive on her own, they cannot place her with foster care. And, if you believe it, that doctor refused to let her into a hospital, saying she would be fine and that since she had no health coverage she deserved nothing more. Even when I said I would cover her, he said he needed proof before taking her in case I backed out later.

"'Come back when you have her under your insurance,' he said." Kaiba balled his hands into fists.

Mokuba gazed calmly at the ill-looking girl, not taken aback by his brother's problems. To him, the solution was easy. "We can let her stay."

In his surprise, Kaiba actually started laughing. Then, he realized his brother was serious. "What? There is no way I am letting another person in this house. We have no way of knowing who she is, what diseases she carries, where's she from, or what good she is! If you think I was a pushover with the baby, you can think again with this girl. We are not a house for the unwanted! I won't let her in, not ever! She's lucky she's not back out on the streets healing there!"

"Seto," Mokuba said, laughing, "I've never seen you so flustered!"

Kaiba quickly regained control of himself, scowling. Realizing he was not doing his argument any good staying here, he turned and left the room.

Smiling to himself, the boy went close to the girl and whispered, "My brother is never about to hyperventilate. I think he must like you." He shook his head. "No, I can't see Seto liking anyone. You must have done something to really perturb him, and people only do that when they aren't scared of him." Now Mokuba was getting curious, wondering what had happened exactly and who this girl was. Unfortunately, the victim was still unconscious and likely to remain that way for the rest of the night, at least according to the doctor. Needing time to think, the boy also left the room.

At dinner, the first words out of Mokuba's mouth, not uncommon ones, were, "Hey, Seto—"

"No."

The boy almost choked on his spinach. He blinked twice rapidly before daring to speak again. "All right, but I had an uncommonly good idea. I guess I'll run it by the other person first, which is what I should have done anyway." The boy popped out of his chair, took his plate, fork, and glass, and hurried to another room hardly able to contain his excitement.

"Mokuba, wait…What were you going to say?" he finished to himself. Kaiba sighed, wondering what new idea his brother was getting now. Obviously, it had something to do with that peculiar girl since Mokuba had gone in the direction of where she was. Well, he would learn she could not answer.

Actually, Mokuba was finding to his utter delight that the girl had awakened. The goons outside the door had not been aware of this fact, but they had no problem letting the boy inside.

"Good evening," Mokuba said upon seeing the rich blue depths of her eyes. They looked like the deeps of a lake on an autumn day.

She should have been frightened and anxious to escape, but nothing about Mokuba indicated she had to fear him. Also, though she knew not the reason, the girl sensed she was safe here, wherever she was.

Thinking he ought to explain the situation, Mokuba put aside his plate and stood by the bed. Unknowing she had similar thoughts about him, the boy discerned her gentle and kind aura, knowing he had nothing to fear from her.

"My name is Mokuba. My older brother saved you from some bullies before, outside our house. The doctor said you probably had a concussion and would have plenty of headaches, but he seemed to think you would be fine soon."

How much of this she understood was debatable. Still, at least she picked up on the main meaning behind his words. The questioning eyes no longer looked so confused.

"I don't want you to worry about anything, at least right now. Just rest and relax. In fact, I'll lock Seto out so he can't harass you. First, let me go get some food. Do you want to know anything? I can show you where the bathroom is if you're up to it." There was no response, so Mokuba continued, "It is the first door across from here. Feel free to use it whenever you want."

The boy wandered back out into the hall to get some food for the quiet girl. Maybe she did not like all his chatter. The had doctor said she would have some headaches. He would have to be quieter when he went back inside.

The servants easily let him fill another plate before they ate any. The table his brother had been at was empty already.

He must have gone back to work, Mokuba thought as he went back to the room bearing the precious loads. In one hand was a steaming plate. The other held a glass of water.

Nearing the girl's room, he walked in without warning and had quite a start. There was his brother, speaking to the girl.

Setting down the plate and glass before it came to harm, Mokuba stood between the two of them and began shoving his brother out the door.

"No way, Seto. Leave her alone for awhile. You're not allowed in here until a later date."

"Mokuba, I wasn't doing anything but explaining what happened."

"I already told her!" The boy was pushing with all his might; still, if his brother had not been allowing himself to be herded, Seto would not have moved at all.

Kaiba sighed, looking back at the bed where the girl was hiding a smile with the blanket. Then, he let his brother close the door on him with a firm snick and went back upstairs. There, a baby was crying again, but the maids could deal with it.

All right, now that his brother could not bother the poor girl, Mokuba began to give her dinner.

"Thank you," she whispered. Slowly, she sat up in bed and began to feed herself. Then, she looked at the boy for an instant, adding a soft, "Mokuba."

The boy grinned, taking his own plate and finishing dinner. Then, when she had eaten and drank everything she could stomach, he took both dishes and set them aside.

"I won't bother you anymore tonight. I think you should get some sleep. But, do you have any questions for me?"

The girl had plenty of questions; that was evident in her face. Yet, she chose not to ask any of them then. Instead, she shook her head and began to lie down once more, covering herself better with the blankets. Her coat was no longer on her, and without its warmth that went from neck to ankles, she was somewhat chilled.

Mokuba wished her a good night and left, quietly closing the door once more. Then, to the amusement of the goons outside the door, he told them not to let anyone in, especially not his brother. Then, because he had heard a faint crying, Mokuba went to his charge to see what he could do.

Sleep was impossible. Every time he closed his eyes, Kaiba saw something unexplainable. One was the image of his raging blue-eyes white dragon. The other was that pale girl, a flame about to extinguish.

"I don't believe in anything like this," he said with gritted teeth, as if by announcing it his brain would accept it and cease the phantasmagorias.

Yet, the visions did nothing other than continue and creep into his dreams when he finally did sleep. In the morning, he muttered how it would have been better not to have slept at all.

Today, there was school to go to. How could he go to school when there was a strange girl residing in his house? There was no telling what sort of mischief she could get into.

He was not being particularly fair. He, too, had sensed the innocence of the girl when he had been in the room, but Kaiba still had to keep his logic and reasons—especially when reason seemed apt to disappear altogether when it came to this girl.

"I'd better speak with her this morning and find something out about her."

Not at all anxious to begin, he dragged on his uniform, took his bag and briefcase downstairs, and began eating breakfast first. In the kitchen, a sleepy Mokuba arrived with a yawn and a smile.

"Good morning, Seto."

"Morning, Mokuba."

His younger brother looked closely at him, gathering awareness with every passing second. "You don't look so good," he commented.

"Thanks."

"Say, you didn't harass that girl, did you, and spend all night listening to your raging conscience?"

He gritted his teeth. "No, Mokuba. But I did contemplate what on earth we're going to do now and debated forcing her over to the police who seem too keen on letting her remain here out of everyone's way."

His brother stared at him. "You're not serious, are you?"

Closing his eyes, he answered, "No." Not yet anyway. But if he had to spend another night like the last one, Kaiba was not going to let her stay.

"Good. Now will you listen to me? I have a plan. A way that would let the girl stay here and not be a bother."

This ought to be good. Kaiba inclined his head.

Taking a deep breath as for a speech he had probably prepared all last night, Mokuba said, "I know you're looking for a nanny."

If Kaiba did not feel like allowing his brother to proceed with his carefully-planned argument, he would have already had an answer.

"Well, this girl has no where to go that we know of and no one is looking for her. So, it goes to follow that she might make an excellent nanny for Metsukiao. I have noticed how gentle she is and believe her capable. What do you think?"

Instead of negating him instantly, Kaiba decided to teach his brother a lesson in arguments. He started by finding the flaw. "Have you spoken to her about this?"

The boy shifted uncomfortably. "No, but how could she say no if she had no where else to be?"

"All right, then do you have any facts, not your belief, that she can provide and care for an infant? This involves the child's health, you know."

Determinedly, Mokuba said, "I'll test her out. Bring down Metsukiao and see how she can care for her. Besides, it was just an idea, Seto."

Kaiba had gone far enough with the lesson—that was obvious. Go too far and risk dashing all of his brother's hope and enthusiasm. One of the lessons of helpful criticism was knowing when to stop if the person was too attached. Still, his brother would have to learn the harder lesson another day.

"Go ahead and test it out. After school," he added as Mokuba jumped up to race upstairs. "I will talk with her today as well." He saw his brother's disapproving face. "Mokuba, I'm not going to murder her."

"You'd better not because we need a nanny!"

"Just remember," Seto cautioned, "we know practically nothing about her. Most probably, she has some disorder that led her to the streets and will ruin her chances of being a nanny."

Mokuba did not believe and he guessed his brother did not either, but he said nothing in reply. Instead, he continued upstairs to see if Metsukiao was awake yet.