Magnolia Blossoms: Seven

Warning: Last chapter was revised. I suggest you reread it for this chapter to make sense. See you soon!

She woke up slowly, twisting in her bed, feeling the silky smooth touch of her satin sheets. She paused, and then shot upright. She didn't have satin sheets. She took in the area around her, and sighed. She'd done it again. Great. Kaiba Senior was probably going to throw a hissy fit.

With a sigh, she threw the sheets off of her and got up. She glanced around the room for a minute, and winced as she caught sight of herself in the mirror. She was a mess, that was for sure. She ran her fingers through her messy hair, and then threw it up into a ponytail, muttering, "Screw it." She wandered over to the oak door, and threw it open. She peered out into the astoundingly large hallway, cursing Seto. She wasn't sure how the hell to get to the kitchen from here. Luckily enough, a dark-haired blur by the name of Mokuba chose that instant to barrel into her.

"Hey Callie! Come on, it's time for breakfast!" the boy said, taking her hand and pulling her along. With a roll of her eyes, she allowed him to drag her towards the kitchen, making mental notes of each and every turn, just in case she ended up in that room again. But, knowing Seto, he would probably put her in a different room every time, just to confuse her.

The two of them stumbled down the stairs (well, Callie stumbled, Mokuba ran.) and entered the dining room. Seto had already left for the office, but Callie winced as she noted the letter with her name on it. She watched Rosie put a plate full of food in front of Mokuba, and the maid tossed her an apple, which she (barely) caught. Biting into the crisp Fuji, she opened the letter, scanning the calligraphy.

Calandra

Since you apparently have trouble staying up late enough to go home, and I do not have the time to rouse you, I've issued a room for you to say in when you need to work late. Rosie will show you to the room later. You will be required to return to your home and take some clothing to keep here. Now that you have a room here, I expect no complaints about my work hours.

Seto Kaiba

She snorted to herself, tossing the note down on the table. "I expect no complaints about my work hours," she mocked, waving her hands around for emphasis. Mokuba laughed, finished eating. Rosie appeared next to Callie, as silent as a ghost. Callie, naturally, jumped.

"Jesus! My heavens, you scared me!" she gasped. Rosie snickered.

"Would you like to see your room now?" Callie shrugged, and both Mokuba and Rosie headed up the stairs. She stretched and followed, watching them lead her into another large hallway. She walked into the room, and just stared. It was white. Just plain white, with a bed, a dresser, a mirror, and a connecting bathroom. She crossed her eyes, feeling blind.

"He's institutionalizing me!" she cried out to Mokuba and Rosie. Mokuba sneered elegantly at the childish response, while Rosie giggled. Callie stared at Mokuba in consternation- he looked exactly like his older brother when he did that. "Hey, Mokuba, do you think I could decorate this place?" The child brightened instantly.

"Yeah! We can make it a project! Let's go get some paint and stuff!" he said, grinning. Callie grinned back, but shooed him out of the room so she could get changed really quickly. She left her jeans on, but she threw on a shirt she'd found in one of the drawers. Considering the size, it was probably one of Seto's old shirts, but she really didn't care.

She met up with Mokuba downstairs, and the two of them ran out to her car, which happened to be a 2004 Boxster. Ignoring Mokuba's incredulous glance, she hopped into the driver's seat, and brought her baby to life. Mokuba slid into the front seat, eyeing Callie oddly.

"How'd you afford this on your salary?" he asked, knowing it was rude, but needing to satisfy his curiosity. Callie shrugged.

"I told both you and your brother, money's not an issue with me. I've got a good bit stored away. This was my splurge," she explained, her tone suggesting that he would receive no further explanation, and that no more questions on the topic should be asked.

Ten minutes later, Mokuba was looking through the light purple paint section. He'd seen Callie wear light purple a few times, and figured she'd like the color. He was pulled from his reverie as Callie tapped his shoulder lightly. "Ready, kid?" she asked. He frowned.

"Did you pick out the colors already?" She nodded, and he smiled. Together, they headed out to the car.


Much later that night, Seto strode through the door, depositing his briefcase on the floor. Rosie looked up in surprise. It was 8:00- early for the CEO to be home. "Where's Mokuba?" Seto asked calmly.

"In Callie's room with her," Rosie replied with a small bow. With a small sigh, Seto started up the stairs. He entered the room he'd given to Callie, and froze instantly.

"What…in God's name….have you done to this room?"


Author's Note: Heh, I finally got this chapter up! Merry Christmas, everyone! This is my gift to you all! Please be kind and review!

Setalina Muro: Huh? Couple or not a couple? I don't get it. Yeah, most people look sweeter with their mouth shut. Me especially. Callie too. Thanks!

The Future Mrs. Kaiba: Did I ever mention that I love your penname? Thanks so much for the compliment! I appreciate it.

Hero Girl of Brien: Um…yes, yes and yes? I can cook…kinda. Well, last chapter was revised…so you might want to read it to understand what happened.

Twilight: Here you go, an X-mas gift, just like I promised!

WhiteJellO: Sadly, I've never seen the Jetsons. Thanks for the review, and I'm sorry this update took so long!