Chapter 8

Hard Times

Melissa took a seat on one of the steps on the right side stairway and looked at Seto who was leaning on one of the handrails, "So had a good time I take it?" she guessed.

Seto gave a small laugh, "Sort of, Alec ran in to Jim one of her old friends from Egypt who would have thought the same guy I hung out with when I moved here, she saw him when we went whale watching this morning," he said. Melissa raised an eyebrow, "I see, Uncle Seto were you jealous or something judging by your tone you don't like Jimmy now?" she asked.

Seto glared, sighed, and then sat next to Melissa, "I felt a little jealous kind of what your aunt felt when she saw Rachael yesterday, I guess," he admitted.

Melissa sighed and looked at him, "Uncle Seto, I think you need to know something, Aunt Alec hasn't really been the same since you left it been like she has become another person or lost she," she said.

Seto let out a sigh, "Yeah I've noticed," he said. Melissa continued, "She kind of has been waiting for you to call or at least come back to visit, after you two divorced five years ago, she went into a depression she went on a drug spree even a few overdoses. Andy and Katie had to raise Jenny over the last six years it was only three years ago that Alec really became herself again," she said.

Seto looked shocked at Melissa, "Was it that bad? Because I know of her drug use," he said. Melissa nodded, "Yeah, Yugi and Mokuba found out that Alec was really high on drugs; one day when Joey dropped by with Jenny's birthday present a few days before the party, because he and Mai were going to be off on a business trip for Uncle Mokuba. When Joey asked where Aunt Alec was Jenny took him up stairs where she was completely wasted on her bed with seven bottles of medication next to her," she said.

Seto shook his head, "That was bad why Mokuba didn't tell me this?" he asked. Melissa nodded and shrugged her shoulders, "oh it gets worse, Joey walked in and confronted Alec but she denied it to his face even when she almost clasped when she stood up. When he left her house, he headed straight to the game shop where Uncle Yugi and Uncle Mokuba were at and told them what was going on. Uncle Mokuba came over less then ten minutes later and took Andy, Katie, and Jenny to Yugi's house and Uncle Mokuba kept an eye on Alec; boy was she was a wreck that night."

Seto stopped Melissa, "So how do you know all this?" he asked her. Melissa smiled, "I listened to Uncle Yugi tell Aunt Tea, you see I was staying at their place while my Mom and Dad were on a trip to Hawaii for a fourth honeymoon, I was there when it started and somewhere along the end of it."

Seto nodded, "Yep sounds like your mom and dad any ways go on with what happened," he said. Melissa went on with the story, "Uncle Yugi kept Andy, Katie, and Jenny away from Alec as much as possible, he didn't like doing it but he had to get some sense into her about what was important and this was the only thing he knew could motivate her," she said.

Three years ago

Rain poured on the roof of the game shop, Matt and Jade held a crying Jenny, while Katie and Andy sat at the window looking at the raindrops. "Do you think mom will clean up?" asked Katie.

Andy shook his head, "I hope so, Jenny is a mess look at her it takes both of our cousins to hold her down and you been trying to keep her calm all day, first dad now mom. Kate if we don't do something soon I think Jenny and Mom are going to be scared for life," he said.

Katie looked over at Matt and Jade who looked like they couldn't hold Jenny any longer, Andy got up and walked over to Jenny "JB, you need to calm down don't worry Uncle Yugi won't keep us here forever, Mom is just sick calm down."

Jenny stopped crying and fighting her cousins, she sat on their laps, did a few gestured with her fists and angry face. Andy shook his head he looked at Katie, "Katie she doesn't understand, she think Uncle Yugi and Mokuba are forcing Mom to loss hope that everyone she cares about is leaving her," he translated.

Katie walked over to her sister, "Jenny you need to understand, Mom is ill right now and you fighting all of us aren't going to get her better," she said. Jenny moved her hands and looked at the ceiling; Katie rolled her eyes and looked at her brother, "What did she say?"

Andy laughed, "You're still trying figure it out aren't you, she says you're a liar and that you know better then to try a sugar coat the truth, she wants to know how bad mom is," he said.

Katie stood up, "I wasn't sugar coating anything, if anyone is sugar coating it is you telling her that Uncle Yugi isn't going to keep us here forever."

Matt and Jade stood, "hold on there, Kate," said Jade, "look you need to know something all this is for your mother's own good," she snapped.

Andy glared on his cousin, "How would you know, Jade!" then Katie spoke, "You're younger then I and this isn't your problem this is a Kaiba family issue, not a Moto," she said.

Andy stood up in front of his sister, "Now look Kate you forget this is a Moto and Kaiba issue, Mom is related to Uncle Yugi so take a seat and chill out," he pointed towards the window, Katie growled and went to the window looking at the rain fall on it.

Andy took Jenny in his arms, "Looks JB, Mom isn't losing us ok, and besides if anyone is to blame for this, blame our father," he said coldly. Katie turned towards her brother, "Why do you bring him up when ever things get bad with Mom?" she asked.

Andy looked at Kate, "Because if he didn't leave us this would have never happened, we would be back, at the mansion living a normal life, mom, dad you me, and a talking Jenny," he said.

Katie shock her head, "Do you recall Mom was going to leave him that night or did your memory fail you Jenny was in our room ready to go when Mom came in and told us that everything was ok," she said. Andy shook his head, "but at least she had a good reason, unlike him who just walked out. With out an explanation," Matt and Jade took spots on their beds and watched their cousins argue they knew that the two fought when they were worried.

Kate turned, "At least I don't blame him for every single bad thing that happens," she said. Andy put Jenny next to Kate, "At least I don't take the deadbeats side," he barked.

Katie stood up, "At least some one is on his side, he is our Father and nothing can change that Andrew," she snapped again.

Andy clenched his fist ready to punch Katie; she began to egg him on, "Come Andrew what are you going to do about it hit me because that just what dad would do, when he was mad punch something," she egged.

Jenny was shaking her head, for him not to do it, "Kate, at least I know when to hold back my anger, don't push me!" he exclaimed walking away.

Melissa sat behind the door but no longer, "That is enough both of you grow up." Jenny jumped down from the window and ran to her older cousin in full fear she was losing her family. "Your scaring Jenny Bunny, Andy if you're going to hit something him a pillow and Katie if you're going to egg some one on egg on, then your mother would be a good one so she could stop taking those pills," she barked.

Andy rolled his eye, "Great take JB's side, like you always do," he said. Melissa glared, "At least she has one and it is for you two to stop fighting, this is not helping your mother and right now she needs you three, but you can't be with her ok. Get over it now, both of you, it been what three years since Uncle Seto left and your mother been doing this for the last two years under all of our noses," she said.

Andy turned red eyed, "Don't call him your Uncle or else you and I aren't related," he said. Katie spoke now egging Andy, "DAD, DAD, and DAD." Andy turned to punch Katie, "That does it!"

Yugi and Tea walked into the room, "WHAT IS THE NAME OF ALL THINGS GOOD IS GOING ON HERE?" yelled Tea. Andy was in full swing to punch Katie; Jenny jumped out of Melissa's arms and headed straight for Katie. Andy's hand paused inches from Jenny's head as she was hugging her sister with her head at stomach level.

Tea glared, "Andrew!" she yelled he turned towards his Aunt, "I am out of here, Aunt Tea! You and Uncle Yugi can't keep me here, my Mother needs me or at least one of us," he said.

Yugi placed himself in the doorway, "ANDREW you're not going anywhere, your mother need to find out what is truly important you kids or the drugs she is taking. I don't want to keep you here, but I am because this comes from your Uncle Mokuba, himself," he finished.

Andy glared, "You're not my father so why do you care, besides Uncle Yugi I am out of here like it or not you can't stand in that door way all night," he said.

Jenny walked over to Andy, taking his hand, Andy looked at her, he saw the sadness in her light blue eyes, and she was crying, he had made her cry something he hated to do and braking his promise to her to never cause her to cry.

Andy kneeled down to her level "JB! I have to leave I can't stay here," he said. Jenny hugged her brother around the neck almost knocking him to the floor. Katie looked at her brother, "Looks like some one doesn't agree with your decision, Andrew," she said calmly.

Andy sat on the floor, he felt Jenny wiping her tears in his shirt as he hugged her, "ok Jen Bunny stop crying I won't leave without you," he said.

Yugi moved his hands from the door frame, "Look Andy, Alec is really ill if you want to see her, it's your right, I can't stop you, so come on follow me and Katie you can come too that's if you want too. Jenny needs to stay here I don't thinks she should see the condition your mother is in trust me she really looking bad," he said.

Jenny clung tighter to Andy as he stood up, "Uncle Yugi it is all of us, Jenny has the right to see her like this, she would understand it better that is for sure," he said feeling Jenny nod her head.

Yugi let out a sigh, he knew he was torn between showing Jenny or protecting her young mind, he had seen things like this before he figured that it would at least help the kids cope with the situation, "fine let's get going," he said. Tea turned, "Yugi, what are you doing?" she asked.

Yugi sighed, "Tea they need to see Alec, and you would do the same if you were separated from Jade and Matt," he said. Tea nodded, "take them there but come right back it is raining and I don't want you to get them sick last thing we need around here is sick children," she said.

Yugi nodded, Matt and Jade jumped up, "were going with you Dad look someone has to…" spoke Matt. Yugi interrupted him, "No Matt, you have to stay here, you and your sister still have school, Tea put them to bed I will be back later," he said.

Melissa followed her Uncle, "Yugi I am coming too, Alec is my aunt too and the closes thing right now to a mother, I have right now," she said.

Melissa, Yugi, Andy, Jenny and Katie headed out to the car. Yugi took them to the house that Alec was staying at, Yugi hopped out of the car, "ok just to let you four know it isn't pretty in there, let's go and be quiet."

Melissa was first out of the car followed by Andy, Jenny and Kate; they walked up the steps to the house were they could see through a window.

Alec laid on the couch facing a set of pill containers each full of pills. Mokuba sat in a chair next to her with a stick in hand. Alec's long blue hair was a large mess, her skin pale white, and her eyes blood shot. She seemed to be muttering something her hands in her hair, Mokuba would talk then she would scream at times.

Andy, Jenny and Katie, looked at their mother, she look as if she was a car crash she seem to be losing her mind. Yugi stood behind them, "Now do you kids see why we took you three away because, Alec can't control her self," he said.

Andy looked at his uncle then stood up, "I've had seen enough Yugi. You keeping all of us away are what driving her mad," Andy went towards the door and ran inside the house.

Alec shot up from the large bang that came from the door hitting the wall. Mokuba was shocked to see Andy standing in the doorway; Andy moved over to his mother and took her hand. "Mom, look at me I am here," spoke Andy "don't hurt you anymore," he said.

Alec looked into her blue eyed son, she reached up and touched his face "Andrew is that really you?" she asked in a sore voice. Andy looked into his mother red and blue eyes, "Yes Mom it is me, your son don't you remember I promised that I won't leave you," he said.

Alec began to cry and took her son in her arms, "Andy it is you." Jenny and Katie ran in after fighting their Uncle's grip, Melissa convenience Yugi to let them go that Alec would not hurt them. Jenny and Katie wrapped their arms with Andy's around their mother who was crying.

Alec looked over at Yugi and Melissa who stood in the doorways she then turned her gaze towards the table, which the pills sat. Alec took a deep breath and kicked the table with her leg, causing all of them to fall.

The three children looked up "Mom?" spoke Andy. Alec looked down at her children, "I don't need your father anymore I have your three and your Uncles that is all I need right now," said a teary-eyed Alec, she hugged her children tightly.

Present day

Melissa sitting on the right stairwell of the mansion with Seto, "And that is how it happened, Aunt Alec got off the drugs cleaned up took a job at the game shop and has been going back and forth from good and bad moods for the last few years," she summed up.

Seto looked down, "I can't believe she would turn it to a monster just because of me. Melissa when I left, it was to clear my own head, but I never thought that Alec would almost kill her self like that," he admitted.

Melissa stood up, "A lot of us didn't think you would come back, Uncle Seto. Yugi and Mokuba and my cousins are the only ones that keep her going now," she said.

Melissa walked over to the left stairway, "Kaiba, Alec been through a lot since you left, you, should know this, in a way she hates and loves you and when you left the hate took over her. I think you and her really need to talk and try to see what went wrong because from where I stand you're the bad guy still, think about it," she said.

Melissa headed up the stairs towards Andy and Jenny's rooms to tell them they could come out. Seto thoughts were scattered, "maybe walking away six years ago maybe has hurt more then just me, why did I even listen to that voice in my mind?" he said to him self. "Why are you even thinking about it I though you said you wanted no more ties?" asked a voice in Seto's mind.

"Not you again," he answered, "Look I am not listening to you anymore, I want my family back, and I am going to do it," he said uneasily. "Really because you don't even know why you left still, just because I told you to leave give Alec time and never come back," it said again. "I want my family and life back, I want it all back," he said. "Tough luck your mine, now SETO, remember that," said the voice and it disappeared.

Twilight Memories: I hope you read chapter 8 because I put a tiny explanation of how Noah came back but since you did not catch it, which is ok, anyway in the dub version of the show Yugi said that Noah's mind could be on a back up file. I kind of thought why not bring him back since Alec did program some of the virtual world for him remember Part 1 anyways, the back up was made just before the explosion happened since Noah did hack into Kaiba Corp to get the Big Five what better thing to do then make a back up file.

Darkstar: Have a fun trip and can't wait for you to get back to finish your story, until then have fun.