He is awakened due to the light that is seeping into the room through the open curtains. For a brief moment, he is unable to recall where he is. Sitting up he looks around, before cradling his head from the headache that has decided to greet him. He pulls back the covers. Rising from the bed, he doesn't even bother to get ready first, as he makes a beeline to his childrens' rooms. He walks in to see Mokuba holding Suzaku in his lap, and Aoi jumping up and down on her bed, smiling at her uncle. He can swear that jumping on her bed is his daughter's favorite thing to do.

Suzaku is the first to notice his father. He joyously leaves his uncle's lap and gets off the bed. He starts going faster then his feet should be able to allow him; yet somehow he manages not to fall over. As he is right before Kaiba, he reaches out his arms, signaling he wants to be picked up. "Otouasan." He says before laughing. The other occupants of the room stare at him. Kaiba picks him up. "Suzaku, say it again." Suzaku decides to ignore his father, and turns to look at his sister and uncle. Mokuba is hoping this is the thing that will get Seto one step closer to healing. ' I mean having his son saying father as his first word must make Seto feel overjoyed.'

Mokuba gets up to leave. He doesn't want to intrude on the moment the family is having. He is about to walk out the room when he feels a hand on his shoulder. He doesn't bother to turn around. "Mokuba, I am going to see if I can drop these two of with Jounouchi...If not I know one of our friends would be willing to watch them for the day...I would like the two of us to spend the day together...I know I have been occupied with the children and work not to mention my grief; that I haven't spent any quality time with you in a long while...Well, what do you say?" "How about you still take them to see their uncle...We will do this another day...I already have other plans." He turns to see the rejected look in his brother's eyes. He quickly leaves the room. ' I can't be around with him; when all I have been thinking about lately is Shizuka, and what he did to her...I will wind up doing something I will regret if I am alone with him.'

Mokuba leaves the mansion, not knowing where he is going. His mind, which happens to be on auto pilot right now, is on his motorcycle. An image of a woman that he hasn't seen in a while enters his thoughts. He sees her long blonde hair moving due to the breeze. The time they had run into each other years after they had first met; he had persuasively suggested that they should go for a walk. That is where they had found themselves in the middle of a forest; the sun had been setting. She had her back to him. He was a couple of feet behind her. Admiring how truly beautiful she is, when the wind decided to greet them with its presence, causing the image to be burned into his memories.

The image is currently in his mind. She had turned to him with a smile on her face. He can still remember how he had felt to want to kiss those lips; the way her eyes had sparkled with anticipation. He had taken her hand instead, telling her that his brother needed him first. She looked at him with disappointment yet understanding, for he had given her a brief summary of his brother's depression and its cause. She had told him, she would wait as long as she could, for she really liked him and would want to see where their relationship could go. That had been a year ago, he hopes she is still waiting as he makes his way to where he can reach her.

He is still standing where his brother had left him. He couldn't understand; he had thought this was something his brother had been waiting for, after what he had heard Mokuba telling Aoi this morning. It never once occupies his mind that he is the real cause for the distance between them. That it has nothing to do with Shizuka anymore, Seto has no idea Mokuba knows about that night. That evening had cost him losing her for a while, something he thought he could have lived with, since she had been dying anyway. He had been proven wrong a week afterward, for in that time he had been unable to sleep nor eat. Mokuba had been forced to take the children and stay with Yugi, in order to avoid his brother's wrath. For after the fourth day, Seto had completely lost it after Aoi had accidently broken something.

Flashback

He had been trying to tell Seto to calm down. His words had gone unheeded. His brother had a dangerous glint in his eyes, as he took a step closer to Aoi. Mokuba had quickly interceded. He had ordered his niece to take her brother, and go upstairs and not to come down until he said it was okay. She readily obeyed. She normally doesn't like being told what to do, however in this case she had been afraid of the look in her father's eyes. He sidestepped his brother; "They are my children, you can't keep me from them." He told Mokuba who had gotten in his way again. "That's right, they are children which is why I won't let you harm them...You aren't yourself right now, Seto...I suggest..." He had never gotten the chance to finish when the blow came. Stunned that his brother punched him, he tackled Kaiba the next moment.

Being the best at almost everything they did, Seto had quickly had gotten the upper hand. He turns them over, so his brother is under him. His knees on his brother's back. He had grabbed Mokuba's hair pulling on it. The next moment, he pushed Mokuba's face down so that it harshly met the floor. Mokuba managed to knock the wind out of his brother the next instant. With that moment of opporunity, he shoved Kaiba off of him; before kicking him in the chest. Mokuba had started to run to Aoi's room, although it wasn't as easy with his sight being blurry; and his nose bleed briefly. Since this was his house, he didn't really need to focus as to where he was going. He knew the vicinity inside and out. It would have helped though, if the dizziness would have gone away.

He had almost made it to Aoi's room, when he felt the tug on his ankle. Landing hard on the floor, his nose once again starts to bleed quite profusely this time. Kaiba had gone after Mokuba once he had recovered, as he had been about to reach him though. He had tripped. Reaching out he made contact with the body part available to him. Seeing his brother go down the next instant, he had quickly gotten up, crawling to him. They heard Aoi comfort Suzaku who is crying hysterically from the sounds of the two brothers struggling.

Mokuba knows he has one last chance. His need to protect his niece and nephew gives him newfound strength. They both got up at the same time. Mokuba quickly pushes his dizziness away, as he charged Kaiba once again tackling him. Seto grabs his face ready to head butt him ending the fight. Mokuba however does the same to him, only he started to bang his brother's head repeatedly against the floor, while straddling his chest for better leverage. When he knows his brother has had enough; he lets go of Seto's hair. His brother groans and slowly stirs. Mokuba punches him twice hard enough to render him unconscious. He had managed to get up without falling. However he stumbled the few feet from where Aoi's bedroom door is.

After being let in, he retrieves them; telling them to close their eyes so they won't see what he had been forced to do to their father. He forced himself to carry the brother and sister past the gates; in order for whoever he called would have the opporunity to reach them, for only the Kaibas' were in the security database. Knowing he had gone as far as he could go, they are 100 feet away from the property's entrance. With enough coherent thought he called the one person, he knew his brother didn't know the residence of, at least not the one the couple was currently at. He knew that wouldn't stop his brother though. In time Seto would find them.

So he was going to make it difficult for him, if only for a little while. At first he had thought to go to the lodge they owned in Kyoto; but not only would that have made that easy for his brother to locate them. It would have left the three of them vulnerable. After explaining the situation and pleading for help, which thankfully she didn't refuse. She was a sucker for a person in need. He passed out. His last thought being that he hoped his brother didn't recover before she arrived. Aoi ran to him, shaking him and begging for him to get up. Suzaku once again started crying for now though, he couldn't completely comprehend on some level why his uncle fell. He was scared that he wasn't responding to his sister. Somehow, he knew this wasn't a game. He would soon forget the incident though, for his mind was too young to remember something as terrifying as this.

She had been having a conversation with her fiancee when her cell rang. They were suppose to marry last year but Shizuka had wound up passing away, so she thought to have the ceremony postponed to give them enough time to deal with her death. She knew the both of them really would never get over it. But they had waited until the deepest of the wound was sealed somewhat. Before she had met him, she knew his sister had been the most important person in his life. Well, she always would be but she became equally as important to him as his sister. She had been suprised at who the caller was, for she instantly recoginzed his voice even though they hadn't talked to each other for almost a year. "Mai, I need your help, and whatever you do don't tell Jounouchi please...I am right in front of the mansion..." He passed out after that sentence. She had been facing Jounouchi, so she couldn't hide the panic that had entered her eyes.

After hanging up, she starts walking out the door with him behind her concerned. "Mai, who was that and don't lie or evade me." Knowing he is in a persistent mood she answers him. "Katsuya, koi, that was Mokuba." Upon hearing those words he suddenly becomes concerned for his niece and nephew; knowing Mokuba wouldn't call unless it was for a good reason. They haven't talked to the Kaibas' nor gone to see them; since he found out how Kaiba had treated his sister before she had died. He grabbed Mai's hand. They made it to the Kaiba mansion in record time.

The scene they came upon shocked Mai. It shocked Jounouchi but it also angered him; knowing who was behind it for he was the only person who would do such a thing. Aoi is holding onto Suzaku who has fallen asleep due to his crying. Aoi is still tugging on Mokuba's sleeve with her free hand, like she has been doing for the last twenty minutes. She now has tears in her eyes. Mai approaches them. Aoi turns at the sound of the person's footsteps. She sees a lady with long blonde hair and violet eyes, which have a kind expression. Against her better judgement, she lets the stranger pick her and her brother up. The man with her walks up to her uncle; looking him over before picking him up on his back.

On the drive back they had all remained silent. The couple knew they had to keep their questions to themselves until Mokuba awakened. For Aoi was just a child and, they didn't want to make her more distraught then she must already be. For Jounouchi it wasn't easy restraining himself, for his anger is seething below the surface. They put Mokuba in the guest room. Hours went by before he awakened; Jounouchi and Mai waited up for him. They had put Aoi to sleep an hour after they had arrived. Sometime, in the night Suzaku had awakened due to hunger.

After being fed, he quickly fell asleep again. Mokuba came out of the room disoriented. Mai and Jounouchi approached him. "Let me take a look at you as you fill us in on what happened?" Mai told Mokuba. Taking off his shirt, he lets Mai look him over, as she runs her hands down his ribs checking for fractures, he tells them what happened. "Seto, lost it...He needs help...He isn't getting over Shizuka's death properly...I can't exactly blame him for what happen...He hasn't slept or eaten for days now...Aoi had accidentally broken something when he started to go after her...I had never seen that look in his eyes before...He looked like he was going to commit murder...I got in his way...I was losing, so I had been attempting to reach Aoi's room...I had told her to take Suzaku and go to her room when Seto had snapped...I had almost made it when he got a hold of me...I almost lost, so I took the window of opporunity I had."

Jounouchi is standing right n front of him with a glare in his eyes, and his arms crossed. "What happened then?" "I grabbed his hair and started to bang his head against the floor, before punching him twice for good measure...After that I made to where you found me before calling Mai." "I'm sorry, Mokuba but he had been with me when you had called...He saw that something was wrong and I couldn't evade him...He had been in his persisent mood...What are you going to do now...You know you can't keep his children from him." "I know but I think if I give him at least a week, he will be in a more understanding mood...Still angry for what I did but more understanding...As soon as they wake up, we have to leave...We can't stay here...We would only be trouble for the two of you." "Sorry, Mokuba but you can't...I refuse to let you walk out of here with my niece and nephew." Mokuba turns to Mai to see she is as serious about them staying as her fiancee. Mokuba has no choice but to agree, knowing Jounouchi can be as forceful as his brother when he needs to be. Mai had just finished patching him up.

He awakened wondering what had happened. He tries to get up before falling back, that had been too fast for his current state. He tries again only slower this time. He is lucky his legs are able to support him. The memory of how he wound up this way come back to him. All these emotions and thoughts run through him. He is angry with what his brother had done; but also suprised and somewhat proud. He knew he had made Mokuba desperate enough to be able to beat him. He starts crying. ' I can't blame him...Its not his fault, I exploded and came close to hurting Aoi...I almost hurt my own daughter...Shizuka-chan, Aoi-chan forgive me." When they come back he will make it up to them. This has caused him to realize that he needs to move on. He can't keep his wife's shadow in his closet. She wouldn't want that anyway. She would want him to be happy. He would let Mokuba come back with his children when he is ready. It will give them enough time to deal with what had happened. Mokuba calls him a week later. Letting him know that if he is fine now, they will come back. Kaiba was ecstatic to see his brother and children. That had been six months ago.

End Flashback

Mokuba finds himself at the airport. He calls his brother letting him know that he will be out for an undetermined amount of time. He gets in line for the airline he has decided to travel on. He knows he is going to wind up offending her with his odor. He hadn't planned on going to visit her. It had been spontaneous. Therefore he hadn't packed; so he is getting on a plane for almost half a day with no personal hygenie items or clothes, he just has what he is wearing. He remembers her address from the last time they had talked. She had given it to him before they had parted.

After landing in the city she resides in, he starts walking to the outskirts where her house is actually located. Her grandfather had decided years ago that he prefered living away from people; and closer to nature without truly shutting himself off from civilization. Therefore he had acres of land that is surrounded by a forest; their house has a ranch on it. Despite working and having a maid and butler, she makes sure she manages how the household is runned, and that it is always cleaned, whenever she isn't working though; which is extremely rare. Making her rich didn't mean she had to be spoiled every second of the day.

He had been forced to jump the wall. The butler had refused him access to the property. He found somewhere to hide in order not to be kicked off the premises. He had occupied most of his day by sleeping. The sun has an hour before it sets when he notices her walking down the driveway. As she gets close enough his hand shots out grabbing her; pulling her to him. He covers her mouth before she can scream. "Calm down, its only me." Upon hearing the familiar voice, she stops struggling letting him direct her. He finds a area he thinks is private enough. She recoils from his embrace. "What are you doing here, Mokuba?"

Confused by her question he takes a few steps back. "I had thought it would be obvious." "You mean?" "No, not quite...He still needs me along with Aoi and Suzaku...But he is getting there...So I thought we could take it slow...And to show you I am serious, I bought this for you, Rebecca." He reaches into his pocket pulling a small burgundy box out; remembering she doesn't like the color black. She hesitates taking it. She opens it. The box reveals a sterling silver ring that has a diamond in the middle, with her birthstone on either side of it. All of a sudden she smells him, holding her nose. "Sorry, I haven't had a chance to take a shower since yesterday morning." The next moment, she jumps into his arms straddling his waist before giving him a gentle and brief kiss. "By the way, how was your last expedition?' Taking his hand, leading him to her house up ahead for a much need shower. "Good, I can't wait to get back...I decided to take a couple of months off...Once were married, are you sure you can put up with me not always being there for you and the children." He stops his movement. She turns to face him wondering why he stopped. He pulls her to him, enveloping her in a bear hug. "Just because you will be away from us constantly due to your occupation, doesn't mean you won't always be here for us...You always will be, maybe not physically but you most defintely will be." He sealed his brief speech with a tender kiss.