Chapter 10

Private Dancer

When Anna got back to her apartment, she was surprisingly full of energy. One would think after such an ordeal she would be exhausted and want nothing more than to crash. But not Anna. She was actually happy to have been stuck in an elevator with Seto. The incident made him much more personable, even likable, and dare she say it, he was almost human. Anna was quite pleased with the progress they had made. Seto had no idea when he first brought her to Kaiba Corp. Headquarters that he inadvertedly invited in the biggest busybody the world had ever seen. When she met Seto, she knew he would be a challenge, but not because of his dueling skills. She was bound and determined to make him a better person. By the time she was done with him he was going to laugh, smile, have fun, and she might even find him a girl. But that was going to be a tall order. Who would put up with him? She'd have to work on that.

Overrun with excess energy Anna decided it was the perfect day to finish painting her apartment. She had been putting it off for a while; something always seemed to get in the way. She was busy rolling paint on the walls and bopping to the music playing when she was startled by a knock on the door. Putting down the roller she opened the door. There stood Yugi with a terribly worried look on his face.

"Anna! Where have you been? We were worried. I must have called a million times." Yugi spoke a mile a minute and Anna just stared at him blankly.

Seeing him there in the doorway had a strange effect on Anna. She suddenly realized that while she was so elated by her time with Seto that she had completely forgot about Yugi. He must have been frantic when she disappeared for two days. And even after she got home it never a cured to her to call him and let him know she was all right. She was greatly ashamed of herself.

Yugi stood there inspecting Anna's paint covered scrubs and hair pulled back into a bandana, wondering why she wasn't responding.

Anna finally came back to reality, "Oh, gosh,...I'm sorry. I forgot."

"You forgot to go to work yesterday, or you forgot to answer the phone when your friends call worried about you?" Yugi was upset and he wasn't about to hide it.

"You aren't going to believe this;" Anna tried to cover her tracks. "But there's a really good explanation for all of this."

"I'd love to hear it."

"Do you want to come in?" Anna asked pointing into the apartment. She stepped aside so Yugi could enter. "It's a mess because I'm painting and I haven't got all my furniture yet, so..."

She scurried over to the couch and removing the painting tarp revealed a place for him to sit. Yugi had never been into her apartment before. It wasn't much to look at especially with the painting in progress, but he was surprised at how big it was. It was as big, if not bigger than where he and Grandpa lived. Yugi sat down at the designated spot and awaited this 'good explanation' of Anna's.

Anna paced a little in front of him and it was self evident that she was nervous.

"Do you remember on Thursday, there was that big power outage?"

"Ah huh..." Yugi nodded.

"Funniest thing, when the power went out, I was in an elevator. I was totally stuck! There was no power, the emergency phone wasn't working, I didn't have my cell phone, it was unbelievable. They didn't get us out until morning."

"Us?"

Anna hesitated. "Well, yeah. There was a guy. We were both heading down in the elevator when the power shut off. It was kinda nice to have him around. I had someone to talk to so I wouldn't go stir crazy." Anna decided to switch the direction of the conversation before Yugi started asking about 'this guy' in the elevator. "And by the time I got out I was too tired, hungry, and totally fatigued I just hit the bed and crashed. I was out of it all day yesterday."

"You should have called me. I left a message on your machine."

"You did?" Anna wandered around the room trying to remember where she had stashed the answering machine. She finally found it under the end table. He didn't just leave one message he left fourteen.

"You're right, I should have called you this morning, I...it...just slipped my mind." Anna paused, lost in thought. "Ya know, it's funny. I've been on my own for eight years; it's been so long since I've had anyone to call. I'm used to doing everything by myself. I don't think I know how to ask for help."

Yugi got up from the couch and walked over to Anna. Placing his hand on her arm for reassurance, "You're not alone anymore. I'm here. And so are Anzu, and Joey, and Honda. Don't be afraid to ask us if you need anything."

"You want to help me?" The wheels in Anna's mind started turning.

Yugi smiled, he was excited that she needed him for something.

"You can start by picking up a paintbrush."

It wasn't what Yugi expected but he laughed anyways, "Sure."

By the time Monday rolled around Yugi had already relayed the elevator story to the group and it was the main topic of discussion on their way to school.

"Stuck in an elevator all night? What did you do?" Anzu asked.

"Oh the normal things, I swam a few laps, played Twister, finished writing my book," Anna was only playing with her sarcasms. "What do you think I did? I sat on the floor and waited."

"Wow, I think I would have gone crazy, just sitting there." Anzu added.

"At least you had a better Friday than I did." Anna winked at her.

"What do you mean?" Anzu questioned.

"Didn't you have a date with Mr. Math Class?" Anna lowered her voice so the boys wouldn't hear their conversation.

Anzu blushed a little, "Um, yeah."

"So? What's he like?"

"He's...nice."

"Oh, no, you did not just say that? You did not just say he was 'nice'."

"What's wrong with nice?"

"Saying a guy is 'nice' is like giving him the kiss of death. You might as well say you're not interested and get it over with."

"Is it that obvious?"

"It's okay, Anzu. If he's not the one, he's not the one."

Anzu became distant, she was running things through her head. She began to wonder if there really was a 'perfect one' for her. Anzu thought she had found him. She looked over to where Yugi was walking in front of them. But that wasn't to be.

While Anna was digging through her bag she happened to glance at Anzu. She saw the way she looked at Yugi and she knew what it meant. She had seen it before, when Yugi was watching Anzu at the school dance. Anna wasn't exactly sure what she was going to do about the two of them, but she knew she had to do something. The last thing she wanted was for her husband to either hate her for separating him from his real love, or for him to take a mistress. She would have to come up with a plan. Besides, if she could get Seto Kaiba to show some compassion, then she could do anything. 'Seto? That's an idea. He's single, Anzu's single. She likes duelists. And I bet he goes crazy for fiery high-spirited ladies. Hmmm, this could work. Now if I can find a way of getting them together. This could definitely work.' A conniving little grin crept across Anna's face as she tried to work out ideas in her head. Her concentration was broken when Joey stormed past her, almost bumping into her. He was in a huff; he had been that way all morning. He was uncharacteristically quiet and he seemed to be ignoring Honda on purpose.

Anna leaned over to Anzu, "What's up with these two? They've been acting strange all morning."

"Oh, didn't you hear?" Anzu was happy to repeat the rumor. "Joey found out that Honda kissed Serenity after the dance."

"Oh?"

"So now Joey isn't talking to Honda, and Honda swears he won't talk to Joey until he comes to his senses."

"It's a stand off then? I guess we'll have to do something about that." What Anna meant was that she would have to do something about that.

The remainder of the morning went off without a hitch. The others got to school on time, which was very unusual for them. Not having Joey and Honda goofing around together expedited their journey. And Anna gathered up as much enthusiasm as she could find to face the workday. She didn't mind the work, she liked it actually, she just dreaded having to be near her uncle. She was trying so hard to be friendly and polite to him, but he wasn't receptive. She had always suspected that since he had never taken any interest in her when she was younger it was because he didn't like kids. Probably why he didn't have any. Or a wife for that matter. But Anna wasn't a child anymore; she stopped being one of those eight years ago when her parents died. She hoped that if she could prove how mature she was perhaps they might find some connection, but he barely even spoke to her. And when he did it was nothing but orders and complaints. He was a query to her; she didn't understand why he was treating her like he was. She was the only family he had, the only connection he had left to his brother. All Anna wanted was to have a family again, but he seemed to want nothing to do with her. For once she had no idea what to do.

One thing that did make Anna happy was her visits with Seto. She felt this strange kinship with him. Who else understood her when she rambled on about equations and stock reports? She found it nice to have someone to talk to on terms of equality. And although he didn't talk much, what he said was important. She knew that his friendship was one she wanted to keep for the long haul. And on top of that, he was a valuable business contact. Anna was very optimistic of her future.

Anna showed up a half an hour early at Kaiba Headquarters that day. She was curious to see if he would see her, or make her wait. He was in a conference call and couldn't be disturbed. Luckily for her Mokuba had spotted her when she came in and quickly kidnapped her. He didn't ask his brother's permission to take her back to their apartment in the building, but he did anyways. He figured that since she had been there before, it would be all right again. But he did forget to inform Seto that she had arrived or about where they went.

Seto Kaiba had finished his conference call right before five o'clock. He had intentionally rushed the call to make sure it ended before Anna's scheduled time. He didn't want to make her wait. He piddled around the office trying to find small things to do, that way he wouldn't have to stop in the middle of something important. Five o'clock came and went and no Anna. He thought that very strange, she was always exactly on time. He went back to work, or at least he tried. Five fifteen...she still wasn't there. Perhaps she was caught in traffic? Five twenty...she would call if she couldn't make it, wouldn't she? Five twenty-five...he tried to convince himself he wasn't watching the clock, but he was. Five thirty...She wasn't coming. She didn't actually say she was going to be there, but she had made the suggestion when she left on Friday. And that's when he decided to give up. Why did he care if she came by or not? It wasn't like she served some vital purpose; she was amusing, that's all. She was interesting to talk to, when she wasn't lecturing him, that is. Besides, friends don't treat each other like this. Wait...did he just use the word 'friend'? Sure, he only thought it, but that didn't make the word less shocking. He had always believed he didn't need friends, and he still held true to that philosophy. But perhaps one friend wouldn't hurt. But only friends that show up when they are supposed to.

Seto grabbed some paperwork and headed downstairs to the apartment. He was in a tiff and just a little disappointed. He wasn't much in the mood to complete the work he brought with him, but figured he'd probably end up doing it anyways since he had no other distractions. He walked through the front door and tossed the paperwork on an end table. Since he didn't have an office in the apartment, something Mokuba insisted on, he would most likely end up hauling it back upstairs later. He made his way down the long hallway leading to the bedrooms, peeling off his white suit jacket and blue tie as he went. He couldn't wait to change into his leather pants and purple silk shirt. The business suit made him look professional, but he felt much more comfortable in his other clothes. As he opened his bedroom door he heard strange noises coming from Mokuba's room down the hall. He threw his wayward clothes on his bed and approached Mokuba's room. The noises became more distinct, the sound of clicking, grunts, voices, and laughter. The door was slightly cracked so Seto pushed it open and stuck his head in. There on the floor in front of the television and a game system sat Mokuba and Anna. They were so engulfed in playing Mortal Kombat that they didn't even notice he was standing in the doorway.

"No, no, no, no..." Anna jokingly complained as Mokuba wiped the floor with her.

Mokuba could only laugh.

"Hey wait! What was that?" Anna protested as Mokuba's character hit hers with a giant destructive wave and depleting Anna of all her life points. "You didn't show me how to do that!"

"That's his super move."

"Show me how you did that!"

Mokuba replayed the buttons on his controller for Anna to see. "It's just this, this, and this."

"No wait, slow down. Anything over two buttons and I'm lost."

"You really have never played with one of these before?"

"You have to remember I was raised in Egypt, the most elaborate thing we had was Pong."

"Are you saying there is a game out there that you can't win?" Seto interrupted with his snide comment.

Mokuba and Anna turned and suddenly realized that he was watching them.

"Oh, if you think you are any better at this, you just come over here and try it." Anna challenged.

Seto stepped around Anna and took the controller from Mokuba. Mokuba gave up his spot on the floor and plopped down on the bed to watch. He couldn't believe his eyes. Seto playing a video game? Considering he was just as bad as Anna at these kinds of games it was going to be a lot of fun to watch. They started the game and neither player was very good at using their controller. Both characters did a lot of jumping and kicking, but didn't make contact.

"Where are you going?" Seto asked, as Anna's character seemed to bounce all over the screen in wild motions.

"I don't know, I wish someone would tell me."

"Stop hitting that third button," Mokuba advised her.

"Okay, there we go..." Anna stated as her character returned to normal.

Seto's character performed a lot of kicks and chops but standing completely still.

"Now you are just showing off!" Anna announced.

The action went on like this for some time, with neither player making a dent in the other's life points. Finally Seto figured out how to move and attack at the same time and he started a relentless assault on Anna. Anna could do nothing but dodge and duck and when that failed she resorted to play slapping at Seto's controller with her right hand. Seto responded by raising his controller up and over his right shoulder so she couldn't reach it. Mokuba was grinning from ear to ear, he hadn't seen Seto act like this since they were little. It was encouraging to see that his brother might actually be having fun. And then it happened. Right in the middle of the game Mokuba thought he it have been...a smile? Seto smiled. It had disappeared as quickly as it had appeared, but he was certain he saw it. Mokuba intently watched his brother hoping, praying that he would do it again. Then, there it was again. Seto tried to hide it, but it was too late, Mokuba had already witnessed the event. Mokuba was in utter shock. What was it that brought about this miracle? He and Seto had played this game before and Seto didn't seem to be too interested in it, but why now did he find it so amusing? Anna? He was playing against Anna. He observed as the pair tossed some witty banter back and forth as both sides made little progress at the game. 'Anna makes Seto smile?' Mokuba thought to himself. He wasn't sure what it was about her that was so different from anyone else they had ever met, but he didn't quite care. All he knew was that Anna was good for Seto and he had to find a way to keep her around.

After a few games of neither of them making much progress, they decided to call it quits. Seto went back to his room and changed and Mokuba and Anna crashed in the living room. Seto re-emerged wearing the purple silk shirt and black leather pants he had intended to change into earlier.

"Hey, I brought you something." Anna announced when Seto entered the room. She dug through her bag and pulled out a CD. "It's a little known American band, but they're moving up the charts. Considering your eclectic taste in music I thought you might like it." Seto took the CD from her and inspected the cover and song listing. "That's their first album. Their second is more popular, but not as soulful."

"Another one of those American garage bands?" He commented looking at the raw unrefined appearance of the CD. He proceeded to the entertainment center and dropped the CD into the player.

"They started like that, but now they are signed with Columbia Records."

"You know a lot about them; you must be their biggest fan."

"I've seen them perform a few times when I was in the U.S. and I like their stuff. But I'm not a groupie or anything."

This CD led to long discussions about music and before she knew it, they had ordered in pizza and were sitting on the floor plowing through Seto's immense music collection. CDs were sprawled all over the floor around them.

"Your CD cabinet is a mess. I can't believe you don't have all these organized. You're so organized in everything else." Anna said in amazement as she peered at the disorderly collection.

"I've never had the urge to clean it. Besides, I don't know exactly what I want to hear. Sometimes just rummaging through it I'll come across something I hadn't thought of, and it turns out to be the right one."

"Oh, I get it. This is your little piece of organized chaos."

"I guess you could call it that."

Anna grabbed another stack of CDs off the shelf and flipped through them. "Oh my gosh! I love this album. You have to play this one." Anna tossed Seto the CD. It was Tina Turner's 'Private Dancer' album. Seto obliged her and put it into the CD player. "If that isn't the best record of the 1980's, I don't know what is. I loved the stuff Tina did with Ike, but when I heard 'Private Dancer' it just blew everything out of the water."

Seto thought it amusing to watch as she leaned back against the couch reminiscing. "I saw her in concert a couple of years ago," Anna started her story. "She did just a few gigs in Europe that year. Four of us snuck out of the school, hopped a train across the border, and got some tickets off a scalper. Oh man, she was awesome. She's in her sixties, but she was still kicking butt and taking names. That was the best performance I ever saw."

"Did you get caught?" Mokuba asked. He had been quietly observing for a while.

"Oh, yeah. We got caught and punished."

"You poor child, getting sent to the principle's office." Seto was mocking her just a bit.

Anna's smile faded from her face. She pulled her shirttail out of the back of her pants and turned to show the two boys. "No, they did this."

In the dim light the two could barely observe the remainders of scars across her lower back. The pair was in disbelief. Between the orphanage and Gosaboro Kaiba, Seto knew that he and Mokuba had had a terrible childhood, but no one had ever beaten them.

"It was a kinder version of a cat o'nine tails whip." Anna explained as she tucked in her shirt. "They gave us each five lashes and locked us in a room without food or water for three days."

"How could they do that?" Asked Mokuba. "Weren't there laws against that sort of thing?"

"You'll find that when no one is looking, people will do a lot of things they aren't supposed to." Anna tried shrugging off her morose and a smile reformed on her face. "But it's okay. The scars are slowly disappearing, in a few years you probably won't be able to see them. But for Tina, I would do it all over again."

This was a side of her that Seto had not seen before. It was darker more troubled. She was trying desperately to hide it behind her sugar and lollipops facade, but it was obviously something she couldn't keep under wraps. He saw it as her weakness, but it was also what made her human. She was no longer perfect in his eyes. But he wasn't sure if this new found imperfection made him lose respect for her, or gain respect. He would have to explore this more.

The evening went by so fast and before they knew it, it was past eleven. Anna made her good byes and grabbed a cab home.