Chapter 19

Mistakes

"I can't believe that guy was stupid enough to do that. I just wanted to scream at him and say, 'Don't open the door, Mel. Don't open the door!'"

"And then that alien jumped out! That was so scary."

"I must have jumped three feet."

"Well, you did spill the popcorn all over the floor."

For Yugi that was his favorite part of the movie, because Anna got so scared she grabbed his hand. And the best part was, she never let go. They were walking down the street hand in hand.

"That was so much fun. We need to do this again." Anna was thoroughly enjoying her day with Yugi.

Yugi was disappointed yesterday when Anna had made other plans, but that all melted away today. When he invited her out to the movies he knew he was taking the risk that she might want to see some mushy romantic flick, but he was impressed and overjoyed when she said she preferred horror and sci-fi movies.

Yugi glanced over and noticed, "You're not wearing your necklace."

Anna reached up to her neck with her free hand. "Oh gosh, I forgot. I took it off last night and I must have left it at the apartment." She almost slipped and said she left it at Seto's apartment, but she caught herself. She would have to go get it.

"Do you want to stop and get something to eat?" Yugi asked, anything to spend more time with her.

"Sure."

"A new place just opened around the corner from my house. It's pretty good."

"I'll try anything once." Anna thought the lull in their conversation was a good time to breach a subject she was dreading a little. She had to tell Yugi something. "I've been thinking about what you said yesterday, and you were right. I don't tell you some things. So, I want to correct that."

"Okay." Yugi's curiosity was up, what did she have to say?

"First, do you remember when we were at the beach?"

"Uh huh." That was not one of Yugi's fonder memories.

"And how you tried to get me to go in the water?"

Yugi nodded.

"I wouldn't go in the water because I can't swim."

"You don't swim?"

Anna shook her head "I never learned."

"You could have told us that. We wouldn't have teased you or anything."

"My dad always said that you have to keep your weaknesses secret because someone will try to use them against you. And I think that's a good philosophy."

"It's swimming not business." Yugi thought it was a little funny.

"Everything is business."

That comment disturbed him a little, she was beginning to sound like Kaiba.

"Okay, big secret number two. I guess it's not really a secret, you kinda know this. I'm a huge insomniac. I don't sleep."

"You mean you don't sleep a lot."

"I don't sleep at all. So when we get married, you'll have the bed all to yourself."

"But you'll come visit me right?" Yugi smiled like he was joking, but he hoped she got his hint that there were times she might want to be in the bed with him.

"I think that can be arranged." Anna could believe it; Yugi made a pass at her, well sort of. "Okay, number three, and this one is a big one. I'm a..." Yugi could feel Anna's hand tighten and she turned kind of pale.

"Are you okay?"

"Pain my chest." She couldn't even make a coherent sentence.

Yugi tugged on her hand a bit, "We're only a block from my house. You can rest there. You'll probably feel better once you sit down." Yugi tried to downplay his concern so that she wouldn't see exactly how worried he was.

Anna obeyed and he led her around the corner. The pain was getting worse with every step. And when she saw the Game Shop she had a flashback to the incident last night. Her pain was at it's worse when they drove past here. A sharp spike of pain surged through her chest and she panicked. She ran away as fast a she could. Yugi kept up for a block, but she out-sprinted him and their hands parted. He caught up to her a few blocks away as she was leaning against a building with her hand on her chest and breathing heavy.

Yugi was also out of breath. "What's...going...on?"

Anna couldn't speak she only shook her head.

Yugi took a quick look around. "There's a bench. Let's sit down."

It was a good ten minutes on the bench before Anna could articulate anything that just happened. "I had these bad pains in my chest. I had them last night too."

"Maybe you're sick. We should go to a doctor."

"But it's strange. When I saw the Game Shop I realized that when it happened last night I was in the limo driving past that same place. The car was going so fast that it came and went quickly. But just now, I was so close. I couldn't get away fast enough."

"You think you're being effected by my house?"

"Rather something in your house."

Yugi knew what she was referring to, "One of the millennium items?"

Anna nodded.

"But you've been in my house before and nothing like this happened."

"I don't claim to understand it, I just know that I get the pains when I'm near your house, and I don't get..." Anna was still massaging her chest, but she stopped short when she realized her neck was bare. She stared off into space for a moment. Yugi knew she had thought of something and was awaiting her find. "I have to go." She stood up and grabbed her bag.

"Where are you going?"

"I have to do something."

"I'll come with you."

"Please don't. I'll talk to you tonight. I just have to check something out first."

Yugi didn't actually agree to this course of action, but Anna didn't give him much choice. Before he could argue she had jumped in a taxi and sped off.

Seto sat on the couch and read the newspaper. He was expecting Anna to show up and he was a little miffed that she didn't arrive when he wanted her to. Mokuba was lying on the floor reading and quietly observing his brother. Seto kept checking the time and glancing at the door. Mokuba knew he waiting for Anna. This whole situation confused Mokuba. He knew that Anna and Seto were perfect for each other, but he didn't understand why they hadn't gotten together yet. Seto wasn't that hard to figure out. He was reluctant because he is pretty suspicious by nature; he wouldn't just jump into a relationship without fully investigating it first. And he tries not to get emotionally involved in things. If he opens up to someone he's afraid he's going to get hurt. No great mysteries there. But Anna was completely different. She wasn't shy at all. If she wanted him, she would let him know. And that would most likely be by jumping his bones. But she wasn't. Is she holding back because Seto's being standoffish? Or maybe she thinks he isn't ready? 'But he likes her, I know he does.' Mokuba thought. 'They'd both be mad if I tried playing matchmaker. But maybe a little shove in the right direction wouldn't hurt...'

"Ya know, I really like Anna. She's a lot of fun."

Seto just made a muffled noise and hid behind his paper.

"You should send her flowers; girls like that sort of thing."

"Now why would I want to do that?"

"Because that's what people do when they're dating."

"Dating? Where did you get such a ridiculous idea?"

"From Anna."

Seto looked around his paper at Mokuba. "She told you that?"

"Well, not exactly." Those words made Seto lose interest. "She didn't tell me, she told someone else." Seto was interested again. "When we were at the concert this guy asked for her phone number and she said she couldn't because she was already involved with someone."

"That doesn't mean she's involved with me."

"Who else could it be? She's over here all the time. And you two get along so great."

"Did you ever think that maybe she didn't like this guy and was making a polite excuse so she didn't have to give him her number?"

"I guess she could have."

"She probably has men hitting on her all the time."

"Then why aren't you?"

Seto was shocked; he couldn't believe what Mokuba just said.

"You like her don't you?" Mokuba pressed the issue.

"My personal life is not up for discussion. Besides, she and I are friends and business associates, nothing more."

"I know she likes you."

"Don't you have some homework to do?"

"I've finished all my homework. Have you even tried kissing her?"

"If I give you a hundred dollars will you shut up?"

"No."

"Then I'm ordering you to your room. And I don't want to hear any more about this."

Mokuba obeyed with a smirk on his face. He planted the seed in Seto's mind and Seto wasn't going to be happy until her knew for sure if Anna liked him.

Seto was never so glad to have a little peace. Mokuba could be such a bother. He actually suggested that he and Anna were dating. That's ridiculous, if they were dating he would know. And he doesn't know, so therefore they can't be dating. That's not a thing a girl would keep secret from a guy, right? If she really liked him, she would let him know. And if she did like him why was she so quick to get out of the limo last night? She didn't even want him holding her hand. But then again, she was miffed at him last night. And she was in a worse mood after she came back from the restroom. What was he thinking? She couldn't possibly like him. She'd want someone spontaneous and thrill seeking. Someone to take her to parties halfway around the globe and read her poetry under the moonlight. She's vivid and full of life, and he was just what Haversham and his friends say he is 'a boring stuffy old man.' She doesn't like him, and she'd be better off with someone else.

'But then again, I could be spontaneous.' Seto contemplated the idea.

The maid answered the door and it was Anna. Seto wondered if she had read his mind or perhaps he mentally summoned her. The timing was uncanny.

"You're late for lunch." He said gruffly, not even getting up to greet her.

"I'm not here for a free meal. I came to make a trade." She was very direct with her motives. Seto turned on the couch to see what she had to offer. "My jewelry for your jewelry."

"That's right, you did leave your necklace here." Seto got up and pulled her necklace out of a drawer.

Anna made the exchange and quickly put on her necklace. She felt so relieved that it was back where it belonged.

"I'll have the cook make a nice dinner."

"Thank you, but I can't stay." She hurried back to the door.

"Anna!" Seto called after her. She stopped to hear what he had to say. "Are you angry with me? Did I do something to offend you?"

"No, I'm not mad. I just have a lot on my mind. I'll see you tomorrow." And like that she was gone, leaving Seto in a lurch. He had no answers, at least not today.

It was way past sunset and Yugi was anxiously waiting by the phone. She hadn't called like she promised she would. She seemed to disappoint him a lot lately. Yugi gave off a sigh as he went downstairs to answer the door. Who could it be at this hour? The game shop was closed and his friends normally didn't come by this late.

He opened the door and to his surprise, "Anna! How?"

"I have a theory."

Yugi and Anna sat on the couch in the living room and Anna tried to explain her findings. "You're right about what you said earlier. I've been here before and never had any chest pain. When I thought about it, I realized the only difference between then and now was my necklace. I wasn't wearing it this afternoon or last night, and that's when I had the attacks. So I went back and got it and I was able to walk right up to the door without any problems. I think it's more than just jewelry, I think it protects me."

"From what?"

"From what you have in that trunk."

"I've never seen a millennium item do that to someone."

"You also said they effect people differently. Maybe this is how it effects me. And without this pendent, it can attack me."

"But why?"

"Let's find out." Yugi stared at her. Did she just say what he thought she said? "I want to see them."

"Are you sure? Remember what happened last time, and that's when they were in the trunk."

"I have to face this; I can't keep running away."

Yugi nodded and went into the bedroom to collect them. But it was Pharaoh who emerged with them. Anna had a feeling he would want to do this. If she had any type of vision about their past, Pharaoh would want to be there. He sat next to her on the couch; he held the cloth wrapped items in his arms.

"Are you ready?"

Anna was nervous and woozy, but she asked him to continue. Pharaoh decided to go with the most obvious choice first, the rod. She said she had recognized it before when they were at the museum. He unwrapped it and placed it on the coffee table.

"This is the millennium rod. Marik used it to control people's minds."

"It's the same as on the wall carving and in my dream. But that's not it."

He continued. "This is the Millennium Ring. It has the power to seek out and find the other items." He placed the Ring on the table.

Anna shook her head much to Pharaoh's relief. He saw how the ring effected Bakura, and he didn't wish a similar fate to befall Anna.

Pharaoh uncovered the next item and Anna gasped. As soon as she laid eyes on it she knew. Pharaoh witnessed her reaction. "This one?"

Anna clutched her pendent. She was shaking and she couldn't keep her eyes off the item. She gave a jerky nod to answer him.

Pharaoh could see it was effecting her, but he was still in disbelief. "Are you sure?"

"That's the one." Anna whispered as a tear streaked down her face.

"I don't understand. How can it be the Millennium Necklace?" Anna's gaze shifted from the item to Pharaoh's bewildered face.

"Why? What does it do?" She whispered as if it could hear her.

"Marik's sister Isis used it to see the future. It doesn't make any sense. For you to be effected then Anck-su-namun must have been an item barer. But in the visions of my time it was Isis's counterpart that wore the necklace, not her. How did Anck-su-namun come to wear the necklace?"

"Let's ask." Before he could stop her Anna's shaky hand reached out and touched the necklace.

Everything went blank. Darkness surrounded her on all sides. She couldn't see anything through the veil of nothingness. Then just a hint of white light came toward her. Slowly the light got larger and brighter until she could see that it was the white of a linen dress. Standing before her was her counterpart. The woman from the vision in the museum.

"Anck-su-namun?" She asked, but there came no reply. The woman's face was full of sorrow and grief. Anna felt a great sadness for her. "Do you know who I am?"

On either side of the woman appeared images of men. One was Pharaoh dressed in royal garb and the other was Seto in his priestly attire.

"Don't make the same mistake I did." Anck-su-namun warned.

"I don't understand. What mistake? What happened to you?"

Anck-su-namun raised her hand and pointed at Seto. "He knows."

The spirits of Pharaoh and Seto began walking off in opposite directions. Anck-su-namun gave Anna one last longing look, hung her head low, and took her place behind Pharaoh.

"No, wait! Come back!" Anna cried, but Anck-su-namun didn't hear her.

The ghostly forms of the Pharaoh and his bride disappeared into the nothingness. Anna turned and saw a glimpse of Seto still in the darkness, so she chased after him. Calling him. Trying desperately to reach him. But she only ended up deeper in the void, and alone.

Anna opened her eyes to see the popcorn texture of Yugi's ceiling. She pulled herself up to find she was lying on the couch. Her head was pounding.

"You're finally awake! You were worrying us." Pharaoh came over to the couch and sat next to her.

"How long was I out?"

"Almost an hour."

"That long? It only felt like a few minutes."

"Did you see anything?"

"I saw her. I saw Anck-su-namun. She's in the necklace. She wanted to give me a warning."

"A warning?"

"She told me not to make the same mistakes she made. But I don't know what she did, so how am I supposed to avoid it?"

"She didn't tell you anything else?"

"No, I don't think so." But there was more. More she didn't know how to explain to him. The fact that both Pharaoh and Seto were there, the duality of the men. And that she left with Pharaoh. What was she trying to say? Was going with Pharaoh the right thing to do, or was that the mistake she made? And how can Seto hold the answers?

"Perhaps she'd tell you more if you wore the necklace?"

'What!' her thoughts screamed. 'He knows how it effects me. How could he ask me to do that?'

"No, I can't do that. She's in there, and if I wore that necklace she might take over my body. I can't live like that. I'm constantly on the verge of a mental breakdown; I can't deal with that too." Anna's eyes were pooling with tears. "I'm sorry. I know it might give you your wife back, but I can't."

Pharaoh dipped his head and nodded. "I understand. It is a great burden. I shouldn't have asked."

Anna blinked away her tears and collapsed onto the back of the couch. Her head was throbbing and she was getting dizzy.

The ghostly form of Yugi appeared beside Pharaoh. "Other me."

Pharaoh knew Yugi wanted to switch back and with great remorse he allowed it. They had never switched places in front of Anna before. They had always done that out of her presence. The sight of it left Anna awestruck. She swore she could see the spirits of the two move about. One going up into the body and one going down into the puzzle. It was an amazing sight. She wondered if everyone who witnessed this event saw what she saw.

"Can I get you anything?" Yugi asked.

"I'd love to have some juice."

"I'll be right back," and he jaunted off to the kitchen.

Anna knew what her problem was. Her blood sugar was off. She pulled her blood sugar monitor out of her bag and checked her levels. Then she got a syringe and insulin out of a special cold case. Yugi re-entered the room just in time to witness Anna injecting herself in the arm.

"What are you doing!"

Yugi's scream scared the crap out of her and she almost sunk the needle deep into her arm. "It's not what it looks like."

"Drugs? You're using drugs?"

"No! I'm not a druggie; I'm a diabetic." She tried to calm him and put away the incriminating evidence.

"A what?" Yugi knew what a diabetic was; he was just awe struck at the sight.

"I'm a diabetic. That was what I was trying to tell you earlier when all hell broke loose."

"Oh." Yugi warily approached and handed her the glass of orange juice, all the while staying far away from the syringe she laid on the table.

She took a sip of her juice. "Don't worry. I've lived with it my entire life and I've got it under control."

"Am I going to have to...ya know." Yugi gestured toward the syringe.

"Don't like needles?" Yugi shook his head. "Me neither." Her smile comforted him. And he was more at ease when she put the needle back in its case and in her bag.

"You don't have anything else like this to tell me? Your not a serial killer or wanted in twelve countries, are you?"

"No." She threw him an evil grin. "I'm only wanted in three countries."

Thank you to everyone who has reviewed. I appreciate all the positive and occasional negative, feedback.

As everyone has probably seen I throw in a lot of references to other movies and shows. I'll give ten points and a walk-on roll in my story to anyone who can find my "Jane Eyre" reference. One hint: it's not in this chapter. Two hint: It's from the Franco Zefferelli version of the film staring John Hurt. Gee, I wonder how many people are going to go out and rent that now that I threw down the gauntlet? I should get royalties on all those rentals.