Chapter 20

Anna in Wonderland

"Ya know if you needed my help, you could have at least given me something more challenging to do." Anna said as she sat on the couch in Seto's office and typed away on her laptop.

"You don't find re-rooting systems and writing firewalls challenging?" Seto asked from behind his desk.

"I can write firewalls in my sleep, that is if I slept." Anna kept typing, but a devilish little idea came into her head. "I'm surprised that you're even letting me do this. I am working on some of your security systems. Aren't you worried that I might be breaking into your secure files?"

"I think you underestimate my security system. Besides, I don't think that's what you're after."

"Oh really? And what am I after?"

"You want one of my Blue Eyes White Dragons."

"Oh yes, I have nothing better to do in my life than try to steal someone's playing card."

"You do have an unusual fascination with it."

"I admit, it's a very cool card, but fascination there is not. And in my opinion, I think those cards are exactly where they are supposed to be."

Seto was pleased with that answer.

"Done." Anna said as she closed her laptop. She stood up and stretched out her stiffness. "I can't believe it's so late. Time always slips by me when I'm over here."

"It's past midnight; you might as well just stay here tonight."

"I don't know I have things planned for early tomorrow morning."

"You can go back to your apartment and not sleep, or you can stay here and not sleep but at least you'd have someone to talk to. Either way you can still leave early and make your appointments."

"You're just so damn logical. Are you part Vulcan?"

It wasn't hard to convince her to stay she wanted to anyways. He escorted her downstairs and opened the door to the apartment. It was mostly dark with a little low lighting for them to see. But there was a light on in the dining room.

"Why is that light on?" Seto griped. "If Mokuba isn't in bed..."

Anna thought it best to follow him, just in case she had to defuse the situation. As soon as they entered the dining room there came a huge shout.

"Surprise! Happy Birthday!" And there was Mokuba at the table with a candle lit cake.

Anna tried to turn and leave the room, but Seto grabbed her by the arm and drug her back in. She thought she could keep her birthday a secret from them, but she should have known better. Seto knows everything.

"I can't believe it. You set me up! You didn't need my help on any of that stuff; you just wanted to make sure I was here after midnight." Anna accused him.

He didn't bother denying any of it because it was true. "You did save me a whole day's worth of work."

"Quick, come over here and blow out these candles before they melt all over the cake." Mokuba demanded.

She approached the cake; "it's an inferno. I think there are too many candles on there."

"There are only sixteen. That's because your sixteen." Mokuba corrected her.

"Just like I said, there are too many candles."

"Your not one of those women that are afraid to get older, are you?" Seto smirked at her.

"No, I'm just not a big fan of birthdays. I prefer un-birthdays, that way everyone can join in."

"Un-birthdays?" Seto said in a cynical tone.

"Yeah, birthdays only come around one day a year, but there are three hundred and sixty four un-birthdays." Seto just looked at her like she was speaking gibberish. "Haven't you ever read 'Alice in Wonderland'?"

"Can't say I have."

"Blow out the candles already." Mokuba kept insisting so Anna took a deep breath and managed to blow them all out. "What did you wish for?"

"I can't tell you, then it won't come true."

"But if it does come true, you'll tell me right?" Mokuba was glowing with happiness.

"I promise that you'll be the first person to know."

They all sat at the table and dished out slices of cake. 'Strawberry icing, Seto knows me too well' Anna thought as she tasted the delicious fodder in front of her. But she found what Mokuba was doing on the opposite side of the table to be just as interesting.

"What are you grinning at you Cheshire Cat?"

Mokuba looked at Seto; "Can I do it now?"

Seto nodded and Anna wondered what trouble she was going to be in. Mokuba revealed a package he had hidden under the table.

"We got you this." Mokuba said.

"That's from Mokuba, not me." Seto corrected him.

"But he helped me pick it out." Mokuba added.

"All I did was write the check. I don't give presents." Seto corrected him again.

"You don't give presents? I bet Mokuba's birthdays are a blast." Mokuba handed her the rectangular box. "You got me a small country, how nice." Anna teased. She untied the red ribbon and opened the box. Inside was a beautiful gold necklace with red and black inlayed gems. "Wow! It's gorgeous."

"I noticed that you always wore that same pendent, so I thought you might want a nice chain to put it on. I wanted the gems to match the ones on your pendent." Mokuba was trying hard to explain his reasoning behind the gift, he didn't think he wasn't doing a very good job. But Anna got his meaning.

"It's perfect! I couldn't have found anything better." She unhooked her chain and proceeded to switch the pendent onto her new one. "This pendent has been passed down in my mother's family for hundreds of years. No one has a clue as to how the family got it, but an expert told me once it was three thousand years old. And my mother said it was once part of a larger necklace. She had shards that matched this pendent in a box she kept on her dresser. She showed them to me when I was little. I've always wondered what it would have looked like originally." Slipping on her new necklace, Anna couldn't hide her happiness. She trotted around to Mokuba's side of the table. She hugged him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "You are the best. I love it."

Mokuba was ecstatic that she liked his present, but he was really hoping that Seto was jealous that she kissed him. Even if it was only on the cheek.

Seto pretended to be unphased as Anna returned to her seat. They talked over cake for a while, Mokuba making sure to have two slices. Seto didn't let him eat too many sweets, so he was going to make the most of this evening.

"Do you realize that today I officially become the youngest independently wealthy person in this country?" Anna remarked.

"I thought you didn't inherit until you turned eighteen?" Seto pointed out.

"Yes, that's true. I get the full inheritance at eighteen, but it's also in the will that I get a portion of the estate when I turn sixteen."

"And how much is this portion?"

"Let's see I get some private documents, my parents personal effects, a little property, and one quarter of the monetary value of the estate. We'll just say it's a lot."

Seto knew what the value of Sun Oil was. He made sure to do his research. Seto realized that after today she would inherit roughly the same amount as his net worth. And she would get four times that in two more years. He was a little disgusted that she would inherit all of this instead of earning it. But he also knew that if she pursued it, she could easily multiply her assets and become even wealthier. She was no longer just a friend, she was a business force to be reckoned with.

"No wonder you have a busy day tomorrow."

"Would you like to come along?" She asked Seto.

"Gee, I always enjoy a good trip to a lawyer's office." Seto said satirically.

"The lawyer's office is only the first stop. After that I go get my car."

"What kind of car?"

"I'm not telling, you'll have to come and see." Seto was deliberating; Anna wasn't making a very good argument. "Oh come on. You said yourself that I saved you a day's worth of work tonight. Take tomorrow off, live a little."

"Only on one condition, you're buying lunch."

"I think I can afford that."

Mokuba tried to disguise his yawn as a smile, but Seto caught him and ordered him off to bed. Mokuba fought the decision but he was outnumbered when Anna agreed with Seto. He trudged off down the hall to his bedroom. Anna took a moment to clean off the table and put away the remains of the cake. While she was doing this Seto disappeared on her. She assumed he went to make sure Mokuba was going to bed. She decided to take the opportunity to get changed, scrub off her makeup, and rest in her room for a while. Anna entered her room to find that the lights were on and upon further inspection there was a drape over something on the dresser and a big red bow attached to it. She smiled as she approached it. She knew this had to be from Seto. Mr. 'I don't give presents' was trying to be sneaky. She tugged on the cloth and revealed a fishbowl, complete with a fish. She couldn't help but smile and laugh. She covered her mouth and lowered her voice, she realized that she might be making too much noise.

"Do you like it?" She turned to find Seto leaning in the doorway.

"You got me a fish?"

"I thought you could use a pet."

"You didn't by chance overhear a conversation I had with Mokuba the other day, did you?"

"I don't eavesdrop."

"You said you don't give presents either."

"It's not a present; it's a bribe."

"A bribe for what?"

"This." Seto held out a small square box.

Anna didn't know what to think of it, but she took it from him anyways. "What's in it?"

"Open it and find out."

She did as he instructed and found, "a watch?"

"It's not just a watch." Seto took the device out of the box in her hands. "It's a blood sugar monitor. It's disguised as a watch so people won't know you're diabetic."

"How does it work?"

"Press this button and it will calculate your levels and display them," He said as he showed her which buttons to push. He then took her arm and strapped it on her wrist. "It's waterproof and scratch resistant. You shouldn't have take it off. It will make a beeping sound if your levels become abnormal, and an alarm will sound if your blood sugar falls into one of the danger zones. You activate the system by pressing these buttons together. It might pinch a little."

He pressed the buttons and Anna let out a yelp. "Cripes! Which one of your guinea pigs told you that only pinched? It hurt like hell." Anna said shaking her arm trying to stop the pain.

"Actually, you're my guinea pig. This is the prototype and I needed someone to test it."

"Thus the bribe. Now I get it." Anna fiddled with the watch to see if it was working. "You came up with this?"

"I designed it for you. It's only fitting that you be the one that tests it."

"And what happens if it gives me blood poisoning and I die?"

"Then I'll change the design and write you a very nice eulogy."

Anna smiled at him; she loved his quirky wit. "You design it, and I test it. So that makes us partners, right?"

Seto hadn't given that much thought, but he liked the idea. He nodded, "Partners."

"Partners it is then." They shook hands and sealed the deal.

The mood became tense, at least for Seto. The mere touch of her hand sent sensation rushing through him. All of this was so new to him, and he didn't know exactly how to take it. So his best plan for the moment was to retreat. "I'll let you get some rest." He turned and started out the door but was stopped abruptly when she called him.

"Seto." He pivoted on his heels and was suddenly ambushed by Anna. She grabbed him, placing one hand on the side of his face and the other around the back of his head. Then planted a kiss on his cheek. The kiss was quick, but she lingered in that spot for a moment and whispered to him, "You are brilliant and amazing. Don't ever forget that." She let him go and backed away. She knew she shouldn't have done that, but she couldn't help herself. "Thank you, this has been a great birthday."

"It's not over with yet." He gave a half-cocked grin and made his way across the hall to his bedroom.

He closed the door and let out a huge sigh. What was she doing to him? All these new sensations he felt. He couldn't explain any of it. Some days just having her near him was like torture and others it was absolute bliss. And now this. She kissed him. She should have shot him instead; it would have been kinder. His chest was pounding and he had butterflies in his stomach. He fell backwards onto his bed. All he could do was stare at the ceiling. These new feelings were agony, and yet they were so exhilarating. What was he going to do about them? What was he going to do about her?

Seto sat in the waiting room of the law office. He felt very awkward being there, he didn't like lawyers. He had dealt with enough of them when he first took over Kaiba Corporation to last him a lifetime. He was feeling useless, just sitting there and waiting. But he knew it wasn't his place to be there when Anna went over the terms of her parents' will. Much to his relief Anna came out of the office carrying a violin case. Seto stood up and walked out with her.

"So is that a violin or a machine-gun?" Seto teased her.

"It's neither. It's a Stradivarius."

"A Stradivarius? You have one of the most valuable violins ever made?"

"I do now."

"That was part of your parents' estate?"

Anna nodded. "I learned how to play on this instrument. My father insisted that his child would play a classical instrument. So the day he found out my mother was pregnant he went out and bought a Strat."

"You play violin?"

"I play badly. I can read music and I love to listen to it, but I have no talent to make it. Much to the disappointment of my father."

"Your lack of musical achievement is overshadowed by your superb mathematical and business skills."

That compliment didn't pass her by. She assumed it was his response to the one she had given him last night.

"Are you ready for lunch?" Anna asked and Seto nodded.

Later at lunch...

"You have millions of dollars and you eat here?" Seto inquired as to her reasoning.

"I had a craving for chilidogs. Besides, just because you have money that doesn't mean you have to spend it."

Seto was glad to hear her say that. He didn't want her to end up like Haversham and his friends who abuse their wealth and privileges. "So now that you are wealthy, what is the first thing you want to do?"

"I have this uncontrollable need to shop. Do you think we can get to Milan and back by nightfall?"

"Nightfall on which day?"

Anna smiled at him, "Oh darn! I guess I'll just have to shop around here. I've had my eye on this Versace dress for two months."

"You'll spend your entire fortune on clothes."

"This coming from you? You own more clothes than I do."

"I can't confirm or deny that. I've never seen your closet."

"You could use some more shoes though. That's what I'm going to do today, I'm going to get you a pair of shoes."

"But first I'm going to get myself some coffee." He got up from the table and gestured toward the Starbucks across the street.

"Coffee isn't good for you." Anna repeated to him again. She was beginning to sound like a broken record.

Seto came up behind her and leaned in toward her, "I don't smoke, I don't do drugs, I just drink coffee. It's my one vice. Deal with it."

He walked across the street and Anna had a good chuckle behind his back. She knew she would never be able to get to stop drinking coffee, she just liked to tease him because she knew it annoyed him so.

Once lunch and Seto's coffee were finished they headed out again. This time she led him to a huge storage facility. In particular one storage lot that she had the key to.

"So what's in here?" Seto asked.

"My car."

Seto was interested in seeing this infamous 'car' she had been obsessing over all day. She lifted the rolling door and flipped on the lights. In the bay were three cars and what looked like two motorcycles under tarps.

"Which one is yours?"

"They all are." Anna proceeded to the first tarp and pulling it revealed two classic Harley Davidson motorcycles. Seto was partial to motorcycles, but the more streamline modern styles. He wasn't really impressed with these classics of the American roads. Under the second tarp was a Ferrari. That Seto took a liking to. A sleek red sports car. But it was what was under the third tarp that really caught his eye. A Lamborghini and he even liked the color, white. Both the Ferrari and Lamborghini were at least ten years old, but they looked brand new, and cars like that never go out of style.

"This is my baby." Anna said as she pulled the last cover and unveiled a 1957 Chevy convertible. She ran her fingers along the hood admiring her find. "I've wanted this car since I was old enough to know what a car was."

"This car?" Seto teased.

"I love this car! How can you not love this car? It has fins. Cars don't have fins anymore."

"There's a reason for that."

Anna hugged the roof of the car, "Don't listen to the mean old man. He's just jealous."

"Does it even run?" Seto looked in through the windows of the car.

"Does it run? You wanna drive it and find out?"

"I thought you were dying to drive this thing, why pass up the opportunity?"

"Because technically, I don't have a license." She gave him an innocent smile.

Seto looked around, "I'd prefer to drive the Lamborghini."

Anna swayed her head pretending to deliberate the request. "Oh, all right. Twist my arm why don't you." She threw him the keys.

They got in the car. Turning the ignition Seto was met with a purring of the motor. "Now that's a beautiful sound."

"I know a better sound." Anna flipped on the radio and searched for a station. She settled on one with a rocking guitar rift.

They drove down the street with 'The Kinks' blasting on the radio.

'Girl, you really got me going,

You got me so I don't know what I'm doing.

Oh ya, you really got me now,

You got me so I can't sleep at night,

Ya really got me, Ya really got me.'

They rolled down the windows to let the wind blow into the car. Anna removed her dress jacket. Seto thought it was because it was a sunny day and she might be too hot. But out of the corner of his eye he could see she didn't stop there. She pulled her shirt off over her head to expose her flesh colored undershirt.

"What are you doing?" Seto asked cautiously.

"What does it look like? I'm changing."

"In the car?"

"Oh yeah, I'm an expert at changing clothes in a car, of course it's easier in the backseat."

"I'm not sure I want to know the story behind that." He could help himself he had to keep glancing over at her as she peeled off clothing and replaced them with other garments from her bag. She was unintentionally teasing him. Showing just enough flesh to keep him interested, but not exposing herself. Having a half-naked woman right next to him in a very close quarters sports car made it extremely hard to keep his concentration on the road. He was thankful when she finished rearranging her clothes. She let her hair down and threw on a pair of designer sunglasses. The wind was dancing through her hair and Seto was amazed. Somehow in that light, in that attire, she looked completely different to him. She was no longer that annoying young girl that challenged him to a duel, she was a woman, vibrant, passionate, and beautiful. As soon as he thought that he had to scold himself. The whole concept was absurd. She was no different today then she was yesterday. Just because she was sixteen, didn't make her more mature. He should forget this foolishness and concentrate on driving.

He decided the best place to see how a Lamborghini performed was to take it somewhere you could let it run without interruptions. And that meant out of the city. He steered it for the outskirts of town and the only open road for hundreds of miles.

Yugi and the gang were elated to get part of the day off from school. Teacher's workdays were few and far between, but highly appreciated by the student body.

"This is such a crime. We have half the day off from school and we have no idea what to do." Complained Anzu was she walked with the group down the street.

"We could call Anna and see if she wants to do something." Yugi's suggestion didn't hold well with Anzu. She liked Anna, but she was getting tired of the way Yugi's thoughts were constantly about her. Almost obsessive some days.

"I'm sure she's already up to something. I can't image someone like her sitting around by the phone waiting." Anzu's reply was a bit harsh, but it didn't effect Yugi.

"True, but it wouldn't hurt to call her." Yugi was still insistent that it was a good idea.

"Check that out!" Honda grabbed Joey by the arm and pointed to a car pulling up to the stop light on the opposite side of the street.

"Now that is a thing of beauty." Joey was in awe of the piece of machinery in front of him.

"What is it with you men and cars?" Anzu was amazed at how the two of them stared and drooled.

"That's not a car, that's a Lamborghini!" Honda corrected her.

"Whatever." Anzu didn't get it, and didn't care to get it.

Yugi might have thought the whole thing funny of he weren't distracted by what he could see through the driver's side window. "Is that Kaiba?"

The others stretched their necks to see if they could pick him out.

"It sure looks like it." Anzu added.

"It has to be. Who else around here could afford a Lamborghini?" Honda's words made a lot of sense.

"Is that a girl in the passage seat?" Anzu noticed the longhaired woman wearing shades, but didn't recognize her. The Lamborghini pulled off down the street before they could get a good look at Kaiba's driving companion.

"You must be seeing things. Kaiba with a girl? Yeah, like that would happen." Joey was in total disbelief.

"Why is that so hard to believe?" Honda asked. "With all that money, I bet women are crawling all over him. Just because we've never seen him with a girl doesn't mean he might not have one."

"But what woman would put up with him?" Anzu said with some disgust.

"It's the car, chicks dig the car." Joey said still drooling over the car that was too far off in the distance now to see.

"People will put up with anything if you have enough money." Yugi contributed his two cents.

"Speaking of money..." Joey threw a friendly arm around Yugi. "When you and Anna get married and you're filthy stinking rich, you'll let me drive your Lamborghini, right?"

Yugi was embarrassed and turned a lovely shade of red. "I don't think I can afford a car like that."

"Sure you can, you'll be rolling in dough." Joey pressed.

"You're forgetting, it's not my money, it's Anna's."

"But what kind of wife would she be if she didn't buy her husband a cool car?" Honda joked.

"And what kind of guy would you be if you didn't let your friends drive it occasionally. Say when I've got a hot date." Joey hinted.

"When do you ever have a hot date?" Honda retorted.

"Hey it could happen, especially if I had an awesome car like that." Joey said with a drool.

The awesome car Joey spoke of had made it out of town and onto a deserted stretch of road. They switched places and Anna was now in the driver's seat.

"Are you setting me up again? Is there a cop waiting around that bend just to catch me speeding and driving without a license?" Anna questioned his motives for letting her drive.

"You don't have to speed."

"We're in a Lamborghini; it's a requirement."

"You do know how to drive a stick shift, don't you?"

"Do I know how to drive a stick shift?" Anna said as if it were a rhetorical question. "I hope you have your seat belt fastened." She stomped down on the clutch and threw the car into gear. She took off with such a force that it jolted Seto back into his seat. Anna punched it into the next gear and she flew around the curves and bends of the road. Seto gripped the side paneling to brace himself.

'She's crazy!' he thought. This experience was worse than any amusement ride he had ever been on.

Miles past and she didn't slow down. Seto wanted her to stop, but he wasn't willing to admit to her that he was getting scared. The wind was blowing like a hurricane through the car. He watched as she grabbed the gearshift and changed into an even higher gear. He might have been very concerned if he saw the speed on the odometer, but he found a temporary distraction with what was before him. The wind had managed to blow up Anna's knee length skirt. The full length of her leg and a small portion of her underwear were showing. He was a gentleman, he shouldn't be looking, but he couldn't help but stare. She was just so damn intoxicating. He quickly glanced up at her face to see if she had seen him, but her eyes were fixed on the road. He kept averting his eyes, but they always seemed to find their way back.

Suddenly Anna shifted into neutral and turned the wheel hard to the right. They were flung into a spin and when she slammed on the brake they came to an abrupt stop. Seto wanted to shout profanities, but he restrained himself. Instead he took one hand and ran it over his face trying to relieve his stress. He wondered if he was more disturbed by her driving, or her exposed body?

"Where the hell did you learn to drive?"

"Pole Position." She gave him a big toothy grin.

"You are not driving Mokuba anywhere! Is that understood?"

"Ah, come on! I was just playing."

"Get out!" Seto ordered.

"I really am a good driver."

"Get out!"

"I'll show you, I can be a nice driver."

"Get out of the car!"

Anna opened the door and got out. She couldn't help but giggle under her breath at him. She got him rattled, and she loved that.

Seto retook his place in the driver's seat and proceeded at a calm pace back to town. Anna sat diagonally in her seat so she could get a better view of the expression on his face. He was trying his best to ignore her; he wouldn't even look in her direction. The whole thing was a huge rush for Anna. The speed, the thrill, the wind blowing through her hair and up her skirt was such a turn on. There was no better aphrodisiac in the world for her. If it were Yugi in the car with her instead of Seto she might have jumped him where he sat. After all, there would be no harm in her seducing her own fiancee. But this was Seto. And he was all look and no touch. Not only because she was engaged, but also because she feared it would ruin their friendship. He was hot, though. She thought he was attractive since the instant they met, and when she learned how intelligent and skilled he was, that made him all the more appealing. Her mind let out a huge sigh. These were mere fantasies in her own little Wonderland and she had a reality to face. She was marrying Yugi, and she and Seto were just friends. 'Seto's probably a lousy kisser anyways.' She said to herself.

That evening they arrived back at Seto's apartment, much to the delight of Mokuba. He was nosey and dug through the bag they brought in with them. He was confused and disappointed to only find a pair of men's shoes. He then went to the case that Anna had set on the table.

"What's this?" He said as he flipped the latches and opened the top.

"Be careful with that!" Seto ordered as he grabbed Mokuba's hand to keep him from touching the violin. "It's very expensive."

"Sorry." Mokuba said in a remorseful tone. He looked over the violin wondering what was so special about it.

"Could you recommend a local bank where I house my Strat?" Anna asked Seto as she returned to the table.

"Why a bank?"

"Well I can't stick it my hall closet now can I?" She smiled at him.

"Why not put it in my vault. It's more secure than any bank."

"You'd put my violin in your vault?"

Seto nodded only once to show his approval.

"What's on this paper?" Mokuba asked.

"What paper?" Anna asked as she walked up next to him.

"That one." Mokuba pointed to a small paper lodged in the lining of the case.

Anna reached in and plucked it out. She unfolded the tiny note and read it. She was so overcome that she practically fell into the chair next to her. Her hand covered her mouth as she took deep breaths and tried to fight off the tears that were pooling in her eyes. She pressed the note to her chest, and she could feel her heart pounding.

All of this fuss caught Seto's attention and he approached her. "What is it?"

She stretched out her arm and handed him the note. Seto held it low enough that Mokuba could read it also.

"Happy birthday my darling daughter. Today you become a woman and begin to take your place in this world. But no matter where you go or how far I am from you, know that I love you and I will always be by your side... Dad."

Seto looked at her and saw the streams of tears flowing down her face. "You were deeply loved."

As he handed back the note she turned and he could see she was smiling. The tears were not of sadness, but of joy.

"This is the best birthday I've ever had."