Chapter 46

Awareness of Love

It was well into the afternoon when Anna came wobbling into Seto's office. Seto would have gotten up to help her with her heavy load of books if he had seen her coming. But it was too late. She was already in the door and tossing things down on the couch before he could react.

"Is that what you got called into your Uncle's office for?" Seto asked as he watched her sit down and sort through things.

"You won't believe it. I go over there thinking that my Uncle has some big important job for me, and he's not there. He's been out of town for two weeks. I find out that his brand new secretary was the one who called me. Apparently she's been backed up ever since the last secretary quit and someone told her that I was just the lackey she needed to do her work for her. So here I am lugging around her heavy paperwork."

"You could have said no."

"Ah, but then I wouldn't have missed out on all of this." Anna said that with a devious smile and a Vanna White arm gesture. "You want to take a guess at what all this is?"

Seto smirked. He didn't know but he was sure it would be good.

"These are all of my uncle's financial records. Apparently he didn't believe in an accountant."

"He had his secretary do his finances? No wonder the last one had a heart attack."

"It wasn't a heart attack it was a bleeding ulcer."

"I can see why."

"And this wasn't the only good thing that happened to me today. Look!" Anna stretched out her leg and showed off that she could bend it again. "See, they took that brace off and gave me one of those smaller bendy ones."

"Your mastery of medical lingo is impressive." Seto teased.

"Ain't it!" Anna smiled. "I'm just glad to be out of that thing. I didn't think I would ever bend my knee again. Now look at me. I'm right as rain." Anna's celebration was cut short by a sharp pain in her knee. "Oww! Okay, maybe I'm not completely healed yet." Anna gripped her knee trying to suppress the pain.

"Do you want me to go downstairs and get your medication?" Seto asked with a little concern.

"No, it's all right. I've got some in my bag." Anna began digging through her satchel, which was a mess. Not finding it immediately, she removed her laptop and searched deeper. "Wow, I've still got film in here." Anna commented as she pulled a film canister out of her bag. She turned it to the side and inspected the markings. "Geez, this is old. It's from our trip to Italy."

"More pictures of rocks?" Seto joked as he typed out his report.

"Maybe...I won't know until I develop it. Which may be a while. I'm having a hard time finding someplace that processes black and white film. The place I was using closed."

"Then give it to me, I'll have one of my labs do it."

"You have a photo lab?" Seto raised an eyebrow at her. "Okay, stupid question. What don't you have?"

Anna searched through her bag again and this time came up with what she was looking for. She quickly took a pill then proceeded to set up her laptop. Dividing up the multitude of discs Anna found something surprising. "Oh now I can guarantee you that my uncle doesn't know I have this stuff. This..." She held up a disc. "Is my trust fund account."

That sparked Seto's interest.

"Shall we see what he's been spending my money on?" Anna said with glee as she placed the disc in the computer and pulled up the files. It took her a few minutes before she deciphered all of the entries. "Now I know that none of my crappy boarding schools cost two hundred grand a year. And what are these? Travel expenses? Like he ever came to see me. Look's like he's been pilfering my trust fund for years."

"Shall we make copies?" Seto smiled.

"Lots!"

Anna ejected the disc and replaced it with another one. "Let's see what else he's been up to." She scanned through the entries and snickered. "It's amazing he's still in business. He can't even keep his books straight, not to mention these wacky investments. And what are all these..." She stopped and stared at the screen. It was like she was mesmerized by what she saw. She took a deep breath before asking, "What was that guy's name again?"

Seto glanced at her from over his laptop. "Which guy?"

"The one in the parking garage?"

It took Seto a second to recall. "Simms, Alfred Simms."

"Son of a Bitch!" Anna picked up a book and threw it across the room. Seto jumped in surprise, he had never seen her act like this. Anna stormed over and slammed her laptop down on the desk. "He's on my uncle's payroll!"

Seto tried to stay levelheaded as he pulled the laptop toward him and searched the files. "It says he's a financial advisor, but these are pretty big payments. No financial advisor earns this kind of money. The last payment was a week before you were attacked. There haven't been any since."

"That's because he's dead, I killed him." Anna was still steamed. She paced around the room in a huff.

"There was another payment almost a year ago. On the second of..." Seto stopped when he thought of something. He flipped through a date book on his desk then tapped on the suspect page. "It corresponds to the elevator accident."

Anna looked at him. "Was that an accident?"

"No, it was sabotage. My inspectors found that someone cut the cables and disabled the emergency brakes. They were trying to kill us."

"You never told me that."

"I thought they were after me. I didn't want to worry you." Seto shook it off and went back to the files. "Here's another payment. March fifteenth, five years ago. What happened five years ago?"

Anna wandered into deep thought trying to remember where she was and what she was doing. Then it hit her. "Oh god!" She collapsed onto the couch and covered her face with her hands. When she unburied her face she was on the verge of tears. "Elizabeth."

"Elizabeth?"

"The girl from my Italian boarding school. That's when she died. We looked so much alike that...What if he killed her thinking she was me? I knew she wouldn't commit suicide, but I never thought she was murdered. She's dead because of me."

"No, she's dead because of your uncle's greed and a hit man's stupidity. You're not to blame."

"But I'm responsible."

"No you're not. Don't even think it. We're going to find proof and nail your uncle's ass to the wall. We'll make him pay." Seto scanned more vehemently now. He had to find anything that would cement their case against her uncle. Then he found it. "The first payment he made was for half a million dollars on..."

Anna wondered why he stopped talking. She looked over at him and was confronted with his blue eyes staring back at her. They were apologetic and sad. She knew he found something terrible. Anna walked over and turned the laptop around, she had to see the date. "No. Not them."

"That's the date of the plane crash, isn't it? When your parents died?"

Anna nodded as a few tears streamed down her face. "He killed them."

"He was trying to kill you too, but your father saved your life."

Anna looked at him with confusion. "How do you...?"

Seto opened the top drawer of his desk and pulled out a book. "He wrote about it."

"Where did you get that?" Anna snatched the book from Seto's hand.

"You left it in the apartment. I'm sorry, I didn't know it was your father's journal."

Anna hugged the book close to her as if it were a warm kitten. "What do you mean he wrote about it?"

"Look at the last entry. He wrote it two days before he died."

Anna flipped through the pages until she came to the end.

'Spent most of the day getting things in order before our vacation. I can't wait for Anna to see Japan. She was too young when we last visited, but now she can finally understand and enjoy the richness that is my homeland. There is so much I want to show her. Syeda has been having some reservations about the trip. I believe she is just nervous. She rarely leaves the Middle East and I think she feels uncomfortable around foreigners. She's the daughter of a Sheik, but she is still afraid that she won't be accepted by good society. I have tried to reassure her, but she insists that there are too many bad omens. I have to admit that I also have been feeling anxious about this journey. So many pressures have befallen me lately, especially concerning my brother. With his money problems escalating I fear he might try something rash to regain my favor. I'm not looking forward to seeing him again. But these issues must be resolved. I will deal with him when I return home.

Addendum: There is a foul wind in the air. It chills me to the bone. I've decided to send Anna on ahead of us. We will catch up with her the day after tomorrow. I can't say why, but this needs to be done.'

"I always wondered why he made me leave early. But if he knew something was wrong, why did he go? Why didn't he cancel the trip or find another way of getting there?"

Seto walked out from behind the desk and stood in front of her. "I can't say. But what I do know is that he wanted to keep you safe. You were the most important thing to him. He was going to protect you at all costs."

"He wrote that?" Anna's voice became soft and morose.

"Many times."

"Show me." She presented him with the journal.

The next few hours Seto spent going over the details of what he had found. Everything from her father's affection for her to the suspicions he had about her uncle. It was all spelled out in her father's last journal. Some entries delighted Anna as they read them, but some brought her great sadness. Memories started coming back to her. Things that happened in her childhood, not all of them nice. Some she had suppressed because they hurt too much. The more they read the more depressed Anna got. Eventually she excused herself. She told him she wanted to be alone. Normally he wouldn't have let her wander off; he learned that even if she said it, she really didn't mean it. But tonight, he thought perhaps she did. So he let her go. He took some time to finish up his report and made sure to make copies of all the discs before returning to the apartment. Upon first glance he didn't see Anna. It was assumed that she was in her room. But when he walked down the hallway he noted that her door was wide open and the room vacant. That made him concerned. He gave a quick inspection to the rest of the apartment, but she wasn't there. Had she left? He called down to security and they informed him that she had not left the building and that her car was still there. That's when the panic set in. He frantically searched the floors between the office and apartment. He knew she hadn't gone to the lower levels because security told him that there had been no activity there. 'Where could she be?' He asked himself. 'There is no where else to go.' But there was one place. And when he realized it he sprinted for the stairs.

The wind nearly knocked him down as he burst through the door to the roof. The winter storms had transformed into violent spring rains. The air was still cold and the rain made everything wet with chill. He wondered what could have possessed her to go up there. He battled the winds as he made his way to the railing at the edge of the building and grabbing it for support. He tried to shelter himself against the storm, but she didn't. She just stood there, staring off into the distance. She seemed to be completely unaffected. Every inch of her was soaked and her tears mixed with the rain, making it impossible for him to tell the difference.

"What are you doing?" He shouted over the wind.

"I had no where else to go."

"There must be a million places better than this. Come back inside."

"You go back. I want to stay."

"If you stay out here you'll be killed."

"If that's what is meant to be."

"What!"

"My uncle's been trying so damn hard...Maybe God will do him a favor and strike me dead." Anna released her hold on the railing and threw her hands up in the air. "Is that what you want?" Anna shouted to the sky. "If you want me dead just do it and get it over with!"

A strong gust picked up and pushed against them. Seto threw himself around her, grabbing hold of the railings on either side of her. Anna may have acted like she wanted to die, but when the time came she found herself clinging onto Seto as the winds tempted them both over the edge.

"Don't let go of me." Anna begged. "Please don't let go!"

As the wind died down he could feel her shaking. Shaking from the cold and depression. He pulled her in tighter.

"He left me." Seto looked down at her as she cried. "He left me in Egypt after they died. I was all alone. He sent people to get our belongings, but no one came for me. No one wanted me." Anna heaved with heavy sobs as she revealed her story. "Our maid...she took me in. She made me work to earn my keep. And her husband...he hit me. He hit me all the time. I hated him, I hated living there. I wanted to run away, but I couldn't. I had no where to go." Anna buried her face into Seto's chest.

As he held her he could feel her body getting weaker. He knew he had to get her back inside.

"Six months." Anna said wearily. "I was there six months before he came to get me. I was so happy. I had always imagined that when he would appear, he would hug me and tell me everything was all right. Then he would take me home and I'd have a family again. But he didn't. He barely even looked at me. He had a driver take me to a hotel and the next day he sent me to school in France. I never saw him again until last year."

Suddenly everything became clear to Seto. He finally understood her, why she did things and the choices she made. She was so frightened of being alone. Of people abandoning her that she was willing to do anything, even marry someone who wasn't right for her. If this other man cared for her at all, he would hold her and comfort her. That is what she needed. That is what he should do. That is what Seto determined he would do. For maybe by healing her, he could heal himself too.

The weather had gotten the better of her and Anna's knees gave out from under her. Seto held tight as he gently lowered her to the floor.

"I'm tired..." Anna whispered in a weak voice. "I'm so tired. I don't want to fight anymore. Why can't it all go away? Why can't I live my life the way I want to?"

Seto pressed his lips against her forehead and kissed her. He lingered in that spot as he spoke. "The paths we are made to walk down sometimes are not what we want. They may be right for others but not for us. But you always have a choice. You can leave that path and go down another. Or if there is no alternate path, we have to be brave and make our own way through the forest. It may not be the safest or easiest course, but the longer you walk down it the more you make it your own. You could forge that path Anna. You can find your own way. And I'll be there, right beside you. You won't ever be alone again."

He wanted to say it. It would have been so simple, but the words wouldn't find his tongue. He was never good at expressing his feelings. He had spent so much of his life trying to hide and suppress his emotions that now when he wanted them, when he needed to tell her, he couldn't. He was cursed by those three little words. 'I love you'.

Seto carried her downstairs and made sure she was dried off and in a nice warm bed before he trotted off to his room. The cold weather outside had effected him too. He was chilled to the bone and it wasn't long after he changed clothes that sleep overtook him.

The squeak of the door was the first sign that someone was in his room. His eyes cracked open to see the intruder silently approach him. He stealth fully reached to the side of the bed and grasped a hold of his dagger. When the timing was right he lunged forward and swiped the blade at the assassin. A soft gasp and a female form caught his attention and he diverted the blow and sent the blade into the bed.

"Your Majesty?" High Priest Seto asked in amazement as he spied the queen standing by his bedside.

"I'm sorry. It's my fault. I shouldn't have entered without permission."

"What's happened? Is something wrong?" The High Priest inquired as he jumped out of bed.

"No, everything is well." The queen looked away for a second as if she were regretting her actions, but eventually looked back. "I wish to speak to you."

It was an awkward moment between them. Seto standing there wearing only a shortened linen sleeping tunic and her in a thin white gown highlighted at the collar by the Millennium Necklace she wore.

"Of course, your majesty. I am at your service."

"I wish you wouldn't call me that. I am no longer queen."

"You are still Pharaoh's wife. That is a position of respect."

"That is what I wanted to speak to you about. I wished to thank you. This past year has not been easy for me. So many tragedies have befallen this house. So many tragedies have befallen me. But your friendship has been unwavering. Your strength has kept me going when I thought all was lost and the only thing left for me was death. You brought me back from the edge of the abyss. You saved me in more ways than you could have known. And I am grateful."

"I do not deserve your gratitude. I have failed you. I couldn't protect you from the thief and I could not protect you from Pharaoh. If I were stronger or smarter I would have found a way to convince Pharaoh to free you. His decision was wrong. If you could no longer be his queen then he should have released you and allowed you to go home. Keeping you here in this prison only serves his own greed."

"You shouldn't speak of Pharaoh like that. If he were to find out..."

"I don't care anymore. He has done you a great injustice. How could he force you to stay here and then burden you with the sacred necklace? You hate wearing it. I can see what it is doing to you. It's like a poison; it draws the life out you."

"It's too late for me."

"I refuse to believe that your majesty."

"You called me by my name once. Could you say it again? I just need to hear it."

"Anck-su-namun."

Hearing his voice speak her name sent a great pulse of joy through her body. It would be a sweet and precious memory for her and she would lock it in her mind and keep it sealed there. And she was even in greater delight when he said it again.

"Anck-su-namun, you must be free. Even if Pharaoh does not give permission, you must leave this prison."

"I can't."

"I have many connections in foreign lands. I'll buy passage on a boat and by this time tomorrow we could be on our way to Phoenicia, Macedonia, or into the uncharted lands in the west. We'll find some place where Pharaoh cannot reach. Where we can live free and in peace."

"We?" The queen's deep brown eyes stared up into the High Priest's ocean blue orbs.

"I would rather live a pauper's life with you than live in a golden palace without you." He picked up her hand and gently caressed her fingers. "I cannot dare hope you see me the same way I see you. But no matter what you decide, let it be what you want. What will make you happy. That is all I can ask for."

The queen removed her hand from his grip and turned her face away. She didn't have to speak, he knew her answer and he was ashamed of the way he acted. He turned away from her so she wouldn't see his disappointment. He had poured out his heart to her and she didn't reciprocate. It was what he had always feared. He fell in love and found no love in return.

He heard the slight jingle of metal and then a thud as something hit the bed. He glanced over and saw the sacred necklace lying amongst the linen sheets. He turned back to her and was greeted by her loving eyes. He smiled. It was a genuine smile. One he had not shown since he was a child. He wanted to rush over to her, to embrace her, to kiss her. But there was one thing he had to do first. The High Priest went to an adjacent table and opening a box removed its contents.

"Your neck is too bare." He said as he presented her with a familiar necklace, which had an ankh pendent at its center.

She turned around and pulled her hair out of the way. He slipped the necklace onto her neck and clasped it.

"You gave this to me on the day you first took possession of the sacred necklace. Why did you do that? It was your favorite."

"Do you know why it is my favorite?" The queen asked and the High Priest shook his head. "Because it reminds me of you. That day when we spent in the city and how you looked after me. I wore it because I wanted you to always be with me."

"I promise, we will never be parted again." He placed his hand on her face and drew her in closer. "Not in this life or the next."

Their lips were but a wisp away when...

Suddenly there came a loud crash as the doors of the room burst open and men armed with bows and spears rushed in. The High Priest pushed the queen into a safe position behind him and guarded her as the men cornered them.

"What is the meaning of this!" The High Priest shouted. "By what authority can you come into my chamber?"

"By my authority." Came a voice as the sea of men parted and Pharaoh emerged.

"Please Pharaoh," Anck-su-namun said as she came out of her hiding place behind the High Priest. "I beg of you don't..."

"I have seen enough!" Pharaoh cut her short making it impossible for her to plead their case. He was already angry, but when he saw that she no longer wore the sacred necklace he became more enraged. "Seize them!"

The guards grabbed them both and forcefully tore them apart. As he was being dragged away Seto could swear he heard bangs, like heavy footsteps or loud beats of his heart. The sound pulsed a few times before it stopped. He didn't know what it was, he didn't care. All he wanted to do was protect her. He had to reach her. That was all that consumed his mind as they bound his hands.

Seto jumped up in bed. He was breathing heavily and extremely bothered by the site he had just witnessed.

"I'm sorry." He heard the voice say. He hadn't even noticed her standing there.

"Anna?"

"I knocked but you didn't answer. I didn't mean to wake you."

"What are you doing in here? You should be resting."

"I couldn't sleep." She looked away for a few seconds. Seto had seen her expression before. It was the same as Anck-su-namun's in his dream. "I can't sleep unless I'm near you. Could I...could I stay here for just a little while?"

She didn't wait for an answer. She lifted the covers and slid under them. Seto was a bit confused, but more concerned. This entire scene eerily mimicked his dream. He was almost afraid that if he allowed her to do this that someone might come crashing through the door and take her away from him. He knew that was nearly impossible, but the thought still entered his mind.

As soon as she was settled under the sheets, Seto rolled out of bed on the opposite side and walked across the room. Anna couldn't believe it. He left her, just when she needed him the most. She felt the urge to burst into tears again, but his actions prevented that. He flipped a switch and turned off the one light he accidentally left on before when he fell asleep. He then returned to the bed. He got in on the opposite side of where she was. The bed was big enough for both of them to have their own space. He made no attempt to touch her. He didn't want to be presumptuous or take advantage of her while she was in such a vulnerable state. He wasn't going to make the first move, he didn't have to. Anna slid across the bed and rested her head upon his chest like it was a pillow. Seto took a deep breath, he couldn't believe this was all happening. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and drank in the moment. It wasn't long before the rise and fall of his chest sent Anna into slumber. Seto didn't feel the need for sleep. His one dream, the thing he wanted had come true. No other dream could compare to this.

The first rays of the sun cracked through the curtains. It illuminated the room enough for Seto to fully take in her form beside him. They had shifted in the night. Now Anna lay on her side and Seto pressed his body up against her back, his arm draped around her waist. He didn't know how long he had lain there watching her sleep. Time had no meaning. In fact he wished it would stop, that way he could live like this forever. He reached up and took a long lock of hair into his hand. Running it under his nose he breathed in the aroma, that of lavender. Her hair always smelled of lavender thanks to the shampoo she used. And her skin, it was the scent of milk and honey. He wondered if she could be any more intoxicating. He gently returned the lock of hair to its place. Then his fingers found new fodder. He ran them along her edge of her jaw and down the curve of her neck, passing by the spot he knew from previous experience was one of her most sensitive. He wouldn't kiss her there again unless she asked him to. She rustled a little. He knew his actions must have stirred her. She would wake soon and when she did he couldn't let her go. Her first instinct would be to run away. She always did. But today he wouldn't allow it. Today he was going to tell her.

Anna's eyes fluttered as the first rays of the sun came into contact with her eyelids. With a moan she stretched and turned over onto her back, right into Seto's arms. She didn't seem at all surprised or panicked about the position she found herself in. She gave him a soft smile as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.

"Good Morning." Seto whispered.

"What time is it?" Anna asked with a slight moan.

"Early."

"Are you always this precise in the mornings?" Another smile sneaked across her face as she spoke.

"Care to find out?"

Seto could see the uneasiness in her face. "How about I make you some coffee?" She rolled over trying to reach the edge of the bed, but he held steadfast and wouldn't let her leave.

"No, stay." He whispered as he passively pulled her back to him. "Stay a little while longer."

She only protested for a second before she relaxed and allowed him to caress her in his arms. They were so close now. His arms embracing her and their faces drawing nearer with every breath.

"I shouldn't have." Anna began. "It was rude of me to intrude on you. I'm sorry."

"Don't be. If I didn't want you here I wouldn't have let you stay."

"Still it's not right. We can't..." She tried to continue but she was distracted by his blue eyes and his lips which were only three inches from hers. No matter what she wanted or felt, she couldn't allow it. If she kissed him now, she could never go back.

Seto could feel her hot breath on his face and neck. He knew it was time. He leaned forward and made contact with something unexpected. Anna had reached up and stopped the kiss with her hand. Two fingers pressed against his lips prevented him from going any further. She looked up at him with apologetic eyes.

"I'm to be married."

Seto withdrew his face from her fingers. He closed his eyes as he turned away from her. A look of frustration and loss mingled on his face. "What kind of power does he have over you?"

Now Anna looked away. "It's not him."

Seto's face filled with more resolve this time as he re-approached her. "You know I would give you anything. All you have to do is ask."

"What I want is out of reach. Even for you."

"Name it. I'll find a way."

"Could you..." Anna hesitated. She knew what she wanted to say, but she stopped before she said it. She couldn't have it. So she asked for the next best thing. "Could we linger here a little while longer? Could you just hold me?"

He held onto her tight and buried his face in her neck. Her long hair ticked his nose a little, but he didn't mind, not as long as she kept her arms around him. He would stay like this forever if he could.

For Anna this was a time of mixed emotions. She had never felt so much contentment in her life. Never had she known such peace. But she also knew that this tranquility wouldn't last. She let out a deep sigh as she realized that it was over. This one night had brought an end to everything. She couldn't live this life anymore, not after she found out that he loved her. And worse, she was in love with him. When he finds out about Yugi their friendship will be over. It would literally kill him. Her time was short now, so she made the best of it and held him tighter.

Author's Note: Hopefully that wasn't too long to wait. And I got it in before the 16th so someone, who shall remain nameless, has no cause to burn down my house. Of course she may change her mind when she sees how I end this. Yep, that's right folks, only three chapters left. And they are action packed and sappy. I hope everyone likes them. Just remember to save your comments until you read the first chapter of the sequel. And thanks to my friend Heather, it now has a name. It is called "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" or for those not fluent in Beatle-ese in laymen's terms that means "Life Goes On." All right then, with the plug for my sequel in place, I'm off to write the next chapter.