Aria

Notes:

Jou has always told his sister he loved her but was it always true?

Let us begin…

Jou walked through the door entering the empty apartment serenity behind him. He looked over the narrow hall that came into the kitchen. To the right of the kitchen was a door that led to the living/family room.

Honey colored eyes wandered over the room the carpet a lovely ivory with. The tables were black iron swirls with glass tabletops. The sofas were arranged in front of the TV and TV unit. "Hey 'ren what's that?"

"Hmm?" Serenity emerged from the other room holding two glasses of soda he wore a suit and all. The and a bowl of popcorn. He pointed to a large mound covered by a large gray sheet. "That? mom brought a wild back I'd say about eight years ago… She refused to take the sheet off and every time I was going to look she'd some how catch me and well I gave up."

Jou simply scratch his head. "Eight years? Why did she bother keeping it if she doesn't want it to be seen or used?" turning his attention away from the curious object Jou raised an eyebrow. "That picture was from my piano recital…"

Serenity looked over at the wall where several framed pictures were. And looked at the picture; her brother's messy blonde mop had been tamed for that day black tuxedo looked great on the eight year old. He sat behind a baby grand piano concentrating hard on the keys. "Really?"

"Yeah I remember that one …how did she get that picture anyway? Dad never came to a single one of my recitals, neither did anyone else…" he stared at the picture his eyes were haunting dull no life in them... "That was when I was eight you two were gone for two years… that was my last recital…"

"Well she has more of those pictures… but… I didn't remember where any of them came from…" Jou sighed and leaned back coming into contact with the hard object behind him. Knocking the sheet off.

Both brother and sister stared in awe at the large parcel it was wrapped in a faded blue paper red ribbon laying limp a large tag dangled from it. Picking up the tag so that it was at eyelevel Katsuya read the message.

To my dearest son,

I truly am proud of your performance last night. I bought this for you; I know you'll like it you've been begging me for what seems like millions of years. I wish I could give this to you in person and not just mail it. I know that you may be mad at me for not going to see you but with that restraining order, I cant, I wish I could but I cant.

Mommy loves you

Tears burned at his eyes as he read the note 'that's why she never spoke to me never came for me like I'd hoped' because his father had a restraining order against her. And mailing it to him… He'd been living at that apartment for nine years! It was no wonder that it wasn't mailed another family moved into their home.

Tearing the paper off his gift he froze when he came face to face with a black grand piano the top engraved in gold with his name Katsuya Karousu Jonouchi. Several (now outdated) books on the piano and sheet music were stacked on top.

Katsuya pulled out the bench and sat down. His back was straight and his posture was perfect as his fingers danced with grace over the ivory keys, it was coming back full force it was like second nature to him. His fingers pounded relentlessly at the keys, making the sweet melody play in joy filled highs and somber lows.

He moved his fingers across the piano and listened as the melody enchanted him. Letting tears drip from his eyes dispelling the bitterness that had rooted it's self deep in his heart. As one cannot see through clouded eyes, one cannot love with their whole heart if some of it is filled with some thing else.