Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. It's on my Christmas list, though.

Notes: I really want to thank everyone once again, and have finally got past my writer's block. See? (Holds up cage containing plot bunny. It cackles evilly.) Yes, well…Due to rumors about thanking reviews or what not, my responses will from now on be at the bottom of the chapter, I really don't wish to be kicked off. So there ya go.

It Goes Where?

By:

Louisiana-Southern-Belle

Summary: What happens when you get stuck in the middle of nowhere with some very interesting help? Maybe you can help Anzu figure it out…

Chapter 8: What's Her Next Move? Part II

What was she doing?

What on earth was she thinking?

Was she kissing him again?

And where exactly did his hands end up?

Oh my.

So with these kind of thoughts floating about your very fuzzy passion laced mind…what are you to do?

Push away, be offended, blame it on insanity, or possibly sanity…

We'll just have to look at it through Anzu's perspective.

You've seen her handle most propositions calmly.

Anzu had regained some sense of control with herself and grabbed onto the cause of engagement, Atem and pushed him back separating their lips.

"Are you insane? Crazy? Completely out of it!" was the first full sentence that left her now bruised and swollen lips.

Ah, on second thought, maybe not so much.

…………

Why on earth had she done that, sure it was great and wonderful, but…

Why?

Why was fate so cruel to her?

Atem had also regained some control and was utterly confused here.

"What do you mean? It seems to me that you were quite enjoying yourself." He shot back with a ghost of a smirk taking a corner of his mouth.

"That may be so, Atem, but this is not good!" With that said Anzu gave more pressure to his shoulders, fully separating them.

"Would you be as kind as to share what this is?" His crimson pools began to burn harder if possible. Was she angry at him? How could that be…He was so confused by this little vixen.

"This!" she gestured with her hands between them then to her lips.

Realization sped through his mind and something flashed in his eyes for a split second, Anzu could have blinked and missed it.

But she didn't.

"Well, Anzu, what do you want this to be then? Some secret affair? Or am I just some lucky repair man this week?" His voice was harsher then intended, but he was getting mad.

Dammit.

Anzu's blue depths rounded slightly at his implications. Sure, she really was attracted to Atem, but he has no right to claim that about them! She barely knew him!

"How can you say that when we barely know each other! Is that what you think of me? Some two timer?" Her sky blue eyes were turning dark at the approaching storm of emotions.

His mouth almost dropped a bit at her temper flare.

But he quickly pushed away that kind of surprise and readied himself for the next verbal spar.

"For your information, I did not think in that way at all! But think about it Anzu, and tell me right now what's next." His mouth was set a stern line causing the same effect to his jaw and darkening of his eyes.

She hadn't been expecting that.

'Well what am I to do? Seto…he... I…. 'Anzu didn't know what to tell him truly. She wanted something, but wasn't sure what. It felt like a hole in her stomach that just kept growing at her distress.

"I think…that you and I …we…well I don't know!" Her voice was wavering and losing its strength with each word.

"I see. Well allow me to tell you that I'm not going to beat around the bush with you. I won't be a secret love; I won't be the one in the shadows for your disposing. So there is only thing I can tell you, it's up to you to decide."

"Decide?"

"Yes, decide, choose, whatever you prefer. As cliché as it sounds, stay with Plato or me."

Atem finished his declaration with a step back and crossed his arms across his chest.

Plato…Seto…well I guess we all have or own hearing, no?

Quietly, barely audible, it came.

"Seto."

"Seto?"

"Yes." She couldn't just leave him, could she? They had been through a lot, but not enough. Yet, she couldn't leave him.

"It seems you have made your choice then. You will no longer have to worry about me bothering you, Anzu."

And with that, he turned headed towards the register.

What was going on with her?

It had hurt, telling him that. But it also was stressing. Was she making the wrong choice? Or right?

The hole in her stomach threatened to grow with every step she took to the same destination.

What did this mean?

……………..

'Does he have deep, calculating eyes?'

yes

no

maybe

haven't looked before

Doe he have adoring, goofy, amusing eyes?

yes

no maybe

so so

I do not have a puppy

Well he certainly could be.'

Mai scanned through the next few question of the quiz in her magazine with little interest. She was a lot more interested in what was going on near clothes rack number nine.

Atem had never really taking on a liking to anyone before. Seeing the way his eyes turned hazy or a smile crept to his face with him knowing it or not when he talked about Anzu made Mai smile to herself.

He really liked the girl.

Anzu seemed to be bright and level headed, so she would take care of him, he with her also.

So when she looked up in to blazing crimson eyes, it startled her. A lot.

"Whoa there! Don't stare at me with burning eyes like that! I t scares me. And where might Anzu be?" She added a raised eyebrow for playful affect but did not get the expected smirk.

The fire seemed to burn her now.

"I think she's coming soon." The fire in his eyes had dies down to flickering flames.

"Okay then…" What in the hell just happened near rack number nine?

"If you don't mind, where did Jou go?"

His voice startled her out of her musing.

"He went back to call his mother about his sister and where she is staying, all those details. Why?"

"Would it be alright if I left with him to go back and you and Anzu take my car?" He asked with barely any emotion.

"Uh…sure." She really was going to ask Anzu about their conversation now. They weren't even together and they had already broken up.

How can they do that?

……………………

When Anzu reached the tall blonde leaning against the counter dazing off into space, she felt utterly depressed.

Everything had gone down hill thanks to her temper and him being a guy in her opinion.

When amethyst eyes drifted to her form they blinked with reconaization.

"Hey there hun'. Look is it alright that we head back now?"

"Of course. Where did At- I mean the guys head off to?" She mentally gave herself a knock in the head for her slip of the tongue.

Mai's sculpted eyebrow rose slightly, but didn't comment.

"They left and Atem left us his car."

"I see."

"Ready?" Mia twirled the keys on her fingers absently.

"Let's go." Anzu weakly answered feeling emotionally drained.

………………

"So, did he miss?"

"Excuse me!"

Mai chuckled to herself for that opener.

"Look hun' something happened with you and Tem' back there. Did he miss your lips, or what? Cause I remember when Jou tried and missed, it wasn't a very pleasurable experience but he made up for it in oth-"

"Mai!" Anzu interrupted before she heard one too many personal experiences.

"Well then?"

She picked the subject back up smoothly, hardly affected by the interruption.

"Well, we had kissed, I stopped him of course, I mean we barely know each other! He asked me what I wanted to do, or something about that, then about who I wanted to stay with. Can you believe him? Just spouting off about being my 'secret affair' or some crap like th-"

"Anzu!"

"Sorry." Anzu looked down sheepishly at her hands, her cheeks a pale pink.

"No, I mean Anzu, who did you choose?" Mai had become very interested in this; it was just like her soaps!

Plus Anzu was her friend now, even if Atem was going to have problems. She wanted her happy, so if need be she would simple knock some sense into Atem any way she could, preferably with a large, heavy sized object.

"I said, Seto." Anzu continued to look at her hands, ashamed. She felt that since Mai and he were friends she would be angry or offend by this conversation. That is until a hand patted her hand assuringly.

"It's ok hun. This means things are gonna' be at bit more complicated now, is all." She added a dazing ling smile for her before turning her attention back on the road.

"What do you mean? Leave Seto?" Anzu's pretty face contorted into confusion, turning her upper body towards the blonde driver.

"No, no, no. Well sure eventually you will really decide. Till then just compare what the two guys could give to you." Mai nodded mentally.

"Well. Seto has the resources for well, anything. And Atem is sweet and caring, passionate. Money really doesn't interest me at all really; trust me that's not what concerns me." Anzu just wanted to be loved.

Mai nodded encouragement.

"That's a start, think about who would truly make you happy. Now, what does the object of your desire need to treat you as?"

Anzu truly pondered this one, rolling it around her mind and tossing the possibilities as well.

"Okay. He needs to treat me with respect, want my opinion, you know? But not afraid to tell me what he thinks, but gentle at the same time." She wondered if a guy could truly be all that at once.

She was shooting for the impossible here.

"Look Anzu I know from past encounters that an important not is your past."

When all Mai got was a puzzled face for an answer, she elaborated.

"You want someone who will take your past and help build a better future. New paths, fresh steps, paving through the dangers that come with emotions you are gonna' feel. It's not easy, actually quite tiring, but Anzu listen. I know you can do this. You're a smart girl, just look at what is being graciously given to your life and make the right decisions for your heart. It's the only true map for love."

Anzu was taken aback at the heart and depth shown by the vivacious blonde.

'Hear is the only true map, huh?'

"S tell me, how many of these 'secret love affairs' have you had lately? Do tell."

Anzu could feel the huge smile on her companion's face, while feeling the reddening of her own.

………………..

"You're her man whore?"

"I am not her man whore, Jou."

There was a pause.

"Do you want to be her man whore?"

Atem clenched his teeth painfully tight.

"No I do not wish to be, Jou."

This had been going on for a while now. Jou would try to help but go about asking the wrong questions.

"Look man, seems to me that she's just unfocused."

Atem's eyes widened at his best friend's use of vocabulary.

"Really?"

"Yeah, happens in movies all the time."

Jou tapped his hands on the steering wheel in thought.

"Ya' see, she's been with, what's the name?" He paused for the answer.

"Plato."

"Ya see she's been with Gecko for too long." Jou replied.

Gecko?

"Well then she shouldn't have to worry about leaving him then." Atem stubbornly snapped back.

"Somebody stole the anger from a snapping turtle today."

Atem only stared blankly at the driver.

"Ah, come on. Lighten up, she'll come around. You gotta' have faith."

"I had Faith that she would come with me!"

"Snap! There ya go again man! Anzu may not know how to deal with the rich snob."

Atem once again thought about her current boyfriend.

The bastard.

"What amI going to do while she still 'thinks' this over?" Aem questioned with a disbelieving look on his sculpted features.

"Just don't get too close, she may be scared away. You know hoe women get."

"I suppose you know this from…?"

"Experience."

Jou took on a thoughtful expression.

"Remember when I had first met Mai? She had all these boyfriends and was always stressed about everything. I had tried to help her out, but she blew up! Saying I was egotistical and arrogant,thinking I could go into her personal space. Besides the fact I didn't know what the hell she was talkin' bout', I managed."

"Barely."

"Ah, but look at what happened. She calmed down, and things got better."

"I suppose you're right." Atem admitted grudgingly.

Jou gave himself a mental pat on the back.

They once again sat in comfortable silence.

"Hey Jou."

"Yeah man?"

"'Anger of a snapping turtle?"

"Shut up, man whore."

…………………………..

Mai dropped Anzu off at her apartment close to four in the afternoon.

Her door opened with a bang as the force of her push sent it straight into the wall.

She winced at the sound, her neighbor would probably complain to her superintendent about how noisy she was.

That really pissed her off.

Things were not going well, at all.

I t had all started out as a few looks, an innocent kiss, then a bit more passionate. She had never wanted to even get a kiss. Well, okay we she had.

While musing to herself she began to gather a towel and clothes for a shower incase she got a call about doing something tonight.

Speaking of calling, she should probably cal Seto to see what he was doing. Work, she knew that much, but nightly pans could be made. She was going to take Mai's advice about finding out what could happen in the future. Maybe if she spent more time with Seto her head wouldn't be swimming with so much doubt.

Setting her items on the bathroom counter, she padded her way over to her purse to fish for her cell phone. Once caught, she dialed the number her fingers had somehow along the way memorized.

There was a ring or two, until a click was heard a secretary to his office was heard.

"Hello, you have reached Kaiba Corp., this is Julie, how may I be of some assistance to you?"

"Hi, this is Anzu, again. I was wondering if I could talk to Seto real quick."

"Oh, I'm sorry Miss Anzu, but Mr. Kaiba has informed me that all calls are to be on hold."

"But, usually he let's me talk to him. It would only take a sec-"

"I'm sorry; would you like to leave a message for him?"

Anzu huffed with the rejection.

"No, that's quite alright."

"Have a good day Miss-"

Anzu didn't hear the rest because she had already hung up.

What the hell was that about?

All calls are on hold?

That part made sense, but he always told the secretary something different for her. Maybe to wait five minutes maximum, or forward it straight to his office.

Why did that change?

He must have forgotten.

Anzu figured that he must have been there a bit late and didn't have time to give specific directions about pohne calls to his lowly secretary. But then again Seto was never late for his work. Never.

So what had happened?

Why was all this happening?

And why did it hurt so much?

…………………

"Jou, what did you tell him."

Mai's hands were planted squarely on her lovely hips as she stared down at him menacingly.

"I didn' nothin' bad! I swear!" He put his hands up defensively, or as much as he could.

He had been working in the back with the cars, and needed to replace a pipe underneath. He had to lie in a skateboard like device to roll under the car successfully. And right now he'd give anything to be back under there.

Wait, he was on wheels right?

He tried to kick off the ground with his foot to go back to safety, but was stopped by another force holding it in place.

"Don't you dare try and roll away from me!"

Mai's voice rang in his ears.

"All I told him was that it would play out in the end." Jou answered.

"Well something else must have clicked in his brain because he's like a walking zombie in there." She gestured toward the front of the store where said guy sat staring mindlessly out the window.

"Hey, it's a free country; he can be a zombie however he wants."

Although this was true, do you think this stopped Mai?

Didn't think so either.

"You know as well as I do that sitting around like that won't help the situation." She gave stern look to her soft features.

Jou loved it when she looked serious.

"Mai, we can't do anything about it unless Anzu does something first."

Mai hated it when he was right.

But he hadn't won.

"And by the way Mai, you're lookin' pretty good, there's enough room for two down here." He moved slightly to the side to show the rest of the scooter like contraption.

Mai rolled her eyes upward.

She looked back down at his smiling face.

She leaned down to where she stood over vital parts of him and her face stopped inches from his own.

"In your dreams, lover-boy."

And with that, she hooked her heel under the end of the board and gave it a swift kick so he went rolling right under the car.

She heard a crash and forgot the car he was working on had been parked in front of the garage back door.

The sound of metal and wall colliding along with strangled noises from the victim told her job was done, and her point had been made.

Damn, she was good.

………………………

Atem stared outside the window.

He remembered the exact spot he had first seen her.

The way she looked so lost and disheveled.

Damn, fate wasn't on his side lately.

Not only was she not in his life right now, but he was forced to be reminded of her wherever he went.

Yet, he knew things had to turn up, somehow.

He just had to have a little faith in Anzu.

Somehow, he didn't find that too hard to do.

Plato or Gecko…be damned.

…………………………….

As promised Review Responses:

Rob-Thomas-Lover: Thank you very much! And I hope these Atem buttons will help out!

C.A.M.E.O.1 and Only: Well, thank you, I think…lol. Yeah there situation is a bit weird. But thanks for your review! Here you go( hands you Atem button) Put em' amywhere!

Funkygal-yamitea fan: Thank you so much, I love hearing from you! Your review made my day! This chapter doesn't have as many 'moements', (I know, it hurt me too) but hopefully next chapter definitely will. Here you go (hands you Atem buttons) Show him off to everyone!

aznengel: Thank you for reviewing! I hope you liked this chapter, a bit of drama, I gotta admit…Her you go( hands you Atem buttons ) Enjoy em'!

Shayna15: Thakies for your review. Yup Atem is a bit different in this one. But if I had it my way he would be this way one the show! Here ya (hands you Atem buttons) Enjoy!

CHIBI Majik: I believe its' a song from the Coke commercials. Thank you for your review! Here ya go (hands you a bag of Atem buttons) Enjoy!

Ah, there we go. A whole new chapter full of drama. Well sorry for the delay, and my other story, Tides of Crimson should have the next chapter out soon.

Please review for Atem fan club T-shirts! You donate to the club by reviewing! It's a smexy picture on the shirt too…

Love,

l-s-b