Originally posted: 6/4/05
Reposted: 6/11/05
I don't think anyone (myself included) was expecting this story to come alive again. Yet here we are, at the beginning of the long (long long long) awaited Part III.
In addition to posting new chapters, I've begun a massive edit of the entire story, which includes taking out all my old A/Ns, reformatting all the chapters to compile with damn restrictions (goodbye symbols… what will I do without you?), and fixing some of the content problems I had with the actual story.
I deleted the previous chapter 13, and I know it contained an outline of the rest of the plot, but I hope people can forgive me for that, because I've received sudden motivation to continue. If I decide to give up again, I'll repost the epilogue.
Well, here's hoping this works out better the second time around.
Much thanks to everyone who reviewed the (previous…) chapter 13!
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island of red flowers
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by sir mocha
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PART III: TO PUT IT ALL TOGETHER
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chapter 13: n e c e s s i t y
"Hurry up, 'Ren!" yelled Joey, balancing a bowl of popcorn, sodas, and a stack of DVDs. "We can't start the movies without you!"
Serenity bustled into the room, giving Joey a Look. "Fine, then next time I'LL make the popcorn, and YOU can give Rei a bath, ok?" She laughed at the look of fear in her brother's eyes. "And can you remind me again WHY we are doing this?"
"Because," he said, batting his eyes at her, "it's my birthday and you said we could do what I wanted for my birthday!"
She picked up the top movie off the stack, and looked at it, her nose wrinkling in disgust. "Yeah, but staying up all night watching horror movies isn't exactly what I had in mind."
"Why?" he taunted. "Afraid you'll get too scared?"
She smirked. "Come to think of it, why ARE you doing this? Don't you jump any time anyone says the word 'ghost'? Don't you remember your duel with Bonz in the graveyard?"
He jumped, then replied shakily, "THAT IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT!"
She giggled. "Oh, Joey, you're priceless. Now give me some of that popcorn. What's up first for tonight?"
"Eh…" he said, shuffling his arms around in order to read the movie label, "The Re-Deadening."
Serenity rolled her eyes. "Just what I always wanted to see."
An hour later, Serenity stared at the screen, paying rapt attention to the movie while a quivering Joey huddled at her side, peeking out at the screen between his fingers pressed tightly over his eyes.
"You want me to…kill mummy?" asked the little girl on the screen, her blonde ringlets glowing eerily in the moonlight as she stared at her rag doll.
The rag doll stared back at the girl with menacing black button eyes.
"But… but she's been ever so good to us…" replied the little girl.
The doll stared sinisterly, as the door behind the little girl creeked open…
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.
"AaaaAAagh!" screamed Joey, diving behind the couch.
Serenity jumped, but quickly regained her composure. She paused the movie, then got up off the couch and headed for the front door, looking at the clock and wondering who could be visiting them so late.
Cursing the lack of a peephole in the door, she slid the chain lock in securely (one could never be too careful in this neighborhood), then opened the door a crack.
And screamed.
The hallway was dark, save for the moonlight entering in though the grimy windows. Though the shadows she could just make out a tall, thin form shrouded in black, something dark at its feet. The moonlight, passing through the window unevenly, cast a beam across the person's face, which illuminated two great blue eyes.
"Edgy, Wheeler?" asked the figure, amused by her reaction. "Was that you who screamed a few moments ago? No, I'd bet it was your brother, wasn't it?"
"WHAT are you DOING here, Kaiba?" spat Serenity, shaking with anger. "You KNOW you AREN'T supposed to BE here! Leave, or I swear I'll call the cops!" She started to shut the door on him.
He stuck a foot in, wincing a bit when she slammed the door against it. "Wait, hold on a sec, Wheeler… Serenity. I need to talk to you.
"Please."
The sudden change in Kaiba's demeanor threw Serenity off. There he was, being his usual arrogant self one moment… but now, he sounded almost… well… desperate.
"Whatever you have to say, you can say in the hall. Rei's sleeping inside, and I don't want you anywhere near her," she responded scathingly.
Even though the door was open only a few inches, Kaiba could have sworn that Serenity had reached out and dealt him a vicious blow. "Listen, Whe-Serenity, please listen. I know you don't want to believe me, but I am truly sorry for what I did to Rei."
"So what," she replied shortly, "you've come here to apologize and repent, and hope I forgive you because you need my help now? I've seen the papers, Kaiba. I know you're in a shitload of trouble, and you lost your company and your house. You deserve everything that's happened, and I'm NOT going to help you now."
"You tell 'im, Serenity!" said Joey, still behind the couch. "Stick it to Moneybags where it hurts!"
Kaiba was silent. He had to marvel over Serenity's quick thinking. He had come to ask her to forgive him, and to ask for her help. He was going to have to come up with a new strategy now, and fast.
"Wheeler, Serenity, please? During that damn Paradias incident, your friend Yami did some pretty crappy things, and yet you all forgave him, right? He, apparently-" Kaiba gritted his teeth. He would never, NEVER accept the validity of so-called 'magic' "- he SACRIFICED Yugi so he could get power. And yet, everyone forgave him because he went to such great lengths to get him back."
Joey was silent. Having been deeply involved in the Paradias incident, Joey knew firsthand how Yami had turned to evil. For once, the blond had no smart retort for Kaiba. Serenity had heard the story from Duke, and she reluctantly found herself agreeing with Kaiba's point.
Kaiba continued. "I know I wronged Rei, and in a terrible way. Yet I'm willing to go to great lengths to rectify the problem. I want to earn her, and YOUR, trust back." And then, astonishing Serenity, he got down on his knees. "Please."
Serenity was silent for a moment. Then, "I don't know if this is a thing you can "rectify", Kaiba."
He held up his hands, almost as if he were BEGGING, and said, "I can. I can love Rei, and care for Rei, more than you could imagine."
The ex-CEO looked so piteous, kneeling, begging, that Serenity felt her resolve weaken. To her, it seemed that he was truly, deeply sorry, and she wondered if perhaps she really should give him a second chance.
Joey could sense Serenity's indecision, and jumped up off the ground. He stalked towards the door, and said, "No, Serenity, NO! This is Kaiba, remember? He's a goddamn bastard who will never change, and you're naïve if you think he can."
"Don't call me naïve," said Serenity angrily. "Maybe you're just CLOSED-MINDED if you think he can't!" And before she knew it, she slid the chain from the door and threw it open.
Kaiba walked tentatively into the room, duffel bag hanging off one shoulder. When Serenity saw him, she had to do a double take – he was not up to his usual standards. Instead of standing arrogantly, he was slouched. His hair was mussed, the bags under his eyes were, if anything, larger, and instead of the usual smirk his mouth was curved tiredly.
Joey stared at the taller young man, who had abandoned his trench coat and leather for sweat pants and a tee shirt. It looked like he had gotten kicked out of his house in the middle of the night… and considering what time it was, there was probably some truth to that. "You look like crap, Moneybags."
Kaiba glanced at him, but without the usual cold calculation. In fact, he looked a great deal like, well… a whipped puppy. Oh the irony… Kaiba longed to spit insults back at the blond, but under the present circumstances decided it wouldn't be the best action to take. He remained silent.
Joey stared, bemused at the behavior of his usual tormentor. "You must really be sick or something, Kaiba. You should probably go to the hospital."
"And pay for it how?" he asked quietly.
"Joey," interrupted Serenity, "I… I guess I'm willing to give him another chance, and he's promised he can change. We could probably manage to let him stay here. It's true, he could help out with Rei, so I wouldn't have to worry about her when I'm at work, or school…" she trailed off upon seeing her brother's focused stare.
Joey looked back and forth between the two, then finally threw up his hands in consternation. "Fine, Serenity, FINE. You know what this jerk's capable of, so if you are still so eager to let him stay here, it's YOUR problem!" He stalked across the room, and threw open the front door. The mildewed walls shook upon the loud slam, and the two could hear angry footsteps pound down the hall.
Serenity muttered, "Happy birthday, Joey…" which was followed by an awkward silence.
Kaiba was the first to speak. "Don't worry, Wheeler. He'll be back. He doesn't like me much, as I'm sure you know."
Serenity turned to face Kaiba, and said cheerfully, "Oh, I know. In fact, I'm quite surprised; that confrontation went a lot better than I hoped. My brother must be warming up to you."
Kaiba deadpanned. "Oh, God forbid."
-V-
"He killed your brother?" Serenity gasped, absolutely floored at the revelation.
Kaiba winced. Tactful, Wheeler, he thought bitterly. He stared down broodingly at the mug of tea clamped in his tight grasp. "He told me so. He mocked me, laughed at me, because there was nothing I could do about it at that point."
"Well, you have to tell the police! This is murder, Kaiba! That jerk can't get away with it!" she said indignantly.
Thought Kaiba again winced at her choice of words, he had to admit that it was nice to have someone on his side for once, mad for him instead of at him. "Wheeler, I had just been exposed as a liar and a fraud. Do you really think the police would believe me, or would they believe an upstanding technological tycoon like Edward Harrison?"
"But that's… that's just not fair," she said, with all the conviction of an idealistic schoolgirl, not yet fully exposed to the harsh outside world.
He eyed her. "Not everything in life is."
From one of the bedrooms of the apartment, Kaiba could hear the wailing that announced that Rei had woken.
Serenity stood up. "That's strange… she usually doesn't wake in the middle of the night. Let me go get her… you probably want to say hi anyway."
"No, don't bother," he said, standing up. "I'll go take care of it. You can stay here and drink your tea."
She eyed him warily for a second, and he said, "You'll never be able to trust me if you don't give me a chance."
Slowly, she nodded, and he walked down the short hall towards the bedrooms. He entered one, which he assumed to be Serenity's due to its light blue décor. In the corner of the room was a cheap crib, and when he walked towards it he could see in it the figure of his daughter, lying under a soft blanket.
He picked her up, which felt like the most natural action in the world, sitting her upright on one arm while supporting her back with the other. When she saw that it was he, she stopped her crying, and stared at him with her vivid blue eyes.
He stared back, trying to divine her feelings through her eyes. She had always struck him as unusually insightful and wise for one so young, and he almost knew that she was remembering the incident, and considering whether or not to forgive him.
Suddenly, she cuddled up to him, and closed her eyes contentedly. He smiled down at her, relieved to have received her acceptance. He bent his head down, and kissed her head tenderly.
A noise at the bedroom door made him turn. He glanced over and saw Serenity smiling at him, a witness to the tender scene that had just unfolded. As she approached the two, Kaiba studied her face. Were those tears in her eyes?
She said quietly, "It seems Rei has forgiven you, so I guess I should too. It really was an accident, wasn't it?"
"It was," he responded just as softly.
"In that case, you're welcome to stay here for as long as it will take you to get back on your feet," she said, gently sliding her arms through his to take Rei from his hold.
Reluctantly, Kaiba handed Rei off to her mother, his only consolation the knowledge that he would be welcome to see her the next day, and for every day after that.
Once Serenity had a firm grip on the baby, she turned to Kaiba. "Joey was right, Kaiba. You do look awful."
"I haven't slept much in the past few days," he admitted.
"Well, there's a couch in the front room. It doesn't fold out into a bed, but it's still pretty comfortable anyway. I'm sorry we have nothing better to offer, but…" she trailed off, awkward to talk about money around the ex-CEO who used to taunt her about it.
"It's fine," he replied. "I'm lucky to have a couch tonight… I thought I would have to sleep on a bench in the park." He yawned widely, then turned and walked out of the bedroom, but not before muttering a very uncharacteristic "Good night."
"Good night, Kaiba," said Serenity in response, then turned to the crib to put a very complacent Rei back to bed. She fussed with Rei's blanket, and smoothed out the baby's hair, singing softly under her breath.
"You're lucky, you know," she said to the drowsy baby. "Now you'll have someone good to look after you during the day, who will take care of you very well and love you very much."
Kaiba, drifting off to sleep in the next room, overheard this and grinned.
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A/N: Ah, nothing like a short and sweet chapter to get back in the swing of things. Never fear, folks; our protagonist's life sucks right now, but it will get better and more exciting, I assure you. And of course, there's a little romance ahead as well…
As usual, reviews are greatly appreciated. I'd love to hear from some of the old turmoil gang… I wonder if you guys will rediscover this story, and if you'll continue reading…