Disclaimer: Just own the words, not the folks.

There I Will Go

I really enjoyed our week with Jii-chan. Four years is a long time not to have seen him when I'd been used to seeing him everyday. I guess if I count the time at college with Yugi, it was really five years. Now that I'm back in Japan I'll get to see him more often, even if it is now a four hour drive one-way to his house. Of course, it'll have to be after he comes back from Hawaii. Yugi's flying back Sunday and Jii-chan will be flying there the week after next to stay for two months. Both he and Yugi are ecstatic about it.

I don't know what I'll do once Yugi goes back to Hawaii. I mean Jou and Mai and the others are my friends, but Yugi…I'll be without my aibou again.

Too bad Kaiba isn't speaking to me anymore. I missed him almost as much as my aibou, but he doesn't know that since he never got my letters. Maybe I should try talking to him again. I could get Mokuba to let me into his office. And maybe if he's not already angry like last time, he'll listen to me.

Or maybe I should just go by the house. It's less public and he might be more at ease there. And I doubt Mokuba would back down from any staff who tried to throw me out. Then I could tell Kaiba how much I missed him. And I can tell him all the stuff that happened in Egypt since he asked.

I frown to myself. Why did he ask? Did he really want to know? And what did he mean by 'happened to me'? Maybe the house is a bad idea too. After all, it is his refuge from the rest of the world. He might not want me in there disrupting his space. Maybe we could meet in a neutral location, a park or something.

Humph. It's the dead of winter, or almost the dead of winter. What a stupid idea, a park

Maybe I should just drop it altogether. It's obviously an exercise in futility. I know Kaiba. Once he's made up his mind about something, come Hell or high water, he won't change it. I just have to accept that I'm the enemy now.

But damn it! I don't want to!

My alarm beeping startles me. Have I been awake all night? I guess so since the clock is flashing 6:00 am at me. Well, I guess I should get up.

Turning off the annoying alarm, I shower and dress, heading off to work. It's a temporary thing until I start working at the museum. With only a high school diploma I obviously can't qualify as a curator or anything like that, but with my dig experience and recommendations from several prominent archeologists, I was able to land a job working as an assistant in restoration. The only problem is that the job doesn't open until January. Still, that does give me time to get all of my credentials and personal items in from Egypt, so I shouldn't complain.

Now I just need a place to live. Jou and Mai don't mind my presence at all, but living with them is really starting to get to me. They're not the most modest people in the world and hearing them make love almost every night only serves to remind me how lonely I am. I'm a little tired of dating Rosy Palm. Humph. It's too bad that I couldn't convince Pierce…

No, I don't want to think about him…or about any of them. I don't want to think about what happened. I start watching the buildings go by through the train window to distract myself from the memories, but it doesn't work. I still see their lifeless faces. Still see the shock in Pierce's green eyes. Still see the blood….

Finally my stop comes up and I jump from the train, heading to the health food store downtown where I work as a cashier and stock clerk. It's a lot of physical labor, but I don't mind because it keeps me in shape. I admit to vanity and pride about my washboard abs. The work also keeps me warm in these temperatures that are now frigid for me. Four years of sun spoiled me.

At the end of my day, I go back to Jou's long enough to shower and change before heading out for a bite. Not that Mai's cooking isn't fantastic, it is, I just need some time to myself.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Yami!"

He looks up and smiles, then looks apprehensive. I wonder about the change in his demeanor until I remember that Nii-sama is right behind me. Oops! Maybe I should have just kept going when I saw him from the sidewalk instead of coming in to say hello and maybe share a bowl of noodles. (This place makes great Udon!)

Oh well, too late now.

I invite myself to sit with him at the four top table, hoping Nii-sama will just sit and relax and not make a scene.

He slides into the chair beside me.

"Yami," he nods politely.

"Kaiba," Yami replies in that same tone.

Well, it's a start.

Nii-sama and I had been talking about the letters for the last few weeks, me insisting he tell Yami and him insisting that I mind my own business. I'd like to think I'm making some progress, but…

"So, Yami, any luck with finding a place yet," I throw out, breaking the short, awkward silence left after their greeting.

"Not yet, as you can see." He shows me some of the listings he's circled in the paper he has with him.

We're going over the listings and discussing the various neighborhoods represented when Nii-sama shocks us.

"I know of a place," he inserts. "But it needs some work."

Both of us stare at him wide-eyed for a moment before I pipe up with. "Really, Nii-sama? Where? What's it like?"

He goes on to tell us about the large two-bedroom over top of a dojo. Going by the information Nii-sama gives about its location, it sits near one of the properties we have circled and starred within walking distance to the museum. The property has been vacant almost a year because the family members of the deceased owner were fighting over his estate. The owner was Minako's great-uncle and she'd mentioned its being left to her and how she needed to get rid of the property during a lunchtime ramble sometime last week. It sounded like a great idea, but Yami was frowning.

"I can't afford to buy anything," he sighs. "But thanks anyway."

My brother scoffs and rolls his eyes.

"Look, Yami," he begins sternly, leaning forward, "You won't have to buy it. I'll just convince Minako that's it's a much more logical idea to keep the property and rent it out, which it is, and if you don't mind a little hard work, you can do some of the clean up yourself, saving her a bundle, and have an equivalent amount knocked off your rent."

Yami nods in agreement. Then a miracle occurs…

They start having a conversation. I can't help but grin as my brother pulls out a pen, flips a placemat and starts sketching out ideas with Yami and planning when they could go see the space together and finalize the layout.

"Come to the office tomorrow and we can go over this with Minako," Nii-sama insists.

"I can't. I have to work tomorrow. But I'm off Friday."

"Friday then. I'll make sure Minako brings the key so we can view the space," he concludes.

"Okay."

Suddenly, there's an awkward pause and I wonder if they're about to lapse back into uncomfortable silence until Nii-sama speaks up.

"So, Yami," he begins calmly, "have you already eaten? Mokuba and I were on our way to a place near here for dinner. You're welcome to join us."

Shock. What the--? That's it! I give up trying to understand him.

"S-sure," Yami stutters.

"Let's go, then," he commands, standing, "I'm starving."

Closing his coat and wrapping his scarf back around his neck, he heads for the door. Yami and I stare after him a moment before Yami puts on his coat, hat, gloves and scarf and I close my coat re-wrapping my scarf and follow him.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

What the hell is wrong with me? Helping Yami find an apartment, offering to help him fix it up, inviting him to dinner…

Have I lost my mind? He's my enemy! A traitor!

Sort of.

Do I want to know what happened to him this much?

Maybe I just miss him.

Miss him? I have lost my mind.

I glance over my shoulder at him and Mokuba chatting amiably behind me. Maybe I can tell him I changed my mind and want to eat with Mokuba alone. I have a reputation as a bastard, so why not?

I sigh dejectedly with the understanding that Mokuba would never forgive me, and then I'd have to listen to him prattle on about it forever.

What about Friday and the apartment? No, I really can't back out of that either since I was the one who brought it up. Shit! I guess I'm stuck.

"Nii-sama," Mokuba calls, "Where are you going? You passed the restaurant."

I don't respond, merely turn around and follow them in the door.

Dinner is surprisingly comfortable after I successfully quell the urge to escape. I call the limo when we're done to drive us all home.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Releasing Mokuba after a brief hug, I wave to him and Kaiba before the car door closes and they speed away. I can't believe how much I enjoyed dinner. And to think Kaiba actually invited me! And what's the deal with him helping me with the apartment? Several weeks ago, I would never have thought any of this possible. Now…I still can't believe it's possible. My head hurts. I'll think about this more in the morning.

I open the front door and am immediately accosted by Jou and Mai. And they don't look happy.

"Man, Yami," Jou begins scowling, "I know that wasn't Kaiba in that limo with you."

I am taken aback by his stance and tone. And angered by his unspoken assertion that he has some say over my choice of friends. Not that Kaiba and I are friends, exactly, but it's the principle.

"And what if it was," I frown at him, kicking off my shoes.

"It's just that we all agreed not to have anything more to do with him and—"

"You agreed," I cut in angrily. "I was never part of that pact."

"Yami," Mai interjects. "We don't mind Mokuba, but Kaiba isn't welcome in our home."

"And if I associate with him, I'm not welcome either?"

A beat.

"We just want him to stay out of our lives, Yami," Jou inserts into the tense moment.

"I see."

Silence.

"Well, good night then," I force, keeping my temper in check. "I'll be out by the end of the week."

"Yami, you don't have to leave," Mai calls to my retreating back.

I pause.

"I think it's best if I do," I reply sadly, not turning around. "Good night."

It takes all of my will power not to slam the bedroom door behind me.

How dare they! I am not beholden to their every whim simply because they allowed me to stay here! I will not have my life dictated by them! Throwing off my jacket, I stomp around the room cursing under my breath for a few minutes. It doesn't help.

I find myself dialing Mokuba's cell.

"Hey, Yami!" he calls cheerfully into the phone after the second ring.

"Mokuba, is it too cold to go for a ride?" I exhale.

"It's never too cold to ride, Yami. Not for me. You, on the other hand, might turn into a Popsicle. What's wrong?"

"I don't want to talk about it now. You think your brother would mind if you borrowed the limo?"

"As long as I'm in school tomorrow, no. I'll pick you up in about 20 minutes."

"No. I'll call you in ten minutes from a different location and you can pick me up there."

"Okay. Are you alright, Yami?"

"We'll talk later."

"Sure."

I hang up and grab my jacket.

After slipping on my shoes at the front door, I throw on my coat, hat, scarf and gloves and head out. I need to be anywhere but that house tonight. Maybe I'll stay with Yugi. No, he shares Jou and Mai's view and would side with them as soon as I explained why I was there. And I really couldn't take fighting with him about this. Maybe I could stay at a hotel close to work. Yeah. That'll work. I'll get Mokuba to give me a ride.

Having decided my course of action for the evening following my planned conversation with Mokuba, I call him from a corner five blocks away from Jou and Mai's and tell him where I am. By the time the limo pulls up 15 minutes later, my fingers, ears and toes have gone numb.

"Oh, m-man, it's c-cold," I stutter as I climb in, teeth chattering.

"This will warm you up," Kaiba insists, handing me a snifter of what assume is brandy.

After pulling off my gloves, I take the glass hesitantly.

"Th-thanks," I chatter.

"You're welcome," he replies lightly, turning to pour one for himself.

I glance at Mokuba for an explanation. He merely shrugs. I take a sip of the brandy and find that Kaiba was right; it is warming me up.

"I'm here," Kaiba begins as though I'd actually asked the question out loud, "to make sure Mokuba comes home tonight. He has a bad habit of staying out all night when he goes anywhere with you." He narrows his eyes at us. We fidget guiltily.

"I realize you may want to talk to Mokuba privately, Yami, so to ensure that both of us get what we want, I will allow you into my house. You can use any room on the first floor but my study."

Our jaws drop.

"Th-thank you, Nii-sama," Mokuba gasps.

I'm shocked speechless.