A/N: Here you go! The next chapter! Anyways, I hope you all enjoy! Thanks to all those who reviewed! I'm sorry if I didn't update sooner—the freaking computer was jammed! Argh, do you know how irritating it was? I'm just thankful my other story was updated before the computer went haywire. Right now, I'm at a net café, so I'm really trying to do this fast. Anyways, here it is!

Mokuba's New Mission: Operation G.E.K.T.

"So Miss Erika is staying here? Cool!"

A hyperactive Mokuba asked as jumped up and down on the prestigious red couch. Of course he was excited—who wouldn't be? The two were almost always alone in the mansion—well, save for the maids—and it really got boring every once in a while. Besides, Rey was going to be there, so now he had a playmate, and a sister to go with that too!

"She's your babysitter. Don't call her 'miss'. She doesn't deserve such a title." Kaiba said arrogantly, trying hard to ignore his jumping brother. It was giving him a headache just listening to him, what more seeing him bouncing up and down? 'Sometimes I wish he would be serious sometimes. He never listens to me when I tell him not to be so trusting…'

"But that's rude, big brother!"

"For someone as mediocre and submissive as her, it isn't."

With that, Kaiba walked through the open living room doors, leaving Mokuba alone in the living room. As soon as the brunette left, Mokuba stopped jumping, and sat down on the couch. 'Hm… He actually took the time to use two adjectives on Miss Erika… Could that mean something?' The small teen rubbed his chin as he thought up of possibilities between Erika and his brother.

'Well, we'll find out soon!'

(skip)

"Please do take your medication, Miss Sakiyano. And it would help if you don't move around much." Erika nodded, taking the prescription that the doctor was handing her. It had only been two days since she was taken in, and her doctor wasn't at all approving of her decision to leave, but she was in condition; Erika only needed rest every now and then.

"I will, doctor. Thank you very much."

To say that Erika was happy to get out of the hospital would be too much of an understatement. Actually, she was delighted, excited, and energized all mixed together—as to why, she wasn't really sure, but that was what she felt. 'Oh, that's right… My aunt died giving birth in the hospital, and the baby also died in the hospital… I guess that's why, but… I'm not really sure.'

Just then, the door opened, and in came a brunette familiar to all. Who wouldn't recognize him? Brown, chestnut hair, cold, icy blue eyes, and that intimidating posture were all owned by none other than Seto Kaiba himself; the youngest CEO, and most efficient and that, and of course, the iciest Ice King of his age. No one could compare to him.

Simply no one.

"Ah, Mr. Kaiba, we were just talking. Miss Sakiyano is ready to go." The doctor turned to Erika, who was staring at the floor the whole time. "I'll be on my way, Miss Sakiyano. Please take care of yourself." That said, he excused himself from the room, allowing Kaiba and Erika the privacy they needed.

"Stop staring, and hurry up. I'll leave you."

Kaiba wheeled around and left the room, with Erika close behind him. There was nothing he wanted to ask her, and it was obvious she didn't want to ask him about anything, so the two kept their silence all the way. Apparently, Kaiba enjoyed the silence that they were keeping, but he'd never let that show. Besides, that was such a shallow point to dwell on—well, to him.

Erika, on the other hand, was quite worried about a lot of things. One: her items that were left behind in their previous home, two: the first thing she would do when she got there, and the most important of all, three: Rey. 'I don't really want to ask him about it, but if I don't, he might think I'm stupid for not knowing what to do when we get there… So which is which, Erika? Think, think, think!'

So caught up in her thoughts was Erika, that she didn't notice that Kaiba had come to a stop. At the pace he and she were going, it would cause a rough collision between them—and it did. Well, not really that much, but it was enough to make Erika stagger back a few steps and Kaiba to turn around and glare at her.

"I-I'm sorry," Erika quickly apologized, looking down to ignore his gaze.

"Hm. Get in."

Erika momentarily stared at Kaiba, and then at what he was holding open for her—the car door. 'That's… unexpected… but, whatever…' Hurriedly, she slipped inside the limo and sat down. Kaiba soon followed, and she moved a little bit away from him. 'Can't be too near… That might make him angry at me, but if I go too far, then… Oh, stop yourself Erika.'

"Once we arrive at the mansion, Mokuba will be your guide. Any questions you have, address him, and not me. I'm busy."

"Yes Kaiba." Erika nodded. That was all she needed for now. Truth be told, she was relieved that she didn't have to ask him—it would be such a great leap that she wasn't really ready to take. 'And I don't want to talk to him… not after that. Argh… How could I be so stupid? Why wasn't I looking? Now he's got so many points against me…'

'Stupid girl… That scholarship she earned must have been a fraud. They might be just taking pity on her, so they gave her that 50 scholarship. Schools. Disgusting. Yet I don't know why I bother myself with her and school… I don't really care at all, and I shouldn't start caring right now. She's all based on mediocrity—something I don't really admire.' Actually, mediocrity was something Kaiba loathed, and with that in the way, would they get along? The plausible answer was no, but then again, Kaiba didn't know.

Everything was possible with Mokuba around.

(skip)

"Welcome to our home!"

A vivacious, young kid leapt into the arms of a baffled Erika Sakiyano. The moment she set foot in the house, Erika couldn't help but stare at the beauty in front of her. To be honest, she was already astounded from the view she saw outside, but the inside was really what blew her away. Nearly everything was made of marble, and if the material wasn't marble, it would be constructed of polished wood. There were only a few decorations, which were more or less, the achievements of Kaiba, but the impact of the furniture alone was enough to amaze her, so she wasn't really complaining.

"I…"

"You don't have to say a word. I'm Mokuba, but you already knew that. Anyways, where would you like to go first? The kitchen, the dining room, the gaming room, the music room, your room, the garden, the swimming pool, or the library?"

"Um… Do I really have to pick?" Erika looked down at the boy who was currently attached to her waist. 'He's really warm, unlike Kaiba… but I can only assume why. Of course, when times are hard, the elder sibling has to be strong in order to set an example for the younger sibling… Kaiba must have been quite a martyr before… for Mokuba.'

"No, not really. Hey, why don't we visit your room first? You might want to see your new clothes!"

"New… clothes?" Before Erika could inquire further, Mokuba dragged her to the elevator and pushed her in. Silently, she watched Mokuba press the '5' button. 'He's so jolly, like Rey… Rey inspires me a lot, so I guess… you're Kaiba's little inspiration…' She smiled at the thought of Kaiba working all day and night just for the one he called brother. It was quite a pleasant thought, actually, how the coldest man in the world could have a cute, little brother at home who was ready to hug him the moment he came home. 'It would explain all the success—'

"Fifth floor! Hurry, Miss Erika!"

Mokuba grabbed Erika's hand, leading her out of the elevator and only stopping when they were in front of a pair of wooden white doors that had golden handles. She looked around and noticed that there were a lot of other doors on that floor, but that it still looked so spacious, causing Erika to wonder, 'How many other rooms are there in this mansion?'

"I'm opening it at 1, 2, 3!"

Golden handles were turned, and a pair of doors opened, revealing a room all draped in white and baby blue—Erika's favorite colors. The floor, which was a shiny marble, was so clear that you could almost see your reflection on it. The bed, which was a four-poster, had baby blue and white curtains draped around it. The bed sheets and pillows were also a baby blue, just like the curtains by the window. The pillow patio, which was beside the window, was filled with blue and white pillows all shaped as squares. There was a dresser beside the bed, and across the dresser was a white door. On the opposite side of the bed, there too was a door, and like the other one, it was also white.

"Do you like it?"

"I… Oh, Mokuba, I love it!" Much to Mokuba's surprise, Erika fell on her knees and hugged him tight. She knew he wouldn't understand, but she felt like holding him right now as a sign of her gratitude. Erika had never, ever seen a room as grand as this—yes, she had a big room back when their parents were alive, but it wasn't as beautiful as this one. Seeing this room made her remember her parents, but it also reminded her of how lucky she was to be given this opportunity.

"M-Miss Erika?"

"Oh, I-I'm sorry," she released him, "I was just so happy. As I said, I love the room."

"B-But you're crying…" Mokuba stated sadly, wiping away the tears that fell down Erika's cheeks. As a child, he used to cry because they were always bullied. Now that he was respected and assured of security, Mokuba didn't want to see others cry. It was just a painful sight, no matter how many times he tried to tell himself otherwise. After all, he was just a kid; he wouldn't know how to perfectly control his emotions.

"No, Mokuba. It's fine," Erika smiled, holding both his hands tight. "I'm just overwhelmed. I mean, it's been so long since I've seen a room like this, and… it just brings back so many memories." Her eyes scanned the room, and Mokuba noticed that there was indeed a look of longing in her blue eyes. It was evident that she was hiding something painful, and then and there, when the last tear trickled down her cheek, he decided that he would find out what she was hiding.

He would know what she hid behind that kind smile.

(skip)

"Sakiyano,"

"Yes Kaiba?"

"Mokuba."

"Oh," Erika glanced over her shoulder and smiled. It was three hours after he had given her the tour of the house, and Mokuba was tired, so she decided to woo him to sleep by sitting on the couch with his head on her lap and telling him stories of her childhood. She kept on stroking his hair, at the same time speaking in a sing-song voice that it was nearly a song. He eventually fell asleep on her lap, and she had to be careful not to wake him up when the phone rang.

"He's asleep. I hope that isn't bad."

"I'll be late, so I won't eat dinner with him. Your brother will be sent to the house later on. That's all."

"Okay. Thank you."

"Hm." He hung up, and she couldn't be any sadder for Mokuba. 'Although Kaiba cares a lot for Mokuba, he's always away from him… I bet Mokuba's alone during dinner most of the time… Kaiba's terribly busy—he rarely even comes to school. But it would be so nice if Kaiba realizes that time with Mokuba is more important than work… If Kaiba isn't careful, Mokuba will turn cold and distant… Hopefully that isn't going to happen.'

'But on a lighter note, Mokuba will have Rey to play around with… Which reminds me, I have to make sure the food's cooked when Mokuba wakes up.' Quietly, Erika made her way to the kitchen, where she met up with one maid who was seemingly in her fifties.

"Oh, hello, Miss Erika. What may I do for you?"

Erika was surprised at the respect and formality she was getting. Obviously, this wasn't Kaiba's job, so… Mokuba did it. 'He had to be the one. Mokuba's such a sweet kid.' "I'm fine… Please, just call me Erika." Smiling, she made her way to the island counter, trying to catch a look of the ingredients the maid was preparing. 'Wait…I don't even know what those things are!'

Sure, Erika could cook, but not the things that rich people would come up with. She could cook a few things, like stir fry, ramen, dumplings and the basics, but she was oblivious of other things. 'And I have to take care of the household… For goodness sakes… I should buy a cookbook soon, otherwise Kaiba's really going to fire me the first time he sees a whip of my cooking.'

"Um… What's for dinner?"

"Let's see… Oh, according to the schedule, we're gong to prepare Sauerkraut Alsatian Style." (A/N: I didn't make that up. Look it up in the internet or something… It's something about spareribs… Hehe.)

"O-Oh," Erika had to force a smile at that. What the hell was a Sauerkraut Alsatian Style? 'I have got to ask about this… Or better yet, I should learn about it. Wait, I haven't even asked the maid's name yet… How stupid of me.' "Excuse me, madam, but… I really haven't asked for your name yet."

The fifty-year-old-woman smiled gently. "Don't call me madam. My name is Sophia, and you can call me that. Besides, you asked me to call you Erika, so I should return the favor." Erika nodded, the smile on her face never faltering. But the moment she turned around to head back for the living room, an expression of worry took over her face. 'What if I'm not good enough for this? I owe Kaiba a lot, and… Oh goodness… I can't think like this. Mr. Yohiko always said that thinking negatively will only further degrade one's performance—'

"SISTER!"

Erika nearly jumped at the shrill sound that echoed throughout the whole mansion. 'What was that—oh, Rey! He's going to wake up Mokuba, and…' Hurriedly, Erika headed for the door, where indeed she found her little brother Rey, looking lost and utterly confused—besides looking completely amazed and taken aback.

"Sister—"

"Rey, be quiet, Mokuba's sleeping!" Erika knelt in front of her brother, sealing his lips with her index finger. It wasn't that she was mad; she just didn't want Mokuba to wake up. The kid was tired, and if he woke up, he'd just play with Rey, which would tire him even further, and which would also anger the man Erika was working for—Seto Kaiba.

"Alright, I'll take you upstairs to our room, where we'll talk. Just be quiet, okay?" Rey nodded, although suspicious as to how his sister was acting. In silence, the two walked over to the elevator and climbed up to the 5th floor—the only time they did talk was when they had reached the room and locked its doors.

"THIS ROOM IS COOL!"

Rey cried out, bouncing up and down on the bed. 'I haven't seen a room like this since mom and dad died! Wow, this is so neat! It's all blue! And I get to share it with my sister too! Plus the house is big! Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeh!' The little boy bounced on, ignoring the fact that it wasn't really his house that they were residing in.

Erika, on the other hand, was quite happy by how her brother was reacting. Of course, she had seen her brother ecstatic before, but now was different. He was actually grinning, enjoying himself; Rey was actually doing what any other kid would do: have fun. 'I regret taking that away from him… Moving in with Uncle Jin was a bad decision, but I had no choice back then…' A frown soon began to form on her lit up face, but this went by unnoticed by the little kid in the room. 'If we didn't move in, Rey and I would be at the streets, begging… and he wouldn't have gotten his education either.'

Subconsciously, Erika hugged herself, feeling her insecurities come over her again. 'None of this would have happened if… mom and dad hadn't died… If I didn't decide to go to that little 'Waterworks Show', they would still be alive, Rey would've enjoyed life forever… not just on certain periods, but forever… If it weren't for me, Rey wouldn't have to go under these difficult periods…' Tears began to cloud her vision, but she kept on reminiscing. 'He wouldn't have had to suffer… If it weren't for me, then…'

'Life wouldn't have been as miserable.'

(skip)

"Alright, both of you, stop it…" Erika called out at the two boys running around the room. It was nearly nine, and it was supposed to be both their bed times, but the two were still hyperactive as ever. She had tried to warn them about running after eating a meal and how it was bad for you, but the two just seemed immune to that type of problem—lucky them.

"But sister," Rey complained, falling right beside his sister, who was seated on the couch, "we want to play more…" Another presence made itself known, and this time, it was Mokuba who fell on the other side of Erika. "Rey's right, Miss Erika… Please?" The two tried to work up a puppy pout, but Erika had none of it. Yes, it was utterly cute, but a job was a job, and bedtime was bedtime.

"Nope, that's not working on me. Come on, you two. Time to go to bed." She urged the two off the couch, and they proceeded to the elevator. 'I wonder what time Kaiba's going home… I bet he'll be hungry by then… I should wait for him, so he can eat… I wouldn't want to bother Sophia, because she needs the rest… Alright, I'm staying up.'

"Go to the room Rey. I'll just take Mokuba to his." Rey nodded, waved Mokuba goodbye, and then ran off to their room. Once she was sure he was inside, Erika wheeled around and accompanied Mokuba to his room. Mokuba's room was pretty much like Erika's, only his was more filled with duel monsters stuffed toys; most of them, were of course, replicas of the Blue Eyes White Dragon—but Erika didn't know that, she just knew that they were dragons.

"Rey's fun to be with," Mokuba remarked as he got comfortable into his bed. Erika smiled, tucking in Mokuba like she would Rey. Already, she was comfortable with him, because he was so easy to get along with. He wasn't bossy, nor was he spoiled or stuck-up, he was just a kid who wanted to play and have fun.

"Well, you two can play all you want this weekend. For now, it's bedtime."

"Mhm!" Mokuba nodded and began to close his eyes, letting himself feel the tiredness he was supposed to feel. After all, he did play non-stop with Rey. He did a lot of running around, and also a lot of shouting. Who wouldn't be tired? 'But he's a kid, so it's natural to have overwhelming energy… And it's also good for him.'

"Good night, Mokuba." Erika kissed the little boy's forehead, making sure that the action wouldn't wake him up. When he didn't move, she smiled, and then walked out of the room right after switching off the lights. 'Just like Rey…'

"Rey, you still awake, little dude?"

No answer. 'So my little bro's asleep.' Quietly, she made her way to the bed, and found her suspicions correct. Seeing that he was curled up and slightly shivering, Erika gently covered him with the blanket. 'Sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite… It's what mom always used to say, right Rey?...oh, right, I still have to wait up for Kaiba… He might be late, so I guess I should grab a book…' Erika glanced at the small bookshelf that was situated under the pillow patio and realized that they were all educational books. 'A book in Calculus would help me right now… I've missed a lot by now.' She got the thick, hard-bound book and tiptoed her way out of the room.

(skip)

"So x raised to the power of two, plus the—"

A pair of large, wooden doors opened, cutting Erika short of her statement. Glancing at the entrance doors, Erika realized that Seto Kaiba, her boss, had just come in, looking very frustrated and angry. Quickly, she set aside her work and approached him, silently hoping that he wasn't going to take out his frustrations on her.

"Good evening Kaiba—"

"Mokuba."

"Oh, right… He fell asleep two hours ago… Um, would you like dinner? I could heat the food a while ago—"

"Save it," Kaiba pushed her aside, taking none of what she was offering, "I'll be in my office. Don't disturb me." The arrogant CEO walked on, and Erika had to try her best not to feel rejection. 'He'll be like this forever, so I should know how to handle myself around him… I can't be too emotional, because he's just like that. He'll always be…'

"Kaiba, how about coffee…" Too late. Kaiba had already closed the elevator doors. 'Well, I'll just make him coffee whether or not he'll take it… I have to at least do something for him.' The raven-haired female went to the kitchen, where she prepared Kaiba's coffee—with a small conflict, of course. Erika wasn't sure whether Kaiba wanted it pure, so she had to decide, and she decided to put a half teaspoon of sugar into the mixture. 'Hopefully it won't be so bitter or sweet…' She thought as she made her way to the fifth floor, specifically to Kaiba's office.

Kaiba, on the other hand, wasn't as cheerful. Well, he isn't at all cheerful, but he's seen better days. Today, his rival, Sekio Yakushi, released a new prototype that was derived from the Duel Disk 2000, only much, much better in a way. Their new Duel Disk now included a field, an information-storing computer, and also a built-in library about Duel Monster Cards. Originally, that was Kaiba's plan, but somehow, information leaked out, and the Yakushi Enterprise released the prototype first. Because of that, he fired a LOT of workers, most of which came from his research department.

'They didn't know where their loyalties lay… Now I'll have to find replacements… I'm sure Roland can provide me many… Damn the people in this world, and twice damn the Yakushi Enterprise. I have to develop a new system now, when I already had one in my hands…' Angrily, he slammed his fists on his desk, not caring if he awakened a certain person inside the mansion.

'Imbeciles—'

"Kaiba, I brought you coffee… I thought it might help."

'Tch, Sakiyano… I forgot that that woman now looked after my brother… Tch, what right does she have to think? I only pay her to do her job—she doesn't have to look after me. What am I to her, a baby?...but either ways, the coffee would help me stay up.'

"Come in." Gingerly, Erika opened the door and stepped inside the CEO's office. At first, she was amazed by the area of the room, but then she realized—Kaiba also brought his work home. 'So he comes home, but only to work? I should've expected as much.' Eyes trained on the cup she was holding, Erika placed the cup on the brunette's desk, and then backed away slightly. Kaiba rolled his eyes at her meek behavior.

"You may go." Erika nodded and turned around, but suddenly remembered something, so she wheeled around again. Kaiba raised a brow at this, but said nothing. He actually wanted to hear what a mediocre person like her would want to say. Besides, if it were stupid, he could take out his anger on her—which was most likely to happen, Kaiba thought casually.

"Um, I… I would like to… thank you for the room. I mean, it was perfect… Rey loved it, and he really likes the color… Thanks a lot." As he expected, Erika bowed down, but there was actually something different about this one circumstance—he was thanking her, not apologizing. Usually, people would only bow to apologize, not to thank him. 'Whatever. She's still weak.'

"Mokuba was responsible for that. I wouldn't waste my time on something as useless as that," was his cold reply. He could really care less. When he told Mokuba that Erika was coming, the little kid was ecstatic and volunteered to decorate the room for her, so he let him. He just didn't care at all. After all, she was just a nanny, nothing more.

"But… I would like to thank you still. I promise… I'll try my best to do what you asked me."

"I didn't ask you, I ordered you. I pay you to do your job. Now, leave." Despite the harshness of the command, Erika managed to smile and nod at Kaiba. Whoever said that words couldn't bring a person down was wrong. Erika could take her Uncle's beatings, but an insult like that was far more unbearable—she just wouldn't show it.

"Good night then, Kaiba."

"Hm."

Erika left the room, completely oblivious of the fact that someone had just listened to their conversation. 'Miss Erika is too submissive… I should teach her how to stand up to big brother, otherwise their relationship won't work… Big brother needs someone who can hold him down, and… I just know that Erika's perfect for him… but a lesson has to be taught first…'

'Alright Mokuba, time for Operation G.E.K.T.'

(end)

A/N: I know, quite long. It was more of like a filler, ne? Don't worry, the pace will quicken after this, I promise. I just wanted you to see the relationship that's been established in the mansion. The next chapter is coming up the next week!

Yami: Em, it's time for your declamation practice!

Me: W-What! I'm not prepared yet!

Yami: Come on, Marik and Bakura are waiting!

Me: N-NO! HELP ME! (gets dragged out of the room by Yami)

Ryou: Heehee. (blushes) Em is going to join this contest, and Yami promised to help her out. Anyways, please review! Please, please, please!