A/N: Well, what'dya know. I got the third chappie done today, despite it all. I'd love to say that it isn't quite as long as the last chapter, but in actual fact, it's a full page more. (Sweatdrop) None of these chapters are so long in my head…Heh. So, in this chapter, we experience Social Workers, Seto has a business meeting, and a very devious plot is implemented. Oh, and there is, fluff in this chapter. But, as those of you who've read IMM will know… the younger Kaiba can have very bad timing sometimes…
Please Note: Speaking in English will be in Italics.
Disclaimer: As usual, all credit to Kazuki Takahasi and due respect to Caroline 'Carmen' Curtis of 9E.
Review Responses:
Dragonlady222: I hate the girl's uniforms to... At least my school uniform isn't as bad as THAT. (Although, I do have towear a blazer next year... no skirts though, unlessyou want one)Anyway, I hope you're enjoying AfI, and I'm glad you like this so far- even if the updates are VERY long...
Willowwind: My school doesn't have a shrink, but we did have a councillor in once... Hmm, amusing story, but too long for here. Check your E-mail. And as for the 29 seconds... bear in mind that he had to write his signiture. And he probably has very elaborate hand writing. But, if you ever get chance to try, tell me- I wanna be there. And I'll try to be online at 2, but my house will be a bit hetic. We leave on Saturday togo on holiday for two weeks. I'll send you a post card.Yeah, so I don't know your address... I'lljust write 'Willowwind', and it'll reach you eventually.(Winks) I think, after our MSN conversation earlier, you'll enjoy this chapter...and you'll see what Imean about Hello Kitty watches.
And now, another insanely long chapter of Wherever you Go!
Three: Social Civilities
Mokuba sighed, wishing he could just go home. All the teachers, except one, obliged to stay till the last student left remained, but apart from that he was all alone. It wasn't uncommon for Seto to be late in picking him up, and a lot of the time, something came up and Seto's night off would be gone, and Susan would turn up. Of course, it would take her a while to get there, so he'd just have to wait and be patient. He couldn't wait till he went to the High school. At least they weren't so infuriatingly over-protective. He sighed deeply again, ramming his hands in his pockets and slumping against the front doors of the school.
"I think someone's coming…" The teacher with him said, squinting her eyes against the sun. Mokuba followed her gaze, narrowing his eyes against the glint of light. Soon a silhouette came into view, and it was immediately obvious it wasn't Seto. About a foot too short, to begin with. He gritted his teeth. That meant another night of fun with Susan. Huzzah.
Except, it wasn't Susan either… He recognised the messy brown hair, as opposed to the neat blond bob that Susan sported. He recognised the stripy jacket thrown over the pink school blazer, resplendent in it's various shades of red, yellow and orange. And he recognised Anna Mitsan. She walked towards them, leaping up the steps to the school's porch.
"Hey, Mokuba." She said, smiling. "Something came up for Seto at the last minute, and he asked me to come and pick you up. I hope you don't mind… "
"Fine." Mokuba grunted, beginning to walk down the steps. He still had his suspicions about the Mitsan girl, but he couldn't really make a scene about her now. Besides, what better way to put his suspicions to rest or perhaps confirm them then on his own turf?
He could vaguely hear Anna explaining to the teacher exactly who she was, and what was going on. She didn't seem to happy about it at first, but Mokuba certainly seemed to recognise her, and she was ready to go home anyway. A moment later, Anna was walking briskly across the playground to catch him up. They walked in silence towards the gate, and neither said a word until they reached the pavement outside.
"You're allowed to mind now." Anna said slowly, surprising him. "You're out the school grounds, your teacher's gone, and you're perfectly capable of walking home on your own…"
"I don't mind." Mokuba replied shortly. "I could use the company."
She sighed. "I don't know whether I'm glad you said that or not." She pondered as they walked down the road. "On the one hand, I know we need to sort out our differences…" Mokuba was grudgingly impressed. At least she didn't pussy-foot around the issues. "On the other hand, you scare me to death."
That one surprised him. She was frightened of him?
"You're dating my brother, but you're scared of me?" Mokuba asked indcredously. "How does that work out? Why are you scared by me?"
She laughed. "I guess it's because you're not like Seto, you'll show your feelings. And I know you don't like me, and I know Seto loves you more then anything, so I know that if I screw this up… well, I guess I'm scared that if you don't like me, I won't get to see Seto at all, because he'd choose you any day. I understand that, and I wouldn't blame him, but…" She trailed off.
Mokuba watched in surprise. The laughter had gone from her voice now, replaced with fear and sincerity, like she had almost forgotten who she was talking to. Was that just some very good acting? Or did she actually care about Seto so much she was willing to jump out on what was essentially the Front Line and watch him when she knew he didn't like her? He stubbornly decided to reserve judgement on that question, until he got some answers.
He knew that she was wrong about one thing though. Seto was crazy about this girl, and Mokuba would never ask him to give her up, only make her see what she really was, if she was up to something. He hoped she wasn't, he saw how happy Seto was, but he could not let that interfere with his mindset. He had to be suspicious of everything, could not be weak in his judgement. For once, Seto would not be able to see- or would refuse to see- if Anna was attempting to use him. And Mokuba would not let Seto get hurt.
Suddenly, Anna started to laugh wryly. "Goodness, I'm not doing a very good job! We're only five paces down the road, and already I'm telling all this stuff! That's really going to work…"
"I just don't know whether to believe you or not." Mokuba said bluntly. "There's something odd about you, and I'm keeping my eye on you till I'm sure you're not going to hurt Seto."
"Fair enough." She shrugged. That was it. She didn't try to defend herself, or shoot down his doubts about her. She seemed to know he had to do that for himself. But she wasn't offering any answers either.
"I know you're not human!" Mokuba blurted out in frustration. It was just a guess, a tingle in the back of his mind, but from the look on her face, he knew he had hit the nail on the head.
She looked shocked, but then made small applauding motions with her hands. "Well, you're far more perceptive then your brother, I'll give you that." She gasped.
Mokuba stopped walking, and fixed her with a stony glare that would have put Seto to shame.
"You're avoiding the subject."
"Please," She begged. "Let's not discuss it out here. Let's just get to your house, and I'll tell you everything."
Mokuba was naturally trusting and caring, he was just deliberately trying to find faults in Anna to protect his brother. But, his good-nature, and the promise of answers, was too strong in it's allure to refuse her that.
"Fine." He shrugged. "But I want to know."
"Would you believe that… I want to tell you?"
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Meanwhile, Seto's car was just pulling up outside the Kaiba Corp. main Head quarters.
"Would you like me to fetch your suit from the dry cleaners, sir?" The driver rasped as Seto climbed out, not waiting for the door to be opened for him. "You'll be needing that for your dinner-meeting tonight…"
"If you would, thanks." Seto said in a monotone. It should be a dinner date, not a dinner meeting. That was what he had wanted all along, after all, just to once,just once, go somewhere nice with his girlfriend without the interruption of work. But, realistically, he knew that would probably never happen as long as Kaiba Corp was still in business. Everyone was forever telling him to lighten up, but they didn't seem to realise that it was easier said then done. He sighed, glancing up at the sky. Heavy black clouds were moving in over head, threatening rain, and suiting his mood perfectly. The wind was getting stronger, bringing moisture with it, whipping through his hair. Which would mean he would have to spend ages getting his hair set into place as well. It wouldn't do to go to a meeting with less then perfect hair, now would it? It was hard enough to be taken seriously as a business man when he was so young, without the added bonus of wild-hair. He sighed in discontent. He knew Az wouldn't have minded… He began to walk inside, resigned to a night that, for a precious few short minutes, he thought he had gotten out of.
He comforted himself with the thought that however much trouble he had with the business man, Az would be having far more trouble with his younger brother.
He just didn't realise how much.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
It started to rain when they were three quarters of the way up the drive way, which meant they still had a five minute walk to go. But, for once, Mokuba was glad of the downpour. It gave him the excuse to walk faster, without revealing how desperate for answers he was. When they finally arrived, he gallantly gave her time to hang up her jacket and blazer, and, after she politely asked his permission, to phone her dad and let him know that she would be home late, and then he let her sit down, before his anticipation would take no more.
"You're not human." He repeated. That had been a complete stab in the dark, but there was no need to let her know that. "So. Tell me."
And, after only a second's hesitation, she did, beginning with Muses and Humans and the Muses' exodus to Wherever, and then about her own personal story; about her mom and dad, and touching on her childhood, before telling him, in full, dreadful detail, the mess of a final mission in which she had met Seto. Then, to finish it, she explained how she had been waiting for Seto to tell him, feeling it wasn't her place and all that, but as he obviously wasn't going to any time soon…
It was some time later when she had finished. Almost two hours, in fact, as it was getting on for six. And, all the way through, Mokuba had said nothing, not passing comment, showing no sign of disbelief, or anything else. Then, finally, he looked up and met her eye.
"Just tell me one thing…" Mokuba asked quietly.
"What?" She asked, catching her breath, hardly daring to believe that he had actually believed her.
"Did you give Lira a good slapping?"
She blinked slightly, then grinned. "You bet I did. On several occasions."
"Then that's fine by me." Mokuba smiled back. "Can we get pizza for dinner?"
"It's your house." Az said, in slight disbelief. "And pizza has to be the best food ever."
"You know," Mokuba laughed. "Maybe you're not so bad after all…"
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Meanwhile, Seto was inside his firmly locked office, finishing getting changed. He'd spent the last two hours talking to his Marketing Directors, who told him nothing he hadn't already known, and now he would be leaving as soon as he was changed. As he had told Az earlier, it was quite a drive and it never hurt to be there before your associate. He checked himself in the mirror, frowning at the black-and-white tux. He didn't feel right in it. It felt like he should be going to a funeral.
On the other hand, he needn't have worried about the prejudice that came with his young age. In this get up, he looked almost thirty. And, he suspected, the way tonight was shaping up, he'd look much older when he returned. Seto began to walk towards the door, checking his watch as he did so…
And gave a sigh of relief. He had nearly gone out wearing a fluorescent green Hello Kitty watch designed for tourists to one of the most important business meetings of his career- this was his second try at it, and he couldn't screw this deal up again.
He smiled as he switched the watch for a more conservative silver one. He should really stop wearing it- it wasn't good for his status, and it was a little too sentimental, but he couldn't help liking it. That first night she had returned to Earth, returned to him, he and Az had gone out for a walk, needing to clear their heads and get them round the new arrangement. So they had walked, eventually ending up at the jetty as the sun set over the harbour, and, more specifically, the bustling night market that surrounded it.
He visited the Night Market very rarely, but he had always loved it. The place was dead in the day time, but as the name would suggest, it came to life at night, with stalls illuminated by fairy lights, music, and street performers. Every night was a carnival at the Night Market. And when they had wandered into it, it had just been coming into life.
He smiled widely in spite of himself, as he had remembered Az's childish delight as they wandered round. That night he really had forgotten his troubles and just had fun. No-one had paid them any more heed then the other couples wandering round, and, all in all, it had been a wonderful night, and, now that he thought about it, the first, and only, proper date they'd had.
He hadn't realised quite how long they had been wandering around the labyrinth of stalls until the Nine PM dancers came out. And he hadn't told Mokuba where he was going, he'd just left.
Azreal had laughed when he expressed his surprise at the time, and stopped at one of the stalls, buying a tacky watch for a few yen from one of the stalls. At first, he had thought she wanted it for herself, but then, still laughing, she had given it to him, explaining that now he'd be able to make time for her. He had already had a perfectly good watch, and she knew it- but that wasn't the point of the gift. Shortly after, they had parted.
But not before they had shared a very nice moment together just out on the pier…
A banging on the door shattered Seto's memories with no remorse. "Mr Kaiba?" His secretary called. "Not to hurry you sir, but you really need to be leaving soon…"
Seto made no reply, silently vowing that he would take Az somewhere again soon, as much for his sake as hers, regardless of his work and responsibilities.
But that was not now. Right now, he had to go and get this nightmare over and done with.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
"Do you have a particular pizza place that you like to order from?" Anna asked, phone in hand.
"No, we like to change it as much as we can." Mokuba gave a devilish grin. "That way, they're not prepared for how long the drive way is and are late. And then we get discount."
She stared at him indcredously. "I'm not sure weather to be disgusted or impressed…" Shaking her head, she dialled a number and placed an order. Why they were waiting, she decided it was time to have a nose at what she was suspected was the main living room. She had never been in here before, she was sure of it; Seto always took her deep into the bowels of the mansion- where she was forever afraid of getting lost on the way back.
In the corner of the room, she spotted a stereo, and made her way over to it. She was disappointed to see that there were very few CDs there, and certainly not enough to reveal anything about the brothers' musical tastes. And none of those CDs reached her 'standards'.
"We're not very musical…" Mokuba explained, seemingly reading her mind.
"I'll say…" She grumbled. "No rock at all. This must be amended!" She disappeared out into the cavernous hall, finding her brown shoulder bag and digging through it. Mokuba blinked, wondering what she was doing. When she came back, she was carrying two CDs.
"Here we go." She said, not looking at the stereo as she slipped on of the CDs in. "Have a listen to this…"
She hit play.
Unfortunately, she didn't know how high the sound was on. a impressive drum roll echoed out the speakers like thunder, causing the room to vibrate. And then…
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Someone gave a high pitched keel. Finally getting her wits back, Anna sheepishly turned it off as fast as her reactions would allow.
"Wow…" Mokuba said, smothering a laugh as he removed his hands from his ears. "What was that?"
"Sorry…" She muttered. "Me and my friend did a CD swap for a few days… I must have put in hers by mistake." She took the CD out of the player and turned to grin at him. "That, Mokuba, was Heavy Metal. A band called Slayer. A song called Angel of Death, I believe…" She turned the volume down on the player before slipping the other CD in. "Now, this is Rock and Roll at it's best." She commented. "Who would have thought that such awesome songs would come out of such a damp, dreary little Island that's too close to France for it's own good… Oh well. Mokuba, this is a band from England, and the Masters of classic rock and roll."
"I thought Elvis was the 'King of Rock and Roll'." Mokuba teased. "And he was from the USA."
"True." She conceded. "But if the USA's Elvis was the King, the UK's Freddie Mercury was the Queen'."
"Freddie…?" Mokuba said bewildered. "Wouldn't he be a guy?"
"Yup." She nodded. "But that's what the band was called- Queen. And for good reason. He was about as straight as a circle and proud of it. With the most amazing voice you've ever heard."
"I've never heard of them." He wrinkled his nose. She looked at him in shock.
"You've never heard of Queen!" She yelped. "You probably have without realising it. They sung Under Pressure! It's a Kind of Magic! Another one bites the dust! They sung BOHEMIAN RAPHOSPY, for heaven's sake!"
Mokuba looked blank.
"Oh, c'mon…" She said. "We will Rock you? We all Live in a Yellow Submarine?"
Mokuba looked on in bewilderment. "I thought it was the Beatles that sung 'Yellow Submarine…'"
"Oh, thank goodness." She sighed, pressing play and flopping down on the sofa next to him. "There's hope for you after all…"
The song playing was very odd, seemingly involving a lot of people shouting 'Galileo'. But there was an incredible guitar solo, and she hadn't been joking when she talked about Mercury's voice talents.
And Mokuba liked it.
At last, the pizza arrived. He was a few minutes late, but Mokuba, feeling generous, paid the delivery guy in full.
They dug in without remorse, massacring the poor pizza. As they ate, Queen continued to play in the back ground. Anna visibly relaxed. Mokuba obviously wasn't going to chuck her out or anything.
"So…" He said, catching a stray piece of cheese. "Why is it that Seto calls you 'Az'? Is 'Anna' a fake name or something?"
She shook her head, swallowing a hunk of delicious pizza before answering. "No, Anna Mitsan is my human name. But the people in Wherever advised my mom to give me a Muse name- so I got Azreal."
"Azreal Mitsan?"
"No, Kiyoko." She explained. "My mom's maiden name."
"Azreal Kiyoko…" Mokuba repeated, trying it out. Then he shrugged. "I like it. Suits you better."
She laughed. "I think so to. But I'm not a Muse anymore, that's behind me now. So I guess you could just call it my nick-name."
They fell into a companionable silence, and then, finally, Azreal felt she had to ask.
"Mokuba…?" She asked, looking at the floor. "How come you… Well, why did you believe me so easily?"
He shrugged. "Well, Seto obviously does." He was trusting by nature, and now he had some explanations, he could sit back and find out just what kind of person this girl was. "But don't worry- I'm still keeping my eye on you. Seto rarely likes anyone, and if you're going to pull something, I want to do as much as I can to stop you hurting him!"
She laughed. "And I thought Seto was over-protective of you… So, do you trust me now? Just a little?"
"Well, I don't think you're that bad…" Mokuba shifted uncomfortably, feeling a little guilty. "And I do believe what you told me. I mean, it would sure explain why you were floating down my stairs." Was he wierded out? Oh, yeah. So maybe if he just pretended that everything- that she was- perfectly normal, he would deal better. At the moment, he'd just let the music wash around him, and try, for Seto's sake, to at least get one with this girl for one night despite his reservations.
"I'm glad to hear it." She sighed. "I'm glad you believed me so easily. Most people wouldn't."
"Well, I've seen plenty of weird stuff." Mokuba shrugged. She considered him for a moment, then smiled.
"Never, ever, become like your brother." She smiled.
He was confused. What an odd thing to say…
"Why?" Mokuba asked. "Don't you like him?"
Now it was Az's turn to be surprised. She turned to Mokuba to see if he was joking, but then realised he was perfectly serious.
"Listen, Mokuba," She said. "I know you're not quite sure what to think of me, but I know what you're like with other people, and I'll tell you now: I love Seto, but one's enough. There's not enough trusting and caring and friendly people in this world, and it would be terrible if we lost another one. Seto's done great things, but you don't have to be the same as him to do great things to. You're so happy and ready to like people Mokuba, don't you dare ever change, or you'll have me to answer to!"
Mokuba concentrated on his final slice of pizza. There wasn't much he could say to that.
"I used to do this with my sisters…" She said a moment later, breaking the silence. "Whenever we were all in town, we'd eat a pizza together, and watch a film… We didn't get to see much of each other when we were all working, you see…"
Mokuba grinned. "Well, if it's movies you want…" He pulled a remote out of seemingly nowhere, hit a button, and the entire wall of the room scrolled back, revealing a very comprehensive collection of DVDs and the biggest TV Az had ever seen, including in cinemas.
"Woah!" She screamed in delight "It's huge!" She leapt off the sofa to see exactly what DVDs they had. It was much better then the CDs…
"Pick one…" Mokuba prompted, turning the stereo off.
She considered carefully, a look of extreme concentration on her face. There were quite a few films she had never seen before, but you could never beat the classics…
The familiar words of A New Hope were just scrolling through the galaxy, glowing yellow, the unforgettable Star Wars theme playing in the background when everything started to go downhill. They settled down to watch, getting comfy.
Just then, the buzzer went, proving that someone was trying to get through the security gates at the bottom of the drive way. Mokuba went out to the intercom in the hall to find out who it was.
A moment later, he re-appeared in the living room, looking pale as he looked around in despair.
"What's the matter?" Az asked instantly, wondering what would have scared the boy so.
"It's the Social Workers…" Mokuba said, sounding worried. "I know they think they're doing what's best for me, but they're always looking for a reason to take me away from Seto… and if they find I'm here without a registered childminder, and that I'll be here alone for most of the night…"
Azreal stood up in determination. "Don't worry- I'm not about to let that happen."
Mokuba looked at her uncertainly. "But they don't know who you are, and you don't-"
"Mokuba!" She said desperately. "I can help you, if you'll let me! I know you have doubts about me, but please, just trust me!"
Mokuba looked at her. His logical mind knew that the Social workers would not just whisk him away that night, that there would be plenty of time to make up for whatever happened now when Seto came back, but his irrational mind was still scared. And if she had a plan that would not allow them to find any fault in anything…
"Alright." He said.
She left the room. "Right. It'll take them five minutes to get up the driveway, but we don't have long. Grab those pizza boxes, and show me where your kitchen is!"
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Seto glared at his plate. It wasn't that the food was particularly bad, in fact, the meal was the best he'd had in a long time. It was just that he didn't want to be here, and he certainly did not want to have to eat a meal with this man before they could get down to business. But, if that's the way the man wanted to work… He had Seto at a disadvantage, and the guy knew it. So his rules went.
"This is a nice restaurant…" He said, deliberately speaking English to annoy Seto. The CEO of Kaiba Corp always used the native language of the country he was visiting, regardless of how pitiful his language skills were. Most of the time, he took a translator. But at least he tried. And at least his English was good enough to get by on now…He knew this man spoke fluent Japanese, he had last time they had met, when he had been sucking up to Seto and not vice-versa. But now, he was deliberately making the young CEO struggle. "At least it serves proper meat. Everything comes with rice and involves fish in this country!"
"I'm glad you like the dog." Seto replied innocently. He had never met anyone from outside Asia yet who wasn't fussy at the idea of eating a dog. He didn't know why they thought it was any worse then eating a pig or cow, but he knew they hated.
The chefs at the restaurant knew that to, and, with a lot of business meetings, just like this one, they served no dog at all. But this jerk didn't have to know that. Seto grinned mentally as the American man pushed his plate away from him.
"Ah, yes, well…" He flustered, then switched back to English. "Shall we get down to business?"
"You haven't finished your meal." Seto couldn't resist pointing out. "The chef will be insulted." He looked around as though checking no-one was listening, before leaning forward and whispering. "Last time, a British man did not clear his plate, and he returned to London to find…" He pretended to be trying to remember the words.
"To find…?"
"His family were, ano… in the Thames. And they were not swimming."
The man's throat quivered as he swallowed visibly. Seto leaned back and raised an eyebrow.
"Are you going to finish your meal?" He asked. "I hear it's very good…"
"Ah, um… yes…It's delicious…" Seto watched, feeling triumphant as the man pulled the plate of 'dog' back towards him and continued to try and choke it down. Seto smiled slightly as he watched. He may not be in full control of the business side of things, but he was still the biggest jerk ever.
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When they reached the kitchen, Azreal quickly pulled the kettle out off the counter, filling it with water before putting it on the highest setting, willing it to boil quickly. Then she took the pizza boxes, now empty, from Mokuba, and shoved them into the rubbish chute, igniting the oven as she passed it.
"What are you-" Mokuba began to ask, but she interrupted, unceremoniously tipping a cup of water over his head. He spluttered. "What are you doing?!" He yelled.
"You said you were going to trust me!" She called. "Now, go and put your pyjamas on."
"What?" He asked. "But it's only seven thirty…"
She shot him a look that would have given Seto a run for his money, and he left to do as she said without further arguments.
"Bring a game back down with you!" She called. "Snakes and Ladders or something! And hurry!"
Mokuba dashed upstairs, despairing. The room stank of take-out pizza, a movie frozen on the screen, and rock and roll in the CD player. That wouldn't look like a, quote, 'Firm and structured environment' for a child…
When he returned back down stairs, feeling silly in his pyjamas, his hair damp, and a chess set under his arm, Azreal was nowhere to be seen in the kitchen. However, the counters were wet, as if they had just been wiped, and the air smelt faintly of lemon and disinfectant. She must have wiped the counters down, but why? They weren't dirty. And the dishwasher was on as well, but it had to be washing nothing- they had used no plates or cutlery or anything! And the oven, though now turned off, still had heat lingering around it. How curious… The kettle had finished boiling now, and a teapot was now sitting calmly on a sheet of kitchen roll, to catch any drips falling from the spout.
"Anna…?" He called uncertainly, and heard her answer from the living room. He went in. There were two mugs of tea on the small table in the centre of the room, and she was hastily pushing the DVD back into the rack before sliding the wall back to hide it. "What are you doing?"
"Did you get the game?" She asked, offering no explanation.
"Um, I got Chess." Mokuba replied, holding it out to her. He had never played a game of Snakes and Ladders in his life, and he certainly didn't own a set. He had played Chess before he could walk, (Although, at that point, he tended to chew the pieces more then actually play with them) and that was about the nearest thing to a board game in the house.
Anna's worried frown deepened. "Okay, fine, but I have no idea how to play… Set it up, okay? They'll be here in a moment."
He did so hurriedly, and with the quick ease of experience as she sorted the black pieces from the white for him. He had just finished when the door bell rang, and Anna left to answer it, hesitating in the doorway.
"I've seen Seto pull far more elaborate schemes then this," She said slowly. "And, from what I've heard, you are forever getting one over on him. I'm sorry there's no time to explain, but I'm sure you'll cope…"
She took a deep breath, and went to answer the door as Mokuba's heart pounded in his chest.
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"Now then…" He said, wiping his mouth and trying not to gag at the idea that he had just eaten a dog. "While waiting for dessert is usually the time to have business, is it not?"
"It is." Seto agreed, as their table was cleared. "I'm sure you're aware why I asked you here tonight."
He gave a deep rumbling laugh. "I think I am, Mr Kaiba. You have finally come to your senses about giving us the rights to sell your products abroad. I don't blame ya for trying again, even though you really cocked up last time." He smirked at Seto. "What was wrong the last time? Did your hormones get in the way, boy?"
Seto scowled. "I may be young, but my company still has a inner GDP rate almost twice the size as yours. I believe your company is failing, and Kaiba Corp products may just save you."
It was the American's turn to scowl. "So the school-boy's done his homework…" He sighed. "Enough banter. You probably remember that deal you blew off last time, probably haunts your dreams, I expect. Well, same deal, here's what I'll offer you…" He slid a small piece of white paper across the table. Seto raised an eyebrow as he picked it up. Why couldn't these men just name their price aloud? Why all the messing about.
"This is half the price of last time." Seto commented, screwing up the figure. "Have my services suddenly dropped in value?"
"No. You're just more desperate."
"As are you. It all depends on who is more desperate- you, or I."
"I'm willing to risk it."
Seto maintained eye contact for a moment. He really didn't like this man. His company was large and still rich, despite it's falling share prices. The CEO was arrogant and rather stupid. Flipping the small piece of paper over, he pulled out a pen and wrote something.
"New deal." He said, sliding it over. "For the same price you offered me a few weeks ago." He stood up. "I'll leave you to think about it." He shook the man's hand, who did not look up, still staring, all agog, at the paper Seto had given him.
"Are you mad, boy!" He called after Seto, startling some of the other diners. Seto, pretending not to have heard, left the restaurant.
The man stared at the paper again, making sure it said what he thought it did, his hand shaking slightly. Kaiba Corp must be really desperate if this is what they were offering. Oh well. No skin off his nose.
He gathered his coat, and left before they could bring him dessert. He'd leave it over the weekend, then, on Monday, he would really get the ball rolling. He climbed into his chauffeured car, and drove home, excitement coiling in his stomach.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
The two social workers were ones Mokuba knew well, Miss Stevens and Mr Watkins. Nice people, by all accounts, and you could tell they genuinely wanted to help kids in need- they just found it hard to understand that Mokuba wasn't in need. They couldn't see how someone as 'young' as Seto could be a responsible guardian for them both. They didn't understand that Seto was a lot of older then his age.
And they were also rather surprised when a young girl opened the door.
"Good evening." She said politely, waving them inside. "You must be from Social services…Come inside, out of the rain…"
"That's right." Miss Stevens nodded, allowing Anna to take their coats as she introduced herself and her partner. "We're just here to check up on Seto and Mokuba… are they here?"
"I'm afraid Seto got called away to a meeting at the last minute, and I offered to help out- he certainly wasn't expecting you to turn up when he agreed!" She lead the way into the living room, and Mokuba looked up at them from where he was kneeling on the floor, studying a Chess board. "Mokuba was just teaching me how to play Chess." Anna explained. "But I'm hopeless… I don't know the difference between a King and a… um… Prawn!"
"Pawn." Mokuba corrected automatically, standing up to greet the care workers. Anna frowned when she saw him.
"Oh, Mokuba, I thought I told you to go and get dressed." She tutted. "Go on, now!" As he began to head out the room, looking shamed faced, Anna turned back to the workers. "I'm sorry… He was playing Rugby last thing, and you know what kids are like… I had to send him straight upstairs to take a shower as soon as we got in, while I was getting the oven pre-heated. We didn't think there was any point in getting a set of clothes dirty, so…"
"It's quite alright!" Miss Stevens insisted. "It's alright, Mokuba, don't worry!"
"Thanks…" Mokuba mumbled, coming back to the living room. Anna wondered where he had gone, seeing as he had come back in the oppisite direction to where the stairs were, but she didn't question it.
"Well, have a seat." Anan gestured. "I'll bet you'd like a cup of tea… We have a pot in the kitchen. How do you like it?"
"I'll come and help." Mr Watkins offered as Miss Stevens quietly shut the door to the living room so she and Mokuba could talk in private. And, Anna realised, she'd be talking to Mr Watkins in the kitchen…
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
In the Living room…
"I'm sorry to interrupt your evening, Mokuba…" Miss Stevens said quietly, as Mokuba sank into the chair opposite her. "I hope you don't mind at all."
"It's no problem." Mokuba tried to smile. "I think you scared Anna though… she's probably worried that you're going to arrest her, or something…"
Miss Stevens gave a sunny laugh. "I wouldn't worry about that. She seems nice."
"She is." Mokuba replied, surprising himself when he was being sincere.
"A friend of yours?"
"And of Seto's." Mokuba added.
"So you don't mind that she's looking after you?"
Mokuba suppressed a shrug. He had to make it seem like he was having the best time of his life. So he grinned instead. "It's great. We have a lot of fun!"
"So you don't mind being left with her…?" Miss Stevens prompted.
"Nope!" Mokuba shook his head vigorously. Then, to make it realistic, he added "I mean, it's not the same as when Seto's home, but it's the next best thing!"
"I see…" Miss Stevens said slowly. Well, Mokuba certainly seemed happy enough. Now it was down to Mr Watkins to see what the girl was like herself, and if she was responsible enough to be looking after a child…
She sniffed appreciatively. The room smelt wonderful. Evidently there was some kind of an air freshener somewhere… She'd have to ask what it was, and if it was terribly expensive…
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
In the Kitchen…
Anna poured out another two cups of tea nervously as Mr Watkins brought the milk from the fridge. She glanced up at the clock above the counter, wondering why they were working at this time of night anyway. It was almost quarter to eight. Seto have finished the starters by now, and would probably just be receiving the main course. And if she had managed to go… A sigh of discontent escaped her lips.
"Is something wrong?" Mr Watkins asked.
"No, no, I'm fine!" She insisted, smiling. "How do you like your tea?" She held her hand out for the bottle of milk whilst pulling the sugar out from one of the cupboards. While Mokuba had been up getting changed, she had been exploring the cupboards to find the teabags, and now she was glad she had as it helped her look efficient. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the tumble drier was on. Mokuba must have put it on, to make it look like his uniform had been washed and was in the process of being dried. What ingenuity.
"It's alright, I'll do it." He replied, gently stepping around her to get to the mugs. He was taking his time, she noticed.
"If you don't mind my asking…" He said in a friendly tone of voice. "Who exactly are you?"
Anna slapped her forehead, mentally kicking herself. All this effort, and she hadn't introduced herself! She proceeded to explain how she was a friend of Seto's, and then they went to rejoin Mokuba and Miss Stevens in the living room.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
The two social workers left, driving away in the car. They spoke to each other briefly on the evening. Anna had seemed like a perfectly pleasant and responsible girl, and Mokuba certainly seemed happy enough both in her company and in general. It was odd, though. They had never imagined that anyone would be able to befriend the ice-cold CEO, but this girl apparently had. And she obviously thought that he loved his brother more then anything.
They would keep and ever watchful eye on the Kaiba situation, as always, but deep down, they both felt assured that another visit would not be necessary until the law-demanded day in six months time.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Inside the Kaiba mansion, Anna and Mokuba collapsed with relief onto the sofas, and sat there, recovering for sometime. Suddenly, Anna screamed loudly, eventually letting it simmer down into a groan as she sank further into the sofa. Then she sighed deeply, closing her eyes. "Oh, I've been dying to do that the entire night…" She cracked an eye open and glanced at him. "I bet it was worse for you though. I'm sorry I had to patronise you like that… you had some superb acting by the way."
"Thanks." Mokuba answered. Anna studied him.
"You're stressed." She said. "I can see. You're all tensed up." She twirled her finger in a small circle. "Twisted tighter then a spring. Go on, scream, it'll make you feel better."
"Um, I don't think I need to…" Mokuba began, but she held a hand up.
"Aw, go on. Trust me, it'll make you feel good. And I know you've been dying to all night…"
Mokuba finally relented and screamed long and loud, and she joined in after a moment. When they had to stop for threat of suffocation, they collapsed into giggles.
"You're right." Mokuba laughed. "I do feel better. I can't believe what you did to them! You totally fooled them!"
"So did you," She pointed in mock-severity. "And now, to more important things!" She sat bolt upright. "I believe we were watching Star Wars on your stupidly-oversized TV!"
And so, they did.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
"We're here, sir." Redge called from the front of the car, shaking his boss from his thoughts. "I'll just put the car in the garage, and I'll be off home if that's alright…"
"It's fine." Seto said absently. "Thanks for working so late."
Redge smiled as he drove around to the garage. He had not seen much of Mr Kaiba's lady friend apart from that first morning when he had driven them to school, but she was working miracles. His wife would never believe him if he told her Mr Kaiba had been thanking him for what he did recently. Overtime pay and a thank you. Whatever kind of night Mr Kaiba had had, Redge had had a brilliant one.
Seto had not had a good night. The dinner had gone on far longer then he had intended, and now it was almost eleven at night, meaning he had been through more then three hours of hell. And he wasn't sure if he had done the right thing…
Seto stood on the porch for a moment, letting the still-falling rain drench him. It had been so hot and humid recently, and he was in such a foul mood, he was glad of the downpour. No. He had made the right decision. A hard one, but the right one. He pulled out his keys and went up to the front door.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
He expected to enter into a deserted house- Mokuba would probably be in bed, and Az would've surely gone home by now- but instead, he could hear the television playing a movie of some sort in the living room. Men in Black, from the sounds of it, one of Mokuba's favourites. He entered the room to investigate, and actually smiled when he beheld the sight before him.
Mokuba had fallen asleep on the sofa even as the film continued to play in front of them, sleeping peacefully, his shaggy black hair falling loosely over the arm of the sofa as he had tipped over. But he wasn't the only one. Az was fast asleep, lost to the world, at the other end of the settee, her glasses riding up her face. She had partly reverted to her muse form, ghostly shadows of only-half materialised wings draped over her side, the tips just reaching down to her stomach. Seto was sorely tempted just to leave her there, not wanting to disturb her, but didn't think her dad, however laid back, would take too kindly to her spending the night there. Gently, he leant over and shook her.
"Az…" He hissed, so as not to wake Mokuba. "Wake up…"
"Urrghmmph…" She mumbled, as she always did, shifting slightly as she woke up, smiling when she saw Seto.
"You're soaking wet…" She commented, climbing to her feet.
"Yes, that's because it's raining." He informed her wryly.
"Don't be smart with me when I've just woken up…" She grumbled, hugging him despite the fact that he was wet.
"I take it you two had a busy night…" He laughed, as she was practically dropping off in his arms.
"Mmm…" She said. "The social workers turned up…"
"What!" Seto demanded, and she looked up at him, smiling sleepily.
"Don't worry, we took care of it…" She assured him. "How did you get on?"
"As badly as expected." She felt his chest rise as he sighed. "I wish it had been you there…"
"Don't start." She whispered back, resting her tired head on his shoulder.
"We hardly get any time together…" He pointed out. "That would bother most girls."
"I'm not 'most girls'," She replied. "And you're not 'most guys'… we're perfect for each other, see?" She felt him laughing quietly, a rumble in his chest.
"You are too nice." He said. "You'd never survive in business."
"This isn't business. This is the Game of Life. And I don't understand the rules." She pouted.
"I know one thing you got right." Set smiled, kissing the top of her head. Goodness, this girl had an effect on him. He could feel his heart pounding, and at that moment, he wanted nothing more then just to hold her there forever.
"Seto…?" Mokuba mumbled blearily from the depths of the sofa. Az pulled away from Seto's warmth reluctantly. "How did it go…?"
"Fine." Seto replied. "But I'll tell you in the morning. Time for bed."
"Okay…" Mokuba agreed reluctantly, but too tired to argue. "Night, Seth, Night Az…"
He disappeared upstairs.
"Seth…?" Seto asked Azreal curiously.
"Yeah, we decided your name was too long…" She giggled. "But 'Set' didn't suit you, so we decided to shorten it to 'Seth'…"
"May I ask why?"
"Because Seth is a cool name."
"That wasn't what I meant."
"Shut up and kiss me so I can go home." She grumbled.
"Oh, don't let me hold you up…" Seto replied in mock indigence.
"Not at all…" She said graciously, moving closer to him.
Of course, it was just a few seconds after this that Mokuba's sleepy brain remembered something.
"Hey Az…" He said, walking down the stairs. "You forgot…" He registered the scene in front of him. "Your…CD…" He kicked himself for the bad timing. "Sorry." He offered lamely.
"That's alright." She said, her eyes laughing as she pulled away from Seto again. "Um… Keep it Mokuba."
"Are you sure?" Mokuba asked.
"Sure." She smiled. "I'll call you tomorrow, Seto…" She left the building.
Seto stood, slightly embarrassed as Mokuba grinned at him. "I'll get you back for that one…One day, when you're about to get a girl, I'll ruin it for you…" He promised, rolling his eyes. "So, you like her now?"
"She told me more then you would." Mokuba pouted, going back upstairs to bed. "But yeah, I like her… Now then," He turned round to face his older brother, who was still standing in the hall. "I think you better go and catch her up. You're not going to let her walk home all alone in the dark at eleven o'clock at night, are you? It might be dangerous…"
Seto shook his head in exasperation. "Good night, Mokuba."
But just as Mokuba entered his room and pulled back the covers of the bed, he heard the front door click shut.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
A/N: Heeheehee… join me for chapter four, in witch we find out about Seto's mysterious deal, it's Yugi's birthday, and… lots of other stuff! And the unveiling of my new PAGE BREAK! WHEEEEEEEEE!
