Author's Notes:

Thank you for being patient while I delayed the story. I took an unexpected five-week break in the middle of the story, and was feeling pretty lost. Thanks to the ever-wonderful GenericHero, I think I'm getting back on track!

It should be noted that I had one main plot point, and have been inspired by a few others. The rest of what you've seen has just come out on its own. I've come to love those unscripted moments. One of my favorites actually takes place in this chapter. I'm looking into a demo of this writing software that helps organize plot, but I'm afraid it will compel me to give up too much of the spontaneity that I think makes my stories enjoyable. We'll have to see. (I'm always looking at writing software to see if there are any I like better that RoughDraft, but RoughDraft really does seem to fit all my needs.)

I'm going to attempt to wrap up the story over the next few chapters. I honestly never meant this piece to get this long, and I thank everyone who has stuck with it all the way through. It really has meant so much to me!

Prepare for a little OOC Kaiba action!

Chapter 15

Kaiba had been driving around the same block for several minutes. He'd left home without a word to Mokuba. Two days of watching the friendly interactions between Serenity and Tristan had left him angry at his brother for trying to intervene. As if any of this is Mokuba's fault.

Anger had combined with his other turbulent emotions to bring him here, a run-down neighborhood.

He knew that eventually he would have to stop and deal with what had caused him to slip out of the mansion unnoticed. Blowing air out between his teeth, he parked the car and walked to the door. For a fleeting moment, a voice in the back of his mind asked, "Do I have any right to be here?" The thought barely completed before he slammed down on it hard.

If nothing else, he thought to himself, I have more right to be here than Taylor does.

He quietly cursed his newfound jealousy as he knocked on the door. As the door swung open, it occurred to him just how much he disliked Joey Wheeler.

"Kaiba! What are you doing here?" The brooding teen just stared, wondering that himself. Amazed by Kaiba's silence, Joey continued, "If you're looking for Serenity, she's still at work."

The internal need to throttle the older Wheeler was stifled as the taller teen realized how calmly Joey had told him where to find his sister. There was no love lost between the two, so the cautious CEO couldn't figure out why he'd be so helpful. Kaiba eyed the mutt warily.

Joey seemed not to notice, although he had noticed a complete lack of response, which wasn't like the lanky brunette at all. Further intrigued, he decided to continue in his deliberate ramble, "Of course, I don't know if she'd wanna talk to you anyway after the other night."

A small fire ignited behind Kaiba's eyes. Bingo! Joey thought. His sister hadn't said a word about her conversation the other night, and he'd be only too happy to harass the details out of the arrogant teen.

Kaiba didn't feel like playing by the mutt's rules. "I guess that must be why she's decided to date Taylor." With that, he spun on his heel, got in his car, and drove off.

Joey, still standing at the door, was seething as he prepared to give his friend a piece of his mind. He completely missed that Kaiba had just done a brilliant job of getting out of the conversation.

(rule)

The bells on the door sounded quietly as the door was slowly opened and closed. He quickly scanned the coffee shop before making his way to the counter. If Wheeler lied to me, no one will be able to save him from my wrath. Not even Yugi.

The girl behind the counter looked like she was probably a little older than he was. As she saw him approach, she smiled widely, "Hi, how can I help you?"

"You can find Serenity Wheeler," the teen growled.

"I'm sorry, Mister Kaiba, but she just left," came a calm voice from the direction of the shop's back room. He turned to face the shop's supervisor, whose face held pure determination, "and I would appreciate it if you would stop harassing my employee." It was probably the bravest thing she could have done, knowing the child (despite his position, he was hardly an adult) in front of her could destroy her life without a second thought. She also knew that she couldn't stand by and let him continue to torment a girl as dear and sweet as Serenity.

Kaiba stepped menacingly toward the small opening that allowed employees to move between the counter and the rest of the shop. Junko subconsciously took a step back, but after a moment of quiet debate decided to stand her ground. After a moment, he drew a deep breath, "How long ago did she leave?"

"Not long," the other girl responded. Kaiba eyed her out of the corner of his eye, Junko looked at her angrily.

Without so much as a nod, Kaiba stormed out of the shop, his departure marked by a cacophonous ringing of the bells.

Serenity had, in fact, just been dismissed as Kaiba walked in. She was just walking around the building when Kaiba came out of the shop. He noticed a movement coming from the shadows and spun to face the oncoming danger, only to find a spirited, silent redhead who seemed to have lost her fire.

I can't stand it when she's like this.

With a shrug, he walked over to his car and opened the passenger door. "Get in." Serenity hadn't moved a step since seeing Kaiba exit the coffee shop. Now, she quickly got in the car. If she'd learned anything over the past couple of weeks, it was that she couldn't escape his orders. If she had failed to comply, she knew he'd have forced her. She quietly fastened her seat belt and folded her hands in her lap.

Without looking toward her, he started up the car. "Where are we going?" she asked shyly. When he didn't respond, she tried again, "Kaiba, where are we going?" If he heard her, he didn't show any sign. "Would you tell me if I said you're scaring me right now?"

"No," he mumbled.

In frustration, Serenity threw herself against the back of her seat and stared out the window. Not another word was spoken until the car stopped. She looked out at the scene before her. It was beautiful. A few fallen trees overlooking a river. The stars were sparkling overhead. She wasn't sure she'd seen anything so lovely since regaining her sight.

Kaiba stared at the steering wheel for several moments before stepping out of the car. Out of curiosity, Serenity followed him, whispering "It's very peaceful here."

He grunted, "Peaceful..." He sat down on one of the fallen logs, pushing back his trenchcoat so he wouldn't sit on it.. She watched him for a moment, and then removed her shoes and dangled her feet in the cool water. Kaiba couldn't take his eyes off her. She sat there so quietly, content to let the gentle current swirl around her feet. He knew he'd scared her this evening, but she seemed to be recovering quickly, returning to that placid state he admired in her.

That same serene state that she had evoked in him that night on the couch. He'd tried to put it, and her, out of his mind, but had inevitably failed. He wanted to know that level of peace again.

She drew small circles in the water with her feet, watching the ripples intersect and travel out away from her. It was relaxing, probably more so than anything she'd done recently. As she shifted her eyes from the water to the clear sky, she noticed his eyes follow the same path. Thankful for the new moon, she blushed and trembled slightly, uncomfortable at the realization he was watching her.

Mistaking the cause of the shudder, he walked over to her, taking off his coat and draping it around her shoulders. "We should head back."

Surprised, but ready to be home, Serenity nodded and followed Kaiba back to his car. "Seto?" she asked quietly.

He stopped, his back still to her. She had only addressed him by his first name once, and it had been only because she was too tired to realize what she had said. He decided he liked the way his name sounded when she said it, barely a whisper on the breeze.

"Thank you for bringing me here. For showing me this place."

He just smiled. "Whatever." If she'd been given a choice, he knew she likely wouldn't have come with him. The fact that she was thanking him for essentially kidnapping her confused him a great deal, but he was willing to live with it.

He quickly helped her into the car, and then slid into the driver's seat and started the car.