Hey there... Yes, I know I said this was the last chapter, but what Blonde-Existentialist said in her review made me go back and read it again... and I decided to streatch it out. I've taken some liberties with this story by rushing stuff, but I don't want to do that to the ending and ruin it.

Sorry, folks, but that's just the way it is...

Disclaimer: Don't own it. Only Sahara's mine!

It's All In The Eyes

"Hey, Mokuba, why don't you come out and play?"

"I don't want to, thank you." Mokuba stared at the little picture of Seto that hung around his neck and sniffed. "I just want my big brother."

"C'mon, Mokie – "

The little boy's voice was cut off when Mokuba stuck his head out of the window and yelled, "DON'T CALL ME 'MOKIE'!"

"Fine, be that way."

The little boy gave up, just as all the others had before him. The housemother saw him run back to his friends and sighed. All the younger Kaiba brother wanted was to be back with his brother, and he didn't want to be with anyone else. Even she had long given up trying to draw him out of his shell. She'd learnt her lesson when she'd tried to look at the picture that hung around his neck. The small child had gone berserk, climbing up on top of the fridge until she promised that she would never dream of taking the locket away.

"Excuse me…" The sound of a woman's voice broke into her thoughts.

"Um, yes?" Next to the visitor's designer clothing, she felt quite inadequate, but she wiped her hands on her skirt and held her head up high.

"Is this the current residence of Mokuba Kaiba?"

"Yes. What is it?"

"I'm here to take him home."

"Home?"

"Haven't you heard? Kaiba Corp. stocks have taken a huge turn for the better! Mr. Kaiba has regained his millionaire status – soon to be billionaire!"

"That's – that's incredible!" The housemother was inclined to believe the stranger, and proof was offered when the stranger handed her a newspaper with the headline. 'Kaiba's Comeback!' She read the article slowly, absorbing every word. "You'll need proper authority…"

"That'll be dealt with. For now, I'll just take the boy to his brother."

And something inside the housemother was delicately swivelled. "Good, good. He's inside… Follow me."

Ring ring… ring ring…

"Heran Corp., how may I help you?"

"I'll speak to Ms. Heran, now."

Something twitched in the receptionist's mind. "I'll put you through!"

"Good."

"This is Heran, you have three seconds."

"Only three? How silly of you."

"Excuse me?"

"Sahara, how are you feeling right now?"

"Um, irritated."

"How would you say your life had been."

"Lacklustre." Sahara started, even as she said the word. She would never have admitted that to herself, even, and here she was telling this stranger! Though… it felt as though she'd heard that voice before…

"I'm glad to hear it. I'd be miffed if it wasn't. I'd say you need to make some deep, introspective decisions, dear. You have twenty-four hours until the magic dies. Use it wisely."

"Twenty-four hours?" Sahara asked blankly, but the line had gone dead. She closed her eyes, and then opened them to gaze at the newspaper on her desk, rereading the headline over and over without absorbing anything. Her eyes shifted to the small, framed picture on the corner of her desk. Something is wrong here. She got to her feet and looked at her desk again. Then she swept the picture off the desk into the bin, and stalked out of the room, not even hesitating to grab her coat.

"Yugi…"

"Yami! Where were you?"

The spirit allowed himself a smile. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"So is everything going to be alright for Sahara?"

"Hmmm? Oh, right. Sahara. Yes, I think everything will be just – "

"YUGE!" The door almost flew off its' hinges as Joey charged into the shop, waving a newspaper.

"What's the rush, Joey?" asked Yugi.

"Have you seen the headline? No, guess not. Feast your eyes!" Joey spread the page out on the counter.

Yugi turned to look and began to read aloud. "The Biggest Bounce – Kaiba Corp., headed by the young CEO, Seto Kaiba (17), has recovered from its losses with phenomenal speed… That's amazing!" Yugi stared at Yami, who was chuckling quietly beside him.

"Yuge, focus." Joey snapped his fingers in front of Yugi's eyes. "Check this out." Joey pointed to another, smaller news article. "Sahara's missing."

"CEO still has not returned from 'walk in the park'," read Yugi. "I wonder where she went!" His eyes travelled down the page. "It says she left suddenly early this afternoon, and hasn't returned since. That's not like Sahara. No wonder they're worried. I think we should look for her."

"Why? She's got nearly as many people as Kaiba. They'll find her."

"Joey! She's your girlfriend! Don't you – "

"GIRLFRIEND?"

"You mean she's not?"

"Who told you that? Huh? When I get my hands on that creep…"

Yugi watching his friend jump around the shop, acting out and describing exactly what he was going to do. He didn't seem to run out of fresh ideas, but when he turned to spleen-pulling-out and other such graphic ideas, Yugi decided that, for the sake of his stomach and his sanity, he should intervene.

"And then, I'll take his intestines, and tie 'em around a telephone pole, and then put him in a taxi and watch as his insides unravel as he goes farther and farther away from the – "

"So that's how you do so well in biology!"

"Wha – oh. Sorry, Yuge. Got a bit carried away."

"I know. Just," Yugi shuddered. "Don't get so graphic next time."

"Sorry pal. So, what's this about me and Sahara?"

"I just assumed, since you were spending so much time together…"

"Yugi!" Joey sounded exasperated. "That's not choice! That's 'cause the teacher keeps putting us in the same group. And when we were given the task of giving Kaiba his work… man. I almost exploded. Little twerp! She wouldn't shut up."

"Oh, I'm sorry Joey. I wont just assume, next time."

"Good."

Sahara stared at the block of flats. It looked awful. The dirty grey cement did nothing to lighten the sombre, coffin-like structure. Taking a deep breath, she cut the car's engine and got out, putting the keys into her pocket. If she was going to do anything at all, she'd better do it now. Twenty-four hours 'til the magic dies… what nonsense. Still… I can't help thinking that I might as well use the opportunity. You only live once. Besides, after what it took to find this stupid place, I'd be stupid to back off now.

Tapping nervously on the dead cell phone in her pocket – she'd forgotten to swap it for a charged one when she left Heran Corp. – she entered the building, trying not to meet the curious gaze of the scruffy group of teenage boys lounging in a corner.

One whistled. "Hey fox, what brings you to this here neighbourhood? You look a little out of place."

If this had happened a month earlier, Sahara would have given the boys a piece of her mind. Now, however, she rolled her eyes and kept moving, heading for the small, dingy lift. She hesitated before pressing the grimy button, but reasoned that it was just a bit of dirt, after all. The lift clanked open, and she stepped in, trying not to rub against the graffiti'd walls.

Before it clunked closed – agonisingly slowly, in Sahara's mind – an old woman stepped in, calling over her shoulder, "You boys be there at nine – sharpish, mind!"

"Sure thing, mama Jackie!" called one of the boys, and the lift doors finally closed.

"Hello, dear. You're not from around here, are you? I'm Jacqueline Ranch, but please call me Jackie." The woman shifted the bag on her arm and held out her hand to shake Sahara's.

"Delighted," murmured Sahara, touching the woman's hand oh-so-lightly.

"Are you here to look at number seventeen? Poor girl, she overdosed on Wednesday." Jackie shook her head. "She was so sad, so alone. She was abused when she was young, and she never got over it, you know."

"Shame." Sahara was saying the bare necessities, trying to contain the flood of nervousness that had poured into her. She didn't want to reveal it though, so she kept on talking. Anything to distract her, she supposed, couldn't be all bad.

"Or apartment twenty." Jackie frowned. "I never did get through to that one. He's a young man, about your age. A workaholic too, by the looks of him – always leaving at the crack of dawn, and back around midnight. Poor boy. Anyway, he told me he was moving out last night. He looked a bit… ruffled… but I'm sure he'll be fine."

"Ruffled?"

"Oh, he looked… shell-shocked, you could call it. Like his whole world had been turned upside down. I'm going over there in a few minutes. Thought I'd say goodbye, just like I said hello. He's got to know that someone cares. Looks like the type what could easily get depressed and turn to all sorts of things, if you catch my meaning. I never caught his name – he was rather brusque when I went to say hello – say, what's the matter?"

"Oh…" Sahara rearranged her shocked expression into one of polite interest. She'd forgotten herself. I do that every time I think of him. Why? "Nothing, nothing…"

Jackie swept her eyes over Sahara, her eyes taking in everything and assessing it.

She was definitely more intelligent than she let on. Sahara smiled inwardly. I could use a few more people like her. Very intelligent, without being too obvious about it, or too self-congratulatory either.

"You know him, don't you?" More a statement than a question, and all Sahara could do was nod. Jackie grinned. "Good luck to you, dear." The lift creaked to a stop. "My stop! See you, then?"

"Yes, I – yes."

"Ciao." Jackie exited the lift, leaving Sahara alone.

Now that the vibrant, talkative Jackie had gone, the lift seemed bigger somehow, as though Jackie had filled it with her warm, friendly conversation. Sahara shivered, rubbing her arms. The light, sleeveless top that had seemed so adequate in her office was now beginning to leave her feeling exposed, vulnerable. The lift creaked once more to a stop, and Sahara gladly got out. A cool wind whistled down the corridor, but it relieved the pressure of the stagnant air, for which Sahara was grateful. She walked down the corridor, pausing to check the faded bronze number on each of the peeling red doors. She halted in front of number twenty and stared at it. Behind this door, she couldn't help thinking, lies uncertainty. I don't like uncertainty, but it is something that must be dealt with – even in business. If I walk away from this door… I know I'll always wonder. So, better know and be hurt for a moment than wonder for eternity what might have been. With this heartening thought in mind, she reached out and rapped firmly on the door.