Chapter 3

A dark blue car pulled up in front of a nice spilt level home in the better part of Dominio. And out stepped Chloe.

She needed help, she'd been very uneasy since Derek had said that comment. She knew that he was Seto Kaiba's son, so that didn't make him an orphan, but the friends comment made her feel really sad. And the orphan comment too. Why would you say something that wasn't true? Especially if you were only six! She frowned. She had to talk to someone, and usually if she needed to talk she turned to the only person she knew who she could speak to in confidence. Her brother, Ashley.

Chloe walked to the front door and knocked loudly three times. She heard a shuffle of shoes on carpet, and the gurgle of a baby's laugh.

"CHLOE!" squealed her sister-in-law Abby.

Chloe smiled and hugged her. Ash's wife was always full of energy, same with Ash

Chloe stepped back, placing her hands on Abby's shoulders. Staring at her square in the eyes. She studied the pretty blonde's face, her bright green eyes, white skin and bubbly "what you see, is what you get" personality. No wonder Ash had fallen head over heels for her.

"Come on. Come in. Your favourite nephew wants to be fed by his favourite aunty!" she smiled and led Chloe inside.

Chloe followed Abby inside, to the lounge room.

"I'll just go get Matthew and his bottle." Said Abby speaking at 20 words per second. "Do you want anything to eat or drink? Ash is in the study working on some new plays for the grand final, footy game on Saturday. Everyone is hoping that Dominio High will win this year. I'd better go get Matt." And with that she disappeared out the door.

Chloe smiled, and leant over, to the bookcase to pick up a photo frame. She looked at the picture. It was of Ash, Matt and her, just after Matthew was born. She had her arm around Ash's shoulder. He looked so proud, his light blue eyes were shining, and long straight black hair (that hung around his lower back, bit like Mokuba's) seemed full of life too. His rouged handsome face was glowing too.

Chloe smiled and moved her gaze to Matthew. He had the same dark and free hair as his father, and manly features, even as a baby they stood out. He had his mother's eyes though. Chloe bit the inside of her cheek, thinking that she would never have that.

She was interrupted by Abby's voice.

"Chloe you gonna feed Matty or stare at old photo's all day long?" she was smiling though.

They both laughed.

Chloe held her arms out to cradle Matt. Abby placed the seven-month-old baby in her arms, and handed her the feeding bottle.

Abby took the photo out of Chloe's grasp and placed it back on the bookshelf. "You are a very good photographer," Chloe commented not looking up from her task of feeding the hungry baby.

"It's my job! Course I gotta be good at it!" she smiled and giggled again.

Abby sat down and looked at Chloe.

"So what's up? You haven't visited in a while."

"Of course I haven't visited in a while I've been in Spain for the past six years!" Chloe stuck out her tongue at Abby.

"But you've been in town for three weeks!" Abby pointed out sticking her tongue out at Chloe.

"I visited the Thursday before last!" Chloe tipped to bottle up more so Matt could get some more formula.

"Seriously what's up?" Asked Abby in a serious tone, one that she didn't use that often.

"I need to talk to Ash." Chloe sighed and sat Matt up to burp him. He gave her a nice loud burp. "Nice one Bubby." She whispered.

"Sounds serious. I'd better finish feeding Matty while you go talk to Ash." She got up and lifted Matt out of Chloe's arms. "He's in the study." She pointed with the bottle in the direction of the study, before sitting back down to finish feeding her son.

Chloe got up and wandered through the hall to the study, and knocked softly on the door.

"Unless you're a sexy blonde named Abigail Saberhagan that's come to give me pleasure. I don't want to talk to you." Growled a voice. It sounded very irritated.

Chloe rolled her brown eyes. "Knock it off Ashy. And let me in, I need to talk to you."

She heard a low laugh, and the turning of the doorknob. "Hey how's my favourite big sister?"

Chloe smiled and hugged the taller person.

"I'm fine, how's my favourite little brother?" she looked up at him.

"Pretty damn good actually, for someone who's at least a foot taller than his older sister." He gave her a cheeky grin.

She swotted him on the arm playfully. And walked into the study.

"So what's up?" said Ash walking over to his desk and tidying up some papers, that were scattered across the desk.

"Nothing much, with my life anyway." Chloe sighed sinking down into a leather chair.

"Oh?" Ash said looking up at her and raising his eyebrow. "So there's something on your mind, about someone else." He sat down opposite her and rested his elbow on the armrest.

"Mmm...." Chloe was studying her hands with great interest.

Ash merely sat there and didn't say a word. He knew that when she was ready that they'd talk.

A few minutes rolled by, before Chloe finally said something.

"Ash do you remember when mum and dad died?" she glanced sideways at him.

"No. I wasn't even a day old, when mum died anyway. Dad was dead before I was born." He snorted and stared at her.

Chloe rolled her eyes, and then tried again.

"Do you remember when Grandpa died?"

Ash nodded his head sharply, and took to staring down at his lap. Their Grandpa's sudden death had shaken them both up, especially Ash.

"He was like our dad. He'd raised us from the day I was born." He said.

Chloe nodded and went on.

"Well a boy at the primary school... he's about six. He called himself an orphan, but I know that he has a father..."

"The mother?"

"Dead. According to records"

Ash starched his chin in thought. "Sounds like the kids had a ruff time, with his dad."

"His father is Seto Kaiba...."

"WELL THAT'S EXPLAINS A WHOLE FUCKING LOT!" shouted Ash, suddenly jumping to his feet, knocking over the chair.

"Ash, PLEASE! I need you to swallow your anger and please help me out." Chloe pleaded.

"I'm not so sure I want to help anymore. After what that prick did to Grandpa!" Ash spat out, the daggers were flying. "I can't believe that you would forgive him that easily, after what he did. His son will probably be no better!" He turned sharply, crossing his arms and stared out the window, in a stony silence.

Chloe sighed.

"No Ash I haven't forgotten what he put Grandpa through..."

"Stole his company...made a laughing stock of him.... Causing him to have the heart attack..." he muttered darkly.

"...But if Grandpa were here he'd telling you to stop being a pig-headed idiot, pull your socks up and help me out." She frowned at him.

Ash knew she was right. He put the chair up right and flopped back down on the chair. Only to stare at her.

"He's nothing like Seto, you can tell. By the way he talks and acts around other people, especially the other children in the classroom."

Ash seemed to relax a bit at that comment, but you could tell that he wasn't convinced.

"Anyway. He called himself an orphan..."

"No wonder." was a dark mutter

"... And he also said that he had no friends."

Chloe stared intensely at Ash, hoping to hear a solution to her problem.

Although Abby was in the lounge room, she could still hear the two siblings talking and yelling at one another. She shook her pretty head, and rolled her eyes at her son who was happily crawling around on the floor after his red fire truck she was pushing along for him.

A few minutes later Chloe emerged from the study, followed by Ash.

Abby looked up at them both, and scooped Matthew up in her arms.

"I heard a lot of shouting going on, so you two must have sorted the issue out." Smiled Abby cradling Matt lovingly in her arms.

"Yeah we did" Ash smiled sheepishly.

Chloe walked a few steps towards the front door, and turned towards Ash who had his arms around Abby's shoulders.

"Better go. I've got a heap of paper work to get through this weekend. So I guess I'll be seeing you three at the footy game on Saturday."

"You're coming?" questioned Ash looking surprised. "You haven't been to a footy game since, well.... Since I was playing it in year ten!"

"Course I'm coming, I haven't seen you couch yet, for the three years you've been teaching, so I'd better make up for it." She smiled at him, and put her hand on the doorknob.

"Cya Saturday then." Abby bubbled waving Matt's little hand at Chloe.

Chloe giggled and said goodbye. She walked out the front door and quickened her walking pace to her car.

She got in and started to drive to her apartment in Elm Street. Her mind going over what Ash had suggested to do.

"Try spending time with him. If he can get along and hang out with an adult who can act like a kid, then maybe he might find it easier to make friends of his own age. Who knows it might help him get along with his dad better. Be warned though, you and/or him might get too attached, so try not to let it come to that."

Chloe smiled and pulled up into the apartment building driveway. She turned off the motor slowly.

"Derek Kaiba, I'm going to help you, whether you want me to or not." She whispered and then walked inside the building.

If you're confused. Abby, Ash and Matt are my characters.

Abby is Chloe's sister-in-law. She is a professional photographer. Ash is Chloe's only sibling. He is the Dominio high's football coach. Matthew is Chloe's nephew. He is Ash and Abby's son. He is only seven months old.