Recap:

"Hey Maxi?"

"Hmm?" tearing her gaze off the landscape outside she turned to the boy.

"Guess what today is!" Max furrowed her brow in thought wondering if it was some kind of joke.

"It's Sunday October twenty-fifth. Why?" Max said staring into his happy purple eyes.

"It's more than that! That's why we are going out! Come on think!" Max took a deep breath and looked at the boy that was about to burst with contained happiness. Max's eyes flicked to Kaiba who was watching her, he frowned and turned away without offering her any help.

"Talking" 'Thinking'

"Umm, is it your birthday?" Max asked unsure of what Mokuba was trying to get at. His grin, if she could believe it got even bigger.

"Close! It's Seto's birthday!" Mokuba exclaimed about jumping out of his seat.

"Oh!" Max said putting all the pieces together, then turning to the man himself she smiled softly. "Happy birthday Kaiba." Kaiba slowly turned his head from the window to let his gaze rest on Max. He looked almost dumbstruck thought he was trying to hide it. Obviously not many people wished him 'Happy Birthday' before, which in itself was kind of sad that no one would care enough to take a few seconds out of their day to offer a kind word to him. They probably just thought because he was the big 'Seto Kaiba' he was some emotionless being, sort of what they though of Max. So having common knowledge made her feel sorry for him. No not pity, but a shared feeling.

Kaiba was still sitting there staring Max in the eyes a blank look on his face, probably processing what she had just said. Max tried to stop it, she just couldn't keep it form happening. Damn emotions! Just sitting there, managing to surprise 'The Seto Kaiba' she could not help, but... smile at the whole scene. That is until Mokuba started laughing, thankfully the limo stopped before anyone could say anything. The driver got out and opened the door, and everyone stepped out into the cold night air, it was after all October, not like anyone expected it to be a heat wave. The driver pulled away and they walked into the park, Mokuba led Max and Kaiba both around doing various things, after about an hour he wanted to sit on the benches.

"So, Max. What are you doing for Halloween?" Mokuba said after about five minutes of silence.

"I have to go to a Masquerade ball." Max said absently, watching a some people passing by.

"You have to go? If you don't want go why not just stay home? Or go trick or treating?" Mokuba suggested, Max looked at him flashing a small smile

"Well as enjoyable as that sounds, I have to go because it would be the right thing to do since it is another business hosting it, and sadly it would be rude for me to turn them down when they did the nice thing and invited me. In other words George is making me do it." Mokuba was watching Max intently as she spoke.

"What company?" He asked to complete his knowledge.

"Zephyr Tech."

"Do they pose a threat to your business?" Mokuba raised an eyebrow.

"No, not really." Max narrowed her eyes at a group of kids that had just walked in.

"Doesn't sound like any fun at all then!" Mokuba said grinning; the group was now heading towards them. Mokuba followed Max's gaze and grinned again.

"Look at that, its Yugi and his friends! How could I forget that I promised to meet them here?" Mokuba said his impossibly huge grin getting wider; Max glared at him Kaiba probably matching her expression now that they had figured out Mokuba's game.

"Max, since I messed up, would you mind keeping Seto company on his birthday?" Mokuba tried his best to look sad and ashamed, but it did not help his cause since there was pure mischief written across his young face. Max nodded once and Mokuba took off to the group that consisted of the most annoying people Max had met since coming to this country. She watched Mokuba greet the group and then start to make their way back to the area with the rides. A few minutes passed and Max decided to break the silence.

"So Kaiba how is your head?" Max asked referring to the elevator incident where his head had hit the ground and sliced open a pretty deep cut, she had wrapped up the wound at the time with a piece of her shirt, but knew nothing of what happened with it afterwards.

"It's fine." Kaiba said his voice not his usual cold, but not overly inviting either. "You don't have to stay if you don't want to." Kaiba sad almost regretfully. Max turned a bit so that she was able to face him, he was looking off to nothing, his eyes were unfocused and almost sad though it was obvious that he was trying hard to keep that emotion from making its way out.

"Well, I guess it's a good thing that I wanted to stay then." Max said simply leaning back on the bench; he turned and looked at her his face blank but shock apparent in his eyes. Max couldn't believe that she had managed to surprise him twice in one day. Did anyone but this mans brother show him any kindness at all, it was sad really since at least at one time Max did have parents who were kind to her, Kaiba really didn't have anyone but Mokuba.

"Suit yourself!" Kaiba said turning away, his tone one of cold confusion, Max sighed plucking a stray hair off her black shirt

"Hey Kaiba?" Max asked a few minutes later. She was a bit nervous yet she had no clue why, it's not like she got this feeling often. Having it now made no sence at all since most of her time was spent around business men. Well, they were usually fat and old, none of them looked quite like Kaiba, young, handsome and not to mention a genius.

'No, stop! I can't be having these thoughts.' Max mentally berated herself.

"What?" Kaiba asked going back to his cold monotone.

"Can we go somewhere else?"

"I told you, you didn't have to stay." He replied coldly.

"No, its not that." Max said frowning; Kaiba turned looking at her with carefully veiled curiosity. "I just don't like being around so many people, that's all." she said with a small shrug of her shoulders. Kaiba looked at Max thoughtfully obviously judging if she was telling the truth or not, thankfully he decided for the first.

"There is a small park two blocks west of this place." Kaiba said flatly.

"Great." Max exclaimed and stood up walking a few feet before she stopped and turned around, Kaiba was still sitting on the bench watching her walk away.

"Aren't you going to come Kiaba?" a small grin tugged at one side of her lips "Or did you want go on the rides?" Kaiba rolled his eyes, sighed and stood up walking over to stand by Max.

"Happy?" Kaiba asked as Max started walking again Kaiba by her side.

"Ecstatic!" Max said sarcastically "Kaiba?" she asked after a few minutes hoping that she wasn't annoying him with all of her questions, she usually didn't talk this much. Especially to ask questions.

"What?" he didn't sound annoyed, but he didn't sound overly joyous either.

"Why does Mokuba hang out with Yugi and his band of loser friends? Mokuba seems to smart to be hanging out with people like them." Max asked looking up at the sky, Kaiba still silent beside her.

"What do you mean like them?"

"Naive, living in a world where they think everyone should be given the benefit if the doubt." Max said with a small shrug her eyes still searching the night sky.

"I don't know why Mokuba stays with them and I don't really care, but... "Kaiba said, Max could feel his eyes on her, but she kept hers on the sky."But I can't stand Yugi and his bunch of loser friends! It seems that every time they seem me, they go into a speech on how I should be friends with them. And..." Kaiba stopped walking halting his speech, just realizing that he was sharing more than he had intended to. Max continued on for a few more steps until she realized Kaiba wasn't with her, she turned and looked curiously at him. He was standing there staring at the ground blinking in shock; obviously he hadn't meant to open up to her and was probably confused as to why he did it.

"It's okay to rant sometimes Kaiba, it's what keeps us human." Kaiba moved his sapphire eyes to meet Max's light blue ones they still registered surprise, but it was hidden. "And I don't mind if you rant to me, I can be a good listener." Max opened her mouth to say something else, but before she could her cell phone rang. Max frowned and reached in her pocket pulling out the small but loud piece of plastic.

"Harper!" Max said flipping open the phone and setting it to her ear, she listened for a second. Max's eyes widened in shock at the words that had been uttered on the other line.