Chapter Two

Mokuba still wanted to check on Lector, so he returned to the house and rang the bell at the gate, badly shaken. The maid soon let him in and he stumbled up the walk to the porch.

This wasn't a good idea, he decided. Lector would be able to tell something was amiss. And when Noa had begged Mokuba to forget he'd been there, Mokuba wondered if he really needed to comply. For Noa to make such a request, he must have a good reason.

Lector himself opened the door and smiled down at the boy. "Hello, Mokuba," he greeted.

Mokuba gave him a genuine smile. "Hi, Lector. How did dinner go?" He stamped the snow off his boots on the welcome mat and stepped into the entryway.

"Well, it certainly could have been worse," Lector remarked. "Miss Wong was on her best behavior, although I'm not sure whether to believe she's turning over a new leaf or not."

Mokuba made a face. "I would say not. It's pretty hard for me to forget that she showed up saying she'd tell us the antidote for Seto only if you would be her love slave."

"That isn't easy to forget," Lector agreed in disgust. "She hasn't given any indication that she feels sorry for her outrageous behavior."

"But you still figured you had to take her to dinner because she tried to help later," Mokuba said.

Lector sighed. "It was the honorable thing to do. At least I only promised that one date. I have no intention of giving her any more of them."

"Tomorrow she'll probably be bugging Atem again, or Yugi," Mokuba said with a roll of his eyes. "I hope she'll leave Seto alone. He doesn't need that kind of stress right now."

"How is he doing today?" Lector asked.

"He's getting better," Mokuba smiled. "He's still weak and he's actually resting. Roland and I've been handling most of the company stuff."

Lector found it both amazing and concerning that Seto was consenting to rest. The boy always overworked himself, no matter what anyone said to try to get him to stop. Now he must know that his body simply wasn't up to the task.

"I hope you still have plenty of time for your schoolwork," Lector chose to say instead of anything about Seto resting.

"Oh yeah," Mokuba assured him. "Seto had Roland make sure of that."

Lector frowned as he watched Mokuba. The boy was definitely trying to come off casual and fine, but Lector could sense some kind of nervousness or anxiety about him. "If you're worried about your brother, I can drive you home," he offered. "It was late for you to walk over here by yourself."

"That's okay," Mokuba said. "I like that you live so close."

Lector smiled a bit. "So do I, but I don't want to risk anything happening to you. Does your brother know you decided to walk over here so late at night?"

Mokuba shifted and started to rock. "Um . . . well . . ."

"I didn't think so." Lector shook his head. "I'm sure he wouldn't have allowed it."

"You're probably right," Mokuba said in resignation.

"Come on," Lector said fondly. "I had better get you back before he realizes you're not there and starts to worry."

Mokuba finally smiled. "Well, okay." He would enjoy the time with Lector, and if Lector just thought his nervousness was because of concern for Seto, that was all the better when he wasn't sure whether to keep Noa's secret or not.

"Where's everybody else?" he asked.

"I believe Crump's watching Happy Feet, Gansley's checking the stock market, Johnson is . . . looking over a law book, I think . . . and Nesbitt is designing something or another in my home office," Lector replied.

"Oh. That's cool," Mokuba said. "Is he going to make some awesome new ride for Penguin World?"

"I'm not sure what he's designing right now," Lector said honestly.

"It must be nice how you guys all stay together and just rotate whose house you're at," Mokuba said. "I hope me and Seto can always live together."

Lector looked a bit amused, but also touched. "Well, the mansion certainly has enough space, even if both of you end up getting married someday," he said.

"I don't know if I will," Mokuba said. "I guess we'll see."

Lector nodded. "We will," he mused. He didn't want to patronize the boy with any of that overused tripe about how of course he'd get married someday and very soon now he'd start getting interested in romance. Nesbitt never had, and Lector couldn't say he was terribly interested himself. They were both happy and fulfilled with each other and their other friends. For all they'd know, Mokuba might prefer to stay single and just enjoy his brother and their company. Sometimes it was hard to remember that Mokuba was actually the vice president.

Mokuba smiled, looking pleased with Lector's thoughtfulness.

Lector collected his coat and hat. "I'll just let someone know I'm going out," he said.

"Okay," said Mokuba, and followed him to the nearest room with an occupant.

"Mokuba dropped in to visit," Lector told Crump in the den. "I'm going to take him home now."

"Sure thing," Crump said, never looking away from the television. But he lifted a hand in Mokuba's general direction and absently waved. "Hey there, kid."

"Hi," Mokuba said. He found it amusing that Crump was so captivated by what was usually thought of as a kids' film, even though he knew Crump watched anything with penguins again and again.

"It's been a pleasant evening since I got back," Lector told Mokuba as they stepped out into the night. A light snow was already starting to fall. "Nesbitt and I discovered we met as children when his parents were vacationing in New Orleans."

Mokuba's eyes widened. "Really? That's so cool!"

"Yes, we were both very surprised, but very happy by the news," Lector said. He pulled his coat closer around himself. "Should we drive or walk?"

"Well . . ." Mokuba looked up at the snowflakes. He loved walking in the snow, but he knew Lector didn't find it as thrilling. And after the experience Lector had had of being lost in Domino Canyon in a blizzard, he doubted Lector wanted to be out in snow any more than he had to be.

Lector could easily pick up on Mokuba's conflict. "We'll walk," he determined with a bit of a smile.

Mokuba started. "If you're sure," he said.

"It's fine," Lector said. "I enjoy walking."

They got outside the gate, where the footprints were still visible in the collected snow. Lector quirked an eyebrow. "Two sets of children's footprints?"

"Um . . ." Mokuba looked away. He could hardly bluff his way out of that sight. If Lector point-blank asked him if one set was his, he didn't want to lie. Lector trusted him.

Indeed, Lector gave him a Look. "What happened here, Mokuba? You know, don't you?"

Mokuba sighed, his shoulders slumping. "He asked me not to tell. . . . I didn't say I wouldn't, but . . . I wasn't sure what the right thing to do was. . . ."

Lector frowned. With a child he didn't get along as well with, he would definitely be more stern. But with Mokuba, someone he understood well and trusted and even loved, he wasn't fully sure how to react. It was obvious that whatever had happened was agonizing him as he tried to figure out how to handle it. This, most likely, was at least some of why he had been on edge tonight, rather than for his agony to solely be because of Seto still recovering.

"Do you know why he was here, at least, Mokuba?" Lector finally asked.

"No, I don't," Mokuba said, shaking his head. "He was just standing here looking through the gates at your house. . . ."

"Why would any child do that?" Lector wondered.

Mokuba shifted. ". . . Can you think of any that would?"

"Aside from you, no," Lector retorted. "And I can't imagine why you would be so concerned about protecting them, unless for some reason you knew them."

Mokuba kept looking away, looking sad and guilty.

Lector stared at him. "You do know them," he realized.

Finally Mokuba made up his mind. "Oh Lector . . . !" He looked up sorrowfully at his friend. "I don't want to keep it from you. You have a right to know. . . . Just . . . please don't think I'm crazy or something. . . ."

"Now why would I think that?" Lector frowned more. This was very strange.

"Because . . ." Mokuba shuddered. "Because it was Noa!" He shut his eyes tightly.

Lector rocked back, thunderstruck. "What?! Noa?!"

Mokuba nodded. "He was just standing there looking in, and when I caught up and saw him, he acted worried . . . scared, even. He begged me to forget he'd been there and he ran off. I tried to chase him, but he got into a cab and left. . . ." He shook his head. "I'm so sorry, Lector! I couldn't figure out what happened or how he could be here. . . . I mean, he left footprints, so he . . . he wasn't a ghost. . . . I figured something had to be wrong or he wouldn't have wanted it to stay a secret, and . . . I just didn't know what to do!"

Lector just stared. He knew Mokuba was telling the truth, and the footprints backed up his story anyway, but . . . how could it be?! Noa was dead, and had been dead for years! There wasn't any way to bring him back now! His body was gone!

He stumbled back against the gate, overwhelmed. Actually, there had been a way, he remembered. But Duke had used that way—an amethyst from a Pharaoh's tomb—to bring back his friend David. And that amethyst was gone, crushed in the collapse of said tomb. . . .

". . . Wait a minute," he gasped.

Mokuba started and slowly looked up. "Lector?"

"The crane tiara," Lector exclaimed. "Vivian Wong said that one of the missing items is a crane tiara. The crane in Chinese mythology is like the phoenix. She wouldn't say exactly what that item does, but what if it restores life?!"

"Oh man." Mokuba's eyes went wide. "So . . . who used it? Noa's mom? How would she get it?!"

"I think there are a lot of questions that need answering right now," Lector said. He took Mokuba's hand and turned back to the house. "Let's go back inside and call everybody. We need to have a meeting about this."

Mokuba went willingly, all the while hoping he had done the right thing by telling what he had seen. If Noa was really back because his mother had used one of the missing items, maybe that information getting out would go poorly for both of them.

xxxx

The rest of the Big Five were bowled over and bewildered when Lector and Mokuba came back inside and gathered them together to hear the news. Even knowing that the crane tiara may have been responsible still didn't make it any less shocking.

"What is this?! Noa's alive?!" Crump yelped.

"Why would he come here?" Nesbitt wondered.

"Maybe to say he was sorry again?" Mokuba suggested. "Or just to see Lector . . . tell him he's back. . . ."

"Only he decided for some reason that he couldn't?" Johnson said.

"But why would he?" Lector exclaimed. "He made peace with me . . . with all of us! I'd be overjoyed for him to be back!"

"Let's examine this from all angles," Gansley said. "Suppose the tiara was used to bring him back. Perhaps his mother stole it and he's worried she'll get in trouble."

Mokuba winced. "Oh yeah. . . . That could be a problem. . . ."

"Hey, yeah," Crump said. "And what if there's some rigid condition for his return, such as that she has to keep it at all times? Like how Yami Bakura has to keep the Infinity Ring to stay alive until he proves himself in this big battle."

Mokuba looked down. "Oh man. . . . That'd be awful. . . ."

"Especially since the Chinese government wants it back," Johnson said.

Lector slumped back, overwhelmed by all of these heartbreaking theories. It was bad enough for Noa's mother to have lost him once, but to think she had him back when she might not be able to keep him? He couldn't imagine how devastating that would be. He wasn't sure he could stand it in her position. And it would be terrible for Noa as well, since on many occasions he had expressed the longing to be alive again. . . .

"To have him back for any time at all would be a great gift," Gansley said, "but of course neither of them would want it to only be temporary." He started to get up. "I say we should go see her."

"That's about all we can do," Johnson agreed.

"And we'll need to tell Yugi and all the others," Nesbitt added.

Lector nodded vaguely, still overwhelmed. "Yes. . . . Let's do those things. . . ."

Mokuba looked up at him, worried. "Are you okay, Lector?"

Lector sighed, holding a hand to his forehead. "I can't say that I am, Mokuba. . . . I'm worried about Noa's mother, and Noa. . . ."

"And you're probably also thinking about the night Noa was hit, aren't you?" Nesbitt growled.

"Yes," Lector admitted.

Crump laid a hand on Lector's shoulder. "It figures this would bring up a lot of bad memories. I'm sorry, Buddy. . . ."

"Well . . ." Lector looked to him. "There's more important things to worry about right now than me. Let's go see Mrs. Anderson." After the divorce, Gozaburo's ex-wife had gone back to her maiden name. She also lived next-door to Johnson's parents, making for an interesting situation.

"I wonder if my parents know about this," Johnson said as they collected their coats and prepared to leave.

"I don't see how they wouldn't know something," Gansley grunted. "Although if everything is supposed to be so hush-hush, they might not know everything."

Mokuba bit his lip. "I wonder if I should tell Seto right now or if that would just get him upset. . . . I don't want to do anything that would make it harder for him to get better. . . ."

"Of course not," Lector soothed. "But Mr. Wheeler or one of the others might tell him if you don't."

"Yeah," Mokuba slowly acknowledged. "Well, maybe I can ask them not to say anything and I'll talk to Seto after we see Mrs. Anderson. But right now I can tell him I'm with you, so he won't worry."

"Alright," Lector consented.

"Or maybe we should just go see Mrs. Anderson ourselves and then tell everyone afterwards," Johnson suggested. "It might be overwhelming for her if we bombard her with the entire group. And maybe it would be better to get the facts straight before we tell all our friends that Noa is alive."

"That's a good point," Gansley said. "Let's do it that way."

Mokuba quickly tapped off a text message to Seto. "Okay," he agreed. "Let's go."

xxxx

No one was sure what they were going to discover when they drove to the street where Mrs. Anderson and Johnson's parents lived. It was a nice, peaceful middle-class neighborhood, but despite the late hour there were still lights at many of the houses. Mrs. Anderson's house, however, was dark—at least in the front.

"Maybe they're not home," Mokuba suggested.

"We'll soon find out." Nesbitt went ahead of them and onto the porch, where he rang the doorbell. The others quickly gathered around him.

"How are we going to tactfully approach things?" Lector wondered. Nesbitt wasn't known for his tact, but even trying to be polite, this was a delicate subject.

No one had the chance to answer him before the door opened. Mrs. Anderson was standing there, looking somehow both quizzical and resigned. Before she fully stepped into the light, all of them saw her quickly whip something off her head and hide it behind her back.

Lector decided he would have to be the spokesman, being the one who knew her best. "Good evening, Mrs. Anderson," he said with a bow. "How are you tonight?"

"I'm as well as I can be," she said.

They all looked at each other. How on Earth to proceed? Even Nesbitt seemed at a loss, instead of just barreling into it as he might ordinarily do.

Finally Mokuba stepped forward. It seemed to him that the best thing to do was to flat-out say what he had seen. She surely had to know about it, so they wouldn't be bowling her over with news that would be a shock.

"Um . . . hi, Mrs. Anderson," he said. "I'm Mokuba Kaiba, and . . . I kind of . . . saw your son Noa tonight. . . ."

"And so you came to me?" she said without skipping a beat. "You know he likes to visit all of us."

"Yeah, but . . ." Mokuba shifted. "This time he . . . wasn't a ghost. . . ."

Now she wobbled, but caught herself on the door. "You don't know what you're saying!" she snapped. "Noa is dead! There's no way to get him back!"

"Mrs. Anderson, I saw the footprints in the snow," Lector said. "He was standing right outside my house. Mokuba saw him and he acted afraid. He even asked Mokuba to forget seeing him. Then he got into a cab and left."

"There's a missing magical object floating around town," Gansley spoke up. "We've been told it has the power of life." He looked firmly at her. "If you have this object, Mrs. Anderson, I'm afraid you won't be able to keep it. It was stolen and the Chinese government wants it back."

"I don't have it!" she insisted. "And if I did, do you think I'd ever give it up?! If something could actually restore my son to me, I would never let it go! Ever!"

Lector's heart twisted. He could understand so well. All of them could, he was sure. But what were they going to do?

"If you won't tell us about it, there will be others after us," Johnson said. "And they might not be as understanding."

"Then they have no hearts," Mrs. Anderson retorted. "This conversation is over. Goodnight, all of you!"

She slammed the door in their faces.