(A/n: I was gonna update tomorrow but i thought nah cause i'd forget about it. i just wanted posted. )

To the reviews!

RoseGoddess874: Oh cool, maybe I'll read them. Sorry that I haven't read them earlier. I'll get to them. Thanks for reviewing

Darkhope: Haha…yeah what would happen. Crazy you shall be! Muhwahahahhaha…here's your update. Thanks for reviewing.

Enjie Yekcam: Who's the wench? Me…? Thanks for reviewing.

Newblue: Digimon…I see. I heard of the show but never really watched it. Thanks for reviewing.

StarWolf4: Suffer! Muhwahahahhaha (smiles) thanks for reviewing!

Yugikid: Thanks and thanks for reviewing.

Svadharma: Thanks and yes I will continue.

Coffee-time or WishList: No I guess not...I didn't want him to and you'll find out why in this chappy. Here's your update and thanks for reviewing.

DidiHoney: Find out…thanks for reviewing.

Cherryarrow: Don't cry…

Ann: Here's your update and its okay. I just don't like it when people nag me. Lets forget about it…enjoy the chapter.

Marble angel: Thanks… (Sniff, sniff) it means a lot to me lol…thanks for reviewing!

Nkitty29: Here's your update…

GoldenStar: Thanks for the encouragement! Here's your update!

Curtis Zidane Ziraa: Thanks!

Kristina: Really shouldn't jump to conclusions just yet (especially when only a chapter and not the whole story); jump to conclusions….after the entire story. I think this chapter will relate to your thoughts…

Fairy-GYAKUTENNO-MEGAMIYes she is… she plays a part in this chapter. Thanks for reviewing!

MerissalaI know its slow…they talk again in this chapter.

Peach: I didn't know I was putting drama. I think I'll categorize it by drama also. There conversation sort of trailed off from then on…they talk more in this chapter. Thanks for reviewing!

On to the story!

Nine Years

Chapter Fourteen: Planting Ideas

Three Days Later…

"Your leg isn't entirely better Serenity but you may leave now" the doctor told her first thing in the morning, three days after the accident. She gave a small smile as a reply. "Your concussion was only minor and not serious thankfully. It's just your leg; after all that was the area that you got hit right?" Serenity nodded meekly, not absolutely positive herself. She didn't remember much about what happened.

"Well, just don't use it much. You'll have to be on bed rest, but only for a limited time. After that, you will have to get physical therapy. It's important that you get physical therapy to restore the feeling in your leg back…" he said checking her chart once more as he rambled on. He scribbled something on it. She sighed and plopped her head on the pillow again.

'Great…just great…'

"All right then, I'll see you ina week..." the doctor replied as he handed her an appointment slip.

"Hey Doc…are ya sure that she's okay to go? I mean, it's been only three days…" he said, trailing off.

"I'm positive Mr. Wheeler"

"I shouldn't occupy the room, other patients need it more than me" she muttered quietly. The doctor nodded and left the room. Joey sighed and looked at her, knowing that she was right but he wanted her to stay anyway.

"'Ren…jus so you dun get into anymo' accidents…" he began, pausing when he received a glare from her. He ignored it and continued. "…we gonna stay here with you"

Serenity was quiet. She felt like she was six again; being under his protection. Besides, the accident wasn't her cause; it was the reckless drivers fault. But she didn't even think the driver did on accident, it was done in purpose. She was sure of that. It was a feeling that struck her. She huffed silently and muttered a small ok. He nodded in return and headed out the door. She could hear him walk away from the room, heading towards the cafeteria.

She felt alone when they weren't here. She closed her eyes, the sleep still in her eyes. Duke had gone back to his shop; Kari was at the cafeteria eating breakfast with Mai and Matt.

"And...Kaiba?" She thought aloud.

"What about me?" Kaiba asked in a serious yet pleasant tone. Mockery wasn't found there at all. She opened her eyes immediately, her cheeks tainted with embarrassment. Kaiba saw this and gave a small smile. She however frowned and looked away. Stubborn she is…

"What about me?" he asked again hoping to catch her attention better.

"What do you mean what about you? Nothing…" she replied quickly. "Go away…"

Kaiba ignored her and walked forward, gripping the bars that were close to her feet. He looked at her sternly and firmly. She wasn't at all fazed by this.

"What…" she asked in annoyance looking at him. He was different from three days ago. Three days ago he was messy and now he was crisp and clean wearing only a black shirt and slacks, his hair now combed neatly like it was usually.

"We're still not done with our conversation…Serenity…" he said in a firm and solemn tone. She flinched inwardly when he said her name.

"You have no right to keep her away from me Serenity…" he continued.

"Hmmp." She cocked her head and looked away from him.

Letting out a frustrated sigh he continued. "Serenity…be mature…"

"I am"

"If you were mature you would get over our past and move on!" he said, edge to his voice. "Are you even thinkingabout Kari!"

That got her there…again. She knew she was being selfish. Yet she didn't take heed to it. All that mattered to her was keeping Kari from not getting hurt by him. She thought the best way to do it was by keeping her away from him. But she was hurting Kari anyway by keeping him away from him. She gave a frustrated sigh; this was too confusing. Basically, in her point of view, it was safe to keep Kari away from Kaiba, physically and emotionally. But it was bad to keep Kari away from him because she would never experience a father.

He could feel her inner struggle. "I want to have a chance…" he said softly.

She looked up at him and could tell from his deep cobalt eyes that he was being serious, dead serious. His tone of voice had changed to a soothing one and not his usual gruff tone. It was surprising to see that he cared so much. She had a thought of why…but he himself one day said it himself that he would never want to think about the past or bring it up.

"I want to be a father. I want to be a father that my step dad never was." How ironic, she thought.

She was thinking the same thoughts. He was confusing her even more. At first he wanted to forget his past and now he was bringing it up. Guess you can't hide the past she concluded silently.

Her confusion slowly faded left with pity and sorrow, churning up inside of her. She knew about his step dad, the tyrant. And she saw him, in Noah's virtual world. He was evil. He was a horrible father. He used his own son. And he used Kaiba.

In a way, her father was similar to him. Her father left them and took Joey away for six years, beat him up mercilessly, got put in jail, got out of jail, and then beat Joey up some more. But Joey finally tore away from his grasp and her father vanished from their lives. (1) She was content with this.

She was silent and so was he, him awaiting her decision. She pushed behind his past and looked at him, also serious. Both were staring at each other in a silent staring contest.

She knew that Kari had to be in the matter now; she couldn't control her daughter's feelings by assuming what Kari felt for Kaiba anymore. Besides, most of the feelings were her own…...well, all of them. She admitted silently to herself that she was selfish and she decided that moment that her daughter's perspective mattered. She just wanted what was best for her daughter and she knew for sure that what she was about to do was really and matter-of-factly the best.

She sighed and broke their silent staring contest. "Can you bring…Kari….?" she choked out in a silent whisper, straining the words out while swallowing her pride. She would have rather told Joey to bring her instead of him; she didn't trust him. He was unpredictable. But she did so anyway, securing doubt firmly at the back of her mind.

Kaiba looked at her surprised a little that she was finally thinking logically and not like Joey; refusing and blocking away every wrong thing that was send to his ears. She was starting to compromise. That was good…and it was needed.

He nodded and pulled himself back while releasing his grip on the steel bars in front of her feet. The door was closed and once again she was alone.

Cafeteria…

"Joseph! Control yourself!" Mai said, her voice getting high. She held back her shouts and yells only for the sake of her dignity. But it was gone anyway when Joey, being the hungry, adorable, doggy he is, wolfed down the cafeteria food. She sighed reluctantly when she saw that her pleads were taking no affect. Matt and Kari chuckled and giggled lightly, despite the situation that they were in right now.

Many of the occupants in the cafeteria just stared at him, sleepy at first but wide awake when entertainment was giving to them. Some smiled and others laughed while others just looked at him, amazed at how much he could eat.

"Wow…haha"

"Really…where does it go?"

"Maybe he has a steel stomach!"

"Is that possible!"

However, Mai was used to this addiction of food that Joey Wheeler craved. And so was Matt, Kari, Serenity…everyone who knew him very well. Mai groaned softly and sank in her chair looking at him charging into the food. She wanted to puke; then again she always wanted to puke when she saw him like this. She got up from her chair, like she did at home most of the time when he was like this, and walked over to the counter, ordering a bottle of water.

Mai and Kari were still looking at him, their childish smiles getting wider when he wolfed down the food. He stopped and many people just gasped at him, amazed that he stopped. He took out two napkins and wiped away the sticky goo on his lips and crumbs. For hospital food, they sure served good donuts. Mai came back to him and rolled her eyes.

"Are you done now hun?" Mai asked after seeing him stop.

"Uh…yeah" He leaned comfortably on the seat and closed his eyes, holding back a burp which came out anyway. Mai shook her head while Kari and Matt laughed.

"Kari…" a voice called out, breaking their amusement. Joey opened one eye out of curiosity of who it was. The voice was gentle. He then opened the other eye, making sure that it was that person. Yup, it was. Joey sat up straight and narrowed his eyes, anger and confusion visible on his face, mostly anger. He never thought that Seto Kaiba would have a gentle voice. It was supposed to be bitter, raspy, and cold. But the tone he just used was…gentle. He shook it off, thinking its just a minds trick.

"Hmm…" Kari responded looking up to him. It was a neutral tone, nervous yet confident.

"Your mother and I want to have a little talk with you…" Kaiba stated simply. Joey growled and Kaiba dismissed it. In other times, he would have made a smart remark but this was not the time for it.

"Talk? What kind of talk…" she queered.

"Just a simple discussion…come on…" he said holding out his hand. This picture was surreal to Joey. He almost fell down his chair. Kaiba was acting…nice and almost fatherly. What da heck is going on? Joey thought silently.

"What's wit the act…eh Kaiba?" Joey suddenly blurted out. Kaiba looked his way and said nothing. Eh… Joey thought. Where's da usual insult? This here is getting creepy.

"Okay…" Kari said accepting his hand. Joey just continued to look at them going back to Serenity's room and not somewhere else. He stood up from his chair and continued to put his eyes on them. He didn't trust Kaiba's new 'act'.

"I betta go an-"

"No Joey…" Mai said promptly while pulling him back to his chair. "Kaiba wouldn't just snatch Kari right out of the blue…if that's what you were thinking…"

"Ya can't trust dat guy…" Joey said while crossing his arms.

"Maybe not…but still. I think he's civil enough to bring her back into Serenity's room.

"Civil? He's da fuc- OUCH! Mai!" Joey started but was sharply cut off when Mai quickly bumped him in the ribs.

"Hush you dope. Matt's here…" Mai said quietly. Matt had heard her anyway and gave a small wave while taking a bite out of his muffin. "…You're a horrible influence…"

Joey groaned painfully while rubbing his ribs. "You got a mighty elbow there" Joey muttered.

She ignored him and continued. "…I wouldn't be surprised if he said a swear word right now"

Joey gave her a goofy smile while she smacked him once more.

"What are we going to talk about?" Kari said her voice muffled up slightly by a donut. She had managed to take one.

"You, me, your mom…" Kaiba stated simply. He had no other way of saying it.

"Oh…well what's there to talk about? You and mom get back together" she stated as innocently but she could but she knew herself it wouldn't be that simple. She just wanted to plant the idea in his head. To him it was wishful thoughts of an eight year old mind that greatly wanted her parents back together and she wanted him to think that way.

Serenity could hear their voices and Kari's last…comment. She knew Kari's idea and she dismissed it…for now. The door had opened and was closed soon after. Kaiba was still holding on to her hand. Serenity looked at them intently; it's as if they had known each other for a long time. She had noticed the true extent of Kari's resemblance to Kaiba; they were identical, chestnut hair, radiant mysterious cobalt eyes, and a defiant personality mixed up with hers.

"So…" Kari stated breaking the silence. She had walked trudged Kaiba's hand to follow her and he did. He sat in down in a chair that was beside Serenity and Kari pouted, a face saying 'no fair'. He picked her up, reading the expression on her face and sat her down on his lap. Again, the picture surprised Serenity and it made her uncomfortable. Kaiba was already taking into perspective that she was already his and he could whatever he wanted with her, in her viewpoint. Kari didn't mind what Kaiba did. She enjoyed his company. "…are…we a family?" Again, Kari was trying to plant the idea in both of their hard headed minds.

"Huh" Serenity and Kaiba said in unison.

"No"

"No"

"Absolutely not"

"Ditto"

Kari had fought of the urge to snicker. Their hasty answers and expression was amusing to her. "Then what are we? I want to see both of you." Kari said firmly holding back her laughs. "This isn't much of a discussion you know" she muttered quietly, being serious now.

Serenity sighed mentally and knew that she was right. But she didn't know where to start. Kaiba sighed, leaning his elbow against the table stand beside Serenity. "Do you…want to…spend the rest of your trip in…our place?" Kaiba asked, both of them and not only Serenity.

"Really…" Kari said looking at him. He nodded in response.

"But…you have to…decide…to" Kaiba said directing the question at Serenity.

"Please mom!" Kari whined and urged.

"I'm not sure…" Serenity meekly replied. "This situation…is going to fast…" she added.

"How?" Kaiba asked. "You can rest on your leg, Kari and I can spend more time with each other..." he said trailing off. He knew it was going fast and like Kari he was trying to plant the idea in her head. Great minds think alike…

"It's not that simple. What happens after, after my trip is over?" Serenity asked. She had realized that this is what she wanted to talk about.

"I can fly back and forth during the summer!" Kari answered.

"Too complicated…" Serenity replied and Kaiba agreed.

"The maybe you can move here mom" Kari said, coming up yet with another solution.

"What about your uncle and aunt? And your only cousin?" Serenity replied back.

This battle was all pro and con, pro being Kari and con being Serenity.

"Can't they come here? They can find new jobs!" Kari this being her last resort.

"I don't think they would like that. Their work is in America"

"Just out of curiosity…" Kaiba interrupted. "…What is their field?"

"Mai is a fashion designer and Joey is an architect" Serenity muttered back.

"Didn't know he was capable of doing something like that. Especially when he is-"

"Zip it" Serenity interrupted sharply. She knew that he was going give a smart remark about him. Kaiba stopped and gave a small smirk. She rolled his eyes at him instead before shooting off her mouth at him. She had a small part of Joey's personality in her even though she seemed harmless and innocent.

"Maybe I can find a suitable place for them to work" Kaiba said, saving his remarks for later.

"Even if you found one, Joey would probably decline" she said positively.

"Damn right I would!" Joey said entering the room. He had heard…eavesdropped on their conversation.All three looked at him and Kaiba then turned his face away. Kari looked away soon after, dismay filling her face. This wasn't going to work after all. She would be separated from her either one of them. She wished that they could put their stupid differences aside and compromise peacefully. They were starting to but in the end it doesn't even matter because they would be so far away from one another.

"Then…can't you move to America…" she asked softly to Kaiba cocking her head to face him. All eyes were on him even Joey's. Kaiba was taken aback by this.

"I'd have to talk…with your uncle. I mean…he has a life… and a girlfriend here and…"

"Basically Kari, he won't move cause he got dat big stinkin' company of his …" Joey finished.

"We were doing just fine without you…" he said. He had the urge to mouth him off, but instead he replaced it with a calm statement.

"You're jus' afraid ta admit dat its true" Joey said challenging him.

"You don't know shit about me so I suggest you keep shut. Besides I have a company in the U.S. too. Its located in California…" he said muttering the last part. A part of him was starting to get irritated, thus resulting to his remark.

Kari looked up at him with hope in her eyes. Serenity looked at him, glaring because he had cussed in front of her- their daughter. But she wasn't really surprised when he had said this, it didn't matter what with all the obscenities Joey said. But she preferred him not to cuss in front of her.

"Eh…your lying. I woulda known. I live there"

"Really..." Kaiba said calmly.

"Yeah really" Joey growled.

"Its under construction but it should be running in a few months" Kaiba continued.

"Sooooooooooooo…dat means dat you would move?" Joey fired back.

"I would have to get Mokuba's endorsement…"

"And if Mokuba said yes…then…you would move?" Joey wasn't about to give up. He wanted Kaiba to be stuck with a decision like this, proving to all that he cared more about his company than people. Kaiba had proven this fact nine years ago.

A pause…followed by complete silence…

"Would you…" Kari asked, her eyes begging him to say yes.

"Depends…"

"Heh…whatever" Joey said, positive that Kaiba would do no such thing.

"Lets get back to the present then I guess," Serenity said. "Kari…"

"Hmm…" Kari asked turning to her.

"What do you want to do?"

"You mean right now? Can I take up dad's offer?"

Kaiba was taken aback by her statement. Dad…she had called him dad. He felt a warm fuzzy feeling being active once more. It had been dormant over the years, but Kari had made it active again, just as Serenity did. He savored it for awhile before brushing it off and getting back to reality.

"W-Well…" Serenity started.

"You are welcome too" he said interrupting her. "…and your…brother" he added, spitting it out.

"It would be da last thing I'd do..."

"Suit yourself..." Kaiba said calmly. "Then you…?" he said asking Serenity once more.

"Please mom…" Kari half whined half begged (mostly whined) at her. Serenity looked at her eyes, she never saw them so pleading. Reluctantly, she gave in. I owe it to her…she thought. If it's a mistake…then let it be a mistake. It doesn't matter; I'd made a lot of mistakes, one of them keeping Kari away from Kaiba.

"YES!" Kari shouted jumping of Kaiba's lap and onto her bed. She made sure she hadn't hurt her mother and gave her a hug which Serenity returned smiling feebly. "I love you!" Kari muttered while Serenity saying the same.

"Great…" Kaiba said rubbing his legs. It wasn't because Kari was heavy but because he hadn't had someone sit on his lap for awhile; Mokuba had outgrown him. "I'll arrange your arrangements and I'll send someone to pick up your stuff later"

"Eh 'Ren…you actually gonna live with him da rest of the trip!" Joey exclaimed.

She sighed. "I owe it to Kari…"

"Dat jerk could hurt you"

She looked at Kaiba who gazed at her in return. She turned away. "Kari could stop him, right honey?"

"Stop what?" Kari said oblivious to what they had talked about.

"Nevermind…"

"I'm going home...I'll send a limo later on" he said as he stood up. His legs felt numb and he had the urge to stretch but he shoved it past him. "Bye Kari" he said trying to stifle up a yawn. He stopped. "I can take her right now-"

"No thanks" Serenity said cutting him off.

Kaiba then looked at Joey and Joey growled in return.

"What you looking at moneybags?"

"You can still take the offer…" Kaiba said walking out the door.

"I'd rather live in a rat's hole"

"Y-…nevermind" he said, deciding not to say it. Besides, it was to easy.

"What you got something ta say…come on... out with it!"

Kaiba ignored him and walked out the door.

"Dat's right rich boy-"

"Uncle Joey, don't you think that's enough?" Kari said interrupting his rants.

"Uh…" he felt foolish now for ranting. "I guess your right…" he said. Kari stood up.

"I'm going to go to the cafeteria" Kari announced as she left the door.

"Now 'Ren…I still don' think its safe to stay in his mansion"

"Maybe not…but from what he was saying today, I want to see if he'll keep his word"

"Word? What word?"

"He said he wanted to be a father..."

"Hah! He cans neva be a father…"

"We'll see…"

They were silent and Joey looked like he was struggling with himself to say something.

"Is something wrong?"

"Uh…I'll…stay with Kaiba…but only cause I want to protect you…"he said saying the last part quickly.

She chuckled lightly at his comment. "All right…time for me to get off this bed…"

(A/n: I'm done! Yay! It took me an hour to finish cause I made myself think. Your probably thinking that its easy to come up with what I wrote, but I wanted to make it detailed enough.

(1) I just made that part up. Not sure if it's real.