DarkHope: Yep, I'm gonna try to still keep it. I think I'll be able to update smoothly now..thanks for the concern.
xXRoseGoddess874Xx: Yep, who doesn't want Seto and Serenity to be toghether. :) I'll try to get on it...
KiWingz: Can't wait for Kari's b-day either.
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Seto'sfan001: Yes Serenity's being hot headed but that's what's keeping the story going. :)
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Nine Years
Chapter Nineteen: Neutral Fortuity
He quietly walked through the hallways, wanting not to intrude anyone's sleep. It was around an hour till midnight. He had returned from his date, one he called proposal date. He grinned wolfishly, remembering how it went. Quietly he reached his room and pulled out his key; he didn't want the kids now living here going through his stuff.
"Hello!"
Startled, he turned around at the cheerful greeting, dropping his keys in the process. He quickly bent down and retrieved but she instead picked it up, giving him a bright smile.
"Here" she said handing it to him.
"Thanks" Mokuba murmured. He frowned. "What are you doing up so late? I don't think your mom would like that" he chastised.
"I was just getting a drink of water!" she protested, pouting. She crossed her arms. He stared at her eyes, they were void of sleep. She was wide awake.
"It's not safe to be wandering out here this late"
"Why?" she inquired.
"You'll get lost"
She shrugged. "I'll find my way…" she trailed off. She headed towards the steps, him reluctantly following after her. "What are you doing up so late?" she asked smirking; she expected him to follow.
He frowned. "Hey I can be up as late as I want to be. You however have a bedtime"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, grown ups who stay up late aren't responsible in the morning" she now reprimanded, wagging her index finger for emphasis.
"Oh…and how would you know?"
"Mommy told me"
He smirked. She was way beyond mature for her age. He admired that.
They arrived at the kitchen and she reached for a glass heading towards the fridge.
"I thought you wanted water"
She shrugged and pulled out a carton of milk and went to the counter. "I change my mind. I'm hungry"
He chuckled at her antics. Obviously she didn't want to go to bed. "Aren't you sleepy?"
"No" she truthfully answered. She shrugged. "I'm just not… sleepy"
"Hm…too much caffeine?" he inquired. He accepted the Oreo she offered.
"Maybe…" She took a bite of her cookie.
"Well then as long as we're up I want to talk to you"
"About what?"
"Well we haven't really gotten to know each other ever since you got here. You're sorta part of my life now"
"I guess…" she trailed off.
He pouted. "It looks like you don't want to be"
Quickly she interjected. "No, no! Nothing like that! It's just…I have… other things in my mind" she said quietly, looking down at her plate.
He smiled, having an idea what mind it be. "Your parents?"
She looked up at him and nodded.
"That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about" he said satisfyingly.
Morning…
He groaned when feeling the impact of something heavy yet light. He opened an eye and turned over, dropping her in the process.
"MORNING TIME!" She screamed in a sing song voice. He sat up, running a hand through his cluttered hair. He saw her grinning toothily. She pulled his hand but failed, much to her dismay. "Everyone is awake but yoooou…and mom" she added quietly.
"Hm…my alarm clock was supposed to go off…" he mumbled quietly to himself after seeing the digital readout. "Go bug your mother then Kari…" Kaiba muttered plopping back down. Even if the clock worked he thought to himself that he would just go back to sleep, due to yesterdays exhausting events.
Her face fell and it looked like she was about to cry. "You…You…don't want me here. You think I'm a pest" she said, her eyes glazed with water. He cocked his head at her, arching an eyebrow.
"Come on Kari, you know I love you" he murmured, closing his eyes.
She frowned and narrowed her eyes, Kaiba style. "If you loved me then you would wake up!" She began pounding at his back while he smirked. The effect was doing nothing but massaging his bare back.
"To the left…" he murmured. She heard this and gave a final pound. That hurt. He quickly sat up, dropping her in the process. Quickly she scrambled to her feet and ran for the door, sensing irritation radiating off him but he was faster. He scooped her up in his arms and started ruffling her hair with the back of his fist. He grinned as she squirmed in his arms but to no avail.
"Hey stop! That took me an hour to brush you know…I have very thick hair!" she protested.
He let her down and headed towards the bathroom. "That should teach you a lesson about being disrespectful" he muttered.
She frowned. "Sleeping for more then eight hours is a bad habit!" she yelled.
"Really…you should think about your words" he replied. She crossed her arms, pouting, reminiscing about yesterday's morning. Stupid maid…she thought. Blabbermouth… She hated admitting it but she was being a hypocrite.
She sighed and left his room being greeted with Mokuba.
"Your mom's awake" he informed her. "What about your dad?"
"It took some time but he's awake" she replied.
"Good, let's go"
"Hey how was your proposal Uncle Mokuba?"
He looked at her puzzled. She never really did call him Uncle Mokuba until now. The title felt strange and foreign yet he felt proud at the same time to be bestowed with it. He gave a triumphant smirk.
"Went well" he said reminiscing when Rebecca squealed with joy, jumping at him all the while. He winced when remembering the unbalanced fall. The pain was far from gone.
"Best of luck" she said smiling.
"Thanks"
They arrived, everyone seated except Kaiba and Serenity. They went ahead and started not really bothering to wait up for them.
"We're leaving tomorrow" one of Serenity's associates said, directing it to Joey. The other four nodded in comply. "We just wanted to know if Serenity's leaving with us."
"Does she really have too?" Mai asked.
"No not really since we already made the deal. All we have to do is give the contracts to our boss and its vacation time!" Josh answered. He gave a heartwarming smile to Mai who instead scoffed quietly.
"Ask her den when she comes" Joey growled, seeing the playboy smile. He hated the guy, not just now but from before. He was a copy of Duke Devlin except Devlin managed to shed that personality after maturing further. "Most likely we'll all go back"
Kaiba lumbered down the steps, keeping quiet all the while. He never felt this exhausted, probably because it came from the all-nighter he pulled last night and from spending time with Kari. He really blamed his all-nighter, however. Spending time with Kari wasn't a tiring thing to him.
'I need caffeine…'
He quickly strode over to the coffee pot, stifling a yawn. He turned around and met with all the people that were sitting down for breakfast. He cringed his nose. He still wasn't getting used to having a motel in his house. He just wish they would get out already, excluding Kari…and Serenity.
"Come and sit!" Kari chirped. Groaning silently to himself he sat in an empty chair.
"You look horrible…as usual" Joey commented emitting a snide grin. Mai scowled at him and he retreated to his breakfast.
Kaiba ignored the comment and started eating.
"Wow…what's gotten into you? I expected an insult but all I get is silence. Hah cool!"
"Joey!" Mai scolded.
"Savor your moment mutt because it won't last" Kaiba muttered while Kari frowned.
Joey's brow twitched. What did he just say? M-U-T-T. The four letter word Joseph Wheeler absolutely despised. He even hated the words that were related to it; Dog, puppy, and so forth.
He stood up, chair falling. "What'd you say!" he roared.
All eyes were on him, Mai doing nothing but just groaned. Why did her husband have to have a hotheaded quality? And why did Kaiba still have to continue the insults? But as she thought back of it…really it was Joey who started their little battle this morning. She sighed, going back to eating her breakfast for she was used to Joey's barbaric words, complaints as well as his humiliation.
"Really now, is this a way to set an example for your kid and niece? Tsk, tsk, tsk…" Kaiba chastised. He was calm and cool, much to Joey's dismay. He lifted the chair and sat back down again, grumbling. He glanced Kaiba's way, seeing the wide, snide, smirk now in his face.
Kari sighed quietly, Mokuba chuckling in his throat. The technique Kaiba used was much similar to Kari's. Those two were replicas of each other, Serenity's personality butting in now and then. In moments Serenity arrived, flushing with embarrassment when all eyes were on her.
"Sorry…" she mumbled. She spotted and empty space and frowned at the people she would have to wheel her chair in between; Josh and Kaiba. Mokuba and Kari exchanged glances. They slapped each other's hands underneath the table.
Sighing inwardly she sat next to them. She didn't mind Kaiba's presence, yet she did at the same time. Kaiba role as a father to Kari was actually pretty good and pleasing to her. She never saw Kari so cheerful before, even though they spent time for at least a day or two. They acted like they had knew each other for years.
She was particularly amazed at Kaiba's role. He acted so…naturally, as if he was born to be a father, which was really surprising. I guess him raising Mokuba came back to him at full force when he heard that Kari belonged to him also.
She frowned, she didn't mind him spending time with Kari but that still didn't change matters between them. Some part of her mind nagged her about him using Kari but she dismayed the thought just as quickly as it would come. She would kill him if he did. Kari had wanted so long to actually have a little father/daughter time and if he screwed it up in anyway…
"Serenity" Josh called out. She snapped out of her reverie and turned to him blankly. "We're leaving tomorrow. Deals been done and we're shipping out tomorrow. Just wanted to know if you were gonna be coming…"
Kaiba heard this and became intrigued.
"Um…" she trailed off. She turned her attention to Kari who looked at her pleadingly.
"We're staying!" Kari piped in.
"No we ain't!" Joey quickly intervened. "Hah…I've had enough of dis guy ova here" Joey said, jerking a thumb and Kaiba.
"Um obviously there are some family issues here so we'll be going upstairs to pack. Let us know you're decision Serenity" Josh said quickly, standing up. The rest of the workers nodded following his path. Shaila too followed them after receiving a slight nudge from Mai.
Kari frowned and turned to her family again after they left. "YES. WE. ARE!" she shrieked. Kaiba looked up from his plate and looked at Kari. She looked at Kaiba sheepishly. "That is…if you let us…" she said, directing it at Kaiba.
"Of course" Kaiba mumbled. Kari smiled brightly.
Now that Kaiba looked at Kari and witnessed her anger, it reminded him of Joey's anger. He shuddered. She may have his smarts in her but she definitely has Joey and Serenity's temper…mostly Joey's. I guess she really earned it for living with him for about nine years.
"You can go Uncle Joey"
Mai giggled, Serenity joining. She raised a spoiled brat, a smart brat but nonetheless spoiled. Joey grumbled.
"Who says you get to make the decisions eh? Leave the grownups to this Kari"
Kari rolled her eyes. "Oh please…no offence Uncle Joey but you're more of a kid than a grown up"
Kaiba chuckled, everyone else going through fits of laughter. This whole breakfast was turning out to be amusing.
That's my kid…Kaiba thought proudly, smirking.
"Say what! Serenity say something!" Joey looked at Mai sternly. "My own wife…" he shook his head.
She stopped abruptly. "Oh hun I'm sorry…but it's true!" She chuckled softly. Joey flushed, face completely red by now. He crossed his arms and pouted.
"Oh come on mom please? You're on vacation after this!" Kari said turning towards Serenity.
Joey looked over Serenity's way giving her a look that said I-don't-trust-him, referring to Kaiba. Kari noticed this and frowned. She opened her mouth to say something but stopped, knowing that she was close to her bounderies.
It actually surprised her that her mother didn't say anything to her; she would've been grounded by now. She concluded that her mother's quietness was coming from the awkwardness from being around her father. She smiled; she liked the advantages she got from being around the Kaiba manor.
She gave up…for now and presumed eating her breakfast. She heard a sneeze coming opposite of her, a cough joining.
"You okay hun?" Mai asked with concern, directing it to her son.
"Yeah f—ahcoo!" He began but a sneeze cut in with his reply.
Joey frowned. "You don't look fine. You catching something?"
"Maybe" Matt said, in a nasal-ish voice. Mai put a hand on his forehead, her eyes brimming with worry. "Mom I'm fine—"
"Hush! You have a fever. I want you to go straight to bed…now!" Mai reprimanded. Matt scowled and backed from his chair, heading to his room. "You have any medicine Kaiba?" Mai asked after he left.
"No…" he grunted in reply. Joey growled at his tone of voice. "We don't sick often" he added, when feeling an invisible glare coming from both Serenity and Kari.
"Come on Joey. We gotta find a drugstore…" Mai said dragging Joey off. Protests could be heard as well as shrills and shrieks coming from Mai as they left off.
Serenity was about to open her mouth but Joey was gone. She doubted that she would be able to catch up to him.
"What's wrong Serenity?" Mokuba asked when seeing her frown.
"I need a ride to the hospital. Joey was supposed to give me one but…" she trailed off. She suddenly perked up. "Hey! Can you give me a lift—"
"Bye Seto, Kari, Serenity!" Mokuba said running off. Kari looked at her uncle peculiarly and angrily. How rude! Kari thought. She frowned and glared at where he once sat. Suddenly she realized what Mokuba had done. She grinned, shaking her at the same time, realizing her stupidity. Mokuba had done that on purpose. Oh he was good at doing things/making things happen want to happen on the spot.
"Dad can give you a ride" Kari said to Serenity. She looked her way and frowned.
"I don't think so"
"Would you rather take the bus?" Kaiba said, joining the conversation.
"Yes" Serenity replied bitterly.
"Considering the morning traffic and activity, I say you don't have a chance of getting in a bus" Kaiba replied.
She crossed her arms and frowned, knowing he was right. She looked at him, expecting one of those famous smirks he gave out but found none. In fact, he was expressionless. "Fine…" she muttered.
"When is your appointment?" Kaiba asked.
She looked at her watch and her eyes widened. "Um…in thirty minutes" she replied, flushed.
He smirked. "Last time I saw you, you were organized" Kaiba replied as he stood up.
"Hey don't blow it" Kari harshly whispered, making sure Serenity didn't hear. She elbowed him and pulled out her mother's chair, pushing it. Kaiba blinked, skeptical of what she said.
"Excuse me?" Kaiba asked, still skeptical, but Kari ignored him and struggled to push her mother's chair.
"Hey Kari…I can do—" Serenity started but stopped when she actually was being pushed. She looked up but looked down again, seeing Kaiba push her. She blushed, hating the fact that he was looming over her by inches. He didn't seem to notice the change in her expression.
The brunette yawned, stretching her arms over her head as she did so. She looked drowsily at kitty clock that hung in the wall in front of her. It read nine thirty. Groaning she swung her legs and stood up, rubbing her achy back while heading towards her bathroom.
After all the necessities that was need to be done in there done, she got out and went to the kitchen and got out a bowl, spoon, milk, and cereal. She started eating her cereal slowly, still tired. She looked around her apartment and scowled. It was where scum would live. Theoretically she was, but still.
It was small, single space that she had managed to find. No furniture of decoration was there, only the kitty clock that hung in her bedroom. A plain table with four chairs was used as a lunch, breakfast, and dinner table. Though she really needed one chair for she ate alone every day and night. Every metal thing in her so called apartment was rusty; sink, faucets, and so forth. She had brought in some necessities of furniture; couches, nightstands, and etcetera. It was plain and ugly but she tried to not let these little things get to her.
She stood up after finishing her cereal and left it in the sink. A roach passed her by and she grimaced, disgusted. Not bothering to kill it she left the apartment locking it. Again she frowned from her surroundings. The outdoor part of the apartment was worse. The landlord didn't bother to clean or make this piece of junk look presentable. She walked out to the front, seeing dead, crusted flowers trying to regain their life. She crushed them with her foot, now seething at her lifestyle. Trying to not let her anger get the best of her, she continued onto her destination of finding a job. Thoughts of what it would be consumed her; a waitress…a prostitute? She shook her head, trying not to let these thoughts consume her. She would find an okay job with an okay salary.
A blank Sedan pulled up on the curb. She ignored them and continued walking to nowhere.
Three people approached from the car and one called out her name.
"Tea Gardner?" a female asked who was holding a file. She stopped and turned around meeting them. All but one was wearing long coats and was wearing dark rimmed sunglasses. The outcast one was wearing a vest and a hat and holding an oversized silver briefcase. She scoffed at their wear; it was as if they were trying to intimidate her.
"Who's asking" she replied with a hint of annoyance. They approached her and she showed no sign of fear but instead glared at them.
The women ignored her and flipped out her badge. The detective made no hesitation to get to the point, knowing very well that the brunette would play hard to get. "We have warrant to see your car"
Tea frowned. "On what charge?"
"The attempted murder of Serenity Wheeler" the other officer spoke, his tone copying his partner.
She shrugged. "I don't know a Serenity Wheeler" she replied innocently.
The female officer rolled her eyes. The male officer spoke, "Information has it that she testified against you about ten years back"
Tea had a pondering expression in her face before she replied, "Oh her"
"Show us your car. Now" the one with the vest spoke now. She narrowed her eyes, irritated with Tea's phony act of innocence.
"Of course" she replied. She acted so confident but inside she was well, scared. She scowled mentally. They arrived at the back lot of the apartment where her tan Honda was waiting for her. The three immediately looked that way, as if expecting it to be there.
"That's the one…it has to be" Officer Morimoto muttered to the one in the vest while she nodded. They approached the car and the vested one set off, opening her briefcase. She took out some gloves and a spray bottle, starting to spray it on the front part of Tea's car. Tea narrowed her eyes.
"What…what…what are you doing?" Tea asked. She hit herself mentally for stuttering.
"Our forensic friend, Kimiko Ayano is searching for blood" Officer Morimoto explained.
Tea looked at them skeptically. "What? I don't see red liquid do you?" Tea practically screamed at them.
Officer Morris rolled his eyes at her lack of knowledge. "Dried blood could be seen with this chemical" he explained.
Tea bit her lip but quickly stopped when seeing the two officer's smirk satisfyingly. She was done for; they had found her out. She could run away but what good would that do? They would find her like they did now and arrest her and sentence even more years for running away.
She could see blue prints of liquid shine of where the Ayano sprayed. She swabbed it.
"Blood" Ayano said, examining it.
"Find out whose blood and get a print of the tires"
"Why?" Tea asked.
"We found tire tracks at the scene and we just want to see if they match your car tires" Ayano explained. Tea frowned. She wished she could grab the gun that Morimoto had in her holster and shoot Ayano. Tea sighed, knowing she was doomed.
A/n: Chapter 19 done 20 on the way… Please review.