Hope you liked the last chapter. Sorry for all the cliffhangers! This fic
just kind of lends itself to that. I miss Seth as much as all the rest of
ya, I promise! He'll be back next Seto POV chapter. Yes, new POV! This
is . . . *drum roll*
JOEY'S POV// JOEY'S POV// JOEY'S POV// JOEY'S POV// JOEY'S POV
****
I raced to the door at the sound of the car pull up, not ready to believe what I had seen. First and foremost, Serenity was finally home. I'd been worried sick all afternoon. Just a few more hours and I would have called the police.
I maintained my composure as I reached for the doorknob. I wasn't going to be an idiot, playing off the drama of the moment. Especially not if HE was here. Should it bother me that my sister, my only sister, my younger sister was coming home about four hours late from school with Seto Kaiba, of all people?
Common sense told me that it definitely should.
Possible emotions and reactions raced through my head. Should I be mad she was home so late, or happy that she was home at all? I didn't know especially how I should treat Seto Kaiba. I certainly don't trust him, we all know that. But should I trust her to have a good reason for all of this?
They were nearing the front door. I watched as they walked down the driveway. Something seemed . . . wrong. He seemed almost paler than usually, and looked a little weak. She walked very close to him, like he wouldn't have been able to stand up on his own.
Something very fishy was definitely going on here.
They reached the end of the sidewalk. Slowly opening the door, I stood there. I really didn't know what emotion was evident at the time. I'd had so many thoughts in the last few minutes, or for that matter . . . seconds.
"Joey, I can explain, just give me a few minutes," she said pleadingly. I stepped out of the way. They walked to the living room, and I slowly followed. Kaiba kept his head down. He didn't want to see me any more than I did him.
I walked in and sat down in a small recliner in the corner. He sat on the couch. Serenity had apparently run off to the kitchen to get something. I was, by this time, extremely anticipating an explanation from either of them. He still kept his head down. I didn't care.
Serenity walked back in with a small plastic bag full of ice. She handed it to Kaiba, who put it against his cheek, which I had noticed by this point was a nasty shade of grayish purple.
"I called Mokuba and told him what happened," she said, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Thanks," he said.
She next looked toward me, with a gaze that was somewhere between the bounds of guilt and worry. I didn't know what she was going to say, but whatever it was, I knew I wanted to hear it.
"I'm sorry, Joey, for not giving you an explanation sooner. If anybody deserves one, it's you. You see, it all started when I was walking home from school. These four guys grabbed me, and pulled me into some back alley," she started.
"They started asking me questions, like, about you, Joey. They wanted to know what I knew about something, and said they were acquaintances of yours. They were scary, sort of, and wore mostly black. They started saying things like you owed them a lot of money. One had a knife." I wondered where this story was going.
"The guy with the knife reached for my hand, but about that time, Seto got there. He saved my life, Joey."
This was too much, but explained a lot. After beating up three or four people, one armed even, anybody would look that bad, or worse. I didn't know what to say. It was even harder now to know how to act towards Kaiba. I had realized that Serenity was referring to him as 'Seto'. It was a little unnerving.
"He has a little of a fever from overheat and exertion, but will be okay," she explained. "Seto, Mokuba says that it's okay with him if you want to stay over here tonight. I think it's a good idea, personally. You should minimize movement until you've totally recovered."
Great. Now my worst enemy is staying at my house. It couldn't get much worse than this. I shrugged. I didn't think my opinion on the situation was going to be regarded to too much of an extent, anyways. I hadn't been able to get a word in since they got here.
"I doubt any of us have eaten yet, and there's not much here. Wanna order pizza?" I asked. It was the only thing I could think of to break the ominous silence. Besides, I was starved.
"Good idea, Joey," smiled Serenity. "I'll call. I know you like pepperoni, and I like mushroom. We could get an extra-large and divide it three ways. Seto, what do you want on your third?"
"I'll just have cheese," he replied shrugging.
"Okay, I'll go call. There's a few coupons on the fridge, right?" she asked. I nodded. "Good. Joey, there's a few spare sheets in the guest room closet. Go ahead and pull them out. I'll be up in a few to help make up the guest bed."
"Sure thing, Sis," I replied, headed up the stairs. I took them two or three at a time. Definitely saved time. I got to the top, and hung a left.
I walked into the guest room and stood on my tip toes to get the sheets off the top shelf. I unfolded the dark blue sheets. They were soft from years of wear. I thought for a few minutes.
This was definitely nothing like what he was used to. It was a double bed, facing a window to the backyard. It was a nice view, with some nice trees. There were a few pictures on the wall, which was painted a light beige color. It was a comforting, 'home sweet home' look. I liked it, and didn't see how someone couldn't. Who knows.
I heard Serenity coming up the stairs, and took the fitted sheet out of the pile.
"Hey Joey," she smiled, taking a side of the sheet. "I called the place near us. They said they'd have it here in about thirty minutes. I thought we could have kind of a pizza party. It'll be fun."
"Sounds cool," I replied.
"I hope you don't mind Seto staying here tonight," she said. I looked up.
"I know he saved you, and that was really brave and all, but I don't see what you see in him. He's so cold and uptight all the time," I said.
"Not all the time, Joey, and there's a second side to him. He's really sweet, and understanding, just a little lost. If either of us had been through what he had, we'd probably be like that too," she explained.
"We had a really hard childhood too," I reminded.
"I know, Joey, but at least we had our parents still. He had to grow up all alone, and raised Mokuba on top of everything else."
To be honest, I had never really thought of it that way. I mean, I'd spent all this time blaming him for the way he was, when none of it was really his fault. And he had saved Serenity's life. I wish I had been there. Then I could have done it, so I wouldn't feel like I had to like him. It never would have happened had I been there.
We got the bed fitted with sheets, and the cover turned. It looked really nice. A few strategically placed throw pillows really did something for the look of a place. She gave me a warm smile, and we walked downstairs. She put on some music, namely the Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack. I didn't remember her having seen that movie, but whatever.
Thanks to Serenity, maybe this wouldn't be the worst night of my life after all.
JOEY'S POV// JOEY'S POV// JOEY'S POV// JOEY'S POV// JOEY'S POV
****
I raced to the door at the sound of the car pull up, not ready to believe what I had seen. First and foremost, Serenity was finally home. I'd been worried sick all afternoon. Just a few more hours and I would have called the police.
I maintained my composure as I reached for the doorknob. I wasn't going to be an idiot, playing off the drama of the moment. Especially not if HE was here. Should it bother me that my sister, my only sister, my younger sister was coming home about four hours late from school with Seto Kaiba, of all people?
Common sense told me that it definitely should.
Possible emotions and reactions raced through my head. Should I be mad she was home so late, or happy that she was home at all? I didn't know especially how I should treat Seto Kaiba. I certainly don't trust him, we all know that. But should I trust her to have a good reason for all of this?
They were nearing the front door. I watched as they walked down the driveway. Something seemed . . . wrong. He seemed almost paler than usually, and looked a little weak. She walked very close to him, like he wouldn't have been able to stand up on his own.
Something very fishy was definitely going on here.
They reached the end of the sidewalk. Slowly opening the door, I stood there. I really didn't know what emotion was evident at the time. I'd had so many thoughts in the last few minutes, or for that matter . . . seconds.
"Joey, I can explain, just give me a few minutes," she said pleadingly. I stepped out of the way. They walked to the living room, and I slowly followed. Kaiba kept his head down. He didn't want to see me any more than I did him.
I walked in and sat down in a small recliner in the corner. He sat on the couch. Serenity had apparently run off to the kitchen to get something. I was, by this time, extremely anticipating an explanation from either of them. He still kept his head down. I didn't care.
Serenity walked back in with a small plastic bag full of ice. She handed it to Kaiba, who put it against his cheek, which I had noticed by this point was a nasty shade of grayish purple.
"I called Mokuba and told him what happened," she said, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Thanks," he said.
She next looked toward me, with a gaze that was somewhere between the bounds of guilt and worry. I didn't know what she was going to say, but whatever it was, I knew I wanted to hear it.
"I'm sorry, Joey, for not giving you an explanation sooner. If anybody deserves one, it's you. You see, it all started when I was walking home from school. These four guys grabbed me, and pulled me into some back alley," she started.
"They started asking me questions, like, about you, Joey. They wanted to know what I knew about something, and said they were acquaintances of yours. They were scary, sort of, and wore mostly black. They started saying things like you owed them a lot of money. One had a knife." I wondered where this story was going.
"The guy with the knife reached for my hand, but about that time, Seto got there. He saved my life, Joey."
This was too much, but explained a lot. After beating up three or four people, one armed even, anybody would look that bad, or worse. I didn't know what to say. It was even harder now to know how to act towards Kaiba. I had realized that Serenity was referring to him as 'Seto'. It was a little unnerving.
"He has a little of a fever from overheat and exertion, but will be okay," she explained. "Seto, Mokuba says that it's okay with him if you want to stay over here tonight. I think it's a good idea, personally. You should minimize movement until you've totally recovered."
Great. Now my worst enemy is staying at my house. It couldn't get much worse than this. I shrugged. I didn't think my opinion on the situation was going to be regarded to too much of an extent, anyways. I hadn't been able to get a word in since they got here.
"I doubt any of us have eaten yet, and there's not much here. Wanna order pizza?" I asked. It was the only thing I could think of to break the ominous silence. Besides, I was starved.
"Good idea, Joey," smiled Serenity. "I'll call. I know you like pepperoni, and I like mushroom. We could get an extra-large and divide it three ways. Seto, what do you want on your third?"
"I'll just have cheese," he replied shrugging.
"Okay, I'll go call. There's a few coupons on the fridge, right?" she asked. I nodded. "Good. Joey, there's a few spare sheets in the guest room closet. Go ahead and pull them out. I'll be up in a few to help make up the guest bed."
"Sure thing, Sis," I replied, headed up the stairs. I took them two or three at a time. Definitely saved time. I got to the top, and hung a left.
I walked into the guest room and stood on my tip toes to get the sheets off the top shelf. I unfolded the dark blue sheets. They were soft from years of wear. I thought for a few minutes.
This was definitely nothing like what he was used to. It was a double bed, facing a window to the backyard. It was a nice view, with some nice trees. There were a few pictures on the wall, which was painted a light beige color. It was a comforting, 'home sweet home' look. I liked it, and didn't see how someone couldn't. Who knows.
I heard Serenity coming up the stairs, and took the fitted sheet out of the pile.
"Hey Joey," she smiled, taking a side of the sheet. "I called the place near us. They said they'd have it here in about thirty minutes. I thought we could have kind of a pizza party. It'll be fun."
"Sounds cool," I replied.
"I hope you don't mind Seto staying here tonight," she said. I looked up.
"I know he saved you, and that was really brave and all, but I don't see what you see in him. He's so cold and uptight all the time," I said.
"Not all the time, Joey, and there's a second side to him. He's really sweet, and understanding, just a little lost. If either of us had been through what he had, we'd probably be like that too," she explained.
"We had a really hard childhood too," I reminded.
"I know, Joey, but at least we had our parents still. He had to grow up all alone, and raised Mokuba on top of everything else."
To be honest, I had never really thought of it that way. I mean, I'd spent all this time blaming him for the way he was, when none of it was really his fault. And he had saved Serenity's life. I wish I had been there. Then I could have done it, so I wouldn't feel like I had to like him. It never would have happened had I been there.
We got the bed fitted with sheets, and the cover turned. It looked really nice. A few strategically placed throw pillows really did something for the look of a place. She gave me a warm smile, and we walked downstairs. She put on some music, namely the Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack. I didn't remember her having seen that movie, but whatever.
Thanks to Serenity, maybe this wouldn't be the worst night of my life after all.