~Jem's POV~

I watched them pull up and I began to step forward. The doorman of my building opened the door and nodded, but never said anything to me as I passed. I found this acceptable.

Jude was driving, tossing his cigarette to the street. I had agreed to spend my spring break touring with them, as I knew it would mean the absolute world to my brother. Sam and Declan hopped out. Declan turned, moving things to make room. Sam, of course, came straight to me with his arms open.

"No," I stated, folding my arms.

"Yeah, yeah. I 'forgot.' You don't give hugs. You won't hug me, or Declan-" Sam began.

"I'll hug Declan," I replied, purposefully being spiteful. And I did. It was easy, now that I had gotten close. He loosely hugged me back with one arm, his mind on his task. "But he's the only one I'll hug because he has Stacey. God only knows where you other two have been-"

"Actually, Stacey dumped him. We just took him to a strip club for lunch," Jude answered casually, adjusting his mirror before moving on to light a new cigarette.

"Ew." I pulled back, now feeling grimy.

As I climbed in I stopped my brother. "Jude, please don't light that. You know how I am about those."

Now caught, he stashed it away. "Yeah, yeah..." he lamented, starting the van.

As Sam piled into the back with the somewhat melancholy Declan, he thought aloud, "Hey, maybe Jemmie can enlighten us as to why Stacey left. You know, being a girl and all."

Jude just laughed as he peeled out into traffic. I instinctively grabbed onto the handle on the door. "Why? She doesn't understand anything about girls. In fact she'll probably be more lost than you are."

"That's true," I confirmed, though my mind was more engaged by my worries about what I was getting myself into.

~Seto's POV~

"Let me know when any Egyptian God cards are played," I instructed sternly before I turned to leave my control base. Battle City had only just begun, and Mokuba and I were leaving, finally making it out to the streets. I was extremely smug, all of my hard work was paying off. It was only a matter of time now.

"Seto," I heard Mokuba begin. He shifted my briefcase, bringing it to hold in both hands as we worked our way through my building.

"What is it?" I asked, only lending half of my attention to him.

"I just have to ask, why do you have your girl employees wear those uniforms, I mean with the wig and everything?" he asked.

"Because they're all the same. Those uniforms seem to help remind them that they're nothing special." It would probably be a while before the other two Egyptian God cards were played. This gave me time to test Obelisk on a real opponent.

Mokuba's eyes widened and he nodded slowly, not looking at me and not seeming to have the same take on my employees. Mokuba was what people would call a good person. He probably would have at least given them the privilege of being individuals. I didn't care though, and he knew it was pointless to try to talk to me about it any further.

He was silent, and I thought the conversation was over, until, "Jem didn't seem to be all the same to you." This did tear the majority of my attention from me. "I know you have a lot happening, but since we're talking about it anyway- You had her, Seto. I know you like her, and I know you know you'd be compatible, why are you being so defiant? I mean-" Mokuba let go of the briefcase with one hand, allowing it to swing heavily to one side. "Going off what I saw when she came over that night to help me, I'd say yeah, you could get her back if you wanted, but if you keep waiting, it'll take twice the time and effort that it did the first time," Mokuba finished, countering my unacknowledged reasoning. "I'm just saying."

We finally reached the door to the street. I ignored everything he just said, and ordered, "Give me my suitcase, I have some duels to win."

~Jude's POV~

My buddy's eyes bolted open as we entered the lobby. "Damn, Jude. I like traveling with your sister. This is sweet. How come you never pay for shit like this, bro?" Sam asked.

"Because I'm an asshole," I answered as I approached the desk. The woman behind it almost succeeded in hiding her impressions of us, clearly thinking we didn't belong in a five-star hotel. I might have come from a rich family, but I certainly didn't play the part. The lady got herself together real quick though.

"How can I help you gentlemen, today?" she asked politely.

I leaned on the counter, tapping my sister's card on the marble. "Ah, yeah, I believe we have a suite booked. I called earlier, the name is Jude Cecil." Sam and Declan wandered around while I handled the business, entertaining themselves with the brochures.

She consulted her desktop. "Do you have the card you used when you booked us with you?" she asked.

I caught the card between my index and pointer finger and extended it to her. "Right here."

She took it and ran it. A minute later she was handing me the card and several keys and insisting that I enjoy my stay. As I turned I whistled to get the boys' attention. They heard and started to wander back to the van to get our shit. I didn't wait for them. Jemmie was, of course, waiting it out in the car. I went straight to her door and opened it up, leaning a hand over the frame.

"Here you go. Coast is clear," I informed, handing her back her card. As she took it, I heard and felt the harsh slide of the side door. Sam and Declan started to claim bags as she tucked the card away.

I stood back and she slid out, turning and stepping out of the way, ready to claim her bag. I shut the door behind her.

"Don't worry, babe," Sam told her as he claimed her bag as well. "I've gotcha."

Her form sank, clearly not stoked on this, but he wasn't giving it back to her. Declan shut up the car and locked it, and we were on our way.

Jemmie walked in the middle, feeling safer that way. She always looked much preppier now, no color streaks in her hair, wrist bands, or black clothes. She was more chic and feminine in skirts and lace, in no way blending in with us. The woman who checked us in glanced back up, seeing my sister. You could tell she then understood why we were there. Jemmie was at a whole other level than us, and I had come to accept that. This only made me happier that she was joining us, and was only one more reason Sam wouldn't be stepping foot in her room. I reached out, tearing her bag from his shoulder while he was off guard. He turned to me, but seeing what was happening, didn't dare challenge it. This made Jemmie smile, only causing me to do the same.

Chapter: Break from the City

This sensation, it was different from what I felt with Jem. This girl in my vision, I cared about her.