30 hours later they were in New Orleans. The weather was wet and rainy as she drove them out of town down a little country road into the town of Cordelia. She drove them to the outskirts of town to a small white farmhouse set up on a hill. The drive was long and lined with magnolia trees all in bloom. When they finally pulled up at the house she couldn't contain herself any longer. She put the car in park and jumped out into the rain without turning it off. "Chessy wait, Chess!" Seto called after her as he shut the car off and stepped out into the rain.

He caught up with her in a few strides and umbrella in hand. He covered her head as she walked quickly to the door. She knocked on the door and waited until it was opened. "Hey Daddy."

"Chessy! My girl!" The man yelled as he pulled her into a hug. Seto could tell they were both crying. "Maisie," her father called into the house. "Maisie come look who is here!" He pulled Chessy into the house and Seto followed quietly, closing the door behind them. Not wanting to ruin the reunion. There was a scream as an older woman came into the room and saw Chessy.

"Oh my baby. My sweet sweet girl." The woman enveloped her daughter into a sweeping bear hug and kissed her repeatedly. All three of them were crying as they slid into a heap on the floor.

Seto stood back, not knowing what to do except wait until they were done. Chessy was the first to gain her composure back wiping her eyes. She stood pulling the two older people up with her. "Mama, Daddy this is….."

"Seto Kaiba." Her mother finished and she looked at Chessy. "I would know that face anywhere. You used to have posters and pictures of him all around your room." Chessy's eyes got wide and Seto raised his eyebrow at her. "You had quite the crush on him at 14."

"Mama, this is my…"

"Boyfriend." Seto interrupted holding his hand out to her mother. She took his hand looking shocked.

"You love my baby?" Her father asked stepping up to Seto pushing his wife and daughter back. He stood a few inches shorter than the younger man.

"Daddy" she warned slowly. "He's not Macon. He brought me here to get me away from Macon." The older man held his hand out and Seto took it. "He knows everything." She said gently.

"Then you understand why I am being so particular and protective."

"Absolutely" Seto responded. "My goal is to keep your daughter safe and see Macon behind bars." Chessy yawned widely. "I think she needs to rest." Seto said, looking at her parents. "It's a 24 hour flight and she stayed up the whole time, too excited to sleep." He looked at his watch "so she's been up for about 36 hours."

"Of course! Go take a nap sweetheart. Your room is clean with fresh sheets." Her mother said sweetly.

Chessy reached back for his hand and he gave it. She pulled him to a back bedroom that took up the whole back of the house. "This is the room that Macon and I shared." She whispered as she closed the door. "I don't know if I can stay here." She began to hyperventilate.

"Chessy, breathe." Seto sat her down on the bed and got down on his knees in front of her, taking her hands in his. "Baby breathe. Slowly, in through your nose. Out through your mouth," he demonstrated for her. "We don't have to stay here. We can stay anywhere else."

"I need to stay here for my parents" she responded, breathing slowly. "Besides, what would be a better screw you to Macon than having sex in his bed." She gave him a sly smile and he chuckled. But he noticed that the smile did not reach her eyes.

"That's my girl. So, you've had a crush on me since 14 huh?" He rose up and put his hands on either side of her and met her eyes.

"I was 14, you were 25, you had just opened the office in New Orleans. I was already obsessed with your company and then I saw you on the street. You were so much more handsome in person." She blushed deeply. "It was an infantile crush." She laughed as he crushed his lips to hers. "But in all seriousness, I think I would like a small nap."

Three hours later there was a knock on the door and her mother peeked in. "She's still asleep." Seto said he was stretched out beside her on the bed, sitting up with his laptop open.

"I am about to start dinner. Is there anything special in your diet that I need to know about?" Seto could tell now where her daughter got her heart from.

"I will eat whatever. This trip is about your daughter, make something that she loves." He saw the look on her mothers face.

"I am thankful that she found you. You are exactly who she needs in her life." She smiled at him and all he saw was Francesca's face. "Chessy has had a hard few years. Her father and I were unable to protect her from him. Macon is a monster and he hurt my baby. But you are not him and for that I am so grateful to you." Maisie closed the door and Chessy started to stir.

"How long was I out?" She asked as she stretched and yawned.

"About three hours, your mom just left, she said she was about to start cooking." He was looking at his computer, not at her.

"I'll go help her." Chessy said as she stood up. "You ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, just going over some files Mokuba sent me." He looked up at her and smiled.

"I don't believe you, what are you really working on?" She sat back down beside him. She took his computer and looked at it. Macon's picture was on the screen. "This is Kaiba Corp." She breathed. "That's my office."

"He was there yesterday while Mokuba went to get lunch. I have no idea how he got past security, but he did. When we go back home I don't want you going into the office until we catch him. I want you to stay at my home too." He took the computer from her and brought her face to his. "We will catch him, and I will not let him hurt you." He saw the tears welling up in her eyes. "I promise you this, I love you and I will not let you get hurt."

"You don't know me well enough to love me, Seto, I am a mess." She laughed and looked down at her hands "and the baggage that comes with this mess is ridiculous."

"I am strong, I can carry the baggage, and anything else you need me to carry." He picked her up and placed her in his lap straddling him. "I can take care of you." She put her head against his shoulder and sobbed.

"I used to be strong." She cried, "I used to be able to stand on my own two feet, now I depend on you for everything. I can't keep living like this."

"Depend on me." he replied, "Lean on me, until you can stand on your own two feet again. Francesca, I love you."

"Say it again."

"I love you."

"Not that, say my name."

He smiled. "Francesca."

"I like the way it sounds when you say it. But only when you say it." She nuzzled her head into his neck. "Man, we suck at this friends with benefits thing. I don't think our endgame was supposed to be falling in love." He chuckled.

The four of them sat around the dinner table laden down with food. "Mama, you didn't have to cook so much!" Chessy exclaimed.

"Now you see how we feel when you cook." Seto chuckled.

"Who is 'we'?" Charlie asked, looking from his daughter to the man beside her.

"My brother and I." Seto answered.

"Seto's brother Mokuba has become a very good friend of mine, he has introduced me to his friends and even helped me to get back into dance classes." She looked at the man sitting beside her as he took her hand. "They have helped me to find myself again."

"Well everybody, stop talking and dig in." her mother interrupted knowing from the look on her fathers face that he was about to start. "Seto, would you like some chicken?" She handed him a plate of fried chicken.