Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!

An Azureshipping FanFic.

Lockdown.

Chapter Eighteen.

An apology to Yuugi and four hours of school later, Anzu arrived at her charming house only to find the locks open and her parents lounging comfortably in the living room. They both turned to stare at her, each taking her measure and carefully hiding their disappointment.

There was no pleasing Shuichi Mazaki or his sometimes adoring wife, Yuka. It was a lesson she'd learned at five and was made a permanent mental file incase she forgot.

Dumping her bag in the corner, Anzu closed the door behind her and made the effort to smile.

"Mother, father. You're home. I thought you'd be gone three more months."

Yuka rose gracefully. Her tidy mane of black hair brushed back from her face to display the pretty mother-of-pearl earrings dangling from each ear. She wore a chic pewter suit, her lips painted a subtle pink. And when those lips smiled it was purely mocking.

"You've gained some weight, darling. I thought dancing was to keep your figure trim."

"That's one benefit. But the unhealthy look is so out. No one will pay to see a sickly ballerina do a pas seul." She kissed her mother politely on the cheek. "You look good, mother, as always."

Anzu greeted her father in the same fashion. He was as handsome as she remembered him, his soft blue eyes—the ones she inherited—had a absent-minded expression which she always thought was off. He was such a focused man.

"So what brings you back?" As if she already didn't know. With her parents, especially her mother, it was best to feign ignorance.

"Your father and I were dinning in a restaurant in Paris. We happened to bump into Takehito."

"You did? How was he?"

"Upset." Yuuka replied stiffly, then added. "He said you humiliated him in front of his family, his friends. He was thoroughly embarrassed."

"Please," Anzu rolled her eyes. "That's a load of bull. I never humiliated him. We danced, talked, and when I was comfortable, he sprang that stupid proposal on me. The last, by the way, was done in private."

Recognizing the defensiveness in her daughter's tone, the way she held herself, and that little arch of the brow, Yuka played her trump card. "Takehito's been making some interesting claims. He thinks you've favored someone else."

"Come again?"

Yuka's lovely dark eyes turned nasty like a viper's. "Enlighten me, Anzu. Just how long have you been secretly seeing Seto Kaiba?"

Everything seemed to stop. "What?"

"Sometime after you rejected him, Takehito wandered outside, only to find you wrapped around that boy like a vine. His words, darling, not mine."

"That's—" Anzu fumbled for a moment. "We're not dating. We're just—"

"Fooling around."

"No! No, no. It's not like that." Anzu ran a nervous hand through her hair. "Look, Kaiba has nothing to do with this. Takehito's being an ass."

"Anzu," her mother warned softly.

"He is an ass, a conceited one. I turned him down so he wants payback. He's like that. He's always like that. I can't believe you wanted me to marry him."

"Wanted?" Yuka repeated, as if testing the word on her tongue. "Sweetheart, you're going to marry him. Takehito has been kind enough to give you a second chance."

"A second…? Are you kidding me?" Anzu demanded. There was a black rage burning in her belly and she felt it spread. "I'm not a pawn; I won't be manipulated. Takehito can take that second chance and shove it—"

The slap of her mother's hand across her cheek had her swallowing her words. The stinging hot pain left her dazed, and she brought stunned eyes to her mother's stormy ones. Even in anger Yuka was beautiful.

"I've put up with your attitude for too long. You'll do as I say, Anzu, or there'll be repercussions. Now," Yuka clapped her hands together. "I'll phone Rika and tell her the good news."

"You've no right. None." Now that the shock had worn off Anzu found herself riding on anger and hurt. "To call yourself my mother is laughable. When have you mothered anyone? You tossed me to Nadja the moment you could. She was my mom. She was my everything. You're a stranger to me. Someone I barely care about."

She saw it coming. From the instant she'd breathed the last word, Anzu watched her mother's arm rise. And bracing for the attack, she remained rooted to the spot.

It never came.

"That's enough. Both of you."

Amazed, Anzu turned wide eyes to her father. He'd been silent throughout the conversation, so much that she'd forgotten he was there.

"Yuka. You need to calm down." He dropped her arm, faced his daughter. "So do you. You shouldn't say things like that. It makes you ungrateful."

"Call me what you like, but it's a bit late in the day to play 'daddy'." And if she felt rotten about talking back or indeed being ungrateful, Anzu shrugged it off.

She walked over to grab her discarded bag, kept her grip firm on it, and once again faced her father.

"Considering what just happened, I think it's best if I stay at a friend's house tonight."

"Which friend?" Shuichi inquired, and felt a stab of guilt when his daughter looked surprised.

"Whichever is willing to put me up." Yuugi was the likely choice. He'd always have her back, and she was glad for it.

"Don't bother coming back," Yuka snapped, her tone dripping with poison. "A disobedient child has no place in this family. You can only return when you've agreed to marry Takehito."

"Then consider me exiled," Anzu replied equably. She spared her father one last glance, saw the anguish in his eyes, and turned her back to him.

It was too late now.

While Anzu made the trip to Yuugi's, Seto Kaiba mulled over the last bit of paperwork, a mammoth of a headache brewing in the back of his eyes. His brother, the beloved pain in his ass, lounged the evening away with a book. What said book was about, Kaiba wanted to know.

"Genesis," Mokuba told him, his deep violet eyes wide and bright. "It's about a man who has had many lovers, five of which bear his children, and another pregnant with his sixth. It's really funny."

"That may be," Kaiba replied slowly, astounded by his brother's preference. "But you're too young to be reading that kind of material."

Those violet eyes narrowed. "Weren't you the one who said you're never too young for anything?"

"Yes." And damned if he didn't regret those words now. The kid had a frickin eidetic memory. "Do you know what a lover is?"

"Someone you like—a girlfriend or boyfriend. And I know how babies are made. Sperm finds egg and boom! A baby."

"That's the gist of it." Kaiba rubbed the spot between his eyes and thanked every deity his brother was a mini genius. The buzzing of Mokuba's mobile had him glancing up.

He watched, fascinated, by the way his cheeks reddened as he read the display.

"Going to answer it?" Kaiba asked, and smothered a laugh when Mokuba's shoulders jumped.

"Uh, no. It's a friend from school. I'll call her back later."

"So it's a girl. Hmm. Maybe your girlfriend?"

"No! She's a friend," he insisted, his face glowing. "She probably wanted to know what the homework assignment was."

"Mmm-hmm." It was mean of him, but Kaiba enjoyed needling his brother. He wasn't so grown-up as he claimed he was. "Still a kid. That's good."

"I'm not a kid. I'm thirteen and a half."

"Someone who tacks on 'and a half' to their age is obviously a kid."

"Am not!" Annoyed by the childish response, Mokuba grumbled quietly, his arms crossed and his mouth sulky. He remained like that until he was sure of his next move. "So, Seto, how's Anzu these days?"

Kaiba lifted a brow. The question was phrased so carefully, so casually, that he became suspicious. "I don't know. I haven't spoken to her in weeks."

"Liar!" Mokuba pounced. "You met her at that old lady's party. The one with half a dozen facelifts."

"She's only had four. And do you have any proof?"

"Yeah. You had a weird look on your face. Kinda like this." Mokuba smiled contentedly, added a little sparkle to the eyes. "It freaked me out. So I took it as a sign of the apocalypse."

"I closed a very important deal that night. That's the reason for the smile."

"Uh-huh." Mokuba mumbled unconvinced. "Whatever you say, Seto. But that must've been some deal."

"It was."

"And the other person seemed very enthusiastic." He slid a glance in his brother's direction. "Since you came home with lip gloss all over your mouth."

"Now you're the liar" Kaiba scoffed, pretending to tidy the papers on his desk.

Mokuba smirked. "It was a real pretty red and completely wrong for your complexion. I would've said something then, but I kept quiet for times like these."

He grabbed his book, walked to the door with a spring in his step. Paused. "Oh, by the way, Seto." He spun around, grinned widely when he saw his brother was becoming flustered. "That thing about the lip gloss? You were right. I made it up. Revenge is sweet indeed."

He wisely skipped away before Kaiba bellowed like a mad bull. He was often in the presence, but almost never the recipient of his brother's ire. Until now that is.

"Ah, well." Mokuba shrugged it off as he walked down the hallway towards his room, an evil grin on his face as he rounded the corner. He wondered when he should tell Seto he lied about the lie and he did have lip gloss on his mouth. "Ah, well," he said again, and continued on.

"Thanks." Anzu murmured, accepting the cup of sweet tea. She sighed a little, looked over at Yuugi. He was so kind, so dependable. It was only natural she felt bad for turning up on his doorstep. "Are you sure it's alright for me to stay?"

"Like I said, it's no imposition. Don't worry, Anzu. You're like family." He sipped his own tea. "And Grandpa gave his ok, if that helps."

"It does. Thanks." she repeated, this time with more gratefulness. "I shouldn't even be here. I acted like a royal bitch this morning, and for that, I'm really, really sorry."

"You've already apologized." Yuugi reminded her with that warm smile.

She felt even more rotten.

"That's not how it's supposed to go." Anzu set her cup down on the table. "You're always nice, Yuugi, even to those who've wronged you. I yelled at you. Yelled because I didn't want my own fears thrown in my face. And now you've taken me in like an abandoned kitten you found crying in the rain."

She took a breath when her voice broke on the last note. "I want you to get mad at me when I say or do something stupid. I want you to yell the way I do, storm off the way I do. People will take advantage of your kindness. Kind of like me right now."

"Okay. Stop." Yuugi said firmly, set his own cup down. "You're not taking advantage of anyone's kindness. You came here because it's the one place you knew you could go. The place where you're always welcomed. I love you, Anzu. I care about you. I only want you to be happy."

Her eyes filled with tears, spilled down her cheeks. And his smile was full of compassion.

"I'm not always nice, you know. I get angry whenever someone hurts my friends. But I'm a guy who gives second chances to those who deserve it. There's nothing wrong with that, is there?"

"No." She sniffed, wiped her face with her wrists. "Why can't I fall for guys like you? Guys who aren't prickly or antisocial." She leaned in to kiss his cheek. "I love you, Yuugi."

"Just not the way I want you to."

"Sorry. Does it bother you that I have feelings for Kaiba?"

He shook his head. "I'm okay with that." She tilted her head cutely. "Mostly."

"Well, I'm going to take a bath. I've been wearing this stupid uniform since morning." Anzu looked over at him shyly. "Can I borrow something to wear? I didn't get the chance to pack a bag."

"Um, sure." Yuugi flushed predictably. "I'll put it outside the door." He rose quickly, almost jumped out of his skin when the doorbell rang. "I'll see who's at the door first."

"Okay."

She laughed quietly to herself as he padded along in his slippers. Then he opened the door, hesitantly greeted the other person, and her hands went damp with sweat.

"Mr. Mazaki. This is a surprise." The fact that he genuinely meant it made Anzu slightly embarrassed.

"No, it's not. I'm certain Anzu is here. Excuse me." She heard a noise, a rush of footsteps, and realized her father had brushed past Yuugi. He spotted her on the couch. "Get your things. We're leaving."

She stood up quickly. "You threw me out, remember?"

"You mother was speaking out of anger. She didn't mean it."

"So she sent you to get me, to apologize for trying to force me to marry Takehito?"

He looked at her steadily. "No."

"Then what are you doing here? I told you it's too late."

"I'm very well aware of that." He took Yuugi's place on the couch and managed to look intimidating surrounded by bright red pillows with yellow daffodils. "I understand that Yuka and I weren't the greatest parents."

"Understatement of the decade," Anzu declared with an eye roll. "You were two perfect people who had to put up with an imperfect daughter. I get it."

"Do you?" Shuichi looked over at the hovering Yuugi. "Would you mind giving us a minute?"

"Not at all." He sent a smile to Anzu as if saying 'good luck' before jogging up the stairs.

Shuichi turned back to his daughter, gestured for her to sit. "Your mother wanted to be an actress. Did she ever mention that?"

Anzu shook her head.

"Well, she did. But she had to marry me. It was a typical arranged marriage, the only difference being Yuka and I were already in a relationship. Making it official was the logical step. She continued to act," he went on, his hands clasped together, that faraway look in his eyes. "and did until she fell pregnant with you. You were a surprise to both of us. Yuka doesn't handle surprises very well. She wanted to terminate the pregnancy."

"Why?" Anzu whispered, the anguish spreading through her like wildfire. "Why didn't she want me?"

"She wasn't ready."

"That's not an excuse!" She lashed out, more hurt than she wanted him to know. "It's just not."

Shuichi nodded, seemingly agreeing with her. "She was quickly getting recognition for her work on stage and was well on her way to being nationally famous. Having a kid would set her back a few steps."

"Was it you who convinced her to stay pregnant?"

He nodded. "I was delighted with the prospect of becoming a father. I wanted nothing more. I made her a deal. She'd have go through with the pregnancy, and when you were old enough, I'd hire a nanny."

"Yuka never returned to acting after giving birth," Shuichi confirmed. "She described it as having her light stolen from her. Overly dramatic but that was your mother."

"Her light was stolen, huh." Anzu lifted wide blue eyes to her father's face, understanding swimming in their depths. "She blamed me. I stole her light. That's why she loathes the sight of me."

"She resents you," he corrected. "resents your talent and determination to succeed despite the odds. To her, you're living what should have been her life."

"But I'm not famous," Anzu cried in desperation. "No one knows my name."

"They will," he assured her with a smile. "One day."

Her heart stumbled behind her breast. That he could believe in her shattered the little ball of distress lodged in her heart.

"Thank you," she murmured, embarrassed. "Hearing that from you truly means the world to me." A sudden thought occurred to her. "Wait. Is that why she's pushing this marriage? So my dreams can disappear like hers did?"

"I don't know." And his expression was genuine. "There was a time when you were attached to Takehito, calling him your prince, and wishing you'd grow up to marry him."

"I was three," Anzu mumbled, felt the heat flood her face. "I'd heard too many fairytales and he was the closest thing to Prince Charming."

"And now?"

"Now? He's a playboy with a spiteful streak. I'm glad I grew out of those feelings. I'd've been hurt a thousand times over when he paraded his women."

"Good to hear."

Anzu sent him a puzzled look.

"I never intended for you to marry him. Not after seeing the kind of man he'd become."

"Then why didn't you oppose mother?"

"Because I love her." His response was so honest, so affectionate that she couldn't find a thing to say. "I've chosen her every time, over everyone. And to my greatest regret, over you. Not anymore." He fished out a ring of keys from his trouser pocket, tossed them on the table between them. "They're for your aunt's apartment. She's in South Africa for the rest of the year. You can use it until she returns."

"Why?"

Shuichi smiled widely, the shadows leaving his face, and his eyes full of warmth. The expression was bright and affectionate. It made her heart full.

"You're my daughter; I love you very much. I want to take care of you, if you'd allow me."

Anzu laughed quietly, the tears brimming. And she caught the sight of fear he tried to disguise. "Duh. You're my father. It's your job to take care of me."

She reached for the keys, hugged them close to her chest. "Thank you. Dad."