Chapter 13

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"Wheeler... I'm not tr-" Before he could get another word out, Joeys fist slammed into his face again. Kaiba didn't fall on the first blow this time, but Joey didn't stop. He punched into him again and again, striking him in the gut and face. Kaiba did eventually fall, but did not strike back, or even defend. He had taken harder blows in worse situations.

"Why me?" Joey finally said after he exhausted himself beating the CEO. "I didn't do anything to you. Just cause you don't like me aint a reason to pull this shit." He said between heavy breaths.

"I'm not pulling anything." Kaiba coughed out, sputtering a little blood out of his mouth as he spoke. "I came here to tell you that. Why else would I let you beat me like this? I didn't fight back. I didn't even block even though I could have. I care about her. She's... She's important to me." He said looking away from Joey. Even though he had a strong point, his business and negotiation skills sank to the back of his consciousness as he started to open up. He didn't trust Joey like he trusted Serenity. It made things a hundred times harder, but he felt it needed to be done. He just hoped it would be enough.

"Care about... You're a sociopath. You cant care about her. You don't care about anyone but yourself. Everyone knows it. Ren's done nothing to you. Absolutely nothing. I know I annoy the crap outta you, but she doesn't deserve this. Stay away from her. I swear, if I see you touching her again, I'll rip your freakin head off. Got it?" Kaiba paused. He didn't take kindly to threats. He let Joey abuse him this one time, but he knew he wouldn't let it happen again. Then his mind returned to Serenity. She would choose her brother over him, and he didn't think he could deal with that. It was the logical choice, but he hated it nonetheless. There was only one thing he could do, the thing he should have done from the start.

"Fine. You get it. I give up. But... We both know it's my fault. I planned the whole thing. I tricked her into the entire ordeal. I'm the one to blame."

"Yeah, I get it, You're the freakin mastermind. Pull this again... I dare ya." Joey got up, turned and started back to the others. Kaiba followed shortly after.

Serenity was beside herself with worry when they returned. When Joey finally made it, he locked eyes with her, glaring her down, but eventually looking away and seating himself.. She sucked in a breath of air as Kaiba showed himself. Blood flowed freely from both nostrils and seeped from the right side of his mouth. He walked with a slight limp and his hair on the left side of his head was coated in hardening blood.

She leaped up, rushing to him and moving her hand to guide his face to her, but he gripped her wrist, pausing them both as he glanced at her. His eyes were broken and cold, but he shook his head, moving past her and continued until he was next to Mokuba. His little brother helped clean him off as Serenity stood between Kaiba and Joey. Only about ten feet away from each of them, but feeling like they were miles and miles in different directions. The rest of the group had already made camp and a fire was roaring, warming them as they rested.

"Hey." Mai said, seating herself next to the disheveled redhead.

"What... What did I do? I mean, I know Joey doesn't like Kaiba... and that he's protective of me, but isn't it my life? Can't I make a decision for myself?" Serenity asked, looking up at Mai. "I don't think Kaiba's evil, or bad. I know he isn't. Why cant Joey trust me?"

"I know. He's pretty thick with this stuff. He wont even talk to me because I knew and tried to help you." Serenity looked up at Mai in shock and the tall blonde smirked. "I know Kaiba a bit as well. He's an ass, but he's not a bad person. You're brother's just... stubborn."

"I'm... I'm an adult now... Right? I can determine my own future. I can make my own choices... Why doesn't anyone see that?" Mai looked sadly at the young girl as she sank into herself. She seemed to be talking to herself more than Mai.

"Why don't you tell him that?" Mai said, drawing Serenity's full attention.

"Joey?"

"No, Kaiba." Both Mai and Serenity glanced over to Kaiba, who sat resting his arms on his knees and letting his head hang as he thought quietly. "He's only avoiding you because he wants to protect your feelings. Your relationship with your brother. I told him to say something to Joey first... To be the one who tells him before he finds out another way, but you know Kaiba. He's not one to make himself vulnerable easily. If you want to make your own decisions, you need to make the moves." Serenity stared into fire for a moment, but sighed as she wasn't able to will her body into moving. She glanced over at Kaiba, who had gone to sleep early, then back to Mai.

"I... I want to... But what if he doesn't change his mind?" Serenity asked worriedly.

"He is stubborn..." Mai said, pondering what to do next, but something threw off her train of thought.

"Ren." Joey said, standing over the two. He had finally decided to talk to her. He glanced at Mai while she rose and moved off to the side, giving them their privacy. Unfortunately for Serenity, Joey wasn't the quiet sort. "You understand right? Why I'm pissed? I just cant allow-"

"Allow? You're not my parent Joey." Everyone suddenly turned to them, even Kaiba who was only pretending to be asleep. "I'm old enough to make my own decisions. I want to lead my own life. I want to make my own way. Why cant any of you accept that?" Joey was taken aback, but she knew he was more stubborn than that.

"Accept that? Ren, You're not an adult yet. You haven't lived and experienced real life yet. What if you dated someone normal for a while? I wouldn't mind th-"

"How about I choose? How about I actually do some living without you over my shoulder controlling me? I'm my own person. I need to learn from my mistakes, not be sheltered from them." She said, standing and meeting her brother face to face.

"Ren... Fine. You can do your own living, but this one time... this last time... I need you to listen to me. Don't do this. Cause I don't think I could forgive you for this." Serenity paused. She wanted her freedom. She wanted some control over her life. Was dropping this subject worth him leaving her alone? Was sticking with it worth losing her brother's respect? She didn't know what to do. She turned to Kaiba, someone she wasn't even sure would fight for her, and locked eyes with him for a moment. He held her stare as the moment passed, then rolled over and assumed the sleeping position once more.

"Joey... fine." As her words passed through his ears, Kaiba felt something turn cold in his gut. She was really giving up on him... but what else could he expect, when he had done the same?

The night passed, but Serenity stuck by her words and, though she was still civil, barely interacted with the young billionaire. Her gaze wandered back to him from time to time, but he seemed to have completely forgotten her.

In the night sky they had seen lights of civilization a few hours west from them, so when the sun rose, they knew which heading they had. Joey hummed a pleasant tune, but everyone else was quiet, unwilling to weigh in on the tense subject that almost split their party. Joey still wasn't talking to Mai, but Serenity saw her as an invaluable friend.

As they moved, He glanced at Kaiba over and over, noting how many bruises and marks her brother left on him. She hated that they didn't like each other, and now even more so that she couldn't help Kaiba... that he didn't want it. It was painful for her to pretend like he didn't matter to her, but her brother also mattered. She was stuck.

Once inside town, Kaiba brought a lot of attention. The found that they were now in Fuchsia City, and no one here knew of a place without pokemon. It was the same aimless deal as before. They had no real heading and no knowledge of where in the universe they were. They stopped by a small healers home where she gave them some special herbs to help free of charge because of the severity of his wounds. She gave Kaiba a bed, telling him he needed to rest if he wanted the full effect of the herbs.

Most of the group decided to check out the town, taking strolls and exploring while Joey Mai and Serenity stayed back. A few minutes after the group left, Mai rose from the chair at Kaiba's bed's side and moved to Joey.

"Joey... talk to me." She pleaded. He turned away, glancing out the window like she hadn't said a thing. "Joey, this isn't fair. You cant be treating me like this. I care about you."

"Pah. If you cared, you'd have told me what mistakes my sister was making before I had to see this bastard mackin on her." He spit. Serenity glanced down at Kaiba, who she knew was still awake by the fact that his mouth drew tight when Joey referred to him.

"I don't want to fight with you, Joey, but it wasn't my secret to tell. She's old enough to take her own responsibilities. Why am I being held with them?"

"Because, if you were a real friend you would have looked out for her." He finally made eye contact with her, glaring venomously.

"I don't see Kaiba as a threat. I know him. He's not a bad person. You're just to stubborn to realize that." Joey threw his hands in the air as he let out an exasperated sigh, then turned and walked out the door, not willing to deal with her anymore. Mai, who was just as stubborn as him, followed and Serenity heard their voices fade as they moved away. She looked down at Kaiba again and his eyes were still closed, but he was more relaxed now. She slowly slid her hand under his and his twitched away, but not enough.

"Kaiba..." She said softly, looking at him and hoping he looked worse than he felt. The boy laid there unmoving. "I'm sorry. I wish there was a way to show him who you really are. I wish... I wish I was strong enough to fight for you." Kaiba felt himself soften to her again and had to strengthen his resolve. She had been able to break down his guard before and he couldn't let it happen again. "I care about you... I don't want you hurt again... not because of me... It isn't fair. It should have been me to take tha-" Her words set off an instinct inside him that he had developed while under his father's control.

He snapped up, ignoring the pain it caused his body and quickly cupped her chin. The shock of his lightening fast movement made her speechless as he locked eyes with her.

"Don't you ever say anything like that again." He warned, the sternness in his voice commanding her to nod. "No one deserves to be beaten for any reason." He brushed his fingers more gently down her cheek. "Especially not you." Serenity leaned over him and planted a small sweet kiss across his lips. "You probably shouldn't do that. What If your brother sees?" He said breaking away and looking to the side.

"I... I don't feel right hiding how I feel. All my life I've hidden what I feel. I don't want to do it anymore. I... I like you." She blushed and looked down, embarrassed at her exclamation. She was beautiful. He moved closer and kissed her again. When they parted he could see her blush flare across her cheeks and a smile crossing her lips.

"Why are you so different?" He asked as she took his breath away. She had gotten through his defenses once again. She looked at him innocently and waited for him to elaborate. He sighed, taking his brow into his hand and pinching the bridge of his nose. "Girls are all the same." She frowned at him.

"No they'r-" He continued through her interruption, already knowing what she was going to say.

"Yes, they are. They all want the same thing, Security. And they see the best form of security is money. Thus they seek me. But you... you don't seem to want..." He trailed off, but she understood, smiling down at him as she sat on the bed next to him.

"I want security. I just understand that, while money is a great form of security, love is an even better one." Her words drew his eyes to her and he sat stunned, watching her in shock. She was still smiling, but now she reached over and grasped his hand, squeezing him warmly. Something welled in his gut. Love? Did he love her? He knew he felt something, but full on love? It was too soon to tell.

"I don't know if I love you." He said, hanging his head and averting his gaze, but her next noise made him snap back to her. She was laughing. It was light, and not mocking or mean, but she was actually laughing at what he said.

"You don't have to love me... especially not now. It's been days. But I know I care about you, and that's always the first step." She confounded him. Through to the very core, he was confused by this girl.

"Why are you so different..?" Her face turned serious and she looked away.

"Because my brother raised me to be... Do you hate him?" He sighed again. She knew how to get to him. She asked all the questions where answering honestly would leave him vulnerable, yet he couldn't lie to her. He trusted her not to hurt him.

"Sometimes... " He paused as she looked away sadly, but if he was going to be honest, he couldn't half ass it "but sometimes it's hard to when I see the person he turned you into." He said guiding her back to him. She smiled and leaned in trying to kiss him again, but he pulled away. "We really should stop. They're bound to return any minute now." He said, immediately regretting it. Serenity did pull back, understanding. She pondered for a moment before finally speaking again.

"What do I do?"

"You wanted to take control of your life. Now's the time. You have to choose. You have to make your own decision." He said, looking at her calmly. She thought to herself for a moment, but smiled, throwing him off again.

"I think... you just did." He furrowed his brow, waiting for her to elaborate. She was utterly confusing. He had never known anyone like her. " If choose to be... good... to side with my brother and never see you again, I'd lose all freedom. I don't care what bet or agreement he made with me, he would never let me live. You wouldn't do that to me. You know I want that control. Even if I ask you... you'll have me make my own choice, and by doing so... you've made my decision obvious. I'm... I'm going to try to talk to my brother one more time. Thank you Kaiba."

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I look forward to reading your reviews.

Read, Review, Enjoy~Love ya!

** EDIT ** I'm giving up on this story. It gets very few views and reviews and I'm utterly demotivated to continue. I usually burn out around now in these stories, but the input and feedback inspire me to continue. I know crossovers are not usually read or sought, but I'm just not feeling it anymore. oh well.