Chapter 10

Tristan gave a heavy sigh as he replaced the receiver. His Mum hadn't been angry at him for forgetting who she was. In fact she was more than understanding. Too understanding. It made Tristan feel even guiltier for accusing her of kidnapping him than he already did. Still at least he hadn't completely ruined the relationship he had with his parents; if only the L-bomb he'd dropped Kaiba's way would be so easily fixed.

'You forgot your own mother?'

The sound of Joey's voice made Tristan half jump out of his skin. He turned to see his old friend casually leaning against the nearby wall, watching him.

'You eavesdrop on other people's conversations?'

'I didn't think it was right to interrupt,' he lowered his head and smirked slightly, 'not when you were grovelling for forgiveness.'

'I wasn't grovelling.'

'Sure you were,' Joey flicked his gaze back up towards him. 'So is your boyfriend around?'

'He's not my boyfriend,' Tristan shifted his gaze away.

'No, but you wish he was, right? And here was me thinking you had better taste.'

'Shut up Joey, I'm really not in the mood right now.'

'Whatever,' Joey rolled his eyes. 'He around or not.'

'Not. Why?'

'Crovell's gone missing.'

'He's what?' Tristan felt a small jolt of shock run through him.

'He's gone missing.'

'When?'

'Yesterday,' Joey's face took on a serious but sad expression. 'Jay and SK are already on it. I'm on my way to join them now, but I need someone to look after Mai for a while.'

'Why can't you take her with you?'

'She's under enough stress as it is,' he turned his gaze away, 'I'd rather keep her out of it.'

'Wait; did you come here to ask Seto to babysit your girlfriend?' Tristan cocked an eyebrow at him.

'He babysits you, doesn't he?'

'You're on thin ice as it is Joey, what makes you think a joke like that will do you any favours?'

'Who said I was joking?' Joey cocked his head slightly. 'So is Mokuba around then?'

'Wait, I tell you Seto's not in and you skip straight to Mokuba? What am I not good enough to babysit your girlfriend or something?'

'Give me a break, Mokuba's not likely to forget who my girlfriend is.'

'Yeah, but I'm the one carrying a part of your daughter or had you forgotten?' Tristan gritted his teeth.

'So?'

'So that means I'm connected to Mai right now. The more connected I am to something the longer it takes me to forget what that something is.'

'As comforting as I'm sure those words are to you, they lacked the won't forget her at all line which is pretty important to me right now. I'm not taking any chances with her.'

'Well maybe me and Mokuba have better things to do today than babysit your girlfriend, you ever think of that? Or don't people with memory problems get to have a life anymore?'

'Wow you are so touchy these days,' Joey shot him a look, 'is it just because you're gay or is your boyfriend not putting out?'

'I thought I told you to shut up about that,' Tristan swung at him, but Joey managed to dodge it. 'What the hell are you doing here anyway?'

'I need someone to look after Mai for me,' Joey gave a heavy sigh and rolled his eyes, 'I was wondering if you and Mokuba wouldn't mind doing it.'

'And you thought the best way to get me to cooperate was to piss me off?' Tristan glared at him.

'So you remember me insulting you, but you don't remember me already asking about someone looking after Mai?' Joey cocked an eyebrow at him.

'What?'

'It doesn't matter,' Joey shook his head, 'could you and Mokuba please look after Mai for me?'

'So that you can...?'

'Look for Crovell,' Joey stretched out every single word, 'he's gone missing.'

'Crovell's missing?' Tristan couldn't help but feel more than a little concerned. 'I guess with all the stress Mai's been under lately it's probably best to keep her out of it. So if you need us to look after her...'

'Yeah, that would be good,' Joey's face filled with a strange look. 'I left her downstairs in one of those little unnecessary extra rooms you have.'

'As if the Southern Palace doesn't have a million of its own,' Tristan rolled his eyes. 'Is Mai going to be okay with being left here?'

'Yeah, she'll be fine with it; it was kind of her idea,' he gave an edgy half laugh. 'I think she wanted to be close to her daughter's Id,' almost without warning Joey's face filled with a strangely sorrowful look. 'You know, it's weird, right now Tristan you're closer to my daughter than I could ever be. And the scary thing is; I'd do anything to have that chance.'

'Don't look now, but I think those guys are checking us out,' Catilin giggled as the same group of teens passed by for the third time in fifteen minutes.

'I wish they wouldn't,' Piper shifted uncomfortably, 'I don't like the thought of people staring at me like that.'

'Why not?' Catilin blinked at her. 'I thought all cute girls liked to be stared at once in a while.'

'Didn't we establish earlier that I was an exception to that rule,' Piper shot her a look, 'or wasn't the t-shirt going back on a big enough clue for you,' she gave a heavy sigh.

'You still didn't tell me why you don't like it.'

'Because...' she hesitated, before bringing her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. 'Promise you won't tell anyone?'

'Promise, promise,' Catilin grinned, 'I love secrets and secrets between friends are the best.'

'Err... right,' a weak smile filled her face.

'So what's your secret Piper?'

'Well, you see there's... there's kind of this guy I like,' a weird smile pulled at the corner of her lips, 'and I don't like the thought of anyone staring at me if it isn't him.'

'Does this guy know you like him?' Catilin tilted her head to one side.

'No,' she lowered her gaze, 'he doesn't even know I exist.'

'Why not?'

'Because my keeper...' Piper hesitated again.

'Your keeper?' Catilin jumped on the words; she'd been waiting for something like this. 'What do you mean by keeper?'

'I guess I shouldn't have said that,' she pressed her lips together.

'Piper, what did you mean by keeper?'

'I mean... I mean the person who keeps me around, because they need me.'

'Need you how?'

'It's complicated,' Piper averted her gaze.

'I like complicated,' Catilin grinned at her.

'Yeah,' Piper met her gaze, 'I think you do, but... my keeper would be mad if I told you too much.'

'Then just tell me little bits,' Catilin shrugged, 'like why your keeper wouldn't want this boy you like knowing you exist?'

'Because my keeper likes him too or at least I'm pretty sure they do,' she sighed, 'my feelings for him had to come from somewhere, right?'

'You say that like you and your keeper are the same person or something,' Catilin pulled herself onto her knees.

'Yeah, I did, didn't I?'

'So... you're really only three months old then?'

'What?' Piper blinked at her.

'The air around you moves in a weird way,' Catilin made her fingers dance in the air, 'it tells me you're new and old at the same time. Piper is new,' she twiddled the fingers on her right hand, 'Piper's keeper is old,' she twiddled the fingers on her left.

'Yeah, but... what makes you so sure I'm only three months old?'

'Because that's when you first showed up.'

'No, that's when you first became aware of me. I could have been around for longer.'

'The air says differently,' Catilin shook her head, 'in the three months since you first appeared, the air has slowly danced in changing circles. That means you were new when I first saw you and you're three months old now.'

'Uh...' Piper gawked at her, 'my keeper wasn't lying when they said I should be careful of you. I just thought they was making a big deal out of nothing, or tantruming because I'm not supposed to have friends. But I guess... you are a dangerous person for me to know.'

'Does that mean you're going to leave now?' Catilin couldn't help but feel disappointed.

For a few long moments Piper was silent. During the silence she turned her attention towards her feet, which were twiddling against each other in a fidgety manner. It was clear she was divided about something; either that or she was communicating with her keeper somehow. Both of which were very likely possibilities as far as Catilin was concerned.

'I... I think I want to stay,' Piper's blue eyes flicked up to meet with Catilin's again. 'My keeper doesn't think it's a good idea, but... it's what I want and I never get to do what I want to do.'

'Are... are you sure, because... because there are some questions I want to ask you and I don't think your keeper will be very happy about them.'

'So long as I protect my keeper's identity, then there's no problem,' Piper shrugged. 'I'm tired of being used for someone else's benefit. I want a life of my own. I want friends of my own. And friends are supposed to get to know each other, aren't they?'

'Uh-huh, they are,' Catilin grinned at her again, 'and I promise not to press anything you're not allowed to answer, if you're honest about as much as you can be.'

'I promise.'

'Yay,' Catilin clapped, 'I get to be quiz master.'

'This is hardly a quiz Catilin,' Piper giggled nervously.

'I know, but... it's so much more fun thinking about it that way.'