After the ride was over Yami stumbled over and sat down next to Seto. Maura however was like Mokuba, wanting to go again.
"That was so much fun, big brother we should go again!" Maura said.
"No, I'm like Seto. I don't think I could handle another round." Yami said.
"I don't understand what those people or these kid's see in that thing!" Seto said.
"I know what you mean."
Maura was disappointed, as was Mokuba who figured that meant they weren't going to get to ride again. Then Maura got an idea.
"Yami can Mokuba and I ride it again?"
Everyone looked at her.
"Did I say something wrong?"
"No, I just…" Yami started then looked at Seto.
"Don't look at me. I'm not riding that thing again!"
"C-can we ride it big brother, please?" Mokuba asked Yami.
"I don't know, Mokuba." Yami said.
Then he decided to work on Seto the same way he did Ryo. He took Seto's hand and held it, then gave the biggest puppy dog eyes he could handle saying, "P-please can we ride, again."
Of course, like Ryo, Seto caved.
"Fine, if Yami agrees, you can ride again." Seto said. Now he truly understood what Ryo meant when he first told him that Mokuba's puppy dog eyes were deadly weapons. Much to Seto's surprise both kid's hugged him.
"Oh great, so now you're going to make me the bad guy!"
"I never said you had to be the bad guy. All I said was that it was up to you whether or not they could ride it again."
Maura decided to try what Mokuba did. She grabbed his hand and did puppy dog eyes. It worked for Mokuba, why not her. "Please big brother!"
Mokuba did the same thing. "Please, big brother!"
Yami sighed. Mokuba even did it without stuttering. How was he supposed to turn them both down? Finally, he too caved. "Fine, you can ride it again."
Like Seto, he too was surprised when they both hugged him. Just as they turned to leave, they found they couldn't as Yami had a hold of their coats.
"I thought you said we could do this big brother." Maura questioned.
"Yes, I did. But first I want to be sure you can handle looking after Mokuba." Yami said.
"Yami, we'll be 50 feet away. We'll be fine, unless you don't trust me to look out for Mokuba." Maura said.
Yami sighed. "It's not that we don't trust you Maura, it's just that… well there are a lot of people around and not everyone looks out for little kids on their own."
"What Yami's trying to say is, he wants to make sure you're safe." Seto said.
"W-we'll be fine big brother."
"Didn't you tell me once that we needed to learn to trust Mokuba more?" Seto asked Yami.
"Maybe I did, who can remember anymore. All right go on you two but be careful." Yami said.
"I promise we'll be fine." Maura said. Then before they could change their minds again Maura quickly grabbed Mokuba's hand and they left to go get into line.
"You're the one always telling me I worry too much over Mokuba, but yet you don't seem to have much faith in your girl to watch over him." Seto said.
"Why can't you learn to accept Maura? I don't think we have to fear about Mokuba running away anymore. The two of them seem to be getting along great." Yami said.
Seto sighed. "He told me the other night that he won't leave me."
"He told you that?"
"Yeah, I told him I wanted him to be happy and he said he was and wouldn't leave. What makes you so sure they're getting along as well as you think they are?"
"Look at them." Yami said.
They looked over and you could just tell from their body movements they were talking about the ride. They both smiled seeing Mokuba laugh. They were so happy he was coming out of his shell as much as he was.
After the ride was over Mokuba and Maura were thrilled. They couldn't understand why Seto and Yami hated the ride. Then they spotted another ride a few feet away.
"Come on, let's ride that one." Maura said, grabbing Mokuba's hand but as she tried to move forward, he held her back by refusing to move. "What's wrong? It looks like fun, though I'd love to see the person who crafted all those horses and animals. I think it's cool how they use horse and wagon wheel's to move it round and round like that. Don't you want to ride it?"
"Y-yeah, I-it's fun, but Seto and Yami m-might get mad if we ride it and n-not tell them."
Maura blinked when he said it was fun. "You've ridden it before?"
Mokuba nodded. "R-Ryo took me to a c-carnival."
"Really, that's cool. But you're right. Yami's already questioned my ability to look out for you, he'd never trust me if we rode the new one without asking first." Maura said. Then she pulled him and stood him against a tent. "Now stay here and I'll be right back."
Mokuba didn't like it but nodded and did as he was told.
What they didn't know was that Gansley had heard about Leichter's sudden disappearance and reappearance in prison. And that the people they hired to kill Mokuba had for the moment left town to do another job leaving behind underlings. Well to him that meant the job wouldn't get done. So, he put on a heavier coat that was necessary and a hat to keep from being immediately recognized by anyone.
It was cold out but it wasn't snowing. They had heard that it was snowing in some of the outlying counties of Draglor but not within the city of Trapani itself.
x-x-x-x-x-x-xx-x-x-x-x-x
"Seto, Yami, can Mokuba and I go ride a few more rides alone?"
"Where is Mokuba?" Seto asked.
Maura pointed to where she'd left him. "He's fine, he's over there."
"You really shouldn't have left him alone, Maura." Yami said.
'Maybe if they'd tell me more about his past I'd understand why!' Maura thought, but decided to save that discussion for another time. If she argued over it now, she'd never find a way to convince them to let them go alone.
x-x-x-x-x-x-xx-x-x-x-x-
As Mokuba was waiting for Maura to return a young woman approached him.
"JJ?" the young woman questioned.
Mokuba squeaked slightly. As far as he knew his stepfamily were the only ones who still called him that. He looked up frightened but then sighed in relief when he saw who it was. He smiled at her. "Hi Z-Zariah."
"Well, hello to you too, but what are you doing here? Where's your family?"
At that, Mokuba smiled and pointed to where Seto and the others were. Maura was trying to convince them to let the two of them go off on their own and ride a few more rides. But wasn't having a lot of success at it.