"Honestly Noah, I'm not hiding anything."

"You know you can't hide anything from me now give!"

"Fine." Asana said.

'No, please Asana, you can't!' Mokuba thought.

"I was looking for a Christmas present for you and I hid it so you wouldn't see it."

'Christmas present?' Mokuba questioned.

"You expect me to believe that?"

"I don't care what you believe dear brother. Here this was also something I was going to get you. You've ruined the surprise of my getting it for you. But here try it on and lets see if it fits." Asana said.

She held up a lime green button down shirt with little frills down the each side of the front near the buttons, and around the collar. The sleeves had small fringe around the cuff and purple poke-a-dots. Noah hated button up shirts with a passion. He only wore them to church and only cause his mother made him. Mokuba moved enough to try to see what it looked like and scrunched his nose. He had learned a long time ago how to laugh without making a noise. He'd gotten into trouble once when he was caught.

"Yuck! You can't be serious A! You hate the color lime green and poke-a-dots! What makes you think I'd wear that thing?"

"Oh, come on you know lime green is Marine's favorite color."

Mokuba rolled his eyes, yeah he remembered all too well.

x-x-x-x-x-x-xx-x-x-x-x-x

Seto had finished up when he came out he looked at the dressing room next to his and saw the clothes he'd given Mokuba to try on laying there. He checked the room nothing, as he looked around his eyes narrowed when he saw Noah and Asana standing there, arguing. However, he saw no signs of Mokuba. He decided not to approach them since it was clear Mokuba wasn't with them.

Mokuba peered out of his rack and bit his lip with worry. He knew Seto would be looking for him but with Noah standing there, he couldn't move.

It didn't take long before Asana had chased Noah out of the store by trying to force him to try the shirt on.

"I'm going to the book store. I'll check back later." Noah said.

Alister and Varon noticed Noah leave but since he left alone and the king hadn't yelled at them they felt everything was okay.

Asana sighed in relief that she'd gotten rid of him. She returned to where she left Mokuba and saw him climbing out. She walked over and helped him.

"Are you okay JJ? You didn't hurt yourself in there did you?"

Mokuba shook his head no. "I'm f-fine."

Asana sighed in relief though she still was having trouble getting used to hearing him speak. She remembered the real reason he stopped talking. Yes, her mother had forbidden him to speak with anyone outside the family but that was only one reason.

~Flashback~

"I'm bored, there's nothing to do." Noah complained.

"Hey I know." Asana said with a giggle. Then she ran off only to come back a few minutes later with her mother's jewelry box.

"Just what do you have planned to do with that?" Marine asked.

"Yes, aren't you a little old to be playing dress up with your dollies?" Noah asked.

"No." Asana said sticking out her tongue. "Besides this isn't for my dolls. It's for JJ."

"You're going to give mother's things to that brat?" Marine asked.

"Not give, play. It's time for dress up." Asana said. Then she walked into the kitchen only to come back dragging Mokuba with her. "Okay JJ, we're going to play dress up."

"I still think you're too old for that." Noah said.

Asana looked at him. "You can help if you want."

"Why not, there's nothing better to do." Noah said getting up and going to their mother's room.

Marine also got to thinking, the same thing. 'Why not, there's nothing good on the radio, I'm not interested in reading a book, we can't go into town and I can't leave to go riding till the rug rats are older. It might be amusing to see JJ dressed up.'

Soon they were all laughing. Mokuba now had on a mixed matched shirt and skirt. Plus, clip on earrings, necklaces of different sizes and several bracelets. Then Marine put lipstick on and Noah threw some powder on his face.

"Hmmm…I still think he is missing something." Asana said.

"I'll go get the blush and eye shadow." Marine said.

"I'll find something to do with that rag he calls hair." Noah said as he and Marine left.

"Great, get some high heels while you're at it." Asana said. Then she looked at Mokuba. "Cheer up, JJ. You've always wanted us to let up on your chores and play with you haven't you?"

"Y-y-yes, b-b-but n-n-not l-l-like t-t-t-this." Mokuba said.

Just as Noah and Marine came back, they heard a noise outside.

Asana ran to the window. "Oh no, mother's home early! She'll be here any minute, we have to clean up!"

Noah and Marine dropped what they were carrying and sat down.

"What do you think you're doing?" Asana yelled.

"What do we care if JJ gets into trouble?" Marine asked.

"Yeah, he'll get the blame not us." Noah said.

"Oh really so you two think mothers just going to walk in here and see her best clothes that only she hangs up and washes, on JJ and only blame him?" Asana asked. When no reply came, she added. "And just what makes you think she won't beat us or at least ground us when she sees her jewelry box on the table. Her jewelry on JJ, not to mention her make up, while we just sat here and watched him put it all on himself. You think she's just going to yell and beat on him knowing we did nothing to stop him from doing all of this?"

The two of them thought about this a moment and realized she was right. JJ wouldn't be the only one to get into trouble if she saw this. Whether or not she blamed them for putting the stuff on him or not they'd get into trouble for the simply fact that JJ had their stuff while they are doing nothing.

They quickly scrambled to put everything they had out away. Noah took the new things they were going to use and quickly put them away while Asana got a washcloth to clean JJ's face, while Marine took the jewelry off him and quickly put it away. Asana quickly removed the clothes and gave them to Noah to put away. While Noah and Marine were putting the stuff away Asana quickly wiped his face down the best that she could before her mother walked in.

"Asana what is going on in here?"

"N-Nothing, mother. Nothing at all."

Just then, Marine and Noah appeared in the door.

Ivera's eyes glared at all 4 children. Then she walked over to Mokuba and grabbed his hand. "You mind explaining to me, why you're wearing my grandmother's ring?"

The others gasped they thought they had got it all but they missed the ring and one bracelet.

"I-I w-was c-c-clean-cleaning a-and t-they f-fell."

The others were shocked that he was covering for them.

"You expect me to believe that and my make up on your face."

"I d-did it."

"Well then you little brat since all you can do is lie I don't want to hear another pep out of you. You are to never speak in front of anyone outside this room! I thought that stuttering was just a phase but I guess its here to stay. Stupid kid. Now go to your room and no dinner tonight. I will cook since the others are grounded for a month."

"Grounded!" The three of them yelled.

"You honestly thought I'd let you off after this?"

"B-but mother!" Noah started to protest.

"But what. You either fixed him like this as a joke or you stood by and watched him do it to himself. Therefore, you are not only grounded for the month but will go and clean my room spotless. Then you will be cleaning your own rooms as well as mine for the entire month!"

"But mother that's not fair!" Noah protested.

"Neither is lying Noah. I'm especially disappointed in you Marine. You are 16. You are the oldest you should know better than to be manipulated by an 11 and 13 year old, then not even doing a very good job of hiding the evidence."

"You're right mother JJ's only 6, we could have hid him under the couch." Marine said.

"That's beside the point. I'm going for a walk. I have something to give to poor Mr. Hermàn."

"I don't like that guy mother he gives me the creeps." Noah said.

"Noah, he's just a poor widower. It was tragic what happened to his wife. Now you children get this cleaned up." Ivera said leaving.

Noah walked over to Mokuba. "This is your fault! You knew that jewelry was still on. You did this to get us into trouble!"

"N-N-N-No!"

"You know that stuttering of yours is really starting to get on my nerves. You know maybe mothers right, except you know what I think? I think you should just keep that trap of yours shut and never speak again!"

Mokuba only whimpered and nodded his head before running to his room crying.

~End Flashback~

"A-re y-you okay?" Mokuba asked.

"What? Oh, sorry JJ, I was just remembering the day you stopped speaking. Do you remember?"

Mokuba nodded. He remembered that day all too well.

Seto spotted Mokuba talking to some girl. As he got closer he heard her call him JJ and then glared at her, he'd had more contact with Mokuba's stepmother and Noah so he didn't really remember her when he first saw her. "Mokuba."