Ren: this is the almost last chappie!!
Keo: wow, that took forever to write,
Ren: yea, this has been up forever!
Keo: uh, sorry it's been forever since we updated anything!
Ren: yea, I have been preoccupied… new friends, and SORRY here's the next chappie.

Third of All
Chapter Eleven: Lies Keep Coming
Serenity Takaishi

"Serenity?!" Mai was shaking her friend, trying to get her eyes open. "Hello? What is wrong with you, you're usually a light sleeper?" This process continued for about another twenty minutes.

Mai wasn't the only one present though. Tea was sitting in the kitchen with Tristan and Joey, all of them a bit worried about what had happened to Serenity last night. They all knew where she was going, with Mokuba, but they expected her to call when the party was over, or at least in the morning. Here it was in Domino city, noon, and Serenity Wheeler wasn't awake and perky like she normally was about this time.

"She probably had a long night," Tea assured the boys as Mai came down the stairs; she was the only one in the room that wasn't panicking.

Popping her head into the kitchen doorway, Mai said, "She's up there, but she's dead asleep."

"What's wrong with her?!" Joey was fanatic; he knew that his sister had never slept in that long before. The longest she'd ever slept before was about ten in the morning.

"Nothing, maybe she just had a long night…" Tea knew she shouldn't have said that, for the two overprotective men would get the wrong idea. Serenity had been with Seto Kaiba an entire night, and, who knows what might have happened.

There was a long silence. No one spoke, but Mai and Tea kept darting their eyes back and forth. Trying to communicate without saying much. Not one of them knew what might have happened. All they knew was that if anything did happen… there was going to be hell to pay for it. Someone might end up dead, and that someone wouldn't be Kaiba. Just as the Tristan opened his mouth to speak, Serenity broke the silence. Falling down the stairs, she let out a cry for help.

As she hit the last stair, her head was on the hardwood floor, he whole body ached as she lie motionless, "First of all, that hurt.. A LOT! Second of all, where did all of you come from? Better yet, why are you here?"

Still not moving, or saying anything, the silence continued.

"Whatever, can someone help me?" Before anyone had a chance to get Serenity to her feet, she did a backwards summersault. "Owww," remind me to never do that again!" Now on her knees, she looked at everyone and their weird glances.

"You were sleeping forever Ren," Joey's voice tried to conceal the anger, but it was hard for him not to yell, in fear that something might have happened.

"Joey… what's wrong with you? You sound tremendously mad." Nothing was going through the auburn's head, just the anger of her brother. She'd forgotten about the night, and what Kaiba had said and done. With tired eyes, she got up and walked to the kitchen with everyone.

"Hell yea! Of course I'm mad, Ren, what were you excepting me to be?! What did you do? Huh?! Why'd you do it?" Frantic, Joey was yelling at the air. Serenity looked back at everyone, who was giving her odd looks.

Still having no idea what was going on, she got into the cupboard and grabbed a box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Making her way around the kitchen, she manged to get everything she needed. But was scared at how quiet everyone was. "Okay… listen, nothing happened. I went with Mokuba and that thing was so late and lame. It just had me exhausted." Her lies seemed to flow out easy, but Mai wasn't about to believe any of it.

Joey has a hard head, but in that head, there wasn't much of a mind. So, he believed her, after all, Serenity was the perfect sister, and never lied to anyone. How wrong was he? "Well Ren, see ya later then. I was just freaking out because you weren't callin' or at my house." Joey gave his sister a hug, and, followed by Tristan, he left.

Looking at Serenity, Mai wanted to know everything, considering she already had a theory. "Serenity, what it the hell did you do?!"

Tea just watched as Serenity became uneasy, and began to stutter. 'What should I tell them? Umm, it doesn't make much sense why I would've any way! I'm so confused, what should I do… what time is-' Serenity's thoughts were cut off by her phone; she had to be into work, earlier that day. Now here it was, one in the afternoon and she was still in her pajamas. 'When'd Kaiba leave?'

"Serenity! Are you going to answer that or not?" Tea snapped her out of the trance, just before the phone stopped ringing.

"Well, never mind I guess." Tea laughed sarcastically.

"They'll be calling back, Mai, I seriously need to take a shower, could you answer it and tell them I'll be in as soon as I can, thanks." Serenity ran back up the stairs, leaving Tea and Mai's suspicion grow. Just as their question had not been answered… what had she done the night before and the banquet?

:-:-:Kaiba Mansion:-:-:

Mokuba hung up the phone, not bothering to wait for the answering machine. Maybe Joey was there, worried about her. Thinking on his feet, and not wanting Seto to drop by Serenity, he told his brother to leave. "Seto, it's a lost cause, she isn't answering the phone. Come on, just leave for work."

"Mokuba, she's late, that's irresponsible for an employee, she should be fired," Kaiba hissed; he seemed to be very bitter about whatever had happened last night. But why?

"Are you bipolar Seto?" Mokuba asked innocently. 'It was amazing that last night, well more of this morning, he came home happy, and now, he was angry at the whole world. There wasn't much that made him happy, but once it found it's way, it would stay at least a day or more than five hours. Besides, what made him sitter? He must've had a magnificent night with her… unless-' Interrupted by Keiko's voice, Mokuba's thoughts were cut short.

"Mokuba, aren't you planning on working today?" she'd seemed to realize what had occurred as well, because she was very cautious around the head of the house.

Giving her a death look, Mokuba shock his head. "Actually… No." Not with his brother on a warpath.

"Why not Mokuba?" Seto came down the stairs, a fresh suit on.

"Because," he started, reverting his eyes to his brother, "you are on some war path, and I don't want to be caught in the middle of some big fight. All the people getting fired today, isn't going to be fun, and neither is the mammoth amount of papers you are going to hand off to me." Mokuba answered bluntly.

Leaving Seto in a slight shock, Mokuba found his way into the den, he was tired of suits, and corporates; that's all he'd seen then last twenty-four hours, or so it seemed.

"Honesty… is good?" Keiko asked, eyeing Kaiba, making sure he wasn't about to murder his younger sibling. Thankfully, he just left, maybe for Kaiba Corp. maybe not. At least he left without a fight.

"Mokuba! Don't ever be direct like that when he's pissed off like that!" Keiko yelled, drowning out the sound of people getting killed on the television.

…Kaiba…

'What did I do? What the fuck Seto?! That may have been a mistake, but why is it, every time your mind wanders back to last night, you find yourself smiling? I am not falling for this, this, the mutt's sister….' Kaiba looked out his window, something wasn't right, him. Her.

Only minutes later, he turned his car off, but didn't make any motion to get out. He had to think, alone, away from workers, and papers…

…Serenity…

"What time is it?" Serenity yelled down the stairs, hoping it wasn't too late to go to the mansion. That was, if Mai let her leave, without a thorough interrogation.

"Umm, like one-ish," Tea was the one to answer, for Mai was busy on the phone. Apparently, Joey couldn't seem to keep his cool, he was back at wondering about his little sister again, but Mai had answered the phone, as Serenity instructed, and got Joey, instead of someone important.

"Kay! So, I have to go to work, lock the house when you leave… and hove fun," talking rapidly, Serenity tried to make her way out, fully dressed, hair dripping wet.

"No, Serenity! Get in here now!" Mai's shriek came, she was still on the phone, causing Joey's left eardrum to break.

"Poor Ren," Tea's voice was sympathetic, but at the same time, maniacal.

"Joey, shut up! Bye." Mai hung the phone up, and slammed the phone on the charger. "Now, Ren, what are you up to these days?"

"Nothing…why?" Serenity tried not to mention Kaiba, but it was hard to keep lying to her best friends.

"Hmm? Really, you were sleeping until noon! That's not normal," suspicion grew in Mai's voice, "now, it has something to do with Mr. Seto Kaiba. Doesn't it?"

"Yea, I went to this thing with MOKUBA," she emphasized Mokuba's name," he didn't want to have to go to that boring thing by himself."

"Mai, just let her leave, don't get her in trouble with anyone." Tea made her what to the cupboard and grabbed a box of Lucky Charms; grabbed a bowl and poured some food for her.

"Fine… but Serenity, even if you can't tell Joey, Tea and I are always here…" Mai wondered over to Tea, getting her own cereal, as the phone began to ring.

Walking over to the wall, Serenity pulled the phone jack out of the outlet, and the ringing stopped, "Feel free to plug it in whenever you want…. And Mai, thank you."

Out the door she went, and didn't know what was awaiting her at the Kaiba manor. She knew what she'd done last night, but she can't say she regretted it.

"I don't understand anything anymore… and how long is the guilt of lying to Joey going to stay here?" she thought aloud, walking down the street.

Why hadn't she driven?

About twenty minutes later, Serenity was at the Kaiba house. She noticed that his car was still there and wondered why he was still sitting in it. She froze up, what would she say to him? What could she have to day to him? Taking a deep breath, she walked forward, he'd have to say something first. As she walked past, he didn't say a word, instead he drove away…

…

Ren: WELL!!! Oh my, gosh, that took a while huh??
Keo: IT'S DONE! Well, the chappie… So, you've read now review
Ren: & I'm sooooooo sorry, I didn't do much this summer!