January 22nd 1995

3:30 P.M.

"I don't know what to do with that boy." Tony mumbled in refined English. Italian and English were close enough for him to learn easily. Thank God his Hitomi knew it...and Manganese...and Mitch...and Helen...actually, English was a language every one of his friends knew it seemed so he was pretty thankful for that.

Helen Martin-Johnson (who'd kept both names after divorcing Mitchell) looked over at Tony from the register as he re-stocked the CD's.

"Well, it's as much Maya and Collin's fault as it is Seto's. Those kids are curious."

"It's one thing to be curious." Mitch said, reaching up to re-pin the corner of a poster of Axl Rose. "It's another thing to sneak out in the middle of the night and try to wander around in an old, unstable rickety house because of some made-up curse."
"Made-up?" Helen raised an eyebrow. "That curse has been tradition in this town since the Tadanaka's breathed their last breath. I know it, you know it, EVERYONE knows it."
"Not me." Manganese said.

"Me neither." Tony quipped.

"Because you're not originally from Kaitou County. Mangan, you're from Domino City." A finger went to the brunet. "And you're from a different country entirely. Hell, Tony, you're not even from this CONTINENT." Helen reminded. The foreigner shrugged with a grin, similar to Manganese.

"The ENTIRE reason they snuck out that night was because of those crazy rumors you spread." Mitchell said, returning to the subject as he walked over to the window and adjusted a neon light in the window that flashed 'Records' during the night.
"I didn't SPREAD it. It's been around since we were kids." Helen defended. "I said it as a joke a week ago. They just won't let it be."(And those words brought on a round of 'Let It Be' by The Beatles to play the refrain over and over in Antonio's rocking-and-rolling brain. It would have been rather annoying if he didn't love that band so much.)

"Well, I certainly hope they let it be once the baby's born. I don't want her or him getting in as much trouble as his or her brother." Tony sighed, restocking the Ricky Martin CD's. God he hated this guy. Good thing he had the vocals of a Mr. John Lennon to drown him out. (Let it beeeeee...)

"It's fuck-tards like this that give pop music a bad name."
"Like who?" Helen asked as her eyebrows rose. Tony rarely swore.

Tony held up the CD.

"I mean, I'm more of a rocker myself," He started, placing the CD in front of the others.
"We know that Tony." Manganese chuckled. All they ever heard blaring from Tony's pick-up was Guns 'N Roses (That one was heard the most.), Throwing Muses (A favorite of the Missus, actually. Tony liked them but not as much as his wife), the Scorpions, Skid Row, Def Leppard, Velvet Revolver (Tony, being the utter rocking spirit he was, practically worshipped Slash) or some other 80's rock band, obscure or not.

Sometimes it wasn't even the '80's (Even though that was HIS era; everyone else just existed in it.) As said, he ADORED The Beatles, Ike Turner and his pretty little wife Tina, Elvis Presley, all rock in his book was good rock. And all rock was rock in his book.

Tony grinned at his friend.

"But that doesn't mean pop bands aren't good too. Gloria Estefan, Madonna, just examples." He rattled off. Yes, he liked Madonna. Live with it. (But just to make it clear, 80'S MADONNA! And...ONLY her 'Music' album if you want to go into the 90's.)

Tony snarled at the album he held. "But this isn't music. This is...an ATTEMPT at music."

"Hey. I liked him when he was in Menudo." She defended, running a chocolate dark hand through her black hair.

"And NOW?" The Italian asked. There was a notable rancor in his voice at the mention of the band.
"Well, NOW he's not as good."She admitted.
"Cop-out." Mitch scoffed. Helen glared.

"But I liked Menudo."

"You would." Her ex-husband snorted. From the back room's door a woman emerged, thin and frail looking with big blue eyes and short, stylish white hair. Her short dainty steps were quick and silent until she paused and looked at the Italian.

"Hey, Tony, you might want to check out your kid." She said, her voice soft just because...well, just because.

"Seto's here?" Tony asked, looking up from the CD's. "What's wrong with him, Vana?"

"I dunno, man." The woman, Vanadium Tungsten, said. "But he looks really scuffed up." Tony groaned, another fight he assumed. He stood, placing the box of CD's down and walking towards the back.
"I'llbe right back." He said to his long-term friends with a quiet moan of "Accidenti...Seto..."

--

Seto sat with his arms folded and curled up, facing the cushioned part of the couch. He bit his bottom lip fiercely and blinked back the tears.

But they weren't sad tears. HHonest. It was just the wind that had been in his eyes while he was biking. It still sort of stung, he wasn't crying! And the bruise he had across his temple hurt (Lucky shot!). He wasn't upset! Really!

And even if he was it CERTAINLY wasn't because Hikaru Inoue called him out and got him in a fight even after his dad told him not to fight anymore. No sir, Hikaru couldn't get his goat like Maya did. If he WAS upset (Which he wasn't!) it wasn't because he got in a fight. It was because he got into a fight when his dad had TOLD HIM not to fight. And he'd UNDERSTOOD why.

Seto'd been TRYING not to fight! He really was! Hikaru threw the first punch and he wasn't about to just stand there! And before then, he wasn't about to let that kid boss him around! The gall of that idiot! Even if he WAS easy to boss around SOMETIMES, he wouldn't do Hikaru Inoue's homework. Especially not after that punch to the face.
"Seto?" A familiar voice sounded. "Siete giusti?" (Are you okay?) Seto didn't bother to look at his father. He knew what his father would say.

There was a silence in the room as Tony moved to sit down on the couch. He put his hands on his knees and leaned on them, trying to get a glimpse of his sons' hidden face.

"Non desiderate comunicare affatto?" (You don't want to talk at all?) He prodded some more. Seto still refused to budge.

"Siete entrato in un'altra lotta, non?" (You got into another fight, didn't you?) Tony asked sadly. Seto twisted sideways, turning his bruised face to his father.

"I-I non ha desiderato combatterlo! Realmente! Ho provato non a!" (I-I didn't want to fight him! Really! I tried not to!) The younger defended himself, hoping is father would believe him.

He didn't look as angry as when he fought Maya. Probably because Hikaru was a 'he' and not a 'she'.

A soft hand ran across his son's face.

"Chi è 'lui'?" (Who is 'he'?) He asked, examining the cut across the boys face. It caused Seto to wince. Yikes, that kid broke skin. He didn't even notice until his father touched it. It was probably Hikaru's ring that cut him.

Well, at least he was right about it not being tears running down his cheek.

"Hikaru Inoue." The mini-Tony told his father. Tony grumbled something under his breath but Seto didn't bother listening. He just continued.

"Hikaru ha detto che non è giusto che dovrebbero fare il loro proprio lavoro quando sono soltanto quattro e sono già nel primo grado." (Hikaru said that it's not fair that they should be doing their own work when I'm only four and I'm in the first grade already.) He defended himself, rubbing away a droplet of blood. Seto had, even at his own age, been deemed...INCREDIBLY talented. Tony knew this. He'd gotten it from his mother, most definitely. In all the ways he was Antonios' son, the boy had gained Hitomi's intellect.

"Ha detto se fossi così astuto, io potrebbe aiutare tutto altrimenti fuori e fare il loro compiti. Ma Io no detto. Così lo ha perforato." (He said if I was so smart, I could help everyone else out and do their homework. But I said no. So he punched me.) The boys' father rolled his eyes, looking agitated at that. Seto turned his face down.

"Sono spiacente." (I'm sorry.) He apologized, feeling the guilt at betraying his father's words. Tony blinked at this, his face blank for a bit. He smiled softly at his son and hugged him tight, chuckling.
"Papa?" (Dad?) He questioned, wondering why his father held him so. He was expecting another lecture. He was expecting like with Maya, to be dragged down to Hikaru Inoue's house and forced to apologize.

"Heh, è circa tempo qualcuno detto a quel bambino guastato fuori." (Heh, it's about time someone told that brat off.)

"Papa..." Seto asked again. He was confused.

"Oh, Seto," The boys father laughed a bit, ruffling his sons hair as he pulled out of the embrace. "Come posso essere pazzo voi per quello? Avete ascoltato me il tempo pieno." (How can I be mad at you for that? You listened to me the whole time.) Seto stared at his father, utterly bewildered.

"Ma...Ma ho ottenuto in una lotta! Mi avete detto che non combattere-" (But...But I got in a fight! You told me not to fight-)

"Seto, gli dicessi DI NON INIZIARE le lotte. Non ho detto mai che non potreste difenderti." (Seto, I told you not to START fights. I never said you couldn't defend yourself.) The father said, running a hand through his soft brown mullet. He blinked, removing his hand and looking to his son.

"Avete perforato quel maiale piccolo ignaro, non?" (You did punch that ignorant little swine, didn't you?) He asked, eyeing his son's multiple bruises. Seto scoffed.

"Duh." He dripped, turning his head sharply. His down-to-the-bottoms-of-his-ears locks flipped with him. He was trying to grow them long like his dad. "Non sono stupido!" (I'm not stupid!)

"Buon." (Good.) The Italian male ruffled his sons hair, laughing lightly.

"Seto, sono fiero di voi." (Seto, I'm proud of you.) Tony smiled, kissing his son's forehead on the bruising mark. Seto winced softly, looking up to his father hopefully.

"Realmente?" (Really?) He asked.

"Si, realmente." (Yes, really.) Tony chuckled. The door opened and Vanadium popped her head in.

"Hey, Seto, is everything alright?" She asked. She turned to Tony. "Is he alright?" She asked in English.

"Yeah, Mrs. Tungsten. I'm okay." Seto answered, rubbing his cheek a bit (he wasn't about to wonder what they just said. He was taking English classes in school but he didn't get that far yet). His face was sore. Tony turned to her and smiled.

"You heard him. Though he should get cleaned up." Tony said. "I'll take him home."
"Oh no, it's okay. I'll do it." She smiled.
"You're a saint, Vana." He grinned. The woman giggled and opened the door wholly for the boy.

"Come on, Seto, let's get you cleaned up." She said softly.

"Okay."

The boy pushed himself off the couch and landed on his feet, limping a bit towards the woman. (Hikaru bit his leg! What, was he rabid?!)

"Seto." Tony said softly, watching his son. "Non desidero suonare come sto consigliando a questo ma...come avete

fatto?" (I don't want to sound like I'm encouraging this but...how did you do?) Seto looked back to his father, a smirk on his face and an eyebrow raised.

"Che cosa pensate?" (What do you think?) He snickered before he was pulled along into the bathroom. As the door shut, Tony grinned. The tall lean Italian rocker walked out of the backroom and back into the store.
"What happened?" Mangan asked.

"Seto got called out for being younger than everyone else. Hikaru Inoue. Little punk wanted him to do his homework. My boy fought back." He explained, still with that wide beam on his face.

"How'd he do?" Helen asked as her ex-husbands best friend walked back over to his spot to grab the box of CD packs to be unloaded. Tony grinned wider, picking up the box of CD's, examining the next pack and moving to the Country Western section.
"Kicked that little twerps ASS, that's how my boy did." He said smugly.

"Just like his old man, huh?" Manganese laughed, slapping Tony's shoulder playfully as he passed.
"Hopefullynot JUST like his old man." Mitch chuckled. Tony rolled his eyes.

His boy would be just fine.

--

"So, Seto..." Vana started, dabbing the boy with a cotton ball. "How DID you do REALLY?" Seto looked at her with a grimace, seeming embarrassed.

"Little twerp kicked my ASS, that's how I did." He clapped his hands together. "Please don't tell my dad!" He begged. Vana sighed.
"You're just like your old man..."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

January 1st, 2009

10:30 A.M. (Rome)

"Seto, come ON!" Mokuba grunted, pulling his brother by the arm.
"Hold on! We have to wait for Jou!" He insisted, staying put.

"What takes a guy so long anyway?"

"A twelve and a half hour plane ride'll tire anybody out." Seto said. "And it's six-thirty." The CEO added as he looked at his watch. He blinked, looking out the window at the shining sun and back at his watch. That couldn't be right.

"Not here." Mokuba said. Seto blinked again and groaned.

"I forgot to change my watch."

"You do every time." Mokuba grinned, who'd checked his cell phone in his back pocket. "It's TEN-thirty." He informed his brother who quickly changed his watch to the right time. Or what was CLOSE enough to the right time. The hour was right and the minutes were close to dead-on.

Jou then left the bathroom, throwing out the paper towel used to wash his hands.

"Sorry."
"It's alright." Seto said, changing his iPod clock to Rome time.

"Why are we in a public airport anyway? I'd pinned you two for pulling up somewhere that only you rich shmucks go." Jou asked. Usually that was the Kaiba brothers' style- sleek, personalized and private.
"We 'rich shmucks' need to work with the security here." The brunet smirked a bit. "Passports and such. Not to mention, exchange currency." Seto blinked at that. "How much do you have?" Jou picked his wallet from his pocket and shifted through the bills and coins, adding in his head.

"About... 5,374 yen." He said.

(Okay, people, I did the math here. Thank GOD for online converters. Okay, so I gave Jou about 50 US bucks here. That's the equivalent to 5,374.01 yen. Which, in exchange is the equivalent to 33.7280 euro. 1 yen is about 0.00627613 euro and 1 euro is approximately 198.925 yen. 1 dollar is the same as 107.268 yen and 0.674153 euro. Pants. That's all I'm saying. And you can bet your sweet ass that that online currency converter is on my favorites. Okay, I'm done. Ta!)

"It'll do...we'll have plenty left if you run out." Seto said as he picked up his carry-on bag and slung it over his shoulder. Jou ran a hand through his mussed-from-sleep-on-a-plane hair and rubbed his jetlagged eye.

He hoped it would be a good week.

--

Jou pocketed the euro into his back pocket, safely tucked into his wallet.

"So, the house is in Rome?" Jou asked as Mokuba searched for his suitcase.

"Nope. Tuscany. We can cruise around for a few hours but we need to drive there. It's out of this region so it'll take a few hours to get there." Seto watched his brother run over, suitcase in hand. He smiled down at the boy.
"Nonna wants us at the villa for dinner." Mokuba said. "Speaking of Nonna, you have to call her."
"I know, I know." Seto said, pulling out his cell phone. "Una secondo." He said, holding up a finger to Jou and Mokuba as he dialed his grandmothers' number into his phone, walking off to chat.

"By the way, Jou..." Mokuba started. "I suggest keeping the Japanese to a minimum here."
"They don't take well to foreigners?"
"Well, they DO...but at the same time, it makes you an easy target, y'know?" Mokuba explained. Jou nodded. Hey, he knew the scene. He was in a gang before.

"I got it."

"I hope so." Said the younger of the Kaiba duo watching his brother talk rapid Italian to his grandmother. "Is he almost done?" he muttered to himself before yelling. "SETO! DESIDERO COMUNICARE CON NONNA!" (SETO! I WANT TO TALK TO GRANDMOTHER!) Seto rolled his eyes, walking back over still jabbering away as Mokuba gave a happy squeal.

"Hey." Seto interjected as his little brother snatched the cell phone. However he went unheard as the little Kaiba talked to his Nonna happily.

"So how long should it take to get to Tuscany?"
"Tuscany-just a few hours. The villa-add another half an hour to those few." Seto answered. As Mokuba hung up a few minutes later, he looked to his brother who nodded. "Come on." He fought down a smile, taking Jou's hand and dragging him out of the airport with Mokuba right behind him. As they pushed open the doors, Jou hid his eyes from the sudden light and looked around.

"Benvenuto in Italia." Seto said with a small smile. "Welcome to Italy."

--

Chapter THREE! Hey, I'm getting the hang of that online translator, huh?