Disclaimer – I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

*Rated M for Mature

Chapter 7 – How Much Longer

"We're…we're getting Mom and Dad's house?" he asked, his voice cracking. Mokuba felt tears sting his eyes. Seto nodded to him again. "Really?"

"Yes," replied his brother, his voice just as raspy as Mokuba's. Joey gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

A small smile graced Mokuba's features as he turned back to the tree and traced his fingers over the carving again. They weren't getting a house. Not really. They were getting a home.

Mokuba glared murderously at Kaede, Masashi, and Hisao as his hands clenched tightly into fists. "You decided to do what?" he snapped. "You didn't think to speak to me about this beforehand and not an hour before Round Two of the tournament?"

Kaede, not to be intimidated by him, stood from his seat and towered over Mokuba as best as he could. "I really don't see the problem here, sir."

"You said this week will be a tribute to Gozaburo and you don't see a problem with that?" Mokuba yelled as he, too, rose to his feet.

"Mr. Kaiba," continued Kaede as if he was trying to placate him, "without Gozabura Kaiba, there would be no Kaiba Corp.; it wouldn't exist. You and your brother wouldn't be here. Why wouldn't we tribute to such a man?"

"You're not doing this," Mokuba hissed through his teeth. "Gozaburo was a cruel man. There is no need to celebrate someone like him."

"I'm afraid you don't have a say in the matter," said Kaede. "The other board members and myself have agreed to the tribute. We therefore outrank you on the issue."

Mokuba's eyes snapped to Masashi and Hisao, who only looked down at their feet dejectedly. "If that's the case, then I refuse to make the announcement for this round of the tournament."

"A silent protest. How fun," muttered Kaede. "If that's the case, then I'll do it. You'll be replaced soon enough, anyway."

Mokuba turned on his heel and headed out of the conference room, slamming the door shut behind him before rushing off to find Seto. He had to warn him about what was going to happen before it was too late.

"Serenity, you are not seeing him and that's final!" her mother snapped, causing Serenity to flinch. She'd never seen her mother so angry before.

"But I want to see Joey," Serenity begged. Once she'd heard that her brother was back—safe and sound—she'd been so happy and relieved, even if a little hurt. But her mother had intercepted her every attempt to contact him. "Why won't you let me see him?"

"You are not seeing him," her mother insisted once more, hands on her hips as she narrowed her eyes at her daughter.

"I just want to go to Domino and see him. Just once. I don't have to be there for very long."

"You're not going, Serenity," she asserted. "Joseph is a bad influence. Do you want to turn out to be a delinquent like him?"

"Joey's not a delinquent. I love him. He loves me. He's my brother and he'll do anything to protect me. How can someone like that be a delinquent?"

"If you think he'll protect you so much, why don't you go stay with him then?" she replied angrily.

Clenching her fists at her sides, Serenity gathered up all the courage she could muster. "Maybe I will."

"What?" her mother gasped, not fully expecting her daughter to say such a thing. But soon she gathered her wits about her and approached Serenity until they were nearly nose to nose. "If you leave, you can never come back. I will not have a child who associates herself with the likes of him."

Feeling torn, Serenity fought back the tears that stung her eyes. "I really want to see Joey," she said quietly.

Taking that as her final decision, Serenity's mother glanced at the clock. "Fine. If that's what you really want. I'm giving you ten minutes to pack. Then you're out."

"What?" Serenity stammered, her eyes widening in bewilderment.

"Ten minutes. Pack. Then get out of my house."

Mokuba arrived at the plaza, panting as he tried to catch his breath. He needed to find Seto before Kaede made his announcement, but with so many duelists wandering about, it made the job nearly impossible.

Suddenly, Mokuba spotted Seto's head just above the crowd and could just make out Joey's figure standing next to him. Racing over to his brother, he gripped onto the back of Seto's coat. A warm hand guided him around to the brunet's front.

"Mokuba?" Seto asked, looking a bit perplexed. He wasn't sure if his younger brother was about to start crying or not; he appeared quite distraught. "Is everything all right?"

"No," Mokuba exhaled before taking in a shaky breath. "Kaede's going to make the announcement. I refused because of what he had planned. I wasn't able to overturn the decision."

Joey approached the smaller boy and rubbed his back comfortingly. "Take it easy, kid," he said when a tear slipped from Mokuba's eye. "What decision?"

Mokuba sniffed and rubbed his eyes. "Kaede's making this week's round of the tournament a tribute to Gozaburo. But I don't really know what he meant by that," he replied. He looked up at Seto and noticed him tensing somewhat.

"Seto," Joey called to him softly, immediately stepping to his side. "Hey, remember what we practiced for times like this? Hm?"

Seto nodded stiffly as the memory resurfaced.

Flashback

"Seto, wake up!" Joey cried urgently as he tried to shake the brunet awake. When Seto finally woke, he relaxed. "Ya were havin' a nightmare."

Swallowing thickly, Seto sat up in the bed and wiped the cold sweat from his brow. Turning his head to the side, he looked out the cabin's window. It was still dark outside, which meant he'd probably woken Joey. "I'm sorry," he said quietly.

"Ya don't have anythin' to be sorry for, Seto," replied Joey as he sighed.

"It doesn't feel that way," he continued as he lay back down on the bed. "I can't sleep. Whenever I try, I see…him. I just want to sleep through the night for once."

"I can try to help ya with that."

"How? Whenever I close my eyes, all I see is his face. He's always invading my thoughts."

Joey lay down next to him on the bed. "Ya need to train your mind to think about other stuff. Ya need to block him from your mind."

"That's easier said than done," Seto replied curtly.

"Do ya trust me?" Joey asked quietly, his eyes boring in Seto's as if searching for his answer.

Seto sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "You know I do."

"Then close your eyes and listen to my voice."

The brunet stifled a protest and closed his eyes. Although he believed that Joey probably wouldn't be able to help him, he trusted the blond enough to give it a try anyway.

"Seto, I want ya to think about the happiest moment of your life. What was it?"

Taking a deep breath, Seto's mind worked through his memories until he found that one special moment. "When I became a brother."

"Okay, good. How did that moment make ya feel?"

"It made me feel…happy. At peace."

"Good. Try to remember that. Focus on Mokuba and the way that moment made ya feel."

As Seto did so, he began to relax while Joey continued to speak soothingly toward him, advising him to think about Mokuba and the feeling of becoming a big brother. Eventually, Seto drifted off to sleep, a small smile on his face. Joey smiled alongside him, stroking the brunet's hair as his eyes also drifted closed.

End Flashback

"Gozaburo doesn't rule your life anymore," said Joey as he hugged Seto around the middle. "There might be some reminders from time to time, but he isn't here anymore. You have control. And if ya ever feel that control slippin', close your eyes and think back to the happiest moment of your life and focus on that feelin'."

Seto rested his chin atop Joey's head as he closed his eyes. Relaxing, a smile came to his face as he felt his nerves calm.

"See what havin' Mokuba does for ya?" Joey said as he poked Seto in the stomach.

"Mokuba's not the only one I have now," replied Seto as he opened his eyes. "I have you, too. And as long as I do, we'll deal with anything thrown at us. We'll overcome it…together."

"Yeah," agreed Joey, smiling up at him. He pulled Mokuba toward them and gave them both a hug. "We'll do it together."

"Greetings, duelists!"

Everyone jolted to attention as Kaede's face appeared on the billboards, looking quite smug. "Round Two of the tournament is about to begin. And in doing so, this week will be in tribute to Gozaburo Kaiba. Had it not been for him, Kaiba Corp. would not exist and this tournament would not be taking place. And with that, I wish all of you the best of luck. May the duels begin!"

Joey narrowed his eyes at the billboard as Kaede's face disappeared, only to be replaced with that of Gozaburo's. He had to admit, this unnerved him slightly. If these images were around all the time—for the whole week—he wasn't sure how Gozaburo wouldn't invade Seto's thoughts. And that worried him more than anything.

"I can't believe what's happening," Yugi said. "Do you think Seto's okay?"

"I hope so," replied Yami. "But this can't be good for him. Not from what we've heard about his past."

"Yeah," sighed Yugi. He paused abruptly, however, when he spotted Seto and Joey sitting together on a bench, causing Yami to slam into his back. "Ow!"

"Sorry, but you stopped so suddenly! Why—?"

"Look," Yugi said as he pointed.

Yami's eyes followed Yugi's gaze until they landed on Seto and Joey. The brunet sat on a bench, his face completely expressionless as Joey sat next to him while stroking his back and whispering in his ear.

"I'm really worried," said Yugi. "Why would that Kaede person do something like this?"

"I don't think it's just Kaede. I believe Pegasus and Zigfried are involved in this somehow, too," replied Yami, his eyes now wandering over to where Pegasus and Zigfried were dueling.

"I activate Demotion and target Spirit Reaper!" announced Pegasus with a laugh. "Next, I summon Luster Dragon #2 by sacrificing Goblin Attack Force. Now I shall attack you with my Luster Dragon #2! I then activate The Shallow Grave and target Goblin Attack Force! And now for the grand finale! I activate Thunder Crash!"

When his and Zigfried's opponents' life points dropped to zero, Pegasus grinned and looked up at Seto, giving him a wink. Seto remained expressionless. However, Joey was the one who turned a heated glare toward Pegasus in return; a glare that unnerved him greatly. It was then that Pegasus realized that Joey seemed to be Seto's strength. Take him out of the picture and Seto was bound to follow suit.

She was finally here; she'd finally made it to Domino. Serenity clutched the small tote bag she held in her hand, which held all that she could pack during the ten minute time limit her mother had given her. It wasn't much, but that didn't matter. What did was finding her brother. But how?

Serenity didn't have a cell phone since her mother had taken it away, and she didn't even know how to contact Joey even if she was able. Plus, her mother hadn't allowed her any money to leave with to begin with, so finding a phone was out of the question, too.

Taking a deep breath, she began walking through the city, trying to spot a familiar face amongst the crowds that swarmed the place. Growing frustrated, she let out a soft cry and rubbed at her eyes. Now was not the time for tears. She had to find her brother.

"I activate Creature Swap, switching Spirit Reaper for Dark Ruler Van'Dalgyon!"

Serenity's head shot up. That was Mai's voice. It had to be. She was dueling? Pushing her way through the crowd, Serenity finally spotted Mai, and with her, Tea. They were dueling together.

"I now tribute Spirit Reaper to summon Dark Ruler Ha Des," continued Mai. "And I activate Owner's Seal. Now I attack with both my monsters. With that, I activate Ring of Destruction and target Dark Ruler Ha Des, reducing your life points to zero!"

As soon as the duel finished, Serenity couldn't hold back anymore. She raced over to Mai and Tea and threw herself at them, dropping her bag on the ground.

"Serenity?" Tea started, stunned by her sudden appearance.

"Serenity," Mai said as she hugged the girl. She hugged her back when Serenity began crying. "What're you doing here? What's wrong?"

"My mom kicked me out because I wanted to see Joey," she sobbed. "I can't go home and I don't know where Joey is. I don't know what to do!"

"It's okay, Serenity," said Tea, rubbing her back soothingly. "We'll help you find Joey. Don't worry."

Serenity nodded, but still continued to cry while Mai and Tea comforted her in the best way they knew how.

"Why are you so smug?" inquired Zigfried, arms crossed as he and Pegasus watched the duel taking place. Keith and Duke were dueling some apparent no-names.

"Kaede's plan doesn't seem to be working," explained Pegasus, "so I've come up with a little something of my own."

"Oh?"

"Yes. It appears our dear Seto-boy isn't snapping like I thought he would. Joey seems to be the one holding him together. Take him out of the picture and Seto is as good as finished."

"And how do you plan on doing that? No one is foolish enough to do something so rash."

At this Pegasus smirked. "I wouldn't say that," he said, his eyes returning to the duel at hand.

"I activate Mind Control and target Cannon Soldier," announced Keith. "Now I activate Windstorm of Etaqua and chain with Tragedy. Then I activate Monster Reborn and target Perfect Machine King. I now attack Spirit Reaper with Perfect Machine King and Cyber-Stein. Next, I activate Cannon Soldier, so I tribute Perfect Machine King and Cyber-Stein!"

Keith cackled to himself, ecstatic over their win. But now he had to take care of a little business for Pegasus. Sure, taking Joey out of the picture would be easy enough, but how to do it without anyone realizing it was him would take careful consideration. Maybe it would turn out well if he took out Joey from behind.

Smirking to himself, Keith made his way through the hordes of duelists and fans, determined to find Joey.

"Where are you going?"

Keith paused when Duke grabbed his arm to stop him. "Geez, can't a guy get a break once in awhile?"

Duke sighed. "Whatever," he said before walking away.

"Hn." Keith straightened out his jacket and proceeded through the crowd. "Now, if I were you, where would I be?" he asked aloud, his eyes scouring every face they came in contact with. "And there you are."

Smirking once again, Keith pushed by more people until he was right behind Joey. With this many people, no one would know who did it. So, taking his duel disk, he raised his arm and swung it forward toward the back of Joey's head.

But someone grabbed his wrist before he could bring it down. "What the—?" Keith flinched when he felt a hand suddenly grab him around the neck and slammed him against a nearby wall. Seto had him pinned, a murderous glare on his face. The people around them grew quiet.

Yugi and Yami, who were standing off in the distance, looked on quietly, terrified by Seto's sudden change in demeanor.

Joey turned around, freezing momentarily when he saw what Seto was doing. This was bad. This was very bad. Racing over toward the brunet, he gripped Seto's arm and tried to get him to release Keith. "Seto, stop."

But the brunet didn't seem to be listening. His eyes were glued to Keith.

"Seto, please! Stop!" Joey begged, trying to put himself between them so Seto's eyes would land only on him.

Seto's hold faltered and he released Keith's neck, which caused the man to gasp for air. "If you ever lay a hand on Joey again, it will be the last thing you ever do," he ground out as he turned on his heel and left.

"Ya got lucky, Keith," Joey exhaled shakily. "If ya had hit me or whatever…there woulda been no way in hell anyone could've stopped him."

"Crazy," Keith gasped. "He's crazy!"

"Listen up," Joey snapped, pushing Keith's chest so his back hit the wall. "Why don't ya stop doin' the dirty work of other people before somethin' bad happens to ya?"

Stepping away, Joey's eyes landed on Pegasus, who seemed to look on in interest. Giving him a glare, the blond raced after Seto to make sure he was all right.

Pegasus narrowed his eyes after him as he began wondering if his target should be Seto rather than Joey. It appeared he had some serious thinking to do.

Seto gripped the counter to the kitchen sink so tightly, his knuckles turned white. Staring outside the window, he vaguely realized night had fallen. His reflection—two cold eyes and a hard face—stared back at him menacingly. Clenching his teeth, he swallowed hard as his breathing became heavier and heavier. A sense of inner peace was the furthest thing from his grasp.

His hand blindly reached for something to throw, and when he grabbed a tall drinking glass, he hurled it at the wall. Then he snatched something else and threw that, too. It was becoming a seemingly endless cycle as his rage consumed him. Someone had tried to hurt Joey. He couldn't let that happen.

"Stop it, Seto!" Yami shouted as he tried to prevent the brunet from further destroying objects in the Game Shop.

Joey pushed him away. "Everyone, out!" he demanded. "Get out now!"

Yami, however, refused to listen. He forced himself passed Joey and gripped Seto's arm in his hand in an attempt to stop him.

But Seto didn't seem to be aware of the intention. Instead, he pulled back his free arm and punched Yami in the face. "Get away from me!" he snapped.

Yami stumbled backward as Joey rushed forward.

"Joey, don't!" Yugi yelled, fearing that his friend would get hurt. Mokuba stood rooted to his spot.

"He won't hurt me," Joey replied as he stepped in front of Seto just as he threw another punch. Seto's eyes flashed for a moment as realization of who he was aiming at struck him. But it was enough time to change his target.

Seto's fist collided hard with the wall next to Joey's head. The brunet stilled. Joey slowly began to rub his hands up and down Seto's arms. "It's okay," Joey said softly, trying to get the brunet to relax. "Everythin's gonna be okay."

"What did I do?" Seto asked quietly as his mind began to clear. "I'm sorry," he said, raising his injured hand to Joey's face. "I almost hurt you. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"It's okay," Joey consoled him. "Let me take care of ya now, all right?"

Seto nodded stiffly as the blond guided him toward a chair. Once the brunet was seated, Joey opened the cabinet under the kitchen sink and took out the first-aid kit. Then he set about taking care of the cuts and bruises Seto suffered from his outburst. Yugi, Yami, and Mokuba watched on in eerie silence.

Feeling that Seto had finally calmed down enough, Joey led him into the living room and onto the couch. Settling the brunet down, he made his way back to the kitchen.

"The next time I tell ya to do somethin', ya do it!" Joey snapped at Yami in a low voice as he rounded on him.

"He was destroying stuff, Joey. Or did you miss that?" argued Yami.

"And that's all it is! Stuff!" Joey countered. "If ya care more about stuff than a person then your priorities are just as fucked up as Pegasus and Zigfried's!"

"So we should just let him destroy our home then? And what about me? He hit me!"

"I warned ya. I told ya to leave. Ya didn't. That was your own fault. We told ya before that if I ever start tellin' ya to do somethin' regardin' Seto that ya'd have to listen to me," Joey lectured, his temper getting the better of him. "We'll pay for the damages…and we'll be outta here by the end of the week then."

"You don't have to do that, Joey," Yugi cut in, hoping to appease his friend.

"It doesn't matter. We're movin' into our house, anyway. This way, if Seto has another outburst, ya won't have to worry about gettin' hurt or your stuff messed up," he said curtly.

"Is…that what Seto was like before he disappeared?" Mokuba asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Joey grew quiet for a moment. "He was worse," he replied. "Seto never wanted anyone to see him like that. Never mention how he acted today to him. That would hurt him more than help him. He never wanted you to see him like this, Mokuba. It's one of the reasons we had to leave.

"But Seto acted the way he did just now because he thought my life was in danger from earlier. The whole thing with Keith. Seto's really protective over the ones he cares about. He probably felt he lost control over the situation and just snapped under the pressure.

"With everythin' we've been through together for the past year, we completely depend on each other. I don't know if we could function without each other anymore. It's probably not healthy, but that's the way it is now."

"What do you mean?" Yugi asked.

Flashback

Joey tried to get out of bed, but he was just too tired. His head throbbed painfully as his body broke out into a cold sweat. He could already feel the sickness resting heavily in his chest. But even though he could feel himself burning up with fever, he still had to take care of Seto.

Bracing his palms on the mattress, he pushed himself up, only to be pushed back down again.

"Stay."

Joey looked blearily above him. Seto stared down at him solemnly.

"Stay," Seto repeated. "I'll take care of you."

The blond tried to relax, but the thought of Seto taking care of him unnerved him greatly. Seto couldn't do it, could he? Not with the state he was in.

But he was wrong.

As the days passed, Seto fed him soup, helped him to and from the bathroom, and did everything under the sun.

Except for taking care of himself.

Once Joey was better, he finally got a good look at Seto. The brunet appeared to be more of a skeleton than anything else. Seto had been so worried for Joey that he'd neglected to look after himself.

"Why?" That was the only question Joey could somehow manage to get out when he stepped in front of Seto. He didn't understand.

The brunet shook his head. "There would have been no point in taking care of myself if you weren't here," he said, his voice scratchy and hoarse. "I meant what I said before. I can't function without you."

Joey moved forward and hugged him. It seemed neither of them could. "Let's promise to help each other, but we need to look after each other, too. Okay?"

"Okay."

End Flashback

"I got sick because I'd spent so much time lookin' after Seto that I forgot about myself," Joey explained. "And he ended up doin' the same when I got sick and he took care of me. The connection we have probably looks unhealthy to an outsider, but we rely on each other. We help each other.

"We're…inseparable while still bein' separate people, I guess. Despite everythin'—the good, the bad, and the ugly—we love each other and we're happy."

Joey stepped away from his friends and made for the couch. He sat next to Seto and rested his head on the brunet's shoulder. The blond felt him taking deep breaths as he tried to pull himself together once again.

Knock, knock, knock!

Everyone turned to stare at the door. Suddenly, Yugi raced off toward it as if jolted into action. Opening the door, he was surprised to see Mai and Tea standing there. But what shocked him the most was seeing Serenity peering out from behind them.

"Is Joey here?" asked Mai.

Yugi nodded aggressively as he let them inside and led them to the living room. "Joey," he called out.

The blond raised his head. When he noticed Serenity, he stood. She dropped her bag and ran into her brother's arms, sobbing hard into his chest. Joey wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly, tears coming to his own eyes. "Serenity, I missed ya so much," he murmured.

Seto watched the interaction intently as realization struck him. He needed better control over his temper. He understood that Joey might get into danger from time to time, but the blond wasn't the only one he had to live for in his life anymore. There was also Mokuba…and Serenity. Why hadn't he realized it sooner? If something bad did happen to Joey, he couldn't just call it quits; he had them to think about.

Standing from his spot on the couch, Seto moved toward Joey and Serenity just in time for the young girl to start speaking.

"Mom kicked me out because I wanted to see you. I can't go back. She told me to never come back," she cried, clutching her brother even tighter. Joey tensed at this news, but Seto put a hand on his shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"It's going to be fine," said Seto, lightly patting her on the back.

"You'll just stay with us from now on," added Joey. "The four of us. You, me, Seto, and Mokuba. We'll take care of ya, okay? And if ya want, I'll talk to Mom."

Serenity shook her head. "I don't want anything to do with her. At least not now," she replied as she continued hugging Joey. "I missed you so much, Joey."

"I know. And I'm so sorry for that."

Joey was furious. He'd just finished speaking with his mother on the phone, and he'd demanded to know why she'd treated Serenity the way she had. His mother had responded by saying that Serenity was no daughter of hers if she consorted with the likes of Joey. And with that, she'd hung up.

However, that wasn't the only thing that had his insides twisted into knots. Pegasus was up to something. He knew it. Although he wasn't quite sure what it was, he could definitely sense there was some unspoken challenge between them. And he'd be damned if he's lose.

Two could play at the game Pegasus hatched. Joey knew he had somehow been behind the whole Gozaburo thing, not to mention that episode with Keith. If Pegasus wanted to torment Seto, he'd picked the wrong person; no one messed with the people Joey cared about. It was time to get even.

Joey turned his attention back to the duel at hand. Rex and Weevil were currently up and it was the bug-guy's turn.

"I activate Degenerate Cirucit," cackled Weevil enthusiastically. "I also activate Soul Absortion. Next I activate Compulsory Evacuation Device and target Jirai Gumo. Now I activate Ring of Destruction and target Fiend Megacyber. Finally, I activate Return from a Different Dimension, returning Jirai Gumo and Goblin Attack Force, leaving you open for my full-out attack!"

Joey felt Seto come up behind him, arms wrapping around his waist as the brunet kissed him lightly on the cheek. "Where are Mokuba and Serenity?" Joey asked.

"They're checking out the toy vendors. I gave them some money to pick out what they wanted. Serenity's looking better, too," said Seto.

The blond nodded but remained tense.

"What's wrong?" inquired the brunet.

"Nothin'."

"Tell me what's bothering you."

Joey sighed and leaned back into Seto's embrace. "I think Pegasus is behind the stuff that's been happenin' lately."

"It's quite possible. We're not exactly friends."

"More like enemies," Joey muttered under his breath. "I wanna teach him a lesson."

"As in retaliate for his actions?" Seto asked as he turned the blond around so they could face each other. When Joey nodded, he frowned. "I don't think that's wise."

"Keith tried to hurt me. Pegasus told him to do it."

"You don't know that for sure," insisted Seto.

Joey huffed in response. "Pegasus isn't the only one with sources."

"I'm starting to think I created a monster."

"Hey, you're the one who taught me how to play it smart with laying low. Don't get mad just because I wanna fight fire with fire."

"I'm not mad," Seto reassured him. "I'm concerned. If you're set on this, I know I can't stop you. No matter what I say, it won't penetrate that thick skull of yours."

"Watch it!"

"But remember this," Seto cautioned, "he's been playing these games for much longer than you. Pegasus knows what he's doing. Anyone in the business world does. And you need to be prepared for the consequences when they arise. Do you understand?"

"I understand. I was taught by the best, after all."

"Fine," replied Seto, looking unsure. "Then do what you have to do. Just remember that there are always consequences to your actions. It's not something you can take back."

"I know that," Joey stated seriously. "Seto?"

"Yes."

"Why are ya lettin' me take charge of this?"

Seto took a deep breath as he thought over his answer. "Because you know when to stop. I don't. If things get out of hand, you'll put an end to it and back off. I wouldn't. I'd keep on going until there's nothing left. You have control, whereas I don't."

"Yeah," Joey sighed as his thoughts began to plague him. "Don't get mad. Get even."

"Exactly."

End Chapter