Yu-gi-oh

Disclaimer: I don’t own Yugioh, or the characters there in. I just borrowed some of the characters. Rated: NC-17

To Serve and Protect

Chapter 2

Joey leaned against the railing; he was so glad to be back in Japan. His Boss had assured him that he would soon have his Detectives’ shield and be put on regular duties instead of undercover work. He was so tired of hiding and lying all he wanted was a regular assignment with a real partner and see Mai, if she’d have anything to do with him.

But for now, he was going to enjoy his leave. He had four years of overtime and vacation saved up and he’d been told he had to use at least half of it. The Police Psychologist had recommended he use all of it. He had planed to use six weeks at least. He needed the time to decompress and lose some bad habits, like punching people who walked up behind him.

Watching the crowd finally paled and Joey sat on the bench he’d been standing behind. He hooked his left heel on the bench and began to scratch his ankle, his shackle callouses were beginning to peal and it itched.

Joey lit a cigarette; he’d had to move, he couldn’t relax with his back to the mall, it made his hackles rise. He’d spent four years making sure his back was protected and couldn’t break the habit so soon.

Joey saw Seto walking in his direction and hoped he would pass by. He didn’t feel like putting up with the scorn Seto was sure to dump on him. Their last meeting had been less than pleasant and Joey didn’t want grief just now. He was to be disappointed

Seto was shopping with Mokuba and he was bored. He didn’t shop, he went into very few stores but the ones he patronized knew exactly what he liked so all he did was walk in the door and point. Convenient and quick. Mokuba on the other hand would spend hours just wandering from store to store looking at everything and not buying much of anything. A process that Seto found baffling, but he wanted to spend all the time he could with his brother before Mokuba went off to school, so here he was bored and tired. If he hadn’t had such a bad day at work, he would have been enjoying himself.

Joey flinched visibly.

“Hello, Mutt. Haven’t seen you for a while. Have a nice vacation.” Seto watched Joey stiffen.

“Yeah. Lots of fresh air, sunshine, exercise and good food. Really builds a guy up.” Joey kept his eyes on the floor; smoked his cigarette and wished Seto would disappear in a puff of smoke. “Beat it Kaiba. I’m not in the mood for your mout’ just now.”

“Well, temper on the touchy side just now?”

“Yeah. Ya might say dat. Last time I saw ya I wasn’t feeling any more sociable dan I am now. So take a hike.”

Joey wasn’t sure exactly why he was acting the way he was, but he really didn’t want to be treated to the ‘I’m disappointed’ speech or the ‘you’re just trash’ speech. He dug out his cigarettes and lit another one, shooting his cuffs to show several extra inches of arm. He pushed the offending sleeves up to just below his elbows. He wasn’t used to wearing suit jackets but needed one to hide his service piece.

Seto blinked. Joey had callouses around both wrists. They showed up as a ring of rough, darker skin the edges were also red like they had blistered and never really healed. Seto wondered where they had come from.

Joey took a deep breath and caught the rags of his temper, noticing Seto’s stare he snapped “What? I got dirt on my face or somthin’ what are ya lookin at?” then he realized what Seto was staring at.

Losing his temper completely he stuck his wrist under Seto’s nose and snarled “Take a good look. Stare all ya want. This is what ya get from wearing hand cuffs,“ He put his left foot on the bench and pulled up his pants leg. He didn’t show the right one because he didn’t want Seto to see his hold out. “An’ leg irons. Wanna make something of it?”

Seto snapped back. “I’m sure you deserved it. I can’t imagine what you thought you were doing. But if you’d . . . never mind. I didn’t come here to start something. I just wanted to say . . . Hell, I give up . . . I don’t know want I wanted. Mokie’s here someplace and I think he’d like to see you. Don’t let him see your wrists. And get rid of that damn cigarette. It’ll hurt him. And we’ve got enough troubles without you adding more.”

Seto gave Joey his CEO in a temper glare and got up.

Just then Mokuba darted up. He had always been quick and as he got older he hadn’t slowed down any. Unfortunately he came up from behind and to one side of Joey. Joey’s reaction was to grab Mokuba and launch a punch at his face. He managed to get it aimed over his shoulder but it scared all three of them. Seto grabbed Joey’s arm, Mokuba ducked belatedly and Joey jerked his arm out of Seto’s grasp. Turning around he snarled, “Don’t touch me. Don’t walk up behind me. Damnit!” Turning to Mokuba, who was wide eyed and white faced, he grumbled, “I’m really sorry, Mo’ I didn’t mean it. I mean I did, but not you . . . Shit!” Joey patted Mokuba on the shoulder and, pinning Seto with a nasty look, started to stalk away.

“Well Wheeler. I knew you were off. But throwing a punch at Mokuba?”

Joey turned around and pinned Seto with a cold, furious look.

“I wish it had been you. You’re a prick. You have no idea what I’ve been through so don’t judge me . . . Mo’ I’m sorry. I been guardin’ my back so long . . . Well, just . . . I’m sorry.”

Mokuba shuddered, the sight of Joey’s fist flashing by his face had scared him badly. But the panicky look on Joey’s face made him realize that it had been a reflex, not personal.

“Joey, don’t leave. You need help. Please let me help you. I . . . you’re my friend, even if Seto doesn’t like you much. You always came through for me when I needed you. I’d like to be there for you now.”

“Aaaawww . . . shit. Mo’ I don’t need the kind of help you can give me. I just need time, rest, a little peace and quiet. I’m all jumpy. Just leave me alone. Ok?”

Joey made his escape to Mokuba’s sorrowful look and Seto’s relief. Seto spent the next hour explaining to Mokuba in exhaustive detail exactly why they couldn’t help Joey. When he was done Mokuba just nodded and said, ‘I know, Big Brother, but still . . . there’s something here I don’t understand. Joey was never bad, smart mouthed and cocky . . . street wise maybe, but not bad. What happened? He was never the one to start a fight, even though he’d finish one someone else started. I don’t like it.”

“Mokuba with the threats we’ve been getting, and one thing and another, I’m not in the mood to babysit Wheeler. He’s a big boy. Let him take care of his own business and we’ll take care of ours.”

“I know Seto, but I’m going to be off to college soon and . . . well, I got a bad feeling about this and I wish you’d hire a security expert and a body guard instead of relying on Kaiba Corp. security. They aren’t trained for this kind of thing.”

Seto grumbled at Mokuba and swept away. He wasn’t hiring a bunch of people he didn’t know to do things he didn’t want done. Mokuba looked after him for a second before he followed. He wondered what was up with Wheeler but he was more worried about Seto.

~*~

Joey eyed the motorcycle with pure unadulterated lust. He wanted it and he was going to have it. He could afford it. He hadn’t spent any of his pay in, well – ever. He’d had it all deposited in accounts and had wisely hired a financial adviser to invest it all. He lived on whatever his cover had provided, which hadn’t been that bad until this last time.

After paperwork and licensing, Joey was on the streets on a motorcycle that would have scared most people into fits. The Viper was powerful and sleek, he darted through traffic like it wasn’t there and headed into the mountains. The twisting roads tried his skills and the bikes endurance to the maximum. He wound up in some dinky town in the mountains with dusk making the shadowed roads more than dangerous. He’d managed to survive four years undercover, he wasn’t about to commit suicide by motorcycle now.

The inn he found was old-fashioned and he was greeted at the door by three bowing women, who took his helmet, unlatched his boots, and gave him slippers, all without stopping bowing and smiling. He wanted a bath in the worst way and asked if he could get one before dinner.

“Of course, Sir. We were about to suggest you have a nice long soak before you eat.”

Joey sank down in the tub and relaxed, the water was so hot he had to sit very still so that he didn’t feel like he was going to boil. It relaxed him like he hadn’t been relaxed in years. He nearly fell asleep in it but just as he was about to do so one of the women came in to wash his back. He told her that he knew better than to get into a tub before washing, but she merely smiled, took the loofa out of her bucked and motioned for him to lean forward. She scrubbed him with ruthless efficiency and an gentile pat on the shoulder afterward

“You’ll feel much better if you take a short nap before you dine. Those lay-me-downs aren’t comfortable. I don’t know why you young kids insist on riding them.”

“ ‘cause they’re fast.”

“Ha! Silly. Fast doesn’t have to be uncomfortable. But if you’re happy, who am I to scorn it.”

Joey grinned at the woman and stood up in the tub. She held the wrap up for him and turned her head away. She wouldn’t have seen anything anyway, as the towel was between him and her, but it was polite. Joey thanked her and finished wrapping the towel around himself.

The dinner was good and the view better. He got to watch the sun set behind a mountain while he ate a variety of sushi served on a large platter. There was also some of the best tea he’d had in he couldn’t remember when. His happy sigh made the server smile at him

“You’re very tense. Have you had a bad day?”

“Bad. I’m not sure how long. I’ve . . . “ Joey paused, then he remembered that he didn’t have to hide what he’d been doing. “I’ve been undercover in America for a while and other places before that. I’m so tired I don’t know what I’m doing half the time. I jump at everything and . . . I’m just a mess. I need this vacation in the worst way.”

The lady smiled again and offered him more tea. He accepted the cup and rubbed his face. He suddenly wanted to talk, the lady looked like she wanted to listen so he wound up telling her everything and eventually he wound down. Sighing he realized that he’d drunk a bucket of tea and now needed the jakes.

“I’m sorry I talked your ear off. I shouldn’t have told you all my troubles. I’m sure you have enough of your own. Excuse me. I need to . . . um . . .” Joey turned pink, but the lady just smiled and pointed. When Joey came back, she was gone and so was a lot of Joey’s tension.

He went to his room and stripped off the yakuta he’d worn for supper, knelt on the side of the futon and decided to leave the window open. He didn’t have to worry about anyone sneaking in on him. He slid into the bed and relaxed, falling asleep almost at once and only waking once in the night when the moon shone in on his face.

The next morning he had an American breakfast and mounted his motor, heading deeper into the mountains at speeds that would eventually kill him or get him arrested. They got him stopped at a road side kiosk, a provincial police station.

They set him down and told him to wait as they checked his credentials out. When the officer came back, he spent some time lecturing Joey on his responsibilities as an officer. Then he offered tea and just waited.

“Look, you don’t understand. I got shoved through the academy so fast that most of the procedural classes didn’t have time to stick. All they wanted was for me to graduate. I went undercover the night before graduation and I’ve been undercover ever since. I’m so burnt out that . . . well, I just don’t care anymore.”

“You’ll get a fine next time and, if you continue on this course, you’ll be fired and get jail time. Do you really want that?”

“I won’t get fired. I might get put on suspension with pay. But in my situation they can’t fire me for anything short of murder, and maybe not then. They’ll make me go into therapy, but I’m planning to do that anyway. I . . . my fuse is so short that I’m dangerous to myself and others. You can’t come up behind me unexpectedly and expect to walk away without getting hurt. And as for jail that’s where I’ve been. My last assignment was to find a yakuza contact in prison in America. So I’ve served time in the toughest prisons around.”

“Oh. My. I’m so very sorry. I thank you for your dedication.” The officer stood up and bowed to Joey. “Please, more tea? Yes, well, I don’t know what to say.”

“Best not say anything. You’ll just wind up with your foot in your mouth. Good tea.”

“Thank you. I’m going to let you go with just a warning. Please consider this; there are other people on the road. If you want to speed, take it to a track. You may be able to control your vehicle but others could be frightened into having an accident.”

Joey made a face. He hadn’t thought about that. “It seems that I haven’t thought things out very well. I’ll take your advice to heart. I’m sorry I was so much trouble.” Joey sipped on his tea and thought about what the man had said.

“Ahh. . . . No, no. You’re young yet. You should be allowed to enjoy your life after all you’ve sacrificed for the law. Come, eat with us. There’s plenty. Ah, sorry. I’m an old fool. My name is Suzuki.” Officer Suzuki bowed to Joey who stood and bowed back.

“I’d be pleased to eat with you. Thank you. Please.” Joey indicated that Officer Suzuki should lead the way.

Joey found that the Provincial Office didn’t have a regular dinning room, the local officers took it in turns to provide lunch for the rest of the officers. He was led, not to a cold, sterile, institutional room, but to a nearby local inn. It was a beautiful 16th century building that had been in the officers family since it was built. He was met at the door by bowing women who helped him off with his boots and gave him slippers.

When they got him seated in a dining room on a comfortable gomden he took a moment to just breath deeply and relax. He wasn’t too sure how he was going to handle a crowd, never mind a crowd of uniforms.

As the others came in and seated themselves around the table he found that it was going to be all right. He was seated in the best seat. The one that allowed the best view of the gardens. That put him with his back to the wall and no one on either side of him. As they passed bowls around Joey realized that coincidently all the dishes were his favorites. Soba noodles. Shrimp filled rice balls and tuna sushi. Pickled vegetables and genmacha tea.

He ate slowly and listened to the table talk, it was all about police business. Who was robbing who and what was going on in Tokyo, speeders and domestics and runaways. He perked up when he heard one of the officers mention Kaiba.

“His security should be shot instead of that poor woman. I never heard of such inefficiency.”

Joey asked for details and was told about the assassination attempt on Kaiba Seto. It seems that there had been a rash of threats against him, not the usual nut case threatening to kill him for polluting young minds with monsters, or stalkers wanting his unmentionables. This was specific in what he considered the crimes against man and exactly what he was going to do about it.

This attempt had failed only because someone wasn’t where they were supposed to be. The woman who’d taken the bullet intended for Seto had been in the wrong place at the wrong time and suffered for it.

“But how did she get there? No one should have been where she was. Where was security? What’s his name? Um . . . that head of security. Oh, yeah Roland. Where was he?”

“There are several questions that need answering about the whole incident. And her medical bills must be costing a fortune.”

Joey rubbed his forehead, he was starting to get a headache.

He can afford it. In fact it’s probably coming out of pocket change. The man has more money than god.”

“Yes, I’m sure that’s true, but only one life and someone want’s to take it away from him. He’s in real trouble but he refuses to hire experienced security, take proper precautions or even talk about it. I don’t understand.”

Joey’s headache suddenly throbbed into trolls trying to cut their way out of his skull with pickaxes. “Damnit. He’s too proud to admit that he needs outside help. I bet he’s even refusing to use a bullet proof car. Son of a bitch.” Joey rubbed at his temple fretfully.

The Captain of the local station patted Joey gently on the arm. “I know its annoying but he’ll learn. It’s not as if he’s your responsibility. You don’t even know him.”

“Sorry. Wrong on both counts. I know him. His brother is a friend of mine. If something happens to Seto Mokuba will be all alone. So, in a way, it is my responsibility. I owe Mokuba one.”

Joey wiped his mouth on the warm towel he was brought, gathered up his things and left. Mounting his motorcycle, he headed reluctantly back for Tokyo, grumbling about stupid, stuck-up, head strong, idiots all the way.

When he got back to Tokyo, he threaded his way to Police HQ and into his bosses’ office. After some argument he got what he wanted, complete details about what was going on with Seto and how uncooperative he was being. It was ‘nonsense’ and would go away on it’s own. (Yeah, right!)

Joey took the file back to his boss and tossed it on the desk. “Ok Tanaka-san, what isn’t in the file. I need a desk and a badge and all that stuff. I’m takin’ over this case.”

“You can’t. You’re not fit for duty yet. You . . . damnit, boy, don’t shake your head at me. There’s a leek in his department somewhere and we can’t find it. You won’t . . . “

Joey smirked at his boss, reached over and helped himself to a piece of hard candy from his dish, popping it into his mouth, Joey tucked it into his cheek.

“You’ve got until the candy is gone, then I go over your head. I’m serious about this. I’m a friend of his little brother. I may have an in that no one else has. Let me think. . .”

Tanaka-san sighed, he knew that look intimately. Joey had made up his mind and there would be no changing it. He wasn’t sure which was more stubborn, a mule or Joey. He was sure which was more vocal. He waited for the nagging to start and was surprised when Joey just sat there sucking on his candy and waiting for him to make up his mind. Finally he couldn’t stand it anymore and told Joey he had the go ahead.

“What do you need? You’re going undercover again, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, I need an excuse to call on Seto for a job. He’ll give me one if Mokuba asks him to. I just don’t know . . . hmm . . . My phoney record still in the computer? If it is, just add a parole on it. That’ll give me the excuse that I have to have a job or go back to jail. Mokuba will nag Seto into hiring me. I can force the issue enough to get myself into security, as a muscle if nothing else. Seto isn’t too particular about the pedigree of his people as long as they are loyal to him. And I can guarantee my loyalty to him.”

The Captain blinked at Joey, it never failed to amaze him, the facility Joey had for making complicated plans in seconds. And carrying them out successfully. It was a little scary.

“Ok. Here’s what I need you to do. Call Kaiba Mokuba, ask him if he knows me. Then tell him that I’m violating my parole, I need a job and can’t get one. Tell him that this is my last chance. Pour it on thick. If you tell him you think I’m a good man who just had a run of bad luck and can’t seem to find my feet, he’ll jump all over it. Make sure he knows that I’m good with a gun and my fists. If you can work it in, try to suggest you think I’d be good in security. If you can’t, I’ll figure something out.”

Tanaka-san actually took notes. He didn’t want to take any chances of missing anything that might help Joey. He made the call and Mokuba agreed to come down to the Jail to at least speak to Joey. When Tanaka-san found out how long it would take him to get to the station, he looked at Joey and nodded. Joey mouthed “Seto? Find out if he’s coming.” so he asked about that and was told that Seto would come.

Joey mumbled, “Damn. I didn’t want that. I was hoping that Mokuba would get me out and dump me on him. Now I have to convince that hard ass too.” He sighed and ran a hand through his bangs “Oh well, in for a penny in for a pound.”

He nearly stumbled to his feet. He didn’t want to do this, but he couldn’t let Mokuba be without a family, besides, it was his job. He was the only one likely to get on Seto’s security team at this point and if there was a leak, it had to be found fast. So,, he was back undercover wether he liked it or not; ready or not. {I’m just so tired}

“Ok Boss, let’s get this hooked up and running before the suckers get here.”

Tanaka escorted Joey to the lockup and got paperwork started. Most of the officers in the jail had never seen Joey and didn’t know him from Adam, so Tanaka stayed by him until the paperwork was done and saw him to a cell himself. When he locked the door, he looked through the window at Joey. He was standing in the middle of the cell with his shoulders slumped, looking tired and forlorn. This was going to be his last job Tanaka vowed, no matter how much they needed him.

Seto waited in the interview room while an officer went to get Wheeler. Mokuba’s panicky call had caught him in an odd mood. The attempt on his life had angered him and he’d told both Roland and Patrick that he wasn’t putting up with any more ineptness on their parts. Then he’d gotten the call and had made up his mind that they would either protect him or loose their jobs. So here he sat waiting for Joey Wheeler. {I’ve lost my mind}

Joey staggered in, shoved from behind by the guard who’d fetched him. He dumped himself into a chair and waited as the guard jerked his hands onto the table and fastened a lock into the ring in the chain between his wrists and the ring on the end of the chain bolted to the table. Seto flinched. Joey snarled wearily.

“Well Wheeler, what the hell is it with you? You can’t get a job because you’ve got a bad attitude. If you snarl at prospective employers like that, no wonder.”

Joey gave up before he even started, Kaiba was in one of his moods and it wasn’t going to do any good to appeal to his charitable feelings, he didn’t have any. And, in this mood, he was probably going to want to watch as guards put him on the buss to lock up.

“Damnit, Kaiba. I just give up. Get the fuck out. I’ll manage some other way. You wouldn’t give me spit if I was dying of thirst.”

Seto started to leave but looking over his shoulder at Joey’s dejected attitude he suddenly felt something twist in his chest. Joey was so – exhausted looking, like he’d been beaten down so much that he couldn’t see any way up again.

‘Ok . . . I’ll tell you what. I’ll give you a job on Kaiba Corp. Security. That means that you’ll be scanning security badges ten hours a day, five days a week. If you’re sick you need a doctors excuse. Lateness will not be tolerated and don’t show up drunk or drugged out. If you manage to pass your thirty days probation, maybe you can move up. But this is all the chance you get. Don’t screw it up.”

Seto watched Joey as he straightened up, bit his lip and then nodded.

“Thanks, Kaiba. I owe you one. You won’t regret it.”

“See that I don’t. Now come on. I’ll pay whatever it is that needs to be payed. Umm . . . how do I get you out of here?”

Joey realized that Seto had never had to deal directly with something like this before. So he told him to bang on the door and get the officer to take him to processing until he could arrange for bail or whatever was necessary.

“You don’t know?”

“No, depends on what they charged me with . . . if anything. They may just have me on a watch and wait.”

So Seto banged on the door and called the guard, who told him that Joey was on a hold, so there weren’t any real charges yet. He grabbed Joey, unlocked the chain and hauled him to the door, telling him that he was taking him to processing so that Kaiba-sama didn’t have to wait for him once he’d gotten custody. Joey stumbled once, then got his feet under him and let the officer drag him away.

As they went down the hall Joey listened as the man filled him in on his cover. Tanaka-san had arranged for a judge to insist that if Joey was going to be released, he had to go into Seto’s personal custody. Joey bit his lip until it hurt, Seto was going to have a fit. But that meant that he had to be on Seto’s personal security team or go back to ‘prison’, it was going to work.

Seto went to the desk and talked to the Sargent who told him he had to see a judge before he could take Wheeler with him. After speaking with the judge, signing papers and posting bond, Seto went to holding and asked for Joey.

“Yeah, yakuza punk. Got him right here. Holding cell 4. He’s a lucky man. Kept his finger, but that tattoo marks him as Crane clan. Look, I’m minding your business with a vengeance but his kind is nothing but trouble. Quick tempered, bad mannered and good fighters. You want a knee breaker, he’s your man; you want someone who will do his job with a minimum of problems, get someone else.”

Seto stood for a moment his head reeling ‘yakuza’? What the hell had Mokuba gotten him into? He’d promised Mokuba he’d do his best for Joey and that meant getting him a job and keeping him out of trouble. So here he was, with a convict in his personal custody. Damn!

Joey was sitting in the holding cell with three other men. He was on one side of the cell and the other men were on the other, looking a lot worse for wear. Joey wasn’t going to put up with any shit from anyone and when the men had started bullying him, he’d reacted just like he would have in prison. So three men were now nursing black eyes and bruised ribs and he was nursing bruised knuckles with his hands cuffed behind his back.

“How the hell is he supposed to defend himself with his hands behind his back? What is wrong with you people?” Seto was furious, Joey might not be his pick for pacifist of the year, but he had the right to defend himself from attacks.

“Hey, Seto. Just get me out of here. Bawl them out later. . . please.”

The open pleading in Joey’s eyes shut him up with a grunt. The officer didn’t take any shit either, he bent Joey over by grabbing the hair at the back of his head and pulling until Joey relented and bent over so that his cuffs could be unlocked. He stood up rubbing his wrists, the guard had fastened them too tight.

“Lets get outta here. I’m . . “

“Wheeler. Damnit, . . yakuza? What the hell were you thinking?”

Joey eyed Seto then, “Look I’m tired, hungry, and filthy. If you want a conversation just . . . not now. Ok? I’ll . . . this is such a bad idea. I don’t know what the hell I’m thinking.”

“Shut up Wheeler. You’re going to say something you don’t mean in a second. I promised Mokuba that I’d see to it that you got a chance. You’re now in my custody. And I don’t know what the hell you’re thinking either. So why don’t both of us just shut up.

“Ok.”

Joey was so tired of all the omissions, evasions, and outright lies necessary, that he couldn’t think straight. He’d have to come up with a filled out story soon, but he just couldn’t right now. He’d been looking so forward to time off and here he was back in the same old mess again. He wanted to sit down and cry. But yakuza don’t cry. Neither do men. {But the little boy in my soul wants to break down and sob.}

They got into the waiting car. Joey sat on the jump seat and slumped over, huddling against the back of the driver’s seat, trying to just not think for a while. He felt like he’d been dragged through a rice harvester sideways.

“You said you were hungry. How hungry? We can drive through somewhere or go in. I have a table at a nearby sushi place. We could go there.”

Joey raised his head and gave Seto a grateful look. He was starved, he couldn’t seem to get enough to eat. He wanted tea, he wanted a bath, clean clothes and a soft bed. The bath and clothes were coming he knew, but the bed? He’d probably end up sleeping in an alley until he could find digs of his own.

“I could eat a whole tuna I swear. But, . . . um . . . I . . .”

“Don’t have any money? I figured as much. You know the judge put you in my custody? Well to me that means not out of my sight. You’ll have to move in with me. I’ll send for your stuff.”

“Oh damn, my bike. Shit. Seto let me borrow your phone. I need to get my motor out of the . . . crap.”

“Wheeler. Is there a complete thought in there somewhere? If you’re worried about your motorcycle, don’t be. I made arrangements with a man from my personal garage to go get it. Look, if you payed for it with dirty money, you need to get rid of it soon. I don’t want trouble over a motorcycle.”

Joey sighed. He knew Seto was going to be pissy about it, but that motorcycle meant a lot to him and he wasn’t going to give it up, period.

“Seto, I payed for that with clean money. I’m not lettin’ go of it. I’ll sacrifice a lot for . . . well, just . . . I’m not. So drop it. We eating or what?”

“Eating. If you really payed for that with clean money, I’ll shut up about it. But you better not be lying to me. I won’t tolerate it. What about clothes? Where are they? I’ll send for whatever you own. I don’t want you returning to some dump in a bad neighborhood.”

“All my clothes are in the bags on my bike. Unless someone cleaned me out again. Look, Seto, I’ll have to go to the Y, or some capsule hotel, I don’t have a place yet. I . . . I’m pretty much broke.”

Seto eyed Joey with distaste, sighed, and made up his mind. He just knew he was going to regret this. Having Joey live with him was going to be an exercise in patience and he didn’t have much. He just hoped Wheeler didn’t try it overly much or he was going to snap.

“You’ll be living with me. I intend to keep my word to Mokuba and keep you out of trouble, help you find a better way and . . . all that crap.”

“Thanks so much. I’ll take a rain check . . . what.“ Joey knew he was cutting off his nose to spite his face. If Seto was willing to let him live with him that was good. He wouldn’t need an excuse to be with him. But somehow he just couldn’t shut up.

“Wheeler, if you think I’m going to sign for you and then let you wander around without money, you’re dumber than I thought. I’m responsible for your behavior and I intend to see that you act in a respectable manner. You’re not going off on your own. If you think you are, think again. You have two choices. Live with me in my apartment in Kaiba Towers where I can keep an eye on you, or go back to prison. Choose . . . now.”

“Ok . . . “ Joey censored what he was going to say next, deleting several remarks that were sure to send Seto over the edge of his severely limited patience, and satisfied himself with glaring at his shoes.

“We’ll eat, then go shopping. If you’re going to live with me you’re not going to wear the same pair of worn out jeans three days in a row. I’ll get you whatever you need and don’t” Seto held up a hand frowning. “tell me that you’ll pay me back. I took you on as a responsibility and that includes bed, board and clothes. Don’t frown like that, your face will freeze that way.”

Joey glared at Seto and wondered how he was going to get through this without smacking him.

When they got to the restaurant, Seto walked in like he owned the place, hell maybe he did. He demanded a table and placed an order in one breath. After they got seated, wiped their hands on the hot towels provided and examined the food, which had come almost instantly, Seto broke his chopsticks and started cross-examining him.

Joey managed to avoid most of the questions by stuffing his face. Every time Seto asked him a question, he put food in his mouth. But in his eagerness to keep Seto from asking too many questions, questions that he’d either have to evade or lie about, he let Seto see his wrist. The last guard hadn’t been in on the gig so he’d cuffed Joey too tightly and he had a whole new set of bruises.

“Wheeler, let me see that.” Joey yanked his sleeve back over his wrist. ”I said, let me see. I’m not going to have you suffering if there’s anything I can do about it.”

Joey looked at Seto for a second, then pulled his sleeve back so he could see the ring of bruises. There wasn’t much to be done about them except put some liniment on them and wait for them to go away.

“I’m ok. I’m use to it. He just got them above my callouses.” Seto scowled at Joey for a minute then went back to eating, letting it drop for now. “Don’t give me that look. I didn’t do anything to make him pissed at me, he just did it because he could. It happens.”

Seto opened his mouth to say something scathing but changed his mind and just put some sushi in instead. While he chewed he planned the rest of the evening. He didn’t have any late appointments, no cocktail parties or shows, so he had time to get Joey set up with clothes.

“We’ll go shopping after we eat. You need more clothing and a pistol.”

Joey nearly choked on some rice. How the hell was Seto going to get him a permit? With his record it should be impossible. His hold out was going to get him into real trouble if he had to use it. Sorting that out would blow his cover permanently, which was an idea for further consideration.

“How the hell are you going to get me a permit? I’m so over the top; yakuza, all the other crap. It’s impossible.”

Seto smirked at Joey rather benignly, if a smirk can be that. “I have a blanket permit for anyone on my personal security team, that includes you. Just don’t take advantage of it. I’ll get you whatever you need in the way of arms. It’ll be registered in my name, so if you screw up, I’ll be on the hook. Not that that makes much difference, but I won’t appreciate problems. Do you understand me?”

Joey nodded shortly. He understood exactly, but this made it easier for him to get a good side arm, something he had been worried about. His hold out wasn’t much and he knew if he got into a shooting confrontation, he was in trouble. He wanted at least a 9mm and he preferred a Taurus to a Glock, the frame was smaller and the barrel a quarter inch longer. Not much in the grand scheme of things, but it was more accurate for him and that was what counted. The smaller frame made it easier to conceal.

When Joey indicated he was full by placing his chopsticks in the middle of his plate, Seto settled the bill and lead the way back to the car. Joey noticed that the driver hadn’t stayed with it, so he held up his hand to Seto, who stopped with a questioning look.

“You leave that car?”

The driver just scowled at Joey. “What business is it of yours if I did? You’re not my boss.”

“Yeah but I’m gettin’ in that car and I’d rather not go boom. You start it while we wait.”

The driver sneered at Joey, but Joey made Seto wait on the opposite side of the street anyway. Seto didn’t object nearly as much as Joey had thought he would. When the car started it was almost an anticlimax, nothing happened. Seto sighed, Joey was jumping at shadows, but at least he was proving that he was taking the job seriously.

The driver decided to pull around and pick them up where they were instead of making them walk across the street. Half a block away the car exploded in a ball of fire that would have made a pyrotechnician proud.

“Fuck. I was afraid that was going to happen.”

Seto was already on the phone calling the police. Joey groaned softly, this was not going to be fun. How was he going to explain that he didn’t know the car was going to explode? He just didn’t like the fact that the driver had left the car unattended and wanted to teach him a lesson.

“Don’t worry, Wheeler. I know you didn’t think that would really happen. What was your idea?”

“Just to teach the driver not to leave the car unattended.”

“We’re leaving now. The police will handle this. I’ll write up a report and you give me yours and I’ll fax it. Come on. I’ve called a cab.”

Joey had doubts about this. If he left a crime scene, it could cause all kinds of trouble that he didn’t need to put up with. When he told Seto that, Seto raised an eyebrow, “You really think that I put up with that kind of foolishness. I’m Kaiba Seto, the police department does it my way. Come on, the cab’s here.”

They got in the cab and headed for the mall where Seto proceeded to go through one of the most expensive stores there, buying clothes that Joey hadn’t worn since his yakuza days. Finally he put a stop to it by announcing that he couldn’t pay Seto back for half of it.

“I don’t want you to pay me back. I want you to look like you belong with me. I’m not going to be embarrassed by the way you look. You still haven’t gotten it through your thick head. I’m responsible for you, so you will stay with me until I’m sure you won’t get yourself in some stupid mess or other. You’re just like an over grown puppy. I’d hate to have to smack you with a rolled up newspaper.”

Joey winced, he hadn’t forgotten Seto calling him puppy and dog when they were in high school. That particular epithet still had the ability to make him see red instantly. He grabbed his temper with both hands and just started picking through the pile of clothing choosing only the things that he would really wear.

He rejected all khaki, he hated the stuff for no other reason than he just did. He also tossed polo shirts and golf shirts. He kept cargo pants and dress pants, several nice jackets and a cashmere suit in charcoal grey.

“Wheeler, you didn’t keep any shirts. You can’t wander around bare chested.”

“I know that. But I like button down shirts and t-shirts. If there’s a denim shirt in there, I’m gonna burn it.”

“Ok. No denim, but you need a nice silk shirt to go with that suit. And not white. How about this one?”

Seto picked up a dark navy blue silk shirt, laying a lighter blue tie across it, he presented it across his arm for Joey’s approval. Joey shook his head, it was too Yakuza and the material was too thin.

“No. I don’t think so. The shirt’s too dark and the tie is too light. I don’t like the material either. It’ll snag on my harness or I’ll get blisters because it doesn’t protect me enough.”

The clerk eyed Joey, he knew he’d seen him somewhere before but he couldn’t place him exactly. He decided to try picking out what he’d picked out for his brother, the detective. He rummaged around until he found a dark royal blue shirt and a tie only a shade lighter. It was very understated as it had a mat finish instead of satin. The silk was also a much heavier weight.

“If you wear this with an undershirt, you should be protected from chafing. I think you’ll like it.”

Joey eyed the shirt then reached out to stroke it gently. With an undershirt he was sure it would work. However, he knew he was going to be wearing it every day so it had to be washable and he didn’t think it was. When he asked , Seto just snorted.

“Like you’re going to do laundry anyway.“

“Kaiba, I’ve never been rich enough to have a servant just to take care of my clothes. Who do you think does my laundry?” Joey sighed. This wasn’t getting him anywhere, all he need to do was antagonize Seto into cutting him loose. “Sorry. I’m just over sensitive, I guess.”

Seto shook his head. He didn’t need Joey on the defensive. He’d promised Mokuba to see to it that Joey kept out of trouble, and this was not a good start to what was going to be a long haul. He’d have to back and fill a little.

“I’m sorry too. I just don’t see the problem. You’ll be living with me and Torrance will see to your things as well as mine. I’ll speak to him about it. You tell him if you have any preferences.”

“Umm . . . and this Torrance is going to take care of my shit because . . . “

“I pay him more than any three other valets earn and he has damn little to do. He can surely take care of whatever you need. Especially since Mokuba moved out.”

Joey gaped at Seto for a moment. Mokuba had moved out. Mokuba was no more than seventeen. Where would he go?

“Umm . . . Seto? If my living with you is going to cause problems between you and Mokuba, I’d just as soon not. I’ll find something . . . “

“Wheeler, don’t be an ass. Mokuba went to college. He’s living in the dorm. There’s a problem that I haven’t told you about yet and it might change your desire to stay with me. . . never mind that now. Pick out some more shirts and lets get out of here.”

Joey picked out some shirts by the ‘it’s my size and isn’t gross’ method. He had the clerk help him pick quickly, just telling him to pick anything that would go with everything he had. He also scooped up an armful of t-shirts, anything in his size that wasn’t white. He hated denim and white with an unreasoning passion.

Seto payed and made arrangements to have it all delivered to the apartment. Then they went out to the parking garage and into the waiting limo. Joey shuddered slightly but when the new driver nodded at him he relaxed. Having a car blow up would certainly make the new driver more vigilant.

When they got to the apartment Joey gaped like a tourist. The apartment was Swedish modern, all glass and steel and leather in shades of white and blue, from a deep rich navy to pale powder. The cathedral ceiling of the main room was decorated with crystal chandlers shaped like stars, and track lighting made sure that there were no dark corners. On the right, next to the door, was a walk in coat closet with a rack for shoes, each cubby held a pair of slippers. Next to that door was another that led into an office. Beyond that was an open hallway, Joey stuck his head into it but turned to see Seto leading the way through the common room and into a hall there. This hall led to the bed rooms, of which there were four. Or actually there were four suits of bed room, sitting room, and bath. They were the same except for the color. He was given the choice of either of the two on one side of the hall. One was dark, dark wood, dark colors, earth tones and such. He found it depressing. The other was lighter, light wood, steel and chrome. The materials were pale shades of tan, cream, and gold. He found it a little pale but better than the depressing pseudo Spanish modern.

“What’s with the black room? Where did that come from?”

Seto replied absently. “Yugi likes it and so does Tristan. I redecorated for them. They don’t visit often being on tour so much, but when they’re in Tokyo they spend at least one night.”

“They lovers?”

“Didn’t ask. Don’t care.”

“Ok. I’ll take the cream colored room. If you don’t mind.”

Seto gave him an aggravated look. Mumbling, “Where else would you stay? That one’s Mokuba’s and this one is mine. I gave you a choice. You made it. If you want anything changed just ask. I’ll give you a couple of weeks to get use to things then you can redecorate if you want.”

Joey shook his head. He didn’t understand this generosity from Seto. They’d never gotten along so he figured he’d be begging Seto to bring him on board the security and living in a capsule until he could afford a place.

Seto banged the door to his room and leaned against it. What the hell had he gotten himself into? He had a convicted felon living in his apartment, he had someone trying to assassinate him and Mokuba was, thankfully, a hundred miles away at college.

He and Wheeler didn’t get along. Sooner or later one or the other of them was going to say the wrong thing and they’d be in each others faces. He remembered the last time he’d seen Joey and the time before that. His attitude had been abrasive at best down, right rude at worst. But he also remembered the slight slump of Joey’s shoulders after he told Mokuba to leave him alone. And the tired, almost shell-shocked look he’d been wearing before their ‘conversation’ at the mall. And that chain smoking. He didn’t remember Joey smoking.

Seto remembered at the last minute that he had to give Joey the files he was going to need if he was going to be on his personal security team. In fact he had suddenly become his personal body guard {Oh hell} so he rummaged around in his briefcase until he found the flash card with the information on it and headed back to Joey’s room. Knocking on the door he walked in without waiting for a ‘come in’ and got an eye full. Joey was dressed in nothing but boxers doing push ups one handed with the other in the small of his back. Sweat was dripping off his chin and he’d obviously been exercising since Seto had left him twenty minutes before.

“Ya knock ok, but ya need to work on waitin” to be invited. Whatda ya want?”

“Sorry. I’ll wait next time.”

“Yeah, me too. I’m a little short tempered just now.”

Seto looked around the setting room and then strode to the desk, opened it and pulled out a notebook computer.

“You know how to use this?”

“I’m not that stupid.” Joey flopped down in the chair, pushed the power button and waited for the notebook to boot. “Broad band? Yeah, stupid question. You’ve got your own band system. Right? Privately owned broad band, about two miles worth of access area and not non-specific. Locked in, need a pass word. Right?”

“Yeah. How’d you know all that?”

“I got magazines and stuff. They couldn’t keep us completely out of communication with the outside. I tried to keep up with people. Yugi still on tour?”

“Yes, he’s in Australia right now. When he gets in town he’ll be glad to see you.”

“Maybe.” Joey replied noncommittaly. The last time he’d seen Yugi it had been while working on the yakuza case from the outside. And it hadn’t turned out that well. He’d had to be rude to him to keep him from meeting someone that Joey didn’t want him to. He’d left with hurt feelings and Joey hadn’t seen him since.

“I hope so. We didn’t part on very good terms. I knew . . . damn.” Joey clamped his lips shut, he was going to have to watch his mouth. One of the things that had always pissed him off about Seto was the fact that he could see through a lie in a flash and the other was that he seemed to have a talent for making Joey want to tell him everything. Things that he couldn’t tell him yet.

“You knew you were going to prison, is that it? And you were short with the little guy.”

“Yeah, that’s about it. I feel bad, but I was with someone that he didn’t need to know. You know him. He’d take up with Jack the Ripper. This guy is bad news big time. Part of the reason I got incarcerated.” that wasn’t a lie he’d been the Japanese outside contact that had led him to the yakuza lord in Georgia.

Seto handed Joey the flash card and watched as he stuck it in the USB port, accessed it and down loaded everything on it. Joey had gotten good with computers in prison, he’d taken classes because they were available and he was interested.

When he started reading the files Seto realized that he had been forgotten completely. Joey had the word processor set on slow scroll and was reading avidly. When Seto said he was leaving all he got was a grunt.

After an hour Joey came out of his room and frankly explored the apartment. The only place he hadn’t been was down the other hall. He nodded to Seto, who was sitting on the couch watching the news, and ambled down the hall. First door on the right, behind the office, was a kitchen. A very nice one, with everything anyone could want, all in restaurant quality stainless steel. Across the hall was a dining room that could sit at least twelve comfortably, and twenty if they got cozy. Farther down the hall was a laundry room, storage and a pantry with a gigantic freezer.

Joey went back to the kitchen and started making tea, Seto had said ‘make yourself at home’ so he would. If Seto didn’t like it, he’d say so.

Seto hearing Joey rattling around in the kitchen wandered in and announced that he’d take tea as well if Joey was making it anyway.

Joey just grunted, he was still full from supper and tired from a hard day. But the reports had not only upset his stomach, they’d made him nervous. This guy was serious, not a nut job like most. So he wanted some tea to settle his stomach and hopefully his nerves too.

“Seto you know that man isn’t your common fruit cake. He’s got an agenda, something is eating at him. He intends to do some real damage. And he’s good. That bomb shows that he knows what he’s doing. Get me the report on that will you. The man has committed murder and that really ups the anti.”

“Carl!” at Joey’s look Seto sighed. ”The driver. He had a family and . . . oh, damnit. I was . . . fuck!”

Suddenly Seto was shaking, wrapping his arms around himself as if to hold himself together. Joey realized that this was the first time Seto had allowed himself to think about what had happened. Some people fell apart instantly, others didn’t think about it or didn’t feel anything. Seto had just put off the reaction and now it was hitting him hard.

“That could have been all of us. Not just Carl. It could have been Mokuba.“

Joey poured Seto some tea and helped him drink it. He wasn’t having much reaction to this, he was calloused. People had been trying to kill him for years now, but he could see that Seto was going to take this harder than he’d thought he would.

“Here, Seto, let me help you. You need to sit down and rest. When is the last time you got a good nights sleep? You look like shit, now that I think about it. Come on. Drink your tea.”

Seto drank the tea and let Joey lead him to his room. At the door he turned to Joey and snarled. “Not a word. I don’t usually turn into a trembling jelly over nothing. I just realized that Carl is dead and I didn’t call his wife.”

“Call her tomorrow. The police have a notification squad. It’s their job to do stuff like that, they’re trained. She’ll be ok. They’ll see that she has someone to stay with her and whatever else she needs. You make sure that she’s taken care of and that’s all you can do.”

Seto went to bed, shedding clothes all over the floor and crawling between the sheets in nothing but boxers and a scowl. Joey made his way to his room after peeking in on Seto to make sure that he’d really gone to bed. He grumbled as he folded his clothes and put them neatly on a small trunk at the foot of his bed. All he wanted was to sleep late, but if he knew Seto he‘d be up at the crack of dawn, doing something energetic and healthy.

The crack of dawn came at 9:30 A.M.. Joey wandered down to the kitchen to see of he couldn’t find some coffee. His time in America had convinced him that he couldn’t function without morning coffee. He found Seto sitting at the kitchen table reading the paper and eating toast.

“Morning.” Joey opened the cabinet, he’d seen coffee in last night.

“Give it up, Wheeler, Mokuba took the pot with him when he left for college.”

“Fuck! I want coffee. Son of a bitch.”

“You kiss your mother with that mouth?”

“I haven’t seen my mother in five years. She isn’t speaking to me, neither is my dad, not that he’s any loss.” Joey rummaged around and finally found the sample packets of instant coffee he’d noticed before, they’d do.

“I can see your mother not speaking to you. But your dad is another matter. And what about Serenity? And Yugi?”

“Kaiba, you’re not my social secretary. Leave it. When I went to America everyone I ever knew effectively cut ties with me. Mai, Yogi, Tristan, Tea, all of them. I haven’t heard from most of them in two or three years. I don’t expect I’ll ever hear from them. It don’t matter. Let it go.”

Joey slammed a door and hoped the hell Seto let it alone.

“You don’t have to get nasty about it I just wondered. You get days off. I thought maybe you could visit with a friend instead of following me around all the time.”

“It’s my job. You took the time to get me something worth doing and I don’t intend to fuck it up.”

Joey grumbled. He hated Japanese instant coffee, it was just plain nasty.

“Wheeler, it’s all . . .”

“Mokuba. Yeah, yeah, I know. But you could have said no. So I’m grateful, so shut up and let me drink my coffee in peace. Ok?”

Seto sighed and went back to his paper. He didn’t get much else read, the sad look on Joey’s face when he talked about his ex-friends kept niggling at the back of his mind. This whole thing bothered him.

He’d never had much use for Joey, but he couldn’t quite reconcile what he knew about Joey with what he’d seen. Joey wasn’t a criminal, no matter what anybody said. So what the hell had he been thinking of. Getting involved with yakuza and whatever else he’d gotten into, to get sent to prison, was stupid. While Joey was a lot of things, stupid wasn’t one of them. He had a lot of thinking and digging to do.

Joey watched Seto think and worried. Whatever Seto was up to couldn’t be good for Mrs. Wheelers lest favorite son.