Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Welcome Raine ❯ Tick Tock ( Chapter 7 )

Welcomed Raine

By: Dark_Wolf

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Yu-Gi-Oh nor do I own any songs, movies, or recognizable things in the story. Please don't sue, I am merely a unpaid college student.

Chapter seven: Settling Down

Summary: Raine thinks on a rainy day

A/N: I've noticed that the story has generated over 200 visits, and I'm very, very excited and thankful of that fact. To Zani and Joey's Gal, (my only two reviewers), THANK YOU!!!!! THANK YOU!!!! Now, please enjoy the story. I've taken a sabbatical for a week or so as my old computer decided to die on me, and I've just now gotten a new one. Read and Review people. Make a crazy author happy.

A week had passed since Marus Wheeler beat his son. Marus had awakened the next day to find his house devoid of Joey's most treasured possessions, as well as the son himself. During that time, Marus had tried to track down Joey, calling all of his friends' houses, and even going so far as to call Alicia, his ex-wife. No one had heard from him, or if they had, they weren't talking. He did not want to be the one to call his older daughter and explain that her favorite little brother was missing. So, as Marus was wont to do whenever the mood struck him, he drank.

Marus walked from his favorite chair in front of the TV to the refrigerator to grab himself another beer. He had already drank his way through a 30-pack, and was starting on the 24-pack he bought yesterday. After grabbing the beer, he decided to see if he had anything to eat in the house, unfortunately, he didn't.

"Stupid son of mine didn't go grocery shopping like I told him too. God-Damned ingrate. I should have killed him when I had the chance." Marus mumbled as he dug through the fridge.

"Yes, you should have."

The voice speaking from the entryway into the living area of the apartment so startled him that he jerked up and slammed the back of his head on the freezer, "Son-of-a-Bitch! What the fuck?" He turned around, rubbing the back of his head to see-

"Rainey? What are you doing here sweety? Can I get you a beer?" Marus stumbled over his words, he knew there was only one reason that Cadenza Raine Wheeler, his daughter by birth, but never by association would be here. She knew what he had done to Joey.

"Marus, Marus, Marus. Has the drink so addled your brain that you've forgotten the two reasons I'd ever set foot within five feet of you? I've brought Joey over so he could get the rest of his things. He and his friend Tristan, Serenity, Eric, and Seto Kaiba are waiting down-stairs. I've come to give you a word of advice." Raine's eyes flashed with her anger, her face was set in stone, her distaste for her father's lifestyle showing. She sneered at her 'father', "You will not go near Joey or Serenity while they are here, you will not speak to them unless for some god-awful reason they say something to you first. You will not so much as look at them cross-eyed if you value your life. We will get the rest of Joey's clothes and personal possessions and then leave, the less contact we have with you, the better. And 'Dad' if you don't comply by these rules, I will make you regret it. Do not push me, I'm fully prepared to take action, I'm actually anticipating it. I have a feeling you'll not disappoint me."

"Who the fuck are you to tell me how to act in my own house!" Marus puffed himself up and walked up to Raine and poked her in the chest, "You never come around here ever, and now you show up expecting me to comply by some bull shit orders you've supposedly given out! Who the fuck do you think you're dealing with?"

Raine grabbed the finger poking her chest and bent it backwards to the point it was near breaking and growled out, "I am who I am. You are nothing to me, and Joey and Serenity are the world to me. You've burned your bridges with us, Marus. Just remember who holds your life in the palm of her lethal hands. Don't forget what I told you. You will obey my commands, are we clear?" She bent the finger back even further and Marus cried out, "Yes, I'll listen to you!"

Raine nodded and released his hand, she turned to the door to the apartment and called out, "Eric, you can get them now. I'll go on into Joey's room and start gathering up his things."

Eric must have complied because without another glance at her so-called father, she went down the other hallway and entered Joey's room. Marus, still standing in the kitchen, bypassed the fridge and grabbed the bottle of Scotch that was sitting on the counter, he cracked the bottle and downed the whole thing in one swallow. If his dangerous daughter showing up wasn't reason enough to get shit-faced drunk he didn't know what was.

Joey, following along behind Seto, and Serenity walking up the stairs besides Tristan and his adopted older brother Eric was worried. He hadn't seen his father since the night he finally escaped from his hell. He didn't know the reaction that he was about to receive, even with Raine warning Marus, which Eric reassured him she did, Marus's actions while drunk were unpredictable and he was afraid that Marus would corner him, or even worse Serenity. Joey had tried to get Serenity and Tristan to stay back at Kaiba's with everyone else, since it seemed the whole group had moved into Seto's until Joey was fully recovered, but they both refused, saying they wanted to be there for him. Joey didn't even think that he'd be able to come but Noel and Raine had talked to Dr. Blaine and said that he'd be perfectly safe and he had to do this for closure. Joey was in complete agreement. He knew if he didn't see his father one more time, he'd spend the rest of his life afraid of him, and Joey Wheeler was not a coward.

"Joey, don't worry. We'll be there for you every step of the way. I promise." Tristan had noticed Joey's silence for the past few minutes since Eric had went upstairs to see what was keeping Raine. He knew that his boyfriend wasn't looking forward to seeing his father again, and he wanted to support him in all ways possible.

"I know that Tristan. I don't know why I'm freaking out about this. According to Eric, Marus got the message from Raine loud and clear. He'd be a fool to go against her wishes. But, he's never been the one for brains. He's mostly all brawn."

Eric laughed and Tristan and Joey looked at him, "What, those are Raine's favorite type of opponents. Big ugly and stupid. She says the make the coolest sound when you knock them down."

The two men had to laugh, even though it was cut short since they had just entered into the apartment, Raine's voice rang throughout the place from Joey's room, "Joseph Sheffield Wheeler! What in the name of all that's holy are these magazines doing under your bed!"

The group hurried to Joey's room where Eric, Seto, and Serenity broke out laughing at the site of the anime monthly magazines in Raine's hands, "They should have been put away on the bookcase, not under the bed!"

Joey looked at Tristan and blushed, he knew that Raine had meant to make it sound like he had dirty magazines laying around when he didn't, "Geeze, thanks for pointing that out sis. I'll be sure to remember it next time."

Tristan chuckled and they all set to work on packing up Joey's things in the boxes that Serenity and Seto had brought up.

Seto found himself working next to Raine, they had found time over the last week to talk and they had found that they had a lot in common with one another. Seto had offered Raine a position at Kaiba Corp as Seto's personal assistant helping with the graphic design of his newest duel monster inventions, he was trying to fix the bugs in his VR game and get it ready for release sometime that winter when his new theme park opened up. Raine was full of ideas on how best to utilize the VR program, and Seto was discovering thatoffering her that position was the best thing he could have done. She would still continue to draw for Megadon Comics, but that would be a side job and the PA for Kaiba Corp would be here main source of income. Seto had also taken steps to fire the lawyer firm his company used right now and to hire Infinity Law Offices for his personal and business protection. He had been very impressed with Mr. Tagjaki and Eric since Eric had accepted theformers offer of a job.

"So, do you think your father is going to keep your threats in mind?" Seto quietly asked, not wanting Serenity to listen in to their conversation.

"Honestly, I hope he does, but I doubt it. Marus isn't the smartest banana in the bunch. Hell, I don't even think he is a banana. More like a prune."

Seto laughed at her attempt at a joke., "What are you going to do if he doesn't listen to you?"

Raine shrugged, "Depends on if he pisses me off. If he says something to you, Eric, Tristan or myself, I'll just threaten him with the cops, which I'm calling when we leave here anyways. Tagjaki said they're waiting for word from me to pick him up. If he dares to say or do anything to Joey or Serenity, then I don't know what I'll do, but he'll be leaving here on a stretcher. I'm not letting him hurt them ever again."

Seto shared a look with her, besides Mokuba, who had been there, Raine was the only one who knew the whole story about Mokuba and his step-father. Gozoboro Kaiba. How the deceased had beaten Seto to make him stronger and how Seto had taken the abuse to protect Mokuba. They had shared everything about their past one night a few days ago when neither one of them could sleep. The group had found the both of them resting against eachother on a couch in the main study, an empty bottle of wine sitting on the coffee table. Since that time, they were near inseparable. Seto now shared something with Eric, Malik, and Merrik, they were the only ones to see the real vulnerable side to Raine.

"Okay. I think we have everything. Serenity, why don't you help Joey back out to the car and we'll be along shortly afterwards. We'll get these boxes and go." Tristan asked and Serenity and Joey started towards the doorway. The other four grabbed the eight boxes and had just started out of Joey's room when a cry was heard from the front room. Raine had dropped her boxes and was standing in front of Serenity and Joey in seconds, acting even quicker than anyone could have expected, the three men left still holding the boxes.

Joey was on the floor by the couch, Serenity laying next to him, both were sporting bruises on their cheeks that weren't there moments ago. Marus had cornered them and hit the both of them before they could think to shout for help. Raine growled, an angered mother wolf, she was fully prepared to rip Marus's heart out of his chest and force it down his throat. "I told you. Didn't I, you sick son-of-a-bitch? I told you what I'd do if you dared lay a hand on my family."

"Raine. Don't be hasty." Eric tried to warn her. He had arrived in the living room last, having picked up Raine's two boxes, "Seto may be here to keep you out of jail, but I don't think even the mighty Seto Kaiba can prevent that if you murder your father."

Raine kept her eyes trained on her parental figure, she was snarling, just waiting for her chance to strike, "Eric, Tristan, Seto. Take Wren and Jo-Jo out to the car. They don't need to see this."

"Now Za." Serenity tried to interject.

"Eric. NOW!" Eric rushed to comply, helping the two sibling up off the floor, handing Raine's two boxes to Serenity and the five people exited the apartment to the sounds of Marus squealing like a stuck pig. They got to the foot of the stairs before Joey and Serenity stopped and refused to move.

"Joey, I think we should listen to Raine and head to the car." Tristan tried to get Joey to move.

"No. I'm staying right here." Joey flinched at a particulary loud sound.

The sounds of fighting and Marus screaming in agony lasted for about ten more minutes before a ruffled Raine walked down the stairs. She took one look at the group waiting at the door and shook her head, "I told you to wait at the car. That does not mean walk as far as the exit and wait there. Now move it!"

The group rushed to obey. They could tell that Raine was still pissed. Once they were in the limo Raine checked over Joey and Serenity, "I should have known he wouldn't listen to me. I'm sorry babies. I should have protected you better."

Serenity reached over and hugged her older sister, "It's okay, Za. We're not that hurt." A police car and an ambulence flew past them, heading towards the apartment complex.

"What did you do to him, Za?" Joey asked from his position settled comfortably against Raine and Tristan, his head resting on Raine's shoulder.

"Less than what he deserved. He's getting medical treatment, isn't he?" Raine growled out. She was still pissed off.

"Raine, that doesn't tell us shit. What happened up there." Eric snarked.

"Jesus H. Fucking Christ! I broke his nose, and jaw. I think his left arm is going to be completely useless, I know that a bone in his left leg broke through skin. He's not going to be able to see for a few days, and I sure as fuck know that I broke at least five ribs on each side. Unfortunately, I didn't puncture a rib."

Serenity gasped, "Za! How could you?"

"HE FUCKING DESERVED IT!" Raine yelled, causing Serentiy and Joey to back away from her. Seto reached over from his seat across from her and place his hand on her knee, Raine grasped onto it and squeezed like he was a life preserver and she was drowning. Which she was, drowning in her anger and rage at Marus's abuse towards Joey and her failure to protect her siblings. When she had calmed down, she smiled at Seto and mouthed, 'Thank you.' and turned to Serenity and Joey, "I'm sorry I yelled at you two. I know that you meant well. But please, do not question my actions. I did what I thought was right, and you cannot fault me for that. I'd do it again in a heartbeat if it meant that you two would be safe from him for life. I could have murdered him, Wren. He angered me so much. I had to force myself to stop. No one should have the right to hurt someone weaker than them. Marus made the mistake of assuming he could get away from it. Once you all left, he took a swing at me, and I retaliated; that's all there is too it. Understand?"

Joey and Serenity hugged their sister and Joey said, "Thank you, Za. Thanks for loving us as much as you do. I don't know what I'd do without you or Serenity."

Raine smiled and returned her siblings' hugs, "You'll never have to find out, neither of you will. Because we'll always be there for one another. All of us: Tristan, Malik, Merrik, Seto, Mokuba, Eric, Ryou, Bakura, Yami, Yugi, Mai, Tea, Isis, Rashid, Shadi, Serenity, me, and hell, even Noel, Dr. Blaine, and Mr. Tagjaki: we're family. And family is always there for one another. Comprende?"

Joey nodded, and smiled, "Si, Comprende. I love you Raine."

"Yea, I love you too Raine, and I love Eric as well." Wren smiled at her newest older brother.

"I know, and we love you squirts as well. Now we just need to deal with Alicia." Silence descended upon that remark by Raine as the limo made its way slowly towards Kaiba Mansion.

A/N: Well, there you have it. Chapter Seven. I hope you all enjoy it, and please, please, please....review. Please? Next chapter, house hunting, a conversation between yami's and the worthiness of Seto Kaiba.