Epilogue time! Yay. Now you get to see where they all end up and how it all ties neatly together in the end. Well, not quite, but they're all doing loads better than they were when it started! Please stick around for the authoress note at the end, too. Love galore!
About Two Years Later…
Luka flipped through the manila file-folder on her lap, the stacks of papers rustling between her neon green fingernails. When she reached the end she looked up, shrugging her shoulders.
"Well Seto, it seems to me like you're doing okay," she said, smiling a little sadly. "Looks like it's almost time to let go."
Seto smiled, running his fingers through his hair.
"Yeah… I guess I am doing better. I'm almost afraid to say it, you know? It's been a long time."
"About a year and a half, we've done one-on-one therapy" Luka agreed. "Yeah, because you were my first 'official' patient after I got my degree. I guess that is a pretty long time. You know, though, if it hadn't been for all of your hard work to get everything sorted out, it could have taken a whole lot longer. You owe yourself a lot of credit."
Seto shook his head.
"No, not really. If it were up to me, I'd still be where I was back in second-year, when I met all of you. I really owe everything to you and Joey. And Mokuba."
"Well, we just got you started. You've honestly done your best," Luka smiled, making definite eye contact to assure him that what she said was true. "And there's a lot to be said for that."
"Thanks. Yeah, I guess I did do everything I could. I didn't want to feel like that anymore."
"I know," Luka replied, leaning forward in her chair. "And when you realized that you didn't have to, you started making progress in the right direction. That's all it took. We helped a little in the beginning, but after that it's been all you."
Seto looked up at the clock, and allowed his eyes to travel wistfully across the heavily decorated walls of Luka's office. She shared the building with another psychologist, but her office was much nicer than his. Her collections of psychedelic rock posters and brightly-colored bean bag chairs were a little overwhelming at first, but after awhile it started to feel like a 'safe place', as she put it. A place where someone could say whatever was going through their mind and nothing would come out sounding stupid. That's how the room was. That's how Luka was.
"I almost don't want to be better," Seto admitted, laughing a little as he said it. "I kind of like coming here and talking and being able to say and admit whatever."
Luka gave him a look of understanding, and moved to sit on the sofa beside him. She put an arm around him.
"I'm not going anywhere," she said. "Neither is Joey, and neither is Mokie. Any of you guys can come back whenever you need. And the TDEDV will always meet on Saturdays, too. Just because you're okay now doesn't mean that you can't come to meetings and we have to pretend that we don't know each other. You can visit us whenever you want. I'd love for you to hang out and help some of the new kids."
Seto nodded.
"I'll be at Tokyo U next year. Which is pretty close."
"Yeah," Luka agreed. "Leaving for college… you need to quit making me feel old. All of you guys do that. Christina called up the other day to say that she's engaged. She's going to invite all the kids from the meetings to the wedding, so keep next April open."
"I will," Seto replied thoughtfully. A few minutes passed in semi-silence, with only Luka's rock-and-roll station playing softly in the background. She finally spoke up.
"I understand how well you're doing, just don't forget to take the medicine, every day. I don't know how long you'll need it, but it will be awhile. And remember, the depression that I had it prescribed for has nothing to do with your stepfather. It just made it more difficult to cope with the post-traumatic stress."
"Yeah… I'll still take it," Seto promised.
"And just don't forget," Luka emphasized, "it's not your fault. I know I've said it a million times, but it's the truth. You know the cause of the post-traumatic stress disorder, of course, but remember that the depression is nothing more than a chemical imbalance. You need the chemical serotonin like a diabetic needs insulin."
"I understand that. And so does Mokuba. He helps me remember to take it before we leave for school in the morning. But if I forget to take the medicine, for awhile, will things get bad again? Like they did before?"
"Well, not really like they were before," Luka explained. "Not ever that bad. When you really got to understanding the concepts of suppressed memories and all of that, you took a big step. Were you to go off the medicine, you'd likely just experience regular depression symptoms, like insomnia or a change in appetite."
"All right. When I need to renew the prescription, I can just ask a regular doctor, right?"
"Yeah. And if they need a note from me, I can write one up."
"Okay. And Luka?"
"Hmm?"
"You don't have another patient this afternoon, right?"
"Nope, I'm free until eight. That's when I go out with John."
"Is John the bartender?"
"No, John's the DJ."
"Whatever. I lose track. Okay, so Joey and I were going to go up to the KaibaCorp building this afternoon so that I could do what you suggested a few weeks ago. We picked today because it's a Sunday afternoon, so it will be practically empty, and Joey isn't scheduled to work. Would you be interested in coming with us?"
"I'd be honored," Luka replied sincerely, standing up to get her coat. "Your car is in the shop, right? So who's driving?"
"Joey is. He said that he'd be here around four."
Luka made a face.
"I always thank heaven for airbags whenever I get in the car with that kid."
Seto nodded.
"I know what you mean. He goes around corners a little quickly."
"Understatement, but thanks for giving him credit for trying."
The two walked out to the lobby and chatted while they waited around for Joey's silver truck to pull up. Seto had given him a loan to get a used one about six months ago, and Joey had been steadily paying it off ever since. They both knew that Seto would have been happy just to buy the truck, but Joey's self-sufficiency wouldn't allow for that.
"You said four, right?" Luka asked.
"That's what he told me."
"Well, I can't believe it. He's actually on time."
Joey pulled up in front of the doors, and Seto and Luka ran out quickly, their shadows long against the mid-afternoon sun.
"Shotgun!" Luka shouted, throwing herself in the front seat beside Joey. Seto shook his head and got in the back, putting his briefcase on the seat beside him.
"So where to, sir?" Joey asked in his best snobbish-chauffer voice. Seto snickered, having become accustomed to Joey's frequent sarcasm regarding his wealth and status.
"KaibaCorp. Hello to you too, by the way."
"Hey man. You know I'm only kidding. So how did today go?"
"Good, but talk and drive, mister," Luka said, attempting to sound serious and failing. "I have to be home by eight. And knowing you guys, we'll take some terrible detour and need all four of those hours."
"Ooh, why eight?" Joey asked as he pulled out of the parking lot. Luka rolled her eyes.
"I'm getting coffee with John."
"That's John the dry-cleaner, right?"
Seto's laughter could be heard from the backseat as Luka sighed.
"No, he's a DJ!"
"Sorry, sorry. If you'd try to date the same guy two weekends in a row, it might be a little bit easier."
"Well, guys are stupid; you of all people should know that."
Joey shook his head.
"I surrender. I really don't have a good comeback for that."
"Ha."
When the exchange was finished, the truck was already on KaibaCorp's main block. Joey smiled widely, hardly able to contain his enthusiasm as he pulled into the parking place labeled 'CEO'. Seto rolled his eyes.
"You've been waiting all your life to do that, haven't you?"
Joey shrugged modestly.
"Well, preferably in a tank. With your car in the parking place. At least, that was the original plan. But then you stopped being a dumbass."
"No, I was never a dumbass," Seto argued jokingly. "You just got a clue."
"Whatever. I always – "
"Hey you guys!"
The boys' 'argument' was interrupted by a shout from the doorway of the building.
"Hey Mokuba!" Luka exclaimed, waving at the preteen boy. She looked over at Joey and Seto. "You guys didn't tell me he was going to be in on this too."
"I didn't know," Seto replied, sounding surprised himself. "Joey, did you?"
"Well, I might have mentioned something…"
"Now I have a full-out audience," Seto sighed.
"Don't think of it that way," Luka responded, patting him on the shoulder. "Think of it as moral support. And we deserve to be in on the victory too."
"Yeah, I guess so."
Upon reaching the door, the group met up with Mokuba. Now almost thirteen, Mokuba was about a head taller than he had been before. He'd also cut his hair a little bit to go into middle school, after a prolonged argument with Seto over the matter. It was now about shoulder length, and he wore it tied back with his blue bandana most of the time.
Seto swiped his key card and the doors opened, allowing for them to walk in together. After greeting the receptionist at the lobby counter, the four walked towards the elevator.
"So you think you're ready for this, Seto?" Joey asked as he pressed the button to call an elevator to their floor.
"Ready as I'll ever be, I guess."
"Of course he's ready," Luka replied, massaging Seto's shoulders as they stepped into the elevator. Mokuba laughed.
"You look like he's about to go into a boxing ring or something."
"Well, it is a battle," Luka replied confidently. "A battle of wits."
"Indeed," Joey replied, picking up his best sportscaster accent. "One young man, backed by three of his closest friends, facing the opponent of – "
"Joey, we really could do without a running commentary," Luka interrupted.
"Sorry."
As the four rose up floor after floor, the tension seemed to rise as well. For you see, there was one chapter left in the book of the things that Seto had not been facing up to. And strangely enough, it had been the closest thing to him during the entire ordeal.
Before Seto moved into the CEO office suite, there had been a portrait of the previous KaibaCorp CEO placed behind the desk. It was about three feet tall by two and a half feet across, and was rather formidable in size and expression. Upon his takeover of the corporation, Seto had relegated it to the fifth-floor marketing lab, as this was where his stepfather had been known to spend much of his time. As he put it, this would 'better bring to mind the true memory and nature of the company's founder'.
Unbeknownst to the employees, there were ulterior motives to moving the picture, the main one being that Seto was terrified of it. It was a perfect likeness of his adoptive father in every respect. The suit was perfectly pressed, the eyebrows were narrowed, and the mouth was set in a strange smirk that suggested a knowledge he possessed and the viewer did not. At least, this is how Seto remembered it. He hadn't actually seen the picture in a good eight or ten years. In fact, Seto hadn't seen any picture of his stepfather since his death.
Hence the problem.
Seto was afraid that this was the one part of the process that he just couldn't handle. Seeing that look on Gozaburo's face. Seeing the way his hair was always combed just perfectly, whether he was speaking politely and reservedly to future customers or striking in anger his ten-year-old son.
And Luka had told him to do this, to actually go up to the portrait and look at it. In fact, she'd even suggested talking to it. That had sounded crazy to Seto at first, but somehow it made sense. If the picture could inspire fear in him just like its subject once did, perhaps speaking to it could put his mind at rest. But it wasn't going to be easy.
Oh, it certainly wasn't going to be easy.
The way Luka had explained it, he could finally tell Gozaburo the truth. How he felt about the violence, the tears, the too-high expectations. And in doing so, Seto could tell himself. He could admit to the portrait and to himself all of the pain and anger that Gozaburo's actions caused him, and in doing so, overcome what remained of his fear. When she explained it, it almost made sense.
So that's why he'd agreed to this.
He had originally planned on doing it alone, or maybe just with Joey. But having Luka and Mokuba here, well, that was just more inspiration not to go back on it. Not that Joey would have let him do that anyway.
Somehow suddenly, the elevator came to a stop. The occupants looked around at one another.
"Well," Seto sighed as the doors opened. "Let's go."
Turning on some lights beside the elevator, he led the group down the hallway and past the row of offices, to the back where the portrait was hung. As they rounded the corner, Seto closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"I believe in you," Mokuba said softly, squeezing his brother's hand before walking to stand with Joey and Luka a few feet back. "We all do."
Drawing on the strength that this remark had given him, Seto opened his eyes quickly.
And there it was.
The portrait looked just as he remembered it. The same gilded gold frame, labeled with the name that he could hardly say this time two years ago. Gozaburo Kaiba: Founder and CEO 1970 – 1992. The man in the picture was leaned to the side, his chin rested on his fist. That was often the way he sat when he appraised the work of an associate. Or the midnight work of his adopted son. Seto blinked a couple of times, wondering what felt so strange.
Something was missing. The fear, maybe? Or it could have been the shame he felt when looking into the gaze of the man in the picture. The wrenching of his heart and the sick feeling in the pit of his stomach weren't there, like he expected. More out of curiosity, he walked up and examined the portrait more closely. It was almost like a dead body, in a strange sort of a way…
"Seto," Luka said softly, "is there anything you want to tell him?"
"Yes," Seto replied. "There is."
Joey took a deep breath, and Mokuba took Joey's hand. The two of them watched Seto intently as he folded his arms behind his back almost like a soldier told to stand at ease.
"Gozaburo."
Seto spoke the first word firmly, in a way that he couldn't recall saying it before. Luka nodded approvingly behind him. Joey looked over at her and gave her a weak smile.
"You treated me very badly," Seto continued. "No, you treated me unbearably. By your hand, I went through ordeals that no human being should be expected to endure. And after it was over, I thought that I would never be okay again. I thought that you had won. But I was wrong. With help from friends and family, and a hell of a lot of my own strength, I've risen above it. And I choose not to hate you for it, though it would be an easy decision to make. I carry your title and your name, but I choose not to carry your memory or your stain on my life."
Seto paused and sighed, remembering the last words that Luka had told him to say.
"I am above that."
When it was apparent that Seto was through, the three behind him spontaneously burst into applause.
"That's the shit, man!" Joey exclaimed, clapping him on the back. Mokuba raced over and hugged him tightly around the waist. Luka, not wanting to be left out, walked over and grabbed all three boys in a monstrous group hug. The four stood there together for an amount of time that was hard to say. Mokuba's height and Luka's pink hair made them a rather strange bunch, but there was hardly a more joyous group to be found in all of Domino, or for that matter all Japan.
Finally Luka stepped away.
"You guys are making me cry," she said, blinking sharply and brushing her finger across her cheek. Joey laughed, despite the blurriness in his own eyes.
"Yeah, this is probably enough lovey-stuff for now. Let's celebrate! We need some ice cream, people!"
Seto smiled, looking over to him.
"Not waffles?" he inquired weakly, still trying to regain composure.
"Nah, not waffles. We get waffles on Thursdays during fifth period, remember? On Sunday, we should get, you know, sundaes."
"So basically," Mokuba laughed, "Joey remembers his days of the week in terms of food."
"Best way, folks. Now you guys think I'm kidding, but I'm not. We're driving my car, and I'm stopping for ice cream. And I'm buying some for you guys too, like it or not."
"Oh yeah," Seto laughed, "you're buying."
"Well, I probably shouldn't have worded it exactly that way," Joey admitted. Luka shook her head. It was in this way that they headed back to the elevator, down to the car, and to Domino's favorite ice cream and soda Shoppe. Joking, laughing, and falling over each other. Because you know, that's really what it's all about.
Oh, and for what it's worth, Seto ended up buying.
FIN
Important Authoress Note:
Same Time Next Week has been a total whirlwind to write! This story took a lot of research and imagination. I would like to thank you all for the time and energy you've put into reading. Y'all are what keep me writing, along with the fact that if I don't write, I'll explode. Lol. But seriously. It means a whole lot.
Finally, I want to take a moment to say that domestic violence is real. I mean, you all obviously know that much, but think about it a second. Whether you know it or not, the odds are overwhelming that you've come into contact with a survivor or even a sufferer. A vast 78 percent of violence occurs at home. 40-60 percent of people that are violent to others in their lives are violent to their families. And although the main character of this story both happened to be male, one in four females will experience domestic violence at one point or another in her life. This is a big deal.
Although the group mentioned in this story, the TDEDV, is completely fictional, there are agencies out to help kids that have gone through stuff like this. Plenty of people, many sufferers themselves, want to help others recover. The list on Wikipedia, where I did a lot of my research, is crazy-long.
The number for the National Domestic Violence Hotline is 800/799-SAFE (7233). Also be sure and check out the 'Love is Not Abuse' site. It's a really well-done website loaded with information.
If you're suffering, or a friend is suffering, make the call. We don't all have amazing little brothers like Mokuba to throw brochures in our laps and make us go through with getting help.
Thanks for reading this and getting its message – keep it all in mind next time you're looking for a worthy cause to contribute to. Keep an eye out for other Shekiah stories, and take care of yourselves, okay? ;)
Much love (as always),
Shekiah
P.S. Is it yaoi? I don't know. That's up to you to determine. Seriously – I'm not saying one way or the other. I will admit that that was not my intent when I started, but if you took it that way, s'cool. ;) This one could go either way.
And here's a full list of the soundtrack songs! The ones with bullets o were added after the chapter-publish-dates. I'm burning a CD for my car! ;)
o You've Got a Friend – James Taylor/Carole King
o Wonderful – Everclear
o Secrets – Good Charlotte
o Reject – Green Day
o Because of You – Kelly Clarkson
How to Save a Life – the Fray
Cold – Crossfade
Perfect World – Simple Plan
Long Way to Happy – Pink
o Speeding Cars – Imogen Heap
If Everyone Cared – Nickelback
Stay With You – Goo Goo Dolls
Superman – Five for Fighting
Who I Am Hates Who I've Been – Relient K
Who Knows – Avril Lavigne
And some others that I didn't use, but I give loads of credit for inspiration because I'd listen to them while I wrote:
Face Down – Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
I've Got Money Now – Pink
Naked – Avril Lavigne
Get Busy Living or Get Busy Dying (Do Your Part to Save the Scene and Stop Going to Shows) – Fall Out Boy
My Heart Dances – Elton John/Tim Rice
The Panic in Me – Elton John/Tim Rice
Trust Me – Elton John/Tim Rice
Oh, and of course, the things I don't own (I'm obligated to write this, but you're not obligated to read it.)
The canon characters/locations (Seto, Joey, Mokuba, KaibaCorp, Domino City, Blue-Eyes … anything you recognized.) Any of the songs
Pocky (Chapter two.)
The name "Luka" (I got the name from the Suzanne Vega song of the same title. Although the character is totally original.)
Penthouse Magazine (Recall the brief reference in chapter eleven. Eeeg, I wouldn't want to own that anyway.)
Shonen Manga (Brief reference, see chapter thirteen.)
MarioKart (Again, chapter thirteen.)
One last time: I HEART YOU ALL!