Disclaimer: I don't own yugioh.

"Talk"

'Thoughts'

Flashback/ Dreams

...

Butterfly kissed rained down on her skin, travelling from her shoulder up to her neck and then back to her shoulder again. Thick eyelashes fluttered before lifting to reveal sparkling blue gems. She moved her head to find Seto smiling at her from beside her. Noticing her slightly bleary eyes, he chuckled and climbed on top of her.

"Morning." He said to her. She blinked and he let out another chuckle.

"You…" She hesitated, eyes darting to stare away from him.

"Go on." He encouraged, hand cupping her cheek gently.

"You are still here. Don't you have to go to Kaiba Corp?" She asked. He leaned down and kissed her forehead.

"I took today off to spend with you." Her eyes widened slightly at his confession. "Would you like that?" She nodded her head shyly. He kissed her on the lips this time.

"I plan to take you out shopping, and then for lunch." He informed her while getting off her. "Get ready. We'll leave after breakfast." Leaving her slightly happy and a lot more confused, he went out of the bedroom, probably to his office. This would be the second time this week he would do that.

What was the reason behind this dramatically changed attitude? Just last week, he had shown concern over her trip with Mokuba and now he was offering to take her outside himself? What was he trying to accomplish?

Sighing, she got off the bed and proceeded towards the bathroom. There was no telling what was going on in Seto's mind. She was better not to question it and just follow what he wanted her to do. It was the only way for her to avoid getting hurt, and getting hurt was the last thing she wanted, keeping in mind her current condition.

She peeled off her clothing and stepped into the shower. Her mind drifted off to the tiny life taking shelter in her womb. What was she going to do? What was she supposed to do? How would keeping the child impact her life? How would it impact Seto's life? How would bringing a child into such a dysfunctional relationship impact the child's life?

She had no answers. She so desperately wished there was someone she could talk to, someone to share her feelings with, someone to share her fears with, someone to share her uncertainties with, someone to ask advice from, someone to…

A bitter smile appeared on her lips. These were the things one was supposed to share with a boyfriend, or friends. Too bad, she lacked both. Both were so close to her, yet she couldn't speak with either of them.

She sighed and shook her head, partly to get rid of such saddening thoughts, partly to wash the conditioner out of her hair. There really was no point for her to dwell on these thoughts. She had no power to decide her own fate, or the fate of the innocent life she was nurturing.

After finishing getting ready, she walked downstairs into the kitchen. Seto and Mokuba were already sitting there, however, there was no conversation going on. She walked in as quietly as she could and took a seat opposite Mokuba, on Seto's right. Both men glanced up at her. She, however, resisted the temptation to look at Mokuba and smiled only at Seto. He nodded in satisfaction at her attire and managed a small smile.

"I have already informed Mokuba of our activities." Seto said, proceeding eating again. Very cautiously and swiftly, she shot Mokuba an assuring smile.

"Yeah." Mokuba said. "He told me he is taking you shopping. So don't feel shy. Spend all his money." Tea hesitantly looked at him and gave another tiny smile. She had to be cautious not to let familiarity shine through her eyes or Seto might get suspicious. Before Seto, they had to continue the charade.

After breakfast, Seto said a few words of good natured warnings to Mokuba and ushered Tea out. They got into the car and Seto began driving. Tea figured he didn't want to attract too much attention to himself and so had opted to not use the limo.

The car stopped before the most popular and expensive store in Domino. Tea knew because she had often passed the store and had even window shopped there. Those were the days.

"Come on." Seto said, unbuckling his seatbelt. Tea nodded her head and mirrored his actions, exiting the car. They entered the store, which, to Tea's surprise, was completely vacant. Not a soul in sight. She turned to Seto with a confused look.

"I rented this place for the day so no one can bother you." He said with a smile. Her eyes widened in disbelief. He let out a chuckle and held her hand, leading her towards a rack filled with colourful outfits.

"Go on. Get whatever you want." He encouraged. She shot him a sincere, bright smile and began shuffling through clothes. Seto took a seat on a couch placed in front of the change rooms and watched her with amusement as she made faces, looking through the clothes. Finally, she moved towards the change rooms, arms filled with clothes. Seto let out a deep breath as she disappeared. Shopping was just as he had expected it to be; boring and tiring. But he was willing to do it for her sake, for her happiness.

She came out, wearing a cute tee and a mini skirt. His eyes scrutinized her appearance, moving up and down her curvaceous frame, lingering on her long legs for a few moments before moving up to meet her gaze.

"You look adorable." He said. She blushed and disappeared back in the room. This continued on for a few hours, Tea trying on skirts, dresses, even lingerie for him. Finally, she tired of her activities and informed him of the blessed decision. Holding back a deep sigh of relief, Seto grabbed her chosen outfits, which were a lot, and walked toward the cashier, where a women awaited them.

"I hope everything was to your liking Mr. Kaiba." She said, taking there purchases. Seto completely ignored her and took out his credit card, paying for the clothes and walking out. Once the bags were secured in the car, they sat and Seto drove towards a restaurant. As expected, it was the best in the city. But thankfully, it wasn't as deserted as the store. A waiter escorted them to their table and seated them before taking their order and leaving. Tea curiously glanced around the restaurant before locking eyes with Seto.

"Thank you." She said with a blush. "I had a great time today." He smiled and held her hand.

"I wanted you to be happy."

"I am." She said, squeezing his hand back. Silence fell over them.

"Seto, can I… can I ask you something?" She asked hesitantly. He smiled.

"Of course you can. Ask me anything." She gulped before speaking.

"When… when I still had my memories… did you… love me?" Seto's body stiffened at her question, his eyes lowering to stare at his wine glass.

"Why are you asking that?" He asked cautiously.

"I… I just wanted to know." She said. He didn't answer for a long time.

"Tea… I have wanted you in my life for as long as I can remember, since the first day I met you." He said honestly. "I am not proud of the ways I employed to achieve you… but I always tried to make you happy. I admit I have failed many times… but I have always tried. I still am. I just want you to be happy." He was avoiding answering.

"Seto, did you love me?" She asked again. He sighed.

"I don't think I know what love is." His voice was so broken, so tired, that she automatically felt her heart reach out to him. "I thought it was giving someone you care about everything they want and not caring what it is. But I discovered I was wrong." She figured he was referring to the incident with Mokuba.

"Now I don't know what it is." Her face fell and she looked away. "But I do know that I care about you deeply." She looked up with shining eyes. "I… I want you in my life. I need you in my life. I can't imagine a day without you."

"Seto." She whispered, her hand caressing his.

"Take it as whatever you want." He finished.

"Did I love you?" She asked. He let out a bitter chuckle.

"I have serious doubts about that." He said.

"How can you be sure?"

"You may not remember, but I do." He said in a guilty tone. "That is why sometimes I fear you remembering everything. I feel like… I feel that I'd completely lose you then. You'd hate me."

"But you are trying to change. That counts." She said. He chuckled.

"I hope it does." The waiter brought the food and they began eating. Silence ensued again.

"Seto." Tea said, breaking the silence. "I…" She hesitated, looking into his eyes.

"What is it?" He asked as causally as he could, sipping his wine.

"I… have some of my… memories back." She said. "I… get… flashbacks and I see some things."

"Anything in particular you want to tell me about?" He asked, eyes now focused on her.

"Well… no, nothing." She said, shaking her head. His eyes hardened slightly but softened when she stiffened.

"Tea, I want you to tell me what's on your mind." He said kindly. She stared him deep in the eyes for a few moments. Could she really tell him? He lifted his hand to cup her cheek in encouragement.

"I… saw my… friends." She cringed as his eyes narrowed in anger.

"Explain." He said in a cold tone. Fear gripped her senses. He was angry. She knew it would happen. She just had to open her big mouth and say it.

"When I found about my dancing, I saw them, at my performance." He nodded his head, eyes still hard and cold. "I just wanted… it's nothing." She cut it off, not wanting to anger him any further.

"Do you want to visit them?" His question caught her completely off guard. Her mouth fell open and she stared at him like an idiot.

"Wha…"

"I said, do you want to see them?" He asked again, his face expressionless. Unable to form a response, she nodded her head. "We'll visit them after lunch." He said, turning his attention back to his food.

"But… you…"

"I want you to be happy." He answered her unasked question, not looking up. She continued to appear shocked. Noticing her state, he sighed.

"Tea, I know I have done things in the past that have imprinted a bad impression of me in your mind. When I look back at my actions, I regret them deeply. I never wanted that to happen. I… I want to change what you think of me. I want you to see me as someone you can trust." Her eyes softened.

"Thank you Seto." He finally smiled and they continued to eat. For the first time in days, Tea actually felt happy.

"Hey Tristan, pass me those cards, will ya?" Joey said to Tristan who was shuffling through a huge box.

"These ones?" Tristan said, holding a pack. Joey turned to Yugi.

"Yug, these are the one you want, right?" Yugi looked up and nodded his head. Tristan tossed the pact to Joey who handed them to Yugi.

"Man, this is tiring." Tristan said. "I am never volunteering to help you restock the cards again."

"Hey Yugi, can we stop now? Let's go to the arcade." Joey said. Yugi seemed thoughtful. Before he could answer, the sound of a bell ringing indicated someone had entered the shop.

"Hey, welcome to the Turt-." Joey turned around to say the customary greeting, but words died in his throat after one look at the people who had just come in.

"T… Tea?" Yugi whispered in shock. Tea peeked hesitantly from behind Seto's frame. Had it not been for Seto's iron grip on her hand, she would had run to her friends.

"Kaiba… what… what is going on?" Tristan said, also standing up to stare at them.

"She wanted to meet you." Seto said through gritted teeth. The guys just stared in shock.

"Kaiba you bastard." Joey, who had remained silent till now, exploded with rage. "I know what you did." He said, taking a menacing step toward Seto. "We all know."

"What are you talking about, you mutt?" Seto said, glaring at Joey.

"Don't play innocent you asshole. We know it was you who-." Yugi had jumped up and clamped a hand over Joey's mouth before he could finish. Tristan shot Yugi a confused look.

"Please have a seat Kaiba, Tea. We'll be back with some refreshments." He began dragging a furiously complaining Joey and a confused Tristan with him out of the room and into the kitchen. Once the door closed and they were out of Seto's hearing range, Joey yelled.

"What the hell was that about Yugi? Why did you stop me?"

"Yeah. You should have let him tell Tea what a bastard Kaiba really is." Tristan agreed.

"If you do that, you'd drive Tea away for good." Yugi said. "Kaiba brought Tea here by his own free will. That means he is changing. And I don't want you guys to do anything that will anger him. We may not be able to see Tea again if that happens."

"Once Tea hears the kind of bastard he is, she won't go with him." Joey said with confidence.

"Wrong." Yugi said. "Right now in her state, she trusts him more than anything else in the world. And if you say anything against Kaiba, she'll turn away from us." He stared at them with pleading eyes.

"Please don't say anything against Kaiba. If we play along, we may get to see more of Tea and we might be able to help her with her memories. Once she regains all her memories, she'll leave him." Joey seemed unsure but he seemed to agree after Tristan nodded in agreement.

"Okay, now let's grab some juice to make our excuse seem real." Yugi said with a small smile. They hurriedly grabbed glasses and juice and walked out. Tea and Seto were sitting on a couch, still holding hands.

"Here you go." Yugi said good-naturedly. "Sorry it took us so long. It was a bit of struggle prying Joey away from the fridge." Tea shot him a reserved smile.

"So, you came here just to see us?" Tristan asked.

"I… I saw you guys in a memory flashback." Tea said, continuing with the lie she had told Seto. "I wanted to… meet you, to know more about our… relationship."

"Of course." Yugi said. "We used to…" He stopped short of saying 'best friends'. After a small pause, he continued. "We used to be good friends, all of us." He gestured to Joey and Tristan. "We had a lot of classes together in school, and we also used to hang out together after school." Tea nodded her head.

"We went through a lot of tough situations together." Joey said. "If I had to guess, I'd say we had a much stronger bond than what you had with Kaiba." Seto growled at Joey's comment. Tea squeezed his hand tighter, hoping it would calm him.

"What Joey is trying to say is-" Tristan attempted to do some damage control, but was interrupted by Joey.

"We used to be best friends while Kaiba was the guy we all hated, including you."

"That's enough Wheeler." Seto said, standing up. "I won't let you poison her mind with your bullshit."

"It's not bullshit." Joey said, also getting up. "The lies you fed her are bullshit."

"I told her no lies." Seto said.

"Shut up Kaiba." Joey yelled. "Had you told her the truth, she would have left your abusive ass a long time ago. Or maybe she hasn't left you because you're still hurting her, and she is afraid."

"Shut up." Seto yelled, letting go of Tea's hand to punch Joey.

"STOP." Tea screamed, getting up. Seto immediately halted in his steps and turned to her.

"Please Seto, let's go home." She said through teary eyes. "I don't want to stay here anymore." Seto gave Joey one last glare and began walking towards Tea.

"This is more of your home than his prison Tea." Joey yelled. "Stay here with us. We'll protect you from him."

"Joey, stop it." Yugi pleaded, but Joey paid no heed to his words.

"I know he abuses you Tea. Leave him. He is nothing more than a lying, deceiving bastard who will always hurt you. You can't trust him Tea. Don't go with him. Stay with-." Seto had turned around and punched Joey before he could finish his rant. Joey fell back from the force of the impact. Tea screamed loudly.

"Next time when I tell you to shut up, listen." Seto breathed venomously. He smiled in satisfaction at the red liquid dripping down Joey's nose an quickly grabbed Tea's hand, dragging her out of the game shop. He harshly thrust her into the passenger seat of the car and slammed the door, not acknowledging her flinch. He got behind the wheel but didn't drive right away.

"Now do you see why I didn't want you to see them?" He yelled at her. "Do you see now? They are all liars. They want nothing more than to take you away from me. They just want to see me suffer, that's all." She only sobbed in fear and sadness. Noticing her teary eyes, he leaned towards her and forcefully pulled her in his embrace.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you." He whispered to her in a soothing tone. "I know it's not your fault." She sniffled against his shirt.

"I… I want to go home." She whispered between hiccups. He nodded his head and pulled away.

"Okay. Whatever you want."

Mokuba channel surfed, bored out of his mind. He had spent the morning talking to his friends in Australia about any new assignments or tests. The rest of the day had been spent lying around, eating, and currently, channel surfing. He glanced at the watch. Seto and Tea had been gone for a long time now. It was almost 3:30pm.

Just then, the sound of the door opening reached his ears. Curiously, he turned in the direction just in time to see Tea hurriedly walk upstairs. Seto walked towards him, a frown evident on his face. Mokuba's heart began beating wildly. He just hoped nothing bad had happened.

"Seto, everything okay?" He asked cautiously. Seto's frown deepened.

"No." He replied caustically.

"What happened?"

"Wheeler ruined everything."

"How?" Mokuba asked insistently.

"We went to visit those assholes because she wanted to see them. And Wheeler started spurting some nonsense about knowing what I had done." Mokuba's face went slightly pale.

"What… what did you do?"

"I broke his nose." Seto answered with sadistic satisfaction.

"Seto, what the hell? You shouldn't have." Mokuba yelled. Seto glared at him.

"You should have heard the lies he was feeding her. I couldn't let it continue." Before Mokuba could retort, Seto's cell phone rang. He answered it to find out that it was from Kaiba Corp. Apparently, a problem had occurred and they needed him.

"I have to go Mokuba." Seto said, hanging up. "Something came up at the company."

"No problem Seto." Mokuba said, watching Seto leave. As soon as the door closed, Mokuba rushed upstairs towards Seto's bedroom. He had a feeling he would find Tea there. He reached the bedroom door and knocked slowly.

"Tea, Tea, you in there?" He asked gently.

"Mo… Mokuba?" Her soft voice came through the closed door to confirm.

"Yes, it's me. Open up." He said. He heard shuffling of feet and soon, the door opened to reveal a puffy eyed Tea. Immediately, she threw herself in his arms and cried.

"Tea, Seto told me what happened." He informed her. Her body shook with sobs.

"I… I just wanted to see them, and then… Joey started saying things. And then Seto," She looked up with sad, tear brimmed eyes. "Seto hit him. He was bleeding Mokuba. Joey was bleeding." She wailed and began sobbing again. "I only wanted to see them. I didn't know my visit would hurt them like this. If I knew, I … I would never have gone." Mokuba rubbed her back soothingly to calm her.

"Tea, it's not your fault. Don't blame yourself over it." He said in an attempt to calm her. But it had no effect at all.

"Tea, don't worry. Everything will be okay." Her body shook violently, and she cried hysterically.

"Everything is not going to be okay. I know it's not."

"Why?" He asked with worry.

"Because I'm pregnant." She wailed. "I'm pregnant." Mokuba's body stiffened, his grip loosening on her body.

"Wh… what?" He asked. Her body slid to the floor and she cried harder.

"I've checked it so many times. But it is always the same. I'm pregnant." Mokuba kneeled on the floor beside her.

"Have you… have you told Seto?" He asked. She shook her head,

"No. I'm… I'm too afraid. I don't know how he'll react." She said between cries. Mokuba enveloped her in is arms again and rubbed her back.

"Don't worry Tea. I'm here for you. I'll protect you and this baby." He told her in a firm tone.

"You're the only one I've told. You're the only one I trust.." She said. Mokuba only hugged her tighter.

...

I'm pregnant. Her words rang in his mind and his blood boiled. He had returned to the mansion to personally let Tea know of his departure and apologize for ruining their plans. However, he hadn't expected to see her in Mokuba's arms. And as if the shock from that wasn't enough, he heard her say that she was pregnant.

Don't worry Tea. I'm here for you. I'll protect you and this baby. His own brother, his own blood had betrayed him like this. He had been slightly suspicious of the dramatic improvement in Mokuba and Tea's relationship, but had never paid much thought to it. He had just been glad to know that they were on decent terms. Little did he know how much thei relationship had really improved.

You're the only one I trust. Seto slammed his fist on his desk. He was the only one she trusted? Mokuba? He had been here for barely a few weeks and she trusted him the most. What about him? He had been with her for months. Didn't he deserve some of her trust too?

Have you… have you told Seto?

No. I'm… I'm too afraid. I don't know how he'll react. Oh, he would show them how he would react. After all, they had earned it.

Tea sat on the couch, leaning against Mokuba, whose hand stroked her hair affectionately. She had finally stopped crying, thanks to his efforts and now sat in the living room. They had talked about her pregnancy and had agreed that perhaps today was not the best day to inform Seto of the development. They would wait a few days, at least until tomorrow. They could both work to gain insight on Seto's opinion on the matter before deciding to let him know. They way, they would be prepared for whatever may come their way.

Tea had already said that she had no intention of aborting the baby.

Flashback

"It's not it's fault it was conceived. If anyone's, it's my fault and I'll take full responsibility for it." Tea said, walking down the stairs. They were currently discussing her situation and any possible solutions.

"But Tea, do you really want to bring a baby in this abusive relationship? Seto is obsessed with you. He doesn't even trust me with you, and is likely to react negatively to anything that may hold your attention. What if he reacts negatively to this child as well? What if he tries to harm it?" Mokuba said, revealing his fears regarding the situation.

"I won't let any harm come on my child. I'll protect it with my life." She said determinedly.

"But Tea-."

"I don't care Mokuba. I won't kill this innocent life. I know Seto may not want me to keep the baby, but I won't do what he says. I'll… I'll run away if I have to. But I won't let any harm come to my baby." Seeing her resolve, Mokuba sighed and caved in.

"I'll support you with whatever decision you make. I'll protect you and this baby."

End flashback

So aborting the baby was out of question. The only hope they had left was that Seto actually had changed and was okay with the child. If not that, then they would have to run, though both desperately wanted to avoid that.

The sound of the door wrenching open harshly filled their ears.

"Seto." Tea whispered in horror and urgency. Immediately, Mokuba jumped on another couch on her left and acted as if he had been there all along. Soon, Seto came marching in, a furious look housed in his eyes. He glared at Mokuba as he walked towards Tea.

"I need to talk to you, in private." She looked afraid, but nodded her head.

"Okay." She said, getting up.

"Hey Seto, everything okay?" Mokuba asked. Seto growled and roughly grabbed Tea's arm, hauling her up

"Seto, what are you doing?" Mokuba said, getting up.

"It's personal so stay out of this." Seto hissed. "I'll deal with you soon." He dragged an unresisting Tea with him to the bedroom, all the while, making sure Mokuba was not following. Once they were secured in the room, he threw her forward and slammed the door behind him.

"Seto, what's wrong?" She asked fearfully. He sharply turned towards her, eyes ablaze with anger.

"Why don't you tell me." He replied through clenched teeth.

"I… I don't know what you mean." She said, taking a step away from him.

"You don't know?" He mocked. "Let me help you then. I am talking about the little piece of information you supplied to Mokuba today, at the top of the stairs, when you were encased in his arms." His voice rose with every word until he was yelling at her.

She was speechless, the only reply being the look of absolute horror and disbelief on her face. Frustration and anger took him over. He advanced towards her. She scampered away in fear but he was upon her before she could put any distance between them. He roughly grabbed her arm and jerked her forward.

"Why don't you tell me what you told him Tea?" She whimpered at the tightness of his grip which, she knew, would leave marks. "TELL ME." He yelled in her face and back handed her. A scream of pain and shock rippled through her throat.

"Say it." He raised his hand to hit her again.

"I'll tell." She quickly screamed through tears. "I'll tell. Please don't hurt me. I'll tell." He lowered his hand, only leaving his eyes to intimidate her. She sniffled.

"I'm… I'm pregna- aah." She was slapped before she could finish. Her body jerked from the impact, falling on the floor.

"You're pregnant? And you never told me?" He screamed in her face, a hand fisted in her hair, pulling the silky strands.

"You whore." He slapped her, earning another scream from her. "I can't believe you did that."

"Seto… please… listen to- aaah."

"Shut up." He cut her off, slamming her head into the ground. "I don't want to listen to anything. I've heard enough. I heard everything you said to Mokuba." He grabbed her chin roughly, crushing the soft flesh within his fingers, and brought her face up to his level.

"S… Seto." She struggle to speak through the blood filling the inside of her mouth, seeping from her cut cheek and tongue.

"You didn't tell me because you didn't know how I would react, huh?" He mocked her, repeating her words. She whimpered in pain. "Tell me, is this reaction to your liking?" He said, slapping her. She tried hard to shield her face, but he held her wrists in his vice like grip.

"You lied to me. After everything I did for you, after everything I gave you, you still lied to me." He said, twisting her arm behind her back. She screamed again, but he back-handed her again.

"I gave you freedom. I gave you my trust, and you went behind my back and whored yourself to my brother." Her eyes widened at his words. "Was I not man enough for you? Huh, tell me."

"Seto… you… I didn't-."

"More lies." He yelled, slapping her. "Lies, lies, lies." He slapped her repeatedly, ignoring her ear-splitting screams.

"You have betrayed me. After everything I did for you, you betrayed me, for my brother." His eyes turned menacing, and lowered to her stomach.

"You now carry a bastard child, filthy, just like you."

"N… No." With much effort, she wrapped her hands over her stomach. "Please… don't." Her act of protecting her child only fuelled his anger.

"You trust him the most huh?" He mocked, holding both her hands and trapping them behind her. "He promised to protect you and this bastard child? Then lets put his word to the test, shall we?"

"Seto… please… don't…" She begged, noticing the sadistic glint in his eyes. "Please… I beg you… please…"

"Let's see if your lover can come save his bitch and his dirty seed." Before she could beg for mercy, or explain to him, he punched her stomach. Air left her lungs and she gasped desperately.

"Did you like that?" He asked with a sickening smile. "Did you like the pain, because your actions begged for it." She just cried, her insides wrenching with pain.

"There's more where that came from." He punched her again. She curled into a ball to protect her stomach, but her efforts were not enough to keep his blows away.

"Please… stop." She gasped.

"You want to protect this child? I'll kill it. And I'll kill you too." He screamed in rage, losing all sense. Like a rabid animal, he attacked her, punching her stomach with wild abandon. When she tried to shield her stomach with her arms, he slammed her head against the wall, relishing in the sound it made. Her screams of pain and cries of helps fell on deaf ears. It was as if Seto had been take over by an evil spirit. He didn't care about anything at this moment. Before his eyes was the image of Tea in Mokuba's arms, driving his hands to hit her. He wanted to eliminate the child she carried. It would be her punishment. He wouldn't let a bastard child come between them… never.

Tea screamed and screamed until her throat became hoarse. His blows lost their effect, or maybe she became numb to it. The only thing on her mind was the safety and well-being of her unborn child.

I won't let any harm come on my child. I'll protect it with my life.

She had said those words, not realizing the responsibility they carried. How could she claim to protect another life when she couldn't protect her own? How? She couldn't. She just couldn't. Her child was at the mercy of a heartless man. Her child was at the mercy of death.

Her body became numb and fell to the side. But it didn't stop the blows coming from him. He kept hitting and hitting and hitting, not caring that her eyes were now closed, and not even small screams were coming from her. Finally, tiring of his actions, Seto delivered one final blow and got up, not sparing her broken form another glance.

It was time to deal with the other culprit of the crime.

Mokuba sat fidgeting on the couch, foot tapping on the ground impatiently. Seto and Tea had been in there for a while now. What talk were they having? For some reason, Mokuba's heart had been beating wildly ever since Seto had spoken to him. It felt like something was very wrong, very, very wrong.

He jumped when he heard footsteps, and wondered why he was feeling like something horrible was happening, or was about to happen. Seto came in view and Mokuba's uneasiness increased. He wondered why so. Seto was the last person he should feel threatened by.

"Seto… is everything okay?" He asked, somehow dreading the answer.

"How dare you?" Seto snarled, advancing towards Mokuba, who quickly stepped away. "How dare you touch her?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Did you think I wouldn't find out? Did you think I was stupid that I wouldn't notice the abrupt change in your attitudes?"

"Seto… we wanted to tell you. But we weren't sure how you would react." Mokuba thought Seto had figured out about Tea's recovered memories and was upset at being left out.

"You weren't sure?" Seto bellowed in rage. "How did you think I would react finding out that my girlfriend was pregnant with my brother's child?" Mokuba's mouth fell open in shock.

"I was suspicious about your sudden friendliness. But I never ever imagined what the reason would be."

"Seto, you don't understand. That child-." Mokuba began to explain, but Seto didn't want to listen.

"That child is the dirty seed of your vile intentions, of your vulgar meetings, and of your filthy feelings. That disgusting-."

"Stop right there." Mokuba said raising his voice for the first time. "Don't say a word about that child Seto. Don't."

"Oh, so you're going to stand up for your dirty seed?"

"He's your child Seto." Mokuba yelled. "Not mine. Yours. I never touched Tea with such intentions. I never even thought of Tea with such intentions. I think of her as my sister."

"You're lying." Seto said.

"No I'm not. Seto. That is your child. Tea is pregnant with your child." Seto's legs wobbled with this new piece of information, and he quickly grabbed the couch for support.

"It can't be. It just can't." He whispered in disbelief. "Why did she hide it? Why did she not tell me and only you?" He demanded.

"She was afraid of how you would react." Mokuba said. Suddenly, color drained from his face and he looked up at Seto. "What did you do to her?" Seto's face paled.

"I… I…" Without another word, he raced towards his bedroom, Mokuba at his heels.

"Seto… what did you do?" He demanded, but Seto ignored him and tried to open the bedroom door. However, it was locked.

"Seto, don't tell me you hurt her?" Mokuba asked the dreaded question. Seto body stiffened and Mokuba had gotten the answer to his question.

"Seto, how could you? She cared only for you. She even got her memories back but refused to leave you because she didn't want you to be upset." Mokuba yelled. Seto ignored him, and continued to struggle with the door.

"Tea, open up." Seto yelled to the closed door. There was no response from the other side. "Tea, open this door this instant." Seto demanded, but still nothing. Noticing they were getting nowhere, Mokuba ran downstairs and dialled a familiar number of Dr. Wanton. In a few hurried words, he had explained the situation and requested help. Dr. Wanton assured him of his assistance. With that done, Mokuba called Yugi. He knew it would anger Seto to no end, but Mokuba didn't care anymore. Seto had crossed the limit. He had shown that he couldn't take care of her, let alone the child. And to ensure the safety of both, they would have to be taken away from Seto.

When done with his phone calls. Mokuba raced upstairs again, where Seto was now bumping into the door in an attempt to open it. Mokuba rushed forward and stopped him.

"Seto, you know these doors won't open like this."

"I have to get to her. I just have to." Seto said desperately and struggled to free himself of Mokuba's grip.

"We will Seto." Mokuba assured him. "I called for help." Seto's eyes widened and he turned towards him with a snarl.

"Who did you call?"

"Dr. Wanton." Mokuba said. "And her friends." He added after a pause.

"What?" Seto yelled. "How dare you call those bastards. I won't let them near her."

"They have every right to be here Seto." Mokuba yelled back. "Right now, Tea needs them."

"No she doesn't." Seto said. "I'm here. I'm all she needs."

"You hurt her." Mokuba screamed in anger. "You caused her pain, her and her baby, based on suspicion." Seto looked away guiltily. "I can't believe you did that. How could you not trust her? How could you not trust me?" Mokuba demanded.

"I… " Seto had no answer.

"I am very disappointed in you Seto." Mokuba said in a sad tone. "I used to look up to you, as a role model, as a father. But I see that you are nothing more than a heartless monster who hurts all those who try to get near him."

"Shut up. You don't know anything. You don't…" Seto stopped his tirade after hearing hurried footsteps and voices. In no time, the gang came in view, Joey leading. He immediately lunged for Kaiba, knocking them both to the floor.

"You bastard. What did you do to her? I'm going to kill you." Both men rolled on the floor, trying to hit and dodge each other.

"Hey, stop right now, or I'll arrest you both." A gruff voice of a policeman halted their fight. Seto stood up and noticed that Dr. Wanton had brought company.

If I see another scratch on her body, I'll report it to the authorities. Dr. Wanton's threat rang in his ears.

"What is going on? Where is Tea?" Yugi asked with fearful eyes.

"She has locked herself in the room." Mokuba said in a panicked tone. "We tried to open the door, but it won't budge."

"Step aside. We'll handle this." A man, dressed as an emergency worker stepped forward. He motioned to another man who quickly took out an electric saw. Very carefully and swiftly, the cut a hole above the knob and thrust their hand in to open the door. Everyone rushed inside, calling her name. but she was nowhere to be seen.

"Where is she? I thought you said she was here?" Tristan said sharply, glaring at Mokuba who looked confused. He glanced at Seto whose face was as pale.

"The bathroom door is locked." Yugi said, trying to pry it open. Immediately, Seto was before it, banging his fist on it.

"Tea, Tea, open up. Please, listen to me."

"Mr. Kaiba, you'll have to step away from the door. We'll open it." The man with the saw said. Seto ignored him.

"Tea, look, I'm sorry. I made a mistake. Please open the door. I… I won't hurt you." The men exchanged a look with Mokuba and grabbed Seto's arms.

"Let me go. She won't listen to you. She only listens to me. Let me go to her." Seto struggled, kicking his legs to break free.

"If you don't hold still and cooperate, we'll have to knock you out." A medic threatened.

"Go to hell." Seto snarled at him, continuing to struggle.

"Guys, look." Yugi said in horror, pointing to the bottom of the door, where a red stain was steadily increasing in size, staining the carpet.

"Blood." Dr. Wanton whispered. The emergency workers immediately got to work, cutting the door again and opening it. As soon as the door opened, everyone leaned forward to see her and gasped in horror at the image.

There, bathed in her own blood was a deathly pale and unconscious girl. Her hair were dripping with blood, the side of her neck and one shoulder colored red, most likey from a wound in the skull. Her face was swollen purple with bruises. Her cheeks were glowing red with visible slap marks. Her lip was cut, the blood dripping from her chin. But perhaps the worst were the two deep cuts on her wrists, the cause of the pool of blood around her.

"Tea." Seto yelled, breaking free from the stoned men's grip and racing towards her. Her quickly held her in his arms and shook her gently.

"Tea, wake up. Please wake up." He begged her in a broken voice.

"She has lost too much blood." Dr. Wanton whispered in horror, not moving an inch from his spot. "She… she won't survive." Seto ignored his comments and continued to plead with her.

"Tea, I beg you, wake up. Look at me. Please." He buried his face in her bloody neck.

"S… Seto." She chocked. Seto immediately looked at her.

"Tea, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I… I never wanted to hurt you." He said frantically. "I… I made a mistake. I thought… I thought it was Mokbua's. I'm so sorry."

"S… Se…" She tried to speak but caught a rapid fit of coughs, spitting blood on his face and the floor.

"Please forgive me Tea. Just this last time, please forgive. I swear I won't do this again. I swear I'll never hurt you again. Just… just don't leave me."

"It… your… baby." She hoarsely whispered.

"I know." He said, hugging her tightly. "I'm so sorry I tried to hurt it. Please forgive me."

"I… can't take… the pain… anymore." She said, eyes glossing over.

"Please don't leave me." He begged desperately. "I… I don't want to lose you. I don't want to be alone Tea. Please… stay with me."

"I… want… sleep." She said, eyelids drooping.

"No. don't sleep." He screamed. "Please don't leave me. Stay with me." She didn't respond to his pleas. "Tea, remember you asked me if I loved you. I'm saying it now. I love you. I love you very much. Now stay. Don't go Tea. Please don't go." Tears fell from his eyes as he pleaded. Her eyes opened ever so slightly and a sad smile ghosted over her lips.

"I… I love… you too… but… I can't stay… the pain… no more… I can't … too much… my baby… no… pain." Her head rolled to the side, eyes loosing they shine they always carried.

"Tea, don't go." Seto begged in a broke voice. "You… you're the only one I have. If you… if you leave me… I'll be all alone… like before. Please don't leave me Tea. Please don't go. I … I don't want to be alone. I want to be with you… please don't go." She didn't reply. He gently shook her body.

"Tea, Tea, talk to me." Her head bobbled side to side, but she didn't respond.

"Mr. Kaiba…. " Dr. Wanton spoke softly from behind him. "She is dead."

"NO." Seto screamed in denial. "She can't leave me." He said. "She said she loved me. She said she'll always be with me. She can't leave me. She can't." He began shaking her body to wake her up, gently.

"Tea, wake up. Wake up please. I'm begging you, wake up." No signs of life appeared.

"Wake up." He screamed in rage, shaking her body wildly. "I said wake up. Wake up or I'll hurt you." He threatened. She wouldn't keep pretending if she knew he would hurt her. But she didn't move.

The room began spinning.

His heart began racing.

A numbing feeling filled his body.

Dark spots began appearing before his eyes.

"Tea… Tea, wake up." His voice shook terribly as the reality of the situation dawned on him. "Don't… don't leave me."

"She is no more Seto." Mokuba said in stiff voice, throat constricted from emotion.

"NO." Seto screamed like a wounded animal. His eyes narrowed maniacally, an insane glint appearing in them.

"She can't leave me." He let go of her body and reached for the cabinet under the sink. When his hand came back in view, it was holding a gun.

"SETO, NO." Mokuba screamed in horror and ran forward.

"STOP." Seto said, pointing the gun at him, halting him dead in his tracks. "I know what you are trying to do." He said, arms wrapping around Tea's lifeless figure again.

"I know you are trying to take her away from me."

"Seto, no." Mokuba desperately shook his head, hoping to make his brother understand.

"I won't let you." Seto said determinedly. "I won't let your plan succeed. She is mine. She was mine and she always will be." He turned to Tea and locked fingers with her, a demented smile present on his lips.

"Don't worry Tea. I'm coming for you." He placed the gun against his temple. "We'll be together, forever."

"SETO, ST-." The shrill sound of gun shot pierced through the air, silencing everything and everyone. Seto's limp body fell on top of Tea's, hand still entwined with hers. The gun clinked on the tile floor, but it's sound was drowned by the thud from Mokuba's body falling on the floor.

"My brother." He whispered in shock. "He's… gone." Tears fell from his eyes. "Seto… is dead. Seto is dead. I'm an orphan. My brother is dead." He wailed loudly, not caring about anything at that moment, but the sorrow that had taken over his heart. Yugi fell besides him, his face also marred with tears.

"Mokuba…" He whispered.

"They are gone Yugi." Mokuba said between sobs. "Tea and Seto… gone… forever." They cried, holding their chest where the pain resided. Joey and Tristan soon joined them, falling to the floor and silently sobbing. Drowning in their sorrow, they ignored the medics entering the bathroom and covering Seto and Tea's body with sheets.

It was over.

The Domino Times

Teen Billionaire And Girlfriend Meet Tragic Death

Yesterday evening, Domino and the world said goodbye to world famous billionaire, Seto Kaiba, and an emerging dancing star, Tea Gardener. Both committed suicide the day before yesterday, meeting death tragically.

Rain pelted the heads of the occupants of Domino Cemetery, crowded with well-wishers from all over the world. People present to pay their respects included millionaires and rivals, Zigfried Lloyd, brother Leon Wilson, Maxamillion Pegasus, and Alistair Amelda, famous duellists Mai Valentine, Ryou Bakura, Weevil Underwood, Rex Raptor, Bandit Keith, Mako Tsunami, Professor Hawkins, and his grand daughter, Rebecca Hawkins, dance sensation, Johnny Steps, famous Egyptian archaeologist and museum curators, Ishizu Ishtar, Marik Ishtar, and Odion. Everyone expressed shock at the event, tagging both Seto Kaiba and Tea Gardner as strong, brave individuals.

The funeral was a very quiet and sombre one, with Mokuba Kaiba saying nothing more than deepest apologies to them, and praying of peace for both Seto and Tea. Both coffins were placed side by side and lowered in a joint grave. The decision to bury them in a joint grave was of Mokuba Kaiba and Tea's friends. They believed it was what they would have wanted, and hoped it would bring the two souls peace.

How did such a tragedy occur? And more importantly, how were the two related?

They were dating.

According to Tea's close friend, and Game King, Yugi Motou, both began dating a few months ago. However, the relationship was unlike any other we have encountered so far. It was an abusive relationship. Seto Kaiba physically abused Tea Gardener to plant fear in her mind so she won't disobey him and leave him.

"I discovered the brutality of their relationship when one day, I was called by Seto Kaiba." Dr. Wanton, the Kaiba family doctor of many years revealed solemnly. "Mr. Kaiba seemed baffled and extremely panicked and desperately pleaded with me to come to his mansion right away. I complied with his requests. But I never expected to see a brutally beaten girl on his bed." According to Dr. Wanton, Seto had been the one to inflict the damage upon her. But why would the most intelligent, and well-mannered man do such a vile thing?

"Mr. Kaiba was auto-phobic. He had fear of loneliness, fear of being alone." Dr. Wanton said. "I am not sure when he developed it, but it surfaced fully when his brother, Mokuba Kaiba, left for university outside of Domino."

"Seto didn't want me to go." Mokuba Kaiba admitted to our reporters. "At that time, I thought he was being controlling. I had no idea what the real reason was behind his actions. Had I known, I would have never left."

According to Tea's friends, Seto and Tea had gone to school together. But no attraction was displayed between them. However, we all know what a master of deceit Seto Kaiba really was. It is possible that he desired Tea then, but never took any action. But when Mokuba Kaiba "left" him, he felt all alone. His phobia overtook his mind and his life. And in his desperation, he blackmailed Tea into staying with him. According to authorities, he had he friends, Yugi Motou, Joey Wheeler, and Tristan Taylor, jailed on false accusations. Only when she agreed to his wishes did he have them released.

According to speculation, Tea was not allowed to see her friends, or anyone for that matter. Seto Kaiba feared that she may leave him. He kept her locked away from the outside world for the first two weeks, physically and mentally abusing her so she may fear him. Only when satisfied, did he allow her to go out, and only to her dance studio.

"Tea was an awesome dancer." A colleague of Tea said, tears in her eyes. "She was a great person, always laughing and making others smile and laugh with her. But then we noticed a change in her. She became very quiet and reserved. She didn't smile as often, nor did she talk a lot. She even refused all our suggestions to hang out after lessons. Every class, a black tinted car would drop her off, and pick her up. She was always in a hurry when leaving. She never even stayed to say goodbye to us. She would just run out."

This was the extent of change Seto Kaiba brought to Tea Gardener. He managed to enslave her to his commands, dictating her life to his satisfaction. And she helplessly complied.

"I found out that she was being abused." Another colleague, Corey Dallhouse, told us. "I offered her help, but she refused. I knew it was out of fear. I tried to tell her I'd protect her. But she was too afraid. After our big performance, she literally ran out, without a word to anyone. None of us saw her for a few days after that. Her colleagues said it was like her to sometimes not show up. But I became worried. I went to her house to see if she was okay and found Seto Kaiba. He was very possessive of her and wouldn't let me even come near her. I managed to talk to her and found out she had psychogenic amnesia."

Psychogenic amnesia is often caused by traumatic events, and causes the affected person to lose memory. However, in severe cases, as in the case of Tea Gardner, the person may lose the memory to perform basic functions as speaking, eating, or movement.

"Tea couldn't do anything. She couldn't even move her finger if she wanted to. She had to be taught everything from scratch, like you teach a newborn baby." Dr. Wanton said. "I offered help, but Seto Kaiba refused. He didn't want anyone to come near Tea except him. It was then I realized how far his phobia had gotten. He had become completely obsessed with her."

In a desperate attempt to help the older Kaiba, Dr. Wanton called on the younger one, who immediately flew to Domino. His presence did have a positive affect on Seto Kaiba.

"When I came back, Seto realized that fear was not the only way to assure someone's presence in your life. He changed." Mokuba said. "He tried everything to make up for his past errors. He was gentle to her. He allowed her more freedom. He worked hard to help her remember and regain her memories, and explained to her when she had a flashback. He even took her out for dinner and shopping a few times. He also began trusting her with me, which was a huge development."

Unknown to Seto Kaiba, Mokuba involved Tea's old friends, Yugi, Joey, and Tristan in a plan to help Tea. The boys, who had been harshly cut from her life by Seto, readily agreed. With careful planning, Mokuba brought Tea to the Turtle Game Shop, where the boys tried to help her remember. Due to their combined efforts, Tea managed to regain all her memories. However, she didn't remain with her friends. In fact, she didn't even inform her friends of the development. Instead, she opted to stay with Seto to help him and care for him.

"I was so shocked when I heard what she said." Mokuba said., "But I was happy. I knew she was the only one who could help Seto. I was grateful for her sacrifice."

But was her sacrifice worth it?

"Tea became pregnant with Seto's child." Mokuba said. "She was afraid to tell him, so she told me because I was the only one who knew her situation wholly. But Seto heard us, and assumed that the baby was mine. He thought Tea had cheated on him with me. He went insane with anger. He felt like he was betrayed by his two most precious people, the people he trusted the most in the world, by his love and his little brother. He was devastated. He couldn't think straight and in his rage, he hurt Tea." By that, Mokuba meant Seto physically abused Tea.

Seto Kaiba also confronted his brother, but after learning the truth, he realised his mistake and hurried to make amends. But apparently, Tea had had enough of his abuse. She locked the doors of the bedroom, and the bathroom, and slit her wrists. Mokuba called Dr. Wanton and 911, as well as her friends. The emergency crew cut through the locked doors and reached Tea, but by then, it was too late.

"She had lost too much blood." Dr. Wanton said sadly. "The bathroom floor was covered with it and the rug was soaked in it. She was on her last breaths when we found her."

According to the emergency crew present, Tea was badly bruised. Her head was bleeding, as was her lip and cheek. She had finger marks all over her face from slaps, and on her throat.

"It was scary. In all my life, I had never seen such a horrendous sight." A medic said, recalling Tea's state.

"Seto Kaiba was begging her not to die, not to leave him." Policeman, Srgt Ryan King, present at the incident, said. "He kept apologizing for his mistakes and promised not to hurt her again. He was crying so desperately. His voice was completely broken. And when her eyes closed and she passed away, he went berserk. He started accusing us of plotting to keep her away from him and said he won't let us succeed. And then suddenly, he took out a gun and shot himself in the temple."

And that's how they ended their lives. Tea Gardner, sick of the pain, and of the abuse finally reached her limit and ended her life of misery. She was indeed, pregnant with Seto Kaiba' child, later confirmed by Dr. Wanton, who died with her. Seto Kaiba, not bearing a moment without her, ended his life in an attempt to be with her again.

Both Seto Kaiba and Tea Gardner were extraordinary people. Seto Kaiba carried the weight of a huge company and it's success on his shoulders throughout his childhood, as well as the burden of fatherhood by parenting his younger brother. He took the scorns of his competition bravely and soldiered on, proving to them that he was the best. He carried the expectations of the cruel business world that was always demanding more and better, with an impeccable mask that hid his true self, hiding the pain. After all, he was a human being, contrary to the popular belief that Domino News shared along with the rest of the world.

Perhaps the only one who saw him as a human being was Tea Gardner, who, despite abuse from him, stuck by him to help him. She sacrificed her joy, her dreams, her comfort, and ultimately, her life for him, while we, the ignorant bunch, turned the other cheek and ignored his problems.

We all pegged him as cold and heartless, not being able to see through his mask and see his fears, his insecurities, his pain, his desperation. We all just piled our expectations on him, one after the other, and always relished in joy when he came close to failing to meet them. We all laughed cruelly at him, eager to point faults, then to help correct them.

We drove him to the state he was at. We made him lose trust in everyone and everything, with our deceitful talks and cunning eyes. We made him feel alone, enjoying the fall of a successful man. We drove him to seek out Tea Gardener and hold on to her like a lost child. We drove him to hurt her to ensure her support. And we drove her to take the pain. We drove her to suffer. We drove her to cry. We drove her to bleed. We drove her to end her life. And we drove Seto Kaiba to take his.

In a way, the deaths of Seto Kaiba and Tea Gardner are our fault, the fault of the society who demands too much of people who display the ability to do better than the rest. We throw all out weight, our responsibilities on them to fulfil, while we sit back and criticize. We rarely offer our help, opting to watch and laugh. We expect them to succeed, but hope to see them fall and fail. We are murderers of Seto Kaiba and Tea Gardner, and perhaps many other nameless individuals who have already died, are dying, or are on the path.

Let's all learn from the death of Seto Kaiba and Tea Gardner and change our attitude. Let's be a part of success instead of being a spectator to failure. Let's work to not let another Seto Kaiba and Tea Gardner be born and die.

The Domino Times apologizes to Seto Kaiba and Tea Gardner for any part it may have played in their demise, and salutes Seto Kaiba for his achievements, and Tea Gardner for her bravery and heart.

Rest in peace Seto Kaiba and Tea Gardner.

May GOD have mercy on your souls.

The End

...

Wow. I can't believe I finally finished it. I bet it wasn't the ending u guys were expecting, was it? I hope it wasn't. I wanted to surprise u guys. but I know u guys are smart. You probably figured it was gonna happen. I mean, a happy ending was kind of far fetched, right?

Review and let me know what yuu think of it.

And thanks so much for reading it :)

also, i want to thank all those who reviewed. thank you for putting up with me for so long. i really appreciate it.