Summery: Yugi and the gang have gone off on another adventure to enter a Dueling Contest. However, Téa has stayed behind this time, deciding to focus on her future and attend Dancing School. But with some hard times facing her as she struggles with Dancing School, debts and being lonely, Téa's world and attitude change for the worst.
One night having saved Mokuba from Kaiba Corp. rivals, Mokuba decides he doesn't like this new Téa and convinces Kaiba to let Téa work for them to help her out. But is getting this stressful job really a good turn for Téa or Kaiba Corp. on top of Dancing School? And even though Mokuba is trying to help, he just doesn't understand what pressures Téa is under. However, there does seem to be one man who does understand Téa, problem is he's not supportive and ignores her.
Note: Sorry I started this of short and shitty, but I knew I had an idea, but knew I wouldn't have written it unless I posted it, so thats why the first chapter was crap.
Chapter 1
Téa exhaled the smoke from her lungs. Her hunger was gone. There was still a sense of emptiness in her chest, but at least it wasn't as bad or painful as before. Stupid, stuck up, bitchy model dancers!, Téa thought to herself as she took another drag of her , I'll show them I'm not some soft, perfetic wannabe! I'm meant to be there! I am a dancer! I can't listen or believe their sly remarks! I'll show them! I'll show all of them just who Téa Gardner really is! Thought Téa. But first, I'll lose this stupid fat that's making me...fat! Pressing the cherry of her cigarette out against the metal railing, Téa throw her discarded bud on the ground, forgetting all about it. She felt slightly light headed, but it was calming. She wasn't looking forward to it wearing off.
"Téa!" Scream a voice that was high pitch, yet, sounded as if it was breaking from a low voice.
Turning, Téa matched the voice up with Mokuba Kaiba, the younger brother to Seto Kaiba. As he came running towards her, Téa felt herself confused and rather shocked. Her first thought was to question what he was doing here, then why he was running and then how long had it been since she'd seen the kid? He looked just the same except maybe a few inchies taller.
"Mokuba? What are you doing here?" Téa asked with the same old caring concerned routine. "And all on your own for that matter." She added, looking around to see that the park was now empty, asumingly because dull grey clouds were forming above their heads, signalling rain to come. But still, why wasn't Kaiba or a security guard with him? Was he in trouble?
"Téa, h-" Mokuba stopped, sniffing the air and searching the air for the fading treases of smoke. "Were you just smoking right now?"
Téa, feeling as if she'd been struck, felt ashamed of herself. But anger began to boil over her as she turned around to face the lake again. She was sick of having to pretend to be something she wasn't or having to be something she was. No, that didn't make sense! Grrr, this was so frustrating! Téa thought, getting confused. She could just imagine the other dancers at her dancing academy ignoring or ditching the younger Kaiba brother. That or if they knew who he was, using him to get to the older Kaiba brother for his money and wealth. But then this was Mokuba. A sweet little kid whom she had gone on some pretty messed up adventures with. Slowly, Téa was found herself defencive as she didn't really want to lie to Mokuba or disapoint him. Seeing no other way, Téa opted for her new attitudes way out and bit out "Yeah."
"Why?" Mokuba asked, looking up at her with saddened emotions running through his eyes. Having found someone he trusted, Mokuba thought he was safe. But now having a closer look and perspective of Téa, he saw that something was increably wrong with her and it hurt.
Something inside her snapped. "It's none of your business. Besides," Téa added. "You never answered my question. Why should I answer two of yours when you've not even answered one?"
"Téa." Mokuba gasped quietly as his eyes laced with startling confusion of who the girl before him was. Téa was much more thinner than when he had seen her last. She was wearing less clothes, having only her chest and privates covered with a spagetti crop top and really short shorts. Mokuba noticed Téa was in thin high heels and had her hair pulled back I an updo with silvery make up on her eyes to match her alfit and a tint of pink lip gloss to soften her lips. The girl before him looked nothing like the sweet inocent Téa he knew. "What happened to you?" Mokuba asked softly at the new Téa who remembered him just a little of his brother as he looked out at the lake with her arms crossed over her chest, a look of dispise resting on her face. She didn't answer. More, turning away from Mokuba and twisting up her face at the irritation of questions.
"Go home Mokuba."
Mokuba felt as if someone had shoved him back suddenly and he hadn't seen it coming. As he looked up at Téa, unless you heard her, you won't have thought she'd had said anything. "What?" Mokuba gasped.
"Go home Mokuba. Before you get into trouble." With that said, Téa began walking away.Téa said nastily as she began walking away just a few steps. BUt the first step was the hardest and and her feel the guiltiest. Stopping on her third step, she said "It's not safe for you out here. I don't want you getting hurt." Téa would have walked him home herself, but their was a war going on inside her head at that time which made her begin to walk away from him again.
"Wait, but Téa-" Mokuba called after her, still stunned as to what had happened to the nice respectable Téa Gardner who had been nothing but sweet and caring towards him since the first day he met her.
"Well, ain't you a sweet thing, tuts." Said a man Mokuba hadn't even noticed until he was walking pasted Téa. He eyed her with a animalistic tint of fun to his eyes, slapping her backside as she passed him. Téa had seemed to ignore his comments until that touch. Glaring at he, the man with an animalistic glance and golden blond hair walked pasted her towards Mokuba.
It took Mokuba a moment after the inncodent of Téa getting her backside hit, for him to realise that a threat was walking straight at him. As he backed up, his back collided with somebodies legs. Spinning and twistin on the spot, Mokuba looked up to see another man with dark brown hair combed back neaty and an irry face that could also be seen as beautiful.
The two men trapped Mokuba inbetween them and as Mokuba began to struggle, the bulkier animalistic man picked him up, carrying him underarm on his hip, treating Mokuba's hits as none existant. The man sneered something about simply getting out of the area and giving the kid to their boss already, when the animalistic man was hit in the head by a large stick that had fallen off a tree. Mokuba was dropped onto the floor and scurrided away from the two men, one now being unconsious.
Téa stood as tall as she could with the stick making her balance uneven as she glared at the beautiful faced man.
"You don't realise what your getting yourself into, sweetie." Said the beautiful faced man.
Téa just huffed as Mokuba came to stand behind her, almost clinging to one of her legs as she stood there with the large stick in two hands. It was heavy and Téa was starting to feel norious, but refused to show it as she eyed this stranger, refusing to back down and look weak. Snorting rather unlady like Téa said, "Sweetie, I don't think you know what your getting yourself into. You do realise that's Mokuba Kaiba you and that tiger man friend of yours tried to steal, right? And you do realise what a heartless basterd Seto Kaiba is, don't you? Well, I'm telling you right now, Kaiba would be out for blood if he was here to defend his younger brother. And I'm sure he'd make sure it came torturously. Now, I suggest you run along, before he does show up here and want blood."
"I think you've been reading too many Dracular books, hunny, what with you obsession with blood." Replied the stranger.
"It's not an obsession, just a fact that the Kaiba's are not one to be messed with lightly. You should run while you still can."
"How sweet of you." He said, his hand moving behind his back. "But I don't think you realise what you're getting yourself into-" Téa's eyes widened as the man pulled out what looked like a metal pole from behind his back and went to strick Téa with it.
"Mokuba, run!" Téá scretched as the man laughted at her with the pole, Téa's stick snapping in to in her hands as she held it up to defend herself with it.
"Sweetie." The man finished just as Mokuba moved back, out of the way as Téa fell backwards after having the stick snapped in her hands.
Landing on her backside, Téa was alert with adrenaline pumping throw her veins. The beautiful faced man went to strike her with his metal pole, but Téá managed to twist, get up an run away as he brought his pole up from out of the ground.
Mokuba had stopped to watch, but Téa now grabbed and pulled at his arm, not caring if she hurt him or not and crying out "Run!" to Mokuba as the pair began running away from the beautiful faced man with the metal pole.
They ran straight out of the park and into the back streets of building, still with the beautiful faced man chasing them. By this time though, Téa's body was giving up on her, her breathing becoming more and more heavier as she soon collapsed to her knees out of exsortian.
"Téa!" Mokuba cried out, turning back from the street he was running down to bend down in front of Téa and shake her shoulder. "Come on Téa, get up. He's after us."
"G-o." Téa gasped through breaths, her words sounding more like a whispered moan from a sleeping person
"Téa." Mokuba said, grasping hold of her arm and pulling her up. Téa moaned deeply in pain with the stitch riding up her chest. But she managed to stagger to her feet, just as the beautiful faced man with the metal pole turned the corner. "Téa, come on!" Scretched Mokuba, truely in fear.
As Mokuba pulled them to the end of the pathway that came out to a road, Téa had managed to look behind them and saw that they weren't going to make it. In this drastic moment, Téa's old kind self returned to her as she put all her energy into bouncing up, attempting to lift her arms to block the blow, but the metal pole came down and hit both her blocking arm and her head.
Mokuba screamed at the impact of Téa being hit as she fell down and onto him. His cries were not ignored and in that one moment Mokuba feared for both his and Téa's lives as he wrapped his arms around her neck and head, the other man who had jumped out of the limo about to pass the two fallen prey launched himself at the beautiful faced man attacking them and tackled him to the ground; managing to punch and take him out.
Seto Kaiba stood tall over the beautiful faced man with a metal pole now fallen from his hand and turned his attention towards Mokuba and Téa who was unconsious in his lap. Where Mokuba was in shock, Kaiba hide how stunned he was that Téa Gardner had taken a hit for his little brother and saved his life once again.
XXXXX
It was almost two days since Téa had been hit from the metal pole. When she did awaken, she not only had a head ache, but felt very very hurgry. Opening her eyes, the darkness in the room felt too bright. She had to close her eyes again, attempting to roll over and shield her eyes from the light by puting her head in her pillow.
"Hey." Téa heard the cheery voice say to her which only hurt her head more.
Growning, Téa turned her head and opened her eyes to see a sweet little Mokuba stood beside the bed she was in, smiling at her. That was when Téa started to question what was happening and where she was as she wasn't used to waking up with people around her. Téa just ended up staring at Mokuba, struggling to have answers come to mind.
"How's your head feeling?" Mokuba asked.
"Hurts." Was all Téa could groble out.
Mokuba frowned, obviously upset with her answer.
Téa, forgetting all about how cruel she was before towards Mokuba, tried her hardest to turn and sit up in the bed, but she was really struggling to do so.
"Don't move!" Mokuba said.
But Téa ignored him. "I'm fine Mokuba. Don't worry about me." She said, while screwing her face up and grasping the side of her head while gasping.
"I think that's a sign to worry. The doctor said that you'll be feeling down like this for a few days... He also said that you must have been ill before the attack to end up in such a bad state."
Realising what Mokuba was talking about brought it all back. Why she had starved herself and seemed so weak and why Mokuba had caught her smoking in the first place. Something snapped in Téa. Mokuba moved back, stunned by the glare Téa sent him from trying to stop her from getting out of bed. She throw the covers off her and slipped her legs out from under the bed.
In the distance, Téa and Mokuba could hear someone calling Mokuba's name. It was getting closer.
"I'm fine Mokuba." Téa said, hitting Mokuba's hand away when he tried to steady her. But that one move sent her head spinning and Téa fell off the edge of the bed.
"Téa." Mokuba gasped as Téá felt little hands touching her shoulder. She was fading in and out of consiousness, when she heard Mokuba gasp and her body being lifted. The movement made her feel as if she was on a roller coster ride, but it soon ended as she was placed to lie back down in the bed. Over her, she heard mubbling of "Stupid girl."
Opening her eyes, Téa saw a blurry vision of Seto Kaiba movig away from her after having put her in bed to sleep. Téa couldn't think much or say anything as she faded away, all she could do was think of Kaiba.
XXXXX
The next time Téa woke up was to find a white haired man looking her over. If it wasn't for the stethoscope around his neck, Téa would have freaked. The doctor stood up straighter, not seeming to notice she'd woken up and began talking to the other person in the room.
"She'll be alright. From what's been discribed she isn't concussed, but simply weak from not eating. All she needs is bedrest and food. I suggest keeping her restricted to the bedroom for about two or three days and feeding her light but filling foods like chicken soup. Other than that you should start to see the improvement quite soon."
Téa heard some kind of snort from the other person in the room. He didn't seem happy. "Are you saying I have to keep her here for three more days?" Téa reconized the voice as Seto Kaiba's. His figure came into view.
"Well, it would be best not to move her. However, her parents maybe worried about her. Have you called them?" Asked the doctor.
"No. Me and Miss Gardner here aren't what you call, on friendly terms." Replied Kaiba.
"I see. I don't recommend that she be left alone however. From her examination, I don't think she skipped meals by accident."
"Are you telling me that she's starving herself?" Téa blinked when the doctor nodded his head at Kabia's question. "What a stupid thing to do. Then again, seems like a fitting stunt for a perfetic girl."
Hearing this set something off in Téa. A need to defend herself and prove that she didn't need Seto Kaiba's hospitality. She didn't even understand why he was helping her out in the first place. Using her elbows to sit up with, both Kaiba and the doctor looked towards her.
"Téa." Said Mokuba, whom Téa only just noticed was in the room stood near the head of her bed.
"Actually, I wasn't doing it on purpose, not that it's any of your business. And I don't need you babysitting me Kaiba." Téa stated, kicking her legs out of the bed once again, moving faster this time as it didn't make her feel as dizzy, until she stopped moving.
Mokuba was stood in her way, blocking her from going anywhere. Still in a mood with Kaiba, Téa stood up knocking Mokuba back a little as she did. "Move out of my way Mokuba." Was all Téa said before heading towards the door.
But a hand on her arm which felt like an iron grip stopped her. "Where are your manners Gardner?" Said Kaiba.
Téa glared at him and at his hand. "Must have commited suicide along with yours. Now let me go!" Téa said struggling to get her arm out of Kaiba's grip. It only tighted.
"Apologe!" Kaiba depanded.
"For what?" Téa hissed back at him.
"For being so ungrateful towards my younger brother, who's only had concern for your health since you got here."
"I never asked for his help." Téa said still struggling to get out of his grasp. "And anyway, if it wasn't for me you'd have lost your brother. In fact if it wasn't for your brother, I never would have been hit in the head!" Téa snapped, hating the helpless feeling of being trapped.
"And if you didn't starve yourself then you would not of been hit! Face it Gardner, it's your own-"
"How's it my fault that you can't even protect your little brother from thugs."
Kaiba must have snapped as he let go of her arm. The sudden release made Téa lose the balance she had and she fell forwards on her face.
"Téa." Mokuba gasped, sounding worried.
"Don't bother. If she refuses our help, then leave her." Kaiba said, heading towards the door.
Mokuba was faster, jumped in front of Kaiba and streached out his arms to block his exit. "We can't just leave her!"
"Watch me." Spat out Kaiba.
"No!" Mokuba snapped, making Kaiba step back. "This is the second time Téa's risked her life to save mine. Obviously there's something wrong with her before any of this even happened because she's so thin. Seto we need to help her. She's obviously not in her right mind and we owe her for saving me again!"
Téa, listening to all Mokuba had to say felt irritated being talked about as if she wasn't there. Swaying to her feet, Téa answered Mokuba before Kaiba could, ignoring all the black dots in her sight. "I don't need or want your-"
The pressure of standing up right on her feet was too much for Téa. She had pushed and tried to move so much with energy she didn't have and it had finally gotten to her and worn her out. Falling forwards, Téa was sure she was going to hit the floor then the lights would be turned out forever.
Instead she fell into a chest and arms wrapped around her waist. "Fine. Go have Martha prepare some chicken soup." Said Seto Kaiba.
"You mean we're helping her." Was Mokuba's reply.
"Looks like it." Kaiba said as Téa felt Kaiba move against her until he had her temperaily in a bridal style hold. Téa was coming in and out of consiousness. Only able to hear and blink. Kaiba put her back in the bed and moved the covers over her. "Examine her." Was the last orders Téa heard Kaiba say towards the doctor in the room before blacking out.
XXXXX
Waking up again, there was a strong smell of chicken soup. Opening her eyes and turning her head, Téa saw Mokuba was sat besides her bed and the chicken soup was on the bedside table. Mokuba smiled at her when he noticed she was awake.
"Hey." He said gently.
"Hi." Téa said. The response was automatic and the nicer side to Téa. It took her a few seconds to remember why she was in the Kaiba mansion. But it was so hard to focus on details when that food smelled so good.
Suddenly her stomach rumbled. And Téa realised it had been the smell of the soup which had disterbed her stomach and woken her up. Placing a hand on her stomach, Téá willed it to stop.
"You hungry." Said MOkuba, moving to take hold of the tray on to of the draw. "Here. Sit up and eat this. It's great."
Téa was trying to remember why she couldn't eat the soup, but with the food being shoved under her ose it was hard to remember why.
"I...can't." Téa said, listening to her head and turning away.
"But why?" Mokuba asked.
Téa closed her eyes. She was on a diet for her dancing school and she couldn't eat any of that. Then she remembered why she was in a rush to get out of the Kaiba mansion in the first place. "What time is it?" Téa shot the question back at Mokuba who seemed upset about something.
"Nine o'clock."
"Shit." Téa cursed under her breath as she rubbed her hands over her face. Mokuba was shocked that that sort of language had come from Téa's mouth. She had missed her dance class.
"Errr, if this is about missing your class, then Seto spoke to your instructor earlier and apologied for your absonce on your behalf." Mokuba said.
Téa's eyes opened wide and turned to look at Mokuba. Kaiba had spoken her her dance tutor? "What?"
"Yeah. Everythings fin-"
"What did he say? How did he know who to contact? What did Trevor say?" Téa questioned.
"Wow, wow, easy." Mokuba said, putting the trazy down on his lap and putting his hands up in surrender. "Your phone started ringing and I answered it, thinking it might have been someone worried about you or something. When your dance tutor asked who I was and where you were I didn't know how to answer so I gave the phone to Seto. He's good with these things. He was able to calm your dancing tutor down and get him to give you the weekend off-"
"What?! Did he tell him I colapsed?" Téa snapped at Mokuba, wincing at the pain that struck her body as she tried to sit up. She had to lie back down and Mokuba guided her to lie down.
"Relax. Seto explained that you had and were assissting us with something and that you needed a break to work with us."
"He didn't say I was ill?" Téa asked, not quite understanding what was going on. Mokuba pushed her back down into the bed again.
"No, I didn't." Said a voice from the door way. Kaiba stood with his arms folded looking irritated.
"What did you say?" Téa asked, worried that he might have just ruined things for her at her dancing school.
"I told your dancing instructor that you were attacked saving my younger brother and that we had future business issuses to discuss. Of course your instructor was so suprized to be talking to the C.E.O of . that he accepted and agreed to whatever demands I gave. I also asked about your diet and routines. He told me that you were doing well in your routines, though could improve. He said that your weight lets you down and that you did begin a diet last week which seems to have been working for you as your no longer over weight to dance your part." Kaiba seemed to say the bits towards the end with some kind of disguest evident in his voice. "Admit it Gardner, you've starved yourself for a week just for a stupid dance."
Téa felt whatever rage she could muster build up. "That's none of your business. You should have never even talked to Trevor."
"But I did. And I have to say that this must be the most stupidest decition you've ever made Gardner. Not eating and making yourself ill just to impress some amiture dance instructor. How perfetic!" Kaiba left before Téa could make a comeback. Growling under her breath, Téa lay her head down and looked up to the celling, wondering what she was going to do now that she wasn't attenting her weekend dance classes.
"Here." MOkuba said, placing the tray of food on Téa's lap."I don't like or agree with how Seto just talked to you. But I do agree that it is stupid to strave yourself for others Téa. It's not right that your making yourself ill." Téa closed her eyes, trying her best to calm herself before she ended up strangling Mokuba. "That's why I went and talked to Martha. She's our head cheif downstairs and she knows a lot about dieting. She's made you a diet plan that's every effective. The chicken in this soup is quorn meet and she says that it's just right for strenghing health, but keeping you skinny. So please," Mokuba asked, raising the spoon to give it to Téa. Téa opened her eyes and looked at Mokuba, touched at how sweet he was. "Can you eat this soup. If not for yourself then for me."
After stopping and thinking for a moment, Téa decided that not eating really wasn't helping her out. So she would take a chance and take the diet. She also knew the Kaibia brothers were rich and liked to use that, so she guessed that this chief Martha was a real good cook. Her shakey hand took the spoon from Mokuba's and she began eating the soup. The large smile grew fast on Mokuba's face as he watched Téa blow the steal off her first spoon full and then hmm in bliss as she placed it in her mouth.
"What did I say? Martha is a great cook." Mokuba chipped in.
Téa looked at Mokuba. She saw a boy who was young and innocent, yet had still been throw a lot. But he still smiled as if he was young and innocent. Téa half thought that that young naive smile wouldn't last much longer in this world, but at the same time, it felt as if she could take down her defences and just be herself. Letting Mokuba's smile impact on her, Téa smiled back at him and continued eating the soup.