Chapter 1

Family Bonds

Light swirled through the room evading the dark of night outside. Click, click, click, his fingers typed quickly on the laptop. His hard stare focused on the charts and data on the screen. Time had long passed since he entered these walls as the newly adopted son of Gozoboro Kaiba. In that time he not only gained a stepsister but a company to run. He continued to work a few more moments more before he heard a knock at the door.

"What?" He asked not looking away from the laptop. He heard the door to his office open and then close a second later. A few footsteps emerged from the floor before a cup of tea and a bowl of blueberries were placed on his polished, wooden desk. He barely glanced at the items and to the person who entered the room before returning to his work. Neither muttered a word as the young woman known as Terumi Kaiba turned from the man and sat on the couch not far from his desk.

"You're not heading to bed?" Seto asked while his fingers continued to type. The young woman moved a few throw pillows next to her, making herself comfortable. She nuzzled into the spacious furniture before she retrieved her own cup of tea from the coffee table in front of her.

"Not yet." the chestnut haired woman replied before taking a sip of the warm chamomile tea. Carefully she set the cup back on the table, opened her own laptop and began to work. "I'm presenting the storyboard for the new KaibaCorp commercial tomorrow. I need to finish a few details. Mokuba's in bed and snoring away though" Her maple colored eyes glanced up to her brother. He gave her a slight nod, letting her know he'd heard her.

"Fine. Just dont fall asleep on the couch again." He replied without looking away from the screen in front of him. A soft chuckle left her lips.

"Don't worry about that." She replied. "I had six cups of coffee today. I'm wide awake and ready to work. Her smile grew as she winked at her brother. Seto, however, looked up from his desk. She looked well, she was wearing her KC pajama bottoms and tank top, like she always did when she was home. She definitely looked wide awake but the smile her lips wore, he knew to be false.

"Are you doing that thing you do when you dont want to sleep?" He questioned, knowing it would only take a moment or two to get her to tell him the truth. Yes they did often work in his office together. Just a few hours prior, all three Kaiba siblings had been tapping away on their laptops, due to work or homework in Mokuba's case. However, it was unusual for Terumi to be here this late at night. Usually she liked to watch late night dramas while playing on social media in her room. Something had to be wrong and he had a good idea what it was.

"What thing?" She asked as she tilted her head up to meet his gaze. "I don't know what you're talking about." Seto sent her an unimpressed look. She knew exactly what he was talking about and he knew her well enough to know when sleep caused her distress.

"Are you having those nightmares again?" He point blank asked, his gaze not leaving hers. The smile that rested on her lips fell and she quickly averted her eyes away from his. Damn she hated how easily he saw through her facade. Why could he read her so easily when she could barely read him? Is this the price of having a genius brother? "Terumi!"

"I'm fine, Seto. I just need to finish up this project for tomorrow." She replied still avoiding his gaze, there had to be away to avoid this. She began to type on the computer once more but was quickly interrupted.

"You know I'm going to pry the truth from you sooner rather than later. Why not just tell me now and save us both the time and effort?" Seto pressed further. Terumi sighed before her brown eyes met his blue ones.

"There's really nothing to tell." She replied after momentary thought, it was just best to tell him what he wanted to know. "Yes, I did have a nightmare last night and it caught me off guard. I'm no longer the little girl who used to sneak into your bedroom at night. Those images can no longer harm me. I promise I'm fine." Damn she hated how weak her nightmares made her seem. She was too old to lean on her brother when it came to phantoms of the past. Gozaboro couldn't hurt any of them now. There was no reason to still fear him. Meanwhile Seto's eyes blazed into hers as he tried to determine if she was telling the truth.

"If you say so." Seto replied before turning his attention back to his latest dueling design. She said she was fine and he would trust her until she told him otherwise or gave him a reason to step in. In the meantime, his company was his priority.

A smile formed on Terumi's lips before she looked back at the computer in her lap, glad the man before her accepted her words. Quickly she opened her own document and began typing away. This was nice, she determined. She found moments like this were to be treasured. There weren't any monsters in the sky to disturb them or cause the company trouble. No virtual long-lost brother hacking into their systems, interrupting their lives nor any creepy, one-eyed men there to steal their souls. A content sigh left her lips as she enjoyed the feeling of peace, a rare occurrence for the members of the Kaiba family. Yes, moments like this were to be savored and treasured.

Memories flittered into her mind like butterflies as she continued to work on her current project for her brother's corporation. Mokuba had accepted her so willingingly into his family, Seto was another story. Still, even before Seto had accepted her, she found herself looking up to him and wanting to be more like him.

~8 Years Earlier~

Laughter could be heard through the halls of Kaiba Mansion. Only a few days passed since Mokuba and Seto had moved into their adoptive father's house. Gozaboro set his sights on Seto leaving Mokuba and Terumi alone to play and bond. The young girl found she quite liked the the younger black haired boy. He had a rare and genuine kindness about him that she hadn't known before. A friendship between the two was easy to begin.

Seto on the other hand intimidated Terumi. He never intentionally bullied her but he clearly didnt trust her either. He liked that Mokuba had a playmate while he studied. She liked how protective he was of the younger boy. When the three of them were able to play together they actually got along quite nicely.

Terumi couldn't remember the last time she had smiled before her new brothers appeared. Now, as she and Mokuba chased each other down the halls of their home, smiling became more natural. When laughter had once seemed long forgotten, almost like it died with Noah or with Mokuba and Setos' parents, it now filled the air and lungs of the younger two Kaiba siblings.

"Almost got ya." Mokuba's voice happily chirped.

"Not yet." Terumi giggled back as she continued to run full speed only a foot or two ahead of him. Mokuba reached out determined it was her turn to be 'it' in their game. However, once his tiny fingers wrapped around her shirt, he managed to topple over her sending them both into the stand of a expensive vase, Gozaboro had on display. A loud crash was heard as the vase sprung forward to the ground. The two kids groaned slightly before sitting up and looking towards one another.

"Are you ok, Terumi?" Mokuba asked as he rubbed the back of head.

"Yeah," the girl responded, glancing towards her brother, "What about you, Mokie?"

"I..I'm fine." The small boy said just before their eyes met the sight of the shattered vase on the ground. They both groaned,knowing the trouble they were sure to be in. It was then they heard Gozaboro shouting in the nearby distance.

"Go Mokie!" Terumi urged the smaller boy to go away. No one knew her father's temper like she did. She was used to this but the boy...she didnt want her new friend to get hurt.

"Are you sure?" Mokuba questioned, hesitant to leave her alone. She nodded and again urged him to go. He had only taken a few steps when the small girl felt her arm being grabbed. Her small body was swung back and thrown to the ground. Her father threatening her, as tears threatened to leave her eyes. She saw the man's hand raise to strike her and she cowered in fear.

"Stop!" She heard a familiar voice growl as she cowered on the floor. Her eyes opened to see Seto standing in front of her, blocking the blow. "I'm not going to let you hurt her."

~Present Day~

Lost in her thoughts, Terumi stared off to the side at nothing in particular. Everything changed in that moment, for her at least. She had been older than Noah. She had known what it was like to have a little brother. That was the day she first saw Seto as not only as Mokuba's protector but as her own. In that moment, her life changed forever and for the better.

"What are you doing?" a familiar voice asked snapping Terumi out of her thoughts. Her eyes lifted from the screen towards the voice. Brown eyes met blue as she realized Seto had stopped working for the moment and was watching her with serious yet kind eyes. They stared at each other for a minute before the girl tilted her head slightly. He had asked her something but her mind went completely blank. Damnit, why wasn't she paying attention? What did he want?

"Are you going to answer my question?" Seto asked, his brow lifted slightly. 'She was daydreaming again, wasn't she?' he thought as he caught on to his sister's blank expression.

"Sorry I didn't hear it. Could you repeat it?" She asked timidly, knowing how much her brother hated repeating himself.

"Typical." Seto shot her a disapproving look. She felt herself shrinking back into the couch.

"Sorry." She replied, trying to figure out what to memory was still fresh in her mind and a fond expression found its way on her face.

"What's with the sentimental look plastered all over your face?" He questioned, eyeing her suspiciously. "Daydreaming about the past again?"

""A little bit." Terumi nodded before she bit her lip. He didnt like reminecing, still she wanted she continued to speak, "I was remembering..."

"As I've told you and our brother several times before, the past is over." Seto interrupted, unamused by her answer. "We've no reason to waste time on it."

"I know but still I can't help but be grateful for it." She replied, earning a bored and annoyed look from her stepbrother. What nonsense was she spouting off now? "Although parts of the past just flat out sucked and were painful. I'm still kind of grateful for it."

"You're grateful Gozaboro used to beat you?" Seto huffed growing tired of his sister's weak minded attitude. Terumi's eyes closed and she shook a bit remembering her father's horrid beatings.

"No." She answered. "Not at all but you protected me. I am glad the past gave me you and Mokuba for brothers..."

"Where do you get this sentimental garbage from?" Seto rolled his eyes, unamused nor touched by his sister's thoughts. She was a Kaiba, she knew better than to bring up anything like that.

"Hey!" Terumi remarked, ready to defend herself. Just because he didnt have a sentimental bone in his body didnt mean she was in the wrong nor weak. One day she would be sure to show him that.

"How can a sister of mine be such an idiot sometimes?" He scoffed and rolled his eyes. How she came up with this sentimental garbage was beyond him. Meanwhile, Terumi shot him a glare and childishly threw one of the throw pillows next to her towards him. However, her aim was off and her throw was weak causing the pillow to land a mere few feet away from her. Again, he shot her an unamused glance.

"I may not be as smart as you but at least cute." She stuck her tongue out at him before a playful smile formed on her lips and her right eye closed in a wink, earning her a scoff from the man.

Seto shook his head as his lips formed a smirk though he suppressed a hint of laughter. Cute? Oh how she managed to annoy and amuse him at the same time. If it had been anyone else he'd easily label them idiotic, but with her it was different. Her intelligence level was no where near his, that much was obvious. This is the same girl who once created a deck of duel monster cards, simply because she found those particular cards 'cute' after all. She had no sense of strategy when it came to games and was no where near a decent duelist.

However, she was also the same girl who relied on him and trusted him all these years. He found her hard working and loyal as hell. With little guidance, Terumi oversaw the company's Public Relations and media departments. Allowing Seto to concentrate on matters of importance and interest. Despite his original suspicion of her, she had never been a threat to him.

For a brief moment, his own mind flooded with memories of their childhood. It was strange, when they first met, Seto had no intention of treating Terumi like a real member of his family. He had even told her that after he had seen her being beaten by the former CEO of KaibaCorp. Yet, somehow the pathetic creature she once was snuck its way into his heart. She was powerless against Gozaboro and Seto had little tolerance for bullies and abuse. In the end he could never just stand aside and allow someone weaker than him suffer. Not when he had the power to stop it.

~8 Years Earlier~

Lightening flashed ruthlessly through the night sky. Lights flickered on and off in the bedroom of younger Seto Kaiba. He could hear the rumbles of thunder but paid them no attention.

"Seto?" he hear a small timid voice call while he studied at his desk. Quickly the boy turned to see Mokuba and Terumi huddled and clinging to one another at the door.

"Mokuba? Terumi? What's wrong?" he questioned the two before another loud clasp of thunder boomed through the air. The smaller siblings shrieked and jumped at the sound. Mokuba let go of Terumi and quickly ran to the older boy for protection. Seto stood from the desk and quickly wrapped his arms around the younger boy in comfort.

Following the younger brother's actions Terumi also ran up to Seto with her arms raised towards him. However she stopped as she reached the taller boy. Her eyes widened as if she had just done something wrong. Her arms and eyes lowered to the ground. The older of the two boys watched her a moment. The melancholy look in her eyes...it reminded him of Mokuba's back at the orphanage. His head tilted slightly, she was an innocent trapped in this place as much as he was.

"Come on Terumi." Seto called to her much to her surprise. His arm reached out to beckon her to him. "Your big brother is here to protect you too." The young girl stared at him, confusion filled her eyes and she half wondered if she had heard him wrong. Seto motioned for her to join the brothers a second time. It still phased her a bit as she hesitantly made her way towards Mokuba and Seto.

Terumi felt herself engulfed in arms of the two boys who had entered her home. Hugging was still a strange sensation to the girl. For the first time in a long time, she felt warm and safe. She squeezed her arms around the boys tighter, wanting to enjoy this feeling a little while longer. A gentle smile formed on her lips as she leaned into the three way hug.

"We're a family now." Seto told the younger two as he released them from the hug. "We're going to look after each other from now on. All of us." He glanced to Mokuba who grinned widely at him. His attention then turned to the girl, his lips upturned in a welcoming smile. Her eyes widened again, this time in glee. She beamed at him before she nodded. The three of them were a team now and no matter what Seto, was determined to free them all of Gozaboro's wrath.

~Present Day~

Seto remained at his desk, now watching the brown-haired girl quietly. Much had changed from when they were kids. That once frightened and lonely little girl that had needed his protection was now full of life and sass. Though she acted serious and attempted to copy Seto's demeanor at work, an act he found somewhat amusing, the moment she got home and put on her KaibaCorp pajama pants and tank top her carefree personality emerged. Those once lifeless chocolate-colored eyes now smiled brightly at him. A look, he noticed, she reserved only for him and Mokuba. A smug smile formed on his lips, though his eyes gazed at her with fondness. He had given her that smile. He was the reason she could now be carefree. That was a fact, he found himself quite proud of.

Ugh, he hated it when he got into these few moments of nostalgia weaseled their way into his mind. It was then he realized a set of brown eyes were focused on him.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Terumi's question caught his attention. Her smile had faded and was replaced by her brows furrowing in concern. Seto was often off in his own world as he worked hard to better the family's company. This seemed different, though she couldn't put her finger on why. It wasn't like him to stare directly at her.

"Nothing that concerns you." He replied, quickly averting his eyes back to his computer. "Finish your project and then go to bed." He hated it when she caught him off guard like that. Of course, if he remained cool and composed, she would never have to know she did. His back straightened slightly as he looked back to the different data on his computer. Again he started typing away, knowing if he resumed his work she would leave him alone.

"Why are you suddenly ignoring me?" Terumi shot her brother a suspicous look. Now what scheme was going through that head of his? Seto's poker face remained strong not revealing anything to her. The girl waited a moment for a reply but was greeted with the sound of Seto's fingers typing away. Her head tilted to the side. Gah, he was so confusing sometimes. Why was he acting so weird?

'Meh, oh well.' Terumi shrugged her shoulders before turning her attention back to her laptop. They continued to work in a familiar and comfortable silence. Only a half hour passed by the time Terumi finished her PowerPoint for her presentation the next day. A confident smirk tilted her lips up as she saved the file and closed the app. Her eyes darted to the time then up to Seto. He was still working vigorously without any sign of being finished soon. She sighed slightly. It was getting late but she didn't want to go back to her room quite yet. Bored, she opened her email and web browser. She started scroll when she came across a story title that made her smile proudly.

"It looks like you've been named the most eligible bachelor, once again". Terumi stated as she read through the article about her brother. It was a title he cared little for still it was good publicity for him and KC.

"Of course. What else could be expected of me?" Seto smirked from his desk. Terumi let out a soft chuckle as she continued through the article. Her smile quickly dropped and she let out a disgusted sound when she saw who was next on the list.

"What?" Seto questioned barely glancing at her. If she had time to read these pointless articles, it was time for her to go to bed.

"Just noticed number two." She replied as the picture of a familiar face appeared on the screen. Her stomach turned in uncomfortable knots as memories from a not so distant past re-emerged.

"Oh?" Seto replied, obviously uninterested in whoever came after him. What did that matter? Still Terumi continued.

"Its Pegasus." She informed him, the look on her face made it seem as though she was ill. "I cant believe there are people out there that actually find him attractive. The idea of it makes me sick. He'll probably be at that party we have to attend tomorrow night too." Her stomach turned as she thought about the man who nearly tore her family apart.

"Don't worry about it too much. As long as I'm number one who cares who number two is?" Seto replied his arrogant smirk grew. Terumi returned his smirk and nodded. Who cared, indeed. After everything Pegasus had done to her family, Seto certainly deserved to come out on top in every way possible. As the PR person, it was her job to make sure he did in the public's eye. Seto continued, "As for the party tomorrow night, I wont let him near you or Mokuba. You've nothing to worry about."

Terumi nodded before going back to her email. She deleted several unimportant emails before she came across one that caught her eye. A gala was to be held at the opera, her eyes instantly lit up. Quickly she turned her attention to the opera that would be playing.

The Magic Flute. Terumi internally squealed. It was one of her favorite operas. Without a second thought she quickly added three tickets and went to pay. She opened her mouth to share her excitement with Seto but quickly closed it again. He wasn't interested. She didnt even have to ask him to know that. Still, she could possibly rope Mokuba into going with her. She lowered the amount of tickets to two and paid for them quickly. Again she looked at the clock and decided, despite wanting to wait up for Seto it was best to head back to her room. With her purchase confirmed she turned off the laptop.

Seto's eyes remained on the computer in front of him as he heard Terumi stretch and stand from the couch. He glanced at the clock, determining he, himself had best head to bed soon. He could hear her footsteps draw closer to him until he felt her warm and familiar arms wrap around his neck and shoulders. He stiffened slightly before he melted back into her partially bare skin.

"Are you almost finished?" She asked him, her eyes looking over his current project. Seto paused as he felt some weird twinges and palpitations emerge in his chest. He wasn't much of a touchy-feely person himself, still his hand instinctively left the keyboard and gently grabbed onto her arm. Through the years he found he didn't mind her touch. She seemed to find comfort and warmth in his arms and, though he would never admit it, he found the same in hers. No one else saw this side of either of them, they didn't need to. As far as he was concerned she was his, she was a Kaiba after alll. As a Kaiba, she belonged to him. He could see her reflection in the computer screen and noticed her eyes had closed as she leaned further into him.

"I'm almost at a good stopping point. Go ahead and go to bed." He replied before he resumed typing. He wouldnt even think of indulging in this strange sensation. "You'll need your sleep for tomorrow's presentation."

"Are you sure? I don't mind staying up with you a little while longer." She questioned, trying to find a reason to stay awake a little while longer. This was also typical behavior after she had one of her nightmares, though she tried not to let it show. She was an adult now after all. Terumi wouldn't rely on Seto for everything any more. Seto merely waved his hand for her to go, before wishing her a good night. She gave her brother another squeeze before she told him goodnight and left the room.

Seto continued to work once Terumi left the room. He could still feel the warmth of her arms around him. The scent of her shampoo remained in the air giving it a calming effect. God, he hated this strange feeling being alone with her was beginning to give him. She was his simple and plain stepsister. They had hugged and been alone several times in the past without this kind of reaction. What was causing his body to react to her this way now? Why did the tempo of his heart increase? This just didnt make sense to him. Regardless, he was determined to ignore these unwanted feelings. He shook his head freeing himself of any unsavory thoughts and allowed his latest project to consume his mind. He was sure whatever was going on would eventually go away as long as he didn't acknowledge it.

...

~Authors Note~

Hi everyone! Wow its been a long time since I updated this story! Thanks to everyone who has followed and favorited my story thus far! Also thank you for being patient while waiting for me to get my inspiration back for this story. A special thank you to those who reviewed the last chapter. I left individual responses for each of you at the bottom of this note! ^_^

I will try to do better at updating in a more timely manner, every other Monday is what I'm hoping if real life agrees. Thanks again for checking out my story! If you have a minute and feel so inclined feel free to leave a review. As always constructive criticism is welcomed. Thanks again! ~Lin

Asterphoenix247: Thank you so much fo you review! I'm so glad you've enjoyed my story. Thank you for the compliments. I hope you enjoyed this latest installment. Thanks again!

Vally: Thank you for the review! I agree, I've been intrigued with the idea of the Kaiba brother's having a stepsister. I hope you've enjoyed this latest chapter. Thanks again!

CemeBlack: Thank you so much! I hope you've enjoyed this chapter as well! Thanks agai!

My Nyas: Thank you for the compliment! I appreciate it. I hope you liked this chapter as well! Thanks again!

ShatteredSoul37: Thanks so much! I hope you enjoyed my update! Thanks again!

Of fan of fic: Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed the first part of my story. I hope you liked my update! Thanks again!