Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh or The Bachelor

"Talk"

'Thoughts'

Dreams/Flashback

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He could not believe he was doing this. Even as he descended down the stairs to the awaiting throng of his fangirls, he was still having a hard time believing that he was doing this. He was actually doing this.

Mokuba would pay dearly.

He should have known it would come to bite him in the ass later. He should have taken better measures to dispose of it. But he hadn't considered it a great threat. No, not at all. It was insignificant. It was pathetic. It was useless.

But Mokuba had found out. He had discovered it purely by accident and now here he was, forced into this 'experiment' as Mokuba called it. His own brother had blackmailed him to agree to a series of humiliating episodes, all being captured to be broadcasted to the world later.

Mokuba would pay. He would make sure of it.

The always-present scowl on his face deepened as he neared the circle of his fangirls, the potential love interests selected by Mokuba.

'As if I trust him after this stunt.' He sneered. His brother was a friend to no one. He probably selected the craziest group of girls he could find in order to boost ratings. After all, people loved to watch idiots make a bigger fool of themselves. Unfortunately for him, he was stuck in the middle of this group of buffoons, forced to interact with them.

A shudder went through his body at that thought. God, he had to deal with these girls. He had to talk to them, to listen to them, to spend time with them, and to get to know them. He had gathered information on the American version of this show before entering the mansion. He was appalled at the behaviour of the participants. He hoped the girls here didn't expect him to have pool side conversations and shove his tongue down as many throats as he could. He would rather hang himself with his tie. Better yet, if he survived this ordeal, he would hang Mokuba with a tie. He frowned as he gave it more thought. No, he would come up with a more creative and painful punishment for his dear brother. Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on how you looked at it, he had plenty of time to think of creative murder attempts.

He was almost at the bottom of the grand staircase. He had walked extra slowly, delaying the inevitable for as long as he could. Plus, it made him look calm, relaxed, and in control. He casually glanced at the group of gathered girls. He would soon have them under his control, eating out of his hands, not that they won't like it. As he surveyed the crowd, he counted nine squealing and giggling heads. Mokuba had told him there would be ten contestants. Was someone late, or had she cancelled at the last minute and a replacement couldn't be arranged? He shrugged his shoulders. Who cared? This meant he had one less fan to deal with.

He continued to study them and noticed that they were all the same. An attractive face on an attractive body. He hoped Mokuba hadn't selected them solely on their looks.

He finally reached the living room and approached them. They began shifting excitedly and he wondered how long before one of them tackled him in excitement. They seemed to be pushing to be in the middle and close to him. Some were more aggressive than others. He made a note of them. A few were standing shyly, shifting nervously. Those would be an easy target. Suddenly, his eyes caught a glimpse of something moving on the floor behind the girls, away from them. He craned his neck up to have a better look and was surprised to see a girl crawling on the floor towards the couches. Before he could be further confused and call her out, she turned to move behind the couch and he saw her face.

No way.

"Gardner?" It came out as a question because there was no way in hell she was here. There was no way in hell she would be here or could be here. She was in USA, living her dream of dancing from what he had heard from Mokuba. And she barely tolerated him. She was not here. That was not her.

At his call, the girl stopped. He saw her stiffen visibly and then stand up, her back to him. After a dramatic pause during which the other girls also turned to stare at the mystery girl, she turned. He was shocked. It was her. She was actually here.

"Hello Kaiba." She said as casually as she could, as if this was a completely normal meeting, as if she didn't stand as one of his fangirls, as his suitor. A lesser man would have his jaw on the floor. But Seto Kaiba was not a lesser man. He was a man of utmost control. So even as his mind exploded from confusion and shock, his face remained calm.

"Hello indeed." He replied with a smirk. He saw her expression turn to annoyance. Just like old times. He wondered if she still got as riled up as she did in the past, and as quickly too.

"Isn't this a pleasant surprise. Didn't know you were a fan." He said in a mocking tone and moved around the girls to stand in front of Tea.

"I'm not, so don't get any ideas." She replied with a glare.

"I beg to disagree." He said in a charming tone. "Your presence here, among the throng of my fans, fighting for my affections and attention, all for a chance to be recognized and loved by me says you are more than just a fan."

"Please." She snorted derisively. "I have had more than enough of your attention to last me ten lifetimes and I don't particularly care for it. As for your affections and love," she laughed openly. "I'd rather make out with a monkey."

"I'm sure Taylor would be ecstatic to hear this." He smoothly replied. Her eyes blazed in anger.

"You're so full of yourself."

"I'm in a house surrounded by females who want me, including you." He pointed out slyly. "Why wouldn't I be full of myself?"

"I don't want you, nor have I ever." She growled. "I know you, remember? I know exactly the kind of asshole you are." The smirk disappeared off his face at her insult.

"Yet here you are. For all the useless noise coming out of your mouth, you have yet to explain your presence here." He challenged.

"I'm here to pay for some sin I committed." She said dryly. "Rather, I think I'm here to pay for all the sins I have committed because surely this is hell."

"Always so dramatic." He said. "And shamelessly avoiding the question."

'Dammit.' She swore inwardly. He was persistent. What should she tell him? This was why she wanted to avoid him tonight. She needed to know how to deal with his attitude.

"I'm waiting." He said, tapping his foot pointedly. Ooh he was so frustrating. Damn Mokuba for placing her in this situation. Damn him.

"I'm here because your weasel of a brother tricked me." She said through clenched teeth. She watched his eyes widen ever so slightly in surprise but in a nanosecond, they were back to normal. If she hadn't known him for years, she would have missed it. But after having dealt with colourful psychos in the past, Kaiba included, she had learnt to pay close attention to them to decipher their emotions.

"Tricked by an eighteen year old. Tch Tch." He said, shaking his head in pity at her. "How sad. I would have thought that the passing of years would have brought your IQ to at least the same level as a dolphin but it was too much to hope for."

"And I would have thought that the passing of years would have loosened the stick lodged up your ass to turn you into less of an eye sore but it was too much to hope for." She saw his eyes narrow, orbs turning to ice and she knew a scathing retort was coming her way but she wouldn't let him. It was her turn to attack.

"Tell me Kaiba, why are you here?" She asked with a predatory smirk. His jaw clenched at her question and her smirk widened.

"Don't tell me the great Seto Kaiba also got tricked by an eighteen year old?" She teased.

"Don't put me in the same league as yourself." He scoffed. "I'm here to help Mokuba, my younger brother, whom I love." She actually laughed out loud at his proclamation.

"I can feel the love oozing out of your words. Like I said before, I know you." She said with glinting eyes. "And I know that unless you were tied like a trussed turkey and thrown here, you won't be here." He narrowed his eyes in anger at her but she continued on. "It makes me wonder, what did Mokuba have on you to force you to be here? It must be big and juicy."

"Delude yourself all you want." He said in a neutral tone, hoping to get his indifference across. "I have stated my reasons to be here. I want to support and help my brother, and if it requires me being in slightly unwanted situations, then I'll gladly do it because I love my brother."

"Trying to convince me or yourself?" She asked. "You are really trying to hammer this point home but you have never cared about anyone's opinion before, no matter how true or wrong it was. The fact that you are now trying very hard to convince me otherwise makes me believe I'm at least close to the truth." He didn't want to admit it but she had deduced correctly. Perhaps she had gotten smarter with age.

"Of course." He responded with a roll of his eyes. "I'm obviously wasting effort trying to fool the genius who was tricked by a teenager to come to an undisclosed location for weeks. No wonder you need to get rescued so often. You are so gullible." He pinned her with a gaze. "Or perhaps my first guess was true. You are a fan."

"I trusted your brother but obviously that was a mistake I won't be making again." She grumbled. "And if I had any knowledge of your involvement, I would have refused. Even Pegasus is a better option than you."

"What?" He nearly yelled in shock. "That thing... You would date him?"

"At least he is a man of good taste. He would wine and dine me, and I would probably get a present or two out of him too." A look of absolute disgust appeared on his face and she relished in joy.

"I think I'm paying for all my sins because this is my hell." He muttered.

"Umm, Mr. Kaiba, you know her?" One girl finally asked. Seto turned to the group of girls and frowned.

"Unfortunately yes." He replied. "She has been a thorn at my side for years and has come back to cause me grief." Some of the girls shot angry glares in her direction.

"You girls will see soon enough that Kaiba is a liar. He is the real cause of grief to me and many others." Tea said.

"Fortunately, we won't have to deal with her presence for long." Seto continued to speak to the girls, ignoring Tea. "I'll rid us of her annoying presence at the first opportunity." From the corner of his eyes, he glanced at Tea. "And since she has no interest in me, it will be a favor to her as well."

"Go right ahead." Tea challenged. "Throw me out of the house. The first thing I'll do is go to Mokuba and find out what he used to blackmail you. He promised me a favor, any favor, for lying to me and I think this will be a good return." Seto shot her a nasty glare and turned back to the girls. Time to get the show on the road.

"Let's have a seat and you girls can tell me about yourself." He said, as was required of him per the script. The girls hastily took seats, trying to be near him. He ended up being stuck between two girls.

"My name is Melinda." The lone red-head said. She had tiny freckles decorating her nose and bright green eyes. "I am a public relations firm manager. I like going to the movies, going clubbing, dancing etc. I love to be surrounded by people." She seemed cheerful enough to be able to deal with people. Seto nodded politely at her.

"I'm Elaine." A blonde said in a somewhat haughty tone. "I'm a model as you can tell." She winked flirtatiously in his direction. And he could tell. She had the body for it, all bones and angles. "I like horse-back riding, playing tennis, swimming in the tropical waters of beautiful islands, and shopping." And so the introductions continued. The last one to speak was Serenity. She had selected a seat farthest from him, but he recognized her as Joey's sister right away.

"I'm Serenity." She started in a timid tone. "I am an elementary school teacher. I like reading, umm, watching movies, umm... and watching duels." She finished with an embarrassed blush.

"I see." Seto all but sneered at Serenity. He was about to speak again when Tea interrupted him.

"It's time for my introduction." She said and he glared openly at her.

"I don't want to or care to hear anything about you so don't bother."

"I'm not doing it for you." She replied heatedly. "This show is going to be broadcasted and many other guys, much better than you, will see it. I am doing it for them." She finished with a smile and turned to face the girls. "I'm Tea Gardner. I'm a ballerina. I live and work in New York city. I like reading, hanging out with my friends, trying out different foods and things, and of course dancing."

"You're an actual ballerina?" One girl, Cathy, asked with wide eyes. "Wow, I've never met a ballerina before. It's such a unique and difficult profession." Tea nodded with a smile.

"Yes it is. It requires a strong commitment from a very early age, and actual blood, sweat and tears, but to those who love it, it is well worth it. I wouldn't trade it for any other easy career in the world."

"It's a short career from what I understand." Elaine said nastily. "A few years and you are over. A better version of you comes along and your career is done."

"The same can be said about modelling." Tea pointed out.

"Not for good ones." Elaine said with arrogance.

"Then you should worry and prepare for an alternative career soon." Tea retorted back.

"Okay, maybe we should talk about something else." Cathy said, trying to keep the peace, but Seto was having fun.

"Elaine is right." He said, earning a brilliant smile from Elaine and a glare from Tea. "You do have a very short career, after which you will be reduced to dancing for rich men, like me." Tea's jaw clenched visibly.

"I think you are mistaking me with your usual company. After all, that is the only way you can get a woman. Maybe that is why Mokuba forced you to be here. He felt sorry for his pathetic older brother, doomed to be alone." She knew she was being mean, but she was angry. How dare he say that about her?

"I see I have hit a nerve." He said, not at all bothered by her comments. She knew what he was doing. He would act nonchalant and mercilessly tease her now that he knew this was a sensitive topic for her. Her only option was retreat. She would regroup and attack him when she had the advantage.

"You're just being your usual arrogant self. I am tired and angry at your brother, and not at all in the mood to deal with you. I'm going to call it a night. I'll let the others stroke your ego as you so want it." With that, she stood up and quickly walked to where her suitcase was. She grabbed it and eyed the grand staircase. She would have liked to make a quick and dramatic exit, ending with her head held high as she closed the door on him. But fate had a sick sense of humor. So now she had to drag the heavy suitcase up the many stairs, huffing and puffing, looking like a beet from exertion, all in front of Seto Kaiba, who would not only enjoy her misery but add caustic comments along the way.

Taking a deep breath, she grabbed the suitcase and began hauling it up the stairs, fully aware that the eyes of every single person in the room were on her. At least the stairs were carpeted so she didn't have to worry about her or the suitcase slipping. When she had reached the halfway point, after a lot of tugging and pulling, Seto spoke in an amused voice. She was surprised and impressed that he had held out for so long.

"There is an elevator in this mansion that you could have used." She froze.

"What?" She spat venomously in his direction. He responded with an unnaturally cheerful face and pointed to a set of doors under the staircase.

"I knew it would be difficult to take the heavy suitcases up the stairs to the bedrooms so I requested for a mansion with an elevator to make it easy for the contestants." The other girls tittered in admiration at his thoughtfulness and his smile turned into a smirk. Tea wanted to rip out her hair in frustration. More than that, she wanted to throw her suitcase at Seto and watch him be crushed by it. He knew all along but waited till she got to the halfway point purely for his sick enjoyment. She shot him a final nasty look before grabbing the suitcase tightly and continuing up the stairs. He watched her until she reached the top. She then released a deep breath, bestowed Seto with an obscene hand gesture, and quickly walked down the hallway with the bedrooms, selecting the one she liked best.

Seto suppressed a grin as he watched her disappear from his sight. As soon as his attention wasn't on Tea, the girls surrounding him began talking to him. He tried to be interested but the conversation couldn't match the exchange he had with Tea, and soon he grew bored. He valiantly tried to appear calm and polite, but after only half hour of mindless chatter, he was at the end of his patience. He knew he had to end the night now or he would lose his composure and snap before the whole viewing world. Very cunningly, he expressed his concern at their travel-weary states and his desire that they be well rested for the first challenge tomorrow. As he had predicted, the girls all but melted at his kindness.

'Fools.' He thought. 'This will be easier than I thought.' He quickly said good bye to the group and hurriedly walked away from them to his own bedroom. He had mercifully been given a room in another hall than the girls. He entered his room, locked the door, and pressed a button that connected him to Mokuba. That had been his condition. If he was going to participate in this show, then he needed to have first-person, immediate access to Mokuba at all times in case he needed to talk or vent. And right now was a perfect occasion to talk to his scheming little brother. He only had to wait for a few seconds before Mokuba's face appeared on a medium sized TV screen.

"Hey Seto, how was the first meeting?" Mokuba asked with twinkling eyes.

"You know damn well how it was." Seto growled. He knew Mokuba and the crew had watched the entire debacle live, and enjoyed it too by the look on Mokuba's face. "What are you playing at?"

"What do you mean?" Mokuba asked innocently.

"Why is Gardner here?" He asked plainly.

"I thought she would be good for the show." Mokuba replied and Seto rolled his eyes. He wondered if Mokuba had lost his mind. Good in terms of ratings, maybe. People would love to see him be insulted by a foul mouthed, uncivilized, excuse of a girl.

"You put her there only to antagonize me." Seto accused. "I suspected it before but this proves it. This show is just an excuse to torture me."

"Come on Seto, don't be dramatic." Mokuba said. "She is fun to be around. And she will be good for you too, in the mansion." Mokuba hastily added after the glare Seto shot him. "You can amuse yourself by teasing her like you always have done."

"Teasing?" Seto spat the word like it was poison. "I don't 'tease' her. I insult her." Teasing would imply a playfulness to their conversations and Seto refused to accept that.

"Sure." Mokuba said with a roll of his eyes.

"She is leaving." Seto declared and Mokuba's eyes widened.

"You can't do that." He nearly yelled in panic and Seto smirked.

"Oh but I can. I get to eliminate a girl at the end of every challenge and tomorrow is the first challenge. Gardner will be leaving tomorrow night."

"You're being unfair." Mokuba pointed out.

"I don't care." Seto shrugged carelessly.

"Come on Seto. At least give her a chance." Mokuba tried to reason.

"It's no wound to her. She wants to leave. She'll be happy I eliminated her first."

"And if she doesn't want to go, then?" Mokuba challenged. "Will you still kick her out first?"

"Of course." Seto replied without hesitation.

"Then everyone will see you as unreasonable, stubborn, and plain old mean." Mokuba said. "Whatever positive reputation you have will be gone with her. People love to judge and boy will they judge you if you are completely unfair to her as if you have an old grudge."

"This isn't going to convince me Mokuba because I don't care what others think of me. Try harder." Seto smirked and Mokuba sighed in frustration.

"She's going to come straight to me when she leaves the mansion. I promised her anything and if she asks me how I got you to agree to do this, I will tell her, or rather, show her." Mokuba threatened. Seto narrowed his eyes in hatred.

"You are no brother of mine." He said through clenched teeth and Mokuba smiled triumphantly.

"Don't take in as a complete negative." Mokuba tried to cheer his brother up. "She is someone you know. You will be able to predict her actions to some extent and can use that to your advantage. And who knows, she can even be your ally in the house, warn you against any plots by the other girls to get you alone with them."

"You have lost your mind." Seto said in disbelief. "Predicting her behaviour is like predicting the behaviour of a great white shark. It could very well ignore you and pass you or rip you to shreds, all without any stimulation. And she would never be an ally. She would instead try to plot against me and try to make me as miserable as she can. She will be the one I will have to watch out for more than anyone else. I hope you are happy. You have trapped me with a psycho." Mokuba laughed out loud at his brother's words.

"I bet she is saying the same. In any case, just be fair. Give her a chance. Treat her the same as the other girls and I guarantee you she will treat you nicely. That's just the kind of person she is. She gives as good as she gets." Seto grunted in response.

"All right big brother. Rest up. You've got a long and hopefully fun day tomorrow." Mokuba said with a wink. Seto responded with the same hand gesture Tea had shown him before turning off communication.

'So she gave as good as she got?' He thought. 'We will see about that.' At the very least, her presence would serve as a source of amusement for him.

Tea waited patiently, unpacking and settling into a spacious room. There were two queen-sized beds separated by their respective night stands. Opposite the beds was a giant dresser. On the side next to the door, there was a sizeable closet in which Tea was able to hang all her clothes, place her shoes and other things, and her suitcase, all with space left over for her roommate. The other side of the room had a large French-style window with an amazing view of the backyard of the mansion. Besides the window were two comfortable looking single sofas. She had chosen the bed by the window and now waited patiently for the girls to come upstairs. After she chose a roommate, she would explore the mansion more. Since there was no adjoining bathroom, she knew they would have to share. She wondered how many bathrooms were on this floor and if they would be enough for ten girls.

After only a short wait, she heard footsteps and voices. She quickly opened the door and watched a group of girls emerge from the elevator with their bags. One smiled at her, one openly frowned and one chose to ignore her. She returned each expression as she received it. The girls passed her and began looking into the other bedrooms. Tea smiled, inwardly glad that she had gotten to chose first.

After a few more minutes of wait, three more girls emerged with their suitcases. Serenity was in this group. Tea smiled at the group and quickly walked towards Serenity.

"Come on, I already chose a room for us." Serenity seemed a bit hesitant at first, but when the other girls began walking away from them, she sighed in defeat and followed Tea to their room. She had to admit it was a nice room. Since Tea's stuff was not scattered anywhere in sight, she figured the other girl must have already unpacked and settled in.

"You are very quick." Serenity commented, opening her suitcase. Tea let out a chuckled and plopped on her bed.

"I often travel with my dance company and do this a lot more than normal people. I consider myself a pro at packing and unpacking now." Serenity managed a small smile. "Do you need any help since I am a pro?" Tea offered with a easy smile. Serenity quickly declined. She wanted to unpack slowly and delay the impending conversation for as long as she could. She knew why Tea wanted to be her roommate, and she also knew and dreaded the questions she would soon ask. Better to put it off for a while longer and get herself prepared.

She slowly unpacked, carefully arranging and organizing everything, even though a small voice in her head said she might be leaving tomorrow. But she hoped it won't be so. Maybe Tea would be the first one to leave, considering the exchange she had with Seto Kaiba downstairs. When she had put away everything, including her suitcase, she turned to face Tea who had waited patiently and quietly.

"So..." Serenity began uncomfortably.

"You already know what I want to ask." Tea said plainly. "I want to know why you are here. You knew that Kaiba was the bachelor but you still wanted to be here, despite knowing him and his attitude towards Joey and the rest of our friends, including you. Why?" Serenity took a deep breath after hearing the question. She had pondered those questions before. She had expected their common friends to ask exactly what Tea had asked so she was somewhat prepared. She only hoped Tea would be convinced. It was critical that at least one of her friends believed her explanation, and lucky for her, Tea was the best one to have on your side. She would definitely convince Joey and the others, provided that Serenity could convince her first.

"It's true that I knew Kaiba was the bachelor." Serenity began. "I was completely surprised to receive an email from Mokuba. He told me about this project of his and asked if I would be interested in joining. I actually gave it a lot of thought before accepting." She paused to gauge Tea's reaction but found her to be patiently waiting for her to continue. So far so good.

"I know, just like you, that Kaiba and Joey don't get along." At this, Tea snorted but didn't say anything so Serenity continued. "Kaiba doesn't get along with Tristan, or Joey, or you. You guys have been with him since high school and have been interacting with him. He knows you guys. He acknowledges you guys in his own way. But I am nothing to him." Tea frowned and it appeared as if she would interrupt Serenity but didn't.

"I don't even think he recognizes me. And why would he? I have never been introduced to him. I have never interacted with him, or had a conversation with him. During Battle City, as far as he was concerned, I was a part of the background."

"That's not true." Tea finally said.

"Yes it is." Serenity countered back. "I am and have always been Joey's little sister. That's how I was introduced to you guys, and that somehow became my identity. Everywhere I go, that's what I am known as, Joey Wheeler's sister. Even amongst our group of friends, that is my identity. Yugi is the kind leader, Joey and Tristan are funny goofballs, you are the loyal and supportive friend, the voice of reason, Duke is the flirtatious but dependant friend, Mai is the confident and sexy duelist, and Bakura is the shy, mysterious friend. But what am I? Joey's sister. That's it." Serenity paused and let out a frustrated breath.

"Even when Mokuba emailed me, he called me Joey's sister. When he talked to me over the phone to confirm my participation, he didn't call me Serenity. He said, 'you're Joey's sister, right?' to confirm that he had the right person, because he didn't even know me. I knew that if he wasn't aware of my existence, why would Kaiba be?"

"So you joined to be acknowledged?" Tea asked.

"To stand as myself." Serenity replied. "Maybe Kaiba would have judged me negatively as Joey's sister had he paid any attention. But he wouldn't pay any attention to me if Joey or the others are around. This is my opportunity to be myself in front of Kaiba, to show him that I'm a good person. I am not here to claim his love like the other girls. I'm here to get him to realize that he can't dismiss me based on my association with someone he doesn't get along with. And I hope that I can show him that I am a different person than my brother. And who knows, this might even improve his view of Joey." Serenity finished with a small smile. Tea didn't speak for a few moments. She just stared at Serenity, making Serenity shift uncomfortably on the bed. Finally she broke her gaze and sighed in defeat.

"That is a noble and ambitious goal, one that can't be accomplished in this situation or the given time frame." Tea said. "Kaiba is no fool. He definitely knows you even if he has chosen to ignore you thus far."

"Then I can definitely change his opinion of myself and Joey." Serenity said optimistically. Tea looked away.

"Again, that is a very difficult endeavor. Kaiba is stubborn to a fault. Once he forms an opinion, he refuses to change it even if the contrary evidence hits him in the face. He refuses to accept his mistake. I have known him and I can say this with certainty."

"At least I can try." Serenity said. Tea bit her lip worriedly.

"Sure you can. Just... be careful." Serenity beamed at Tea's approval. To her, it appeared that Tea had accepted her reasoning and was on her side now. She would surely deal with Joey and the others when the time came.

"Thanks Tea." Serenity said, moving towards Tea to hug her. "Your support means a lot to me. I am so worried about Joey's reaction. Hopefully, he will be as understanding as you."

"We can hope." Tea said. Serenity went back to the closet to pick out her pajamas. They both quickly got ready for bed and turned the lights off, preparing for the next day. Serenity was asleep in no time. The excitement and stress of the day had tired her out and she was out like a log. Tea, on the other hand, was awake. She replayed the conversation with Serenity in her mind. She was sympathetic towards Serenity's feelings. As she looked back, she did see that Seto had ignored her existence throughout Battle City. But Tea didn't see it as a negative or insult. Having had his attention for years, she sometimes wished for anonymity. Being acknowledged the way she and her friends were was not something to aim for. Still, she understood if Serenity was hurt at being cast aside as unimportant.

But was this really the best way to get into Kaiba's circle of acknowledged individuals? Perhaps. Serenity was away from the shadow of her brother. Maybe Seto was neutral towards her and because he would be forced to pay attention to her, he might learn that she was a nice and sweet girl, completely different from Joey.

Or he could use her to try to hurt Joey. That's what she was afraid of the most. He was low enough to do it. And he wasn't happy to be here. He would only get more annoyed and frustrated as the days passed and he was subjected to unwanted situations. He would try to vent out his frustration through any outlet that presented itself, and Serenity might be a pretty good one. He knows Joey will be angry when he sees this show and sees Serenity trying to vie for his affections. Seto would use it to his advantage. He would play her to annoy Joey. He would keep her in the mansion for his amusement, perhaps giving her false hope that he likes her. In the end, in true Kaiba fashion, he would insult her and reject her. He would leave her hurt and humiliated. And worse of all, this would be captured on camera to be played out in front of the world later. Serenity won't be able to forget it, and neither will Joey.

As much as Tea hated to admit it, she had to stay in the mansion to protect Serenity. She had to watch out for her and keep an eye on Seto. Her presence might draw all of his frustration and she would gladly receive it. She had taken it and worse in the past. It won't bother her. But Serenity had never been on the receiving end of his jabs. The man had an affinity to find the things that bothered his opponent and he used them to stab a hole in the other person's very soul. Tea didn't want Serenity to be his target. Instead, she would draw his ire. At least she would return his jabs, unlike Serenity. Besides, Joey would want that. If he couldn't be here personally to watch over his sister and protect her from Seto Kaiba, he would want Tea to do it, especially since she had the opportunity to do so.

She hoped her career and reputation would survive this. She wasn't too worried since any publicity in America was good publicity. Besides, she doubted anyone in America would even see the show.

Tea sighed and closed her eyes in tiredness. This was not what she had signed up for.

Damn Mokuba. He will definitely pay.

...

List of girls who are contestants on The Bachelor:

Melinda: 25 years old. Public relations firm manager. Long flowing red hair, lightly freckled skin. 5'2

Elaine: 23 years old. Model. Long, platinum blonde hair and perfectly tanned skin. 5'7

Cathy: 26 years old. Director of an NGO in Domino. Medium length curly brunette hair. 5'6

Eiza: 25 years old. Lawyer. Medium length wavy black hair. 5'5

Bridget: 24 years old. Veterinarian. Pixie cut dark blonde hair. 5'0

Serenity: 22 years old. Elementary school teacher. Long auburn hair. 5'1

Rhea: 25 years old. Editor of Domino's top fashion magazine. Layered black hair with purple highlights. 5'6

Jacqueline: 24 years old. Owner and main designer of Domino's upscale boutique. Orange coloured hair in a bob hair cut. 5'4

Norah: 26 years old. Professor and researcher at Domino University. Light brownish blonde hair. 5'3

Tea: 24 years old. Ballerina. Medium length brunette hair with bangs. 5'5

Seto Kaiba is 25 years old.

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Thank you for your comments on the first chapter. Hope you enjoyed this chapter as well.

Please continue to review and let me know what you think of the story so far, and of any ideas you might have.