Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!. It's pointless to even wish that I did, anymore. Stop rubbing it in!

A/N: Another product of the power outage. I find it quite funny that I manage to write so many chapters in a simple four hour blackout, when I can barely find time to write one during the winter break. Alas, this is yet another chapter to hold you guys off until summer! I've actually written an outline for every chapter of this fic, and there are about twenty-one in all… might have to write more, though. They are actually getting longer the more I write them, so, even though it doesn't seem like that many, they actually are.

Dedicated to: Hitsuji87 and XXSayarissaXX, who have both favorited this story! Thanks for your support, guys! Also, thank you to those of you who have reviewed or alerted this fic! Me love you long time!

Enjoy!

Footsteps in the Sand

Chapter 4

Motherhood is Not a Gift

"It needs a name."

Kaiba looked up from the manual, giving the brunette an annoyed glare. "What are you prattling on about, now?"

Mikomi sighed, lifting the "baby" to sit on her lap. "This thing needs a name. It's part of the guidelines." She lifted the packet the school provided from them. Seto rolled his eyes.

"I don't care what you call it."

"It has to be a joint effort, Kaiba," Mikomi inwardly smirked when she saw him twitch. "He is our child, after all." Another twitch. "I was thinking of maybe something along the lines of… Bara." The response was immediate.

"Hell, no."

Internally cackling, Mikomi kept a straight face, pretending to be offended. "Why not?! It's a perfectly good name, isn't it?!"

"Robotic or not, no child of mine will be named after some pansy flower." The girl could hear the anger in his voice rising.

After receiving the "baby" and a ride to the Kaiba manor, the pair had been reading and attempting to figure out the robot child from hell. Mikomi was finding great amusement in aggravating Kaiba, but she knew she would have to stop soon before he got too angry.

"Just choose something normal, like Aki or something," he ground out. "I pity any child you have the misfortune to name in the future."

Deciding to ignore the last comment, Mikomi shrugged. "Sure, let's go with that."

"With what?!"

"Aki."

"Where do you keep coming up with these things, Useless?"

"You, Jackass." She scowled. "You have never once addressed me by name, Kaiba. It's not that hard." He gave the woman a condescending look.

"And this pertains to this pathetic excuse for a project, how?"

"You can't keep calling the mother of your child 'Useless,' can you? I sound like your baby-mama."

"My what?"

"Sorry. American term. My point is, if we're going to be stuck here with each other every day, we might as well be on good terms. I don't know about you, but I do not want to be stuck in a preschool all summer. I'm not fabulous with little kids."

Kaiba snorted and set the book down on his lap. "Agreed, Hibana. I refuse to be around screaming children that long."

The young woman chuckled a bit, a sly smile on her lips. "You say that you pity my children, but what about your own?" He glared at her.

"Hibana…"

"Alright, alright. Let's try and feed this thing, hubby."


After several failed attempts, the couple finally managed to feed Aki – the robot had come with "food," which was a plastic spoon with a microchip inside – and the robot went down for its "nap."

Kaiba and Mikomi sat at the kitchen table with papers strewn about them, contracts and study notes for the girl's Pre-Calculus exam. As the clock struck five-thirty, the sound of two car doors shutting resonated throughout the house, and Seto looked up from his laptop, a softer look coming across his eyes. Mikomi noticed and stored the information in the back of her mind.

Within a few minutes, a black blur barreled through the doorway, colliding with the still-sitting Seto. As Mikomi blinked, the blur turned into a small teenager, chatting animatedly with the elder boy. After a few seconds, the chatter died down as the boy took note of the other person in the room.

"Who're you?" He asked somewhat rudely, rising an eyebrow at the girl as he gave her a quick once-over.

A bit agitated at his rudeness, Mikomi returned his scrutinizing gaze. "Mikomi Hibana. Who're you?" She responded just as brusquely.

"Mokuba Kaiba."

The two continued to glare at each other. The girl wondered vaguely why Kaiba had not yet removed the boy from his neck when he had clearly said earlier that he could not tolerate children.

"He cares about two things: his business and his little brother."

It clicked. "Oh, you're Kaiba's younger brother?"

Mokuba's glare lessened, mulling over something in his head. Then, a grin stretched across his lips. "You're Brother's lab partner!"

The ice between the two broke, and Mokuba released his brother to talk to the girl.

"So you've heard about me, huh? Your brother doesn't seem to be the most forthcoming about information like that."

"Yeah, but not from Seto. I talk a lot with Téa, and a bit with Yugi."

As the two continued getting to know each other, Seto motioned a man in sunglasses over to him, whispering in his ear. The man nodded and walked away, returning with a small backpack and setting it by the table. Mokuba looked up. "Oh! Thanks, Roland."

The man bowed. "My pleasure, Master Mokuba."

Mokuba returned to his new friend. "So, what are you doing here, anyways?"

"Your brother and I are working on a project together for the next month, so get ready to see a lot more of me, kid," Mikomi explained, ruffling his wild mane. She looked down at her watch and nearly fell out of her chair. "Crap! It's this late, already? Sorry, Kaiba, I have to get to work by six-thirty, and I still have to go home and change." The young man nodded.

"Roland." The man reappeared by Seto's side. "Take Hibana home." The man bowed, taking Mikomi's bag in his hand.

"Um, I can take that!" When Roland refused, she looked to her lab partner. "I assume you'll have Aki, tonight?"

"That's how it appears."

"Alright. I'll see you tomorrow. Nice meeting you, Mokuba!" The girl then rushed after the driver, who had already begun his way to the garage.

Mokuba looked over at his brother, a little, crafty smile forming on his lips. "Hey, brother, she seems nice."

Seto continued to type, refusing to look up from his work. "Whatever you're thinking, stop it."

Mokuba twisted his mouth into a pout, pulling a few books from his bag. "Well, I like her."

The older brother snorted, his fingers pausing over the keys. Glancing out the window, he caught sight of the town car winding away from the house. "Hm."

He closed his computer.