A/N: Let's keep reading, shall we?

I don't seem to be doing good or bad with this story :) People are following and favouring it, so even if I get no reviews I'm happy :D

There's a zesty part in this chapter... Or is it a lemon? Nah, that's next chapter ;)

Chapter 9

Nausea.

Even the word sounds horrible. As Kia stood quickly but gracefully to leave the room during the presentation, she pondered that thought. She tried to be inconspicuous in her deparure, but caught the attention of a number of young entrepreneurs in the room; listening intently at first to the sound of Kaiba's voice, then fixing their gazes and ears to the sounds of Kia Boulevard opening the heavy oak doors.

Once out of the room, she all but sprinted in her red dress down the hall to the restrooms. She burst in the door, not caring whether-or-not someone was also inside, walked into a cubicle and dropped to her knees. Grabbing the toilet bowl, she heaved her lunch that she'd had that afteroon (With Kaiba in the library, as it were) into the toilet.

After what seemed like half an hour, Kia settled her back against the cream-coloured wall of the cubicle and wiped sweat off her brow. 'Why would I sweat so much...?' she thought groggily. Her legs felt numb from the kneeling position she'd been in until now and she wanted nothing more than to go rest in bed.

The door opened quietly and Téa walked in. "Kia, are you in here?" Her whisper sounded much more appealing than her normal tone and for a fleeting moment, Kia thought of her as angel.

"I'm here..." she groaned, her throat dry and scratchy. Téa moved toward her, the white heeled shoes Kia had also given her making a head-pounding 'click-clack-click' on the tiled floor.

"Oh, you poor thing..." Téa greeted upon finding her, and left just as soon as she entered. Kia didn't care. She'd much prefer to sit in absolute silence, than to have to listen to that maggot's annoying voice.

The door opened again and Kaiba's voice called out. "Kia?" She pressed her palms against her forehead in embarressment; Why would Téa bring Kaiba to her when she looked like this? He walked around the room until he found her, in one of the cubicles furthest away from the main door.

"Hi..." Kia offered weakly. She smiled at him before he could panic. "I'm fine, just heaved up today's lunch..."

"I don't care if you went to find a glass of water, I'd still look for you..." Kaiba muttered. He wasn't one to be possessive or controlling of people; however, what was his was his and he would protect his possessions (that includes family) until the day came when he could no longer do so.

"You worry way too much..." Kia attempted to stand on her legs, the spikey feeling of pin-pricks in each one. She grimaced but stayed standing, keeping her eyes on the floor.

"Mokuba has been kidnapped multiple times in the past, of course I'm going to watch you both like a hawk" Kaiba offered a hand as he spoke, one that Kia took gratefully and he helped her out to the handbasins.

"There's really no need though..." Kia whispered whilst she washed her hands. "I would've made my way upstairs to your office sooner or later..." Kaiba placed a small kiss on her cheek.

"Still would have gone looking for you" he stated. Kia shook her head.

"Well, thank you for coming.. But why in Ra's name did you send Téa in to find me?" Kia looked to him for an answer and saw the glint of disbelief in his eyes.

"I shouldn't enter a ladies' restroom Kia, it's obscene" His voice portrayed alarm again.

"Well..." Kia looked around herself and then poked Kaiba's arm. "You're in here now, aren't you?" She smirked triumphantly when he blushed slightly and almost stammered his reply.

"You're in here, I sent Gardner to check first if anyone was in here before I entered, you're my fiancée it doesn't matter..." Kaiba muttered. Kia smirked.

"Thank you for looking for me" She gave him a small hug and thought about his birthday.

"Hello? I'm calling about the advertisement in KaibaCorps' latest magazine, the one that offers a Star?" Kia quietly asked the person on the other end of the phone line. She was sitting in her library, on the very top floor, as she whispered her inquiry.

"Ah yes, how can I help?" The assistant on the phone was cheerful and bubbly. Kia hid her distaste and coninued asking her questions.

"Well, do you have any documentation that proves that the star is yours?" Kia knew that a star was a difficult possession to point at and claim. The cushions were easy, you placed them in your home and it was known that the were yours. A book or photograph, you could write your name on. But a star? You couldn't do that. And she wanted Kaiba to have something to prove that it was his.

"Well of course!" The lady on the line assured with her cheerful voice. "You get a certificate of ownership, several photos of it at different times of the year, a framed photo included and the co-ordinates of the star itself, so you can set up your telescope to find it and see it for yourself!"

"That's more than enough!" Kia exclaimed happily. The door below opened and closed quietly and Kia began to whisper. "I'll think about it and call you back" She hung up the phone. Not two minutes later did Kaiba walk up to her.

"I thought you were in our room?" Kaiba asked, not angry or surprised, but with a smirk that clearly meant 'I knew you weren't there''. Kia nodded.

"I planned on going there, but I wanted to come here first..." Her eyes noticed the strange object in his hand. "What's that?"

Kaiba looked down at the replica of his millenium rod and sighed. "A ridiculous present Ishizu gave to me... She asks that I keep it away from her brother, Marik..."

"I thought all the bad spirits were gone now?" Kia pouted playfully, but secretly not wanting anymore trouble from anybody. Kaiba nodded.

"They are.." he agreed, "But apparently when Marik saw it, he said he could feel a power radiating from it and into him..." Kaiba frowned darkly and muttered "Stupid Egyptian..."

Kia held out her hand. "May I see it?" Her small voice and big eyes assured Kaiba that she should of course look at it.

"By all means" he replied, giving it to her, then watched as she inspected it.

"There's nothing in it at all... No powers, no heat, no cold, nothing..." Kia suddenly thought of Ishizu telling her that she would die soon of some unknown disease and was plunged into a scene so familiar yet distant, that it should have been a memory from many years ago...

There was a dull ache in her head as she lay on an old bed, covered with silks and feather-pillows. Someone was sitting on a hardchair next to her, dressed in some sort of blue robe and holding her hand with an expression of guilt and sadness on his face. High Priest Seto, from Ancient Egypt.

"Oh Kazuko, I'm troubled..." he spoke aloud. She opened her mouth to speak but nothing happened. No noise, no attempt at communication. She closed her mouth and tried again, with the same result. 'I must look like a fish..." she thought miserably.

"My dear, are you trying to speak to me?" The High Priest's voice held surprise, both his eyebrows rose and his eyes opened wider. Kia managed a weak nod of the head and he smiled. "And they told me that you would never communicate again.." He leaned down and kissed her forehead. She moved her head, wanting a proper kiss from him. He smirked and kissed her again, moving his spare hand to her hair and gently massaged her head. It dulled the ache considerably and Kazuko attempted to sit up.

"I want..." she mumbled against his lips. He stopped and pulled back, looking almost afraid.

"You spoke... You actually spoke..." The smile that broke out after these words was so beautiful and full of love, that Kia's heart swelled. He moved to the doorway of this strange room and called "Mizuki! Come, see your mother!"

Kia looked around and took in her surroundings carefully. She was in a room made of sand, proper sand that you would fnd in the desert and there was a small window perched high in the wall to her right. The doorway was in the wall to the left of her and directly in front of her, there was (what appeared to be) a golden table with two matching chairs.

As a young girl ran into the room, Kia pushed herself up from her lying position and stared at this young beauty. The child had chocolate brown hair which reached her shoulders, clear, olive skin and the most beautiful blue eyes she'd ever seen. They were unusual, not quite blue, but not green either; a bright aqua colour which shone shone brightly when the girl saw her 'Mother'.

"Mizuki has been lonely without you Kazuko..." Seto took his seat by her side again and watched as Mizuki climbed the bed and hugged her. "Our beautiful Mizuki, born under the brilliant moon and with more wit than usual for a five year old..." Kia hugged her as tight as possible in her weak state and kissed her forehead lovingly.

"..Love you, Miz..." Kia managed to croak. Mizuki kissed her cheek.

"I love you, Mama, but now I need some sleep. I'll come see you tomorrow" Her sweet voice and slight lisp made Kia's eyes tear up.

"..Yes, do.." She kissed her on the cheek once more, before Mizuki climbed down from the bed and walked out slowly.

"Kazuko, what were you trying to say earlier?" The High Priest's deep voice asked gently. Kia turned to face him.

"...I want to... Walk..." Kia rasped, her throat making horrible scratchy noises as she spoke. Seto shook his head firmly.

"No Kazuko, you can't..." He looked down in grief. Kia frowned and tried to swing her legs out of the bed. Nothing happened. She tried again. still nothing. She panicked and whipped the silk sheets off with a flourish, expecting her legs to be badly damged, or amputated.

Two thin, olive toned legs greeted her panicked mind, lying in the most natural position possible. But despite the fact that they were there, they would not move when she wanted them to.

"Kazuko, you have an unusual illness, one where you are losing control of your body and forgetting everything that has happened since you became ill..." The Priest was looking at her long legs, sadness clouding his expression. He timidly placed a hand on her thigh and looked to see her expression.

Her body trembled, a small shiver of excitement trailing down her neck as he traced small circles with his thumb on her thigh. He noticed her expression change and stopped his actions. She relaxed slightly, until his hand crept up along her skin. She let out a sigh when he almost reached where her thigh joined her torso.

"You can feel that?" He was amazed. Shocked and amazed. For two weeks she had lay in their bed alone, unable to awaken, to feel his touch, to hear him speak and least of all, speak back to him. But now she could.

She nodded at him, "Yes, of course I can..." She noticed her voice sounded less scratchy and she smiled happily. However, he looked to her legs again.

"And yet, your legs still do not respond..." he muttered sadly. Kia used her hands to move herself, so that the hand he had placed on her high-thigh was now resting between her legs. High Priest Seto looked up at her in disbelief.