Chapter 11

Four Years Later.

Atem walked up to the porch, his eyes fatigued from the endless paperwork he had been doing all day. He sighed deeply, rubbing his sore eyes with his free hand and opening the door. He loved his work and all, but the continual paperwork on his archaeological digs and findings wasn't exactly the most fun. Still, he loved every second of his digs. Finding out the incredible details, seeing all that rich ancient history before his eyes, putting together the mass puzzle that shaped the whole Egyptian culture as he discovered each different piece of it, he could only use one word to describe it. Amazing. Every time. And now, it was getting even better. He had been offered a promotion which would allow him to work from home more and spend more time enjoying himself. And it was all thanks to the most special person in his life. His girlfriend, Téa. He remembered the day she helped him accomplish his dreams.

Flashback.

Atem and Téa sat across the table from Atem's mother and father, all aware of the mounting tension in the room. Téa took in his parent's features, as they sat and sipped their drinks. His mother was fair-skinned, with deep brown eyes and long scarlet red locks that reached down to her lower back. His father had deeply tanned skin, which clashed with his pale blue eyes and dirty blonde spiked hair. Both parties looked at the teenagers, holding contrasting looks. While his mother held a look of deep empathy and worry, his father's look was stern and confidence shone in his eyes. He set his cup down, turning his gaze toward his soon.

"Well well well, if it isn't my defiant brat of a son. Crawling back from independence are we? Was responsibility and freedom not all it was sought out to be?" Téa watched as his gaze and Atem's gaze collided with each other, each one refusing to back out. For her, it was like watching the clock of a time bomb count slowly down and waiting for the inevitable explosion. Atem scowled, showing his determination.

"I didn't come back to grovel to you, father. I came back because I'm through running from you. I came back to stand my ground and make you finally accept my wishes, for I won't be forced to follow a path that I don't desire." His father scowled and rose from his seat. He slammed his fists on the table, shocking Téa as she watched the scene unfold.

"I told you before and I'll tell you again. Your future lies in our family business and not in some meaningless dream of yours. Dreams are for the weak, boy-"

"NO! That's not true and you know it. If I want to pursue the things I desire then I will. My mother believes in me and so does my-"

"Your girlfriend? Oh, how sweet! Tell me Atem, where did you pick that girl up from? If you had just listened you could have been with a much more suitable girl, not that pathetic little whor-" Atem slammed his fist down on the table, making everything on it topple over and the rest of the room shake slightly. Téa jumped back, bringing her hands to her mouth and rising from the table as Atem stormed round to the other side and stood face to face with his father.

"DON'T YOU DARE CALL HER SUCH NAMES! SHE IS MORE IMPORTANT TO ME THAN YOU WILL EVER UNDERSTAND, AND WAY MORE SUPPORTIVE THAN YOU HAVE EVER BEEN TO ME! ALL YOU EVER CARED ABOUT WAS YOUR DAMN STUPID COMPANY AND THE MONEY YOU MADE. WHEN DID YOU EVER STOP TO CONSIDER ME AND MOM YOU SELFISH BASTARD?!-"

WHACK!

He stopped abruptly as his father's palm smacked straight into his left cheek and knocked him to the ground. He didn't move, say or do anything except for stare at the floor, his hand clinging to his cheek. Silence hung over the room like a suffocating veil. Not a single person moved, or uttered a single word for many minutes. Time seemed to simply stop. Téa froze, devastated at the sight of Atem on the floor while his mother eventually moved from her chair to tend to her son. After what seemed like an eternity, his father turned his back and made his way toward the door.

"You are no son of mine any longer. I want you out of my house. You're on your own from now on."

Everyone went wide eyed at his statement, as he continued to walk away from everyone. Téa watched, anger boiling within her. How could he say that to his own son? Didn't he realise what being a parent meant? Was he so truly blinded by his own greed that he couldn't see reality? Knowing what she had to do, she ran toward him just before he reached the door, stepping in his path and holding her ground. Atem's father, startled from the action, scowled deeply at her.

"Move out of my way. This matter doesn't concern you even one bit so just stay out of our business." He outmatched her both height and strength wise, but she refused to back down holding her ground firmly.

"Not a chance. Atem is a part of my life now, so his happiness and wellbeing are one of my top priorities, meaning that this is my business! And you can't change that no matter how hard you try." He continued to scowl, becoming irritated by the situation. Téa noticed his silence and continued on.

"How can you do this? Turn your own son away over your selfish desire to further your own wealth and fame? What, because he wants to create his own future, write his own story you're going to disown him?! If you were a good parent who truly cared for your son, you back him through everything no matter what!" He scowled, before smugly smirking at her.

"You don't know anything about this world, do you? In this world, you need a solid future, one that guarantees good income and stability, not some pathetic illusion that will never come to pass. My father taught me the right way to path out my future, and that's all I'm doing for my pathetic excuse for a son. Dreams and hopes get you nowhere in life, they only serve to blind you and hold you back."

"That's not true and you know it!" She shot back with authority, but the man in front of her was not phased. He simply gave a deep chuckle, shaking his head as he did.

"Really? Tell me, have you got a career plan? Or are you riding on a worthless fantasy as well? What are your plans for the future?" He stared her down, and Téa looked away briefly to gain her composure before once again meeting his eyes.

"I'm following my heart, and pursuing my dream to become a dancer." She replied firmly though her voice wavered slightly as she did. Atem's father just smiled and laughed loudly.

"HA! As I thought, you're just as blind as my son. Honestly, I can't begin to imagine the shame you must bring upon your parents because of your deluded desires. Tell me now, how long was it before they kicked you out, or did you leave beforehand out of stupidity and stubbornness?"

At that moment, Téa felt her heart wrench and a lump rise in her throat. All those painful memories just came rushing back in one torrential flood. She caught Atem rising in anger to his feet out of the corner of her eye, and he looked ready to batter his father.

"THAT'S ENOUGH! I'M FED UP WITH-" He ceased abruptly, both vocally and physically, at the sight of Téa's hand being held up. She turned her head toward him, meeting him with convicting and determined eyes. She breathed in deeply, her breath shuddering slightly and body trembling fiercely.

"Don't interfere, Atem. He asked me a question and I will be the one answering it. Violence has no place here and will do nothing good now…" She turned her head back toward his father, meeting his eyes once again. "You know what Mr. Mutou, I feel sorry for you."

His eyes flashed in confusion, and he remained silent as Téa continued to speak.

"You must have had such a lonely childhood. The things your father has taught you, all those times he told you that dreams are worth nothing, it must have been so hard to live like that. Having no dreams to work toward, no deep yearnings in your heart to keep forcing you back on your feet when the world knocked you down. All because you were afraid of your father's view of you. Your pride has taken over you!" She saw his eyes flash in anger, and his body tense suddenly.

"If only you knew how wrong you are! I never felt that way-"

"Bullshit." All other members of the room, including Atem, gasped at her boldness, as she continued on still. "I see it all in your eyes. You hide your dreams, your feelings and your heart behind this thick tough guy exterior because it's what you're used to. Never showing your soft side, never being true to yourself or anyone around you including your family, just like you did for your father. But, in all honesty, I understand why. When you're haunted by something that happened in the past, it can change you in many ways. And most of the time, they aren't for the better…" She hung her head slightly, as she recalled the darkest moments in her life. "On the day before I turned eight, my parents and I were in a car crash. Unlike me, they weren't able to escape the car wreck before they exploded. I held both their hands that day, as they were ripped from my life and I was left alone…" She paused, feeling her chest tighten sharply as she resisted the urge to break down. The tears were pushing their way up and out of her eyes, but she breathed deeply and remained firm. "Do you know what the last thing they said was? They told me to always follow my dreams and never give in no matter what, and that they would always be cheering me on, wherever they are…that's what parents are supposed to do. Pick you up when you fall, cheer you on in everything you do, and support you no matter what you do or where you go." She wiped the now streaming tears from her eyes, walking past the huge man in front of her and standing next to Atem, holding his hand firmly in hers. Mr. Mutou's eyes followed her as he turned to face her. "You want to disown your son? I can't stop you, that's your choice. But is it worth it? How far are you prepared to go to get what you desire Mr. Mutou? Is tearing your family apart really worth it?"

Silence descended upon the room. No-one dared to breathe, nor speak a word, as all eyes fell upon Atem's father. His eyes remained locked on Téa's, occasionally shifting to the sight of his shock wife and angered son. Téa met his stare with one of the same sincerity, and for many minutes time seemed to stand still as the silence continued. After what seemed like an eternity, he turned his eyes away, walking past the others to a cabinet across the room. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small key and opened the cabinet to retrieve a small package from it. As he held it, his eyes shot to his sons and he made his way toward him stopping about a meter away. He held the package out toward his son.

"Go on son. Take it." Atem obeyed, gently taking it from his father's grasp. He held it for a moment, staring at it with deep wonder before tearing away the seal and pulling the top of the package open. His eyes flashed in shock, as did Tea's as they saw the contents.

"I've been keeping this aside for you. It will get you into university and whatever is left you can use to put toward a good house for you and your future family." Atem still said nothing, his awe-struck face remaining. His father continued to smile in turn, his eyes turning softer and kinder. "I was wrong, Atem. I never listened to you, and because of that. I became a blind old fool who missed out on many years with his son. Years that could have been spent making memorable moments. I know that this will not heal the mistakes of the past, but perhaps I can be a true father from now on." He hung his head, attempting to hide the tears escaping from his eyes. Atem walked up to him and embraced him firmly as tears fell from his own.

"I never hated you, father. It just hurt that you didn't understand how much my dream meant to me. I see how sorry you are, and I want to leave the past where it belongs as much as you do."

Both smiled at each other with happy tears flooding down their faces. Atem's mother came over to join the two men as they engaged in a family embrace. Téa watched, joy glazing her eyes and a smile plastered on her face.

End of Flashback.

He smiled at the memory, realising how far he and his father had come since their reconciliation. His father had set him on the road to his dream with the university funds, and supported him both with encouragement and belief, and two years later he was the lead archaeologist in the Domino team and had gone on endless trips and exhibitions to discover more of ancient Egypt's intricate past. He had achieved his dream, met someone he adored and loved with his whole heart and made a life for the both of them. He was, at last, content.

He strolled tiredly into the kitchen, placing his case by the door and yawning deeply. As he retrieved a glass of milk and walked into the living room, he quickly noticed something odd.

"Téa? Téa?" She was not sat in her usual place in the sitting room. In fact, as he searched the garden and study, he quickly realised how unusually quiet the house was. No dance music was playing in the garden and there weren't any of the usual hummings he would hear when Téa was doing jobs around the house or doing her essay work for dance academy. He was now starting to get seriously worried. He jogged up the stairs to their room, hoping to find her napping or reading, but was greeted with an empty and silent space. He sat on the bed, as he tried to calm his breathing and think straight.

"Ok, think. Where could she have gone? The market? No, we always do the food shopping together at the weekends. Bookstore? She would've left a note if she went anywhere while I was at work. She always has. I better ring Mrs. Elliott and see if she knows anything."

He reached into his pocket to pull out his phone when something caught his eye. He found himself staring at the mini calendar on Téa's bedside table, the circled date making his eyes go wide, and facepalm himself.

"Oh fuck! Why didn't it occur to me before? I better hurry up and find her!"

He quickly ran down the stairs, grabbing his coat and keys swiftly before heading out the door and hopping in his car. As he pulled out of the drive and headed down the road, he cursed himself mentally for not realising before. Today, the day that neither of them could ever forget, the day that had changed his girlfriend's life forever.

May 27th. Téa's birthday.