The daily routine had come back to her more naturally than she had expected. No one had even noticed she was gone, except for a few ticked off telemarketers. Three weeks had gone by and each day she forgot more of the vampire realm. She went back to having lunch with Yugi on Tuesdays, dinner with Serenity thursdays, hanging out with Tristan and Joey on Saturdays. It was like nothing had changed.

But it had.

Every time she saw a bulletin of the great and glorious Seto Kaiba, her heart broke. It never got easier to see the face of someone she loved, but to know it wasn't really him. She was in love with the vampire, not the human. The price she paid in leaving the vampire realm might have been more than she was willing to bear, but she was dating again, slowly. No one could keep her attention long though, her mind always wandered to places in the past.

When she arrived home Wednesday night with three bags of groceries balanced in one hand, and her keys in the other she pushed opened the door to her apartment without looking. She slammed the door behind her and wandered aimlessly in the dark in search of the table. Her thigh hit it first, and she threw the bags on it and wandered around until she found the light switch. She flicked it to on and turned around.

"My love returns."

She turned her head just enough to see the man sitting on her tan couch. Dressed in black pants, shirtless, with a red jacket over top, sat Marik. A million questions traveled through her mind, she did not bother to ask them, instead she threw open the door and made a dash down the hall, hoping to gain a few seconds head start with the suprise run. She reached the elevator smashing her hand on the button the door immediately opened and she hit the close button repeatedly. And then he was standing outside the elevator doors with his signature sardonic grin looking at her.

"You are quicker than you look."

"But not quick enough?" In her hands she felt her keys.

"Not at all."

Her ears caught the sound of the elevator doors beginning to close, years of experience had taught her that. With a quick toss she threw the keys at Marik, he caught them effortlessly and rolled them in his hand.

"Futile."

"Just a distraction."

He frowned as the doors closed shut.

Tea let out a sigh of relief as the elevator went down floor by floor, it was impossible for him to catch up even if he ran, and he would have to find his way to the staircase. She had just enough time to get to her car in the parking look in B1 from the 19th floor. She could make it, she was positive of that. There was no hesitation as the doors opened to B1, as Tea launched herself into the parking garage. Weaving her way through the clutter of cars, she found hers.

Then she realized she didn't have any keys.

Furious with herself she ran for the ramp leading out to the street. The noise of the city streets drew her, she was almost there and then anything was possible. She burst onto 5th street in Domino City barely missing a pedestrian couple. Raising her hand into the air she hailed a cab. She knew exactly where she had to be, because if there was a vampire on the lose, if that was indeed Marik from the other realm, then there were more important things to worry about.

How did he get here?

How did he find me?

Where is he now?

Who is going to help?

Who is in danger?

What is going on in the other realm?

Is Kaiba okay..

"Shut up!" she whispered to her mind. So many questions, and not enough time to figure out the answers. The taxi stopped and the man turned to her. "Sorry, this lunatic is in the street."

She leaned forward and in the dark night she could make out the shape of Marik. "Bastard..." she whispered. For the first time she noticed an odd necklace around his neck, shining luminously in the darkness. Then Marik moved, in a second he had broken through the windshield, glass shattering into pieces, he tore out the driver's throat and then slowly licked the blood off his hand before crawling towards Tea in the backseat. He grabbed her arm, leaning in close, whispered "Did you really think that I would let you leave?"

Her eyes met his. "You do not need me, so yes, for a few moments, I did."

He stroked her head. "Oh my dear. I do need you, I need your blood, you my dear are the Lady of Dawn."

"No I am not."

With an amused laugh, he stated, "Oh you don't think that the vampire you is the Lady of Dawn do you? Impossible. That wench only gained power because of her connection to you, you are the one with the power. You arrived on the full moon, drawn into our world by your own power. It is stated in the prophecy that on the full moon the Lady of Dawn shall arrive in her glory. The other you gained her power on the full moon, thus creating an illusion that is false. I know this since I have slain your dear 'Lady". I used her blood to create the amulet to arrive in your world. You have been gone over three months, and I can not have you slipping through my blood stained fingers my lover."

"What amulet.."

"You didn't think that your book was the only one did you?" He pulled the green book that she had taken from Lady from beneath his jacket. "Your ignorance is amusing. But I expect as much considering you have spent your life in this pathetic world." His grip on her tightened. "Hold on to me, you'll be doing a lot of it." He whispered a few inaudible words and suddenly she felt a weight crushing against her, her world spiraling away, and the next second she was lying in the sands of the vampire realm, the dark night looking down upon her. Marik stood beside her, his grip tighter than ever. "Not where I expected to land but good enough. Good night my dear."

"What?"

She did not have time to stop the blow sent her way, and soon she was shrouded in an unwanted darkness.