A/N Midnight upload! Why upload this early on a Friday? Because why not?! lol and I felt bad about leaving things the way I did last week XD

"No. NO!" Kaiba yelled as he ran to the car. His heart stopped beating. He felt nothing. Not the wind through his hair, not the chill biting at his face. He was just the embodiment of desperation. Mokuba was frozen, rooted to the spot. He saw his brother move but he registered no sound. He could not even feel Rebecca next to him.

Hearing the commotion, Yugi ran outside followed by the others.

"What's going on?" His eyes went wide when he saw the scene unfolding in front of him. Kaiba saw the millions of tiny glass shards that showered the back seat and hazarded a look behind him at the tall building but saw nothing at all. He ripped the door open as he reached the car, causing the sturdy vehicle to sway.

"Lara?" he was breathless, preparing for the worst but hoping with every fibre of his being that by some miracle she would be okay. He held her shoulder from her bent over form and gently leaned her against the backrest. Her eyes were wide, staring, unseeing. Desperately, he looked her over but found no wound and it was then that he noticed that she was breathing rapidly.

She was dazed but otherwise okay.

He cradled her faced, forcing her to face him. "Lara look at me." His voice gentle but firm. Slowly her eyes, pupils dilated, followed.

"What the fuck," she whispered, still clearly stunned. It was the most joyous three words he had ever heard in his life. Kaiba pulled her against him, hugging her tightly. He never wanted to let go but he had to get her out of the car.

"Can you walk?" he asked softly.

"Yeah," she responded. He helped her out of the vehicle and stood with her on the pavement. "My legs feel like jelly."

"How?" Kaiba looked her over again asking himself more than her.

"I dropped my phone and was trying to reach it but it slid away and then I heard the glass shatter and felt something slam into my seat at the same time. I don't know, I guess I just dove forward."

Mokuba did not even register that his feet were carrying him towards Lara. All he knew was relief. He stood beside her, wordlessly wrapping his arms around her.

"Mokuba, you got her?" Kaiba asked. His relief was quickly turning into a feral rage. Mokuba nodded and Kaiba went to the back door, opening it and leaning in. There it was, buried deep inside the thickest part of the seat, a bullet. He looked from the top of the buildings behind the car to the space where the glass once was and traced an invisible line to the puncture in the leather. No one was ever so grateful for deflection.

He pulled himself out of the car and closed the door behind him.

"We should call the police," Tristan said.

"No." Kaiba would not let anyone near that vehicle, not until he knew where that bullet came from.

"Kaiba, I'm a detective, I have to call this in," Tristan pressed.

"Leave it alone Taylor. I will deal with it." Kaiba looked down at Tristan, daring him to push harder. They had all known Kaiba through his very worst, but he had never struck fear in them like he did in this very moment. He turned his back on the others while he made a call.

"Roland, I want the team here right now. Arrange to have Lara's car taken home and I want all debris cleared from the street. Then get me footage from the city CCTV around the store."

"Yes sir. What radius?"

Kaiba thought about it for a moment. Considering that the seat stopped the bullet he did a quick calculation. "Two kilometers maximum. We only need it from the south end."

"Right away sir."

It was a task he would only give to his most trusted guard. Roland was his right hand, everyone knew it.

"Oh my god Lara, are you okay?" Tea asked while Kaiba spoke to Fuguta. She took Lara's hand in hers hoping it was comforting. The rest of the gang surrounded her, creating a barrier to the world.

"I'm fine." She did feel okay, her legs were stronger but she could feel a headache coming on quickly. A shiver passed through her.

"Are you cold?" Mokuba asked.

"Just a little."

He shrugged off his jacket and draped it around her shoulders before holding her to him once more.

Even though she was just as relieved as everyone else that Lara was fine, Rebecca felt spare and stood aside while everyone reacted in some way.

Kaiba walked back to the group, his face was flushed and eyes dark.

"Could you all get back inside?" he growled in annoyance.

"Ya aint gotta be a jerk, Richboy! We're worried about Lara too," Joey said with clenched fists.

"You are attracting too much attention." A vein was popping in Kaiba's neck and Yugi could hear his voice shake, his control was slipping.

"Kaiba is right guys. Let's go inside." Yugi turned around and made for the store knowing that his friends would not question him. If Kaiba was grateful, he currently had no capacity to show it. He pulled Lara away from his brother and held her firmly against his side. It was nothing against Mokuba; feeling her against him was a reminder that she was okay and it was the only thing preventing him from going on a rampage.

"Fuguta!" he barked, startling everyone, "You're coming with us. Are you armed?"

"Yes sir."

"Get in the car," Kaiba said brusquely to the other two. Mokuba nodded and led his girlfriend to the rear seat, opening the door for her and helping her into the SUV.

"Seto, I'll drive." Mokuba held out his hand for the key which Kaiba handed to him without complaint. Mokuba knew Kaiba would not want to leave Lara's side. It did not matter to him that she was alright.

Fuguta climbed into the front with Mokuba while Kaiba helped Lara into the middle before seating himself. Once everyone was safely in the vehicle, Mokuba started it up and sped off. Lara only just caught a glimpse of Roland before they tore down the street.

After years of preparation from his brother, Mokuba understood exactly what needed to be done right now. They were exposed while on the road and it was up to him to get them safely home as quickly as possible.

It was clear that Fuguta was also on high alert, his eyes never stopped scanning their surroundings.

Kaiba was on edge. He was hyper aware of everything around him and his vice grip around Lara never loosened. Lara could feel his ragged breathing.

She leaned in against his chest and he held her head protectively in the crook of his neck. It may have been a comforting gesture, but Lara was certain he was trying to make sure that she could not be seen from the outside.

"Seto, I'm okay," she whispered to him. He heard her, but said nothing. In the silent car, Mokuba heard her whisper behind him too, he clenched his jaw and gripped the steering wheel tighter.

After a ridiculously short amount of time, they drove down the tree-lined street they called home. The wrought iron gates swung open before they even drove up to it, so that they did not have to stop for even a moment before they parked in the underground garage.

The car barely came to a stop when Kaiba threw open the door.

"Fuguta, I want you in my study in five minutes." He got out of the vehicle before even waiting for a response from the faithful bodyguard, and holding Lara's hand, he led her inside. He said nothing until they were alone in their bedroom with the door closed.

Kaiba sat Lara at the edge of their bed and kneeled before her. He grasped her hand in his, looking up, into her eyes.

"Are you okay?" He asked gruffly, but as she opened her mouth to respond, he cut her off. "Don't tell me what you think I should hear, I want the truth."

"I'm a little shaken, but I'm fine. Really," she said softly. Kaiba scrunched up his face as if that was harder to hear.

"I almost lost you today." His voice was quaking and it was like a stab through her chest. "We were careless. Can you forgive me?"

Lara understood instantly how much of his anger was directed at himself.

She held his face in her hands. "There's nothing to forgive Seto. None of us thought he'd call in a sniper. I'm safe because of you."

"No. You're in danger because of me, you're safe because you dropped your fucking phone," he growled through clenched teeth."

"Don't do this. It's all Yamamoto and his cronies." She searched his blue eyes for the right words to say. "We can't be protected for every second of every day."

"Yes, we can. I should never have let you drive in the first place. I'm failing you." He pulled her hands away from his face looking away.

"Seto Kaiba, you have never failed me. Not for a moment. Hey, look at me." Gently holding his chin, she turned his face towards her. "I am fine. Was it scary, of course it was, but how is this any different to me almost falling off the roof in Germany? Shit happens Seto." She hoped he was hearing what she said but he remained silent.

Lara pressed her forehead against his. "Please don't blame yourself," she whispered. She joined him on the floor and he enveloped her in a tight embrace.

"Don't shut down on me, let me help," she said into his neck, her words muffled.

Kaiba heaved a long sigh. He could not admit it, but the incident shook him to his very core. There was no longer any time to waste waiting.

"Fine," he said gruffly.

"Does this mean we can get off the floor? That's a pretty nice suit you're wrinkling," she joked still holding tightly onto him. Despite himself Kaiba smiled. She heard the little huffed laugh.

"That's better." She pulled away from him and stood up first, offering her hand to him which he took with a shake of the head.

"I want you in the study," he instructed.

"Okay. I'm just going to take a quick shower. I'll be right there."

"Okay." He kissed her head and left the room.

Alone in their bedroom, Lara felt the invading cold as everything that happened settled within her. She refused to fall apart and pushed all that she felt deep down. Right now, there was hell to raise.

Lara showered quickly, changing into something more comfortable before grabbing two cups of coffee from the kitchen. It was there that she found Rebecca sitting alone.

"Hey Beck, why aren't you upstairs with Mokuba?" Lara asked.

"He's busy with Kaiba, I didn't want to intrude."

"I'm sorry, I've ruined your night." Lara joined her at the nook as the cups filled.

"It's not your fault. Things always gets crazy around here," Rebecca said. It was true. She had experienced it herself when she was younger.

"You can say that again." The coffee machine was done and Lara fetched the cups, taking them with her as she left the kitchen. "Don't sit here by yourself, I'm sure Mokuba could really use you by his side."

Lara went up to the study where Kaiba was on the phone. She placed his mug in front of him and listened to the conversation. She knew his tone well. He was clearly still livid.

"Pegasus, I'm through waiting. Either you have something worth my time or I'm going after this scum now and you best stay out of my way."

Lara could not hear what Pegasus was saying on the other end but Kaiba's eyes narrowed.

"We'll be there tomorrow," Kaiba said and hung up tossing his phone onto the table harder than was advisable.

"So tomorrow's the day." Lara took a sip of the hot beverage in her hand and sat down on the couch.

"Yes. I don't trust Pegasus, but he does know how to get information out of people. We have to be careful with him. He's still a snake."

"Yeah. So what's the plan so far?"

"Fuguta already has a team looking through the CCTV footage."

"That was quick."

"This is my city, a Kaiba is attacked and you think it wouldn't be easy for me to get what I need?" It was a rhetorical question of course. There would not be a soul in Domino who would stand against him now.

"I guess. Where's Mokuba?"

"I'm here." Came his voice from behind her and she noticed that Rebecca was with him. Lara smiled at the young woman glad to see that she listened to her.

Fuguta barged in between them, urgently making his way to his terrifying boss.

"Mr Kaiba we found him. He was over a kilometer away on the tallest building, but the area is too dark to get facial recognition to work."

"Let me see." Kaiba accessed the video file after Fuguta told him where it had been saved and just as he said, the person was entirely bathed in shadow. "Well then expand your search. He had to have come from somewhere. Follow his movements from before and after, he's bound to turn up."

"There might be an easier way to do that Kaiba." Rebecca stepped forward and expected Kaiba to hand his laptop over but it was clear that would not happen, instead, Mokuba gave her his and she set to work. "This shouldn't take too long," she said confidently. It was then that Kaiba's phone rang.

"Roland," Kaiba answered.

"Mr Kaiba, the car is here and we've removed the projectile."

"I'll be right down." Kaiba grasped Lara's hand as he passed by, tugging her along with him. He was not about to let her out of his sight. Not this night.

They went down to the garage and under the stark white light, stood Lara's gleaming black Audi. Now that it was close and the area was so bright, she could clearly see the damage. She let go of Kaiba's hand and walked towards the vehicle, her legs moving of their own accord. She circled round the back and saw the tiny glass shards that covered the black shelf and back seats like sharp, jagged, grey tinged snow. She could see the hole punctured in the back of the driver's seat and she was enormously grateful for the thickness of those seats.

Lara could not help feeling sad as she took in all the damage. Driving this car was one of her favourite things in the world and she had a lot of memories, both good and bad, tied to it. With a depressed sigh, she rejoined Kaiba who was examining the projectile that was removed from the seat.

"Hmm." Was all he said. It always amazed Lara how something so small could be so fatal. It was at that moment that Rebecca rushed in holding the laptop.

"I have him."

"What?!" Kaiba handed the clear bag to Roland and took the laptop from her. Roland looked at the screen from beside his boss, on it was a man whose face was clearly seen with a rifle in his hand.

"Sir, that rifle..."

"Yes, I see it," Kaiba snapped.

"What about it Seto?" Mokuba asked.

"It has a maximum effective range of a thousand meters," Kaiba replied. "And our stepfather used to manufacture them."

"What? But how?"

"We destroyed the factory, Mokuba, but what was out in the world already couldn't be destroyed."

"It would be impossible to track down every military vehicle or weapon. There are probably thousands of secret weapons caches around the world," Lara said.

"The fact that this was used means that the shooter is obviously inexperienced," Rebecca added.

"Or really bad at math." Mokuba shrugged. Everyone looked at him. "What? It's true."

"Either way, we were lucky. We might not be again," Kaiba growled.

"I think this is a clue," Mokuba said.

"I do too," Kaiba agreed.

"So what do we know?" Lara asked.

Kaiba paced around the garage. "We'll soon know who the shooter is, Kid..."

"On it, Kaiba." Rebecca took the laptop and went back into the house.

"We know about Yamamoto and Fukuhara and we know who the hacker is. Tomorrow we'll find out what Pegasus is so keen to tell us. We'll deal with Yamamoto and Fukuhara last. Roland, make sure the chinook is on standby. I don't anticipate that Pegasus will be much of a threat but should anything should go wrong, I want the team to descend on that island."

"Yes, Mr Kaiba."

Everyone dispersed leaving Mokuba alone with Lara and Kaiba.

"I should go with you guys tomorrow," Mokuba said.

"Absolutely not!" Lara and Kaiba exclaimed in unison.

"Guys, Pegasus never expects one of us without the other."

"That's not the point. We don't know what he's going to tell us. It could be nothing or the worst could happen."

"Lara's right, and if it does come to that, I would rather not compromise your innocence," Kaiba said with finality.

"Seto I could help you," Mokuba insisted.

"Yes, you could, but you and Rebecca will remain here."

Lara's phone rang interrupting them, she stepped away and answered it while the brothers continued arguing.

"Hi Lara." It was Yugi.

"Hey."

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Thanks Yug. I'm fine really. This isn't something unexpected," she said evenly.

"But it's getting out of control. You were almost killed."

"Almost. They haven't succeeded yet. Believe me, we got this. We all just need to keep this quiet. And I mean all of us."

"Don't worry, Tristan isn't going to say anything." Yugi assured her.

"Good. I promise I will tell you everything when I can."

"Okay. Just be careful. All of you."

"We will be. Bye Yugi." Lara hung up and returned to Kaiba's side. He was still adamant that Mokuba would not join him and Lara. She agreed with him wholeheartedly.

"Mokes, you and Rebecca are more useful here, and if we need something done, we'd waste valuable time if she had to find a way to bypass every security protocol we have. You're the only one with the skills to manage everything here and help us remotely. We need you here." It was the final word on the matter and Mokuba reluctantly agreed.

Lara spent the hours that followed with Kaiba but she made time to chat to Rebecca. She went down to the kitchen and found her leant against the counter, liplocked with Mokuba. Not one to miss an opportunity, Lara smirked.

"Guys get a room."

They hastily broke apart with Rebecca's face burning red.

"Lara, didn't see you there." She looked at her feet awkwardly.

"Relax. She's just doing it to me because I do it to her and Seto," Mokuba said. There was no sign of a blush from him, he was incapable of shame.

"Guilty." Lara chuckled. "I just wanted to talk to Beck."

It was important to Lara that she knew she did not have to be a part of all the madness. Lara assured her that no one would blame her for leaving but she insisted that she would help in whatever way she could. It was clear how much Mokuba meant to her.

Lara went to her bedroom after her chat with Rebecca and found Kaiba working in bed. His hair was still damp from his shower and he was shirtless, wearing only a pair of pyjama bottoms.

"Seto, you've been at it for hours. We've already put plans into motion for the hacker, we know the identity of the shooter thanks to Rebecca. We're ready," Lara said as she sat astride his legs.

"I need to know what Gozaburo's connection is to this. Every time I think we're free of him, he finds a way to come back. I'm sick of it," Kaiba confessed to Lara in the privacy of their room.

"He's a ghost that haunts you still, Seto. That stuff doesn't just go away with time."

Kaiba rubbed the scar on his neck as he often unconsciously did whenever his stepfather was mentioned.

"Well it's time he was exorcised."

"And I will help you but this," she gestured to the laptop on his thighs, "this isn't helping. It's putting you on edge. There is a difference between preparing and obsessing," she said gently.

"I don't care. I'll do whatever it takes."

Lara sighed. If it was not for the incident earlier, Kaiba would be a lot more balanced about his vengeance. They were flying to Pegasus's island in a few short hours and they both had to be sharp. She had to divert his attention somehow. The problem was that there were not many things that could pull him away once he was focussed.

Lara moved off him and cuddled up to his side, using her tall frame to lightly kiss his neck and graze her teeth along his earlobe.

"Lara." His fingers hovered above the keyboard.

"Seto," she crooned, kissing his jaw.

"What are you doing?" he deadpanned.

"I would have thought it's obvious." She smirked.

He sighed exasperatedly. "You had a traumatic experience earlier, you're not yourself."

"Of course I am." She ran her hand down his chest, over his taut, rippling belly and under the waistband of his pants. He caught her wrist stopping her movements.

"You're being distracting," he said firmly.

She chuckled. "That is the point." She took his laptop away from him which was open to a fact file on the shooter that stated he was dead, and deposited it on her nightstand. Kaiba pinched the bridge of his nose, he was still seething, but would never take out his anger on her and she knew that.

"Don't you like the attention?" she pouted.

"Of course I do."

"Then shut up, and enjoy it." She kissed him and instantly his arms closed around her turning it into a hard, teeth clashing, soul consuming, searing kiss.

There was so much hidden behind that kiss, she could sense the fear but Lara was determined to bring Kaiba back to her.

She pulled away from his arms trailing kisses down his chest. She held his waistband and tugged his pants off him, tossing them to the floor. Kaiba watched her with a darkened gaze as she settled between his legs, wrapping her fingers around his growing hardness. She lowered her lips to his tip, never taking her eyes off him.

His heart rate accelerated in anticipation. There was a wicked gleam in her eyes as she slowly licked his length. Lara wrapped her lips around him sucking hard and Kaiba threw his head back as an uncontrollable moan escaped him. More than just a little proud of herself, she worked his length with her hands and mouth, swirling her tongue around his tip.

He let out a harsh breath and she looked up at him through her lashes. He was magnificent to behold with his head back and eyes closed. He swallowed thickly as she had her way with him.

She could taste his saltiness and the more she got into it, the more his hips began to flex. Lara felt his fingers comb through her hair, gently fisting it in his hand as his hips continued to buck.

She clamped down on him teasing his most sensitive spots with her tongue drawing groans that could not be muffled.

Over and over she tortured him with her mouth in the most exquisite way.

"Lara." He breathed heavily, erratically, and she knew what was coming. She drew him in as deep as she could take his smooth length and sucked hard while running her hand up and down his shaft. His body tensed violently and with a deep throaty groan, he stilled. Lara swallowed quickly, sucking him off until he was completely spent. His breathing was ragged and his eyes were still closed. She bit her lip watching him as he ran his fingers through his hair. When he finally opened his eyes they were molten.

"What am I going to do with you?" His voice was low, sticking in his throat.

"Hopefully, everything," she said with a crooked grin. Kaiba pulled her to him and deeply kissed her sinful mouth.

The next day began early with everyone doing last-minute preparations in some way. Roland and Fuguta were briefing the security teams, Kaiba and Lara were putting the final touches on their plans for retribution which Mokuba eagerly listened to.

Pegasus only expected them in the afternoon so it also left a lot of time to overthink.

"If something goes wrong, I want you two to take Fuguta, get Yugi and go to the safe house," Lara instructed.

"Why Yugi?" Rebecca asked.

"Because right now, he's the only real family of the Kaibas. Just a precaution."

"Got it Lara. Keep in touch with us."

She pointed to the KC pin on the lapel of her jacket.

"You know what to do Mokuba," Kaiba said once they were ready to leave.

"I do." He hugged his brother, not really wanting to let go at all but he knew he had to. Kaiba gave him one last look before turning around and striding towards the large white helicopter on the grounds.

"Be safe Mokie." Lara embraced him tightly.

"You too," he whispered.

She followed Kaiba out and climbed into the chopper just as he did, pulling the door closed once she was safely inside.

"Are you ready for this?" Kaiba asked Lara.

"Yes. It's time to put an end to the madness." There was no hint of hesitation in her voice. Kaiba nodded, enormously proud of the woman that sat beside him. They strapped themselves in and placed the headset over their ears.

Kaiba did various checks and flipped a flurry of switches. The rotors above them began to move, quickly creating a deafening roar. With a final look towards his home and his brother, Kaiba grasped the joystick. The chopper rose into the air and Lara and Kaiba made for Duelist Kingdom to see the person he trusted least.