Chapter 37

Surprise

Author's note: just to not get in trouble, I should remind everyone that I don't own anything YuGiOh. I just own my characters and Dark Mage of the Sea owns hers.

When a sentence is ~like this~, it's phoenix speech.

Thank you, Dark Mage of the Sea, my coauthor and best friend.

One day, Tiki was shopping with Kaiba for a new dress. Kaiba was taking her to her first KaibaCorp party to celebrate Thanksgiving. She was looking at the black dresses but her eye kept going to a white dress across the aisle. Turning her head back, she asked, "So what are they like…the people who will be there tonight?"

Kaiba scoffed. "Full of money and themselves."

Tiki grinned and teased, "So like the old you?"

Knowing she was teasing, Kaiba decided to have a little fun. So he smirked and looked away. "Keep that attitude up, I won't buy you a dress."

Like him, Tiki knew he was teasing but wanted some fun as well. Running up to him, she playfully slapped his chest like a toddler and whined in a cute manner "meanie" repeatedly. Kaiba ignored her but was smirking in amusement. After a minute, however, he gently pushed her away and left. She let out a little whine but quieted herself when she saw he was talking someone she recognized as a coworker. She returned to the black dress. But she looked at the white dress and found herself going towards it. She reached out for it but paused. 'I shouldn't…it's a black tie affair. But…it's calling to me. Compared to the black dresses, this dress is a vision…so…'

~So why not get it?~

Tiki smiled and looked at the nearby window. Seeing Itami in a tree, she sighed and opened her mind a little more for the phoenix. 'Because it's a black-tie affair. It needs to be black and…'

She stopped when she felt a wave of amusement. ~Tiki, take it from the Phoenix of Darkness: black is not your color. Besides…isn't black-tie just a fancy term for a formal event?~

Tiki sighed a little and whispered, "Yeah…I guess…"

~So go for it.~

Taking a deep breath, Tiki took the dress off the rack. Remembering she had Kaiba's card, she called out, "Seto, I'm going to the fitting room."

Kaiba continued to talk to his coworker but waved at her in acknowledgment. Tiki went to the fitting room and came out a few minutes later, smiling from ear to ear. Once she paid for it and had the dress put in a dress bag, she went back to Kaiba, who had finished talking to the coworker. "Did you find a dress?" Tiki nodded and held up the dress bag. "So what kind—?"

Tiki shook her head. "No, no, no! No peeking!"

Kaiba raised his eyebrow but let it be. As they headed out to the limo, though, he kept looking at the bag. Swooping down to them, Itami had a mischievous glint in her eyes. ~I know what kind of dress Tiki got! But I'm not telling!~

Kaiba glared. "You're a brat."

Tiki giggled. "You'll just have to wait." Seeing how annoyed he looked, she changed the subject. "Remind me why Mokuba isn't coming?"

Kaiba smirked. "He doesn't want to."

Tiki and Itami laughed.

Dressed in a dark grey suit and blue shirt, Kaiba was currently tying his tie and grumbling. "I hate this thing."

Itami looked up from her water dish. ~I don't see why. You look really good in it.~

Kaiba smirked at the compliment. "Be that as it may, these stupid things are too restrictive."

Itami ruffled her feathers, as if shrugging. ~Well, I'm sure Tiki will find you very handsome.~

Kaiba said nothing as he finished the tie. 'As long as I see the dress. She's gone out of her way to hide it, even dressing in the other closet.'

Just then, as if on cue, there was a knock on the door. Kaiba opened it and had his breath taken away. Tiki was wearing a floor-length white dress. It was simple and column-shaped with a ribbon-like strip across her wait. But it was her sleeves that stood out the most: they were silver-chains. For her hair and makeup, she asked Kelsey for help. Her makeup was simple and shimmery; her hair was wavy with six braids going down her head and meeting together in the back. Putting her hands on her hips, she asked, "What do you think?"

Kaiba opened her mouth a couple times but no sound came out. Itami made chirping noises that sounded like giggling. ~He's speechless! I think you stole his voice.~

Tiki giggled as Kaiba glared at the phoenix. "Another word from you, I'll make sure the chefs serve you for tonight's dinner."

Itami's eyes sparkled like a smirk. ~You know you love me too much for that. Plus, I'm a good conversation starter.~

Rolling his eyes, Kaiba looked back at Tiki. "You look absolutely stunning."

Tiki giggled. "Thank you."

In the limo, Tiki kept fidgeting with her sleeve chains. Noticing, Kaiba told her, "You'll do fine."

Tiki looked at him. "You're sure? I'm about to interact with blue-bloods. They'll clearly think I'm an outsider."

Kaiba took her hand. "You'll do fine if you're with me."

Tiki smiled softly as they arrived. Looking out the window, she swallowed, seeing it was a very fancy hotel. Gathering her nerves, she got out with Kaiba and headed inside to the grand ballroom. Taking a peek inside, she saw a live orchestra, servers walking around with hors d'oeuvres and drinks, and a lot of people dressed to the nine's. For a moment, she hesitated. 'This is way beyond my level…'

She subconsciously tightened her grip on Kaiba's arm, making him look at her. "Don't be nervous. You'll be fine."

Itami looked at her from Kaiba's shoulder. ~He's right, Tiki. So just enjoy yourself.~

Tiki took a deep breath. "Easier said than done…"

Kaiba smirked and kissed her temple. At that moment, Itami flew into the ballroom in a graceful way, earning the attention and awe of the guests. When she landed on the chandelier, the guests looked and saw Kaiba and Tiki walking in and gave a short round of applause. Kaiba smirked with pride; Tiki took a deep breath and held her head up. As nervous as she was, she put on the persona of a proper lady, as if she was on stage. Most of the party, she stayed by Kaiba's side, listening to conversations and enjoying the scenery. Peeking up at Itami, she wondered, 'She looks so natural. How does she do it?'

She went for another sip but found the glass was empty. Excusing herself, she gave her empty glass to a server and, seeing the other servers did not have any more full glasses, went to the bar. After she ordered, she noticed three women eyeing her suspiciously. One woman whispered loud enough for Tiki to hear, "Who is this child?"

Her friend shook her head. "I don't know. She's hanging around Mr. Kaiba like a lost kitten."

The third woman suggested, "You think she's involved with the president of KaibaCorp?"

The first woman gave an airy laugh. "One of the most powerful men in the world involved with a child?"

Tiki's neck bristled. Her first instinct was to cry. But, before a tear could form, another idea formed in her mind, making her smirk. Getting her full glass, she turned back to the women and smiled. "I love your dresses, ladies."

The second woman smirked and lifted her nose. "Good to know you have some taste."

The third woman looked at Tiki and hesitantly said, "We like…your dress too."

The first woman smirked and said a low voice, "Even if it's from the junior's department."

Tiki tensed up at the insult. But she kept smiling. "Well, thank you, ladies. I must say, there are plenty of benefits of looking young. For one thing…I don't have to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars of my husband's hard-earned money to recapture a youth that I will never have again."

Her smile turned sweet at their insulted looks. Before they could respond, Itami flew down to Tiki's shoulder and nuzzled her head. ~Well done, Tiki. Looks like you're taking sass lessons from my Guardian.~

Tiki giggled and scratched the phoenix's head. "Thank you, Itami."

The phoenix cooed happily. The three women scowled, jealous that Kaiba's exotic bird was interacting with just Tiki. Taking her glass, Tiki went back to Kaiba, who was smirking. She looked up at him and asked, "What's with the smirk?"

Kaiba peeked at the three women before looking back at his girlfriend. "Mm…just enjoying the perfect insult you gave those cougars."

Tiki giggled and slightly blushed. "You like that?"

Kaiba nodded. "I'm proud of you. The Tiki I first met would have just cried at what those cougars said."

Tiki agreed. "That's not me anymore. I have you and Tima to thank."

Itami's sparkling eyes turned to Tiki. ~Especially Seto. I ever much doubt Tima would have thought of such an insult.~

Tiki smiled and took a sip. Kaiba gave her a private smile. "Enjoying yourself?"

She nodded. "Yes. At first, I felt like a fish out of water. But now…everything is falling into place."

Itami ruffled her feathers. ~And, if any more cougars keep sneering at you, trying to bare their claws, I'll make sure they leave you alone.~

Kaiba smirked in amusement. "As much fun as that sounds, Itami, you have to behave yourself."

Itami gave a mock-disappointed look before moving to Kaiba's shoulder. Tiki smiled some more. Just then, the orchestra started playing a slow song and the guests started to pair up to dance. She tuned to Kaiba to suggest they dance, only to see him offer his hand to her. "Would the lady care to dance?"

As Itami flew up to the chandelier, Tiki blushed and took his hand. "I would love that."

Kaiba gave her a small smile and led her to the dance floor. As they danced, Kaiba smirked at her nervousness. "You're involved in musicals with a lot of dancing and, yet, you're nervous."

Tiki blushed. "Don't tease me. I'm not used to pair dancing."

Kaiba smirked as they continued to dance. As they did, Tiki noticed a few ladies looking very jealous. Deciding to not care, she looked up at the man she loved. "I'm very happy to be with you, Seto."

Kaiba looked down at her. "I should be the one saying that to you."

Tiki smiled and laid her head on his chest. Kaiba enjoyed this, especially with all the women looking jealous.

Hours later, the party came to an end and everyone headed home. In the limo, Tiki was laying her head on Kaiba's lap. Kaiba smirked and stroked her hair. "Tired?"

Tiki smiled up at him. "It was a fun night."

Kaiba agreed and stroked her hair all the way back to the penthouse. Entering, they immediately noticed that Mokuba left a mess in the living room. Kaiba sighed in annoyance. "That kid…"

Tiki giggled. "Don't worry about it, Seto. Let's go to bed."

Itami's eye started to glint. ~Just don't be too loud, you two.~

Tiki blushed deeply as Kaiba glared. He tried to swipe her off his shoulder but Itami dodged and flew to her favorite tree stand. As she flew, she "called out," ~Good night, though I think you'll be up all night!~

Kaiba growled. "One of these days…I'm going to get her."

Tiki giggled and took Kaiba's hand. "Now, now, Seto…let's not get violent."

Kaiba turned to her and saw the seducing look on her face. He smirked and followed her upstairs.

The next morning, Tiki woke up to the sun coming into the bedroom. Moaning softly, she stretched her back and arms. She turned to see she was alone. Looking up, she saw Kaiba wearing pants and talking on his cell phone on their terrace. Smiling, she went to the bathroom and wrapped herself up in her bathrobe. Looking at herself in the mirror, she smiled when she thought about last night. "Mm…a really good night."

She came back and found Kaiba packing. He looked furious. She asked, "What is it?"

Kaiba growled, "They need me back in Japan. There's a work emergency."

Tiki gave a cute whine and wrapped her arms around Kaiba's waist. Feeling this, he smirked and looked back at her. "Tiki…"

Tiki pouted and shook her head. "Mine. No one else can have you."

Kaiba smirked. As childish as she was acting, he was enjoying it. He turned in the hug and gave her a passionate kiss. The kiss lasted for a minute until he pulled back and pressed his forehead to hers. "It's not going to be long…a month tops."

Tiki pulled back in surprise. "A month?"

Kaiba sighed and nodded. "There's a lot of problems with the opening of the Duel Academy." He pulled her deeper in the hug. "But, the moment everything is taken care of, I'll be coming straight back."

Tiki smiled softly. "You promise?"

Kaiba nodded. "I promise. Besides…" he smirked, "…Itami will drag me back if I stay too long."

~Damn straight I will!~

Kaiba glared and Tiki giggled as Itami flew into the room and perched on the bed. "Do you mind?"

Itami's eyes sparkled at him. ~Not at all. I'm just here to tell you the limo and Mokuba are waiting.~

Tiki blinked in surprise. "Wait, Mokuba's going too?"

Putting on a shirt, Kaiba stated, "He insisted on helping me." He kissed Tiki's forehead. "As long as she doesn't make a mess, you can let Merina sleep over."

Tiki giggled. "Okay. Just come back soon."

Almost a month after Kaiba left for Japan, Tiki woke up feeling sick. She moaned and curled up. She tried to simmer herself down but felt her stomach churning even more. She quickly made it to the bathroom and got sick. Coughing, she groaned and contemplated laying down on the cool bathroom floor. But Kelsey found her. "Tiki, are you okay?"

Tiki took a deep breath and nodded. "Yeah…yeah. Can you…ask Brent to make me some toast?"

Kelsey hesitated. "Tiki, with all due respect, you need to see a doctor."

Before Tiki could say anything, she threw up again. Rubbing her back to soothe her, Kelsey pulled out her phone and made Tiki an appointment with a doctor.

A couple hours later, Tiki went to the doctor's. The limo driver asked, "Do you want me to accompany you, miss?"

Tiki shook her head. "No, that's okay, Nick. You can wait in the car."

Nick nodded and parked. Tiki went inside and came back about 45 minutes later. She looked stunned and slightly pale. Nick looked at her through the rearview mirror. "Are you okay, miss?"

Tiki took a moment to answer, spaced out. Nick cleared his throat loudly, snapping her out of her trance. "I'm…I'm sorry, Nick. I'm okay. So…let's go home."

Nick nodded and took her back to the penthouse. Tiki remained in a trance; she did not even notice she was back in the penthouse until she found herself sitting on the couch. She sighed and leaned back against the cushions. She was stunned, happy, and afraid by what the doctor told her. Slowly getting her cell phone, she dialed a number and waited for the person to answer. "Hey, Tiki! What's up?"

Tiki took a deep breath. "Merina…can you come over?"

Merina paused for a second before saying, "I'll be right over!"

Tiki nodded and hung up. Her emotions continued to mix and swirl inside her. Not sure what to do, she stayed still on the couch. 15 minutes later, there was a rushed knocking on the front door, snapping her out of her trance. Getting up, she went to the door and found Merina on the other side, with Torru on her shoulder and a helmet under her arm. Tiki stared at the helmet as Merina went in and explained, "Cindy let me borrow her motorbike. It's much faster that way. So what happened—?"

Before she could finish, however, Torru looked at Tiki's stomach as she closed the door and gave a squawk of surprise. ~Oh dear gods…~

The girls looked at Torru. Merina asked, "What's up, Torru?"

Torru looked at the brunette. ~Tiki, tell me you're not actually—~

Tiki figured it out and quickly yelped, "Torru!" He flinched and she took a deep breath. "I…I want to reveal it."

Torru nodded and went quiet. Still confused, Merina looked at Tiki. The brunette lowered his eyes slightly and tenderly touched her stomach. Merina's eyes widened. "You mean…?"

Tiki nodded. "Yeah…I'm pregnant."

Merina covered her mouth in shock. After a minute, she asked, "How…?"

Tiki sighed and ran her hands through her hair. "I don't know…I don't know. I mean…I have the pill and…" she then realized, "…oh…the champagne and…I took my pill…at a different time…"

Merina focused on one part of her friend's realization. "You drank while on the pill?"

Tiki blushed and looked away. "Y-Yeah."

Merina sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Tiki, what were you thinking?"

Tiki started to shake and tears started to form. "I wasn't…that is…I was happy…to be with Seto…and wanted…to fit in…with that crowd…"

Remembering that pregnancy hormones make the women more emotional, Merina hugged Tiki close. "It'll be okay, Tiki. Okay?"

Tiki nodded and sniffled. Her head then snapped up. "Merina…Seto's coming back tomorrow…what am I going to do?"

Merina pulled back and looked at her friend. "First off, let's calm down and then we'll talk about that."

Tiki nodded and tried to calm down. Because of her hormones, however, she was fighting a losing battle. Seeing this, Merina took her back to the couch and turned on the TV. Remembering from her visits, she turned to the Stage and Screen music channel. Hearing the song, Tiki started to calm down and smiled at her friend. "Thanks, Merina…"

Merina smiled and sat down on the couch with her. "Of course. I know you well, Tiki."

Tiki nodded and listened to the music. When the song started the dance portion, Merina looked at Tiki. "You know you have to tell him. This is something you can't keep in the dark. Besides, knowing Kaiba, he'll figure it out pretty quickly."

From Itami's tree stand, Torru agreed. ~Especially with Itami seeing what I saw.~

That got Tiki's attention. "How did you figure it out?"

Torru tilted his head a little. ~Phoenixes can see souls in people's bodies. I saw the second soul in your belly.~

Blushing a little, Tiki covered her stomach, though she knew that would do nothing. Turning back to Merina, she said, "I know I have to tell him…but…Seto and I have yet to talk about having children. I mean, we haven't even talked about marriage yet." Her hormones made her start to worry. "What if he doesn't want a child? What if…?"

Merina made a little laugh. "What are you talking about, Tiki? Have you already forgotten that Kaiba has a soft spot for kids?"

Tiki raised her eyebrow. "What?"

Merina smirked and gently tapped Tiki's head. "Turn your brain back on, silly. This is Kaiba we're talking about, a man who took a military company and made it into a gaming company to benefit less fortunate kids."

Tiki thought for a moment and nodded. She took a deep breath and asked, "Can you stay the night, Merina?"

Merina nodded and hugged her friend. "Of course. Let me just call Cindy."

Tiki nodded as Merina got up and called her roommate. Laying back, the brunette's eyes lowered to her stomach and she gently touched it. "A child…Seto's child…my child…"

The last two words she uttered made her even happier. After learning about her irregularity, she started to believe she would not have a chance of becoming a mother. A couple of tears escaped her eyes as she whispered, "Thank you, God…"

She sniffled and wiped her eyes. Hanging up, Merina turned and saw Tiki wipe her eyes. Smiling softly, the blonde hugged her. "It's okay, Tiki. Things will be okay."

Tiki nodded and hugged her back. "Thanks Merina. I'm glad you're here for me."

Merina grinned and winked. "Of course! You're like a sister to me. You're almost as special to me as your brother is."

Tiki giggled and was about to tease Merina when she thought of something. "Oh…I'll have to tell Yugi as well. So far, you're the only one who knows."

"The sooner, the better."

"I'll tell him after I tell Seto."

Merina accepted it. She then looked at Tiki. "You're looking a little pale. Maybe we should get you some food into you."

Tiki sighed. "I just…had some toast this morning before my appointment. But…" she groaned a little, "…it has to be something bland."

Merina went into the kitchen and looked in the pantry. "Ooh, good. You got noodle soup. I'll heat up a couple bowls."

Tiki nodded and turned on a movie to pass the time. When Merina came out with two bowls of soup and some crackers, the brunette looked up. "I hope I don't throw this up."

Merina smiled sympathetically.

The next morning, Kaiba, Itami, and Mokuba were in their plane, almost at New York. Kaiba was looking out the window but got distracted by Mokuba's grins. "What?"

Mokuba asked, "When are you going to do it?"

Kaiba smirked and pulled out a ring box to look at the ring. It was a 10 carat blue diamond in the shape of a heart; one side of the heart and one of the bands were decorated with smaller diamonds. "I'll take her to dinner tonight…and ask her to marry me."

Itami's eyes sparkled, as if smiling. ~And about time! You two have been together for quite some time!~

Kaiba glared at her. "Shouldn't you be getting some rest?"

Itami puffed her chest up, as if mimicking Kaiba. Mokuba laughed. "You two are so funny."

Kaiba turned his glare to his brother. "You're not helping."

Itami's eyes glinted, as if smirking; Mokuba grinned.

Once landed, they came out of the airport and found Tiki waiting against the limo, dressed in a simple blue sun-dress. She smiled. "Welcome back, you three."

Mokuba smiled and hugged Tiki, making her giggle. "You missed me?"

Mokuba nodded. "Of course!"

Itami looked at Tiki and her eyes lowered down to her stomach. Catching the phoenix's eye, she gave Itami a private message: 'Let me be the one to tell him.'

Itami gave a subtle nod as Kaiba wrapped his arms around her and kissed her deeply. Tiki smiled in the kiss. "I missed you, Seto."

Kaiba smirked. "I missed you too." Once they were in the limo, he could feel the ring box in his pocket. "I have a few things to do in the New York branch but then I want to take you out to dinner."

Tiki smiled. "Okay." She thought to herself, 'I'll tell him then.'

That night, Kaiba and Tiki arrived at a very fancy restaurant. Dressed in a suit, he smirked at Tiki's one shoulder magenta dress. "You look beautiful tonight."

Tiki blushed as they sat at a table. "Thank you."

As the waiter came up with the wine menu, Tiki almost touched her stomach. When Kaiba went to order, Tiki spoke up first. "No wine for me tonight, Seto." Kaiba looked at her so she gave a half-truth: "My stomach was a little queasy this morning. Maybe I got too excited to see you again."

Kaiba looked at her for a moment before accepting. He knew she had a history of getting a little sick to her stomach whenever she was extra excited or nervous for something. As he ordered wine for himself, Tiki gave a mental sigh. 'I'm glad he bought that…though I am nervous about telling him…'

"Tiki, are you all right?"

Looking up, Tiki nodded. "Yes. I'm just happy you're back, Seto. I really missed you and…"

Kaiba reached over and touched her hand. "I missed you too." He smirked. "You have no idea how much I hated sleeping alone."

Tiki giggled. Before she could say anything, the waiter came back with Kaiba's wine and to take their orders. Kaiba made his steak order but paused when he heard Tiki order plain chicken, rice, and vegetables. Once they were alone again, he asked, "Are you getting sick, my star?"

Tiki blinked and shook her head. "No, why?"

"You're not one to order plain food when we come to places like this."

Tiki knew he was right: she loved to experiment with different dishes to expand her palate. But she did not want to risk getting sick, especially in the restaurant. Seeing him waiting for an answer, she took a deep breath. "Seto…there's something I have to tell you."

Kaiba gave her his full attention. "What is it?" She hesitated, clearly nervous. "Tell me."

Tiki bit her lower lip. "It's…I…"

Kaiba picked up his wine glass. "My star, you shouldn't feel nervous about telling me anything. So tell me."

Tiki took a sip of her water first before looking at her fidgeting fingers. She took a deep breath and said, "I'm pregnant."

The next thing she heard was Kaiba's wine glass dropping to the floor and shattering. Tiki quickly looked up and saw the look of shock on Kaiba's face. It was the same shocked look he had when he realized he could read the hieratic text on the Winged Dragon of Ra card. Tiki tried to get his attention while the waiter quickly came over to clean up the mess. He only snapped out of it when he heard Itami "yelling" from outside, ~Congratulations, Seto. You knocked her up!~

Kaiba flinched at her mental scream and was about to mentally shout at her when he saw how worried Tiki looked. "Seto…"

Seeing her look, Kaiba took a moment to calm his racing mind down and digest what Tiki just told him. "You're…you're pregnant…?" Tiki nodded. "You're sure?"

Tiki nodded again. "Went to the doctor yesterday: he confirmed it."

Seeing the waiter giving him a new glass of wine, he reached for it, not realizing his hand was shaking. Tiki did notice and took his hand. "Are you all right?"

Kaiba squeezed her hand. "Y-Yes…it's just…this is…very shocking…"

Tiki went quiet and lowered her head. Seeing this, Kaiba's hand stopped shaking. "Tiki…"

Tiki spoke up, "Seto…I know we haven't talked about children…or even moving to the next step of this relationship but…" she looked up, revealing tears in her eyes, "…I'm scared. I know this is a wonderful blessing but…I'm afraid about us. I know…this may be hard but…I really want to keep the baby but I don't want to disappoint you and…"

Kaiba's eyes slightly widened. 'Does she really think I wouldn't want the baby? How dare she think that…'

~Seto, back off. You know pregnancy hormones mess with people's emotions.~

Kaiba mentally hissed, 'Stay out of this, Itami.'

Getting up, he went over to Tiki and hugged him in a tight embrace. Because of her hormones, Tiki clung to him and cried quietly. Hearing this, he rubbed her back. "It's okay, Tiki…there's no need to cry…"

Tiki tried her hardest to calm down but her hormones were making it difficult. The waiter tried to come over to check on them but Kaiba silently told him to let them have their privacy. Once Tiki was calm enough, he kissed her gently. "Don't cry…there's nothing to be upset about."

Tiki looked up. "You mean…?"

Kaiba went back to his chair. "This is shocking news…but it is not bad news." Tiki smiled as he thought of something. "But I have to know: you're on birth control so how did you become pregnant?"

Tiki wiped her eyes and chuckled a little. "Remember the party we went to…and the champagne I had? Alcohol and the pill don't mix. That and I took the pill at a different time than scheduled. Birth control is effective but it's not perfect."

Kaiba thought about it and accepted it. But there was a little thorn forming in his mind: 'This child is mine…right? I was gone a month…'

While he was taught where babies came from, he was never taught how long fertilization and conception took. Because of that, he wondered if something happened while he was away. Feeling Tiki's hand on his, he kissed it. She smiled at that. "Thank you, Seto."

Kaiba nodded. "You and I can get through this, my star."

Tiki smiled some more. As the food arrived, Kaiba thought about something for a moment before nodding his head. "You know, Tiki…this is the exact push I needed."

Tiki looked up, confused. "What do you mean, Seto?"

Instead of verbally answering, Kaiba got up and went to her. She watched him, still confused, until he got down on one knee and pulled out a ring box from his pocket. Her eyes widened. "Seto…"

Kaiba locked eyes with her. "Tiki…ever since I met you, you've had a tremendous impact on me and my life. Were it not for you loving me and bringing me back to the light, I would have continued to be…the way I was. You made me the man I am today. So…Mutou Tiki…" he revealed the ring, "…will you marry me?"

Tiki covered her mouth as more tears formed. But she did nod. "Yes…yes."

Giving a small smile, Kaiba put the ring on her finger and kissed her deeply. In the kiss, Tiki gave a little gasp: Kaiba was touching her stomach gently. "Seto…"

Kaiba softly told her, "Thank you…for this gift."

Hearing that, Tiki became even happier than before. She hugged him tightly; he hugged her back. But he still had some doubt because of the month he was away. He, thankfully, got distracted by her saying, "Oh, Seto…you have no idea how happy I am!"

Kaiba smiled softly and kissed his cheek. "I think I know…I am happy too."

Tiki smiled as Kaiba went back to his seat. She looked at the ring and her eyes sparkled. "Seto, I love it. It's gorgeous."

Kaiba took a sip of wine. "Just like you." Tiki blushed as Kaiba asked, "Did you tell anyone else about the pregnancy?"

Tiki nodded. "Just Merina so far. I wanted to tell you first before telling my family."

"I see. How did Merina take it?"

"She was shocked at first but then took it very well." She then thought of something else and looked a little worried. "Yugi…I don't know how he's going to take it. I know Mom and Grandpa will be all right with it. But…I'm worried about my brother. He's been very easy-going with our relationship and me moving in with you but…"

Kaiba agreed, "It will be a big shock to him."

Tiki nodded. "I know…he's always been protective of me, ever since I was adopted into the family."

Kaiba smirked. "I know but he knows me."

Tiki blinked in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"He knows that I am not a deadbeat, will love and support you and the baby, and will not leave you." Tiki smiled, making Kaiba smirk. "You should eat. You need to keep up your strength."

Tiki giggled. "Yeah! I am getting hungry and I have to feed for two now."

Kaiba smirked as Tiki ate. However, he still thinking about the thorn forming. He tried to ignore it but it continued to poke him. Luckily, Itami sensed his mental state. ~Something is bothering you.~

'It's nothing.'

~Liar. Your mind is wandering. Are you worried about not being a good father?~

Kaiba was grateful that Itami could not sense exactly what he was thinking about. So he gave a half-truth: 'Well…I never had a father to teach me these things.'

~You'll be just be fine.~

Kaiba mentally nodded but the thorn continued to poke him. Just then, Tiki asked, "What do you think?"

Kaiba looked up. "What?"

"Should I call Yugi when we get back?"

Kaiba thought for a moment. "Yes. It's about ten in the morning in Japan."

When they got home, Tiki and Kaiba called Mokuba over to give him the news. While extremely ecstatic, the teenager was also looking forward to the new teasing ammo. Once things settled down, the couple settled in their room and Tiki was staring at her cell phone. Yugi's number was displayed but she was having trouble placing the call. Her mind was racing with both hormones and wondering how to tell him. Sitting next to her with his tie off, Kaiba told her, "You know you can't avoid it."

Tiki sighed, not looking at him. "I know. But…I can't help but feel nervous…"

Kaiba touched her back gently. "You shouldn't be. This is Yugi, after all. Just be honest with him."

Tiki nodded but was still hesitating. Having enough of her hesitations, Kaiba reached over and pressed the call button. She blushed in surprise. "Seto!"

Kaiba smirked. "You waited too long."

Tiki gave him a dirty look but put the phone to her ear. After a few rings, Yugi answered. "Hello?"

Tiki immediately got even more nervous. "Hi, Yugi."

"Hey, Tiki! What's going on?" She paused. "You there?"

Tiki nodded. "Yeah…I just…gotta tell you something. Are you sitting?"

"Uh…"

Tiki blurted out, "I'm pregnant."

The next thing she heard over the phone was the phone crashing to the floor and Tarra's loud squawk of surprise. Kaiba smirked in amusement at the look on Tiki's face, who realized she did not give Yugi a chance to sit down. After a minute of silence, she heard something like scrambling and then Yugi sounded on the other end again. "Y-You're kidding, right…?"

Tiki took a breath. "No…I'm not. I'm…really pregnant."

There was silence on the other end. Tiki lowered her head, her hormones making her think the worse. Concerned, Kaiba rubbed her back as Yugi sounded on the phone again. "…So…are you having a boy or girl? I need to know so I can get the right game or toy."

Tiki lifted her head. "Yugi…you mean…you're not mad?"

Yugi scoffed. "No, why would I be mad? I mean, I'm shocked but it's not like you got pregnant by someone who abuses you."

Tiki let out a small giggled. "Yeah…that's true."

"So…what are you having?"

"Yugi, I just found out. We won't know for another couple of months."

"Well, the second you find out, you tell me."

"I will."

"Sorry but I gotta get to class. But I am happy for you."

Hanging up, Tiki smiled and laid back on the bed. Her smile looked relieved. Seeing this, Kaiba smirked. "He took it well, I see."

Tiki nodded, setting her phone aside. "More than well." She giggled. "He wanted to know the gender of the baby so he can give them a game."

Kaiba chuckled and laid down on his side with his head propped up. "That sounds like Yugi."

Tiki smiled, a smile that widened when she felt Kaiba touching her stomach. Touching his hand, she closed her eyes to fully enjoy the moment. Seeing his now-fiancé in bliss made Kaiba's heart squeeze as he fell more in love with her. Even still, the thorn of doubt continued to prickle his mind.