It was Wednesday evening, and Tea sat next to Yugi in his Grandfather's living room, waiting for the rest of the gang to show up. Their Wednesday night tradition of getting together hadn't happened in over three years— for obvious reasons. Yugi had suggested that they get together since it had been so long. Tristen and Joey were down, of course, but Tea's opinion wasn't even considered. She wanted things to go back to normal, but being stuck in a wheelchair for God knows how long was really driving the normalcy out of her life.

Part of her wished she never woke up…

Yugi was flipping through television channels, killing time and trying to distract himself from the awkward silence that hung over the room. Tea didn't care if she was quiet. Hell, she didn't even care about what Yugi thought at this point. Yes, she was being selfish, but in a way, she felt like she had a right to be. There was a part of her mind that told her she should be grateful, that this was a second chance to make things right with Yugi, but on the flip side, no one asked her how she felt. If she would've known that her coma would paralyze her, then maybe she would have told Kaiba to fuck off the moment he barged into her mind to try and wake her.

Tea lifted her eyes toward the TV screen, only half paying attention. Her thoughts consumed most of the conscious parts of her days. Her mind was the only thing she had…

Until now.

"Holy shit!"

Yugi jumped slightly in his seat, staring at Tea in complete shock, "What's wrong?"

"Turn back to the news! Channel two!" Yugi fumbled with the remote, but quickly followed Tea's orders. She could tell that her excitement threw him off-balance but she was too focused on the news story to be concerned. A young woman was speaking to the viewers, but Tea couldn't make out all her words.

"Turn it up!" She demanded.

'Welcome back. Tonight, we have more information on the fire that happened downtown early this morning. Seto Kaiba, President and CEO of Kaiba Corporation, was reportedly at the crime scene around seven this morning talking with Domino City's chief of police, when he was suddenly seen being taken away in handcuffs. Tom has more on this story. Tom.'

The story switched from the woman in the television studio to a man standing outside near a crowd of people and a pile of smoking rubble.

'Thanks Ami. Hello, everyone, I'm standing near the remains of the Kaiba Corporation laboratory that unexpectedly burned to the ground late last night and into the early morning hours. We're showing you footage of the alleged arrest of President and CEO, Seto Kaiba. The reason for the arrest is still unknown but reports have been surfacing that his arrest might be linked to the unexpected fire. We have contacted Kaiba Corporation officials but they have all declined to comment at this time.'

The rest of the news report went by in a haze as Tea stared at the repeating footage of Kaiba getting taken away in handcuffs. The videographer managed to capture a somber look on his face, one that made Tea's heart sink. To her, he looked guilty. For what? She did not know. There was something about the way he embraced his arrest that made her insides turn.

Yugi was commenting on Kaiba's arrest but Tea didn't pick up on a single word he said. She just stared, wide-eyed at the TV.

"Right, Tea… Tea?"

She whipped her head away from the television. "Hmm?"

"That reporter said a fire burned down one of Kaiba's labs. I think that's the one you were in, right?"

She knit her eyebrows together, thinking for a moment before turning back to the screen. She hoped they would show a replay of the area that burned down. Maybe she'd recognize it? The video kept replying Kaiba getting hauled away and shoved, head down into a cop car. After a few more images of the burned building, the report switched to an image that showed what the building looked like before the fire. Tea swore she recognized it, barely, but Yugi quickly answered her thoughts.

"That's it!" He shrieked, "That's the building that held Kaiba's virtual technology! That's the one you were in!"

Tea's blood went cold. No… no, he couldn't have.

"Thank God you weren't in there when the fire broke out."

No, she wouldn't be in there when the fire broke out because it wasn't an accident.

Rolling the wheels of her chair as quickly as she could, she made a mad dash toward the front door.

"Tea!" Yugi stood up abruptly and ran after her. "Where are you going? Tea!"

She pumped her arms, vigorously dodging corners, door frames and furniture until she reached the front door. Just before she could open the door Tristen and Joey entered, carrying grocery bags that Tea could only guess was a shit ton of junk food.

"Whoa! Careful, Tea! I almost walked right into ya!" Joey exclaimed as he made his way around her chair toward the living room. Tristen followed, leaving Tea alone by the door.

She thought about leaving, but then realized she couldn't. "Wait!"

Joey and Tristen stopped, eyebrows raised in confused.

Tea took a deep breath to compose herself. Was she really going to do this and risk ruining her friendship? Was Kaiba worth it? She closed her eyes and saw the remains of the laboratory, still smoldering in a huge, blackened heap. Kaiba thought she was worth enough to burn down his entire laboratory that contained his life's work. Why did it take her so long to realize he still cared? Why did it have to come to this?

A tear almost escaped from the corner of her eye, but she held it back, trying to stay strong in front of her friends.

"I need your help guys."


"So, you mean to tell me rich boy got arrested!?"

"For the tenth time, Joey, yes. Kaiba got arrested." Tea rolled her eyes, sick and tired of repeating herself. She wasn't too upset, since the guys were more than willing to drive her over to the police station to see him.

"For what?" Joey asked. He was riding shotgun, hanging onto the 'oh shit' handle while Tristen drove.

"We'll find out when we get there." Even though Tea knew why, she wasn't ready to say it out loud.

Tristen averted his eyes from the road for a just moment to look at Tea. "I know you care about Kaiba and all, seeing as you both ended up trapped in the virtual world together for six months," Tristen was careful with his words, "but why are you so concerned about him now?"

Tea internally glared at Tristen. For a moment, she thought she must have actually glared at him, since he shifted his attention back to driving. She knew her friends were curious, it was only natural after all. Thankfully, she had a way out. "Kaiba named the virtual world technology we were in after me, since I was the project's first successful patient." She tossed around the word 'successful' with great disdain. The project wasn't truly a success… or at least her legs wouldn't think so…

"So, you want to make sure Kaiba's okay because of the project?" Tristen's eyes were on the road, but she saw one of his eyebrows raise in cautious curiosity.

"Yeah…"

"I see…" Tristen was playing it cool and Tea hoped he wasn't starting to catch on.

"Besides," Yugi spoke up for the first time during the entire car ride, "Kaiba's our friend and we need be there for him."

Tea smiled, "Exactly!" Yugi looked at her, and to her surprise, he wasn't as excited as his words promised. He turned away from her, focusing his gaze out the window. Suddenly, it was no secret to Tea that her enthusiasm for seeing Kaiba hurt Yugi, and she hoped it wasn't to the point of no return.

Minutes passed in silence. Even Joey didn't speak, and Tea was thankful when they pulled into the parking lot of the police station.

Tristen turned the steering wheel abruptly, "Holy shit you guys!" He slammed the breaks. There were so many cars in the parking lot. Crews of newscasters, what appeared to be paparazzi, and crowds of on lookers were gathered outside the station.

"I don't think we're going to find a spot anywhere near the building," Tristen stated, as he steered the car out of the lot and away from the commotion.

"Who would've thought rich boy's arrest would attract so much attention?"

"This is ridiculous," Tea dug into her purse, "Tristen, drive around the block a few more times, I'm calling Mokuba."

"Got it," He nodded.


"Sir, we can't do anything right now until Mr. Kaiba's lawyer arrives. Even then, the police may have to keep him in here until they obtain their search warrant."

Mokuba pinched the bridge of his nose, exhaling deeply. "Why would they want to keep him here, Roland? Especially now with all the commotion of the press." Mokuba glanced over at a white door on the opposite side of the room. That door contained his brother who was trapped in a small holding cell. Mokuba would stop at nothing to attempt to break his brother out of there.

Roland let out an extremely heavy sigh, indicating that this conversation had gone full circle once again. "It's procedure, sir. They can't just let him go when he's been accused of a crime."

"Explain to me how burning down your own facility is a crime!?" Mokuba spat. Deep down he knew the answer but was just trying to justify his brother's actions.

"Please, sir, I urge you to keep your voice down. Officers or the press might hear you."

Mokuba shook his head, his short, raven hair falling out of place. He was about to protest when he felt his phone buzz in his pocket. He answered abruptly, not caring who it was, "Kaiba," he stated, just like his brother.

There was a slight pause before the initial response, "Mokuba?"

Mokuba blinked, taken aback by the caller, "Tea? My God!" Desperation bled into his voice, "You have no idea how happy I am to hear from you."

"I'll bet."

"So, you know what's been going on I assume?" His voice melted, almost as if he'd been defeated.

"Yes," Tea's tone was more soothing, as if she were offering him a helping hand, "can you let us in?"

"Us?"

"Yugi, Tristen, Joey, and myself. We've driven around the block a few times but there's too many people."

"I understand." Mokuba wasn't too keen on the idea of Yugi, Tristen, and Joey coming to see his brother like this, but he couldn't deny it, he needed their help. "Just park a few blocks away. I'll send Roland to get you. He'll bring you all in through the back door."

"Perfect! Thank you, Mokuba, and I promise, I'll save your brother, just like he saved me."

"Thanks Tea." Mokuba hung up and stared at his phone. He thought it strange the way Tea had phrased her last sentence. How had Seto saved her? More importantly, how was she going to save him?


Roughly fifteen minutes later, the crew rolled in through the police station's back door, accompanied by Roland and an assisting police officer. Thankfully, they had managed to sneak by the hordes of people and press unnoticed.

Nothing mattered to Tea more than seeing Kaiba. She hadn't realized until Roland had wheeled her into the holding area just outside his cell door that this had been the first time she'd spoken to him since she told him she wanted to give up on life. If only she had known her words would cement a motive so hindering, maybe she would've taken back everything she said about her future. Ultimately, her failure to see past her pain was the cause of this mess. Because of her lack of faith in her future, she had unintentionally destroyed Kaiba's…

Staring blankly at the white cell door, she thought about everything she wanted to say in the small amount of time they had. From a distance, she peered through the tiny, thick glass window near the top of the door, wishing she could catch a glimpse of him. Would he want to see her? She hoped so, since this may very well be her last chance.

"Tea?" Mokuba approached her, softly resting his hand on her shoulder. The poor kid looked as if he hadn't slept in weeks even though the situation at hand had only played out through the course of a day.

Gently, Tea rubbed the back of the young boy's hand in an effort to comfort him. "Mokuba… How are you holding up, buddy?"

His smile was weak. "The best that I can." He turned to face the gang, his smile melding into an anxious frown. "Thank you all for coming. I'm sorry to put you all through this."

"Sorry?" Yugi shook his head. "Mokuba," his voice was calm and sincere, "we're here for you because we care about you and your brother. We wish only the best."

Tristen and Joey nodded in agreement, smiling softly to help ease the young man's distress.

"Thank you. It means a lot."

Yugi smiled, "Of course." His gaze subtly switched from Mokuba to Tea. Instantaneously, his eyes iced over. Tea didn't want to believe Yugi's look meant anything, but she was sure it did.

"Ready?" Mokuba's words took Tea and Yugi out of their momentary staring contest.

"Uh… Yeah… Are you sure he wants to see me?" She asked.

Mokuba casually smirked, "Don't be stupid, of course he does."

Tea took a deep breath, preparing herself with all the things she was going to say to him. Truthfully, she wasn't ready, but she lied anyway, "Yes, I'm ready."

Roland wheeled her closer to the cell door. The police officer who assisted them in getting into the building approached the door with a key card. Before he unlocked the cell, he bent down in front of Tea and handed her a device that looked like a remote control.

"It's against protocol to let visitors into holding cells unaccompanied, but Roland gave me clear instructions to let you in alone. I'm breaking a ton of rules for you, so use that remote if you get into any trouble, all right?"

Tea cocked her head to the side, "Any trouble?"

"He's handcuffed, hands and feet, but if he tries to pull anything, you push that red button. Got it?"

Annoyed, Tea ignored the officer's implications, simply replying with a monotonous, "Got it."

The officer smiled and stood back up, scanning his key card to open the door. The door seemed to open in slow motion, and the seconds wasted made Tea's skin crawl. Even with Roland pushing her chair for her, she still felt like she was getting nowhere. He was right there in front of her and every second that past was a precious moment wasted.

After what felt like years, Roland quietly left the room and the officer shut and locked the door, trapping them both together once again. This time, Tea didn't care. This time, she was the one rescuing him from his prison.

He was hunched over, hands tightly chained together and dangling between his knees. Tea noticed the thick chains around his ankles and cringed. It reminded her of the chains Pegasus had put Mokuba in during Duelist Kingdom.

His head slumped forward as his gaze was fixated on the floor beneath his feet. Was he sleeping with his eyes open? Tea dipped her head, trying to secure eye contact. She was about to speak when his fragile blue iris' slowly trailed up to meet her gaze. A gasp almost escaped from her throat. She'd never seen Kaiba look so broken before.

Did she do this to him?

"Tea…" His voice was hoarser than usually, and he coughed a few times before sitting up straight. "Are you okay?"

Stunned by his words, she let out a short, hysterical laugh. "Okay? Am I okay!?" She chuckled uncomfortably, "Dammit, Kaiba, am I okay!?" She shook her head. This time she didn't give a shit, and let her painful tears fall, "I should be the one asking you!"

"Why are you crying?" His words were as flat as the soda Joey would leave sitting around for three days and forget to dump out.

She wiped the tears away, still chuckling in disbelief, "You've gotta be fucking kidding me, Kaiba…."

"Trust me," he said dryly, "I'm not."

She shook her head, "I know you're not. That's the stupid part." Using the back of her hand, she finished dabbing at her eyes.

"I would wipe away those tears if I could, but I'm not allowed to touch you. I'm not even allowed to touch Mokuba."

"I understand…." She stared at the remote in her hands.

"Why are you here? I thought you didn't want anything to do with me." His words felt hollow, like he'd had nothing left to feel. It was the same tone of voice he had right before he stepped out on the ledge at Duelist Kingdom. The memory sent shivers up Tea's spine. She couldn't handle him like this… not that she could handle him otherwise…

Because I care! Her thoughts were screaming at her, but her mouth was frozen, too afraid to speak the truth. "I saw you getting hauled away…. You made headlines…."

"Great." Kaiba rolled his eyes, leaning back in his seat. "Is that why you came? To observe me like some kind of zoo animal?"

"No! Of course not!" Tea frowned, she hated him like this. He was back to his old ways, his defenses sky high. She couldn't completely blame him though…

"Then why are you here?"

Inhaling sharply and biting her lip, Tea took a few moments before spitting out the answer— the answer he deserved. "Because I care about you, Kaiba."

To her dismay, he laughed. It wasn't cheerful either, and it poisoned the air with an eerie chill. Had he lost his mind? Maybe, but she had just admitted she cared and this is how he was reacting?

After a few more chuckles, Kaiba finally calmed down enough to respond, "Oh, isn't that just sweet," He laughed again, "and after everything I've done!" His words went wicked and his laugher deadpanned. "Well congratulations, Tea. You have me right where you want me—locked away so you can have me when you need me and then run off to Yugi when you're through."

"No, Kaiba! That isn't it at all—"

"It isn't?" He bent forward, inches from her face, just to glare at her. "Then tell me why— after I poured my heart out to you— that you decided to not care. But now, after something happens to me, you suddenly do?"

"I cared before." Her argument was weak, and she felt it in her trembling voice. She'd never seen Kaiba so pushy before. Yes, she'd seen him demanding, and yes, she'd witnessed his aggressiveness, but never on such a personal and emotional level before.

"Really? What about when I told you I still wanted you back at the hospital and you verbally slapped those words right back in my face? You still cared then?"

Tea was about to cry again, "You don't understand, Kaiba. My situation is a lot more complicated than you think."

"Oh, I don't think it's complicated at all," His voice began to rise to concerning levels. "I think you're still in love with Yugi and you're using that damn wheelchair as an excuse to blame me for your indecisiveness!"

The tears flew as she shook her head in disagreement. "Dammit, Kaiba, that's not true!"

His fists were clenched so powerfully that Tea swore his bones would pop out of his skin. Kaiba was holding back as hard as he could and she knew he wanted to grab her and shake the answer from her. It was like he was on the edge, everything in him was screaming for her to admit the truth they both knew.

"Then what is true, Tea? Tell me."

More tears fell as her teeth clamped down on her lower lip.

"Tell me!" His voice was louder now, with the same demanding nature he used in his duels. "You're still in love with Yugi and you've just been messing with my head!"

Tea took a deep breath, ready to shout back at him. The door burst open and Tea gave Kaiba the response he was looking for, "I'm not in love with Yugi!"

The officer who opened the door was about to lunge toward Kaiba, who seemed to appear aggressive, when he paused, analyzing Tea's words.

She gasped, her hands shot up to her mouth as she peered beyond the officer. Tristen and Joey stood there, wide-eyed and dumbfounded. Yugi looked like he'd just been shot.

Devastated, Yugi quickly shook his head to try and compose himself. He took one last despairing look at Tea before rushing out of the building.


A/N: So, last week Sunday was the one year anniversary of me posting this story. I wanted to stick to my goal of posting this chapter last week but apparently, I can't even reach my own deadline. I should just have all of you send me a deadline. Maybe that way I'll be more inclined to post quicker. Anyway, thank you all for sticking with me. I really appreciate it. Please review and let me know what you think! Thank you!