Tea walked home from school that day all by herself. It was so lonely here. No Yugi, no Joey, no Tristan, and no Seto. He was the only one that she had even talked to though. She didn't know why she hadn't called the other guys yet. Maybe she figured that they'd want to come visit and that would remind her of being home. Seeing Seto made her think of home, she missed it, she wanted to go back. She wanted to hang out in the game shop and just hang out, or go to the movies and throw popcorn bits at each other. She wanted to sit at home on her bed and talk to Seto for a few hours before she went to sleep. But she wanted to be on HER bed, in HER room, and instead she was on the same bed in some other room that just didn't fit. Her parents shouldn't have made her move, she was lonely. It was painful to be all by herself.

She wasn't sure why she had started cutting her arms. She knew it was kind of difficult to hide it from her parents, but she managed. The worst part was that Seto found out. She hadn't wanted anybody to know. It was supposed to be her secret of what she was doing. And then he had to go and find out and be all worried. He didn't need to be worried. It wasn't like she was going to REALLY hurt herself. It was just a few cuts. What was wrong with that? He'd done it before. HE of all people shouldn't be the one telling her to stop. 'But he was so concerned. No, no, he doesn't have a right to tell me whether to stop or not. It's my choice not his, mine.'

****************

Kaiba stepped out of his car for the third night in a row. 'She said she'd stop. It should be fine, just fine.' A nervous smile appeared on his face. He trusted Tea, but he wasn't sure whether she would actually stop. He knew that it was hard to just stop. He'd done it that way, and several times he'd wanted to hurt himself, but every time he got close the picture of his slit wrist gushing forth blood would enter his mind and he'd shiver. That had freaked him out. It was mostly the reason why he had stopped, because he just plain couldn't do it anymore.

He climbed up the tree and crawled forward on the branch and through Tea's window, which she had left open. Looking around the room he noticed her sitting on her bed, with the knife, cutting into the back of her arm.

Closing his eyes he took a deep breath. 'Oh my god Tea.' "What are you doing?"

Her head snapped up and she stared at him in surprise. "Oh! Seto!" She looked at the knife in her hand and then shoved it under her pillow. "What are you doing here?"

He shook his head. "I already saw it Tea."

"Saw what?"

He opened his eyes and sent a hard glare at her. "I saw the knife. We already talked about this Tea, it's not healthy, stop it."

She folded her arms. "You can't tell me what to do."

Seto slowly walked over to the bed and picked the knife from under the pillow. Looking at it he placed his thumb lightly on the sharp part of the blade. "You're right. I can't." His icy blue orbs cast themselves down at her harshly.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

He continued staring at her. "No reason. You're absolutely right, I can't tell you what to do. It's not my decision. It's yours."

"Um. yeah." She slowly backed away on her bed until she was in the corner against the wall.

"I shouldn't be trying to stop you. You know what you're doing." His voice was a flat menacing tone as he pushed his thumb harder against the blade causing blood to come out.

"S-Seto?" She pulled her arms over her chest and curled up into a ball as she glanced worriedly over at him.

A sly grin appeared on his face as his eyes continued eating away at Tea. "Don't worry. Everything will be fine." He sat down on the end of the bed and kept his eyes locked on Tea.

She tried to shrink smaller as her voice did as well. "Wh-what are you going to do?"

He continued sliding his bleeding thumb along the blade and staring at Tea as he slowly inched closer to her on the bed until he was a few inches away from her. "You like cutting yourself do you?"

Tea sat there shaking as she continued trying to shrink smaller.

With a sudden motion Seto yanked Tea down from the wall and shoved the knife up against her throat as he hung his face a millimeter away from hers. "Do you?" His eyes narrowed and became even harder as he hissed at her and kept the blade pressured against her skin as he held her down.

She made little whimpering noises and tried to squirm but he kept her pinned down firmly.

He applied a slight amount of more pressure to the blade. "Well... Do you?"

All Tea could manage to do was sit there and whimper as she lay there helpless with the burning eyes of Seto digging into her as she captured the little air that was being allowed through her throat under the pressure.

He glared at her for a while longer and then, just as suddenly as he had pinned her, he got up and walked over to the other side of the room as he flicked the blade closed and shoved it into his pocket.

Tea sat up on the bed slowly and stared over at Seto as she curled up in a ball again and started shaking. "S-S-Set-t-t-o?"

Turning he walked back over and sat down next to her on the bed. She backed up against the wall again and started to hyperventilate slightly.

Looking at her he sighed and then stared at the floor and shook his head. "Tea. You don't understand. It doesn't just hurt you when you cut yourself. It hurts me too. I don't want to see you causing yourself pain. I can't stand to see you in pain. It hurts so much, it just hurts so much." He let his head fall into his hands. "I know you don't have to listen to me, but please, please just stop doing this to yourself. I can't stand to see you like this. Please, oh please. Just stop hurting yourself." He lifted his head and gazed over at her. "Please Tea. I'm begging you."

Tea stayed curled up in her ball as she stared over at him still in shock. 'H-he, he just. He just pinned me to the bed with a knife to my throat. And now he's begging me? He could've killed me. And now he's begging me?'

Seto shook his head and scooted over to hug Tea, but as he felt his arms wrap around her she cringed. "Tea, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you like that. I didn't mean to-" He froze and a picture of Gozaburo slamming him against the wall flashed into his mind. 'Oh my god. I've turned into him.' Quickly dropping his arms from around Tea he stood. "I-I'm sorry. I don't know why I. I never would've hurt you." He walked over to the window and climbed out as he muttered. "I'm so sorry."

****************

He got out of his car and walked up to his room as he fell down onto his bed and stared at the floor, eyes hollowed out. 'Please don't tell me I've turned into him. I can't have possibly gone down that road.' His mind flashed so he was over Tea. 'Oh my god. I had a knife at her throat. I have turned into him. I can't believe I did that, to TEA. She must think I'm some kind of psychopath. I can't believe I scared her like that. She'll never forgive me. I don't see how she could. I had a knife at her throat!' He shook his head as the scene kept flashing into his mind over and over again.

Groaning he threw himself at his pillow. "What have I done? What have I Done? What have I done to her? This is all my fault. She never would have gotten so upset in the first place if she had just never stayed over here. I knew I should have died in that car crash. I knew it. I just knew it." He then sat up and got up and walked downstairs into the kitchen where he grabbed one of the knives and then ran back upstairs.

He shut the door behind him and fell to his knees as he stared at the knife in his hand and had pictures of Tea's frightened face flash into his mind. "Make them stop, oh god please, just make them stop. I don't want to see them anymore. Just make them stop." He put the knife against his own throat and then fell back against the door with the blade still there. "Please, make them stop."

His arm started shaking as the picture of his wrist entered his thoughts and then he dropped his hand down to his side. "I. Just. Can't." A combination picture flashed in his mind of Tea and his wrist. "Awe shit." He stood up and looked at the knife still in his hand. Then the pictures hit his brain again. "You stupid wrist." He whirled and slammed the knife into the wall. "You stupid damn wrist! Damn you! Damn you! Damn you!" He kept jamming the blade into the wall and then pulled it out and made a clean slash down his left arm.

Falling to the floor again he looked at his arm and then at the knife that now had his own blood on it. 'Not again. I can't do this again. I have to help Tea, I can't be doing this to myself.' Her face once again slammed into his brain and he cringed. 'No, I can't do that to her. I won't let myself do that to her. I have to PROTECT her. I have to. I can't sit here and let her hurt herself. I just can't. I love her.' He clenched his teeth together as tears squeezed themselves out of his eyes. 'I can't do this to her. I can't, I can't, I can't. I have to stop her. I have to. I don't know how. but I just have to.'

Getting up from the ground he walked over to his bed and fell down on it instead as the image of him attacking Tea kept playing through his mind over and over again, until he finally drifted into a troubled slumber.

*********************

He was pinning Tea down with the knife at her throat again. "Well. Do you?" He said. He watched her whimpering and then when he would have gotten off, instead he pushed his arm down further and yanked it sideways across her throat.

Seto watched himself get up off the bed as the blood board out of Tea's neck and onto the bed as she gasped. His dream self stood there with a smile on his face as he watched her body go limp. Then he laughed and jammed the knife into her forehead as her eyes stared lifelessly at nothing. With another smile on his face he yanked the knife out of her skull. Licking the blood off the blade he raised it above his head and shoved it into her stomach. He twisted its handle as the blood began to seep through Tea's shirt and laughed again as he yanked it out once more. Licking the blade once more he shoved it into his pocket with a grin on his face as he back up and looked at the still form of Tea slowly sliding off of her bed with her eyes clouded over and the blood dripping down her forehead and neck and seeping through her clothes.

**********************

"No! Tea! No!!!" He jerked up in his bed with cold sweat running down his face. Panting heavily he pulled the sheets off him and got up. Walking out onto the balcony he stared down at the water below and sighed. 'Like that'll do any good.' Walking back inside he went over to his desk and lifted the knife from earlier off it. Staring at it for a while he sighed. 'Now I can't even fix my problems. I have to sit and let them all happen while I can't do anything about it.' His dream came back into his mind and he shivered. 'No. no. I could never do that to her.' He left his room and walked downstairs into the kitchen with the fact ringing in the back of his head that. he could.

*********************

He was sitting at the lunch table the next day with his head in his hands and a worm eating away inside him. He could. That was his problem. He wanted to believe that he would never be able to actually kill someone, but he would. He'd threatened to do that Gozaburo, and he was completely ready to. but Gozaburo had died before he carried out that plan. 'No. Not to Tea. I couldn't do that to Tea.' His dream entered his mind for the millionth time that day. 'But I saw it. She was dead, and I was. ENJOYING it. I tasted the blood. I was smiling. But. No. I could never actually do that.' He knew he was lying to himself, and it burned in his chest.

"Hey Kaiba, you okay dude?" Joey looked in between Seto's arms at his face. "Hello?" He waved his hands in front of Seto's eyes. "Anybody home?"

"She's dead." Seto continued staring at the table with hollow eyes.

Yugi stopped eating and gazed over at Kaiba. "Who?"

"I killed her."

Tristan looked up from his food as well. "Killed who?"

"How could I do that.?"

"Who?" Joey glanced at Kaiba's face and listened to him mutter quietly.

"Tea."

"What?!" Joey grabbed Seto's shirtfront and yanked him. "What did you do?"

Seto's eyes came back into reality and he shook his head. "Wh-What?"

Joey shook him. "What did you do you asshole?!"

Kaiba glared at Joey and pushed his hands off him. "I didn't do anything!"

Joey clenched his fists and glared at him. "Don't tell me you didn't do anything. You just said you killed Tea."

Seto's eyes spread with horror and he shook his head as the pictures filter through his mind again. "I didn't. I didn't. You here me? I'd never do that to Tea! Stop making me see it! Stop it!" He grabbed at the back of his head with his hands. "Stop making me see it! I didn't do it! Make it stop! Just make it stop!"

Everyone's mouth hung open as they stared at Seto falling apart.

"Make them stop! I don't want to see it! I don't want to see it anymore!" He started shaking. "Make them go away!"

Joey put his hand over Kaiba's mouth. "Come on man, shut up. People are going to think you've lost it."

Seto yanked Joey's hand away and glared at him. "I didn't kill her. I'd never kill Tea! So stop making me see it!" He fell back onto the table and started to cry. "Oh please just stop it. Stop it. I don't want to see it anymore!"

Joey stared over at Yugi and Tristan. "What is he talking about?"

Yugi's face expressed deep concern. "I don't know. I think he's having a mental break down or something."

Tristan shook his head. "Well YEAH."

"I'm not, having a breakdown. I just want to stop seeing it." He sobbed. "I just don't want to see this anymore."

Joey half grinned nervously. "Shouldn't we do something?"

Yugi nodded. "Let's take him home. Tristan," He turned to look at him. "You tell the teacher we'll be back as soon as we get him there."

Tristan nodded as he got out of his seat and headed back to the classroom.

"Joey?"

"What ya want Yug?"

"Just help me."

"No problem." The blonde gave a thumbs up and then whacked Kaiba on the back. "Come on buddy, it's time to take ya home."

Seto shook his head. "I'm not going. I don't need to."

Joey rolled his eyes and grabbed Kaiba's arm and tried to pull him up. "Yeah ya do. Dun worry, we'll getcha there safe and sound."

He was met with a sideways glare. "I'm. Not. Going."

"Yes ya are." Joey managed to pulled Kaiba up out of his seat and then looked over to Yugi who grabbed Kaiba's right arm as they both led him out of the cafeteria.

*********************

After they had gotten him out of the cafeteria he had gone willingly to the car and inside of his mansion. When they got inside he went and sat down on the couch in the living room.

Yugi sat in the chair next to it and looked at Seto staring at the floor. "What were you talking about back there?"

Kaiba's body started shaking and he gazed over at Yugi. "I didn't do it. I didn't kill her. She's not dead. She's NOT! So stop making me see it!" He fell over on the couch and curled up as Yugi continued staring at him. "Just STOP IT alright?! I didn't do it! Make them stop! Just make them stop!" He clutched at his head and images of Tea flew through his head. Pictures of her from his dream, pictures with her head laying on the floor next to her, pictures with her hanging from the ceiling, pictures of her shot to death, pictures of her stabbed through, all with him standing there, looking at her, smiling. "JUST STOP IT!!!"

"What are you talking about?" Joey was completely mystified.

"I didn't do it!"

Yugi was really worried. He didn't know what to do. There was Kaiba, someone he'd known for quite some time, even if they didn't really become friends till recently. but still, he never lost it. Not like this. Not to the point where he just kept shouting the same thing over and over again. He knew it had to do with Tea, that's where the whole thing started of course.

"Call her."

Joey looked away from Kaiba over at Yugi. "What?"

"We should call Tea."

"But Yug, we don't know her number."

Getting a little frustrated Yugi ran over to the phone hanging on the wall and picked it up. "We'll just call the operator." He pushed the button and listened. "Hello? I'd like to make a collect call. Is there a John and Catherine Gardner in the area? . There is? . Could you please call them, it's from Yugi Motou."

"One moment please ma'am."

"No, I'm not-" The operator disconnected and the phone started ringing.

"Hello."

"Is Tea there please?"

"One second." Muffled yelling in the background. "Tea! Phone for you!"

"Got it Mom! . Hello?"

"Hey Tea."

"Y-Yugi?"

"Um. Yeah. I have to ask you a question. We're having issues here." He glanced nervously as he watched Joey trying to calm down Kaiba who just kept shouting that he didn't do it and he wanted it to stop. "What happened?"

"When?"

"Well. I'm assuming last night. Did Kaiba come see you?" He heard a gasp come from her before she answered.

"Y-yes. h-he did."

"Tea? Is something wrong?"

"Wh-what do you want Yugi?"

His violet eyes darted around nervously. "Well, Kaiba's been sort of having a nervous breakdown. He keeps shouting that he didn't kill you, and like, that he wants it to stop. Any idea why?"

"No."

"Did something happen between you two?"

The answer this time was quite and shaky. "H-he attacked me."

Yugi's eyes went wide. "What?"

"He attacked me."

"Oh my god."

Joey looked over at him. "Hey, what is it Yug?"

Yugi turned and looked at Joey for a second and then talked back into the phone. "Are you okay?"

"Y-yes."

"Okay, that's good. I'm going to call back again later."

"S-sure Yugi, later."

"Bye." Yugi clicked the phone off and then turned to stare wide-eyed at Kaiba. "I can't believe it."

"So. What is it?"

Yugi shook his head. He wasn't exactly sure if he should tell Joey or not. It was true that he and Kaiba had made a sort of peace treaty, but he wasn't sure how long that would last.

"Yug, hello? Are you gonna tell me what it is?" Joey waited impatiently.

"H-he. h-he." Yugi held up his hand and pointed.

"Yes, he. he what?"

"He attacked her."

"What?!" Joey whirled on Kaiba and grabbed his neck. "You did what?!"

Seto grabbed Joey's arms and managed to pull them away so that he wasn't strangled. "I didn't! I didn't do it!"

"Sure you didn't you mother f-" He tried harder to grab for Kaiba's neck.

"I didn't do it!" The roulette of pictures circled his mind again and he cringed and clutched at his head. "Oh god, please make them stop."

With Kaiba now grabbing at his head, Joey had a free opportunity to wrap his hands around his neck and start strangling him. "What did you to her?!"

Yugi grabbed the back of Joey's shirt and tried pulling away. "Stop it Joey! You're going to hurt him!"

"That's what I'm aiming for!"

With a sudden burst Seto kicked out his legs into Joey's stomach and knocked him to the ground. He then jumped on top of him and start beating his face. "I told you I didn't do it!"

Again, all of a sudden, Seto stopped and stood up, expression hollow as he stared off into space.

Joey sat up and rubbed at his jaw as he looked at Seto standing there. "Are you off your rocker?"

"Dead."

Joey stood up and glared at him. "What do you mean 'dead'?!"

"You, dead. I killed you too."

Yugi walked up and stood in front of him. "Kaiba? Are you okay?"

He shook his head as he continued staring with his hollow expression. "No, you too, all dead. I killed you all. Tea, Joey, Tristan, Mokuba, Gozaburo, Mom, Dad. all of you. gone. I killed you."

Joey backed away. "Yug, this is getting' really creepy."

"I shot you, in the head, blood everywhere. You fell down, I tried to find the bullet, couldn't. It was too deep. Gave up and sawed your head off, no sense in wasting a good bullet. I just need some tools and I can get in there."

"Y-Yug?"

Yugi held up his finger. "Just wait a second Joey."

Seto continued flatly, "You, I stabbed. You weren't looking, who would know? Right in the back, you screamed, I laughed. I lick the blade. Blood tastes good, Tea's did too. I wonder what mine tastes like?"

Joey continued backing away. "Yug, come on, stop him."

"I already did it once, why not again? That would get the most blood, and then I'd be free. Yes, that's it, bleed my little wrist, you've opened up before, now come greet the sun." Lifting his hand he gave it a few licks and then put it back down without moving his eyes. "Not bad, tastes good, all blood tastes good, and now I'll be free. Everyone will be with me too, Tea, Yugi, everyone. I won't be alone anymore, I won't be alone, and now I can protect you all, keep you safe. All I have to do is put you in a box. Yes, a nice little box, one for each of you, and one for myself. We'll all be safe in those, nobody can hurt us in boxes, yeeeesss, boxes."

Yugi watched Kaiba's eyes roll back inside his head as he closed them and sighed.

"Boxes are our friends." He smiled and giggled a little. "I used to have a box. It was my fort. Mom would make me a sandwich and I'd eat it under there. I was safe there, no one could get me. I never had a box here. The other kids had boxes. They'd make forts with them. I used to watch them. Through my window. Yes through my window. I'd stare at them and the sky. Of course I killed them all. They have to be safe as well. Only in death are we safe. in our boxes. Mom and Dad left in boxes. They were going home, people said. I knew they weren't going home. They'd died. I'd killed them. Of course I'd killed them. It was my fault they were dead, because I had killed them. Tea likes my parents. They are so very nice. They came out of their boxes to meet her. I was glad."

Joey's face distorted itself in anxiety. "Yug, come on, wake him up already."

Yugi shook his head. "No, Joey. Just wait."

"Of course we're all dead now. I killed them all, and myself. Only in death are we safe. Yes, that's why I jumped off my balcony. Tea thought I was crazy. She was the crazy one. She should've jumped with me. Then I wouldn't have had to kill her. But now she's safe. We're all safe. I killed us all. Yeeessss, now it's all better. We're all safe now. I killed us. We're safe in death. Only in death are we safe." As he said this last thing he started to waver and the finally, he collapsed onto the ground.

((Okay. So that ended up being a little long. And strange I might add. . Sorry about that! I'll try and make it better soon. Anyways, now I'm gonna go type more to this lovely fic. Laterz!))