((Sorry about the delay on the updating peeps. The wonderful world of vacation was calling my name and I couldn't write at ALL! =( but now it's all better ^_^ and the writing shall commence once more.. And, like I've said before, and I'm only saying again because people keep doing it is: DON'T FLAME ME!!! -.- to all of you evil flamers who can't get it through you're heads, just don't do it and keep your opinions too yourself. To say the classic line "if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all." ...... I'm done with that now ^_^ so all of you nice people keep reviewing and the chapters shall keep springing forth onto this lovely page. Later!))

Tea hung up the phone slowly and walked back into Joey's living room. Tristan had come over by this time and all the guys were sitting on or around the couch chatting and having a good time.

Yugi looked up and saw Tea's distressed expression. "What's wrong?"

She sat down on the floor and looked sideways at the floor. "Seto's talking about himself in the third person again."

He shrugged. "Maybe he's just going through something right now."

Tea shook her head. "But then why would he be talking about Seto and Kaiba being separate people? And he said that he has to go find somebody to take care of Mokuba since he won't have any time for him anymore. I'm worried."

Joey got up and crouched next to her. "Hey, Kaiba does this. Maybe he's just thinking too much. Or maybe the arcade games went to his head." He smiled at this. "It'll all be cool. Me and Trist, can go over and check on him later for ya if that's what ya want?"

"Maybe."

"Sure, okay then." He looked over at Tristan on the couch. "Hey, why don't we go over there tomorrow afternoon?"

"Okay."

The blonde looked back at Tea. "See? It's all cool. Don't worry 'bout it." He ruffled her hair and smiled reassuringly. "We gotcha covered."

She flickered a half smirk. "Yeah. okay."

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

Mokuba stared at the tall dark man who was standing next to him and then at Seto with despair. "What's this about big brother?"

Kaiba stood there with folded arms. "He's going to be taking care of you now. I have to work and I won't have time. So he's just there to make sure you'll be alright."

Tears started welling up in the bottom of Mokuba's eyes. "But I want YOU to take care of me."

He shook his head and started on his way to the stairs. "Kaiba doesn't have time. Seto apologizes. You'll be fine."

"B-but brother-"



"Seto won't be able to take care of you. Kaiba has work to do." He then disappeared up the stairs and slammed the door to his office.

Inside he was in shreds. 'Mokuba. I'm so sorry I had to do that to you. But Kaiba has to work. That's what he was made for. To take care of the company and he's wasted time by playing those games and trusting people. He wasn't trained for that, he was trained to work, and that's what he has to do.'

He sat down at his computer and started typing as he saw his younger self pull out and sit on the couch pouting.

"I thought I told you to stay inside."

Seto glared at him.

"I don't have time for this."

Why'd-you-do-that-to-him?

"Look, I let you play. Now go away. I have work to do."

Big-mean-man. More glaring was sent at Kaiba.

"Seto. I don't have time for him anymore. You're his older brother, not me. You take care of him."

Getting up off the couch little Seto walked over and bit Kaiba's arm.

"Ow!" Kaiba jumped up and raised his fist. "You stupid little-" He froze and looked from his fist to the now cowering one underneath him. "Sorry kid." He sat down once more and started typing again.

Uncurling himself Seto stood up and went back to glaring at Kaiba.

"I told you, I don't have time for him."

You're-just-being-stupid.

"I'm not the stupid one. You are. You're the one who gets tied up in silly emotions."

Walking back over to the couch Seto slumped down on it and continued glaring. I-wanna-go-play-with-Mokuba.

"Well you can't."

But-he's-our-brother!

"Your brother."

You're-just-as-bad-as-Him-you-meanie.

"I'm supposed to be like him. That was the point, I had to be like him so I could take over the company successfully."

Stupid-mean-person. Why-can't-you-let-me-go-play?

"I let you play. So shut up. I have to work."

YOU-weren't-playing.

"What purpose do I have to play? They're all just stupid games."

You're-stupid.

"I'm not the stupid one. The stupid people are the ones who don't know when it's in their best interest to be quiet." He sent a hard gaze over at his little self who was glaring back at him.

The-stupid-people-are-the-mean-ones-who-don't-let-me-play.

"I let you play!"

No-you-didn't.

"Then what was that whole time in the arcade?"

That-was-you-telling-me-I-was-stupid.

By this time Kaiba was getting really annoyed with the small figure sitting on the couch. "Shut up you little runt. I'm doing my work. I'm doing what people made me do. So just shut up!"

You-used-to-want-to-play.

"Well not anymore!"

This was met with the same pouty glare from the couch. You're-just-a-big- mean-man-who-won't-let-me-have-any-fun.

"Fine. I am. Now Leave. Me. Alone!" He started typing more and tried to ignore the small one sitting on the couch staring over at him. They both sat there in silence for a couple minutes until.

"Will you stop that already?"

You-made-Mokuba-cry.

"No I didn't!"

Meanie.

"Stop doing that!"

But-you-are. meanie.

Kaiba glared daggers at him. "Do you want me to start doing that Thing to you?" He got up and stood in front of Seto. "Do you really want me to do that? You know computer programs is not the only thing I learned from Gozaburo."

Seto stared up at him defiantly. You've-given-up. You've-abandoned-Mokuba- and-now-you're-abandoning-me!

"I'm not abandoning anyone!"

You-abandoned-Tea.

"I was protecting her."

From-what? From-loving-you? Well,-that-made-a-lot-of-sense.

"If I kept her involved she would have just gotten hurt. I don't have time for silly emotions."

Just-the-fact-that-you-wanted-to-protect-her-was-an-emotion.

"Well that's the last one."

You-know-it-isn't.

"It IS the last one."

Then-why-do-you-feel-guilty-about-Mokuba?

"I don't feel guilty!"

Yes-you-do.

"You stupid little kid. I don't!"

Seto was silent and glared at him.

Kaiba glared back. "I don't feel guilty."

More silence and glaring.

"I don't!"

Still nothing.

"Stop it!" He struck the back of his hand across Seto's cheek.

As soon as his hand made contact he felt a burning sensation on his own face. "You stupid kid!" He started punching Seto more who sat there under the abuse as Kaiba felt each blow on himself as well. After a minute he fell back onto the ground and glared back at Seto who was sitting on the couch bruised and battered but still glaring back at him defiantly.

The little one stood up and walked over to Kaiba where he sat down next to him with a small tear trickling down his cheek. Are-you-okay?

"I just beat you, and now you're asking if I'm okay?"

I'm-worried.

Kaiba got up and staggered back over to the computer where he started blindly typing again. "I'm fine. Go away. Leave me alone. I'm not supposed to have feelings. I'm not supposed to care for anyone. So stop telling me I am."

I'm-going-to-call-Tea.

"Fine. I'm not stopping you."

Seto walked over and grabbed the phone out of Kaiba's pocket. He opened it and then held it up to him. You-have-to.

"I'm not going to."

The smaller started glaring at him again. Call-her!

"Alright! Fine." He snatched the phone out of his hand and dialed her pager number. After he knew it had worked he hung it up. "Now she'll call back. Okay? So leave me alone."

A few moments later his phone started ringing and he picked it up.

"Hey Tea."

Seto smiled and listened along with his older self.

"Hi Seto, you called?"

"Kaiba called, Seto wanted me to."

"Um. okay."

Stop-with-the-third-person. She's-going-to-think-we-have-problems.

Kaiba put his hand over the mouthpiece. "Well how am I supposed to talk about us? We aren't the same person."

Yes-we-are.

"No, we aren't."

"Seto? Who are you talking to?"

He took his hand off. "I'm talking to Seto. Give me a second." Putting his hand back on he stared down at the younger.

Seto crossed his arms. We-are-the-same-person. You-just-won't-admit-it.

"Fine, fine. I'll stop talking about it that way for now. Even if that is how it works."

It-doesn't-work-that-way.

"Whatever." He took his hand off again. "Hi Tea."

"Why did you call?"

"Set- Um, I just wanted to talk to you."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I'm fine."

"Do you want me to come over?"

Kaiba looked down again and saw Seto shake his head. Why-don't-you-go-hang- out-with-her-and-Yugi-and-everyone?

"No, that's okay. Where are you right now?"

"Joey's, we were just going to go to the park though."

"I'll meet you there then."

Tea's voice seemed to perk up a little. "Okay. We'll see you there."

Kaiba hung up the phone. "Happy?"

Yes.

"I hope so." He shoved the phone back in his pocket and saw Seto pulled back inside as he headed downstairs. There were little sobbing noises coming out of Mokuba's room, but he ignored them. There was no point in worrying about anybody. There was no point in emotions.

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

Tea was sitting on the grass next to the basketball court as she waited for Seto to come. 'I hope he's okay. At least he called, and he said he's coming. So as long as he's coming we have nothing to worry about. Everything will be fine.'

"Whoosh!" Joey watched the ball go through the net and smiled at Tristan. "Two points for me, none for you. So HA!"

Yugi looked at the little piece of paper in his hand. "So now Joey's score is 1 game, and Tristan's is. 43."

Tristan then grinned over at Joey. "Awe, whoosh. Looks like I win by a landslide."

The blonde grumbled and started dribbling the ball idly. "Yeah, whatever."

Just then he noticed a figure walking towards them. "Hey Kaiba. Glad you could join us dude." Taking the ball in his hands he tossed it in the executive's direction.

Kaiba just sidestepped it and let the ball bounce past him as he walked up. "Joey, Tristan, Yugi, Tea. Hello." He nodded at all of them with a blank expression on his face. "I see you have been enjoying yourselves completing meaningless tasks of throwing a ball into a net with a hole in it. Not very smart if you ask me. The ball just comes out again and you have to do the same thing over and over again without getting anywhere. It really has to point."

Yugi had just run off and was now returning with the ball. "It's just basketball Kaiba. You're supposed to get the ball through the hoop."

He continued tonelessly. "It still has no purpose. It's stupid. Why would you bother wasting your time doing something so idiotic?"

Joey shrugged. "Cause it's fun."

"Well it's pointless."

Tea got up and walked over to the small group. "Are you okay Seto?"

He turned to face he blankly. "Seto's not-" He stopped a second and he stared at the ground and then looked back up. "I'm perfectly fine Tea. Mokuba now has a new bodyguard so I don't have to waste my time with that anymore. I came to tell you all that I most likely will not be wasting any more time around you. There is no point to it, and I could be using those sessions to further advance the company."

Yugi stared at him. "What do you mean by wasting your time with Mokuba? He's your brother."

"There is no point to it. Family only slows progress, they are mere distractions."

"You can't really mean that." Joey's face was puzzled. "I mean, he's your little bro, he's not a waste of time."

"You would be wrong Joey. If he wants to spend time with me then he'll have to plan a meeting. As will you all. So now if you'll excuse me. I have to go now." He turned to leave and started walking away but Tea grabbed onto his arm and he stared blankly at her. "Let go of my arm."

"Why are you being so weird?" She gazed up at him eyes soft with pain.

"I am merely doing what I was trained to do." He pried her fingers off himself and then started walking away as tears started flowing down her face behind him.

"S-Seto?"

He turned around for a brief moment. "I'm afraid if any further discussion is to take place you'll have to contact my secretary or possibly plan a lunch period. But any talk here will merely be a waste."

Tea broke into more tears and Joey kneeled down beside her and patted her back. He then shot his eyes at Kaiba. "How can you be so cold man?"

"It's not cold, it's business." Without another word Kaiba turned his back and walked away from them.

Turning his gaze back to Tea, Joey continued comforting her. "It's okay girl. Don't worry about it. It's okay."

"B-but he was being so mean."

He smirked a little. "Hey, it's just a little thing. We're still here for ya. Don't get hung up on it." Joey patted her back some more. "It's cool girl. How 'bout we go get a hot dog? They're always good. Come on." He started leading her towards the hot dog stand and looked back over his shoulder at Yugi and Tristan in an I-got-this-covered way.

Leaving Tea a couple of feet from the stand he bought a hot dog and took a pile of napkins before heading back to her. Handing her the food he gave a little smile again and dabbed at her eyes with one of the napkins. "Don't worry about it. We gotcha covered." They both walked over and sat on one of the benches as Tea dejectedly ate the hot dog as she continued crying. Joey, trying his best, gave her a couple more napkins to blow her nose with. "Would you like me to go beat him up for ya?"

She just shook her head and continued sobbing.

He sighed and put his arm around her shoulder. "Hey, this is just a bumpy patch. Forget about it. It'll all turn out for the best."

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

Kaiba made his way back to his office. Mokuba was still crying in his room. 'Fools. They're all getting tied up in emotions when there is no reason to.' He sat down at his desk and started typing. 'This is the only thing that matters. They are just being idiots. Well then let them be. It doesn't matter to me.'