A young girl, no older than eight, slowly opened her eyes. Her long, straight, chocolate brown hair draped over her shoulders. As she stirred, her ocean blue eyes began to focus on a pair of darker, deeper blues. She just laid there, in the virtual reality pod, staring at a man she didn't initially recognize.

"Who…? Who are you?" Her eyes were taking some time to focus as her pupils dilated and then slowly constricted, adjusting to the real world and the harsh overhead lighting. Her voice was hoarse from a lack of use as she strained to speak. "Where am I?"

He noticed the panic setting in as teardrops started to form in the corners of her eyes. Her surroundings had clearly spooked her—as they should all things considering…

She had just woken up from a coma.

"Mister… pl-plea- please help me… I don't…" She started looking around, her innocent eyes scanning her surroundings frantically, "I don't know where I am!" Her fear was rising.

Plucking a few connective cords from the sticky patches placed on her skin, he replied with a soft yet stern voice, "It's alright. Try to calm down."

This did nothing to calm her and she continued asking questions, "What is this place?" She began to cry.

Immediately, he moved to wipe the tears away from her cheeks, cupping her face gently. "Shh, it's okay. I'm here."

She grabbed at his hands, and he smiled brightly, allowing her to hold them. Staying strong, he held back his own tears, wanting to be as solid and as comforting as possible. "What do you remember?"

"I… don't know… How did I get here?"

He nervously exhaled, "Do you know who I am?" His hair may have been ashier than it used to be, and he most definitely had a few more wrinkles—purely from the stress of dealing with her coma, but he hoped he wasn't that unrecognizable compared to the Virtual World version of himself. In all honesty, he just hoped she still had her memory from the Virtual World. Her brain scans indicated that she did.

It took her a few moments to stop crying and analyze his features. Once she recognized who he was, her facial features exploded with relief and she cried out, throwing her arms around him. "Daddy!"

Pure joy and endless relief flooded him as he hugged her back, "Faith…" he whispered, "I'm so happy you're home…"

She hugged him tightly, clinging to his neck as he pulled her out of the virtual world pod, carrying her in his arms.

"Where's mommy?" She asked.

Smiling down at her, he kissed the top of her forehead endearingly and avoidantly replied, "She's going to be so happy to see you."


This was their last performance of the season. The troupe was seamless. Every move, perfect. The sets, also perfect. The lighting, the location, the costumes, the audience, all perfect. One would think this was one of Tea's greatest moments of her career, and they'd be right, but that was the furthest thing from her mind tonight.

Tea watched nervously from the low-lit area backstage, leaning up against a support beam behind the stage curtain, watching the troupe perform. She enjoyed being concealed by the darkness tonight. The feeling of being unseen eased her anxiety—if only just slightly.

Being the company's director, she had a lot on her mind, but this performance just wasn't it. Her troupe was truly doing all the work for her. No, the performance was perfectly fine. It was the phone call she'd received just prior to the show's start that made her aggressively bite her freshly manicured nails.

It was the call from her brother-in-law, telling her that her husband was on his way...

"Mokuba, the show's about to start, what do you mean he's almost here?"

"He told me to call you to give you a heads up."

Irritated, she replied, "Why couldn't he have just called me himself?" She knew why he used Mokuba as his messenger though. He was afraid to call her.

"You'll see…"

"You'll see?" Her question was delivered with a bite to it. She was fuming. Tonight, of all nights, Seto had to come and ruin her season's last show. The audacity of this man made her grit her teeth. She couldn't blame him though; she knew exactly the kind of man she married.

"His hands are pretty full at the moment, Tea..." Whatever that meant. If there was one thing Tea hated about the Kaiba Brother's, it was how cryptic they could be.

Despite this, Tea wasn't sure when Seto would show up. She wasn't ready to speak to him, nevertheless, see him face-to-face right now. She was still furious with him.

She hadn't seen or spoken to her husband in over a year.

Sure, they still texted each other… rarely… but did that count? Tea didn't think so. Besides, they were worlds apart. Seto was still living in Domino City while she was in New York, furthering her career as a ballet coach and show director. The time difference made it difficult to find a time to talk, especially when you had nothing nice to say.

Tea closed her eyes and began taking a few deep breaths. Sure, seeing Seto again after their fight would be hard, but what if he was seeing her because he bore bad news? What if it was about Faith?

She wanted to cry. Cry, scream, sob, punch a wall, anything to let her trapped emotions out, but she needed to hold it together for the performance. Even if Seto arrived with bad news about their daughter, she'd hold it together until the performance ended.

Thankfully, the moment arrived quickly, and she walked out on-stage to wave to the crowd and to bow before the audience with her company. The lights were bright. The audience cheered. It was surreal. It always was, but this time just hit different. The nagging anxiety in her head wouldn't leave her alone. Why would Seto suddenly make a surprise appearance? Was Faith okay?

As the company celebrated backstage, popping open bottles of champagne, embracing each other with tears of joy and sadness now that their season was over, Tea couldn't help but feel detached as she made her way toward the champagne and hors d'oeuvres table, trying to politely avoid conversation. As much as she knew she should mingle with her company, Tea couldn't bring herself to do so. She should be celebrating, having fun with everyone. This was their night—their final show, yet the thought of Faith overwhelmed her.

Faith. Their beautiful daughter.

Closing her eyes, Tea recalled what it felt like knowing her life was about to change forever…


Flashback: Five years ago

"He's so nervous having you over."

"Shut up, no he's not." Tea rolled her eyes as she continued curling her hair, getting ready for the evening. Seto had invited her over to the Kaiba mansion for dinner. Seto insisted she come over. He'd hire the best chef in Japan if he had to. Tea had rolled her eyes at this—as if she cared about the food. It was the time spent with Seto that mattered. Regardless, she didn't know why Mokuba was claiming that Seto was so nervous.

The tablet on her vanity spoke back, "Yes, he is, I swear." Mokuba appeared on the screen through a video call. He was running Kaiba Corp., yet Tea was thankful he made the time to chat with her, even if this was the best face-to-face that he could do with how busy he was. Whatever business she had with his older brother, Tea and Mokuba had always been good friends.

"Whatever, Mokuba."

"Would I lie to you, Tea?"

Without hesitation, she replied, "Yes!"

Mokuba giggled and shrugged, "I mean, that's fair but I promise this time. Cross my heart. He's a wreck. He had the nervous sweats this morning."

"Gross," Tea teased, sticking her tongue out as if she were disgusted. She enhanced her statement by tacking on a nice wink to affirm her playfulness.

"Whether you believe me or not, I mean it. He is nervous." Mokuba didn't seem to be playing anymore. His insistence threw her off a bit. Maybe Seto truly was nervous?

She let her thoughts tumble off her lips. "And why do you think that would be?"

"I can't say."

"Why not?"

"Because."

"Because why?"

"Uhhh…" Mokuba looked away from the camera.

Tea rolled her eyes and went back to looking in the mirror.

"Just believe me, okay?"

Tea laughed, "nope!"

"Would you believe me?"

The additional voice threw her off-guard and she looked back at the tablet screen. "Yugi!"

"Hey, Tea." Her best friend appeared on screen, leaning over Mokuba's desk. "Have fun tonight. Don't get lost in the Kaiba mansion."

"I'll try not to… What're you doing? Does Mokuba have you working overtime?"

Yugi shook his head, "Kaiba, actually… Because of you." Both he and Mokuba let out a

lighthearted giggle. Thankfully they were all smiles. After all this time, it was nice to see them all smiles once again.

"No! Really? That asshole! Is that why he's so nervous? He knows I'll find out about him

making my best friend work overtime to cover for his slacking, stubborn ass."

They both laughed. Yugi replied with a light, "Sure, Tea. That's it."

She stopped playing around for a moment to genuinely ask, "Is he really that nervous?"

They nodded but said nothing.

"Huh…" She leaned back in her chair. Seto really was nervous. But why?

"Promise me, Tea, you'll do what your heart tells you to do." Yugi seemed oddly serious

about this, but Tea didn't question it and simply nodded her head, agreeing.

"Seto sent a car, it'll be there around six," Mokuba confirmed, "Good luck!" That was the last thing he said before hanging up. Tea found that to be odd but brushed it off anyway and continued getting ready.

Forty-five minutes later and the car pulled up. Waiting in the living room, Tea saw the headlights flash upon the wall. Getting up to look, Tea scratched her head as she pulled away the drapes, peering out the window of her parent's front bay window. After everything… with her coma, the virtual world, moving to New York and coming back, Tea didn't have the time, nor the money to fork over on a new place just yet, so staying with her parents was her best option. Admittedly, she hated nearing her thirties and still living with her parents, but in her condition…

She shook her head, refusing to finish out the thought.

Her mother strolled over to her side next to the window. "What is it, darling? Is Seto here?"

Tea blinked in confusion and cocked her head, "I… I don't know?" Truthfully, she didn't. She honestly couldn't understand what she was looking at. Maybe somebody pulled into the wrong driveway? Maybe they were lost? No way this was Seto Kaiba.

Her jaw collapsed to the floor as she watched Seto hop out of an older vehicle. Tea didn't know much about cars but there was no way this one was his. She was expecting something flashy. Not a simple… whatever it was she was looking at.

He came to the door and swung it open on the first knock. He didn't even have a second to say hello when she started questioning him.

"What the hell is that?"

He paused, fixing his cufflink. "A car."

She frowned, "Yeah, I can see that."

"And? What about it?"

"What about it? I was expecting your limo or driver, not…"

"That." Seto finished.

She nodded, "Yes, not… that. What even is that?"

"A very old car I bought off someone on the street this afternoon. Paid him over one-hundred thousand yen for the car with no questions asked." He sounded so proud. It just irritated Tea even more.

"There's no way that thing is worth over one-hundred thousand yen!"

He held up his index finger to correct her. "With no questions asked."

"That thing looks like it's from the nineties, and you bought it off a complete stranger!?"

That smug Kaiba grin appeared, and she hated it. "That's because it is. Don't worry, I had it deep cleaned."

She rolled her eyes, "Yeah, because that's what I was concerned with. Not the fact that you are one of the richest people on the planet pulling up here in a car from however many decades ago. What is wrong with you? Is this a joke?"

"Oh, so my money is all that matters to you?"

She gasped, hurt by his accusation. "That is not what I said, and you know it, Seto Kaiba."

"Then why do you keep questioning me?"

"I'm concerned you've lost your damn mind! Since when does Seto Kaiba not want to flaunt his money?"

He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed, "Tea, can you please stop saying my full name. I'm not losing my mind, I promise."

She placed a hand on her hip and huffed, "Then tell me what's up."

"I would've told you sooner if you would've just relaxed for five seconds. I bought this for our protection, so we wouldn't attract any unnecessary attention."

Tea relaxed, "Oh... Why didn't you just send your driver like Mokuba told me you would?"

"I wanted to be with you," he took her hand and kissed it, "from the very start of the evening."

Tea blushed. For some reason she felt silly. Maybe it was because she should've known Seto was looking out for them. He was always a few steps ahead.

The two had been going strong now for a while. In fact, they were spending dinner tonight at the Kaiba Mansion to celebrate their one-year anniversary. It didn't feel like a year. It felt more like a decade. The time spent in and out of the virtual world distorted Tea's sense of real time and to top it off, she'd known Seto since high school, so their time together just felt longer. Not that there was anything wrong with that, it just made them bicker like an old married couple at times.

"You look beautiful," he added, making her blush even more.

"Charming as ever," she winked, walking out onto the front doorstep to kiss him. He happily accepted and then embraced her.

"Ready to go?" He asked as they broke apart, and she nodded.

Tea had to admit, Seto looked odd driving such an ordinary and outdated vehicle. It was amusing, and she kept commenting on it to the point where he got huffy—she didn't care. Any chance to tease him was a win in her book, even if it made him mad. She knew he'd come back with some sort of violent insult.

"You're lucky I've chosen to give you the time of day. If it weren't for me, you'd probably be driving this exact vehicle, or maybe no vehicle at all." Ouch. There it was. He was right, of course, but it still hurt.

"Given the circumstances of the evening," she began, "I'll let it go. Just this once." Tea swore she caught a small smirk forming on his smug face but brushed it off.

She changed the subject, "Mokuba told me you were nervous."

He groaned, "I hate that you two talk so much."

"Oh, so I'm not allowed to be friends with him?"

"I didn't say that."

"Then what did you mean?"

Groaning again, he replied, "Are you trying to test my patience tonight? If so, you're walking on very thin ice."

She ignored him, not caring if she made him angry. They were always like this. "He simply said you were nervous. I tried asking for more, but he didn't say anything."

Seto's lips pursed into a thin line. That was odd… She thought. It was as if something about this night made him nervous. All things considering, she was the one that should've been nervous…

As they pulled up into the Kaiba Mansion, Tea realized she'd never seen it sparkle quite like how it was sparkling tonight. Once the car pulled up, the gates opened, like storm clouds rolling away to reveal warm sunlight. Except this time, the gates revealed a plethora of twinkling lights. Every tree, every hedge, bush, and berm was decorated with a warm twinkle light. The place looked straight out of a Christmas movie, minus the snow.

"Why haven't I noticed how beautiful this place was before?"

He didn't say anything as they continued up the long drive toward the entryway. Seto's personal staff was waiting for him as they pulled up, bowing before assisting them out of the vehicle—which was extremely out of place now that they had arrived at their destination.

"What're you going to do with that thing?" She asked, as Seto held out his hand for her. She took it lovingly and smiled up at him.

He shrugged, "Give it to my grandkids someday."

She laughed, "Yeah, if it still runs."

He led the way through the mansion, and even though Tea had been to the Kaiba Mansion many times before, this time just felt different. The place was well decorated for their anniversary—something Tea had expected. Even the staff was dressed to the nines, as if they were part of the dinner as well, not wearing maid outfits or chef hats, but rather, sporting modern and elegant attire. There was a lightness in the air though, something was different. The energy was exciting.

Sitting down at a nice table set for two in the courtyard, the two chatted, catching up with each other. Despite them being so close, they lived two very different worlds. And despite Yugi being Tea's best friend, Seto spent more time with him as the two were dominating Kaiba Corp.'s Research and Development department, developing new games and VR concepts. Tea, on the other hand, was working as a dance instructor in hopes of becoming a show director soon. She'd been in contact with a company in New York City. Nothing had come of it yet, but if there was something she'd learned from Seto, it was to plan, and the future would eventually unfold itself in your favor.

Living in the same city—hell, just the same zip code—did absolutely nothing for the time they spent together. They were both so incredibly busy, making it difficult to dedicate time to one another. They'd clearly spent too much time apart, gushing about their lives to each other for so long that Tea didn't even notice dinner and dessert had come and gone. A staff member came by with two flutes of champagne. The liquid was so clear that Tea thought it was sparkling water for a second before hesitantly picking up her glass. She examined the almost translucent beverage as it bubbled, twirling the flute handle in-between her fingertips.

Seto had already taken a sip and asked, "Is something wrong?"

She must've spaced out. "Huh?" She gave him a sweet smile. "No, not at all."

"You're staring at the champagne as if you've never seen champagne before…"

She didn't respond.

"Please tell me you've had champagne before…"

"Of course, I have."

"This is the finest champagne from France—"

She cut him off, "I'm sure it is." She set her glass down without taking a sip.

He was a bit more aggravated in his questioning, "Then why aren't you drinking it?"

"I guess I'm just a bit full from dinner. That's all." This was a lie. She prayed Seto wouldn't be able to tell.

He closed his eyes, "I see…" That was all he said as a layer of silence settled in. Tea didn't know what to say. Thankfully, Seto continued, but his next question caught her by surprised.

"Are you happy?"

"Excuse me?"

"Are you happy, Tea?"

"Of course, I am! How could I not be? You set up this beautiful night for us. I couldn't be happier!"

"I meant with us… Are you happy with us?"

The question shocked her. Of course, she was happy. What was he getting at?

It was as if he could read her mind because by the time she got around to even attempting to reply, he stated, "I just need to know."

She redirected the question back at him. "Well, are you?"

"Yes." His answer was quick and straight to the point.

"And so am I," and as she smiled back at him, she could sense a strong wave of relief wash over him. Seto was so used to hiding his emotions. This was different. "Why are you asking?"

What Tea was not expecting was for Seto to suddenly stand up and walk over to her. The action seemed so strange, yet there was something in Tea's heart that fluttered, like it was skipping beats. Her intuition came alive, and her heart sparked with a rapid fire of beats, pounding against her chest. She knew—knew exactly what was about to happen—and couldn't believe it! She held her breath as the man she'd known for so long, a man she owed her life to, suddenly dropped down on one knee, reaching into his suit jacket pocket to pull out a velvet box. Delicately, he opened it, his eyes glancing upward at her, those beautiful blues captivating her all over again.

The ring was stunning, a white silver band embellished with sapphires and diamonds. Of course, it was huge, Seto spared no expense.

"Tea Gardner, will you marry m—"

Without warning, she leapt out of her seat and practically tackled him to the ground, violently embracing him.

"Yes!" She squealed, "Of course I'll marry you, Seto!" Now she understood why Mokuba and Yugi said he was so nervous.

He plucked the ring out of the box. It glistened among the copious amounts of twinkling lights. Slowly, he took her hand and slide the ring on her finger. A perfect fit.

Holding out her hand to catch the light, she admired the diamonds around her finger, watching them shine. "It's beautiful, Seto, thank you." Her eyes were watering a bit and she felt his cool fingers wipe away the tears, but when more and more tears came his fingers were no longer enough. He pulled out the handkerchief from his suit jacket pocket and handed it to her.

Tea wiped her eyes and gently blew her nose into it.

"I was expecting you to be emotional, but—"

She cut him off with a wave of her hand, "No, no, it's okay, I know I am."

A long silence hung in the air between them, and Tea felt the awkward energy flow out of Seto when he hesitantly asked, "Is everything alright?"

At first, Tea came out with a half-truth, "It's just a big moment in a woman's life, that's all."

He let her be and she cried just a bit more. Maybe he'd believe her lie?

Staring at her for a little while longer, she could tell he knew this wasn't a normal reaction. Seto slowly opened his mouth to speak but she beat him to it, "I'm pregnant." By revealing the whole truth, she ceased her crying.

His big blue eyes widened. He was stunned. Too stunned to speak.

"S-Seto? Did you hear what I just said."

He lightly nodded, still staring off into the distance, as if he were intently watching something that wasn't there. Tea didn't question it. She'd seen this look on his face before. She recalled a particular moment during Duelist Kingdom where he'd done this. It was right before he stepped out on the ledge. Something was stewing in his mind's eye, a visual only he could see, but Tea knew this news was quite a lot for someone to suddenly process. She gave him the time he needed.

After a couple minutes of silence, he simply asked, "How long have you known?"

"Almost three months."

"I see…" His glazed over eyes came back to life and he began staring her down with the typical Kaiba sternness she'd come to know all too well. "Who else knows?"

"Just you and my parents." The edginess in his voice threw her off. She suddenly felt so anxious. Did he not believe her? Would he think the child was someone else's? He had so much money and power, it'd be wrong of her to dismiss Seto in any sort of accusation, but still—it unnerved her. Maybe this was just his way of processing things?

What he asked her next really sent her skin crawling….

"Are you going to keep it?"

Stunned by his question, she stuttered, "E-ex-excuse me!?"

He simply repeated his question, "Are you going to keep the baby?"

"Of course I am! This is your child, too, Seto! I'd never do anything to this baby without consulting you first!" She was aghast. Out of all the questions to ask.

Glaring at her, he said, "Don't get the wrong idea, Tea. I'm simply looking out for you."

"How?"

"Well, won't a baby impede upon your dancing career?"

"Yes, but—" She stopped herself. She had thought of this, it just wasn't a reality she wanted to face yet. A hard pill to swallow. She couldn't possibly move to New York with their child. Not unless Seto went with them, but his work was here in Domino…

Placing a comforting hand upon her shoulder, Seto took her face into his other hand, lifting her chin. "Look, we don't have to figure it all out right now. We'll make it work; I promise."

Tea didn't notice her eyes glossing over once again, but Seto must've because he gave her the biggest, reassuring smile he could physically muster. He reached for her, embracing her tightly, rocking her back and forth, kissing the side of her face.

"I know this baby wasn't exactly part of the plan but the moment I found out I was pregnant, I- I felt— I felt whole!" She let the tears flow again. "Do you want this, Seto?"

Seto gripped her tighter. "Do I want this?"

She nodded into the crease of his neck and squeaked out a small, "Yeah…"

"There's nothing I've wanted more in my entire life."

Giggling and crying all at the same time, Tea couldn't help but ride the wave of emotions that flooded her, and she replied, "You can't be serious!"

"I am!" He exclaimed. "Ever since I lost my parents, there's been nothing more I've wanted than to provide a child with something that I had lost."

Wiggling out of his embrace, Tea looked up at him, "Is that why you were so invested in making Kaiba Land?"

His witty smirk all but confirmed her question and she couldn't help but smile back. "I practically raised Mokuba. Being a parent, well, it's just the next step for me… and I couldn't be happier than I am in this moment right now."

Taking her face, he kissed her deeply, and showed her that night just how happy he truly was.

But six months later and their happiness completely disappeared…

"She's unresponsive, Mr. and Mrs. Kaiba… I'm sorry… There's nothing we can do…"

Their world spun, and Seto was sent down another roller coaster of frustrated emotions when it came to medical professionals telling him there was nothing they could do. "What do you mean there's nothing you can do!?" His blood was boiling.

"We're sorry, but she was born unresponsive. When babies don't cry upon birth, it's usually not a good sign. We've run every scan. She's alive, but unfortunately, she's in a vegetative state. I'm so sorry, there isn't anything we can do but hope for the best."

Tea had watched her husband silently seethe as the doctor left the room, leaving them feeling broken. She sobbed cradling her quite newborn in her arms.

Kneeling next to her bedside, Seto placed his hand over his daughter's tiny forehead.

"What're we going to name her, Seto?"

Without hesitation, he named his daughter, "Faith."

"Faith?" She questioned it, "Why Faith?"

"Because it was all I had when I thought I'd lost you. I won't lose her. I have faith in that." Seto being the man he was, he wasn't going to give up…

A few years passed and Faith's condition hadn't changed. She was growing physically, but she was completely bedridden. Unable to respond, unable to eat or bathe herself. She was kept under constant care at the Kaiba Mansion. There were moments where she'd open her eyes, but it was as if she were staring at nothing. Tea had wondered if she was even there at all.

The past few years were hard on their marriage. Seto was constantly working, something Tea had expected from him, of course, but it was to the point where Seto would only come home to sleep, and only occasionally. He spent almost all his time at Kaiba Corp. while Tea split her time between caring for their daughter and working at Domino City's top tier dance studio. While there were brief moments where Tea and Seto spent together, they were few and far between. They spent most of their time fighting and arguing with each other.

"You're not putting her in there!"

"You don't understand, Tea, the technology has improved tenfold since we were last in there!"

"I don't want to hear another word about your virtual world technology, do you hear me?" She pointed her finger at him. A flash of light bounced around the room and a crack of thunder clapped overhead. The rain pelted Seto's office window. The thunderstorm hitting the city was giving her uncomfortable flashbacks and she was livid that Seto called her over to Kaiba Corp. so late at night simply to discuss this ridiculous topic once again.

"It could save her—resurrect her brain activity just like it did for you!" He was practically begging, pleading with her, "Please, Tea, this could save our daughter! I've spent the last few years researching and developing tech just for this—just to save her!"

"STOP! I don't want to hear about this anymore! I will not have you risk my daughter's life in that— that machine!"

"That machine saved your life!"

"And it almost took yours!" She countered. "Don't you see? This is our daughter; I can't have you risking her life on a chance or a whim!"

He groaned, "As if I would do that, Tea?"

She frowned at him, crossing her arms over her chest.

For a moment, he was shocked. "You… You really think I would risk her life so carelessly?"

Tea shook her head, "I don't know, Seto. I don't know what you do anymore! All I know is this isn't a game!"

"You think that I think this is a game?" He charged at her, completely shocking her. He backed her into a literal corner placing both his hands upon the wall, trapping her in. "Did you think it was a game when I risked my reputation to save you!? Did you think it was a game when I uploaded my mind just to save you!? Did you think I was playing then, Tea!?"

She refused to answer.

"Do you really think I'd risk my daughter's life if I wasn't fully sure of her safety and survival!?"

She growled at him, "I don't care how many math equations you run, all your quantum analysis metrics, I don't give a damn! I don't want my daughter uploaded into the Virtual World!"

"This software has helped so many people wake up from coma's since you've helped Kaiba Corp. perfect it. The risk of Faith being harmed is so minimal that it—"

"But it's still there! There's still a risk!"

He glared at her and she glared back, unmoving in her answer to him.

"The Virtual World has helped people who were previously conscious regain consciousness once again, but Faith was born comatose, we have no way of knowing she'll ever be out of that state. There's nothing to regain if you've never had it in the first place…"

"Then there's nothing to lose."

Rage flashed behind Tea's eyes, and she forcefully pushed her husband away from her, freeing herself from her trapped position. "See!? This is what I'm talking about! You're willing to take a risk with her!"

"And what if that's the only way of waking her up?"

"And what if it isn't? Then what?"

He turned away from her and fixed his gaze out the window, watching the rain violently hit it. "I'll be there with her. I'll help her wake up."

Shaking her head, she shouted, "No! You are not going back in there!"

"I will do what I have to in order to save her."

"I'm not losing you and my daughter, too!" Tears rolled down her cheeks, just as violently as the rain.

With a sense of calm, Seto spoke. His words scratched her heart and Tea felt utterly betrayed. "It's too late… My team has already uploaded Faith's mind to the Virtual World."

"Wh- What!? Tonight!? In a THUNDERSTORM!?" She screamed as thunder and lightning clashed just outside.

He was suddenly so hauntingly calm, "I called you here to say goodbye, and to tell you I love you."

Without hesitation, she ran up to him and slapped him across his face as hard as she could. "Fuck you!" Holding his tender cheek, he looked back at her, glaring.

"Where is she!?" She bellowed, glaring right back.

"Her mind has already been uploaded. If you try and disconnect her, we may lose her for good." Tea recognized the look on his face. Seto meant business and he didn't want her interfering with his plan.

Shaking her head in disgust, Tea replied with the most venomous tone she could muster. "Seto Kaiba. You are the filthiest bastard I've ever had the displeasure of knowing. Rot in hell!" She whipped around and began making her way to the exit.

"Where are you going?"

She wanted to be snarky, she really did, but he was still her husband despite his betrayal, and he was still the father of her child. She told him exactly where she was going if he ever wanted to make it up to her. "New York City."

Still rubbing his cheek, he asked, "You got the job?"

"Yes."

"Congrats."

"I'll leave first thing in the morning."

"So will I."

His reply confused her for a second but then she understood.

"How do you plan on waking her up?"

"We'll see when I get there."

"That's what I thought," and she slammed the door behind her, knocking a plaque off the wall, shattering the glass just as he'd shattered her already broken heart.


A/N: I swear I did NOT want to carry on with this story for ANOTHER chapter, but this was already twelve pages long and to finish this up the right way, I just had to pause here. Thank you so much for reading and continuing with me on this wild ride. Please let me know what you think!