Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-gi-oh!
Wow thanx for all ur guys' reviews! My responses to the reviews will be at the end of the chapter. .
This one switches back and forth from two events going on at the same time.
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The hard heels from his shiny black leather shoes hit the pavement. Double glass doors opened as the white haired man calmly strode inside the air-conditioned lobby. A woman sat in the front, busily typing down letters while talking on the phone. Plush seats of light blue ringed the glass walls while the deco-fountain tinkled behind the front desk. Clustered men in black and white uniforms of the Meiji Corporation talked with clients as they ushered the men and women into side doors or into the several elevators on the far side of the lobby.
The woman looked up, eyes slightly widening at the youth's mane of hair, then ever so quickly reverted back to her socially polite face. After all, she worked for the Meiji Corporation, she was used to the eccentric visitors coming to and fro.
"Excuse me, sir," asked the receptionist politely, "Do you have an appointment?" He stopped midway toward the lifts, a sardonic smirk plastered on his face. He certainly was a weird one. Ruggedly handsome with white hair and dark wicked eyes. Actually, it was his eyes that caught the woman's interest, it was all harsh angles and sloping, bold lines, giving a hauteur and cruel look to him.
Slowly the tall man turned his head, "And if I didn't, what would you do?"
The woman blinked. "Ah, I understand now, you must be the man that he has the appointment with. They're waiting for you in the Lavender Room, it's on floor 37, room number 612. You can't miss it."
The man smiled faintly as he walked off toward the silver elevator, hands in the pockets of his loose black pants. The front of his black trench coat was open, underneath, a white tank that molded to his firm chest.
He started to chuckle softly to himself, shoulders shaking as the old woman standing next to him nervously edged away from the laughing figure. Revenge was always sweet.
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"Hey Mai?" Tea asked her friend again, "You okay?" Mai sat across Tea in the La Lune Restaurant, mouth open, eyes glazed over.
"Uh. . .Mai?" Tea said nervously, fidgeting in her seat. The classic blonde seemed to be in another dimension. Tea waved her hand back and forth in front of Mai's face. She frowned, she didn't think that Mai would take it this badly. Maybe she should've told Serenity first, she was much more calmer than Mai was. She looked around, hmm, no one seemed to notice Mai's expression. Well at least that was a relief. Behind Tea, in the screened VIP booth, Joey, Yugi, Tristan, and Duke sat with their ears pressed to the paneled walls.
"Um, guys?" Ryou asked nervously, sitting with Serenity, Yami, and Malik. "If they catch you guys eavesdropping, you know that Mai'll try to kill us."
"SHHHHh!" the boys hissed at Ryou. "You're too loud!"
Serenity: -__-
"Ahem, Mai?" Tea tried again. "Mai, it's not that big of a deal, well, I mean it is to me, but it's just. . .uh. . .Seto Kaiba we're. . .talking about. . ." Hmm, actually it did sound worse now that she thought about it.
Tea cocked her head at her immobile friend stuck with that glassy stare, taking in her attire. She looked gorgeous as usual in her peasant spaghetti strap and mini jean skirt, it was just too bad that Mai was ruining the look with that embarrassing stare.
But that kiss. . .was everything she dreamed it would be, better than anything she could have ever imagined. She would walk through fire for him. However. . .there still lay that gap of trust between them. Yes, love could conquer everything but there first they needed to lay down their barriers. . .would he still want her if he knew. . .?
Tea mentally shook herself from her thoughts. Wake up Tea, stop thinking about it.
Sighing, she looked back at Mai. She looked like she would never awake from her stupor.
"Mai, your fly is open." Immediately the blonde shrieked and looked down. "I don't even have jeans on, you baka!" Mai looked at her angrily. Then her delicate features changed into a scowl.
"Tea Gardener, repeat what you just said to me."
". . .err, Mai, your fly is open."
Mai rose up from her seat. "Not that! Just exactly WHO did you say you're steady with? Please oh please," Mai crossed her fingers desperately and her legs for that measure, "PLEASE don't tell me you're got back with the CEO of KaibaCorp. That-that jerk who-who got you into this mess in the first place. I thought it was just a cruel joke that Kaiba was playing on you. Like he blackmailed you to pretend to this slutty girl dressed in that outfit. Tea, girl, this man is leagues above you. And you know what I mean when I say that."
Tea met Mai's eyes calmly. "I don't think you understand. . .I love him. It was meant to be."
Eavesdropping boys: (anime fall) O__O;;
Her friend stopped her tirade in mid-sentence and slowly sat back down. "Oh boy, this is even worse than I thought."
"I love him, and, and he loves me back." Tea took in a deep breath. "Mai, I think it's time that I stop lying to you and tell you the truth. I-I. . ." her eyes started to water and she hastily dug in her purse for a tissue. Telling the truth was always ten times harder then telling a lie.
The boys fell again, making a loud banging noise as Tristan received a nosebleed thanks to Joey's elbow.
Mai wordlessly handed her a napkin. It was just too hard to believe.
"So-o. . .he loves you back?" An odd look fell upon her face. "He loves you
back," she repeated softly to herself. "Wow. . ."
"Tea, something's going on, things just don't add up. How, when, why?"
Okay, time to spill it all out Tea. You can do this, she--all of my friends deserve to know the truth.
"Err. . .you know how, I mean, when my father died. . ." She stopped. "Sorry, I don't even like to think about this. . .my life has been one long struggle. After my mother died, my Dad-he. . .he turned into this moody person. One moment normal, the next angry against the world. He took this anger out on me."
Mai was silent, her eyes distant. "I see, those times where you said you were always clumsy, falling down the stairs and such. I always thought something suspicious was going on. . ."
"Yeah, those excuses. Pretty lame. There were a couple of times that it got really bad."
Dad? Tea whispered softly into the darkened living room. Dad?
Her father rose from the couch unsteadily, bloodshot eyes glaring at her. Why? Why do you look so much like her?
Dad, are you okay?
Why do you look so much like her? I hate you, you bitch, you remind me of your mother every single time I look at you. She left me, she left me, and now you're going to leave me too.
Dad, calm down. Just. . .do you want some coffee? Do you want me to run some errands?
Oh my god, no one's in town. Everyone's at the dueling tournament a few miles away. I'm all alone.
"I thought I was going to die. I don't really remember much of that night. Just that when I woke up, he was gone. He came back eventually, but his behavior was even more erratic. It was almost the end of Summer, I had recovered. . .one day---one day at a time. . ." her voice broke as she looked away, struggling to calm herself. Mai watched her in silent sympathy.
"Then. . .that day he died. . .what really happened--" she stopped as gasps rose from her throat.
Mai flew to her side, gently rocking her back and forth. "It doesn't matter, you don't have to say anything, he's dead, he can't come back." Tea grasped onto Mai as she sobbed violently into her flowered top. It was like a dam that was held back for so long that once it broke, nothing could stop it till it ran its course. Suddenly all her friends were there, hugging her.
"I'm so sorry, so sorry," they said over and over. Mai glared at them over the top of Tea's head, "You little rats," she said indignantly.
Tea waved off what was about to become a Mai tantrum. "It's alright. They should hear this as well."
She broke away from their hold, shaking her head.
"You know. . .you guys might not want to touch me after you hear this. What you didn't get from the reports or shall I say what the police didn't find out. . .was that he didn't kill himself. Someone else did."
A man sat in a large leather chair, his features shadowed in darkness from the closed purple drapes that hung around the ballroom.
The white-haired youth sat in front of him, swinging his feet up to rest upon the table.
The man smiled faintly at the lack of respect. It didn't matter. As long as they both had the same purpose.
"I'm so glad that you came. . .Bakura."
"And that person who killed him is someone you know very well. . ." Tea continued.
"I thought you were dead," Bakura said bluntly. "Unless you magically reincarnated yourself?"
"No. . .I never died. And neither did the boss of this corporation."
Bakura frowned, the mastermind of the Meiji Corporation had kept his identity secret ever since he had taken over the company. Who could he be talking about?
"Tea," Joey gripped her arm, "What are you talking about? Someone murdered your Dad?"
Tea looked away, unable to keep contact with all of her friend's gazes. She didn't want to see the look of sympathy turn into disgust and horror when she told them the truth.
". . .well to the 'murderer', that person sees that more of a self-defense action."
A pregnant pause.
"Tea. . .are you saying that. . ." Serenity whispered softly.
"You see, because you have close access to Seto Kaiba and Tea Gardener, it would be so much easier for me and the Boss to control them. We already have Mokuba, so we have all the leverage we need. All you have to do is report to us what the two of them are up to, Tea, as I know, will trust anyone."
"What's in it for me? Revenge, of course, for the pharaoh?" Bakura sneered. He would accept nothing less.
The man stretched his lips in a parody of a smile. "Of course."
Bakura stood up, lazily stretching his neck. "Consider it done. However, if you back down. . .I will personally see to it that both the 'Boss' and you have conveniently disappeared."
The man laughed hollowly, "Never fear, Egyptian thief. We both know what the stakes are."
The final truth after all these years. Tea closed her eyes, in horror, in pain, the gang couldn't tell. The ghastly silence stretched out, and then, "Yes. . .I killed him."
The former thief curled his lips at the man. "I'm sure," he replied as he turned and walk away.
As the door closed behind Bakura, the man stared silently at the empty space before him.
"Tea. . ." he whispered, eyes gleaming in madness. "The doctors said I should've died. . .but I didn't. That last action you did to me will go straight back to you. . ."
With cold precision, Mr. Gardener stood up and grabbed the stray papers on his desk. The plan was set in motion.
"You and your star-crossed lover shall fall."
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So the secret is out! What really happened that day Tea's father died? And what is he doing back now?
Next episode: More Seto/Tea stuff, explanations of how Mr. Gardener fits in to the story, and what Bakura will do. Oh, and also what Kaiba will do when he finds out Tea's secret.
Thanks for Reviewing, I know I've been having late updates! Haha, finally had a moment of inspiration because I originally had writer's block.
Responses:
Umiko Morimoto: Thanks, this chapter doesn't really go into Mokuba buuuut I think I'll put that for the next one. ^__~, I tried to make this one more suspenseful, hehe. Thanx again!!! Peace and love to you! Or as Vash from Trigun would say, "Love and Peace!"
Tori: hehe, yup, I ain't dead! Thank goodness…Thank you for reviewing. I agree, the unbreakable jade needs to update as well, she's a fab writer.
Shaylo: Why thank you, I'm glad that you liked it! Your penname is so pretty by the way, Shaylo. .. I love names that start with S. Hopefully I'll keep it up to standard with this chapter!
Vaz1201 and Demona: Yay! Thanks a lot for reviewing!!!! Hehe, yeah there might've been too much drama, hopefully this one is a little less drama and more suspense ^^
Love ur review!
Guardian of the Light: Hello fellow authoress!! Thanks for reviewing!!!!! I must check up on your stories, sorry if I've been lax in reviewing. Senioritis has been hitting me hard. That means me become a big ball of fat sitting in front of sofa -_-. . .thanks again!
Malik Fan 03: OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was because of you and a couple of other authors that I decided to join fan fiction and you guys also made me fall in love with Tea!!! Thank you so much for reviewing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Muah!!!!
Lynderia: I always love your reviews because they're so insightful!!! Yay, you're like one of my best critics ^^!!!! This has more suspense but hopefully that'll lead to more emotional action! Once again, thanks for your reviews, you're so good at them!
Jujube: What's up! I love your stories hehe . . .Thanks for reviewing! Yeah, I was kinda surprised to when I re-read it. . Haha. . .Muah!
TaichiPrime: haha, I'm sure you aren't, thank you, I love Seto/Tea stories myself. They're my favorite pairings! Hopefully u liked this chappie!
HieiLovesBotan: Welp, I updated, hope u liked it! Thank you for reviewing, and by the way Hiei rocks! *cute bod. . Gulp*
Goddess Hikari: Thank you, I updated now, and hopefully it's as good as the previous one. Thanks for reviewing!
Shadowheart378: Thank you. . .haha, it means I've done my work well if my critics are speechless, lol. Thanks again for reviewing!!!!!!!
Liz Inc: Hey, I'm glad that you liked it! Thanks for putting me on alert, I hope this chapter is good too, haha.
Allison Mizaki: hey, I almost forgot about my penpal here! Thanks for reviewing, you should update your stories haha. Love you!
Thank you everybody for reviewing and if I forgot anyone, I give you slapping rights.