A/N- Someone brought up the question of if something more had been done to doctor the film like adding an image or taking out another portion of the footage that yet has to be found. The answer is no. The only thing that had been changed in the film footage was the portion that Kaiba saw had been removed from the original film. What he saw is what he saw. That's all I'm gonna say.

This chapter picks up the same night as the last chapter in case you get confused.

Disclaimer: ::checks ebay bid:: Nope. Still not mine.

Snakes and Dragons

Chapter 14

Ari paced restlessly. She and Mokuba had enjoyed a peaceful dinner together, but her mind had been elsewhere. The pictures in Seto Kaiba's office at Kaiba Corp had triggered something, mostly the drawing that was allegedly done by her own hand. Monsters were born from the darkness in her dreams now, so much more terrifying than the icy cold hands that reached for her. When Kaiba woke her, for a moment she felt she was still in the dream. It was a relief to see he was just a man, not the monster.

But it didn't make it any easier for her now. It was nearly one in the morning and she had not even dared touch her bed. Having tasted earlier in the day of what awaited her in her dreams, she dreaded facing them almost as much as she dreaded another late night excursion to the room down the hall.

Finally, with a weary sigh, she turned from her sanctuary and silently shuffled down the hallway. The door was cracked and there was a light gleaming from inside, not exactly what she had been expecting.

He's awake! I can't possibly go in now! She glanced down the dark hall towards her own room and hesitated. But I can't go back either.

Closing her eyes for a moment, she took a deep breath and reached deep for a semblance of courage. If I was crazy before, I'm definitely a lunatic now!

With that she reached out and gently pushed on the door. He was sitting in bed with his laptop, clicking away at she could only imagine what. He seemed thoroughly lost in thought as she stood there timidly in the doorway. After a moment his fingers froze and he glanced up, not a lick of surprise flickering across his face.

"I couldn't sleep," she admitted softly.

His sharp eyes stared at her for a moment then with one swift easy motion, he pulled the blankets back on the opposite side of the bed. The obvious invitation would have been severely unnerving had he not immediately turned his attention back to his computer, completely indifferent as to if she chose to stay or go.

I've come this far. So she closed the door with a soft click and timidly crossed the room. He never even glanced at her and they might as well have existed in different worlds for all the attention he paid to her. Why is he making this so easy for me, she wondered as she climbed under the covers and sunk into the pillow, curling far on the side of the bed with her back to him.

There was something oddly soothing about the rhythmic clicking and Ari smiled softly as she closed her eyes. No monsters will be after me tonight.

Finally, the clicking stopped and the bed shifted slightly as he set his laptop on the nightstand and turned the light out. The air seemed to sizzle with her renewed apprehension, but Kaiba merely rolled onto his side and stared off toward the window.

There was so much confusion now, more than that within his heart. Why would Ari put a Blue Eyes into the holo-duel system when she was performing the preliminary tests herself? She knew the dangers involved and she wasn't the kind of person who took unnecessary risks. He vividly remembered the fear in her face when the computer had summoned it. No, Ari could not have been the one to mess with the duel system.

But the camera did not lie, the record of access codes did not lie, and the fact that of all people Ari both had access to his precious card and the ability to enter security without suspicion to doctor the video footage was even greater proof.

But she wouldn't have done that! It doesn't make any sense!

The woman who shared his bed could do nothing to enlighten him. What memories she had managed to reclaim were insignificant to the big picture. It had awarded him a measure of peace to throw himself into the pursuit of the one who had done this to her, but now he was left with nothing. He had a woman he could not hold and a culprit he could not find.

He's angry, she realized. It was a large bed and there was a comfortable distance between them but even still she could feel his tension, his frustration. It wasn't there a few minutes ago when she first laid down.

I can't sleep if he's like this.

She took a deep calming breath. "Kaiba?" she spoke softly and she felt his restlessness instantly still.

"Yes?"

"The picture in your office. I drew it?"

Pause. "Yes."

The silence lengthened between them for a moment and he wondered if she had fallen asleep. No, she was still too tense.

"The dragon," she spoke finally. "Is it a good dragon?"

Kaiba felt a smile tug at his lips. "As long as it's on your side."

"Then," she hesitated as images of her afternoon dream reached out to her. "Why does it want to hurt me?"

There was a quick shifting of the bed and the light flickered on. Ari rolled onto her back in surprise to find him sitting there, staring down at her with an expression sifting between curiosity and concern.

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"It's nothing," she said quickly as she turned away.

Seto grabbed her arm and pulled her back, ignoring the tension that seized her at his touch.

"Not nothing," he said firmly. "Why do you think the dragon wants to hurt you? Is this what you dream about?"

She nodded timidly.

"What else do you dream about?"

Ari squirmed under that piercing stare, but she could not escape for the hold he had on her. The last thing she wanted was to fight him, knowing it could both anger him and take away her only solace for the night, no matter how dangerously twisted it was.

"A snake," she finally said and his eyebrows shot up beneath his long bangs. For a moment she thought he was going to laugh at her.

"What kind of snake," he asked instead. His tone was far too serious for her to believe him to be anything but sincere.

"It's huge, like a house, and…it chases me."

"Then what?"

She bit her lip, a mingling of fear and pain seeping into her pale eyes. I don't want to relive this. Not now. I came to him so that I wouldn't have too.

"Ari," he called her drifting focus back to his stern expression. "What happens next."

"It can't catch me," she said.

"The snake can't? Why not?"

"Because the dragon won't let it," she whispered.

"So why are you afraid of the dragon," he asked gently.

Tears started to gleam in her eyes and tear at his heart. I can't let her stop now. We've come so far!

"It burned," she whispered so faintly he almost couldn't hear. "White fire."

The tears streamed freely, delicately like dew down her cheeks and she closed her eyes, no longer able to bear looking into his. She felt a gentle caress against her skin as he wiped the tears away, his fingers stroking her cheek long after the droplets had been collected.

"It didn't mean to," he spoke gently and her eyes fluttered open. "It didn't mean to hurt you."

This was not a man she knew. The barrier of ice was non-existent as he stared down at her with warmth and affection dancing across his beautiful eyes. It was the expression she often found herself looking upon Mokuba with, and reinforced the impression that she meant so much more to Seto Kaiba than anyone was willing to admit. Instead of reassuring her, it frightened her because she could not remember if she was to feel the same.

This is the man the woman of my reflection compared to a dragon, the same dragon that protects me in my dream one moment and then turns on me the next. Did the Ari of before fear him as much as I do now, when he looks at me in a way I'm certain he has never looked at any woman before? Is he really to be trusted at all?

"He said it was your fault," she found herself saying and she suddenly wished she hadn't when his eyes darkened slightly.

"Who said what was my fault," he asked.

"The reporter," she whispered and flames ignited in his stare. His fingers tightened around her arm and she winced.

"What else did he say," he demanded.

"I didn't understand him," she admitted, "I don't remember—"

"Tell me what you do remember."

So much for sleeping. Ari narrowed her eyes in thought as she tried to make sense of Ito Nozaki's words. The message behind them had been clear enough. Don't trust Kaiba. It scared her because she knew she was already starting to trust him.

"He said you knew it was flawed and you still…"

Anger swept across his face and she cried out when he unconsciously clenched her arm tighter. Her cry startled him and he instantly let go.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"No," she murmured as she hugged her arm, not meeting his gaze. "It isn't your fault."

Kaiba grabbed her wrist and brushed the sleeve of her lavender night shirt up to reveal the blue-green handprint bruised into her delicate skin. Ari was fascinated by the fierce emotions that flickered across his face in that instant as he gently traced the bruises with his eyes and fingers. She was certain then that had Kaiba found Nozaki instead of Sojo, things would have been very ugly. Sojo had been angry, but Seto Kaiba was thinking murder.

"H-he didn't mean it," she said softly in hopes of calming the heat she could feel radiating off of him.

"Why are you defending him," Kaiba demanded, lifting his piercing gaze to her face.

"He just wanted to talk," her voice fell to a whisper under that intimidating stare.

"And what did he talk about?"

"Th-the accident."

"He told you what you wanted to know, didn't he," Kaiba said, his voice once again even and cold. Ari wondered if the warmth she had seen in his eyes just moments ago was merely an illusion after all, something more inspired by the multitudinous emotions trapped in the jewel she wore.

"No." Not exactly.

"He gave you a reason to fear me, telling you it was my fault," Kaiba growled. "I suppose he said I don't want you to get your memory back, didn't he."

"No," she shook her head, her heart skipping several beats at the dark foreboding glare in his chilling eyes.

"Lies don't become you, Ari, they never did," he warned. "I know you've been looking for a reason to not trust me and he gave you one."

She felt something within her shatter, some restraint around a throbbing mass of anger that she had never been aware even existed. Her pale eyes flashed as she returned his glare.

"Why should I trust you," she snapped.

He was startled at first by her vehemence, the shy timid girl having vanished for a mere second. But when his lips curled into a cruel smirk, she instantly regretted her choice.

"Strange that you should ask," his voice dipped dangerously, "when you're lying in my bed."

"I'll leave," she said quickly and jerked herself up, rising panic inspiring her to swift action.

His hold on her wrist tightened and he pulled her back. Loosing her balance she fell startled into the pillows and looked up to meet his grim expression.

"You'll stay," he said firmly. "We both know you can't sleep otherwise."

"I'll sleep with Mokuba," she said defiantly.

Seto's eyes narrowed. "He sees you enough during the day."

Ari blinked in surprise. "You…you're jealous of him!" Curse my stupid tongue! Where is all of this reckless abandon coming from?

His head dipped suddenly until he was just inches from her face. Her eyes widened significantly and she trembled.

"I wonder," he spoke softly, his warm breath washing across her skin. "How much do you remember and how much do you hope not to?"

"Don't," she whispered and he smiled slightly at her plea.

"Don't what? Hurt you? I would never hurt you, Ari. You're the one who does the hurting around here."

"What?"

"And you don't even know it," he sighed as he gently brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. "I'm in there somewhere," he said and he tapped her on the forehead. "But I guess you would rather remember Mokuba than me."

He rolled away from her then and she stared up surprised at the canopy. I'm the one that hurts everyone? Why, because I can't remember who I am? She swallowed hard. Am I the reason behind the pain in his eyes?

The light flickered out and she was left to stare in darkness. She could feel the bed shift as he made himself comfortable and knew she was just as safe here and now as she had been any other time. Why did I believe that reporter? Because I long to put a face to my fears, but Kaiba doesn't make my heart race in fear. Its panic is different, thrilling, like the moment I first put on this jewel… her fingers wrapped around the diamond at her throat and she wondered over the story behind it that inspired such strong emotions within her for a man who was nothing more than a complete stranger. He cared for her, wanted to protect her, and yet…

"Kaiba," she spoke hesitantly into the darkness and wondered if he would answer her at all.

"Yes."

Ari bit her lip to keep it from trembling. "Are you the dragon?"

Seto frowned in the darkness. "I'm afraid you're going to have to figure that out for yourself, Ari."

But what if you are!