Authoress Note: I know a lot of you want to rip my head off for this late update (some even want to eat my brain cough, cough), but I have my reasons. My brother just got back from Nigeria after staying for a year and I had to spend time with him... So sorry about that... Not to mention the chapter got deleted like 10 times!

And another thing... Mokuba is 10 in this story not 8. I have to change that...

On to the story...

Chapter 11

It's Never Too Late

She couldn't feel anything. She couldn't see anything. She couldn't hear anything. She felt like an empty shell. She stood up and started running. She didn't know where she was going. She reached a room... it seemed oddly familiar.

Three children appeared in the room.

One was a boy who chestnut brown and navy blue eyes. Another was a girl with dark brown hair down to her waist and clear cerulean eyes. The last was a little boy with a mop of raven hair and indigo eyes.

Tea tried to speak but her voice seemed to be lost. Instead she just stood and watched.

"Ok let's play super heroes!" Tea exclaimed with much enthusiasm.

"I get to be the bad guy!" said Mokuba.

"Fine, fine, that means that you're the good guy, Seto!"

"Whatever. Who are you going to be?"

"Why, the damsel in distress of course!"

Seto gave a snort of laughter.

"You think that's funny, do you?"

"I didn't laugh! It must have been the wind!"

"I wanna play now!" Mokuba whined.

"Ok! Let's do it!" she exclaimed.

The game went on for some time. Mokuba kept on laughing before he said his lines. Seto's lines were all melodramatic which caused Tea to laugh as well.

Finally the monster was slain, (in other words, Mokuba was lying on the floor with his tongue out) and it was time to save the 'damsel in distress' from her imprisonment (the closet).

"Oh thank you, sir knight, for saving me! I don't know what I would have done!"

"For a princess so fair I would risk my life!" said Seto as Tea stifled a laugh.

"Thank you ...for being a great friend Seto." She kissed him on the cheek.

Seto blushed.

"W-well it was no problem Andi!"

"I trust you Seto so I'll tell you my real name it's-"

"Seto look!" said Mokuba.

Seto looked towards the window and his eyes widened.

A limo had driven to the orphanage and Gozaburo Kaiba had stepped out.

"Mokie this is our chance!" Seto said as he took his brother's hand and ran out of the room.

"Seto! Wait I need to tell you something!" she said as she ran up to him and grabbed his arm.

He ripped his hand out of her grasp. "You idiot! I don't care about you right now! All I know is that this is a chance of a lifetime and I'm not going to let you ruin it!"

He continued to run down the hallway without a second glance at her.

She sank down to her knees and said lower than a whisper, "But, I remember now... my name is Anzu Mazaki..."

Tea walked over to comfort the poor girl, but as soon as she did the scene disappeared and she was once again engulfed in darkness.

A light appeared in the darkness. She walked towards it, curiously. She continued to walk towards it when a figure appeared to block her path.

It was Kaiba.

She suddenly became very angry. Why was he blocking her path? Wasn't that where she was supposed to go?

She was confused. Why she was here is the first place? Was she dead?

She tried to get past him to get through, but it was futile.

She finally found her voice. "Kaiba...why?" she asked.

"Because you don't belong here Gardner." He said simply before he disappeared and she was alone.

She continued walking towards that light, but his words kept nagging her. She turned away from the light and walked towards the darkness again.

Then she heard it.

"TEA!"

Seto closed his eyes. No! This was not happening! She couldn't... how dare she do this!

"Dammit Bitch! You're pathetic even in death..." he mumbled.

Yami narrowed his eyes. How dare he speak of her like this! Tea... his Tea was dead, and Kaiba was insulting her!

"How dare you insult her Kaiba? You can't even give her respect in death! What kind of man are you?" he demanded angrily.

Ignoring Yami, "Wake up!" he yelled. "This isn't a joke anymore Gardner!" he pleaded, his voice softening.

Nothing happened.

He buried his head in her shirt, "I didn't think it was possible for me to love, I was beginning to believe you Gardner. I mean I'm Seto Kaiba! But you came along and proved me wrong. It's been a short time... but only you could make the blood pound in my ears. And then I knew. I've reached an all time low. I've fallen in love with the one that I supposedly hated."

Yami's eyes widened. This wasn't... couldn't be Seto Kaiba. Seto Kaiba wouldn't be holding onto Tea's shirt like it was the only thing left.

The monitor had been flat for a while now, it had attracted some doctors.

"Mr. Kaiba? I'm afraid I have to call the time of death. It's too late." He said shaking his head.

"It's never too late..." he whispered.

"Call it." was all he said before standing up and nodding to the doctors.

"I've fallen in love with the one I hated." Was what she heard.

Her eyes widened. She understood. She really didn't belong here.

"Time of death: Three twenty-"

Beep.

"What was that?" asked the doctor

Beep.

"I don't believe it she's-!" Yami stated astounded.

Beep.

"Alive?" Seto turned around and glanced at her.

"Tea?" asked Mokuba who had just appeared in the doorway.

She opened her eyes. It was so bright! Where was she?

She sat up and looked around.

Kaiba. Normal.

Yami. Nothing out of the ordinary.

Freaky doctors in white cloaks. Not so normal.

"What are you all doing here? Could you please get out of my room?" she said sleepily.

The doctors nodded and walked out.

"Tea?" Mokuba asked again.

"Yeah." She responded

"You're alive!" he exclaimed happily.

"I- I'm... alive?" she said. She couldn't remember anything about what had happened!

Yami was overcome by a flow of emotion. She didn't die... she didn't die...! He ran over to her bedside and engulfed her in a hug. "Don't ever so that to me again... alright?"

With surprising strength, Tea pushed him away. "You didn't seem to care if I died or not before! So you think that all it takes to gain my forgiveness is a hug and some sappy words?"

Yami's eyes widened. "W-what?"

She narrowed her eyes, "You may be the King of Games Yami, but other than that you are surprisingly stupid. I thought I'd already laid it on the line for you. We. Are. Through."

Yami sighed. "Very well. If that is what you want... then so be it." He made sure that he was out of earshot before he uttered the last of his words. "Yami Motou doesn't give up that easily..."

HWYLYTMK

"Gardner? Did you hit your head or something?" Seto asked, suddenly needing an urge to break the silence.

"Pardon?" she said.

He sighed, "I mean Motou just apologized to you... and you just blew him off."

"If you only knew what he did to me..." she whispered, hatred dripping off her every word. "Can I go now? Hospitals make me sick."

Seto noticed how she changed the subject but decided to let it alone.

"Let's go!" said Mokuba.

Tea swung her feet over the bed and tried to walk. But as soon as she did, she fell flat on her face.

"Ouch!" she muttered. "Why can't I walk?"

"The blood hasn't completely reached your legs yet, you idiot." Kaiba said with a smirk.

"Shut up, it was a damn rhetorical question!" she retorted.

"You obviously need help in more ways than one..." he murmured.

Tea's eyes suddenly mirrored pain. "You know... about what you said to me earlier? How you said I was nothing to you... I... don't think I can forgive you right away. It'll take some time to heal my wounds.

Seto walked over to her. "You really think I care if you forgive me or not?"

So he doesn't care about me... "No... I just thought...never mind."

She gave him her hand, but instead of taking it, he lifted her up on his back.

"What are you-?"

"You can't walk otherwise." He said simply.

"Oh...I"

"And you really need to lose weight, pregnant cow, or you might break my back." He added.

Tea rolled her eyes. "I didn't ask you to carry me, idiot."

"I'll do what ever I want, cow."

"Why you little-"

"Now, now let's not get testy..." he said.

She muttered something rather unflattering and rested her head on his shoulder as he carried her down the stairs.

HWYLYTMK

"You mean to tell me that Tea rose from the dead, like some kind of zombie!" exclaimed Tristan.

Yami had met Tristan, Yugi and Joey outside the hospital. When Kaiba carried Tea down the stairs, he decided it was his time to slip away unnoticed.

He couldn't shake away the feeling he got when he met Kaiba's icy eyes. His eyes were filled with the usual look of disdain; but there was an expression in Kaiba's eyes that he knew too well.

It was the look that always sparked a challenge.

HWYLYTMK

"You can let go of me now." She said with a hint of annoyance.

"I think I've heard just about enough from you, Gardner." He growled.

"Hump!" she huffed, "Please tell me that we're almost there! I can't bear being in such close proximity with you."

"Likewise," he retorted.

Tea let out a growl, "Mokuba! How can you stand this irritable, self-centered, egotistical-"

"We're here." Seto said abruptly ending her rant.

"Finally!" Tea cried.

"Who's that?" Mokuba asked.

Tea followed his gaze towards a rather attractive young lady. She had long raven hair, shinning emerald eyes, and was wearing a business suit.

'DAMMIT!' Seto thought. He'd made a huge mistake!

Seto Kaiba could have cared less at the moment. He didn't care about that idiot any more. She was just like all of the others. She wanted to change him. He knew that it wasn't possible. He didn't WANT to change. He was comfortable with who he was. If she couldn't accept that, well she could go to hell.

He smirked as he picked up the phone and dialed a number. It was time to get a replacement...

"Hello. May I know who's speaking?" asked a female voice.

"This is Seto Kaiba. I need a new maid by this afternoon."

"Certainly. Can I have the last eight digits of your credit card?"

"48294204."

"Please note that when hiring our housekeepers, you are required to house them for a minimum of one month. Do I have your word?"

"Yes."

"Thank you. We will be sending Myra Banks around four o'clock."

"You must be Seto Kaiba." said the girl as she approached him. She held out her hand for him to shake, but when she saw the girl on his back, she put it down.

Tea squinted. She knew that girl from some place or other. But she couldn't match a name with her face.

"I was the maid assigned to this house." She explained.

"What?" Tea and Mokuba said simultaneously.

"Mokuba, take Gardner inside the house." He ordered.

Mokuba nodded, took Tea's hand and led her to the house

"I don't need a maid anymore. Go back to where you came from." He said giving her his coldest glare.

"Sorry Mr. Kaiba. There will be no changes. I will be with you until the precise moment that I decide to resign, or until the contract ends." She said in a business-like manner.

Kaiba shook his head. "I don't remember signing any contract."

"It was your spoken word, not a contract." she said as she looked at her nails in a bored manner.

"I'll be staying and that's final. Show me to my room please." She demanded.

"No one can talk to me like that!" he seethed.

"If do think otherwise, I will have to sue." She said ignoring his statement, "Show me to my room."

"Find it yourself. Stay out of my way." He said before walking back to the mansion, still holding Tea on his back.

"Mokuba, who was that?" Tea asked.

"I don't know, I just remember Seto saying that after you, he wouldn't hire anyone else."

Just at that moment, Seto stormed into the house with a vicious scowl on his face.

Myra entered right after him with a triumphant grin on her face. She turned towards Tea.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"I should ask you the same question!" Tea snapped.

"I'm Myra Banks, this boy's new baby-sitter!" she said.

"We're going to have so much FUN!" she said as she raised a hand to ruffle his hair.

Mokuba smacked it away, "Stop treating me like a kid..." he mumbled.

"Aww! The boy thinks he's big! How cute!" she giggled.

"You heard him! He's a big boy, so stop treating him like a kid!" Tea yelled. There was some thing about this girl that irked her. Like she's done something top her in the past...

"Myra Banks will not be yelled at by some little brat!" she said, completely ignoring Tea.

Tea felt her blood boil. This was the girl who was partial in her former heartbreak. She was the girl who ensnared Yami into her trap. Myra Banks, the girl who she could not forgive as easily as she could Yami.

Myra looked her in the eyes...a wicked smile crossing her face. "You're Tea Gardner aren't you?"

"Yes, have a problem with that?"

"I hope that you don't mind what I did back in high school... it's too bad Yami choose me."

"Whatever."

"But, Seto Kaiba is a lot sexier... I would just love to teach him a thing or two about..." She said wispily.

"Hello! We're in the presence of a young boy!" Tea said. But in truth, she was scared... this girl was after Se- Kaiba?

"Let's go out for some ice cream, Mokuba." She said.

"Gladly." He said. He didn't like Myra... at all!