"LET ME OUT YOU SON OF A BITCH!" More pounding followed as Tea screamed again. Her throat was growing raw with the effort, so she switched to just hitting the wall as hard as she could. She succeeded in kicking a hole through the drywall, which, while satisfying, was hardly a viable escape route. Still, the girl kept up the barrage of blows in hopes of getting a reaction out of the spirit who held her. Tea had come out of her trance-like state a few minutes previously with a splitting headache. The one small window in the room revealed a twenty-foot drop straight down. She was furious at herself for falling so easily into Bakura's snare. She didn't even want to think about what had happened to Yami…but her thoughts were interrupted as she heard someone moving outside the room. Tea flattened herself against the wall next to the door and prepared to ambush whoever entered.
Bakura smiled fondly as another volley brought down a gentle shower of plaster from the ceiling. Tea was anything but the stereotypically helpless female. Still, as much as he enjoyed hearing her struggle, she was making enough of a racket that even the drunken neighbors might become suspicious. He went upstairs and removed the chair with which he had braced the door. The spirit pushed it all the way open, remaining outside, and surveyed the apparently empty room. He sighed softly. "Tea, this insults both of our intelligences." No answer. Bakura shrugged and stepped over the threshold. As he expected, the attack came from his right. He easily sidestepped and slammed Tea against the wall. She slid down, tears forming in her eyes. Bakura watched her for a moment to make sure she was done, then lowered himself to the floor and pulled in into his arms. "I don't want to hurt you, sweetheart, but you look so beautiful when you cry." he said quietly. She had lain lifelessly against him, but stiffened and pulled away at that remark.
Tea was in full sovereign mode now, and she was pissed. Royally so. She drew herself to her feet and looked down at Bakura contemptuously. "Why even bother to go to all this trouble? You could have just controlled me with the Ring." It was painful to recall that the Millennium Ring had once belonged to her and Yami. Bakura raised an eyebrow. "Where's the challenge in that? I find that things that come easily are very rarely worth having." Tea's bearing changed subtly; she became warm, inviting. "Have I been worth it?" she purred as she lowered herself gracefully beside him. Bakura rolled his eyes mentally; he knew what Tea was doing, but he would let her proceed anyway. She lifted a hand and lightly stroked his face, then moved down to his chest. The spirit allowed himself to revel in the sensations, but he was not at all surprised when Tea seized the Ring and, with a sharp tug, ripped it from his neck. She hastily retreated to the opposite side of the room and stared at him expectantly, waiting for Ryou to appear. But the seconds ticked by and Bakura remained, looking almost bored. "If you wanted to look at it, all you had to do was ask." She glared stonily back at him as he stood and crossed the room. He plucked the Ring from Tea's hands and placed it back around his neck. Though she betrayed no emotion, internally Tea felt a cold hand of fear close on her stomach. Her plan had failed and now Bakura stood between her and the door. He did not come any closer, however, and now he headed back out into the hallway and Tea began to relax slightly. But before he shut the door, the spirit gave her an intense look that promised there was much more to come.
Yugi sat behind the counter in the Kame Game Shop, flipping through his deck and discussing his strategy with Yami. They had just begun a duel when a high-pitched chime announced the arrival of a customer. He looked up to find Ryou weaving his way between the racks to the back of the store where Yugi sat. He felt Yami bristle, but Yugi was slower to condemn his friend. There was no sign of the Millennium Ring and Ryou appeared to be perfectly normal. He grinned as he plunked down a large notebook on the counter and said, "Hi! Thanks for letting me borrow your history notes last week. Sorry I took so long, but I've had a lot of…stuff going on." Yugi nodded in understanding and motioned towards Ryou's arms. "How are you feeling? Sorry, Tea was worried about you and she told me." Ryou shrugged, "Fine. They've almost healed." Yugi kept up the conversation with half of his mind and with the other half spoke to Yami. Apparently, neither the spirit nor Tea knew what had happened either. A few minutes later, Ryou said goodbye with a cheerful wave and left the store. "He doesn't seem like Bakura." Yugi thought to his symbiont. The pharaoh conceded that point, but advised caution. Yugi happily agreed and, notes in hand, went upstairs to read for the rest of the afternoon.
Tea refused to look at Bakura as she passed him into the hallway. Still, he insisted on ushering her down the stairs with a firm hand on the small of her back. In the kitchen, she haughtily refused the chair he indicated. He took these small acts of defiance in stride, only acknowledging them with an, "As you wish." Tea knew it was ridiculous, but she was fighting back with the only means she had left. Bakura had prepared something that smelled delicious and would be almost impossible to turn down. He smiled, satisfied, as she took a first, wary bite of baked salmon. Her resolve would break soon, and then she would be his. Bakura pulled open the refrigerator and carefully removed the bouquet of roses. His smile grew wider as he imagined the pharaoh, alone and wild with fear, while the lowly thief gave his queen flowers.
The moon rose and with it brought high winds that whistled annoyingly around the corners of the house. Yugi was in bed, half asleep, when a thought gently floated to the forefront of his mind. He sat up in abject terror. "OH MY GOD!" Yami instantly took over, expecting to see an armed intruder threatening his light. He looked around the empty room in confusion; still acutely aware of the distress Yugi was emoting. "What's wrong?" he asked agitatedly. Yugi's reply was swift and flustered. "I have a history test tomorrow that I didn't study for!" Yami let out a huge whoosh of air and let the other possess his body again. "Don't do that, Yugi! I thought you were being attacked!" The boy quickly apologized before jumping out of bed and switching the desk light on. Wearily he pulled the notebook in front of him and flipped around for the right page. He found his notes, but something made him turn back. It was a page, completely blank save for a single line. Yugi felt himself go cold as he read.
"I have her, but I haven't had her. Yet."