Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or the basic characters of the series. I also do not own this song You Break Me by 3 Of Hearts. Due to request and not wishing to get punished... I have taken the lyrics out, however if you wish you can look them up on a search engine.

To all my reviewers: I aim to please, I prefer to succeed.

Today was Cole first birthday. Téa dressed her son upin abig jacket and pulled his beanie cap on. He was being funny while she tried to get his boots on, he would kick one leg up and when she turned a scowl on her son he would show a mouth full of gums and two bottom teeth. When he decided to make a game of this, she tackled her child and began tickling the child mercilessly. He giggled and pushed down on her hands and she bent in and gave him tummy kisses. Mokuba ran into the room and Téa sat up and smiled at the eleven year old. "It's still not snowing."

"It should start up again, did your brother get home yet?"

"No, he called and said he was going to be late." Téa tugged the last boot on her protesting baby and lifted him up.

"Well, that's his loss, right Cole?" Cole babbled some nonsense and Téa grinned. She kissed her son's fleshy cheek and nosed his neck.

"Are you going somewhere?"

"Yep… the guy's wanna see Cole and I want to get out of the house for awhile. You wanna come… oh, but I don't want Seto to worry."

"I'll call him."

"Okay, get your jacket too!" she yelled after him as Mokuba bolted from the room at top speed and she watched him suddenly her son pressed his fingers against her nose and Téa stared at him and suddenly gasped and leaned him back getting a shrill laugh from him. She brought him zooming up and he clung to her neck and she let go of his waist and he dangled off her, she grabbed him around the waist and left the room, she shut the door tight and walked to the middle of the hallway and began decending, bouncy, down the steps, her son made these little grunting sounds with each bump. The doorbell rang and Téa stopped bouncing and finished her way down. She ran to open the door and found it was a package-man. "Cold day, huh?"

"Freezing. Cute kid."

"Isn't he though? Is this for Mr. Kaiba?" she inquired as he handed her the clipboard.

"Yes, it is." She smiled and signed for it then took the box. "Have a nice day."

"You too, bye." Téa shut the door and sighed, there was Hansley, making his way from the kitchen to the living room. "Hansley! Hansley, could you hold Cole for awhile."

"Sure."

"Thanks, be right back." She headed up the stairs and Hansley looked at the kid, who stared blankly at him.

Téa opened the door to Seto's home office. She switched the light on and walked over to his desk, intentions to leave the package on the desk and leave. But hell, she was too curious for her own good. She sat down and began opening drawers, his office was neater compared to his room, well those were the stories. His room was a sty and Ms. Kako would actually beg to clean the room, but Seto Kaiba had a certain pickiness about his room, it was said that he left his room in the style it was currently in because he had unfinished work, drafts and so forth. Mokuba said he had to step over things so not to break a disk or a laptop, but what Téa saw from this small office was it couldn't get any cleaner, he had papers stacked in one drawer, bottom, second drawer had one laptop and a few disks, labeled neatly in good penmanship, the top drawer had a single leather, flat-cover, journal. She slowly pulled it out of the drawer and opened it. In black inking on the top line was the month written out, the numeral date, the ending numbers of the year and exact time he must have started writing the entry. This one was before she moved in with him, way back; this was an entry during the Battle City Tournament.

I lost to Yugi Moto once again. This isn't the first time and I don't think it will be the last time, no matter what card I have in my hand, no matter how well my strategy is I never seem to win, I've had an upper hand on several encounters and even the God Card Obelisk, my most powerful card, my Blue eyes only second best to it's might, however Yugi has managed to defeat me. I lost my God Card… the Mutt Wheeler even had the nerve to challenge me upon my defeat, he isn't and will never be a supreme duelist like myself, even without my God Card, so it is beyond me why he continues to challenge me. He even had the nerve to take my best Card. He dared to take my Blue eyes with one of his underhanded trick. I bested him, I gained back my Card, I gained back my prize possession and Icrushed Wheeler with it…

Téa turned the page, she could see in his writing how deeply Joey had enraged him with taking his favorite Card. She found the date where she moved in.

I was at the Hospital, prior to Mokuba's request for myself to get a vaccination. Of course I would have preferred to go through winter without the shot, however I encounter Téa Gardner, Yugi Moto's little girlfriend and cheerleader. She was cursing at some nurse or doctor before she stormed out, I never heard her curse before, but I have heard her yell, she sometimes liked to direct that anger towards myself. I remember Duelist Kingdom… whether she realizes it or not, she was right, it is just a game and I really don't have much. All I have is Mokuba. My deepest fear was losing him, because no matter how cruel I am… no matter how much a tyrant I can be, Mokuba accepts me with open arms, maybe because he has to, maybe just because I am his brother, whatever the reason I am grateful to have him on my side. I don't think I could make it in this life without him.

This entry touched her heart and gave a deep surge of sorrow in her heart, she hadn't meant to be so cruel in her words, she was only trying to comfort and protect Yugi and Yami. "Words are powerful and sometimes hurtful." She reminded herself out loud. She turned several page. She couldn't go on reading this, she was keeping Hansley; she was keeping Mokuba and her friends. She was prying.

Gardner is showing more and more and her mood swings are becoming erratic. One moment she's happier than a child, next she bawling her eyes out, the simplest of words could send her spiraling into a fit of rage or tears. I don't think I can go on with this much longer. I wish I could do what husband's tell their wife's when they are happy or shedding tears, that no matter how much she grows, she still manages to make herself beautiful, I took her to dinner awhile ago, she was radiating, lucky we were sitting next to each other and talking, I couldn't take my eyes off her, most of the time I wasn't listening, I was looking at her, thinking to myself, "if only I could tell her" I don't think she would believe me. Cold, sadistic Kaiba, not a working heart beneath his chest. If only she knew… in my dreams.

Téa shut the journal and placed it in the desk just the way Seto had put it. There was noting official about them. A kiss was shared, but after that they just sort of let it go, she would love to read more about his feelings and thoughts about her but she had to go. She gasped when she set the journal down and pulled her hand out and looked at her finger. He had left a pen uncapped and she marked herself. She shut the drawer and got up and began to leave the room, she flipped the switch and shut the door behind her. She ran down the stairs, Mokuba was sitting with Hansley while they tried to sooth her son who had abrupt into tears. Téa ran over to them and took slow hold of Cole, pulling her small child to her breast. "Oh, sweetie. Hush, mama's here." She soothed, patting his back gently. "Come on Mokuba. Did your brother say it was okay?"

"Yep."

"Okay, I've left the guys waiting long enough. Thanks Hansley." The bodyguard nodded and they left the house.

Seto tapped his pen against the desk, trying to think of something, anything, but he couldn't, he was distracted; he leaned back in his chair and turned it fully around, facing the large window. Snow was beginning to drift down from the gray and clouded sky. Mokuba had called him minutes before and asked if he could leave with Téa to her friends, he then told Mokuba not to burden her. Téa was a mother now; she had to take care of Cole not Mokuba. However Mokuba probably got his way anyhow and was heading off with her. Seto wished he could go off with Téa, but not to the Geeks'. He didn't know… maybe the park so that they could play with Cole, of course Seto hadn't played in a long time, years and years, last time he probably played was at the orphanage, but he wouldn't have minded seeing Téa be all motherly towards her son. He thought fond thoughts of the eighteen-year-old. He was nineteen himself now. He could see her smile, holding that child close, and the most precious thing in the world to her now, nothing was going to change that. He was her world from the moment he entered the awaiting and mostly cruel world, but it was being kind to him, nothing evil had befallen this child and it made him content to know that Téa was getting all she deserved, a place to live, money to take care of her child, proper custody of her son and food. He loved her… well the emotion felt like love, he wasn't sure, how could he be, he'd never been in love before. The kiss sent a warming, wonderful feeling through his entire being, no matter how quick it was, the contact itself was enough. It was plenty to send him into this state of mind where he knew he could stay with her and have her feel what he felt… Love was a fickle thing indeed, either it came and stayed till you no longer could or it came and went in the blink of an eye. He was beginning to adore that boy the way he adored Mokuba. He turned around and looked at his laptop. Stocks are high, money is good, not an ounce of trouble. When he almost lost all his company holding, that had boiled his blood, that red hair freak had almost given him a heart attack, how dare he try to steal his company up from under him. The door opened and his secretary walked in, a cup of coffee in her hand.

The door opened and cheers erupted. "Téa!" Joey cried and pulled her to him, kissing her cheek. "...and Mokuba, hey kid."

"Hey, Joey." Mokuba said and Téa directed him inside Joey's house. "Oh! Nice tree. Look at that Cole, can you say: Christmas tree?" Cole made a noise in his throat. "How about Tree? Can you say: Tree?"

"Still ain't talking?"

"No… I'm kind of worried, I'll see his doctor tomorrow, I mean he should be talking, he's doing good at walking, still falls a little." She set Cole down and he stumbled to and fro before dropping on his knees and smiling up at his mom. She took his beanie off, revealing a head of soft brownish-blond hair. His amber eyes lit with the lights surrounding the tree and lined up against the ceiling wall. "And they said he looked more like me… if anything, he looks like Aki."

"And where isda scum?"

"He isn't scum… he's paying child support, I wouldn't dare ask---" they still didn't know where Téa was staying, whenever they wanted to see Cole she would bring him over, never invite, she lied by telling them she was staying with a cousin.

"Ask?"

"You guys for help, besides, I can make ends meet with the money I get from work. I'm going to see Aki tonight, Yukari… she wants to see Cole."

"Did ya end up going toda wedding?"

"I went to the reception, gave them a gift, he saw Cole and then we left." She sighed as her son tried to push himself off the ground, he got a few feet before falling again, suddenly he was picked up off the ground, Téa's eyebrows raised when she saw it was Yami. She brushed her hair behind her ear and looked down at her feet, Joey sidestepped to leave them alone but Téa was to fast for him, she grabbed him by the elbow and pulled him back. His smile grew and he looked over at Yami.

"Look at dat kid, Yami! He's getting big, no?" Yami nodded and Téa's eyes rounded when she saw her son dropped his head on Yami's shoulder with this calming smile on his face. Every nerve in her body delivered the same message to her head: Get your son away from him before he pulls Yami back into your heart. No! She was over Yami; she couldn't let her son's affection for the stranger wheel him back into her life. She could be with Seto; she could make it with him. They just had to find out where they stood, a quick kiss didn't mean anything; they had to find it, dig deep and see it. She shook her head and smiled, play a charade.

"I think he likes you." She said softly, letting go of Joey who took her mindlessness as a chance to escape. He still wanted Téa with Yami, they all did. Téa however was fed up with Yami about how he couldn't take a hint and he probably did notice her feelings all those years ago but went on with destiny and the road on which his life was set. She wished she could be so focused on that, maybe Cole wouldn't have happened, but she wasn't like Yami, she couldn't go on with life as straight and narrow as it seemed to Yami. Her road twisted and winded and began cross roads, sometimes leading her back to square one, sometimes getting her completely lost where she had to stay put till she could find her route again.

"Téa… I'm sorry, for whatever and all I have done to you, I wish to make amends, could you…?" he stepped closer to her, Cole's eyes were clearer to her, they may have a bigger quality of amber but she could see the streaks of blue in them. "Show me how to set things right, so I'm back on your good side?"

Seto pulled his trench off as he entered the house; Hansley was coming from the upstairs. "Sir, there is a package on your desk in your office."

"Are they back?"

"Miss Téa and Mokuba? No, not yet sir." Seto thanked him and draped his trench over the counter near the door and headed upstairs. He wondered if they were still at Yugi's or… he didn't know, he made his way up to his office and he opened the door. With the curtains closed the room was pitch black. He flicked on the light and shut his door. He had files to work on and calls to make and if the package was what he thought it was… thank-you's to give. He walked over to his desk and pulled back his chair and sat down. He pulled open the second drawer, removed the laptop and flipped through his disk till he found the right one. He plugged in the laptop and inserted the disk, waiting for it to load he shut the drawer and opened the top one, pulling out his journal. Sometimes he felt it unnecessary, if someone were to come in and snoop they could see his feelings and beliefs and have information against him, ways to get him to choke and lose everything. Right now he wanted to burn it, burn it and feelings of resentment and others along with it, tillit turned to dust and smoke and only the sky and ground would know what had been in this journal. He opened it to the last entry.

His name is Cole and he is Téa's son. He so small, lying in that room with the other babies surrounding him; I could tell he was hers. Something drew my eyes towards him and I knew… before I read the name that he was hers. I'm a little jealous. This infant will be her entire universe, she won't look at me and see feelings, she'll look at him with eyes so full of love, and she could never surrender me a drop of it. She would need it all for Cole. But… maybe if I were to become important enough, be with her… I already have emotions for her child. I want him to have the best, I want to help her take care of him, while he's healthy, when he's sick, scared. I want to help teach him the way of life, though I'm not sure of it myself. Her parents still haven't visited. I wonder if she would want them to, she hasn't said much about them since they kicked her out.

The computer beeped and he put the journal away. He looked over at the package and pressed a key, making the computer quiet. He began to open the package. He ripped the top clean off and pulled out the box, he pulled the sides up and removed the book. He ran his fingers over the smooth cover and pulled it open. "Issun-boshi" Yeah… he had a thank you call to make.

"It's not that easy, Yami." She reached for Cole and pulled her son out of his embrace "I can't just give you an easy answer, there are no simple solution." And with that walked away. His eyes went skyward and he walked after her. She got a hug from Tristan and Yugi and she talked some with Mai and Serenity, Miho joined the conversation and they talked about Cole and then jobs and what they were getting the guys. When Téa had stayed long enough she had to get going. She and Mokuba left and Cole continued waving over her shoulder until they were out the door.

"Does anyone else think it's weird that Mokuba was here as well?" Joey inquired.

"Téa and Mokuba are friends, I'm sure Kaiba's okay with that." Yugi said, reaching for another cookie. Joey opened the door as Ryou walked in. "Sorry I'm late everyone… I brought gift's."

"A little early for that, Ryou…"

"Well I'm going away for awhile, it's best I bring the gifts now."

"You won't be home for Christmas?" Mai asked worriedly.

"No, I won't. Where are Téa and Cole?"

"They just left, man. Hey, I'll get their gifts to them."

"Dare I ask you all to open your gifts now?"

"Sure, why not?" Serenity walked over to him.

Téa pulled into the driveway and opened the door, pulling the scarf tighter around Cole's mouth after she wiped his nose. She lifted shut the door and ran with Mokuba to the door. Mokuba pulled open the front door and Téa rushed inside. "It's really coming down now. Ms. Kako! Is Kaiba home?"

"He is… he's upstairs."

"Room or office?"

"Office." She nodded and headed upstairs as Mokuba followed Ms. Kako to the kitchen. Téa unbuttoned her son's jacket and pulled his cap off and stuffed in her jacket and knocked on the door.

"Yes?" he called from the inside of his office.

"It's me Seto… can I come in?"

"Um… wait… yes, okay." She pushed open the door and shut it behind her.

"What are you up to?" she inquired as she pulled Cole closer and he coughed and she looked at him. Seto looked at her, his hand under the desk, holding tight to the book. She walked over to the front of his desk and he smirked. He let the book drop certain it wouldn't make a noise, he was right.

"Work… did you just get in?" Her hat was covered in droplets of water from the melted snow. She smiled at him and lifted Cole higher. Her cheeks were flushed and her nose red. She smiled at him, one of her mischievous smiles.

"I just got in and snow, snow is everywhere and no ones playing in it. Her arm came off around Cole's waist and she grabbed his arm as it was resting on the desktop. "Come on, let's all go play in the snow before I have to take Cole to Aki's."

"I don't play in the snow."

"It'll be fun."

"I'll catch my death."

"Please, you're Seto Kaiba, Hell doesn't want you and Heaven's afraid you'll take over… they saw what you did to Gozoboro."

"Give it too me Téa, tell me all the bad things about myself." She giggled, but could also hear the seriousness; he thought he was as bad as she playfully commented.

"Cole… do you want to play in the snow and build a snowman with Seto-kun?" Cole laughed and she smiled at her boy and looked at Seto. "See, mama's right. Mother's always are."

"Not yours, I'm sure." Her smile faded. He preferred it, he wanted off the subject of playing in the snow and if making her mad was a way to do it... then so be it.

Her voice dropped from the happy playful tone to a darker, serious one. "I don't want to talk about her."

"And I don't want to play in the snow, good night."

"Yeah… I'll just clean Cole up and I'll head over to Aki's. Night." She walked out the room, dropping a package wrapped in Christmas paper on the floor as she left. He slowly got up.

He knelt on the floor and lifted the package up; he got to his feet and actually began unwrapping it. Intended for today. It said in sharpie marker ink. He pulled out a blue scarf and unfolded it, attached to the end was a Blue-eyes brooch. He sighed. Why did he care and why did he wish he hadn't hurt her. He heard her coming back down the stairs and then down the second set. He opened the door. "Yeah…" he sighed. "I'm going after her." Talking out loud to no one but himself.