Weeks turned into months, as Kaiba struggled to balance his campaign for governor, his CEO workload, and his plan to resurrect Atem.

Salem was doing most of the ground work, until she also had to return to work. She somehow, wasn't affected by the stress of diplomacy, her small businesses, and the "side project".

But, this mission to bring Atem back to life was taking its toll on their relationship. It was already fragile to begin with but Kaiba found that the things he once found endearing, were slowly driving him insane.

He was dreading to meet with her at her tonight.

Kaiba was on his way to her house when he received a text message.

Salem: Confirming that you're on your way.

Kaiba rolled his eyes.

That was the other issue. She had become overly formal, almost reverting back to the way she spoke to him before they started dating. It was becoming tedious to even text with her.

Seto Kaiba: Pulling into your driveway now.

….

..

Salem: Anansi will escort you.

Kaiba groaned as he saw the tall young man, waiting patiently at the entrance of the large estate. He got out of his car and slammed the door.

"Mr. Kaiba." Anansi said with a smirk.

Kaiba rolled his eyes and followed Anansi, hating the fact that the young dark haired male picked up on the distance between him and Salem.

He had noticed over the last couple of months that Anansi around the house more and more whenever Kaiba and Salem were together. He would glare, cuss, and insult the bodyguard but, Anansi would smirk and say, "Trouble in paradise?"

Fucking asshole.

Kaiba followed Anansi into the lab and put his briefcase on one of the work benches. He ignored Salem, who was tinkering with a small device, clearly unaware of his presence.

Anansi cleared his throat, causing Salem to jump, "Lady Sala, do you require anything else?"

Salem stood up and stretched her muscles, "No. Leave." She said shortly.

Anansi bowed and left Kaiba and Salem alone.

Kaiba took off his suit jacket and looked at his portion of the project. He continued to ignore her and picked up where he had left off the evening before. He loosened his tie, and sighed.

He wasn't used to manufacturing anything so intricate and it was starting to damage his confidence as a creator. He was trying to concentrate when he heard Salem mumbling to herself in Arabic.

When this process first started, Kaiba had found it adorable that she had mini debates with herself when faced with a problem, now...well now…

She kept mumbling and Kaiba slammed his hand on the table, "Can you PLEASE have that conversation in your head?"

She kept her back turned to Kaiba and continued working, now silent.

Kaiba went back to his work, more frustrated than before.

He didn't understand Salem's tech.

No matter how hard he tried, the concepts made no sense and every time she explained them, they became more confusing.

He felt minutes pass and he was still stuck. He hated the fact that Salem had completed another portion of the machine and was now moving on.

Salem joined Kaiba at this work bench and began working in earnest. She stared at Kaiba's portion and raised an eyebrow, "Is that the same piece from yesterday?"

"So what if it is?" Kaiba fumed, he knew where this was headed and he was in no mood.

"It's a problem if it is, Seto. You know, it's okay if you need help. That's why we're doing this together." She said simply.

"Oh, is that why? Or is it because you want to make Atem your next science fair project?" Kaiba retorted, crossing his arms and glaring even harder at her.

She furrowed her brow and sighed, "Did I do something? I know you're stressed but-"

"Stressed? Ha. Stressed doesn't even begin to cover it. I have enough going on without all of this." Kaiba interrupted, gesturing to the unfinished tech in front of him.

"Well, then, maybe we halt the project until your schedule-"

"God! You don't understand do you?" Kaiba was sick of working in her basement. He was sick of not understanding her tech. And, he was sick of her.

"Seto, if you just tell me what I did-"

"You want to know?" Kaiba questioned, leaning forward threateningly.

Salem nodded slowly.

"You're the most annoying and confusing human being I've ever had the displeasure of coming into contact with. I honestly can't believe I crawled into bed with you." Kaiba spat, regretting every single word as soon as they left his mouth.

Shit.

His eyes widened as soon as he realized what he had just done. He watched in horror as Salem calmly stood up and started to forcefully dismantle everything they had been working on. He felt a lump forming in his throat, as she took off her lab coat and walked out of the basement, leaving Kaiba by himself.

Kaiba sighed and rubbed his temples.

Great.

"Wow, looks like the honeymoon phase is over." He heard a feminine voice say.

Kaiba whipped around and found himself looking at one of Salem's alternates. He took a step back and realized he had met this one! Briefly, but he could recognize her by her choice in clothing.

All gold.

This Sala was from the reality he and Salem had visited most recently.

Kaiba narrowed his eyes at her, keeping his guard up, "What?"

Sala smirked and placed a hand on her hip, "At this rate, it'll take months to get your Atem back. Get your head out of your ass and go apologize. She's moving slow so you don't fall behind."

"Slow? Her tech is incomprehensible!"

"If she can do it all herself, why doesn't she?" Kaiba asked with a huff.

Sala rolled her eyes and circled Kaiba, "She's so emotional. Her emotions make her forget important details. Sooner rather than later, she's going to stop putting up with your abusive behavior-"

Kaiba held a hand up, "I am not abusive." He knew he had a temper, but abusive was crossing the line.

Sala let out a chillingly high pitched laugh, "Oh really? You lure her into a relationship, get her in bed with you, and then manipulate her into agreeing to bring back your dead boyfriend. Face it, as soon as she agreed to help you, you stopped caring about the relationship. She became a means to an end."

Kaiba couldn't think of an argument against her.

It was true.

He wanted to believe that they had grown apart but the horrible truth was that he had used Salem.

"She'll still forgive you. This time anyway. Go apologize, and ask her what you can do to speed up the process." Sala explained, crossing her arms.

"And why should I believe you?" Kaiba asked, painfully aware of the weapons in her gold trench coat.

Sala scoffed, "Believe what you will. I'm only here because we can't have her displaced again."

Kaiba's eyes widened, "Displaced?"

Sala took a small device out of her jacket and pressed a button, opening a yellow portal, "Fix things and you'll get your Atem." She said walking through the portal, leaving Kaiba alone once more.

"That's what this has been about?" Kaiba heard Anansi say as he entered the lab.

Anansi walked up to Kaiba, his urge to kill rising.

Kaiba scoffed and rolled his eyes, "I don't have to explain myself to you of all people." He walked around Anansi and headed toward the upstairs living room.

Anansi followed, "What do you mean by that?

Kaiba spun around and glared, "Those leaked pictures? You're the photographer. I'm sure Salem would love to know that her most trusted bodyguard has been working with an alternate." He went into the living room, finding Salem sitting on the grey leather couches.

He sat next to her and sighed.

Anansi was still hovering in the corner, hatred radiating from his aura.

"A little privacy, Anansi." Salem said, keeping her eyes on her watch.

Kaiba shared a parting glare with Anansi before turning to speak with Salem, "Listen. I didn't mean what I said. I'm sorry." He said, hoping Salem would chalk his behavior up to stress and sleep deprivation.

He studied her face carefully as she blinked and nodded.

"You know, Seto. I think we've been going about things the wrong way." She said, unsure if she was talking about the project or the relationship.

Well, she guessed she meant the relationship...She knew Kaiba was intelligent so the project wasn't an issue.

"I couldn't agree more." Kaiba added, glad that he didn't ruin everything. He didn't know what he would do if this project wasn't completed. It would probably send him over the edge knowing that he had a chance to revive Atem and ruined it because he couldn't work well with others.

Salem gazed into Kaiba's eyes and raised an eyebrow, "I'm...Talking about us, not the project." She leaned back and stared at the ceiling, unsure on how to continue.

"I really like you, Seto, but, I can't have you throwing a tantrum every week." She said folding her hands on her lap.

Kaiba narrowed his eyes, "Excuse me?" He wasn't a child, and he wouldn't be described as such.

Salem sighed again, starting to get frustrated, "Seto, you do this at least once a week. I forgive you so quickly, you forget that you hurt my feelings in the first place and then do it all over again the next week. I want to bring back the pharaoh as much as you do, but I can't help but feel like…"

Kaiba moved closer to Salem and put his hand on her thigh, "Like?" He was beginning to feel guilty, the least he could was listen to her feelings.

"Like I'm being replaced. It feels like you gave me a chance but all you want is the original model. I can't help but agree with your friends. Atem and I look very similar, and it's starting to put me on edge."

Kaiba sighed and squeezed her thigh, "That's not true."

"It's True."

"I'm not going to forget about what we have once Atem is back." Kaiba said in his most soothing voice.

"You're a liar."

"This isn't for me, It's for Atem. So he can live a real life." He finished, feeling disgusted with himself.

"It's for me. It's always been for me."

Salem stayed silent for a what seemed like an eternity before finally speaking,

"You must think I'm a real idiot, mish kida?" She said standing up and walking into her kitchen.

She took a bottle of wine out of the specialized pantry and popped it open, not bothering to reach for a glass as she drank from the bottle.

Kaiba sat paralyzed and confused. He knew he hadn't been the best partner in the last couple of months, but he didn't think that it warranted hysterics.

"As for the project, Seto. Dismantling the machine was the best idea I've had so far. You obviously need the rest, so we'll call it a night tonight." She said taking her hair out of its high ponytail.

"Okay…" Kaiba said, standing up from the couch. Normally, he would stay and have dinner but this fight seemed...different.

"I need Atem's DNA, do you have any?" She asked, walking up to Kaiba, the wine bottle still in her grip.

Kaiba stared blankly at her, "Why would I have that?" He spat.

He was exhausted, and this game Salem was playing wasn't fun. It felt like a trap. If he left would be allowed to come back? If he stayed with her tonight, would they keep fighting?

Salem clicked her tongue and pinched the bridge of her nose with her thumb and pointer finger.

"Can we, just, go back?" She said with a defeated sigh.

"Go back?" Kaiba asked, his arms crossed defensively.

"I know you're stressed. But, I just thought of way to make this process quicker. The only problem is, I need Pharaoh Atem's DNA or something of his for my watch to latch on to." She said, locking eyes with a very confused and exhausted Kaiba.

"I want us to be nice to each other again. If what you say is true, and this is for Atem, then we can probably have him back within the next couple of weeks maybe sooner." She said placing the bottle on the coffee table and wrapping her arms around Kaiba's neck.

Kaiba sighed at looked down at her, hypnotized by those big eyes of hers. He ran his hands up and down her waist and sighed, "Let's go upstairs and...problem solve...among other things." He kissed her forehead and cupped her cheek.

It had been a while they shared a sensual night together, it might do them some good.

Regardless of their issues, Kaiba knew that he still cared for Salem. He couldn't take back the time they've spent together. He'd be lying if he said he didn't enjoy her company. Even if they've been pissing each other off.

And not to mention the sex was incredible.

Salem smiled, "Yes. Problem solve." She scurried upstairs, followed by Kaiba who was already unbuttoning his shirt.

She walked into the bedroom and felt Kaiba grab her by the waist, pulling her down to the floor.

Kaiba slipped his hands underneath her sweater and lifted the fabric, placing kisses and bites on her abdomen.

This.

This made the arguing worth it.

He still had the issue of getting Atem's DNA at the back of his mind.

How the hell was he going to get a hold of the pharaoh's DNA. There were so many realities, was there a way to…

"Wait." Kaiba said, realizing that he might have a plan.

Salem sighed, sexually frustrated, "What now, Tanin?"

"Is there a reality that's similar to ours? Event wise?" Kaiba asked, hoping that he had just solved their problem.

Salem raised an eyebrow, "I mean yes. There's usually only a slight change in events, considering the universes are technically parallel. The last realities we visited were on the extreme side, but I'm sure there's a reality pretty close to yours yes." She explained, twirling one of her curly locs in her fingers.

Kaiba ran his fingers through is hair and blinked at Salem, confused.

Yours?

Kaiba brushed it off and ran his hands up her thighs, "What if there was a way for us to go to one of those relaties, and take the pharaoh's DNA that way?"

"Ehh, if the reality is close to this one then we'd face the same problem, Atem would be deceased...But, if we went to a similar reality were the timeline was offset, so happening at the same time as this one, we'd be able to get Pharaoh Atem's ancient Egyptian DNA. That'll make it so I have something to lock onto when we go get him." She thought aloud, jumping up to standing and looking at her watch.

Kaiba stood up and placed his hands on Salem's forearms, "What? Go get him?"

Is this really happening?

He was so close.

"Yes! Instead of trying to use my old tech to try and pull him from the other side, we just go get him, mish kida." She said excitedly, scrolling through her watch.

"Ah! Here we go, reality AE-137! If we go now, and we're successful, I can get started on the next step while you prepare your speech." She said, grabbing her grey trench coat from the walk in closet.

Kaiba froze.

Oh shit.

That's right, he had a rally tomorrow and he was supposed to give a campaign speech.

Dammit all.

"You forgot didn't you." Salem laughed, pointing her watch at the floor, opening the pink portal.

"Do you remember every boring thing in your schedule?" Kaiba retorted jumping to the portal after Salem.

Kaiba felt his knees buckle as they landed on the hard stone floors of the 18th Dynasty Palace in Luxor, Egypt.

"I remember everything." Salem stated glumly, immediately grabbing Kaiba's arm when she saw a palace guard.

Kaiba held back a gasp as he pulled behind a corner.

That's right.

Hide.

They needed to hide.

They ran into the first room they saw, avoiding the roaming guards.

Salem checked her watch, "We need to stay together. We can't keep getting separated." She said looking at the room.

Kaiba examined their surroundings, the room was simple and sparsely furnished. Nothing but beige.

This wasn't it.

"Follow me." Kaiba said, leaving the room without acknowledging Salem's words. He hurried down the long hallway, not knowing exactly where the Pharaoh's chambers would be.

"Wait." Salem whispered, trying to catch up to Kaiba's long strides, "Slow down!" She said as Kaiba rapidly turned a corner and ran into a guard.

Shit.

Salem stayed behind and peaked around the corner, watching the interaction.

The guard pulled his scimitar in front of Kaiba, "Identify yourself." He said in the ancient language.

Kaiba lifted his hands in the air, "I-I…" He had no idea what to say, he couldn't understand what the huge guard was saying.

Salem came from behind the corner, "Stop." She said walking up to the guard, unfearful of the very sharp sword now pointed at her heart.

Kaiba rolled his eyes. Of course, she can speak the language. How can she be so brilliant but so...He didn't know the word.

Infuriating.

The guard kept his sword up, "Identify yourselves." He repeated.

Kaiba raised his eyebrow as he noticed Salem had taken off her sweater and fashioned it into a turban. She had also draped her trench coat over her shoulders in a makeshift cape. Her bralette was white and almost see through.

Good God this woman is going to get him killed.

Salem cleared her throat, "We are...beings...from another world..We've chosen a form that your brain can understand. We're here to speak with your leader." She said regally, feeling absolutely ridiculous. She was hoping to God that this would work.

Kaiba furrowed his brow, "What are you doing?" He asked, knowing the guard couldn't understand him.

Salem ignored him as the guard looked her up and down, obviously distracted by her breasts.

The guard nodded curtly and gestured for Salem and Kaiba to follow him.

Kaiba's jaw dropped as they were lead into the throne room.

Empty.

Kaiba felt old feelings rush back to him as he looked at the empty throne. He remembered the look on Atem's face when they were reunited…

A door in the far corner of the room opened.

His stomach lurched and dipped as a small group of people filed in. Behind them was Pharaoh Atem. He knew it wasn't his Atem, but seeing an alternate so close the man he remembered was throwing Kaiba into a frenzy.

The pharaoh was led to his throne by a shorter older man…

Was that, Yugi's grandfather?

The old man stood next to Atem, and the others stood in groups of two and on either side of Atem.

Kaiba examined the faces and felt his stomach acid in his throat. He found himself staring at his Egyptian twin, the priest. Along with, Isis, Mahad, Rishid...wasn't there another one?

Mara?

Mana?

Where was she?

The guard kneeled before the royal court and spoke, "My King, these two intruders claim to be beings from another world. Shall I take them to the dungeon?"

Salem's eyes widened. She turned her gaze to Atem, "Pharaoh, we have come to share our technology with your excellency in order to ensure your kingdom's future." She said stepping forward.

Kaiba was gaping at Atem's beautiful features when crimson eyes locked with his. His body became hot all over as he watched Atem hungrily stare at his lips.

Oh God.

He saw Atem's gaze shift to Salem and he watched her become nervous as Atem stood..

"Technology? Will you demonstrate?" Atem's voice sent wonderful chills down Kaiba's spine.

Salem nodded and looked at the guard. She gestured for him to come to her. When he approached, she took off her trenchcoat and took a gun out of the pocket. She handed the guard the coat, "Hold this in front of you."

She took the sweater off of her head to let her wildly curly hair free.

Kaiba watched as Atem licked his lips, excited by Salem's showmanship. He felt himself grow even harder as Atem's gaze became even more intense.

Salem held up the gun, "This is a weapon from our world, called a gun. I have specially modified this weapon so that it shoots energy. That fabric in your guard's hand is a piece of clothing that has also been modified into a shield-"

Atem let out a hardy laugh, "That flimsy cape in that disgusting color is a shield?" He walked down the steps toward Salem, his court yelling for him not to get too close.

"Show me, pretty little thing." Atem purred, crossing his arms with a playful smirk, cocking one hip to the side.

Kaiba didn't understand what they were saying but he could feel the tension. He watched as Salem aimed the gun at the coat.

This woman was definitely going to get him killed.

The guard was shaking as he held the jacket in front of him. Everyone was silent as Salem pulled the trigger, the sound of the gun firing causing everyone but Salem to cover their ears.

The electric shocks from the ammo radiated throughout the jacket and then dissipate, the coat remaining intact and looking as if it were untouched.

Atem's eyes widened and his lips perked up into a wide smile. He clapped excitedly and turned toward his court, "Amazing! We must prepare a private feast for our guests in my bed chamber!" He looked at the confused and terrified guard, "You may go."

The guard hurried out of the throne room, leaving Salem and Kaiba alone with the Pharaoh and the royal court.

Kaiba glared at Salem when Atem picked up the jacket and examined it closely. He knew that they just needed strand of hair, but that will be hard to get with all of the security.

"Follow me." Atem said, leading them out of the room through a long hallway.

Kaiba stayed close to Salem, noticing she had put her sweater back on, "What's going on?" Kaiba whispered.

"He's taking us to his bedchamber for a private feast.." She whispered back, knowing what this meant. She was starting to believe that maybe Atem and Kaiba's alternates were going through a sexual awakening, all at the same time. That would explain why Kaiba jumped into a relationship with her, a total stranger.

Kaiba raised an eyebrow at her and chuckled, "That's one way to say sex and food. He still has your coat, I'm guessing we can't leave without that." He whispered. He knew Salem's coat was valuable and it's probably the only one of its kind in the entire world. Not even his white trench coat had as much tech and as many gadgets as Salem's did.

"What language is that?" Atem asked Salem as he led them into a lavishly decorated bedroom. There were long dark purple drapes on the windows and a matching rug in the center of the room. The bed was large, covered in blankets and pillows, all varying shades of purple and red.

"It's the language of my friend's homeland." Salem answered, gesturing to Kaiba.

Kaiba's heart fluttered as Atem took him by the hand to lead him to a small sitting area. He almost fainted when Atem curled his finger toward Salem to call her over, the smirk on his face showing his true intentions.

Salem hesitantly joined them on the couches and made sure to sit extra close to Kaiba, both of them staring at Atem opposite them.

"What are your names?" Atem asked, taking off his cape and gold shoulder plate.

"My name is Salem, and this is my partner Seto."

Atem raised an eyebrow, "Your partner? I like this word. Is it like being betrothed?" He had never heard of such a word before.

"Not exactly." Salem answered, looking around the room for her coat. She didn't see where he put it and she had a feeling he was hiding it to keep them there.

Kaiba's cheeks turned beet red when Atem sauntered over and sat in between them. He stifled a groan when Atem placed a hand on his thigh.

"Why did you cover yourself, Salem? Please, remove your outer layer." Atem said feeling Kaiba's thigh muscles, enjoying the way they jumped and tensed at his touch.

Kaiba noticed that this Atem was just as playful as he remembered his Atem being. His advances were extremely forward and Kaiba's resolve was steadily weakening.

He saw Atem use his free hand to pull at Salem's sweater.

Oh.

Oh no.

Before Kaiba could react, Atem was yanking the oversized garment over Salem's head.

Salem gasped as Atem ran his fingers over the fabric of her bralette.

"This clothing is so strange, may I put this on? It's beautiful." Atem mumbling pulling down her bra strap.

Kaiba was frozen. He didn't know whether to help Salem or find a way out. They needed the DNA, and Kaiba saw an opportunity for Salem to get the sample, while he looked for Salem's coat.

She would have to seduce him.

He got up from the couch and roamed around the room pretending to be curious about the decor.

He looked over at Salem who was now being pinned down by the overly friendly pharaoh.

"What kind of beings are you two? Are you Gods? I've always wondered what it would be like...to make love to a God." Atem rambled, still trying to figure out how to remove the bra without damaging the intricate lace.

"We are a sort of God…" Salem lied, shuddering as Atem leaned over and smelled her hair.

"I want to play with your, what did you call him? Partner? He's very pretty. His skin is like alabaster stone..." He said staring at Kaiba's taut buttocks hungrily.

Salem realized Kaiba was hunting for her jacket. She needed to buy time.

"You want to play? What does that mean?" She asked innocently.

Atem let out a hardy chuckle, "How do you have sex? Is it different where you're from?" He asked mischievously, his eyes darting back to Kaiba.

Kaiba caught Atem's heated gaze and froze as Atem moved from Salem and slowly made his way toward Kaiba.

Kaiba backed away as Atem got closer. He knew he wouldn't be able to resist if Atem got any closer. He took another step back, looking to Salem for help, only to find that she had put her sweater back on, now hunting for her trench coat.

Shit. He guessed he would have to be the one to seduce the pharaoh out of a loc of hair.

He fell backward with an oof! when Atem pushed him onto the bed and crawled on top of him.

Oh shit oh no.

He moaned audibly when Atem crashed their lips together. His mind hummed wonderfully and then shut off completely when Atem shoved his tongue into his mouth, overpowering Kaiba's hesitant tongue..

Kaiba tangled his fingers in Atem's spiky hair and wrapped his legs around the willing pharaoh.

He groaned and opened an eye, seeing Salem put on her coat and start scrolling through her watch.

Oh shit.

That's right.

DNA

Kaiba lightly pulled at Atem's roots, earning a moan from the pharaoh. He knew he would need to pull a little harder to get enough hair.

He was immediately distracted when Atem bit his lower lip and started to grind their hips together.

"Shit, oh God.."

It took all of Kaiba's will power to yank a strand of hair out of Atem's head and push the pharaoh off of him and onto the floor, causing Atem to yelp in pain.

Kaiba heard the portal open and he jumped off the bed, looking back at the confused pharaoh.

"Tanin."

Kaiba looked at Salem and snapped back to reality. He grabbed her hand and pulled them both through the portal.

They landed in Salem's lab, a mess from their earlier argument.

Kaiba fell to his knees shaking, not caring about the painful impact with the cement.

That Atem felt almost the same as his. If he had spent any longer there, he would have stayed and never come back.

He looked at his hand, Atem's hairs still clutched in it it tightly. He felt Salem's warm hand on his shoulder,

"Tanin. You'll be okay." She said, kneeling in front of him.

Kaiba wrapped his arms around Salem in a crushing hug, "I'm sorry you had to see that." He said, realizing he just showed Salem his true feelings for Atem.

Even though before they left he told her she had nothing to worry about, it was more obvious now that he had lied to her.

Salem sighed and buried her head in Kaiba's neck. She slid her hands up his chest and kissed under his chin to comfort the brunette.

Kaiba pulled away slightly and lightly grasped her chin, shifting her gaze up toward his. He looked into her eyes, expecting to see anger but instead she was calm. He studied her face, confused.

"Aren't you mad?" He asked, feeling nervous. He knew she could take back this extreme favor and tell him to leave and never come back.

He didn't want that.

Salem shook her head, "No. Whether or not you enjoyed it, your consent was dubious at best. And…" she trailed off, shifting her gaze down to Kaiba's chest.

Kaiba raised an eyebrow, "And?"

"And…" she looked in Kaiba's eyes once more, "I need that sample.."

Kaiba narrowed his eyes as he pulled away from her and placed the hair in her hand. He watched her stand and scan the sample with her watch.

She went over to a far workbench in the corner and started tinkering.

Kaiba walked over to her and crossed his arms, "What were you really going to say?" He looked at the watch, which was now disassembled and being…

Updated?

He studied her carefully as she took the hair sample and delicately stored it in a test tube.

"Salem. Don't ignore me." He said, tapping his foot.

"I'm not ignoring you. Seto, you should get some rest. I need to integrate Atem's DNA into my watch and that's going to take a couple of hours." She said coldly, not looking up at him once.

Kaiba glared at her, "I thought you weren't upset?"

"I'm not." She said simply, putting on a pair of safety goggles.

Kaiba's chest bubbled with anger.

What this hell was this hot and cold attitude about?

One minute they were working as a team with a common goal and the next she pretended like the ordeal they went through didn't even happen.

"Then what's the problem?" Kaiba said, getting even more frustrated.

"There isn't one. Do you have an issue?" She said in a low monotone, sounding bored with the conversation.

"...I have plenty of issues…" Kaiba stated with a roll of his eyes.

"Hmmm." Salem was no longer paying attention as she started to mix different chemicals together.

Kaiba's jaw dropped.

Unbelievable.

He stormed out of the basement and up to the kitchen, grabbing the bottle of wine Salem was drinking out of earlier. He took a swig and set it down on the kitchen island before shoving his face into his hands.

He let out a frustrated groan and sighed.

He couldn't be upset with Salem for working on something that he had asked for so insistently. He wasn't able to bring Atem back so he need her help…

He had asked for this.

He had asked his current partner to put aside her feelings and resurrect his former lover.

He had asked for Salem to ignore the signs of their failing relationship, and lied to her to get her to keep working on the project.

He couldn't be upset this time. He knew she was most likely upset that he was so willing to let Atem climb on top of him. He could have easily overpowered the pharaoh to take a couple strands of hair, he just...didn't.

He didn't want to.

He heard footsteps behind him and suddenly felt arms wrap around his waist.

Kaiba froze when the person he thought was Salem put a cloth over his mouth. He immediately tried to hold his breath, but the stranger's muscular arms were too tight. He struggled to get out of the vice like grip to look at his attacker but was held impossibly tighter, squeezing the air out of his lungs.

He needed to breathe…

He needed to…

Dizziness…

Darkness…

Kaiba awoke in a haze of confusion on the kitchen floor. He sat up slowly, feeling his head throb painfully. He looked around the living room, seeing nothing out of the ordinary.

That is, until heard voices coming from the basement.

He steadily made his way to standing and stumbled his way through the large living room, using the couches to hold up most of his weight. He blinked through the dizziness and continued down the stone stairs, leaning against the wall for support.

When he got to the bottom of the stairs, the voices became more clear.

He heard Anasi speaking in Arabic, and Salem...was she crying?

There was another male voice. Kaiba peeked around the wall carefully and immediately hid when he saw, himself.

It wasn't exactly him, no.

This version of him had black hair and was more muscular throughout his chest and arms. He had his trademark belt on, but the KC logo was scratched and dented. His trench coat was black and long sleeved but was tattered and dingy.

This man looked like he'd been through hell.

Kaiba tried to focus on the conversation. It was switching rapidly between Arabic, Japanese, and English.

Anansi spoke in English, "Lady Sala, please be reasonable. We can finally go home and leave this silly situation behind-"

"You betrayed me, Anansi. I'm not going anywhere with you. I'm especially not going to go back to my original reality with this asshole." Salem spat, sounding as if she was struggling.

Kaiba peeked around the corner again and saw that Salem was tied up and seated in Anansi's lap.

Kaiba's entire body grew hot with rage.

He didn't want to believe it.

Anansi was a traitor?

That fucking asshole.

Kaiba's alternate leaned over and took Salem's chin in his hand, "You don't really have a choice, my lioness. The survivors need leadership. I fully intend to have you help me rebuild our reality and resurrect my Atem." He smirked devilishly at Salem, and she spat in his face.

He grunted in disgust and slapped her so hard it echoed throughout the lab. He wiped her spit from his eye and glared at her. His face then morphed into a perfect smile as he looked at Anansi, "Put her on the floor and hold her down." He said, unbuckling his belt and unzipping his pants.

Kaiba watched in silent horror as he processed what was going to be done to his partner.

Salem's eyes widened.

She struggled to get free but the ropes were everywhere and so tight.

"Anansi please...don't let him do this to me.." She pleaded, as she was moved to cold cement floor.

Anansi ignored her and rolled her onto her stomach.

At least this way she wouldn't have to look at her abuser.

He couldn't take it back even if he wanted to, "Be gentle with her…" He said to Kaiba's alternate, seeing the black haired man lick his lips.

"No promises." He said, eyes full of lust and impatience.

Kaiba took a few sobering breaths and charged into the lab, tackling his alternate to the floor. His mind went blank as pure animal instinct took over. He punched his alternate as hard as he could, as many times as he could, he wanted to see him bleed.

His alternate took advantage of Kaiba's weakened state, and threw Kaiba off of him.

"Anansi, now!" His alternate yelled, stumbling to his feet. He never expected Kaiba to try and save Salem. He would need to retreat.

For now.

Kaiba leapt onto Salem and wrapped his body around her protectively as Anansi opened a portal using a smartphone. He rolled them out of the way as his alternate and Anansi fled, the green portal closing behind them.

Kaiba's heart was thumping loudly in his chest and was trying to control his breathing when he felt Salem shaking in his arms. He looked down at her, his heart breaking at the look on her face.

Fear.

At that moment Kaiba realized why he had never heard her name in the business world. He realized why she was so wary of him when they first met.

This wasn't Salem's original reality.

What was his alternate talking about? Rebuilding? And he was also trying to resurrect his Atem? What's his relationship with Salem?

Kaiba snapped out of his thoughts when he heard Salem sob. He picked her up and carefully carried her upstairs, still feeling woozy from the chloroform.

He laid her down on the couch and stroked her hair, "I'm just going to grab some scissors to cut you out of the shibari, okay? I'll be right back." He said in a soothing voice.

As he walked into the kitchen, he realized that Salem was no longer safe in her own home. He knew that Anansi had access to the technology, but he never would have thought of him as a traitor.

If there was one thing about Anansi that he had liked it was that he was so loyal to Salem.

Kaiba went back to Salem carrying the scissors in his hand.

Things were making sense now.

He had so many questions, but Salem was in no mental state to answer them.

As he cut Salem out of the ropes, he heard the computer downstairs beep and chime.

She stood up and shook the ropes off of her body.

Kaiba took her by the hand, "I know this is a stupid question but are you alright?"

"I don't know, Tanin." She said leading him back to the lab. Hoping the computer wasn't damaged in the skirmish.

She typed a code into the computer and took off her watch.

Kaiba read the screen as she synced her watch to the program.

Integration Complete

Salem sighed and strapped her watch back on her wrist. She rubbed at her groin, where the ropes were particularly tight, and groaned in pain.

Kaiba pulled her into his arms, "It's late. Pack a bag, you can't stay here anymore. At least not without security." He said stroking her cheek.

She breathed a sharp intake of air through clenched teeth as Kaiba kissed the reddened skin on her face, "I had security…" She said sadly, placing her hands on Kaiba's chest.

Kaiba kissed her forehead, "You have me. Let's go, we'll come back with security to continue our work tomorrow."

"That won't be necessary. It's done." She said softly pushing him away.

Kaiba's heart fluttered.

"What?"

Salem nodded.

"I need a little more power in my watch but I know exactly where to get it. At this point, it's a matter of when you want to go get him." She said tapping the screen of her watch.

"I'd recommend sooner rather than later. I have a feeling that the minute I'm alone Anansi will come back to get me. If that happens you can't get Atem back." She continued, visibly shivering.

Kaiba couldn't believe it. He was so close but..

He looked at Salem's cheek and sadness overcame him..

He cared for this woman and she needed his companionship right now, not another misadventure.

Not yet.

"I want to take care of you first." Kaiba said, twisting his fingers in her hair.

"Then we'll go get the pharaoh." He continued.

"Just wait for me Atem, I'm coming…"

Thank you for reading! I don't know why but I feel like so much happened in this chapter but nothing happened in this chapter.

I'm so so so sooooo sorry I didn't post at all for the last two weeks but I'm ridiculously busy and I haven't been getting any sleep.

I know I said the he would come back this chapter but I guess I lied...sorry.

Look out for my next chapter of my Highlight of My Life coming this weekend (hopefully)!