Hello again everyone, I'm back with another update. Thanks so much to everyone who read and reviewed:
fantasia-49
Spirit of the Sun
Fortune Glyph
Divinitas
Kaeleer's Heart
Koragirl
LivingLegends
dancers of the night
christianqueenofegypt
takerschick
Tea-Yami 4ever
Kender20
Texanna
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh or the song "Lost Butterfly" by Rurutia.
Summary: Five years have passed since Atem and Tea got married and had their twins Yuki and Kimika, but there is a woman who is infatuated with Atem and is doing everything in her power to take Tea's place in his life and his heart. Will she succeed?
Chapter 11
Atem was waiting outside the door while the medic that Kaiba called was checking Tea. He started to get a little worried seeing as how he had been waiting for almost fifteen minutes now. Atem wanted desperately to be next to Tea and figure out what was wrong with her. How was she doing? What would be the results when the medic came out? Would it be something serious? All of these questions were swimming around in his head. When he turned away from the door, Atem found Yuki and Kimika sitting on the floor. After they had brought him the supplies, he had asked them to play for while and not to worry, but he could see that they couldn't leave their mother without knowing what was wrong with her. Atem walked over and sat down in between them.
"I thought you guys were playing a game." Both of them looked up at their father when he spoke.
"We were playing, but Kimika and I couldn't concentrate on it." Yuki said.
"We're sorry Daddy, we know you told us to go play, but we wanted to know how Mommy was." Atem could understand exactly how they were feeling and he just didn't have the heart to send them back downstairs. He maneuvored himself so that he could wrap both of his arms around the twins and positioned them so that they were sitting on his lap.
"Oh, it's okay little angel. You guys are just worried about Mommy right now, I understand."
"Do you know what's wrong with her?" Yuki asked.
"Not yet, but the medic is checking on her. I'm sure it's nothing to worry about." While Atem was busy keeping the twins from worrying, he heard footsteps coming from down the hall and looked up to see Kaiba and Mokuba walking up to him. It appeared that Kaiba was holding something in his arms.
"Hey, by any chance, does this belong to you?" Taking a closer look to what Kaiba was referring to, Atem was met with Buyo who was wagging his tail and panting happily. He set him down and Buyo ran over Yuki and Kimika waiting to be picked up by one of the two. The two of them giggled when he was sitting in a begging position.
"Sorry about that Kaiba, I hope he wasn't in your way." Mokuba started laughing as he lazily placed both of his hands behind his head.
"We found him in our car when Seto was looking for a file in his briefcase. I think he was sniffing around for something to eat." Atem looked over to Yuki and Kimika who left his lap so that they could play with Buyo.
"Kids, I think you owe Mr. Kaiba an apology. Buyo should be watched at all times so that he doesn't get himself into any trouble." Atem said gently, but firmly. Keeping Buyo still for a minute, Yuki and Kimika both stood up in front of Kaiba with guilty looks seeing that they should have been keeping a close watch on their puppy.
"We're sorry Mr. Kaiba." they both replied. Kaiba stared at the twins as they apologized to him. He could see the innocence radiating from the two, a certain innocence that reminded him of a certain someone when he was small. He could tell that they were raised to know what was right and wrong. Stooping down in front of the them, Kaiba placed a hand on their heads which brought out a few surprised expressions.
"It's alright, sometimes things like this happen." Buyo suddenly barked to grab everyone's attention. Apparently, the little guy was hungry and he was making whimpering noises wanting to fill his belly. Atem suggested that Yuki and Kimika take him downstairs so they could feed him. Mokuba tagged along to help them out and also introduce himself. Yuki stopped though and turned back to Kaiba. He stared at him for a few seconds before speaking.
"You know, I saw you on TV and even though you're rivals with my dad, you are okay. Just know that because I like you doesn't mean that you'll beat my dad." Yuki then went after his sister and his new friend, but not before smiling and waving back to the two men.
"Your son is very smart for his age." Atem chuckled.
"Yes, that's my boy alright. I was surprised at how you were talking to them, you're very good with kids."
"Hn, well they reminded me of Mokuba at that age. Innocent and still learning about the world, you and your wife are doing a great job in raising them."
"Wow, I never thought I hear a nice comment from you, but thank-you for saying that." Kaiba just shrugged and shook off the comment like it was nothing. Hey, the guy had a reputation to keep and he wasn't going to break it by turning into a total sap.
"Don't get used to it, speaking of your wife, have you heard anything from the medic on how she's doing?" he asked. Atem sighed and turned back to the door, but just when he was about to answer, the door opened with the medic coming out with news about Tea.
"How's my wife, is she alright?" Atem asked.
"Well, I was able to bring down her temperature a little, but your wife still has a fever. Just make sure she has plenty of fluids and is resting properly and she'll be fine." Atem let out a breath that he didn't even know he was holding. He was relieved to hear that nothing serious was wrong with Tea.
"Is she awake?"
"Yes, she's asking for you right now Mr. Mutou." Taking their leave, Kaiba and his medic both walked downstairs and Atem was left with his time alone with Tea.
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"So, you guys are twins?" Mokuba, Kimika and Yuki were sitting around Buyo and watching as he was eating happily from his food bowl. They have been talking for a good ten minutes getting to know each other. Yuki seemed to idolize Mokuba seeing that they had so much in common. Kimika liked how friendly Mokuba was to her and her brother.
"Yeah, my mom and dad said that we're fa-freti-nial twins." Yuki said. Mokuba laughed from Yuki's pronunciation.
"You mean fraternal twins."
"Yeah, that's it! They also told us that I came first, so that means I'm the oldest." Kimika folded her arms and pouted at Yuki.
"Only by two minutes Yuki." she said. Yuki stuck out his tongue to Kimika.
"So, I'm still older." Mokuba was really cracking up from the little sibling quarrel between Yuki and Kimika. He knew that he was going to get along great with them and he didn't care that they were only little kids. To Mokuba, these two were okay in his book. He heard distance talking coming their way and Mokuba turned to see his brother and the medic that was checking on Tea coming down. When Yuki and Kimika saw them, they immediately ran over to ask how their mother was doing. They were both talking at the same time so it was hard for the medic to understand what they were saying, but he knew what they wanted to know.
"Whoa, whoa, calm down kids. I guess you want to know how your mom is doing, huh?" Yuki and Kimika nodded eagerly. "Well, she's a little under the weather and she still has a fever, but your mommy is going to be fine. She just needs rest, okay? You can go up and see her if you like." Not needing to be told twice, Yuki and Kimika both said their thank-yous and ran upstairs with Buyo following them to see Tea. The medic bid Kaiba and Mokuba goodbye as he went back to his other rounds. Mokuba walked over to Kaiba who was watching the twins taveling upstairs.
"So are we still staying for a while, Seto?" he asked. Kaiba shrugged carelessly.
"If you want, I don't have anything planned for today anyway." he said.
"Cool, I am definitely up for some horseback riding. How 'bout you, big brother?" Not waiting for an answer, Mokuba ran outside to the stables. Kaiba shook his head while letting out a smirk as he followed him seeing as how his brother knew him better than anyone else.
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Atem opened the door to see Tea laying on her side with her back facing him and the sheets covering her body. He guessed that she didn't hear him coming inside since she made no notice of his presence until she felt him sitting down on the bed. Atem watched as Tea shifted herself around so that he knew she was awake.
"Hey, how are you?" he asked as he lazily stroked Tea's cheek. She sighed and welcomed his warm touch.
"I've been better, the medic gave me something to help me sleep. I guess it's offiicial, huh?" Atem chuckled and nodded.
"Yes, my love, you are definitely sick." Tea groaned not wanting to hear her husband to say that to her. If there was one thing that Tea hated most it was being sick and having to be stuck in bed. She looked up at Atem who was now playing with a few strands of her brown hair.
"Can you do something for me? Just don't say 'I told you so', okay?" Atem laughed as he leaned down to kiss her forehead and trailing his kisses down the side of her face and ending in the crook of her neck. Her natural scent was so addicting to him, it was the same lavender scent that he wakes up to first thing every morning and it's the last thing he smells when he falls asleep at night. It was simply impossible to NOT pull Tea into his arms and just hold her. He planted a few kisses along her neck feeling her shiver when he kissed her sensitive spot.
"Now, you know I wouldn't say that." Tea moaned when she felt Atem kissing her neck. It was amazing how this man knew all of the spots on her body that gives her the most extreme pleasure. He was just as addicting to her as she was to him. Just as they were getting into the heat of the moment, there was a sudden knock on the door and they both immediately stopped to see who it was. Before he stood up, Atem quickly kissed Tea's lips making her giggle and watched him open the door to reveal their precious twins running inside.
"Mommy!" Yuki and Kimika both stood at the egde of the bed seeing their mother awake.
"Are you okay, Mommy?" Kimika asked. Atem walked over with Buyo in his arms to sit down with his family.
"Mommy's fine, she's just a little under the weather, but with a little rest, she'll feel much better. We should probably head on home now."
"Aww, can't we stay just a little longer, Dad?" Yuki asked pleading to his father. Tea smiled and glanced up to Atem seeing him debating on whether or not it was alright for them to stay for a while. She helped him decide by taking his hand and caress his knuckles.
"It's okay honey, we don't have to go home right away. I'll have more peace and quiet here than in the city with the traffic going on. Besides, I don't want you three to be bored so while I'm here resting, you guys can have fun with the horses. Plus, I know Yugi could use the extra help with the stables." Yuki and Kimika liked the sound of Tea's idea and gave Atem their signature puppy dog eyes. Atem knew he couldn't resist the eyes no matter how much he tried.
"Are you sure?" He asked one last time before he caved in. Tea nodded telling him that she was completely sure that it was alright and she would be fine.
"Please, Daddy?" Yuki and Kimika added their little pouts to complete their puppy dog looks. Even Buyo joined in as he gave a few whimpers and that was all Atem could take.
"Alright, alright turn off the little faces, we can stay." Yuki and Kimika were both talking at the same time, but Atem could tell they were happy and thankful. What he wouldn't do for his loving children? Well, he couldn't answer that question because Atem would do absolutely anything for them. They were his precious treasures and he would do anything to see them smile. After Yuki and Kimika both kissed Tea on her cheek, they took Buyo and headed outside where Yugi and the others were. Atem made sure that Tea was comfortable before he followed the twins.
"You get some rest, okay? I'll come back later and check up on you." Tea nodded feeling the medicine starting to work on her and before she knew it, her eyes closed taking her to a peaceful slumber. Atem kissed her forehead again and taking one more look of her, he walked out of the room and quietly closed the door.
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"So, this is the place?" A dark limo was suspiciously parked under a large tree facing the Mutou ranch. Inside the car was none other than Vivian herself sitting in the back seat wearing a black, leather mini skirt, a tight red halter top and black open toe heels that strapped around her ankle. Sitting next to her was a guy in his late 20's with dark raven hair that came down his back and cold, sinister green eyes. He was wearing a black cowboy hat, a dark grey shirt, black jeans and black boots. Vivian had hired this man for yet another plot that she concocted up in her goal to reclaim Atem.
"Yes, this is where we need to go." she said placing on her black sunglasses.
"Hmm, place doesn't look too bad. Tell me again, what I am suppose to be helping you with?" Vivian knew he was going to ask her that since she barely told the man who was known as Renji Toushima (A/N: If you haven't remembered Renji, he's from my other story 'Here For You.') about what she had hired him for. The only thing she told him were directions on how to get to the Mutou ranch. Reaching into her purse, she pulled out a printed picture of Atem and Tea and handed it to Renji. As soon as he glanced at the picture, his eyes were immediately set on Tea's face and he let out a long whistle.
"Whoa, so this is the hot chick that Mutou guy married, huh?"
"Yes, she's the one who is standing in the way of me being with my Atem. Your job is simple, you will keep her busy which will give me the opportunity to get close to Atem. Also, to avoid any suspicion, the both of us will go in separately and pretend that we don't know each other. If this go the way I planned it, I will finally have my Atem and you could have Tea for your own." Vivian said smirking at her full proof plan.
"Uh-huh, as long as I get paid the money you were giving me for the job when this is all over. I can care less about the girl, but I might keep her around for personal entertainment. Just out of curiosity though, how exactly did you know this Atem guy would be out here?" he asked looking at her like she was some kind of crazy, psychotic stalker...which she already was.
"That's none of your concern, I have people who tells me these sort of things. The only thing you should worry about is the task I hired your for." She reached into her purse again to pull out a brown envelope and placed it in Renji's hand. When he opened it, there was a total of $50,000 wrapped in bundles.
"This is half of what I'm paying you and you will get the other half when the job is done. You do everything you can to keep anyone from suspecting anything. Remember, do NOT screw this up for me or I will make sure you NEVER have another job again." she hissed her warning to Renji, but he didn't seem fazed about it. He wasn't the least bit intimidated by Vivian and he could make a few threats of his own.
"You might want to be careful on how you talk to me, toots. I'm only helping you for the cash, if this whole plan of yours don't work then that's your problem. But, I better get every cent of my money for this because if I don't, then I'll make sure you don't have your Broadway career anymore. You're not the only one who has people in high places." Vivian just glared viciously not saying anything after that. Yes, she knew he would hold his promise and she wasn't going to go back on her word seeing as how her life as a Broadway star was on the line. Renji exited the car first and made his way up to the stables where she guessed that was where Atem was.
'Oh, this plan will be perfect. Once everything is played out, Atem will be falling right into my arms before the day is over.' Vivian crossed her legs and sat with a smirk as she waited until it was time to make her appearance.
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Atem walked outside to find Yuki and Kimika standing in front of Kaiba and Mokuba with the horses they have chosen to ride. He also saw Joey and Tristan sitting on stacks of hay talking about something random. He noticed that Joey would glare at Kaiba every now and then, but he just ignored him and continued his conversation with Tristan. Atem chuckled seeing how badly Joey wanted to really curse out Kaiba, but he maintained his cool seeing that Yuki and Kimika were in their presence now. Using those type of words around small children was not the best idea. Turning to the stables, he found Yugi inside taking care of the other horses and decided to go in and help him. Yugi heard his footsteps and turned to see him starting to brush Bronco's main.
"Hey bro, need some help?" Atem asked. Yugi chuckled.
"Nah, the big work isn't until later when it's time to feed these guys again. So, how's Tea doing?"
"She still has a fever, but she'll be fine with some rest. I think it's a 24-hour bug."
"Yeah, that seems to be going around lately. There's a few people I know that comes around the ranch every week that has the same thing." Yugi said joining Atem with the task of brushing the horses. Atem and Yugi continued talking for a good long while about random things when they heard distant talking from outside. There was an unfamiliar voice and leaving the horses, the brothers went out to see who it was. Upon their inspection, they found a raven haired guy they believed to be around in his late 20's talking with Tristan and Joey about something. Kaiba, Mokuba and the twins were also looking at this strange man.
"Hi, is there something I can help you with, sir?" Yugi asked. It was what he always asked newcomers when they visit the ranch. The guy glanced up at Yugi and Atem when the question was directed to him.
"Oh hello, I was just telling your friends here that this is a really great ranch you got here. Are you the owner?" he asked.
"Yeah, I own this ranch with my brother, but I'm the one who runs it." Yugi said. He and the others were still wondering who he was and from the expressions on their faces, the guy figured out that he didn't introduce himself.
"Oh, where are my manners? My name is Renji Toushima. I just flew in from out of town and a few of my buds told me about this place. Thought I come down and check it out and I have to say, this place is worth talking about." he said.
"Thanks, I'm surprised that alot of people are talking about our ranch. We're always welcoming newcomers, my name is Yugi Mutou. The two you were talking to are Joey Wheeler and Tristan Taylor, behind you there is Seto Kaiba and his brother Mokuba Kaiba and this person beside me is my brother, Atem Mutou." When Renji heard Atem's name, he turned his gaze to him. This was the one that Vivian was completely obsessed over. He noticed that Tea wasn't around and guessed she was in the house. Renji would think of a way to get inside without creating any suspicion later, but first he had to get all of these people to trust him, including the man standing in front of him. Renji offered his hand to Atem to shake it.
"Atem Mutou, I've heard alot about you, man. You own that multi-million dollar company Mutou's Inc. right? It's nice to finally meet you in person." Atem just stared at him; not saying or doing anything just yet. He was trying to see through to what this man was up to. Atem didn't like this man. He could tell just by looking at his green eyes that this Renji person was not to be trusted. Atem had a way of telling when someone was telling the truth and when someone is lying. This man was definitely 100% lying through his teeth. So, without letting Renji know that he was on to him because Atem wanted to keep a watch on him, Atem offered his hand to shake Renji's.
"It's very nice to meet you too, Mr. Toushima." Atem made sure the word 'nice' was heard by everyone because should he do anything...anything while he was here on this ranch, Atem was going to have a nice time beating this man to the ground.
Yugi, Joey and Tristan along with Kaiba and Mokuba and also the twins watched how the interaction with Atem and Renji was going. They all could tell that Atem did not like Renji one bit and Yugi, by being his brother, knew that if Atem was feeling this way about a stranger, then that stranger was not to be trusted, AT ALL. Yuki was staring at Renji with the same look his father bore on his face. He didn't like this man and if his father didn't like him, then he was nothing but trouble.
"I hope that you enjoy your time here on our ranch." Atem said not really meaning it. Renji smiled friendly, but inside he was smirking evilly. It was nothing but a quiet stare down until Renji broke the stare and turned back to Yugi with this fake friendly look.
"Okay, so when can I saddle up?" he asked. Yugi gestured for Renji to follow after looking at Atem and receiving a nod of reassurance that said it was okay and to keep an eye on him. Atem felt a tug on his pants leg and looked down to see Kimika and Yuki looking up at him.
"Daddy, can we go horse riding?" Kimika asked. He was about to answer when Joey came over to kneel in front of her.
"Hey, how about Tristan and I take you guys instead? Will that be okay?" Kimika smiled and nodded. Joey stood back up and Atem was about to reply, but Joey stopped him before he said anything.
"I know what you're going to say man, but it's cool. Tristan and I were talking about riding before you came out anyway and I want to leave a certain snobby, rich guy in the dust." Joey said turning his glare to Kaiba. Tristan shook his head trying to figure out why he was friends with Joey in the first place.
"Besides that Atem, we're going to keep an eye out on that guy for you. We know that when you have that look on your face, it's a sign that he's bad news." Hearing the sound of grunting, Atem looked behind him to see Renji coming out with a horse to ride. He climbed up onto his back and prepared to set out. Atem's eyes followed him with a deadly menacing glare. He had a feeling, a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach that this man was here for more than just a horseback ride. Right after Joey and Tristan got their horses out of the stables, Joey picked up Yuki to ride with him and Tristan picked up Kimika. Once everyone was borded onto their horse, they rode out into the open field. Yugi came up next to Atem watching as they were riding away.
"You don't think he'll do anything out there, do you?" Yugi asked.
"No, I don't think he's smart enough to try anything, especially with Joey and Tristan keeping an eye on him. I don't know what his motivations are, but they sure as hell don't have anything to do with being here wanting to ride our horses. He is here for another reason and I'm going to find out what it is." Yugi nodded and was glad that his brother had that ability to read people the way he did. The sound of a car driving was heard as he and Atem turned to see a limo being pulled up in front of them. When the door opened, out came the wicked witch herself.
"Ah, the queen of Broadway has arrived!" Vivian said posing as if she was taking a photo. Atem's glare was intensified by 100 from seeing the conniving con-artist standing in his view.
"You really just love watching my blood boil, don't you?" Vivian laughed and closed the limo door to walk up closer to Atem and Yugi.
"Oh, you were always so funny Atem. It's one of the reasons why I love you, and Yugi, it's been such a long time. How have you been?" she asked with the most fakest cheery voice one has ever created. Yup, she was a born actress alright. Yugi remembered so clearly the day that Atem was so hurt and upset by what this woman put him through. The lies and the betrayal that have shattered his brother's heart when he found out that she was secretly stealing behind his back. He will never look at this woman any different again. Vivian made Atem go into deep depression, he still remembered when Atem came out to the ranch one night and how his face looked like he was about to commit a murder. That look had always scared Yugi. It reminded him of when they were little and Atem fought those boys that were picking on him. The look slowly died away when Atem met Tea and she became a big part of his life. He was happy that his brother found the love and happiness that he wanted with that special woman. Something that he never got from Vivian. Crossing both of his arms, Yugi cast a glare at the lying actress wondering why she was here on his ranch.
"Well, I was fine until I've seen your face. Mind telling me why you're here?" he asked. Atem decided to ask a follow up question.
"Actually, I want to know how she knew we were here? What, are you following me and my family now? Do you have people watching us 24/7? I wouldn't be surprised from the things that you're concocting in that head of yours."
"Trust me Atem honey, if I was having someone following you, would I give the pleasure in showing myself to you? You have such a wild imagination, I just don't know where you are getting these ideas. Can't I just show up without there being any confrontations between us?"
"There are many things that I truly hate Vivian, one of them is having my intelligence being played. Now to save myself from yelling, leave because you are not welcomed here." Yugi looked at his watch, he silently cursed seeing the time.
"Hey bro, I have to run out for a bit. You think you can handle the ranch while I'm gone?"
"Yeah, everything will be fine here, you go on ahead, Yugi." Vivian quickly latched herself onto Atem's arm.
"I'll help out too! Don't worry Yugi, all of your pretty horses will look just like they are going for a scene in a movie." Yugi kept his glare on Vivian not letting it drop until she was off this ranch.
"Absolutely not because you're not even staying here Vivian. I think my brother has made that perfectly clear." Without waiting for her reply, since he didn't want to hear her screeching voice, Yugi walked to his car and prepared for his his errands. He felt bad leaving Atem alone with her, but he knew his brother will be alright and send her packing.
Atem watched as Yugi rode off away from the ranch and he pulled his arm out from Vivian's grip. This was just what he needed, first a suspicious man shows up and now the woman he despises so much wants to decide to make an entrance. Atem wondered if there was going on today that he wasn't aware of. He started walking inside the stables to finish up the task of brushing the remaining horses he and Yugi were working on.
"So Atem, where is Tea? I'm surprised that she's not here with you." He didn't expect for the snake to follow him. He was hoping she get the message and leave, but yet again, he has to tell her off where it will stay in that thick skull of hers.
"None of your damn business." He said while petting his horse Bronco and giving him a sugar cube.
"You seem a bit tensed about something. You know, if there's anything that you want to talk about, I'm all ears. Remember when we were together and when you came home from work feeling so tensed and stressed, you would always tell me what was on your mind?" Atem scoffed and without responding back, he walked over to a hay stack to sit down on it while taking out the stuff he needed for when the other horses come back to be fed. Vivian, however, continued to work her magic and sway Atem into her spell.
"I would listen to you talk and at the same time, give you my special back rubs. You always loved the way I would rub your shoulders, you would tell me I had the hands of a goddess. Don't you remember Atem? Don't you remember what we had before? It was a magical time, wasn't it? Just the two of us, we used to have a tremendous time together." Vivian had placed her hands on Atem's shoulders, but Atem shot up so fast, he almost made Vivian lose her balance.
"Keyword, used to. We used to until you decided to turn everything around and betray me. Why should I remember something that was nothing but lies? I am completely happy with the memories I made and still make with Tea, my children and the rest of my family more." Vivian watched how Atem walked back over to the horses, but now he was standing in front of Angel. She knew that getting close to him again was going to be a completely difficult challenge, but it was challenge that she was not going to quit on. Whatever Vivian wants, Vivian gets; no matter how hard she has to try. She came over and stood next to him again seeing him petting Angel and giving her a sugar cube just like he did with Bronco.
"I've never seen this horse before. She is absolutely beautiful Atem, did you recently get her?" Vivian made a move to pet Angel. but Angel started becoming a little wild and neighing uncontrollably. Atem was cooing her down with soothing, shushing sounds and softly patting her. He turned his vicious glare to Vivian who was now fixing her hair from jerking back so fast.
"No, she's Tea's horse and she's been here for a long time and doesn't like strangers. So why don't you leave so that I can get her calmed down?!" After a few more rubs from Atem, Angel finally managed to quiet down. He sighed in relief and smiled while giving Angel another sugar cube which she graciously accepted. As he turned around, he found Vivian still standing in that same spot and it made Atem wonder if this woman was mental or if she was just playing the part to get him steamed on purpose.
"Hey Atem, I just had the most brilliant idea! Why don't the two of us go riding? Oh, we will have a wonderful time, we can have a picnic and later we can watch the sunset together! It will be so roman-"
"STOP! STOP! JUST STOP VIVIAN! Damn it, what do I have to do to get you understand how much I despise you?! Do I have to post it a billboard to make you get it?! Or hire someone to draw it in the sky?! There is NEVER going to be an US ever again and the sooner you realize it, the sooner I can cast you out of my life!" Vivian gave her own glare not pleased from the things Atem was saying to her.
"You can't tell me that you never thought about what we had. I know you do Atem, it's never going to go away no matter how much you hate me. We had something special, something that we shared together. Whether you like it or not Atem darling, your heart will ALWAYS belong to ME." Atem growled in the back of his throat. How dare this woman claim something that belonged only to his loving wife?
"You possessive bitch, you have no RIGHT to tell me who my heart belongs to! You lost that claim the moment you decided to steal from me! Why is it that you think I have suddenly just forgotten about it?! Even if I did, do you honestly think that I would just jump up and leave Tea and my children because of your disgusting obsession of me? Think again, Vivian and you better think...very...hard." As soon as Vivian was going to retort back, Joey and the others were coming back. She angrily sighed seeing that now she wasn't able to have anymore time alone with Atem. She saw Renji on his horse and she made a signal with her eyes that he needs to get on with his part of the plan. Atem walked out seeing Joey and Tristan taking down Kimika from the horses. Kaiba and Mokuba were also coming down from theirs.
"Hey guys, have fun?"
"Yeah Dad, Joey and Mr. Kaiba were in a race, but Joey lost." Yuki said. Joey growled remembering the smug look on Kaiba's face when he left him in the dust.
"Rich boy here just got lucky, that's all."
"Keep dreaming Wheeler, we all know that the only way you'll beat me is if you have a free pass from 'Loserville'."
"THAT'S IT! You wanna go?! Come on, let's go!" If it wasn't for Tristan holding him back, then Joey would have ran over and punched Kaiba's lights out. Kaiba stood with his arms folded bearing a smirk not the least bit timidated from Joey's...uh tirade. Atem chuckled from the scene, Kaiba seems to always know which buttons to push on Joey. He stepped in when things became a bit too serious. From the corner of his eye, Atem saw Renji coming over towards him. This snake was up to something sneaky and Atem was going to find out what it is.
"Hey Atem, I was hoping I could use your bathroom, if you don't mind that is?" The intense glare was never wiped off of Atem's face as he answered him.
"No...not at all." Renji nodded, but what Atem didn't notice as he turned away the look he gave to Vivian signaling the plan was about to be in motion, but the look also held a warning of what will happen in it screws up. Since Vivian wasn't able to woo Atem over with her charms, she figured she would distract him while Renji was inside. Thanks to her acting skills, she was able to cough up the most fakest sincere face. She waited until he was finished talking with the twins before she made her move again.
"Hey, you two must be hungry after having such a blast riding, so why don't I get something from the fridge, okay?"
"Can we eat outside, Daddy?" Kimika asked in a cute little voice. Atem chuckled and kissed her forehead.
"Sure, as long as you don't let the horses smell it. They haven't eaten yet and we don't want them snagging food away from you guys. Buyo's inside playing, make sure he doesn't get lost in the hay." Yuki and Kimika laughed from the way Atem was explaining it.
"Okay Daddy." they both replied and they ran into the stabbles where Joey and Tristan were now leading the other horses inside. This gave Vivian her chance to talk to Atem again.
"Listen Atem, you're right. I mean I see just by looking at how you interact with your children that you have a happy life with them and Tea. That's all I wanted from you....I thought maybe if I came back to see you, I could reopen those feelings you held for me. I thought I could make you remember the wonderful times we had together. Make you see just how much we loved each other before. Yeah, there were times that I regret betraying you...because I had lost what had been the best thing that ever happened to me. I wanted so much to feel that again, but I'm just too late. I can see that there's nothing I can say or do to make you change your mind. I just wish...things could have turned out more differently." she said wiping a tear away. Atem just stared at her with no amount of emotion, but he suddenly clapped his hands giving her an applause.
"Bravo, bravo, now I can see why you are such a talented Broadway actress. That was almost believable, but you know something Vivian? I'm kind of glad things between us turned out the way they did. If it hadn't been for your little stunt, I would have never met Tea. If it hadn't been for you, then I wouldn't have fallen in love with her. If it hadn't been for you, then I wouldn't have asked her to marry me and if it hadn't been for you, then we wouldn't be happily living together as a family right now. So I really have to give you my thanks Vivian, you actually had a big role in all of this. Isn't that what you wanted? To be recognized for your talents? Well you got all the recognition and more. It's a shame all of your fans don't know about this, I bet you would be loved by them even more, huh?" As the conversation was going on, they didn't notice Kaiba still standing around watching him. He shook his head seeing how pathetic and desperate this woman would be to get what she wants. It was completely sickening to watch, but hilarious from the way Atem was telling her off.
"Don't say that, please you know that I have always cared about yo-"
"Just save it Vivian, I don't want to hear anymore of these fake sobbing...." Atem stopped all of a sudden and turned to the house. Something wasn't right, he could feel it and he noticed that Renji was gone a bit too long. So leaving the slutty con-artist, Atem made his way over to house to find out what was going on.
Vivian watched as he walked away and smirked from what would be happening in just a few short minutes. If Renji played his part perfectly, then Atem will be leaving the ranch with her there to comforting him. Once again, she failed to notice Kaiba. He knew from the moment she showed herself here that she was thinking of some sort of plot that will ruin Atem's marriage to Tea. He just hopes his rival was smart enough to figure it out.
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During the time Atem and the others were talking outside, Renji went inside the house trying to find where the one named Tea could be. He made sure to be very careful and at the same time, draw any suspicion off himself should he find her walking around anywhere in the house. So far, he couldn't find her downstairs so automatically, he knew that she had to be somewhere upstairs. He casually walked up and checked every room for any sign of her. Every room he checked was either locked or empty. Finally, when he came to a door that was slightly ajarred, Renji could hearing a soft moan meaning that it was Tea and he guessed she was waking up. He also heard her moving to get up so making a quick dash, Renji hid in the bathroom and waited for when she came out.
Tea opened her eyes after she heard what guessed to be one of the horses outside. From the way nieghs were sounding, Tea knew that it was Angel seeing that she was her horse and she knew her sound better than anyone. She wondered what it was that set off her horse like that. So to find out what the problem was, Tea slowly stood up from the bed. She still felt a bit feverish and slightly dizzy, but she managed to keep her balance thanks to the little rest she gained. She was also feeling a little parched and decided to grab a quick drink before she went outside. What Tea didn't notice as she was walking through the hallway to the flight of stairs was someone hiding and watching her every move.
When Tea reached the kitchen, she grabbed a glass from the cupboard and filled it with fresh water. The coolness of the liquid soothed her throat and kept her from being dehydrated. She wondered what Atem and the twins were up to. Tea could hear the rest of the herd from where she was standing and guessed that the guys were out riding. She could also hear the distant laughter of her children and smiled knowing they were having a fun time. Tea took another sip of her water and all of a sudden, she heard someone coming down the stairs. She wondered who it could have been, but she wasn't alarmed. That is until she saw that this was someone she was not familiar with. Tea was a bit alarmed from the unknown man. Who was he? What was he doing here in the house? Her questions were about to be answered.
"Hello, you're probably wondering who I am, right?" Tea gave him a skeptical expression.
"That and why you are wandering around silently in the house like you're some kind of spy?" The stranger just laughed.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you miss. The name's Renji Toushima, I'm here visiting the ranch for today and I thought I come inside to use the restroom." Tea was a little suspicious of this man. There was something about him that she didn't like. She made sure to keep and open mind around him.
"Oh, I see. Are you having a good time so far?"
"Yes, I am. In fact, I'm having the time of my life. It's not everyday I get to meet an incredibly beautiful woman such as yourself."
"Actually, I was talking about your time here on the ranch today, Mr. Toushima."
"Oh yeah, that was fun too. You know, you can call me Renji. Mr. Toushima makes me sound kind of old, don't you think?" When Tea was placing her cup down on the counter, she noticed that Renji was slowly moving closer to her. It was making her extremely awkward to a point where she wished this man would go back to where he came from.
"Maybe, but it's proper for me to call you by your last name seeing that we just met."
"We can learn alot about each other if you want. Has anyone ever told you how radiant you look? I'm serious, I feel like I've died and was brought back to life by an angel."
"Yes, in fact my husband tells me that everyday." Tea made sure she emphasized the word 'husband' to give Renji the idea that she was married and that he didn't stand a chance with her. Not that she wanted him to because she only spent five minutes talking to the guy and he was already a total jerk.
"Oh yeah, the Mutou guy I met outside. Nice guy, but...I think you should be with someone who doesn't always have a stick up his ass. I mean the guy has been giving me glares since I've been here." Tea glared at Renji when she heard him saying that.
"Don't talk about my husband that way. If he was giving you cold stares, then there must be something about you that he doesn't trust. And I can see why." After Tea cleaned her cup, she started walking out of the kitchen, but she felt herself becoming dizzy and almost lost her balance. She felt an arm around her waist and saw that Renji was holding her steady.
"Whoa, easy there sweetie. Don't want you hurting yourself now, do we?" Instead of letting Tea go, Renji pushed her up against the wall keeping her from getting away from him. Tea was struggling trying to push him back, but Renji took both of her wrists with one hand and held them up over her head.
"Let me go!" Tea struggled even more, but Renji had a strong grip on her hands. With his right hand that wasn't holding her wrists, he slid it down to the side of Tea's face which made her jerk back in disgust. She didn't want another man touching her the way Atem touched her.
"No can do, can't let you go so easily. Not without having my fun, I can't." His arm snaked around her waist again and with no way of escaping, Renji now had the upper hand. Without wasting time, he planted his lips hard against hers. Tea did all that she could to free herself, but no matter how much she tried, Renji wasn't going to let her go. Her wrist her getting sore from the way Renji was squeezing them so tightly. She felt even more sick, but this time her stomach was feeling the sickness. Just then, the kitchen door burst open, but it seemed as though Renji didn't notice.
When Atem came into the house, he noticed right off that something was not right at all. First things first, he went up to check on Tea only to find that her door was open and she wasn't in her bed. He also noticed that Renji wasn't where he said he was going to go. So putting two and two together and hearing a sudden noise from the kitchen, Atem went down to check what it was. He swung the door open and he what he saw was the most shocking thing he ever laid his eyes on.
Renji was kissing Tea.
He was kissing his wife.
He was kissing his wife.
He was kissing his wife!
HIS WIFE!
"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Atem charged into the kitchen and pulled Renji off of Tea to giving him what was going to be the most deadliest beatings he has ever given any man. Atem started off by holding him by his collar and punching him in the jaw so hard that you could hear a bone shatter. After giving him a jaw-shattering punch, Atem continued by throwing him across the wall like a lifeless rag doll. He didn't even give Renji enough time to recover from having the wind knocked out of him. Atem pulled him up from the floor and punched him with both of his fists. His left fist came in contact with Renji's right side of his face and his right fist came in contact with the left side of his face. It was punch after punch after punch. Renji's nose was bleeding severely and he was beaten badly, but Atem felt like he was getting started. He took a hold of his collar and pushed him hard against the wall.
"You messed with the wrong man today! What gives you the right to kiss on MY WIFE?!" Giving up on Renji's face, Atem started punching him repeatedly in his stomach making him cough up a large amount of blood. Tea was watching helplessly from the wall seeing the way Atem was brutally fighting Renji. She had never seen him this way before. The way his eyes looked, it wasn't the same loving expression he gave to her. His eyes held only one thing: death. She knew she had to stop him. She had to stop him before he did something he would regret forever. Atem had now taken the fight into the living room where she now rushed behind him.
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"Listen Joey, I don't know why you keep on provoking yourself whenever Kaiba comes around. You know how things get." Yugi had came back from his errands and just now found out about Joey's race with Kaiba and how he was feeling. Kaiba and Mokuba had left right after he arrived.
"Yeah, I know Yug, but sometimes the guy just makes me want to punch him in the face." Just as Joey said that, Atem and Renji both flew out of the front door and landed on the ground. Atem continued with his brutal beatings not even caring about redness that was forming in his knuckles.
"Uh, kind of like the way Atem is beating that guy." Joey said. Tea ran out and found her husband still fighting. She turned to Joey and Tristan with a teary eyed look.
"Guys, one of you make sure Yuki and Kimika stay away from here!" Not even asking any questions, Tristan followed through with her request and kept the twins distracted in the stables while Joey stood outside to try and get Atem off of Renji.
"Atem! Brother, stop!" Yugi yelled. Atem wasn't listening to his surroundings. All his mind thought about was attacking the guy beneath him. Vivian still held around to see how her plan would turn out, but she didn't expect for Atem to go to the extreme and hurt Renji. She had expected for him to come out upset yes, but she was thinking about him coming out with a look of hurt on his face. Joey and Yugi both teamed together and they both managed to pull Atem off Renji. He was still itching to connect his fist with his face again.
"LET GO OF ME! I'M NOT FINISHED WITH THAT BASTARD!"
"Yes, you are man, listen I don't know what he did to tick you off, but you already got him!" Joey said trying to calm Atem down. Atem was still struggling, trying so hard to break free, but he felt something against his chest keeping him from going anywhere. Something so warm and familiar to him and he looked down to see that it was Tea, his Tea with her arms wrapped around him...crying.
"Atem, please honey just stop. Please, you've done enough...." Atem didn't want to see her like this. It did something to him whenever he saw Tea crying, like he should do everything in the world to make her smile. So, to grant her wish, Atem calmed down giving Yugi and Joey the sign that it was okay to let him go. Atem wrapped both of his arms around Tea keeping her safe.
"Man, what the hell did he do, Atem?" Joey asked. Atem glared at Renji who was now struggling to get up.
"That bastard...was kissing Tea." Yugi and Joey gasped and they both casted their own glares to the man in front of them. Vivian let out a fake gasp and glared, but her glare was directed at Tea.
"How could you just do that to Atem? You kissed another man? I thought you said you loved him!" Tea took a few deep breaths and slowly turned to Vivian with a menacing glare.
"I don't know what you're doing here, but I know that none of this is a coincidence. You were behind all of this, weren't you?"
"Oh, how typical of a cheating spouse to blame it on someone else." That was the FINAL straw.
"CHEATING SPOUSE?! YOU were the one that set this up, Vivian! Admit it!" Tea was already upset from this man forcing himself on her and now she had to deal with the queen of the sneaks. Atem was also thinking the same thing Tea was saying about Vivian and Renji's sudden appearance. He had nothing else to say, he was going to let Tea handle her.
"Atem, don't listen to her, she is clearly trying to pin the blame on me to save herself. You don't need to be around this, just come with me and I'll take care of you." Tea walked forward until she was in front of Vivian's face.
"I am sick of you interfering with my family, I am sick of you scheming to try and break me and Atem apart and I am so SICK of you! I should have done this a long time ago!" With that said, Tea brought back her fist and punched Vivian so hard, that her nose was dripping blood. She punched her much harder than Katie did. Vivian didn't stay around because she was in so much pain, she hurried off to take care of her face and Renji limped away following her. Joey whistled after a long silence.
"Whoa Tea, remind me to never get on your bad side." Tea turned to Joey and let out a little smile, a little. Atem sighed and walked to the stables.
"I'm going to get Yuki, Kimika and Buyo. We are going to go home now." Yugi and Joey understood, it was a crazy afternoon and they could understand Atem wanting to be back home. When Atem gathered the twins and the puppy, everyone made their way to the car and after bidding Yugi, Joey and Tristan goodbye, Atem started the car and drove back home to the city.
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It was now growing dark and the Mutou family finally arrived at home. As they were driving, Tea noticed Atem was silent throughout the whole car ride and was worried on what he could have been thinking about. She, Atem and the twins all exited the car going inside the house. Tea had Buyo in her arms and she placed him down when they came inside. She then watched as Atem placed his keys in the bowl next to the door and walked slowly up the stairs. Looking down at her quiet children, Tea put on a smile to let them know everything was okay. She didn't want them to think that something was wrong.
"Hey, I'm a little hungry, how about we have pizza tonight?" she suggested. Yuki and Kimika both nodded excited that they were going to eat their favorite dinner. Tea would check on Atem later, she wanted to give him sometime to cool down from the fight today. When Tea ordered their favorite pizza and they all had their fill, including Buyo who was now finished with his dinner, she prepared Yuki and Kimka a bath to get them ready for bed. It was a very long day and she was feeling tired. Tea also felt like her fever was coming back, but she fought it long enough to make sure Yuki and Kimika were tucked in bed properly. She sat with them for a little longer to talk with them.
"So, did you both have fun today?" she asked. Kimika hopped on Yuki's bed to sit next to him as they talked to their mother.
"Yeah, is...Daddy okay, Mommy?" Yuki asked. Tea knew that one of them was going to ask that question sooner or later and it wasn't surprising that it was Yuki being the one to ask it. For being a 4-yr-old, he knew when something wasn't right. Giving a nod and patting his hair, Tea smiled at her son and daughter.
"He's okay, he just needs a little time alone right now. But I'll be sure to tell him you said goodnight, okay?" Yuki and Kimika nodded.
"Mommy, can you sing us to sleep?" Kimika asked. There were nights where Tea would sometimes sing to Yuki and Kimika whenever they had trouble sleeping. So, she agreed to sing a song for them.
"Of course, I think you both will like this one. My mom used to sing it to me when I was a little girl." Taking a deep breath, Tea began to sing to her children a beautiful melody.
Butterfly, samayou yo chikatetsu wa meikyuu sa
Habataite mo habataite mo mitsukaranai deguchi
Someday, moshi kimi ni sonna hi ga otozuretara
Omiodashite omoiodashite boku wa koko ni iru yo
Shiawase no imi wa tabun kokoro no kazu dake atte
Dakedo sore ja oosuguite
Miushinau bokura
Saa kurikaesu you na nichijou ga yukkuri mirai kaete yuku
Aseru hodo karamitsuku yume to iu komo no ito
Kimi ga hane kogashi tobu no nara taiyou sae todoku darou
Utsukushiku tokereba ii hohoemi misenagara
Yuki and Kimika loved hearing the sound of their mother singing to them. It was always something that helped soothed them to sleep.
Anyway, itsu no hi ka hito ha minna wakareyuku
Sore demo ii sore demo ii kimi ni boku wa aeta
Far away, hanarete mo shiawase wa inoreru yo
Todokanakutemo todokanakutemo mo kimi no uta wo tsukurou
Umareta imi wa kitto
Shini yuku toki kizukeru
Dakedo sore ja ososugite
Samayou yo bokura
Saa oshitsubusu you na genjitsu wa
Kitto kimi wo kareu darou
Kawareru kara kimi de aritsuzukeru no sa
Kimi wa koe karashi sakebu nara mikatsuki sae ochiru darou
Tamerawazu yuku ga ii kasuka na hikari demo
Kurikaesu you na nichijou ga yukkuri mirai kaete yuku
Aseru hodo karamitsu yume to iu kumo no ito
Kimi ga hane kogashi tobu no nara taiyou sae todoku darou
Utsukushiku tokereba ii hohoemi misengara
Tea finished her song and when she looked down, both Yuki and Kimika had fallen asleep. She kissed Yuki's forehead and tucked him in and she picked up Kimika to carry her to her own bed to sleep. Finding her panda, Tea tucked him in with Kimika and she kissed her forehead. She gave one more look before turning around and leaving the room now that they were resting peacefully. It was now time to check on Atem. Walking into their bedroom, she found him strumming on his guitar. The way the moon was shining on him made it look so mystical. He was playing his heart out. Every note he played touched her soul deeply. Atem stopped playing when he noticed her standing in the doorway. Placing his guitar at his side, he gestured for Tea to come inside which she was already doing. When she sat down, Atem took her hand and brought it up to his lips.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
"I'm fine, actually I was just about to ask you the same thing." Atem sighed.
"Yes, I'm alright..." Silence developed between them for a while and suddenly Atem stood up from the bed making Tea look up at him. She could see he was still upset from earlier and she waited to hear what he wanted to get off his chest.
"When I first saw him Tea, I knew he was trouble. When he was kissing you....I wanted to kill him. I just wanted to kill him for touching you." Atem turned around and made Tea stand up by taking both of her hands in his.
"No other man is allowed to touch you and kiss you like I can." Tea felt tears running down her face and with his thumb, Atem wiped them away.
"All I want is you Atem, you are the only man that I want. I felt sick when Renji kissed me because he wasn't you. That kiss wasn't from you and I tried so hard to push him away." By this time, Tea was crying in Atem's chest.
"Shhh, I know.....I know. I will make sure this never happens again, I don't care what I have to do." Atem was thinking about a certain woman who had just sent him over the danger level. It was only so much more that Atem will take. His thoughts were broken when he felt Tea's head being a little warm.
"You still have a fever, honey. Come on, let's get on to bed, this has been a very long day." Tea nodded feeling very tired, but before she moved to lay down, she tilted her head up so that her lips met with Atem's. Once they touched, she moaned now feeling complete. These were the only lips she wanted to taste, the only lips from the man that she loves so deeply. No other man can make her feel loved like the man standing in front of her; in his embrace, in his soul and in his heart she will forever stay, just like he will stay in her own heart.
Another chapter finished everyone, let me know what you think of it and I will update more very soon. Also, please everyone, I don't want reviews that include comments like "Finally, an update" or "It's about time you updated." I know that it has been a while that I updated and I have apologized countless times. I just want your feedback on how you enjoyed that chapter, that's it. Okay, thanks for reading and again, I will update more soon.