EIGHT

"Papa?" Aemi said, and Seto looked in her direction. "Where is Papa Yugi?"

"He's at the hospital." Seto's voice was gentle, though he didn't feel like being gentle at all. He felt like screaming and kicking things.

"When will he come home?" she asked.

"I don't know."

Aemi settled into her bed and her eyes furrowed. "Why?"

"Why what?" Seto said, and his voice sounded almost harsh.

"Why don't you know?"

Seto's fists clenched in his hands and his face was strained, but he kept calm in front of Aemi. He didn't want to worry or scare her. "I'll find out tomorrow," he said, and then he stood up. "Get some sleep. You have school in the morning."

He walked to the door and flicked the light switch off and had almost completely closed the door before Aemi spoke up. "Papa Yugi is coming home, right?" she asked, her voice very quiet. Seto had almost missed it.

"Yes," he said without hesitation. "I will bring him home."

With that, he left the door open a crack and went to check on the baby. Kyo had fallen asleep in the car ride home from Mai's house, but he was wide awake in his crib. He was cooing gently and slobbering down his chin—he had no idea something was wrong.

Seto reached into the crib and trailed his finger down the side of Kyo's face, surprised when the infant grabbed onto it with his own hand. The baby cooed again and smiled—probably from gas—before letting go. Seto retracted his hand and stared down at Kyo.

Aemi was almost three when Yugi decided he wanted another baby in the house. The surrogate mother who had birthed Aemi was located and she was more than happy to help. The preparations took mere weeks, and to Seto, it seemed that he had gone to the donation center only a day earlier before hearing the news that the surrogate was in fact pregnant.

Why Yugi had only wanted to use Seto's genes, he wasn't sure. And it had been the most awkward thing ever for him to enter the donation center and to hand over the white substance in a container to a complete stranger for processing. His face had glowed red the entire time.

But five months into the pregnancy, when Yugi had bounced home from an appointment with the surrogate, proclaiming that they were having a boy and his name would be Seto Kaiba II, Seto had become…almost excited. Aemi was wonderful and perfect, and with a boy, they would finally have a complete family, and maybe then Yugi could be completely happy.

Seto Kyo Kiaba was born two weeks early, which was two weeks less than Seto needed to prepare for the birth of his son. He had spent days pacing in his office, terrified of what a new baby could do to their relationship. Thoughts of running away again entered his mind, but in the end, he stayed.

And now…where had it gotten him?

Everything was falling apart.

Kyo began to whimper, so Seto picked him up and cradled him in his arms. He sat back into the rocking chair and sighed.

Seto had never been alone with Kyo for so long—but it had been officially four hours since he'd picked the kids up from Mai's house and had taken them home. He had done everything he'd watched Yugi do a dozen times before, but something still felt wrong. He could sense that Kyo suspected the same, because he was wide awake still…waiting for Yugi to rock him to sleep.

It was nearing midnight before Seto put the sleeping baby into his crib and then returned to the rocking chair. He didn't want to leave, just in case Kyo woke up in the middle of the night. He had to be there for the infant, because no one else was.

"Last I checked, Yugi has no biological children…" Seto glared into the darkness of the bedroom. What did Yugi's father know about his son's life? From what Seto had gathered from Téa, Yugi's parents had left him at a young age to travel the world. He had been the child they needed to carry on the Moto name, but he had also become a burden on their carefree lifestyle. They had dropped him at his grandfather's house and hadn't spoken to him in nearly twenty years.

Seto spent the whole night staring into the darkness. Kyo awakened every few hours, but Seto was ready with a bottle or a clean diaper or just to hold him for comfort.

This was usually Yugi's job, and Seto could tell Kyo noticed a difference, but after the second time the baby had woken up, he was used to Seto being there.

At some point, he fell asleep in the rocker, and when he woke up for the last time, it was seven-thirty and he realized they were running late.

Kyo was still sleeping, so he hurried into Aemi's room and helped her get dressed before pouring a bowl of cereal. He then went back up the stairs to get Kyo ready, changing a messy diaper, and then popped a bottle into his mouth as he tried to hurry Aemi along.

The driver was waiting outside by the time Seto made it out and he had the man take them to Aemi's school first. He walked her inside, got the "being on time is imperative" lecture, and then hurried to take Kyo to his daycare.

It was the first time he had ever taken the infant inside before and he wasn't exactly sure what to do. He unbuckled Kyo from his seat and carried him inside. When entered the lobby, several eyes turned towards him.

"You must be Seto Kaiba," the nearest woman said. "I'm Kyo's caretaker…We were about to call!" she laughed.

"Late morning," Seto muttered. He still had Kyo safely in his hands and something strange came over him. He didn't…want to let go.

"Where is Mr. Moto?" the woman asked.

Seto swallowed. "He's ill," he said finally. It wasn't technically a lie.

"Oh, well you send him my best. Will you be picking Kyo up?" Seto nodded. "I'll just take him now," she said, and he hesitated for a second before mentally cursing himself. He handed the baby over and watched as he seemed satisfied in the woman's arms. "We'll see you around six then."

Seto nodded again and watched the woman disappear into the child area at the daycare. He stood in the same spot for close to a minute before turning on his heel and leaving.

"To work, Mr. Kaiba?" the driver asked.

"No, 2134 Vancouver Street," he said.

The driver started off shortly after. Seto wanted to see his lawyer immediately—he wanted to talk face to face and discuss the options. He knew Yugi's parents couldn't do what they were doing, and he also knew that no court in the world would rule in the Moto's favor. It was just insanity.

He touched his phone in his pocket, but decided against making a futile call. He'd tried Yugi at least ten times every hour since the night before, but it had been answered only once by his mother insisting he never call again. Her voice had been gentle but adamant. And since, Seto had not called anymore.

When the car arrived at the lawyer's office, Seto got out and told the driver to park, insisting it wouldn't take long. He refused to let this scandal plague more than an hour of his time.

He entered the office and didn't bother signing in and he certainly didn't stop at the front desk to let the secretary know he was there. He just walked through his lawyer's door and dropped himself into a chair.

"Mr. Kaiba!" the lawyer said, smiling worriedly. "Is everything okay?"

"I need some legal advice, Tom" Seto said quietly.

"Something wrong with the contracts?"

"No. This is a personal matter."

"Yes, of course," the man said, his eyes wide. Seto Kaiba had never been in his office before—all work was done over the phone usually. Their trip to Domino City had been the third time Tom had ever seen the man in over ten years. "What can I do for you?"

"Yugi's parents are trying to have him declared mentally incapable—which is just ridiculous. They have taken over and won't allow me to see him. It is their intention to bring him back with them when they leave."

"And on what grounds are they having him declared?"

Seto's jaw tightened. "They said he is not capable of making decisions because he is with me."

"I'm not sure I understand…"

"They said his judgment is impaired because he has a life with me…"

"Mr. Kaiba, I'm not understanding…"

Seto groaned. "Because he's gay. They're calling it a mental illness."

The lawyer's mouth opened a few times before he squinted. "This sounds more like controlling parents than a legal issue, Mr. Kaiba. No court in the world would rule in their favor…"

"That's what I said."

"I'm not sure what I can do about this…" Tom said. "We can prove their case is riddled with faults, but it could take months for a court to see a case as frivolous as this."

"Could we not counter sue?" Seto asked. "For even attempting to bring a frivolous case?"

"We could…but I'll have to do some digging. If you'll give me until tomorrow, Mr. Kaiba, I will know a little bit more about this."

"Fine," Seto said, and he stood up.

"Can I just ask…what are you trying to get out of this?"
"I just want Yugi to make his own decisions…"

Tom sat quietly for a second. "Have you…thought that perhaps this is what he wants?"

Seto's eyes narrowed. "This is not what he wants."

After the initial shock of what Tom has said wore off, Seto slammed the door and exited the building. The driver was waiting in the parking lot for him, but Seto didn't give him time to open the door for him. He climbed in and slammed the door behind himself.

This is not what he wants, he said. He frowned. It's not…is it?

Seto pressed a button on the door next to him and the window barrier between he and the driver went up. He then took out his cell phone and stared at it for several moments before tapping on Yugi's name and pressing call. He let it ring and ring and ring until the voicemail picked up.

"Leave your message after the beep," the automated voice said, and Seto almost hung up.

He took a breath and waited three full seconds before finding the words. "This isn't what you want…is it?" he asked, his voice almost cracking. "You don't want to leave…do you? Please, Yugi, you have to tell me…If this is what you want," his voice hardened, "just tell me." And then he hung up.

He wasn't sure if Yugi was getting is calls or if his parents were just deleting them, but he knew he had to try. His chest hurt, and it was a pain he'd never felt before. It wasn't like the time he'd left when Aemi was born, or the time Yugi had left because he wanted to live outside Domino City…those times he knew they would be together again. This time…he wasn't sure.

Part of him wondered if Tom was right. Was Yugi tired of their relationship? Did he want something else…something…more? Was this all a plan cooked up by he and his parents…as an escape?

Seto was tortured by the thoughts for hours. He was terrified—a feeling he did not know well. He had thought things were going so well! Why would Yugi want out? Why would he make plans to leave him? Kyo had only been born two months before—surely Yugi would have left before that! It wasn't a decision that could be made in a day, he was certain. If Yugi wanted out, it was a long time coming.

He sat at his desk just tapping his pen nervously. He didn't know what else to do. Usually, Yugi would make some plans with some company to sponsor a new product, and then Seto himself would go to a meeting with the CEO and make official contracts. Of course, before Yugi had come into his life, Seto had done that work himself because he didn't trust anyone else to do it. Now, though…he just wanted to look out the window at the sun heading for the horizon.

"Everything okay, Mr. Kaiba?" Sarah asked when she entered his office.

"Fine," he said curtly.

"Where is Yugi today?" she asked. "He was sick, and I heard about the accident…"

"He's still sick," Seto said. His eyes never left the sunset.

"Oh…Well, when you see him, tell I him I hope he gets better soon."

Seto didn't respond, and Sarah took that as her cue to leave. He kept his eyes carefully occupied, because he felt something pulling at him and he was almost sure it was tears. And that scared him. He hadn't cried since he was a child, and he refused to cry over something so…trivial.

He blinked hard. Trivial? his mind shouted. Yugi is not trivial! He had to take a deep breath. His eyes darkened and his brow creased. How could he have even thought such a thing?

His pen tapped faster.

"Mr. Kaiba?" came Sarah's voice on his machine. "You have a call on line two."

"Who is it?"

"Aemi's school."

Seto picked up immediately. "Hello?" he said, concern in his voice.

"Mr. Kaiba? Hi, it's Miss Vale, Aemi's teacher."

"Yes?"

"Is there any way you can come down here to pick her up? She is…not feeling well."

"Is she sick?" Seto demanded, already on his feet.

"No, I don't think so…"

"I'll be right there," he said, and he was out the door in a matter of seconds. He let Sarah know where he was going and then grabbed the keys to the company car—the one that was rarely used because he always had a driver. He sat behind the driver's seat for a moment before tightening his hands on the wheel and then sped off towards Aemi's school.

It wasn't far from his office, about a fifteen minute drive in regular traffic, but he made it there in less ten. He jumped out of the car and rushed inside, finding the front office after a moment of confusion, as he'd only been inside the building once.

"Mr. Kaiba!" a woman behind the front desk said. "Right this way."

He followed her behind the desk and through the office. "Where is Aemi?" he demanded. "Is she hurt?"
The woman shook her head. "She's been crying since naptime…No one is sure why and she won't speak."

Seto's eyes were visibly perplexed.

"Is this normal for her?" the woman asked, and Seto glared.

"No," he said harshly.

The woman just nodded apologetically and entered a quiet room where Aemi was sitting, alone, with her knees drawn to her chest. Her hair was matted to her face from her tears and her eyes were red and puffy. As soon as Seto entered the room, Aemi got up and threw her arms around him and cried into his shoulder.

He wasn't sure what else to do other than to pat her back, so he did. He couldn't make out her words, but she was speaking so softly and he knew she was saying something.

After several minutes of her just wetting his suit with her tears, he took her shoulders and pushed her away from him gently.

"Aemi," he said, his voice a mixture of stern and worry, "what is wrong?"

Her blue eyes met Seto's and for a moment he thought she was going to start bawling again, but instead she wiped her eyes with her hands and stared up at him.

"Why are you so upset? You've worried everyone—your teachers, me…what's going on?"
"I'm scared," she said quietly, tears brimming again.

"Of what?"

"A mean boy told me that when his daddy stopped sleeping at home, he never saw him again."

Seto blinked and suddenly understood. He drew Aemi back to his chest and sighed. "Yugi is coming home," he said. "I promise."

"How do you know?" she asked, her voice so quiet he almost couldn't hear.

"Because I'll bring him home myself if I have to."

"Where is he?"
"He's at the hospital still…He had an accident, remember?" Aemi's eyes looked worried. "But he's fine. Everything is okay. He'll be home soon."

"What if he doesn't want to come home?"
The question struck him hard, and Seto had to blink back his shock. "Of course he wants to come home!" he insisted. "He's got you, and Kyo, and me all waiting for him."

Aemi's small arms hung loosely around Seto's neck and he tried to be patient. He wasn't used to small children hanging off him and he certainly didn't like it, but he couldn't just push her off again. She needed to be comforted, and since Yugi wasn't there, the burden fell to him.

"Come on," Seto said finally. "We'll go see him."

Aemi's eyes widened. "Really?"

"Yes."

Her arms tightened and he lifted her off the floor and carried her towards the front of the office again. He had to sign her out, but soon after she was buckled into her safety seat and he was driving a more cautious pace towards the hospital.

He didn't know what he was going to say to Yugi's father, but he was sure the man wouldn't try anything with a little girl watching. He was hoping, at least…And perhaps if Yugi saw Aemi, he wouldn't give up: He'd keep fighting to come home. It was all Seto could hope for.

The highway was crowded from an accident where all North bound traffic was being diverted to the side lanes, which meant the thirty minute drive took over an hour. The whole ride, Aemi said nothing. Her eyes looked out the window innocently and Seto could only guess at what was going through her mind.

"Aemi," he said quietly, and he almost hoped she didn't hear him.

"Yes?" she asked.

He sighed. "Yugi's parents are going to be there…" he said cautiously. "They're not very nice people."

"Why not?"

"They want to take Yugi away from us."

"Why?" she demanded, her voice angry.

"I don't know…but I'm going to find out, and I'm not going to let them do it."

"Please don't let them take papa away from us…" she said, tears filling her eyes again.

"Don't worry," Seto insisted. "I won't let them."

Aemi was quiet for several moments, but Seto could hear quiet sniffling behind his seat. He wanted nothing more than to comfort her—to keep her heart from breaking any more, but he was driving.

"Papa?"

"Yes?"

"I love you."

Seto's hands tightened on the wheel. He wasn't sure how to respond. He did love her, right? Wasn't it only natural to love one's own flesh and blood? He wanted to repeat the words to her so badly…but something wouldn't let him. Something inside his head told him not to—because saying it meant he had to mean it. And he wasn't sure he did.

Aemi seemed okay with him not answering, because she was back to being quiet.

By the time they reached the hospital Yugi was staying in, nearly an hour had passed in silence. Seto could see that Aemi was visually perplexed and she was terrified of what awaited them at the hospital—was Yugi even alive? Had some mean people taken him away already? Would she ever see him again? But she did not ask any of her questions. She was a patient child.

"Are we going to see papa?" Aemi asked when Seto still hadn't gotten out of the car after more than ten minutes.

"Yeah," Seto sighed. "Lets go."

He got out and then opened the door for Aemi. She hopped out and took his hand, and he could sense she was more worried than she let on. Her palms were sweaty and her brow was creased slightly. As they approached the elevator, she let out a long sigh.

"It'll be fine," Seto said. His voice was quiet and stern. He refused for things to go any other way.

The two of them walked down the long hall together until they reached the recovery wing. When they knocked on Yugi's hospital door, they had to wait several minutes before an elderly woman answered. In the bed was an old man.

"Where's papa?" Aemi asked, and Seto's face grew stone-cold.

He left the room without an explanation to the elderly woman and approached the nurse's station. He put his hands down on the counter and bit his tongue to fight the feeling he felt in his stomach. He was begging that Yugi's parents had not taken him home.

"Where is Yugi Moto?" he asked when someone finally noticed him. "He was in room 11A…"

The woman typed a few things into her computer. "He was moved to the inpatient wing on the third floor," the woman said. "But he is seeing family only."

"We are family," Seto said. "This is his daughter."

The woman smiled down at Aemi before nodding. "Room 3B, then. Should I let him know you're on the way up?"
"No," Seto said quickly. "We'll surprise him."

"Of course, sir."

With Aemi's hand in his again, Seto strolled to the elevator and only sighed in relief when the doors were closed. His heart was pounding in his chest.

When they reached the third floor, Seto instantly saw that there was security outside one of the doors which he expected to be Yugi's. When he approached the door, he discovered that his first intuition was correct.

"I'm here to see Yugi," Seto said, his voice gruff.

"Name?"

"Seto Kaiba."

The man's eyes widened. "I'm sorry, Mr. Kaiba. I was told not to admit you under any circumstance."

"By whom?"
"I'm not at liberty to say."

"I'm going in there," Seto said. "And I'm taking my daughter to see her father."

The man's eyes widened again. "I'm…sorry, sir…"

Seto sighed. "I have no problem pushing you aside." He said it with such force that the guard almost believed it. Fear gripped Seto, however. He had not had to fight his own battles in so long…he was worried that he wouldn't be able to do what he thought he could.

"I'll…just ask…" the guard said, opening the door to Yugi's room.

Aemi ran passed him and the guard ran after her, leaving the door open wide. Seto slipped inside the room.

"Papa!" Aemi cried, tears falling down her cheeks. She's just made it to Yugi's bed when the guard grabbed her.

"Get your hands off her!" Seto said, grabbing the guard.

"Seto!" Yugi exclaimed, his eyes wide and confused.

His father was in the corner but on his feet, and his mother was sitting on the other side of Yugi's bed.

Everything was happening at once and it was overwhelming Yugi. He had tears in his eyes, and his arms were outstretched for Aemi. Aemi was sobbing, but she had given up—she knew she was too weak to fight against the guard.

"Everybody stop!" Yugi's father bellowed. And everyone did. The man pointed a finger at Seto. "You, get out. Right now."
Seto rolled his eyes. "I'm already in here. I'm not leaving."

"Take that…girl out of here as well. She doesn't belong."

Seto's eyes furrowed and he was getting angry.

"And finally," Yugi's father said. "Don't come back."

Their eyes locked and the tension in the room was thick. Seto had no intention of leaving. He would call his own guards, his own lawyers, and his own army if that's what it took.

"Stop, stop," Yugi begged. He struggled out of the bed, putting his feet on the ground weakly and held his arms out to Aemi. She ran to him and the two embraced each other tightly. Tears fell from both of their eyes. "Please, just stop," Yugi said. He pushed himself back into the bed and patted the spot beside him for Aemi to snuggle close.

Silence filled the room, and it was clear that Yugi had no intention of letting Aemi leave without knowing she was allowed to return.

"Dad," he said, his voice hoarse. "This is my daughter. Her name is Aemi."

"You don't have any kids," the man said.

"Yes, I do," Yugi insisted. "She's right here. And Kyo, my son. I have two children. Maybe not biologically, but they are mine. And they are Seto's. They are ours."

"Not legally."

"Stop, dad!" Yugi said. "I mean it. Just stop." He took a breath. "I know you want me to work with your company, I know that. But at what point are you going to understand…I'm not coming back home! I live here now, with Seto, and my two children."

His father opened his mouth to speak, but he was cut off.

"If I need to, I will file a restraining order against you—I might not have had the resources before, but I certainly do now."

"You wouldn't," his father said.

"I will if you make me."

"I'll just have you declared insane, boy. You know I will."

"I don't care. Do it. I have lawyers, too, dad."

"You're—"

"Stop it," Yugi's mother said. "Please stop. He doesn't want to run the company…" her voice was soft. "He doesn't want to be a part of that life. He never has!"

"You stay out of this," his father said.

"No, you stop this," his mother said, narrowing her eyes. "Look here! We have two grandchildren we've never met! All I wanted was some grandchildren…and here is one, a beautiful baby girl…"

"You can't be serious…after all we did to get here!"

"Dad," Yugi interrupted. "I want you to leave. Now."

"You can't make me."

Yugi's eyes tightened. His fingers reached for the nurse call button and his father understood what he meant to do.

"You can't do this to me…I'm your father!"

"And I'm your son!"

"That used to mean something to me…but now..."

His father slammed the door on his way out and Seto sighed in relief. The guard excused himself so that the room only had Yugi, his mother, Seto, and Aemi inside.

"Mom…" Yugi sighed. He was too tired to keep up appearances. "Please, just…" he sighed again. "Mom, this is Seto Kaiba. He's my boyfriend. We've been together for eight years. We have two beautiful children together…"

She nodded. "I can accept that."
Yugi smiled. "This is Aemi. She's your granddaughter."

Seto leaned against the wall and watched as Yugi's mother suddenly became a part of Aemi's life. Part of him was terrified—what if she was just playing nice? But most of him knew that she was gentle and kind. He wanted to trust her, and he was slowly beginning to feel that he could.

A/N: I think there will only be one more chapter…I decided to re-write the ending, which is what took so long on this update. Sorry, for that. I can't decide if I should do just an epilogue type thing or an actual chapter…any suggestions?