Seto walked into the house humming. Mokuba looked at him in shock as he walked through the den where Mokuba had been watching television.

"How was the date?" Mokuba asked. Seto stopped and looked at his brother as if only then realizing that he was there. A grin slowly spread across his face, lighting up his eyes, his soul. He continued walking, pulling the blanket from the couch with him. He stopped again as he opened the door that led to the patio.

"It was nice." He stepped out into the night air and wrapped the blanket around him as he gazed at the stars. He had found himself more drawn to them in recent months, and had wondered why. His dad had loved the stars and often took him out stargazing when he was a child. Now he looked at them and felt the wonder she had in her voice as she spoke about her dreams.

"If she wants the stars," he told himself as he watched them twinkle in the crisp night. "then I will give her the stars."

"He took you to the science museum, huh?" Yugi asked when Umi had come home.

"How did you know?" Umi's grin turned suspicious. Yugi blushed and chewed his lip in embarrassment.

"We sort of... followed you?" he admitted.

"We?"

"Tea and I. Joey came too."

Umi rolled her eyes.

"Why?"

Yugi shrugged.

"I was worried about you?" he suggested, but she could see through him.

"Yugi."

"Oh alright, he was worried about you." Umi cocked an eyebrow. "The Pharaoh. He doesn't like the idea of the two of you together."

"Well you should ask him why, and then tell him to mind his own damn business."

"You very well know why, Umi."

"Because I'm the supposed reincarnation of his dead wife." Umi started to walk upstairs.

"He thinks you are the key to his memories."

She froze at his choice of words. She had been told so often that she was the key, but never what she might unlock. Neferet had told her, as had Ishizu. She wondered if she was meant to restore his memories to him, to awaken the Pharaoh. She turned back to her brother and sat with him at the table.

"Where's Grandpa and Tomoe?"

"Out on a date." Yugi said mournfully.

"Well, alrighty then..."

"Since you first spoke to him, since you told him her name, he says that doors have been opening, doors that were previously locked. He thinks he needs her to open the rest."

"How exactly is she supposed to do that?"

"I don't know. I don't think he does either. But, Umi... some of the memories that have awakened are rather... intense."

"Neferet's only way of communicating with me for years was through dreams. She would use my dreams to show me her memories. Has he been sharing what he learns with you?"

"No, I only get a sense of his emotions. He's been growing apart from me since I finished the puzzle. At first, I could barely distinguish between the two of us, but the more he learns, the more he feels like a unique being."

"So, your connection to him is different from my connection with her."

"It seems that way."

"Have you told him?"

Yugi looked at her and then looked down at the table.

"Yugi, have you told him about what he did?"

Yugi shook his head.

"I don't know how. He's not that person anymore. I'm afraid of what might happen if he were to learn that it is his fault she's trapped."

"If she is the key, then he needs to know."

"Is there anyway that she can tell him herself?" he asked hopefully.

"She can't come to this world like he can. That's why I've only been able to hear her in dreams, at least until you finished the puzzle."

"Maybe this can help?" He placed the Millennium Necklace on the table. Umi felt drawn to it, but Neferet recoiled from the item.

"She doesn't want it. The last time I touched it, I passed out."

"It won't work for me. Not anymore." He picked up the golden ornament. "I wish I could get just a glimmer of what was coming."

"Darkness." Umi said. "That's all Neferet tells me. It scares her more than anything else."

"Ishizu and Marik said that the Pharaoh needed to unlock his memories and his powers to fight the darkness." He placed the necklace back on the table between them. Umi picked it up and a golden glow emanated from it.

"What do you see, Umi?" Yugi asked, excitedly.

"Nothing. Nothing except the light." She sighed. Yugi's face fell. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright." Umi tried to hand the necklace back to him. He shook his head. "Keep it. Maybe you can make it show you something."

Umi nodded as she traced the shape of the eye. The light grew brighter as she focused on it, but then it faded and the gold itself seemed to turn black. The blackness spread from the eye throughout the room, surrounding them. Umi felt the spirit within her panic as the shadows engulfed them all.

The darkness was illuminated only by the lights of the necklace Umi held in her hands and the puzzle around Yugi's neck. The twins' eyes met as a woman's voice came to them from the darkness.

"Seto?" the voice called. "Atem? Where are you? Where am I?" The voice was filled with fear as it grew closer. Out of the shadows a woman appeared. She was naked, clad only in her long black braids and golden bands encircling her arms, wrists and ankles. Other voices filled the darkness, indistinct and ominous voices. A cloud of shadows seemed to lurch toward the woman, slithering around her ankle and up over her body.

"You belong to me now." The dark voice said as the shadow form took the shape of a giant snake or dragon. The shadows bound the woman and covered her mouth. Her eyes grew wide with fear as the creature engulfed her. Umi screamed as the woman disappeared beneath the shadows. Yugi held tightly to his sister as the darkness slithered toward her once the woman had vanished. The light from his puzzle shone brighter and brighter until it drove the darkness away and they were sitting at the kitchen table once more.

"What was that?" Umi asked.

"I think that was the Shadow Realm. That woman... was she?"

"Neferet." Umi confirmed. She had felt a kinship with the woman that she had only experienced before with Yugi. Umi felt that she had been watching herself and the vision terrified her. She placed the necklace back on the table and pushed it away. When she withdrew her hands, they were shaking.

"That was awful. And he sent her there?" Yugi asked. Umi nodded. "No wonder you were so angry at him."

"She's only ever shown me memories of her life. She's never shown me her time in the darkness, not in that detail anyway." They sat in silence just staring at the necklace on the table until the door opened. Yugi grabbed the necklace from the table and shoved it into his pocket just before the adults walked into the room. Yugi and Umi stood expecting some comment, but the pair ignored them as they passed through the room, totally engrossed in each other.

"Eww." Umi said as the older couple disappeared into their room.

Umi was in the kitchen the next morning when she felt someone's arms wrap around her waist and body press against her back. She stiffened at the unexpected touch.

"I am sorry, Neferet." A voice that was so like her brother's yet so different whispered in her ear. "I had no idea I hurt you so." His face brushed against her neck. "I still do not remember doing it. But I am sorry." He held her tightly against him. Neferet's spirit rippled in confusion as Umi held perfectly still. His lips brushed lightly against her skin and his coarse hair prickled her face. She shivered at the touch, or perhaps she shuddered, she was not quite sure.

"I can remember when we were children playing in the gardens. I would always hide among the reeds. Our mothers could never find me, but you always did." His voice was tender, almost sweet. "I remember how excited I was when I learned we were to be married, and how beautiful you were the day I returned to the palace."

Umi took his hands and moved them from her person. She stepped out of his embrace. She turned to meet his surprised gaze.

"I... I remembered something. Something more than blood and death. It was like a steady stream, flowing into my mind."

"Do you remember what you did to her?" She asked, sliding away from his reach, fearful of his touch. He shook his head. He closed his eyes and could call up a few memories of his childhood, but nothing else new came to him. His eyes pleaded with her as he looked at her again, begging her to show him more. He caught her wrist, but she yanked it away forcefully.

"Please?" he asked, taking a step toward her. She backed away.

"I need to talk to him." Neferet's voice echoed in her mind.

"No." Umi said aloud, though she was not sure to which spirit it was directed.

"Umi, have him call the shadows. I can meet him there. Please." The spirit begged. Umi sighed.

"She wants to talk to you." She explained to him. "She says that if you call the shadows, she can meet you."

"Call the shadows? You mean go to the Shadow Realm?"

Umi shrugged.

"I would like to go on record as thinking this is a bad idea."

The Pharaoh closed his eyes. He seemed to be having a debate within himself, but when he opened them, the shadows seemed to swirl around them, encircling them and filling the room. When she opened her eyes once more, Umi felt as if she were looking through another's soul.

"Neferet?" he asked.

"Atem." Umi heard her voice say as if from a great distance. The young man's face looked relieved. He reached for her, pressing his hands against her cheeks and his lips against hers. The sounds of locks opening echoed through the darkness. But Neferet was as rigid as Umi had been when he first held her in the kitchen.

"I thought I had lost you forever." He pressed his forehead against hers as he felt a rush of familiarity and warmth spread through the darkness surrounding them.

"You have, Atem." She took his hands from her face and held them in each of hers.

"What?" He said in disbelief.

"You have lost me. You lost me the day you sent me here" She held his eyes and felt a pinch of guilt at the pain she saw there. "No, you lost me before then. I am not sure if you ever really had me."

"But, you are my wife." He squeezed her hands. Tears welled in his eyes. "I love you, Neferet." He said, realization dawning on him as he truly remembered the emotions he experienced during his past with her. "And you loved me."

"No. I do not."

He pulled his hands away from her, his heart a mixture of sadness, fear and anger.

"I did my duty, Atem. I am your wife and queen. I always will be. And as such, I gave you everything I could; my mind, my body, even part of my heart. But I could never give you my soul."

"Why not?"

"Another had already claimed it."

"Who?" He asked, though he felt he knew the answer. In the distance and within his mind, more locks seemed to spring open. He collapsed to the ground in front of her as the memories-full of both pain and joy-overwhelmed him. She knelt next to him and wrapped him in her arms.

"Seto." She said, vowing to be honest with him despite the pain. He fought against her embrace, but she held him tightly. "I'm sorry." she whispered over and over as he succumbed to the onslaught of emotions. He looked up at her face his eyes wide with shock.

"I remember. Oh Neferet. I was so... angry, so jealous when I saw you with him. I was so certain that you were mine, and mine alone. I... I do not know how I did it. Just that it happened. He was so distraught. We both were. He left that night and I did not see him again until..." His brows knitted together as he tried to remember. "It's all hazy." He looked back at her in frustration.

"Why him?" he asked. "He was one of my best friends and our cousin."

"You are my half-brother, Atem. Seto being my cousin is not that big of a deal."

"But why?"

"I do not know, Atem. All I know is that we had always had a connection." They sat in silence as the darkness formed itself into a labyrinth of stone walls and hidden doors. Atem pulled himself from her arms. He pulled his knees to his chest and rested his chin on them. "That connection still exists." She added.

"You mean with Umi?

She nodded. He sighed.

"I'm sorry I sent you away, Neferet."

"The entire kingdom paid for it, Atem."

He shook his head.

"That's not possible."

She stood and held her hands out to him.

"Come. I will show you."

He took her hands and let her pull him to standing. He stepped closer to her and raised their joined hands to his lips. Her naked body seemed to glisten in the torchlight that illuminated the maze, and he felt desire rise within him.

"Is there no part of you that still wants me?" he asked. His eyes were desperate as he took her in. He gently kissed her forehead and Neferet felt herself give just a little. What she had told Umi was true. Part of her would always love him. Part of her did want him as desperately as he wanted her. He kissed her fully on the lips and Neferet did not stop his eager hands as they traveled her body, pulling her closer. When his desirous eyes met hers, she wanted to give in to him, but she felt Umi screaming from deep within, begging her to make him stop.

"Part of me will always want you, husband. But this body is not yours to violate." She placed her hands on his chest. He sighed as she took his hand once again and led him further into the labyrinth.

They explored door after door together as they traveled the maze of Atem's memories. At each door as the memory played out before them, an orb of golden light was released and flew into his heart. He saw his mother and hers caring for the children who played in the gardens of the palace harem. He saw himself as a laughing child of joy and light, the only son in a sea of daughters. He saw himself as the pride of his father as he learned to ride, and shoot and swing a sword. He saw his teacher and fellow student in the lush green lands of the delta, where his father had sent him for safety. He saw his insistence on being with Neferet rather than any of the other girls in the harem when his father had offered them all to him for his birthday. He saw their first night together and the many many nights after that. He saw them honoring the Gods with beer and incense and sex. He saw his suspicion as he caught Neferet watching Seto during a meeting. He saw the battles that he had fought for his father and the blood on his hands. He saw his father's burial and his sister-wife's grief. He saw the first time he had put on his father's crown and pendant-the pendant that became the puzzle of his own tomb. He felt their weight and with them the weight of leadership.

She held his hand through each door, through each memory and emotion, good or bad. When he fell to his knees she helped him back up before guiding him gently to the next link in the chain. The memories held in the doors were jumbled, with no order to their appearance. After seeing his father send him away, he leaned against the wall where the door had been.

"I cannot." He was breathing heavy and tears fell from his eyes. "It is too much."

Neferet too felt weary from the journey.

"Release the shadows, Atem. I will see you again."

"But I can only meet you here, in this world between worlds."

"Yes. But the doors to your memories will always be available to you. They live here." She laid her hand on his chest. He laid his hand over hers.

"I love you, Neferet."

"And I love you, Little Brother, just not the way you want."

He sighed as he released the shadows and withdrew to the safety of his refuge within the puzzle. He had much to consider.

Umi and Yugi lay together on the floor of the living room. They were fast asleep and wrapped in each other's arms when their grandfather found them. He smiled recalling earlier times when the twins had fallen asleep in the same position.

"Partner."

Yugi blinked his eyes open.

"Partner." The spirit's voice was insistent. Yugi tried to sit up, but he first had to detangle himself from his sister's sleepy embrace.

"What is it, Other Me?"

"I know my name." His Other Self vibrated with nervous excitement.

"That's great." he said, but he had the feeling that his Other Self was not so sure.

"What's wrong?" he asked the spirit.

"Nothing." the spirit said automatically. "I, um, Tell Umi I am sorry." Yugi felt the spirit's embarressment.

"Sorry for what?"

"For everything. I was foolish, and selfish. She deserves to be happy, Yugi. Make sure she is happy."

"Pharaoh, what is this about?"

"My arrogance kept her from her happiness before."

"You mean Neferet?"

The spirit shimmered in the affirmative.

"And your name?"

"Atem."

Over the course of the next several days, Umi and Yugi spent hours in his room as Neferet guided Atem through the maze of his memories. Yugi had followed them once through his heart room, which had been reminiscent of an M.C. Escher painting the first time he had entered it. The paths now seemed straighter and less complex. And Neferet was sure-footed along the path. Several days into the endeavor, Neferet stopped.

"What is wrong?" Atem asked as they reached a crossroads.

"I do not know the way." She admitted. "I think this is as far as I can take you. At least right now."

Atem walked into the intersection and looked down each option. The paths twisted and turned unpredictably. He turned helplessly as he tried to make a decision.

"Atem. Now is not the time." Neferet said, taking his hand. He looked up at her, impotent anger burning in his eyes.

"There has to be a way." He remembered the rush of memories he had felt when he had kissed her. He pulled her against him and kissed her again, hoping for the same. He pulled away from her in disappointment. "Maybe if we did more." he suggested in a fit of madness. "No, nevermind, forget I suggested it." He followed up quickly.

"Atem. Rest now. Learn what you can from what you have."

He looked up at her desperately.

"We've come so far. And the darkness is only growing."

"We will be ready when it comes." She said confidently.

He sighed as he released the shadows. Yugi and Umi opened their eyes and they were back in Yugi's room. There was a knock on the door.

"Yugi? Joey's here." Tomoe said from the other side of the door.

Yugi rubbed his eyes. Their fact-finding missions had a tendency to exhaust him. He looked at Umi who had already crawled into his bed and pulled the blanket up to her chin. He yawned as he placed her cell phone next to her before he went to meet his friend.

"Hey Joey. What are you doing here?"

"I haven't seen you in a few days and was curious. What have you been doing?"

Yugi yawned. as he sat on the couch. He motioned for Joey to do the same.

"Working on something with Umi."

"Did you hear about the tournament?"

"What tournament?"

"The new one that Kaiba is holding to open his new duel arena. Registration starts in a couple of days."

"Oh, no. I hadn't heard."

"I figured since your sister seemed to be in Kaiba's good graces that you would have."

"We've been busy."

"Doing what?"

"Helping Atem uncover his memories."

"Who's Atem?"

"Oh, right. The Pharaoh. That's his name."

"Sounds like you made some progress then."

"Yeah, but we've sort of hit a brick wall. Literally."

Joey chuckled and handed him a flyer with the details about the tournament.

"Maybe this will help you figure a way through it."

"The Grand Prix, huh? I dunno, Joey. There's so much to do before..."

"Before what? The proverbial shit hits the fan?"

Yugi nodded.

"Yeah, fan hitting shit feels like it's just about ready to fly. I have to be ready."

"What you need is to take a break, Yugi. It's just one day. Besides, it wouldn't be right without you there."

Yugi looked at the flyer once more. He had missed playing the game. He had not really touched his deck since the Battle City Tournament ended. He was sure Atem would also welcome a bit of distraction. Navigating the maze that was the spirit's mind had taken its toll on all of them. If Yugi was honest with himself, they could all probably use a break.

"Just think about it, will ya?" Joey said as he stood.

"Yeah. Thanks Joey." He looked at the flyer again, convincing himself that it was just what he needed. "Hey, Joey?" He called after his friend as he headed to the door.

"What's up?"

"What are you doing right now? Or when you leave, rather?"

"Just going to hang out with Tristan."

"Can I... Can I come?" Yugi asked hesitantly. Joey grinned as he waved Yugi on. Yugi hurried to the door, pulled on his shoes and hit the streets with his friend. He had not realized how much he missed them until they were out of the house.

"What are you doing, Partner? We have work to do." Atem asked from deep within him.

"We're taking a break. We both need it." He told the spirit, who pouted for a bit before letting the relaxing mood take him over as well.

Umi woke up after a brief nap and looked immediately for her phone, only to realize that it was in her hand. She was still tired. Tracking down the hallways of Atem's memories exhausted her both mentally and physically. But she could not go back to sleep.

"Sleep is all I feel like I've been doing." she said to herself, her voice ringing hollowly in Yugi's bedroom. When they were tracking, Neferet was in command, leading them on the path through the labyrinth. Umi felt like she was sleeping deep within herself. When they returned from the world between worlds, Umi was so physically tired that she could barely keep her eyes opened. And right now, she was mentally awake despite her physical weariness.

She checked her phone and went through her messages. She had invitations from Tea to hang out, news updates from her friends back in California and a couple of brief, awkward and sweet notes from Seto.

"Hey." he had texted her earlier in the day. Followed by "I miss you." a few hours later. Umi felt her heart skip a beat at the four simple words. He was not a very chatty person, not even in face to face conversations unless he cared about something a great deal. In text he was always straight and to the point. She could feel that those four words held far more emotion than one might believe. She smiled at the phone as she slipped out of bed. She checked up on her other apps to see if anything was new. She had hoped that he might have shared more, maybe a new picture on Instagram, but she was disappointed. She threw on some clean clothes without much care as to how she looked and made her way out of the house.

"Where are you going?" Her grandfather asked as she passed through the shop.

"I'm going to hang out with Tea. Maybe go to the bookstore?" She lied.

"Good, good. You two have been cooped up in the house for too long. It's been beautiful outside. Go. Have fun." He turned back to his work as she darted out the door.

She hated lying to him, but she also did not want to make him angry. She also could not give her grandfather what he wanted. She could only be her own person, follow her own heart. And her heart led her to Seto.

She felt weird looks from the people in the lobby as she walked into the Kaiba Corp headquarters. The guards at the security station stopped her from passing through the scanners. She was not surprised as she did not have any sort of identification on her, nor did they think she had any reason to be there. She had sent a text to him saying that she missed him too and wanted to see him. She looked around the entrance to the building, glancing past the security station hoping to see him or that he had gotten her message. She smiled as he practically came running out of the elevator, his coat billowing behind him like a cloud. She grinned at him and his excess as he pushed his way through the small knot of people trying to exit the building. He took her hand and brought it to his lips as she greeted him.

"You always let her through. Do you understand?" He addressed the security guards before he ushered her through the side gate. He glared at the guards. "I should fire them." He said.

"They were just doing their jobs, Seto." She said, soothing his anger. "How were they supposed to know I was actually someone you wanted to see?" He stopped suddenly and looked at her.

"Let's make their jobs a little easier, shall we?" He steered her toward the Human Resources department.

"Mr. Kaiba! I... what can I do for you?" The clerk said haltingly.

"She needs a security badge." He said, pushing Umi toward the desk.

"I see, and what is her position?" He thought for a long moment.

"Consultant." He said finally. Umi giggled. The clerk took her information and directed her to a blank wall where her picture was taken.

"If I had known I was going to have my picture taken, I would have made more of an effort to look cute for it." She said, smiling.

"You always look cute." He said from behind the clerk. Umi's smile widened as the clerk gave her boss a side-eye glance. Umi had the feeling that she and Seto would be the topic of company gossip before they made their way up to his office.

The clerk handed her the identification badge and Seto hurried her to the elevator.

"Thanks!" Umi called over her shoulder. "So, just what am I a 'consultant' for?" She teased him. He pulled her into the elevator after him and as the doors closed he pulled her into a desperate kiss. He did not let her go until the door opened once again.

"Never mind." She said, looking into his eager eyes. "I think I figured it out." She brushed his cheek.

"I've missed you." he said, pulling her against him and stroked her hair. Umi noticed a couple of employees passing by the elevator and their quick glances and whispered voices. Her look issued a challenge, daring them to do or say anything.

"I've missed you too."

He took her hand and led her to his office. He pulled her into his lap as he sat behind his desk.

"Hey!" She protested playfully, before kissing him again. "So what have you been up to?" She asked, nestling herself into his arms.

He told her all about the tournament that he was hosting, all of the plan and preparations that had been made.

"I've been testing the new systems all week. It's been exhausting. Fun, but exhausting."

"Do you need any help?" She asked, laying her head on his shoulder. He sighed, contentedly.

"I just need this." He squeezed her. "Well, maybe this with a little more kissing and a lot more nudity would be nice too." Umi giggled as she shifted to straddle his lap. She looked down on him as his hand slipped underneath her shirt. She kissed him quickly before pulling her shirt over her head. He released a shaky breath as his lips caressed the newly exposed skin. His hands cupped her breasts as his lips captured hers once more. She could feel his desire as he pulled her against him, as he explored her with his lips and tongue.

"I want you." His voice was raw, desperate. His hands moved over her eagerly. She realized that she wanted him as well. She wanted his hands all over her skin. She wanted his lips to kiss every inch of her. She wanted him inside her. She wanted to see him give in to his desire, to pleasure and to release. She wanted to please him. She felt herself giving into her desire for him. He kissed her, licking her lips and thrusting his tongue between them. As she imagined what she wanted him to do to her, the faces of her abusers filled her mind. She pulled away from him in panic.

He was dazed as he looked at her.

"Umi?" His breath came shallowly.

"I'm sorry." She crawled from his lap, pulling her arms across her chest. "I can't. I want to, Seto, but I can't." Tears rolled down her face, jolting him back to reality. He stood and pulled her into a gentle embrace.

"It's alright, Umi. Shh." She could still feel the desire in his touch, but he held back on fulfilling it. "You're the only one worth waiting for. So I'll wait until you're ready." He stroked her hair as she wept against his chest.

"What if I'm never ready, Seto?" She looked up at him with tear-filled eyes. She was overcome by self-loathing because she could not give him what he wanted. She wondered how long it will be before she felt normal again, before she could let herself feel intimacy without worrying if she would freeze or panic.

He just held her more tightly and let her cry.

She had stayed with him for a couple of more hours, talking about the new version of Solid Vision he had built for the duel arena. They sat together on the couch that he had slept on the last several nights as he held her gently and told her of his new plans, including a digital gaming system that brought dueling to the world of virtual reality.

"But it's not just a VR landscape, it that all players will be able to interact and interconnect with each other. The strength of the player's will determines the strength of their avatar." he rambled on excitedly. He was a little disappointed that she did not seem to share his excitement. "Hey, are you alright?' He tilted her chin so that he could see her eyes. She forced a smile.

"I'm fine."

"I'm not very good with people, Umi, but I know that you're not fine."

"I'm just thinking about before."

He kissed the top of her head.

"I told you to not worry about it."

"How can I not? I want to give you what you want, but..." He pressed a finger against her lips.

"Umi, if I just wanted sex, anyone would do. I could find anyone who could do the job, but that's not what I want. I want you." He stressed, taking her hands and kissing her knuckles. "And you are worth waiting for." He brushed her hair from her face and stroked her cheek before kissing her gently on her nose. He wrapped her in his arms and squeezed her tightly.

"Thank you." She whispered. Her phone rang and she sighed as she pulled it out of her pocket. "It's Grandpa." She groaned before answering. "Hi Grandpa. Yes. We had a good time yeah." Seto raised his eyebrows, knowing that she must have told him she would be with someone else. "Yeah, I was about to leave. But I didn't make it to the bookstore yet. Alright. Sure I can pick some up. Alright." She nodded her head impatiently. "Yes. Yes, Grandpa, I will. I'll be home soon." She took a deep breath as she hung up with him.

"You've got to go." he said, but Umi could hear the sadness in his voice.

"Yeah." She stood.

"Let me walk you out." He followed her. When they reached the lobby, Umi felt everyone's eyes on them and she knew they were the hot topic of conversation among the company gossips.

"Everyone's talking, Seto." She said with a mixture of amusement and concern.

"Let them talk. What do they know?" He was full of confidence, bordering on arrogance, but she knew he could back up any claims he might make. "In fact, let's give them something more to talk about." He pulled her close and kissed her in full view of everyone.

Umi left the office building blushing and grinning. She had always known that Seto wanted her, but she had been nervous, curious as to if he would want her enough to make their relationship public. She laughed as she wondered when she had started thinking about Seto in terms of 'their relationship'. She had never thought about falling in love before, but she was fairly certain that she had fallen for him. She did not think he would ever say it, but she was fairly certain that he loved her too. She did not understand her grandfather's or even Joey's animosity toward Seto. They did not see him like she did.

She was lost in her own thoughts that she did not see the person walking out of the bookstore as she turned to go in, until she bumped into them.

"Oh, excuse me." she said, looking up. In a city of millions, Umi had run into one of Yugi's friends. "Bakura, right? I'm sorry. I didn't see you there." The young man smiled at her.

"It's alright. I shouldn't have been reading and walking at the same time." He slipped a paperback into his bag. He looked at her like he wanted to say something, but he was silent long enough for her to grow uncomfortable.

"Well, I'll see you around."

"Wait, Umi!" he called before the door to the bookshop closed behind her. He followed her back into the store, catching up to her before she got lost in the stacks. "Umi, I was wondering if you wanted to have coffee this weekend. I'd love to talk to you about your time in Egypt and your life in America."

"Um." She considered the proposition. She did not feel threatened by Bakura in anyway, She knew he was gay, so she did not fear for her safety. In fact, she felt more secure around him than she did around Yugi's other friends. It was like being around Tea. "You know what? That would be nice. It would be good to talk to someone who knows what it's like out in the field."

"And the others don't really understand what it's like to live overseas." He pointed out.

"True. You know what? Sure. It sounds like fun." she agreed. He smiled.

"You wouldn't be free now, would you?"

"Actually I've got to be getting home. Sorry."

"Oh, well Saturday then?"

"Sure." She said before turning back to her browsing.

Yugi returned home refreshed. Getting out of the house had done wonders for his spirit. Even Atem felt to be in a better mood after the wall they had hit earlier. He had decided to enter the tournament. Joey had been talking about it all day in an attempt to persuade him. He reluctantly agreed, but secretly the idea of playing without the fate of the world hanging in the balance thrilled him. He sat in his room looking at his cards. He could feel Atem's own excitement to get back into the game. Mokuba had called him shortly after he had gotten home about entering. Only he asked Yugi to not enter the general competition. He was going duel against the finalist from the elimination competition. Mokuba had explained that since he was the reigning champion, the honor of dueling him would be the main prize. And should Yugi lose, he would give up his title as King of Games. Mokuba had also told him that his brother would not be participating in the tournament.

"Are you ready for this, Other Me?" Yugi asked.

"Always, Partner." They spent the rest of the night building and rebuilding their deck. They both thought it was a welcome break from trying to piece together Atem's memories.

When Umi came home, he told her excitedly about the tournament. She did not understand how he could get so worked up over a card game, but then she remembered how he had said the same thing about her robotics obsession.

"It's on Saturday. You'll be there, right?" He asked expectantly.

"This Saturday?" She asked.

"Yeah. Why? Do you have plans?" He asked, suddenly curious.

"Actually, I do. Bakura and I were going to get coffee. But I promise I'll be there to watch you in the finals."

"Bakura?" Yugi questioned.

"Yeah, we've been meaning to get together. I ran into him the other day on my way home from... well, on my way home."

Yugi leaned in conspiratorially.

"I thought you said he was gay? And what about Kaiba?" He was certain to not speak too loudly so as to not be overheard.

"Oh jeez, it's not a date. We were just going to talk about our time in Egypt and things."

"Over coffee. Sounds like a date." He said loud enough for their grandfather to hear.

Umi rolled her eyes, as the old man joined the conversation.

"Umi has a date? Do I need to worry about this boy?" He asked.

Umi shot Yugi a death glare.

"It's not a date, Grandpa. It's just coffee with a friend."

"Who is this friend?" he demanded.

"Bakura. We wanted to talk about our times overseas. It's not really something we can talk to anyone else about."

The old man stroked his chin.

"Yugi, you should go with her."

"Grandpa, I have a tournament Saturday."

"Oh right." He turned back to Umi. "You're going to miss your brother's tournament?"

"What tournament is that?" She asked, pretending to just be hearing about it.

"The Grand Prix that Kaiba's putting on at the new arena." Yugi supplied. At the sound of his name, Umi's heart skipped a beat. She wanted to go to the tournament, if only to see him."

"I promise I'll be there to see you win, Yugi."

"You're assuming things."

Both Umi and their grandfather looked at him like he was crazy.

"What? There's a chance that I could lose."

Umi cracked up laughing.

Umi joined Yugi and his friends for the opening ceremonies at the tournament. She felt Seto's eyes on her as he gave his opening remarks and set the event in motion. Despite his withdrawn nature, she noted he was a fairly skilled orator and that his charisma seemed to set the crowd firmly on his side. She wanted to run to him, to smoother him in kisses as she watched him. Their eyes met briefly and the intensity in them burned her. As he looked away to another part of the crowd, she wandered toward the back of the stage. She flashed her KaibaCorp ID card and the guards let her pass. She talked to Mokuba as they waited in the wings for him to leave the stage as the tournament began. She tackled him as he came down the stairs.

"You came?" He said excitedly after he kissed her deeply.

"Of course. At least for a bit. I do have some other plans today. But I promised Yugi I'd watch him in the finals."

"Clandestin plans? With someone other than me? I'm hurt." He said, spinning her around.

"I'm just going to coffee with Bakura."

"Oh." He seemed a little crestfallen until she kissed him again. "Well, be back by 2. That's when we'll be starting the finals."

"I'll try to get back sooner." She slid her hands over his chest and tangled her fingers in his hair. She kissed him quickly before she darted away.