I finally got around to doing all my retro-editing! No more mass typos and grammar errors in the earlier chapters! Hooray!

The rush of wind that surrounded them was something Atem quickly discovered to be a much more pleasant experience than traveling via fire or earth. Fire always threw him into a temporary state of panic, and earth he found too suffocating.

After several hours of perusing and purchasing from the shops of Milan, and a quick stop at one of the nicer restaurants for lunch, the two finally returned to Domino.

"Here we are," Bakura stated as the winds receded.

Atem had instinctively closed his eyes. Upon opening them, he was a bit shocked to see how late in the day it had become. In Italy the sun had only recently encountered its pinnacle, but here in Domino the sun had already begun its descent in the west.

"Let me guess, you're just now discovering the concept of time zones," Bakura said boredly.

Atem shook his head. "No. It's just that I've never actually seen the difference with my own eyes before."

Bakura glanced towards the west. "Yeah. It's a bit disorienting the first few times you come across it. I guess I'm a bit used to it though. This body might not remember it, but my mind does. It makes the things this body still needs to acclimate to a bit easier." He released a heavy sigh. "You should head inside. I'm certain there are still things Kat will need to go over with you before your big debut with Kaiba tomorrow." He turned and narrowed his eyes at Atem. "Remember what we agreed upon. Last night…it didn't happen."

Before Atem could reply, the pale elemental vanished. He heaved a sigh of relief then turned to face the door. Kat had informed Bakura a few hours ago that she and Marik had returned to Domino, and he hoped that by now Marik was back with Yugi. The last thing he wanted was to walk in and see his former wife sprawled out on her back across the floor with the Tomb Keeper on top of her.

He cautiously turned the handle, dreading the worst, and slowly opened the door. He waited a moment, listening for any hint that he might be walking into something he didn't want to see. Instead he was greeted by the voices of Imhotep and Kat having a conversation of sorts in the immortal tongue. He heaved another sigh of relief, then entered.

The two that had been talking paused in their conversation, looking over at an exhausted looking Atem.

Imhotep stared boredly for a moment, then rolled his eyes and vanished into the Shadows.

Atem stood in confusion, wondering the reason behind his heir's reaction. "What was that about?" he questioned.

Kat was sitting beside her low table with one elbow on it with her chin resting in her palm as she stared boredly in Atem's direction. "He's still upset that I'm dating Marik, and he isn't too reassured that there's nothing going on between you and Kura. Apparently he's been peeking in on us throughout the day, and he thinks the two of you were on some sort of date...or something along those lines."

Atem felt the blood drain from his face, but simultaneously his cheeks felt extremely warm. "I'm never living that down, am I?" he questioned, dropping his face into his hand. So much for 'it never happened'.

"Nope."

Atem audibly groaned then sighed. He lifted his head upwards, looking towards the two doors upstairs.

"Second door. I've already taken the liberty of removing Mkhai's stuff. He said it'll probably be at least a week before he can find you someplace else to stay. Until then, 'Welcome home'," Kat said unenthusiastically.

Atem peeked an eye in Kat's direction, a playful smirk playing across his face. "What happens if I choose to place my things behind the first door?"

"Go for it," Kat smirked. "Just try not to wake Marik. Apparently four times was a bit much for him."

Atem wasn't sure if he was more surprised or shocked. "Four?!"

"What can I say? I'm a bit insatiable this close to the full moon," she stated dismissively.

Atem contemplated testing how insatiable she was, but the mental image that was conjured of his former wife and the Tomb Keeper going round after round made him feel a bit queasy. He shuddered and made a small gesture indicating that he suddenly wished he hadn't asked in the first place. He then made his way up the stairs, past the first door (while trying not to conjure up any more disturbing mental images), and through the second door, closing it quickly behind him.

He dropped all the bags he had been carrying, then walked over to the bed, pretty much face-planting into it. He'd been back less than twenty-four hours, and he was already hating life. Not a single thing had gone the way he had imagined it would. His wife had practically divorced him before he had even come back, he discovered he had not one but two sons; only one of which he had formed any sort of bond with, the world had changed drastically in his absence, a literal werewolf had intended to forcefully have its way with him, and he'd had drunk sex with the one person on the face of the planet he would rather have strangled with his bare hands...and no one was going to let him forget that it had happened.

Atem turned his head to the side, taking notice of a small rectangular box on the bed. He sat up, grabbing the box and inspecting it. After a moment of puzzling, he lifted the lid, and found himself surprised by the contents inside. He carefully dumped out the pile of cards into his hand, shuffling through slowly. It was his primary Duel Monsters deck...or rather a copy of the one he and Yugi had primarily used. As he shuffled through to the last card, he noticed a small piece of paper with a note telling him to look across the room. He did as instructed, taking note that the room wasn't too far from how he imagined most modern bedrooms looked. There was a dresser with a mirror, a small bookshelf, and a desk. There was also a door, which he decided was worth inspecting. He thought perhaps it was a closet of some sort, but he discovered it was actually his own private bathroom. Seeing the deep tub, he all but rushed over to turn the handles so that it would begin to fill. A long soak was just what he needed.

While waiting for the tub to fill, he decided it would probably be a good idea to start putting away his stuff. He casually glanced at the spines on the bookshelf as he passed by, halting as he realized that it wasn't books that filled it, but binders. He took one out, and began flipping the pages. He couldn't help but smile. Kat had thought far enough ahead that she knew he would need more than just a copy of Yugi's deck. He glanced at the spines of the other binders, seeing that they were each listed with the type of cards they contained. The current one he was holding was filled with spell cards. He didn't doubt one bit that the current collection on the shelf was comparable to both Kaiba's and Pegasus's. He placed the binder back on the shelf, then set to his original task, checking in on the tub's water levels at regular intervals.

Atem's head lay lazily over the back of the tub, his eyes closed in relaxation. The bathroom had become filled with the mixed scents of the incense he had lit and the oils he had poured into the water. He needed this. Even though he was still trying to transition himself from 'Pharaoh' to 'Atem', this was one of the things he refused to let go of. In ancient times, there was nothing better after a long day of politics and strategy than relaxing in the royal baths. It was always quiet and calm, and he didn't have to think about anything if he didn't want to. No one came to bother him with trivialities that could have been decided by another. No one would pester him about what to do about something he had absolutely no control over. It was just him and the sounds of the birds from the gardens outside...and the comforting embrace of another from time-to-time if he wished.

He opened his eyes part-way, taking a deep breath in and letting it back out slowly. He sorely missed feeling his wife's hands as they made their way across his body. He missed how she looked at him. He missed the way her mouth felt crushed against his. How she felt in his arms. The way the water glistened on her skin, making it look as if her body had actually been made of gold. How no matter what scents hung heavily in the air, she still smelled of sandalwood. He missed everything about her.

A tear made its way down the side of his face. He'd done this. He'd been so caught up in what he wanted, that he failed to see what it was that she needed. She had given and given and given. Even now, she was still giving. She had seen to it that he had not just a Duel Monsters deck, but the option to modify it. She couldn't have collected all of the cards in just a few short hours either. This was something she'd probably been doing since Duelist Kingdom at the very least.

Atem brought a hand up, placing it momentarily across his face before bringing it upwards and raking his fingers through his bangs, holding them up and out of his face. With everything Kat had given him throughout the millennia, he had given nothing in return except accusations and harsh words. He knew she wasn't the kind of person to ask for anything in return. She never had been. But she was asking now. She only asked one thing of him: To allow her to move forward without him by her side. She had explained how she felt the day prior, but he was still too numb from heartbreak to have had time to fully process everything. He was certain that as the days passed the numbness would slowly dissipate, and that he would encounter many things that would bring about new waves of pain and regret; for example, something as simple as a relaxing bath...but it was one of those things he knew he would have to learn to deal with. He'd taken so much from the woman he had claimed to love, that all he could do now was give her the only thing she had openly asked for.

He released another heavy sigh, then lifted himself from the water. His body felt relaxed, even though his mind did not. He grabbed the towel he'd set aside, wrapping it about his waist before reaching back into the water to pull the plug.

Atem quietly closed the door to his room, not wanting to disturb the one who was supposedly sleeping behind the next one, then made his way downstairs. Kat was still sitting at her table, her focus on the pages of a book while she jotted things down in a notebook off to the side.

"What are you doing?" he puzzled, recognizing that the book in front of her was a school textbook.

"Homework. Marik has missed a few days worth on my account. It wouldn't be fair for him to fall behind because of it. I'm leaving him notes as well so he'll at least have a basic understanding of the lesson."

Atem came to sit beside her. "Where was this kind of thinking whenever you would convince me to skip my lessons with Shimon?" he questioned in mild amusement.

"Convince? You were practically looking for an excuse. There wasn't much 'convincing' to be done," Kat commented without looking up from the textbook.

Atem rested his chin in his hand, smirking as he continued to look over at her. "Perhaps. Could you blame me? You weren't exactly fond of sitting around staring at scrolls for hours on end either."

"No, I wasn't. But if I hadn't stuck around for a good portion of those lessons, I wouldn't have become literate during a time when very few were to begin with," she said boredly. She jotted down a few more notes, then went back to staring at the textbook.

Atem's smirk fell, as did his gaze as a wave of regret overcame him. Without thinking, he reached out as if to take her hand, catching himself in the act and stopping himself as his hand hovered above hers.

He quickly retracted the appendage, but not before Kat had taken notice of his near slip-up. She glanced over at him from the corner of her eye momentarily, setting her pencil down before fully turning to face him.

"Atem, your mind is loud."

He smiled for the briefest moment. Those were the words she had always spoken whenever she could see that something was obviously bothering him. It was her way of inviting him to speak to her about what was on his mind.

"It is nothing. I have simply been doing a lot of reflecting. I am seeing things now that should have been obvious to me from the start. I wish to apologize, but I know that words alone will never be enough."

"That doesn't sound like 'nothing'. That sounds very much like 'something'," she stated.

Atem sighed, then looked away. "It is nothing you can help me with...not anymore at least…"

Kat stared at him for a long moment, her eyes appearing sad. "It hurts," she said after a short period of silence. "I feel so much pain and confusion seeing you like this."

Atem lifted his gaze, looking back at her. He could clearly see the pained expression she wore. "I don't understand?"

She brought herself close to him, raising up so she was kneeling beside him, and wrapped her arms around his head in a comforting manner. She then rested her head on top of his.

Atem was in a state of surprise, uncertain of what was happening.

"My heart still bleeds for you. I don't want it to, but it does. I wish for it to stop. I care for another. I am happy with him...but seeing you in so much pain…" A few tears sprung forth from her eyes. "Please stop hurting...at least in front of me…I can't bear it."

Atem's eyes went wide and his mind began to reel.

She still loved him.

He buried his face into her chest, wrapping his arms tightly around her body and holding her tight.

She still loved him.

He breathed in deeply, taking in the scent that had always made him feel at peace.

She still loved him.

"Atem, don't…"

He brought his head back, looking up to see the tears that streamed quietly down her face.

"Please...this hurts…"

He brought a hand up to her face, breaking the steady stream that trailed down with his thumb.

"I want…" he began. He wanted to start over. He wanted a chance to prove himself. He wanted to hold her in his arms, and never let go of her again. He wanted her to be happy...with him. Atem swallowed hard, knowing that the words she needed were not the words he wanted to say. "I want for your tears to stop."

He released her, then gently removed himself from her embrace. He placed his hand back onto her cheek, wanting to gently caress a thumb over her bottom lip before bringing his mouth to hers, but reluctantly refrained from doing so. Instead he allowed his thumb to lightly caress the side of her cheek momentarily before bringing her face down and placing a gentle kiss on her forehead.

Kat looked at him in confusion through her tears as she brought her head back.

"No more tears on my account, okay? What I am currently feeling, I brought upon myself. I will manage. It is a difficult thing to do, however, seeing you like this," Atem said softly. "It gives me false hope. So please, no more."

"Ibib, I am sorry. I did not mean-"

"Stop," he interrupted, frowning. "I am no longer 'Ibib'."

Kat hesitated for a moment, then nodded that she understood. "Forgive me, Atem. I never had any intention of giving you false hope. I pray that you will find someone that together you each bring out only the best in one another, instead of the worst," she said with a soft smile.

"And I pray that you continue to be happy, even if it is not with me," he smiled softly in return.

Kat crawled back over to where she had been sitting, wiping away the remainder of the tears she had shed. She glanced back at the textbook and notes, smiling as she picked back up where she left off.

Atem watched, his own smile still in place. Moments such as this helped him. He was still hurting inside, but knowing that deep down she still held onto something for him...it let him know that he hadn't screwed things up as badly as he had thought between them. He still felt the lingering hope that he knew to be false, but he found he was able to let go of his focus on it.

Kat spoke up again after several minutes had passed, bringing Atem's focus away from the transpired moment.

"So, did you like your gift?"

Atem was expressionless for a brief moment, not fully understanding what she was talking about. Then he remembered the deck and the binders. "Oh, yes! Thank you!" he said delightfully. He had forgotten that part of the reason he had originally come back downstairs was to thank her for the thoughtful gesture.

She smirked while glancing at him from off to the side. "Figured you couldn't go to a meeting with Kaiba without it."

Atem chuckled a bit. "Are you kidding? I can guarantee the moment he sees me he's going to think I'm Yugi and challenge me to a duel."

Kat giggled. "I can picture it now!" She turned to face Atem, scrunching her face into a mirror of one of Seto's more serious expressions. "Yugi! Duel me! And no ancient Egyptian hocus-pocus!" she said in a mocked Kaiba voice.

Atem laughed heartily. "No! You did it wrong! It's more like 'Yugi! Duel me so I can try to defeat your Egyptian God Cards with my Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon...because Dragons are cool and Egyptian Gods are lame!'," he said in his own mockery of the eccentric billionaire.

"But Kaiba, you know the rules! I'm supposed to always win!" Kat said, pretending to be Atem this time.

"Screw the rules! I have money!" Atem mocked, still pretending to be Kaiba.

Both fell over laughing at that point. As their laughter calmed, they looked over at one another, smiling as they had in their youth.

"This is the Atem I missed. It's nice to see you again," Kat said happily.

"It's nice to see the Katrina I remember. You were missed as well," Atem said just as happily. "Do me a favor, don't leave."

"No promises, but I'll try to stick around." She sat back up, returning once again to try and finish the task she had begun. She sighed in exasperation while staring at the textbook before her. "Now if only they would stop changing things in these damned books. How the fuck does one change math? It's just fucking numbers. Why did they have to start throwing the alphabet into it?"

Atem sat up, chuckling. "I bet most of the teachers in that school would be confused looking at how we used to do things...and we pretty much invented a good portion of it!"

"That is very much true!" Kat said in amusement. "Gods, don't even get me started on these other subjects! I want to chuck the whole history book into a dark hole and light it on fire!"

"Let me see, it can't be that bad," Atem said while reaching for the book Kat had indicated towards. He glanced through, stopping to focus on a few pages that caught his interest, examining them intently, his brow becoming more and more furled the more he looked through the book. "Forget dark holes and fire...cast this thing into the Shadow Realm."

Yes, YGO Abridged reference. You can't mock Kaiba without "Screw the rules! I have money!"