Kaiba stood in the computer mainframe, watching as his best computer scientists tried to combat the virus that was trying to worm its way through their firewalls. Fortunately Kaiba had prepared for this exact scenario. When the threat first became apparent, he made sure his firewalls were strengthened and multiplied just in case. But it looked like they had run out of time.

But if all of the programmers were at their desks, then who had inflicted the virus? The criminal mastermind behind it all?

Not all programmers were at their desks.

Kaiba flicked the stray thought away. Aria may be brilliant but there was no way she had the capability to instigate a hack of this magnitude. But then how much did he really know about her? It had only been several weeks since he started seeing her as more than just an employee.

"Tell me how this all started, right from the beginning," Kaiba said to Roland standing beside him. He needed to put the issue surrounding Aria aside until he had more facts.

"At exactly 10 a.m., a rogue virus entered our systems," explained Roland. "When our anti-malware systems failed to eliminate it right away, I knew we weren't dealing with a common invader. Within minutes, a dozen of our preliminary firewalls had been breached. That's when I left to alert you to the situation."

Kaiba remained impassive as he mulled over Roland's words. "Have you been able to locate the source of where the virus originated?"

"No sir. The signal jumps around constantly, we cannot get a lock on it."

"We need to find out who is behind this and now. This hacker obviously knows what he's doing. I don't want to take the chance that he might actually get through."

"That will be difficult if we can't get a hold on the signal."

Kaiba thought for a moment. "The hacker has to be plugged into our system somewhere. He wouldn't be able to do this remotely."

"Then I'll begin an immediate search of the whole building sir," Roland said determinedly.

Kaiba gave a curt nod, not looking as Roland left the room. He couldn't keep his eyes off of the computer screens as his workers vigilantly fought off the virus. There was nothing more he could do here. He needed to find Aria and put to rest any thoughts of her involvement.

+++

Aria tried to clean herself up as best she could before venturing back out into the office area. She hoped it wasn't obvious that she had been crying, she didn't dare look weak in front of the other programmers or the insider. As she walked to the back of the floor, she wondered how many more times she would have to do this trek past the offices with a stoic mask on. Aria was tired of having to keep up appearances when all she felt was a heaviness pressing down on her chest.

She hadn't sat down in her chair for two minutes before Kaiba strode onto the floor. Aria's chest lightened a bit at the thought of seeing him, but it quickly deflated when she noticed that his shoulders were tense and his mouth was set into a hard line. She grew even more concerned when it was her office he walked into.

"Seto?" she asked tentatively. "Is something wrong?"

"Where were you earlier?"

Aria was taken aback by the terseness of his question. Gone was any warmth he had been showing her over the past few days, even at her calling him Seto. The Kaiba she had known from before her internship was the one standing before her now. Cold and hard.

"Excuse me?" Aria asked, perplexed. If something had happened concerning the threat, then why was he directing his anger at her?

"I came onto the floor shortly after 10 a.m. and you weren't at your desk," he replied in the same clipped tone.

Aria hesitated, wondering if Kaiba would be angry with her for going down to snoop again on Langley. But with Kaiba in his present mood, honesty was probably the better option to take at the moment. "I went to see Langley again. I saw Jim answer his phone and after responding rather aggressively, he got up and left in the elevators. I decided to try and follow him again." She saw Kaiba's shoulders relax, but just barely.

"Did you see anything worthwhile?"

Aria looked down at her hands and shook her head. "Langley came out of the lab just as I was walking down the hall. He spotted me and we exchanged some heated words." She ducked her head at the admission. "And then I left. Jim was nowhere in sight." When she peeked back up at him, Kaiba's posture was no longer in offensive mode, his body looked like it had deflated most of its anger.

"I'm sorry Ari," Kaiba said, rubbing the back of his head. "I was just informed that a virus had entered our system and is attempting to break into our files."

Aria gave a quick intake of breath at the news. Apparently their time was up.

"On my way down to the mainframe, I stopped here to see if any of the programmers were absent from their stations. Everyone was accounted for...except you."

Aria let Kaiba's words hang in the air. She could see why that would indeed look incriminating on her part. But then she realized something. "You mean Jim was at his desk when you came down?" she asked, puzzled. "I wonder what could have taken him away for such a short period of time. Could he have inflicted a virus on the system so quickly?"

Kaiba shook his head. "I doubt it. This virus is not something we have ever seen before."

Aria stood up and walked over to him and looked deep into Kaiba's eyes. "You know I would never betray you. I want to catch this thug just as much as you do."

"I know," he replied, his gaze never wavering from hers.

+++

Aria came home to her apartment that night exhausted. And it wasn't from the workload. Knowing that Kaiba's technology, that she and others had worked so hard on, was under threat put her under a lot of stress.

Before heading home, Aria had stopped by Kaiba's office to see if they had made any progress on stopping the virus. Kaiba responded tiredly that although they've been able to significantly slow it down, they still had yet to fully eradicate it.

It pained Aria to see Kaiba struggling. Yes, he still held himself high, confidently, never wavering under the immense pressure of protecting his coveted technology. But Aria had begun seeing through his facade. The tenseness in his shoulders, the permanent grimace set on his mouth. It was funny how she used to think that was how he looked all the time. But now she knew better, now she wanted to go and rub his shoulders until they relaxed, whisper in his ear that everything would be okay.

As much as Aria wanted to do those things, she knew she had no right to act the concerned girlfriend, mainly because she had not yet earned that title. She chastised herself. She didn't even want the title! Or so Aria kept telling herself. It was even an overbound step going to his office to "check-in" on him. Aria knew Kaiba didn't need to be checked up on, but she was concerned for his welfare. How an 18-year-old boy, sorry, man, could hold an entire company upon his shoulders was a mystery to her.

Aria pressed her forehead against the door, not quite ready to walk in just yet. A lot of emotions had been rolling through her due to the news of the virus. And yet, it was her concern for Kaiba that seemed to rise above all else. It was very disconcerting. She knew she was attracted to the man, and that was an understatement. But was there more to it than that? Aria inwardly groaned. It was time to go for some outside help and she knew just the person to go to.

Entering the apartment, Aria was relieved to find Téa sitting alone on the couch, leafing through a magazine.

"Oh hey Aria," Téa said with a cursory glance.

Aria walked right up to her and stood silently.

Téa slowly looked up from her magazine. "Er, was there something you needed?"

"Yes as a matter of fact, could we talk in your room?"

Téa's eyes were first filled with confusion but soon turned into understanding. "Follow me," was all she said as she grabbed Aria's hand and practically dragged her to her room.

It was funny how Aria had loathed the first girl talk they had, and yet now she yearned for it. For the opportunity to pour her heart out to someone who wouldn't judge her or use the information for their own personal gain.

Téa threw open the door and slammed it closed when Aria was inside. "Sit," she said, motioning to the floor. She grabbed a few throw pillows off of the bed and tossed one at Aria. Téa sat down across from her, clutching the throw pillow to her chest. "Okay, you can start now."

Aria sighed as she gathered up the pillow in her arms. "I don't even know where to begin."

"This is about Kaiba, right?"

Aria solemnly nodded.

"Last I heard, you guys had a date night at the office. Has something changed since then?" Téa asked.

Aria played with the fringe on the throw pillow, unable to meet Téa's eyes. "Things might have progressed a bit since then..."

Téa's eyes widened. She leaned forward with her head in her hands. "He kissed you didn't he?"

Aria nodded, still looking down.

"Eeeek!" Téa squealed, causing Aria to jump in alarm. "Was it utterly amazing? Hot billionaires like him have to be amazing kissers."

Aria rolled her eyes. "Of course he was amazing at it. Even though we were lying on the floor." At Téa's gaping stare, Aria realized she had revealed more than she had intended.

"You were lying on the floor together?" Téa said aghast. "I thought you only kissed him!"

"I did only kiss him," Aria quickly clarified. "We fell off a piano bench-but that's beside the point. I needed to talk to you because..." Aria trailed off, not being exactly sure what she needed to talk about. All of it was a jumbled mess, where did she start?

"Because you've fallen for Kaiba and it's freaking you out?" Téa suggested.

Aria laid down on her back and stared up at the ceiling, lost in thought. Has she fallen for Kaiba? It would explain the amount of worrying she did over him today. At some point over the summer, Aria's image of Kaiba must have flipped. She no longer saw him as an arrogant, billionaire playboy. She smiled to herself. Even if he was still those things.

"Yes," Aria admitted, surprised by how good it felt to have it out in the open.

"Well," Téa smiled smugly, "Now that that is clear, what's next?"

Aria gave a humorless laugh. "I have no idea. How do I even know he feels the same way?"

Téa gave her a look. "Aria, that man has been trying all summer to get you to go out with him, even after you turned him down. I would say his feelings are pretty clear."

"But..." Aria sat up, trying to form her words. "What if it's for all the wrong reasons? Maybe he's just in it for the chase and not for the long haul."

Téa's eyes softened as she put a hand on Aria's knee. "Ari, I can't tell you for 100% certain that Kaiba's motives are completely noble. But I do know that love can feel like a leap of faith. Sometimes you have to put yourself out there. I think you would end up regretting not going for it. Not finding out if this is the real thing."

Aria let Téa's words of wisdom sink in. "Since when did you become the love guru?" she teased, trying to lighten the mood. "Don't tell me you figured out things with Pharaoh?"

It was Téa's turn to give a humorless laugh. "As if. The problem is not Pharaoh, its Yugi. How do you go up to him and say 'Excuse me Yugi, but I need to have a heart to heart talk with your alter ego.' I think he deals with enough self-esteem issues, he doesn't need me making him feel even more inadequate."

Aria nodded in understanding. "That does complicate things."

"Stop changing the subject, we came in here to talk about you," Téa admonished. "Now that you've admitted your feelings, are you going to tell Kaiba?"

Aria nibbled on her lower lip. She knew Téa was right in that she would regret not giving Kaiba and her a chance. Otherwise she would always be left wondering.

"Yes," she said tentatively. "But there is a lot going on at work right now, so I think I'll wait until that blows over first."

"Hmmm," Téa said unbelievingly. "Just don't put it off too long or the moment might pass you by."

"I won't let that happen," Aria assured her. Besides, after everything that has happened, what did she have to lose?

+++

Aria went into work the next day feeling both nervous and excited. She was excited to see Kaiba of course, but nervous to hear any news regarding the invasive virus. Were they able to finally eliminate it from the systems? Once again Aria fretted over Kaiba's well-being. Knowing him, he probably stayed at the office all night. But could she blame him? If the company that she worked hard to rebuild and create was at risk, she'd probably pull a few all-nighters too.

But even knowing these things made Aria's day more stressful. Everyone seemed about their work as usual, there didn't appear to be any turmoil. However, Aria was unsure if the whole company even knew there was an attack on Kaiba's special project. Everything surrounding it was already kept tightly underwraps.

But it didn't stop Aria from constantly watching the door to the stairwell, hoping to catch a glimpse of Kaiba's signature trench coat. When all morning there was no sign of him, Aria began to give up that she would see him at all. How badly she wanted to climb the stairs up to his office, to at least hear an update about the virus. But she feared disturbing him during this critical time. Aria didn't know what would happen if they didn't catch the hacker and worse, if they made off with the blueprints. Where would that leave Kaiba Corp? Aria didn't have any answers, all she could do was focus on the work at hand. And it was frustrating.

When lunch time came and gone and still no sign of Kaiba, Aria knew she needed to head over to the kitchenette to eat something, lest she die of hunger. She didn't want Kaiba to see her absent at her desk again but she didn't want to starve either. Getting her lunch out of the fridge, Aria started reheating her leftovers in the tiny microwave on the counter.

Leaning against the counter while waiting for her food, Aria watched while Hiro left his office and went over into the copy room adjacent to the kitchenette. Tenzin also left his office seconds later and joined Hiro beside the photocopier.

"Hey, Hiro," Tenzin called.

Hiro looked up in acknowledgement.

"Are you aware of any work being delegated down to Langley in the lab?"

Aria's ears picked up at the mention of Langley. She smoothed out her features to try and look bored and uninterested in their conversation.

Hiro looked thoughtful. "No, why would Langley be on the project? He's not on the team."

"That's what I thought, but I overheard Jim on the phone saying he would meet Langley at 7 p.m. at his desk tonight to finish what they started." Tenzin looked concerned. "It just seemed out of place to me."

Aria's food beeped that it was ready, making her jump. She quickly recovered by taking it out and stirring it, trying to buy some more time.

Hiro shrugged, "If you're worried about it, why not tell it to the boss?"

Tenzin appeared conflicted before laughing it off. "Nah, it's probably nothing. He'd probably just explain it away then yell at me to get back to work and do the job I'm paid for."

Hiro gave a dry chuckle. "That does sound like Mr. Kaiba."

The two men eventually drifted back to their offices, going back into their work like nothing was amiss. Aria however could barely walk back to her office coherently. Jim was meeting Langley tonight? To finish what they started? Could they be referring to the virus? Langley must have decided to act fast since Aria had made it obvious yesterday that she was on to him, and that her loyalties lay with Seto.

Aria put her hand on her phone to call up to Kaiba's office but then hesitated. She looked over at Jim's office. What if he got tipped off that she knew about their secret rendezvous tonight? This may be their last chance to finally catch the ones responsible. All she had to do was obtain some evidence of them in the act.

Aria took her hand off the receiver. She knew Seto would be angry for putting herself in a dangerous situation...again, but she couldn't risk blowing this shot. No, she could do this and she would make sure that it ended tonight.

+++

Aria planned to work till 6:30 then "head home" for the night. But she was surprised when she saw Jim shut down his station at 6. She debated going down to the lab then but decided to stick to the time he and Langley had initially planned. She didn't feel like sitting around for an hour in the stairwell where anyone could happen upon her.

At 6:40 Aria shut down her station and headed to the stairwell. She couldn't take the risk of running into anyone in the elevators and so decided to walk down the nineteen floors. She was just glad that she was walking down and not up.

In ten minutes she reached the 10th floor. Watching out the small window, Aria waited for Jim's figure to walk past. When her phone read 7 p.m. she waited with bated breath. But the elevators didn't open. By 7:05 Aria wondered if she had missed Jim entirely. When the clock read 7:15 and no sign of any activity, Aria began to worry that Jim had somehow figured out that she knew about the meeting.

Bracing herself, she stuck her head out the door and looked down the hallway. The interior lights had dimmed for the night, but Aria could just make out the viewing window into the lab, and a soft light could just be seen shining through. If Jim and Langley were in there right now stealing the plans, all Aria had to do was creep down and take a picture of them through the window. Then she could turn around and run like a bat out of hell to the elevators.

Her heart pounding in her ears, Aria started walking. She didn't want to walk too slow in case they exited out of the door, but too fast and she might make too much noise. Attempting to control her breathing, and failing, she closed in on the window. Aria took a steadying breath before looking in, her camera at the ready.

Langley's desk came into view, however, neither Jim nor Langley were at it. Looking around the room, Aria saw that it was completely empty. Confusion and bewilderment washed through her, replacing her fear. The soft light was emanating from Langley's computer screen. Why would he leave it on? Were they trying to get out as quickly as they could?

Feeling bold, Aria walked into the office, to see what was on the other side of the computer monitor. Bending down, Aria saw a progress bar that read 100% DOWNLOAD COMPLETE. Her breath hitched. So they were successful in stealing the plans! It was then she saw something sticking out of the side of the monitor. Narrowing her eyes in the darkness, she saw it was a memory stick. Surely they didn't forget it. She pulled it out to get a better look. Maybe it wasn't for holding data, but what Langley used to install the virus so that he could access the encrypted files.

As she continued to peer at the stick, the door behind her was wrenched open. Fear gripped her and she dropped the data stick. A scream began to form in her mouth as she turned around to see who had entered.