Hello. So, my second story. This one will be much better, I promise. GX, mangaverse, except for a slight AU. It will, slightly at least, have some spiritshipping. I don't own GX.

"Nono giveitbackgiveitback!"

Everyone sighed as Jaden sprinted full-tilt through the cafeteria, holding Syrus's duel disc.

"Nope! It's mine now!"

"Jaden-" Alexis decided that Syrus's plea was pointless. Bastion determined that there was a 4% chance that the plea would motivate Jaden to give his duel disc back. Neither Chazz nor Axel cared.

Zane thought it was stupid.

Just as Syrus was about to attempt a flying leap to catch the duel disc, Crowler entered with a slightly subdued aura. "Jaden Yuki, someone's on the phone for you."

"Eh?" Jaden paused, still holding the duel disc just out of Syrus's reach. "Really?"

"Yes." said Crowler, obviously uncomfortable. "They're… uh, calling about your father's death."

Chazz froze. Alexis dropped the pen in her hand. Bastion flinched and lost his place in his book. Syrus yelped and snatched his duel disc, staring at Jaden with horrified eyes. Zane's eyes widened. Axel looked shocked, but settled to a neutral expression before long.

"Oh." Jaden said in a monotone, blinking slowly. "What happened?"

"Ah… they said, 'after a long and painful illness, Mr. Ryan Yuki passed away.'" Jaden looked faintly surprised. "More details if you call them, I guess. You going to pick up the call?"

Jaden nodded listlessly. "Sure." He walked out with none of the vigor with which he had rushed in, brushing past Johann and Jim as he left.

"Whoa, he didn't look normal," Johann said with some surprise. "What happened?"

Alexis looked like she had been slapped. "Ah… Jaden just found out that his father died."

Johann sucked in a breath and rocked back onto his heels. "Damn."

Alexis only nodded.

"How's he coping?"

She shook her head. "We don't know. He just walked out, and, you know, Jaden never talks about his family. I have no idea if he was close with his father."

"Eh." Johann murmured. "He's pretty close-mouthed, huh?"

"No," Bastion said softly. "He's extremely open, can't keep a secret. Just- no one thought to ask him about them, and he never mentioned them."

Johann blinked. "That never struck you as strange? He's open, can't keep a secret, but won't say anything about his family, past, and you have to guess at his deck to get anywhere? Isn't that contradictory?"

"Yeah," said Alexis uncomfortably, "but he was always so, ah, erratic that it struck no one as strange if he avoided one or the other question."

"And all questions about his family and past were in that category, and went unnoticed."

"Well, in retrospect, it is strange." Syrus said. "But at the time…"

"Hmm." Johann murmured. "We'll ask him later, ne?"

The others nodded uneasily, sitting down. Jim's brow crinkled, a line forming on his forehead as he pondered.

Nothing more was said of the matter.

"Mr. Yuki? I'm sorry for your loss."

Jaden nodded, then abruptly said, "When's the funeral?" Dad….

"In a week. Would you like to attend?"

Jaden swallowed. "Yes," he said. "Very much." Maybe…

"Good. We'll send a helicopter to pick you up."

Who were you? "I'll wait for it."

So. this is kind of a preamble. Until we next meet.