Disclaimer: I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. Fandom: Yu-Gi-Oh GX
Title: Making The Arrangements
Family: Napoleon, Josephine, & Martin
Word Count: 2,381||Status: One-shot
Genre: Family, Drama||Rated: PG
Feedback: All forms eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.
Summary: Divorce and custody arrangements are stressful enough by themselves. But when the Society of Light rules your school, an extra level is added.
Napoleon slumped back in his cushioned office chair and stared up at the ceiling, wondering if his heart would cease pounding any time soon. Not only had he dueled Pegasus Crawford and lived to tell about it (even though he lost) but he'd thought for hours that he'd been fired. The very thought of unemployment made him want to curl up into a ball.
What would Josephine think if he didn't come up with his regular alimony and child support payments?
Worse, what would Martin think?
He dropped his attention to the small two-sided hinged picture frame on the side of his desk, a nostalgic smile turning his lips upward. On one side he kept a picture of a lovely woman, perhaps a year or so older than he was, and on the other, a young boy, thin and pale, but with a soft, welcoming look in his eyes.
Summer vacation loomed less than a month away; he'd be able to visit Paris again, and see his dear son. He thoroughly enjoyed working here (aside from having to put up with the very existence of Osiris Red) but there was nothing like spending time with his family, even after all the arguments between himself and Josephine.
At least spending less time with them meant the time that he did have wasn't as harrowing. He did his level best to see to it that Martin never saw them fighting, as did his ex-wife. Neither of them wanted their son to overhear any of it. Deep in the core of Napoleon's soul, he feared that the boy already thought himself responsible for the divorce.
He's growing up so fast. How old was he now? Fourteen? Almost fifteen? That was it. He'd cross into fifteen just a week or two before the next school year began. What should I get him? Perhaps Chairman Pegasus would agree to provide cards designed for Martin's deck?
Now would likely not be the best time to ask, though. He would work it out before the actual day arrived, even if he had to ask Martin himself for suggestions. For now, he had a few matters to deal with relating to work. None of it was as interesting as contemplating birthday gifts for his son, but it would be best to get it out of the way as soon as possible. He was not the lazy sort, unlike Chronos.
He'd just reached for the first of the papers he needed to review when his videophone rang, an elegant French tune he'd always enjoyed. The tone meant one person, and Napoleon gladly set aside work to answer his ex-wife.
"Good afternoon." Josephine Kanou's image appeared on the screen, a short space of her apartment behind her, decorated with the well-polished furniture and landscapes she'd always preferred.
"Josephine. To what do I owe this pleasure?" It took him only a few moments to calculate the time difference to realize that she must have stayed home from work that day to call him now, since it wasn't yet noon for her.
"We need to talk."
A cold chill worked its way down Napoleon's spine and his hands clutched onto the chair arms. "Is Martin alright?" If anything happened to his only child, Napoleon had no idea of what he would do.
His ex shook her head at once, a light reassuring smile on her lips. "No, he's fine. This is about him, though."
Was he there? Listening? Had something gone wrong somewhere? A thousand horrible fantasies burst through his mind and he fought them all back as hard as he could. He managed not to make a complete fool of himself, though he did find himself within a breath of falling to his knees and praying that whatever was wrong was something that could be fixed soon.
"Yes?" He squeaked out the single word, staring hard at the phone's screen. He blessed the inventor of videophones; the last thing he would've wanted was just to have to listen to her voice and not know her expression. That hint of worry between her eyebrows told him whatever it was, it wasn't something dangerous, but something she was concerned about all the same.
"Martin wants to attend Duel Academia."
Of all that could've been said, those words hadn't once occurred to Napoleon. His jaw worked as he did his best to come up with something very like a sensible answer. All that fell out was a question, however. "He does?"
"Yes." Josephine nodded; she sat before her phone in her favorite chair, the one he'd knelt before to propose to her, and the one she'd sat in during the start of so many of their fights. Her hands folded before her, she met his gaze with her own. "His dueling's improved from the last time you were and I think it would be good for him."
Napoleon did his best to start thinking sensibly. "Which branch does he want to go to?" There was one in Paris; it wasn't as big as one of the main branches, such as North School or East School, but it would give him a good education and prepare him for the Pro League, if that was what he wanted.
Though after some of the stories he'd heard about that, Napoleon wasn't entirely certain if Martin would fit in there either. He was such a gentle boy, unlikely to harm even a fly, and the Pros were far more cutthroat than most of the students here realized. Their lackluster performance in the Genex tournament showed that.
He thought his son might've done better, if he'd been there. At least, he could've given him a few useful tips.
"I think he should tell you that." Josephine glanced to one side and Napoleon was more than a little shocked to see Martin entering into the screen's view. He should've been in school! He could understand Josephine taking a day off, or just going to work a little later, given the time difference, but this?
Martin smiled a trifle feebly at his father. "Hello, papa." His pale, slender hands rested on the table and Josephine pressed one hand on his shoulder, turning a warm look on their son. "How are you?"
"Q...quite well, son. And you?" He'd never liked the usual inanities that passed for greetings, but it was hard to figure out how to talk to his son at times. Still, he did his best.
"I'm fine. The doctor says I'm well enough to travel abroad." That was another reason Napoleon found it hard to talk to Martin. He'd been two months premature and while he'd grown up relatively healthy, he'd fought hard to cling to life for months after being born and showed a regrettable tendency to get sick more often than others his age.
Napoleon nodded, searching for the right words. Thankfully, he didn't have to search far or long. "Your mother tells me you wish to go to Duel Academia?"
"Yes, papa." Martin raised his head just enough to meet his father's eyes. "I want to go to the main branch. Where you are, papa."
Napoleon never figured out how he didn't pass out from shock then and there. "You want to go where?" He couldn't have heard that.
"To the main branch." Martin's fingers tightened just a fraction on the table; Napoleon could see how his knuckles whitened. "That's...that's all right, isn't it?"
Napoleon's mind jumped at once to the Society of Light. Ever since Saiou's arrival, none of them paid him so much as a breath of attention. He'd spent the entirety of the school trip to Domino with Chronos of all people, instead of guiding his students around to give them the benefits of his experience. He'd tried ever since he'd arrived here to do just that; he'd even done his best to get that eyesore of a Red dorm torn down, but all for nothing in the end.
And yet the more he saw of the Society and their devotion to Saiou, the less he wanted his son anywhere near them. White wasn't Martin's color anyway. It would only make him paler.
"O-of course." He didn't know what else to say. He couldn't deny the chance to see his son on a regular basis, not after all these years of visits that ended far too soon. Three years of almost unending time together stretched out before him and it was all he could do not to dance at the prospect.
But that also meant one other fact: the Society of Light would have to go.
He would worry about that later. "You'll have to take the test, of course." He held complete confidence that Martin would not only pass, but would pass with high enough scores to warrant a place in Ra Yellow. He would've preferred seeing his child in the fair Blue dorm, but that only raised up the question of the Society. One step at a time, he reminded himself.
"I've studied for it. And my Japanese teacher says I'm very good." Martin screwed up his face, then spoke in careful, studied Japanese. "I can't wait to see you again, papa."
Tears of pride sprang up in Napoleon's eyes. "I'll come see you once this school year's finished."
"That's next month, isn't it?" Josephine put in. He nodded, pleased they kept up with his schedule that much at least. "How has this year been?"
A fair question; this was his first year as Vice-Principal after all. He plastered a pleased smile on his lips. "Quite splendid. Our principal Samejima is conducting an important tournament between our students and several Pro League duelists. I'm certain one of ours will win in the end!"
In truth, he didn't think any such thing. So many of the students fled from duels against the Pros, and those who won weren't really the sort of person he would've wanted to have as the shining star of Duel Academia. Especially not Yuuki Juudai. No Red student should've won as often as he did. The least the ungrateful child could do was accept a promotion to Yellow!
One of the Pros would likely perform a stunning upset, or if not one of them, one of the Society members. Perhaps Saiou himself. All of the Society would gladly hand him their medals if he so much as twitched an eyebrow in their direction. Perhaps even without the twitch.
But he wasn't going to tell any of that to Josephine. She didn't need to know it, nor did Martin. By the time his son would arrive, this would all be taken care of, even if he had to do it himself. Somehow. Defeat wasn't in his vocabulary at all.
"Because of your guidance, I'm sure." Rich amusement threaded all through Josephine's voice and he held himself a little taller, brushing at his jacket.
"Of course! What else would you expect?" It certainly wasn't because of anything Chronos did, the lazy Italian! Napoleon had done far more for the students this year than Chronos ever had, even if no one appreciated his efforts. Without a Red dorm, students would all be Yellow or Blue, and their dueling would've improved far beyond such puny efforts!
"I can't wait to see it, papa. I've heard all kinds of stories." Martin shifted a little more, delight sparkling in his large eyes. "Is it true there are monsters buried under the school?"
Who'd spread those stories? He'd see to it they were fired at once! "You don't have to worry about anything like that, son. The only monsters here are in the cards." He'd heard about the three Mythic Demons and he wanted nothing at all to do with them. The sooner they were forgotten, the better.
"Oh." Martin's shoulders drooped the tiniest bit, but he looked up with a bright smile a heartbeat later. "We shouldn't keep you, papa. You've probably got a lot of work to do, don't you?"
He would've given up every scrap of work to keep talking to his son. But it wasn't even the thought of his duties that distracted him. "I do have things I need to do." Such as figure out how to make certain the Society didn't win Genex and somehow was disbanded, long before Martin set foot on this island.
"I'll see you soon, papa!" Martin waved, a model of proper manners, and stepped out of sight. Napoleon followed him with his eyes for those few seconds, then looked back at his ex-wife.
"You're certain this is what he wants?"
She nodded, hints of resignation in her own expression. "I've already spoken to my lawyer. You'll have temporary guardianship of him during the school year for the next three years." Her gaze hardened and her voice turned clipped and reserved. "Watch over him, Napoleon."
He bent his head in immediate agreement. "I will, Josephine." Whatever else they'd disagreed on, and there was a great deal of that, they were forever united in the love of their son and their desire for what was best for him. "He'll have the best three years that I can make for him."
For several long moments she said nothing at all, before nodding. "I expect nothing else." Awkward silence held for another few heartbeats, until Napoleon broke it himself.
"I do have matters to take care of." He wished at times that it could've ended differently, or not at all, between the two of them. But until and unless someone invented time travel, they would have to deal with what had happened. "Good-bye, Josephine."
"Good-bye, Napoleon."
The screen faded away and the vice-principal sagged back into his chair. Martin. His son. Coming to his school. They'd tease him if they knew he was my son. Or worse. He knew he wasn't popular, and he didn't care. But he wouldn't let their opinion of him color their treatment of his son. So, only Samejima could be trusted with the knowledge of who Martin Kanou really was.
He groaned suddenly as he realized one other point: he'd forgotten to ask what Martin wanted for his birthday.
Oh, well. He'd think of something. More importantly, he had to dispose of the Society of Light. Even if he had to duel them all himself.
The End