I am publishing this a little earlier than I originally planned to as I have a job interview to attend tomorrow. So, ahead of schedule, here is the next chapter.

Chapter 2- Their Bond

Tea and Rebecca were rushed to the hospital in no time, thanks to Seto pulling some strings to get the road traffic cleared. At the urgency of the doctors waiting for them by the emergency doors, Yugi and Mokuba accompanied their wives into their separate delivery rooms while the others went to the waiting room. But all of that had occurred seven hours ago.

:*:

Joey and Seto both paced the length of the waiting room. Kisara sat calmly on one of the chairs, nursing a silently sleeping Noah in her arms. Mai sat on another chair on the other side of the room, trying relax an agitated Christine. Tristan and Serenity were sitting side by side and were sleeping despite the noise and the tension.

The doctor from Tea's room suddenly emerged. Joey stopped pacing and turned. Mai looked up. Baby Christine settled and also looked toward the doctor.

"Wheeler family?" the doctor asked them, having noticed that after seeing him, Seto turned to stare in the opposite direction at Rebecca's room.

"Yeah," Joey replied. "That's us."

The doctor removed his face mask, showing them that he had a very wide and warm smile on his lips.

"Mrs. Moto and the baby are both fine," he reported. "The baby is a perfectly healthy boy with a very high spirit."

"High spirit?" Mai questioned curiously.

"He's learned how to giggle already."

Joey grinned for the first time since the incident started earlier that night.

"Can we go see them?"

"Of course," the doctor nodded. "The new parents have got something important to ask you."

Joey turned to look at Seto to ask if he and Kisara wanted to go in as well.

"Later," Seto told him, already expecting the question. "Mokuba and Rebecca first."

Joey nodded, understanding that he would see his brother's family as the higher priority. He held his hand out to Mai. She nodded back.

"Come on Christine," she spoke to her daughter. "Time for you to meet another playmate."

Christine gazed up at her mother in wonder. Mai smiled, picked her up in her arms, and strode over to Joey's side.

:*:

Yugi looked up to see Joey and Mai come into the room with Christine and stood up.

"Hey guys," he said in a really proud and emotional voice.

Joey did not have to ask why his best buddy sounded like that. He had felt the exact same way when Christine was born. Instead he looked at the little bundle in Tea's arms.

"Can I see?" he asked.

Tea smiled and gently turned her baby over. Joey's mouth dropped as he saw the newborn boy held within the blankets. Mai joined him in his reaction.

"Awww," they sighed in unison.

In her mother's arms, Christine gurgled with delight as she got her own look at Yugi and Tea's son.

"Two-toned colour hair, like his dad," Joey remarked.

"But shades of brown like his mom," Mai finished for him.

The tiny baby opened up his eyes, revealing them to be a chocolate shade of brown, and stared at the three new people in the room.

"Hey, little guy," Joey said, wiggling his finger in a playful greeting.

The baby's lips parted and he let out a small giggle in reply. Christine gurgled happily as if she was congratulating him for his effort.

"Wow, the doctor wasn't kidding. He can really do that," Mai exclaimed.

Yugi nodded. "I know. Wait until Grandpa sees him."

"Oh, he'll freak," Tea added with an exhausted laugh. "It's too bad he's in Canada right now with Pegasus. They missed the whole thing."

Joey smirked, imagining the way old Gramps would react, and looked down at the baby boy in Tea's arms again. "So, whatcha gonna name him? Yugi Junior?"

Tea and Mai groaned. Yugi slapped his hand to his forehead. "Joey! Please don't insult us!" he said in a growl that sounded to everyone else present too much like Atem.

"Sorry, Yug."

"But have you decided on a name?" Mai intervened.

Tea smiled. "Yes we have. Jaden David Yuki Moto."

Jaden giggled again, like he was pleased with his new name.

"And," Yugi continued, "Mai, Joey. We were hoping that you two would be his godparents."

Joey and Mai blushed.

"Yugi, Tea," Mai started.

"We'd be honoured," Joey declared.

Yugi and Tea grinned. Christine clapped her little hands. Jaden giggled.

:*:

Back in the waiting room, Seto halted in his pacing as he was visited by the doctor from Rebecca's delivery room.

"Doctor?" he asked impatiently.

"Nothing to worry about, Mr. Kaiba. Both parents and their baby are doing fine."

Seto smiled happily as the news registered to him. "A boy or a girl?"

The doctor chuckled. "They want it to be a surprise, Mr. Kaiba." He then walked down the corridor, leaving Seto, Kisara and a now-awake Tristan and Serenity in the room. Kisara got up from her chair, holding Noah in her arms, and walked to Seto's side.

"Come on. Your nephew or niece is waiting."

:*:

Rebecca held her bundled baby close to her chest with Mokuba leaning over the bedside looking at the two of them lovingly.

"Look at her, Mokie," she sighed. "She's gorgeous."

"Just like her mom," Mokuba answered her with a smile.

She returned his smile with one of hers. "Then I'm betting she takes after her daddy."

The doors to their room opened. They turned as Seto and Kisara entered, with Kisara supporting a curious Noah in her arms.

"Seto," Mokuba exclaimed as he stood up in joy.

The elder Kaiba brother showed another rare smile, displaying that he was happy for Mokuba and secretly delighted at his new status as an uncle.

Kisara stepped over to Rebecca, who moved the bundle to show the baby's face.

"I've, we've," Mokuba struggled to find the words right to say before settling on, "It's a beautiful little girl."

Kisara turned to her husband. "She is indeed, Seto. Come and see."

Mokuba gestured for his brother to follow. Seto went over to the bedside and almost gasped in admiration. His newly born niece looked like an angel. She was more of Rebecca in appearance, but her acorn brown eyes sparkled with the joy, excitement and innocence that Mokuba usually held in his childhood.

He still does at times, he remarked to himself as he marvelled at the golden shade of blond in a thin layer of hair on the baby's crown.

"Mokuba, Rebecca, she's wonderful," he stated. "What's her name?"

Mokuba and Rebecca smiled at their baby as they announced her name for their family to hear.

"Alexis. Alexis Rose Kaiba."

:*:

Through the next week, everyone else who knew the Motos and Kaibas as friends or family arrived at the hospital to see the two newborns. Bakura was the first; he was followed by the Ishtar and von Schroeder families; and then Solomon and Pegasus returned from Canada. As Tea and Joey had expected, Solomon burst into a wail of tears upon seeing his firstborn great grandchild. This visit in particular made Rebecca a little mournful as her own grandfather had passed away two years previously.

Dark Magician Girl came by next, along with two former Duel Spirits who had come to Earth also to find their one love. One of them was a plump middle aged woman who called herself Ms. Dorothy who did not like revealing her Duel Monster persona to anybody. Unlike Dark Magician Girl, she had already found and met her love, but all she would say about him was that his name was Sheppard. Seto smirked, knowing full well who Sheppard was.

The other former spirit was a young redheaded teacher-in-training who called herself Fonda Fontaine. She was the complete opposite of Ms. Dorothy on the matter of unveiling her previous identity, telling everyone that she used to be known as Etoile Cyber. As for the issue of finding her destined love, she had found him but he was still a child and so she had to wait for him to mature until she could become completely human and start ageing normally.

Duke Devlin came after the three spirits but left quickly, saying that he was more attracted to the highlights of Domino City, namely the casinos and clubs.

Mai shook her head right after his departure. "And that's why he's not married yet."

Everybody laughed, including Tea and Rebecca who still remained in their hospital beds, having shared the same ward since they gave birth to their children. The laughter woke up Alexis who, startled by the sudden loud noise, began to cry.

"Oh no!" Rebecca moaned. "I only just put her down!"

"I'll handle it," Mokuba promised. He went over to the crib and lifted his infant daughter into his embrace.

"Hey Lexi," he cooed as he nursed her in his arms. "Don't cry, daddy's here."

But Alexis would not stop crying. Mokuba turned to his wife for help. Sighing but smiling, Rebecca took her from him and settled Alexis into her arms. Alexis did not calm in her mother's presence either.

Rebecca groaned. This had never happened before. "What's wrong with her?"

"Jaden! What are you doing?!" Tea's scream split through the air and over Alexis' crying, causing everyone to jump an inch.

They all turned from watching Alexis wail and trying to discern a way to calm her towards Tea in her bed reaching for her son. Jaden was attempting to stand in his crib with one of his tiny hands supporting him on its edge. The baby boy looked over to Alexis.

"A - Ala- Ala," he gurgled.

Every person in the room froze, stunned at the impossible fact that he was already learning to speak.

"No way!" Bakura exclaimed. "Did that just happen?"

"I guess it did," Joey answered. Then he realised that everything had gone too quiet. "What the?"

He along with everyone else moved their attention back to Alexis. Their mouths dropped open in shock as they found her relaxed and also - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Reaching her arms out to Jaden.

"Mokuba," Rebecca wondered. "Could you?" She held Alexis out to him.

"Su - sure," Mokuba hesitated as he took her back in his arms. All eyes stayed on him as he brought his daughter closer to Jaden. Jaden sat back and laid down on his side. Mokuba eyed this action suspiciously, but Alexis persistently kept stretching her arms out to Jaden, so he put her carefully down next to him. Everyone edged closer to watch what was going on; even Rebecca got out of bed to look.

Alexis turned on her side, again looking into the cheery face that had always made her feel happy whenever she was feeling alone in the baby room. Every night in there, Jaden had struggled to stand just like he had just done and peered at her in the cot next to him.

"Ja - ay," she said her first word tiredly.

"A - la," Jaden answered her, linking his fingers around her hands.

Seto's eyes were widening in shock. This kind of development was impossible for one baby, let alone two, he thought. Also puzzled by what he was seeing as he gazed at his son and Alexis with amazement, Yugi found himself struck with another idea on how to solve this mystery and turned to Dark Magician Girl.

"Can you find out what's going on here?" he asked her.

She nodded and closed her eyes. Yugi waited for her answer patiently. As long as he had known her, Dark Magician Girl had a special non-duelling ability where she could look inside a person's spiritual aura. Through this, she could see the kind of person that person would be, what they would do in life, and discover whom they were destined to share their life with.

Dark Magician Girl mentally felt for Jaden and Alexis' auras. She met them and found that their auras were surprisingly the one and the same. Knowing what this meant and interested as to why such a bond had formed so quickly, she delved in deeper. What she found next frightened her to the core.

She withdrew.

She opened her eyes again, hardly believing what she had just seen.

"You're right, Yugi," she said. "There is something special here. Their auras are so alike, and when combined, they show a very strong bond between the two. I have little doubt that one day Jaden and Alexis may end up together later in life."

At first, Yugi did not know how to react with that information until he decided that there would be worse things to worry about than that and smiled. He became pleased with the answer as he moved his eyes back to the two babies in the cot.

Just like me and Tea, he thought. We knew it was her and I from the get-go.

Alexis and Jaden smiled at each other before they closed their eyes and fell asleep again. Neither of their mothers felt an urge to separate them, finding it too adorable for words. With everyone's eyes on the children, Dark Magician Girl took the opportunity to quietly leave the room. Dorothy and Fonda, sensing the fear rising within her, followed her out and caught up to her as she made her way down the hall.

"Mana, what's wrong?" Dorothy asked out of concern.

"Did you lie?" Fonda hissed in her ear.

"No, I didn't. Just kept part of the truth hidden. I meant what I said. Jaden and Alexis are destined to be together."

"Then what's the problem?"

Dark Magician Girl stopped, looking at her two companions cautiously before answering. "When I found their auras, I sensed something about them. It was as if I had met them before, so I investigated."

"What did you find?" Dorothy asked her.

"Jaden and Alexis, those two are reincarnations."

Fonda grunted. "That's nothing unusual. We've got more of those back in that one room."

"No," Dark Magician Girl argued, shaking her head furiously. "This is different. Yugi, Seto, or anybody else in there do not have a full recognition of their past lives. Jaden and Alexis do."

Dorothy blinked in surprise. "That's impossible, unless - - - - -

"A Reincarnation Ritual!" Fonda spoke in a hushed voice.

"Mana. Who are they?"

"Who they are, or were, is why I'm so afraid. I'm afraid for them."

"Who are they?" Dorothy and Fonda chorused.

"They are Judai and Alexandra. The legend is true."

Dorothy came to the same conclusion Mana had already discovered. "And if she somehow gets into this world - - -

"They will be in danger for the rest of their lives."

I think you guys can guess what will come next week. See you then.