Disclaimer – I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

*Rated M for Mature

Chapter 3 – Wednesday

Joey stared at the lavishly decorated patio. Their friends hadn't arrived yet, so he thought it would be the perfect time to…inspect the area.

It was hot today, verging on scorching. Thank goodness the tables and chairs were underneath the awning. The barbeque grill rested near the edge. Streamers in various colors were wrapped around nearly everything, confetti lay strewn on the tables along with paper treasure chests filled with all sorts of party favor goodies.

Now, if he could only find those stupid swords…

"Pup, don't you think you should get changed? Our friends will be here soon."

The blond turned to face Seto and nearly fell over in shock. His Dragon was dressed in a pirate outfit. But not just any pirate outfit. He was dressed as a buccaneer captain…and a pretty hot one at that. The pants hugged his legs, showing off the muscles that were beneath, the ruffled shirt showed off a bit of his torso, and the hat…the hat made him want to laugh.

"Ya fit the part nicely," chuckled Joey.

"Just wait until you see my crew," Seto grinned lecherously.

"What crew?" The blond did not like the way this was going.

"You'll see later," he smirked. Seto walked up to Joey and pulled him into his arms. "Now, my little Pirate Queen, go get dressed."

"Pirate Queen?" Joey echoed. "Ya didn't!"

"Didn't what?" the brunet inquired innocently.

"Ya got me a girl pirate outfit, didn't ya?"

"It's quite possible."

"Then I'm not wearin' it."

"Yes, you will. This is Jaden's big day. What will he think if his Daddy doesn't want to take part in this special day with him? Plus, I'll get to have a nice view of your legs."

"Jerk," Joey mumbled, trudging back into the mansion.

When he finally reached their bedroom, he noticed that his pirate costume was already out on the bed and…it was a girl one. He glared at the costume for a full minute before taking off is clothes.

"What the hell?" he said, picking up the first part of the costume. At least he was the type of person to shave his legs often.

He slipped into a white ruffle skirt dress and blushed when it reached midway down his thighs. Next, he put on the black leather corset over it. Reaching for the knee high boots, and thankful they weren't heels, he put those on, too. When that was done, he put on the black pirate hat and strapped the plastic pirate sword around his waist.

Walking over to the dresser, Joey eyed himself in the mirror and gaped. If he went out there looking like this, Seto would take him on the spot. Hopefully his lover had a little more self-control than that.

Leaving the bedroom, the blond made his way down the stairs just in time to see Jaden running toward him dressed in his own costume. He wore a simple pair of pants and shirt with a bandanna on his head.

"Daddy! I'm a pirate!" the small boy exclaimed.

Joey laughed. "I can see that," he said as the doorbell rang. "Looks like our party guests are here. Do ya wanna come with me and let them in?"

"Okay!"

Picking up Jaden, Joey went to answer the door. Upon opening it, he was nearly accosted by…pirates.

"Arrgh!" Bakura and Marik shouted, bursting into the mansion. Yami bolted after them. All wearing pirate costumes.

"Joey! You look adorable!" squealed Tea. Joey noticed that her costume was a little more…decent.

"Thanks," the blond replied unsurely. "Come on in, ya guys."

"Are those for me?" Jaden asked pointing at the presents the rest of his friends held.

"Yep!" answered Yugi cheerfully.

"Where should we put these?" inquired Ryou.

"Ask the captain," Joey muttered, leading them through the mansion and out onto the patio. "Oh, Captain Seto!"

Said brunet turned when he heard that; figures he would respond to 'captain.' But when he saw Joey, his jaw dropped. "You look really nice, Puppy."

The blond raised an eyebrow. "Uh huh. Let's just keep this PG. Where do ya want them to set the presents?"

"The table over there is just fine," replied Seto, pointing to the one that had a few presents on it already.

Joey set Jaden down on the ground, watching as he ran over to his Papa.

"How are you feeling?" Tristan asked suddenly.

"I'm doin' all right. I'm just glad I don't have to use the crutches anymore. I still need to take my time when I do things and I don't have all that much energy yet, but I feel good."

"Well, we're all glad you're all right, Joey," added Duke.

"Thanks, ya guys. Seto! Put those away before I shove them up somewhere very inappropriate!" Joey suddenly roared.

Everyone looked to see what had caught Joey's attention. And when they did—

"Bakura! Don't you dare!" shouted Ryou.

Being the sneaky thief that he was, Bakura opted for a different tactic to get his way. "What if we promise not to get violent with them?"

Joey, Ryou, Malik, and Yugi crossed their arms and glared at their lovers, who were now holding the toy pirate swords.

"Fine," Joey relented. "But stay by the pool where we can see ya. If it gets out of hand, I'm burnin' the swords and ya won't get to play pirates anymore. Got it?"

The Yamis and Seto nodded in agreement. Then they scampered off to the far side of the pool playing with the swords.

A few minutes later, Jaden bolted over to them. "Daddy! They're gonna make Uncle Yami walk the plank!" Heads shot up and everyone raced off to the far end of the pool to see what was going on.

"Oh, Yami," Yugi muttered as he stared at his lover, who was currently standing on the diving board as he was poked and prodded across it by the toy swords Marik and Bakura held. Seto just stood off to the side and smirked.

"Shouldn't we put an end to this?" asked Ryou.

"Personally, I'd like to see Yami walk," blurted Yugi. He covered his mouth with his hands when he realized he'd said that out loud. The other couldn't help but laugh.

Soon, they started up a chant. "Walk the plank! Walk the plank! Walk the plank!"

"You're all traitors!" Yami spat at them.

"And you're done for!" exclaimed Bakura, giving Yami one final prod with his sword, promptly knocking the former pharaoh off the diving board and into the pool with a large splash; he soon sank to the bottom.

"I didn't know Yami could swim," Duke said absentmindedly.

"He can't!" Yugi gasped in sudden realization. He bolted for the pool and dove in after his lover, bringing him to the surface as quickly as he could. The others circled around the edge and helped the two onto the deck.

Yami lay on his back, not moving.

"Oh, Yami!" Yugi cried, leaning down to start giving him mouth to mouth.

But as soon as he did so, Yami's arms pulled him down for a heated kiss. Yugi's arms flailed wildly until he broke free.

"I should have just let you drown," Yugi snapped, getting up and leaving his lover on the deck. "You don't just go around scaring people like that."

"I didn't mean to scare you, Yugi! I swear!" Yami whined as he ran after him.

"I think I'm gonna start on the food now," said Joey.

"Good idea. I think I'll help you," offered Ryou. Everyone felt as if they should let Yami and Yugi have their space for the time being. It was far too hot to deal with any drama.

"Ooh! Can I man the grill?" Bakura asked, bouncing up and down.

"Absolutely not!" scolded Ryou.

"Yeah, we want food, not fireworks," added Tristan.

Bakura made a pouty face, looking quite downcast. "Is this because I made Yami walk the plank?"

"No. I actually enjoyed that," said Joey. The others nodded in agreement. "But ya can help Ryou bring out the food for the grill. Or would ya like to take Jaden on a treasure hunt?"

"Treasure? Where?" Bakura asked excitedly.

"Well, we were plannin' on doin' this later," started Joey mischievously, "but I have a treasure map that will lead ya guys to some treasure. Follow the map and you'll find it. But you'll have to split the treasure equally. Ya in?"

"I wanna hunt for treasure!" shouted Jaden, tugging on Bakura's pants.

"And ye shall," replied Bakura, slipping into pirate speech as he picked up Jaden. "We shall find this booty in no time."

"We're searching for a person?" exclaimed Marik, thoroughly confused.

"Not that booty, the other booty," informed Bakura.

"What other booty?"

"The treasure kind."

"Since when is someone's ass treasure? Well…I take that back, because Malik's—"

"Here's the map!" Joey interrupted, giving it to them. He felt a major headache coming on. "Mokuba? Serenity? Can ya please join Jaden and…those two on this…treasure hunt please?"

The two young ones chuckled and acquiesced to his request.

Bakura's eye twitched. Whose bright idea was it to give Marik the map, anyway?

"I still don't get it. How do we know which way is east?" inquired Marik.

"East is the direction the sun rises and it sets in the west," barked Bakura for the second time.

"But the sun isn't rising or setting! It's already out! So how do we know which way to go?" argued Marik.

"Look! It's one in the afternoon! And the sun is over there! Which means that way is west and the opposite way is east!"

It finally seemed to click.

"Oh. Can you explain what booty is again?"

"No!"

"Looks like they finally found the treasure," commented Joey as he put the final steak from the grill on a plate. The tables were set with food waiting to be eaten.

"You think they'll be disappointed with the treasure?" asked Seto.

"I doubt it. Ya can never go wrong with candy…especially chocolate. I hear the Yamis like it."

"You did this on purpose to distract them, didn't you?" inquired the brunet.

"Hey, if it keeps them occupied enough to keep them out of trouble and Jaden happy, I see no problem with it," the blond smirked.

Seto chuckled amusedly at his Puppy's conniving ways. "Food's ready!" he called out loudly. Soon, everyone scampered over to the table lavished with food.

Grabbing a plate, Joey filled up Jaden's and handed it to him, then helped himself to his own. They sat down at the other table and started eating, but not before Seto put in his Pirate CD—where he got it, Joey didn't know—and they listened to the music while they ate.

When that was done, Seto went back into the mansion. A few minutes later, he came back out with a huge cake in the shape of a pirate ship, four candles blazing brightly on it.

"Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday dear Jaden! Happy Birthday to you!" the gang screeched—er, sang—to the small birthday boy.

"Now blow out your candles!" said Joey as Seto set the cake down on the table.

"And don't forget to make a wish!" added Mokuba.

Jaden paused, as if in thought, then he blew out the candles. Everyone applauded and Seto started passing out slices of cake.

"What did you wish for?" Bakura asked eagerly. "The pharaoh to turn into a monkey? Or better yet, for him to get mauled by a monkey?"

"Hey," Yami warned.

"No," Jaden answered simply, tucking into his cake. "I wished for a baby sister."

An awkward silence passed as everyone looked from Seto to Joey after what Jaden had said. They were…speechless, to say the least.

That wish tore at Joey's heart. He didn't know what to say or do. He didn't even know how he should react! But…of course Jaden would wish for something like that. The small boy probably felt alone being an only child. Mokuba and Serenity were many years older than him, and Jaden just wanted someone to play with…and watch over.

"Should we open presents now?" Seto broke the silence by clearing his throat and reaching for gifts.

"Yeah. Sure," muttered Joey as he stared at Jaden. He smiled when the small boy's eyes lit up at that prospect, but he still felt unsettled by Jaden's words.

"Are you all right?" Seto whispered while Jaden tore into his present from Malik and Marik.

"I'm fine…but I want to talk later," said the blond.

"About what Jaden said?"

"Yes."

"Then we'll talk."

"Cool!" Jaden cried, drawing everyone's attention to his gift. It was a ten piece Band in a Box with a small assortment of little instruments.

"Open ours next!" said Yugi, passing over one of the larger gifts. This one revealed a Folding Wooden Castle Play Set along with some toys appropriate for medieval play.

"Our present is a lot cooler than that one," stated Bakura, handing off another large gift to Jaden. When Jaden opened it, he squealed in delight. It was a Water Play Center Inflatable! It also came with two boats! After inflating it, you could fill it with water and play with the boats around the lighthouse, roads, houses, and trees.

From Tea, Jaden got a Wooden Play Country Kitchen, complete with toy appliances and food; Tristan got him a Lift and Load Train Set; Duke got him a large set of building blocks; Serenity and Mokuba got him different card game sets; Seto got him Duel Monsters toys; and Joey got him a sketchbook, some coloring books, and a small art kit.

"Thank you!" said Jaden. And he got up and gave everyone little hugs and kisses to show his thanks.

But when the small boy started yawning, Joey knew it was time to call it a day. "Okay, I think it's naptime for this little guy," he said, picking up Jaden. "Ya guys can help yourselves to whatever food ya want and take it home. I'm gonna clean up Jaden and put him down for a nap."

Saying their goodbyes, Joey took Jaden into the mansion and upstairs to the small boy's bedroom. He changed him out of his tiny pirate clothes and into some pajamas, set him down in bed, pulled the covers over him, kissed him goodnight, and left, wandering into his own bedroom.

"I put all of Jaden's gifts in the living room for now," announced Seto upon entering the room. "Mokuba and Serenity will be in the gaming room for the rest of the evening. They won't disturb us if you want to talk now."

"Just…let me get changed first," replied the blond as he stepped into the bathroom. He took off his costume and slipped into a pair of pajamas. Feeling particularly lazy, Joey thought he'd take a nap soon, too. It had been a long day.

As he stepped back into the bedroom, he noticed that Seto had changed into a pair of pajamas as well. Joey pulled back the covers on the bed and slid under them, Seto not too far behind. When the brunet pulled him into his arms, Joey turned to face him.

"How do ya feel about what Jaden wished for?" the blond asked immediately.

"I must say that I was quite surprised by it," Seto began slowly, "but I can understand why he made that wish."

"Me, too. Everyone he knows is so much older than him and I think that he wants someone near enough his own age to play with. Maybe he feels like he's…all alone. I know—to a degree—what it's like to be an only child. And I can't even imagine what it would have been like had I not had a sister at all."

"Same here. I'm not sure if I'd have even gotten this far with my life had it not been for Mokuba. The company…everything…I did it all for Mokuba."

"Jaden…doesn't want a siblin'…he needs a siblin'. Someone he can talk to whenever he feels like no one else is there for him. And I can't imagine he'd want to tell us everythin' once he gets older. He needs someone other than…other than us," contemplated Joey softly.

"All he's ever seen since living with us is people taking care of him. Jaden might also want someone to look after, which is probably why he wished for a baby sister."

"Yeah."

They both sighed simultaneously. "So the question is," started Seto, "do we want to adopt another child? A little girl?"

"A daughter?"

Daughter. The word seemed to echo throughout the room.

"Yes, a…daughter," repeated Seto, letting the thought mull over in his mind. The idea of having a little girl thrilled him. She'd be his little princess. A smile tugged at the brunet's lips.

His Puppy noticed. "There ya go. Makin' decisions without me," he teased.

"I didn't say anything," Seto protested.

"Ya didn't have to. I can see it in your eyes. Ya wanna have a little girl, don't ya?"

"I do," the brunet admitted shyly.

Joey laughed and hugged him. "Good. Because I do, too."

"I think this will be a good idea and a bad one."

"Why?"

"It's a good idea because we'll be growing as a family and Jaden will have a little partner in crime," he chuckled. "But it'll also be a bad idea because of the Yamis."

"Why is it a bad idea because of them?" inquired Joey curiously.

"If you think they're protective over Jaden, how protective do you think they'll be over a little girl?"

His Puppy raised an eyebrow at him. If Seto thought the Yamis would be overly protective, he was sorely mistaken. The brunet would be leading the charge, if anything.

End Chapter