Title: You Can Cope
Author: Blemery
Rating: PG-13?
Pairing(s): S/J
Beta: anubiset
Spoilers: none
Warning: Mpreg character death
Summary: Bonus chapter I didn't post last time. It's Dray's third Birthday but everyone seems to being having much more fun at the party then him. He's just satisfied eating the animal crackers that Bakura gives him; except for the camels he doesn't like those
Three years later
Dragochi, or Dray, was turning three, it was his Birthday and Seto pretty much made it a Domino city holiday. After all, half the town worked for him and he gave them the day off, the other half had to take off as well because Seto threatened to shut their power off. Despite that, only friends and family came to the child's party, although most of the city sent the famous youth gifts. But Seto had sent them all back; he did not want it to go to the boy's head. In a previous life he had helped raised the Pharaoh's Son and it had gone to his head, the 'demi-god' had to be sent away and he had to make up some story to bring the 'true' pharaoh into power.
"Hey Dray." Marik smiled demonically. His light held out a gift for him. "It's a sword."
Dray beamed happily. "He doesn't like it Marik?" Malik glared angrily.
"Of course he does. Remember he's Jou's son he only barks." Marik teased even though Dray was three he never spoke, not once. Seto had it checked out but there was nothing wrong with him, he was just not ready. But it didn't stop the teasing, despite how many people liked him (which was most everyone in Kaiba Corp; everyone enjoyed seeing him about the office).
Seto sent a glare at the two for insulting both Jou and his son. "Don't speak about him like that." Bakura fumed angrily very protective of the Kaiba tyke.
Dray clapped his hands together brightly running over to hug the tomb-robber, snuggling his head into his leg. Seto rolled his eyes; he never understood why Dray was so attached to the tomb-robber, although he and his light did spend most of their time with the youth. Everyone else just teased the old thief who could care less what everyone else thought. He had, when first teased, but now being favorite to Dragochi was just much better then his pride.
"I got you something and I didn't even steal it." Bakura proclaimed proudly.
"He didn't I watched him." Ryou thumbed his hand threw the messy platinum blonde hair of the child in Bakura's arms.
"Hey let us have a turn." Yugi complained.
"Next time, invite Bakura an hour late so we get a chance to hold him." Tea suggested.
"Bah, wouldn't work I was here an hour ago." Bakura stuck his tongue out.
"No way I saw you walk in!" Tristan argued.
"So. I had to go back for the gifts. Ryou and I were over decorating before." Bakura smartly replied as Dray buried his face in Bakura's neck.
"OK, let's just get to the games." Mokuba distracted them. "Then dinner, cake and presents."
Yami whipped out his cards and got long stares. "What?"
"We don't play duel monsters anymore Yami." Yugi softly said watching the disappointment fall onto his face.
"I didn't know you still carried those." Bakura sneered. Ryou glared at him and pulled Bakura's deck from his pocket. "Ryou you're supposed to be on my side!"
"You were saying?" Yami sneered back.
"I just keep them for luck. If I lost them something bad could happen." Bakura grabbed them back, kissing the deck; Dray kissed the deck as well. "Perfect."
"That's my luck." Seto snarled. He wasn't always jealous of Bakura but there were times he couldn't stand sharing his baby. Bakura put Dray on the ground patting his head.
"We should all give Dray one of our cards!" Serenity sang happily, earning death looks from the battle city finalists.
"Oh come on it's a good idea." Mokuba agreed. "He will, he could be the next best and this way his friends will always be there with him."
Seto rolled his eyes. "He doesn't need to play such a stupid game."
Yami fanned out his cards towards the boy. "Pick one." There was no way he was letting Seto tell the kid that it was a stupid game. Dray fanned his hands over the cards curiously before taking one. Everyone glanced over as he turned it face up. A gasp swept over the room as the Red-Eyes of the dragon shined out at them.
Seto snatched up the card. "Very stupid."
"Games then?" Mokuba asked curiously. Nods came from the group of friends. "Pair up, wait!" He gasped before couples paired up. "I'll pair you: Bakura and Seto, Ryou and Yami, Yugi and Duke, Tea and Tristan, Malik and Serenity, me and Marik."
"Is there a method to your madness?" Marik asked as the pairs got together.
"Some of them, yea." Mokuba grinned evilly.
Dray glanced about nervously and then rushed over to Seto. "Okay, uh, first a three-legged race."
"Wait you're supposed to have someone the same height as you for that." Duke glared down at Yugi.
"That's right and I refuse to touch Tristan!" Tea scowled.
"Hey!" Tristan folded his arms pouting.
Serenity hugged Malik close to her. "I'm sure we can win!" She said to him.
Malik squirmed trying to push away. "Let go of me."
Yami glared death towards Duke even though Mokuba had paired everyone he was still jealous. Bakura feed Dray animal crackers chatting away with the little boy completely obliviously of the bickering partners.
"I'm sorry Tristan I just don't know where your hands have been." Tea explained dryly.
"Up Duke's ass where do you think!" He flared back.
"I didn't know you bottomed." Yugi giggled.
Duke's green eyes narrowed. "I don't bottom." Tristan raised an eyebrow and opened his mouth. "You shut up!"
"I never bottom either." Yugi teased.
"Yes you do Yugi, remember?" Yami added in, not understanding the fight completely.
"I'm so glad we're paired together, that way we can become better friends. I know we hardly talk but I'm sure we'll become really close!"
"No! I hate you let me go!"
"Uh-huh I know in my heart that you don't really feel that way you're so cute."
"No I'm not! I hate you! Let me go you stupid girl that I hate!"
"You like the tigers don't you?" Bakura asked Dray, he held out the tiger cracker.
"How about I just shove my hands up your ass and you shut up!" Tea fumed.
"I know you can't resist me but please there are children in the room." Tristan growled.
"And I'm paired with one." Duke rolled his eyes to the heavens.
"I didn't know Yami was a pedophile." Marik laughed whole-heartedly.
"Shouldn't have a problem being paired with Ryou then." Tea supplied.
"I don't even know what that means!" Yami howled. Ryou whispered in his ear. "Ew no!"
"You're so cute. Yes you are. We're going to have so much fun I just know it!"
"Dead bunnies, dead puppies, dead sisters of puppies." Malik muttered. "Let go of ME!"
"Here Seto-kun he doesn't like camels." Bakura handed him a half chewed cracker. Seto chucked it at the bickering group, it landed on Malik's forehead.
"RAAAAAAAAAAA!" Malik squirmed free. "I'm going to kill you all, cut you into pieces and then eat you!"
Everyone slowly backed away from him. Serenity laughed hugging him. "You're funny too!"
"Perhaps another game?" Mokuba asked, no one responded they were all praying for Serenity's life.
"Here comes the monkey, oo-oo-ah." Bakura danced the cookie towards Dray, everyone blinked at him.
"I'm never going to be able to take your death threats seriously now." Yami joked and everyone went into a fit of laughter.
"Baka, I haven't threatened anyone's life in years." Bakura frowned, what was so funny anyway?
"How about pictionary?" Mokuba asked everyone shrugged. "Alright Tea and Tristan join Yami and Ryou's group, Bakura and Seto can join Serenity and Malik's and that leaves Yugi, Marik, Duke and I this way none of you can use your mind-links or hieroglyphics like last time."
"Sorry about the joke before Ryou." Tea blushed.
"What about sorry to Tristan?" Tristan flared.
Yami laughed. "This should be entertaining Ryou's the best artist."
Serenity rushed over to grab up her nephew kissing his nose. "Now the big bad boys wont hurt you." Dray giggled hugging his Auntie.
The teams sat around the living room, Bakura went first trying to draw a rabbit, half way through he gave up and began to draw Pegasus that picture was pretty good and Malik managed to get the reference from the picture calling out the answer right at the time.
"What the hell is that supposed to be?" Tea glared at Tristan she thought it was a good picture of a baby cradle.
"Umm a boat?" Ryou asked smiling politely, where he got a similar glare. "Gee I don't know!"
"It's time anyway." Seto announced.
Later at dinner Yugi chirped up. "You know it's not just his Birthday."
Seto lowered his head it wasn't like he had forgotten any minute of that day and what anniversary it was also. Jou had died that day too. Seto already felt guilty about all the fun they were having.
"What day is it hikari?" Yami asked after swallowing. All eyes fell on Yugi except for the few that remembered the ones stilling grieving the loss. Seto slipped out of the room when no one noticed.
"Jou died today Yami-sama." Yugi croaked out. "I just think we shouldn't forget that no matter how much fun we're having it's not the same without him here."