A/N: Yes, it has been a very long time but I am determined to finish this story. I finally am back in the swing of things and hopefully this story will completed by Sept at the latest.

The Next Day

The band had a few days before they had to perform at the concert hall before moving on to Tokyo Dome. This was their chance to relax and sightsee if they wished to. Yuki, Ichiro, Kaemon, and Reizo all decided to go out on the town and visit old friends and places since they have not been back home in years. Joey had made plans to meet up with his old gang at Grandpa Muto's shop with Kazuo.

Joey was the last band member in the apartment because it took a while to pack all the things he thought he might need for Kazuo. Normally it didn't take so long, but he didn't know their exact plans and he wanted to be ready for any scenario. Finally packing everything into an overstuffed diaper bag, Joey grabbed Kazuo and headed out the door. As soon as he made it into the lobby he felt like he was being watched. It didn't feel like it did at the club, but it didn't feel like paparazzi either. Picking up his pace with Kazuo in his arms, he headed out the main doors and hailed a cab.

"There he is," Téa squealed as soon as Joey walked through the shop doors. Running to them both Téa grabbed Kazuo out of Joey's arms and hugged him tightly, "he is just so adorable." Kazuo was shocked at first and didn't move, until he realized that he couldn't move freely. Kazuo tried to wiggle out of Téa's hold, but she had a pretty strong hold. As an attempt to be released he started crying.

"Oh, no, I'm sorry," Téa said, loosening her death grip on the child. "It's alright; I didn't mean to hurt you, here." Téa handed Kazuo a piece of chocolate from the counter near the registers.

"What do you say," Joey asked Kazuo.

"Thank you," Kazuo responded putting the chocolate in his mouth.

"Hey Joey, it's been awhile," Tristan said hugging Joey.

"Yeah man, sorry about that," Joey said breaking the hug.

"It's okay, you've had your hands full," Yugi said as he stepped up to hug Joey as well.

"Hey Yugi," Joey smiled.

"He looks just like his father, now we have two Joeys, "Tristan exclaimed.

"How old is he now?" Yugi asked.

"He just turned 3 less than a week ago, June 22nd," Joey replied.

"But that's already past," Tristan said.

"I'm surprised you even know what month it is," Joey said rolling his eyes.

"Dude, shut up," Tristan lightly punched Joey on the arm.

"Ow man, what was that for?" Joey asked acting like his arm really hurt.

"Stop it, that didn't hurt."

"So, Joey," Yugi butted in before they started brawling, "How have you been since we last saw you?"

"It's been better, Kazuo doesn't ask for his M-O-M anymore," Joey said spelling out 'mom' so Kazuo would not understand him.

"I'm sorry Joey," Yugi said casting his eyes toward the floor. "Come with me for a moment," Yugi said grabbing onto Joey's sleeve and dragging him into his room upstairs.

"What is it Yugi," Joey asked confused when Yugi closed the door behind them.

"I overheard Kaiba talking in the bathroom."

Joey looked confused for a moment, "Kaiba's in the bathroom?"

"No, at his wedding, I was in the bathroom when he made the phone call to you."

"Oh yeah, I remember that. Well I figured you were close by considering he was using your phone. I really don't understand why he was so angry I didn't show up to his wedding… I also wonder why he even invited all of us in the first place."

"Well, I was dragged away by Atemu so I didn't see it for myself, but Mokuba confided in me later when he didn't know what to do."

"What to do with what?"

"After the phone call, Mokuba found him in the bathroom and told me it looked like Kaiba went crazy. Kaiba barely spoke to Leiko when he first found out she was pregnant, but he was like that with everyone he didn't particularly like and he would still speak to her with respect. But after the wedding he would glare at her until she got out of his sight. He couldn't stand to be in the same room with her. His cold words at the beginning turned to completely ignoring her. Any communication between them was through the butler. She still lived comfortably at the mansion and every one of her whims was met because of the baby. But Mokuba could tell that for her, it was like living with a starved tiger getting hungrier with each passing day, until it finally snapped and killed one of its own just to stay alive."

"Wow, that would be a terrible way to live, but how does that connect with the phone call between me and Kaiba?" Joey asked, sensing where this was going.

"I told you he doesn't remember," Atemu interrupted walking into the room.

"I don't care if he remembers or not, he has to know what is going on," Yugi said.

"Then I will finish the tale for you. Go back to the others, let me talk to Joey alone," Atemu said ushering Yugi out of the room.

"But…" Yugi never finished because Atemu kissed the top of his forehead before shutting Yugi out of the room.

Atemu turned to Joey, "You know where this is going don't you."

"I knew you knew I was awake when you said those things. It is true that I prefer men, but having a relationship with Kaiba seems too much to believe."

"After everything all of us have been through, that is hard to believe?" Atemu questioned.

"We always fought, literally brawled with each other a few times as well."

"Do you know what happened to Kaiba's wife?"

"No"

"She died right after she gave birth to Kaiba's daughter Akahana."

"I guess you would like me to ask how she died."

"She had a caesarean birth; she didn't want to go through the pain of child birth. Normally you have to have a medical reason to have a C-section, but her father is a powerful man with lots of money, so she got her wish. She was a completely healthy female with a healthy baby, yet something went wrong and she passed afterwards."

"Surgery is surgery, even if she was healthy going in, something can always go wrong when cutting into somebody. How is this connecting?" Joey asked.

"I have a strong belief that Kaiba had something to do with it, based off of what Mokuba told me and Yugi."

"So if Kaiba was in there during the operation, how did he keep all of the nurses and doctor quiet? You can pay people off until you are broke, but someone always talks."

"True, but none of the ones paid off did. The ones that talked and spread rumors of this across Japan witnessed Leiko's father accuse Kaiba killed her. The only reason the accusations held no water was that Kaiba was in the waiting room the whole time and the medical reports came out clear that because of Oogata's influence some medical tests were overlooked so his daughter could have her way."

"So it is ruled as an accident and nothing sticks to Kaiba right?"

"Yes, I want you to understand how mad he has become since your last phone call. He only kept Leiko long enough to get his daughter and disposed of her. Not with a divorce, but with death. I wish to unlock your memories of him if you will allow me."

"I don't know if I should let you. Based on what you told me, I could have had an abusive relationship with him and going to England was my chance to escape."

"No, you were heartbroken at the betrayal you felt towards him for marrying another. You also flipped out over the last phone call when you learned that he planned to keep you around although he was married. I believe you loved him, and he in some way loves you still. That is why I want you to be prepared with all of your memories. If it helps, Kaiba came as close as he could to begging me to let him fly to you when you were in that car wreck."

"Why would he have to beg you?"

"I am the one keeping him confined her to Japan, so he would not come and drag you home."

"Why would you do that?"

"I knew he was being selfish to have his cake and eat it too. You didn't need to be dragged down with him; I believed that he would have been successful in bringing you home and you would be miserable being second to his wife. I truly believed that you loved him that much and did not want to see you be miserable."

"You really think I loved him that much?"

"You hid your relationship with him for more than a year, if that is not dedication to the one you love and giving into his wishes I don't know what is."

"Alright," Joey said shaking from nerves. "I don't completely believe that unlocking my memories will help me considering I have not seen Kaiba since I landed. But I trust you."

"You may not have seen Kaiba, but I bet my soul he has seen you." Atemu said stepping towards Joey to release his memories. Joey shivered thinking about the strange stare he felt at the club. Atemu raised his hand and placed it on Joey's forehead.