" …And in other news, famous CEO of KaibaCorp. and former world champion, Seto Kaiba, was seen  in a confrontation with the runner-up from Duelist Kingdom, Joey Wheeler in the Domino Fair. Witnesses say the two got into an altercation over the attention of a young woman whose name has yet to be released. Both duelists were removed from the fair as soon as their fight broke ou-"

Seto Kaiba angrily turned his TV off and threw the remote control against the wall. He couldn't be any more pissed off if he tried. That entire night was a total bust. He had barely made it to work that day without the press ripping him apart. His reputation was taking a mudd bath and the fact it was over some girl he happened to take interest in was making it worse.

Jesse had found out. She knew who he was at last. His secret identity was blown. He didn't intend to tell her right then. He didn't have any plans to tell her anytime soon. He didn't think it would last this long. He thought he was just having an innocent conversation with another person. He honestly didn't intend for this whole 'Aleron' deal to go this far. Just a few talks with someone down to earth and he'd never see her again.

However, that wasn't the case. Jesse had turned out to be a totally different person than he was used too. She was cocky and self-conscious at the same time. She moved on impulse but she wasn't stupid. She could ride a mega monster roller coaster no problem, but chicken out going into a high-class restaurant in casual clothes. She lived in middle-class Domino and yet she was comfortable with it. She tried to pay her way every time, and he knew she didn't have too much money.

Then there was the fact she was a virgin kisser. When he first kissed her, she almost bit his tongue from shock. It was nice to actually kiss a girl who had never kissed someone before. Usually when a girl was lucky enough to kiss him, she took it too far and he had to break it off. Jesse almost fell over when he put his tongue in her mouth. He would have laughed if his mouth were free. Girls like her didn't come around everyday…

But she knew and she was devastated when she found out. The moment just kept playing over and over in his head. The way she looked was heartbreaking. It was like she found out her parents were dead, her house burned down and her bank account was robbed. And her voice, Kami-sama how it cracked when she yelled at them and accused them…

Kaiba shook his head in irritation. " There's nothing I can do about it now. It's over and it's probably for the best that she did find out. I've missed too much work already. My clients wouldn't take too well to me having an American girlfriend anyway."

He resolved the best thing he could do was try and finish the work he had been doing before the entire disaster began. He cracked his neck and opened his laptop to get to work.

" You have 1000 new E-Mails Seto Kaiba." Chimed his personal computer.

Kaiba groaned and dropped his head on his desk. This wasn't happening. His date was a bust, his rep was a mess, he was way behind in business, the media was having a field day outside his office, he felt a huge migraine coming on-

" Kaiba-san?" Nichi, the secretary, shyly came in through the intercom.

Not even bothering to lift his head, he pressed the button to answer with a muffled: " What now?"

" There's an abrasive, young American demanding to see you, and-" She was cut off in her sentence," Hey! You can't just walk in there!!"

" Git outta my way!!"

Kaiba's head shot up as he recognized the voice and the accent of the 'abrasive, young American'. He knew exactly who that was out there and he didn't want to deal with them right now.

" Anyone but him." He groaned.

The door was kicked open and in walked Joey Wheeler. He looked like he was angry and ready to fight. Brown eyes flashed heatedly as he stalked into the room. His fists were clinched and he was actually growling like the dog he was taunted as. He jumped up on his deck and shook his fist in his face.

" Kaiba!! You blue-eyed demon! I'm gonna pound yer face in!"

" Oh. This I need," Kaiba groaned," I don't have time for you Wheeler. Why don't you go play on the freeway?"

" Keep my Saturday afternoons outta dis!! You broke Jesse's heart!!" Joey pointed an accusing finger at him.

" If I'm mistaken, that was not a single person act." Kaiba was pretty calm for someone with an irate American on his desk staring down at him.

" I…Well…," Joey stuttered," You did it first!!"

" Tell me Joey, when you did meet Jesse, did you take in account that she was on a date with someone else? Did you consider you might be digging up a bone buried by another dog?"

Joey got off his desk to ponder his question; not sure if it were an insult or a real question. " Kindaaaaaaaa-no."

" Well, that was MY date you incompetent mutt. You invaded and got involved with Jesse. When she found out about me, you opened your big mouth to try and gloat and add to my displeasure. Unfortunately for you, Jesse's smarter than you are and she figured out that you knew about me long before she did. So, you're in the doghouse too."

Joey leaned against the desk thinking. Kaiba sweatdropped. He didn't have all day for Joey to think. " Just take my word for it Wheeler, don't try to figure it out for by hand. You'll give yourself a headache."

" Uh…'kay. But how are we going to get Jesse to speak to us again? I tried to call her and she won't answer."

" 'We'? 'We' aren't doing anything Wheeler. Jesse didn't mean anything to me. She was just a form of amusement; a vacation from being me if you will. I have no intention of ever seeing her again."

That did it. That did IT. If smoke could come out of a human's ears, it would be coming out of Joey's. He had never been so mad at him before. Other times came close, but not like this. He thought for sure he might just hit the CEO right there in his own office.

In fact, that's just what he did.

Kaiba was laid out on the floor in shock; holding the left side of his face as it turned red from the sudden assault.

" You…You hit me…"

" Well, I hope it knocked some sense into ya!! I didn't really think you were cold-hearted before, but to just play with someone and deir emotions like dat! Dat's just inhumane!! Yer cruel!! Dat girl loved you! She genuinely cared about you! And ya treat her like dis! Ya heartless basdid!! It's betta she ain't with ya; she deserves someone a lot more human than you!!"

Kaiba glared hard a t Joey as he stormed out of his office as quickly as he came in. He had never been hit like that since he was a child and staying with his foster father. And what was the pup saying? Jesse loved him? No, that couldn't be true. She was just a form of amusement; she was not supposed to gain any attachment to him. Just like he had no attachment to her.

Now if he could only get rid of this guilty feelings and the dull ache in his heart.

************************

Joey stomped out of the large business building and started on his long walk home. He couldn't believe the things that Kaiba had said! He talked about Jesse like she was absolutely nothing! Like she was just a toy, and it would be 'beneath him' to even apologize for what he had done to her.

Well, there was nothing he could do about Kaiba. But he wasn't going to give up trying to get Jesse to forgive him. He did overrun their date and he had intent to tell 'Aleron' to beat it until he found out who he was. Then he and Kaiba were in competition for her. They were so busy trying to win their prize; they forgot she was a person.

None of this…game should have ever happened. It went too far. He should have busted Kaiba when he had the chance. Or he should have told the truth himself. Now they were all suffering. This was all a big mistake.

" I gotta get Jesse ta talk ta me again. She can't stay mad forever. There's got to be something I can do…"

Joey stopped at the bus station and waited for the next bus. When it finally arrived, he still hadn't thought of a solution. But the billboard on the side of the bus gave him a great idea.

" Eh, 'Go visit your loved ones; Fly Sakura Airs'? That's it! I'll go visit Jesse!! She can't turn me down at her own home, right?"

******************

" And then you decide whether to put the card in attack or defense."

" Hmm. Whot about trap cards?"

" You put those down either before or after summoning a monster. Just like magic cards."

" And ritual monsters?"

" You summon those like regular monsters, but they require summoning cards. And you have to give up monsters to summon them."

" Okay…Hah! I play Red Archery Girl in attack mode! Destroy the Dragon Zombie!"

" You did it again. You can't kill a zombie that way. Now my cards are way stronger than yours."

" Ah ta 'ell wit it! Ah neva liked duelin' and Ah gonna start likin' it nah!!

Bones sighed. He had been trying to teach Jesse James the basics to Duel Monsters for an hour and a half now. She didn't seem to get it. So far he had a 27-0 record in their duels. She really wasn't made for dueling.

In her outburst/tantrum, Jesse kicked the dueling matt off her bed. She then crossed her arms and scowled at the wall. " This game is unfair to females!!"

" Actually, there are quite a few female duelists. You'll just never be one."

" Shut up!"

Bones started laughing. Jesse growled and 'hmphed'. So she wasn't a duelist. She could still ride horses and teach others to ride horses. She grabbed her Saggi doll and stuck her tongue out at Bones.

" Hey Bones! C'mere a minute!!"

" Comin'! Later oneechan!"

" Yea, get out ototochan!"

This time it was Bones who stuck his tongue out as he was leaving. Jesse scowled at the now closed door and flopped back on her bed; taking Saggi with her.

Spending time at home with her father and his friends was helping, but she was still depressed. She couldn't get over what had happened last week. She had intended to choose either Joey or Kaiba, but instead she left with no one.

Kaiba had lied to her. She didn't even know who he was aside from what she read in the newspapers. This person was a stranger and she didn't know him.

And Joey, he knew the entire time. He knew she was being lied to and he didn't say anything at all. He just went along with it like he was part of the con.

Then of course, she was not totally innocent either. She had lead Joey on while continuing to see Aler-Kaiba. And it got them all in trouble. She hated herself for it, but she couldn't do anything about what she did in the past.

Now matter how much it hurt, Jesse knew it was best for all of them to just leave each other alone.

* Knock Knock Knock *

" Jesse! Get tha door for me!"

Jesse sighed and placed Saggi down on her bed. She walked out of her room and through the living room where her father and his friends were sitting on the couch watching a football game.

" Run! Run, you stupid git!!"

" Forget it Sid, your team lost. Gimme my money!"

" It's not over yet Keith. They still have ten minutes!!"

" At 50 to 21?"

" Ah shut it Zigor! What do you know?!"

" We know you lost and you're bitter!"

Sid sulked against the couch and gave them the two-fingered salute. Jesse laughed and went to answer the door. What she found at the door was a surprise.

" What are you doing here mutt?!"

" I should ask you tha same thing ya blue-eyed devil!!"

Joey and Kaiba were wrestling in the hallway. Jesse looked on in shock and horror as they continued to brawl. She finally got her senses back and called for her father.

" Dad-dy!!"

**********************  

Joey and Kaiba were in the middle of beating the crap out of each other. They had met when they both showed up at the American girl's apartment door. They immediately assumed the other was going after Jesse and that started them to fighting again.

" Hey! Hey! Break it up!"

Joey stopped and looked up with a tuff of brown hair in his hand. He knew that voice. He knew that voice well.

" Bandit Keith!!"

Yes, the intercontinental champion was standing in the doorway in front of Jesse with his arms crossed and his blue eyes glaring. His lackies were standing behind him

Joey and Kaiba instantaneously stood up. They were both in shock of the scene in front of them." What are ya doin' here Keith?!"

" I live here you moron!"

" But Jesse lives here!"

" She lives with me."

Both of them pointed to the leather clad bandit in an accusing manner with the shock still on their faces." Bandit Keith is your father?!"

Jesse and Keith exchanged glances; then burst out laughing. " Ya think Keith Howard is ma 'daddy'?!"

" Well, isn't he?"

Jesse stopped laughing long enough to talk." Not in so many words. See, Ah don' 'ave a dad. Me an' ma motha don't 'get along' so Ah moved heah. Ah needed an apartment, he needed a dependent. Ova time, he became a fatha ta mae. So Ah call him 'daddy' and he calls mae 'kid'."

They gave them a dubious look. Keith rolled his eyes and decided to explain it to them." Look, it's obvious! My eyes are blue, her's are hazel! My hair is blond; her's is black! She's black and I'm white! And you call yourself a genius!"

" Uh…I guess it makes sense."

" Ignore him. He doesn't understand conversations that have more than 3 words."

" Hey! Shut up Kaiba!"

" Make me you Basset Hound!"

" Dat does it!"

There they went again. Everyone else sweatdropped. Jesse sighed and looked to Keith." Whot do we do nah?"

" I saw let'em kill each other. C'mon, the game's back on!"

And so they shut the door; leaving the blond and brunette to battle it out.

" I'll make ya pay for dat ya rich jerk!"

" Ah, bury it with your bone collection, you twit!!"