Summary:  Tragedy strikes.  Joey Wheeler is gone forever.  Or is he?  Joey POV.  Post Duelist Kingdom AU.  Will eventually be Seto/Joey shounen-ai.

Author's Notes:  Well, I thought I'd try writing a YuGiOh fic.  And it's still going.  And going.  And whoa, still going.

*blink blink*  300 reviews...  *drops dead*

D. Draggy's ghost would like to say thank you, every single one of you!  *hands over grapes*  Have some wine.  Some assembly required ^_^

"Save Joey's Soul" is a line from the reviewer Angel-Belle.  I didn't come up with it!

Difinity:  I love FF7!  It also holds a special place in my heart because that's the first time I encountered fanfiction.

JKJ:  I don't think I'll kill Tristan.  It'll mess up his (minor) part if he's dead, and besides, one dead guy's probably enough.  It'll take attention away from Joey!

Llyxius:  Yup, the mansion's home now!  Good luck with the writing ^_^

Silver and Yami Sakura:  The story will hopefully pick up soon…

Warnings:  Character death (sort of), language, angst, eventual Seto/Joey.

Disclaimers:  I don't own YuGiOh or any other brand names you might come across.  No parts of a complete breakfast were harmed in the making of this fic.

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Being Dead Ain't Easy

Chapter Eighteen:  Happy Little Family

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We spend a bunch of days like that, me just lyin' around doing nothing while Kaiba runs around like a crazy man researching here, looking stuff up there, and calling me names whenever he has to take a break.  He takes two-hour naps sometimes whenever he passes out at his desk.  He's not leaving the mansion at all, "because that murdering swine is still on the loose, chihuahua.  Helping you is simply a way to pass the time."  That'd be more convincing if he didn't keep telling me again and again how he doesn't want me to go.  He throws a fit whenever I try to go outside.  Or walk.  Or do anything, really.  He's really, really worried.  And totally messed up.

Mokuba's staying home too.  The psycho gunman doesn't care which Kaiba he blows away.  It's not too bad 'cause the kid's friends come by and drop off his homework.

It's kinda good that the little guy's here.  He's a smart kid.  Kaiba's letting him help with the "Save Joey's Soul" project.  There's books and computer printouts spread out all over the living room floor.  Kaiba the Living Zombie seriously needs the extra help, but he won't let me do anything.  He makes sure Mokuba doesn't work too hard, though.  Yeah, he told his little bro.  Kinda hard not to, what with him yelling at empty air all the time.

Kaiba was gettin' in my face for wandering out into the hallway when I was supposed to be lyin' in bed like a good little doggy.  I can't stay in bed doing nothing for hours on end!  We were – well, he was – getting pretty loud.  We didn't see Mokuba until he opened his mouth.  It went something like this:

"Uh, big brother..."

Kaiba blinks and pretends I'm not here.  "What is it, Mokuba?  I'm rather busy."

Mokuba looks around, sees nothing but his brother getting up close to a wall.  "Um, yeah... Well, I was sorta wondering..."

"Wondering?"

"You know, the mirror and Joey and the bathroom and now you're talking to yourself all the time and I know you think I'm just a kid and I don't know anything but you can tell me, right?" he blurts out.

Another blink.  "Would you mind repeating that?"

"I told you Joey was here and I'm right, aren't I?  That time he wrote on the mirror.  It was really him, right?  And you can see him!"

Kaiba figures out what he's talkin' about. He glares at me like it's all my fault.  Oh wait, it is.  "Just tell him already, Kaiba."

He looks like he wants to argue, but in the end he nods at me and goes back to his brother.   "You were right about Joey.  That dumb mutt is still around," he admits.

"Ha!  I knew it!"

So, yeah, he knows.  Can't see me, but he knows.

Mokuba's an amazing kid.  A normal kid would be running away screaming by now.  I forget he's a Kaiba sometimes, but he's as sharp as his brother, sharper even.  When he grows up, he's gonna be really something.  Just amazing, and I mean 'good amazing', not 'Seto Kaiba crazy freak amazing'.

I'm disappearing a little more each day.  Just a little bit, but Kaiba can tell and so can I.  We've tried everything and none of it's doing the job.  The one with the cow blood and feathers was kinda fun, though.  There's some ancient Egyptian rituals that sorta look like what we want, but huge chunks of the instructions are missing.  We can't even guess at it.

So right now I'm lyin' on the couch in the living room, feeling lousy, while Kaiba yells at me.  Again.

"Just give that worthless Egyptian whatever the hell he wants and let him help you!"  We've gone over this like ten times already.

"NO!"

"Then just tell me what he wants, Wheeler, and I'll give it to him!"

"NO!  How many times do I hafta say it, Kaiba!?  NO.  FUCKING.  WAY!"

"You pathetic, flea-bitten cur, LOOK AT YOURSELF!"

"Uh, big brother?"  Mokuba's flipping through a book on voodoo or something, looking kinda hurt.

Kaiba shuts up and goes to him.  "I'm sorry, Mokuba, I didn't mean you."  He ruffles his brother's hair.  "Have you found anything?"

"No..."  This must be pretty hard on the kid.  He's got a lotta faith in his big brother.  Mokuba can't see me or hear me.

The phone rings and Kaiba shoots me a look before he picks up.  "Kaiba."

Pause.

He's not happy.  "Are you sure?  This isn't a good time."

Pause.

"Fine.  I'll be there in twenty minutes."  He hangs up the phone, takes a breath, and calls for a limo to pick him up.  He grabs his trench coat and heads for the front door, picking up his briefcase along the way.

Hang on, he's not supposed to be goin' anywhere!  "What's up, Kaiba?"

"Big brother?"

Kaiba unlocks the door.  "I'm sorry, but I have to go to work."

Go to work!?  I leap off the couch.  Makes me dizzy, but I hide it.  "You're freakin' nuts!  There's some guy runnin' around tryin' to kill you!"  I yell.

"But you can't!" argues Mokuba.

"I have to.  The company needs me."

"The company can go fuckin' screw itself for all I care, Kaiba!  Stay!"

He smirks.  "Interesting mental image, Wheeler, but physically impossible."

Mokuba looks at his brother and tries to figure out what he's replying to.  "Whatever Joey said!" he agrees firmly.  Mokuba's a great kid.

Kaiba glares at him.  "I hope not, Mokuba, or I'll have to wash your mouth out."  And then he glares at me.  "You, too.  Watch your language around my little brother."

"You can't do anything about it if you don't stay, big brother!"

It's worse than that.  "Ya can't do anything about it if you're dead, Kaiba!  That guy's still out there!"

"I have no choice, you two!  If I miss another day, Kaiba Corp. is finished!"

"You can't work anyway!  You look worse than I do!"

"I sincerely doubt that, dog-boy."

"...Big brother..."

Kaiba kneels down so he can look Mokuba in the eye.  "I'm really sorry, little brother, but I really don't have a choice in the matter," he says softly.  "You'll be safe here while I'm away.  I'll be back, don't worry."

"But-"

He gets up and opens the door.  "I'll see you later, I promise."

And then he leaves.

I wanna follow him.  The guy's runnin' on coffee and toast.  He's gonna get hit by a car or something.

But I'm in bad shape.  Getting worse.  If I go...

"Joey?"

Is Mokuba talking to me?  I look at him.  He's lookin'... everywhere.  "Yeah, kiddo?"

"I know I can't hear you, and I don't know if you can hear me, but Seto says you can.  I hope you can," Mokuba tells the room in general.  He looks at his feet.  "Big brother won't say it, but... but I don't think we'll find anything in time to help you, Joey.  He's trying so hard and he can't do it."

I sorta figured that.  Kaiba's going nuts.  He hates it when he can't do something.  "It's okay, Mokuba."

Mokuba goes back to his chair and hugs his knees.  "...I've never seen him like this before, never...  I know he's not crazy.  I know you're really here... but...  he shouldn't be going out there alone!" he cries.  "I want him to come back."

Ya know what?  So do I.  'Cause Mokuba likes him.

"I...  I'm scared, Joey.  What if he doesn't come back?  What if that man tries to kill..."  He's starting to whimper a little.  Poor kid.  "He's always been there, we've always been together..."  I can see the tears running down his face.  "...What if he doesn't come back, Joey?  What do I do?"

You're such a prick, Seto Kaiba.  Yeah, your job's important, but you just made your brother cry.  What's goin' on in your head?

I make a decision.  It's an easy one.  "Don't worry 'bout it, kiddo."  I stand in front of his little huddled body and make a promise.  "Joey'll make sure he doesn't get himself killed.  I'll go get his stupid ass and drag him back here."

Kickin' and screamin' if I have to.

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