all disclaimers apply as usual
A short while later, the announcement was made for boarding of their flight. Luckily for Yami, he was the first to stand. The others immediately noticed the little flourescent orange sticker on his back.
"Hey, you lost?" Joey snickered.
"What?" Yami replied.
"That's what it says...hmm, trying to escape back to Egypt and away from this cold trip eh?" Joey continued as he read the rest of it. The others laughed despite themselves...even grandpa!
Meanwhile Bakura remained seated with a smug grin of satisfaction.
Tea kindly removed the sticker and showed Yami what it read. Yami said nothing, but his glare towards the tomb robber spoke death in a thousand ways.
Bakura put on his crooked halo act. "What? You're accusing me?"
"Guilty until proven innocent." Yami replied, letting the thief know that he still believed in the ancient concept of justice.
"It was well worth it." Bakura remarked as he stood. Looking at Tea, he seemed to soften somewhat. He left the magazine he'd stolen on the seat. "Feel better?" he asked her.
"No, but it's a start."
Grandpa followed behind them all, making sure nobody was left behind.
Once on the plane, Joey and Tristan grabbed a seat together. The tomb robber tried to sneak all the way to the back of the plane, away from everyone, but the pharaoh snagged him and dragged him back with the others. Grandpa told Tea it would be best if she sat between the thief and the pharoah for precautionary measures as Grandpa himself, sat on the outside of Joey and Tristan, so that those two could not act up too much.
Within minutes, they were airborne and en route to the midwest United States.
Yami, bored, closed his eyes for some sleep. Bakura stared out the window, marvelling at what he could do if he stole a plane of this size, and Tea simply sighed a breath of relief. Perhaps this flight wouldn't be so bad afterall.
In the row behind them, Joey and Tristan were playing with some jumping beans Joey had bought at a souvenier shop prior to going to the game shop.
"Heheh, hey! Where'd it go!?" Joey said as a bean jumped.
Tristan missed it too. "Eh?"
"It's at your crotch Trist."
"No way!" Tristan said as he looked. Sure enough the bean had landed there.
"Heheh, must be a female bean." Joey mocked as Tristan grabbed the bean and flicked it at Joey's cheek.
"Then she's all yours." Tristan replied.
Moments later, the beans became a bore and Joey found another distraction...pestering the tomb robber seated behind him. He pushed the button on the side of the arm rest and tilted his seat all the way back...bumping the thief's knees in the process.
"You pathetic excuse for a---" Bakura started, but Tea swiftly grabbed the nearest ear and twisted hard.
"Don't start."
"Ow, Fine. Just tell him to give me some space."
"Joey, be nice."
Joey did as was requested but looked from the crack between the seat and the window. He mouthed 'baby' to the thief who quickly kicked the chair in front of him.
Grandpa had a plan. He stood and made the excuse to use the bathroom. Once in back of the plane he asked the flight attendant for three drinks. Without her noticing, he slipped one pill in each of the drinks and stirred then brought them back.
"Here, Joey, Tristan, Bakura. Maybe these'll quiet you three down."
"Don't you all want some too?" Joey asked.
"We'll get ours in a minute."
Joey accepted that answer and all three downed their glasses of sodas. Twenty minutes later all three were sleeping like peaceful babies.
"What did you put in those drinks Mr. Motou?" Tea asked as she tipped Bakura's head away and used a napkin to wipe away the drool on her arm.
"Sleeping pills...prescription strength. I had a feeling they'd be like that and it's a VERY long flight."
"I see. Should be peaceful now. How long will they be out?"
" About three hours. By then, we'll be switching planes. There's a meal served on the next flight so I can add pills then to finish the flight to America. I guess Yami's out all by himself?"
"He's sound asleep I guess. None of this has even phased him." Tea remarked.
"Guess I won't have to give him one then. I figured he'd behave himself anyway. But, I had one for him too, just to be on the safe side."
And for the rest of the trip, Grandpa and Tea enjoyed the flight in relative peace and quiet.
The others were groggily coming too as the pills were wearing off just as the plane was descending for Hawaii. From there, they would grab a flight to Salt Lake City, Utah. Only Yami was still out.
"Tea, wake Yami please." Grandpa asked. But, before she could, Bakura jumped at the opportunity. He reached over Tea and smacked the pharaoh hard across the cheek.
"Wake up loser."
Tea shoved the thief back into his seat just as Yami snapped to and tried to figure out what had just whacked him.
"Sorry Yami. I hadn't expected such rudeness." Tea said as she glared at the tomb robber, who simply shrugged like nothing was the matter.
Inwardly, Yami's mind began to formulate ways to get even with the thief. He'd not let such disrespectful behavior go unpunished.
In front of them, Joey and Tristan were busy wiping drool off themselves.
Soon, the plane landed and they were off to find their next connection. Yami stopped to gaze out the window of the airport. There was sun, heat, and a tropical setting, almost like one huge oasis.
"This is winter? I thought it was cold?"
"We're not there yet Yami. This is Hawaii, a tropical island." Tea corrected.
"Can I remain here? I can simply meet back up with you all upon your transfer on the return trip."
"No." Grandpa said outwardly, while Yugi said the same thing inwardly.
Yami shrugged it off. It was worth a shot. Bakura had stopped and listened to the conversation. For once, he and the pharaoh agreed. It would be better for them here. But, Yugi's grandfather's answer meant not even the pharaoh's luck was with them this day.
All continued onward to their next boarding gate and took a seat.
"Hey Tristan, do you remember much about that flight? Didn't it seem so short?" Joey asked as something finally dawned on him.
"You're right Joey. I don't remember it being this short before when we went to Vegas...of course we didn't stop in Hawaii either."
"Still...I don't even remember being served peanuts! Last thing I remember is jumping beans and Bakura kicking my chair."
Grandpa and Tea chuckled lightly. Even Bakura was sporting a bewildered look as he too, tried to recollect the flight. All three young men stared over at Yami for some explanation. Usually the ancient ruler had a good answer.
"Don't look at me. I was asleep through the whole thing." Yami replied.
Tea and Grandpa snickered once again.
"Joey, you slept as well. All of you boys were out." Tea answered.
"Hmm...that's weird. I don't usually sleep through flights." Joey commented, but shrugged it off.
Shortly after, the call to board their next flight was announced. Yami, paranoid about stickers now, checked his back, much to everyone's amusement. Kings had a natural sense of paranoia anyway and it was comical to watch such a behavior play out in their own young pharaoh.
Bakura made a mental note to find more stickers of any type soon.
This time, the plane was smaller. Only two persons per row. Grandpa mixed them up a bit in hopes of avoiding drugging the teens once again. Tristan sat beside Bakura. Joey sat beside Grandpa. And naturally, Tea got to sit beside Yami.
And off into the wild blue yonder once again!
All remained rather behaved during this shorter flight. The only hitch they had was when Bakura found out about the alcohol option. He immediately wanted some. Even Yami preferred a glass of wine over soda, but in part because soda and water went through his system so fast. And, he hated using inflight portapotties! Much to their dismay, Grandpa forbid it. He couldn't imagine the trouble those two could get into if alcohol got into their systems!
Soon, the plane began its descent. The familiar green and brown tones of the earth were replaced by black and white as snow-covered mountain peaks rose all around them. Yami and Bakura immediately shivered. To them, just looking at the ice and snow triggered their response to cold! This was going to be rather interesting.
As they got off the plane, Professor Hopkins and Rebecca met them at the airport. Tea and Rebecca had an interesting glare at one another, but it was cut off when Yami walked between them, seeking his luggage so he could dig out warmer attire. Bakura had already found his and was putting on layer after layer almost to the point that nothing was left in his luggage!
Joey and Tristan, cockily stepped beyond the two ancient Egyptians and strode straight outside to the waiting car. A gusty wisk of cold air blew just as they exited to the outdoors. Immediately both ran back inside the airport and casually opened their own luggage for warmer attire. Once all were ready, Professor Hopkins led the group out to his waiting car.
Bakura and Yami both coughed as they took in a deep breath of below zero temperatures. As they exhaled they noticed they could see their own breath. Bakura seemed strangely amused by such a feat, but quickly entered the car as soon as the door was opened. Yami was the second in as his quick reflexes urged him out of the cold as fast as possible. The other laughed as they casually entered behind the two already freezin' egyptians.
En route there, Tea explained to Rebecca how it was that she could now see the pharaoh instead of 'her Yugi.' And introduced the tomb robber as well since she had not met him previously. The two ladies talked as all the guys were tranfixed by the scenery going by. It was cold. It was tall. And it was something to be explored. Bakura and Yami, however, figured it was something to be avoided. Both could agree with one another that cold was best left to those who were adapted for it. They'd seek out the luxuries of the lodge and hotel...warm jacuzzis, hot chocolate, fine wine (yes, they were determined to get some!), crackling fires in fireplaces, and other warm, cozy comforts. Bakura was looking over brochures he'd smuggled out of grandpa's pocket and noted that there were also massages, girlie shows, and other events that could be done in the secure warmth of buildings. He pointed them out to the pharaoh, who seemed unresponsive.
"Aww, c'mon pharaoh, you can't tell me you didn't have a harem or two back then." Bakura teased.
"I don't know." Yami replied, disinterested in the thief's teasing.
Meanwhile, both Rebecca and Tea were immediately interested in the conversation, as was Joey and Tristan.
"Ooh, they got dancin' girls?" Joey asked Bakura.
"Don't know about dancing, but they have girls." Bakura replied.
Rebecca and Tea watched Yami's reaction to all this talk about girls and the innuendo to sex, but he didn't seem to have one at all.
Meanwhile, in the front seat of the car, Grandpa suddenly realized that Bakura was lookinga HIS brochures!
"Where did you get those?" he asked calmly.
"From you, remember?" Bakura replied as he tried to cover.
Yami grabbed the brochures from Bakura's hands and gave them back to Grandpa. Grandpa made a mental note to check the thief's luggage before they departed on their return trip.
Several hours later, they were at the Hopkins' abode. There they would rest for a day before departing for the ski resort.
to be continued...