Disc.: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!, and I am not claiming that I do.

Chapter 3

"Why don't you just shut up and leave me alone already?!" Bobby screamed.

"Robert, where's the money?! You spent it on gambling, didn't you?"

"Oh come on! It's my money to do what I want with it!"

"You have a responsibility to this family. You're supposed to be the provider, but you provide nothing but misery for me and the kids! You spend all the money- even MY money- on gambling, cigarettes and alcohol! What kind of father would do that to his children?" Mary yelled, tearing up.

"Oh don't even start! Don't you DARE cry! I'll give you a reason to cry!" Bobby threatened.

"Joey...why do momma and daddy fight all the time?" Serenity asked, looking at her big brother.

"I dunno. They don't agree I guess." Joey shrugged, playing Nintendo in the living room. He was used to their arguments. They always argued, and yelled. They always yelled at him too. Their mom stormed out of the kitchen into the living room.

"C'mon Joey, Serenity, I'm taking you to school now."

"Yay!" Serenity jumped up excited. She was in Jr. Kindergarten so of course she loved it. She only played, ate and napped. It was just like home. She had lots of friends, and everyone liked her. Joey on the other hand was in grade one. He didn't like it at all. He didn't have many friends, and people said he was annoying or a bully.

"Momma, I don't think I feel good today." Joey lied.

"Joseph you're going to school." His mother didn't even look at him as she helped Serenity into her coat, and handed her lunch pail to her. She then gave Joey his. His had Ninja turtles on it, and Serenity's had My Little Pony.

"Bye, bye daddy!" Serenity ran to give her father a hug. Joey followed, but both were given the cold shoulder.

"Get away from me!" Bob glared puffing his cigarette.

"Jeez, chill out, daddy." Joey sulked.

"Joseph, don't talk to daddy like that. It's rude." His mother said sharply. "Now let's go."

"Why can he be mean to us, but I can't be mean back?" Joey asked, following his mom.

"Because. Your father is setting a rude and horrible example." She buckled Serenity up in the back seat, and then made sure Joey had buckled himself in (as sometimes he felt it appropriate to not do up his seat belt).

Bobby glared at the window watching his wife leave to take the kids to school and then go to work herself. Yeah, he should be going to work too, but his boss could kiss his ass. He had a hangover from last night and was waiting for it to go away.

It was really stressful having two kids, and needing to work to provide for the family. He needed to make time for himself too! Was that so bad? Mary couldn't really expect him to just sacrifice all his time to her and the kids! He had friends to see and needed to relax just as much as she did. What was the difference between him going out for a few beers or whatever with friends, and her going out to tea with hers? Or going to a casino or playing poker- how was that different from her going to play bridge or some dumb board game with her friends?

"But I don't come home drunk and owing money." She would say. She was such a nag. Maybe a drink before work would put him in better spirits for the day...

It was around 4 o'clock when Mary and the kids walked through the door. Bobby listened to shoes being pulled off and coats being hung up. He stayed on the couch, and took another swig of his drink.

"I drew a pony today! I drew Lickity Split from My Little Pony! The teacher said it was pretty! She put it out in the hall! Did you see it Joey?" Serenity asked.

"Yeah." Joey sounded sad.

"I can't believe I had to talk to your teacher again Joseph. Why do you act so badly at school? Are you bad Joey?" Bobby could tell his wife was pissed.

"No momma. I don't wanna be..." Joey said.

"Good, because I don't raise bad children- but I still have to tell your daddy when he gets home."

"Aw, momma!" Joey pleaded. "I promise I'll be good!"

"DADDY!" Serenity squealed. "Momma, I found daddy on the couch! Hi daddy!" Serenity hugged him awkwardly, and he sat up, having been found out.

"Robert?! Why are you here?"

"I... didn't go to work." He shrugged. "I hear Joey did something bad."

"I'll get to that in a minute. Why didn't you go to work?" She eyed him suspiciously. He didn't seem sober...

"I called in sick." He lied. He had actually spent the entire day lying on the couch drinking beer.

"Oh Bobby." Mary sighed. "As for Joey, his teacher asked to see me today. Joey doesn't do his work in class, hits other children and he argues with the teacher. He's very disrespectful and rude."

"Momma, I'm not!" Joey pouted. He acted the same way to other kids and his teacher as his daddy acted to everyone. Daddy wasn't bad, he's a daddy.

"What do ya want me to do about it?" Bobby asked seriously. Mary was a bit off guard. He normally said 'whatever' and left her to dish out the punishment.

"What?"

"Well obviously you want me to punish him."

"Well, yes maybe if you do it, he'll listen better." She knew Joey typically listened to Bobby before her, but she wasn't sure if Bobby would come up with a good punishment. Maybe he'd take away his Nintendo, or T.V privileges- maybe even take away dessert. That was what she preferred to do. Unfortunately he would more then likely just send him to his room, but that wasn't punishment because he had toys in there.

"Well, I guess there's only one way to deliver the message." Bobby stood up and with a wobble in his walk, made a way to his son. "STOP BEING A SHIT HEAD!" He screamed boxing the boy's ears.

"OW! DADDY!" Joey cried, tears falling from his eyes. His dad had hit him before, but normally just a smack or a punch to get Joey away from him, or to not touch something. He had never full force hit him. Joey thought he had been hit so hard his eyes stopped working.

"If you can't learn to behave, you're going to get smacked upside the head. It's that simple, even a stupid idiot like you can understand that!" he picked the child up and slammed him into the wall. A family portrait fell off the wall, the glass shattering when it made contact with the floor.

"Momma, daddy's crazy!" Serenity cried, hugging her mom's legs.

"Robert, that's not what I meant! Stop! STOP!" Mary panicked. Bobby ignored her, and grabbed the little boy by the nape of his neck. He threw him into the couch and then undid his belt, pulling it off.

"This is how my pops use to do things." He cracked the belt against Joey, causing the boy to scream.

"Robert, STOP!"

"Momma! Make him stop!" Joey cried, scared. He curled up into a little ball, as if that would make the experience less painful. Serenity buried her face in her mom's legs. Who was this man who looked like her daddy? Her daddy wasn't scary! Bob hit Joey two more times with the belt before Mary finally slapped him across the face. He glared at her.

"The shit?! You TOLD me to do it!"

"I didn't mean HURT him! I don't believe in that sort of punishment! I just thought if you told him what he was doing was bad or something..." Joey was lying on the floor staring at his parents. His pupils were like pinpoints and tears were flowing out of his eyes like rivers. He was panting and shaking. "Joey, go to your room, ok? Serenity you go too." The two children quietly went to their room that they shared, holding hands.

"What has gotten into you?" Mary demanded, as Bobby nonchalantly put his belt back on.

"Nothing, what's up your ass?"

"You HIT your son. Your SON. Does that not seem wrong?"

"Meh, my pop hit me ALL the time. My ma never said shit. I even went easy on him- I didn't hit bare skin." Bobby shrugged. "Side's, you're the one that was like "punish him" and shit. I'm going out."

"What? You're going out? Now? We're not finished here!" Mary tried to stand in his way. She was simply pushed aside.

"I'm going, and don't wait up." Bobby slammed the door behind him. Mary sighed exasperated and shook her head. No use worrying about him. She decided it was best to check on her children.

"Serenity? Joey? May I come in?" She asked knocking on their door. It had a little blue puppy with Joey's name on it and a pink kitten with Serenity's. She waited for a response, while wondering why she was forcing her children into such basic gender schema. Everything of Joey's was blue and puppies. Always had been. Serenity had always had pink things and kittens. "Hello?"

"Yes momma. You can come in!" Serenity opened the door. "Me and Joey were making a fort to hide in."

"Why were you making a fort?" She looked at Joey, who didn't look like he was actually participating in the fort making, but was having this fort made around him. His face was red and tears were drying on his cheeks.

"To hide from the man who isn't daddy! Joey is hurt momma, you have to kiss him better!"

"I don't want any kisses! And I don't want any stupid fort!" Joey threw the pillows, blankets and stuffed animals that were his fortress onto the floor. "I just wanna be alone!" Serenity's eyes started to water. Everyone was being so angry today!

"Joey, I'm sorry. Your daddy just doesn't understand what he does sometimes." His mom hesitated to touch him, worried he may lash out. He was like his father in a lot of ways. Too much like him. She decided it may be better to just leave him alone. "I'll talk to him when he gets home. Why don't you two come eat some dinner?" She took his hand and led him to the door. The children sat at the table in silence as she fixed up their plates with some quick, microwavable food.

How could Bobby be so selfish? Serenity was a sickly child, and they needed all the money they could have to pay for her medical bills. If they didn't, Serenity may lose her eye sight! It was possible she would lose it anyway, but still, she wanted to make the effort. Then there was Joey. He wasn't exactly in perfect health either. She had to buy him Ritalin. Without it- well she didn't want to think about the horrors his teachers or her self would endure. Joey suffered mildly of F.A.E thus having behavior and social problems. He would throw temper tantrums, he was distractible, extremely impulsive, he was hyperactive and had poor abstracting and social skills. But she supposed a lot of that might have been from his environment. He had been raised quite differently then Serenity. Mary had more experience and was more mature when she had Serenity, and she planned on doing everything the right way that time. With Joey... she hated to admit it but she had kind of given up on him...

It just blew her mind that someone whose children depended on him to help support them would just blow all his money on useless and unhealthy things. Shouldn't being a father come first?

"MOMMA!" Joey yelled loudly. Mary suddenly realized she'd been spacing out, holding his and her own food.

"Oh sorry." She sat between the children. Serenity had already began eating (she was always given a head start because she was the slowest eater, because she talked more then ate) and was telling her mother more about her day. Mary hardly heard a word that came from her daughter, although she would typically hold these moments in high regard. Your kids will only be young and want to share with you for so long, before they hide everything from you. But she couldn't help but think of her husband. Where was he? Why was he being like this? Was there someone else?

It was almost 5 am when he finally stumbled in. Mary became wide awake when he flopped onto the bed.

"Do you have any idea what time it is?!"

"Nope... Sleep now." Bobby muttered. Mary wrinkled her nose. He reeked of smoke and alcohol.

"No, Robert, talk to me. What is going on? Why are you being like this?"

"Mary, I jis like t'ang out wiff friends, izzadda crime?" he slurred.

"We've been over this 100 times! I don't buy a word of it. You're becoming an alcoholic! Please stop!" She pleaded with him. He looked at her, blue eyes penetrating her brown ones.

"Ok Mary... Because I love you, I'll cut back." He said, sounding sober and serious. Those words made Mary feel happier then she had in a long time. He hadn't told her he loved her in so long. She hugged him, almost crying, feeling she could forgive him for anything and everything.

"Thank you!"

End of Ch.3

I hope people are picking up on all the things that (could) make Joey the character we all know. Not just with Bobby either, but with Mary as well. Next chapter is the one you're probably waiting for... so keep reading! It's good for you!

Review please!