"Yugi, I'm leaving, okay?" Grandpa called up the stairs, suitcase beside him. "Be good, alright?" he waited for an answer.

The answer never came. Upstairs, no sound was made to acknowledge that Yugi had heard. Grandpa cocked his head. That was strange. Yugi always answered. Had Yugi not heard?

"Yugi, I'm leaving," Grandpa repeated.

Again, nothing was made to acknowledge that Yugi had heard. Grandpa put down the bag that he had around his shoulder and went back up the stairs. He moved slowly because he felt a slight tension in the air. It wasn't suffocating, and it may have just been because he didn't know where Yugi was or why Yugi wasn't responding, but he still felt the tension.

"Yugi?" Grandpa asked as he stuck his head inside Yugi's door.

Yugi was lying on his bed and when Grandpa called, Yugi lifted up to see his grandfather. He forced a pained smile for Grandpa in an effort to show he was okay even though Yugi felt horrible. Grandpa knew better though. Grandpa crossed over to Yugi and sat down on the bed.

"Yugi, are you feeling badly?" Grandpa asked.

"A little," Yugi confessed. "But I'm sure it was just something I ate. You don't have to stay home with me."

Grandpa disregarded the last two comments. Yugi hadn't eaten anything out of the ordinary, and Grandpa had made everything as well that day and the day before. So, it couldn't have something Yugi had eaten. Grandpa pressed his palm on Yugi's forehead. Yugi groaned. He knew what was coming.

"Yugi, you've got a fever," Grandpa stated, standing to his feet. "I'll go unpack my bags."

"No, I'll be okay, please," Yugi pleaded, grabbing Grandpa's shirt. "Don't cancel your trip."

"Yugi, I'll get another chance to go someday," Grandpa stated, turning back to Yugi.

"Please, don't cancel your trip," Yugi repeated. "You said yourself that it was an once-in-a-lifetime thing. You said that you'll probably never get to go again unless you go this year. I don't want you to miss out on this because of me. Please, go, I'll be okay."

"Yugi, I can't leave you alone with a fever and I can't take you with me," Grandpa told Yugi sternly. "The only other option is for me to stay here with you."

"Isn't there someone we can call?" Yugi desperately asked. "Someone, anyone? Isn't there someone who can take your place here?"

"No Yugi, there isn't," Grandpa shook his head. "There are your friends," Yugi's eyes lightened, "but they can't take care of you. I'm sorry, it's not that I don't trust them, but this is something best handled by an adult."

"Then what about the parents of one of my friends?" Yugi inquired wildly.

"That would be intruding Yugi," Grandpa explained. "Look Yugi, I'm just glad I was invited to go, but your health comes first. Now, I'll just go downstairs and unpack, and you stay up here and rest until I return, okay?"

Yugi mumbled something and laid back down.

Grandpa sighed as he went back down the stairs. He had been looking forward to the conference. Figures something like this would happen the day he was supposed to leave. He didn't blame his grandson for this; it wasn't his fault. Everyone knows you cannot control when you are sick. Grandpa cursed his luck. Unlike his grandson, he did not have any good luck in him. Not a lucky bone in his body. He just hoped that he really could go later in his life. Really, this was truly a one-time deal. Yugi had the luck he might be able to go many times, but Grandpa, no, he wasn't that lucky.

Grandpa was just starting to unzip the suitcase when the phone rang. Grandpa stood back up to his full height and went to the phone and answered it.

"Game Shop," Grandpa answered.

"Grampa? Is that you?" a female voice sprang over the line.

"Yes," Grandpa responded. "Who is this?"

"Oh, silly me, how could I expect you to remember after all these years," the female chuckled. "It's me, Rae."

"Rae? Is that really you? My goodness, it's been so long, I didn't recognize you," Grandpa smiled from ear to ear.

"Yes, I know," Rae's voice grinned. "Hey, look, I have to cut this short, I'm on a payphone, but I'm in town and was wondering if I could come by and visit."

"Oh, well, you have pretty bad timing," Grandpa explained. "See, I was just about to leave on a trip, but Yugi suddenly became ill, and he's not really up to visitors. I would allow you to talk to just me, but I know that Yugi would be mad."

"Oh, was your trip the Duel Monsters conference?" Rae wondered.

"Yes, how'd you know?" Grandpa sputtered.

"Yugi mentioned something about it in his last e-mail," Rae shrugged.

"Oh, I see, well, I'm not going this year," Grandpa sighed. "I have to stay home and take care of Yugi."

"Well," Rae drawled as if she were thinking, "I don't have to be anywhere. I could take care of Yugi while you go to the conference."

"Really? You would do that?" Grandpa jumped up, excited.

"Of course," Rae smiled. "Do you guys still live at the Kame Game Shop?"

"Yep," Grandpa bobbed his head.

"Great, then I'll be there in a few minutes," Rae stated.

"Is it alright if I go ahead and leave?" Grandpa asked, zipping back his suitcase. "I have to be leaving now if I'm to make my plane."

"Sure, I'll see you when you get back," Rae agreed.

"Yugi'll be here," Grandpa instructed as he picked his bags back up. "He can let you in. I've left him some money, but I'll leave a little more for you too. His is in an envelope in the cookie jar. Your's will be on the table under the key rack. Of course, you can combine them. I just didn't plan on two people."

"Yes, I got it, I'm almost out of time," Rae informed.

"Oh, yes, okay, well, the rest should be obvious," Grandpa stated, rushed. "I'll see you when I get back. Bye."

"Bye," Rae agreed and hung up.

Grandpa clicked off the phone and went back to the bottom of the stairs.

"Yugi!" he called.

Yugi poked his head out the door to his room, noting the happy tone in his grandpa's voice.

"Rae's coming to take care of you, that was her on the phone," Grandpa told the teen. "She'll be here in just a little while, so I'm expecting you to open the door for her," he picked up his shoulder bag. "So be good, and I'll call to see how things are going when I get to the hotel. I'll see you in a few weeks."

And with that, Grandpa was out the door, after leaving Rae some money, leaving a bewildered Yugi looking after him.