Author's notes: Gracious, I'd forgotten to mention that this story takes place between the Duel Tower and Orichalcos episodes. I'd also forgotten the disclaimer saying that I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. Nor Cheerios. Warnings include language, character musings, and preposterous usage of business terms. Heh!

OIOIOIO

The next morning, Tristan set out scribbling a "To Do" list for the day. It read:

Grocery Shopping

Clean garage

Take Blankey to vet for checkup

Call Bakura

Call Kaiba

Calling Kaiba. Lord, what was Joey ON when he suggested to consult THIS guy? Tristan knew that Kaiba, with his snooty and uncomprimising ways, would consider this type of charity beneath his dignity. Attempting to even have a decent conversation with him was a lost cause...

Tristan decided to abandon his train of thought in favor of breakfast. After gathering all of the necessary ingredients for cereal, he sat himself at the table, and poured out the last of the Cheerios and milk. Dang. Now he'd have to get more at the grocery store.

Speaking of lost causes, Tristan thought, what possessed him to think that he was capable of making it to the second round of a Duel Monsters Tournament, let alone WINNING it? The last time he actually played the game was in Noa's virtual world, and he lost every single duel 1. With or without Bakura's help, there is no way to turn a bigtime loser into a champion overnight. For sure, he'd have to kiss that tournament prize money good-bye. Thus, his only option of getting ANY money of such high caliber, short of winning the lottery, was Kaiba.

... But of course, Kaiba would reject the idea the minute Tristan delivered it that is, if he was even given the chance to. Then again, it was awful presumptuous to expect anyone, even Kaiba, to pony up the cash for something that had NOTHING to do with his interests whatsoever...

Youchies. Tristan's head was beginning to hurt. He finished up his soggy cereal and found himself hungry. Still. He sighed cereal does NOT a man's breakfast make. The Cabeza Early Bird Special, on the other hand, was sacred material to breakfast-goers.

He grew somber at this. How ironic it was to so casually bring up the object of his worries. Cabeza's Kitchen was, for one of many aspects, his home away from home. The place was more like a diner than a restaurant Tristan just called it a restaurant out of habit and he found the casual atmosphere to be comforting.

But honestly, what made the diner so close to Tristan's heart were the owners, Mr. and Mrs. Cabeza. A really nice couple, they pretty much ran the joint by themselves. Ever since he served as kitchen help, they had treated Tristan like one of their own. So when Tristan was informed that the diner would be closing in a couple of months, he was more than a little perturbed.

"What will you do after closing, Mrs. Cabeza?" asked Tristan, his concern rising.

"Don't know, son," she replied. "We'll probably collect some unemployment checks, and look for restaurant help-wanteds. It won't be so bad. Besides, Anthony and I are approaching retirement age, anyway!" she finished, laughing.

At that, Tristan could barely fake a smile. He knew that with unemployment on the rise, and social security down the crapper, the couple would have a hard time adjusting after closing down.

They might never recover from the loss...

That was when Tristan decided to embark on a quest to keep Cabeza's Kitchen running.

He considered the predicament: Business had been slow, and although the slump had recently lifted, the Cabezas no longer had sufficient funds to pay for rental fees and supplies. So far, every attempt to gather the funds had failed.

Nevertheless, Tristan would do whatever it took to get the money to keep the diner alive, whether it meant entering a conveniently-placed tournament to win the sizable cash prize, or groveling before the President of a popular gaming corporation. He would find a way.

Of course, it was then that he was splashed with a bucket of reality, ice-cold, and he realized that the endeavor would be harder than originally intended no matter how determined he was.

Which brings him back to the present: WOULD he win the Duel Monster's Tournament? WOULD he be convincing enough to Kaiba? Fat Chance, he thought bitterly. Why BOTHER if he'd only set himself up for failure...

But wait. He remembered what Joey had told him yesterday; what was it? That he was sealing himself in a shell of self-doubt? Huh, easy for Joey to say; at least Tristan had legitimate reasons for his doubts. Furthermore, Tristan's plans were embarassing enough as it was. Thus, he had to face failure AND humiliation. Peachy KEEN.

And then Tristan remembered that Joey had once said that he'd do whatever he could for his loved ones, even if it meant rolling around in mud for them 2.

Sacrificing everything, even dignity, for the people you love? Yugi had done it for his grandfather. For Joey, his sister. Couldn't Tristan do the same for Mr. and Mrs. Cabeza? Even if it meant facing said failure and humiliation?

If he couldn't do it for himself, Tristan decided, then he'd do it for them.

OIOIOIO

Perched high in Domino City's downtown district was the spacious domain of KaibaCorp. Inside, a receptionist took advantage of her free time to catch up on her magazines. Suddenly, an all-too familiar ringtone interrupted her concentration. Issuing a small groan, she punched the button for Line 1.

"KaibaCorp, this is Shannon, how may I help you?" she stated.

"Hi, this is Tristan Taylor. I'd like to arrange an appointment this week for Seto Kaiba, please."

"Sir, Mr. Kaiba is booked for the next three months. He won't be available until September 15th."

Tristan's heart sank. Cabeza's Kitchen would have closed by then.

"Uh, in that case, may I be connected to his direct line? I... want to discuss a fundraising effort with him."

"One moment, please." The line went silent.

And Tristan waited. A few moments later, he greeted by a frigidly stern voice:

"What is it, Taylor."

Well, HEY now. Kaiba actually took his call. And remembered his NAME, too! Surely, Armageddon was afoot. Either way, Tristan had to ask for the favor. It was now or never.

"Um, hi... Have you ever considered investing in other businesses?" asked Tristan. He deliberately refrained from mentioning Kaiba's name. He wanted to be as civil as possible, but he'll be damned if he'd ever address Kaiba as 'Mister.'

Silence. "No."

Tristan was feeling odder by the second. How could he possibly phrase this?

"Suppose for charitable purposes, you'd fund a struggling business to enable our dragging economy," said Tristan. Whew, he thought. When it came to bullshitting, he could do it pretty good.

"You want me to funnel money into an establishment to keep it in business."

"...Yes. Cabeza's Kitchen on 14th Avenue," Tristan said, softly. "It's just a loan," he added. "I could pay it off in increments!" Tristan wouldn't mind being in debt for the next 75 years much.

More silence. "I've sponsored an upcoming Duel Monsters Tournament. You should register."

"I've heard," said Tristan, surprised. "And I'm already registered."

"How fortunate. Then you can gather the necessary funds by winning it. Good day." With a click and a delayed hum of dialtone, it was over.

Tristan breathed a sigh of relief. That went better than expected. At least Kaiba was polite. And he remembered his name! A two-for-one package, thought Tristan, grinning despite himself.

So winning the Tournament was his only available option left. Okay, that was where Bakura would come in. Tristan really hated to bother Bakura over a trivial issue like card games. And having to admit that he sucked at said card games wasn't appealing either. Then again, it'd be nice to spend time with Bakura again... Wait, he did NOT just say that!

Besides, if Bakura was busy, he'd say so, Tristan thought. Self-assured, he pulled out the Student Directory, and dialed Bakura's listed number.

"Bakura, hi, it's Tristan... Yeah, it's been a while, huh? So how's Summer break been? ... Uh huh ... Yeah, I saw it, wasn't too bad, actually... Oh! Okay, you know of the Second Annual Duel Monsters Tournament? It's held at the KaibaCorp Dueling Arena... Really? And you're not going? ... Huh, you're telling me...

"... My point? Heh, well, I need to ask you a huge favor; see, I've actually signed up for the Tournament... Yeah... Anyway, I'm not the best duelist in the world, so I was wondering if you could give me some pointers...

"... Really? You can? ...

"... You don't have to do that, you can just tell me over the phone... All right, then I'll bring lunch pizza good? What kind? ... Yeah, I think I got the address okay, I'll just check out the Directory... So I'll see you tomorrow, then... Bye."

Tristan had to smile. Small-talking with Bakura was sorta fun, just like old times at Duelist Kingdom. Now that he thought about it, for some reason, Bakura just had this bizarre calming effect on him. But of course, Tristan remembered that behind that gentle personality lay a mysterious, even sinister presence. That ring he wore on that necklace of his...

Tristan shook his head. Ugh, he was thinking way too much for his own good. Besides, he had other chores to complete for the day.

"Oh, BLANKEY!" He called, searching for his pet dog. "Guess who's taking a trip to the vet today!"

Continued...

OIOIOIO

Afterthoughts:

1 With all my sources, I know that Tristan has technically dueled at least twice in the Noa arc. The first one, with Duke and Serenity against that... machine... guy... I think his name was Nezbet. And the second one, against Yugi and others when he was possessed by the Big 5. He lost in both. Big deal, Tristan's still cool, dammit!

2 I recall Joey saying this in a translated version of the manga, circa Duelist Kingdom. Scanlation websites rule! Many thanks, Jenniyah and Janime!

Thank you's: Hey, I really appreciate all the reviews! As Filbert said, "It keeps me going." (From Rocko's Modern Life: Anyone remember that cartoon? No? Aww...)

Jaye-R Scarab: Gah, THANK YOU! I'm trying to go for everything that you said about my story! Yay, yay, yay! slaps self whoo... So happy... By the way, for "All Downhill From Here," I believe Tea should be paired with Malik. Hands down.

Nanashi2: My story got added to your favorites? Ahhhh! What an honor! And to hear compliments coming from you... damn... And you are absolutely right, Tristan's a totally underappreciated character. Tristan fans, unite! Heh, by the way, I made an error in my review for "If Only I knew": I meant to say "Don't worry about the shortness or FORMALITY of it," not "Don't ... shortness or familiarity of it. Better get my eyes checked! And yes, I'm nerdy enough to check my own reviews. .

Little-kei: WHASSUUUP! Thanks so much for your review! Yeah, my chapter was a little short, but for some reason, I find long fics so hard to read. My attention span can't last that long! XX All right, for you, this chapter's more substantial than the last! I think the next chapter will be even longer! Hehehe! Also, thanks, I try to portray the characters as accurately as possible, though I feel that Yami Bakura will be a little off-kilter. Kaiba, too. Ack! Oh, and as for Tristan/Bakura and Joey/Kaiba possibilities, you'll just have to wait and see.

Peace!