Chapter 14 – The Grand Finale

Welcome everyone to the not-so-final chapter of Christmas Chaos. It's been so much fun writing this that it's hard to say good-bye. I have to tell you all that I lied. Again, my verbosity has amazed and surprised me. Hopefully no one is too upset that I have another chapter left to write for this story. Maybe even an epilogue. Depends on the weather, I guess. It's been so sunny here the last few days that I'm finding it hard to stay inside and write. Oh well, read on and enjoy. It should be a long, fun-filled ride.

Side Note: I have found my magic pencil! I brought it home with me on vacation and just found it as I started writing this chapter. That's why the last chapter took so long… I didn't have the right writing equipment.

I've also listed the complete rules for A-hole on my bio page so if you're still a little confused as to how the game was played, the rules there should explain it better.

Tristan nodded enthusiastically at Joey's amazingly psychic question about more cheesecake. 'Great minds think alike,' he figured, but first he had to play his hand. This was probably the last chance he had to play any more cards so he was going to take full advantage of it. Unless Mokuba had nothing in his hand to beat him – that would give him a reprieve and maybe let him move up to neutral status instead of duking it out with Joey over who was Idiot of the Year. If not, well, Téa would still take over her title once more. That's the way it always happened and the addition of Kaiba and Mokuba to the game hadn't really changed anything. He'd already resigned himself to having the game wind down to him and Joey playing singles against each other.

Tristan never even noticed the slight frown on Joey's face when the cheesecake question was asked.

He set down his pair of Queens over Joey's Jacks and asked, "All right, who's up for more of Téa's scrumptious cheesecake? I have a weird feeling that I won't get to play any more cards so I might as well do something useful."

"That sounds like a great idea, Tristan!" Mokuba exclaimed. "Do you want some help? I'll help you get the cheesecake. I don't mind at all. In fact, I think I will help you because Téa's cheesecake is awesome and I really, really want another slice."

Joey looked at the younger Kaiba and noticed the same look in his eyes as he himself got when there was a gallon of Heavenly Hash ice cream in his stomach. There was no way he was letting Mokuba near a knife in the state he was in. Kaiba would kill them all if Mokuba so much as got a little finger dirty let alone took a slice out of it. "No, no, Mokuba. Yer a guest here an' guests don't help wit' anyting. Tristan an' I will get de cheesecake. Besides, you still hafta play your hand out over Tristan's. Can't beat 'em if you don't play 'em." The crestfallen eyes Joey had endured at the beginning of his announcement turned quickly to eyes of joy as his mind moved a hundred miles an hour away from cheesecake back to the game at hand.

"All right, Joey, but I still get to help with clean up tomorrow, right? Since Téa won the snowball fight, she said that we have to clean everything tomorrow from the dishes to the wrapping paper, right?" Mokuba's voice was so high-pitched at this point, that Seto thought maybe he shouldn't have any more cheesecake. Then again, it was Christmas and Mokuba rarely got to indulge in treats with friends. What was he thinking? Somehow, everyone at the table had assumed a new post in his life – no longer the annoying brat pack or the nerd herd, he now thought of them as friends. He could only blame it on the Christmas spirit and the girl sitting next to him. If they hadn't gotten involved, none of this would have happened.

Funny thing was, he didn't seem to mind at all.

"Sure ting, Mokuba," Joey replied with a grin, getting up from the table with only a minimum of scraping from his chair. Tristan joined him and he headed for the fridge where the precious, sugary goodness of cheesecake was being held safe. Popping open the door, Tristan carefully reached in to pull out the plate it rested on as Joey collected their plates from the table.

"Guess it's still my turn," Mokuba said, looking around at everyone at the table. At least Seto couldn't win this hand since he'd started it. Putting down two Kings, Mokuba smiled triumphantly and his brother couldn't help but smile back at the innocent happiness his eyes showed.

"Anyone besides me, Tris and Mokuba want cheesecake?" Joey inquired, ready to pick up more plates for those still wanting to taste something chocolaty before bed. While the others deliberated, he raked the hand off to the side. It would have been nice if someone else had touched the cards but he really wanted to see the game through to its proper end without the crazy switching involved.

Téa proffered her plate to Joey with a smile. She made it so she might as well enjoy it before Joey finished it during his midnight snack run. She doubted that last weekend's lasagna had even seen the inside of the fridge before it was demolished. Joey returned her smile with one of his own and she giggled at the tongue that waggled out at her.

"What about you, Yug? You up for a little more of the good stuff?" Joey asked, watching his best friend eye his plate in serious contemplation.

"We should, Yugi. It is the Christmas season. And this cake made from cheese was exquisite. Make sure you mention that to Téa when you have an opportunity." Yami smiled wistfully at the girl sitting next to him. If only… but she was better suited with Kaiba anyways. Any fool could see the electric intensity between those two.

"Okay, Yami. Another slice it is. Big or little?" Yugi asked, easily drawing the Spirit out of his pensive mood. It wasn't good to dwell on maybes or ifs. The possibilities were endless for things that never were.

"Sure, Joey, and make it an extra big slice. The Pharaoh thought the cheesecake was exquisite, Téa." The grin he got in return, including a slight flush to her cheeks, made the whole experience worthwhile. Yami beamed in joy. What a wonderful time this Christmas was. Even Kaiba looked to be enjoying himself.

"I'm glad you liked it," she said, that winning smile still hovering on her lips as she felt Seto press his calf against hers under the table. The game was on hiatus for the moment while the cheesecake was being dealt out and he was taking a big chance with Joey standing not three feet away from them both. He couldn't lose the momentum he'd built with that little move he'd performed earlier. Seto had to try his best to keep her off balance if he had any hope at all of winning the game. But with one Joker left in his hand…

"What about you, Kaiba? You up fer anotha slice?" Joey's tone was friendly and jovial, much as he'd use with Tristan or anyone else in their little group. It was a sign that he was still holding to the truce that had been concluded in her hallway only an hour and a half before.

"I don't think…" Seto started to say before Yugi interrupted him. Turning to face the shorter Duellist next to Téa, and consequently getting to watch her shudder as his leg pressed in closer, he saw the knowing gleam in his violet eyes.

"C'mon, Kaiba. It's the Christmas season. Now is the perfect time to… indulge in sweet treats," Yugi stated and got the shock of his life once more.

Kaiba was blushing.

Only the faintest of pinks but there it was. He'd taken Yugi's statement at more than face value and gotten exactly what Yugi had meant him to understand.

He knew what was going on between him and Téa. The smug look and casual voice told Seto volumes. He smiled then, the corners of his mouth quirking up as he turned back to Joey and replied, "All right. Another slice it is. And make mine bigger than Yugi's."

"All right, Mokuba. It's still yer turn. Play yer hand an' let's get this show on de road," Joey exclaimed, sitting himself down at the table once more. Plates of cheesecake had been passed around and the action had stopped as everyone took a first bite to savour the goodness once more. He still couldn't believe that Kaiba, of all people, had wanted a huge slice of dessert. Normally, he was so reserved and icy that Joey wouldn't have even attempted asking him if he wanted it, yet something had prodded him to do it. Whether it was the Christmas spirit or some unknown psychic force, he didn't know.

There was still something fishy going on between him and Téa but he was starting to realize that it wasn't wicked in any way. If Kaiba truly were harassing her, she wouldn't have invited him to this party. Mokuba, sure, but not the eldest Kaiba if he were being as malevolent as Joey thought. Shrugging his shoulders and blowing a stray piece of hair out of his eyes, he focussed on the younger of the two Kaibas and watched him make his play.

"Okay, Joey. You asked for it," Mokuba replied gleefully. Choosing carefully, he set his hand out on the table.

Four Aces.

Mutters from around the table complained about the number of cards in the hand. Another completely unexpected move.

Where had he been hiding that? No matter, Seto had just the card to beat it. No one else even stood a chance of playing a card as he threw out his last Joker. It was time to take control of the game and finally get his victory over Téa. There was no way she could beat him now with what he had left in his hand.

"AWW man!" Joey's loud outburst echoed everyone else's somewhat quieter exclamations of outrage at the play. The plink of pennies into the bowl was continuous for a moment as Téa, Yugi, Joey and Tristan made their contributions. Kaiba just smirked smugly as he felt her foot give him a more-than-gentle kick under the table. It was the least she could do to him, until that is, she put her last trick into action…

Now…

"You shouldn't have done that," Tristan murmured just loud enough for Kaiba to hear. From his vantage point across the table, he saw the feral light gleaming in Téa's eyes as Joey swept aside the five cards. That made three Jokers out of four that had been played. He wondered if Kaiba were keeping track.

"What do you mean by that, Taylor?" Seto queried. How could anything possibly go wrong? True, there was one Joker left and he knew who had it but he still had a couple of twos to counter whatever was thrown his way. There was no way anyone could beat him in the next couple of hands. As long as he played his cards right, that is.

Too bad Téa was just starting to implement her final act of unmerciful teasing upon a poor, unsuspecting Seto Kaiba.

Crash, bang.

"Oops," Téa said, unable to keep the smile from her lips as the fork from her dessert plate hit the ground between her and Seto and bounced. Perfect landing, too. Right where she'd wanted it. As close to him as possible.

'Here it comes,' Yugi thought and heard the Pharaoh murmur in agreement. He'd seen the same light in her eyes as Tristan but he knew exactly how it was to be interpreted.

"What happened, Téa?" Joey asked, watching her turn in her seat and start to bend down to reach the floor.

"Nothing much. I just dropped my fork," she replied before bending below the edge of the table. The fork lay right under Seto's foot, which was hooked in the spindle under the chair. She couldn't have planned it better herself. Everything was going so well for her tonight. Everything. Joey and Kaiba were in truce mode, she'd won the snowball fight, she was about to win the card game and Seto was going to learn not to mess with her when it came to a regular deck of cards. She'd take him on anywhere, anytime.

"Three hands and she's done, Kaiba. You've just sealed yourself into the Vice Presidency. No way you're gonna win now," Tristan replied, meeting eyes with Kaiba and seeing them widen in incredulity. It wasn't only Tristan's words that made his eyes go so wide.

Téa Gardner was, for lack of a better phrase, feeling him up.

Well, okay not really. But close enough. With an extraordinary amount of self-control and willpower, he stopped the rush of red to his cheeks as he felt her greedy, little fingers splay across his thigh to balance herself. Not near his knee either. More towards his hip and consequently very close to certain parts of his anatomy that were rather delicate and sensitive to such close brushes. Her eyes as she went down were cunning and mischievous to an infinite degree and it almost broke through his resolve to wait until later to claim her lips once more. It was hard, though, very hard to feel her heat through the thin silk of his pyjamas and not be able to do anything about it.

Her hand reached under Seto's foot and moved to grasp the fork from where it lay when it occurred to her that Seto was completely helpless while she was down here. He couldn't do anything lest he spoil the secret the two of them had managed to keep for the last little while. He was only wearing socks, too, no slippers to deal with. Perfect. Moving her fingers, she proceeded to gently slide them up and then down the bottom of his foot. It wasn't just the tops of his feet that were sensitive, either, as she watched them try to wiggle out of her way.

"Come on, Kaiba. It's your move. We're waiting." Yugi watched Kaiba's cheeks puff out slightly as he held in what appeared to be a guffaw of laughter. What was Téa doing to him down there?

"Yeah, Kaiba, what's de hold up?" Joey chimed in, restlessly tapping the table with the tips of his fingers.

A couple of things happened at once right then.

One – Téa was finally coming back up to rejoin them at the table but, unable to resist a helpless Kaiba, she softly blew a warm breath of air across his midsection and watched in satisfaction as he shuddered, muscles rippling under the thin silk.

Two – That little shudder cost him the game as a couple of fives tumbled out of his hand onto the table. Kaiba saved himself quickly by adding the other four fives from his hand and tossing them out onto the table.

Six fives stared at everyone at the table and Kaiba was left holding only two cards. Thank God they were too busy staring at the cards and counting out pennies to take a really close look at his face.

Putting her fork back on her almost empty dessert plate, she caught Seto's sidelong look of pure, unadulterated lust mixed with the tiniest bit of longing to sweep everything off the table and throw her down on top of it right then and there. She was so in trouble later on.

And she couldn't wait to face the consequences of her actions.

But for now, she had a card game to win. Seto had just given her the perfect opening. Well, anything he played would have given her the same opening.

"Thanks, Kaiba," Téa said brightly and proceeded with her final three hands for the game in short order.

First, the final Joker of the game made its appearance over top of his six fives. The pennies had already been put into the bowl in anticipation of that move so Joey quickly raked that hand aside to make way for the next. There was no stopping her now.

Second, three twos were tossed out nonchalantly and she looked around the table as another round of pennies made it into the bowl.

"I guess no one can top that," she purred and threw out her final hand. A pair of threes. "I win. I guess I get to stay Queen for another year. Better luck next year, boys." Groans of good-natured frustration and the pinging of pennies into a bowl echoed around the room for a moment before Yugi played a pair of fours to continue on with the game. He had a feeling that Kaiba was about to take them all down again and stay in his Vice Presidency.

Who knew that Taylor would be so on the mark? For all of his goofy looks and that crazy hair-do, he had been pretty accurate when he forecast that Téa would be out in three hands. Seto thought he'd been bluffing and now that he looked back on it, she would have won no matter what he'd played first, whether it was the fives or the twos. The Joker that he'd so eagerly dismissed had come back to bite him in the ass. Her little play under the table had just kept him hot under the collar.

Watching the game proceed, Téa needed a little break from being so close to so hot a CEO. The tension between them had risen astronomically with that final ploy and if she didn't get away, she was afraid of what she would do to him in front of her friends and his little brother. Pushing back her chair and picking up her plate, she moved to the sink and started to ready the dishes piled there for a quick cleaning before bed.

Seto kept a close scrutiny of her as she came back to the table, presumably for more plates. Her hips swished back and forth, driving him crazy for wanting to touch her, to feel her creamy skin under his fingers, to feel the press of her lips on his. Walking behind his chair, he lost sight of her and his heart plummeted for some strange reason before soaring again as he felt the ghostly brush of her fingers across the muscles of his shoulder blades.

"Kaiba? You okay?" Joey asked. He'd seen the blue of his eyes change in the last couple of seconds and a hitch of breath that made him wonder if he was about to start choking on a crumb of cheesecake. "Kaiba?"

Clearing his throat, Seto tossed out a single two to take that hand and waited til Joey had raked it aside before throwing out his final two and ending his participation in the game. Picking up his own plate, which she'd purposefully left there while she picked up Mokuba's and Tristan's, he joined her at the counter by the sink. The noise of water pouring in, plus the gentle rumble of renewed conversation around the table, should cover anything they might say to each other provided there was no shouting involved. Plunking the plates in the slowly filling basin, he waited for her to retrieve Joey and Yugi's plates as well before he said anything to her. No interruptions.

"You sneaky, underhanded, conniving little minx…" was all he could get out before he chuckled at the taunting look in her azure eyes. Hip-checking Seto out of her way, she placed the dishes she carried into the sink before replying to his view of her.

"You brought it all on yourself, Kaiba, when you challenged me before the game even started. And what was with your little move, huh? That just about pushed me over the edge. If I hadn't wanted to win so badly, you would have succeeded in distracting me to no end. Bravo," she praised, the dishcloth in her hands washing plates without her being completely conscious of the move.

"You liked that little move, huh? I remembered you using it on me on Saturday, during dinner. Just wait til I get you alone and then you'll see exactly how distracting I can be," he purred, loving the flush that appeared so magically on her cheeks.

Oh my.

Yay! Another chapter is done and there should only be one more to go. But then again, it seems that I have this habit of lying to people. I distinctly recall that the snowball fight was only supposed to be one chapter that somehow, magically, became four.

Just a small note of good news. This chapter was written so quickly for two reasons: 1) I found my magical mechanical pencil that had been missing before I went on vacation. And 2) my Dad's cancer has gone into remission. Joy! Cheer! Hurrah!

Thanks to everyone who reads my stories. Your words have been my bread and butter for a while. If you don't want me to starve, make sure you leave a review for me to munch on.

As always, I am…

Aphrael21;)