Author's Note: Okay I made this chapter to a happy one, I can hardly take all the hardships that have plagued our master and puppy, besides December is supposed to be the month of happiness, joy, and love. There shall be no lack of any of these. I have decided to give the couple a break, wouldn't you agree? Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter!
daughterofanubis: Glad you liked it! I hope you enjoy this chapter as well. Hope to read your new chapter soon! Great work, keep it up. Thanks so much for reading my story and I'll see ya next chapter! Thanks for helping me out with my new one as well!
Puffin: Actually Yugi is a freshman in High School during the series and I'm not really sure what grade Joey is in I just made him a junior and now he is a senior. Hopefully that clears things up for you at least a little bit. It was good that Yami and the others set Yugi in the right direction. They had seen what had gone on with Joey and wanted to spare him the hurt and pain, it was for his own good and the baby's well being. Oooh, you have a new story? I can't wait to read it! I am glad to hear that you enjoyed my friend's story. Maybe now she won't be so doubtful of her skill and talents. You're reading the new Harry Potter book? Is it good? Another friend of mine is reading it right now too. She is a huge Lord Of The Rings and Harry Potter fan. Well, thanks for reading Amy's story and thanks for reading mine! See ya next chapter!
Yugi-is-my-one-and-only: Glad to hear you liked my last chapter. I hate the gang being in too much pain for long. Gifted Author? You're too kind…'blushes' Thanks for your review and for reading! I shall see ya next chapter!
Miru Amai: It makes me happy to know you enjoyed the last chapter, hopefully you find this one just as enjoyable! Thanks so much for reading and I'll see ya next chapter!
ruby-sama aura-chan the neko-jin: Well I hope everything goes well with your healing and your next surgery! It would seem that Mollano has avenged his son but yet has he to find that those he killed were not those he thought. Are Seto and Joey safe now? Who knows? Anyway thanks for reading and I'll see ya next chapter!
RyuSenshi-DragonHawk: Yeah, I can't stand for Yugi to be in hardships for too long. Glad you liked last chapter and hopefully you'll enjoy this one! Thanks so much for reading and I'll see ya next chapter!
izzymyster: Well, thank you for protecting this story from the haters out there. That was a kind act of you. I am glad to hear that you are enjoying this story and I hope you like this new chapter. Thanks for reading and I'll see ya next chapter!
mandapandabug: I am so overjoyed that you love this story so much! I am happy that I am able to feed the hunger you have for entertainment! Yeah, poor Seto and Joey but they get a huge break in this chapter. I hope you like fluff, because this chapter is fluff, fluff, love, and more fluff! I like the headlines you made for this story, very original! I like! Thankies! The person that will condemn the baby is in this chapter, so you'll find out who it is. I am your tenth review? What do I want? You don't have to do anything for me, you've done so much for me already by reading my stories…though I guess there is one thing you could do for me. I have a friend who updated her FIRST Yu-Gi-Oh story here on f f . n e t and I was wondering if you could check it out. She only has three reviewers. Her story is called "Going Down In Flames" and her penname is Amy Leigh Kaiba. It would mean so much to me if you checked out her story! Thanks so much for reading and I'll see ya next chapter, which will probably be up really soon!
Sakurako-Sohma: Hmm…that's kind of a scary dream you had there. Being at gunpoint and all. I would be so confused and a little freaked out if Joey came to my house and started giving birth to a baby… In the end I would pull my self together and help him and Seto out. Well thanks for sharing that with me that was cool of you! Thanks so much for reading and I shall see you next chapter!
Nariko Sasame: Mollano is a scary man; you have all the right to fear him. So do Seto and Joey. Well here is another chapter for you and I hope you enjoy it! Thanks so much for reading and I'll see you next chapter!
Se-chan: Here is more story, I hope you enjoy it! Thanks so much for reading!
astalder27: Yeah, I hate seeing Yugi and Yami upset, they just had to make up! Yeah, those poor twin boys! You're right Mollano is going to be floored when he finds out! Thanks so much for reading and I'll see ya next chapter!
Run Away Puppy 2: Mollano's Revenge
Chapter Nine: Snowflakes
"You've come along way you two, especially you Joseph. You've made it a little more than the half way mark of this pregnancy. Your baby is nice and healthy; the heartbeat is extremely strong, and…oh! Would you look at that?" The eyes of the baby's parents darted to the screen of the ultrasound machine, "What?" They said in unison. "The little one is sucking its thumb." Joey was relieved that it hadn't been bad news and Seto sweat dropped.
"Well I guess this concludes my examination for this month. There is nothing to worry about, as long as you both keep avoiding stressful environments the end of your pregnancy should go quiet smoothly." Dr. White said as she cleaned the blonde and the mouse off. "Thank you for being so understanding." Seto thanked the doctor. She smiled, "It's nothing more than my job."
"Anything we should know about the baby before we leave?" Joey asked while sitting up from the examining table. "Uh, well, you will begin to feel your baby's movements now, it can also respond to music and loud noises, he or she is even becoming used to your voice. Also, if you stroke your stomach, it feels soothing to your baby. It's a great way to calm the child if a stressful event were to occur." Dr. White explained. The couple smiled then wished her a Merry Christmas before they went out into the waiting room and dressed up into their winter gear. Seto had slid into a very warm designer light blue trench coat made especially for him. Joey had pulled a maroon winter coat over his own shoulders; the length went down to just below his knees. He also wrapped a scarf around his neck it was also maroon but was a couple shades darker than his coat. (If you want to see the picture I got their winter gear from I would be more than happy to send it to you, just leave me your e-mail address)
The brunette looked over to his puppy, he sure did look beautiful. Maroon was definitely the blonde's color. Seto smiled as he fixed up his lover's scarf then slid on some black leather gloves. "Come on, let's go get some lunch, I'm famished." The young blue-eyed parent-to-be offered while gently wrapping an arm around the blonde's back. "That sounds great." Joey responded while smiling up at his boyfriend.
"Oh look at this, Mokuba would totally dig this game." Joey said with excitement and Seto came to investigate it. He looked at the game, "I already bought for Mokuba, he's done." Joey felt cheated he wanted to help Seto buy Christmas gifts this year and money wasn't an issue after his lover had gifted him the shares of Kaiba Corp. "Seto I wanted to help!"
"I took care of my brother you take of your friends and me." The brunette said while gently pulling the blonde out of the game shop. "Come on, I have a store I wanna visit." Joey nodded then took a gentle grip to Seto's hand. The brunette led his puppy into a store they both couldn't resist.
"We ain't buyin' nothin' for the baby though." Joey stated while he and the taller teen walked into a baby store. They didn't know how much time they had spent just walking around the store and looking over all the merchandise but they knew it had to be at least over an hour.
"Oh, I really like this blanket." Joey said while picking it up and unfolding it to reveal baby versions of the Winnie The Pooh gang. Seto arched an eyebrow, "Pup, I don't know if that is going to match the duel monster bedroom." The blonde simply shrugged his shoulders and folded it back up in his arms, the brunette waited for him to put it back but…
"I thought you said we couldn't buy anything?" Seto asked. "You bought the baby a crib and a car seat. I have yet to buy a single thing for it yet." Joey had a point; Seto supposed it wouldn't hurt for the puppy to buy the blanket.
"Okay where to now?" Seto asked. "Um…I don't know, where do you think we should go?"
"I don't know, they're your friends, you know them better than I do."
"Let's just look around for a while maybe I'll find some stuff for the guys." Seto nodded then they proceeded on their journey around the mall.
5:57 PM
"Alright puppy I'm going I'll be back in a couple hours." Seto called from his bedroom while throwing his blue trench coat over his shoulders and slipping his gloves back on. He left the bedroom and headed down the stairs to find his puppy had stopped wrapping his gifts for his friends and was now waiting for his lover at the bottom with big shinning puppy eyes. "What?"
"Do you really have to go? I don't feel right letting you go out in this weather." Seto smiled then kissed his lover's forehead, "Don't worry, I'll be alright. The weather isn't too bad yet; it's only the first week of December." The CEO reasoned with the teen opposite him. "Yeah but still…"
"I won't be long tonight, I'm just going in to finish up some paper work. Trust me, I'll be home before nine, okay?" Knowing there was no way to change Seto's mind he accepted and kissed his dragon goodbye. "See you in a bit puppy." Joey smiled and watched as the brunette disappeared into the kitchen and into the garage. Seto hopped up into his black 2004 Yukon then drove out of the garage and headed for Kaiba Corp.
"Okay Mokuba, the coast is clear!" Joey shouted up to the boy. "Okay "I'll be down in a minute." The boy cried back. Joey made his way over to the spot on the floor where he had a blanket spread out and a couple pillows leaning against the couch to support his back. He finished wrapping a gift for Yugi then watched as Mokuba brought down a medium sized duffle bag and sat it beside him. "These are all the gifts that you bought for Seto but don't start wrapping yet until I get back with my own gifts, I wanna see what you got him." Quickly the boy ran and retrieved his gifts and came back and sat by the blonde. "Okay, what did you get for my brother?"
"Well, I got him this really cool Blue-Eyes White Dragon figure. It makes noise and lights up. I got him a black hoddie that says 'Keep Staring I Might Do A Trick.' Uh… lets see what else…" Joey shared his gifts for Seto with his lover's younger brother then was treated to what Mokuba had gotten for the teen.
Seto looked up from the current paper work he was filling out and glanced up at the clock on his computer, it was 7:22. He sighed then jumped when his phone began to vibrate on his desk. Quickly he snatched it up and answered it.
"Kaiba."
"Hey Kaiba what are you up to?"
"Yugi? If you're looking for Joey he's at home."
"Well, I'm not looking for Joey, I was looking for you."
"Me? Why?"
"Well, Yami and I wanted to know if the Christmas party this year could also be a baby shower for Joey?"
"Uh, yeah I guess. Should I tell him?"
"Nope, Yami and I want it to be a surprise."
"Well, I suppose this isn't such a bad idea. When do you want to do it?"
"When were you guys planning on having the Christmas party?"
"The day before Christmas Eve."
"Then we'll do it that day. Is that okay?"
"Sure."
"Alright cool, well, I'll let you go so you can finish whatever it is you're doing."
"Okay."
"Bye Kaiba."
"Bye."
Seto hung up his phone and went back to finishing up his paper work. As he got settled again a knock came upon his doorframe. He looked up to his secretary standing there. "Can I help you?" He asked but not rudely. "I was wondering how Joey liked the gift, if you don't mind my asking."
"Well, to tell you the truth, I haven't given it to him yet."
"Oh. Why?"
"Because you are going to give it to him."
"What?"
"Some friends of mine and I are gonna throw him a surprise baby shower at our Christmas Party and you are invited."
The woman was speechless to say the least; she had always known her boss to never mix anyone from his work environment into his personal life. She smiled at her boss, "Alright, I suppose I could go for a while. Thank you for the invite." Seto nodded and dismissed her.
It wasn't until almost 8:30 before the young CEO left the building. He got into his vehicle and called home as he pulled out of the parking garage.
"Hello?" Mokuba's voice answered. "Hey kiddo, what are you doing?"
"Nothin' really, Joey and I just finished wrapping presents and now he's out cold on the couch."
"Oh, well can you do me a favor and wake him up for me, I need to talk to him."
"Sure, hang on."
All Seto could hear after that was Mokuba's muffled voice trying to wake the dead. Finally he heard Joey mumble and take the phone. "Hello." He said in a sleepy voice. "Hey puppy, have a good sleep?"
"Yeah the whole five minutes I had of one."
"Sorry I didn't mean to wake you but I just wanted to tell you that I was on my way home right now." Seto heard Joey yawn then tried hard not to sound as if he were falling back asleep quickly, "It's okay, just hurry up and get yer butt home." The blue-eyed teen chuckled, "Alright pup, I'm about 20 minutes away. I'll be there shortly."
"Okay, love you Set."
"Love you too pup."
"Bye."
In through the garage door of the kitchen Seto entered and shook off the remaining snowflakes that had laid themselves dormant since the Kaiba Corp building. Said brunette took off his gloves and shrugged out of his coat then placed them on the coat rack. As he walked into the living room he was greeted with the soft light of the dazzling Christmas lights and Mokuba touching the puppy's tummy.
"What's going on?" The blue-eyed teen asked. Joey motioned his lover over to him quickly then took his hand and placed it where Mokuba's hand had been. When Seto had felt what happened his eyes lit up with a joy he thought he would never know. Joey smiled when their eyes met. "It's moving." The young CEO spoke softly. The blonde nodded excitedly and let a large smile take over his lips. "Cool hu big brother?" Mokuba asked. The elder of the two nodded and smiled widely.
"Awe, it stopped moving." Seto whined as he pulled his hand away and gazed lovingly at his puppy. "Come…on, time for bed. We have school tomorrow." Joey said while trying to hide a rather large yawn. His lover chuckled then pulled the pup up by his hands. "You and Mokuba go get into bed and I'll take care of the lights." The blonde smiled and started his way up with the boy.
Seto POV
I…I…I actually felt the baby. It was the most incredible of things. I don't know how many times I need to tell myself that this is actually happening. It's…like a dream. Everything is just so…right. I felt the baby. Isn't that just so exciting! Another life is growing within my puppy and we created it, together! Most teen parents are fearful of the baby's arrival, but…I'm not! This baby could come tomorrow and I would be ready. Four months is a long time in my eyes and I can hardly stand waiting anymore. It would be really cool if Joey had gotten pregnant earlier and had the baby around Christmas, but I don't care, just as long as my son or daughter is healthy. But I promise, once that baby is here at home, the spoiling begins.
End Seto POV
Turning out one more light before ascending the stairs, Seto couldn't help but let a dreamy smile grow across his face. He couldn't wait until he was able to carry his baby up these very steps and put it to bed. Parenthood was going to be a joy. He would finally have the family he had dreamed about for a long time.
"Well you look rather happy." Joey said with a loving grin on his lips. The brunette nodded and began to change into some sleep ware. He climbed into bed but didn't lie down. He had to feel the baby again. Gently, he placed a hand onto the puppy's stomach and waited. Joey just smiled and proceeded to run his fingers through his lover's silky, well-kept cinnamon hair. They stayed like this until a certain someone's movements. Joey yelped in surprise then couldn't help but giggle at Seto's wide grin. He acted as if it were the best experience in the world. His face was graced with the innocence of an Angel; it warmed the blonde's heart to know that he was giving this to the young CEO and not anybody else. This little puppy felt so privileged.
"I love seeing you like this Seto. It reassures me that I can go through with this and that I won't be alone in this baby's future." Joey spoke softly as his hand moved down to lightly touch the brunette's face. Seto turned his head into the palm of the other teen's hand and kissed it then closed the distance between their lips. The teens pulled away slowly then opened their dazzling eyes and gazed at each other. "Bedtime pup." Joey nodded and let his boyfriend hook some of his hair behind his left ear then laid down and watched as the room went dark at Seto's finger tips, though they were not lost. They found their way into one another's arms, just like they did every night.
"Alright I just want to inform you all of the school's annual Christmas Bash, it'll be held Friday the 16TH in the Gymnasium." Ms. Gray announced while passing out flyers to each of the students. Joey read his flyer and smiled up at his boyfriend pleadingly. Seto passed him a look of 'do I have to?' Joey pouted his bottom lip and the brunette had to resist catching it in a chaste kiss. "Okay, let us get on with our work for the day shall we? Today we are going to make informational posters about child development. You can work in a group of three or four but no more. Go." The students got into their groups and retrieved a child development book in order to draw the diagrams and pick out the best information.
As the brunette lost himself in the book, Joey noticed that there was a new student in the class and she was sitting alone with a nervous look in her eyes. Maybe he should invite her to join them.
"Hey!" The blonde called. The black-haired, blue-eyed girl looked up and locked eyes with Joey. "Yes?" She timidly responded. "You can work with Seto and I." He offered. The girl's eyes lit up and she moved over to them, it was only then that Joey realized she was in the same predicament he was.
"Hi." She said in a shaky and unsure voice. Joey smiled at her warmly, "Hi my name is Joey and this is Seto."
"I'm Fayth."
"So, how much longer?" Joey asked curiously. "Uh, about two months."
"Wow. Well, congratulations."
"Thanks. What about you?"
"Four months left."
"Okay which job would you two like to have, information digging or drawing?" Seto asked softly. "Hand me another book and Fayth and I will look for information. You're the artist so you do the drawing."
"But you can draw too pup."
"Yeah, but I don't really feel like drawing right now." Seto gave his boyfriend a look then just shrugged his shoulders and went on to drawing the first diagram.
Lunch Time
"Here comes the parents-to-be." Yugi announced happily. "Hey guys!" Joey greeted as he and Seto sat down at their normal table. "So anything new with the baby?" Tristan questioned. The blonde nodded, "Yeah, I can feel the baby move around now. It's cool. You should have seen Seto's face last night when he felt it, he looked like a kid in a candy store."
"Oooh, can I feel the baby?" Yugi asked excitedly. "Uh, well…" Joey tried to feel around for a sign of movement, "It hasn't been very active yet though it did move…" And as if on cue the baby moved and the blonde jumped at the sudden sensation. "There it goes." Seto immediately planted his hand on his lover's stomach, along with Ryou, Tea, and Yugi. "Wow guys, I'm sorry to say that was it, I don't think there's going to be any more action for a while." The four of them removed hands and looked a bit bummed.
"Awe, I wanted to feel the baby." Yugi whined playfully. "Don't worry Yug, there will be plenty of other chances for to feel it move." The tri-hair colored teen smiled.
"So are we going to the arcades tonight after school?" Duke asked. Yugi shook his head, "Yami and I can't, we volunteered to help decorate the school for the dance. Do any of you guys wanna help?"
"I'll help out." Tea offered. "Yeah, me too." Tristan answered. Joey looked up to the CEO and gave his boyfriend the puppy eyes for the second time that day. Seto huffed in defeat, "Yes puppy we can stay and help also." It was a good day for Joey, he wondered what else he could get out of the brunette today…or maybe he shouldn't push his luck.
After School
"Didn't we just decorate a tree?" Seto asked teasingly to his puppy. The blonde glared at his other half and stuck out his tongue. "Childish puppy."
"I'm carrying one ain't I? Besides, I like decorating the tree, Christmas if my favorite holiday."
"Just because you're carrying a baby doesn't mean you can…" Joey had planted his lips on the brunette's to make him shut up for a minute. As the blonde pulled away he watched as a dazed look came to Seto's face and smiled.
"Joey! Come here for a minute!" Yugi called from the other side of the lunchroom. The blue-eyed teen watched as his puppy went over to Yugi. He couldn't hear what they were saying but when the blonde began to laugh he stared. There was something about the puppy at that moment that made time seem like it was slowing down. Seto watched as his lover's face contracted back from his outburst of laughter and was stunned when sparkling amber eyes met his wondering blue eyes. Joey let a loving gaze find it's way to the young CEO and him alone. Joey said one last thing to Yugi then came back to his lover.
"Miss me?" Seto chuckled and kissed the puppy's forehead.
"There our beautiful work is done!" Joey said while jumping back from the tree to admire his work. Yugi also came over to investigate, "Very good guys, now we all have one more tree to decorate."
"Which one?" Joey asked while quirking an eyebrow. "The big one outside."
So, Yugi gathered up the rest of the gang and the ornaments for the outside tree. "Wow, that's a rather large tree." Tristan awed. "Yeah, that's what the ladder is for and Joey gets to go up it." Bakura said sinisterly. "WHAT?"
"The hell my puppy is going up that ladder. I'll beat your ass with it first whitey!" Seto sneered protectively. Ryou had found Bakura unfunny and nailed him in the ribs. Lets just say the former tomb robber kissed the snow hello and Seto had a good laugh.
As the group was decorating the tree it begun to snow lightly, Seto pulled his blue trench coat tighter about him and made sure the puppy did the same. He didn't need the blonde back in the hospital again. Not with only four months remaining in his pregnancy.
"Okay, hit the lights Marik!" Ryou called to the teen. He did as told and the friends let out a group 'Oooo.'
Seto looked over to his lover only to be greeted with a breath taking sight.
Seto POV
Okay, I have officially fallen in love. I know it for sure now. I am such a romantic when it comes to moments like these. He looks so beautiful. It's amazing how the darkness of the sky and the soft glow of the Christmas lights makes him look so…perfect. His eyes are glittering with the joy of the holiday and his hair is full of snow crystals and it shimmers enchantingly with the beams of the moon, I can't look away. My vision is stuck. And of course, he caught me gazing again.
End Seto POV
"What?" Joey questioned softly. A cute pink blush grew across the young CEO's face and he shook his head, "N…nothing…you're just…" Joey quirked an eyebrow, "What?" Seto stepped closer to his boyfriend, "You're just so damn beautiful." With that the taller teen took the puppy into a deep, loving kiss. Their audience clapped and whistled. Before pulling away entirely, they touched foreheads and exchanged smiles; Joey then kissed his master's nose and released him.
"Kaiba is totally a different person than he was two years ago. What did you do to him Joey?" Ryou asked. The blonde shrugged, "He just needed a little TLC."
"Wow, I didn't know it would take us this long to do all this!" Yugi exclaimed while looking up from his watch. "What time is it koi?"
"6:21"
Quickly, Seto retrieved his phone from his pocket and dialed his home number. He called to see if Mokuba was okay and sure enough his finding was good, the kid had good sense, he could take care of himself. Joey just thought it was the fatherly instinct finally kicking in since the baby was so close to being born. He had to admit that he had started worrying about the boy as well.
"How's your brother?" Joey asked as the brunette slipped his phone back into his pocket. "He says he's okay but a little board. Let's grab some take out and head home." Seto said while taking one of his puppy's hands in his.
"Alright, guys we'll see ya tomorrow!" Joey said before he and his lover left for their vehicle. Their friends waved goodbye and then started heading home themselves.
"Wow, this little one is really active at night." The puppy said while sitting up from the bed. Seto watched as his hand was taken and held in place where the baby was currently moving around. Yet another wide grin found its way to the taller teen's lips.
"You really enjoy this don't you Seto?" The blonde said smiling brightly. "It just amazes me that we have actually created this. Something that was never supposed to be is."
"You are going to make a good father, I'm proud of you Seto."
"I'm proud of you Joey, you've been quite a trooper through this whole ordeal."
For the next week the couple was blessed with the support of the public after Seto had given the twin boys, which had been the victims of the horrible homicide, and the remainder of their family a handsome contribution for anything they saw fit. Joey couldn't have been more proud of his boyfriend. The news brought joy to all but…there was one who found the sight of the pregnant blonde…sickening. She was going to do something about it.
Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring
"Hello?" Joey said into his cell phone. "Big brother?"
"Serenity!"
"Hi Joey! How are you?"
"I'm fine, doin' really good. How are you?"
"Just fine and I got some good news!"
"What!"
"Mom says I can come see you for the holiday!"
"That's great! When'll you come?"
"As soon as you give me your new address!"
To Joey this seemed like it was going to be the best Christmas ever but what he was about to be put through would be the worst part of his pregnancy so far.
It was around 6:30 pm when Serenity and her mother pulled into the driveway of the Kaiba home. The woman turned her vehicle off and looked at her daughter, "You know what you have to do."
"No, I've done enough. I won't be part of this."
"Fine. Stay here. I won't be long."
"This is cruel mother, he's still your son." Carol didn't even give her daughter the chance to make her feel guilty; besides, she was against this kind of thing. The woman walked up to the front porch and knocked on the door. She could hear a faint voice before the door opened.
"Well hi there!" Mokuba greeted happily, "You must be Joey's Mom. Please come in and wait in the living room, I'll go get him." With that the boy bolted upstairs. That was when Serenity came through the front door.
"Don't do this mother."
"Do what?" Joey's voice came from the end of the staircase. Serenity's eyes lit up with happiness, she squealed with delight and ran to her brother. He pulled her into a hug then released her to greet his mother.
"Don't! Come a step nearer to me boy." The woman spoke harshly. Joey cocked his head in confusion, "But, I thought…"
"How could you tamper with nature? How could bring about such a disgusting life? You were not made for this and so this thing you call a life will not come to be!" Carol yelled while pointing to her son's pregnant tummy. "You are disgusting and have made a mockery of what the lord above had worked so tough to make right and this is not right!" Joey felt his heartbreaking slowly, how could his own mother disown him for carrying such a beautiful weight on his shoulders. Serenity was already in tears. This whole thing was her fault. Her mother had tricked her into finding out where they lived just so she could come and condemn the baby and her son personally. (I for one have no problem with the gay communities of this world and I believe gay marriage should be a civil right here in America.)
"I dearly hope that thing growing within you never finds its way into this world!" Joey was crushed; he lost all control and broke down into tears.
"Hey! You can get the fuck out of my house! Now!" Seto yelled angrily as he now stood his ground at the puppy's side. Carol also stood her ground, never budging, and staring down the young CEO. The imaginary thin string that held Seto's temper together snapped in two. He quickly strode up to Joey's mother and got in her face.
"How dare you come into my house and tell me how the fuck I should live my life. It's you I should be telling how to live. You're the one who has your morals wrong. When your son was young you placed in him a false hope. You said you'd come back for him and rescue him from the grizzly grip your husband had on him. But I'm happy you didn't. You see, through all the harm his father caused him, I was able to save him and win his undying love, something I'll treasure forever. A love that you'll never know. Now we have our own life and have started what will blossom into a beautiful family once this baby comes into this world. You don't wanna be apart of it fine; no one invited you to be in it anyway. Now that you have upset my household I will ask you to leave and never come back." Carol backed away from the young CEO, "Serenity, we're leaving."
"But Mom, I wanna stay here with Joey and Seto."
"You will do no such thing, besides you are under age and must come with me." The girl stood up from her place on the staircase and said her goodbyes to her brother and Seto before being dragged out the front door in a whirl.
"Pup, are you okay?" Seto asked while taking the blonde into his arms. "Yeah, I'm fine. I expected this out of her, but I guess I tried to make myself believe that she would accept this."
"We don't need her and the baby doesn't need her, we've got what we need right here."
"But the baby doesn't have any grandparents now."
"Sure it does, my parents may be deceased but that doesn't mean that they're not its grandparents. Besides, its got Solomon to call grandpa." Seto whispered to his upset puppy. Just the thought made a gentle laugh come to the blonde.
December 22, 2005
"This is Tristan."
"Tristan. Kaiba, are you busy at the moment?"
"No, why?"
"I need you to go and pick up Serenity from her mother's house."
"Uh…may I ask why?"
"Long story but will you do it, for Joey?"
"Of course."
"Great, keep her at Tea's house until the baby shower tomorrow."
"Uh…does Tea know about this?"
"Yes, don't worry Mokuba already set up this arrangement."
"Alright, I'll start heading over there soon."
"Thanks Taylor."
"No problem Kaiba. Later."
"Bye."
Serenity happily sat in her bedroom wrapping a gift she had bought for the baby the day after she had received the invitation to the surprise baby shower for her brother. She was so excited but had to make sure her mother didn't find out where she was going.
"Serenity…oh…what have you there?" Carol asked. "Just a gift for Yugi, his birthday is tomorrow and I called for Tristan to come and pick it up for me so he'll probably be here in a while."
"Oh, okay. Well, I'm gonna go out with the girls tonight. You're going to Jessica's for a couple nights aren't you?"
"Yeah, she said her mom would be over later. I'm all good mom, so you can go and have a good time."
"Okay, see you later honey."
"Bye Mom."
With that her mother was out of the house, leaving her to escape to Domino.
"Come on puppy, we're gonna be late." Seto shouted up the stairs to his lover. "Give me a minute, I can't just bolt down there anymore." Seto chuckled to himself, "You sound more and more like a pregnant woman every day puppy."
"Hush you."
Needing a way to get the blonde out of the house so that it could be decorated for the party, Seto made reservations at a very exclusive breakfast in bed hotel. Joey finally came down the stairs and took one of Seto's hands into his. "Ready?" Joey nodded. "Okay, let's get going before we're even more late."
"How could we be late for a reservation?"
"It's a very exclusive breakfast in bed."
In a hurried rush the couple was out the door and on their way to a peaceful night together.
"Okay guys, it's about 7:30 now, my brother and Joey should definitely be gone by now." Mokuba said to his friends as he pushed his key into the lock and opened the door. There were no lights on and no voices coming from the upstairs, they were certainly gone. "Come on in guys, coast is clear." Yugi and the gang followed Mokuba inside and once the lights were flipped on they began to decorate the house.
"Nothin' like Christmas in Florida." Birdo said while basking in the sunlight of the ball of fire hanging high in the sky. "I'm used to snow during this time of the year. The, wife, kid, and I used to go out and buy a really tall pine tree for the season and decorate it like there was no tomorrow." Mollano spoke while remembering the life he used to have a big time mob boss. "Well, now you can rest. You got your revenge Jamie, just relax and enjoy the weather. It's time to start over."
"Yeah, I guess you're right."
December 23, 2005
5:33 PM
"Wow, your brother sure does know how to keep busy." Tristan said to the raven-haired boy as he and the rest of the group waited for the couple's return. "You guys said to keep Joey busy until 6:00 and Seto stays true to his words, believe me, I should know." Mokuba responded to the brunette. Suddenly the phone rang and the boy jumped up to get it.
"Hello?"
"Mokuba, is everything set up?"
"Yep, you can start bringing Joey home now."
"Yeah, if I can tear him away from the puppies."
"You're at a pet shop?"
"You guys said to keep him busy."
"True, well everything's ready, come on home."
"Okay we'll be there in a while."
"Bye Seto."
"Bye Mokuba."
"Oh Seto! Look at this little guy!" Joey called over the noise of the pet shop. The brunette came over to investigate and started to laugh to himself. "What's so funny? Did I do something?" Seto looked down at the golden retriever and gazed into the hyper pup's big loving brown eyes, looked just like Joey. Seto changed from his soft tone to a stern and concerned one, "Joey, is there something you're not telling me?"
"Hu? What do you mean?" Joey asked in a confused voice. "Did you have an affair behind my back?" The young CEO asked while taking the puppy from the blonde. At first the shorter teen cocked his head trying to understand what his lover was asking him when finally it dawned on him. "HEY!" The blonde gave Seto's arm a playful punch then took the puppy back.
"Can we keep him Seto?" The blue-eyed teen looked unsurely at his boyfriend, "I don't know if that's such a great idea with the baby on the way."
"Awe but Seto…look at him…" Joey said while cuddling the puppy close. To Seto, the puppy looked very much at home in the blonde's arms and he couldn't help but smile…but they had a puppy of their own coming. It wouldn't be wise to have a brand new puppy with a brand new baby, would it? The puppy would loose all of their attention by the time their infant came and surely it needed to be trained.
"Joey…I don't know if it's such a good idea to get a puppy just yet, what with the baby on the way and all. We wouldn't have time to play with him or train him. I know you want him but…I think we should wait." Seto said while scratching the golden puppy behind his ear.
"Oh, I see you made friends with the golden retriever. This little guy just came in about a two and a half months ago." A girl said to the couple. They turned and smiled at her. "This little one was the runt of the pack, he was sick, and neglected by the mother. The owners decided that they would bring him here to save his life. So, do you want to take him? He looks at ease with you." The girl said to Joey as she watched the puppy nuzzle the blonde.
"Any other time we would have taken him already but…I don't think it's wise to be brining home a puppy right now." Seto stated as he faced the girl. "Oh, and why is that?"
"Well, we have a baby on the way and once it's born we won't have any time to play with or train him."
"Well, the playing might be a tiny problem but if he's gotta place to run he should be fine and the training shouldn't be a problem because he's already trained."
"He's already trained?" Joey asked with a slight sound of surprise in his voice. "Yep, about three weeks after they come in we start them in obedience training. So this little guy already knows what he can and can't do."
"How old is he?" Seto asked while petting the puppy. "He's about four months old." Joey and Seto caught each other's eyes and the brunette sighed happily, "Alright, we'll take him."
"Okay guys hiding places, Seto's pulling into the drive way." Mokuba said while jumping to turn off all the lights. Everybody scurried to their spaces and waited for the couple to come through the garage door. Footsteps came into the kitchen and stopped at the wall where the light switch resides. Joey flipped the switch and nearly gave birth when all his friends jumped out from behind various objects and yelled surprise.
"What is all this you guys?" The blonde asked while holding the puppy closer. "It's our Christmas party and a baby shower all in one." Seto said while taking the animal from his lover and setting him down.
"A PUPPY!" Mokuba squealed as he ran over to the golden retriever. The dog simply jumped into the boy's lap and began to lick his face relentlessly.
12:14 AM
"So who all got the baby what?" The brunette asked his lover as the blonde took a second look at the gifts. "You were there." Joey protested. "Yeah but I don't remember who got what." The amber-eyed teen huffed playfully and began to read the names off from the cards that the gifts came with.
"From Yugi we got two adorable baby Tigger outfits and two sets of bibs that say funny things. Duke bought a baby swing, Tea got us a stroller, a duel monsters stroller no less. From Tristan we got the baby chair bouncer and some much needed diapers and wipes. Yugi's Grandpa bought the high chair, Bakura got us a set of pacifiers, and Ryou bought the baby monitors. From Yami we got the Legendary Dragons crib bedding and the baby dragons mobile to go with it. Malik and Marik bought the changing table. My sister bought the baby Finding Nemo and the bottle warmer. From your secretary, I got a baby book to keep all our special memories in and four cute little outfits. And from Pegasus we got the Toon Monsters bottle set and the Baby Red-Eyes-Black flees blanket."
"How did that guy even know about the baby shower?" Seto asked while arching an eyebrow. Joey shrugged, "I dunno, maybe one of the guys invited him."
"Hunter, come on boy, time for bed." Mokuba said while calling the puppy into his brother's bedroom. "What are you doing?" The brunette asked. "Bringing the puppy to you, he is yours."
"No, he's ours, which means he's yours too." Joey explained. "Really?" The boy asked while his eyes began to sparkle. The blonde nodded and watched as the younger Kaiba ran down the hall to his room with the dog hot on his heals.
"And you didn't want to adopt him." Joey said while lying down in bed. Seto rolled his eyes, kissed his pup good night, then turned out the light.
Author's Note: Phew, that was a long one. Hopefully that'll tide you all over for a while, I'm just kidding. Sorry for not updating sooner, but I had to start working on my summer homework for my English class. Anyway I hope you enjoy this and remember that this chapter was one where everybody got to take it easy. There is a whole new problem coming up next chapter. Thank you all so much for reading and don't forget to review!