Hello everybody!

I just got back from my trip and I was totally amazed!

It was……so……F-ing……COOL!

Ok so now I'm back on track….. let's see how Joey likes to spend a day with the girls……

Joey did not like this plan at all. He just couldn't believe Seto would spring this on him. And what was worse, all of the girls were giggling at him. Usually he'd pour on the charm, but this was totally embarrassing, having to wrap a towel around your waist when all the other men the girls bathed were completely……completely…….never mind. The point is is that Joey didn't stop blushing until he got into the water and Isis's handmaidens stopped giggling at him.

He felt a little better when Isis came in and told the girls to "work their magic." She followed in grabbing a cloth and started to scrub the remaining blood out of Joey's fingernails.

"So, do you feel any better yet?" she asked.

"NO! I'm in a room surrounded by women and I'm almost….ahem. Anyway, it's like my worst nightmare!" Joey began speaking louder and louder as he said that.

All the girls giggled at him.

"Why are they laughing? Do they think I'm funny or something?" Joey asked Isis all the while blushing.

One of the ladies- a pale and small, shy looking creature- stepped out of the sea of girls (well, to Joey it was a sea, there were only about four of them) and said with a very embarrassed face, "We don't think of you as funny. We, we think- no I can't say it-"

The rest of the group urged her on.

"But we think you're….. cute?"

Joey felt like the world had been lifted off of his shoulders. They were just as shy as he was. Well, at least that girl was. He started to think that Seto was right. He didn't feel too bad, but it didn't make him feel better instantaneously either. Anyway way you were to put it though, Joey would have to go along with it.

He nearly jumped out of the water when one of the girls yelled at the top of her lungs, "Oh! I'm so sorry! We've been completely rude to you! My name is Anzu. This is Shizuka (the shy one), and this is Mai (a flirt). You know Lady Isis, don't you?"

"Yea I know her. Hey, uh, next time, try not to give me a heart attack, okay?" Joey panted.

"Sorry."

"S'ok."

All of the girls flocked around Joey and made light conversation as they scrubbed his arms and back, and Shizuka washed his hair. Mai and Anzu were fighting over who got to do his legs (gulp), but Joey volunteered to do that particular area himself.

About an hour went by when the girls saw that Joey wasn't being that funny charming cutie that he was for the past forty-five minutes. "Hey, Joey, is there something wrong? Are you sick?" Shizuka asked.

Joey noticed the concern in her eyes. /Wow. She reminds me a lot about my little sister. I guess I should ask them, but would they understand/

Joey looked up at everyone and sighed. "Have you ever loved somebody so much you think you're gonna pass out and then all of the sudden he just disappears from your life forever?" He didn't expect anyone to answer.

After a while of silence it was Mai who said, "Yes."

Joey looked puzzled. "Yes what?"

Everybody sweatdropped.

"I mean, yes, I did know someone like that. He was a fish monger. Every time he did so much as hold my hand I melted. And then one day, when I went to the fish market, he wasn't there anymore. The other men said he went to Carthage. I never saw him again. Tall, muscular, straight nose, golden hair, and a voice like ambrosia to the ears, and eyes like the ocean."

Anzu's hair stood on end. "WOAH! Hold on there! Are you talking about the one that would always compliment you on your dress and would hold you by the waist like this?" she demonstrated.

"Are we talking about the same person here?" Mai asked.

"He always liked my hair ribbon." Shizuka said.

And then it hit them all like a metal baseball bat.

And this they yelled so the whole palace could hear, "MEN ARE ALL PIIIIIIIIIIGS!"

From across the palace into the courtyard, Seto and Yami were discussing the war over some wine when they heard that.

"Those ladies figured out about that man-whore fishmonger I assume?" Yami said in a matter-of-factly tone.

All Seto could say was, "Mmmhmmm."

Back to the main part of the chapter……

Joey snapped out of his pensive mood immediately and burst out laughing. They did understand a way, and that him feel all better. He dunked his face underwater to get himself to stop laughing and then played Prince Charming again.

"A fish monger? Please. You girls can do better than that. The meat vendors are the cute ones."

All of the girls made faces that said "What are you, nuts?"

"No no no. I mean it. And not just the cattle. I mean the ones with chickens and lambs, too."

"What do you mean?" Anzu asked.

"I mean they all have their own common qualities. Cattle strong, outgoing, tough, muscleman. Lambs occasionally shy, strong but not muscular, handsome, gentle. Chickens limber, fun, quick, gentlemanly, protective. See? It's that easy. I rest my case."

All the girls were wowed by Joey's analysis. One would think they'll start fighting over the meat shopping tomorrow.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaand, if you don't me sayin' so, the milkmaids are the most beautiful pieces of work I've ever- OW!" Joey commented before he was slapped upside the head by Isis. "Oh, noooooow I get it. I can talk about hotties for hours but once I even mention the ladies you do all that feminist shit- excuse my language, ladies- and hit me. I'm not vulgar just honest."

"I wasn't slapping you upside the head for thinking about the ladies. I hit you for not thinking about the High Priest." Isis stated in a very moody manner.

"Hey, wait a minute. I don't like him like that. Granted, he's the best friend friend I've ever had and he is kind, smart, and handsome, but I don't. Really."

The girls crossed their arms and smirked.

"I don't!"

The girls started staring.

"I can't! I just lost the love of my life, what, three days ago? I told him I didn't think I could do that again."

Isis smiled. "I know. I heard."

Joey did a faceplant. "WHAT! You were eavesdropping! That means you saw… this is why I think women are vicious creatures."

Isis giggled. "Yes I saw it."

"Saw what? Saw what?" the girls pleaded.

"Seto kissed his little pup here. And I don't mean just a peck on the cheek, either."

"Ooooooooooooo." They cooed.

"Cut it out!" Joey yelled.

The girls stopped in their tracks.

"Listen, hon, we're not trying to embarrass you, we're just having a little fun." Mai stated

"It's not so fun in my corner of the discussion."

"Joey, don't you see? He loves you. He'll do anything to make you happy." Anzu added.

"Did he say that?"

Isis smiled. "He's told just about everyone in the palace. Everyone except you, of course, but he's certainly showed it."

"I don't know…"

"Yes, you do know. You're just not admitting it. Now, when Seto comes to get you I want you to………………. And then I think you'll find you're answer." Isis whispered the secret instructions to Joey very carefully.

"No! What makes you so sure? Huh?"

"Okay, Joey. If this doesn't work, you don't have to speak to me ever again. If this fails, you don't have to involve me in your life anymore if you don't want. That is how confident I am."

"Do you trust us, Joey?" Shizuka asked.

Joey stared into her eyes and soon after gave her a warm hug. He let go after a short while.

"Why did you do that?" she asked.

"Huh? Oh, I'm sorry. You remind me of my baby sister so much that my mind played a trick on me. Okay. Yeah. I trust your decision." Joey replied.

About an hour later, Joey's hair had been washed, he had been clean, and he drank wine with the girls. It was almost like therapy to him and he enjoyed their counseling.

Seto walked in and asked in a playful tone, "So, do you fell 100 percent better? Or sould I brace myself?"

Joey walked briskly towards Seto and embraced him tightly. Joey kissed him with a warm love that was his and his alone. He let go of Seto and then stared into his eyes.

The girls pulled out their handkerchiefs in case they were going to cry.

"I thought you said you didn't love me."

"No, I said I wasn't ready. That was this morning. Now it's noon. I think I'm ready to love again. Women may be vicious creatures, but they always know what's best for a man, and what's best for me, we concluded, was you." And with that they kissed again with no regard for who was watching.

The only irony of this was that the happiest event of the day was to the tune of crying women (the usual tears a girl sheds during a chik flik).

Well, they had love, lost love, and found love again.

BUT!

That's not the end

I shall give you a clue to the ending:

Sometimes I'm EVIL by definition,
Yes, it's true,
And some of you will hate me,
When this story is through.

Draw that conclusion!