I know this is a week early according to the schedule I have adhered to, but I decided to give you all this as an early Christmas gift.

I started writing this in 2017 so I knew exactly how I wanted this story to end; it was just how to get there that was the fun part. My sisters knew of this plan and they applauded me, though it did look kinda threatening at the same time... Yikes... Besides that, I hope you all enjoy the ending of A Witchy Idea.

*I don't own Yugioh! I only own my OCs, Christine and Meg. If you recognize anything, I don't own that either!*

The goddess Isis looked down from her heavenly palace and gave a heavy sigh at what she saw.

It had been six months since the Millennium Items had been sealed away, and while the world was finally at peace, there were many things she found to be unsatisfactory. Every time she looked down over the realm she once reigned over, she only saw sadness.

Two souls, exactly where fate had intended for them to be, but… They were far from happy. Christine was going to become the queen of her circle in less than a week's time, but the moment she looked into a mirror, she was reminded of everything she had lost. The Pharaoh Atem was, at last, allowed his rest after 3000 years of being trapped in the Millennium Puzzle, but it wasn't the same without his wife at his side. The silent cries were more than Isis could take. She had thought long and hard about how to get Christine's soul into the afterlife, but her husband wouldn't allow that transgression. Christine had already been allowed to be saved by Isis before; she was to go where a modern soul would go after death. She tried to appeal to him using their promise, but the god of the Underworld wasn't swayed. The goddess huffed about it even then. Her husband had no heart in the face of love.

"Isis?" The voice of her nephew, Anubis, appeared behind her. "What is the matter?"

"The same thing as the last time you came here." Isis huffed.

She heard Anubis sigh. He stepped over so that he could lean down and look at the same sight. "It pains me that I can't do anything for them."

"Like that's stopped you before."

Isis glared down at her nephew. "I have no doubt in my mind that you're plotting how to get her to the Field of Reeds." The goddess gave a loud growl, clenching her hands into fists.

"There's my problem! I can't bring her there! My foolish husband won't allow me!"

There was silence from her nephew. Isis looked back down to see Christine while smiling at her friends, still had shadows over her eyes. She had been so brave to turn away from that ruined tunnel and this was her reward. The goddess had guarded the girl for so long; there had to be something she could do!

"What about bringing him to her?"

The image of Monster Reborn coming up out of the Golden Sarcophagus had been burned into her memory. Yugi's final message to the Pharaoh was painfully clear.

"The door is shut. And Yugi made it clear his spirit wasn't to remain in the mortal world. There isn't…"

Isis trailed off as an idea hit her. His spirit wasn't to remain… The more she thought about it, the more it made perfect sense. Maybe there was something she could do, and it was something she had already done. "Darling nephew, you appear to be onto something."

"Oh boy…"

Isis giggled madly. This was brilliant! "I don't like that smile on your face."

"You shouldn't. Now come!"

Isis turned away from her sight of the Pharaoh and his queen and headed into her palace. While he may have been nervous, Anubis followed after his aunt.

"What are we doing?"

It was poetic that Isis had reached the closed door that led to her husband's realm at that moment. She opened it before turning to look at her nephew.

"We're going to pry the door open a little bit."

It was the morning of my coronation, and I felt groggy as all hell. I hadn't slept well in the weeks after the Circle had decided that, to boost morale, that I take 'my place' as the queen of the Circle.

I didn't want to. I didn't want to do it without him.

It has been six months since we returned from Egypt without my Pharaoh; all of us would soon be graduating high school. We had a surreal conversation about what we all would do after graduation only the other day: of course, Jounouchi wanted to be a Pro-Duelist, Honda would work in his father's factory, Anzu had an American study abroad program already in place, so she'd be on a plane a few days after graduation. Yugi wanted to be a game designer, not like I expected anything less from him. I… I was unsure what I would do with my new life, but the one thing I knew was that I wanted to help people. Grandpa suggested becoming a nurse and working in a hospital; I was unsure but promised to look into it.

It would be an understatement if I simply said I missed my Pharaoh. If I was forced to be completely honest, I would say I missed him with every fiber of my being, but I held my head up high if only to seem strong. I wanted to plow my head into a wall every time I accidentally called Yugi the Pharaoh's name. He didn't hold it against me, comforting me whenever I let it get to my head. The whole gang had been there for me, gently pulling me back out of my shell and back into the world. I held fast to my last memory of him, our promise that we'd see each other again. It wasn't much, but it warmed my heart. For the first few months, I tried to cope by writing him notes in a notebook; Lady Isis had taught me that the dead could still read the messages from their loved ones, so I decided to give it a try. It had helped, but instead of the notes getting smaller as time went on, they kept getting larger and larger; Grandpa eventually told me to stop when it became too much.

When I felt awake enough, I crawled out of bed, quickly settling the sheets into their appropriate positions. I got dressed into lazy clothes that I would wear until I got to the Circle and had to put on a dress; that I was dreading.

In front of my door was a large box. The small note on the top was written by Grandpa saying that it had arrived earlier this morning and I wasn't awake yet when he settled it into my room. I looked over the sending address and smiled when I saw Maximillian Pegasus' name and address. I carefully opened the box and was greeted with paper that generally came with fancy clothes. I pulled the contents out in order: a large bundle of fine cloth wrapped in the packaging paper, a medium-size box wrapped in beautiful wrapping paper, and a letter with my name pristinely written in Pegasus' hand. Settling on the floor, I opened the letter and began to read.

'To my darling Christine,

I hope all is well with you and Yugi-boy. My last visit was far too short for me to get a grasp of your emotions during this busy time. I apologize again for not being able to come to your coronation; I simply couldn't get away from meetings. I blame Kaiba-boy.

To make up for this, I come bearing gifts! I don't know if there is some sort of dress code in your circle, but you're the queen; you get to wear whatever you want. I send a little number that I think will look marvelous on you. I hope you'll wear it and know that I will support you in any endeavor you choose to go on. My next gift is in the box, and it goes without saying that a queen needs a crown. I know it's not the kind of crown you wore when you ruled the first time, but I wanted to give you something special for the momentous day.

Now, I shouldn't take too much more of your time, dear. Have a marvelous day,

Maximillian Pegasus'

I smiled. Pegasus was always sending gifts of different intricacies my way, and I ended up enjoying all of them. He had become someone else I could lay my burden on, and he would handle all he could in an instant if it meant making me feel a tad bit better. I was grateful for everything he had done for me these past few months. I did notice Pegasus' lack of mentioning a boy in my life. Usually, he would ask if anyone had caught my eye, the gossiping snoop. He never tried to hook me up with someone, but I guess it was his way of asking how I was doing in that department after Atem left for the afterlife. I would reply politely that no one had appeared and leave it at that. It was true. I hadn't tried seeing anybody since my Pharaoh had left this plane. I had considered it, but I only felt dirty; I felt like I was disgracing all that I had with him. I shook off the thoughts and moved to Pegasus' gifts. I wonder what type of dress and crown these were going to be?

I pulled out the dress first, marveling at the beige coloring. I was usually given blue or dark crimson red dresses, which this dress was a breath of fresh air. It was a short off the shoulder dress, the top slightly resembling a bow in shape. It didn't seem like something Pegasus would buy, but I figured that he had seen the pictures I had liked that Miho had sent my way from her newest designs. I didn't care what the Maiden wanted me to wear; I wanted to wear this now. Before moving to the small box, I hung up the dress in a dress bag to get it to the circle when I left.

I settled back onto the ground to open the box. Inside was a beautiful silver circlet, a soft silver gem that would be at the top of my forehead. It reminded me of many of the circlets from Lord of the Rings that Galadriel would wear. It was utterly gorgeous. I jumped to my feet and ran over to my mirror to see what it looked like on me. Carefully settling it on my head, I stared at my reflection for minutes on end. The silver reflected off my blonde hair, and I smiled. Pegasus' gift was beautiful.

Sadly, the more I looked, the sadder I got. It was so stupid feeling sad from long-ago memories, but I couldn't help it sometimes. When I looked at my face, I saw myself in a different place, a different time. The longer I looked, I more I stopped recognizing myself reflected there; I didn't know who I was anymore. I finally stepped away from the mirror and settled the circlet back into the box; I would need to write Pegasus a reply thanking him for the lovely gifts.

Yugi was in the kitchen when I eventually left my room to eat something. His mom must have been doing something else as he was the one working over the oven. I raised an eyebrow as he scraped an extra portion of eggs out of the pan and onto a plate. He and Grandpa had been awfully shifty in the past few days. From sneaking something around the house whenever I had just left, to making up a guestroom, to making even more food like a guest was coming, but no one arrived. Whenever I mentioned anything about it, they made an excuse about a friend needing something because they got out of work late. I accepted the excuses, but I was still curious about what they were hiding from me. I shook my thoughts away when Yugi made a noise when he bumped the still hot pan.

"You ok, Yugi?" I asked, walking into the kitchen.

"Yeah…" Yugi huffed. "Bumped the pan… again…"

I gave a soft laugh at the annoyance in his voice. "I always do that! Why?!"

"Your gangly arms are getting in the way!"

Yugi gave me a face, only making me laugh more. "Let me help." There was no argument, so I took control of the pan and began the next batch of eggs. In the meantime, Yugi got the plate filled with toast and the collection of breakfast foods then raced out of the kitchen. The thoughts returned to my head. What was he hiding from me? I thought we were past keeping secrets. I shook off the darker thoughts as they came, trying to think of the present. Yugi had grown so much in the six months since he was separated from the Millennium Puzzle. It was an understatement to say that he'd gotten more confident with his own abilities and skill as a duelist. When Yugi came back, he seemed to know my thoughts based on the look on my face. He brought my attention to him with a hand on my arm.

"Soon."

I raised my eyebrow again. The smile remained on his face. "You'll know everything soon. I promise." He kept smiling until I reluctantly nodded.

"If you say so."

"I know so."

I spent the rest of the day in my room working on homework so that I didn't have to worry about it later. Yugi kept me company, but he continually ran in and out, helping Grandpa with the shop as well as doing something else. If I was to learn everything soon, then I wouldn't ask any questions.

That evening, after washing up and gathering all my needed belongings, I settled into a makeshift dressing room to get ready for my coronation. Meg sat with me as I pulled my new dress on and sat down at the vanity, playing with a small device. I couldn't see what it was, but, if I had to venture a guess, it was a pager of some kind. I had managed to convince the Crone that the circlet Pegasus gave me was becoming my crown, so the old woman had it in the meantime. Through the reflection, I could see Meg looking at me curiously, peeking from under her small set of bangs.

"So…" Meg drawled. "How have you been, 'stine?"

I moved my eyes so that she could tell I was looking at her. Meg, along with Yugi and the gang, held me together after everything. Meg and her goofiness were definitely needed. I nodded.

"I'm ok." I replied, a smile appearing on my lips. "Doing the best I can. Why do you ask?"

Meg's expression didn't change. She looked nervous and scared for some reason. She eventually shrugged.

"I just worry about you, ya know? I want you to be happy."

A more genuine smile appeared on my lips. This was why Meg was my best friend. I turned around to directly face her and decided to be honest.

"I miss him. I miss him every day."

Meg didn't smile, only leaning forward onto her knees. I leaned back into my chair, hardly caring if it wrinkled my dress. "I know that normal people would just tell me to move on, but…. I can't!" I felt a tear streak down my cheek. "I just can't…." I covered my face with my hands, trying to force the tears away. Meg wrapped her arms around me, giving me her warmth. "How do I walk away from someone I fell in love with twice?! How can people just expect me to move on when I've spent years of my life with him?!" Meg tightened her grip, pressing me even tighter against her body while I cried. When I felt calm again, which wasn't for a few minutes, I pulled away and wiped the tears away. Meg helped me gather myself before standing up.

"Well, I should get ready myself. Don't hesitate to call me if you need anything."

I smiled and nodded. I watched Meg leave before turning back into the mirror. I stared at my reflection for a moment, never letting my eyes focus directly on my face, letting random thoughts circulate in my head. Some were dark and sad, others were happy. I wasn't sure what to feel; I just felt numb. I faintly heard the door open and close but didn't look up to see who it was. Whoever walked in, though, they seemed to know how I liked having my hair brushed because they silently picked up the brush lying on the vanity and began to slide it through my hair. I gave a soft sigh, closing my eyes and leaning back slightly so that it would be easier to slide through my blonde locks.

"Let me guess…. Something's gone horribly wrong, and you're trying to placate me in order to soften the anger? Not like I would be mad anyway."

A soft chuckle echoed in my ear, and the sound raised goosebumps over my skin, sending nostalgia racing through my veins. My eyes opened immediately. I knew that chuckle…. I stared at my reflection, suddenly afraid to look up.

"Well…" The familiar voice chuckled. "Maybe, maybe not, but I know that you like this, so…."

I pulled away from the brush, standing up to look him in the eye.

Atem…. He was here….

The former Pharaoh was wearing a nice red polo shirt with black dress pants, a far cry from the clothes he had left me in. His tanned skin had returned, no longer the same shade as Yugi's. He wore a soft smile, but that didn't make me fangirl scream like it used to. It made me mad.

"You…."

Atem took a step back from me, the smile slipping from his face and his hands coming up between us. The brush fell to the ground with a loud thunk.

"Christine, I know you're mad…"

My temper snapped, and I interrupted him.

"Mad?! I'm more than mad right now! How could you just show up and not expect me to be mad?!"

I continued to huff and puff, closing in on him. "Six months! You've been gone six months, and you just show up now?! Just before I have to go through this crazy fiasco? How could you…." I gave a growl. My temper was spiraling out of control. "How did you even get back? And without even a word to me? It would've been nice to have a heads up! How could you-" I was interrupted myself when Atem leaned in and kissed me. My eyes widened, and I was frozen in place. After a moment, Atem pulled away and sat down on the couch so that I was looming above him. His eyes were downcast, like he didn't have the heart to look at me.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I wanted to go straight to you once I got back, but Yugi kept shoving me into closets; Grandpa even pushed me under the counter when you walked down the stairs this afternoon."

He looked up to me, and I felt the anger drain out of me at the sadness in his eyes. "I couldn't stand to be without you, Christine. I missed everyone here to the point that I wanted to be here more than I wanted to be there." This was the reason Yugi and Grandpa had been so shifty… They were trying to make his return a surprise for me… They must have thought it would make me happy, not expecting the anger I actually reacted with. I was still mad, though.

"Then why didn't you come straight back? Why didn't you come back to me the next day or something?"

"I was blocked. I wanted to, but they wouldn't let me. It apparently took some time, but a certain goddess showed up and snuck me out the door."

My anger faded at the words. Isis… She'd really go through all this trouble for me? My heart thumped like it used to when Atem reached out for my hand and pulled it to his lips. He pressed a soft kiss to my fingers before looking back up at me. "I love you, and I want to be with you like we should have been all those years ago. We deserve a full life together, like we were supposed to." A tear streaked down my cheek at the words. Atem reached his other hand to wipe it away. "Please don't cry anymore, Mereret. Do you want to know something funny?" I nodded, wanting to get my mind off my runaway emotions. "Remember the school festival and the carnival games? I made a promise that I never wanted to see you cry again." I managed a laugh; it was watery, but it was a laugh.

"I guess that didn't go over well. I seem to recall numerous times in which I have cried in your presence."

Atem shrugged, a smile returning to his lips.

"I guess not."

We stared at each other for a moment. I wasn't angry anymore, and I wasn't in the mood to berate him any longer. He did want to come back to me; I shouldn't be mad for what Yugi and Grandpa did. Still feeling tears race down my cheeks, I tugged at my Pharaoh's hand and he got up to his feet. He didn't complain when I wrapped my arms around him, wrapping me up just as tightly. "I missed you, Mereret." A hiccup escaped me, and I clutched onto his shirt.

"I missed you too. Don't leave me again."

"Never."

We clutched onto each other for a long time before Atem moved me to the couch to sit with him; my legs must have been shaking from my crying. He never let me go, though; one arm remained wrapped around my waist at all times. It took over 10 minutes for me to calm down this time, but I didn't release Atem. When I thought my voice was strong enough, I asked him a question.

"I have to ask… Did anyone threaten to kill you when they found out you were back?"

Atem gave a soft chuckle, pressing a quick kiss to the top of my head.

"Loads."

"Who?"

Another kiss was pressed to the top of my head and his hand rubbed over my back again.

"Meg, Yugi, Jounouchi, Pegasus-"

I pulled away from his embrace, looking up at him.

"Pegasus?! How did he know?!"

"I asked him for some paperwork to make me more legit here."

Atem gave a short laugh, shaking his head. "His threat was the most veiled of them all." The words made me think of Pegasus' letter from this afternoon, why he didn't ask about me having a boy in my life. So that meant that he knew Atem was back before he sent the package. I gave a loud sigh. It gave way to another question.

"Who was the least?"

"Totally Meg. She threatened to pull the Nurse out of your mind and sic her on me if I ever tried leaving you again."

I gave a bright laugh at that, hearing my Pharaoh echo it. That sounded like Meg alright. I returned to his embrace, feeling him wrap me up again. We weren't disturbed until there was a soft knock on the door and the smooth voice of the Crone appeared behind it.

"Dear?" She called gently. "I hate to interrupt, but the Circle is gathering. I suggest you finish preparing."

I whined at being forced to move, but knew she was right to bug me.

"Very well." I replied, loud enough for her to hear me.

I could hear the Crone give a small giggle before she practically skipped away. I sighed, leaning into Atem's chest. My Pharaoh pressed one last kiss into my hair before releasing me.

"You should go." He breathed. "You're a very busy lady now."

"Don't remind me."

Atem laughed as I slid out of his embrace and walked over to the vanity for one last look over. I picked up the fallen brush as I passed it. I happily looked into the mirror to see Atem wiping the few tears in his eyes away and climbing off the couch, a bright smile on his face. I ran the brush through my hair to get rid of any new tangles before looking at the one piece of my outfit that I had missed.

I picked up the small pendant and smiled as it spun on its chain. Since I had remembered everything, it hasn't given me anything; it had only been a small token of a life I had thought long gone. I had thought that this little thing was my last connection to the man I loved, but now…. I gave a bright smile, looking back through the mirror. "Can you help me with something, Atem?" My Pharaoh looked over to me, a curious expression on his face. "Help me get this on?" He looked to what I was holding, and I saw his smile grow even brighter. He nodded, walked over, and took the small golden pendant. I moved my hair, and my Pharaoh locked the chain in place. It fit at the right height so it would be proudly shown off during the ceremony. Atem's arms returned to wrap around my waist and his head against my shoulder. He looked utterly content.

"I just thought of something."

"Don't hurt yourself."

I was lightly pinched for the snark, but I knew it was a playful one. The Pharaoh returned his head to my shoulder before speaking again.

"I was wondering if we were still married or not, seeing as you still have my little trinket."

I thought about it for a moment before giving my answer.

"Nope."

Atem's head turned slightly so that he could level me with a playful look.

"And why's that?"

"Didn't we both die? Does marriage continue in the Field of Reeds?"

Atem hummed at my words, turning his head more to nuzzle my neck. I tried to remember that little bit. Kings were buried separately from their Queens; would they even have the same afterlife? I shook that off; we were both alive now. "Though… I would not be opposed to starting over." Atem pulled away from my neck to look at me curiously. "You know… being boyfriend and girlfriend again and if we can stand to be with each other for all time…." I was quickly spun around and pinned to the vanity. Atem's eyes were narrowed playfully, and he leaned in, forcing me to lean further into the vanity; I was practically sitting on it now. I was effectively trapped.

"And why wouldn't I want to spend the rest of my life with you? I did come back for you, after all."

My face exploded in a bright blush. My Pharaoh's lips quirked into a smirk, and he leaned in to press a kiss to my lips. I took the initiative and moved my fingers into Atem's hair. My Pharaoh gave a chuckle, leaning further into me.

It was official; this was the greatest day of my life.

After some mindless kissing, there was another knock at the door. I pulled away from my Pharaoh to give a glare to the closed door. Who was it now?

"I hate to interrupt your snogging, 'stine, but…" Meg's voice appeared, teasing. "they're kinda starting in, like, five minutes so…."

I huffed.

"Shut up, Meg!" I called back, only succeeding in making her laugh hysterically.

Atem chuckled as well, pressing a kiss to my cheek.

"Now that wasn't very nice." He teased.

I tapped his nose slightly, making him laugh, and he pulled away from me. I didn't want to leave just yet. The moment I walked into that chamber, I was queen…. I didn't want to say that I was terrified. I had been waiting for this for over two months when the date was decided. I was just anxious that there would be so many expectations for me to try to live up to; I didn't want to crack under pressure. Atem took my hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. I looked up to him to see he was giving me a smile. He was giving me his support. I smiled back, and we both walked out of the dressing room.

I didn't dwell on the ceremony. Any thought that entered my head fled after only a moment, either through the nerves or the differing words going straight through my ears. The only memory that stuck with me was the sight of the entire circle cheering as I turned around wearing my circlet. I didn't recognize the many sets of eyes that looked up at me; I then remembered that many dignitaries from foreign circles had come to see me. A smile finally reached my face when I saw my friends cheering from the nearby corner. Meg had snuck them in, and the Crone didn't seem to have a problem having them here.

After a few hours of shaking hands and smiling, I was happy to finally return home. Atem was apparently the one in the guest room, but when Grandpa sent me to bed when it got late, I pulled Atem into my room with me. My Pharaoh only rolled his eyes, but he didn't argue with me.

I wrapped my arms around Atem's waist, refusing to let him pull away even an inch. One of his arms was being used as my pillow, and the other loosely wrapped around my waist. The hand on the arm used as a pillow was sliding through my hair, making sleep a very tempting offer. Atem was just as warm as I remembered, and I was happy to keep him close. "Hey… What do we do if Grandpa walks in?" I gave a sleepy shrug.

"I don't care."

I heard a light huff above me, an air of a chuckle in it. With a smile, I tightened my grip on his waist and pulled myself closer. "I haven't seen you in six months; I deserve to be a little clingy." That got another chuckle from my Pharaoh, and I let myself give a bright smile.

We lay there for a few minutes, soaking up each other's presence. I reveled in the beating of Atem's heart in my ear; I even had to fight off tears as memories of the last time we laid like this came to the forefront of my mind. Before he had fallen from the cliff after losing the shadow game with Bakura, before Zorc's resurrection, before both of our deaths… I then remembered that he'd spent six months in the Field of Reeds; he had seen everyone. "How is everyone? Are they happy?" The hand that was sliding through my hair suddenly stopped, making me want to huff until he returned to the smoothing motions. I didn't have the chance as Atem suddenly poked my head, making me look up so that he could look me in the eyes, a smile on his face.

"Do you want to see for yourself?"

My eyes narrowed, questioning him. He sounded awfully chipper asking that. The smile on his face didn't diminish, only growing in our short silence. "We can; it was one of the things I was promised." That didn't help his case. Sure, Isis was powerful, but could she really let the both of us in and out of there? My eyes only narrowed more.

"Though how?"

"Do you trust me?"

I wanted to narrow my eyes even more, but Atem was quick to boop my nose playfully. "Come on, entertain me?" I sighed, relaxing my eyes at last.

"Fine. How do we get there?"

Atem's smile grew even wider then, and I slightly regretted my words. With a quick motion, my eyes were shut, and his soft voice echoed in my ear.

"Imagine a long tunnel. At the far end of it is a bright light."

I couldn't help but hear Meg shout 'Don't go into the light!' with his words. My mouth wanted to smile, but I fought it. I only pictured his words as Atem said them. Although I imagine them still, like a photograph, the images began to move on their own; it is like I was walking down this long tunnel. Atem's voice now softening like I was walking away from him. "Just before reaching the light, though, there is a door, big door, ok?" It was faint, but I felt my hand taken into a soft grip. "It's already opened a little bit - pried open like with a crowbar- but I want you to open that door." The images continued just as Atem was detailing them. I eventually reached the moment when I fully opened the door, and everything went into a bright light.

I opened my eyes once the light faded, and I wasn't greeted with the dark shirt that Atem wore to bed. I was now on my feet in the middle of a sunny courtyard. My Pharaoh was still clutching at my hand, and I thought his face would break from the force of the smile he was wearing. I looked around, and the sense of déjà vu overcame me. Where was I? "Do you not remember this place?"

"No, I know it. It's just…."

It clicked when I turned to my right. I recognized that plot of flowers; I had thought about them since the day Atem left. I felt tears well up in my eyes. "Lady Mereyam's garden… We're really here…" Atem chuckled as he pulled me into a quick hug before he began to pull me out of the old villa. It was only for an instant, but I saw the woman who had rescued me from a distance. She looked up from her scroll and smiled when she saw me. Tears raced down my cheeks, but Atem was pulling me too hard for me to race over to her.

Once we had left the villa, I recognized more and more. We were in the Palace complex… The Shrine of Wedju was just over the horizon – I could see the barest tip over the sand. We didn't enter the palace itself immediately as Atem wanted to go the long way, through the stables and through a secret door we'd used as playful teenagers. A loud whinny made me stop dead. "Shetan?" I turned and I really started crying. Standing in his stall was my horse; he was just as beautiful as I remembered. He whinnied again and I pulled away from my Pharaoh to embrace my equine friend. "You're here too?" Shetan made a noise that I translated as 'Of course, idiot! Where have you been?' I gave a watery laugh, pressing a kiss to his furry nose. "I'm sorry; I've gotten pretty dense, haven't I?" Shetan made another noise, one that made me think he was rolling his eyes, and I laughed again.

Atem gave me a long few minutes with my old friend before tugging at me once more. We were soon in the palace itself and I couldn't stop smiling. Servants we passed bowed like there was nothing wrong with our attire. Many that I grew up with waved madly to me, like greeting an old friend that had just returned home. I waved back, their names coming back to me, and continued allowing Atem to pull me along. Once we entered the center of the palace, many of the voices became more and more familiar. That was the moment I began to pull back. "Wait…" My heart was racing in panic. I wasn't ready! "Can we wait a little bit before seeing them?" Atem looked back to me, lifting his eyebrow.

"Why? You haven't seen them in just as long as I had."

"Yeah, but…"

"My Pharaoh." A familiar voice appeared from the adjoining room. "I didn't think that you'd be back so soon. Did the Great Lady have the anger you expected?"

Atem turned to the voice, and I could hear the air of a chuckle in his voice.

"I'm not dead yet, Shimon." Atem replied, more than likely smiling. "Only a visit this time, and I come bearing a special guest!"

Shimon made a sound that indicated confusion. That was the moment Atem pulled me out of the shadowy corridor and into the conversation. After nearly 3000 years, I saw the old man that was almost a father to me. He looked the same as the last time I saw him, right as he was going after Atem to Kul Elna. His hair was pulled back into his hood, his eyes and face completely visible, unlike he usually had it. It took a moment before the old man recognized me, but tears entered his eyes when he did.

"My…. My queen…"

More tears ran down my cheeks, and I pulled away from Atem's hands to wrap the man in a hug. Despite being in the realm of the dead, Shimon was warm. He returned my embrace, and the tears came even harder. After a moment, Shimon pulled away to wipe away a few of his tears. "My apologies, my queen. I didn't mean to embarrass myself in front of you." I shook my head.

"Don't worry about it, Shimon." I told him with a smile. "I'm just glad to see you again."

Shimon gave a smile at that, nodding his head like he used to. He then took a step back and waved for Atem and me to enter the room.

"I'm sure your father would love to see you, my Pharaoh."

Atem nodded his head, taking my hand before we followed the vizier. Atem wiped a few of my tears away with the thumb of his other hand, softly teasing me that I didn't want to see anybody, and yet I was crying. I elbowed him on the side even though I couldn't stop the smile that spread across my face. The room Shimon was taking us to was filled with voices, and I could feel the tears return when I began to recognize the bickering that some of them were deep into.

"What was that, Priest Mahad?" Seto's voice snapped, one of the loudest in the room. "I have reason to believe that that was a snap at my loyalty."

(Yes, secretly, Seto is Jeremiah Gottwald from Code Geass.)

"Hardly." Mahad teased back. "I am simply stating what I have seen from this present day our Pharaoh has returned to."

Seto gave a loud growl, but there was only laughter in response. I figured that Mahad was talking about Kaiba and making fun of Seto because of how he had treated Atem and me in the present.

"Seto is going to be getting a lot of teasing for what Kaiba does." I muttered to my Pharaoh.

"Agreed." Atem chuckled back.

We walked into the room, but with the playful argument between Mahad and Seto, nobody noticed Atem and I enter the room. It gave me a moment to look over the faces I hadn't seen in 3000 years. Kalim and Shada were seated on padded chairs, laughing at Seto's annoyed look. Mana was perched behind Mahad, a teasing smile on her face; she obviously enjoyed seeing Seto look so flustered. Even Master Aknadin was there, a soft smile on his face; it was the softest expression I'd ever seen on him.

The first one to notice us was Lady Isis.

She looked at me, eyes wide in surprise. I remained stock still, staring at her in return. Atem pushed me toward her with a gentle touch before he went over to try and placate the two bickering priests. I was too scared to move for a second, but I managed to gather enough courage to step toward her. Tears pricked at her eyes, but she kept them a bay by biting her lip. Silence reigned for only a moment before I pulled my mistress into my arms.

She melted immediately. She was warmer than I remembered. Her hair was pulled back into her intricate headdress, but it didn't stop her from leaning her head into my neck. Her arms wrapped around my waist, and tears poured down my cheeks. We pulled away after a few moments, and Lady Isis pressed her hand against my cheek.

"To think it has been 3000 years since I've seen your face." She managed, voice cracking slightly through tears.

I smiled back at her.

"I had a bit of a sneak peek through Ishizu." I replied. "Déjà vu was very obvious when I was with her."

That made Lady Isis laugh.

"My queen!" Seto's voice shook me out of my reverie.

I turned to see the rest of the priests had finally caught on to my being there. Seto's eyes were wide, and I could see tears in his own eyes. I stepped away from Lady Isis and gave him a smile.

"I take everything went well after we left?"

Seto gave a shaky laugh at that. "Though Seto! I do have to ask how Freak boy came from your line!" Seto looked obviously confused. Atem caught on immediately as he burst into laughter. His father, King Akhenamkanon, was tapping at his back, an amused smile on his face, as he was telling Atem to calm down. It was an amusing sight. He sent me a wink like he knew what I was talking about, bringing a brighter smile to my face.

"Freak boy?" Mana asked. "Who is this 'Freak boy'?"

"I will tell you who Freak boy is!"

We sat in that gathering space for what seemed like hours. It was wonderful spending time with the people closest to me and those I never truly got to say goodbye to the last time. After a little longer, I realized that I was missing a few people. I leaned over to Lady Isis, who was sitting next to me. "Have you seen my kids?" Lady Isis pointed down one of the side passages. They were down there? Lady Isis nodded her head to my unspoken question. Well, it couldn't hurt to try.

I stood up when the attention had switched to Atem rather than me, probably teasing him about how he was being tossed into closets when he was in the Game Shop. I used the moment to pop into the hall and look for my kids. I poked my head into each room I passed, hoping that I would catch a glimpse of their faces, but I saw nothing. I was beginning to lose hope when I heard a new voice.

"Come on, Hepzefa!" A playful, older voice was teasing. "What are you doing?"

Hepzefa? I followed the voice further down the hall, my heart racing in my chest.

"Waiting." Another, more demure voice replied. "Like I have been."

"Come on…."

There was then a sigh. "All right, you win. We'll be in here if you wish to join us." There was the fading sound of sandals walking away, so I knew that the second voice was still inside. I poked my head around the next corner to see a man, probably early 20's, maybe late teens, sitting in the hall. He was dripping in weapons, and the hieroglyphic tattoo he had showed that he was loyal to the Pharaoh. His expression was disheartening, so sad. He gave a sigh before standing up.

"Where are you, Lady Nefertari?"

Tears pricked at my eyes again. He's been waiting all this time for me? I held back a sob. I've made them wait a long time… I'm so sorry… He turned to walk away from me, and my body began to move. I stepped out from around the corner before I could stop myself and called out his name.

"Hepzefa!" I called.

The man froze. We remained there, frozen in space for a moment. When he turned around, I immediately saw the tears in his own eyes. I gave an embarrassed smile. "I'm sorry for making you wait so long, Hepzefa. Losing memories is… no fun." The tears began to spill down Hepzefa's cheeks. "Oh, Hepzefa…" I had just barely opened my arms to offer a hug when a now 15-year-old sized Hepzefa raced into them, his sobs echoing in the empty hall. I did nothing to try and stop his tears, only hugging him tightly.

"Lady Nefertari! You're finally here!"

I breathed a soft laugh, pressing a kiss to the top of his head.

"It took me a while, but yeah…"

That made Hepzefa cry even harder. The noise must have alerted the people in the nearby room as I began to hear the padding of sandals.

"Hepzefa, what's the…. -" The voice breathed then cut off quickly.

The first voice came out of this man's mouth, and he faltered when he saw Hepzefa and me. He was older, but I recognized the scar on his eyebrow. I opened one of my arms with a smile.

"Khemu!"

Khemu was a little more hesitant, but he too would race over to wrap me in a tight hug. He had returned to near 15 years old, clinging tightly next to his best friend. His sobs were softer than Hepzefa's, but I heard them all the same. I let the two go after a few minutes to get a good look at them. Their faces were slightly red with tears, but that was expected. "My darling young men…" I wiped away some of their tears. "It's been so long…"

"Where have you been, Lady Nefertari?" Hepzefa demanded, wiping away more of his tears in an attempt to look threatening.

"It's complicated, Hepzefa."

"It can't be that hard to explain." Khemu sassed in his typical way.

I rolled my eyes. I wouldn't hear the end of it, would I? I went to reply when Atem's voice appeared behind me.

"She had to fight some of her own battles." He breathed in a chuckle. "Give her some slack, boys!"

Atem had walked around the same corner I had, a smile on his face. The two boys raced over to him, and the King tussled with them affectionately. "How have you boys been?"

"Good, your majesty." Hepzefa beamed.

"Hepzefa here has just been mopey, but that's about it." Khemu sassed once more.

Hepzefa gave Khemu a dirty look, but Atem laughed anyway. He ruffled their hair again before pushing them towards me.

"Come on, more people to see, right?" Atem beamed.

The boys immediately raced over to me, grabbed my hands, then dragged me into the room Khemu was in. I gave a dirty look to my Pharaoh, who only laughed as he followed along behind us.

There was talking in the room we were led in. A smile immediately burst across my face at what it was. It was an echo of the alcove where they'd grown up. There was a doorway that obviously led elsewhere at the far end, but now wasn't the time to think about where it went. Everything went silent when Khemu cried out a familiar name.

"Kee-ya!"

"What?" Kiya's voice, although older, replied.

I looked to see that she was, again, writing on slips of papyrus. Her hair was gorgeous, flowing down to her shoulders. She was maybe 20 now? I even smiled when I saw the white ibis that had been her closest friend when Atem and I found her. She was turning her head towards Khemu, an unmistakable dirty look on her face. Her hazel eyes caught sight of my pale hand and followed it up to my face. She immediately screamed. "Lady Nefertari!" The woman, changing back into her 12-year-old self, barged towards me, dropping everything. Khemu and Hepzefa were lucky to escape with their lives - well… afterlife - as Kiya pushed them aside to wrap me in a tight hug. I chuckled as her grip tightened on me.

"Kiya…" I breathed.

"Where have you been, Lady Nefertari… We've waited for so long…"

Tears returned to my eyes, and I tightened my grip on her.

"I'm sorry, Kiya. Lots of things happened, but I'm here now."

"And you won't leave?"

I shook my head before leaning down to kiss Kiya's head. That prompted another wave of tears.

"What's going on in here?" A new voice asked came into the room.

I looked up to see a priestess, headdress, and all. Her expression was confused as she looked down at the crying Kiya. She then looked up to see me. We stared at each other for a moment, me mostly trying to place which of the remaining children she was. Her quick glance at my chest gave it all away.

"Mery…" I breathed.

The older Mery broke into a run but out of the room instead of towards me. "Mery!" She didn't stop.

"What the-!" Khemu groaned.

"I'll get her." Hepzefa sighed. "Hold on."

Hepzefa stepped into the room his sister had run into. Kiya remained wrapped around my waist, and I did nothing to release her. I brushed a bit of her hair while looking towards where Mery had run off to.

"Why did she run away?" I asked aloud.

"She was probably overwhelmed." Atem tried to soothe. "It has been over 3000 years."

"I guess…"

We all waited there for a moment until Hepzefa returned alone. He gave a shrug.

"She's not coming." He simply said.

I gave a sigh. Well… If she wasn't coming to me, I'd go to her. I had Kiya release me before I followed after my eldest girl. The room she had run into was an echo of her old bedroom. Her light sobs echoed from a darkened corner just past her bed, and I tiptoed towards her. When I settled down next to her, Mery refused to look up at me.

"Mery…"

The woman madly shook her head. Her jewelry and headdress clinked in the movement.

"No…" She gasped. "It can't be! I'm being fooled!"

"You're not, Mery! It's-!"

"Then prove it!"

Her head snapped up to glare at me. "If you are really Lady Nefertari, then prove it!" I flinched back. I didn't remember Mery being this snappy, but…. I definitely deserved it. Her gaze remained harsh as I stared back at her. What could I do to prove it? I knew she had been hurt, so I didn't want to hurt her any more than I already had. I eventually decided to reach out my hand to place it on Mery's cheek. She flinched back when I tried to settle closer to reach her better.

"Mery…"

I allowed my memories of her to race through my mind. Her first days in the palace, the days when she would help me settle new children in, and even when she and the rest of them comforted me while I tried to comfort a grieving kingdom. Mery's gaze had shifted to my chest, to the cord there, and tears sprung up as she watched. She remained stock still, but when the tears finally began to drip down her cheeks, she finally gave in.

"Lady Nefertari!"

I wrapped her in the tightest hug I could, feeling her sob into my shoulder. Having to remove her headdress, I slid my hand through her hair. Mery continued to sob. "Lady Nefertari…!"

"You have been so strong, Mery. Thank you for looking after everyone."

Mery gave another sob into my shoulder before raising her head. She wiped several tears away, so I took the chance to speak again. "I'm sorry for taking so long."

"It doesn't matter. You're here now."

I smiled at her before hugging her again. It took a while for Mery to calm down, but when she did, we returned to the rest of the group. Hepzefa teased his sister for not believing it was me, and Mery was quick to berate him. I laughed at the hilarity of the moment.

The last of my kids peeked her head into the room at the sound of the arguing siblings, and she recognized me the fastest. As soon as she caught sight of my face, Sati dashed into the room and wrapped me in a tight hug. She was around sixteen just before she hit me but was eight again when she wrapped her arms around me. There weren't any tears, just bright smiles, and laughs.

I happily spent as much time as I could with them, learning about what they had accomplished after my 'death'. Hepzefa and Khemu both were able to become Medjay in the service of Seto. Their true loyalty, though, was to the King who raised them. Atem pestered them slightly about it, but I knew that smile on his face. There was also a lot of teasing because Hepzefa married a foreign princess and became a ranking member of the court as well as a Medjay; the color of his face when Mery spoke on and on about his wife reminded me of Yugi whenever Anzu was around.

Mery became a priestess of Isis and grew to enough influence to almost be named God's Wife of Amun. She turned it down because she wanted to protect those who had joined what would become the Circle and ended up marrying Khemu not long after that. There was lots of teasing, but Mery took it all with grace.

Kiya became a high-ranking scribe in the court. Much of the remaining documentation that the Ishtar's probably had was hers. Hepzefa also mentioned that she was quite the spymaster because of all the birds and other animals that came by her quarters brimming with gossip.

Sati grew to also become a priestess, but she grew into the position of keeping watch of the next generation of her Circle; she had been the first maiden, lady, and crone of the Circle. Mery used her position as High Priestess to give them a place of cover and protection. I smiled at the girl; she had grown so much from the skittish little girl I met in that little alley.

My attention was pulled away from my children when something entered the room. I looked up to see the grey wolf from my oldest memories. Kari…? The large yellow eyes stared at me for a moment before the animal gave a huff.

"She wants you to follow her." Kiya translated.

"I…." I went to argue, but a hand on my back pushed me towards the wolf.

"We'll be fine, Lady Nefertari." Hepzefa's voice called. "You go!"

"We'll keep an eye on his majesty!" Khemu chirped next.

"Hey!" Atem argued immediately. "I do not need to be watched!"

With the attention moved from me to the argument Atem was having with Hepzefa and Khemu, I ended up turning fully towards Kari and following after her. The wolf would bounce a few feet before looking back to make sure I was still following. I had to nearly run to keep up.

How was she here? I thought she would be in the early Grecian Underworld with… I froze in place. My parents… Kari stopped as well, walking back to tap at my hand with her head, whining. I faintly remembered Atem having a funerary stele made for them since I could not bury them myself. If Kari was here… I looked down at the wolf and she shot off again with me on her heels, my head brimming with possibilities.

Kari stopped at the entrance to a new chamber. Before she walked in, the wolf rubbed her head against my hand again. I waited outside for a second. Was I prepared for what I was about to face? I contemplated running as fast as I could away, but a new voice - a familiar voice - stopped me.

"Ah, Kari." The sweet voice breathed. "There you are. I've been worried."

I bolted into the room, tears pricking at my eyes. I stopped a few feet in and recognized the face I hadn't seen since I was a child the first time.

"Mother!" I gasped.

My mother was sitting on a large couch, her hand on Kari's enormous head. She was wearing the red dress that Father gifted her, and her blonde hair hung past her shoulders, hardly caring for the hair decorations of her time. She looked up at me with the same green colored eyes and smiled.

"Iliana, I was wondering when you'd finally get here."

I gasped a sob, frozen in place. "Oh, my dear girl. Come here!" I walked gently towards her, seeing Kari move aside to let me have the prime position, and collapsed onto the couch next to my mother. She reached for me first, and I threw myself into her arms. The tears escaped me, and I was left sobbing into my mother's neck. "Oh, my brave girl. You've been through so much. I am so proud."

"Mother…"

Her hand moved to rub my back, the other in my hair. She brushed over my hair gently, almost like she knew I liked it. My mother practically had to push me away so that she could look me in the eye. She wiped away tears, a soft smile on her face.

"I always knew this day would come, and here it is."

The words reminded me of the vision with Meg before Kaiba's tournament. Mother was a seer, someone who could see the future.

"You knew everything that was going to happen."

Mother nodded, but her eyes remained locked with mine.

"The vision the day you were born. I admit it was hard raising you, knowing that you were going to be taken away. Your Father was a wreck for a few days after I told him."

I fought off a hiccup, wiping away more tears.

"You knew you were going to die…"

Mother nodded again.

"Yes… but I knew someone was going to watch over you."

Isis… "I will have to thank her, especially for that one incident. Who was being a jerk? Khandi? Frandi?" My face was lifting into a smile at the so close attempts at Shadi's name.

"Shadi?"

"Him! Oh, absolute jerk! He redeemed himself but does that actually excuse his actions? I don't know!"

I gave a bright laugh. Leave it to my mother to make me laugh. "I also wish I could thank… Jeanette? Was that her name?" I nodded. "I hope you didn't make her life difficult; you were already a wild child." I giggled, nodding again. "Oh…" She returned me into her embrace. "It is a dream come true to hold you again." I relaxed into her hold, content to never leave it again. But even so, I had another question for her.

"How far did you see, Mother? In that first vision?"

"Hmmm."

She left the embrace but took my hands. My vision clouded over, turning gray just like the vision from the Millennium Necklace with Ishizu. When my vision cleared, I was returned to a place I had been so many times, but was from so long ago. I may have been blindfolded at the time, but I recognized the sight of Jounouchi and all of my friends crouched on the carpeted ground, hands covering their ears. There was even that detective…

"Burger World?!"

"Is that what this place is called? I've never known."

I would have gasped about how similar it was to the last time I was here but the sound of my own voice crying out stopped me.

"Yugi!" My voice cried out. "Yugi, get away!"

I turned my head to see myself get slapped across the face. I collapsed onto the chair next to me, and I saw myself freeze.

"Christine!" Yugi's voice cried, and I watched the switch.

It was the first time Atem had taken over to protect me. I watched as he settled in front of the man, Jirou, I remembered. The vision faded after that, and we were returned to the couch. I blinked at the thoughts whirling through my head at what I witnessed. She had foreseen everything all the way to Burger World the day I was born.

"Wow…" I breathed.

"As cool as it seems, it was quite painful for your father and me." Mother sighed.

I nodded my head. I understood that.

"Phoebe?" A man's voice called out then. "What is going on?"

My mother sent me a quick playful smile before peeking back toward where the voice had come from.

"Oh, nothing! Simply having a nice chat with our daughter!"

There was silence at that. Someone began to step into the room, and the imposing figure of my Father entered through the doorway. He and I locked eyes, and I felt tears spring up behind my eyes again.

"Father…" I breathed.

My Father's stone face lifted into a smile.

"You've grown, my daughter…" He breathed back.

I jumped to my feet and raced to wrap my Father in a tight embrace. He returned it immediately. "I was beginning to think this day would never come. You know how cryptic your mother can be with her predictions." I gave a watery laugh at the annoyed huff my mother let out in response.

"I thought I was perfectly clear." She huffed.

Father and I laughed again. The two of us walked over to sit with Mother, and Kari came over next. The wolf gave a loud whine, her nose bumping against my hands. I happily slid my hands through her fur, muffing with it in the way she absolutely adored. After only a minute, the wolf's tongue hung out of her mouth from the attention. I eventually lifted my hands to look at my parents. They clutched at each other gently, smiles covering their faces.

"How did you two get here?" I asked gently.

They glanced at each other. Mother would remain silent, reaching for Kari to pet over her again.

"We awoke at the far side of what would be called the Styx." Father replied. "We had no fare, so…"

"You were trapped."

Father nodded. I tried to imagine being trapped in some dark cave, staring out over the river Styx. It sent shivers down my spine just thinking about it. Mother looked up from Kari then.

"We were then visited by some shadowy being." She then said. "It knew our names and asked us to follow it."

I straightened. "It came on your behalf, it said." What?

"My behalf?"

"It wouldn't say. It brought us here, then moved on. We were so confused."

"It was something your mother didn't see coming." Father interjected.

Mother gave him a dirty look before she continued.

"It only got stranger when gifts kept showing up: bottles of drink, meats, grains…"

Gifts? A memory hit me. My kids piled up in the small courtyard in their quarters, whispering quietly to a slab of decorated stone and smiling when I caught them. The words of the offering text then rang in my ears. Physical or Verbal offerings…

"The funerary stele…" I interrupted. "The one Atem and his father had made for you."

Tears pricked at my eyes. My parents were saved from being trapped at the Styx because 10-year-old Atem wanted to cheer me up on the first anniversary of their death…. I gasped another sob.

"Oh, darling…"

I was wrapped up in my mother's arms again. "It is all right. You are not alone anymore." No, I wasn't. The gentle voice at the door proved it.

"Is everything all right in here?" Atem asked quietly.

I looked up from my mother's arms to see my Pharaoh walk into the room, Kari popping along beside him. She must have gone to get him. I smiled and nodded, wiping a tear away from my eyes.

"Yeah." I replied. "I'm all right."

I stood to take Atem's hand, feeling him tighten the grip slightly. I started to drag him over to my parents once I was sure my voice was stable. "Atem, these are my parents. Mother, Father, this is Atem, the man I married…. As well as the one I'm dating right now." Mother laughed when I gave a confused huff at how this worked.

"The infamous Nameless Pharaoh, hm?" Mother teased.

Atem chuckled nervously at the title scholars still referred to him as, lifting his free hand to the back of his neck.

"The very same, ma'am." Atem replied.

Mother gave a laugh, slapping her knee like how I did. Atem knew it as he glanced over at me, a knowing look on his face. I scrunched my nose at him in retaliation.

"Young man…" My Father breathed as he sought Atem's attention, and my Pharaoh turned to give it. "What is your ability with a weapon?"

"Oh! Uh… I can handle myself in a fight, but I would just need to reacquaint myself with them."

Father gave a hum. I could see Atem was beginning to get nervous, so I jumped in to alleviate some stress from my poor Pharaoh.

"He trained both Khemu and Hepzefa, Father." I told him. "He even taught me a few tricks. Atem is very capable with weapons."

That brought out a better hum.

"I see…" Father breathed with an appreciative hum.

Father leaned over to talk to Mother, so I used the moment to lean into Atem's side. He wrapped his arm around my waist.

"Ya know…" Atem breathed into my hair. "I thought your father was scary looking in your nightmare but meeting him face to face is even worse."

I gave a snort of laughter, muffling it in his shirt. "Were you terrified as a kid?" I laughed, giving him a playful whack to his shoulder.

"No." I huffed. "Father may be big and scary, but he's one big teddy bear once you get on his good side."

Atem chuckled at my words, but we both went quiet when there was an 'oof' that cut through the calm air. The two of us gave pointed looks to the entryway behind us. "Hepzefa…"

"It was Khemu!" Hepzefa argued, jumping out to point to where his friend was standing.

"Was not!" Khemu snapped back, jumping out to glare at Hepzefa.

Atem and I continued the pointed looks, watching as both of the boy's faces grew red in embarrassment.

"Quick, boys!" My mother suddenly called. "I'll protect you!"

Hepzefa and Khemu immediately raced to my mother's side, giggling wildly as she playfully hid them from my pointed look. The look transferred to my mother, who only smiled back at me. More giggles echoed from behind us, and I was forced to look away. Mery, finally showing her 15-year-old self, and Kiya were hiding behind me, both laughing at Khemu and Hepzefa. Sati was perched behind Atem, giggling as well. When it was clear the pointed looks were getting us nowhere, I released a sigh and leaned into my Pharaoh's side.

"All right, you two." I sighed. "You get away this time…"

Hepzefa and Khemu peeked out from behind my mother, bright smiles on their faces. Their pride at getting away was quickly ruined when they were lifted off the couch and hefted over my Father's shoulders. That sent laughter spiraling around the room, even the two hanging boys. My three girls then raced over to my mother, all of their voices melding together in words that showed they had talked before. I wouldn't ask questions. I wouldn't ruin the mood. I leaned further into Atem's side, wrapping my arm around him. I felt him tighten his hold, pressing a kiss to the top of my head, and a smile burst across my face.

Everything was finally right.

Yugi was just settling into bed when his grandpa knocked on the door. The old man opened it slightly when Yugi said he could.

"Have you seen Atem?" The old man asked. "I haven't seen him for hours."

Yugi had seen Christine drag him down the hall and into her room. The Pharaoh had been rolling his eyes, but the fond smile on his face showed he wasn't forcefully dragged.

"I know where he is." Yugi replied. "Leave him be for tonight."

Grandpa seemed hesitant, but he agreed with his grandson's request. The old man said good night before closing the door. Before Yugi went to bed, though, he picked up his pager and typed a quick message on it. 'You owe me big time.' He sent it then climbed into bed. He knew exactly what would be sent back in the morning, and he was right.

'Thank you, Yugi.'

Fin

Yami Bakura: Holy... It's actually done?

Yep. At least until that pre-production thing is done; then, we'll be back.

Yami Bakura: Excellent!

Bye ya'll! See ya next time!