A/N: Okay, this chapter went longer than expected, so I kinda jumped the gun on the heads-up for 5D's crossover references. Don't worry, they're coming.
Also, you may or may not have noticed that I've been trying to post once a month. Sorry I'm not being faster, but this story is being a bit difficult. I've got a similar problem with One Hundred Years. I was hoping to have Chapter 1 up long ago, but Chapter 1 just refuses to get done. Don't worry, I've still got plans for both stories, not to mention other stories, so please try to be patient and stay tuned!
Chapter 4: Family
After a short breakfast of toast and fruit, Isa was alert enough to drive to the grocery store for groceries and a few essentials for Yugi. Yugi insisted on coming along to help, arguing that going shopping wasn't strenuous. Isa relented, provided they kept the outing short and Yugi didn't do any running or things of that sort. Atem was still out cold, so Isa left a note for him on the electronic memo board by the front door.
Yugi had little trouble talking to Isa. He skirted the sketchier topics like where he was from, but they chatted on and off the whole time they were shopping. After a while, it felt as if he'd known Isa a lot longer than just the day (his friendship with her previous incarnation aside).
More than once, Yugi caught himself wondering if this was how shopping with his own mom would have felt like.
They went over the list twice to make sure they had everything, but, naturally, when they arrived at the automated register, Isa remembered something that wasn't on the list.
"Evaporated milk! I forgot we were out of it!"
"I'll run back and get it," Yugi volunteered. "Uh, not literally, though."
"I'm going to hold you to that."
...
Yugi was on his way back to the register when he heard a commotion down one of the main aisles.
Poking his head around the corner, he saw two guys (basketball players, if the height was anything to go by) playing monkey in the middle with a small device. The "monkey" was a ticked-off kid who was shorter than Yugi had been as High School freshman.
"Woah. Talk about deja vu," he muttered. The whole scene resembled one of Yugi's first encounters with Joey and Tristan.
"Give it back, you jerks!" the kid shouted.
One of the jocks faked a stumble as he waved the device over the kid's head. "Oops. Careful, you almost made me drop it."
Yugi scowled. "Oh, no you don't."
No one had noticed him yet. He had to time this just right. He set down the can of milk he was holding and stepped fully into the aisle, watching the scene carefully. Just as the device went airborne again, he took a running leap, snatching it out of midair. He landed in a wobbling crouch. His head spun for a split second. Doggone concussion.
He stood slowly to face the two jocks.
"Hey! What the heck do you think you're–" the guy trailed off. Yugi gave them both a steady glare.
"Why don't you go find guys your own size to pick on?" Okay, so that was cliche, but it was the best he had on short notice. "Or better yet, go find whatever it is you came here to buy." There we go.
"C'mon, man. We were just kidding around," one of them defended.
"Sure you were. And I'm also sure you've got somewhere else to be right about now."
"Uh, yeah," the second guy said, tugging his friend's arm. "C'mon, Steve. We gotta get back before the show starts."
"Oh, right. Hey, uh, no hard feelings, right?"
The jocks fled.
Yugi raised an eyebrow. That was weird.
He turned to the kid and held out the device. "Here you go..."
His eyes got big. Mokuba. He'd just helped out Mokuba.
Mokuba's reincarnation looked about twelve or so – younger than he'd been the last time Yugi saw him. Even so, it was the same shaggy black hair, grey eyes, and "don't mess with me" aura he remembered. The resulting rush of memories – harrowing adventures, conversations on the rooftops of the Duel Academy, his friend's final goodbye – threatened to send Yugi to the floor. He shook it off, holding back tears.
Mokuba took the device being returned to him, then looked Yugi dead in the eye. "Who are you, and why do you look so much like my big brother?"
"Wha... huh?"
Mokuba's expression was dry. "Spiky hair, goes by the name of Atem? Heard of him?"
"Huh? What- I...? Yeah, I know Atem. You're... related to him?"
He rolled his eyes with a smirk. "Nah. I just call him that 'cause he's always looking out for me." His brow furrowed. "...Kinda like you just did..."
His face brightened. He stuck out his hand. "I'm Mokuba."
Yugi stared for a second, then grasped the boy's hand firmly. "Yugi Muto."
Mokuba smiled. "So spill. Why do you look like Atem?"
"...Well, according to the cops, we're long-lost twins."
Mokuba stared. "So he wasn't messing with us after all?"
"Huh?"
"Atem texted the whole gang about you this morning. Only, we thought he was joking around, so we didn't take him seriously. Guess that shows us, huh?"
Yugi smiled. Same old Mokuba. He blinked back another tear.
"So what are you doing here, Yugi?"
"Helping Atem's mom pick up groceries." He walked back down the aisle and picked up the can of milk. "I've gotta get this to her at the register."
"Really? Cool! That's where my mom's at!" Mokuba ran up to him. "Guess we're heading in the same direction! Come on!"
Yugi barely held back a yelp as Mokuba dragged him down the aisle. As he recovered himself, a smile stretched across his face. He felt an old scar beginning to fade.
...
When they reached the front of the store, they found Isa talking with a woman with long, snowy hair. Yugi's eyes widened. Could it be...
"Mom!" Mokuba called. The woman turned, revealing her startling blue eyes.
It was.
Kisara.
"Mom, you'll never guess who I found! And it's not who it looks like!"
Kisara raised an eyebrow. "Well... he looks like Atem... who else could it be?"
"This is Yugi, Atem's long-lost twin!"
"Hi," Yugi said nervously.
"Very funny, boys."
"Mom!" Mokuba protested. "He is! Just look at him! They may be twins, but you can see the difference if you look-"
His mother's laughter cut him off. He paused before smirking wryly. "You're messing with me, aren't you?"
Kisara grinned. "Isa just got through telling me. It's nice to meet you, Yugi." She extended her hand, which Yugi took.
"Likewise, Ki- uh, Mrs... um..."
Her smile grew. "Draconis."
The gears in Yugi's head were working overtime. Did she remember anything? Sure, memory loss was usually a given in reincarnation, but Kisara's reincarnation had been... unique to say the least. Aside from that, if Kisara was Mokuba's mom in this life, then wouldn't that make his dad...
"Did you find it, Yugi?" Isa asked.
"Huh? Oh, Yeah. Got it right here." Yugi handed the can of evaporated milk to Isa.
She hummed as she examined the label. "I've never tried this brand before."
"It had the lowest price on the shelf. Is that alright?"
She nodded. "Of course." She set it on the conveyor belt. "And if it's no good, we'll know not to get it again."
Yugi smiled.
"Hey, mom, Isa," Mokuba said. "You're never gonna guess what Yugi did back there."
"What's that?"
"He sent two guys twice as big as me running for the hills 'cause they thought he was Atem!"
Yugi looked at Mokuba. "Wait, huh? That's why they ran?"
"Yeah! You look just like him, and 'Tem causes some real problems for those two when he catches them picking on me at school. It's why they got on my case when they spotted me here. But I know my big brother when I see him. I wasn't fooled for a minute. Still, those were some pretty sweet moves, Yugi."
"Um, thanks?"
"Hold on. What does he mean 'pretty sweet moves?'" Yugi stiffened at Isa's icy tone.
Mokuba failed to notice. "It was awesome! Those two jerks were tossing my computer around, but Yugi jumped up and grabbed it out of the air on the first try like it was nothing!"
"Yugi!" Isa scolded. "You promised you wouldn't do anything strenuous! I don't want to have to take you back to the hospital!"
Yugi rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry. I kinda reacted more than thought."
"Well, don't let it happen again. Not while you're recovering."
"Yes, ma'am."
Mokuba grinned. "Wow, Yugi: Isa is officially your mom, and you've only known her – what? A day? That's a new record."
...
Joey tapped a finger on his upper arm, trying to ignore the fact that he was keeping lookout for Kura's sorry butt – while he was picking the lock on the Benkhamens' back door again. "Remind me again why I let you talk me into this?"
"Because Atem needs to learn that there are consequences to skipping school without us and then blowing us off over text," Bakura said easily. The electronic lock buzzed and clicked, allowing the boys entry. "You'd think Isa would have changed the lock by now."
"Wouldn't'a made a difference – you'd just pick that one, too."
"Point taken."
They slipped inside, Bakura taking the lead. The house was oddly silent.
"Mebbe he's out?" Joey suggested.
"All the better. I have a few surprises to leave in his room."
When they reached said room, however, they found Atem inside, sleeping on the bed.
"My, my, doesn't he look peaceful," Bakura smirked.
"Ya mean to tell me he skipped out on class and ghosted us so he could sleep all day?"
"Rethinking your position on this?"
"Wouldn't you like to know. How you gonna leave the booby traps in his room with him still in there?"
"Never mind that. I've got a better idea. Do you know where Isa keeps her cleaning supplies?"
"Sure."
"Perfect. Grab the largest bucket you can find and meet me in the kitchen."
"I'd better not regret this."
...
When Joey got to the kitchen, he found Bakura rummaging in the freezer. "Fill that up with water," the latter ordered, not bothering to look at the blonde.
Joey opened his mouth to snap about being ordered around. Then the pieces came together. "Oh, I see where this is going! Hehe. I can get on board with this." He approached Bakura. "Only, you'd better put the ice in first."
Bakura looked up with a smirk. "I take it you've done this before."
"You bet I have! Mom would have me do 'dis to dad whenever he slept past the alarm-" He grinned as Bakura loaded the bucket with ice. "-which happened a lot. Okay, dat's enough. I still gotta carry this thing, ya know."
A few minutes minutes later, they were back in Atem's room. Joey stood over the sleeping teen with the bucket (now 2/3 full of ice water) while Bakura hung back by the door for some reason.
"Hehe. Okay, Atem. Last chance to wake up on your own, here," Joey whispered. "3, 2, 1-" He dumped the bucket's contents over Atem's head.
Atem jerked up in bed with a spluttering cry.
"Mornin', sunshine," Joey grinned.
One look at Atem's face explained why Bakura had opted to stand near the door.
...
Yugi waited patiently on the front porch with a bag of groceries in his arms while Isa fumbled with her key fob. For some reason, the button for the lock on the front door was refusing to cooperate.
"JOEYYYY!"
The roar of fury yanked Yugi's eyes up to Atem's open window. It was made by a voice that Yugi knew as well as his own.
Yugi seized the door, momentarily forgetting it was still locked –
– Only to have it opened for him from the inside. He was promptly bulldozed by a gangly blonde.
"One side, 'Tem!" The blonde shouted, making a beeline for the street. He froze halfway down the walk. He whipped around to stare at Yugi just as Atem appeared in the door, half-drenched and absolutely livid. Yugi suspected his twin's fingers were leaving dents in the doorframe.
The blonde's jaw was on the grass. "Huh? wha- But-"
In a blink, Atem had the blonde by the front of his shirt.
"Atem!"
Isa's stern voice froze everyone in place.
Everyone except a certain pale-haired someone who was now leaning against the doorframe, glancing the scene over. He paused when he saw Yugi, still sitting where he'd landed in the flowerbed. "Well, well. It would seem Atem was serious about having a long-lost twin after all."
Atem's head whipped up. "Bakura!" he roared. "Once I'm done strangling Joey, you're next!"
Yugi could do nothing but stare at the whole upset. What else was there to do when you'd just been run over by your best friend's reincarnation?
"No one is strangling anyone!" Isa snapped. "Yugi, are you alright?"
Yugi nodded dumbly.
"Are you sure?"
Mrs. Draconis came up beside Isa. "I'll get him inside, Isa. You handle these two."
Isa nodded, then turned to Atem and Joey. "Atem, let go of him."
Yugi was still trying to figure out what he should be doing right now when a pair of hands pulled him up by his shoulders. "Are you hurt?" Kisara's voice asked.
Yugi put a hand to his forehead as he got his feet under him. "I'm fine. Just a little dizzy."
"Come on. Let's get you onto the couch while your new mom deals with those three. Mokuba, could you get Isa's groceries for her?"
It had been Mokuba's idea for him and Kisara to stop off at the Benkhamens' house before heading home. Who knew they would be just in time for this mess?
...
Atem's face right after he'd been splashed had been the first clue that Joey had miscalculated. The second had been bowling over Atem's double.
Now he had Isa – a woman who was scarier than his own mom – glaring at him. This was not turning out to be his day.
"Now," Isa said with finality. "What's going on?"
"These two idiots," Atem growled. "Woke me up with a bucket of ice water!"
"We thought you were blowin' us off!" Joey yelped. "I mean, long-lost twin? C'mon man! Who's gonna believe that?"
"Well that doesn't mean you go breaking into houses to drench people," a new voice grumbled. Joey looked past Atem to see Mokuba picking up the groceries Atem's twin (that was gonna take some getting used to) had dropped.
"Says the king of virtual break-ins," Bakura snarked. "And how would you know anyone broke in anywhere?"
"How else would you have gotten in while Atem was asleep?"
Isa huffed. "I swear, Bakura. With how often you pick my lock, I ought to hand you a key and be done with it!"
"But what fun would that be?" Bakura smirked.
"Well, I'll tell you both one thing: your parents are going to hear about this. Meanwhile, the two of you are going to apologize to Atem."
Bakura made a face. Joey would have smirked if he wasn't so freaked out. Apologizing was one of those things Bakura really hated. Joey? He didn't have a problem with it. Most of the time. Some things deserved an apology, and the whole pranking-a-guy-who-didn't-deserve-it-(this-time) thing qualified.
Thing was, Isa wasn't done. "And Joey? After apologizing to Atem, I want you to go inside and apologize to Yugi for knocking him down. He has a concussion and you could have sent him right back to the emergency room."
Joey gulped. Okay, now that definitely deserved an apology.