Chapter 13: Cake War

October 2011

The phone rang at the Wheeler house one morning in mid-October and a blond head poked up from a game of hide and seek, her small hand reaching for the phone. "Hello?" she asked, pretending to be like her mom.

"Is that you Joanna? Is your Dad home." Seto asked gently.

"Um, I dunno." Joanna put the phone down, accidentally hanging up on Seto. "Daddy!"

"Joanna, what's wrong? Were you on Daddy's phone?" Joey asked coming out of his hiding place.

Joanna giggled. "Found you Daddy!"

"Argh, you tricked me, Jo." Joey chuckled. "now where is daddy's phone?" he said tickling his daughter.

"It's there, Daddy!" she pointed at the table.

Picking his phone up, Joey's eyes widened. "Shoot, I missed a called from Kaiba. I better call back. I know how angry he can get." Joey said hitting redial.

Seto answered immediately. "Joey, what happened?"

"I'm really sorry Kaiba, my daughter must've hung up on you. What's up?" Joey asked.

"I was wondering if your family would want to come to the mansion for my birthday. No big deal, just a gathering."

"Oh that's really nice. Yeah sure when is it."

"You'll come up with something." Seto smirked and hung up.

"Well that was rude. Now I better tell Luna."

The day of the party arrived and Atem, Hali, and the kids arrived. Ishizu answered. "Hey, guys. Come on in."

"Good Afternoon Ishizu. Just to let you know Loretta and Marik should be here shortly.

"That's okay, you are the first ones here." Ishizu stepped aside to let them in.

"Oh I didn't realize we were so early. You better give Ishizu Seto's present." Atem chuckled.

"Hey, go give this to Seto." Hali handed it to Ryan.

Ryan ran off to find Seto. "You know he's going to look for the first 'Seto' he finds, right?" Atem asked, amused.

"Oops I forgot about that. Go to Mr. Kaiba, honey." Hali called to her son.

Ryan stopped in his tracks, looking around. "Where is he?" he asked, looking at Ishizu.

"It looks like he is talking to your dad outside."

Ryan ran outside to find Seto and his dad and found them talking. He yanked on Seto's jacket. "Mr. Kaia?"

"Hello Ryan, what have you got there?" Seto asked raising an eyebrow.

Ryan held up the picture for Seto to take. "For you."

"Well thank you Ryan. Hmm I wonder what it is." Seto smirked as he began to carefully tear at the paper. "Wow, how did you know I like Blue Eyes White Dragons?" Seto said ripping off the wrapping paper.

"Daddy said that it's a powerful monster but I dunno much about it." Ryan shuffled his feet. "He says I'm not old enough to learn."

Leaning down closer to the young boy Seto whispered "Come back to me when you are eight and I will teach you how to play. Maybe even make you better than your father." Kaiba smirked standing back up

"Kaiba, watch it." Atem warned. "And you couldn't beat me unless you cheated, remember?"

"Maybe I can't beat you, but with some good training maybe one day your son might."

Atem grinned. "Wouldn't that be the dream though? Having a great duelist for a son? Or daughter?"

"Well someone will have to take your place once you and Yugi are gone." Seto frowned slightly.

"Good job scaring him." Atem frowned as Ryan's lip quivered. "Daddy isn't going anywhere for a long time, buddy."

"I'm sorry Ryan. your father is right, he going to be around for a long time yet." Seto smiled.

"Still the rivalry, boys." Loretta said glaring at her brother as she walked over to them gently rubbing her bump.

Ishizu stepped to find them outside. "Hey, time for lunch if you want to eat it while it's warm."

"Thank you Ishizu. We will be right there." Seto said winking at his wife.

"Anything else you need to discuss? Because after lunch we'll have cake." Ishizu winked at Ryan.

"Cake!" Ryan ran inside.

"Its fine, I'm getting a bit hungry now anyway." Seto chuckled.

"Yeah you're almost as skinny as me." Atem dug his elbow into Seto's ribs. "Ryan!"

"Ow! Hey watch it Motou."

"Ryan!" Atem called after his son.

Ryan appeared at the door again. "Yes, Daddy?"

"Daddy!" Ryan protested, then gave a sigh. "Okay."

"Dont Daddy my Ryan Samuel Motou you know the rules" Atem said folding his arms across his chest

"Give the kid a break, Atem. It's not a big deal that he's excited about cake. We all were at that age." Seto chuckled.

"Maybe you were Kaiba, but I was raised differently, but your right I should be a little softer on him" Atem smiled

"Yeah, as someone who knows a tough father, he'll thank you later." With that statement, Seto went inside.

Snorting & then sighing at Seto's comment Atem followed him inside. Now that lunch was finished it was time for cake. "Happy Birthday to you." Ishizu started to sing as she came out of the kitchen with Seto's cake.

"Ya look like a monkey and ya smell like one too!" Joey and Josiah finished in harmony to much laughter.

"Watch it Wheeler! I didn't invite you and your brother to make fun of me." Seto snorted.

Ishizu began cutting the cake. "Kyle, would you be a gentleman and bring this to your mom?" she asked, handing Kyle the cake on a plate.

"Yes Mrs Kaiba" he said carefully taking the plate as he walked however he tripped over splattering the blue cake icing up Setos leg.

Seeing his son have his little accident Atem rushed over to his sons aid.

Everyone held their breath to see what Seto's response would be. Casually, Seto picked up a chunk of the cake Ishizu had just deposited in front of him. He smashed the cake in Atem's face with a smirk. "Might as well get revenge." he said in a cocky voice.

"What! Right you're on, Kaiba. I'm going to get you for that." Atem said, picking up his lump of cake and throwing it at Seto before dashing off.

Seto ducked and took off, his hand freshly loaded.

"Cake fight!" Ryan cried, throwing a glob of cake at Joey.

"You think you are so funny, watch this Ry. I'm gonna get your uncle." Joey said throwing a hand full of cake at Yugi.

Yugi got a faceful and glared at his friend, wiping frosting from his eyes. "Oh, you're on, pup!" he growled playfully, throwing his piece back.

"Hey Jo, heads up, bro." Joey called before creaming his brother in the face.

As chaos reigned around her and everyone was covered in cake, Ishizu shook her head. "Someone is being left out." She looked over to Loretta, who was surprisingly clean. Ishizu picked up some cake and smeared it over Loretta's baby bump, being careful to not hurt her. "There, that's better."

"Thanks Ishizu, but now unfortunately I have to get you back." Loretta smirked splatting the last bit of her cake into Ishizus face.

"Maybe your brother will notice what you've been hiding since Bakura tried to hurt us." Ishizu frowned as she wiped frosting from her eyes. Shelooked off in the direction where Seto and Atem had disappeared.

"He's been so preoccupied since that day so much so that we haven't even spoken." Loretta said sadly.

Atem and Seto returned, both a little out of breath. "Admit it, I had you." Atem insisted.

"No way Motou, I got you good." Seto panted.

Atem stopped as he spotted Loretta's cake spattered baby bump. "Is that-?" he asked, pointing.

"Yes Atem, it is what you think." Loretta said quite harshly.

Atem's face broke into a grin. "Wow, I'm going to be an uncle again."

"I thought you would have noticed sooner, but yes you are. Marik and I are going to find out what it is next month" Loretta smiled caressing her cake stained bump.

"Congrats." Atem smiled, hugging her.

"Thank you Atem, please don/t stress about Bakura anymore ok? He's gone and everyone is ok." Loretta said hugging him a bit tighter.

"I'm just glad you guys are back. Even seto."

"Thanks to me for having such a strong relationship with Marik." Loretta said poking her tongue out.

"if it wasn't for Seto I would be dead."

"Maybe you should apologize for pounding him with cake then." Loretta giggled.

"All is fair in a cake war." Atem grinned.