Well, here's chapter 4, and the second spirit! Enjoy! I don't own YuGiOh.

I didn't really like this chapter much, so here's the revision (with my sister's help to give credit where it's due).

Chapter 4

Thinking that someone had broken into his house, Kaiba grabbed a gun and headed downstairs. When he reached the foot of the stairs, he realized that the sounds were coming from the kitchen.

"Don't tell me I have a burglar who just wants my food," he grumbled as he headed for the kitchen.

Sure enough, that's exactly what he had. Standing there in front of his refrigerator was a fat Egyptian man. Kaiba cocked the gun.

"All right, you! Turn around slowly and maybe I won't shoot you."

The man turned and looked at Kaiba. Then he laughed. "You can't shoot me, Seto Kaiba! I am the Ghost of Christmas Present! I cannot be harmed by your weapons." With that established, he took a big bite out of a turkey that he had found in the fridge.

Kaiba groaned, "Great. Another one of you. Like I told the last one, I don't believe in spirits. So quit wasting your time."

The spirit laughed again. He had a very jolly laugh that almost made Kaiba want to smile. He probably would have if this man wasn't cleaning out his refrigerator for him by eating everything in sight. "Yes, I was informed of this. Mana said you were much more stubborn than any we've dealt with in the past. Therefore, you may call me Bobasa!"

Kaiba just stared at him. "Bobasa," he said flatly. "Seriously?"

Bobasa closed the refrigerator door and said, "Never mind that. I am here to show you—"

"More unrealistic images, presumably of this Christmas, right?" said Kaiba lamely. "Yeah, just get on with it. I'm tired."

Bobasa seemed upset at being interrupted, but he recovered quickly. "As you wish! Take my robe."

Kaiba grumbled, taking the fat man's robe, and they were gone.

The next thing Kaiba knew, he was standing in the snow, and it was morning. He and Bobasa were outside of a run-down apartment building. This had to be the cheapest place in town, where anyone who couldn't afford a real home lived.

"Is there any reason why you brought me here?" Kaiba asked Bobasa. "I doubt I care about anyone in there. I don't even know any of them, I'm sure."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that, Kaiba," said Bobasa, leading Kaiba into the building. "You might be surprised who you'll see here."

Indeed, Kaiba was surprised when they reached the third floor. According to the plaque next to the door of the apartment in front of him, this was the home of his employee, Joey Wheeler.

"You're kidding me! I pay him better than this!"

Bobasa shook his head. "You pay him the same as everyone else employed at Kaiba Corporation. Just be glad that we don't have time to visit all of your employees." Kaiba wasn't sure if this was a joke or not.

Bobasa led Kaiba through the door into the apartment. They were standing in a small, cramped room that appeared to be the dining room, kitchen, and living room all rolled into one. There was a small table in the middle of the room, with several chairs around it. Over in the kitchen area, a blonde woman was cooking something. Kaiba was surprised—she was actually attractive. How did Wheeler get a girl like that? he thought, baffled.

There was a loud crashing sound from somewhere else in the apartment. The woman groaned as two children came running into the room. A young girl with short brown hair was chasing a red-headed boy, presumably her brother.

"Alister, you no-good, dirty-rotten, little pervert! Stay out of my room!" the girl screamed at her brother.

The woman turned to her children. "Tea! Alister! What's going on?"

The girl, Tea, pointed at Alister and said, "He just barged into my room without even knocking! I could've been getting dressed for all he knew!"

"Please, Tea, do you really think I want to see my sister without any clothes on?"

"Why not, you'll never have a real girlfriend!"

"Alright, kids, knock it off!" Joey had just entered the scene, with two more boys behind him. "Next one to shout gets to skip dinner tonight!"

The kids immediately shut up. A boy with white hair was grinning from behind Joey. Kaiba was beginning to wonder how many kids Joey had, and if they were actually his. He was too young to have this many, and they didn't even look like him or their mother.

"Daddy," a small voice said. "Why do Tea and Alister always fight?"

Kaiba looked at the child who had spoken. He was a small boy, the only one in this room who actually looked like one of the others. He had the same hair as Alister. And he had crutches.

"Well, Mikey, when a boy and a girl like each other, they do stupid things." Kaiba hoped this was a joke. These kids were related, for crying out loud.

"I don't like her!" Alister said at the same time that Tea declared she would rather eat worms than like him.

Joey grinned. "Don't be ashamed. It's not like you're really related anyway, seeing as how you're both adopted."

Kaiba felt sudden admiration for this employee. Here he was, barely able to care for himself and his wife, and instead of dumping his own children at the orphanage, he was picking up other people's kids.

The white-haired boy had been tugging on Joey's jeans for awhile now. Finally, Joey acknowledged this. "What is it, Ryo?"

"Dad? Is it safe to come out?"

"Of course it is!" Joey said. "Little Mikey's here! They never fight around him! In fact, when he's home, they act like his mom and dad." He added under his breath, "Taking my job and my wife's..."

"We do not!" the two fighting children chorused. At some point while their father was talking, they had both moved to aid the youngest child, apparently Mikey. The two glared at each other before Alister continued, "Mikey's my brother! I have to set a good example for him, and fighting with Tea doesn't qualify as a 'good' example."

"Yeah!" Tea added. "Plus he's sick and needs our help. I can't just ignore him! I mean, it's not like he's Alister or something!"

"Bobasa, what's wrong with him?" Kaiba asked, sweating—those kids were like oil and water.

"Oh, nothing that you need concern yourself with," said Bobasa airily. "It's something that only affects those who can't afford to deal with it."

Casting Tea a look of pure loathing, Alister added, "Besides, I wouldn't be caught dead married to her!"

Tea glared at Alister. "What's wrong with me?"

"Everything!"

"All right, that's enough!" Mai yelled at the two. "Tea, quit fighting with your brother and come help me with dinner."

"Yes, Mother."

Joey shook his head, saying, "Geez, my kids! I should never have adopted all of them." He sighed. "Maybe I should have gone for the ones that weren't at each others' throats."

"That's enough, Joey Wheeler!" Mai bellowed at him, holding a frying pan up in a rather threatening way.

"What? You know I'm right! All the kids we adopted have problems! This one's afraid of everything," he said, gesturing at Ryo. "This one," he said, pointing at Alister, "was orphaned during a war in his home country. And this one..." He paused for a moment, glancing at Tea. "Well, you get the point!"

Mai narrowed her eyes at her husband. "Stop complaining about your kids and sit down, Joey! It's time for dinner!" She threw her hands up, exasperatedly. "Maybe I should have married that other guy, Valon. The one my mother liked."

"Alright, alright, I get it! Sorry!" He sighed and added under his breath, "Geez, bring him up at Christmas. Ah, well, I guess I deserve that. My kids aren't really that bad..."

"So this is Wheeler's family?" Kaiba asked with a grin. "And you think I have problems."

Bobasa shook his head. "They are not as bad as they look, Kaiba. Look at them now."

Kaiba glanced back at the family. They were all gathered around the dinner table, ready to eat what appeared to be the world's smallest turkey. Yet they were all smiling and laughing, even Alister and Tea.

Bobasa continued, "Though it may not seem like it at times, they all love each other very much."

Wow!" Joey said, "Looks great, honey! Well, let's eat!"

Mai sighed, "What a pig. Joey! Aren't you forgetting something?"

Joey looked around, shrugged, and said, "Not that I can think of. Why?"

Mai whacked him upside the head, eliciting giggles from her children. "It's Christmas, you idiot! So, shouldn't we be thanking somebody for this meal? Especially today?"

Joey rubbed the back of his head and said, "Oh, yeah. Go ahead, Mai."

Sighing, Mai said grace. Then, she looked at Joey and said, "Alright, now you can eat." Under her breath, she mumbled, "And this Sunday, I'm dragging you to church whether you like it or not."

Kaiba stared at the family in awe. "What a family. But they seem so...happy. Why? I mean, look at them! They fight all the time, they live in this dump, and they eat the smallest meals I've ever seen. It doesn't make sense."

Bobasa huffed. "Well, when one works for you, this is all one can afford. Not that they need great wealth. They have something that wealth can never replace."

Kaiba stared at the fat man in wonder before asking, "And what would that be?"

"Can't you tell? Love, and that is something money could never buy."

Kaiba rolled his eyes at this.

Joey rubbed the back of his head. "Actually, now that I think about it, there's something I meant to do before we dig in." He raised his glass. "A toast to Kaiba, the founder of this feast!"

Mai huffed. "'Founder of this feast' my—" She cut herself off, glancing at the kids. "If it weren't for that man, we might actually be having a decent meal!"

"Yeah, he could definitely stand to treat his employees better," Joey said with a shrug, "but let's keep in mind that it's Christmas! I mean, even Kaiba could use a little cheer on this day. Maybe then he wouldn't be such a Scrooge!"

Mai sighed. "Well, for your sake, Joey, and because it's Christmas, sure. A very merry Christmas to Mr. Kaiba."

Kaiba couldn't help but feel touched by this. He treated Wheeler like dirt, yet here the man was trying to convince his family that he wasn't as bad as they obviously thought he was.

Pushing that thought from his mind, Kaiba glanced once more around the room, his gaze falling on the youngest child, Mikey. He had a question he just had to get an answer to. "Bobasa," he asked, "that boy, Mikey. Will he be okay?"

"I see an empty chair at this table. And a crutch without an owner. A family struck by grief. If something doesn't change, this boy's fate is sealed."

Kaiba gulped, glancing at the boy again.

Bobasa interrupted his thoughts. "Now, on to a somewhat happier Christmas!"

Kaiba knew where he was this time: Noah's house. And from the look of things, his Christmas party was in full swing.

Noah called for silence and raised his glass. "A toast!" he cried. "To my dear brother Seto!"

His guests just stared at him. Kaiba got the feeling that these people didn't care much for him, just like the Wheelers. Mokuba was messing around with what was apparently one of his Christmas presents.

"Oh, come on, everybody! If anyone ever needed a toast, it's Seto! He's only the loneliest man in town, and you don't know him nearly as well as Moki and I do."

At the sound of his nickname, Mokuba looked up. "What? Oh, yeah, to Seto, even though he skipped out on us again..."

Guilt washed over Kaiba. He had to stop making promises to his brother that he wouldn't keep. Reluctantly, the party-goers toasted to Seto Kaiba. Then, they returned to the festivities.

"You know, Noah," a woman with auburn hair said, "I'd love to meet this stepbrother of yours sometime. You know, before I become a part of the family?"

Kaiba stared. A part of the family? Noah had a girlfriend?

"Why didn't he ever tell me?"

"He wants to introduce you to her," Bobasa said. "That's really why he's been inviting you over every chance he gets. That, and he's trying to let bygones be bygones."

At Kaiba's raised eyebrow, Bobasa continued, "Your stepfather caused tension between you and your siblings. Noah never liked you, but he's gotten to know more about you from Mokuba. He's trying to forge a bond with you, but you keep pushing him away. You always want to be alone."

Noah wrapped an arm around the woman. "Patricia, I'll tell you what I keep telling Mokuba: Seto's not exactly my biggest fan, and I can't blame him. I wasn't exactly very nice to him when we were kids. I'm sure that he'll warm up to me eventually, and then you'll meet him."

Kaiba half expected Patricia to laugh or something, but she smiled. "Well, from what you've told me about him, I can honestly say that I can't wait to meet him."

He couldn't help but feel touched again, and, much to his own chagrin, Kaiba felt tears forming in the corners of his eyes. This mushiness wasn't like him, but he couldn't help it—he always avoided his stepbrother, going out of his way to do so, and here the guy was talking about him like he was a great guy!

"Okay, Bobasa, I've seen enough. I get it; I need to stop treating everyone I know like dirt. Take me home now."

Bobasa shook his head. "I'm afraid that I don't have time for that. My time is up. Goodbye, Kaiba, and remember what you have seen here tonight."

Bobasa vanished, leaving Kaiba alone in a place he definitely didn't belong.