A/N: Update finally, I know right? I am sorry for the delays but I am trying to keep ahead of myself so that I don't get stuck on one chapter and have no other ones written. I am hoping to get chapter 21 up for you guys on Christmas since it finally has some light yaoi and I know everyone has probably been waiting for that. Completely unplanned as it was, a certain character couldn't keep his hands to himself…again. Alright well enjoy this chapter and sorry for the filler. It is an unfortunate part of writing a story and it just needs to happen. Thanks for all your continued support and I hope you have a nice holiday!

Unreal Truths

Chapter 20: News

Odion's POV

I was grateful when the plane finally landed in Domino City airport after an agonizingly long trip from Egypt. I looked over at Ishizu and she as well looked as if she were feeling the lengthy flight.

The entire trip had been tormenting, wondering what was going on and if Marik was alright. I still couldn't manage to wrap my mind around the fact that Bakura was back, holding Marik hostage, and once again after the millennium items. We had to put a stop to it before it got too far, but there was a problem with our plan…we had no idea where to even begin.

With no clue as to where Bakura could have gone and taken Marik, we did the next plausible thing. We went to the last place our younger brother was last known to be. Domino City.

So that was where we were now, in the airport, waiting for the taxi to show up so we could go find Yugi Mutou and see if he had any clue as to what was going on, and if he didn't then we had to fill him in and fast so we could figure out some sort of plan of action.

I looked over at Ishizu and frowned. She had her head in her hands and was rubbing her temples, eyes squeezed shut.

"Ishizu…"

She raised her head and looked at me, gaze weary, "I'm fine Odion. Just thinking is all." She gently touched the millennium necklace and gave a light sigh, "It still won't tell me anything…"

I patted her shoulder and she gave me a more genuine smile, "I'm just worried about Marik, Odion. I knew we should have come looking for him as soon as we found that note."

"Ishizu…come on now, we can't baby Marik all his life. He is perfectly capable of-"

She cut me off with a glare, "Perfectly capable Odion? Really now?" She turned in her seat to face me and crossed her arms, "Because if I remember correctly, the last time you saw him he was being held hostage by the malevolent spirit of the millennium ring, who just so happens to have a body of his own now!"

"Well freaking out about it now is not going to undo it Ishizu." I'll admit she was really beginning to piss me off with her constant coddling of Marik. I knew how much he despised his sister's constant babying and I was beginning to see why. She refused to let him man up and grow a pair. Ishizu had taken on the role of mother when Marik was born and our mother died, but she seemed to have taken that role a bit too far. It's no wonder that Marik ran off.

"I know Odion but-"

This time I cut her off, I wasn't going to let her downplay Marik's ability to fend for himself anymore, "No but's Ishizu. You have treated Marik like an incapable child all his life and it's time you let him grow up! He's already proven to me that he is more than able to fend for himself. The way he fought Bakura off back in Egypt was more than impressive and I know he wouldn't let Bakura just push him around." I crossed my arms and met Ishizu's dark look with one of my own, "I know you doubt his abilities sister, but I don't. Marik can take care of himself while we find a way to get help."

She opened her mouth to respond but then shut it as our taxi pulled up to the door and she settled for muttering a quiet response of, "I just hope you are right Odion."

I grabbed our bags and walked behind her, a confident look in my eyes, "I am."

Serenity's POV

I sat nervously in the seat at the restaurant where my brother would be coming to meet us at any moment now.

The longer I sat there, the more nervous I became. It wasn't that I was afraid to tell my brother, it was just that I knew him and I knew that he was going to overreact. At least the one thing I could be thankful for was that it could be worse. The baby could be Kaiba's.

I glanced over at Duke who was fiddling with his wine glass, swirling the contents around and around, all while staring distantly out the window.

I sighed and looked down at my ice water in disdain. I could really use a drink right now, something stronger than water.

"Serenity!"

I turned my head and saw my brother come pushing through the crowd, knocking several people out of the way.

I groaned inwardly but smiled on the outside and gave a small wave to Joey as he approached, "Hey big brother."

"Hey little sis!"

I squeaked as he grabbed me in a headlock and ruffled my hair, "How you doin'?"

"Just fine Joey." I managed to weasel my way out of his grasp and make an attempt to fix my now tangled up hair.

Joey then paused in his tirade when he noticed Duke, "Ey man! Hows it going?"

Duke forced a smile and stood up to greet my brother before he came across the table and tackled him, "It's going good. Really good."

"Great man! It's been a long time." Joey finally took a seat at the table, much to my relief and that of the many people situated around us.

"So have you guys ordered yet? I am starving!" He plucked the menu up off the table and began skimming through it and Duke and I exchanged nervous glances.

"No, we haven't ordered yet, we were waiting for you." Duke responded for me and picked up his own menu, handing the third one to me.

I took in a deep breath and exhaled it harshly. It would be better to get this over with as soon as possible and before the food came, it would just be that much easier just in case a fight broke out.

"Listen Joey…Duke and I have something we want to talk to you about." I set my menu down and gently pushed on Joey's, lowering it so I could look him in the eyes.

"What is it?" He looked between the two of us, smiling that big goofy grin of his.

I looked at Duke and he nodded for me to go on. Sure, he didn't want to be the one to tell him, go figure.

"Joey…" I picked at a stray thread on the table cloth, looking everywhere but at my older brother's face.

"Serenity….what's wrong?"

I chewed slightly on my lip, "Well…that's kind of the thing. There isn't anything wrong per se."

"Well then what is it?"

I reached out and took Duke's hand and we both looked at Joey while I prayed to God that my choice to do this in a public place wouldn't come back to bite me in the ass.

"Joey…Duke and I…we're going to have a baby."

Joey stared at me with this funny look on his face, jaw slightly dropped and his eyes wide.

This was all a recipe for disaster and I was really beginning to regret choosing this nice restaurant as the meeting spot. I really didn't want to get banned; they were the only place in town that had edible chicken parmesan.

Joey finally blinked several time and his eyes seemed to finally focus on me and he managed to close his mouth.

"Joey? Are you okay?"

I saw him take in a deep breath and let it out slowly.

Did I mention I was really regretting this restaurant as a choice?

"You're pregnant….with Duke's baby…"

I nodded slowly and swallowed back my nerves, "Yes Joey…I am going to have a child with Duke."

It was then that Joey slowly turned and looked at Duke.

My boyfriend had that 'deer in the headlights' look on his face, frozen to the spot by my brother's look.

"You knocked up my baby sister."

Duke put his hands up defensively, "Hey Joey listen-"

"You…took advantage of my little sister, and knocked her up."

I clenched my fists, not liking the way Joey kept classifying me as his 'baby sister'. I was no baby and I was perfectly capable of taking care of myself and making adult decisions, such as the one to have sex with Duke.

"Joey that's enough!" Both boys looked at me with wide eyes, surprised by the harsh tone of my voice.

I returned their looks with a dark one of my own and continued on, "Joey, I am you're little sister but that doesn't mean I am forever five years old! Making a baby involves two people so blaming just Duke is very immature and childish of you. I made the conscious decision to have unprotected sex with Duke and we were both fully aware of the consequences that could result. Now that I am pregnant we are fully prepared to take on the responsibility of being parents and if you want to be a part of our child's life then I suggest you grow up and be mature about this."

Joey blinked at shock at my controlled outburst while Duke smiled proudly at me and I did the same in return.

"I don't want to be mean Joey, but it has to be said. Duke doesn't deserve the scorn because we both made the decision. Plus, I don't think this is a bad thing." I smiled and reached out, squeezing Duke's hand, "Duke is financially secure and I always just wanted to be a stay at home mom and raise my kids, so it's perfectly fine. There is no reason to get upset about what should be joyous news to hear."

I saw Joey's shoulder's droop in defeat and he took in a deep breath and brushed his bangs out of his face, looking at me with a guilty expression on his face.

Satisfied, I leaned back into my chair and crossed my arms, waiting for the inevitable apology that was about to follow.

"You're right Serenity, I shouldn't have lashed out at ya." My older brother swallowed and looked down at his menu in slight shame.

"I owe you and Duke both an apology." He looked to Duke and then to me. "I'm sorry, and I am very excited to hear your news." A small smile crept onto his face and I knew that he meant what he was saying.

"Thank you Joey." I reached across the table and took my brother's hand tightly in my own and smiled gratefully at him, "It means a lot to hear you say that."

I was glad that whole situation was over with, and just in time too I realized as the waitress came over to take our orders.

Another crisis adverted, thanks to the amazing compromising skills of Serenity Wheeler.

Seto's POV

"My king, please listen to me…" I walked behind Pharaoh Atem was he walked through the palace halls towards his room.

The young king heaved a sigh and looked over his shoulder at me, expression exasperated.

"Seto, you can call me by our first name, we're alone." He turned his head back to the front and walked up to the double golden doors that lead into his bedroom, pushing them open and walking inside.

I quickly followed after him, pulling the doors shut behind me as I walked into the room, "Fine. Atem listen, this…this idea is foolishness."

He gently lifted the golden crown from his brow and set it lightly on the chest at the foot of the bed, "Seto we've talked about this."

I chewed on my lip before surging forward and grabbing my king and lover's hand, "I know, but maybe we need to talk about it yet again since you still seem so intent on going through with this foolish plan of yours."

Atem turned, grabbed my other hand and looked up into my eyes, "Seto listen." He squeezed my hands tightly, his eyes begging me to just hear him out one more time.

I wasn't listening though.

"Atem. This is serious. We're talking about death here."

"We're talking about saving an entire kingdom!" His ruby eyes flashed dangerously for a second before softening yet again.

"I don't want to lose you…" Yeah, it was really selfish of me, but quite frankly I didn't care. I didn't want to lose the only person left that I really and truly cared about.

"We'll meet again someday Seto, you know that."

"I just don't like that this is the end for us in this life…" I swallowed hard, fighting the tears trying to surface.

"I don't either…but we can't be selfish…Just remember…I will return to you someday Seto, no matter what." He got up on his tip toes and gently kissed me on the lips, "Now come on. No more talk of this darkness…Let us live our last night together fully." He slowly pulled his cape off and dropped it to the floor.

I knew that there was no point in fighting him, that he would go on with this suicidal plan of his and play hero, leaving me behind to pick up the shattered pieces of my broken heart all by myself.

But, Atem was right, there was no use thinking about it anymore. There was nothing I could do to stop it so I may as well give in and enjoy my last night with my lover.

Slowly I reached behind and unhooked my own cape and it fell to the floor with a silent rustling.

Atem sat on the bed waiting for me, already he had rid himself of his top and other golden jewelry, his white and violet kilt the only thing that remained.

I stood there for a moment and drank him in from the scarlet of his eyes to the toned muscles of his chest, arms and legs.

My concentration was broken by the low chuckling of my lover, "Liking what you see Seto?"

"Hn, of course." I joined him in discarding my jewelry and top half of my clothing and joined him on the silken sheets of our shared bed.

Atem moved to the side and I stretched out beside him, taking the smaller man into my arms and burying my face into his hair.

"If only everyone got to see this softer side of you Seto."

I gave a light scoff but said nothing more as I ran my fingers nimbly down his arm, my mind otherwise distracted.

"Seto…"

I looked at Atem and suddenly he looked different, eyes more alert, posture stiff.

"Seto….Seto wake up."

"What? Atem what are you talking about?"

"Seto! Wake UP!"

I awoke with a gasp and sat straight up in my bed, heart hammering in my chest and tear stains on my cheeks.

"Seto…oh Seto are you okay? You were tossing and turning in your sleep and muttering my name…and you were crying too…"

I blinked a few times and that's when I noticed the weight in my lap. I allowed my eyes to focus and nearly fell off the bed in shock when I was met face to face with the subject of my dream.

"…Atem?"

He smiled softly at me, and it matched his dream counterpart so well that it made my heart hurt.

"I'm here Seto…it's okay now." He wrapped his arms around me and nuzzled my neck, "I'm really here."

And that's when I really took notice for the first time.

Atem was here. And he wasn't in Yugi's body, but his own.

I shakily pulled him back for a moment and looked him over, disbelief written all over my face, and adoration all over his.

"Atem…"

He smiled and leaned in, kissing me gently on the lips, "Shh…it's okay now." I felt him smile before he once again buried his face against my chest and inhaled my scent.

Slowly I wrapped my hands around him and pulled him closer, the words from dream Atem echoing in my head.

"I will return to you someday Seto, no matter what."

He never was one to break a promise.

I think I am going to start putting chapter previews at the end of every chapter, to both keep you guys wanting more and keep me motivated to have the next chapter written before I post one. So, here you go, a peek at 21!

I looked up and saw the look of pure fright in the Egyptians eyes and I saw him look down at me, then at his own chest where the blood was flowing just as freely as mine.

Hehe I'm so bad! See you next time!