Disclaimer – I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! of The 12 Pains of Christmas by Bob Rivers

*Rated T for Teen

Facing the In-Laws

The sixth thing at Christmas that's such a pain to me is facing the in-laws.

"I hate your mother," Seto stated maliciously as Joey straightened his Dragon's tie. Joey had decided, much to Seto's disapproval, to invite his mother, sister, and father over to the Kaiba Mansion for a little family get-together. Basically, this so-called get-together was to introduce the grandchildren to the grandparents. The only problem with that was Joey's mother hated them all and would undoubtedly hate Kai and Jovi.

Joey's father, on the other hand, had straightened himself out. He no longer drank or gambled, had gotten himself a steady job as an electrician, and had become a very active part of their lives. When Joey had called and told him he was a grandfather, he'd nearly burst into tears, he was so happy. Having a big family again did wonders on the old man.

"Seto," Joey scolded, "ya don't hate her."

"Why can't I hate her? You don't even like her."

"That's different."

"How the hell is that different?" the brunet spat indignantly. Joey's answer was a quick tightening of Seto's tie. Rearing back, Seto loosened it and glared at him. "I don't see why you had to invite that bitch anyway."

Joey let out a sigh of frustration. "I had to invite her because that's the only way Serenity could come. She's still a minor, ya know."

"We should just fight for custody," Seto grumbled. He hated Joey's mother. It had all started when they first met. She'd called him 'a lucrative setback in the manic world of commerce and industry, without so much as a notion for the disposition of paucity and destitution in society.' Those were her words exactly.

Joey had no idea what she'd said…or meant for that matter. And Seto was not willing to let the blond know that she'd essentially called him a rich bastard who didn't give a rat's ass about the poor. His company set up fundraisers, and offered grants and scholarships for those needing financial aid. Hell, he'd even opened a welfare center sponsored by his company!

But that was beside the point.

"Seto, can ya please behave today? I want this to go as painlessly as possible. Kai and Jovi are meeting their aunt and grandparents for the first time," Joey pleaded.

Seto sighed. "I'll try."

"Thank ya, Seto. Oh! I've got a ham in the oven for dinner, so I better check on that now," Joey said hurriedly as he made his way to the door.

"I hope she chokes on the damn thing," Seto grumbled, still fuming.

"What was that?" Joey hissed, snapping his head around.

"Nothing," Seto responded quickly. Joey narrowed his eyes at him disbelievingly, but left anyway. It was going to be one hell of a day.

"They're here! They're here! They're here!" Kai cried when he heard the doorbell ring.

Joey scampered toward the front door, straightened himself out, plastered a smile on his face, and opened the door.

And there stood his parents, with Serenity acting as a shield between them. Their mother and father seemed to be quite flustered already.

"Are you going to let us in or just stand there gaping like an idiot?" quipped his mother.

Joey glared, keeping his mouth shut as he stepped off to the side to let them in. She blew past him, Serenity came up and hugged him before stepping inside, and his father gave him the biggest bear hug ever before, patting him on the back.

When everyone was inside, the introductions began.

"Mom, Dad, Serenity, these two little ones are our children. This is Kai and that's Jovi."

Joey's father approached the twins and knelt in front of them. "Hey! You two can call me Grandpa! Now, how about you give your Grandpa a hug?"

Kai and Jovi giggled as they threw their arms around their new grandfather. He picked them up and twirled them around.

Joey's mother rolled her eyes.

"And I'm your Aunt Serenity, but you can call me Auntie Ren."

The twins scrambled away from their grandfather in order to get to their Auntie Ren. They were quite excited to have an aunt as well.

"You got yourself a fine pair of kids," said Joey's father.

Joey beamed and Seto smiled slightly at the older man. "Thank you. We love them very much. They'll probably want you to visit often, too," said Seto.

"So you're our Grandma?" inquired Kai, drawing everyone's attention over to them. Said Grandma just huffed her disapproval.

Upon seeing her brother's downcast look, Jovi grew angry. No one treated her brother that way.

"You're mean," stated Jovi bluntly.

That got old Grannie's attention. "You're rude."

"You're cruel."

"You're disrespectful."

"You gotta give respect to earn it," argued Jovi.

"Children should always respect their elders outright."

"Elders should always treat their children nicely."

They both crossed their arms and stared at each other.

Everyone was too shocked to do anything else.

"I live by the expression: Children should be seen and not heard."

"I live by the expression: Recycle your elderly."

Seto had to bite his cheek to keep from laughing. They had adopted a fairly intelligent little girl; she was like a female version of him. While Jovi resembled Seto in nearly every way, Kai resembled Joey in nearly every way.

"I wonder if I put a bar of soap in your mouth if that foul language with cease."

"I wonder if I throw a cup of water at you if you'll start melting."

Oh, crap! Joey thought to himself. Jovi just referred to her as the Wicked Witch of the West! This has got to st—

Joey nearly fainted when his mother started laughing. She was laughing!

"Finally," his mother wheezed, "finally a kid in the family with some backbone. Come on here and give your Grandma a hug."

And Jovi did just that.

"…what about me?" Kai asked quietly. His Grandpa stepped up behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Look on the bright side. Now, I think, you have a Grandpa all to yourself."

Kai wasn't too sure how he felt about that. He wanted to share both grandparents with his sister.

"Kai! Come say hi to Grandma!" called out Jovi. Kai didn't have to hear that twice.

Seto and Joey just stood there in shock.

"What just happened?" asked Joey.

"Your mother and our daughter are getting along and somehow brought the family together," Seto replied robotically. "I think I just found the heir to Kaiba Corp."

"Yeah. And you can call her 'mini me.' Right, Seto?" Mokuba laughed.

"Pfft. Ya need to teach her how to duel. She'll have all the boys grovelin' at her feet."

"What boys?" Seto exclaimed.

Everyone was happy. Dinner had gone well, they were all socializing, and they were one, big family once again.

"This turned out to be a really great day, Seto," said Joey.

"I'm glad."

"Daddy! Papa! Grandma and Grandpa are doing what you guys do!" announced Kai as he and Jovi entered the living room. Their grandparents were nowhere in sight.

"What do ya mean?" Joey asked.

"They locked the door to one of the rooms and they're making the sounds you and Papa do when you're wrestling," Jovi explained innocently.

Joey's eyes rolled to the back of his head and he fell over in a dead faint.

Twenty minutes later, Seto had revived his distraught Puppy and told him that his parents were getting married…again…

Joey keeled over once more at that news.

The holidays were becoming quite interesting.

End Drabble