That ship I don't ship is mentioned again. Maybe it's not as implied as I thought. If you hate it just imagine they got into a giant fight later and never spoke to each other again. To each their own.

Seriously I don't ship Marik/Tea, and I'm more of a Thiefshipper than a Tendershipper, but the latter pairing made more sense with this story, and I'm just a sappy person that hates to leave people by themselves.

Oh and more allusions to sex.

Disclaimer: I don't own YuGiOh. I'm not making any money. Nuff said

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HIKARI STRONG

Chapter Twenty

"Duke, you have to eat something," Ryou said, holding a cookie to the woozy dice master. He took it and struggled to nibble.

"It's really is a good thing you and Tristan are the same blood type," Tea said, wringing her hands. "I just hope it worked."

"It will," Joey reassured. "Tristan's one of the toughest people I know. Me an' him have suffered way worse than stab wounds."

Yami and Yugi entered the waiting room, looking nervous. Bakura was the first to speak. "How's the kid?"

"He's okay," Yugi replied. "He's extremely malnourished though, and he has bruises in several places." His big amethyst eyes were watery. "How could anyone hurt him. He's the sweetest little guy."

Joey rested her head on top of Serenity's, who sat between her and Seto along with Mokuba. The two pre-teens clung to them like a life-line. "Some people are just horrible," Joey said, her eyes distant for a moment. When she came back to Earth she asked, "What about his family?'

Yami and Yugi looked at each other before the taller of the two answered. "Apparently he was taken from an orphanage under the premise of being adopted." He clenched his fist. "He has no living family."

Everyone exchanged looks, all feeling sad and furious on behalf of the poor lonely boy that had been put through so much.

"What's gonna happen to him?" Mokuba asked.

Yami looked at Yugi, his expression more determined. "Yugi, what if he stayed with us?"

Yugi head snapped up, looking up at Yami in shock. "You...you would want that?"

Yami smiled. "I know you were talking about getting our own place, just somewhere close so we could still keep an eye on your grandfather." He took Yugi's hands in his. "If that is what you want, then I would like to have Jaden stay with us."

Yugi threw his arms around Yami's waist, burying his face in his look-alike's chest. Joey smiled at the sight, sparing a glance at Seto. Seto gave her a small smile, a strange twinkle in his eyes.

The doctor came in after that, looking at the group. "Are all of you here for Tristan Taylor?" After the entire group nodded, he made an exasperated whistling noise. "He's awake now but he's very weak. We have a limit of three visitors per patient," he eyed Seto, "and no, Mr. Kaiba, I do not take bribes."

Seto's eyes narrowed, not liking that his plan had been thwarted before he even got a chance to use it.

Tea looked at Duke. "Go on, then."

Duke, still woozy and out of it, wasn't sure he had heard her right. "Huh?"

Tea smiled. "I'll see him tomorrow," she said. "You, Joey and Yugi go ahead."

"Come on, Dice-boy, stop lolly-gaggin'," Joey told him, helping the raven-haired boy to his feet, before she, Duke and Yugi left the waiting room.

When they arrived in Tristan's room, the brunet raised a brow at Joey. "Dude, what happened to you?"

Joey had been able to change into a t-shirt and jeans on the helicopter, but she was still pretty disheveled and her bruises with visible, not to mention her bandaged hand. "Don't even go there," Joey told him. "You look like shit."

"It's just a flesh wound," Tristan replied, grinning stupidly. "Now, which one of you stubborn jerks gave up blood for me? Joey it better not have been you."

Joey smirked a bit. A smirk Seto would have been proud of. "Nope. Not me."

Tristan rose a brow, turning to Yugi. The small boy shook his head. "Don't look at me. I can't give blood. I don't weigh enough."

Then, Tristan's gaze fell on the third person in the room, who had made his way to sit at the edge of the bed. Tristan turned noticeably red, blinking. "Why?"

Duke rose a brow, a smile creeping across his face. "Let's just say," he said, leaning over close to the brunet, "that Kaiba isn't the only one who has a thing for former thugs."

Tristan's eyes widened before he closed the distance between them. The kiss was chaste and clumsy, but it was all the two of them needed...for now.

"Ahem." The two boys looked up at Joey, who had her hands on her hips, looking particularly smug. "Guess I don't have ta worry about da two of ya goin' afta' my sista', huh?" Tristan threw a glare at her. "Just don't get outta hand. Can't have ya both outta commission."

"Joey," Duke growled as both boys turned red. Joey just laughed, turning to Yugi, who was beaming.

"Come on, Yug'," she said. "Let's leave da love birds alone."

"Just wait 'til I get out of this bed, Joey!" Tristan yelled. Joey took pride in the fact that she had had finally gotten her friend to treat her normally again.

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Yugi and Yami stayed at the hospital, as the doctors wanted to keep Jaden over night. Duke stayed as well, never leaving Tristan's side. Bakura couldn't get Ryou home fast enough, and the same could be said for Seto, Joey and their siblings.

Tea sighed as she began to leave the hospital. She was happy for all of them. She really was, but as complete as everyone else felt the world was, Tea felt like something was missing. Like someone had skipped her over.

Always the bridesmaid never the bride, huh? she thought, adjusting her purse on her shoulder. I guess that's okay. If things work out I'll be going to New York next year, so no need to mope over something so trivial.

"Hey!" Tea heard someone call behind her. She turned around, seeing Marik running her way. The Egyptian stopped to catch his breath before speaking again. "You're not going home alone, are you?" He rubbed the back of his head, looking nervous. "I don't think any of us should be alone right now."

Tea spared a smile, finding Marik's awkwardness a bit cute. "Actually I was gonna go to the arcade before it closes. DDR helps take my mind off things. I could definitely use a dose of normal."

Marik grinned. "Mind if I join you? Something normal sounds wonderful, honestly." He folded his arms, his grin becoming a smirk. "Plus I want a rematch. I've been practicing."

Tea laughed. "Alright. Let's see what you got, Pretty-boy."

Marik rose a brow as they began to walk, heading in the arcade's direction. "Pretty-boy?"

Tea blushed. "Uh... never mind," she grabbed Marik's hand taking off in a run. "Let's get going."

00000000000000000000000000000000

"Ren," Joey whispered, careful not to startle the girl snoozing on her shoulder. Serenity stirred, blinking a few times. Joey smiled. "We're home."

As they exited the car, followed by Seto and Mokuba, Serenity seemed to wake up at the size of 'home'. "You live here?!"

Joey put an arm around her shoulder. "We both do now."

They made their way inside, settling the sleepy preteens into bed. Serenity was given the room Joey had stayed in previously, seeing as Joey hadn't been sleeping there anyway.

"Serenity," Joey asked, stroking her little sister's hair, "Are you okay. Ya know, with me...being like this?"

Serenity stared for a moment, sitting up in her bed and clinging to the Red Eyes plushie Joey had bought her at the hospital. She gave her older sibling a smile. "Joey, I love you. Boy, girl, brother, sister, up-side-down, inside-out, I love you. I know you'll always be there for me. You'll always protect me. Always be tough and stubborn and loud. You were my brother and now your my sister. That's the only thing that's changed here."

Joey beamed, pulling the younger girl into a tight hug. "Thanks, sis. I love ya, too."

Later that night, Joey laid awake, something else weighing on her mind. She curled up to Seto and bit her lip. "Seto, can I ask ya somethin'?"

Seto turned over a bit, looking at the blonde directly. "Of course, Pup."

Joey took in a breath. "Would we...would we still be like this if I had stayed a boy?"

Seto raised a brow. "What kind of silly question is that? Of course we would."

"What if I turned back inta a guy right now?" Joey continued.

Seto looked at the girl beside him, seeing how unsure she appeared. He pulled her close, knowing full well if the girl had stayed a boy, or suddenly changed into a boy right now, it would change absolutely nothing.

"I would love you all the same," Seto whispered.

Joey's eyes, which had been half-lidded with exhaustion, became awake. She stared at Seto, mouth agape, looking into blue eyes for any sign that she hadn't heard him correctly. The smile on Seto's face let her know she had heard him perfectly fine.

Seto loved her.

Seto loved Joey.

Joey threw her arms around the brunet and kissed him frantically, using his partially shocked state to take advantage and roll on top of him. She had been through so much and waited so long. When her hands began unbuttoning Seto's pajama top, he broke the kiss. "Pup-,"

Joey was not taking no for an answer. She pressed her forehead to his, continuing to unbutton his shirt, only more slowly. "Show me," she whispered. Blazing amber eyes locked with blue. "Show me you love me."

Seto hesitated. He knew Joey had been through a lot that day, not to mention she still had bruises and cuts. "I don't want to hurt you," he told her.

"You won't," she replied, her eyes never leaving his. "Make me yours. Make me only yours."

Seto didn't protest further, instead entangling a hand in Joey's hair and kissing her, holding back nothing. His other hand grasped her hip as he gentle rolled them over so that he was on top of her. He smirked as he broke the kiss. "Well, I did never punish for being so sneaky before."

Joey flashed a smirk of her own before saying playfully, "Oh, no, Masta', please have mercy." Seto gave a growl before kissing again fiercely, his hands reaching up and pulling her pajama top over her head. Joey removed Seto's shirt as well, pulling away from their kiss to whisper, "I love ya, Seto."

That made Seto only more aroused. "I love you, Joey."

As the two disentangled themselves much later, both panting, sweaty and very satisfied, Joey snuggled into Seto arms, not remembering feeling safer. As she drifted off to sleep, she thought about everything that had happened in the past few weeks, the fights, the outings with her friends, her and Seto. A small smile graced her features. This had been the first time in a long time she hadn't felt negatively about being a girl.

However, like hell she was going to let anyone call her Josephine.

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And I just died of fluff over dose

So there's one more chapter. An epilogue! Gah! So Excited!