Chapter XXXVI: In Sickness and In Health
Hello again, dear readers! Welcome back to Darkness Falls! Yes, this is going on and "Dawn Breaks" will be a chapter title instead of a separate tale. Anyway, thanks for all the reviews, as always. We appreciate you taking the time and reviewing, and we thank all of you who took the time to read the story too, whether or not you left a review. We're just glad you're here! So onto the story!
Last time, Jaden dueled Darkness, apparently the embodiment of the Grim Reaper. After a challenging duel, the Slifer duelist reigned triumphant. In the shadowy World of Darkness, Violet gave up and nearly sank to her doom, but Bastion pulled her back. So what will happen now? Read on!
Disclaimer: Okay, okay, for the 208th time, we don't own GX, the Yu-Gi-Oh franchise at large, or the related characters. We only own our OCs, this plotline and this version of the Yugi-verse. Thank you!
Authors' note: Some definite OOCness on the parts of Adrian and Echo, but all in good fun, of course. Some sweet fluff as well. Thanks for your attention!
At Duel Academy, students found themselves on the grounds of the school. Most students were in surprisingly good shape after their time suspended in the shadows. "Hey! We're alive!" one Slifer boy called out to a Ra.
"You sure we're not still dreaming?!" the Ra called back, and was promptly punched on the head by an Obelisk.
"There! Since you didn't wake up, we're obviously not still dreaming!"
"Why I oughta!" the Ra countered, about to go into Three Stooges mode. "Well, we're here! I'm hungry!!"
And down at Ra... "Marcel!" Jean-Louis Bonaparte shouted as his son appeared at his feet, emaciated and eyes closed. "Marcel... please speak to me..."
"Ooooh...Papa," the small Ra groaned, exhausted. Having been thin already, Marcel was almost as weak and starved as Rosa had been.
Bonaparte tenderly pulled his child into his arms. "Shh... it's going to be all right, my sweet boy... Papa's here... I'll take care of you..."
However, while most of those who had returned were moving about and regaining their bearings, two remained unconscious. This was confusing as Violet and Bastion had only been gone for a few days. The couple lay motionless on the grass, Bastion still clutching Violet's wrist for dear life.
"Bastion! Violet!" Annie called, sinking to her knees and checking their pulses. "C'mon, wake up! You're safe now!" They had both lost weight, and Bastion began to cough. The girl tried to flip him so she could seat him in what's commonly known as recovery position. "Urgh... I need some help here," she groaned, as her surrogate brother was too heavy for her to move on her own.
Syrus ran over, and helped his fiancée move Bastion. "Annie, what's wrong with them?! They shouldn't be like this..."
Jaden ran back from where he'd been dueling. His brown eyes were wide with horror. "What's going on?"
"They... I don't know," Annie groaned, face pale as she worked over her friends. "They must've been fighting it... and losing... We need to..."
"Get them to the infirmary," Miss Fontaine commanded tightly. "Jim, Axel, run and get two stretchers. Annie, let's see if we can get them awake."
As the two boys ran to get the stretchers, Syrus shook Violet's shoulders. "Violet? Violet, can you hear me?? Wake up! You're safe now!" he tried. Violet groaned softly, but didn't make any other movements.
Annie's face paled to the shade of curdled milk as she felt Bastion's cheeks. "Miss Fontaine, I think he has a fever... Something really weakened his resistance in there is my guess..."
The nurse pulled an ear thermometer from her medical bag and checked the Ra as the teen girl moved aside. "Confirmed. He's in trouble... Bastion, try waking up..."
And then, in his fever-sleep, the Ra genius moaned softly, "Violet... no... don't... give up..."
Annie scooted over to her best friend and in desperation pleaded, "Violet, you need to wake up! Bastion needs you! He's sick!"
Shockingly, Violet's eyes suddenly snapped open, except they were a deep blood red. However, it only lasted a split second before they faded back to their normal green. Pulling in a ragged breath, Violet stared at Annie with the same blank look she'd given Bastion in the other world. "Annie? Why are you here?" she questioned, groaning as she sat up.
The other girl blinked, having seen the flash of red. Then, deciding it was a trick of the light, she threw her arms around the purple-headed girl. "Violet! Violet, you're back!" she exclaimed, the question having not immediately registered with her.
But Violet, rather than returning the hug whole-heartedly, tensed and stared at Annie as if she had two heads. "Annie?! What? Why are you hugging me??" The Annie in Violet's repeated nightmares had been one of the key instigators for her verbal abuse.
Annie stopped short, but didn't release her. "I'm so happy you're back! I thought... I was worried you might not come back," she said, tears starting to flow down her face. "That's why I'm hugging you. You've been gone for over a week!"
"What...?" Violet continued to stare at her, unmoving, mind trying to process what had happened. 'How dare she act as if she cares for you? After all of the names she called you? Are you going to sit there and TAKE IT?!' yelled a voice in the back of her mind. Violet's eyes widened, and a shiver went down her spine. "A-Annie...why... You HATE me! And now this?! G-Get away! Let go!" She yelled, pushing the brunette away and scrambling back a little. Her face conveyed nothing but pain and confusion.
Annie jerked back as if she'd been slapped. "I... Violet, I don't hate you..." And then she put two and two together, understanding what must have happened. "Is that what Darkness told you?! It's not true! And Bastion needs you right now!"
Violet's eyes moved from Annie to Bastion's weakened form and back again, body slightly shaking. What was going on? None of this made sense. "B-Bastion...?"
"Yes, Bastion... When you disappeared, he wasn't the same... He let the Darkness come and take him. He didn't even fight... He said you saw something that made you think he didn't love you anymore and that we'd turn against you. And he hated that he couldn't save you... It broke him!" Annie met Violet's confused green eyes with her desperate blue ones.
"I...I-I..." Violet stammered, tears slowly brimming her eyes as she reached up to hold her head. "I'm so confused! I don't...understand any of this..." It was obvious she was going through information overload.
"Just concentrate on one thing... You're home... and you're safe... And we have to take you to the infirmary... We're taking Bastion too," the would-be doctor stated firmly.
"O-Okay..." And Violet did, for the moment blocking out all else except for those key things. "Wh-What's wrong with him?"
"I don't know, but he has a fever and he won't wake up," Annie explained, face still very pale.
Violet frowned and crawled over to him, placing a shaky hand on his side. "Bastion...?" She tried, desperately pushing away the nightmares of him blatantly saying he didn't love her.
"Violet," he moaned in his unconsciousness, "I love you... please... don't leave me..."
Her frown deepened. "I didn't leave you...you left me... You didn't love me...but I still love you..."
"Love you... don't die," he moaned weakly, body showing obvious signs of starvation.
"He fought back and it drained him fast," Annie murmured.
And then, it hit Violet like a ton of bricks, and with a cry she buried her face in his side. "It's my fault! Me! Because of me, he....! All I ever do is hurt people!!"
Her touch was enough to bring Bastion around. His gray eyes opened in confusion. "Violet? You're alive?" he asked weakly, reaching his hand up to touch her cheek. His cheeks were hollow and his hand was trembling.
She tensed a little, looking down slightly to meet his eyes. "Bastion? Y-Yeah...of course I am... Thanks to you...you saved me... But now, you...you're getting sick!" Tears flooded her eyes, a hand reaching to grasp his.
"I... don't care... I... kept... failing..." And then his eyes closed as he passed out again.
"Bastion, hang in there," Annie murmured, keeping a grip on Violet at the same time.
Tears slipped down Violet's cheeks, body still shaking as she held Bastion's hand. Her mind was incredibly unstable at the moment, jumbled by too many explanations and statements at once. "Annie," she moaned. "I don't understand...any of this..."
"Let's... let's get you to the infirmary first," the dark-haired girl stated unsteadily as Axel and Jim came running with three stretchers instead of two. Miss Fontaine quickly barked orders and within seconds, Adrian and Professor Viper carried Bastion on his stretcher; Chancellor Shepherd and Axel carried Violet on her stretcher and Jim and Miss Fontaine carried Marcel's stretcher. "We're going to move Atticus, Chazz and Rosa as well," the nurse added in explanation to the other instructors.
"What? Annie?" Violet called to her best friend, frowning.
"What is it, Violet?" Annie asked as she walked next to her friend's stretcher, taking her hand as the group started its walk to the infirmary.
"What happened to Atty, Chazz, and Rosa?" the purple-haired young woman asked, confused. Of course she remembered Rosa being taken...but she didn't know how it had damaged her.
Annie took a deep breath and told her everything about Rosa coming back yesterday in a very weak state, and Atticus facing Nightshroud within himself and Chazz helping to save his brother. "...And then Jaden dueled Darkness about half an hour ago," she finished as they entered the infirmary building, "and you came back along with everybody else...We thought... you were lost..." Annie's voice shook with the strain of the past few weeks.
Violet looked away. "I was..." If it hadn't been for Bastion, she wouldn't be there right now. Who knew where she'd be.
"A lot of people disappeared," Annie explained as Chancellor Shepherd and Axel helped her lift Violet onto an infirmary bed. "Thanks, Chancellor, Axel... A lot of people disappeared, Violet... They're all back now..."
Violet closed her eyes tightly. "That's because none of them gave in... Annie, I…I did! And I'd be who-knows-where right now if Bastion hadn't," she whimpered, pulling the covers up over her head.
Annie didn't let her friend cover up. "Violet... there were other people who probably gave up as you nearly did... Bastion... wouldn't have been able to save you otherwise," she asserted gently. "He was giving up..." She looked over at one of the other beds where Miss Fontaine was working on getting in an IV. "He... was near surrender... But what kept him alive... was you..."
Violet shook her head, tears in her eyes. "That can't be right, Annie! It's because of me...because he saved me...that he's like this now! My fault...always my fault," she muttered, burying her face in her hands.
"It's not your fault," Annie soothed. "You didn't see him after you disappeared... He didn't care about anything but you... He just wanted to be with you. He said he'd failed you again, that he couldn't protect you... And he deserved the consequences for that failure."
"But he always protected me," Violet muttered again, frowning. "I was the one who said I hated him..."
"He knew that wasn't you... And he felt like he should've been able to keep you from getting hurt..."
"I don't know what to do anymore... I'm still confused about all that's happened... Bastion...me...everything..."
Annie took a breath and smiled a little. "Just rest, then... Let yourself relax and I'll get you something to eat. You're probably a little hungry..."
Violet's stomach rumbled, and she blinked. "I...I guess I am," she muttered, much to everyone's shock.
"We'll get you something, then," Annie sighed.
Over at another bed, Jean-Louis Bonaparte brushed his son's dark hair as the boy lay in the bed, hooked up to an IV. "I'm calling Maman and Josephine to let them know how you are, Marcel," he said softly in their native tongue.
Marcel looked up at his father with heavily-lidded eyes, awake but exhausted. "Maman..?" he asked weakly, also in French.
"Yes... Maman wants to know that you're going to be all right," the man said lovingly, brushing Marcel's bangs. "I'm just glad to have you back...."
"Papa... I… I'm sorry... That I...caused you and...Maman to leave," Marcel muttered quietly in French.
"No... no, you didn't," the worried father murmured, pulling the boy into a hug. "What makes you think you're responsible?"
"You...always argued...about me," Marcel answered, frowning deeply.
"Marcel... why do you think it was about you?" Jean-Louis asked softly, feeling the deep ache in his heart.
"You...always argued...over my schooling... Or...you leaving and...not being there for me..."
Jean-Louis sighed. That was where his and Antoinette's final fight had centered. "No... no... that was not your fault... That was what came up in our last fight... Was that what you saw in that dark place?"
Marcel nodded. "Y-Yeah... Papa... If it was not...my fault, then...why did you leave?"
Jean-Louis knew it was time for the whole truth. "My boy... there were a lot of reasons. I did need the job, but also, you know Maman and I fought for other reasons... She was younger than me and I suppose thought I was right for her once, but I was not right for her any longer…"
Marcel stared at his father with wide, innocent eyes. "Papa...what are you saying? Didn't Maman love you?"
Jean-Louis took a deep breath, hugging his son close. 'He must know the truth,' he thought, in pain. "Maman and I drifted apart and... she met Monsieur LaMonte... I know I have told you things before... And I know you saw him with Maman," he gently reminded the boy.
Marcel nodded. "I did... Papa, does Maman love Monsieur LaMonte? Is that why she stopped loving you?"
"I think... I was not good enough for her," Jean-Louis answered carefully. He now chose not to bash Antoinette, for though they were not in love anymore, she was still the mother of his only child. "And she found a young man her own age that was more like her..."
Marcel hugged his father with his now very bony arms. "You were good enough, Papa... No matter what Maman thinks..."
Jean-Louis hugged his son back. "Just remember that no matter what, we love you, and what happened was not your fault, Marcel. We'll call Maman and Mademoiselle Josephine, all right?"
"All right..."
Over at the third bed in the infirmary, Bastion lay in a mental fog. The last thing he remembered was Violet crying over him and then the sensation of being lifted. "Mmm," he moaned weakly, opening his eyes. He could sense someone next to his bed, and then saw a tuft of what looked like blue cotton candy. "Who's there?" he asked weakly.
"It's me, Bastion. Syrus... Can you hear me okay?" The bespectacled teen asked, coming fully into the other's field of vision.
The big boy smiled weakly. "Hello, Syrus. Yes, I can hear you... Where am I?"
Syrus returned the smile. "You're in the infirmary. How are you feeling, Bastion?"
Bastion thought a moment. "I feel as if I've been in a fight... And... I'm rather confused... How did I get here?" Syrus explained to Bastion how Jaden had dueled Darkness and won, which had led to everyone returning. He also explained how they'd carried him and Bastion here because they were weak from being in the World of Darkness. "Violet... Violet... Is she all right?" Bastion asked, weakly struggling to try and get up. He just couldn't manage it, though.
Syrus quickly put a hand on Bastion's chest to signal it was time to stop trying to get up for now. "Bastion, don't get up, you need to rest. Violet's fine...she's in another bed and eating. You can probably see her soon, but you have to relax, okay?"
"She... I couldn't protect her," the Ra moaned, weak as a kitten against Sy's hand.
Syrus shook his head. "No, Bastion, you saved her. She was sinking...and you brought her back. Remember?" Annie had told him what Violet had told her.
"She... still... got sucked in... I couldn't stop it..." Bastion sank into his pillows again, shivering.
"Bastion, you could only be in your own nightmare. You couldn't get to her then...it was impossible," Syrus tried, frowning.
"I should've... should've seen it coming... And I waited too long," Bastion murmured, face growing sweaty. Whatever had happened in that shadowy world had done damage to the young man's health.
"Miss Fontaine!" Syrus called worriedly, watching his friend's face turn to the shade of paper.
Miss Fontaine raced over to the bed. "Bastion... you need to calm down..."
"Can't... Violet," he protested as she checked his temperature.
"Bastion, you have a fever of 102. You are going to stay in this bed and calm down. Violet's okay. Annie's been feeding her and we'll get something for you in a few minutes. You've lost a lot of your strength..."
"I..." The Ra sank back into his pillows, worn out.
"Just stay there... Syrus, think you can help me with Bastion?" the nurse requested as the Ra boy settled down
Syrus nodded. "Sure, Miss Fontaine. What can I do?"
"I need someone who can feed him slowly. I know you can handle that," the nurse said with a smile.
He smiled as well. "Yeah, I can do that."
"Thanks, sweetie. I'm going to have my hands full when Atticus and Chazz get here. They're going to need a lot of care..."
"Atticus? Chazz?" Bastion asked, managing to prop himself up for a brief moment before his spinning head made him lie back down. "What... what happened to them?"
"I'll tell you, Bastion. But you need to stay down, okay? Don't try to sit up like that," Syrus stated before telling Bastion what Annie had told Violet, including the part about Rosa since he'd probably end up asking later.
"They're going to be all right...And it figures that Annie was the one to solve the situation," Bastion murmured, picturing the scenes in his mind.
Syrus grinned. "Yeah... And we'll take care of you and Violet as soon as you're feeling better. Okay?"
"Okay," Bastion agreed, closing his eyes for a long moment. When next he opened them, he smelled the delectable odor of Professor Sartyr's chicken soup with rice.
"Bastion? Are you awake?" Syrus asked. The bowl of soup was on the bedside table, ready to be eaten.
The young man opened his eyes, smiling a little. "Yeah, Syrus, I'm awake, and... Is that chicken soup?" he asked.
The shorter boy grinned. "Yeah, it is. Professor Sartyr dropped it off for everyone. Do you think you can sit up a little and eat?"
Jaden had been bouncing around the infirmary, eager to do what he could, now came over to the bed. "Here, Bastion, let me help you up..." He helped Bastion into a sitting position.
"Thank you, Jaden... for everything." Bastion couldn't put it into words, but in his heart, he knew he owed Jaden big.
"Bastion, we're buddies and we're practically brothers. That's what we do," the Slifer stated, fixing the pillows carefully behind Bastion's back and head.
"Jaden's right, Bastion. You'd have done the same for any of us. We help each other," Syrus added as he grabbed the bowl of soup and set it on his lap.
"Yeah. So let's just get you better, Bastion," Jaden grinned. "Sy, I'll hold the bowl, if you want."
Syrus smiled. "It's okay, Jay. I've done this before, remember? I can handle it," he reminded as he got a spoonful and blew on it to cool the soup.
"Okay. Miss Fontaine had me make beds and I'm done with that. I just want to be sure I'm helping everybody," Jaden said eagerly.
Syrus laughed. "Well then can you check on Annie for me? I know she's been pushing herself a lot lately." He slowly spoon-fed Bastion, making sure not to go too fast.
"Sure, Sy! You've got it!" And Jaden trotted over to where Annie was sitting with Violet.
"Annie's been pushing herself?" Bastion asked in concern.
Syrus sighed, glancing back at his beloved. "Just like she always does... With everyone needing help from getting hurt, Annie's been busy helping Miss Fontaine. I'm just worried she's not letting herself rest enough," he explained.
"Has she suffered any ill effects with her heart?"
"Well, there was one incident..." Syrus, as he continued to feed Bastion, told him about what had happened with Jaden and the Supreme King. How Jim had ended up saving both Jaden and Annie, and in return got his eye back.
Bastion's eyes widened. "So... she's all right now? And Jim... had his eye regenerated... That's extraordinary..."
Syrus nodded, smiling happily. "It is... And yeah, she's all right now. Even her scars are gone...it's amazing."
"Her scars are gone? How would you..? Okay, forget I asked," Bastion stated with a slight blush. "You would've seen... So now, it's not a life and death matter if she pushes herself..."
"No...but it's still not good for her. So I've been trying to keep an eye on her," Syrus replied.
"Yeah... good," the weak boy answered, sipping on his soup.
About 20 minutes after Sy started feeding Bastion, there was a minor commotion in the infirmary. "Why can't I walk in here?!" Chazz Rhodes complained as Echo Gecko and Adrian lifted him on a stretcher. "I can understand my brother, but why not me?"
"You heard Miss Fontaine, Chazz. She says you're still not strong enough to walk that far," Echo reminded seriously.
"Yeah, yeah, but I feel fine!"
"Chazz... shut up and stay lying down," Adrian said sternly.
"Okay, okay... Geez..."
Atticus snickered. "They told you, bro!" He was right behind his brother, lying on a stretcher carried by Professor Viper and Professor Stein.
"As we told you, Atticus," Viper stated in his slightly menacing voice.
Atty practically "eep'd" and sweat-dropped, grinning sheepishly. "I know..."
"You have to teach me how to do that," Stein stated, looking over at the West Academy teacher.
Thelonius Viper couldn't hide a slight smirk. "It helps being in the Army and working out in the gym." And then he added, "You work out... but you don't need to go to the army..."
Stein sweat-dropped. "Good... I think I'll stick to Duel Monsters History."
The teachers and students got the injured young men onto the specially prepared beds and Miss Fontaine bustled over. "Okay, boys, I have special baths prepared for you. That should help with the itching..."
"Great! It's been driving me nuts...and you said we can't scratch!" Atticus replied, fingers twitching.
"Yeah... every time I move, my chest itches," Chazz groaned.
"All right, then. Our bath attendant will help you..."
"It's not Annie, is it?" the raven-haired Slifer asked, dreading the curvy Obelisk girl's help, even as nice as she was.
Miss Fontaine grinned at that. "No... she's staying out here with the other patients. Your bath attendant is..."
"Hey, guys!" Jaden grinned, coming out from the bath area, now wearing a pair of bright red scrubs.
"Oh, crap!" Chazz groaned, but smiling inwardly.
Atticus grinned and waved at Jaden. "All right! You're our bath attendant, Jay? Awesome!!"
"Yeah! Miss Fontaine says you need another guy in here to help, and she showed me what to do to help you in." And so the two patients were able to walk from their beds to the bath area and disrobed with Jaden and Miss Fontaine's help. Within a few minutes, the burned boys were in specially medicated baths.
"Hey... this feels nice," Chazz murmured, his eyes closed.
Atticus sighed, closing his eyes and sinking in. "Oh, yeah...no more itching..."
As Chazz was immersed where he was burned, Jaden could head over to Atticus. "Let me get your face for you," he said, picking up a washcloth and wetting it in the bathwater.
Atty grinned. "Thanks, Jay. Hey, was dueling the Grim Reaper hard?"
"Yeah... Part of me wonders if Darkness wanted to lose... I mean, he attacked Neos Wiseman knowing I'd take out his life points!"
"Hmmm...." Atticus opened his eyes, staring at the wall. "Maybe..."
Jaden gently patted the older boy's face with the cloth. "You agree with that? Why?"
"Well...he's Death… Darkness. Maybe he knew he was going to end up losing and decided to do it on his own terms..."
Jaden thought about it and nodded. "Yeah...maybe... He'll get us differently... eventually... But I wonder why he tried to take all of us at once..."
"Who knows...maybe he'll tell us when we see him again."
"Yeah... I hope that's not for a long time..."
"Me too, Slacker... me too," Chazz agreed, relaxing his muscles in the tub.
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The day turned to evening and Miss Fontaine smiled at Annie. "Honey, you're getting tired and need a good rest. There aren't any beds in here... Why don't you go back to Obelisk with Sy?"
"But... Miss Fontaine, what if you have an emergency?" Annie asked. Her hair was disheveled and her eyes showed tiredness. But even with that, she didn't want to leave the infirmary.
"Annie, you need sleep. You didn't sleep well last night, and I know you didn't get enough sleep the other night."
"Miss Fontaine's right, Annie. You won't be any help if you're half-asleep... You need the rest," Syrus added, taking her hand.
"Syrus, get her out of here," the nurse stated gently. "Get her to eat something... I don't think she's had dinner yet..."
He nodded. "Come on, Annie..."
The young woman allowed herself to be led from the main building rather reluctantly. "I hate leaving," she said as they headed out into the warm evening.
All around the academy, the other students were celebrating. Out in the clearing away from the buildings, some students had bonfires going. Others were dancing to their favorite music and reveling in being alive. But others still had a different way of celebrating. "WOOOOO!" one guy, a known Obelisk whooped as he ran through Monster Row in his birthday suit.
"Uh... oh my," was all Annie could say as she saw more of said Obelisk that she ever wanted to see.
Syrus's eyes went wide, as the Obelisk got mixed reactions. The guys cheered him on, while the girls shrieked and covered their eyes. "Uh... Heh, remember when you found me hiding in those bushes, Annie?"
"Yeah... but you're not the type to go streaking, honey," she answered, having to look away for a second.
"No, I'm not... And neither are you, Annie."
Annie blushed. "Y-yeah... definitely not me... Miss Fontaine... was right... I need something..." She turned a little pale.
"Annie? Are you okay?" Syrus asked worriedly, coming to a stop.
"Just... tired and a little hungry," she groaned, placing a hand on his shoulder. She felt herself growing woozy, but not to fainting level.
"Right. Let's get back to Obelisk, they should have some dinner left. And then we can go up and sleep, okay?"
"Okay," Annie said sleepily as they walked through the crowds of revelers. At the Obelisk dining hall, she got some beef teriyaki with white rice and cucumber salad. "I'm so tired... I'm barely hungry," she sighed as they sat down at a small cafe table.
Syrus had already eaten, so he'd just grabbed a glass of milk. "Just eat this, Annie. Then you can sleep. You need to eat something first."
She ate her dinner without a lot of discussion. "All done," she smiled as she finished. Her head wasn't spinning, but she still felt worn out.
He grinned back. "Okay, let's get you upstairs and changed so you can sleep in bed instead of on the floor," he joked.
Annie chuckled softly. "Yeah, a bed sounds very nice right now..."
"Well, come on," Syrus said as he stood and took her hand.
"Okay... we haven't been in here for a couple of days," she said as they headed out of the dining hall and to the elevator.
"Yeah...and it's not as empty as it was," he replied, looking around at the other students. Girls were chatting happily with their friends and double-checking that everything in their rooms was still there.
"Yeah... It's nice to have everyone back... Too bad the wedding's getting pushed back... I hope they can all still make it..." Annie sighed at that. "It'll be okay... I guess maybe I'm worrying too much…"
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As Annie and Syrus got ready for bed, Adrian and Echo opened up a laptop computer. "I think we can tell Mom it's safe to come now," he smiled.
She returned the smile. "Yeah, it'll be nice to see her and Sid again in person."
"Yeah... They need the vacation," he said softly. "Good thing there's no time difference... This isn't like when I was at East Academy in New York..."
"I wonder if Sid's gone to bed yet..."
"He's probably sleeping with Mom... so they haven't gone to bed yet," Adrian reasoned, making the connection to their home.
"Good. He'll be glad to hear they can come to see us now," Echo said.
And across the ocean in Domino City, the videophone at the Gecko residence started ringing. Rachel Gecko sat up and looked at the caller ID as her youngest child sat next to her. "Oh, my... Sid, honey... It's Adrian and Echo!"
Sid grinned. "Big brother and big sister?"
"Yeah. Let's pick up!" Rachel punched the button on the phone for video display. "Hey, kids," she greeted with a soft but weary smile.
"Adrian! Echo!" Sid called, face momentarily filling up the entire screen.
Echo chuckled. "Hi, Mom. Hey, Sid!"
Adrian was smiling too. "Hey, Mom. Hey, squirt... How are you guys doing?" he asked gently.
"We're okay, Adrian... what about you two?" Rachel asked. The couple at Duel Academy could see the toll the past few days had taken on her. She had circles under her eyes, and her hair was less than fashionably coiffed. She wore no makeup and looked even older than she did.
"We're fine. Mom, it's great...do you remember Jaden?" Echo asked, remembering that Adrian had told her about the gang.
"Yeah... the boy who was supposed to... He dueled and won, didn't he?"
Echo nodded happily. "He did. Everyone came back...at Duel Academy and everywhere else."
"I've been watching the news reports," she answered her daughter. "It was incredible...families reuniting... Whole cities. If Jaden was the one responsible, the world owes him a debt of gratitude..."
"He sounds cool! Can I meet him, big brother?" Sid asked excitedly.
"Yeah. Now that it's safe... Mom, why don't you and Sid come on out? The school year's almost over and there should be extra room!"
"That sounds kind of nice, actually," Rachel said wearily.
"I can finally see Duel Academy?" Sid was practically bursting with eagerness.
Echo grinned. "Yes, Sid, you can. And I think you'll love it."
"Okay... We'll get out on a helicopter in the morning," Rachel promised. "We're having Daddy cremated, okay?"
All three children seemed to sober significantly at that. "Okay, Mom," Echo answered, frowning a little.
"It's just easier that way," the sad mother explained softly.
"Mom... I'm sorry," Adrian began.
"No... Adrian... honey, please don't be sorry... And you, Echo, Sid and I now control the company..."
"Does that mean I'll stop running the submarine?" Echo asked. There was slight hope in her voice; maybe now she could get a real job in the company. It wasn't that she'd hated the job; she had, however wished for something more than being a spy.
"Do you want to stop running the submarine?" Rachel asked curiously. She was a little bit surprised that Echo might not like the job.
Echo blinked, then sweat-dropped. "Well, I...always hoped I might get a more... Important job in the company..."
"Well, if that's what you want, honey, we can make that happen for you. You hid it too well that you weren't thrilled with the job," Rachel said wistfully.
Echo frowned. "It was Father... I was lucky he let me control a submarine..."
"And you did a wonderful job of it. I think he was proud of you... and I know I was…"
"You...really think so, Mom?" the young woman asked in shock. She'd never felt that her father loved her, or at least took pride in her accomplishments.
Rachel nodded. "I think maybe he was... He just... for whatever reason, never could express pride."
Echo sighed, feeling some relief. "Maybe you're right... Thanks, Mom..."
"No problem, Echo... And remember this... You are Echo Ruth Gecko and you are a powerful, brilliant woman," Rachel smiled. Echo returned the smile, blushing a little.
"Yeah! Big sister is great! So is big brother!! Adrian, Echo, I wanna be just like you when I get big."
Adrian grinned at Echo. "So, we'll see you guys tomorrow! Love you guys..."
"Yeah, love you, Mom, Sid," Echo added.
"I love you, big brother and big sister," Sid replied, smiling cutely.
"Love you kids, too... Good night," Rachel smiled, terminating the connection.
And then Adrian and Echo were alone in the room. "Man, with everyone back... We have to figure out where you sleep tonight..."
Echo blushed at the thought that came immediately to mind, but pushed it away. "Well, I...could just sleep on the couch. I bet it's still more comfortable than the submarine cots."
Adrian blushed slightly. "No... I'm supposed to be the gentleman, and that means you take the bed..."
Echo frowned. "Adrian, it's your bed. I'm not going to take it from you."
"You wouldn't be taking it, you know... I'm offering..." He shifted slightly, almost imperceptibly.
She smiled a little. "I know. And that's very sweet of you. But still, it's your bed."
Adrian looked up at the ceiling. "You made her this way, didn't You?" he asked of the Almighty, chuckling.
Echo frowned again and gave him a look. "And just what is that supposed to mean?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.
"You're being stubborn again... Geez, Echo! I want to do something nice for you!" he grinned, even though he was frustrated with her.
She punched his arm, with the same strength of any man. "I can see that! But I don't like the idea of me pushing you onto the couch when it's your bed."
"OW!" he yelped, but managed a laugh because he knew she really didn't mean to hurt him. "Look, there has to be a compromise here. I don't want you to sleep on the couch..."
"And I don't want you to sleep on the couch," she replied. Again, she blushed lightly at the obvious compromise that came to mind.
"So... what do we do?" he wondered, face turning red at what would be the clear compromise.
"W-Well...we could always...um..." She covered her face with a hand to hide the prominent red on her face.
"Uh... Echo... uh... you're thinking the same thing I am, aren't you?"
"That...depends... Does what you're thinking include...us both using...the bed?"
Adrian's red face said it for him. "Look, uh... Echo... dang it... Neither my party animal nor philosophical facades will save me now," he groaned theatrically.
Echo laughed a little at that. "And it seems neither my tough nor serious facades will save me, either."
"Well... I don't want to push anything too soon. I mean... we know we're not brother and sister... So we're okay on that front... but we only really, you know... I am really acting different than my usual self here..."
"Well...that makes two of us. This wouldn't be like when we were kids, would it?"
"Well, we hardly did have bedroom sleepovers after we turned thirteen..." Adrian took a deep breath, pacing around for a moment. "Okay... so, if you're okay with this... I'm not going to use this to put you in any compromising position or try to touch your goodies, okay?" He held up his hands in a placating and surrendering gesture.
Echo's eyes went wide, and then, she couldn't help herself. She cracked up, holding her stomach as she laughed. "W-Wait, wait, wait.... What did you just call them?!"
"Goodies?" he repeated, sweat-dropping and grinning sheepishly.
She broke into another fit of uncharacteristic giggles. "Ha ha, I'm sorry, but... Adrian! I've never heard them called that! It's just...so YOU!!" The sailors she had worked with used terms that were far from as innocent as that one.
"Well, I think I got it from those Simpsons reruns when Marge met Homer in high school and he was begging her for a date," he explained, hanging his head a bit as his cheeks turned flame red.
She finally managed to calm down, and sighed. "Well, aside from that, I know you wouldn't try anything, Adrian. You don't have to assure me of that."
"Okay... just considering my reputation as a playboy, I only felt it fair to say that. And contrary to the press rumors, I haven't seen anybody," he stated, looking up to meet her eyes.
"Yes, Adrian, I know that too. I was basically your sister, remember?"
"Yeah... But... I'm glad we aren't because I would so be going to Hell right now!" he groaned.
She chuckled. "Well, we're not. So relax."
"Okay..." He headed into the bathroom with his pajamas and changed quickly, doing what he needed to do to be ready for bed. "Echo? Are you ready?" he asked through the bathroom door.
"Yeah! You can come out," she called. Echo had changed into a long-sleeved, emerald green nightgown. Her hair was down and framed her face, which had been cleaned of make-up.
Adrian had pulled on a plain emerald green t-shirt and plaid boxer shorts, so when he came out of the bathroom, he gulped. "Whoa... Echo..." 'Think unsexy thoughts!' his mind screamed at him, as he valiantly kept control of his hormones.
Echo blinked, blushing a little herself. It was mostly because Adrian looked cute in his boxers. "Something wrong, Adrian?"
"Uh... You are gorgeous in that... It really brings out your eyes..."
Her face burst into red. "Th-Thank you... You…look cute in your boxers, too."
"Uh..." He gestured at the big bed. "Ladies first?"
She smiled and climbed in under the covers, then patted the spot beside her. "Your turn."
Adrian grinned sheepishly and climbed in next to her. "This is a really soft mattress," he remarked.
Echo smirked. "It is...but are you just saying that because you're nervous?"
"Uh... maybe?" he answered in a voice about one octave higher than his normal voice.
She laughed a little and turned to face him, planting a soft kiss on his cheek. "Did I ever tell you how cute you are when you're nervous?"
Adrian felt like he was going to explode when she kissed him this time. "No..."
Echo smiled, taking his hand from under the covers. "Well, you are."
He took a deep breath and let it out. "Thanks, Echo... And... you are absolutely gorgeous... I'm glad I can tell you that..."
She blushed. "I am, too. And thanks... Now, how about we get some sleep?"
"Yeah... good idea," he answered, reaching over to the light switch.
"I've got it," she said, turning it off. They were bathed in darkness, aside from the moonlight drifting in through the glass doors.
The moonlight reflected off of Echo's pale skin and to Adrian, it made her even more beautiful. "Night, Echo..."
"Good night, Adrian..." Echo murmured, closing her eyes. And all was quiet.
GXGXGXGXGXGXGXGXGXGXGXGXGXGXGXGXGXGXGXGXGXGXGXGXGXGXGXGXGX
Back at the main building, Jaden sighed as he sat down in a plastic chair. He'd been up and down all day and had just helped get his friends comfortable in their beds. "Is the burn bed okay, Atticus?" he asked.
Atticus nodded, yawning. "Yeah, Jay... It's great..." he muttered sleepily. Alexis smiled and pecked Jaden on the cheek. "You were such a huge help, Jaden... You know, aside from already saving the world."
Tyson, sitting next to Rosa's sleeping form, smiled at his leader. "Sarge... we all owe ya... big time..."
"Guys... I just did what I had to do," the Slifer stated, light pink staining his cheeks.
"You're blushing, Jay," Alexis teased, poking the cheek she had just kissed.
"Well... like I said, I did what I had to do," he concluded.
"Jaden, Alexis, take a break. If I need help, I'll call you," Miss Fontaine smiled.
"Besides, I'm helping for the night shift," Dr. Crowler grinned, coming into the room in his blue cotton pajamas.
Alexis blinked and sweat-dropped. For some odd reason memories of Crowler in a wetsuit came to mind...and she hadn't even seen him! But Annie had told the story and even that had burned images into the Obelisk Queen's mind. "Uh, that's great, Dr. Crowler. Come on, Jay. Let's go take a rest..."
"Good idea, babe," Jaden answered. As they left the room, they heard Tyson singing softly, but loud enough that it permeated the room with warmth and love. "He doesn't sing too often," Jaden smiled after they left.
Alexis smiled as well. "No...Rosa's lucky to have someone like him. They fit each other."
"Yeah... We all found somebody... Hey, babe? Could we practice something tonight?" he asked curiously.
She blinked in surprise. "Practice what, Jay?"
"I...wanted to try carrying you over the threshold..."
Again, she blinked. "You mean...like when we do it after the wedding?"
"Yeah... so I don't drop you or something," he stated. Jaden was very worried about that.
Alexis laughed a bit. "All right. I don't mind if we practice a little."
"Okay." They got to the dorm and up the stairs to the second room, and Jaden tried swinging Alexis up into his arms. "Whoa, whoa!" he yelped as they fell backward onto the deck, Alexis on top of Jaden.
"Oof!" Alexis grunted as they hit the deck, literally. "Ah...Jaden!! Are you okay?!" she yelped, quickly pushing off of him.
"Urgh... Yeah, babe... I'm okay," he answered, still looking a bit stunned. "But... you are definitely stronger than me..."
She smirked. "Maybe. But you just have to take it slower. It's your first time...don't expect that you can just swing me up and carry me with ease."
Jaden chuckled lightly. "We'll try this later... unless you want to try carrying me?" he half-jokingly asked. Alexis's smirk grew. She got into a crouching position and slipped one arm under his armpits and the other under his knees. She then stood, lifting him up slowly until she was fully standing. Jaden's eyes bugged, feeling his fiancée's strong muscles under him. "Wow..."
Alexis laughed, carrying Jaden through the doorway. "I could always carry you over the threshold, Jay."
"Well, that'd... actually be fine with me," he admitted. "Babe, can I be brutally honest for a minute?" He wasn't sure she'd love this, or want to harm him. He hoped she loved it.
"Uh, sure, Jaden." Alexis was still carrying him, so if it did end up upsetting her, he was in a very bad position.
As they got in the room, he grinned sheepishly. "What you did is kind of a turn on..."
Her eyes bugged out this time, and she blushed as she stared down at him. "Excuse me??" She wasn't sure if she'd heard him properly, or couldn't believe she had.
Jaden was blushing too. "Yeah... I... like this... I like that you're so strong..."
Alexis's blush thickened. "Uh...I guess...that's good? I just...never expected you to...say something like that, Jay..."
He grinned sheepishly as they headed close to the big bed. "Well, we were supposed to be married next week... I guess I kinda grew up..."
She promptly dropped him on the bed, placing her now free hands on her hips. "Kinda? Compared to two years ago, you're a changed man."
"Huh?"
"Oh, come on, Jaden. Think about how much you've grown up over the past two years."
Jaden thought about it. "Yeah... Guess I have changed a bit. I mean... early in the first year... you liked me and... I just acted like you were a buddy..."
Alexis sat down beside him on the bed. "And you took everything way too lightly, in my opinion. You're a little more down-to-earth now."
"Yeah... well, you know why I acted that way... But I'm glad I grew up with you," he said, meeting her eyes seriously.
She smiled, placing her hand over his. "And I'm glad you made me lighten up a little."
He smiled back. "I'm glad you did..."
"Well, how about we get changed and get some sleep? I don't know about you, but I'm tired."
"Yeah... I'm dead on my feet," he admitted, tugging off his boots. And then he started to laugh.
She blinked. "Jaden??"
"Just remembering how that love letter ended up in Sy's locker! We never would've dueled like we did and I never would've said what I said to you! Remember?"
"Yeah. 'I think I'm in love.' Were you really? Or were you just saying that?"
"Well... I meant it... Because you dueled great and man, you were and are gorgeous..."
"Well, you were and are cute. So I suppose we're even."
"Yeah," he grinned, now getting his jacket and shirt off.
Yeah, we know, it's a bit strange. Jaden found it a turn-on to be carried by his fiancée. But maybe on some level, he needed it. So those who were taken are back, and some are clearly the worse for wear. Next time, the group deals with more turmoil and turbulence. So tune in for "Bleeding Love." So until then, please read, review and stay tuned! Thank you!