Chapter XLV: La Tragédie de Bonaparte

Hello again, GX true believers! And welcome back to Darkness Falls. We wish to thank all of you who read and reviewed the last chapter! And this time, there is not such a delay in updating!

Last time, Violet was back to her zany, happy self and Bastion, though still sick, seemed to be recovering from his illness. And then Tyson and Rosa had a rather steamy moment. So what will happen next to the group? Read on and find out!

Disclaimer: We don't own the Yu-Gi-Oh franchise. We just add in our OCs and have fun playing around in the universe.

Authors' note: This chapter deals with what sometimes happens in custody situations. Occasionally, one parent decides that it simply is better if the other takes full custody. There are many reasons for doing this. We hope we have treated this subject sensitively.

At the same time Rosa was allowed to leave the infirmary, Marcel Bonaparte was allowed to leave as well with his father. "Marcel... I'll be staying in your room with you until school is over, all right?" Jean-Louis asked his son, carrying him.

Marcel nodded. "Oui, Papa... When school is over, do I have to go back to France?"

"Well, what do you want, Marcel?" the man asked.

The small boy frowned. "I… I don't know... I want to see Maman, but I want to stay with you too..."

"Well... perhaps we'll talk to Maman soon and decide what happens for part of the summer," Jean-Louis answered, little realizing that thousands of miles away, the decision was made for him.

Back in Paris, Antoinette Bonaparte had been in an off-and-on relationship, now stable, with Monsieur Andre LaMonte, a brilliant yoga teacher. He was her age, and also a great deal more handsome than her ex-husband. He was tall, had a full head of dark hair and soulful dark eyes. He wasn't thrilled with children, but he really liked little Marcel. "Darling, perhaps we should see about Marcel staying with his father this summer. He is happier with his father, I think, and we can go on holiday that much easier. The resort I've thought of really doesn't cater to children. He'll be bored..." They were at a wonderful little café enjoying coffee and croissants in the morning sunshine.

Antoinette had long been wondering about how best to handle her only son. She loved him, of course, and it was obvious that Andre liked him. But she felt that if she was going to marry a new husband, she should start a new life entirely. So now Antoinette nodded, knowing what she was going to do. "That is a wonderful idea, Andre. I will call them later today when I get home and see what they want to do."

"Well, love, we'll have fun together and maybe he can come to us later..." Andre figured she would miss her son and need to see him at some point later in the year. But he didn't think she'd do what she did a short time later.

When Antoinette arrived home she went straight to the phone, wanting to get it over with. She dialed a number she rarely called; the one Jean-Louis had given her before he left.

At Duel Academy, Jean-Louis Bonaparte picked up his cell phone in surprise. "Well... Marcel, it's Maman," he said with a smile. "We can talk this out right now! Hello, Antoinette," he greeted his ex-wife.

"Hello, Jean." Antoinette's greeting was a bit more distant; she had lost what remaining love she'd had for her ex-husband a while ago. And she knew her love was waning for her son as well because of that. "How is Marcel doing?"

"He's doing better. He's gaining some weight, Antoinette. And he is feeling a bit happier. His friends have made sure he doesn't feel alone," he answered.

'At least he will have plenty of people around him after this,' she thinks, making her decision concrete. "That's wonderful, Jean. I just called to tell you something important that has been weighing on my mind for quite some time..."

"What is it, Antoinette? Is everything all right?" Jean-Louis asked, concerned. Even though he had a new loving relationship, Antoinette was still the mother of his only child and he, on some level would always love her. He couldn't have predicted what she was about to do, and it would hurt him as much as it would likely hurt Marcel.

Antoinette sighed. This was going to hurt her a bit, too, but everything in her told her it would be for the best. Marcel could live his life in one country with two parents, instead of two countries with four. "Jean... I want to give you full custody of Marcel. Along with your girlfriend, if you would prefer."

"What? Antoinette, why?" he asked. "Why are you doing this?" And then a horrible possibility rang through his mind. Has something happened to her health?! Is she dying?! "Is... is there something wrong? Are you in good health?"

"Of course I'm in good health, Jean. I would have told you if I was otherwise. I simply think it would be best if Marcel chose one of us to spend his life with. It would be… easier. And he obviously prefers you over me, and likes America," Antoinette explained. Her tone was only tinged with pain, and she only felt a little regret in doing this.

"Antoinette... he is also French and he loves his home... And he loves us both... He needs you, too," Jean-Louis countered. "I was going to ask to have him at the beginning of the summer... He's only regaining his strength... Think what this may do to him..."

But Antoinette's mind was set, and she wasn't going to change it. "He will get over it with time, Jean. What will things staying the way they are do to him? Constantly flying between countries to see us, having two mothers and fathers, it isn't right. He is too young for that."

"He is thirteen years old, Antoinette. He understands a great deal now... He's no longer a baby. And he will not simply get over this! We almost lost him because of the divorce. He blamed himself! How do you think he'll take this? Antoinette, don't do this," the worried father pleaded. He couldn't understand what his ex-wife's motives were, but he truly feared what this situation would do to the thirteen-year-old.

"I'm sorry, Jean. I have made up my mind. He will be much happier this way, I'm sure that we all will be. I still love him, but I think we should both start anew. And this is the best way to do that," she answered, trying to remain firm in her convictions.

"Antoinette..." Jean-Louis wasn't sure what he could do now, but he had to try. "Do you even want to speak with him?"

Antoinette wanted to, but she knew there was a high possibility that doing so would change her mind. "Not… not now, Jean. Just tell him I still love him. I am only doing what I feel is best."

Jean-Louis Bonaparte closed his eyes, hurting for his son. "Well... well call soon... please, for his sake..."

"I will..." Antoinette decided she would call as soon as the custody change had been made. By then nothing would change her mind, not even hearing her son's voice.

"Thank you, Antoinette... And we'll talk soon... Good-bye..."

"Good-bye, Jean." She hung-up the phone and let out a deep sigh, relief overpowering regret.

Andre had been listening to the entire conversation and stepped to her. "Antoinette, are you sure? I just meant to let him stay with his father early in the summer, not transfer custody..."

Antoinette turned to face the man she loved, perhaps more so than when she had loved Jean-Louis. She took his hands, looking into those dark eyes she often found herself lost in. "Andre, I have been thinking about this for a long time now. I just feel that this is better... that he will be happier and we will be happier. Please, understand..."

As in love as Andre was, he had a feeling that someday Antoinette would regret this. "I'll try... Just stay in contact with him... He will need his maman..."

"I shall, don't worry..." Antoinette wrapped her arms around him, reassuring both of them.

Back at Duel Academy, Jean-Louis closed his phone and turned back to his child. "Marcel... you... will be staying with me this summer..."

Marcel blinked his large, round eyes, which still held so much innocence in them as he stared at his father. "I will? What did Maman call you for, Papa?" He had heard only part of the conversation, and didn't understand all that he had heard.

Jean-Louis hugged his boy to him. "My sweet boy... She called because she wants you to stay with me this summer, and every summer..."

Marcel hugged his father back, frowning in confusion. "But then... when will I see her? During other breaks?"

Jean-Louis wasn't sure what to say. "Let's get you back to your room, all right? And then, we will talk about what's going to happen..."

Marcel wasn't sure what was going on, but decided to just do as his father said for now. "All right, Papa."

They made it to Ra Yellow and once in Marcel's room, Jean-Louis sat his son on his bed and sighed. "I don't know when Maman will want to see you again for certain..." And so he explained, in the gentlest terms possible about the custody arrangement.

Marcel's eyes slowly widened during the explanation, and at the end he stared down at his hands. It was rare that the little Ra actually cried; usually the sadness simply hung about him. But this was one of those rare times, as the tears spilled out of his eyes and dripped down onto his lap. "I... I won't see Maman anymore? She stopped loving me too? But... I love Maman..."

"She hasn't stopped loving you, Marcel... She is... confused right now," the hurt father tried. "You will see her again," he said, hugging his son.

"When, Papa?" Marcel asked, hugging his father and silently crying against him.

"I don't know yet, but we will try to make it soon... And in the meantime, would you like to see Josephine again?" Jean-Louis asked,

The boy sniffled, nodding slightly against him. "Ou-Oui..."

"Okay... We'll invite her very soon... and in the mean time, we'll spend a lot of time together. Marcel, we'll spend the summer together..." Jean-Louis managed a small smile at that. "And if we can arrange it, Blair can be with us too..."

Marcel, even in his current state, blushed. "You think so, Papa?"

Jean-Louis nodded, pressing his forehead to his son's. "I'll talk to her parents as soon as I can... And remember... I love you so much..."

Marcel managed a small smile. "I love you too, Papa..."

Jean-Louis Bonaparte is now the sole custodial parent of Marcel. It remains to be seen how things will work out with Antoinette, but perhaps we can be hopeful that she will see her son more often than she thinks she will. Anyway, next time, the group should enjoy some well-deserved down time. So please join us for "Walk with the Clouds." So until then, please read, review and stay tuned! Thank you!