Thank you to everyone who read the last chapter. When I wrote this, I was trying to figure out how Joey would find out about being pregnant, and I looked up what I was originally going to use for the reason then, I looked up C-section somewhere down the line that led to Endometriosis. I know that Endometriosis is very serious. It affects many women all over the world. I will try to write about it to the best of my ability. Anyway, I don't own any of the characters except Sara. Kazuki Takahashi, Toei, Shueisha, Konami, etc. own the rest of the characters. Also, I use dub names cause that's how I watched the anime.

TW: Talk of Endometriosis, Pregnancy, and addiction

All the adults looked at the teenager expectedly. Sara nodded. "Yes." She answered. Serenity put her hands in a 'T' sign "Time out." She declared. "I need to talk to Sara." She said quickly. The three people glanced at each other and nodded. "Sure." Rebecca agreed. Serenity led Sara away from the three to the corner of the room. "Are you sure?" She asked. Sara nodded eagerly. "I want to. If I'm their only chance, I need to take it." She said, giving the puppy dog eyes. Serenity looked at her niece, worried "This will be dangerous." She warned Sara. Sara looked at her aunt, determined and head raised. "I can handle it." She assured confidently. Knowing that look, Serenity sighed. "Fine." She agreed begrudgingly. "But, if she gets injured, I'm coming after your asses." She warned firmly, glaring at them. Kaiba, Rebecca, and Pegasus nodded in understanding. "Good, Kaiba-boy will show you around and what you'll need," Pegasus said as Kaiba gestured for Sara to follow him.

Kaiba led her out of the room, down the hall, back into the lobby, down the middle tunnel, and into the first room on the right. The wall is littered with gadgets. Swords to guns, Sara raised a curious eyebrow and pointed at something on the wall. "A lot of weapons." She commented. Kaiba shrugged "You've got to have some weapons if you want to stand a chance in a war." He stated matter of factly. Kaiba brought her to a table, where various spy gear was displayed. "Here is what you will be taking with you." He declared simply. Sara picked up one of the items. "A walkie-talkie?" She said skeptically. Kaiba nodded "There won't be any cell service at the school or the island." He reminded her. "This will be how we keep in contact." He stated. Sara nodded understandingly. "Can my aunt have one?" She wondered curiously. Kaiba looked at her. "Why?" He asked flatly. "As you said, there won't be any cell service, and letters probably take weeks or months to get to the other." She pointed out. Kaiba lowly growled "Fine. But you will have to contact each other on a different frequency." He begrudgingly allowed it. Sara smiled at that. "Thanks." She said, placing the walkie back on the table. Kaiba grunted, "Don't mention it." He grumbled. "You know some of this stuff won't work on the island." Sara pointed out.

Kaiba nodded "I know, what isn't going to work on the island is going to stay here at HQ." He told her. "Grab that bag over there." He ordered, She went over and slung the duffle bag strap onto her shoulder. They left the room, went to the left tunnel, and went to the practice dojo in the second door on the left. Sara dropped the duffle bag onto the floor. "This place is huge." She awed at the room. Kaiba turned to her. "Do you know any type of fighting style?" He questioned. Sara shook her head 'no' "Nope." "Have you punched anyone?" "Nope." "Have you ever been in a fight… at all?" Sara shook her head "Nope, I was never really around other kids except when I went to the park or the shop." She answered honestly. "Homeschooled?' He guessed. She nodded in confirmation. "Yup." She said honestly. Kaiba went over to the practice mat and held up his hands. "Come here and punch me." He ordered her. Sara went over to the mat. "Are you sure?" She asked uncertainly. Kaiba rubbed his temples and groaned."Why did it have to be a Wheeler?" He mumbled. Sara narrowed her eyes "Wait, what's that supposed to mean?" She demanded. Kaiba glared at her. "It means that Wheelers are irritating and not worth the time." He stated bluntly. "If you don't think I'm worth the time, why are you here?" She challenged him. Kaiba narrowed his eyes "That's none of your business. And I have more important things to do than play tour guide to a clueless teenager." He taunted harshly. Sara filled with rage, gritted her teeth, and punched lightly "Pathetic." He said. Sara punched a little firmer. "harder." She punched harder "Harder. I can do better than that." He barked at her. "Sara punched the hardest she could. "Now that's what I'm talking about." He said, waving his stinging hand, trying to stop the pain. "You need more training than that for this mission so meet me here tomorrow so the real training can begin." He instructed, "Sara's eyes brightened "Awesome! I won't let you down." She said excitedly. "Don't get too excited, the real work starts tomorrow." He warned. "Now, let's finish the tour." He said as he walked toward the door. Sara went over, slung the strap on her shoulder, and followed him.

The rest of the tour went smoothly, and it was decided that Sara was to have training from 4-7 pm every day until she left for Leviathan.

Between training, work, and spending as much time with family, Sara soon found that it was a week before she went to Leviathan. Sara zipped up her last suitcase. "There! All packed." She exclaimed before Serenity poked her head in her door. Can I come in?" She asked. Sara nodded as Serenity opened the door and entered with her hands behind her back. "Are you all packed?" She asked curiously. Sara nodded "Yup." She confirmed. "I have something for you." Serenity said with a smile. Sara looked intrigued. "What is it?" She asked. Serenity removed her hands from behind her "Here." She said, holding out a photo frame.

Sara took the frame, a picture of Serenity and Sara when the latter was a toddler. "I love it." She whispered, brushing her thumb over her younger self's face. "I wanted to give you something to remind you I'm always there for you." She explained softly. Sara tossed the frame on her bed. "I love you, Auntie." She said as she hugged her aunt tightly. Serenity wrapped her arms around Sara. "I love you, too." She said, returning the sentiment. After letting go, Serenity kissed Sara's cheek "Please don't stay up too late, ok?" She cautioned her. Sara nodded. "I won't." She promised. 'Goodnight." Serenity murmured before leaving the room. "Night, Aunt Serenity," Sara murmured back. Sara opened her locket and looked at the picture of her dad and herself. "I will free you. I promise you." She vowed before closing the locket.

After putting the frame with her luggage, Sara changed and got ready for bed. As she snuggled in bed, Sara smiled brightly.

A week. She will be in Atlantis in a week. It's something she's dreamed of for years. It might be different from what she pictured, but she's going. Maybe she'll see her dad or her papa. As she drifted to sleep, she wondered what her fathers were doing at this moment.

~With Yami~

In a large throne room where at the end there were three decorative chairs, a man with Green hair and two different colored eyes stared at the other man in front of him. "What do you mean I'm teaching at Leviathan?!" A deep voice screeched. A man with tri-colored hair and crimson cat-like eyes, dressed in knight's armor, glared at the man on a throne. "Exactly that. You're teaching this year at the academy." He stated bluntly. "No, I'm not!" He refused firmly. "Yes, you are." The King said firmly. "No, I'm not." He denied it again. The king stood up. "Yes, you are, Yami, and that's final!" He ordered, leaving no more argument. Yami stood there silently. "Why should I go back?" He wondered. "To face the past," Dartz said simply. Yami kept silent, and King Dartz sighed. "Yami, in all the years since you became a knight, you have not been to teach. It's a requirement to teach at least one year at the academy. And you will be going, no ifs, and, or buts, do you understand." He declared. Yami crossed his arms, glaring at his king. "Yes, Your Majesty." He spat harshly. "You are dismissed." The king said. Yami whirled around and stormed out the door, leaving the throne room and the king behind.

While he stomped toward his room, Yami gritted his teeth."I never wanted to go back to that school." He muttered, climbing up the stairs. As he made his way to his room, he opened the door, entered, and slammed it. "I hate this." He growled. If there is one thing Yami would do, it would be anything but teaching at his old school. Thinking of Levitation made Yami reminisce about him. The way he smiled, the way he kissed him, the way he held him. It just reminded Yami of everything about him. The dark feeling swirled around inside as he felt the anger, betrayal, and hurt bubble to the surface. "I might as well start packing." He muttered as he went to his closet, pulling down his suitcase. After placing it on his bed and opening the flap, He went over to his dresser, opened the drawers, and started to pull out clothes.

He packed most of his shirts when he found one tucked in the bottom of the drawer. Yami pulled it out, and the shirt wasn't a shirt it was a jacket, a jean jacket, His jean jacket. "He must've left it." He mused surprisedly, holding the garment up. After he left and Yami graduated, most of the mementos from their relationship mysteriously disappeared, so seeing this jacket was a surprise. Yami stared at the coat; he didn't know what to do with it. Throw it out? Keep it?

Yami felt the orichalcos amplifying his dark emotions, pushing him to throw out the jacket. But there were his dormant feelings for Joey and the wanting to have something of the relationship pushing against throwing away the garment. The feelings wrestled inside him, battling for victory. The battle seemed to go on for ages, but ultimately, he folded up the jacket and placed it at the bottom of the suitcase. "Damn, you, Joey Wheeler." He mumbled, running a hand through his spiky hair. It's been over a decade since he's seen the man, yet he still has some hold on him. Yami sighed heavily. "But shouldn't I have let him go by now?" He thought knowingly. Yes, he probably should have, but he never got closure. He never got an explanation for why Joey ran, and it's not like he could ask the man. He's been avoiding Yami since being put back under the orichalcos, and even though they're knights, they've never worked together. "I'll just need to get him to tell me." He said to himself. Both he and Joey would be teaching at the school, so all he'll have to do is corner Joey and get him to tell him why he ran. It may not be the best plan, but it's the one he has. Joey won't be able to run this time. He can get answers and finally put this behind him. He decided to go back to packing so it was out of the way, change and then go to bed.

Maybe teaching at Leviathan won't be so bad after all.

~With Joey~

Joey winced as he trudged his way to the knight's living room and entered. Someone was lounging on the couch. "Hey, mate!" A man with spiky dark brown hair greeted him. Joey tiredly nodded in acknowledgment. "Hey, Valon." He greeted begrudgingly. Valon crossed his arms. "I heard you're teaching at the school this year." He commented. Joey nodded again. "That's right." He confirmed. Valon looked at Joey curiously. "Must be weird going back, huh?" He commented. Joey sighed heavily. " More than you know." He thought forlornly. " Oi, Wheeler! Are you alright, mate?" Valon wondered. Joey snapped out of his thoughts and shook his head. "Yeah, I'm going to go to bed. Need to rest for my appointment." He mumbled, rubbing his sore stomach before brushing past the other knight and up the stairs. Making it to his room, Joey went in and shut the door. It is a standard room with a bed, dresser, and closet. It doesn't matter since he's barely been at the castle since becoming a knight. It's Just one mission after another for him.

He didn't know what to think. He's returning to Leviathan. To where he was last happy. Where he fucked up. "This is going to be hard." He muttered. He knew that avoiding his ex would be more difficult since they both would be teaching there. But he'll make do. He has orders to stay away. He doesn't want to, but he will, For Yami's sake.

The dark cloud inside him grew as he thought about staying away from Yami. He's been doing it for over a decade, and it hurts. Dartz gave him the order immediately after being put under the orichalcos. He's followed it ever since. "I hate it." He muttered darkly. He wants to talk to Yami, agree to a truce, and maybe be on friendly terms. But it all started at Leviathan. It's where everything started and where everything happened. If he wants answers, he'll need to start at the school. "Need to start packin'." He mumbled, went over, grabbed his suitcase, and put it on his bed, wincing as he did. " I hope the doc can find out what's wrong with my stomach." He thought before going over to his closet.

Packing was easy. Joey just tossed everything he had into the suitcase. Joey didn't realize that something was in one of the shirt pockets. Joey smiled "All there, everything's packed." He stated. He zipped up the bag and placed it on the floor. He spied something on the ground. Joey picked it up and saw it was a photo of him and Yami. He was hugging him from behind and kissing Yami's cheek. A smile on Yami's face. Joey's eyes filled with tears. "God, I miss you." He whispered, tears streaming down his face.

Memories of him and Yami come to mind. From their first meeting to their last kiss, he sees it as if they happened in front of him. He couldn't remember past running away, but he will find out why he ran. He wanted, no, needed to know. Those five years were a mystery, but he'll uncover why. If he had to go to where it started, so be it. Now what to do with the photo in his hand? The dark cloud urged him to rip it into pieces and toss it in the garbage. His love for Yami pushed against the dark. The reluctance to get rid of the photo is firm. The two sides fought as they fought for victory. Every time the darkness got ahead, the light pushed back. The longer he focused on the good memories, the light got stronger and pushed harder and harder until it won. Joey stared at the photo before he went over to the dresser, grabbed his wallet, and slipped it into the sleeve before he put it down.

He wiped his face and changed out of his armor. He got into bed and closed his eyes. "Need to rest." He yawned. He did have an appointment tomorrow. He will find out what he did those five years he swears to it. He has nothing left to lose. "I'll find out. I have nothing left to lose." He mumbled before he drifted off to sleep.

~The next day with Joey~

Joey waited to be called. He bounced his leg up and down. He hated going to the doctor. He knew he should go more than just after missions but he's away so much he barely has time to relax let alone go to the doctor. "Joseph Wheeler?" A nurse called. Joey stood up and followed the nurse to the exam room. "Wait right here the doctor will be with you shortly." She said before shutting the door. Joey walked over, sat on the examination table, and waited. Several minutes later, the doctor came in. "Hello, I'm Dr. Thomas." The doctor greeted, before shutting the door."What seems to be the problem, knight Wheeler?" asked curiously. "Joey, please." He insisted. Dr. Thomas nodded "Joey." He amended. "Well, my stomach has been hurting." He said. nodded "Ok, is it something you ate?" He questioned. Joey shook his head "No, I've always had a hearty appetite." Joey answered honestly. "So no, gas or fatigue?" He asked. "Gas, no but some fatigue," Joey told him, truthfully. "Is the pain moderate or severe?" "Depends. Sometimes it hurts so bad then it goes away but then it comes back." He explained. Dr. Thomas nodded "How long have you had these symptoms?" Joey thought back to when he first encountered the pain. "Two years after I came back." He answered truthfully. Dr. Thomas hummed. "Lay back, and I'll return with something that will help." He instructed, which Joey laid down before he left the room.

After waiting for what felt like an eternity, came in with a machine. "This is an ultrasound machine, Typically used when pregnant women get their sonograms, but these machines are also used to see organs and tissues inside people's bodies without surgery." He explained. For some reason, Joey felt that he's heard those words before. "Let's get this over with," Joey said, pulling his shirt up. After squirting the gel and rubbing it on Joey's skin, Dr. Thomas put the wand on Joey's lower abdomen and moved it around until he got a picture. The doctor scrunched his eyebrows together. "What's wrong?" Joey asked curiously. "There's something unusual on the screen." The doctor muttered, before pressing some buttons. The image wouldn't go away. turned the ultrasound screen towards Joey. "Joey, this is your pelvic area. There's your pelvis and your bladder." He said, pointing to the organs. "And that's a uterus." He pointed to the organ nestled between the pelvis and bladder. Joey stared at the screen, shocked "How?" He uttered. shook his head "You haven't known about the uterus before now?" He questioned. Joey shook his head frantically. "No! This is the first I am hearing about this." He said with certainty. "Keep calm. Let's see if there's anything else before we do anything else." He suggested calmly.

Joey nodded slowly "Ok, doc." He agreed. The doctor pressed some buttons on the monitor to zoom in on the organ. "I think I found the problem." He declared. Joey looked at him "What is it, doc?" He prompted. Dr. Thomas pointed to the screen. "See these dark bumps on the uterus?" He said. Joey nodded "Yeah, what about them?" He wondered. "Well, it's quite possible that you have endometriosis." He informed Joey. Joey stared blankly at the doctor "Endometri what?" He said confused. "Endometriosis." He corrected him. "It's tissue similar to the lining of the uterus that grows outside of it." He explained. Joey still stared at the monitor "If I do have endometriosis then, how?" He asked the million-dollar question. Dr. Thomas rubbed his chin, then zoomed in a little more. "See that line." He declared, indicating the thin line in the middle of the uterus. Joey nodded "Yeah?" He acknowledged. "That's a C-section uterine scar." He stated knowingly. "C-section as in pregnant?" Joey uttered. nodded "Yes." He said simply. Joey's breathing quickened. "I can't," he muttered, feeling the panic grow. Seeing Joey's panicked expression, Dr. Thomas looked at Joey with a neutral expression. "Joey, take a deep breath in." He instructed Joey to take a deep breath, which he did. "Now, breathe out." He said calmly. Joey breathed out "Breathe in." He said, breathing in. Joey breathed in. "Breathe out." He said as he breathed out.

After doing breathing exercises for a few minutes, Dr. Thomas looked at Joey, concerned "Are you alright?" He asked. Joey nodded "Yea, just lost myself for a second." He said, breathlessly. Dr. Thomas nodded, understandingly "That's completely acceptable, you found out unexpected news, and to put it bluntly, it freaked you out." He said frankly. Joey hummed "That's an understatement, doc." He breathed out. Dr. Thomas cleared his throat "Now that we've found the problem. What are you going to do?" He wondered. Joey shook his head "I don't know." He answered honestly. "Is there anything I can do to relieve the pain?" Joey asked hopefully. Dr. Thomas sighed "I could prescribe you a strong painkiller, but I don't recommend it as it might become habit-forming." Dr. Thomas warned him. Joey involuntarily shuddered at the implication. "What do you recommend?" He wondered. "I recommend ibuprofen, use a heating pad, and take hot baths to reduce the pain." He recommended it.

After leaving the doctor's office, everything's a blur. When he got to the castle, he autopilot straight to his room, and closed and locked the door. Joey slid down onto the floor, scrunching up his legs and hugging them close. He tried to wrap his mind around what he had learned. Pregnant? Endometriosis? Addictive painkillers? It was all too much. Joey felt tears come and start streaming down his face. " This is so fucked up." He thought miserably. After what felt like hours, Joey calmed down to where he could get his thoughts straight. "Ok, let me think." He mumbled to himself.

He had been pregnant at some point. Is this why he ran? If it was, then why didn't he tell Yami? So many questions swirled in his mind. Oh, god. He had a kid out there somewhere. Joey felt a pain in his chest. Yami. How the hell is he going to tell him? Should he? Knowing what he knows makes him want to talk to him more. " Stupid order." He thought grumpily. What happened to the baby? Is it healthy? Or safe? Some questions were answered but not all. The mystery is still there. All he knows is that he's left with more questions than answers. He will find out what happened.

Thanks for reading! AO3: /works/49181158/chapters/124781461