Thank you to everyone who read the last chapter. Surprise! I decided to update early. So far, this is my favorite chapter of this story. Anyway, I don't own characters or Dialogue from the show it belongs to Kazuki Takahashi, Toei, Shueisha, Konami, and others. I own Sara though. I hope you like the chapter.

A couple of weeks passed, and Sara had several similar dreams, but she didn't know why she was having these dreams. Yami and Joey continued to hang out and ignored the fact that they needed to talk. Joey drowned in guilt about not telling Yami about the pregnancy but couldn't find the right words.

~Start Dream~

A blond woman and Joey man stood on opposite sides of the arena while there were three people on the sidelines. Joey hummed. "So, to start the game off, Masaki the legendary swordsman." He said as he put the card face up. Masaki The legendary swordsman appeared on the field. "The field power bonus will bring up his power by 300 points." He said. Masaki the legendary Swordsman's life point went from 1100 to 1430. "Hey, I made my first move." He exclaimed, proud of himself. On Mai's side, She started humming "Hey what are you doing?" Joey wondered. Diving my card. I have to mystically choose which one of them is the best." She stated mysteriously. Joey looked worried. "What are you? A psychic?" He said. Mai had the cards laid out, and she pointed at one. She looked up. "And the best card would be… Harpies lady." She introduced. "Her strength is boosted by the mountain's field power bonus." She stated smugly. The Harpies' lady life points went from 1300 to 1692.

"I'll still take it on. Attack!" Joey declared. Masaki, the legendary Swordsman charged."Joey, wait! Land monsters are at a disadvantage to flying monsters." Yugi shouted. Masaki the legendary swordsman swiped at Harpy's lady, but it flew out of the way. Joey was shocked. "Monsters that can fly have a magical resistance against monsters who can only walk on the earth," Yugi exclaimed. Tea leaned close to Yugi. "So Joey blew it already?" She assumed. "No, but he attacked too soon before he thought what her monster was capable of," Yugi explained. Harpie lady attacked Masaki, the legendary swordsman, causing him to disappear. "My samurai's sushi," Joey exclaimed as his life points went from 2000 to 1410.

"Oh, cards speak to me!" Mai said dramatically. She hummed and put a card face down. And I'll choose again without looking." Mai said confidently. "Huh, how's she doing that?" Joey wondered, confused. Tea looked worried. "He's losing it." She said knowingly. "I guess that mope head wasn't ready for this duel." The brown pointy-haired kid declared. "Hey, Joey, think about what you're doing before you move again." Yugi cautioned him.

"Maybe this one! Tiger ax. The field power bonus should raise its attack power." He said as Tiger Ax's attack increased from 1300 to 1690. So it can take Harpy's lady on head to head." Joey said. "You're not thinking! It's still resistant to magic." Yugi declared knowingly. "Right, Tiger Ax is another handicapped earth-based monster." She said with a smirk.

The Harpie lady swiped twice at Tiger Ax disappeared, and Joey's Life points decreased from 1410 to 1020.

Mai drew a card and scoffed. "It'll take stronger monsters than your land-based wimps to beat my harpie's lady." She told Joey knowingly. "Now I'll place this lovely card without even looking." She declared, putting a card face down. "I'll give you a hint, it's an equipment magic card that'll help me defeat your next card in one turn." She declared. "Again with all that psychic stuff?" Joey said, still confused.

Joey placed a card face down on the field. Mai saw that Joey placed a card face down "Running scared, huh? Well, let me show you my surprise. Cyber shield to juice up my Harpies's lady," She said as she flipped the card over. The armor appeared on Harpie's Lady, causing its attack and defense to increase to 1690 ATK and 1820 to 2320 DEF. Harpie lady attacks Joey's face-down card, destroying it. Joey looked worried. "How's she doing that?" He asked himself. Mai laughs. "This is so much fun! In case you were wondering, the next card won't work either." She said certainly. "Mai has ESP. That has to be it. I'm going to lose this duel match and the chance to save my sister." Joey said to himself, dismayed.

Mai laughed again. "This game is mine. You can't win against me." She declared certainly. "She's right. She's too much for me." He said to himself, knowingly. "Settle down. Joey, remember what my grandpa taught you about how to play duel monsters." Yugi reminded him. Don't let her rattle you! She's just trying to psych you out." Tea called out.

Mai hummed and pointed at the Yugi, Tristan, and Tea. "Stay out of this!" She declared. Tea looked at her confused. "Huh?" She said, "Your brainless cheerleading isn't going to help him against the superior power of my Harpie ladies. Don't you guys get it yet? Friendship doesn't win duels. Never will. He's defeated and he knows it." She declared. That's not true." Tea protested. "No? I beg to differ. There can only be one champion on this island, in this game, someone can be your best friend today and your worst enemy tomorrow. Once the competition forces you to face each other in a duel, where's your friendship then?" She pointed out. "Huh?" Joey said. "That's why the only person a duelist can trust is himself. I hope your defeat today teaches you that lesson, kid." She said surely.

Joey growled. "He's losing it!" Tristan exclaimed. "He needs help! Yugi, help him!" Tea pleaded. Yugi transformed into Yami. "Don't listen to her, Joey. We're here to help you. Just like you're always there for us." Yami called out. "Huh?" Mai exclaimed, looking toward the sidelines "Wha?" Joey said, looking at Yami. "Trust me on this. She's trying to divide and conquer a strategy used for centuries. Believe me, I know" Yami said knowingly, the eye of Horus glowing on his forehead. "When you get that look in your eye, I believe every word you say," Joey said with a look of awe on his face.

Mai laughed a third time "Do you really think Yugi wants you to be the grand prize winner? He's a duelist too, you know. To win you'll eventually have to take him on." She said knowingly. "She's right we will have to duel but… we are a team, but I have to win the contest for Serenity," Joey said to himself. "What do I do? Maybe Yugi's right about this thing. I have to stop listening to Mai's nonsense and start using my head." He said, tears filling his eyes. "I gotta start concentrating on how to win the game," Joey said to himself before closing his eyes.

Joey sniffed, smelling several different smells "Let's go, kid. It's your turn." Mai called out. Joey opened his eyes. "That's it. I see through your card trick." He said certainly. "Huh/"Mai exclaimed, shocked. "You sprayed all your cards with different perfumes. And by smelling each different scent, you can tell which card is which even when they're face down. " Joey revealed. "Uh," Mai exclaimed again. "So you don't have to look, in order to play your cards. That way you can psych the other player out." He declared knowingly

"No way, how can an amateur punk like you see through my aroma strategy? It's just impossible!" She exclaimed. "I gotta admit, Mai. You really had me buying into the whole psychic power shtick. I was too freaked out because of that. But you're not a physic at all! You're just a big fake!" Joey declared. "All right, Joey!" Yami cheered. "Go get her!" Tea cheered. "You the man!" Tristan cheered. Joey looked at Yami. "Yugi, you were right." He said happily. "Just because you saw through my psychic act, doesn't mean you're going to defeat me in a duel." Mai huffed. "I think you're wrong. Before, you were winning by confusing me and trying to pit me against my friends. Now, my mind is clear. I know who I can trust. All you got is your cheap tricks, and I won't fall for them anymore." He declared resolutely. "Uh," Mai exclaimed, confused. Joey grabbed a card from his hand. "I'm going to blast your harpies out of the sky with this." He said, showing her baby dragon.

"Good card, Joey." Yami complimented. "Baby dragon," Joey said as he placed the card on the field. The baby dragon appeared on the field. Mai "Ha! That wimpy card is your grand play? I only wish it was worth some more, so when I devastate you. It'll do more damage to your life points. My card will be elegant egotist. Its magic will make duplicates of my Harpie's lady." She said Joey looked freaked out. "Oh, no!" he exclaimed. "I, 2, 3," Mai said as two more Harpies appeared on the field. It's three times the trouble!" "Now what? He was struggling when there was only one." Tea declared. "Don't give in, Joey. You still have all kinds of moves left." Tristan encouraged him. Tea looked at Tristan. "Really? What kind of moves would those be?" She asked. "I don't know, ask an expert. Ask Yugi." Tristan said as he looked at Yugi. "It's Joey's duel. He has to figure it out." Yami declared.

Joey looked at the cards in his hand. "I don't have any cards strong enough to beat three Harpies' ladies." He said knowingly. "Ha! And I'm going to keep using the magic of Elegant Egotist to double my Harpies again and again, each turn, but while my harpies multiply I can't attack you, so it's your move. Of course, you'll soon be up against an army!" She declared "An army of Harpies. How the heck do I fight an army?" He wondered aloud. She got a whole army! How am I supposed to beat that?" He asked himself, dismayed.

"Don't give up, Joey!" Yami called out. "Huh?" Joey exclaimed as he turned his head to look at Yami. "Think hard about her strategy. She's been using one monster card and strengthening that one card with many magic cards. But there is a serious flaw in her dueling strategy, Joey." He called out. "Using magic on one card? That's true she's just been juicing up the harpies lady every turn. But if she mostly has magic cards then maybe the Harpies are her only monsters. I bet if I defeat her harpies she won't have any more monsters left to play!" he exclaimed to himself. "That's right, Joey! Now think… What card in your deck will help you win?" Yami called out.

"Which of my cards? You tell me!" Joey called out. "The Time Wizard. This must've been the kind of tight spot Yugi was talking about. Now if I can just remember what Gramps taught me about the way using a magic card. It's my only chance. But do I have it in my hand?" He said knowingly, to himself. "If I had known how long it was going to take you to make your move I would've bought a magazine," Mai said dully. Uh-oh, the Time Wizards, not in my hand. I'll have to draw for it," Joey said. Joey closed his eyes and moved his shaking hand toward his deck "What if…" He wondered aloud.

"Here we go, it's all or nothing." Joey declared as he drew a card. Joey opened his eyes "Alright it's the Time Wizard!" He said as he placed the card on the field. "Hmm, what good is that thing?" Mai wondered. "Hmm, don't you know? The time wizard can make time go faster, making my Baby Dragon into a thousand Dragon." He declared. "Right, Joey. And that's not the only effect your time wizard will have." Yami declared knowingly. "Baby Dragon transform into Thousand Dragon!" Joey exclaimed.

The time wizard activated and Baby Dragon transformed into a thousand Dragon. "So you have a bigger dragon. Big deal! My Harpie Ladies still have greater attack power. Attack my Harpie Sisters!" She declared. Because of the time magic, The three Harpies were now decrepit and old. What? What happened to my three Harpie ladies? They've gotten so old." She exclaimed as her Harpie's attack points decreased to 1300. Yami chuckled. "I warned you. A millennium has passed on the playing field and your Harpie Ladies have become old and decrepit. Face it, Mai. Time is running out for you and your ladies." He declared knowingly. Mai started to freak out. "I believed and the cards came through for me!" Joey exclaimed in disbelief. "Awesome! Go Thousand Dragon!" He declared. Thousand Dragon loomed over the Harpies "Attack with inferno flame breath!" Joey declared. Thousand Dragon released flames through his nostrils, barbecuing the harpies.

Mai's life points decreased from 2000 to 0. "Yeah! Joey won!" "I knew you could do it!" Tristan exclaimed. Joey turned to his friends "Thanks guys." He said. Yami winked and gave Joey a thumbs-up.

~End Dream~

Sara opened her eyes to see Alexis shaking her. "Finally, you're awake! Get dressed before we're late." She urged Sara. Pushing away her dream, Sara sat up and rubbed her eyes. "Late for what?" She questioned her friend. Alexis rolled her eyes. "The sword-fighting demonstration between your uncle and Mister Muto, remember?" Alexis reminded her. Sara didn't need reminding as it had been on her mind since the principal made the announcement. Now, the day was here, and she had a bad feeling. "Yeah, I remember." She said, swinging her legs off the bed. Alexis noticed Sara's face. "Hey, are you ok?" She asked, concerned.

Sara shrugged, "Yeah, it's just a feeling." She admitted as she quickly dressed. Alexis raised a brow. "Good or bad?" She inquired. Sara went into the bathroom and put in her contacts. Bad." She answered as she brushed her teeth. "Do you know about what?" She wondered. "No. All I know is something bad will happen." She said, muffled since she had her toothbrush in her mouth. After Sara finished getting ready, She and Alexis were out the door. They went to the cafeteria and quickly ate before they left for the gym.

When Sara and Alexis got to the gym, the bleachers were full of the entire freshman class. "Whoa! I didn't realize it was going to be this big." Alexis commented. "Is everyone in school here?" Sara wondered. Alexis shrugged. "I don't know, probably." She said, "Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised that some upperclassmen came to see the demonstration," Sara commented. Alexis smiled. "Let's find some seats." She said, They looked around and saw there were no spots. They were about to leave. "There are a couple of spots over here!" A voice called out. Both girls turned in the direction of the sound.

A boy sat there with brown hair, warm brown eyes, and a goofy smile, dressed in a black t-shirt and pants. "Come, sit." The boy patted the empty seats. Both Alexis and Sara sat down. "Thank you… ?" Sara said, trailing off since she didn't know his name. "Jaden Yuki." He introduced himself. "Sara Wheeler and Alexis Rhodes." Sara introduced, pointing to herself and then to Alexis. Jaden's eyes widened. "As in knight Joey Wheeler?" He exclaimed, his eyes bright with excitement. Sara nodded. "Yeah, I'm his niece." She mumbled. Jaden smiled brightly. "Cool." He said. "Do either of you play duel monsters?" He wondered curiously. Sara smirked. "I do. My deck is in our dorm." She answered.

A microphone screech echoed throughout the gym. "Welcome freshmen, to the sword fight demonstration. Today, our match is Knight Yami Muto against Knight Joey Wheeler." The principal announced enthusiastically. The crowd cheered loudly. "Come on out!" He beckoned them. Yami and Joey entered the gym, dressed in protective gear, and walked until they were in the middle of the mat, on opposite sides, a few feet away from each other. A referee came in between them. "No serious maiming and keep the smack talk clean." The referee instructed. Joey and Yami nod in agreement.

Joey held out his hand. "May the best one win." He said. Yami took Joey's and shook it. "Agreed." He said. Both men unsheathed their swords and positioned themselves. "The first one to defeat the other is the winner. 1, 2, 3 begin!" The referee remarked.

Both men raised their swords and struck. The blades locked, pushing to get to the other before they unlocked the swords. Yami lunged at Joey. Joey dodged and advanced with a parry. Yami stepped back before he advanced again. He lowered his sword to sweep Joey onto the mat, but Joey jumped, dodging the blade. "Is that all you got?" He questioned as the Yami brought his sword back to its original position. Yami shook his head. "That's just the beginning." He declared. As they continued to swipe each other, the crowd's eyes were glued as they cheered. Depending on who overpowered the other, the crowd would cheer for the person and vice versa. Neither man paid attention to the crowd as Joey and Yami circled each other, trying to see who'd strike next. Joey held his sword above his head and struck. Yami caught Joey's blade with his own. "Nice try." He said. Yami unlocked the blades and attacked. He continuously attacked, making Joey walk backward while trying to keep up with the fury of Yami's slashes.

Both of them were sweating. "Come on, Mister Wheeler! You can beat him!" Someone in the crowd shouted. The cheering for Joey increased. The cheering gave Joey an energy boost. He starts quickly countering Yami's slashes to the point where he almost knocks the sword out of Yami's hand. Yami picked up momentum to the point where their blades locked again. They leaned in their faces between the blades. Their noses rubbed together while their breaths ghosted on each other's faces. "Are you giving up?" Joey asked Yami. Yami shook his head. "Not a chance." He panted.

They moved their heads back and unlocked their swords. Yami furiously slashed, back and forth, trying to catch Joey off guard. He continued to attack Joey. Yami round-kicked, landing the kick on Joey's hand, causing him to drop the sword. Yami quickly advanced and kicked Joey

Joey fell onto the mat, flat on his back, and Yami stood over him, his blade hovering close to his neck. "You're finished."He declared before he sheathed his sword and held out his hand. Joey sighed. "Damn it." He cursed. Joey saw Yami's hand and grasped it with his own and was pulled to his feet. "You'll get me next time." He assured him. Joey rolled his eyes. "You always used to say that when you beat me." He said, knowingly as he let go of Yami's hand. Yami shrugged and smiled. "It's true, though." He said, innocently.

Yami and Joey go and stand next to the principal. "Now, does anyone have any questions?" Rafael wondered. Almost every hand shot up. Rafael looked around and picked one in the back. Everyone turned to see Jaden. "This one is for Knight Wheeler. Why did you run?" He asked innocently. The crowd starts to chatter loudly. "Yeah, why did you run away?" "Come on, tell us!" "Tell us!" "Tell us!" The chanting got louder and louder until Joey couldn't take it anymore and rushed to his office. "Joey!" Yami exclaimed before he raced after him. Rafael sighed. "Alright, the demonstration is over! Everyone go back to your classes." The Principal dismissed the assembly. It wasn't long before everyone cleared out except for a few. "Well, that went wrong," Jaden commented as both girls glared at him. "You idiot, why'd you ask that?" Sara hissed. Jaden looked at them, innocent. "What? Don't you want to know why?" He asked them. Sara rolled her eyes. "Yes, I do. But when he's ready. Not before." She fibbed. Jaden rubbed the back of his head. "Oops, my bad." He said sheepishly. "Come on, let's get to class," Alexis said as the three walked out the door.

Sara looked back, worried about her Dad. "Hey, Sara, are you coming?" Jaden wondered. Sara turned around and nodded. "Yeah. I'm coming." She said, running to catch up.

Joey ran a hand through his hair in his office as he paced back and forth. "Stupid, stupid." He muttered frustratedly. A knock startled him. "Who is it?" He asked. "It's me, Joey," Yami answered, muffled through the door. Joey went to the door and opened it. "Come in." He said. Yami came in, and Joey quickly shut the door. "Are you okay?" Yami asked, concerned. Joey shook his head as he continued to pace. "What the hell do you think?!" He exclaimed. Yami sighed. "You need to breathe." He said. Joey wasn't listening as he continued to rant. "Is that all people are ever going to ask me? Will that be all anyone—" he raved as he came back. Yami came up and planted a kiss.

Joey froze a moment before he deepened the kiss. Both men moaned while Joey snaked one of his hands behind Yami's head. As the kiss continued, they got reacquainted with each other's tastes. Yami abruptly pulled away. "Sorry, I needed to stop the upcoming rant," Yami whispered breathlessly. Joey nodded just as breathless. "Thank you for that." He whispered back as Joey pulled his hand away from Yami's head. Yami raised a brow. "For stopping one of your rants or for the kiss?" He questioned. Joey smiled. "Can't it be both?" He asked. Yami pretended to think about it. "Yeah, why not?" He said. Joey stepped away. "I need to talk to you about something." He said suddenly. "Is it about why you ran away?" Yami wondered. Joey nodded. "Yes, I want you to know." He said. "Are you completely sure?" Yami asked, "If there is anyone that needs to know, it's you." He assured him, knowingly. They shared a smile before Yami noticed the time. "I need to go." He said as he walked to the door.

Joey sighed disappointedly. "I wish you could stay." He said wistfully. Yami nodded in agreement. "I wish I could, but I need to change before my next class." He said. Joey nodded."I do, too. Can we meet up for lunch?" He asked seriously. Yami nodded before he opened the door and left. After getting changed, Joey took a deep breath, shook his hands, and breathed out. "Time to face the music." He muttered before he left his office.

The hours flew by, and before Joey knew it, it was lunch. As he ate, Joey kept his eye on the clock. Joey knew when he told Yami he could lose him. After he'd finished, he threw out his lunch and left. A few seconds later, Yami appeared at his side. "Are you ready?" He asked. Joey gulped and nodded. "As ready as I can be." He admitted before they walked down the hallway.

Yami grabbed Joey's arm, pulled him into an empty classroom, and closed the door. The men stood in front of each other. Joey wrung his hands, and Yami put his hands on Joey's. "Hey, It'll be ok." Yami soothed him. Joey looked into his eyes. "B-Before I do anything else, can I kiss you?" Joey wondered nervously and hopefully. Yami nodded. "Of course." He said. Joey turned his head sideways and leaned in, lips brushed against Yami's at first before Joey turned his head straight and captured Yami's lips with his own. The kiss felt different from the kiss that morning. The kiss was tentative yet full of love, desire, and despair, but Joey and Yami experienced it all. Moments or minutes, It ended too soon as both pulled away, "I wanted a kiss 'cause I knew you would dislike me after I told you." Joey whispered before he dropped his hands to his side.

"Why did you run away?" Yami asked seriously. Joey looked away. " It's hard to explain." He mumbled. Yami shook his head. "I don't believe you." He declared firmly. Joey shrugged. "Believe what you want." He muttered. "Come on, just tell—." Yami started but was interrupted. Joey couldn't keep it in anymore. "I was pregnant!" He yelled out. Yami looked stunned as his jaw dropped. "Pregnant?" He whispered, shocked. Joey nodded. "Yes, pregnant." He confirmed. Yami shook his head. "You would have told me." He said in disbelief. Joey sighed. "I didn't, I guess." He told him. Yami raised an eyebrow. "You guess?" He hissed. "Well, I don't know what happened." He said knowingly, even though his heart felt hollow. Yami narrowed his eyes at Joey. "Are you sure?" He asked. "As sure as I can be." He said positively. Yami took a deep breath and breathed out through his nose. "OK, back up. When did you find out?" He asked somewhat patiently. Joey sighed. "It started two years after you caught me…" He started. "I had stomach pain for a long time. So, before the semester started, I went to the doctor. They used an ultrasound machine and found that I have a uterus and endometriosis, and I was curled up in a ball this morning. They also found out I had a c-section incision. Meaning I had been pregnant." He explained.

"So you found out you'd been pregnant and didn't come to me, your ex and father to the child." He said accusingly. Joey glared at the man. "We weren't exactly on talking terms." He reminded him pointedly. Yami shook his head. "That shouldn't have mattered." He argued. "It does since Dartz ordered me to stay away from you."Joey thought knowingly. Joey bit his lip. "I wasn't ready to tell you." He admitted. Yami raised a brow. "You weren't ready?" He repeated. "I found out a lot that I didn't know! I needed time to digest the info." Joey protested. "What about after?" Yami wondered. Joey avoided Yami's gaze. "I don't know." He said again. "Joey!" Yami exclaimed, surprised. Joey threw up his arms. "What do you want me to say? I'm sorry?" He wondered. "You're damn right I do!" Yami declared. Joey stared at his Ex. "Say sorry for what?" He clarified. "For never telling me you were pregnant and for leaving me!" He yelled, his ruby eyes blazing. Joey searched his feelings, and he found that he regretted leaving Yami, and he didn't and did regret not telling him about the pregnancy. Yami cleared his throat. "Well, I'm waiting." He said. Joey licked his lips. "I'm sorry." He said. Yami raised an eyebrow. "For?" He prompted, waiting for an explanation. "Leaving you." He stated truthfully. "But you don't regret not telling me about the pregnancy," Yami said knowingly. Joey sighed heavily. "I do, and I don't." He said certainly.

Yami looked at Joey, confused. "What the hell does that mean?" He inquired hotly. "Exactly what I said." He said firmly. "OK. Why didn't you tell me?" Yami asked bluntly. "You had a bright future. It was your dream to become a knight, and I didn't want to railroad it." Joey said half-truthfully. Yami grabbed both of Joey's hands. "I could've-" He started. Joey looked at Yami sadly. "Could've what? Throw everything you've worked hard to achieve to be a teen parent with me. I wouldn't have let you. " He snapped. Yami raised an eyebrow. "Let me? Joey, I loved you with everything in me. I would have stood by you if I'd known. You know that, don't you?" Yami wondered, searching Joey's eyes. Joey looked down. "Do I? I never knew who had your loyalty." He said honestly. Yami tilted Joey's chin so he'd look at him. "Joey, that's not true." Yami denied. Joey scoffed. "Yeah, right." He said, letting go of Yami's hands. Yami sighed as Joey walked to the window. "Joey, it's true." He insisted. Joey turned around and clenched his jaw. "Bullshit. How many times did you choose my side over his?" He questioned. Yami stayed silent. "Not enough." He admitted softly. "I thought so," Joey said smugly. "Joey-" Yami started. Joey shook his head. "Don't 'Joey' me. Would you have left everything behind?" He asked bluntly. Yami's jaw dropped. "Joey…" He trailed off.

"Yes or no? Would you?" He asked. Yami bit his lip. "It's not that simple." He said softly. "Yes, it is. You just don't want to choose." He accused. Yami glared at Joey. "What? Afraid you wouldn't be chosen?" He hissed. Joey glared back. "Oh, Fuck you!" He sneered. "Been there, done that." Yami hissed. "Never happening again." Joey hissed back. Joey scoffed and shook his head. "I knew I'd never compete with the king who ordered me to stay away from you." He stated angrily. Yami's eyes widened. "What? The king would never-" He protested. "He did," Joey said knowingly. "Why?" Yami asked curiously. Joey rolled his eyes. "To keep us apart." He answered shortly. "When did he order you?" Yami asked curiously. "Forget it." Joey interrupted. "But Joey-" Yami started. "I said forget it." Joey dismissed again. "When?" Yami asked again. "Forget it!" He snapped, irritated. "When?" Yami persisted. Joey glared at Yami. "Fine, you want to know? It was my first order after being put under the orichalcos." He exclaimed loudly. "Joey," Yami whispered, putting his hand on his cheek. Joey turned his head, avoiding Yami's gaze. "Just go, be the perfect knight you always were, and leave me alone." Joey said tiredly. Yami stepped away. "Fine." He said exasperated. Knowing Joey wouldn't talk, Yami shook his head and walked to the door. "I want you to know I do love you." He declared as he went to the door. Joey stood there as Yami opened the door and walked out. "I love you, too." He said to the empty room.

Joey stood there, realizing what he had done and feeling his heart stomped on again. "I pushed him away." He whispered. Sara, who was outside, rushed to her dad's side and hugged him. "I'm here." She murmured. "Well, that was intense." A male voice broke the tension. Sara turned her head. "Shut up, Jaden." She hissed. An awkward silence came over the room, and Alexis grabbed Jaden's arm. "Come on, we need to get to class." She declared. Jaden tried to get out of her grip. "But it's free period!" He protested. "Then I want to spend it anywhere but here." She declared, dragging him away. Joey and Sara chuckled. "Your friends are weird." He said. Sara shrugged. "Alexis is an awesome friend, but I met Jaden at the assembly this morning." She informed him. Joey winced before he smiled at her. "Well, I say the more the merrier." He said sincerely. Sara nodded. "Do you want to go to your office?" She asked. Joey shook his head. "I think I'm going back to my apartment." He said instead. "May I walk you there?" She asked. Joey furrowed his eyebrows. "Don't you have class?" Sara shrugged. "Alexis can tell me what I've missed." She said, waving it off. Joey looked at her sternly. "Sara, I'm not going to be why you skipped class." He declared firmly. Sara raised her chin defiantly. "I'm right where I need to be." She assured him. After a minute, Joey sighed. "Fine, but get notes from your friends. I don't want to be responsible for your grades slipping." He said sternly. "Of course." She agreed.

They exited the room and made their way toward the teacher's apartments. Once they went into the building, Sara looked at her Dad. "Which floor?" She asked. "Second." He answered before they ascended the stairs. They got to the second floor. "Here we are. 2A." He said as they walked over to the door. Joey grabbed his key and unlocked it. "Come in." He said as both entered the apartment. Sara sat on the couch next to Joey. "Are all teachers' apartments like this?" She asked, looking around.

Sara looked around the room. Joey nodded. "Yes, especially since we all get our food at the cafeteria. So all we need is a place to sleep." He explained. Sara nodded. "True, but that doesn't mean it shouldn't be homey." She said knowingly. Joey shrugged. "I'm just living here for a year, so there's no point in making it homey." He pointed out. Sara nodded. "That's true." She agreed. Joey shook his head. "I haven't had a home in a long time." He mused. Sara raised a brow. "Not even the castle?" She asked. Joey shook his head. "No." He answered. "When was the last time you had one?" She wondered curiously. What popped into Joey's mind wasn't a place but a person. Yami. "I can't remember." He lied. Sara eyed him. "I don't believe you, but I'll drop it for now." She told him. Joey internally breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you." He said.

"I think it's time for me to go," Sara said as she stood up. "Are you sure?" Joey asked. Sara nodded. "I want to make sure no one sees me because I don't think students are supposed to be in the teacher's apartments." She explained. Joey nodded. "I think that's a good idea." He agreed. Sara smirked. "I know." She said sneakily. Joey stood up and walked her to the door. "Thank you for walking me and keeping me company." He said gratefully, opening the door. Sara smiled. "Anytime." She told him as she walked out. The door closed, and Sara sighed before going towards the stairs.

"Might as well go see how Papa is doing." She thought as she started down the stairs. When she found her papa, he watched Pharoah graze in the corral. Sara walked up right next to him and folded her arms. "I'm surprised you're here," Yami said suddenly. Sara raised an eyebrow. "Why wouldn't I be?" She questioned. Yami avoided Sara's gaze. "I thought you'd be with your uncle." He assumed. Sara nodded. "I was." She admitted. Yami nodded. "I'm glad you were with him." He told her. Sara raised a curious brow. "What about you?" She inquired. Yami hummed. "What about me?" He repeated, confused. "Who's there for you?" She asked him. Yami shook his head. "No one, really." He said, trying to be nonchalant. Sara smiled. "Well, you have me and Uncle Joey." Yami shook his head. "You may be, but not Joey." He told her. Sara looked at him."Are you sure?" She questioned. Yami nodded slowly. "He seems to be adamant about pushing me away." He said seriously, not looking at her.

A silence came over the two until Yami broke it. "Did you know?" He asked, still not looking at Sara. "Which one?" She wondered. "Both, I guess," Yami said. Sara shook her head. "No, he never said anything to me." She lied through her teeth. Yami shook his head. "Typical Joey. Keeping things too close to the chest." He said. Sara shrugged. "There are some things people don't want to divulge." She said wistfully. "Maybe, except important information should be told." He said knowingly. A pang of guilt bubbled in Sara's stomach. "Sometimes people are scared about other people's reactions." She said knowingly. Yami looked at her. "What would you know about that?" He questioned. Sara shrugged. "Not much, since honesty is the best policy. But sometimes, secrets are kept because they don't want them to know or they want to protect others." She stated. Yami sighed heavily. "It doesn't make it any less painful." Sara bit her lip. "You're still mad at him." She assumed. Yami sighed. "Maybe a little." He admitted. Sara sighed. "He didn't mean to keep these secrets." She pointed out. Yami nodded. "Yes, he didn't, but he still should've told me." He insisted firmly. Sara nodded. "Yes, he should have, but that was then, this is now. What are you going to do about it?" She challenged her Papa.

After a moment of silence, Yami smiled. "I'm going to sleep on it and go and talk to Joey in the morning. We've been putting off talking about these issues for far too long." He revealed resolutely. Sara smiled brightly. "Good. I hope that it goes well." She said sincerely. Someone cleared their throat behind them. Yami and Sara turned around to see a man. "Knight Muto?" The man said. Yami nodded. "Yes?" He said. The man eyed Sara. "I'm going to go. I'll see you later?" She inquired. Yami nodded. "Yes." He answered. Sara walked away toward the castle. "You have been requested on a mission." The man stated. Yami looked at the man, confused. "I thought I wouldn't have any missions while teaching." He assumed. "That's usually the case, but you're the best at this type of mission." The man said knowingly. The realization dawned on Yami. "A reclaim and restore mission." He said knowingly.

Reclaim and restore missions are when Dartz's knights find people who've broken free of the seal and put them back under, sometimes under a level of the seal if they weren't before or under the same level if they had already been under the highest level. Yami's always gotten his target one way or another. His targets can only avoid him for so long.

The man nodded. "Yes. If you accept, you will need to leave immediately." He declared. "How long will I be gone?" Yami wondered. "24 hours at most." The man answered promptly. Yami eyed the man suspiciously. "Who requested me for a mission?" He wondered. The man sighed. "The king himself." He answered. Yami knew he was unable to decline now. "Alright. Let me put my horse back in his stall, get some stuff, and we'll go." He said. The man nodded. "I'll meet you at the entrance of the school." The man said.

After putting Pharoah back in his stall, Yami went to his apartment, packed a small bag, grabbed a piece of paper and a pen, and quickly scribbled a short note. "Ok, here we go." He said as he folded the letter. After gathering everything, Yami pulled the bag over his shoulder and left the apartment. He reached the stairs when he bumped into someone. "Hey! Watch where you're going!" The familiar voice of Duke Devlin exclaimed indignantly. Yami smiled. "Devlin, I'm glad I ran into you." He said. Duke raised an eyebrow. "Why?" He asked. Yami sighed. "Long story short, I'm being called on a mission, and I need you to give something to Joey." He explained. Duke raised a curious brow. "Alright, I'm listening." He said, interested. Yami held out the note. "Can you please give this to Joey?" He asked hopefully. A moment went by before Duke took the letter. "For Joey." He declared firmly. Yami nodded. "Thank you." He said. "Yeah, yeah," Duke waved it off. Yami waved as he hurried down the stairs. "I owe you!" He called out as he disappeared from view. Duke nodded his head. "You do." He said.

When Yami reached the entrance, The man smiled. "Ah, there you are. Now let's go." He said as he walked toward the car, waiting for them. Yami followed and got into the car. The vehicle drove away from the school, and while the man went on about the details of the mission, Yami couldn't help but feel he shouldn't have left.

~Several hours later~

Joey sighed before knocking on the door. "Yami? It's me, Joey." He called out. Joey knocked again. "Yami, I'm sorry. Please come out." He asked. "Where the hell is he?" Joey wondered out loud. "On a mission." A voice said behind him. Joey turned around to see Duke Devlin. "What? A mission?" He asked, confused. Duke nodded. "He was called away on a mission. He told me to give you this." He said, holding out a letter. Joey took it and read it.

Dear Joey,

First, I'm sorry, I wanted to apologize after a few hours, but I was assigned a mission. I think when I come back, we need to talk. Talk, I mean. Not dance around the issues as we have. Sit down and work things through. We might've just reunited, but I don't want to lose you over a couple of arguments. I want my best friend back. I will see you right when I get back.

Yami.

"So what's it say?" Duke inquired curiously. Joey raised a brow. "Why do you want to know?" He wondered, eying him suspiciously. Duke held his hands up in mock surrender. "Well, I delivered the note, why shouldn't—" He said before "Joey! Joey!" A voice called out. The two turned to see Mokuba Kaiba running towards them. "Mokuba, what's wrong?" Joey asked, concerned. Stopping, Mokuba took a minute to catch his breath. "The principal needs to see you, Joey, NOW." He said urgently. Joey nodded and sprinted the way Mokuba came.

When Joey arrived, he knocked on the door. "Come in." Rafael gruffly replied. Joey opened the door, entered, and closed the door. "Ah, Mister Wheeler. Sit down." He requested. Joey went and sat in one of the chairs. "Mokuba said you needed to see me?" He wondered, confused. Rafael nodded. "It's about Mister Muto." He revealed. Joey sat up straighter. "What about him?" He inquired. Rafael sighed despairingly. "He's in the hospital." He told him.

Now I'm going to go hide. I'll see you guys in a couple of weeks. Bye! AO3: /works/49181158/chapters/127197811