Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ My Project: Jounouchi Katsuya ❯ Part 4 ( Chapter 4 )

My Project: Jounouchi Katsuya

Sam: *reading review submitted by Sora* Yes I understand that perhaps the rules of American football and Rugby are different… but I'm looking at this from a total outsider POV who knows nothing of the rules of American football OR rugby. Now take this… British football (or soccer how you call it), American football and rugby… from a person who's totally oblivious of the rules to all of three of these sports and just plainly watching it. You'll agree that American football is more similar to rugby than it ever is to British football.

Seto: What does football have to do with this story?

Sam: …

Seto: Well? *holding a plaque saying `Absolutely nothing'*

Sam: Absolutely… nothing?

Seto: Very good Sam… *pets her on the head*

Sam: …

LS: Sam doesn't own any characters in Yu-Gi-Oh or the song `Invisible' by Clay Aiken

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School on a Monday dragged on almost forever as Joey was once again sitting one of a long line of detentions that the cruel teachers had given him. He sat in the silence doing his homework secretly whilst the teacher was out again to buy cakes from his café. Yugi had popped inside seeing the blonde scribbling away at the English essay that was set that day. Yugi frowned in confusion.

"Joey?" Yugi asked.

"Oh… hey bud…"

"That English essay is only due in this Friday…so it must mean you've got all your homework sorted out then? Means you can go to arcade and hang with us?" Yugi chirped. Joey refrained from biting his lip. He had managed to do all the overdue homework assignments by staying up late at night over the weekends and basically whenever he had an inkling of spare time from the café. With the exception of the Sunday shopping spree with Serenity and Duke he hadn't spent any time off. He still needed to sort out the café kitchen preparations for the day, think up some new dishes to serve for the Duel Monsters fest at the Rio Dejinero restaurant along with a special catering order that Denny took in for this big birthday party group plus today he was giving a cooking lesson to billion-dollar-culinary-disaster Kaiba. Joey couldn't use the homework excuse anymore though.

"It's my shift to work today… The boss is already annoyed that I'll be coming in late because of this detention. I need the money for tuition" Joey said. Yugi's shoulders slumped. "I'm so sorry…" Joey added bracing for water works and puppy dog eye attacks.

"It's funny… I didn't think tuition would cost that much… If you really were having problems I would have gladly helped and-"

"NO!!! No… Yug…" Joey whispered guiltily.

"It's ok… it's just that… you haven't hung out with the gang for nearly three months now…" Joey rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably.

"Yug…" Joey went to say but Yugi was already gone. Joey sighed as he waited for the detention to finally end.

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"Well what did he say?" Téa asked. Yugi looked at her but shook his head. Yami wrapped his arms around him to comfort him whilst Tristan was red with fury.

"Oh what is his problem? Doesn't he think we're good enough to hang out with anymore?"

"Well I suppose we don't have to worry about keeping him busy whilst we're organising the party…" Téa the optimist pointed out. "I just hope that he's not too busy for the party as well…" (A/N: Oh hohohohoho… )

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After preparations at the café kitchen and starting work on the chocolate and icing sugar Duel Monster figurines for the specially ordered birthday cake Joey could happily leave it to Denny and Martha's care and headed towards the Kaiba Mansion to meet up with Serenity and the Kaiba brothers. Joey gathered groceries and walked towards the mansion. Joey looked at the gates and noticed the intercom. He pressed it and waited.

"State name"

"Joey Wheeler" There was a pause and then suddenly the gates opened letting him in. Upon opening the door it was eerily quiet for a large mansion like this with the strange smell of burning. He frowned for a bit wondering where everyone went when,

KKKAAABBBBOOOOMMMM!!!!

There was a whistling sound as a figure flew back through one particular doorway. He went to check what it was as the totally blackened figure sat up with long frazzled black hair stuck up like a lion's mane. He squinted when he noticed the glazed grey eyes.

"Mokuba?" he asked unbelievably.

"MOKUBA!!!!" Seto had run through the doorway in a charred apron, his usual pale complexion covered in soot. "Mokuba?" there was no answer. `Oh God…' he thought though he looked calm and stoic as always. `Ohgodohgodohgodohgod… ok Seto relax, breath and call the ambulance. Ambulance… ambulance… erm… WHAT'S THE NUMBER FOR THE AMBULANCE!?!?!?' (A/N: OOH!!! OOH!!! OOH!!! I KNOW I KNOW!!!! IT'S 999!!! Or is it 911?)

"What the hell happened here?!?!?!?" Joey cried now worried about his sister's wellbeing.

"Exploding… toaster…" Mokuba replied. Black smoke was coughed out from his mouth before the poor kid fainted. Joey swallowed.

"Serenity…" Joey whispered in horror.

"I'm ok…" Serenity called, her hair a little ruffled but no harm had been done. Joey embraced her with relief before glaring at the CEO.

"How in the world did he manage to blow up a toaster?"

"Actually he blew up five of them… the first time was because he threw water at it when it started burning, the second was a bit of bad luck..."

"I don't think I wanna know the rest" Joey replied then jerked his head to sound `cheep, cheep'. He looked down and found a little ball of fluff in Serenity's hand. A little chick.

"Mokuba speak to me kiddo" Seto said calmly despite his mind was going `AAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGHHH!!!!!!' whilst he was listening for a heart beat and preparing for mouth to mouth resuscitation.

"It's so cute isn't it?" Serenity cooed hugging the little birdie ignoring the highly unusual situation. A few more cheeps were heard from the kitchen as more chicks were toddling out into the hallway. Some of the little darlings looked around curiously, others decided to take a nap. One little baby chicken took particular liking towards Joey and through some strange miracle had managed to nestle itself right on the top of his head.

"Don't tell me. They all hatched when you trying to boil an egg right?" suddenly after if he had been given a thousand bolt shock Mokuba stood up knocking Seto to the floor through the process.

"THE EGG!!!!" Mokuba screamed running back towards the kitchen and came back out with an normal chicken's egg in his hand and a teaspoon. With a manic expression on his face he tapped at the shell with the spoon and peeled it away to reveal. "IT'S WHITE!!!! IT'S WHITE!!!! IT'S AN EGG!!! NOTA CHICKEN!!!! AN EGG!!!! AHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!" Mokuba screamed and ran in circles like a lunatic. "IT'S AN EGG!!! IT'S AN EGG!!!"

"Finally" Serenity whispered whilst Mokuba to Joey showing the perfectly boiled non hatched egg.

"JOEY!!!! JOEY!!! IT'S AN EGG!!!" Mokuba cried into his jeans.

"Yes kid, it's an egg I can see that…" Joey replied calmly.

"IT'S AN EGG!!! IT'S AN…. EGGG!!!!! Now… please… take him off my hands…. I beg you" Mokuba cried falling to his knees. Joey raised an eyebrow before glancing at the chargrilled CEO blinking a couple of times behind him and sighed. He took the yellow ball of fluff with a beak off his head and plopped it onto the floor to join it's coop. The little chick however had insisted that he was it's mother and was intent on following him everywhere he went.

Mokuba finally calmed down and got himself cleaned up. His electrocuted hair took a while to settle and flatten to it's original state but it eventually did with Serenity's help. Joey and Seto were cleaning up the kitchen whilst all the chicks loitered in the hall with the exception of the little chick that Joey decided to name Sir Edmund Hillary (1) or for short Eddie who had somehow managed to seat itself on Joey's head again. (A/N: It's a bird, it's a plane… it's… Super Chick!!! Kukukukuku…)

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Seto POV

It's been a rough few hours but at least I did manage to boil that egg without it hatching though I wonder how that's even possible for them to hatch. They were supposed to be unfertilised eggs. Anyway we've just finished cleaning up or rather he finished cleaning up though I wondered how it was possible after that mess. But then again considering what I've seen what he can do to a gym hall piled to the top with bin bags of trash filled to the top I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. The speed of the guy's work rate broke the light barrier and somehow while we were cleaning I can't seem to get this stupid kazoo (2) tune out of my head. I think I heard it from this comedy show that Mokuba was watching a while back and I shudder of what other trashy stuff he's been watching lately.

"So what now?" I ask him.

"What do ya mean?"

"You're not planning to take more cooking lessons right?" Mokuba just came in just as I had finished wiping the table. Kid kinda looks quite pale once we got all that soot off.

"Well of course Mokuba. Even if I have to take lessons from the mongrel here I would like to know how to make something. Anyway isn't this a chance to spend time together like you always wanted?" Mokuba's staring at me as if I had grown two heads. What? Did I say something wrong?

"If I had wanted to die of incineration big brother I would have strapped myself to that giant fireworks display on New Years Eve… In fact, come to think of it… It would have been less painful"

"I'm not that bad am I?" Oh shit. Bad move cos the kid is now shaking like his got Parkinson disease and foam is coming out of his mouth.

"No not really Kaiba… I'd say you're a miracle worker of being able to hatch perfectly healthy chickens from unfertilised eggs" Joey said tickling the yellow fluff ball with a beak also known as Sir Edmund Hillary or for short Eddie.

"Well you have to admit he gets 10 out of 10 for persistance. Maybe we should give him another go" Serenity said. Always the optimistic one, she is but I can't help but feel a little grateful of course I'm not going to let her know that. "Tell you what there's three of us… why don't we each teach him how to make our signature dishes"

"Signature dishes?" I ask

"Yeah… our own special recipe that we made from scratch. If you can manage to at least cook one dish out of the three which is at least edible, it'll be a first step. How's that sound big brother?"

"Um… I don't know" Joey replied.

"Well you know the old saying goes you can't make an omelette without cracking some eggs"

"He'll be cracking eggs, setting fire on the cooker, causing nuclear explosions and killing us all before he finally manages to make his omelette sis"

"Oh come on big brother give him another chance" Serenity begged. Joey sighed.

"Fine… You go first Mokuba"

"PPPHHHHHTTTT!!!!!" Eww… I hope strawberry milkshakes don't stain. I just had this shirt dry cleaned.

Normal POV

"No… NONONONONO!!!!! I taught him how to boil an egg already. I've already put my life on the line and I should at least get a break"

"Aww pwease?" Joey pouted and batting his eyes like the adorable angel he is.

"NO!!!! I'M NOT RISK-"

"I'll make you a huge pot of chocolate parfait"

"-ING MY LIFE FOR-"

"With double cream…"

"-GUY WHO CAN'T EVE-"

"And extra… ittybitty chocolate sprinkles" Joey said in singsong.

"EGG TO- I hate you Wheeler" Mokuba growled under his breath before marching to the cupboard for a saucepan whilst Joey leaned back on his chair with a huge grin on his face.

"Ah… the art of bribery… get it right and one can rule the world" Joey preached whilst Serenity smiled admirably at her brother. Mokuba on the other hand was getting ready for something to happen.

"It'll be a great if one of the Big 5 kidnapped me at this point" he mused to himself.

"What's that?"

"Nothing!!!" he replied as he got out curry powder, tumeric, chicken and Basmati rice. "Anyway my signature dish is chicken curry rice"

"My favourite" Joey squealed clapping his hands and bouncing in his seat whilst Mokuba glared before he and got Seto to boil the rice first adding tumeric and herbs and spices. Seto in the meantime had opened the can of curry powder and got a bit of it up his nose.

"A-A-A-A-A…. ATTTCCHOOO!!!!" he sneezed as into the rest of the powder and sending it flying everywhere. Seto noticed the tin was half empty so when he looked up he cringed when the other half of the tin was all over his little brother. Mokuba stood there completely covered with only two grey eyes staring dully at him under the brown powder. Serenity giggled hysterically at the mess considering that she had miraculously escaped the curry cloud. Eddie however fluffed indignantly shaking off the excess curry powder that was in his feathers.

(Whatcha' doin' tonight
I wish I could be a fly on your wall
Are you really alone
Who's stealin' your dreams
Why can't I bring you into my life
What would it take to make you see that I'm alive)

Joey had started melting the two slabs of dark chocolate in the pan before mixing it in with the the double cream before saturating some madeira cake with melted caster sugar, mint, lemon and orange juice and zest. He added some cornstarch to thicken further and left it to simmer. He removed it from the heat and poured it into a bowl. The instant sweet smells of baking filled the air as Joey waited for the mixture to cool. Seto had glanced over towards Joey who seemed preoccupied with whisking some more cream. Just as he turned Joey had went back to staring at the CEO's back before putting the mixture into the fridge to cool down even more.

"Careful Seto!!!!" Mokuba complained as Seto had cut himself with the knife for the third time when trying to cut the chicken strips. "Ok just fry the chicken then add the curry powder. We'll add coconut milk to it later" Seto was stirring the chicken and curry sauce together when accidently he spilt it over the stove. Mokuba turned to check on the rice before noticing the burning smell. He turned back to see Seto's eyes wide as a raging inferno towered above him. Mokuba's hair stood on end as he went to switch off the gas. Mokuba collapsed to the floor from fatigue whilst Serenity and Joey were working quietly and harmoniously on the parfait seemingly totally oblivious to the chaos on the other side of the kitchen.

"Taste test Mokuba…" Joey called and as if rejuvinated with new life Mokuba bounced up and went bit at the wooden spoon where a dollap of unfinished chocolate parfait was.

THUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMP

"Mokuba, stop stamping on my foot like that (3)" Joey said. "Now let go of my spoon so I can finish making the parfait" he added trying to pry at Mokuba's mouth which had inadvertently clamped shut over the wooden spoon. Joey sighed when he was ignored and resumed with piling up the parfait with a new spoon whilst the old one he was using before was stuck between Mokuba's teeth.

"Um…" Mokuba said shaking his head from the daze of delicious chocolate goodness. "Seto let's look at the rice huh?" Mokuba stared bog eyed at the result. He took a spoon and scraped at the yellow mush that was burning at the bottom of the pan.

(If I was invisible
Then I could just watch you in your room
If I was invincible
I'd make you mine tonight
If hearts were unbreakable
Then I could just tell you where I stand
I would be the smartest man
If I was invisible
Wait..I already am)

"Well it looks um… intriguing" Serenity commented as the three leaned in staring at something that resembled a lump of clay with burnt charcoaled bits in it on a bed of yellowish pudding. Joey poked it with a fork scooped up a bit before letting the stuff plop back onto the plate. The stench that was wafting around the room made Mokuba turned green and he ran out of the kitchen.

"Excuse me…" Joey said taking the plate, the fork he used to poke it with, the pan it was cooked in and basically every single thing that the stuff had ever touched was all placed in a bin liner before being taken outside. It was about a good half hour before Joey came back with three cans of air freshner and emptying them out into the kitchen and opening the windows.

"Where's the stuff?" Seto asked. Joey cocked an eyebrow. "I don't wanna know?"

"Precisely…" Joey said bwefore sitting calmly back down. "You're turn sis…"

"Right…"

Joey was piling the madeira cake, the pudding then whipped cream on top before grating shavings of black, milk and white chocolate on top before placing it in front of Mokuba. Serenity had told Seto to start tenderising some beef, which was to be made into meatballs in Serenity's signature dish: Spaghetti bolognese with meatballs. Of course Serenity kept closer watch on potentially life threatening hazards e.g setting fire on to the stove better than Mokuba did but it never stopped Seto from cutting his fingers. Mokuba however was now too out of it with the chocolate parfait that Joey made to really care anymore. In fact he was so out of it he was purring like a kitten on cat nip and glomping Joey's arm. Joey just stared at the brunette who was wiping a sweaty forehead with the sleeve of his shirt as he was chopping up some onions. The poor fingers mutilated with the knife cuts. As for Sir Edmund Hillary for short Eddie the chick? He fell asleep somehow managing to nestle himself on Joey's head again.

(Saw your face in the crowd
I call out your name
You don't hear a sound
I keep tracing your steps
Each move that you make
Wish I could read what goes through your mind
Wish you could touch me with the colors of your life)

Finally Seto had finished with Serenity's signature dish and it all deep respects the presentation was certainly better. Serenity had done rather well in making sure that Seto didn't let the spaghetti over cook, the sauce to boil over etc however it left for the judges to decide. Mokuba braved the first bite and took a taste of the spahghetti and sauce. He spat it out and coughed.

"Too much salt… Way too much salt" Mokuba commented taking a sip of water whilst Serenity had a try. She nodded in agreement. Seto frowned whilst Joey was staring at the meat balls. Joey picked up a meatball whilst Mokuba and Serenity stared.

"Try it big brother…" Serenity urged. Joey glanced at her before he let it drop to the floor. It bounced five feet from the floor of which Joey caught it before it came back down. Joey smirked analysing the meatball and taking out a fryingpan.

"Hey sis grab a pan" Joey said going on one side of the kitchen table. Serenity smiled realising immediately what was going on with his mind. She grabbed a pan and stood on the other side of the table. "Ready?" Joey asked holding his fryingpan and the meatball. Serenity giggled but nodded and Joey bounced the meatball on the table tapping it with the fryingpan so it was knocked over to Serenity with a bounce. Serenity countered with a backhand of her saucepan as the meatball bounced back from one Wheeler sibling to the other. The Kaiba brothers stared in disbelief at the two engaged in what essentially was… a game of table tennis.

"I gotta say Kaiba. From looking at your meatball it'll be too rubbery to eat but it'll make a great ping pong ball" Joey said as he countered Serenity's serve with a drop hand.

(If I was invisible
Then I could just watch you in your room
If I was invincible
I'd make you mine tonight
If hearts were unbreakable
Then I can just tell you where I stand
I would be the smartest man
If I was invisible

Wait..I already am)

"Last dish big brother" Mokuba said as he looked at Joey frolicking about the room in a game of tag with his sister.

"So mutt, what's your signature dish?" Joey stopped to look at him for a moment. He pursed his lips for a moment before he spoke.

"Cream puffs" he replied. "Or to be more precise a cream puff selection" Seto blinked before Joey got him to prepare to make the pastries. Serenity, who was tired went to watch TV in the lounge. Mokuba at the moment totally satied with the chocolate parfait had went with her. It was just the two of them right now as Joey brought out a good number of bowls and a saucepan.

"What do you mean by a cream puff selection?" Seto asked. A cream puff was just a cream puff wasn't it. But then again he remembered he wasn't a dessert person so he wouldn't know.

"Ah it's an old recipe that my grandma use make with me. We just bake a batch of pastry and then stuff them with whatever fillings we like. It's more of an experiment. I mean you've got your conventional chocolate éclairs with just cream in it. Then we had custard, ice cream, sorbet, strawbery pureé, raspberries… anything you can think of really. Personal favourite was the vanilla mousse. Well shall we get started?"

Seto thankfully avoided cut fingers this time since most of the stuff which was fruit was being blitzed by the blender. Joey had brought out a three bowls and watched as Seto was attempting to follow the instructions.

"Two eggs… fold. Fold?" Seto stared at the eggs in his hands then shrugged as he placed them in the bowl of flour.

"WAIT!!!" Joey called stopping him. He took out the eggs and cracked them first. "Now you can fold them" he replied as Seto bit his lips and got stuck in with his fingers. Joey stared in dismay at the disgust. "You act like cooking's a chore… It's no wonder why you're so crap at it" Seto glared at him. Joey sighed. "Try to think of it as if you were making a brand spanking new improved hologram system"

"Hologram systems are a lot easier" Seto growled.

"Cooking's not that different Kaiba. It needs attending to every step of it's making and once in a while get tweaked here and there until perfection. The only difference…" Joey said as he stood behind Seto then pushing his hands deeper into the sticky mixture before whispering into his ear. "You don't use a screwdriver…" The pastry was made and beaten so that the air would expand when in the oven. Joey laid the mixture flat in about two dozen little section and placed them in the oven. Now it was time for the fillings. Joey thought it was best to do just three different kinds then he watched carefully as Seto was mixing a bowl of a mixed fruit pureé to be mixed in with plain soft ice cream, then a chocolate and caramel one, then a warm lemon custard filling.

"The puffs are done" Joey said as Seto went to the oven. "Hey wear your-"

"OW!!!!" Seto yelped.

"Oven gloves" Joey sighed as he got the puffs out before they burnt and took a look at Seto's hand. He ran some cold water and placed Seto's hand under. "Ah… it's not going to scar…. Best get done with the filling" And so… with Joey instructing him and watching him carefully every step of the way. With only a few mishaps Seto managed to get the first two fillings done with no chaos in it's wake. The lemon custard required heating and Joey watched as the CEO was stirring the contents.

Seto's POV

Well I didn't have to resort to using the fire extinguisher yet so maybe I'm improving? Anyway the mutt's watching me like a hawk and much as I hate his incessant ranting about putting your heart into your cooking. Sound familiar with a certain midget that preaches about a card game (Yugi: T__T) As much as Wheeler preaching that stuff it has stopped me from making a fool of myself from the lack of explosions. Sigh. I must say this stuff is actually smelling nice and not like the putrid burning that use to happen whenever I'm near a stove. Then all of a sudden the mongerl just snatches the spoon from my hand and was sniffing at it.

I think he was about to taste when a huge earthquake rating 7.5 on the Richtar scale erupted from the pit of my stomach. It was finally over as the whole kitchen seemed to shake from my stomach growling and Joey's just… staring at me… shocked and… DAMN IT!!!! DAMN IT!!! DAMN IT!!! DAMN THE WHOLE WORLD DAMN IT!!!!! DAMN THAT STUPID MUTT!!!! DAMN HIS IRRESISTABLE FOOD FROM HELL!!!! DAMN THIS STUPID BODY AND IT'S STUPID DAMN BODILY FUNCTIONS!!! DAMN THIS PROJECT!!! DAMN MOKUBA… Wait… rewind on that last one. DAAAAMMNNN IIITTTT!!!! Anyway… after getting over the total shock he found his voice again.

"Um… " he said. He looked away noticing the plant that was by the window. "Hey Vanilla plant" he plucked a few leaves from it and dumped it into the mixture and mixed it in for a bit then scooping up a spoonful. "I think you should taste this… taste tests requires guinea pigs and you're the more hungry one out of the two of us" and he shoved the spoon to my face.

(I reach out
But you don't even see me)

I paused staring at the spoon of smooth custard before me. I'm going to go all weird again. I just know it but then again. I did cook it… so it shouldn't be a problem besides… if I'm going to poison someone I might as well poison myself first before I even think about letting Mokuba eat it. Yellow custard. It doesn't look burnt or anything. In all respects it looks quite. Ah what the heck. I take the bite. Nothing… Yeah nothing… in fact it it doesn't taste too bad…

…

MY GOD IT DOESN'T TASTE BAD!!!!!!! Ok, ok… calm… I mean I feel just fine. I'm not about to lose my mind and preach love poems to food so… I'm ok. Joey's staring at me at the moment. He's lips are moving but I can't seem to… tell… what he's… hmm… um… Well I don't know… I just nod to whatever and he seems to be ok with my answer. I hear some more mumbling from him whilst he's stirring that lemon custard again but apart from that… um…

(Even when I'm scream out
Baby, you don't hear me)

"Joey?" I think I heard myself say. I can't really remember but either way I got his attention from the cooking pot. He's just looking at me and I'm looking at him and his eyes… somehow… I went a bit closer… so he can hear me better…

(I am nothing without you
Just a shadow passing through...)

I hear him mumble something… probably wants to give me another taste test for the other filling. Hey nothing happened before so I took the bite again. Hmm… seemed soft then wet inside… and I think it had some cinnamon or something… That's strange… I don't recall cinnamon in pastry or the fillings… Aw well anyway… it actually tasted better than that custard thing.

Normal POV

(If I was invisible
Then I could just watch you in your room
If I was invincible
I'd make you mine tonight
If hearts were unbreakable
Then I can just tell you where I stand
I would be the smartest man
If I was invisible…)

"That taste good too" Seto said absentmindedly as he went back to the summerfruit ice cream filling for the cream puffs. Joey stood staring at him for a moment before he turned back to check on the pastry the remains of bright red blush still on his cheeks.

(Wait..I already am)

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(1) Sir Edmund Hillary was the first man to climb Mount Everest

(2) The kazoo is that weird but extremely funny buzzing instrument that plays the Benny Hill theme. I WANT A KAZOO!!!

(3) Reference to Thumper the thumping rabbit from Disney's Bambi. Not seen it? Shame on you…

Sam: So corny… MUWHEHEHEHEHEHEHE!!!!! REVIEW ME!!!!! MUWEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE!!!!!! >:D

Mokuba: *shudder* She's got something planned…

Sam: ^__^ Yep… yep. Anyway next chapter we'll be having a little angst again people but hopefully you managed to catch the hidden bit of fluff here… MUWEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE!!!!! >:D