The Better Father

Disclaimer Note: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! Don't even think I do!

A/N: To my dear reviewers:

26no: I know Joey usually is one victim of male pregnancy, but I'm going for a first here. I think Seto Kaiba would be rather funnier to be pregnant. Thanks for your review.

OwaranaimonoAite: *giggles* Marik fainting...that would be the day! But if you're referring to the yami, in this fic, I call him Malik. And yes, Yami will have what's coming for him. Might either be in the sequel or at the end of this one. As for Yugi, he'll be fine. We can't torture him too much. And I do like your idea with Bakura and Marik...ROTFLMAO! Yami will be wishing he never did that. And yes, they should be thankful. I do agree on that one.

mofaf- Probably would serve Yami right if he did. Marik and Malik both fainting...*laughs at the irony of it all!* Joey...well, he is the daddy in this and yes I have heard of the father usually fainting! It will be hilarous! Thanks for the old wives tale. It will come in handy.

Nite Nite: *laughs hard* Oh, Gods, I told you Seto couldn't resist a challenge! Horny and still pregnant...*shakes her head* And Yami better behave before Seto has his mood swings on him. As for your fainting idea, that's rather hilarous! Poor Malik!

Case_Chan: I've actually heard of pregnant women craving that stuff. I never did when I was thankfully because they say it's rather dangerous to do so. I'm glad you're enjoying the story.

charger- Thanks for your fainting idea. It appears Joey seems rather popular to faint.

All right...as for my challenges:

1. The baby or babies challenge is still on! Give your opinion in your review. All are appriciated. JUST NO MISSCARRIAGES HERE, PEOPLE!

2. The craving challenge, yep, still in affect. No matter how gross the competition gets, your ideas are important to the story. Keep them up, guys!

3. The Fainting challenge will continue until delivery day. Look in Chapter 7 for your choices on who should faint when Seto has his baby or babies.

I would like to thank all of you guys for helping me with this story. It's becoming a great one thanks to you guys and I will need your help with the sequel once it comes out too! Let's just get this one done first! ^_^

Now, on with the story!
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Chapter 8: How Do You Tame A Pregnant CEO?!

The morning started like any other. It's been a month since Seto found out he was pregnant and it was coming close to summer. Liz and Mokuba were playing in a small kiddie pool in the backyard and I was watching them since I had Seto resting. He was trying to overwork himself in his private office and I finally had enough. Let's just say that didn't go well at first.

~FLASHBACK~

"Seto, you need ta rest! You've been at dat damn thang for two days nonstop!"

"IF I ASKED FOR YOUR FUCKING OPINION, I'D LET YOU KNOW, WHEELER!!!"

Liz jumped back from walking down the hallway and swallowed hard as she looked in the private office. I frowned deeply then. "I ain't gonna have a battle on my fuckin' hands, Kaiba," I said sharply. "You act like a fuckin' child, I damn straight treat ya like one! Now sit your ass down RIGHT NOW!" Seto gave me a death glare through his blue eyes. You'd better believe he was having mood swings. I just took it like a man and glared right back at him. "You ain't changin' my mind," I said sternly. "I'll damn straight kick your ass pregnant or not! Now if you don't care 'bout our baby, dat's fine. Keep your damn working and shit. But if you do care, act like it!" I slammed the door as I walked out. Liz swallowed hard and I realized she had heard the whole fight. Seto walked out and also saw this. "Liz..." I began when she stepped back and ran off. Oh great, now we officially freaked out our daughter. I sank in a chair holding my fingers against my temples like I had one killer headache, which basically I did. Seto went from angry to sad in a matter of seconds and he burst into tears and ran off too.

Not a good combination if you ask me: one daughter upset and your pregnant boyfriend having mood swings.

I needed to be alone while I figured this out. I headed for a weight room and just started pumping iron just to calm my nerves. Before I handle any situation that I was already stressed to begin with, I usually did this so I'd be calm enough to handle it correctly. Back in the past, I was never like that. I was a street punk and still had some of that with me, but it was being on the streets that helped me realize right and wrong. After an hour, I felt better and walked out of the room after a brief shower and then headed for Liz first. She was lying on her side in a slight fetal position clutching her plushie shaking slightly even after an hour. "Baby," I said sitting on the bed. "Talk ta me." She sniffled and looked up at me. "Why were you fighting?" she asked in a shaky voice. "I thought you and Papa loved each other." I took her in my arms and rocked her gently. "We do, baby," I whispered. "Papa's just havin' a bad day is all." I kissed her forehead and she snuggled against my chest. I lifted her in my arms and we went to my room to find Seto sitting by the window just staring blankly outside.

I bit my lower lip and walked to him sitting beside him as he rested his head on my shoulder. I stroked his hair gently and kissed his forehead as well. Liz snuggled between us and he stroked her hair gently. "You're right, Joey," he sighed. "I need to take it easy. I'm sorry I blew up like that. I don't know what came over me." "It's probably part of bein' pregnant," I said. "It ain't nothin' personal." He nodded and Liz fell asleep in our arms. He moved back to the bed and held his arms out as I put Liz beside him. She snuggled against him and he held her close as he fell asleep. I lay beside them and joined my hands with his as we held our daughter close to us and I also fell asleep.

~END FLASHBACK~

I hate getting emotional like that, but you had to see what happened. That was like a week ago I believe. I chose not to remember things like that at times. Bakura was due over here with Ryou for a checkup. Seto and I knew it would be rather freaky to send him to a doctor and tell him or her the deal, so since Ryou was an expert in his field, he became Seto's private doctor. I watched the kids now splash each other and giggle while I wiped sweat from my brow. Damn, it was hot out here! I would actually dive in that pool with all my clothes on if I had to. I heard the patio door open and glanced up to see Seto walk outside dressed for the weather thankfully. I was just shirtless with shorts on. I wasn't working on a tan, ladies and gentlemen! I just loved to walk around like this during the summer. He sat down beside me and I smiled. "How ya feelin'?" I asked. "Better since that nap," he said and looked at the kids. "How long have they been out here?" I looked at my watch. "I was gonna git dem out in 'bout five minutes," I said. "Dey've been out 'bout an hour." "What time is Bakura and Ryou coming?" he asked. "Uh, 'bout thirty minutes," I said. What am I, a Time Wizard? I feel like everyone's clock there.

Five minutes later, two soaked kids emerged from the pool and I grabbed a towel drying Liz off and Seto got Mokuba. "Go upstairs and change," he said and they nodded running off. I started picking up the scattered toys and walked upstairs. Seto sat in the kitchen drinking a root beer and I raised a brow. I never seen him drink one of those before. (A/N: You're about to see MY craving choice now. I made this one up in an rp.) Then he got up and grabbed a bag of Cool Ranch Doritos and was whistling as he then grabbed some Very Hot Pace Picante Sauce and poured that in a bowl and happily ate the Doritos with it. I had to shudder a bit. He's be spiting out fireballs worse than my Red-Eyes Black Dragon would in a duel soon. I had to tear my eyes away. The scene was making me have heartburn. I saw Liz walk downstairs with her shirt inside out and her jean shorts unbuttoned. "I can't do this!" she said in a pitiful voice. I chuckled and led her in the living room. "C'mon," I said sitting down. "First off, you ain't got dis on right." I pulled off the shirt and fixed it. "Hold your arms way up to de sky," I said.ow mow me how high you can reach, girl." She giggled and lifted her arms up as high as they could go as I pulled the shirt on over her head and pulled her arms through the sleeves. It was actually a cute little yellow tank top that had some cartoon character on it. Oh wait a minute, I know what it is now. Liz is a huge fan of the Care Bears and had Funshine Bear on her shirt. Her jean shorts had little clouds with a rainbow on the legs as well. I pulled her shorts up a bit and fixed them for her and looked at her. "Go git your brush," I said and she ran off. "And your shoes and socks!" I called after her.

She returned with the said items as the doorbell rang. Mokuba ran downstairs then. "I'LL GET IT!" he shouted while I had Liz stand between my legs so I could work on this mop she called hair. She's due for a haircut at that too. Bakura and Ryou walked in and smiled. "Hey, princess," Bakura said. Liz glanced up. "Hey, Uncle Bakura," she said. Ryou chuckled. "Where's Seto?" he asked. I cleared my throat and jerked my head toward the kitchen. "I'll be dere in a minute," I said. "Her highness just got outta de pool." Ryou nodded and headed for the kitchen while Bakura headed upstairs. They would soon move in a little later in the pregnancy. I had to chuckle suddenly. We have a room now that looked like a miniature doctor's office. What I mean by that is, we actually smuggled the things Ryou needed for Seto in here. Thanks to Bakura using his Shadow Magic and for Mokuba's experience in rearranging security cameras in the hospital, we basically got the stuff needed for Seto during this time. I helped too. I guess you could say I was Bakura's trainee there.

Ryou walked out of the kitchen followed by Seto, who insisted on carrying his "snack" with him. Liz watched this and didn't say a word. I half expected her to say anything. Nope, she was silent. I took that as she was too stunned, she couldn't say jack. I fixed her hair in a ponytail and sat her on my knee so I could get her shoes and socks on. "Dere you go!" I said. "Now, do I git a kiss for dat?" She giggled and kissed my cheek as I lifted her in my arms. "AIRPLANE!" she shouted. "You wanna fly in dere?" I asked. She nodded. "All right," I said lifting her above my head securely and she spread her arms and acted like she was flying as I ran upstairs to the room and put her down. "No, come stay with me," I said since she was about to run to Seto a moment. "Uncle Kura and Uncle Ryou hafta do somthin' with Papa. We git to watch." "Cool!" Mokuba said happily. Ryou finally had to snatch the food from Seto and frowned. "Get over there and lay down," he commanded. "You'll get that when you're finished here." I raised both eyebrows. You hardly see Ryou's temper and he was possibly annoyed from waiting on Seto to stop eating. Bakura stood back with his arms folded leaning on the wall with only one eyebrow raised. "Hikari, don't torture the man," he said. "One thing about me, Kura," Ryou said firmly. "You try my patience, I try yours."

Well said, Ryou. Every man should follow that statement...eh, maybe not. It could get you in trouble. Anyway, I have a habit of changing subjects, so back to what we were doing. After pressing on Seto's belly a bit (and getting cussed out in the process from the CEO), he moved one of the machines to the bed. "What is that thing?" Liz asked. Ah, finally Miss Curiosity has awakened! Ryou chuckled. "Well, come here and I'll show you," he said. She slid out of my lap and Seto became as curious as Liz was. "See, what I'm going to do first is put this gel on Papa's tummy," Ryou explained as he did so. Seto hissed suddenly. "Shit's cold!" he said and Liz blinked. "Uh...forgot she was there, Joey," he said gulping. "Try to watch it around her," I warned. "She'll repeat what she hears to anyone." Ryou nodded glad to hear that. "Now, I'm going to use this paddle here..." he began when she stared at him frowning. "You're not gonna spank him, are you?" she asked as Bakura and I almost fell over laughing. "Not that kind of paddle," Bakura said after he recovered. You could tell Seto got a kick out of it since he was struggling to hold it in with a goofy grin on his face. Ryou showed her what he meant. "If I was gonna spank him, I'd find something better," he said and I snickered a bit. "Be careful, Ry," I warned smirking. "He likes it rough." "Oh hush, puppy," Seo said waving me off. I just chuckled and watched Ryou and Liz.

"Now, see that screen up there?" Ryou asked. Liz nodded. "You'll see what the baby looks like for now," he said. "It'll get bigger as time goes on. And later on, you might see if he has two in there." Seto blinked. "That'll be the day," he said to himself. "Keep an eye on the screen," Ryou said and Liz obeyed watching as Ryou moved the device around and you could see a tiny thing inside Seto. "That's the baby there," Ryou explained. "If there's two, the other will show up better as time goes on. Apparently, it's right around where your bladder is and is thankfully out of harms way. That Shadow Magic has actually created you an area to have the child grow there like a woman would." Seto watched the screen and nodded. "Can you tell when it's due now?" he asked. Ryou nodded and checked on it some more. "Seems to be doing well too," he said seriously and handed Seto a towel to wipe himself off. "I would say that by the looks of it, it's only been inside you a month. It'll take three more for me to fully see the deal and if you're gonna have more than one. If you were a girl, I could tell that last part sooner. It takes longer because you're a guy. Since it's almost May now, I'd highly say January." I froze a moment. I was born in January. Could this child be close to my birthday?

Bakura was next on parade since he had to check on the Shadow Magic. "The more the pregnancy gets to it's stopping point, the weaker the Shadow Magic will be," he explained. "Let's just say, you're lucky we're around." He began his test and nodded. "Doing well," he said and Seto sighed with relief. "I have to ask you something, Bakura," he said. Bakura raised a brow since Seto sounded so serious. "Although I'm grateful to Yami for givingthe the chance to be parents together, me and Joey that is, I want you and Marik to do something," Seto said. "I want him to get what's coming to him for putting me like this." "You saying like a spell or something to get back at him?" Bakura asked. I raised a brow. "Sounds like a plan," I said. "Hmm," Bakura said like he was deep in thought. "I have one idea, but I'll have to talk to Marik before it comes into play." Seto and I nodded. "Whatever it takes," I said. "I want that pharaoh here I g I give birth too," Seto said. "Just to let him see what he put me through."

"Sure thing," Ryou said seriously. "We have to go. We'll come back in a couple of weeks and get some of our things in." Seto nodded. Liz hugged Ryou and Bakura, who in turn, did the same. "See ya'll later," I said and they waved goodbye and left. I wondered what Bakura had in mind for Yami. The way he looked, it looked like one hell of an evil plan.

We'll just have to wait to find out, won't we?
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To Be Continued...