A/N: And here it is! Brace yourselves, for a journey beyond space and time, through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, where love overcomes all!

...

Yeah, sure, I may be exagerating things a bit. But anyway, on to chapter 2! :D

Jack Atlas blinked a few times to clear his vision as consciousness once more returned. A terrible headache made itself known, however, as soon as that happened, causing the blonde to lay back down with a groan.

"Hey, Yus! He is waking up!" a familiar, rather relieved voice yelled over him. As if a trigger had been pulled, the evening's events came back, along with a feeling of unbridled rage. "I should point out it's only been twenty nine minutes!"

"How is he?" a worried Yusei asked from the door.

"Kill you… I… will…" Jack managed to spit out before talking became far too much for him. Once more, he settled back and tried to calm his twitching fingers.

"I think he is just fine."

"Maybe we should take him to a hospital."
"N-no…I am… fine."

"He is fine! No need to bring people who may ask inane questions like "how did this happen" and "he seems to have been hit with a blunt object, would you happen to know anything about it"!"

"Kill… you…"

Jack could practically feel the Glare radiating off of Yusei. "Bring some more ice Crow. And don't speak for a few hours. It will make life easier for us all."

"What? But he cannot stay here for hours Yusei, what about Ca-"

"Crow. Ice. Now."

Jack wasn't sure how much more time passed as he slowly recovered, but the soothing cold of the icepack on his head did wonders, as well as the aspirins he gratefully swallowed with Yusei's help. His head was pounding considerably less now and, as coherent thoughts that did not involve murder made their appearance, Jack carefully sat up. Yusei's concerned face was the first thing he saw, which prompted annoyance to overwhelm him.

"I am not dying Yusei, stop fussing over me. I am not so soft that a…"

"Metal pipe."

"Metal pipe?" the blonde asked incredulously.

"Metal pipe. Crow apparently has a collection in the basement and one on his person at all times."

"But… how?"

"No idea. I am not really sure I even want to know the answer to that." the other duelist informed him seriously.

Jack shook his head. "My point is, I am fine. I just need to lie down for a bit when I get home."

"That's right!" Crow's head emerged from the side of the door. "No big deal! We don't need to inform the police or anything-"

"Crow!"

"Fine, fine, I am leaving…"

Yusei shook his head in resigned exasperation and turned his attention back to the blonde. "I imagine you will need a ride home?"

Jack scoffed. "As if. I will get my own ride- one that I can be certain will actually take me straight home and not in circles around the city. Or try to blow me up on the way."

"I told you, it's my home-made anti-theft system!"

"Crow!"

"Fine, fine…"

Making sure that the redhead had retreated once more in the back of the house, Yusei turned to Jack. "I promise to take you straight home, no detours."

The former champion glared at his friend before sighing in resignation. "Very well. Get moving then, I don't want to spend a single second more in the same house as Crow- I may actually kill him if I have to listen to his voice one more ti-"

"Hey Jack, leaving already?"

Yusei suppressed a smirk. As the bloodlust radiated off of the blonde duelist, he gently guided him towards the exit, shooting a warning glance at his other childhood friend. Mercifully, Crow seemed to finally take the hint and not speak a single syllable, but not without a wild grin and a thumbs up.

Carly better be very, very grateful.

For her part, Carly was certain that she could safely say she had done her very best.

Sometimes however, one's best is not nearly enough.

It's not too late! I can still abuse Yusei's money and order something from somewhere! Oh dear, I've really done it this time!

The only suitable term that could come to one's mind regarding her current predicament, would most likely be "disaster". The apple pie she had put so much effort into smelled as some sort of pizza reject that had escaped from the bottoms of culinary hell and somehow made it into the kitchen, with its greenish color being the least of the problems. Her parmesan mix smelled suspiciously like something had crawled inside and died there and the salad dressing smelled as if it contained more vinegar than it was probably safe to consume in a day. It was already eight thirty- Jack would be back at any moment, so making everything from scratch was probably out of the question, even if she still had the ingredients to do so. As she sank on her knees in desperation, she looked around the kitchen as if that would somehow present her with a solution.

Maybe if I pour enough whipped cream on top of the pie he will not notice? Looking at the "pie", she ruled that idea out as well. And the smell… I need to do something about the smell too! Oh dear me, what have I done…

Hurriedly she stood up, dusted herself and began the difficult task of salvaging whatever she could.

First things first. That pie goes to the trash and then straight out of the window.

If nothing else, she could at the very least draw what little happiness she could from that.

Jack Atlas was certain that something was wrong. In fact, that was painfully obvious from the get-go, considering the behavior of both Yusei and the idiot. And even for Crow's standards, low as they were, that day's incidents had been strange. Jack was a lot of things, but a fool wasn't one of them. For whatever reason they were doing it, the idiot duo was trying to keep him from going home. When he sat back and thought about it, he wanted to smack himself for allowing them to accomplish their goals, first by allowing Yusei to goad him, then by giving the redhead the time of day.

For his part, Yusei had been silent for the duration of the ride, simply staring out of the window at Neo Domino City. As much as Jack felt the need to demand some answers, he really did not wish to create a scene inside the cab, something he suspected the brunette was fully aware of and shamelessly exploiting. It wasn't the longest ride Jack had ever had, but it was definitely a close second.

When they finally reached his apartment complex and parted ways, Jack let a sigh of relief escape him. He wanted nothing more than a hot shower, a good night's sleep and a couple more painkillers for his throbbing head. And as for packing, since Yusei and Crow liked having him around so much, they would be thrilled to spend their morning helping him catch up on what he had missed today. They better be.

All thoughts of horrible revenge, inflicted with extreme prejudice, fled his mind altogether however the moment he found himself in front of his very much destroyed front door. The area around the lock seemed to have been broken with some powerful force and completely destroyed. Is someone-

The noises coming from the inside of the house seemed to answer that question.

Who would dare enter my house?

Quickly, the former champion began assessing the situation. I have no idea how many there are, but it is unlikely there are any more than two. He looked back at the door. And not professionals at that. Could it have something to do with Yusei and Crow keeping me from getting home? At that thought, he narrowed his eyes. They better not have anything to do with this or so help me…

He gave a light push to the door, trying to open it without too much noise, but found it shut with something from the other side. Frowning, he applied a bit more pressure, and whatever was blocking the entrance easily made way. The person or people from inside his apartment didn't seem to realize anything, thankfully, so he slid through the small opening as quietly as possible. Taking a look around, nothing had really been moved or taken, however, he angrily took note of the fact that all of the boxes he had neatly packed the days prior had been opened. They were looking for something specific then? Unconsciously, he touched his deck in his coat pocket, as if to make sure it was still in place. He could hear commotion from the kitchen, so he made his way there, careful to not tip the intruder off. He was used to making his presence known wherever he went, but there was a time and a place for that. Right now, he was simply glad that his days in the Satellite had taught him a lot of ways to sneak up on some idiot who thought they could take advantage of him.

Finally reaching the side of the room's entrance, he slowly inched closer. He couldn't really see who was inside, but all the hustle indicated that they were still searching there for whatever it was they were looking for, which meant they hadn't noticed him entering. He cursed silently for not being able to have a visual of the thief's position; however he had the advantage of knowing the general lay-out of the kitchen. He hadn't heard a second set of feet, only a few whimpers that sounded female, along with a great deal of commotion and a disgusting smell. What on Earth is the meaning of this?

Taking a final step that placed him in the intruder's line of sight, Jack prepared to demand an explanation and, if necessary, physically restrain the unknown person.

He hardly expected what he actually came upon.

"Carly? "

Clearly, startling the reporter wasn't a wise course of action, even if one was going to become the King of Dueling someday.

With a small shriek, the brunette whirled around and Jack only had time to catch a glimpse of her swirling hair and wide eyes, before she lost her balance. As she frantically tried to regain her pace, the pan in her hands was sent flying through the air. Time seemed to stop as the pan fell on the floor and the smelly contents exploded all over the place- including the people in the kitchen.

Huh?

Stunned as he was, Jack slowly picked a small piece of the mushy concoction out of his hair and stared at it perplexed. He noted its greenish color and mushy feel, as the smell of burned apple and cheese engulfed him.

Huh?

"J-Jack, I, uh…"

The reporter's stuttering snapped him back to reality, but all he could do was stare at his kitchen, now covered with the same weird slime that covered him and he was unable to utter a word. He was past that point of rage where one screams and curses, far from it. No, he was at that point where murder was a perfectly valid course of action. The back of his head was throbbing slightly again and the smell of the combination between cheese, apple and something else that was completely unidentifiable to him, all made him want to snap something in half and then feed that something its own intestines. Preferably Crow. So, when his voice came out calm and collected, it surprised even him.

"What is the meaning of this, Carly?"

The brunette flushed scarlet and Jack inwardly cursed his luck that day several times. He couldn't quite understand anything that came out of Carly's mouth aside from random words. Well, there was one word. The bespectacled girl kept apologizing over and over, but most of what she was apologizing for was lost in a torrent of incomprehensibility. After a couple of minutes, Jack had reached the end of his severely limited patience. With a fast movement, he grasped her shoulder while at the same time putting the other hand over her mouth to make her shut up.

"Carly! I can't understand a thing you are saying. Speak English woman!"

He instantly regretted his tone when big, fat tears streamed down her eyes and for the first time tonight, he noticed she was not wearing her glasses. With a sigh, he removed his hand and looked down at her.

"What happened to your glasses?"

"H-Huh? Oh, um, I tripped and they broke. I am so sorry Jack! But no worries, you really don't have to pay for them this time!"

That's right. She doesn't know. Carly's current glasses were not really the ones she had lost during the war with the Dark Signers. While he wasn't a sentimental person himself, Jack had found it impossible to part with that pair. He had ordered an identical pair to be custom made for her and in return he had kept the original. Her silly, childish glasses that embodied perfectly her airheaded nature, but at the same time kept her most inner thoughts hidden from everyone. Everyone but him, that was. Those thoughts seemed to evaporate his anger and he stared down at her clear blue eyes, even wet as they were with tears. Without realizing it himself, his hand slowly moved its way from her shoulder to cup her cheek and keep her from looking away. To his slight amusement, she became even redder than she already was. She is like an open book.

Of course, he never once thought that Carly was actually trying to hide her feelings for him. No, she was always wearing her heart on her sleeve, allowing her thoughts to always be obvious and clear as day. It was why he enjoyed being around her, even if he disliked showing it- he had spent too big a part of his life always on guard and even longer around people with hidden intentions. To meet someone like her, who couldn't bluff her way out of a paper bag, it was refreshing.

And that was why he couldn't bring himself to put her in danger again.

If it was any other person, he would have probably not stress over everything so much. In fact, since all other people he knew where very capable duelists, he never felt the need to worry for their safety, unless he decided that his interference was needed.

But he had already failed her once.

"Um, Jack? Why are you staring at me like that?" Carly eventually broke the silence between them, bringing Jack back to his senses. He hurriedly removed his hand from her face and stood up, looking at the sudden mess that had befallen his kitchen. Carly was standing a few feet away from him, fidgeting with the hem of her shirt, her face still red as a tomato.

I swear, I should have her clean this all up, honestly… he shook his head and a pang of pain shot through the back of his skull. With a groan, he tried to avoid stepping on any of the random green puddles of whatever new chemical substance Carly had created and reached for aspirins and a glass in the cupboards. After he swallowed the pills he turned to look at the brunette, who seemed to still be stuttering apologies to herself.

"Carly, honestly. What were you trying to do here?"

He gave her a few moments to gather herself. "I… well, I…" Just spit it out, she seemed to be thinking, but once more, he decided not to press her. Yet.

"I was trying to make you dinner." she finally admitted in a low voice.

"Make me dinner? Why would you think I can't make dinner on my own?" he questioned her with a raised eyebrow.

"It's not that! I think you are perfectly capable of making dinner, really! I just… I well, I wanted to apologize. Make it special."

"Apologize? Apologize for what?"

"I was told everything. About becoming a Dark Signer. About trying to kill you."

The silence that followed that statement was thick enough that Jack would be able to cut it with a knife. "Carly-"

"I just wanted to apologize to you about everything. It's just that, I don't remember anything and I really wanted to make it up to you and-"

He couldn't help himself anymore. He burst into laughter. Loud, hearty laughter, doubling over and holding his stomach, the full course. One that wouldn't make anyone hearing it understand that the turn this discussion had taken was an entirely too unpleasant one.

"H-hey! Jack, I am serious! Cut it out!"

He couldn't stop. "You idiot." She really thought she had something to apologize for. He owed her so much and in the end, she still thought that she had something to apologize for.

"I beg your pardon! No need to be rude Jack!" she stomped her way over to him and gave him a light smack on the head.

As he finally calmed down a bit and rose to his full height, he stared down at those clear blue eyes, took note of the tears of embarrassment at their corners. Without breaking eye contact, he raised his hands and wiped them away with his thumb.

"E-eh?" was all she managed to say, taking a surprised step back.

He could now see why Yusei and Crow had done so much to keep him from returning early. I may have to actually thank them later. Or at least Yusei.

"You can be such an idiot sometimes Carly."

"I get it already! No need to be so mean! I did this all for you you know, so you could at the very leas-"

Carly didn't quite get to finish her sentence this time around, seeing as Jack had chosen that moment to cover her lips with his own. The brunette gave a surprised squeak that had him smirking as he moved his lips over her frozen ones. He drank in the sight of her eyes going wide with shock and he could almost see the thoughts going through her mind. Snaking a hand around her waist, he pulled her slightly closer, certain that she would faint.

To his surprise, she didn't.

Throwing her arms around his neck, Carly pressed her body on his, kissing him fervently. Not one to back down from such a direct challenge, he abandoned his playful manner and kissed her back with equal ferocity. Neither closed their eyes and it was intoxicating to be able to see her emotions so plainly.

Eventually, the need for air forced them apart and Carly, returning to her usual self, blushed scarlet and just stood there, looking surprised. Jack wasn't sure whether it was at him or herself.

Yes, it was true that he had lost her once. And it was true that it had been his fault. But he would make sure that there would never be a second time.

"Thank you." he finally blurted out, something he had to say to her for a while.

"W-what are you talking about? I am the one who-"

"Honestly you idiot." he cut in, exasperated. "There is nothing to apologize for. Well," he gave a pointed look around the kitchen, "there are a couple of things I imagine you should, concerning today's events…"

"I get it Jack!"

"Excellent! Now, I believe it's time for you to go home." Grabbing her glasses and bag from the counter, he put a hand at the small of her back and gently guided her towards the destroyed door. He knew that she was currently too stunned to function, so he decided to grab the chance. It's probably the last time I will have such an opportunity.

"Huh?"

"I have a splitting migraine thanks to the two dimwits you enlisted to help you out in this foolishness you see. I could use some rest."

"I...I... uh, uh, wait a second-" she began to struggle a bit, but he remained firm.

"Don't strain yourself, Carly. You've had a long day. How about you come over tomorrow afternoon. We'll talk everything out then. For now, I need to have some peace and quiet. I imagine, with us officially dating now, it'll be the last bit of peace and quiet I'll get." Reaching the pitiful remains of his house exit, he pushed her outside before she had a chance to gather herself and fight back properly. "Goodnight."

"H-huh? Wait, you jerk!" she yelled as he shut the door behind her in a swift motion, her brain finally catching up with the present time.

Jack remained behind the door for a few minutes, worried that the reporter would march right back in and demand an explanation. When nothing happened, he carefully placed the box she had previously used behind the door and made a mental note to fix the lock.

Walking back inside the kitchen, he took in the full magnitude of the number she had done on the room. He inspected the set-up of the room, rolling his eyes at places, frowning in disgust at others, wishing he could un-see certain things that had been the… less successful results. He entertained the thought of cleaning up tonight, but the exhaustion of surviving an explosion and a metal pipe to the back of his head, told him to forget about it entirely. With a chuckle, he rested his back on the kitchen wall, taking in the mess. What have I gotten myself into…? He knew that Carly was nothing if not a handful. He was certain the airheaded reporter would drag him from one ridiculous situation to another and that, at the end of the day, he would be left to clean up after one unbelievable mess after another.

He picked a piece of her green concoction from his hair and looked at it.

He didn't think he minded all that much.

A/N: Thanks for reading! I would like to once more thank TTY7 for going through coma hell for me and SuperNova23 for giving me this challenge and introducing me to the woderful world of Yugioh 5Ds, that is so full of adventure and romance and WHY DOESN'T ANYONE GET TOGETHER WITH ANYONE? I DON'T UNDERSTAND!

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did! Cheers! :D