Mr. Stein's Epiphany

Hello again, GX fans and fans of the Yugi-verse my co-author, 15animefreak15 and I have created. Well, it seems that our fics tend to generate a lot of questions like, "Why the heck is Professor Stein nice and not frustrated with his place in life?" Well, this story seeks to answer that question. I based some of Stein's change on "Mr. Holland's Opus," an excellent movie about a man who supposedly wasn't into teaching and yet realized it was one of the best things in his life. I also based Stein's training on my own experiences when I was a teacher of English as a Second/Foreign Language and needed some help. I therefore dedicate this story to my father who taught me how to teach right. I hope you enjoy this side story.

Disclaimer: As usual, I don't own the Yu-Gi-Oh franchise or any of its characters. I only own my OC, Annie Hanson, and 15animefreak15 owns Violet Haverbrook and Rosa Jimenez. We both own our version of the Yugi-verse and our interpretations. Professor Naoki Uchiha is a nod to the Naruto series.

Author's note: This story takes place during the events of "Summer Love, Summer Fears" and "Nightmare Resurrection." Also, the misspelling of Zorc's name is deliberate. Further, for student and teacher protection, Duel Academy has a policy of students and teachers conducting meetings in open places where they are somewhat supervised. This is why a student-teacher discussion will take place at Dorothy's café. Finally, I'd like to remind my readers that this is an alternate timeline or universe, if you will, and the timeline we've established is different than canon. Thank you for your attention.

Another school year closed at Duel Academy Central. It was the year 2018 and the last students were boarding the ferry home to Domino City. All of the teachers at Duel Academy stayed at the school until two weeks after the semester ended, grading papers and reading their students' evaluation forms. Each semester, the students of Duel Academy filled out anonymous forms to tell their teachers what they thought of the teachers' abilities in the classroom. Some teachers liked these evaluations better than others. One teacher in particular hated these evaluations.

Professor Benjamin Stein watched at the dock as the boat moved away from the docks, many of the students cheering and shouting farewells. 'Another year over with, and I'm still in this stupid job,' he thought in simmering anger. 'I gave up the Pro League because Mom and Dad wanted me to be a professor and not "a worthless duelist." They needed me to help them, but they didn't think I could make more being a professional duelist. And obviously, I couldn't be both…'

He remembered the night that he'd dueled Aster Phoenix's late adoptive father and been forced out of the Pro League due to illness and exhaustion. He'd chosen to be a teacher rather than drop out of college. His parents had expected no less. After all, they had paid for college, scrimping and saving for their child to do well in life so he could care for them when they were old.

'And what thanks do I get for doing this?' he wondered bitterly. 'A bunch of ungrateful kids who cut class or sleep through it and adore a slacker like Jaden Yuki…' Said teenage boy was waving like a maniac from the stern of the boat even as it was almost to the point where the teachers could no longer see who was waving. This student, in Stein's mind, was the cause of absenteeism and sleeping in his classes, not to mention the increasingly negative student evaluations. The fall semester evaluations rang particularly in his head today.

"Mr. Stein speaks in a monotone and doesn't pay attention to when I ask questions…"

"I like Professor Stein, but he doesn't seem to put effort into his lectures. It's as if he doesn't really care if we're there or not…"

"I try to pay attention in Professor Stein's class, but he's boring. I'm sure he doesn't mean to be, but I can't help falling asleep…" Unbeknownst to the professor, this complaint belonged to one Jaden Kiyo Yuki. But even if he had known, it wouldn't have mattered. Stein's anger at the Slifer boy couldn't have been worse. Normally, the man's expression was quite stoic but today he frowned visibly. Another teacher who had had his troubles with the Slifer boy noticed.

Dr. Vellian Crowler, a gangly blonde man who wore pink ruffles with his Obelisk Blue coat was known as one of the toughest instructors at Duel Academy. He was the vice-chancellor, had held the position of chancellor briefly and had been at the school since its very first year. He had gotten to know his fellow instructors and knew them well enough to tell when something was troubling them. And so as the teachers turned away from the docks and began to head up to their rooms, Crowler fell into step next to Stein. "Ben, my friend, you seem a little upset today. If you'd like to talk about it, feel free," he offered gently.

"Could we talk about it privately, Vellian?" the slightly younger man asked.

"Of course…"

MR HOLLANDS OPUS MR HOLLANDS OPUS

An hour later, in the Obelisk common room, Vellian brought his grandmother's tea set to a table where Benjamin Stein now sat, a pensive look on his face as he straightened his round glasses. "All right, Ben," Vellian said as he sat down, pouring a cup of Darjeeling for Ben and himself, "what seems to be the trouble?"

Ben wasn't sure where to begin and tried to collect his thoughts. Finally, it came out in barely controlled rage. "I hate teaching… I hate feeling trapped here! I hate that I have to deal with ungrateful spoiled kids who think that they have the right to sleep through my classes, and then get angry because I give them poor grades. Then they give me poor evaluations!" He ran his fingers through his hair. "They don't care!"

Vellian, for a moment, wasn't certain what to say. He had sat through a few of Ben's classes and though he didn't agree with some of what the students said, he did agree with others. And what Ben had just said about the students not caring… Well, that was something that had to be corrected. "They do care… In fact… I brought your spring semester evaluations here so we could talk about them…" He had set a blue folder emblazoned with the school logo on it to this meeting, having guessed it had something to do with the younger man's teaching. "Ben, of all that I've read from these students, the message I get most strongly is that they care and they care about you…"

He pulled out a raw copy of the reviews, recognizing the handwriting. "This is Jaden Yuki's review. Ordinarily, as you know, we wouldn't let you see the raw copy. But in this instance, Chancellor Shepherd agreed that it would be beneficial for you to see what a few students said."

Ben took the copy and read carefully. I really like Professor Stein's class, but I just can't ever stay awake, the boy had written. He talks about really cool stuff like Yugi dueling in Battle City and Pharaoh Atem fighting against Zork Necrofadeez, but he talks in this really boring voice like he doesn't care about what he's teaching. I really try to stay awake, but I can't do it and I'm really sorry… But I do really like learning about Dueling History and I like Professor Stein too!

Vellian silently handed him another paper, this time from Alexis Rhodes. She also had written that she liked Professor Stein and his class. However… I have problems with how he teaches the material. I'm sure it's not intentional, she wrote, but he teaches like he's somewhere else. I don't know what's wrong and I wish I could help somehow, but I don't know how else to tell him.

"And this is from Violet Haverbrook," the vice-chancellor added, handing Stein the last he would for a while.

Ben read this paper with interest. Violet Haverbrook was about as… inattentive as Jaden Yuki, but somehow the purple-haired, green-eyed Obelisk girl managed a B average in his class. I was really excited to learn more about Dueling History. Especially about the Egyptians! But... he made it so... boring. I really wanted to hear about the history, but it was impossible not to doze off. If it wasn't for the book, I probably would have failed. He needs to be more interesting and exciting.

"Many of the students feel the same, Ben," Vellian said gently. "They like you, but they think that your teaching methods need to be improved. Have you asked yourself the question, 'Where could I improve?'"

The dark-haired instructor thought carefully as he took a sip of the hot Darjeeling, savoring the smell and the tangy yet slightly sweet flavor of it. 'Have I ever asked myself that question?' he repeated in his head. In all his time at the Academy, had he ever considered the possibility that his methods might need adjustment? Had he really looked at that part of his evaluations from Vellian or Andrew Shepherd? "I… I guess I haven't," he admitted.

Vellian nodded calmly. "I wondered if you had, but right now, I think that's secondary. You said that you hate teaching and you feel trapped. Tell me about that…"

Silence reigned for a long moment. Ben chose his words carefully, and explained to the vice-chancellor how his life had been. "Mom and Dad never had a lot of money, and yet they managed to pay for a college education for me. They wanted me to become a teacher. It was steady work and fairly secure. But when I was little, I became enamored with dueling. As it grew more popular, I became more certain that I wanted to be a professional. But my parents saw no profitable future in it. They reminded me constantly of the sacrifices that they'd made to give me education at Domino University, and so, I decided to try dueling and getting my degree. But it took its toll on me.

"About ten years ago, I was set to duel Kyle Jables, the D… I was feeling sick already, but I thought I could handle it. But then, just after I summoned my first monster, the room began to spin and I collapsed. I didn't have a chance for a rematch. My professors were understanding, but my parents… were furious…" Stein bowed his head, remembering how angry and disappointed they had been.

Vellian refilled Ben's tea cup and sighed. "They were angry because you'd kept it from them? Or were they angry that you'd gone against their wishes?"

"Both," Ben sighed sadly. "It took me two weeks to fully recover. And by then, I knew I had to make a choice. I could try to make a comeback in the Pros or continue with my studies. I couldn't do both. So I felt the only thing I could do was become a teacher. And that's what I did. I finished my courses, and when a post opened up here, I signed up. I realized if I couldn't duel, I could teach at the best duel school in the country, if not the world. And so I taught. My parents were pleased, and I could teach about dueling, so I was pleased about that. It seemed a perfect compromise. But then…" His eyes clouded with anger. "Then I had to teach students like Jaden, who slept through class…"

Vellian sighed again. "Ben… with Jaden, it is nothing personal. Have you ever looked at his files? I hadn't until Chancellor Shepherd made me." He got up and motioned Stein to do the same. They paced around the common room as the gangly blonde man spoke. "Jaden has had certain troubles in his life, and it's a miracle the boy that we teach is as happy as he is. I don't think his friends know everything about him; it doesn't seem like he's told them. But anyway, he even fell asleep in Lyman's classes, if you'll remember, and Lyman was his favorite teacher." Lyman, of course, was the late Professor Lyman Banner, the former head of the Slifer Red dorms.

"But now… nearly every student does what he does, including Alexis Rhodes, and we know how much influence he has over her," Ben said sullenly.

Vellian stopped in his tracks and looked Ben straight in the eyes, an edge of frustration creeping into his voice. "Ben, you're still intent on blaming Jaden, aren't you? But I must remind you what I've seen and I know Andrew Shepherd has seen. When the students come to your class, they pay attention the first couple of days. And then, they start to lose focus. Some last longer than others. Jaden isn't the first to fall asleep in your classes, and honestly, if you don't change your ways, he won't be the last to do it. But now, I must ask you as well, if you hate teaching so much, why do you continue with it?"

"Because… I don't know what else to do," Ben admitted, anger giving way to sadness. "I was trained to teach, and yet… Vellian…" He felt something burning his gray eyes. It had been a long time since he'd felt the burn of frustrated tears and so it was a surprise when one made its way down his pale cheek.

The vice-chancellor sighed yet again and guided his colleague back to their table. "You don't want to, but you want to do your best. Is that right?" he asked kindly.

Ben nodded. "I've tried to love this job, but… It's honestly very hard when you feel forced into it and then it feels as if you aren't making a difference…"

"Ben… do you love history?" Vellian asked suddenly.

Ben nodded. "Of all the subjects I studied, history is my favorite." Some animation came into his voice. "I love learning about how different events shaped the world we live in. I love seeing so many times and adventures that people had. It's amazing. I was able to see the Valley of the Kings five years ago and it was… awe-inspiring. I even have a piece of the dock where Joey Wheeler and Yugi Muto dueled at Battle City. I got it as a symbol of dueling power and friendship."

"Have you ever showed that to the students?" Vellian asked curiously.

"Well… no…"

"Then we have a little less than three weeks to help you learn how to incorporate things like that into your lessons…"

"Three weeks?"

Vellian nodded. "I always leave the academy for a few weeks in the summer, Ben, and travel. Last summer, I spent time with Auntie Giada in Italy. But this summer, I'm staying closer to home… So what we're going to do is practice. I'm not going to use the buzzwords you probably heard in teacher training, but I am going to try and help you turn things around. Are you willing to try?"

Ben thought about it quickly and then he remembered other students who aced his course despite having fallen asleep in class. 'Maybe I need to refocus and try to like this job,' he thought. The truth was he had never really let himself try to do that. In fact, after the duel with the D, even with the anger and resentment, at Duel Academy, he'd gone emotionally numb. He might not have realized it until now, but he did want to feel again. "I am willing to try, Vellian. I owe it to the students to do that."

GX RULES GX RULES GX RULES GX RULES GX RULES

The next day, Ben and Vellian met in the main building. Ben was ready with his lesson, one that he'd done with his junior-year students earlier in the year. It was all about the time that the Seal of the Orichalcos had wreaked havoc upon the modern world and in Ben's opinion, it had been scary but exciting. "All right, Ben. I've set up the classroom with dummies so it's like you have a few students. I'll be in here and making notes. Let's see how you do," Vellian said. And so Ben Stein began his lesson. He thought it was going well; that is, until he noticed his evaluator staring off into space.

"Vellian, is something wrong?" Ben asked, stopping his lecture.

The vice-chancellor blinked, his pencil in his fingers. "Oh, my… I'm sorry, Ben, I drifted off… Where were you?"

Ben sighed and then remembered who he was dealing with. And then it hit him. "Am I really that boring?" he asked bluntly.

The other teacher sighed too, standing up from his seat. "Ben, you started to lose me fairly early on. You're teaching such an exciting area of history, and one that many of the students would remember. It happened 12 years ago. Atticus Rhodes would have been in the first grade and might remember. The other older students would have been in preschool or kindergarten. Why not ask them what they remember about the days when Duel Monsters roamed the earth? Bring them into the lesson…"

Ben nodded. "All right, Vellian… What do you remember about when that happened?"

"Well, I was 25 at the time, and of course the people around me were terrified… Especially when Ancient Gear Golem walked toward me…" Vellian told his tale of how the large robot creature had seen a baby bird fall from its nest. "… I was surprised when Ancient Gear Golem reached out and caught the little thing. He gently put it back up in the nest and looked at me with his red optics. Somehow I knew he wouldn't hurt me… He stretched his arm and hand out to me… I stretched out mine to him, and then… he disappeared. I never forgot meeting him…"

Ben's eyes were wide. "That is amazing… and you made a point about living history… I enjoyed that, Vellian…"

"Did your instructors ever tell you how to engage your students in classes?" the Obelisk headmaster asked curiously.

Ben thought about it. "They did, and I got good ratings for doing it in class and in my student teaching. I guess I forgot how to do it."

"Okay. Ben, this approach of getting me into it was much better. And you seemed to really enjoy it too. Keep going…" Ben did and kept asking Vellian questions about the Orichalcos incident as he did.

When Ben was done, he was surprised at how good he felt. "That was… actually fun," he said to Vellian as he gathered his things up. "How did I do with the different approach?"

Vellian smiled. "Ben, I think you did much better once you brought me into the lesson. You still have to work on making your tone a little more animated, but you did improve wonderfully today. Let's try it again tomorrow."

GX ROCKS GX ROCKS GX ROCKS

For the next few days, Ben and Vellian worked together on improving the former's classroom technique. On the fourth day, the entire faculty joined in on the lesson and actually had a fun time with it. "Professor Stein," Fonda Fontaine asked, raising her hand, "could Joey Wheeler have won that match with Marik's dark side?"

Ben nodded. "Yes, Miss Fontaine, I believe he could have. You see, Egyptian God Phoenix had no attack points and in a normal game, attacking Joey meant no loss of life points. But what happened during that duel was that Phoenix drained Joey's physical strength. Had he lasted just a little longer, he could have declared his attack and decimated Marik's remaining life points, winning the duel. Good question." He looked up at the clock. "And we're out of time for today…"

Chancellor Andrew Shepherd stood up from his seat and clapped. "Wonderful improvement, Ben! My goodness, I'd like to sit in on this class when it starts up again in the fall. Should we keep doing this throughout the summer?"

Ben actually smiled. "Yes, Andrew, I believe I would like to continue…" Afterward, he came up to Dr. Crowler when the other teachers had left. "How did I do?"

"You've improved by leaps and bounds the past week and a half, Ben. And you seem to be enjoying it more, am I right?"

Ben nodded. "I am… The big test will come with the students in a couple of months. It's different with all of you…"

The blonde instructor smiled a little bit. "It is… but I think you've learned enough to know you can be alive in front of the students. We'll keep up the work throughout the summer…"

And then every instructor's PDA went off. Vellian and Ben pulled theirs out of their pockets and looked at the breaking news emblazoned across the screen. Chazz Princeton, one of the students at Duel Academy, had nearly been killed by his brothers earlier in the day. "Oh, no," Ben murmured softly. "That poor boy…"

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In the days and weeks that followed, Ben Stein watched and waited with the other teachers as the news came about not only Chazz, but other students in their academy. Vellian left for Domino for a couple of weeks, and when he returned, he had news of Bastion Misawa, Violet Haverbrook and Annie Hanson. Misawa and Haverbrook had been admitted to Domino Children's Hospital for strep throat, mono and viruses, while it seemed that the Hanson girl was now in a fight for her life.

"It's a heart condition," Vellian explained for the third time in the faculty lounge. "It has probably been with her all of her life, but now it has reached a dangerous phase. She just had gotten out of the hospital and was with Syrus Truesdale, Bastion and Violet when I saw her. Apparently Slade and Jagger Princeton tried to have Chazz killed the other night along with Annie, Atticus and Alexis Rhodes, Jaden and Zane and Syrus Truesdale. They're a bit bruised and scared, but all right otherwise."

A few weeks ago, Ben would have had difficulty caring about these students, particularly Jaden Kiyo Yuki. But today, his heart ached for each of those young ones. As part of his attempt to like the profession he was in, Ben had started to think about each of his students and write something down that he liked about each of them. It had helped him think about certain students in a much better light. "But Miss Hanson…" Annie Hanson was one of the students that, even though she drank cappuccinos to stay awake, was a joy to have in class because she showed real understanding of the material and enjoyment of the subject. And now he actually worried the girl might not return to the academy or worse, die. The worry was written all over his face.

Vellian sighed again. "She is at risk of a heart attack, though she is on medication. She was clearly worried that she wouldn't be able to return to the academy. I'm going to find out what I can. Ben…" The blonde instructor laid a thin hand on the other teacher's shoulder. "We'll walk through this together. And you're going to learn another lesson about being a teacher… Sometimes, we have to help students through pain as we feel our own pain."

Ben met Vellian's blue eyes with his gray ones. In his emotional isolation, he had ignored that students' problems could be painful. Consequently, he hadn't quite developed empathy with the young ones he instructed. And now, he had it and it was tearing through him like a knife. "How can we do it, Vellian?"

The vice-chancellor gave his colleague a wise expression that conveyed patience, sadness and a little happiness all at once. "We help the students hurt and talk it out. And as we do that, Ben, we talk it out with each other. We offer each other shoulders to cry on and work through it. I remember how it was when all of the students went missing from the Horakhty dormitory. We had upset parents and students to contend with. And every one of us, if you'll remember, was shaken. Chancellor Shepherd had to take three days just to pull himself back together."

Ben nodded, remembering those days and said so. "I guess I didn't think about it much at the time," he admitted. "I suppose I was so wrapped up in myself, I didn't think about what everyone around me was feeling. Now… it hurts to think how I was and how these kids are hurting now. They don't deserve this…"

Vellian shook his head in agreement. "No, they don't… And now, all we can do is be there where we can and pray that they come through this…"

GX GX GX GX GX GX GX GX GX GX GX

There was much need for loving thoughts and prayers in the weeks that followed. Ben, along with the rest of the faculty, heard of a brutal attack on Violet Haverbrook late on July 5th. And then Annie Hanson, Rosa Jimenez and Alexis Rhodes all met with injury and/or illness shortly thereafter. Ben had grown up in a religious home, but as a young adult had questioned whether or not there was a Higher Power. If there was a Higher Being, why did He or She allow his parents to remain in poverty and force their son into a career he didn't want?

For a while, Benjamin Eli Stein had not spoken to God. But now, he found strength in the faith he'd been raised in. And so he prayed simply for the students as he had been taught at Temple B'Nai Torah. He prayed for mercy for them and for their healing and that they would return safely back to school. But the Sunday morning before classes started, as the students arrived, 11 of the new senior class were not among them. Chancellor Shepherd called an emergency meeting of the faculty at noon, just as the majority of the student body arrived.

The chancellor walked into the faculty meeting lounge looking very grave. "Everyone, I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news. Last night, Alexis Rhodes, Violet Haverbrook, Annie Hanson and Rosa Jimenez were kidnapped in Domino Central Park. Early this morning, Miss Jimenez was admitted to Domino Children's Hospital with injuries caused by electric shock. Tyson Hassleberry dueled and won against her assailant. I assume all of you recall the incident with the Shadow Riders?" The other faculty members nodded.

Ben raised his hand. "Sir, are you saying that they are responsible for this?"

Andrew Shepherd nodded. "Two of the former Shadow Riders are involved. Rosa's assailant joined them, as he was her former suitor. The other Shadow Riders involved are Taniya the Amazon and Camula the vampire. Bastion Misawa is dueling Taniya at midnight tonight in the ancient coliseum here. Jaden Yuki, Syrus and Zane Truesdale will challenge Camula at midnight Tuesday… It'll be Wednesday morning when we know the outcome of that duel. We're going to inform the students of what's going on. Ideally, we'd be able to get to the coliseum and get to Violet, but Taniya made it clear that if anyone other than Bastion comes, Violet dies."

Professor Don Sartyr, the head of the Ra Yellow dorm moaned softly. Bastion was, admittedly, his favorite student. He had watched with joy as the boy who'd come to Duel Academy in 2016 grew into a mature young man. And now that young man was facing the duel of his life. "We can do nothing?" he asked, gray eyes full of worry.

"No, Don, we can't," Andrew answered sadly. "We are going to tell the students the truth, and undoubtedly, they will ask questions. We can't hide this from them, and nor should we try. Better they hear what's going on from us than guessing and posting it on Facebook as the gospel truth. The school counselors can't do it all… Do any of you not feel like you can act as counselors as needed? I have to ask…"

All of the teachers exchanged glances. A few months ago, Ben might have admitted to not feeling up to this. Truth to tell, even now he wasn't sure he was up to it. But if the past couple of months of training had taught him anything, it was that he couldn't run away from this. And so he left his hand down. Vellian cocked his right eyebrow up in approval.

GX ROCKS GX ROCKS GX ROCKS GX ROCKS

Ben's first test of teacher empathy came the next afternoon after Dueling History 101. Most of the incoming freshmen didn't know the students involved in mortal combat, and so managed to pay attention to their lessons. But it seemed that one student in the new class did know the missing young duelists. She was a petite raven-haired girl of about ten and a half years old, dressed in her version of a Slifer Red girl's uniform.

Stein consulted his notes, remembering Blair Flannigan from over a year and half ago when she had successfully sneaked into the academy as an exceedingly gifted 3rd grader. It seemed she had accelerated in her studies, breezing through her elementary and middle school level work at Domino Elementary School's enriched learning program to legitimately gain entrance to the academy. And now, she sat in the front row with the Slifer boys, having received special permission to be in that dorm. She seemed mentally far away from the lesson, staring off into space. "Miss Flannigan," Ben called to her after it was over, "I'd like to speak to you for a moment, please."

Blair started guiltily, knowing that she hadn't been paying attention like she usually did. 'I'm in trouble, and it's only my first day,' she thought in frustration. 'But I can't stop worrying about Jaden and his friends… It's not fair!'

Stein, meanwhile, fought his instincts. 'I wasn't boring this time,' he thought. 'But maybe something is troubling her. I'll see what's going on.'

Blair walked up to the instructor, brown eyes clearly frightened. "I'm sorry, Professor Stein… I know I wasn't paying attention…"

"Miss Flannigan, I did notice that," he answered in his typical doleful monotone. "But I would like to know why you weren't paying attention today. Do you have another class?"

Blair shifted, still feeling bad. "No, sir… Am I in trouble?"

"No, Miss Flannigan, but it is clear that something is troubling you. Would you like to talk about it?" he asked.

The young girl's eyes went wide. She'd heard about Professor Stein and thought he would be distant. But this man wasn't. She nodded. "Okay."

Together they walked to Dorothy's café and got some sodas. "All right, Miss Flannigan, what seems to be the trouble?" Ben asked again.

And then Blair's eyes teared up. "I… I'm worried about Jaden," she admitted. "I mean… He's going to get hurt! And his friends are already getting hurt! They were nice to me when I was here. It's not fair!"

The Ben Stein of a few months ago wouldn't have known how to handle this. In fact, he would have told the lone Slifer girl that life wasn't fair and that she should deal with it. But now… "Miss Flannigan, it isn't fair when these things happen. And I can't guarantee how this will play out," he said, meeting her brown eyes with his gray ones. "But what I can guarantee is that I and all of the other teachers are here for you. It's all right to be scared and worried. And it's all right to talk about that fear. What do you do when you're worried about something?"

The two talked for the entire class period, Blair crying a bit but feeling better afterward. "Thanks, Professor Stein," she said with a watery smile. "Thanks for talking with me. I feel a little bit better now."

"I'm pleased that you do, Miss Flannigan. Are you all right to attend your classes?"

"Yes, sir," she answered, picking up her books. "Thank you for talking me through it, Professor Stein." They stood and impulsively, the young girl gave the teacher a hug. It was a first for Ben to receive a hug from a student. And it felt good. He hugged back gently. They said good-bye and headed back to their classes.

GX RULES GX RULES GX RULES GX RULES

That night at 10:45 PM, the teachers gathered just outside the school's main building. "All right, everyone, only a few of us will head down to the dock to meet Bastion. I'll need someone to stay up here with the students. Professor Uchiha, stay with the Ras," Chancellor Shepherd stated. "Professor Ginsburg, stay with the Obelisks. Professor Stein, you're with the Slifers."

Stein raced down to the Slifer dorms where the Red students had congregated in the cafeteria. They all looked up at him for answers, but he had none to give. All they could do was wait. An hour passed without comment, and then Stein's PDA went off. He picked it up and quickly scanned the message. He then read it out loud. "'Violet is injured and is being taken to Domino Children's Hospital.' Everyone, we need to think good thoughts for Miss Haverbrook and Bastion Misawa, who is in Ra Yellow."

"But sir, what if it's not enough?" one boy asked, his blue eyes fearful.

Ben took a deep breath, trying to find his mental center. He hoped his answer would be good enough. "We just have to hope that it is, Kenny…"

GX GET YOUR GAME ON GX GET YOUR GAME ON

In the days that followed, Ben worried that thoughts and prayers might not be enough. But he found oddly that the students were a source of strength to him. On Thursday night, as the band of students at Domino Children's waited and prayed one of their number would return, the students at Duel Academy Central held a candlelight vigil. Alexis Rhodes' friends, Mindy Carrington and Jasmine Fairbanks organized the entire thing and as soon as it was dark, the student body gathered near what was known as Jaden's chilling tree.

"Okay, everyone, we all know why we're here," Jasmine, a pretty red-headed girl with gray eyes called out over a bullhorn. "We're here in support of our friends now at Domino Children's Hospital. Most of them are recovering, but this afternoon, Annie Hanson took a turn for the worse and is in critical condition. The doctors don't know if she's going to make it. So good thoughts, prayers… All of those and anything else is needed. Anyway, we'd like anyone who wants to talk about our friends to come up and share." Students came up and shared their thoughts and most of the teachers did as well. Ben, however, couldn't do it yet. But when the participants in the vigil sang Annie's favorite song, "Faith of the Heart" together, he sang along.

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On Saturday, the school got the welcome news that Annie Hanson was awake and was going to live. Teachers and students alike breathed sighs of relief at the news. The Obelisk girls and Blair had a huge party to celebrate that all of their number would return to Duel Academy. And in the teachers' lounge…

"They're fine, man!" Professor Roy Ginsburg whooped. He was a pleasant-faced man with blonde hair and a soul patch beard. He wore a special version of the Academy's school jacket in a tie-dye fabric with peace sign buttons and a peace sign belt buckle. He also sounded like the stereotypical hippie.

"I'm so relieved!" Fonda Fontaine exclaimed joyously, hugging Don Sartyr impulsively.

The Ra headmaster blushed slightly but got control of himself quickly. "I will make the entire school a celebratory dinner this evening. If you're up to help me, Dorothy," he said, glancing meaningfully at the school café's owner.

"Of course, Don. Sadie and I are at your disposal," the plump, jolly woman grinned eagerly.

Ben took a deep breath. 'I hope I don't regret this,' he thought. "Um, Don? Could you use some additional help with this project? I'm afraid I am a lousy cook, but I can set tables or whatever else you need."

Don's eyes widened slightly in surprise and then he smiled at this turn of events. "Of course, Ben. We'll set up tables in the gym and you can help Professor Uchiha prepare the chafing dishes."

It took about an hour to get the party organized. While Don and most of the other teachers worked on cooking a sumptuous banquet, Ben found himself fixing the gym with Professor Naoki Uchiha. "Have you done this often, Naoki?" the history instructor asked the math teacher as they placed chafing dishes on a table underneath the basketball hoops. "Set up for parties, I mean."

Naoki Uchiha, raven-haired, dark-eyed and burly, looked like he would be more at ease in a self-defense course rather than with mathematics. He also looked as if he was related to the Uchiha clan of a certain anime. His personality, however, did not match up with one particular Uchiha. "Oh, yeah," he answered with a smile on his face. "I worked parties when I was in college. I didn't make a lot of money, but I made enough to pay some bills and have a little fun. I must say it's refreshing to have you here to help. I'm glad you've started to open up a bit and have fun, Ben. We all like having you here… Have you changed your opinion on teaching?"

Ben flushed a little bit. "I guess I didn't really let myself like this job until now, Naoki. And honestly, I'm glad to be here and I actually enjoy having the students back. And for the first time, I think they're enjoying me," he observed.

Naoki nodded. "They are. The freshmen that come to me after Dueling History 101 for Math 101 are getting interested about history. They still think you talk in a monotone voice sometimes, but you are passionate about your subject now. Even the senior students are talking about it. I heard one kid say, 'Better late than never.' I think they're glad you finally made changes. And all of us in the faculty notice you're coming out of your shell. It's nice to see." They worked for a little bit longer, getting decorations up and then set up the chafing dishes for a casserole that Don was making.

"Okay, how do I light this fuel?" Ben asked, picking up a butane barbeque lighter.

Naoki Uchiha got a slightly naughty expression on his face and picked up a lighter as well. "Like this! FIREBALL JUTSU!" he shouted dramatically, flicking the lighter on. Stein involuntarily took a step back, having seen the Naruto anime and half-expecting to see a huge fireball come out of the end of the lighter. However, a little flame came out of the lighter, licking the fuel into flame like a kitten's tongue fluffs fur. For a brief moment, the two instructors looked at each other, sweat-dropping. And then they began to laugh.

GX RULES GX RULES GX RULES GX RULES

Nearly 6 weeks went by before Jaden Yuki and his friends returned to school with a full rally to greet them. The next day, they entered Professor Stein's class for the first time in nearly 4 months. At the beginning of class, the instructor said, "I'd like to welcome all of our newly returned students back to school. It's good to see all of you again." He moved smoothly into the lecture, discussing the ancient city of Atlantis under the rule of King Dartz. He couldn't help but notice that Jaden fell asleep (again) halfway through the lecture. That, however, was unusual as the boy usually fell asleep about 10 minutes into the lecture.

At the end of the class, Jaden himself came up to Professor Stein with an apologetic expression. "Um, Professor Stein? Sir, I'm really sorry. Your lesson was more fun today; it really was! But… I just couldn't stay awake. But I liked the lecture…"

Stein held up his hand for silence. He had noticed that Jaden had made an effort to stay awake. He also knew about the stress the boy had been under during the summer. "Jaden, it's your first day back and I understand. You don't need to apologize," he said in his usual monotone. "I'm pleased if you enjoyed the lecture today. Just try to stay awake next time. There is no penalty for you."

"But," Jaden began and then stopped, eyes widening with shock. "Sir? You… Really?"

Stein nodded. "Really. Just try not to duel as late as you often do. Yugi Muto did well in school, despite tournament pressures and other things. If you truly wish to be the King of Games, you need to do well in your studies."

Jaden grinned happily. "Yes, sir! Thank you, sir!" The boy said good-bye and ran off to catch up with his fiancée, Alexis Rhodes and their friends. Ben smiled as they left the classroom, reflecting that for the first time in his career, he actually loved teaching.

THE END

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