People Who Care

Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh, only my ideas.

Yugi Moto had just finished his shift at the Kame Game Shop when his friend Marik ran in. "Yugi, guess what we should do today!"

"What?" Yugi asked.

"We should visit Ryou!"

"Okay."

The two boys ran up the stairs to Ryou's front door and rung the doorbell. They were shocked when they were greeted by Ryou's yami, Bakura. Bakura glared down at the two teenagers and asked in a cold voice, "What do you want?"

Marik looked at the yami, and with an equally cold voice replied, "We're here to see Ryou, got a problem with that."

Bakura stepped aside, let them in and said "Not at all, he's in his room."

Marik and Yugi ran up the stairs to Ryou's room and were shocked to see Ryou laying on his bedroom floor bleeding. "Ryou!" Yugi and Marik both cried. Hearing his name, Ryou stired. Cuts and briuses covered his skinny body. His jeans and shirt were ripped in several places. He had cuts across each of his cheeks, a gash on his forehead and several smaller cuts on his face that were dripping blood down the sides of his nose and off the point of his chin. Dried blood was crusted on his clothes and in his hair. Mairk and Yugi ran to Ryou's side and helped him to his feet. Marik felt Ryou's sides and found some of his ribs broken. Ryou opened his eyes slowly after feeling his freinds tying to bandage his wounds with the ripped fabric of his shirt.

"Yugi? Marik? What are you two doing here?" Ryou asked, smiling weakly.

"They came here to see you, what else would they be doing here you imbecile," Bakura smirked from the doorway, "I say, I had no idea you were so popular. Anyway, I'm going to Malik's, and you'd better have dinner ready by the time I get back."

"Y-yes, B-bakura-sama." Ryou stuttered looking at the floor. Bakura then left the room laughing mockingly.

Yugi waited until he heard the door slam shut to ask "How long has this been going on?'

Ryou looked up with tears in his eyes, "Two years."

"We need to get you out of here. You won't be living with him anymore, that's for sure." Marik said. "Come on, we need to get you to the hospital.

A week later, Ryou was allowed to go home. He was shocked when he was greeted at the front door by Marik and Yugi instead of Bakura. Marik saw his surprise and laughed, "You didn't think we were kidding did you, we went to court and got a restraining order against Bakura."

"Really?' Ryou asked, genuinly shocked. After his mother and sister died in a car crash and his father was murdered, he had lived with his yami. Bakura had beaten him everyday and made his life miserable.

"Ryou, are you in there?" Yugi asked, concern obvious on his face.

"Yes, sorry," Ryou said, a quick smile formed on his face, "Why did you go through all this trouble of getting a restraining order? What's going to happen to Bakura? Where will he live?

Marik shrugged, "Bakura will stay at the apartment," A serious expression crossed his features, "And we went through all this trouble because we're tried of seeing you in pain."

"I would have been fine on my own, you didn't have to do this for me." Ryou said nervously, "I mean, I appriciate you concern for me, I really do, I just don't like people doing this much for me. I know it's dumb, but I-"

"Don't want to be a burden." Marik cut in, "I understand, I felt the same way about moving in with Yugi." The three boys pulled into the driveway of the game shop. "Let me ask you this," Marik said to Ryou as they got out of the car with Yugi close behind, "don't you ever get tired of being alone? Don't you want to be part of a family?"

"If you don't recall," Ryou snapped, turning to face Marik and Yugi, hjis back to the car, " My family is dead!"

"I ment us you idiot!" Marik yelled not bothering to hide his frustration, "I ment Yugi and I, we're you family now!"

"Marik clam down!" Yugi exclaimed. "Don't lose your temper!" Marik ignored Yugi and pinned Ryou to the side of the car.

"Marik, I-" Ryou wimpered.

"No, Ryou! Listen to me!" Marik yelled, "Family isn't just based on blood and marriage, it's people who care about you!" Marik losed his grip on Ryou's sholders. "We all love you Ryou, you're part of our family."

"Marik," Ryou wispered, looking at he floor.

Marik saw his freind's sholders begin to shake. "Oh Ra, Ryou I'm so sorry! shouldn't have brought up you family like that!"

"Marik, it's not that-"

"I'm really sorry Ryou!"

"Marik, it's okay. I was so stupid, I was part of a family for so long and I didn't realize that until now." Ryou looked up at Marik and Yugi with a teary smile, "Thank you." The three boys shared a hug.

They stood there until Yugi pulled away and asked "Can we eat dinner now?" Ryou, Marik and Yugi all luaghed and walked inside. They laughed all through dinner, that was the first Ryou had real fun in a whole year.

A/N:

Kit: YES! finally done with my first fanfic!

Kat: Shut up Hikari, I'm trying to sleep!

Kit: You're just mad because I didn't let you help.

Kat: Well...

Kit: If I had, everyone would have been dead.

Kat: So what!

Kit: Anyway, R&R please. Tell me if I spelled anything wrong.