I'M NOT DEAD! (cough) I mean…Hello, dear readers. It has been too long, hasn't it? My sincerest apologies for the inconvenience you have suffered. And now, if you'll kindly turn off your cellphones, we can start the show! (lights dim and curtain rises…)
"It's wonderful! My brother will be so excited! Thank you so much!" Kaiba gushed, grabbing Suanne into a one-armed hug, the other arm protectively clutching a grubby piece of paper to his chest. Just visible were the words: PIE RECIPE.
Yugi rolled his eyes as Suanne blushed and Carl laughed and clapped Kaiba heartily on the shoulder. He turned his attention back to the cards in his hand and then looked carefully at his opponent.
"Have you got any eights?" he asked cautiously.
"Go Fish!" the five-year-old sang out confidently while her siblings laughed at his bad luck. Jessi was turning out to be more of a challenge than he had thought. Meanwhile…
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"I'm telling you! The only way we're getting in is if one of us distracts the dog and the other two make a run for it," Malik urged. Ryou's horrified gaze rapidly shifted between the determined Egyptian and the now-foaming dog still pacing the perimeter of the fence. Joey was shaking his head.
"You're insane. Nobody's stupid enough to volunteer to be a chew-toy for that thing!" he exclaimed.
"So we play for it. The loser has to be the distraction," Malik countered, a crafty look on his face.
"Alright, but let's make this quick. Who knows what's happening in there! We've already heard Kaiba scream. I don't wanna hear Yug' getting tortured too," the blonde replied.
"Unless they tortured him first and we were too far away to hear it," Ryou muttered, before flinching at the deadly glare thrown his way by Joey.
"On the count of three, we play rock, paper or scissors," Malik interrupted. "One, two, three!" There was silence for a moment.
"What the heck is that supposed to be?" Ryou finally asked.
"Dynamite! It means I beat both of you," Malik replied smugly. Both Ryou and Joey stared at him for a moment before exchanging a knowing glance. Two seconds later, Malik was sprinting as fast as he could while mumbling Egyptian curses under his breath, a rapidly gaining dog close behind him.
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"Psst!" a voice whispered and Yugi looked around, startled. He was sitting alone by the window, having been thoroughly trounced by the grinning Jessi, who was now trying on his last remaining silver bracelet with triumphant glee. Kaiba was seated with Suanne at the table, poring over her book of recipes, pointing out ones he was familiar with and having an in-depth conversation about spices and temperatures. Yugi privately thought that he had been poisoned by the food and was now delirious, but wisely kept this observation to himself. Carl and his brothers had left the house, saying something about someone upsetting their new puppy, Lulu, while the rest of the children were involved in an intricate game concerning a lot of running about randomly and screaming at the top of their lungs.
"Psst! Yugi!" came the voice again and he turned, catching sight of a pair of brown eyes peering anxiously through a gap in the shutters. Checking to make sure nobody was watching, Yugi cautiously opened them and came face to worried face to terrified face with Joey and Ryou. Before he could do more than gape at them, he was distracted by an even more startling occurrence.
"Yugi!" screamed Malik, wheeling into view like a crazy whirling-dervish, a snarling dog at his heels and three large, plaid-shirted men right behind them. In an astonishing display of athletic ability, he leaped through the open window, scooped Yugi over his shoulder and dashed out the door at the opposite end of the room.
Ryou and Joey hesitated a second before scrambling in after him, grabbing an outraged Kaiba on the way. They were briefly halted in their rescue attempt by Kaiba's struggles and anguished cries about recipes before Joey knocked him out with a convenient empty pie dish and slung him over his shoulder. This left Ryou to carry the two heavy suitcases once again, which he did quite hurriedly, as the dog and the three men chasing them had been joined by an angry-looking woman followed by a multitude of screaming children.
Malik had reached the truck out front by this time and threw a very confused Yugi into the back before clambering into the driver's seat, where the keys were still in the ignition. A heartbeat later, Joey joined Yugi in the back, an unconscious Kaiba dumped beside him while Ryou leaped in front beside Malik. They tore out of the yard, tires screeching, leaving a very confused and slightly worried family behind.
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By the time Kaiba regained consciousness, they were far from anything remotely familiar and had just passed a sign stating that the Blue Crown hotel was only 50 miles ahead. Groaning and squinting in an attempt to see past the excruciating pain that caused stars to flash in front of his eyes, he heard Yugi complaining about a cheating five-year-old who lied while playing 'Go Fish'. His memories returned in a rush and he sat up swearing.
"Oh good, you're not dead," his annoying, blonde nemesis grinned, before turning back to the supposed King of Games, who had paused in his whining to glance at him in concern.
"How are you feeling? Are you back to normal?" Yugi asked worriedly. Kaiba ignored him in favour of turning a baleful glare on Joey, who smirked infuriatingly back at him. He hit him upside the head, turning away with a smirk of his own when the blonde yelped. He looked curious though when Yugi sighed in apparent relief.
"Oh good. You were acting pretty strange back there and I thought that we might have a problem for a while. But it seems that having Joey hit you with a pie dish brought you back to your senses. What a relief." He grinned then at Kaiba, unaware of the brunette's sudden burning desire to kill each and every one of them.
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The sun was rising as they reached the turning for the Blue Crown Hotel, and everyone gave a silent prayer of thanks that they had made it there alive. Malik's driving skills left a lot to be desired, mainly to do with survival.
The five were quite aware of how bizarre they looked with their dirty clothing and their filthy (and stolen) pickup truck. They were even more aware of their appearance when they finally caught sight of the hotel itself. Unlike their previous accommodations, the Blue Crown Hotel was clearly a quality, five-star establishment and it was with some misgiving that the group pulled up and approached the entrance. For a moment, it seemed as though the doorman was going to refuse to allow them entry until Kaiba put on his most obnoxious sneer and marched past as though he were the king of the world. The other four scurried in after him.
After much arguing and explaining, they were given three rooms. This meant four of them would be doubling up and one would get a single room to himself.
"I book Yugi!" Joey yelled, grabbing his diminutive friend around the neck, causing him to yelp in surprise. Kaiba's eyebrow twitched but before he was able to make a scathing remark about the mutt clearly needing a keeper anyway, he was distracted by a tugging on his tattered-looking coat.
"I don't want to share with Malik," Ryou said softly, gazing pleadingly up at him. "He sleeps naked." Kaiba looked over at the Egyptian, who was currently eyeing out the cute girl behind the reception desk, and then back at the white-haired youth giving him puppy eyes. He sighed.
"Fine. Ishtar gets the single room."
Odd place to end, I know. But I want to dedicate an entire chapter to the hotel scene so it's best if we cut it off here. Not as funny, I know, but I promise they get better. And we're nearly at the end now. Only a few more to go. I'm thinking about writing a sequel of sorts, detailing the adventures of the yamis and siblings as they scour the countryside for our missing heroes. What do you think?
Lots of love (And sorry again for the long delay)
DeadFoxy
P.S. Thanks so much for all the reviews and critiques, not to mention the alerts and tagging this as a favourite. It means so much to me that you guys actually respond!
