Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh, All Dogs Go to Heaven or Heaven's Not Enough; they all belong to their respective owners. Everything else belongs to me.

Chapter Ten

Bakura slouched against the wall in front of the Palace of Thebes, watching as Yugi wandered over. He smothered a smirk as the boy noticed him and gave a shy wave. Bakura simply gave a nod before jerking his head to the side in a clear order for Yugi to come over to him. The young teen hesitated for a moment before wandering over.

"Afternoon, Bakura." The white haired man responded with a grunt, waving the cheery greeting away easily. He was too tired for cheer, especially after slinking around Domino at crazy hours in the morning after consuming large amounts of alcohol the evening before. He waited until Yugi's smile had dimmed a bit before he spoke.

"Found your grandfather; he lives in the game shop on Uno Street. Don't hug me." He held up his hands as Yugi moved forward, finding himself glaring at the boy. He could see a brief similarity between the brat and Ryou, the same sparkle in the eyes when they were happy. Bakura sneered, taking a step back from Yugi. "Now you can go back where you belong."

"Bakura…"

"Don't think that you can stay here. You're too different from the rest of us." Bakura shrugged his shoulders before turning around to walk off. "Anybody could look at you and see you belong on the 'proper' side of Domino. I'm surprised that the Pharaoh has put up your presence for all this time."

He could feel the question that Yugi longed to ask from the teen's stare on his back, but he wasn't about to stop to answer it. If Yugi wanted to find out more about his precious savior, he could go ask Yami himself. Bakura had done his one good deed and successfully transferred the danger to Ryou and himself away.

Yugi would demand to go back to his home and Yami would act according to his plan. And it would be the last time he saw Yugi, unless he had the back luck to walk into whatever casino Yami had dropped the brat off in.

Yugi felt his heart pounding quickly as he ran through the Palace of Thebes, flinging aside the curtain that hid the offices from the gamblers. He pounded down the corridor, barely having the time to throw open the office door before he ran into it. He got a brief glimpse of Yami sitting behind the desk, one hand on his forehead to support his whole head, before stumbling to an awkward stop.

He leaned over, hands pressed to his knees as he attempted to catch his breath. He heard Yami's soft noise of confusion before the older teen stood up and walked over to him. Yugi tensed a moment as Yami laid a hand on his shoulder. "Aibou?"

"Bakura…he…" Yugi shook his head, needing more time to catch his breath. Beside him, Yami tensed, the hand on his shoulder clenching for a moment before relaxing.

"What did Bakura do?" There was coldness in Yami's voice that made Yugi repress a shiver. He had never heard the older teen use that tone of voice, even when taunting customers that challenged him. Yugi straightened up, the hand on his shoulder sliding off to come to rest by Yami's side.

"Nothing like that. Bakura found where my grandfather lives." Some emotion flashed through Yami's eyes, too fast for Yugi to quite catch what it was. He rushed on before he lost the courage to speak. "So, that means I can go home. I mean, it should be safe because you've let us travel more out in the open."

"But I…" Yami glanced down at him; the usually bright eyes now a duller crimson as he worked over the information given to him. Yugi shifted backward as Yami's posture slumped by the minutest amount. "You really want to go. Now?"

He had intended to leave as soon as possible. After all, he didn't have much to pack. But, why did it hurt so much to contemplate saying goodbye? It wasn't as if he had ever considered just sneaking away as soon as it was safe. Ryou and Yami had become too important to him to just leave behind without an explanation.

Yugi looked at his shoes, scuffing them across the carpet. "Well, not now now. But, yeah, I want to go home."

Was it his imagination or did Yami actually flinch? Yugi bit his lower lip, worrying it as he waited for a reaction from Yami. Any kind of motion or speech. Anything but the stunned silence that was drifting out between them.

Yugi risked a glance up at Yami when the silence began to grate on his nerves. Something had been telling him to get out of the room as fast as he could, but he couldn't just leave right then. And he was glad of that decision when he looked up at his friend.

The regal posture that Yami always held hadn't been disturbed much, but it was stiffer than usual. It was his eyes that gave the most away. The red eyes stared directly over his head at the wall, empty and unfocused. A motion from Yami's hand made Yugi tear his gaze away from the frightening lack of life in Yami's eyes. His stomach dropped as he watched one hand inch up to grasp the gold watch that hung around Yami's neck, the familiar motion revealing much.

Yami only reached for the watch when he was scared or something was putting him on edge, something dangerous. It was the first thing he reached for in times of trouble or when he was physically threatened. That his hand had went for the watch meant more than anything that Yami had said.

Yugi reached out to touch Yami's hand, startling the older teen as he gently pulled the watch from his grasp and intertwined their fingers. Yugi gave Yami a weak smile before rubbing his thumb over the back of the hand, waiting until the older teen was focused on him again.

Yami looked down at their hands, watching as Yugi swung them lightly. He didn't seem to register what was going on, just following the back and forward motion with his eyes. Finally, after what felt like an eternity of silence, he sighed. "What do you want to do, aibou?"

"Spend one more day together." Yugi strengthened his smile, pulling Yami close. "Just forget about this place and wander around."

When Yami opened his mouth to argue, Yugi gave his hand a squeeze. "Please, for me. It wouldn't kill you to take a break."

The red eyes dropped to look at the watch hanging around his neck before rising back to look at Yugi. There was a nod, so tiny that if he hadn't been looking for it, Yugi would have missed it.

"Alright. And then, tomorrow," Yami's voice dropped, becoming a whisper so faint that Yugi could barely hear it, "I'll take you home."

"Okay. Mana told me about this cool market that's going on close to the river." Yugi tugged Yami's hand and led him out of the office and onto the street, still wary of the way the older teen meekly followed along. Once out in the sunlight, Yugi pulled him into a hug before pulling him forward again, relieved to feel a little more life in his friend.

"Boss?"

"Hmmm?" The uninterested hum came from behind the desk as Noa continued to scribble on the page before him.

"The P…Atemu has left the Palace of Thebes, heading for the market."

Noa dropped his pen, a finger tapping on the wood. "Really. Is everything ready?"

"It will take time, boss. It's a complicated set up."

Noa waved the worries away. "Never mind. Just have someone watching Atemu and my little prize. Have it ready to go."

"Won't you be there, boss?"

He had turned back to his work, the pen scratching lightly on the paper. Noa glanced up once to glare at Rex. "If I can, I will be. If not, bring me the body. I want to make sure that he stays dead this time!"

Yami barely noticed the bright stalls and glittering objects that surrounded the two of them; he was only aware of the bouncing presence of Yugi as the younger teen flitted from stall to stall. He was too busy trying to comprehend what was happening.

The announcement that Yugi had found where his grandfather was surprised him, shocking him into silence. And then, it had hurt. Hurt so much that he had reached for his watch to be sure that his heart was still beating. To make sure that he was still alive. To be sure that this wasn't just another one of his nightmares.

And he knew that he allowed this to go too far.

If it hurt to let go of his little pawn, his little revenge scheme, his aibou; then he had allowed himself to go too far.

It was all the fault of his nature. Deep down, past the hard exterior that he had put on to protect himself from the world after what had happened to his family, he still cared. There were a few that he allowed to see past it and a few that snuck in without his permission. Yugi was one of the latter.

He had always been taking people in until they could stand on their feet, telling himself that it was just one less person for the police of Domino to pick up and ruin. But it had always hurt that bit more when they had left to live their life. That's why he was so happy that Ryou had stuck while others had drifted. Why Yugi was such a big deal pulled at him, because the kid had literally meant nothing to him.

Yami stopped in the middle of the market, staring after Yugi as he ducked out of one stall and wandered across the street to another. The younger teen watched the dance of wraps as a light breeze wandered through the stall that held them, purple eyes sparkling and holding Yami spellbound.

Yugi had once meant next to nothing to him. Now, he was precious to Yami. He now meant more than Yami's own life; the life he had struggled to get back and probably damned himself to hell for.

A choked noise escaped his throat, drawing Yugi's attention back to him. "Yami? Are you alright?"

He managed a sharp nod before forcing himself forward to walk beside Yugi. The usual mask slipped on easily, the one of uncaring nonchalance. He didn't want Yugi to waste his time worrying about him. Not when this may be the last time that he would see Yugi smile. After all, he was a wanted man over in Domino. And he never had been able to force himself to cross the river again, not after what happened to his sister.

A small hand slipped into his, fingers sliding between his as Yugi pulled Yami closer to him. Yami allowed the contact, resisting the urge to close his eyes and savor the feeling. This would be the last time; he was not going to get involved in something that could shatter his already fragile psyche. Especially if it was going to add more fodder to his nightmares.

Movement in the shadows off to the side caught his attention. Yami was about to write it off when he caught the gleam of sunlight on metal. He turned his head to focus on the motion, eyes widening as he watched the figure slink along with them, a bulky shadow being held awkwardly.

Yami walked faster, tugging Yugi along behind him. He cursed himself silently. He had been too distracted with his thoughts and fears to notice anything around him. Hadn't he learned from the last time to pay more attention? Or would it take another car? As he seethed, he searched for a place where they could hide.

His eyes fell on an abandoned theater, a short sigh of relief escaping him as he jerked Yugi into a run. Keeping an eye on their pursuer, he hurried Yugi toward their hideout. The urge to hang onto the watch that swung wildly on the end of the chain grew with every step, a sure sign that danger was coming. He could trust in instincts on that.

"What's going on?" Yami shot Yugi a look, begging him to be quiet a few moments more. A split second later, he yanked Yugi around the corner of a building. He got a flash of brown hair before a gunshot went off, triggering screams as people ran for cover. By his side, Yugi yelped and used his free hand to cover his head.

Yami hissed in displeasure, now sprinting for the chosen cover. Kemo was here, which meant that Keith and Noa would not be too far behind. If he had thought for once instead of letting his emotions drag him around, he would have been safe. Yugi would have been safe.

He bounded up the stairs to the old building, shoving Yugi through before throwing himself in afterward; one hand keeping a hold of the door to swing himself around. Yami pressed his back against the partially open door, trying to calm his breathing enough to look out. He risked a glance back at Yugi, swallowing quickly as he saw the smaller teen trembling.

"Yami," Yugi took a single step forward before Yami waved him back. The small teen shivered in place, pitching his voice to a whisper. "I heard gunshots. What's going on out there?"

"Noa." Yami inched toward the small space that the wood of the door allowed to remain open, turning his back on Yugi. "He's found us."

"What do we do?" Yami ignored the question as he looked outside, carefully scanning the street in front of them before daring to open the door wider and poke his head out. One hand grabbed the watch, pressing it close to his body to protect it from any harm.

The street in front of the theater was empty, and there were no sounds coming from the market; meaning that Noa and his goons had moved off or they were coming this way. Either way, a retreat would be the best tactic for now. Especially since he had Yugi tagging along after him; the smaller teen not knowing the streets as well as he or Ryou would.

He shook himself out of his reverie and pulled his head back in, slowly shutting the door behind him. Yami then turned to look at Yugi, offering a wavering smile as he crossed the room to pull the teen into a hug. "It's alright, aibou. We'll get out of here. Now, stay quiet and follow me."

Yami pulled away and began to make his way across the room, not liking how the floorboards creaked under his boots. Cautiously, he inched over to a red carpet with faux ermine edges. The floor might be more stable closer to the walls. He was about to step onto the gaudy carpet when the floor beneath his feet gave out, broken boards looking like teeth around a gaping maw.

His eyes opened wide as his mind supplied images from his dreams.

Fire blasted from below as a circular hole was opened up in the ground, a funnel of wind dissipating the fire as it reached the surface. The tornado turned lazily for a moment, enjoying its fiery treat before beginning to spin in earnest, pulling Yami back toward the glowing rent in the earth. He dropped to his knees under the force and clawed at the ground, trying to pull himself back, but the pull of the tornado was too strong.

"Aibou!" He saw Yugi's hand at the last moment, reaching out for it; the tips of his fingers brushed against it as he passed. His scream ended in a whimper as the light dropped away in front of him.

There was a squeak just before the sound of cracking repeated itself. Yami saw the light blocked as the carpet fell through a moment behind him. He could make out another darker shadow that flailed before he hit the bottom of his fall, grunting before the water rushed in around him.

He opened his eyes in shock and went to sit up, images of the last time he had been underwater plaguing him. Yami arched backward as something pulled at his neck, bubbles escaping his mouth as he let out his breath. His hands went to the thing around his neck, trying to release the pressure, but it would not grow slack. Finally, becoming frantic, Yami yanked the thing over his head and sat up with a gasp.

He scrambled to his feet, coughing and stumbling over to the lump that the carpet had made. He fell onto the damp fabric, hands fisting in it as he tried to calm his breathing, still weakly coughing as he tried to remove the water from his lungs. Yami shivered slightly as the cold air touched his soaked clothes, closing his eyes in misery.

"Yami?" He felt a gentle hand on his shoulder, shaking him as he didn't respond immediately. Weakly, he let his eyes open. Yugi peered worriedly down at him, dropping to his knees in relief when he realized that Yami was still alive. The smaller teen managed to take a deep breath before draping himself over Yami's back and hugging him awkwardly. "You scared me."

Yami pushed himself up, peeling Yugi from him and rolling to lie on his back. When Yugi whimpered from the sudden loss of contact, Yami pulled him closer, burying his face in Yugi's tri-colored hair. "'m sorry."

The smaller teen nodded, shivering in the embrace before giving a weak cough. Yami gave a worried hum before pulling away to look at Yugi. "Are you okay?"

"Cold. Just very cold. Soaking wet and cold." Yugi cuddled closer, pressing one hand over Yami's heart. Yami spent a moment just holding him close, thankful that they were both okay. Another cough from Yugi made him pull away, guiding the teen to sit on the carpet. He had to get them both out of here before they caught something from being soaked in frigid water. Yami rubbed his arms to try and warm up; looking down as he realized that he was missing something. The familiar comfortable weight of his watch was missing.

He panicked, standing up quickly, one hand running around his neck and down his chest as he searched for the cold circle of metal. He looked down at his feet, dropping to his knees to run his hands over the carpet.

"What are you looking for?"

"My watch." The reply was curt and made Yugi flinch back. Yami winced himself, not wanting to act so harshly toward the smaller teen, but the panic building in him made thinking clearly difficult.

"Maybe it's in the water."

Yami froze on the spot, turning his eyes to the inky water that surrounded them. One hand twitched on the carpet, wanting to reach up and hold the watch as he remembered the stranglehold on his neck when he had landed. He had pulled his watch off, probably because it had been stuck on something. But that meant that it was still submerged. "No."

He stood up before stepping back into the water, trying to see past the dark surface. How long did he have before the watch filled with water and he died? Then how would Yugi get out of here? How would Yugi get back home? Yami shook the thoughts out of his head, trudging through the deep water with one hand pressed over his heart; the steady beat the only thing that convinced him that he was still alive. Even then, he could hear the seconds of his life ticking away.

Wait. Ticking?

Yami spun around to face Yugi, shivering as he listened for the faint sound. "Can you hear that?"

Yugi tipped his head to the side, eyes screwed shut as he listened for anything. "The ticking? Yeah."

"Good." Yami renewed his search for the watch, dropping to his knees in the water to run his hands over the bottom he could not see. It had to be here somewhere. He could hear it. And he was still alive. There was still a chance. A smile twitched across his face. There was still a…

Abruptly the ticking stopped, Yami freezing in place as he tried to breathe. For a moment or two, no air passed through his lungs and his eyes widened in fright. As if he were miles away, Yami could hear Yugi moving, wading through the water as he approached him. "Yami?"

Finally, Yami was able to breathe, dropping forward onto his hands and knees as he sucked in deep breaths of air. He savored the feeling, wishing that these weren't his last moments; trapped in a flooded basement of a derelict theater. Even now he could feel his heart slowing down as his life drained away. He groaned and dropped his head. He thought that the end would have come quickly, instead of letting him linger.

"Yami? Are you okay? Yami! You're scaring me! Say something!"

He looked up, a weak smile on his face as he saw Yugi kneeling in front of him. The younger teen was shivering, tears beginning to run down his cheeks. Or that might have been drops of water from his hair. Thinking required too much effort at the moment.

Yami shifted before reaching up one hand to cup Yugi's cheek, sighing when the smaller teen placed his own hand over Yami's, holding it there. Yami stared directly at Yugi, making sure that he had the whole of the younger teen's attention before speaking. "Good-bye Yugi."

"Good-bye? Where are you going?" His quavering limbs couldn't support him anymore. His eyes flickered closed as his head dropped, chin resting against his chest. Yami swayed a bit before he felt the arm he was supporting himself give way, allowing him to fall into the water as Yugi cried out. "Yami!"

He hit the water, floating in the cold for a moment before he was pulled up against something warm. He could barely hear Yugi's harsh breathing and the frantic calls of his name. Yami just allowed himself to relax back against Yugi as his end came rushing upon him again.

"Atemu, you can never come back. You can never come-" He shot up from Yugi's lap as the familiar voice rang out. Yami looked around him, standing up as he noticed the stranger that was holding his watch; shut again so the horrible voice couldn't be heard anymore.

The stranger was clothed in a white robe, which he allowed to touch the water, and a turban wrapped around his head. Yami had a glimpse of empty blue eyes as the man glanced over at the two of them before he spoke in a guttural language. Seemingly appearing from thin air, other men moved from the shadows, some of them carrying knives while others carried rope.

Yami reached down to pull Yugi up before shifting the younger teen behind him. He watched as the men circled them, all looking toward their leader as he uttered another string of commands before pointing at Yami. Two of the men with rope looked at each other before advancing. Yami snarled and reached a hand back for Yugi, only to find that he wasn't there.

He spun around, red eyes darkening as he saw Yugi struggling in the hold of two other men. Forgetting about the others heading for him, Yami broke into a run. He was tackled into the water in the next moment, his face pushed into the bottom as the two men tied him up. Yami wiggled and tried to escape, bucking helplessly to get the men off him. They held him under the water until he was close to losing consciousness, mentally begging them to let him up. He didn't want to drown again.

Just as blackness was beginning to nip at the edges of his vision, the men hauled him up, one throwing Yami over his shoulder before moving over to their leader. Yami heard the jingle of the chain as the leader fiddled with the watch before the guttural order to move off. He sighed and allowed himself to hang limply over the man's shoulder, fighting the lethargy that was assaulting him.

And so the plot thickens. Read and review please. Your kind words always make my day.