JG: Uuh…. Hi. *smiles sheepishly* First and foremost I would like to apologize for leaving this story hanging for so long. I was…kidnapped by the Supernatural, Criminal Minds, and Doctor Who fandom(s). And consequently became… shall we say disinterested with Yu-Gi-Oh. BUT! I will never abandon this story. As it is my baby. So without further ado…I present the long awaited chapter of What The French Toast! Enjoy.

Disclaimer: ION (I own nothing)

Chapter 11: Explanations and crazy situations.

'Blahblah' Thoughts

"Wordswords" Other Language

"Blahblah" regular talking

/Blahblah/ Mind link

I gulped looking from Yugi, the ground and back to Yugi again. 'What am I going to do? I can't let them find out about Bakura or they'll go ballistic.' I thought nervously.

"Well?" Yugi asked one eyebrow rising.

"Um..." Biting my lip I searched for what would be a plausible excuse. "I cut it on a loose pipe." Yeah that should work. Now for the distraction; I looked over at Kaiba and smiled 'innocently'. "Y'know, you really should do something about that. Someone could get killed. Or worse-"

"Expelled." Shanna's voice cut me off.

I jumped slightly then looked down. "Ah, so you're awake. Good, that."

Shanna rolled her eyes then got up pointedly looking anywhere but my arm. "Can't you do something about that?"

Smirking I looked at her and wiggled my eyebrows. "Oh I'm sorry, does it bother you?"

"Yes, very much so." She said with a sniff. She then turned to Kaiba. "Which way to the medical wing-bay-thing?"

Laughing at Kaiba's expression I followed after Shanna pausing briefly to tell Yugi that I'll be okay, and to continue cheering Joey on. Once we got to the medical room Shanna spun around and glared at me. "What happened?"

I opened my mouth trying frantically to think of a suitable lie -and hating myself for getting in a situation that I even had to think about lying to my best friend- but didn't have the chance.

"And don't tell me that 'I cut it on a pole' crap or any other idiotic excuse. Tell me what happened. Now."

/whatever you do, do not tell her anything/ Bakura growled at me mentally.

I shivered slightly, still trying to come to grips with the situation. /Why not?/

/Because she will freak out and tell the pharaoh. Which wouldn't end well for either of us./

Shanna's eyes narrowed suddenly. Then she gasped. "Oh Mickey you didn't."

I looked up not even having to act puzzled. "Didn't do what?"

"Don't play dumb with me," Shanna said sharply.

Crap. Oh crappity-crap-crap. She's pissed. Not good. Got to defuse the tension somehow...

"Shanna, you and I both know that I don't need to play dumb. It just happens."

She didn't even smile. Oooh boy, I'm knee deep in a crapfest. This sucks. I'm going to die. I'm going to die.

Trying helplessly to remedy the situation I asked "Could you be more specific on what I did (or didn't) do?"

"You took Ryou's Millennium Item!" Shanna said furiously. "And now that psychotic thief is going to try and use you against your friends...and...UGH! Why can't you keep your hands to yourself for once!"

"Ah. That." I mumbled while sheepishly scratching the back of my head. "Um...would it help if I said 'sorry'?"

Shanna pursed her lips and I could see her jaw clenching. Not good.

"I'll take that as a no then," I said weakly. She just glared at me. Fine. If that's how you want to play..."It wasn't like I asked for this to happen! I didn't ask for a very old and ancient relic-thingie to latch onto my arm like a possessed metal octopus!"

Her eyebrows shot up. "It what?"

In answer I just pulled up my sleeve and took off the bandages to show her my arm. Which, on second thought, might not have been the wisest choice considering her phobia of blood and all.

"Oh my..." Shanna breathed looking a little green but otherwise fine. "It...It...chose you."

"Uh...yeah I guess so." I said fidgeting slightly. "Now I have to deal with an annoying voice in my head." I said offering up a peace offering.

Shanna glared at me slightly but...Ahah! There. The corners of her mouth were twitching. "You mean besides the other ones?"

Peace offering: accepted.

I breathed out a sigh of relief. "Yeah, besides those ones."

Suddenly I noticed Bakura floating behind Shanna staring at us with an incredulous look. Shanna tensed. "He's standing right behind me isn't he?"

I cocked my head. "Nah, more like he's floating right behind you."

Shanna turned around quickly and glared at him. "You better not hurt my best friend!" She said her finger jabbing at his chest.

"What are you going to do mortal?" Bakura sneered.

"I don't care if you are a ghost I will smack you." Shanna said furiously.

I laughed at that image. "You do realize your hand would go straight through him right."

She smirked at me. "Not if I use some iron."

I giggled. "True. Ooh... maybe we could throw salt on him! Or even exorcise him." I said jumping up and down in excitement.

Shanna's smirk widened. "Too bad we can't burn his bones. That would keep him quiet."

I cocked an eyebrow. "That would destroy him."

"Exactly."

Bakura was looking more and more outraged. "ENOUGH!"

Shanna's eyebrows rose, mirroring my own. "Aw look at him, having a little temper tantrum. Isn't it adorable?"

I smirked slightly. "Quite."

"But then again," Shanna continued thoughtfully. "He has been locked in a small clump of metal for what? Five thousand years? Ten? He's bound to be a little cranky. Must have a crick in his neck."

I snickered. "Cosmic powers of the universe-ITTY BITTY LIVING SPACE!"

Bakura looked at the two of us incredulously. "There is something wrong with you two. Seriously."

"It has been said." Shanna said shrugging in agreement.

"Many times. In many ways." I said with a smirk.

"Merry Christmas! To you!" Shanna finished before we both erupted into giggles.

"Why was I bonded with a complete idiot?" Bakura muttered to himself.

"Just lucky I guess." Shanna commented looking at me with a smirk.

"Hey!" I cried in mock-offence. "Not cool. Possibly true, but not cool."

Bakura raised an eyebrow. "Possibly?"

"Harsh." I muttered glaring at him.

"Quiet!" Shanna said suddenly.

"Why?"

"There's someone coming."

I frowned in thought wondering who it could be. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Bakura disappear back into the ring.

The door burst open, Joey and Yugi come in holding Odion up in between them. Yugi looked around with a frown. "Where's the Doctor?"

"I dunno," I said with a shrug. "Haven't seen one."

"What happened to him?" Shanna asked helping them set Odion down.

"Well you two are the psychics. Why don't you tell us?" Tea sneered before pressing the call button.

"Tea!" Yugi said sharply. "Stop being rude. Now's not the time."

"It was Ra wasn't it?" I asked, well rather stated. "Odion wasn't worthy of wielding him."

It went silent. Everyone turned to stare at me with differing expressions.

"How...how did you know?" Duke asked wide-eyed.

"Big lightning flashes, roars as loud as thunder? Kind of hard to miss really." I pointed out.

"Lightning?" Shanna asked blankly. "'Roars as loud as thunder?' When was this?"

"When you were threatening Bakura with a face full of iron." I said in Indonesian.

Her eyes widened. "Oh, right."

A smirk spread across my face. "You didn't notice did you? All that power and important stuff and you had no idea."

"Shut up."

What The French Toast!

Yugi looked at the two impossible girls with a frown on his face. They weren't supposed to be here. They even said so themselves. So why were they here? What was their purpose?

"Penny for your thoughts Abiou?" Yami's voice broke Yugi out of his revere.

"I don't know Yami, it's just...they know so much..." Yugi said nodding at the two brunettes.

"I know what you mean Yugi," Yami nodded. "You wouldn't know it though," he remarked after a slight pause. "Sometimes I wonder if they know up from down."

"Yami!" Yugi said mock-glaring at his other half. "That's mean. Be nice."

"I'm sorry Abiou," Yami said with a chuckle. "But sometimes they just act so odd. Especially Nicky."

Yugi laughed slightly. "I know what you mean." He then paused his face growing serious. "I think she was lying before. About her arm."

Yami nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, I thought that as well. I wonder why?"

Yugi frowned in thought. "What if she couldn't tell us?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean what if something happened to her that she felt like she couldn't share with us?"

Yami frowned. "But what though?"

"Well, she's been acting odd ever since she came from-"

"Bakura's room!" Yami said standing up sharply. "Yugi you don't think..."

"That the spirit of the ring got to her?" Yugi asked grimly. "It had crossed my mind. I mean no one knows where it went. She could have picked it up..."

Yami looked as if he was about to say something but was cut off by a voice coming over the intercom. "Will all eligible duelists please report to the main room, we are about to chose the next contestants. I repeat: Will all eligible duelists please report to the main room. Thank you."

What The French Toast

"I wonder what Yugi and Yami were talking about." Shanna said quietly as we walked towards the bingo machine room.

I shrugged, not really caring. "Saving the world or some other heroic stuff."

She rolled her eyes but continued walking. "Y'know we're still not done talking about what you did."

I pouted; would she ever let that go? Not likely. Once she has something to worry about she does not stop. "Nag, nag, nag! That's all you ever do!" I whispered with a smirk.

She glared at me but I could tell she was on the verge of laughing. "Not funny. This is serious."

"Quite serious. Almost as serious as Cronos eating Rhea's babies."

She just stopped and stared at me with a very annoyed look. "Really? Did you have to bring in the cannibal?"

I nodded as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Yes. Yes I do." Rolling her eyes she continued down the hall muttering about idiots. "Takes one to know one!" I called cheerfully after her.

/What was she saying about a cannibal?/ Bakura asked coming out in spirit form.

/Bakura! What are you doing? The Pharaoh will see you./ I warned looking at him flailing my arms about slightly, almost hitting Duke in the process.

"Hey what was that for?" Duke asked looking annoyed.

"Oh sorry Duke." I said sheepishly rubbing the back of my head. "It was an accident."

He just rolled his eyes and continued walking away. "Okay whatever, spaz."

/Gee thanks for making me look like an idiot Bakura./ I muttered sarcastically.

/You did that all on your own doll./ Bakura snickered.

/Shut up. Wait…did you just call me 'doll'?/

He looked away in embarrassment. /No. You must be hearing things./

A smirk slowly spread across my face. /Uh-huh, sure Kura. Sure. Just as long as you don't actually turn me into some kind of freaky possessed doll like Chucky. Because then I will kill you./

/You couldn't kill me, I'm already dead./

Smirking darkly I just cocked an eyebrow. /You sure about that?/

"Oi! Quit standing in the middle of the hall smirking like a creepy person." Shanna called down the hall.

I looked up and noticed I was standing alone in the hallway. "Yeah, yeah. I'm coming!" I huffed with a smile. Jogging slightly to catch up, I smiled at Yugi. "Sorry… zoned out there. Have I missed anything?"

"Yeah, Mai just got picked." Yugi said looking at me strangely.

"What?" I asked curiously.

Just as Yugi was about to ask me something, Mai got up and started to go out. Causing Joey to ask her where she was going and her to say that we weren't her friends before leaving.

"Gee I feel special." Shanna muttered to me. I snickered.

"And Mai's opponent is…Marik Ishtar."

JG: Well I hope that satisfied your thirst (or is it hunger?) for What The French Toast!

Bakura: Oh look another cliffhanger.

JG: Yes…well… I… um… Sorry. It just seemed the opportune time to end it. :D