Hey, hey, hey! Here I am, back and before on time! Man does that feel good! I hope you all enjoyed your holidays!

Lowe - Told ya! Pay up!

Everyone else - Enjoy!

Joey did his best to keep from bumping into other people as he raced at full speed down the street, but even his cat-like agility wasn't enough to avoid everyone. The street was full, and the people he pushed shouted at him, but he ignored them. He had more important things to focus on. The class rep was the one who'd told Tristan to warn him. How could he have been such an idiot? If only he'd just walked with her all the way to the Game Shop... Maybe they'd have been in time to do something. If he could, he'd punch himself in the face. Finally, but still way too slowly for his taste, he arrived at the hospital and made the nurse at the reception desk jump when he slammed into it.

"I'm here to see someone!" he shouted.

"Alright," replied the nurse, calmly. She seemed used to this kind of demand. It was a hospital after all. "What name?"

"Hum... Muto."

She raised an eyebrow. "Any first name? Are you a family member?"

Crap, he didn't know Yugi's grandpa's first name. How was he suppose to find him in this huge-ass place?

"Joey!" Near the elevators, the class rep was waving at him. "This way."

He quickly thanked the receptionist and jogged to join Kisa into an elevator. She pressed the 20th floor button.

"Where is she?"

"Room 2089. She's been here all night," explained the girl, briefly. "Tea and I tried to talk to her, but she won't say anything. Just that she came home and found her Grandpa injured. The doctor said he was beat up with a bat or something similar. She hasn't eaten or slept, and she refuses to move. Please Joey, talk to her. I... I don't know what to do."

She wouldn't talk to Tea or Kisa? That wasn't good. And what made the class rep think that he had a shot? Before he knew it, they arrived on the 20th floor, and he dashed with Kisa close behind. When they arrived to room 2089, Tea was just stepping out and looking distressingly inside the room.

"Well?" asked Kisa.

Tea just shook her head. "No changes."

Kisa and Joey peeked inside the room. The old man was laying on his back, eyes closed and plugged to a machine by thousands of cables, that beeped rhythmically. Yugi was on her knees, near the bed, sprawled on it, holding her grandfather's hand. She was wearing the same clothes as yesterday. Sniffles shook her from time to time. Joey remembered something. Something unpleasant. An image of his mother crying at the foot of Serenity's tomb, flashed in his mind. He bit his lower lip, remembering everything that had come after that. His mother had broken. She'd started drinking, just like her husband and then one day, just took her stuff and disappeared. No. This could not happen. Not again. Not to Yugi. He couldn't be helpless. He had to do something. Kisa did not miss the look in his eyes, and grabbed Tea by the shoulder.

"Let's go get something to eat."

Tea followed her without question, but as she passed Joey, she stopped. "I don't know what she sees in you. But I trust Yugi, and she trusts you. If you can do something, then please, do it."

She threw him a teary, pleading look, before walking away with Kisa, who nodded her head in agreement. The boy looked at Yugi again and took a breath before stepping in. As he got closer, he saw that the hand holding her grandfather's was shaking.

"Yug?" he called out when he was close enough.

She turned to him, and even through her tear smeared face, her eyes widened in surprise. She quickly brought her hand up and tried to wipe away the tears. But even when she removed it, new tears immediately appeared. He didn't know what to do, but he had to think. This couldn't go down like last time. She opened her mouth to say something, but her own throat choked her, and she looked down as if to hide her face from him. He remembered what Kisa had said. The bags under her eyes, clearly betrayed the lack of sleep. If she'd been here since the old man had been admitted, then a good sixteen or seventeen hours had gone by since she'd slept or eaten anything. Joey lowered himself to her level and grabbed her arm.

"Come on."

"I'm not leaving," she almost shouted as she tried to pull her hand back, but he didn't let go.

"I ain't makin' ya. I just want ya to sit."

Clearly reluctantly, she let him pull her up and make her sit in one of the two armchairs of the room. The instant she was seated, and he let go of her, she wrapped her arms around herself, and kept her barely blinking eyes on her grandfather. But it wasn't the cold she was fighting off. It was the fear. He knew that much. Searching through his pockets, he took out a cereal that had been there for sometime. It would have to to.

"Take it," he said, extending to her. "Ya have to eat somethin' Yug. Yar Grandpa won't like it if ya starve yarself."

She looked at it a few blank seconds, before shaking her head. "I'm not hungry," she said, her voice still choked by emotion.

"Yug." His voice was firm this time. "Eat it, or I'll make ya."

Kisa and Tea had already tried nice talk. That hadn't worked, so threatening her was the next best thing he could think off. He just hoped it would be enough without him making good on it. He held his breath, but kept serious eyes on her. Thankfully, she grabbed the bar and opened it. As soon as she started chewing, a new wave of tears and she silently cried as she ate. It was hard to watch, but he stayed silent until she was done eating, before asking.

"Yug, what happened?"

"I'm sorry..." she let out, in a whisper. "I'm sorry."

That irritated him. He didn't need her to apologize. She hadn't done anything wrong. "It ain't yar fault, Yug."

"It is!" she shouted, finally bursting in sobs. "It is my fault! I should have told him it was cursed! I should've given it to them! It's just a stupid puzzle, I should have just let them take it! But I couldn't, Joey... Why couldn't I let go?"

"H-Hold up Yug, slow down..." he started, surprised by the sudden outburst.

"The voice said to say the words, and I said them... and they stopped moving, and I tried to throw it away but it didn't want to be thrown so I jumped in, and you jumped in and..."

The words she spoke struck him with shock and worry. She'd mention the voice again, that couldn't be good. Joey sprang from his seat and grabbed the short girl by the shoulders. "Yug, Yug, calm down. I don't get what ya're sayin'..."

But she continued with her monologue, as if he wasn't here. The whole time, her face was struck by horror and he could feel her shaking getting worse. "Shadi said it... He said I was cursed... He said I was the one... He said my trial was just beginning...That I'm surrounded by darkness..."

Shadi? Who the hell was Shadi? Another image of his mother flashed in his mind. The few weeks after Serenity's death, she'd say things like she was going to the park with her or going to pick her up from school. No, that couldn't be happening. No! Yugi was not crazy! Kneeling down in front of her, he firmly grabbed her face between his hands and forced her to look up.

"YUGI!" he shouted, making her jump and instantly silencing her crazy mumbling. "Listen to me. Do ya know who I am?"

She blinked a couple of times, confused and she still sniffled. "Joey?"

"That's right, I'm your buddy, Joey." He wiped the tears of her eyes with his thumbs. "Ya feel my hands?"

Slowly, she brought her own hands up to touch his, she then shut her eyes and nodded. "Ya know what day it is?"

Again, it took her a moment to answer. "S-Sunday."

"Do ya remember what we did yesterday?"

"We...went to the Old Harbor." Even through the tears, a half smile appeared. "We danced."

A smile of relief stretched out across his face. "That's right, Yug. All of that was real. Curses, magicians, magical stuff...That ain't real. There ain't any greater force makin' it happen. Ya just got an unlucky number this time around, it ain't yar fault. All of that ain't real, okay?"

The face she made was not the one he expected. But he didn't have time to analyze what it meant when the door opened. When the tall figure, in a majestic floating white coat, stepped in the room, Joey felt the irritation in him grow. Rising back up, he turned to the newcomer.

"What the hell are ya doin' here?"

Kaiba threw him a death glare that could've made a lion cower in fear, but didn't reply. His eyes looked at the comatose Solomon to Yugi, who had that unreadable miserable look on her face, even when she looked back. He approached and she looked down.

"I warned you nothing good would come out from hanging out with that looser."

Alright, he'd heard enough. "Hey! What's your deal, moneybags?"

"Get lost Wheeler, this is between me and her. And if I ever see you near her again, I promise you, I will make your life a living hell."

"How the hell is this my fault?" protested the blond.

"For all I know, this is the doing of your buddies, Mr ex-Scarlet Wolf."

That silenced him for a bit. How and why the hell did Kaiba know all of this? But he was not backing down. Joey Wheeler never backed away. "No way the wolves did this. It's not their style to go out of Hoshu..."

"I don't give a crap. Since you are as stupid as you look, I'll say it in a way you can understand; Fuck off."

"I don't remember takin' orders from ya, rich boy. And like hell I'm leavin' her with ya. Ya're just gonna shake her up. She doesn't need that."

"Says the guy who couldn't keep his hands off her," retorted the CEO, crossing his arms on his chest.

In an instant, irritation became fury. The next thing he knew, he grabbed the billionaire by the collar. It really didn't matter if the latter was a head taller. "What's that suppose to mean?"

"I'm not an idiot, I don't buy that crap about your so-called redemption. Wanting her to defend herself? What kind of a shitty excuse is that? You're a parasite Wheeler, you attract trouble like rats to a dead carcass." A nasty smirk made crept up Kaiba's face. "But hey, I get wanting to keep around the only girl that ever payed attention to you."

Almost automatically, Joey raised his fist in the air. "You son of a bitch!"

"STOP IT!"

All movements froze and the two boys turned to Yugi. She was on her feet throwing them an angry glare, her face still red from the crying.

"Get out," she ordered.

Joey suddenly regretted his impulsiveness. How could he have forgotten her presence so easily? "Yug..."

"We're not done here," started Kaiba, as firmly as usual, but that only seemed to spark her up more.

"GET OUT, BOTH OF YOU!"

Both of them froze yet again. Before they even reacted, she returned to her initial position, on her knees, sprawled out on the bed and holding her grandfather's hand. Neither had ever heard Yugi scream like this. But Joey knew he'd messed up, and he released their classmate. Kaiba didn't show any emotion, but he was the first to step into the hallway, but not before he grabbed the medical chart at the feet of the old man's bed. Joey followed him out.

"What are ya doin'? Ya can't take that."

Kaiba ignored him and took out his phone and snapped a picture of the chart, before leaving it at the foot of the door.

"Hey, answer me, moneybags! What's the big deal?"

"Shut up, Wheeler," snapped Kaiba, eyes still focused on his screen.

He then dialed a number and brought it to his ear. "Connors? It's Seto Kaiba. I need you to check out the email I just sent you. Now. Yeah, I'll hold."

Joey clenched his teeth in annoyance. "Kaiba, what the hell?"

Again, the billionaire threw him an icy glare and ignored him. He walked further down the hallway, as he replied to the man on the other side of the line. "I want you to take him in. You'll have the medical records in an hour," he said to the one named Connors. "I don't care, make room. The money's not an issue. Good. Arrange for transport for this evening. I don't want any delays, and I'm holding you responsible for this. Don't fail me."

With that, Kaiba ended the call, and without adding a word, started walking away. Joey looked at him go, confused. But he didn't trust this guy. He'd seen how he talked to Yugi in general. What was he doing now? He jogged and grabbed his shoulder stopping him in his track.

"Don't walk away, rich boy. Who the hell was that? What are ya doin' to Yugi's grandpa?"

The answer was not the one he expected. As a reply, he got Kaiba's fist in the jaw. Thrown back, his back slammed against a mobile medical table and when he looked up, he felt a hot, sticky liquid dripped down his mouth and chin, and the scent of copper filled his nose. He was used to that. And like every time, the scent of blood got to his head, and in moments he was on his feet. The look Kaiba was throwing was as piercing as an eagles, cold and imposing, while his own resembled the one of a furious wolf.

"I warned you twice, Wheeler. But it seems this is the only thing you're capable of understanding. Just like every other scumbag of your kind."

After a few seconds of silence, Joey spat out blood on the floor and smirked. But there was nothing reassuring about that cocky smile. It only served to highlight his own fury. "My kind, eh? Ya ain't much of a talker either, Kaiba. Looks like ya and I, ain't too different after all, moneybags!"

With that last sentence, he threw himself on the young billionaire and threw his fist towards his classmate's face. But with a small side step, Kaiba avoided it and his knee met Joey's stomach, expelling the air from his lungs. The blond fell to the ground and coughed loudly.

"Don't you dare compare me to you, mutt. We're nothing alike. And it's about time you learned to place."

Joey grunted in pain, but quickly got back on his feet. Kaiba had kicked his still closing wound. If he'd had actual stitches, he'd probably have pulled them.

"Just what's ya beef with me, moneybags? I never did anythin' to ya."

"Your very existence is enough to piss me off. I don't need a reason. I don't need you to pollute my investments anymore than you already have!"

The tall brunet moved so fast, Joey almost missed him. The next thing he knew, another fist collided with his stomach and then a foot with his head. He didn't fall this time, but his head spun at a sickly speed, almost making him want to puke. He blocked Kaiba's next punch by raising his arm just in time. It became apparent that Joey's street fighting was no match for Kaiba's ju-jitsu.

"She's got too much potential to waste her time with an idiot like you. Her talents won't be wasted, not if I have something to say about it."

So he was talking about Yugi? Something boiled in his veins and he threw a murderous glare at his attackers. "Ya'd really have to be Seto freakin' Kaiba to refer to people as investments. Just who the hell do ya think ya are?!" he shouted, eyes burning with fury. "She ain't yar toy! And I know for a fact she considers ya her friend! Don't ya have any shame?"

The tallest threw his foot towards Joey's face again, but this time, the blond dodged and sent his elbow into the young billionaire's temple. Thrown off course, Kaiba hit the wall. Joey didn't waste any time, grabbed his shoulder, and sent his his knee in his nose. Thrown back, Kaiba had to grab a door handle to keep himself from falling. A fountain of blood dripped from his nose and he brought his hand up to wipe it off, his icy glare intensifying. Again, Joey barely saw him move. In a matter of seconds, he received a foot in the leg almost dislocating his knee, a fist in the face making him spit more blood, a chop in the throat cutting off his breath, and knee in the ribs, pushing him to the ground. This time, when he tried to get up, his body ached so much that he fell right back down, supporting himself with his elbows, while Kaiba looked down on him from the top of his height.

"Don't talk about things you don't know, mutt" he said in a low voice, dripping with hate.

Anger really had a weird way of pushing a guy. Ignoring the pain in his body as best as he could, Joey pulled himself to his knees. "I know Yugi. And I know she doesn't deserve that kind o' crap from nobody. Especially not ya, moneybags." With a painful grunt, he got on his feet. "I'll make ya spit out yar teeth out if ya make her cry."

"Let's see you keep yours first," retorted the young CEO, getting to a fighting stance again.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU GUYS DOING?!" shouted a voice familiar to both.

Coming from the end of the hallway, Tea and Kisa approached them, faces struck with shock.

"You idiot!" shouted Tea, at Joey while at the same time handing him a tissue. "This is a hospital! What are you thinking?!"

"He punched first," mumbled Joey, still gladly accepting the tissue and wiping the blood off his face.

"Did you even talk to Yugi?" asked Tea.

"I was! Then Mr billionaire showed his face, and she kicked both of us out."

Tea whipped around, her angry face on, and acid-coated words ready on her tongue, but before she could yell a single insult at him, Kisa's hand slashed through the air and hit Kaiba's cheek at full speed. Joey didn't think anything of it, but Tea froze in surprise. Kisa...Kisa always defended Kaiba. Yugi and her had always suspected that their class rep had a hidden crush on him. Never ever had they ever thought Kisa would do anything so impulsive, especially not to him. But Kaiba saw it clearly. The look of fury she was throwing him was unknown to him. Despite that, he spoke calmly.

"Mind backing up that statement?"

"You know exactly why," she replied equally calm. "Do you have any idea how much you've made her suffer these past weeks? I was an idiot to think you were doing this to protect her. You were serving your own selfish objectives. I'm gonna ask you this once; who the hell do you think you are Seto Kaiba?"

He replied nothing and just stared at her with his usual serious face. Yugi would've been able to discern the slight change in his eyes, as they narrowed on Kisa.

"You called her an investment, basically telling her that she belongs to you, you track her phone, you discourage her from doing anything on her own, and now, you attack Joey. Enough already!"

She didn't wait for him to reply, and turned to Joey. "Same goes for you."

"What? He punched first!"

"This isn't going to help Yugi, Joey. Did you come here to help or to pick a fight?"

The blond boy looked down. The class rep was absolutely right, and he cursed himself from having let himself go. Like always. Crap, what was he doing?

"My relationship with Yugi is none of your business, Kisa," finally said Kaiba, throwing the same icy glare at her. "Mind your own business, all of you. Stay out of this."

With that, he walked away, but before he disappeared at the end of the hallway, the white haired girl shouted. "It is our business, Seto! All of us."

"What a jerk. Hold up," said Tea, realizing. "You guys were fighting in the hall all this time... why didn't anyone hear you?"

By anyone, she meant Yugi. Kisa and Joey looked at each other, worried before Tea hurried to room 2089. She found no one there other than the sleeping Solomon.

"She's gone. I guess she did hear you guys..."

The weather was nice. The people walking down the street looked happy. None of that made any difference. She stood out awfully, with her red eyes, slumped posture and constant gesture of wiping her eyes. But she ignored the stares until she reached the Game Shop. The entrance was closed off with police tape saying 'CRIME SCENE. But despite that, she entered the upside down home and stood in the middle of mess. But she averted her eyes from the blood stain.

"I'm so sorry Miss Muto. Your grandfather has slipped into a coma. Given his age and his heart condition, we're not certain that he will wake up," had said the doctor.

The words resonated in her head and pinched her heart. He couldn't leave her like that! Not the only family she had in the world, he just couldn't! It wasn't fair! Why wasn't she here when this had happened? Why did he have to give her that puzzle? Nothing would've happened without it! She wouldn't have been cursed.

"Curses, magicians, magical stuff...That ain't real. There ain't any greater force makin' it happen. Ya just got an unlucky number this time around, it ain't yar fault. All of that ain't real, okay?" then, said the Joey of her memory.

How she wished he was right. That all of this was nothing but a bad dream. But it wasn't. Shadi, the items, the voice, the people in the street... Everything was real. And he hadn't believed her. Joey should have believed her. But he just thought she was crazy. All of her insides contracted painfully, and she clenched a fist over her heart before falling to her knees and screaming. She was so lonely. So alone facing all of that. When was it all going to stop?

"Grandpa... I'm sorry..." she whispered. "I'm so so sorry..."

"Yugi?" called out someone from the entrance.

Almost jumping out of her skin, she looked up. A short figure with long black hair stood in the entrance. She knew that figure well. For the gazillionth time today, she wiped her eyes and got back to her feet. This was unexpected company, but maybe the one she could use.

"Hi Mokuba," she said, unable to cover up the emotion in her voice.

But the youngest Kaiba was clever. It ran in the family, it seemed. He could see through her too. He didn't smile back, and his face suddenly twisted as if he was going to cry to. But instead, he ran to her and wrapped his arms around her waist, burying his face in her chest.

"I'm so sorry, Yugi! About Grandpa Muto." he exclaimed, confusing her.

She hugged him back, incapable of responding anything, and buried her face in his thick black hair. After a while, Mokuba suggested that being in here probably wasn't a good idea, and grabbing her hand, he led her out and to the edge of Catfish park. The ten year old then went to buy them some ice cream. They silently ate, side by side on their bench, watching the street.

"How did you get here?" finally asked Yugi, thinking maybe forcing the conversation would keep her from overthinking.

"I took a bus. I wanted to see you because..." He looked at his feet, nervously.

"Because?"

Mokuba bit his lower lip, before turning to her. "I'm the one who told Seto about you and Joey. I'm really sorry!" He blurted out with the honesty of a child confessing a wrong deed.

So she'd been right. Feeling the frustration rising, and her mind ready to spit out whatever mean words came up, Yugi stopped herself. It wasn't his fault. He was just a kid. A kid that had no one in the world but his big brother. He'd done what he thought was right. Her anger and sadness were just looking for a way out. As she didn't reply, he went on.

"I just... I heard Seto say he was a nuisance... And I didn't want you to stop playing with me and Seto. I... I know he's been mean to you because of that. But I'll make it up to you, I promise. But please, don't hate my big brother!"

Her eyes widened in surprise, and she opened her mouth to answer but found herself unable to formulate her thoughts. Her mind was too preoccupied to properly think about that.

"And we'll save Grandpa Muto too!" swore the youngest Kaiba. "Dr Connors is the best..."

"Connors? Grandpa's doctor is Doctor Curtis..."

It was Mokuba's turn to look surprised. "Seto didn't tell you? We're transferring him to our private clinic. We're gonna take care of him, I promise! He'll be back on his feet before you can say ouch!"

Kaiba's private clinic was practically a private hospital, and the doctors there were worldly renowned. Was that what the young CEO was going to tell her today? She suddenly got to her feet.

"Mokuba, do you know if..."

Her words were interrupted when a black car suddenly braked right in front of their bench making both of them jump. The back door suddenly opened and a man in a black suit and wearing sunglasses sprang out, brutally grabbed her by the arm and she felt herself being violently pulled inside.

"Yugi!" she heard Mokuba cry out.

Before she even had the time to scream, a wet cloth was pressed against her nose and mouth. One inhalation was enough to make her loose consciousness. The last thing she saw before her eyes closed was the door shutting.

*Sigh* I just can't help myself with the cliffhangers, can I? (Someone told me that makes me a horrible human being!) I hope you guys are pumped for next chapter! Mwahahaha!

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