A/N: Close to the end now, guys, maybe two chapters left, maybe one, depends how I break it up. And thanks for all the lovely reviews, keep them coming.
Kiryu laughed and gazed down at Yusei. He was sound asleep on the couch, wrapped in a blanket. He sighed and glanced at his D-Wheel, then at the bedroom door. He stepped passed the couch and gently opened the door. Melinda was leaning on the far wall, watching him carefully.
"Have you two had a little lovers spat?" he chuckled. "I guess he's not as perfect as he seems."
"He'll be gone soon. He said he'd be done this morning, I'll wake him up soon," Melinda said quietly. "He thinks you'll hurt me..."
"I'd never hurt you. He's trying to turn you against me any you know that. How can you fall for his scams? Are you really that stupid?"
Melinda swallowed and strode passed him to wake up Yusei. "Kiryu's here."
He sat up instantly and gazed back up seeing Kiryu and Melinda watching him. Kiryu smirked and leant on the back of the couch. "Anything I can help you with there, Yusei? I know you must be desperate to go home."
"What are you doing here?" Yusei growled.
"I told you, I want you to leave as much as you do," he replied. "So, anything I can do to help, I'm happy to lend a hand, and you remember, what I told you yesterday, right?" Yusei frowned and nodded. "So you're definitely going?" He nodded again. "Too bad, you could have made a great Dark Signer. So, get up and get to work, Yusei, while I look after Milly."
"Keep your hands off her, I've not gone yet," he snapped.
"Alright," he laughed, holding his hands up defensively. "Calm down. I'm not here to get into a fight, not today. Just get to work."
He sighed and slowly got up and got dressed before turning his attention to his D-Wheel. It was hard to concentrate with Kiryu watching over him, but there was very little that needed to be done. His mind was on other things anyway; like how to get Melinda away from Kiryu without either of them interfering. He considering contacting Crow using the audio on his D-Wheel, but he wasn't sure there was much he could do to help. He'd kill him if he didn't help Melinda somehow though.
He sighed and slowly finished off the last touches before standing up. "If this doesn't work I have no idea what to do."
Kiryu nodded. "Say good bye, Milly."
She sighed and wrapped her arms around him tightly. He smiled and gently returned the hug. He knew had one chance to help Melinda, he hoped it worked or everything would be hopeless.
"I'm sorry, Milly," he whispered.
"Why?" she laughed. "You're going home, you're going to be happy again."
"Because I couldn't help you."
Kiryu pulled Melinda away and Yusei slowly turned back to his D-Wheel, using the touch screen to set up everything. Kiryu smirked. "Well, good luck, Signer. I hope you get back safely."
"Yeah... me too..."
He started up the engine and there was a wiring sound, then it stopped after a few moments. Yusei sighed and glanced at the screen, then shook his head and turned back to the pair, eyes downcast.
"I guess not." He sighed and glanced at Kiryu. "Sorry. I guess I'm sticking around... I can try to figure something else out, but it'll take time."
"Oh, Yusei," Melinda said, hugging him tightly. "I'm sorry. I wish I could have helped you."
"It's not your fault," he said gently. "At least you're talking to me properly again."
"Whatever," Kiryu muttered. "I'm out of here. Call me if anything comes up and I'll be right over."
As he strode away, the wiring noise suddenly started up again and Yusei leant back against the D-Wheel, hugging Melinda close to him as Kiryu turned. "It was on a delayed timer."
Melinda tried to step back but Yusei held her tightly, refusing to let her move away as his mark flared up, hoping desperately this worked before Kiryu could snatch Melinda back.
Aki sat up suddenly, jolting Crow awake, as their marks blazed into life. He'd been dozing, his head resting in her lap, having stayed up most of the night before with her. Rua and Ruka came running in, their own marks blazing, Rua yelling over Ruka, not that either were making much sense.
"Cool it guys," Crow called, stopping everyone from talking. "Now come on. I know our marks haven't acted up like this in ages, but we can't go assuming that it's got something to do with Yusei! It might be something coming after us again, so we have to focus."
"He's right," came Jack's voice from the doorway.
"It's good to see you here again, Jack," he said quietly. "I thought you'd never come back."
"Well, our marks haven't reacted like this in a long time." He frowned and glanced between Crow and Aki as Carly giggled, holding his arm tightly. "Are you two-"
"No!" Aki cried.
Crow frowned and glanced at her, almost offended. He knew she was mad about Yusei, but what was wrong with him? But he understood why she was so upset. If she had a new boyfriend it was like saying she'd given up on Yusei.
Suddenly a bright light filled the centre of the garage floor. The shape of Yusei's D-Wheel could easily be made out. The light faded and Yusei sunk to the ground, leaning heavily against his D-Wheel. The others crowed around as Yusei staggered to his feet, pulling Melinda up with him.
"Crow," he called over the noise. "Can you just take Melinda upstairs for me and just get her settled?"
Crow took her gently and took her upstairs. Yusei sighed and barely got a moment to think or catch his breath before Rua and Ruka hugged him, almost knocking him off his feet. The others hung back.
"What happened to you?" Jack snapped. "Where the hell have you been?"
"Nice to see you too, Jack," he said quietly.
"Who's she?" Aki asked.
"Melinda, she needed my help-"
"We missed you," Rua cried, tugging on his jacket. "Where were you?"
"Another dimension, I think-"
"What happened?" Carly put in.
"I'll explain everything, I promise, but can I have a moment to sit down?"
"Come on, Yusei," Aki said, pulling him up the stair out of the garage. "And someone should call Kiryu or he'll kill us."
Crow sighed watching Melinda from the doorway while listening to the others below. He wasn't sure why she was so upset. From what he could hear, it seemed she was attached to Yusei. He wanted to ask her, but didn't feel right. He didn't know her well enough to ask something so personal.
"So, you come from like, a parallel world or something?" he said quietly.
"I suppose I must be," she whispered.
"Must be a kinda crappy world," he said. "No wonder Yusei likes you; he loves a damsel in distress. Some hideous world where everything was messed up and he could save. He always believed there was a way to save everyone and everything."
"I noticed."
"I know it must be hard to adjust," he said quietly. "But we're not so bad really. We take in people all the time. Jack calls it taking in strays, but that's a bit cruel."
"Look, I know you're trying to help, but Yusei knows full well what he's done."
"Kiryu-"
"Aki, I've only just left," Kiryu muttered. "I'm not-"
"He's back," she said quietly. "Yusei's back, Kiryu, you have to come back. He's brought some girl back too."
"I warned you."
"Can you just come back and talk to him, please?"
"Alright, alright, I'll be there in a few hours."
Aki hung up the phone and turned to the others. Yusei was sitting on the couch, drinking a glass of water in silence. Upstairs they could just make out Melinda and Crow having a quiet conversation, although Crow seemed to be doing most the talking.
"Kiryu's on his way," she said quietly.
"Good, maybe Melinda will settle if he talks to her," Yusei said quietly. "Crow doesn't seem to be getting anywhere."
"Should I try to talk to her?" Aki said quietly. "Perhaps she'd feel more comfortable with another girl."
"No. You should stay away from her until she's settled down. It might be hard to make the distinction between how people are in her world and ours to start with."
"Why? Didn't she like me in her world?"
"Not particularly." She sighed and nodded. "It wasn't your fault, it was just a misunderstanding that got out of hand. I think I should go and see her. You guys stay here and I might be able to convince her to come and be introduced."
He stood slowly and climbing the stairs to his room, where Crow was still talking to Melinda. She turned away as she noticed him. Yusei felt awful. He'd torn her from her world, and while it was for her own protection, it didn't make it any better for her.
"Milly, I'm so sorry," he said quietly. "If there was another way-"
"Why couldn't you just leave?" she snapped. "It would have been alright. I would have been happy there with him. I hope you realise that he'll take his anger out on the world now. The entire world will burn."
"I know," he said quietly. "If I could go back and save it I would but my research wasn't for a second run. The engine for my D-Wheel is burnt out from the amount of energy used. I can't go back and you're stuck here."
"That's just great. So you get to come back to your precious friends and I'm stuck here. That's just great, Yusei."
"Do you feel up to meeting the others? You've already met Crow. He's not really any different to your version, as I'm sure you've noticed."
"I suppose."
"Good, come on." He led her back downstairs to where the others were waiting. "Guys, this is Melinda Snow. Milly, you recognise Jack and Aki, I'm sure. And this is Rua and Ruka, oh and you know Carly."
"Yeah, great, hi."
"Can you at least try, Milly?" he said with a sigh. "Make the most of this. You can stay here as long as you need to since you were so hospitable to me."
"I don't need your charity. I can look after myself."
"I know but-"
"Can you just leave me alone? Why did you have to ruin everything?"
"It was for your own protection. Milly, I'm sorry you're so upset about it but it really is the best for you to be here."
"I just want to go home!"
"Melinda," Aki said quietly. Melinda's dark gaze fell on her and she paused. "I know what it's like to feel alone, but Yusei's right, at least you're safe here."
"Funny, I don't remember you worrying about danger before, so long as you were with a guy."
"Milly," Yusei warned quietly. "It's a different world, remember? That never happened here."
"Doesn't change the basic personality traits though, does it? I'm going to go for a walk."