Guess who's back, back again
Tallulah's back, tell a friend
Guess who's back,
guess who's back,
guess who's back,
guess who's back
guess who's back
Guess who's back...

Chapter Twenty Five

The gang made it to Yugi's without incident. Grandpa had retired to bed long before they arrived so out of courtesy, they moved around making as little noise as possible. Yugi was kind enough to fetch spare futons and blankets out of the closet and set them up in the living room for his friends to sleep on. Meanwhile Joey and Tristan raided the fridge in search of a midnight snack.

Once settled, Rita filled them in on the evening's events, while being sure to suppress any emotional feelings she had towards Bakura. They discussed their options, the very few they had, and concluded the only way to resolve things was for Yami to step up and challenge Bakura and Aknadin to a shadow duel. Two on one seemed unfair, so Joey was quick to offer his support.

'We'll take 'em out together pal, as a team!'

Rita was hesitant but chose not to voice her opinion. At this stage, she knew a duel was the last thing on Bakura's mind. He wouldn't agree to it yet. He needed the Book of Shadows to guarantee his success and he also wanted her out of the picture.

After planning their strategy, sleep was now on everyone's minds. One by one they dozed off, leaving Rita and Ryou alone in their own thoughts.

Ryou could hear Rita shuffle under her blanket a few times, trying to get comfortable. Her restlessness soon got the better of her and she got up.

"Where are you going?" Ryou asked as she walked past him.

"I'm sorry, I didn't wake you did I?" she whispered. "I just needed to get some fresh air."

"I'll come with you." He offered.

The Moto garden wasn't large but like many Japanese gardens, the idea of serenity was there. They sat on the seat opposite the small pond and Rita stared at the lone koi that swum around. He seemed disconcerted by the appearance of the two strangers at such an odd time of day.

"Did you know the oldest koi lived to be two hundred and twenty six years old?" She asked Ryou.

She couldn't remember when or where she had first heard that fact, but she had always had a habit of recalling useless information.

"I didn't." He admitted.

"That's a long time to be trapped in a pond, two hundred and twenty six years. If it were me and I was trapped in a pond for that long, I might be a little resentful."

"Why do you assume he was trapped?"

"Because he was kept there out of his own free will."

"Maybe he was better off being in that pond than in the wild. He may not have lived to be two hundred and twenty six if he wasn't there."

"Maybe not, but a long life doesn't exactly constitute a happy one. His shorter life might have been more fulfilled."

"But it might not have."

"But the fate of his freedom shouldn't be someone else's choice to make, should it?"

"Are we still talking about the fish?" Ryou raised a brow.

"No." Rita said, then she groaned "Argh, I'm so tired."

"Why don't you go to sleep then?"

"I don't want to sleep."

"Why not?"

"Because when I sleep I see him."

Ryou wasn't sure if she meant Bakura or Aknadin but either way he pitied her. He placed his arm around her shoulders in a comforting manner.

"Nothing is going to happen to you now that we're all together."

"How do you know?" She asked.

"Because I won't let it."

As much as he didn't want it to be he knew it was a lie. He didn't stand a chance against the dark powers of his other half, let alone Aknadin. Rita knew it too, but she appreciated his projected heroism.

"Can I tell you a secret?"

Ryou nodded. "Of course."

"Tonight when I unleashed the Skeleton of Ra, I didn't try to attack Bakura, like I told you all. I looked at him and I just froze, I couldn't for the life of me command an attack. So I just ran… like a coward."

"That's understandable. You were scared."

"No, I wasn't, I am just stupidly in love."

"How can you love him?" Ryou asked a little angrier than he intended. "You deserve so much better."

"He never used to be like this."

"He has always been like this."

"But-"

"Do you know what you have?" Ryou interrupted. "You have Stockholm syndrome."

"I do not have Stockholm syndrome."

"You do, you have bonded with your captor."

Rita laughed at the absurdity.

"It's not funny, Rita. It's a serious condition. One that only copious amounts of therapy and good friendship can cure."

"You sound like Tea."

"Good! She's very wise and you could benefit to learn a thing or two from someone who constantly searches for the good in life."

"True." Rita agreed. "I don't know how she does it. Ever since my mother died I barely have the energy to get out of bed each morning let alone search for something positive."

"Well something must get you out."

"My father." She said. "I do it for him. I know he hurts more than I do."

"My mother died too. A long time ago now."

"I never knew that Ryou… I'm sorry."

"It's alright."

"How long will I feel like this?"

"A while."

"I get panicky a lot because I feel like I'm forgetting her already. Like every day the vision of her gets slightly hazier in my mind. I look at a photo of her and it doesn't seem to look like her any more, like the person I remember."

"I know what you mean. I was five when my mother died. I can barely recall anything about her now, but that doesn't mean you've forgotten her. A part of her is with you and always will be. She'll go with you wherever you go, not always in your mind but in your heart."

Ryou removed his arm from her shoulder and brought it down to hold her hand. Rita looked at him, her eyes were watery.

He brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it ever so gently. Rita studied his face. In her mind he had always been the innocent version of the man she loved. She saw him inching closer but before she could think to push him away he was already kissing her. She knew it mean a lot to him, so she allowed it, if only for this moment in time. She couldn't help but compare his kiss to that of Bakura's. They were both so different. Ryou's was sweet but lacked the passion Bakura's possessed, the one made her heart race and her legs give way.

Ryou pulled away when he realized she wasn't responding the way he had hoped.

"I'm sorry." He blushed and turned away.

"It's alright." She said and moved to rest her head on his shoulder.

She looked at the koi again, it had stilled itself after realizing it was not threatened, and this time Rita saw it in a different light.

Maybe the koi was never trapped, she thought, maybe he was just thankful to be alive.

"I guess we should go back inside." Ryou said.

"Yeah…"

Bakura lay on the boat's deck. Limbs outstretched and a half empty bottle of whiskey beside him. He turned his head to his left, closed his eyes and imagined Rita laying there beside him. He could hear her playful voice teasing him about his drunken state. Aknadin had given him until sunrise to find her and bring her to him or their deal was off.

He didn't even remember making the deal. One minute he was standing next to Rita ready to fight for her and the next, he had sided with Aknadin.

Something wasn't right and he feared it was Aknadin's curse. He thought this curse was only to use him as a pawn to destroy the Pharaoh. But now he was certain something was attempting to destroy him too.

He needed time to think but he didn't have it. Dawn was fast approaching and he had already wasted three hours searching for answers inside a bottle of alcohol. Unfortunately, all he found was nauseousness and despair.

He needed Rita, not to give to Aknadin, but to hold. He wanted to inhale her intoxicating scent and make love with her under the stars like they had so many times before. He wanted his wife back, the wife who had run to his immortal enemy. She didn't deserved to be held, she should suffer for her betrayal. Then again, having sided with her uncle, he was certain she thought the same of him.

He could no longer tread through his thoughts alone, they were now rapids attempting to drown him. He needed to speak to her but more importantly he needed to sober up. He made an attempt to stand but stumbled and knocked the bottle over, spilling its remaining contents. He made his way to the rear of the boat and clutched the ship's railing like one would a life raft.

This wasn't going to work, he thought. She was going to need to come to him.

He slumped back down on to the floor and clutched the only faithful thing in his life, his Millennium Ring. He pictured Rita asleep on the floor in Yugi's house where he knew she would be. The ring shone brightly and the eye of Horus appeared on his forehead.

Far away, exactly where Bakura had pictured her, Rita lay sleeping. The eye of Horus soon appeared on her forehead, at first as a faint glow and soon as strong as it showed on Bakura. Rita awoke in an instant. Her eyes now a possessed red.

She stood up and looked at the people on the floor around her, none of them stirred. She walked out of the house and down the street. Slowly she made her way to the docks, to where Bakura was calling her from.

OK, so I know Bakura couldn't use his ring like Marik could the rod (to control people), but this is my story and I'll write whatever I want.

Today I was re-reading some earlier chapters of this story and it actually made me cringe (mainly my grammar!). But it also made me realize how much I have grown as a writer and it made me happy because I feel like I've improved so much since chapter one. I hope you guys see it too.

I have started writing the next chapter already so shouldn't keep you waiting too much longer for my next update.

In the meantime, don't forget to review!