Dlbn: Hello, everyone! I'm back!
Nbld: Sorry for the long wait! Personal stuff and NaNoWriMo got in the way.
Dlbn: But that's all over, so now we can focus on more important things!
Nbld: Like the Review Corner! Thank you to MattJ8, VampirePrinssess, 13579Marik, and animelvr16 for reviewing! Cookies for you all!
MattJ8: Ishizu does have that kind of mentality, but I don't think she means to be mean. She's just overbearing. Hehe I like those two together but, no, they're not together. (Maybe in the future? Do I smell a possible sequel?) Next chapter a coming ;)
VampirePrinssess: Ishizu needs to get her head out of her backside, I swear XD Then in the woods was my favorite scene to write for this chapter ^^
13579Marik: Welcome back! Glad you liked! Ishizu will probably lose it when she finds out. and complain that he's going to 'corrupt' her brother ;)
Animelvr16: Glad you liked!
Disclaimer: I do NOT own YuGiOh. That belongs to Kazuki Takahashi. I make NO money off of writing in this category. I only own the social worker.
000
A couple days later, I sat with Bakura and my siblings in the waiting room for social services. I resisted the urge to grab his hand or sit close to him, lest I rouse Ishizu's already forming suspicions. She had made things rather difficult for me the past few days, even though she had admitted that she was thankful for Bakura's interference. The other people in the waiting room consisted of a mother with three screaming children that were running around like animals and banging into things, an elderly couple that was giving us all strange looks, and a teenager that I didn't recognize from school with his hat pulled down over his face as if he didn't want to be seen. I had a feeling he was asleep, because I heard snores emanating form him. How he slept through the screaming children was a mystery to me. I wanted to sit them down and slap them silly, but that was just me. I'm not big on little kids, and these three were grating on my last nerve. Ishizu had tried to engage them in a game by pulling out some paper from her backpack and asking me if I wanted to play a 'really fun game' with her, but they wanted nothing to do with it. After what seemed like forever, the door to an office in the back right corner came in.
"Ishtar?" A woman with brown hair up in a bun wondered.
"That's us." Bakura muttered, standing. He jammed his hands in his pockets and led us over.
"Bakura, how are you?" She wondered, hugging him.
I saw a smile tug at the corners of my boyfriend's mouth and felt pride swell within me that I had been able to see him smile like that in the embrace of an adult for once.
"Can't complain." Bakura shrugged one shoulder.
"Staying out of trouble?"
"Trouble finds me. Can't help it."
I waited for Ishizu to say something, but, thankfully, she kept her mouth shut. The woman smiled at us. "You must be the Ishtar children. Please, come on in." She offered us entry to the office, moving aside and sweeping her arm inside in a show.
"Thank you." Odion nodded, leading the way.
My sister and I followed, followed by Bakura.
"So from our discussion the other day, it seems like you three need an intervention of sorts?" The woman wondered, pushing curly hair behind her ear.
"Their father's a prick." Bakura snorted, putting his feet onto her desk and folding his arms as he sat in a desk chair on the side.
"Bakura, language, please." She smiled sweetly. "And get your feet off my desk before I have to make you take them off."
He smirked and did as told. Wow, finally, someone who could get Bakura to listen. They needed to hire her at school. Right this second.
"Our father's an alcoholic." Odion corrected my boyfriend. "He goes into blind fits of alcohol induced rage and goes after us."
She seemed concerned and interested at the same time. "When you say 'goes after us'…?"
"He broke my nose once." I stated. "Bakura fixed it for me." One of the reasons I fell in love with him, really. "And was going to let his friends…um…"
"Rape me." Ishizu answered for me. "But Marik stood in and offered to take my place. Thank God Bakura and his friends got there in time before they did anything."
"His virginity wasn't theirs to take." Bakura muttered.
I slapped his knee and Ishizu glared at him.
"Not to mention the fact that he's beat all of us at least once in our lives." Odion carried on as if the conversation regarding my backside being violated hadn't happened. "Such as the instance with Marik's nose."
"And what does he do when he gets into these rages? Doe she hit or kick? Or verbal abuse? Does he throw things, shove you…?"
"All of the above." I informed.
Bakura's fingers were white-knuckled on the armrests of the chair he was in. I put my hand o his to calm him down, hoping my sister hadn't seen anything.
"So what do you all hope to accomplish today?"
"We want a way out…" Ishizu was soft spoken. "We were originally going to wait until Odion was eighteen and move out with him, but I don't think we can wait much longer. He…he keeps getting more and more violent…"
"If I understand correctly, both from what you are saying now and what Bakura has already told me, you want to get away from your father, but do not want to be split up." She looked at Odion and smiled. "And as the eldest, when you turn eighteen, you are willing to take your siblings under your own roof and have them live with you?"
"Of course." Odion nodded. "I already have a job at the gas station, and I've got more then enough saved for a deposit and a few months of rent in a small place."
"Well we could place you all in a house together once you turn eighteen. But the focus right now is to get you away from your father." She stated. "And what of your mother…?"
"She died a few years back." Odion informed. "She was very sick."
"My condolences…"
"Father began drinking after she died. The depression and the guilt at not being able to help her ate away at him." Ishizu informed. "Those bastards he hangs with don't help matters. They make things worse…" She covered her mouth with her hand. "I'm sorry."
"It's quite alright, dear." The woman handed her a tissue seeing the tears forming in the corner of my sister's eyes.
For as much as Ishizu being so overbearing annoyed the crap out of me, I did feel bad. I didn't like seeing her upset, no matter how upset she made me when she talked down to or about Bakura. I knew that a comforting hand on her shoulder would only make her retch away and tell me not to touch her. Even though I was her brother who would do her no harm, she still didn't like my touch simply because I was a man and she was so used to men hitting her. Well, I'm a teenager, not a man, but male in the least. So it was close enough.
"The three of you will need to give written reports of your accounts. Bakura has told me that he's witnessed a few incidents and will provide another eye witness statement if you'd like. The more the better."
I smiled softly at him. "Thanks, 'Kura…"
He reached over and ruffled my blonde locks. "Any time, Marik…" He informed gently.
My sister didn't seem to think anything of it as I leaned into Bakura's touch, before realizing what I was doing and pulling away. Odion chuckled lightly at me but stopped when Ishizu gave him a strange look.
"Are there any other persons who would fill out a report?"
"Ryou." I stated. "My friend Ryou already said he'd do anything to help."
"As would Yami and Thief." Bakura informed, clearing his throat. "Thief's the one who found Marik after his old man beat the tar out of him and broke his nose."
"And Yami would do anything that Ryou asked him to."
"If that isn't the truth…" Bakura snorted.
The woman chuckled. "So that's seven people who are willing…"
"My friend Mai would do it." Ishizu stated. "And her family…if I told them anyway…"
"Mai knows, doesn't she?" I asked.
"She doesn't know the extent of it. She just knows I'm in trouble." Ishizu looked to the Social worker. "I stayed with her the night that creep was going to…" She looked at me before looking away. "The day Marik saved me."
The woman nodded. "I see." She stated. "Well, if you kids are ready, we can get on the case right away. We can sneak you out and put you into protective custody while we investigate your father."
"No police, right?" Odion wondered.
"No police. Only if you wanted me to."
"We don't."
She nodded. "We may have to involve them at some point." She informed. "If you want charges pressed against your father, and because of the attempted rape, we will need to press charges on him and all involved."
"You mean his creepy friend?" My nose crinkled. "You'd have to pull dad's teeth out one by one to get the name. But it's Tsuki something. He went after me in the mall once, but Bakura kicked his ass…"
The Social worker shook her head at him.
"Aw, come on, Marik. Don't brag about that shit in here." Bakura flushed and looked away towards the window. "People will start to think I'm going soft."
"No one is in here but us." I informed. "Besides, it's the truth. You did save me…"
Bakura smirked. "Whatever."
"Why don't you kids come back after school tomorrow and we can get more details worked out?" The Social Worker offered. "I can get your statements and, if you can, bring your friends to give theirs."
"Sounds good to us." Odion nodded, standing. He offered his hand. "Thank you, ma'am."
"Any time, hon." She shook it. "Any friends of Bakura's are always welcome here."
"We're not friends with him." Ishizu protested.
"Right, I'm sleeping with him." I rolled my eyes and spoke before I could think.
Ishizu glared. "Your jokes aren't funny."
"Come on, Ishizu. It's just tense here. Let Marik go." Odion took her by the arm. "Good day, ma'am." He looked at me. "You go straight to Bakura's for the rest of your punishment hours, alright? And don't do anything stupid."
Like tell Ishizu I was sleeping with someone she didn't trust? Sure, Odion. Whatever you say.
"Who? Us?" Bakura waved him off. "Never."
Odion rolled his eyes and escorted my sister out.
"Hey, um, 'Kura?" I wondered. "Do you mind if I talk to her alone for a moment?"
"Sure, go ahead." He shrugged, putting his hands in his pockets. He kissed the top of my head before winking at me and making a show of leaving the room.
"What is it, dear?" She wondered.
"Um…about Bakura…"
"Yes? You're his boyfriend, are you not?"
"Y-Yeah…"
She smiled. "If you're worried about your sister knowing, Bakura has informed me of the situation…"
"No, not that. Um…"
"Yes?"
"Well…when he saved me, I came home late that night and that's why my dad beat me. He was mad at Bakura for hurting his friend and he took it out on me. But um…"
"Yes?"
"He threatened to kill Bakura."
"What?" She was taken back a bit. "Are you…why would he do that?"
I shrugged. "Drunk." The best explanation for anything my old man did or said. "Bakura knows about it and he doesn't seem too concerned…but I am. I don't want anything to happen to him because of me and…"
She gestured to a chair and I took a seat. She walked around her desk and sat on top of it, facing me.
"Marik, honey, abusers will try and isolate their victims form anyone that might help them or take them away because they don't want to lose that control. Your father's threats against Bakura are most likely an attempt to scare you away from him."
"But he doesn't try to stop my siblings and I from being friends with people…"
"Yes, but could any of your friends do anything against him?"
"No…"
"Could Bakura?"
"And his friends. They did. When they tried to rape Ishizu and I…"
She nodded in silent understanding. "Then there is your answer there." She sighed softly and I could feel a lecture coming on about something. "Marik, Bakura is a special kid. He's been through a lot and he gets in trouble constantly. But since he started hanging with you, and I mean before you started dating, he's calmed down. I no longer get two, three phone calls a week saying that he's arrested or being detained or in trouble at school. If it wasn't for you…I don't know what would happen to the dear boy." She stated. "My point here being that Bakura loves you very much and he won't let anything happen to you. And I know you feel the same way. I can see it in your eyes." She caressed the side of my face gently. "If you're that worried about him, I can have protection watch over him as well, okay? I don't want to see either of you hurt. You're a special kid, too, Marik. If you were able to do what no Social Worker, foster home, group home, foster family, teacher, cop…any authority figure has been able to do, and that's tame Bakura, then there must be something really special about you. So don't you worry, oaky? He'll be in god hands, too."
I smiled softly, wiping at tears. "T-thank you…so much…for understanding. Ishizu…"
"Wouldn't understand how you feel about him?"
"She's grateful that he got us help, but she really doesn't like or trust him and…" I sighed. "If she ever found out we were together, and that Odion knew all this time, it would be World War III. I just…I wish I could let her know how much he means to me and show her that he is a good guy…"
"You made him that way, honey." She assured me. "And if you can make Bakura into a fine, upstanding young man, then you can convince your sister that he is what you see in him. A good man."
I nodded. "Thank you…"
"You're welcome dear. Now run along. I'm sure your boyfriend wouldn't like to be kept waiting." She winked.
I laughed. "No, he wouldn't." I agreed. "Goodbye."
"Bye."
I got up and left, shutting the door behind me.
"You ready?" Bakura wondered, standing up from the bench he'd been sitting in.
The three children from before had quieted down and sat with their mother. I wondered if he had done something to shut them up and make them behave.
"I'm ready."
"What are you grinning like that for?"
"Nothing." I took his hand in mine. "Just glad to have you."
He smiled softly and squeezed my hand, leading me away towards the exit.
"Mommy? Why are those two boys holding hands like that?" The little girl wondered.
"Sh, don't ask those kinds of things. Not polite." The mother warned.
I laughed as Bakura and I left the building. I didn't care what the world though. As long as I had my Bakura, I knew I'd be alright.