Lost Love

It took me ages to write this chapter out, so I hope it isn't too choppy to read, because when I started and got all comfy then I would be called away. So I did the spellchecker to get that extra bit of help with grammar, but you know how great that tool is to use and said everything was fine .… So if you find any collect them all and you may win a prize, lol, anyway enjoy the chapter I know most of you have been hanging out for an update…

Warnings: M and Yaoi, mentions of torture though not much so don't worry too much about it, but if you're not sure then just don't read… Disclaimer: … 'I own nothing!'

Chapter 35

The dawn was nothing but thick fog and dark clouds that blew in from the ocean and drifted over the city and let loose it's down pour of rain, soaking everything in its path. On the top floor of the mansion, Malik slowly opened his eyes and the induced sleep he was forced into last night was wearing off. "Marik?" Malik mumbled groggily rolling onto his side and reached out a hand unconsciously to feel just where his Mate was in the bed.

His head hurt so much and it didn't help when last night's events came rushing back to him and he remembered what had happened before he was forced unconscious. "That bastard!" Malik growled cursing Bakura for what he had done, sitting up slowly and found that his body still ached and more so in his back where he still had an injured wing that would take a good few months before he could use it again and even more so to be able to fly again.

Malik got to his feet and glanced out the bedroom door with a worried frown as the air in the house was filled with a mix of rain and blood. Malik abandoned the thought of putting on a shirt and grabbed his jeans, pulling them on and fled the room as fast as he could. His worried thoughts were now on Marik and Bakura hoping that it wasn't their blood he could smell or Ryou's and hoped that they had gotten the Human back.

The front door to the mansion burst open with a gust of rain and wind, Bakura stumbled in with an unconscious Ryou in his arms; he had refused anyone else to carrying his Human, even though he was struggling with his own injuries.

Seto followed holding Marik about his waist and to his side as the tanned Demon could barely stand on his own feet. The wounds that Marik had had stopped bleeding a little while ago, but his wounds were still open. The Healer had his work cut out for him today, three heals and he had to get the Witch to help him as well, a task that seemed damn near impossible. "Lets get you two healed." Seto said as he started to lead Marik to his room, they all needed a change of clothing and to dry up, for when they had stepped back into the Human Realm to find it raining, even though Seto had used his powers to get them all back to the house, it didn't stop them from getting wet.

"Marik!" Malik stumbled a little down the stairs ignoring the pain he was in to get to his injured Mate. "What happened to you?" He clutched onto Marik while trying to see over his wounds, pulling away the torn up shirt to see just how bad it was. Malik found every cut, grazing and bruise; the wound on Marik's chest was cut to the bone. Those bastards, Malik growled as tears filled his eyes, how dare they wound his Mate, but he was thankful all the same as his Mate had come back to him in one piece.

"I'm alright." Marik reassured him with a soft caress to his cheek, Malik was not reassured at all, he jerked at the touch, surprised to find Marik's hand so hot, could Marik be running a fever because of his wounds? Seto walked off heading to his room; they were going to be a few minutes, as Malik would fuss over them first and Seto would let him, a lot had happened in the last few days and last night had been the worst of it… so he hoped.

"Marik you're such an idiot." Malik mumbled leaning in and rested his head on Marik's shoulder and hugged him tightly, if the weapon used had hit Marik just a little to the left, then he would have been dead, he wondered if Marik knew just how close he had come to dieing.

Marik ignored the comment and could feel the worry coming from Malik and pulled him closer, he was having trouble thinking straight, his vision was blurred and his head hurt as much as his body did. "As promised we got Ryou back." Marik said glancing over at Bakura who was carrying Ryou into the room that Seto used for such times. He wasn't going to tell Malik that Ryou had been the reason why they were so injured.

"Ryou?!" Malik turned and rushed after the pale Demon and the Human; stopping at the door when Marik wasn't following him, glancing over his shoulder to see him lean against the wall heavily looking exhausted and in pain… there was something more wrong with Marik then just the wounds.

"I'm fine." Marik mumbled knowing just how much Malik would want to see Ryou and Bakura.

Malik rushed back to him anyway, "let me help you," He wrapped his arms about his Mate looking him over, the wounds had to be painful and also Marik's skin burned so much… Malik's eyes widened as it dawned on him why. "You need to feed." He stepped back, he needed to keep his distance from Marik just for a while, until he knew that Ryou was alright.

"It's you that should be resting." Marik protested and Malik ignored him as he walked with a small limp into the kitchen and grabbed out packs of blood from the fridge for Marik and Bakura, it would help with healing them faster. He passed one to Marik, he was reluctant to drink it, all Malik had to do was give him a look and Marik was drinking it down without another word and found afterwards that he didn't feel as bad or in as much pain.

Bakura placed his unconscious Human onto the metal table and noticed Ryou was shivering from his wet clothes. He looked so cold; his lips were tinted blue along with his skin. Bakura pulled out his knife and cut away Ryou's clothes from his body and covered him over with a towel, dried him, after wards he threw it onto the bench and pulled out a sheet from the cupboard and covered Ryou over to help keep him warm, he soon stopped shivering.

Seto walked into the room followed by Marik and Malik. "Ryou!" Malik rushed forward to the table looking him over and glanced at Bakura then Seto. "Is he going to be okay?" He ran his finger lightly through Ryou's damp hair as if to soothe him and reached for the Human's hand. "He's like ice," Malik frowned when he brought the cold hand to his cheek; even Ryou's fingers were stiff when Malik entwined their fingers together and pulled the sheet up a little more over Ryou's body.

Marik took the blood pack from Malik and held it out to Bakura, who out right refused it; he also pushed the Healer away from him when the Demon tried to heal him. "Save what energy you have for Ryou." Bakura growled out. "I'm fine, I don't need healing or those stupid bags." Marik glared at him knowing Bakura had always had a problem with the emergency packs as did he.

"Bakura you have to be healed to stop the bleeding," Marik said from the other side of the table and the two locked eyes, Seto backed off; he wasn't going to force Bakura as he was and had always been stubborn at the best of times.

"Well, it depends." Seto said answering Malik and getting what he needed out before he started on repairing what the Witch had done to the Human. Though it would be a losing battle as anything he would try would be useless without the Witch's help.

Malik turned his eyes from Marik and Bakura who were in a glare battle of a silent conversation, over the pale Demon getting some form of healing. "On what?" Malik asked in reply to what Seto had said, not liking how it sounded at all, but one thing he was glad about was that Ryou was still breathing and alive, he couldn't have asked for more.

"Bakura!" Marik cried out in alarm as the pale Demon collapsed to the floor suddenly, they both rushed over to the other side of the table. "Heal him now." Marik growled out, Bakura had been stabbed twice and with the other cuts, he would have lost a lot of blood and was the most injured from the fight. Seto knelt down and placed his hands on Bakura's chest and forehead.

Bakura's bruises and cuts healed up as if they were never there, and when Seto was done he picked up the pale Demon from off the floor and carried him over to armchair and placed him down to rest there until he would wake up, he knew that Bakura wouldn't want to be too far away from Ryou. "You're so stubborn." Marik whispered to the unconscious Bakura and understood at the same time on why he had refused the healing in the first place.

"You never answered me." Malik said to Seto from beside Bakura, seeing his Mate, lover and Human so injured was hard for him that it was heartbreaking.

"Malik." Marik said as he straightened up looking at his Mate, though he tried to hide the pain he was in, he couldn't hide the exhausted look that showed on his face. "The only one that can save Ryou is your Sister."

"What?" Malik sat down on the armrest as if he was boneless, Bakura was right next to him unmoving, the half Demon was silent for a bit, there was no way that his Sister would heal Ryou without a price that Malik didn't think he could pay, he glanced at the Human, but if it was for Ryou then anything she asked for was nothing too big, he had made up his mind.

"Malik." Marik tried to get his attention and failed, he tired again. "Malik, my love." He looked up this time as Marik tilted his Mate's chin up to look at him better and making sure that Malik heard him. "I won't let anything happen to Ryou."

"How Marik?" Malik shook his head as tears filled his eyes and his hope for having Ryou at their side once again seemed so far out of his reach. "You can't heal and the only one who can…" Malik trailed off and looked away when Marik had pulled his hand back.

Malik was right, he had no powers to save Ryou, sure they had said that Marik had the ability to be a Healer and be a Fighter, a quality that was rare to see in one Demon, even though he was equally matched if not a little stronger then Bakura in power wise, he could self heal… all Marik really knew how to do was find loopholes and ways out of situations.

"Where is she?" Malik asked snapping the older Demon from his thoughts. "My Sister, where is she?" Malik asked again, Marik twitched glancing at Seto, he didn't want Malik near that Witch.

"Yami took her right to the basement." Seto said as he moved to heal Marik and found he had done it himself, though his wounds were still a little open, they had stopped bleeding completely now.

Malik was still recovering from the injuries his Sister had caused him, he stood up on shaky legs, he had over done it, coming downstairs upon their arrival and then walking to the kitchen and back again, there was no way he was going to make it to the basement on his own.

Marik stood up in order to help his Mate, "Malik." Seto said, Marik wasn't in the condition to helping anyone. "Whatever you plan on doing you better do it quickly, Ryou's fading fast." Malik nodded his head and recoiled when Seto approached them and wrapped his arms about him and placed the half Demons arms around his shoulder.

"What are you doing?!" Malik tried to shove him away; Marik growled never had he liked anyone touching his Mate especially when he was so vulnerable and it bothered him even more then usual.

"I'm helping you, you want to see your Sister?" Malik stopped his moving about and nodded his head, "Then I'll help you, since I'm the only one here that can keep her under some control." Seto snapped his ice blue eyes to Marik's darker ones. "And save the threats Marik, you'll have your Mate back unharmed."

"I had better, Healer." Marik snarled watching the two leave the room, he glanced down at Bakura, then back at the door… wait a minute.

Malik gasped the pain was making itself known now that the potion that Bakura had given him under Seto's instructions was truly wearing off, his legs gave out from under him and Seto picked Malik up off his feet and into his arms and carried him through the kitchen. "Hey!" Marik snapped as he stormed into the kitchen following them. "Take your hands off him!" Seto instantly placed Malik onto his feet as Marik pulled his Mate into his arms and away from the Healer. "You're implying that I can't take care of my own Mate?!" Marik seethed at Seto, who backed off with his hands raised to show that he was no threat. "Injured or not or even dieing, I can take care of him myself." Marik snapped viciously and stormed passed the Healer almost knocking him off his feet.

Seto sighed, even though the pair were already Mated and with what was happening around them, the sway of the moon and the Mating season still had their cruel grips on all of them, the time was to close for any of them to slip up now with each other, one wrong move and they would be tearing each other apart, normally they all would have gone their separate ways until it was all over… Damn this Mating Season.

"Ishizu!" Malik said as he was placed down onto his feet, but his Mate's arms were still wrapped about him to support him.

The Witch was chained to the wall and she rested on her knees as it was as far as the chains would allow her to sit. "So they finally let you come to see me one last time before they kill me." She raised her head and glared at him, her lips still swollen and dried blood from Bakura pulling her teeth out.

"No, I'm not here to say good bye." Malik removed his Mate's arms from around his waist and moved forward, hearing a growl of protest from Marik and ignored it. "And I have no doubt that you will die." Malik stopped before her, looking down as she glanced up at him.

"He's dieing isn't he?" She grinned at him, "How ironic that the Human should be dieing at my hands once again." Malik shook his head and fell to knees before her and grabbed onto her shoulders, Marik stepped forward worried the Witch may try something; Seto stepped off the last step having the same thoughts as Marik.

"You can save him, undo the spell." He stared right into her eyes his pain forgotten for now.

"No, if I die then so does he." She giggled a little, Malik shook his head, had everything that happened gone right to her head? He thought so, "If I don't get him in this life time then I'll get him in the next one or the one after that, but sooner or later I'll have what I want."

"Sister." Malik had said in such a tone that the Witch had stopped her giggling and looked at him as if she was paying attention to him. "If I spare you, will you save Ryou?"

"Are you making a deal with me, Malik?" She was serious now this had gotten her attention.

"No," Marik snapped, both siblings ignored him as if he wasn't even in the room.

Malik nodded his head, "yes."

"You'll give me anything I want in return if I save your Human? Anything at all I ask for?" She narrowed her eyes at him watching for any tell tail signs that he maybe deceiving her.

"Malik don't do it." Marik warned him as he rushed forward to stop his Mate from making a foolish mistake.

Again Malik nodded his head, "anything you ask."

"Of you?" Hissed the Witch, this couldn't have gotten any better, things were still looking up and the gods truly did favor her and Fate was at her command, everything was falling at her feet.

"Yes." The simple word left Malik's lips.

"Done! I'll save your Human, Malik." The Witch threw her head back and started to laugh loudly.

Marik was to late as he pulled Malik to his feet and away from the Witch. "What have you done?!" Marik snapped at him ignoring the cry of pain he caused when moving Malik so roughly.

"Anything I can to save Ryou." Malik shot back.

"Do you realize what you have done, Malik?!" Marik shook him enough to make his Mate whimper in pain from his firm grasp.

"It doesn't matter, Marik." Malik reached up a hand and caressed Marik's cheek lovingly, his threats before to make the Witch find Ryou wouldn't work for this situation. "Whatever she asks of me, I'm prepared to give it to her." Perhaps Malik had known all along before he came down here to ask his Sister to save his beloved Human and that he would make this deal with her, to keep the Witch away from the ones he loved for good, even if the price was unfairly high and he would be the one to suffer, it would be for the best.

"Not like this, Malik." Tears had filled Marik's eyes, he knew what she would ask for and he wasn't prepared to give him up. "There is always a way."

"A chance Marik I'm not willing to take." Malik sighed and lowered his hand from Marik's cheek to his chest and could feel the rapid heartbeat under the palm of his hand. Malik glanced up and still saw that Marik was furious and sad on why he had done this. "I would rather have paid this price and knowing Ryou was alive, then living here and grieving his death." Malik took a step forward and nuzzled into Marik's neck and wrapped his arms around him, Marik wrapped his arms about his Mate tightly and glared at the still laughing Witch… she would still die by his hands.

That smirk was still in place on the Witches lips as she walked into the Healers room and saw the Human on the table and the pale Demon in the chair, one unconscious and the other on the brink of death. Ishizu walked up to the table and picked Ryou's left hand up by the wrist and lifted it, only to drop it and watch it fall to the table then slid off and hung lifelessly out at his side, she giggled a little amused and did it again, it was as if he was already dead, the arm was a little stiff and cold, suddenly she was on the ground holding her stinging cheek and glanced up to see Marik placing Ryou's arm back onto the table and at his side. "Touch me again you filth and I'll let him die."

"Then you'll die as well." Marik hissed his hand on his hip and over his dagger, he had to control himself for now and he would kill her once she was done healing Ryou.

"Get out and take the trash with you." She pointed at Bakura, Marik growled at her and glanced at Seto sending him a warning glare that if anything happened to Ryou in his absence then they would all die.

"We need the space, everything will be fine." Seto said, Marik walked over to Bakura and picked him up off the chair and into his arms and headed to the door and stopped waiting for Malik, who lent over Ryou and kissed him on the lips.

Ishizu snorted and rolled her eyes, Malik pulled away to follow Marik. "Oh Malik dearest." Ishizu called to him, Malik stopped in the threshold and glanced over his shoulder. "Don't go too far, you belong to me now."

Marik growled biting his tongue and lead his Mate from the room without a word.

Later that afternoon Bakura woke up, finding himself naked and clean in his bed and room. Bakura sat upright looking around, he remembered placing Ryou on the table not to long ago, why was he up here? "That Bastard!" Bakura hissed noticing that his wounds had been healed; he hadn't wanted Seto to exhaust himself with healing him when Ryou needed the energy more, when he had passed out then the Healer used that opportunity to heal him.

Bakura got up out of bed and grabbed the gray slacks that hung slightly out of the draw of his dresser, pulling them on and fled the room and headed downstairs to the Healers room and where he had placed Ryou last.

Bakura slowed his walking down when he reached the bottom floor of the house, seeing the door closed he stopped in front of it and went to push the door open and found it wouldn't budge at all, taking a step back he realized Seto was still inside. "They have been in there almost all day." Bakura glanced off to his right, the doors of the living room were wide open and sitting on the couch inside was Marik.

Bakura frowned at the door for a second and then approached the living room and stopped in the threshold watching Marik who was looking out the windows on the other side of the room, chin rested in his palm and his elbow rested on the armrest and his back almost to Bakura. "So you don't know what's going on?"

"They're healing him." Marik mumbled, Bakura's frown deepened as he walked into the room and walk around the coffee table to get a better look at Marik or have Marik look at him.

"They?" Bakura asked and raised his eyebrow, he thought that Seto would be the one to heal his Human, who else did the Demon Healer get to help him? Bakura froze on the spot and sucked in a deep breath upon seeing a tear roll down Marik's cheek and suddenly it was wiped away just as quickly as it had fallen. "Marik." Bakura stepped around the coffee table more and reached out to touch Marik on the shoulder. "Are you…"

"Ishizu." Marik hissed out with some much malice in his tone and snapped his head about and glared at the pale Demon before him. "She was the only one that could heal Ryou, apparently." He turned his glare back to the windows.

Bakura shook his head confused, "What happened?" Anything with that Witch's name in the same sentence as Ryou's was never a good thing. Marik snorted and said nothing, but just stared out the windows, Bakura fell on his knees in front of Marik and placed his hand on his knee. "Marik, what happened?" It was rare to see Marik so upset and Bakura was dreading that something terrible had happened while he was unconscious.

"He's leaving me." Marik mumbled almost choking on his own tears.

"What? Who?" Bakura's mind fought to process what Marik was talking about, and hoped that he hadn't meant Ryou?

"Malik." Marik snapped and Bakura pulled away wide eyed, there would be no way that Malik would leave Marik... "Malik made a deal with his Sister to save Ryou and you know as well as I do how this will end."

How could Malik have been so foolish as to do something so stupid, "I'm sure there is a way out of it." Bakura tried to put him at ease.

"There is." Marik turned his head and glared at the Healers door. "When she comes out, I'm going to kill her." Marik looked at Bakura again. "I'm not letting her take him from me."

"Where is Malik now?" Bakura asked, how did things fall apart so fast? His mind was spinning with just his own thoughts that it made him dizzy.

"He wanted to get some fresh air." Marik glanced out the windows.

Bakura lent up still on his knees and cupped Marik's cheek with one hand and frowned at the heat that the tanned Demon's body was producing, he was practically burning up, this was not good if tonight was the full moon, but that was a few more nights away, what was going on? "Marik are you alright?" Bakura asked, pushing his thoughts of Malik aside for now, as the half Demon wouldn't be too far away.

"No." Marik's voice was so strained as a few more tears fell and he wiped them away, placing one knee onto the couch Bakura lifted himself up and hugged Marik tightly. "That bitch will take him away and I'll never see him again." Marik growled his eyes turned a dark crimson and his fangs lengthened. "He's my Mate!" He snapped. "She has no right." He raged out.

"Marik." Bakura tilted the tanned Demon's chin up, he couldn't stand to see Marik like this, not when it was himself that wanted to fall apart in his worry over Ryou. "Have you gone into Heat?" He asked and Marik looked away, the only reason they called it that was because each and every Demon would burn up at an alarming rate as if one would have a seriously high fever and turned the most gentile creature into a rampaging sex starved beast looking for anything to bed-down with for a week.

"So what if I have." Marik snapped. "It's not like I have a Mate now to take, thanks to that woman." It was to late for Marik to go into a Self-Hibernation and Bakura could not satisfy Marik's need as Marik had never been able to satisfy him over the years of Ryou's absence.

Bakura shook his head, he wouldn't lose Malik not if he could help it, "Everything will work out, we'll make it work." They both turned their heads when the door opened and Ishizu stepped out followed by Seto. Bakura was the first to move and rushed towards them. "How's Ryou?" He asked worriedly as Marik soon followed.

"He should be…" Seto stumbled backwards against the wall and the Witch landing against him as Bakura shoved his way past them to get into the room and to Ryou. "Fine." Seto hissed out as he pushed the Witch off him.

"Quit shoving me!" She snapped walking out of the room and stopped dead in her tracks as she came face to face with Marik, who forced her to back up again into the room she had just came out of.

"He looks like he's just sleeping." Bakura marveled as he looked Ryou over closely and found all wounds gone.

"Because he is." Seto said, watching Marik and Ishizu.

"He'll be okay then?" Marik asked not taking his eyes of the Witch and all that was running through his head was that she had ruined everything once again.

"He'll live I guarantee it." Seto sighed, he was so exhausted from over using his powers and knew the Witch was as well as she had done most of the work undoing the spell she had placed on the Human. The Healer had a pretty good idea what was going through Marik's head as he had been there in the basement and had heard what was said between Malik and the Witch. "He should be waking soon." He added.

"Get out of my way." Ishizu demanded Marik; she was too tired and wanted a place to rest before she left with Malik, she had nothing in her to fight now.

"Do you really think that I would let you walk out of here?" Marik growled as he forced her to back up until her rear end hit the table Ryou lay on. "Did you think I would let you walk out of here with my Mate?!" He raged at her angrily and the room shook with his power.

"We made a deal you can't break it." She snapped back at him.

"I can." Marik pulled out his dagger he would end her life here and now, anything to keep Malik at his side, his arm was grabbed onto and he was pulled back away from the Witch.

"Marik don't!" Malik pleaded, he didn't want them to start fighting in here in case Ryou got hurt.

"You want to go with her of your own free will?" Marik growled out as he pulled away from his Mate.

"No, I would never willingly leave you Marik." Malik shook his head.

"Then why did you make such a deal?" Marik shot back.

"I had no choice and you know that."

"Enough!" Bakura snapped at them, knowing Marik could bring the house down around them if they continued their argument. "Now isn't the time."

"Ishizu." Seto said as he cleared his throat getting everyone's attention in the room. "It's been one hell of a long night and day, so I suggest before the killing starts that we all get some form of rest." Marik shot him a glare. "Of course, Ishizu you'll find the bed and chains comfortable in the basement and more to your taste." She scuffed at him never taking her eyes off Marik, but the idea of sleep was the best thing that she had heard all day.

"Just as long as you keep that monster restrained from killing me in my sleep." She threw her nose up in the air and marched out of the room, followed closely by Seto.

"How the hell did that happen?!" Marik said all flustered, he was meant to kill her not have her sleeping in the same house. "DAMN IT!" He yelled feeling as though he had lost in some way.

Bakura satisfied on what was happening with the Witch picked Ryou up off the table, sheet and all and approached Malik and Marik looking at them both. "Is Ryou going to be okay?" Malik asked, he had missed everything said about the Human.

"Seto said he's going to be just fine." Bakura said and Malik sighed in relief. "You two should get some rest as well, Malik your not recovered just yet." Bakura lent over a little, careful not to drop Ryou and kissed Malik on the lips. "Marik needs to rest as well."

"I know." Malik turned to Marik placing his hand in his and timidly smiled up at him. "Since this may just very well be our last afternoon and night together." The words had barely left Malik's lips when Marik grabbed him and pulled him into a deep hug and kiss, the two then vanished from the room and the faint sound of the door upstairs closing could be heard from where Bakura stood on the bottom floor.

He carried Ryou upstairs; passing Marik and Malik's bedroom door the two would be in there for some time as Marik had placed up his shield about the door to stop anyone from getting inside. He continued to his own room, placing Ryou down on his bed and covered him over and then closing and locking the bedroom door, he crawled in bedside Ryou and waited for him to wake up.

TBC

This seemed to be a pointless chapter but at the same time a set up for the next one… anyway Review and I'll update when I can, (Love and Cookies)