A/N: I estimate there's about three or four chapters left in this story. I'm already planning out my next gender bend fic (it will be AU and very cool if I do say so myself!) and this one is coming to a close. Enjoy these last few chapters!


To say that Yuugi felt a hundred times better after she'd had the chance to talk to Jou was an understatement. As she washed her face and hands, she realized that it was as though a steep weight had been lifted from her shoulders, one that she hadn't consciously realized that she was carrying. Jou was her best friend and she loved him a lot, but things had been strained between them ever since she'd become a girl. It was a relief to know that they were finally beginning to clear the air. Things weren't perfect between them - she knew that Jou still resented the fact that she had run off with Ryou and left him behind, regardless of whether she had been trying to protect him - but perhaps, in time, it would be alright.

\Of course it will. You and Jou are best friends and that's not going to change anytime soon,\ Yami said and Yuugi jumped. Immediately she felt silly for being surprised that he'd been listening to their conversation the whole time. In spite of how much she had missed him, it hadn't taken her long to get used to not having someone else inside of her head all the time. Now she supposed she would have to go back the other way. Not that there was much she and Yami didn't share anyway.

/I know. I'm just glad that we had the chance to talk,/ Yuugi replied, wiping her hands on the dish towel. Her hair was a mess, she realized when she glanced into the mirror, and she really needed a shower. /I don't like fighting with anyone, but that goes triple for Jou. Still, though. I know we've made up but I have the feeling this might be a problem again in the future if you and I ever need to go do something else. He's going to want to come with us./ She closed her eyes. Part of her wished that she had never drawn Jou into this kind of thing in the first place. Of course, if she hadn't she probably wouldn't be where she was now.

\It's alright, Aibou. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it.\ Yami's soothing words were accompanied by a gentle wave of calming that flowed through Yuugi like a balm. She sighed and relaxed further under it. She'd missed this.

/Yeah, you're right. Maybe it won't even become an issue,/ she said hopefully, opening the door. She started to step out and paused when she caught sight of a shadow down the hallway. At first her heart jumped in fright, and then it squeezed in an entirely different form of anxiety when she realized that the mysterious figure was none other than Anzu. She was standing in front of the bedroom door and she hadn't noticed Yuugi, who watched as Anzu put her hand on the doorknob and then pulled it away. /Oh boy./

"Anzu?" she said, making her voice as gentle as possible. Anzu still jumped and spun around, her blue eyes wide.

"Oh, Yuugi!" she exclaimed. "I didn't – I thought you were inside already. I heard Yami's voice." Her cheeks were flushed and she darted a quick look at the door. It didn't take a genius to figure out that she had been hoping to get Yami alone for a few minutes.

"He's probably talking to Bakura and Ryou," said Yuugi, folding her arms as best she could. The pressure on her wrist made her wince a little but she ignored the brief flash of pain. "I'm not sure that Yami would be feeling up to talking just yet, Anzu. He was in pretty bad shape when we got back. Actually, after we're finished eating I was going to see if Mokuba or Seto could call the doctor. It might be the only time Bakura will ever be still enough for them to check him over." She grinned weakly.

Anzu's returning smile was equally wobbly. "Yeah, I guess that makes sense. I just wanted to make sure that he was okay, that's all." She finally turned away from the door, facing Yuugi, and looked her up and down. "Are you doing alright? I was going to come see if you were after what happened, but then I saw that Jou had followed you and Honda thought it was best that we gave you guys a few minutes to talk." Her concern was genuine, that much was discernible at a glance. Her friends had always been one of the most important things in Anzu's life. Yuugi's smile became more genuine.

"Yes, we're fine. We talked and I think that things will go back to normal eventually. Well, as close to normal as we can ever be," she replied. "I know that he was just frustrated. I won't say that it didn't upset me but maybe I needed to hear it as much as Jou needed to say it."

"Oh, that's a relief. I thought that you would work it out but you can never be too sure. I'm really glad for you, Yuugi. Maybe next time we'll be able to come with you," Anzu said hopefully. "I mean, I think it's good for you and… and Yami when we can be there to support you."

"Maybe," Yuugi said slowly. There was more going on here then it appeared on the surface and she thought she knew what the problem might be, though she was hoping that she was wrong. "But probably not. Anzu, you do understand that from now on you guys probably won't be involved with anything that has to do with shadow magic, right? I appreciate everything you've done so far. We all do, including Yami. And I know you want to help, but you guys are just regular people. You don't have any magic. Really, you shouldn't have even been involved as much as you were."

"I liked helping you, even when we were in danger." Anzu sounded a little defensive and Yuugi sighed. She had been hoping that Anzu might be the one person who would understand but obviously that wasn't going to be the case.

"I know you did and like I said I was glad of your help. There were loads of times that I wouldn't have been able to make it without you. But your safety means more to me than anything else. I'm not going to let you keep putting yourselves in so much danger for no reason. Hopefully this won't ever be an issue." She crossed her fingers and held them up for proof. "Only, just in case it is I want you to know that. From now on you should act like you're just a normal person."

"But Yami..." Anzu began and then stopped. She lifted her chin, obviously steeling herself, and said, "But Yami won't be interested in a normal girl."

Oh. Yuugi tried hard not to wince. Part of her had known that this was coming from the moment that she saw Yami again. Anzu had never made any secret that she preferred Yami over Yuugi, at least when it came to romance. It had been a long time before Yuugi could accept this as the truth without feeling too bitter about it and gradually her feelings for Anzu had faded. Sometimes she even thought that Yami and Anzu had the potential to be good together, considering that Anzu was understanding and sweet but firm enough to keep Yami in line. But there was also no doubt in Yuugi's mind that Yami would never consider being with Anzu as long as Yuugi was even a little bit interested in him. They just fit together too well. She stared at Anzu, wondering how she was going to explain this, but before she got the chance the door actually did open and a familiar head was poked out.

"Yami!" Yuugi exclaimed, startled. "Oh my god, what are you doing out of bed?"

"I had to use the bathroom," he said, looking a little amused by her reaction. He was leaning against the doorframe, one hand loosely clapped over his stomach. It had to be immensely painful but he had their bond so tightly shielded that Yuugi couldn't feel it. She stared at him with narrowed eyes and he deliberately looked away. "I thought I heard voices out here. Hello, Anzu."

"Yami." Anzu was smiling, her blue eyes shining with relief. She started to take a step closer, looking like she might try to take his arm to support him, but stopped with a self-conscious glance at Yuugi. "Thank god you're okay. I was really worried about you."

"I know." Yami nodded. He didn't take his eyes from Anzu as he said, "Aibou, could I speak to Anzu alone?"

It was very tempting to say no and Yuugi might have done just that if it weren't for the way that Yami looked at her, with a plea written in his expressive eyes. She sighed and nodded, moving forward so that she could slip past him into the room. Yami touched her wrist, a movement hidden from Anzu by the way their bodies were positioned, and deliberately opened up their link just enough so that she would be able to hear and see what was going on if she wanted to. She'd never received a clearer invitation to eavesdrop. Yami smirked at that and dropped his hand, letting her continue. She shut the door behind her.

"Yuugi!" Ryou said with surprise, sitting straight up. She was nibbling on a cream puff and there was white powder on her lips and cheeks. Bakura was watching this with a distinctly hungry look. "What's going on? All of a sudden Yami got up and said he had to do something."

"Shh." Yuugi held her finger to her lips in a bid for silence and sat down right where she was, tucking her legs under her and closing her eyes. Even after all this time it was too easy to open herself up to Yami, to let their essences run together until they were breathing and living and hurting in tandem; she could taste the words he wanted to speak and her lips moved silently as he spoke.

"I wanted to thank you for your advice, Anzu-san," he said quietly enough that no one else would be able to hear. "When I came to see you, you said some things to me that I needed to hear."

"Oh." Anzu sounded flustered. "You don't have to thank me, Yami. It makes sense that things between you and Yuugi wouldn't go back to normal right away. I mean, you were gone for quite a while and of course, Yuugi is a girl now and that alone could make things hard. I have to admit that the world just doesn't seem right when the two of you are fighting. I was happy to be able to help and it's good to see you getting along."

"Yuugi is very precious to me. I didn't like it when she was angry with me, even if she was justified in her reaction," he agreed. "I think that we are now beginning to find our way."

"Really? And, um, what do you think will happen? Between you two, I mean."

"I expect that at some point Yuugi will want to go home to her grandfather. As long as her mother is not there I won't object. Kaiba is supposed to be working on some identities for Bakura and me. Once we get those it will be a matter of the two of us trying to find where we fit in."

"I see." She fell silent for a long moment. "Yami, do you think - is there - I mean, I know you and Yuugi are partners, but I wanted… is there space for me? I - I think you could fit with… with me."

"Anzu -" Yami didn't get a chance to say anything else. Anzu surged forward and kissed him.


Please review!