I'm back from the dead! Well not the dead per say. I'm back from deployment but my schedule currently has me busy as a bee. Don't worry I'm still working on this story despite that, though the lack of sleep I'm getting lately isn't helping so I apologize in advance if there's any mistakes. I reread this chapter at least 12 different times so it should be good. Key words, should be...

Disclaimer: Neither I nor the military owns the content of this chapter. The world would be screwed if we did.

Chapter 9

It's Where My Demons Lie

Serenity woke up feeling the human urge to use the bathroom. She had had rough time falling asleep due to the fact that every time she closed her eyes horrible images appeared. The storm did not help but after a while, with Yami Bakura promising her he'd stay there until she woke up in the morning, she fell asleep. As she slowly awakened she heard the male's soft breathing nearby signaling that he too had managed to fall into slumber as well. Standing she released Yami Bakura's pale hand from her grip and made her way to the bedroom door slipping on her shoes to protect her feet from the cold floor.

"I suppose there is a plus side to the lightning," Serenity whispered to herself slightly amused as she wrapped her arms around her self. "It's lighting my way to the bathroom."

As she peered out into the living room she noticed that the embers of the fire were still glowing a bright orange. The warmth from the earlier fire had faded but still clung on loosely. Opening the bathroom door she flicked on the light switch. The harsh white of the bathroom light flooded out of the open door while Serenity scrunched her eyes as they adjusted to the intensity. Closing the door behind her she failed to see a shadow in the window as the lightning outside flooded the living room in light, the table and couch sending brief shadows across the floor.

The man peered into the cleaned up window of the hide out he and his two partners stayed in. After spending four days silently and slowly canoeing their way up the river they had finally managed to throw off the scent of the authorities after months of hiding. They were relieved to find their cabin still standing. The three men had been surviving on canned food and bitter flavored coffee. Upon approaching their cabin, hoping to be able to escape the torrential downpour they had been stuck in, something seemed different. Peering into the windows they had saw the two lost teens and decided to investigate. The last thing they needed was the two finding their stash and reporting it to the police. These unsuspecting teens were going to have to be erased to protect their operation.

Wet greasy brown hair fell into the man's eyes as he looked into the dark living room window. The teens had vanished into the bedroom hours earlier. The man's partners were hidden in the woods behind the cabin in case one of them tried to flee. Just before he could start to make his way to the entrance the bedroom door opened and a figure appeared. He poked his head around the window frame to keep a watch. The man saw the female opened the bathroom door and turned on the light. She winced and brushed away a few of her auburn locks away from her face before walking into the room closing the door behind her.

Taking advantage of the situation the man pushed away the dirty hair that had fallen into his face and slowly crept to the door. He was glad the lock was old and never did hold well. These two teenagers had no idea that the security device they thought would protect them was completely useless. As he jammed a small blade into the key hole he turned the knife and a soft click was heard as the bolt slid into its home. Turning the door handle he opened the door smirking at the fact he had oiled the hinges to keep them from squeaking.

Stepping into worn down building he pulled out his large hunting knife from its sheath on his belt. He'd kill the girl first and then the male while he slept. Pity that such a beautiful girl had to die tonight but he couldn't risk her keeping her mouth shut. Maybe he'd knock her out and kidnap her for their own fun. A sick smile appeared on his grimy face his dark eyes glinting with glee. His foot landed on a loose board and a squeak echoed throughout the room. The man froze as he waited for any sound that either of the two had heard him. After a moment and nothing happened he crept closer towards the bathroom door. That was when he caught a glimpse of bright white hair as lightning once again bathed the room in white. Again he froze and this time in slight fear as he looked into the evil glistening brown eyes that he did not yet realize belonged to his death.

Serenity flushed the toilet still slightly groggy from being half asleep. Longing to return to the warmth the bed held she turned on the sink to wash her hands. A blush crept along her cheeks as she remembered who's hand she recently held. Yami Bakura had made dinner, with her sitting on the counter next to the stove overseeing that he didn't make it explode like the instant oatmeal, and surprisingly kept her calm despite how terrified she was. He had asked her plenty of questions to keep her mind off the fears racing through her head. There wasn't much to tell him that Joey hadn't already bragged about so she told him about a friend she had met before high school. That the girl had been blind since birth and was working on a virtual program for blind people to experience seeing and deaf people to hear. He was curious to see how the project would work and wanted to meet her.

As Serenity dried her hands on a holey towel she thought about how Yami Bakura had held her on the couch. She regretted telling him earlier that he had no heart. The things she had been told about him were mostly proven wrong in just the three days she spent with him. But something about him still had her fearful of him. She wasn't sure what it was but the look in his eyes at times was unnerving. Still, it was if he was changing ever so slowly and she was glad she was the one getting to see it happen. Opening the door she froze as the light landed on a man standing no farther than six feet away holding a large knife. A scream stuck in her throat before she caught sight of Yami Bakura also standing in the room wielding his own knife.

"Serenity, get into the room and stay there until I tell you to run." Yami Bakura ordered never taking his sadistic gaze off the greasy haired and rain soaked man. The blade in his hand glinted in the bathroom light and the Millennium Ring glowed as he chuckled darkly. His eyes were glowing with a mixture of red and violet.

Serenity nodded mutely in terror as she started to creep along the wall towards the bedroom door. A sudden movement had her pinned against the wall as a dirty hand wrapped around her throat. The middle aged man was quicker than she imagined and was now cutting off her oxygen. Metal pressed gently against a lightly tanned neck.

"You let her come with me and I'll let you live boy. Her life in exchange for yours, it's a fair trade." The man's rough voice sent shivers down Serenity's spine as the hair on the back of her neck stood up straight.

"I'm afraid I can't do that." Yami Bakura snarled his empty hand twitching with the urge to plunge his knife into the man's chest.

"Then I'm afraid I can't let either of you live." The man growled as he pressed the blade harder into Serenity's neck. Red droplets started to run down her throat and towards her chest staining part of her shirt. She closed her eyes tightly not wishing to look death in the eyes. A sudden howl of pain filled her ears and her body crumpled to the floor as the hand that held her up slackened its grip. Her eyes shot open and she looked up to see the knife Yami Bakura had thrown stuck in the older man's chest. Blood poured out from the wound darkening the man's dingy green shirt.

"Run Serenity! Climb out the bedroom window and run into the woods. Hide there. I'll come for you." Yami Bakura ordered again this time his voice took on a deadly tone. Serenity didn't hesitate or think twice as she made a mad dash towards the bedroom door pressing a hand to the fresh wound. As she turned to look back at the scene in the living room she swore Yami Bakura looked different in the light. Shaking her head Serenity threw the window open before grabbing her sweatshirt, throwing it on, and slipping out into the storm.

"You fucking bastard," the greasy haired man snarled as he pulled the knife from his shoulder. "You're going to pay for that."

"That line has been said to me so many times it lost its threat ages ago." Yami Bakura smirked as the man lunged at him but he side stepped the attack tripping the man in the process. A thud was heard as the dirty man hit the floor yowling in pain as Yami Bakura took the man's knife and stabbed it into the uninjured shoulder. The unnamed man turned over and a new wave of terror overcame him as the object on the teen's chest glowed an evil yellow. Dark shadows began to creep up snaking around his arms, brushing against his legs, and wrapped around his neck. He tried to crawl backwards but a foot slammed down onto his chest keeping him from moving.

"What's going on? What are these things?" The man asked in fright as his arms flailed trying to fight off the dark tentacles. This action only caused more to spring up and take a grasp on him.

"These are the shadows of which you will disappear into. They show no mercy to their victims. Enjoy your time in the shadow realm." Yami Bakura chuckled darkly as malice gave his eyes an eerie glow as he twisted the blade deeper in the man's shoulder. The man hollered in agony before the blade was pulled out slowly. A sudden scream from outside had Yami Bakura looking over his shoulder eyes wide in shock.

"It seems Greg and James got their hands on the bitch." The man on the floor chuckled as he slowly became absorbed into the darkness. "I can't even begin to say what they'll do to her now."

Yami Bakura growled like a feral wolf and slammed his foot into the man's chest. A sickening crack echoed through the room as a few ribs broke. Despite the fact he was barefoot he began to slam the ball of his heel into the man's face. Blood began to splatter as Yami Bakura basked in the torture. Blood poured from a broken nose, bruises began to form around one eye, and a few teeth came loose. Once the shadows had completely devoured the man Yami Bakura ran into the other room, threw on his boots, and jumped out the same window Serenity had vanished through earlier.

Greg and James waited semi-patiently in the stormy weather as their brother, Aaron, broke into their hideout. Standing amongst a cluster of thick trees, whose branches gave them decent protection from the onslaught of rain, they waited for an signal of what to do next. After discovering their place occupied they formed a plan to eliminate the two inside and move their cargo of contraband to a place less public.

James adjusted the hood of his black jacket over his red and black hair. He had been waiting for a good fifteen minutes and was becoming impatient. Being the youngest of the three he had offered to go in but Aaron, their leader, told him to stay put. Now here he was soaked to the bone, hungry, and feeling a cold coming on. Why they had to do this during the middle of a storm was beyond him. Hell, he wouldn't have mind sleeping in that cramped tent one more night, it was better than this situation. James really wanted to smoke but the other two shot that idea down quickly saying that the light from the cigarette could give them away. He shot back that they should've covered their tracks earlier when the two went snooping around the house. The fools' footprints were spotted by the male who had looked straight into the woods. Even though they were safely hidden James had the strangest feeling that he could see all three of them and was inside their heads.

James really didn't like being apart of all this but turning your back on family was something you just couldn't do. At least not with the family he was growing up in. He had been told how other members had been completely isolated and disowned for turning away from the life of crimes. Others were killed because they knew too much information. One of his cousins had tried talking him out of all this when James had visited him in prison. He refused and followed in his brothers' footsteps.

"What the hell is he doing? How hard is it to kill two teenagers in their sleep?" Greg's gruff voice asked breaking James out of his thoughts. The youngest looked over at the dishwater blonde male whose lower face was covered by a thin beard. Greg's white shirt was now splotched with mud and his jeans were ripped in various places.

"Fuck if I know. He probably killed the boy and is raping the girl before he kills her. Damn him if he is. She's too pretty to be violated by him." James sighed. Raping women wasn't exactly his style but he would if he had to. His brothers on the other hand enjoyed hearing the woman's pleas and had no regrets what so ever.

"Ya, she looks like she'd be real fun to have around. I heard red heads are little spit fires when it comes to that area." Greg chuckled letting his mind picture different things that would've sickened the girl in the cabin and brought about a sure slow torture from her hiking partner.

The two went silent going back to their own thoughts. Lightning lit up the woods around them while thunder sounded in every nook and cranny. After a few minutes movement near one of the windows caught their attention. Someone was climbing out of the bedroom window and making their way towards them. Greg grinned wickedly realizing that it was the girl who was running right for them unaware of the danger.

Serenity didn't bother to look back at the cabin as she ran a straight line into the woods. The only thing on her mind was get a good distance away and wait for Yami Bakura. Adrenaline coursed through her veins as she dodge a tree branch and leapt over a tree root. Just as she was making her way through a cluster of trees a pair of arms grabbed her. Serenity jerked at the sudden stop and turned to face her attacker. Her eyes widened in alarm as she saw the man grinning sinisterly. Lightning flashed around them and thunder cracked like a whip.

"Well, well James. Look what Aaron delivered into our hands. A pretty little doll for us to play with." The man who held her laughed his blonde hair plastered to his head. Serenity let out a shriek which was quickly silenced by a dirty hand covering her mouth and a harsh shut up.

"She'll be no fun if she bleeds to death, Greg. Aaron fucking cut her neck, as shallow as it is she's still bleeding. We can kidnap her and once we fix her up she'll have to repay the debt of saving her and not killing her." James stated as he pulled down his hood and reached out a hand towards the girl in his brother's arms.

Serenity squirmed trying to get away as fear began to take its hold on her. The hands on her arms tightened before an arm slid around her waist making it difficult to move. One of the man's hands rubbed her stomach and was inching its way down to her waist. The other was assessing her with sad grey eyes turning her head gently with a large hand. The youngest one sighed and pulled out a bandanna from his pocket and tied it around her neck to absorb the blood. Serenity stared at him briefly in confusion wondering why he was doing this but the thought passed quickly as Greg's hands started on her pants. She whimpered trying to think of something to get the men away from her. It was if her prayer had been heard. A figure appeared out of the darkness its eyes glowing a dark shade of red the glowing object on its chest being the only indication that it was Yami Bakura.

"Who the hell are you?" Greg growled turning to the new person. Once he realized who he was looking at the color drained from his face. "How the hell did you make it past Aaron? You should be dead! What have you done to Aaron? Answer me!"

"That piece of trash died by my hands just like you two will for touching her. I don't like it when someone lays their hands on my possessions." Yami Bakura grinned sinisterly as he flipped the knives in his hands. Serenity took this to her advantage as she wiggled enough to throw her elbow into Greg's nose and shove James away from her. Taking several steps back she stood still unsure what to do next.

"You little wench!" Greg shouted as he cupped a hand over his now bleeding nose. He looked up to see Yami Bakura was standing in front of him a feral look on his face. James made a lunge at the white haired demon but was sent flying by some unseen force. The girl shivered in fright as she watched the red and black haired man slam into a tree trunk.

"Serenity." A feminine voice whispered. The auburn haired girl looked around in curiosity and fright. She was so terrified that now she was hearing voices. "Serenity run this way."

"Who's there?" Serenity whimpered as she turned around raising her arms in a weak defensive stance.

"There's no time to explain. Just please run this way. If you don't you may be killed. Right now Yami Bakura is in a state that he cannot differentiate between friend and foe." The woman's voice pleaded. Turning to glance back Serenity gasped as she saw the sadistic look on Yami Bakura's face as she pinned Greg to a tree via knives through the man's palms. Running in the direction the voice came from she prayed that she would be safe. Suddenly she tripped and hit the ground sending mud flying up in several directions. Holding her right knee which had taken most of the blow she looked back to see what she had tripped on. A battery operated lantern lay tipped over on the ground unseen in the darkness. Snatching it up Serenity quickly stood and took off into the night a white glow illuminating the way once the girl had gotten the lantern to turn on.

Yami Bakura revealed in the pain he was inflicting on these two men. One was incapable of moving unless he decided to rip his hands from the blades holding him to the tree. The other was just beginning to rise limping from a few fractured or broken bones.

"James! Help me! The bastard stuck me to the tree!" The blonde bearded man hollered trying to keep his movements to a minimum. James made a mad dash towards Yami Bakura but fell on his face as a purple tendril sprang from the ground and wrapped itself around his ankle. The white haired teen cackled in glee as the shadow tentacles began to form.

"Your blood is calling to me. The blood from your victims cries out for revenge. I reveal in the taste and smell of blood. While yours is tainted I shall relish in this feeling none the less." Yami Bakura's eyes flashed between red, violet, and brown. His aura changed as he stood before Greg and grasped the man's throat tightly. Pulling out one of the knives from Greg's hands slowly, causing a howl loud enough to match the thunder, Yami Bakura made a slow delicate cut in the man's neck. The ruby liquid slowly oozed out and the demon sniffed in deeply his grin growing. "Oh yes, I will relish in this moment."

After what felt like an eternity Serenity managed to find a small cave to seek refuge in. Something was pushing her along and guiding her. Something she couldn't see but surely feel and hear. On more than one occasion that something had given her the strength to jump over fallen tree branches and keep her running. Now, as she sat on the dry dirt floor, she panted heavily while tears streamed down her face the lantern sitting before her feet. The wound on her neck was still bleeding but not as heavily as the bandanna absorbed most of the blood.

"I had to get you away before he turned on you next. I cannot be sure that he wouldn't but I wanted you safe." A pale figure formed in front of the young teenager. The woman's garments were strange and ancient looking. White robes touched her brown sandaled feet and only a single knot at the back of her neck helped the garment cover her upper torso. A red rope was tied around her petite waist showing off the curves the woman had.

"Who are you?" Serenity asked no trace of fear in her voice as she wiped at her tears which refused to stop falling.

"My name is Selana. I was the wife of Thief King Bakura many a millenia ago." Selana stated before kneeling in front of the girl. Serenity stared at her in shock not wishing to believe what she had just heard but something inside her told her she wasn't lying.

"Does Yami Bakura know you are here?" Serenity asked a pang of jealousy filled her head to which she quickly tried to expunge.

"I'm not sure if he does or not. Do not worry Serenity. I did not come to take him away. I came here to help you both. Thief King has taken over Yami Bakura right now out of anger of you being hurt. However, at the same time he is also angry that you have managed to stir up feelings inside Yami Bakura, feelings neither want to admit they have. It's complicated to explain."

Loud shouts and howls of pain made their ways to Serenity's ears. Covering them with her hands she tried her best to keep from thinking of what Yami Bakura was doing to them. A pair of hands gently took hold of her wrists and pulled them away once the screams of pains disappeared. Serenity felt the same hands wipe away her tears instantly stopping her from shedding anymore. Looking up at the woman in shock she watched as Selana smiled down at her comfortingly.

"Tears won't do you much good right now my dear. I will stay with you until he comes to find you. Yami Bakura has a dark past and I personally believe you were sent on this path to save him. Please don't give up on him. I know that you have mixed feelings for him. I understand." Selana sat down next to the auburn haired teen and looked out into the stormy night.

"I'm afraid of what will happen if he or the others find out how I'm feeling. It's not a strong feeling of love, but ever since I got to know him a little more I've been filled with a new strength. I'm not afraid to stand up to anyone as much as I used to be. I don't feel like the weak link anymore. I don't want to tell him only to have everything thrown back at me. I love him but this all feels too soon, too fast. I've known him for a while but only barely until now. Before I just knew him as sheer evil until now, he's just seeking closure and I wish I could help him." Serenity murmured as she reflected on the past few days.

"It is not in his nature to love so easily. He has his demons that he constantly struggles with. Some demons he will battle with until the end of his days. Thief King once made a deal that carried over into your era, a deal Yami Bakura is now fighting against. All because of you. If you can't stand beside him then he will fall into total darkness. If you reject your feelings for him too soon you will never know how he feels about you. If he returns your feelings will you be able to stay with him when he battles the monsters inside? Will you be able to forgive him for everything he's done in the past no matter how monstrous they seem? Can you accept him including all his flaws?" Selana asked simply turning to the girl beside her. Serenity stared down at her feet pondering it all.

Yami Bakura smiled evilly as he looked down at his blood covered hands. The two mens' bodies had long disappeared into the shadow realm leaving no trace of them behind. Walking back into the house he grabbed Serenity's and his belongings, they'd have to find a new place to take shelter now that the cabin had been compromised. Stepping out into the storm Yami Bakura returned to the clearing where he had last seen Serenity flee from.

"Millennium Ring, point me to the girl." Yami Bakura growled at the object that was still glowing against his chest. His eyes were still wild looking and darkness radiated from his body. The golden object's dangling points rose into the air and pointed straight ahead. Following its directions he quickly made his way to the place Serenity had hidden in.

Could she take Yami Bakura into her heart even though he had hurt her friends? She had personally seen what Yami Bakura could do when he was angry. The ending of the screams of pain told her that the men that she had run from were dead. Could such an act be forgivable? Yes they had been planning horrible deeds for her but they were still human, did they deserve such a fate? A piece of her said yes and it said it so chillingly that it sent a shiver down her spine. Two soft thumps broke her out of her thoughts as she and Selana both looked up in horror at the mouth of the cave.

"I found you." Yami Bakura grinned wickedly his hair soaked and dripping. Their bookbags lay on the dirt floor next to his mud covered boots. His clothes were once again stuck to his skin and gave him a ghastly look. However, it was his eyes that had Serenity frozen in place for a moment. They were such a hue of red and violet that she thought for a brief moment they were someone else's. Lightning flashed and once again she thought she was seeing someone else there. "At least you found a dry place to run to, my dear."

Serenity didn't know if it was courage, happiness, or sheer stupidity that had her standing up and running towards the white haired demon. She flung her small arms around him nearly knocking them both into the rain. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she pressed her face into Yami Bakura's chest not caring how wet he was. Peeking over Yami Bakura's right bicep she nearly gawked at seeing Selana hugging someone who somewhat resembled Yami Bakura, well at least the white hair looked the same. His darker tanned skin and bigger build was a different story all together.

The dark eyes of the man she held closed as his arms circled around her. His hands twitched as the thought of throwing her to the ground and claiming her as his possession came to mind. They twitched again as a new thought of shoving her off of him for even daring to touch him. Instead they slowly and ever so gently found their way to her back crushing the mud covered girl to him in a tight embrace. Yami Bakura smirked into her hair as he loosened his grip a little. Taking a small step back he looked down at the girl he had rescued from a horrible fate. He gazed down into a pair of brown eyes that looked deep into his as if seeing him for what he truly was. Yami Bakura lent his head down capturing her mouth with his own.