Disclaimer: Why must I say this again and again? They're not mine! As
before, I'd like to point out that the story, the plotline, and Jamie are
mine and thus you are not allowed to use them.
Yami: Gee. Little protective of our stories, are we?
Seto: Yeesh.
Me: Look, they're mine! Don't get on my case, okay?
Yami: Sure, sure. Whatever.
Me: I'll let Tea out of jail and have you strike up a budding romance with her.
Yami: NO! NO! ANYTHING BUT THAT!
Seto: I feel your pain, man. shudder
Me: Good. Now hush up so we can see the story.
Author's Notes: Not much to say, really. Just enjoy! Here's 'Second Chances', part two!
// Yami Bakura talking to Ryou //
/ Ryou talking to Yami Bakura /
'Thoughts or writing'
~*~
Kaiba and Yami immediately rushed forward. Kaiba took Ryou's body out of Joey's arms and made him as comfortable as he could on the floor. A rolled- up trench coat made a pillow for the boy's head.
Meanwhile, Yami was pumping Joey for information. "So what happened? How long had he been unconscious? Why didn't you call an ambulance? Do you know who did this?"
"I told you, I don't know," Joey said weakly. "I just went to his house because I was worried. He wasn't in school today. The front door was unlocked. I went into the kitchen and saw him there, just lying there. The stove was on, the sink was running, and the fridge was open. But the food inside was spoiled, so he had to have been unconscious a while. I think he was probably cooking when he hit his head and got knocked unconscious. I thought I saw a bowl of pasta on the table."
Yami frowned. "This wasn't an accident, Joey. Besides, why would he have been cooking if his pasta was already cooked? It doesn't make sense. Nothing is adding up. Joey," He took a deep breath. "This is going to be hard for you to hear. But I think Ryou is being abused. It's not possible that he gets all these wounds from accidents. Someone is doing this to him."
"Well, the only other person at his house is his father. He couldn't do that.could he?"
Yami looked grim. "We can't take that chance. Kaiba," he said louder, turning his head toward the chestnut-haired boy, "we have to get Ryou out of that house. Now."
Kaiba nodded. "He can stay with me. Mokuba and I need the company, anyway."
"Um.can-may I go, too?" Joey said timidly.
"Why?" Kaiba wanted to know.
"Because I'm worried about Ryou," Joey shot back. "I want to stay with him. I care about what happens to him."
Kaiba closed his eyes, thinking. "Very well," he said finally. "You can come too."
Joey sounded very relieved. "Thank you," he said. "Thank you so much."
Kaiba rolled his eyes at Yami. "It's not a problem, chihuahua. There's room at the stupid mansion for another fifty people. There's no need to babble."
"So is Ryou going to be all right?" Yami interjected before Kaiba provoked Joey into an argument.
"Hopefully. The paramedics should be here soon. Those scars look pretty bad, though. They're old. This has been going on for a long time, from the looks of it."
"I don't get it," Joey blurted. "Why would anyone want to hurt Ryou?"
Yami looked upset. "Some people, Joey, are just cruel. It's part of who they are."
"But he never hurt anyone!"
"Joey." Just then Joey remembered that Kaiba was abused as a kid. "There's no explanation, Joey. It's irrational, inexplicable, and pointless," Kaiba said sadly.
A low groan signaled the awakening of Ryou. He let out a moan of agony, fighting to open his half-shut eyelids as if there were weights on them. He held very still, never moving, for fear of feeling more pain.
Joey rushed to his side. "Ryou!"
The small boy quivered, barely looking up with heavy eyes. "J.Joey."
Yami and Kaiba carefully knelt as well. "What happened to you, Ryou?" Yami asked softly.
Ryou's form seemed to crumple, and he looked weaker than ever. "Can't.tell.I don't.want.be hurt.more."
Kaiba brushed snowy-white bangs out of his eyes. "Don't worry. We'll-" He trailed off, frowning at what he saw. "Ryou, what is this around your neck?"
"Can't.tell.no." Then Ryou's eyes fell shut, and he lapsed into unconsciousness again.
"Let the boy be," Yami said quietly. He rested a hand on Kaiba's shoulder, gently pulling him back. "Joey, stay with him, will you?"
The blonde nodded. Yami led Kaiba into the hall and carefully shut the door. "I wasn't going to bring this up in front of Joey," he said seriously, "But I felt something in there. Some kind of dark pulse, just for an instant."
"A dark pulse?" Kaiba asked, his tone demanding an explanation.
Yami didn't let him down. "A pulse.like it had come from the Shadow Realm. As I said, it was only for an instant, but." He shook his head. "What am I saying? There's no way Ryou could have the powers of the Shadow Realm. I must be imagining things."
"Do you really think you could imagine something like that?" Kaiba demanded.
"All I know is, I have a very bad feeling about all of this. We need to find out just what the heck is going on here. And fast."
Just then the team of paramedics showed up. "You called, Mister Kaiba?"
"Inside!" Kaiba barked. "Don't just stand there! That boy needs medical attention and fast!"
"Y-Yes, sir!" the medic who had addressed him stammered. His team was already inside, tending to Ryou, and he quickly followed.
Kaiba turned back to Yami, eyes flashing. "Okay. I am officially ticked off now," he grumbled. "One of my friends is in there bleeding like it's going out of style, we have no idea who it is that's hurting him and no way of finding out, not to mention I'm stuck babysitting the chihuahua for who knows how long, and on top of it all, I still haven't finished that stupid deal! Isn't my life just perfect?!"
Yami knew Kaiba well enough to just let him vent for a while. "As long as he's safe," he threw in, just for something to say. "That will make all of us happy."
"Man! If I could have five minutes alone with the guy doing this to him! Five minutes with every jerk who thinks he can get away with hurting a little kid!"
"And then what?" Yami asked quietly. "You can't drop them all out of twelfth-story windows."
"Don't push it, Yami," Kaiba growled.
"I'm not arguing. I know how much you want revenge. Look; Ryou is safe now. We can arrange for him to be with someone at all times. Joey won't even be in your way, because he'll want to be at Ryou's side the whole time. And when we find whoever it is, you can handle them however you want. But you just need to take a deep breath and realize that yes, we are in control of this situation, or at least as in control as possible," Yami replied calmly.
Kaiba's eyes narrowed. But then he seemed to relax. "Why is it that you can always talk me out of being angry?" he demanded.
Yami smirked. "Just part of my charm, I guess."
"You have no charm. Now come on, let's go take care of the Two Musketeers in there," Kaiba retorted. "I want this settled as soon as possible."
"Fine by me," Yami replied, and then they both reentered the office.
The paramedics were working as quickly as possible, trying to mend Ryou's wounds. Joey was watching them, biting his lip. "Can't you work faster?" he asked anxiously.
"Look, kid, we're doing our best!" one irritated paramedic replied.
Kaiba stepped up next to Joey. "Can't you work faster?" he demanded.
"I told you, kid, we're-master Kaiba!" the man cried, his eyes widening. "Forgive me, sir! I-I thought that-"
"Yeah. I know. Now I want him to regain consciousness. Soon. And I want to find out who did this to him. And let me warn you: I am not a patient person."
"And I want a Blue Eyes White Dragon, but you don't see me getting one of those, do you," Yami mumbled sardonically.
"Yami."
"Take it easy, Kaiba. They have no way of forcing Ryou to wake up. Don't take it out on them."
Kaiba looked furious, but he backed away with a low growl. "So what are we supposed to do?"
"Can-can I try?" Joey asked timidly.
Kaiba opened his mouth to say something, but Yami cut him off. "Yes, Joey. Go ahead."
Joey knelt at the battered boy's side. "Ryou?" he whispered, hesitantly touching his platinum hair.
There was a low groan, but no other response from Ryou.
"Ryou? It's me, Joey. You're safe now, I promise. Wake up, Ryou."
Slowly, imperceptibly, a swollen brown eye opened. "J.J.Joey.?"
Joey ignored the gasps of everyone else in the room. "Yeah, Ryou, it's me. You okay?"
"Does.it look.like.I'm o.kay.?"
Joey laughed softly, stroking a hand through Ryou's silky hair. "Still got that sense of humor, huh, kid?"
"Guess.so."
"Tell you what, Ryou, we're going to take you to Kaiba's mansion, okay? You can rest up there, and eat all the ice cream you want, and have people wait on you hand and foot, all right?"
"You.coming.too.?"
Joey grinned. "Yeah, Ryou, I'm coming too."
"That's.nice."
"Ryou." Joey's tone turned serious. "Can you tell me who's doing this to you?"
Ryou's eyes widened, filled with fear. "N.no."
"Okay, that's okay. Just relax," Joey soothed. "They're not going to hurt you any more. I promise."
"No.he'll.still.find." Slowly, Ryou's eyes closed, as if they were too heavy for him to keep open anymore.
Joey put a hand on his shoulder. "Stay with me, Ryou," Joey said urgently. "Can you keep your eyes open?"
"I'll.try."
"Keep talking to me, Ryou. Tell me what you can."
A lock of platinum hair fell into his eyes. "Don't.wanna.get.hurt."
Joey slipped a hand behind Ryou's head, supporting him. "Shhh, it's okay, you're fine now, I won't let anyone hurt you, I promise. How about if I guess, okay? Can I try to guess?"
"O.kay."
"If I get it right, will you tell me?"
"O.kay."
"Good." Joey managed a nervous smile. "Is it your dad, Ryou? Is he the one hurting you?"
Ryou closed his eyes and didn't move for a very long time. But finally, an instant before Joey was ready to start CPR, those brown eyes reopened. "N- No."
Joey was about to continue, but Ryou burst into a fit of coughing. He looked up at Kaiba and Yami, who were watching intently. "Can we move him somewhere so that he'll be more comfortable? Someplace with a bed?"
One of the paramedics began to move the small boy onto a cot. "I'll take care of it," Kaiba snapped, lifting Ryou into his arms. "You go and help someone who desperately needs it."
"Y-Yes, Master Kaiba." And they bid a hasty retreat.
Scowling, Kaiba handed Ryou off to Joey and ushered them all down the hall, down the elevator, and into the garage.
"We're taking a limo?" Joey asked incredulously, trying not to jostle Ryou.
"You'd like that, wouldn't you, chihuahua? No. We'll take my car. It's faster."
Yami had already sprinted to the side of the cerulean Mustang convertible, and Kaiba tossed him the keys. "Step it up. We're not stopping for anything," he barked at Joey.
Yami had the keys in the car and the door open just as Joey slipped inside. Then, with one smooth movement, he flipped the keys back to Kaiba and leaped over the side of the car into the passenger seat. At the same time, Kaiba jumped over the door and slid smoothly into the driver's seat, nabbing the keys out of the air and starting the car.
"Buckle up, chihuahua," he said as the engine purred to life.
And then, suddenly, they were speeding out of the garage at 60 mph, up the parking ramp, and onto the street. Joey resisted the urge to clutch the back of Yami's seat.
"Think you could go much faster?" he yelled sardonically.
"What?! I'm breaking the darn laws already, and you want me to go faster?" Kaiba yelled back.
"Eyes on the road, Kaiba," Yami reminded pointedly.
"I was being sarcastic!"
"Shut your trap, chihuahua, before I buy a muzzle!"
"That was a red light you just sped through," Yami pointed out calmly.
Ryou's eyes fluttered open. "Wha.goin.on?"
"Keep your eyes closed, kid. Kaiba's trying to kill us all in this darn convertible. Try to go back to sleep."
"I AM NOT TRYING TO KILL YOU! Though I'm getting really tempted, you stupid- "
"Kaiba, this is a one-way street," Yami said casually. "And it's not our way."
"OH, OF ALL THE-" Kaiba cranked the wheel and whirled into a U-turn in the middle of the boulevard.
"Hey, Yami, I gotta ask you. How come you're not scared to death like I am?" Joey asked the Pharaoh.
"Oh, that's easy. You have to remember, I work with this guy. You go out to lunch with him every day, you get used to his driving. Actually, it's usually fairly interesting. He can out-accelerate police cars, not that they'd dare to pull him over," Yami replied offhandedly, turning his eyes back to the road.
Joey felt his stomach lurch as they whipped around a corner. And then, through the midst of honking horns and screaming tires, he heard a familiar sound.
"Kaiba, the sign says left turn only. You just turned right." Yami, cool as ever, criticizing Kaiba's driving.
"Like I give a crap about the stupid sign!"
"You should. That was a police car you just sideswiped."
"Oh, man," Joey groaned. "We are so gonna die."
"I suggest you buckle your seatbelt, Joey, because we're gonna lose this guy before he has the chance to pull us over," Kaiba barked.
Nervously, Joey buckled in and did the same for Ryou. "Hold tight, kid," he whispered to the white-haired boy.
And then, suddenly, they were blasting down the small residential street at 70 mph. Wind whipped Joey's golden bangs back from his face and he had to squint to see in front of him. Yami's normal spikes were blown straight back, and Kaiba's chestnut hair was forced away from his eyes by the intense wind. Far behind them, Joey could barely make out the whine of the pursuing car's siren.
"See what I told you about out-accelerating the police?" Yami yelled back, a grin adorning his face.
It was then that Joey realized that he was grinning as well. The thrill of it all sent him to an adrenaline high that seemed never to end.
"Ha! Lousy cops, got nothing better to do than pull over people in a hurry," Kaiba grumbled. They rocketed through an intersection, angry horns honking all the way as they cut off the drivers.
In reply, Kaiba, calm as ever, flipped them off and continued driving.
At last, after what seemed like hours, they arrived at the Kaiba mansion. The convertible screeched to a stop mere feet from the marble steps leading to the doorway.
Joey gazed sardonically at the skid marks made by the burning rubber tires. "Gee, think you could have gotten any closer?"
"Just get the kid inside," Kaiba growled, leaping over the car door.
Yami opened the front door and Joey gently carried Ryou inside.
"Upstairs, hang a right, down the hall, last door on the left. Yami, you'd better go with him too, because he's gonna get lost." Kaiba was barking orders even as he headed towards the kitchen for ice.
"Aye, aye, captain," Yami replied with a mock salute, ushering Joey up the stairs.
"Dang, this place is huge," Joey mused, trying his best not to jostle Ryou.
"Turn right," Yami advised. "And yes, it is very easy to get lost in here. I'm surprised they don't give out maps at the entrance."
A small laugh surprised them both. Slowly a chocolate-brown eye opened, then another. "Where.we.going.Joey.?"
"Almost there, Ryou. Hang on a little longer, okay? You'll be safe here," he replied, trying to stay calm.
"Not.safe.anywhere." Ryou gasped before falling unconscious once again.
Joey looked confused; Yami just scowled. "What the heck does he mean, not safe anywhere? Who has motives to hurt Ryou?" he mused. "Last door on the left, Joey."
The blonde eased open the door and carried Ryou to the bed. "Go to sleep now, kid. We'll take care of you."
"You.gonna.be.here?"
"Yeah," Joey said softly, brushing Ryou's silky bangs off his face. "I'll be here."
Chocolate-colored eyes rose feebly and saw Yami. Slowly they widened. "Yami." Ryou whispered, reaching out a hand to the Game King. "Yami.'ing.don't let him.hurt.me."
Joey grasped his shoulders tightly, yanking him upward. "Who's doing this, Ryou? Who's doing this to you? Tell me!"
Yami rested a hand on the blonde's shoulder. "Easy, Joey. Let Ryou sleep now. I'll take care of it, okay?"
Joey nodded, and knelt at Ryou's side as Yami quietly slipped out of the room.
He nearly ran into Kaiba, who was coming down the hall with a cup of juice and some ice. "Kaiba, we have a problem," he said flatly.
Kaiba cocked an eyebrow. "What are you saying?"
"Ryou's too afraid to tell us who it is that's hurting him, but it's obviously not his father. There's no way he could track Ryou down, not to here, but the kid's still afraid of getting beaten. He said my name.and then another word I couldn't make out. Ended in "ing". And he said 'don't let him hurt me' again. Everything is fishy."
Kaiba chewed thoughtfully on his lip. "When I checked him, back at the office, he had some kind of cord or rope around his neck. I couldn't figure out what the heck it was, but he passed out before I could ask him. Any ideas?"
Yami shook his head. "I'm not thinking clearly, it's been a long day. Need some time to think. Can you watch Ryou?"
"Seems the chihuahua has it covered, but yeah, I'll keep an eye on them both."
"Good. I'll be in the game room."
Shaking his head, Yami retreated into the game room. "What's going on? Why can't I think?" he yelled, now that he was alone. He moved over to the stereo and put on some loud music. Then he began to beat his head against the wall.
"Why. Can't. I. Think? Why-can't-I-think?" he barked, punctuating each word with a bang.
After about ten minutes, he'd learned nothing except that beating your head against the wall gives you a killer headache. Scowling, he began to pace instead. "Okay," he said aloud. "Ryou. Getting hurt. Don't know who's doing it. Not his dad, though. Someone else. He wakes up for two seconds, says my name, and something ending in "ing". Cord around his neck. Someone tried to choke him? "Choking"? Did he say choking?"
The music didn't seem to help. Finally he sighed and strolled over to run his fingers across the polished pool table. "Maybe playing a game will help."
He racked up the balls and broke, easily sinking the two ball.
"Mind if I join in?"
Yami looked up quickly. "Oh, hey, Kaiba. Sure. Grab a cue."
The chestnut-haired boy took down a cue and eyed the table. "Twelve, in the side," he announced, right before hitting it perfectly in. "The Dynamic Duo didn't need me in there, so I decided to come find you."
"This is really bothering me, Kaiba. I want to help, but I don't know how, and if I don't figure out what he said soon, I'll go insane," Yami explained with a sigh.
"Try yelling," Kaiba suggested, lining up his next shot. "Always works for me."
"Seriously?"
"Yup. And don't worry, the walls are soundproof. Just scream for a little while, beat your head against the wall, and you'll feel much better."
Yami pressed a hand to his forehead, wincing from the pain of his headache. "Thanks for reminding me," he said sarcastically. "I think I'll skip the 'beat your head against the wall' part."
Kaiba shrugged. "Fine by me. Fourteen, in the corner." He promptly hit the ball right in and moved to examine his new options.
"THIS IS REALLY ANNOYING! AND WHEN I FIND THE IDIOT WHO'S DOING THIS TO RYOU, I'LL TEAR HIM LIMB FROM LIMB! I'LL MAKE HIM REGRET EVER LAYING A FINGER ON MY FRIEND! I'LL MASH HIS EYEBALLS INTO JELLY AND HANG HIM UPSIDE DOWN BY HIS TOES!" Yami screamed, picking up a chair and hurling it against the wall. "I'LL KILL YOU ALL! DO YOU HEAR ME?! I'LL KILL YOU ALL!"
Kaiba didn't flinch. He calmly called his shot and sunk it. "Feel better?" he asked without looking up.
Yami looked a little dazed. "Yes, actually.it's like all the anger and frustration just.disappeared."
"Oh, and by the way, the price of that chair is coming out of your paycheck. That was an antique." Kaiba took his shot and missed. Cursing silently, he motioned to Yami.
The Game King surveyed the table. "Six, three, and one. Corner, corner, side," he called.
"No way!" Kaiba protested. "You'd have to be an octopus to make that shot!"
Yami just smirked at him before firing the cue ball down the table. It grazed the side of the three, sending it rolling towards the pocket. Meanwhile, the cue ball bounced back and bumped against the one, knocking it square into the side pocket. And finally, with just enough momentum, it kissed the edge of the six and sent it rolling into the corner.
Kaiba's jaw dropped open. "Fluke!" he cried instantly. "Had to have been a fluke. No way you could do that again. You got lucky."
"You know, acceptance is the first step towards success," Yami teased, wagging a finger at him. "Stop denying it and play pool. And remember to look at all the angles."
"Remind me why you're my best friend?" Kaiba groaned, watching Yami eye the table.
"Because," Yami replied simply, sinking his next shot. "I'm the only one who will put up with you, Kaiba-boy."
Kaiba sat back and watched as Yami easily sunk his remaining two balls and the eight ball. "I win," he said with satisfaction, setting down his cue.
"So now what? Off to that cozy porch swing built for two?"
Yami groaned. "Don't even get started with that again. For goodness sake, Kaiba, you have a girlfriend! And so do I!"
Kaiba grinned. "But you look so cute when you're flustered!"
Yami looked like he was about to say something else, but instead turned bright red and closed his mouth. "I walked right into that one, didn't I," he mumbled.
"Yup. So, any leads on the Ryou matter?" Kaiba asked.
Yami shook his head. "Not a one. You said you found some kind of strap around his neck, though. And he said something ending in 'ing'. Maybe he said choking."
"Choking? I'm not so sure. If he was being choked, there'd be marks on his neck, and I didn't see any when I looked him over."
"Well, what other words end in 'ing'?" Yami snapped, exasperated. He bit his lip and looked at the floor, embarrassed. "Sorry," he said softly. "I didn't mean to yell at you."
"It's not a problem. I know it's been a long day," Kaiba replied. He patted Yami on the shoulder. "Maybe you just need to take your mind off it for a while."
"No. I won't be able to stop thinking about it. I don't want Ryou to be hurt any more. He's like Yugi, Kaiba. I feel like I have to protect him." Yami sighed and pressed his fingers to his forehead. "That just sounded really stupid, huh?"
"No way!" Kaiba exclaimed. "I know exactly what you mean. It's the same way with Mokuba. But like you said earlier, we just have to stay calm and think things through. There must be something we're missing."
Yami groaned. "Jeez, a thousand words end in 'ing'. Missing, thinking, choking, every action has a word that ends in 'ing'. That doesn't help."
"Then I guess we'll just have to find a different way to figure this out," Kaiba said with a shrug. "And to do that, we'll have to go to our only source."
"You mean Ryou."
"That's exactly what I mean."
They headed back to Ryou's bedroom and quietly pushed open the door. Joey was kneeling by the side of the bed, holding Ryou's limp hand. The silver- haired boy's eyes were closed, and his chest was rising and falling softly.
Joey glanced up and smiled at them, raising a finger to his lips. Then, carefully, he rose and picked his way over to the door. "Fast asleep," he whispered. "And it's natural, too. He's not unconscious, and he stopped coughing, so I think that's a good sign."
Kaiba rolled his eyes. "You think, chihuahua?" he said in a low voice, which prompted Yami to elbow him in the side.
"Hey, I ain't exactly a paramedic," Joey shot back in a hushed tone. "And don't call me a puppy dog."
Swiftly, Kaiba pushed past him and went to Ryou's side. He laid a hand on the smaller boy's forehead. "No fever," he murmured. "That's good."
He pulled up the blanket at the end of the bed and tucked it around Ryou before walking back to the other two. "Who's going to stay with him?"
"Me," Joey immediately volunteered. "I'll stay."
Kaiba glanced at Yami, who shrugged. "I don't have a problem with it."
"Okay. You stay here, chi-" Kaiba winced. "I mean, Joey. If you need something, there's an intercom on the wall. Security cameras are on the ceiling in the corner. The red button on the intercom calls the maid, blue calls me, and green calls the police. So try not to hit the green one."
Joey glanced up. "I don't see any camera."
Kaiba rolled his eyes. "How secure would they be if any burglar walking in could see it? They're miniature, duh. You're not supposed to see them."
Ryou let out a little groan and rolled over, clutching at the blanket. Immediately, Yami, Kaiba, and Joey froze, not wanting to make any sound.
"Look, we'll just go," Yami said softly, turning to leave. "And if you need anything, just call, Joey."
"See you," Joey replied. And then they were gone.
Joey spent the whole night watching over Ryou, but nothing eventful happened. From time to time, he checked to make sure the little white- haired boy was still breathing, which he was. And then, at some point, Joey fell asleep.
He was awakened in the morning by Yami, who snuck in at 5:30 to haul him out of bed. "Shhh!" Yami hissed, raising a finger to his lips. "Don't wake up Ryou!"
"What in the heck are you doing, waking me up at this wretched hour?" Joey demanded in a whisper.
Yami snickered behind his hand. "This is a rare event, and I don't want you to miss it. This may be your only chance to see Kaiba, the ultimate morning person, dragging himself out of bed after only three hours of sleep."
"But 5:30?!"
"Look, if you'd rather go back to sleep, fine. I'll just laugh at him myself. See what I care," Yami said with a shrug, sneaking out the door.
After a moment's hesitation, Joey followed him.
They crept down to the kitchen, where Yami started a pot of cocoa. They'd just sat down at the table to wait for the milk to get hot when Kaiba staggered in the door like a deranged zombie. His hair was a mess, the bags under his eyes were huge, and his face was nearly white. His eyes stared, unfocused, straight ahead, and he lurched in the direction of the stove.
"Caffeine." he croaked out, searching blindly for the coffee pot. "Caffeine."
After they recovered from their muffled giggles, Yami took pity on Kaiba and handed him a mug of cocoa. "Here," he said between chuckles. "Caffeine. Good. Drink now."
"Gaaah." Kaiba mumbled, taking a big sip of the cocoa. His eyes widened and he got a strange look on his face, right before choking and spitting out the liquid into the sink.
Yami just grinned as he whirled and said, "You always do that! Why must you continuously torment me?"
"Oh, I don't know," Yami replied airily. "It's just fun to watch you do a spit take when you find out I dumped cocoa in your precious coffeepot."
"You did WHAT?!"
"Kidding, kidding! I made it on the stove," Yami said quickly, taking the cup out of Kaiba's hands before the chestnut-haired boy threw it at his head. "You can go fix your morning cup of coffee. Don't worry."
Joey grinned from the table and raised his mug to his lips. "Man, the look on your face? Classic!" he exclaimed as he took a sip. But then, suddenly, he got an odd look on his face and spit out the cocoa as well.
"Actually, yours was better," Yami replied with a snicker. "The classic fake-out, and you fell for it! I wish I had my camera!"
Kaiba shook his head, clicking his tongue. "You fell for it, chihuahua? Man. I'm just lucky the only thing he puts in mine is cocoa mix and instant coffee. What was it this time, Yami, powdered lemonade?"
"Kool-aid, actually. Gets the best reaction quickly and efficiently. Of course, mine is the only un-doctored one," Yami explained, easily sipping his cocoa. He swallowed and continued, "Mmm. Chocolatey goodness. This truly is the best part of waking up."
"That and playing pranks on your friends," Kaiba added, starting a pot of coffee brewing.
"I don't get it," Joey exclaimed, staring at his mug. "I never saw you put it in! How in the heck did you manage to put Kool-aid in my cocoa?"
Yami just smirked and wagged his finger at Joey. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. A good magician never reveals his secrets."
"But a good magician always knows how to divert attention away from the actual trick part. What'd he do, ask you to pass the sugar or something? Or were you so busy laughing at me that you didn't notice him messing with your cocoa?" Kaiba added, pouring a newly-brewed cup of coffee and taking a big sip. "Ahhh. Suddenly the whole world seems to make sense. Everything is falling into place. Coffee is truly good for the soul."
Joey looked a little bug-eyed, but Yami reassured him, "Just ignore him. The Ritual of Coffee usually wears off after fifteen minutes."
Kaiba looked thoughtful. "Hmm.Ritual of Coffee.you know, I like that. Remind me to make it into a Duel Monsters card, okay?"
"You can't be serious!" Joey exclaimed.
"Why not? It's my company. If Pegasus got to invent Toon World, why can't I invent Coffee Land?"
Yami couldn't resist one last joke. "You realize, of course, that this card will be extremely vulnerable to the Dark Magician."
"Really? Do tell."
"Simple. He'll divert your attention and dump cocoa mix on it. You'll be so disgusted you'll send it to the Graveyard just to get it out of your sight."
Kaiba and Joey groaned, shoving away their mugs. "Suddenly," Joey said aloud, "I'm not so thirsty anymore."
"At last, something we agree on," Kaiba added.
At this, Yami just grinned. But after a moment, they were interrupted.
"Wha'.goin'.on.?" a feeble voice called from the doorway.
All three of them whirled. Ryou stood in the doorway, clutching the doorknob for dear life. He wobbled a little, trying to keep his balance and not fall.
"Ryou! Is something wrong? Did we wake you up?" Kaiba asked.
"What are you doing out of bed?" Joey added, concerned.
"I.I had.a nightmare." Ryou whispered.
Yami stood up and led him to a chair. Then he went to the stove, pouring the smaller boy a mug of cocoa. Kaiba disappeared from the room for a second, returning with a warm, fuzzy blanket. He handed it to Joey, who tucked it around Ryou's trembling body.
"Don't worry," Joey soothed, gently rubbing his shoulders. "It was just a nightmare, it can't hurt you any more. You're safe here."
Yami handed Ryou the mug. "Here. Drink this, it'll make you feel better."
"T-Thank you." Ryou took a small sip, and a bit of color returned to his pale cheeks. "It's v-very good."
"Can you tell us about your nightmare?" Yami asked tactfully.
Biting down hard on his lip to keep from sobbing, Ryou shook his head. Unshed tears were brimming in his eyes. It was plain to see that the little boy was absolutely terrified, and it wasn't just a dream that caused it. "I- I-I'm scared."
"Shhh," Joey whispered, running a comforting hand down his back. "Shhh, don't be afraid. I won't let anything hurt you, I promise. Calm down, okay?"
"He's g-going to k-kill me," Ryou whimpered. A single tear ran down his cheek and dropped into the cocoa, sending little ripples through the liquid.
"Who?" Kaiba demanded. "Tell us who!"
Ryou just shook his head and began crying openly. Joey glanced at Kaiba and Yami, who nodded. He grabbed a napkin and dried off Ryou's tear-stained cheeks, trying desperately to make him stop crying.
"Shhh, don't cry, it'll be okay," he murmured, brushing locks of snowy hair out of Ryou's wet eyes. "C'mon, kiddo, let's go back upstairs, okay?"
Wiping his eyes, Ryou nodded, and let Joey lead him upstairs.
However, as soon as they were upstairs, Yami Bakura made his move. He immediately switched places with Ryou, forcing his terrified aibou into his soul room in the Millennium Ring. Then he grabbed Joey, slamming him forcefully into the wall.
Joey's eyes went wide. "Ryou, what-"
"Listen up, punk," Yami Bakura hissed, pressing his face close to Joey's. "It seems it's my job to shut you up, since you can't stop meddling in my business." He backhanded Joey hard across the face, snapping his head around.
"Who are you?" Joey demanded, wincing in pain.
"That's of no concern to you!" Yami Bakura yelled, turning and throwing him down the hall. Joey landed on his back with a rather unpleasant crunch.
Meanwhile.
Yami and Kaiba heard thuds coming from upstairs. "What in the heck is he doing?!" Kaiba growled, pacing around in a circle. "If anything is broken up there I swear I'll skin that chihuahua."
Yami covered his ears. "Man, that pounding really gets on your nerves!" he exclaimed. "It's making my ears ring."
Suddenly he froze, and his blood ran cold. "Kaiba.another dark pulse.and I'm not imagining it this time."
"What?!"
"It came from upstairs." Yami was silent for a moment, all the color draining from his face. "You said you found a cord around his neck. What kind of cord?"
"I don't know, just an average leather strap, I guess. Why?"
"Because if what I'm thinking is correct, we have a big problem."
Nothing more needed to be said. Kaiba and Yami raced up the stairs as fast as they could, an underlying feeling of dread emerging. Something was terribly wrong.
~*~
Yami: Something's always terribly wrong in your stories, isn't it.
Seto: I'd say there's something terribly wrong with her.
Me: death glare Tea romance.
Yami: hastily I mean, it's that perfect terribly wrong that leaves you wanting more!
Seto: hastily That leaves you champing at the bit, waiting to see the next chapter!
Me: That's better.
Yami: Whew.
Seto: Whew.
That's part two. Part three will be coming, provided you readers want more! I really hope you like this story, I had a lot of fun writing it. Never mind that it took me like six months to do (I forgot about it and then rediscovered it one day). There's some really cute Ryou stuff in the next chapter. Anyway, Joey the Flame Swordsman is going to be very cranky if you flame, so don't! PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!
Yami: Gee. Little protective of our stories, are we?
Seto: Yeesh.
Me: Look, they're mine! Don't get on my case, okay?
Yami: Sure, sure. Whatever.
Me: I'll let Tea out of jail and have you strike up a budding romance with her.
Yami: NO! NO! ANYTHING BUT THAT!
Seto: I feel your pain, man. shudder
Me: Good. Now hush up so we can see the story.
Author's Notes: Not much to say, really. Just enjoy! Here's 'Second Chances', part two!
// Yami Bakura talking to Ryou //
/ Ryou talking to Yami Bakura /
'Thoughts or writing'
~*~
Kaiba and Yami immediately rushed forward. Kaiba took Ryou's body out of Joey's arms and made him as comfortable as he could on the floor. A rolled- up trench coat made a pillow for the boy's head.
Meanwhile, Yami was pumping Joey for information. "So what happened? How long had he been unconscious? Why didn't you call an ambulance? Do you know who did this?"
"I told you, I don't know," Joey said weakly. "I just went to his house because I was worried. He wasn't in school today. The front door was unlocked. I went into the kitchen and saw him there, just lying there. The stove was on, the sink was running, and the fridge was open. But the food inside was spoiled, so he had to have been unconscious a while. I think he was probably cooking when he hit his head and got knocked unconscious. I thought I saw a bowl of pasta on the table."
Yami frowned. "This wasn't an accident, Joey. Besides, why would he have been cooking if his pasta was already cooked? It doesn't make sense. Nothing is adding up. Joey," He took a deep breath. "This is going to be hard for you to hear. But I think Ryou is being abused. It's not possible that he gets all these wounds from accidents. Someone is doing this to him."
"Well, the only other person at his house is his father. He couldn't do that.could he?"
Yami looked grim. "We can't take that chance. Kaiba," he said louder, turning his head toward the chestnut-haired boy, "we have to get Ryou out of that house. Now."
Kaiba nodded. "He can stay with me. Mokuba and I need the company, anyway."
"Um.can-may I go, too?" Joey said timidly.
"Why?" Kaiba wanted to know.
"Because I'm worried about Ryou," Joey shot back. "I want to stay with him. I care about what happens to him."
Kaiba closed his eyes, thinking. "Very well," he said finally. "You can come too."
Joey sounded very relieved. "Thank you," he said. "Thank you so much."
Kaiba rolled his eyes at Yami. "It's not a problem, chihuahua. There's room at the stupid mansion for another fifty people. There's no need to babble."
"So is Ryou going to be all right?" Yami interjected before Kaiba provoked Joey into an argument.
"Hopefully. The paramedics should be here soon. Those scars look pretty bad, though. They're old. This has been going on for a long time, from the looks of it."
"I don't get it," Joey blurted. "Why would anyone want to hurt Ryou?"
Yami looked upset. "Some people, Joey, are just cruel. It's part of who they are."
"But he never hurt anyone!"
"Joey." Just then Joey remembered that Kaiba was abused as a kid. "There's no explanation, Joey. It's irrational, inexplicable, and pointless," Kaiba said sadly.
A low groan signaled the awakening of Ryou. He let out a moan of agony, fighting to open his half-shut eyelids as if there were weights on them. He held very still, never moving, for fear of feeling more pain.
Joey rushed to his side. "Ryou!"
The small boy quivered, barely looking up with heavy eyes. "J.Joey."
Yami and Kaiba carefully knelt as well. "What happened to you, Ryou?" Yami asked softly.
Ryou's form seemed to crumple, and he looked weaker than ever. "Can't.tell.I don't.want.be hurt.more."
Kaiba brushed snowy-white bangs out of his eyes. "Don't worry. We'll-" He trailed off, frowning at what he saw. "Ryou, what is this around your neck?"
"Can't.tell.no." Then Ryou's eyes fell shut, and he lapsed into unconsciousness again.
"Let the boy be," Yami said quietly. He rested a hand on Kaiba's shoulder, gently pulling him back. "Joey, stay with him, will you?"
The blonde nodded. Yami led Kaiba into the hall and carefully shut the door. "I wasn't going to bring this up in front of Joey," he said seriously, "But I felt something in there. Some kind of dark pulse, just for an instant."
"A dark pulse?" Kaiba asked, his tone demanding an explanation.
Yami didn't let him down. "A pulse.like it had come from the Shadow Realm. As I said, it was only for an instant, but." He shook his head. "What am I saying? There's no way Ryou could have the powers of the Shadow Realm. I must be imagining things."
"Do you really think you could imagine something like that?" Kaiba demanded.
"All I know is, I have a very bad feeling about all of this. We need to find out just what the heck is going on here. And fast."
Just then the team of paramedics showed up. "You called, Mister Kaiba?"
"Inside!" Kaiba barked. "Don't just stand there! That boy needs medical attention and fast!"
"Y-Yes, sir!" the medic who had addressed him stammered. His team was already inside, tending to Ryou, and he quickly followed.
Kaiba turned back to Yami, eyes flashing. "Okay. I am officially ticked off now," he grumbled. "One of my friends is in there bleeding like it's going out of style, we have no idea who it is that's hurting him and no way of finding out, not to mention I'm stuck babysitting the chihuahua for who knows how long, and on top of it all, I still haven't finished that stupid deal! Isn't my life just perfect?!"
Yami knew Kaiba well enough to just let him vent for a while. "As long as he's safe," he threw in, just for something to say. "That will make all of us happy."
"Man! If I could have five minutes alone with the guy doing this to him! Five minutes with every jerk who thinks he can get away with hurting a little kid!"
"And then what?" Yami asked quietly. "You can't drop them all out of twelfth-story windows."
"Don't push it, Yami," Kaiba growled.
"I'm not arguing. I know how much you want revenge. Look; Ryou is safe now. We can arrange for him to be with someone at all times. Joey won't even be in your way, because he'll want to be at Ryou's side the whole time. And when we find whoever it is, you can handle them however you want. But you just need to take a deep breath and realize that yes, we are in control of this situation, or at least as in control as possible," Yami replied calmly.
Kaiba's eyes narrowed. But then he seemed to relax. "Why is it that you can always talk me out of being angry?" he demanded.
Yami smirked. "Just part of my charm, I guess."
"You have no charm. Now come on, let's go take care of the Two Musketeers in there," Kaiba retorted. "I want this settled as soon as possible."
"Fine by me," Yami replied, and then they both reentered the office.
The paramedics were working as quickly as possible, trying to mend Ryou's wounds. Joey was watching them, biting his lip. "Can't you work faster?" he asked anxiously.
"Look, kid, we're doing our best!" one irritated paramedic replied.
Kaiba stepped up next to Joey. "Can't you work faster?" he demanded.
"I told you, kid, we're-master Kaiba!" the man cried, his eyes widening. "Forgive me, sir! I-I thought that-"
"Yeah. I know. Now I want him to regain consciousness. Soon. And I want to find out who did this to him. And let me warn you: I am not a patient person."
"And I want a Blue Eyes White Dragon, but you don't see me getting one of those, do you," Yami mumbled sardonically.
"Yami."
"Take it easy, Kaiba. They have no way of forcing Ryou to wake up. Don't take it out on them."
Kaiba looked furious, but he backed away with a low growl. "So what are we supposed to do?"
"Can-can I try?" Joey asked timidly.
Kaiba opened his mouth to say something, but Yami cut him off. "Yes, Joey. Go ahead."
Joey knelt at the battered boy's side. "Ryou?" he whispered, hesitantly touching his platinum hair.
There was a low groan, but no other response from Ryou.
"Ryou? It's me, Joey. You're safe now, I promise. Wake up, Ryou."
Slowly, imperceptibly, a swollen brown eye opened. "J.J.Joey.?"
Joey ignored the gasps of everyone else in the room. "Yeah, Ryou, it's me. You okay?"
"Does.it look.like.I'm o.kay.?"
Joey laughed softly, stroking a hand through Ryou's silky hair. "Still got that sense of humor, huh, kid?"
"Guess.so."
"Tell you what, Ryou, we're going to take you to Kaiba's mansion, okay? You can rest up there, and eat all the ice cream you want, and have people wait on you hand and foot, all right?"
"You.coming.too.?"
Joey grinned. "Yeah, Ryou, I'm coming too."
"That's.nice."
"Ryou." Joey's tone turned serious. "Can you tell me who's doing this to you?"
Ryou's eyes widened, filled with fear. "N.no."
"Okay, that's okay. Just relax," Joey soothed. "They're not going to hurt you any more. I promise."
"No.he'll.still.find." Slowly, Ryou's eyes closed, as if they were too heavy for him to keep open anymore.
Joey put a hand on his shoulder. "Stay with me, Ryou," Joey said urgently. "Can you keep your eyes open?"
"I'll.try."
"Keep talking to me, Ryou. Tell me what you can."
A lock of platinum hair fell into his eyes. "Don't.wanna.get.hurt."
Joey slipped a hand behind Ryou's head, supporting him. "Shhh, it's okay, you're fine now, I won't let anyone hurt you, I promise. How about if I guess, okay? Can I try to guess?"
"O.kay."
"If I get it right, will you tell me?"
"O.kay."
"Good." Joey managed a nervous smile. "Is it your dad, Ryou? Is he the one hurting you?"
Ryou closed his eyes and didn't move for a very long time. But finally, an instant before Joey was ready to start CPR, those brown eyes reopened. "N- No."
Joey was about to continue, but Ryou burst into a fit of coughing. He looked up at Kaiba and Yami, who were watching intently. "Can we move him somewhere so that he'll be more comfortable? Someplace with a bed?"
One of the paramedics began to move the small boy onto a cot. "I'll take care of it," Kaiba snapped, lifting Ryou into his arms. "You go and help someone who desperately needs it."
"Y-Yes, Master Kaiba." And they bid a hasty retreat.
Scowling, Kaiba handed Ryou off to Joey and ushered them all down the hall, down the elevator, and into the garage.
"We're taking a limo?" Joey asked incredulously, trying not to jostle Ryou.
"You'd like that, wouldn't you, chihuahua? No. We'll take my car. It's faster."
Yami had already sprinted to the side of the cerulean Mustang convertible, and Kaiba tossed him the keys. "Step it up. We're not stopping for anything," he barked at Joey.
Yami had the keys in the car and the door open just as Joey slipped inside. Then, with one smooth movement, he flipped the keys back to Kaiba and leaped over the side of the car into the passenger seat. At the same time, Kaiba jumped over the door and slid smoothly into the driver's seat, nabbing the keys out of the air and starting the car.
"Buckle up, chihuahua," he said as the engine purred to life.
And then, suddenly, they were speeding out of the garage at 60 mph, up the parking ramp, and onto the street. Joey resisted the urge to clutch the back of Yami's seat.
"Think you could go much faster?" he yelled sardonically.
"What?! I'm breaking the darn laws already, and you want me to go faster?" Kaiba yelled back.
"Eyes on the road, Kaiba," Yami reminded pointedly.
"I was being sarcastic!"
"Shut your trap, chihuahua, before I buy a muzzle!"
"That was a red light you just sped through," Yami pointed out calmly.
Ryou's eyes fluttered open. "Wha.goin.on?"
"Keep your eyes closed, kid. Kaiba's trying to kill us all in this darn convertible. Try to go back to sleep."
"I AM NOT TRYING TO KILL YOU! Though I'm getting really tempted, you stupid- "
"Kaiba, this is a one-way street," Yami said casually. "And it's not our way."
"OH, OF ALL THE-" Kaiba cranked the wheel and whirled into a U-turn in the middle of the boulevard.
"Hey, Yami, I gotta ask you. How come you're not scared to death like I am?" Joey asked the Pharaoh.
"Oh, that's easy. You have to remember, I work with this guy. You go out to lunch with him every day, you get used to his driving. Actually, it's usually fairly interesting. He can out-accelerate police cars, not that they'd dare to pull him over," Yami replied offhandedly, turning his eyes back to the road.
Joey felt his stomach lurch as they whipped around a corner. And then, through the midst of honking horns and screaming tires, he heard a familiar sound.
"Kaiba, the sign says left turn only. You just turned right." Yami, cool as ever, criticizing Kaiba's driving.
"Like I give a crap about the stupid sign!"
"You should. That was a police car you just sideswiped."
"Oh, man," Joey groaned. "We are so gonna die."
"I suggest you buckle your seatbelt, Joey, because we're gonna lose this guy before he has the chance to pull us over," Kaiba barked.
Nervously, Joey buckled in and did the same for Ryou. "Hold tight, kid," he whispered to the white-haired boy.
And then, suddenly, they were blasting down the small residential street at 70 mph. Wind whipped Joey's golden bangs back from his face and he had to squint to see in front of him. Yami's normal spikes were blown straight back, and Kaiba's chestnut hair was forced away from his eyes by the intense wind. Far behind them, Joey could barely make out the whine of the pursuing car's siren.
"See what I told you about out-accelerating the police?" Yami yelled back, a grin adorning his face.
It was then that Joey realized that he was grinning as well. The thrill of it all sent him to an adrenaline high that seemed never to end.
"Ha! Lousy cops, got nothing better to do than pull over people in a hurry," Kaiba grumbled. They rocketed through an intersection, angry horns honking all the way as they cut off the drivers.
In reply, Kaiba, calm as ever, flipped them off and continued driving.
At last, after what seemed like hours, they arrived at the Kaiba mansion. The convertible screeched to a stop mere feet from the marble steps leading to the doorway.
Joey gazed sardonically at the skid marks made by the burning rubber tires. "Gee, think you could have gotten any closer?"
"Just get the kid inside," Kaiba growled, leaping over the car door.
Yami opened the front door and Joey gently carried Ryou inside.
"Upstairs, hang a right, down the hall, last door on the left. Yami, you'd better go with him too, because he's gonna get lost." Kaiba was barking orders even as he headed towards the kitchen for ice.
"Aye, aye, captain," Yami replied with a mock salute, ushering Joey up the stairs.
"Dang, this place is huge," Joey mused, trying his best not to jostle Ryou.
"Turn right," Yami advised. "And yes, it is very easy to get lost in here. I'm surprised they don't give out maps at the entrance."
A small laugh surprised them both. Slowly a chocolate-brown eye opened, then another. "Where.we.going.Joey.?"
"Almost there, Ryou. Hang on a little longer, okay? You'll be safe here," he replied, trying to stay calm.
"Not.safe.anywhere." Ryou gasped before falling unconscious once again.
Joey looked confused; Yami just scowled. "What the heck does he mean, not safe anywhere? Who has motives to hurt Ryou?" he mused. "Last door on the left, Joey."
The blonde eased open the door and carried Ryou to the bed. "Go to sleep now, kid. We'll take care of you."
"You.gonna.be.here?"
"Yeah," Joey said softly, brushing Ryou's silky bangs off his face. "I'll be here."
Chocolate-colored eyes rose feebly and saw Yami. Slowly they widened. "Yami." Ryou whispered, reaching out a hand to the Game King. "Yami.'ing.don't let him.hurt.me."
Joey grasped his shoulders tightly, yanking him upward. "Who's doing this, Ryou? Who's doing this to you? Tell me!"
Yami rested a hand on the blonde's shoulder. "Easy, Joey. Let Ryou sleep now. I'll take care of it, okay?"
Joey nodded, and knelt at Ryou's side as Yami quietly slipped out of the room.
He nearly ran into Kaiba, who was coming down the hall with a cup of juice and some ice. "Kaiba, we have a problem," he said flatly.
Kaiba cocked an eyebrow. "What are you saying?"
"Ryou's too afraid to tell us who it is that's hurting him, but it's obviously not his father. There's no way he could track Ryou down, not to here, but the kid's still afraid of getting beaten. He said my name.and then another word I couldn't make out. Ended in "ing". And he said 'don't let him hurt me' again. Everything is fishy."
Kaiba chewed thoughtfully on his lip. "When I checked him, back at the office, he had some kind of cord or rope around his neck. I couldn't figure out what the heck it was, but he passed out before I could ask him. Any ideas?"
Yami shook his head. "I'm not thinking clearly, it's been a long day. Need some time to think. Can you watch Ryou?"
"Seems the chihuahua has it covered, but yeah, I'll keep an eye on them both."
"Good. I'll be in the game room."
Shaking his head, Yami retreated into the game room. "What's going on? Why can't I think?" he yelled, now that he was alone. He moved over to the stereo and put on some loud music. Then he began to beat his head against the wall.
"Why. Can't. I. Think? Why-can't-I-think?" he barked, punctuating each word with a bang.
After about ten minutes, he'd learned nothing except that beating your head against the wall gives you a killer headache. Scowling, he began to pace instead. "Okay," he said aloud. "Ryou. Getting hurt. Don't know who's doing it. Not his dad, though. Someone else. He wakes up for two seconds, says my name, and something ending in "ing". Cord around his neck. Someone tried to choke him? "Choking"? Did he say choking?"
The music didn't seem to help. Finally he sighed and strolled over to run his fingers across the polished pool table. "Maybe playing a game will help."
He racked up the balls and broke, easily sinking the two ball.
"Mind if I join in?"
Yami looked up quickly. "Oh, hey, Kaiba. Sure. Grab a cue."
The chestnut-haired boy took down a cue and eyed the table. "Twelve, in the side," he announced, right before hitting it perfectly in. "The Dynamic Duo didn't need me in there, so I decided to come find you."
"This is really bothering me, Kaiba. I want to help, but I don't know how, and if I don't figure out what he said soon, I'll go insane," Yami explained with a sigh.
"Try yelling," Kaiba suggested, lining up his next shot. "Always works for me."
"Seriously?"
"Yup. And don't worry, the walls are soundproof. Just scream for a little while, beat your head against the wall, and you'll feel much better."
Yami pressed a hand to his forehead, wincing from the pain of his headache. "Thanks for reminding me," he said sarcastically. "I think I'll skip the 'beat your head against the wall' part."
Kaiba shrugged. "Fine by me. Fourteen, in the corner." He promptly hit the ball right in and moved to examine his new options.
"THIS IS REALLY ANNOYING! AND WHEN I FIND THE IDIOT WHO'S DOING THIS TO RYOU, I'LL TEAR HIM LIMB FROM LIMB! I'LL MAKE HIM REGRET EVER LAYING A FINGER ON MY FRIEND! I'LL MASH HIS EYEBALLS INTO JELLY AND HANG HIM UPSIDE DOWN BY HIS TOES!" Yami screamed, picking up a chair and hurling it against the wall. "I'LL KILL YOU ALL! DO YOU HEAR ME?! I'LL KILL YOU ALL!"
Kaiba didn't flinch. He calmly called his shot and sunk it. "Feel better?" he asked without looking up.
Yami looked a little dazed. "Yes, actually.it's like all the anger and frustration just.disappeared."
"Oh, and by the way, the price of that chair is coming out of your paycheck. That was an antique." Kaiba took his shot and missed. Cursing silently, he motioned to Yami.
The Game King surveyed the table. "Six, three, and one. Corner, corner, side," he called.
"No way!" Kaiba protested. "You'd have to be an octopus to make that shot!"
Yami just smirked at him before firing the cue ball down the table. It grazed the side of the three, sending it rolling towards the pocket. Meanwhile, the cue ball bounced back and bumped against the one, knocking it square into the side pocket. And finally, with just enough momentum, it kissed the edge of the six and sent it rolling into the corner.
Kaiba's jaw dropped open. "Fluke!" he cried instantly. "Had to have been a fluke. No way you could do that again. You got lucky."
"You know, acceptance is the first step towards success," Yami teased, wagging a finger at him. "Stop denying it and play pool. And remember to look at all the angles."
"Remind me why you're my best friend?" Kaiba groaned, watching Yami eye the table.
"Because," Yami replied simply, sinking his next shot. "I'm the only one who will put up with you, Kaiba-boy."
Kaiba sat back and watched as Yami easily sunk his remaining two balls and the eight ball. "I win," he said with satisfaction, setting down his cue.
"So now what? Off to that cozy porch swing built for two?"
Yami groaned. "Don't even get started with that again. For goodness sake, Kaiba, you have a girlfriend! And so do I!"
Kaiba grinned. "But you look so cute when you're flustered!"
Yami looked like he was about to say something else, but instead turned bright red and closed his mouth. "I walked right into that one, didn't I," he mumbled.
"Yup. So, any leads on the Ryou matter?" Kaiba asked.
Yami shook his head. "Not a one. You said you found some kind of strap around his neck, though. And he said something ending in 'ing'. Maybe he said choking."
"Choking? I'm not so sure. If he was being choked, there'd be marks on his neck, and I didn't see any when I looked him over."
"Well, what other words end in 'ing'?" Yami snapped, exasperated. He bit his lip and looked at the floor, embarrassed. "Sorry," he said softly. "I didn't mean to yell at you."
"It's not a problem. I know it's been a long day," Kaiba replied. He patted Yami on the shoulder. "Maybe you just need to take your mind off it for a while."
"No. I won't be able to stop thinking about it. I don't want Ryou to be hurt any more. He's like Yugi, Kaiba. I feel like I have to protect him." Yami sighed and pressed his fingers to his forehead. "That just sounded really stupid, huh?"
"No way!" Kaiba exclaimed. "I know exactly what you mean. It's the same way with Mokuba. But like you said earlier, we just have to stay calm and think things through. There must be something we're missing."
Yami groaned. "Jeez, a thousand words end in 'ing'. Missing, thinking, choking, every action has a word that ends in 'ing'. That doesn't help."
"Then I guess we'll just have to find a different way to figure this out," Kaiba said with a shrug. "And to do that, we'll have to go to our only source."
"You mean Ryou."
"That's exactly what I mean."
They headed back to Ryou's bedroom and quietly pushed open the door. Joey was kneeling by the side of the bed, holding Ryou's limp hand. The silver- haired boy's eyes were closed, and his chest was rising and falling softly.
Joey glanced up and smiled at them, raising a finger to his lips. Then, carefully, he rose and picked his way over to the door. "Fast asleep," he whispered. "And it's natural, too. He's not unconscious, and he stopped coughing, so I think that's a good sign."
Kaiba rolled his eyes. "You think, chihuahua?" he said in a low voice, which prompted Yami to elbow him in the side.
"Hey, I ain't exactly a paramedic," Joey shot back in a hushed tone. "And don't call me a puppy dog."
Swiftly, Kaiba pushed past him and went to Ryou's side. He laid a hand on the smaller boy's forehead. "No fever," he murmured. "That's good."
He pulled up the blanket at the end of the bed and tucked it around Ryou before walking back to the other two. "Who's going to stay with him?"
"Me," Joey immediately volunteered. "I'll stay."
Kaiba glanced at Yami, who shrugged. "I don't have a problem with it."
"Okay. You stay here, chi-" Kaiba winced. "I mean, Joey. If you need something, there's an intercom on the wall. Security cameras are on the ceiling in the corner. The red button on the intercom calls the maid, blue calls me, and green calls the police. So try not to hit the green one."
Joey glanced up. "I don't see any camera."
Kaiba rolled his eyes. "How secure would they be if any burglar walking in could see it? They're miniature, duh. You're not supposed to see them."
Ryou let out a little groan and rolled over, clutching at the blanket. Immediately, Yami, Kaiba, and Joey froze, not wanting to make any sound.
"Look, we'll just go," Yami said softly, turning to leave. "And if you need anything, just call, Joey."
"See you," Joey replied. And then they were gone.
Joey spent the whole night watching over Ryou, but nothing eventful happened. From time to time, he checked to make sure the little white- haired boy was still breathing, which he was. And then, at some point, Joey fell asleep.
He was awakened in the morning by Yami, who snuck in at 5:30 to haul him out of bed. "Shhh!" Yami hissed, raising a finger to his lips. "Don't wake up Ryou!"
"What in the heck are you doing, waking me up at this wretched hour?" Joey demanded in a whisper.
Yami snickered behind his hand. "This is a rare event, and I don't want you to miss it. This may be your only chance to see Kaiba, the ultimate morning person, dragging himself out of bed after only three hours of sleep."
"But 5:30?!"
"Look, if you'd rather go back to sleep, fine. I'll just laugh at him myself. See what I care," Yami said with a shrug, sneaking out the door.
After a moment's hesitation, Joey followed him.
They crept down to the kitchen, where Yami started a pot of cocoa. They'd just sat down at the table to wait for the milk to get hot when Kaiba staggered in the door like a deranged zombie. His hair was a mess, the bags under his eyes were huge, and his face was nearly white. His eyes stared, unfocused, straight ahead, and he lurched in the direction of the stove.
"Caffeine." he croaked out, searching blindly for the coffee pot. "Caffeine."
After they recovered from their muffled giggles, Yami took pity on Kaiba and handed him a mug of cocoa. "Here," he said between chuckles. "Caffeine. Good. Drink now."
"Gaaah." Kaiba mumbled, taking a big sip of the cocoa. His eyes widened and he got a strange look on his face, right before choking and spitting out the liquid into the sink.
Yami just grinned as he whirled and said, "You always do that! Why must you continuously torment me?"
"Oh, I don't know," Yami replied airily. "It's just fun to watch you do a spit take when you find out I dumped cocoa in your precious coffeepot."
"You did WHAT?!"
"Kidding, kidding! I made it on the stove," Yami said quickly, taking the cup out of Kaiba's hands before the chestnut-haired boy threw it at his head. "You can go fix your morning cup of coffee. Don't worry."
Joey grinned from the table and raised his mug to his lips. "Man, the look on your face? Classic!" he exclaimed as he took a sip. But then, suddenly, he got an odd look on his face and spit out the cocoa as well.
"Actually, yours was better," Yami replied with a snicker. "The classic fake-out, and you fell for it! I wish I had my camera!"
Kaiba shook his head, clicking his tongue. "You fell for it, chihuahua? Man. I'm just lucky the only thing he puts in mine is cocoa mix and instant coffee. What was it this time, Yami, powdered lemonade?"
"Kool-aid, actually. Gets the best reaction quickly and efficiently. Of course, mine is the only un-doctored one," Yami explained, easily sipping his cocoa. He swallowed and continued, "Mmm. Chocolatey goodness. This truly is the best part of waking up."
"That and playing pranks on your friends," Kaiba added, starting a pot of coffee brewing.
"I don't get it," Joey exclaimed, staring at his mug. "I never saw you put it in! How in the heck did you manage to put Kool-aid in my cocoa?"
Yami just smirked and wagged his finger at Joey. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. A good magician never reveals his secrets."
"But a good magician always knows how to divert attention away from the actual trick part. What'd he do, ask you to pass the sugar or something? Or were you so busy laughing at me that you didn't notice him messing with your cocoa?" Kaiba added, pouring a newly-brewed cup of coffee and taking a big sip. "Ahhh. Suddenly the whole world seems to make sense. Everything is falling into place. Coffee is truly good for the soul."
Joey looked a little bug-eyed, but Yami reassured him, "Just ignore him. The Ritual of Coffee usually wears off after fifteen minutes."
Kaiba looked thoughtful. "Hmm.Ritual of Coffee.you know, I like that. Remind me to make it into a Duel Monsters card, okay?"
"You can't be serious!" Joey exclaimed.
"Why not? It's my company. If Pegasus got to invent Toon World, why can't I invent Coffee Land?"
Yami couldn't resist one last joke. "You realize, of course, that this card will be extremely vulnerable to the Dark Magician."
"Really? Do tell."
"Simple. He'll divert your attention and dump cocoa mix on it. You'll be so disgusted you'll send it to the Graveyard just to get it out of your sight."
Kaiba and Joey groaned, shoving away their mugs. "Suddenly," Joey said aloud, "I'm not so thirsty anymore."
"At last, something we agree on," Kaiba added.
At this, Yami just grinned. But after a moment, they were interrupted.
"Wha'.goin'.on.?" a feeble voice called from the doorway.
All three of them whirled. Ryou stood in the doorway, clutching the doorknob for dear life. He wobbled a little, trying to keep his balance and not fall.
"Ryou! Is something wrong? Did we wake you up?" Kaiba asked.
"What are you doing out of bed?" Joey added, concerned.
"I.I had.a nightmare." Ryou whispered.
Yami stood up and led him to a chair. Then he went to the stove, pouring the smaller boy a mug of cocoa. Kaiba disappeared from the room for a second, returning with a warm, fuzzy blanket. He handed it to Joey, who tucked it around Ryou's trembling body.
"Don't worry," Joey soothed, gently rubbing his shoulders. "It was just a nightmare, it can't hurt you any more. You're safe here."
Yami handed Ryou the mug. "Here. Drink this, it'll make you feel better."
"T-Thank you." Ryou took a small sip, and a bit of color returned to his pale cheeks. "It's v-very good."
"Can you tell us about your nightmare?" Yami asked tactfully.
Biting down hard on his lip to keep from sobbing, Ryou shook his head. Unshed tears were brimming in his eyes. It was plain to see that the little boy was absolutely terrified, and it wasn't just a dream that caused it. "I- I-I'm scared."
"Shhh," Joey whispered, running a comforting hand down his back. "Shhh, don't be afraid. I won't let anything hurt you, I promise. Calm down, okay?"
"He's g-going to k-kill me," Ryou whimpered. A single tear ran down his cheek and dropped into the cocoa, sending little ripples through the liquid.
"Who?" Kaiba demanded. "Tell us who!"
Ryou just shook his head and began crying openly. Joey glanced at Kaiba and Yami, who nodded. He grabbed a napkin and dried off Ryou's tear-stained cheeks, trying desperately to make him stop crying.
"Shhh, don't cry, it'll be okay," he murmured, brushing locks of snowy hair out of Ryou's wet eyes. "C'mon, kiddo, let's go back upstairs, okay?"
Wiping his eyes, Ryou nodded, and let Joey lead him upstairs.
However, as soon as they were upstairs, Yami Bakura made his move. He immediately switched places with Ryou, forcing his terrified aibou into his soul room in the Millennium Ring. Then he grabbed Joey, slamming him forcefully into the wall.
Joey's eyes went wide. "Ryou, what-"
"Listen up, punk," Yami Bakura hissed, pressing his face close to Joey's. "It seems it's my job to shut you up, since you can't stop meddling in my business." He backhanded Joey hard across the face, snapping his head around.
"Who are you?" Joey demanded, wincing in pain.
"That's of no concern to you!" Yami Bakura yelled, turning and throwing him down the hall. Joey landed on his back with a rather unpleasant crunch.
Meanwhile.
Yami and Kaiba heard thuds coming from upstairs. "What in the heck is he doing?!" Kaiba growled, pacing around in a circle. "If anything is broken up there I swear I'll skin that chihuahua."
Yami covered his ears. "Man, that pounding really gets on your nerves!" he exclaimed. "It's making my ears ring."
Suddenly he froze, and his blood ran cold. "Kaiba.another dark pulse.and I'm not imagining it this time."
"What?!"
"It came from upstairs." Yami was silent for a moment, all the color draining from his face. "You said you found a cord around his neck. What kind of cord?"
"I don't know, just an average leather strap, I guess. Why?"
"Because if what I'm thinking is correct, we have a big problem."
Nothing more needed to be said. Kaiba and Yami raced up the stairs as fast as they could, an underlying feeling of dread emerging. Something was terribly wrong.
~*~
Yami: Something's always terribly wrong in your stories, isn't it.
Seto: I'd say there's something terribly wrong with her.
Me: death glare Tea romance.
Yami: hastily I mean, it's that perfect terribly wrong that leaves you wanting more!
Seto: hastily That leaves you champing at the bit, waiting to see the next chapter!
Me: That's better.
Yami: Whew.
Seto: Whew.
That's part two. Part three will be coming, provided you readers want more! I really hope you like this story, I had a lot of fun writing it. Never mind that it took me like six months to do (I forgot about it and then rediscovered it one day). There's some really cute Ryou stuff in the next chapter. Anyway, Joey the Flame Swordsman is going to be very cranky if you flame, so don't! PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!