Disclaimer: I hate saying these things. Therefore, I'm going to write a poem that expresses my feelings on stupid disclaimers.

-I say it so often,

And time after time,

You still don't get it.

THEY AIN'T MINE!-

So here it is, Part Two of the Shattered trilogy. Hope you enjoy it! Thanks to everyone who reviewed!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Yami opened his eyes. "What the…" he murmured, looking around him.

All about him stood mirrors, dozens of them, reflecting his image thousands of times. There was no up or down to this place, but in the center of all the mirrors rested a small candle. It was flickering wildly, and Yami could tell it was about to go out.

"Where am I?"

He wasn't expecting an answer, but when one came, he jumped. "You're in the River, Yami no Yugi."

"The River?"

Then it showed itself. In a blur of glitter, a girl appeared before him. Her hair was long, reaching almost to her ankles, and it was silvery- blonde. Her eyes were wide and a black darker than night. She sported silvery dragon wings from her shoulders, and wore all white.

She spread her arms. "This is the River, Yami no Yugi. This is the mid- ground."

"The mid-ground? Between what?"

"Between life…and death."

Yami's eyes widened as he remembered. "Tea…shot me…I remember it hurt so badly…but dead? How can I be dead?"

She laughed at him. "Not dead, silly. This is the River. You're between life and death now. Now is when you make your choice."

"Enough of the games!" Yami was getting irritated. "What choice?"

"There's always a choice, Yami no Yugi. Now the choice is to live or to die."

"Why should I have to choose? It seems decided for me already."

"It's what's in your heart that matters. Do you want to go back? Would you rather stay in the calm darkness? But I warn you, choose well: there are no second chances. Your word is final. And when I say final, I mean eternal."

"I don't understand…what is all this?"

"This?" She chuckled. "This is your mind, Yami no Yugi. These are your memories. And that," she said, gesturing at the tiny candle, "is your life."

"If I go back, will the pain still be there?" Yami asked.

"Of course," she replied. "Life is pain, isn't it? Plus, there's no guaranteeing that you won't just die within another hour of your renewed life. I might not be able to catch you another time."

"Who are you?"

"It's unpronounceable," she said. "But you can call me Pasha if you want something to address me by. I always liked that name."

"Well then, Pasha of the dragon's wings, I believe it's time to choose, isn't it?"

"You ask too many questions," Pasha giggled. "But yes, it is. And you'd better hurry. That candle's ready to go out. If you don't feed it soon, you'll be dead whether you like it or not."

Yami sat calmly, watching the candle flicker. "The pain…it was intense, like nothing I've ever felt before. If I return, I'll just be feeling that again. Why should I? I'm happy here. No agony, no problems, just freedom."

The mirrors reflected him dozens upon dozens, splitting each image into a veritable mural of color. And yet, at the same time, each mirror reflected a little bit of him, a faint memory just barely out of reach.

Yami stood up, eyes still fixed on the tiny flame. "That's it, then. Pasha! I've made my decision! I'm-"

"YAMI!!!!!!!!"

The sudden scream startled him, and he couldn't help but jump at its volume. But the voice…so familiar…so close and yet…so far away…

"Yugi!" he cried out, trying desperately to find his aibou amongst all the mirrors.

"NO! NO! YAMI!!"

"Where is it coming from?" Yami demanded of Pasha.

She smiled slyly. "You said you had made your decision. I hope it was for death, because you don't have any choice anymore."

Yami whirled, paling. The candle flickered, seemed to collapse, and went out.

"NO!" he screamed, thrashing wildly, trying to keep the mirrors at bay while he raced for the candle. "AIBOU!"

He fell to his knees before the candle, weeping bitterly. "No…aibou…I'll never see you again…it's not fair…it's not right!" He pounded his fist into the ground. "IT'S NOT RIGHT! IT'S NOT RIGHT!"

"Of course it's not right. But it's life," Pasha said smugly.

"AIBOU!"

"No use calling for him, Yami no Yugi. He can't find you. You're dead."

"Maybe…he…can't…but…his…light…will…" he gasped out in retort.

Pasha's eyes widened. "Excuse me? What?!"

Yami reached forward, as if searching for a lifeline, searching for someone reaching out to him. And it looked like someone was reaching back! Was it possible? How could it be? But then, a ghostly image of Yugi appeared before them, still grasping Yami's hand, only visible for a brief moment. He closed his eyes and smiled warmly before disappearing once again into the mirrors.

"Aibou! Come back to me!" Yami cried.

It was then that he saw it. The candle was burning merrily, relit by the very light that was Yugi. Yami's breath caught, staring at it, and slowly the flame grew and grew until it was burning steadily once again.

"The darkness…saved by light…" Pasha murmured. "But how?"

Yami turned to face her. "Pasha of the dragon's wings, I have made my choice. I choose to return to the life I knew on earth, to face the pain by knowing that my aibou, my light, is waiting for me. Goodbye." And then he disappeared.

"Until we meet again, Yami no Yugi," Pasha whispered. "As we most surely will."

Then she disappeared as well.

~*~

Yami's eyes fluttered open, violet meeting identical violet. "Yugi," he whispered.

Yugi's eyes widened. "YAMI?!"

Yami smiled. "Yes, my little one. I'm-" He grimaced at the pain, "-here."

"Oh, Yami!" Yugi leapt for his other, circling his arms around Yami's neck and squeezing him tightly.

Kaiba came to the bedside, positively stunned. "Is it true?" he asked. "Yami?"

Yami closed his eyes and reopened them to look at Kaiba. "It is," he replied. "Indeed it is."

He winced. "Gently, aibou, gently," he whispered in painful discomfort.

Yugi's eyes widened and he loosened his grip on Yami. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Yami, I'm so sorry," he babbled, ashamed for hurting his other so.

Yami smiled softly. "It's forgiven, little light." He hugged Yugi tightly. "It's so good to be alive."

Yugi glanced at Kaiba. "Didn't I tell you?" he said. "Yami promised me. I told you. My Yami keeps his promises, see?"

Kaiba raised an eyebrow. "Promise?" he mouthed to Yami.

Yami winked. "I did promise I'd never leave you, aibou, and I never will."

Kaiba began to smile. "Well, then I kept my promise too, didn't I? I told you everything would be all right."

"Yami?! YAMI! You're awake!"

Serenity burst into the room and threw her arms around the first person she could get her hands on, namely, Kaiba. He began to blush madly, and Yugi giggled.

"They said the wounds were fatal! What happened?" Serenity asked happily.

Yami grinned and pulled Yugi closer. "Someone very special showed me why life is worth living," he replied.

Serenity carefully gave him a hug. "We're all glad you're okay. Even Tea."

Yami paled. "Tea? What's going to happen to her?"

Serenity sighed. "She's going to a juvenile detention facility, Yami, for a very long time. Not to mention she's got an official police record now." She shook her head. "I feel sorry for her. She won't be able to get even a half-decent job with this on her record."

"And that boy? The one I was protecting?"

"Randall. His knee is shattered beyond repair, but they haven't had to amputate the leg, which is a good thing. He'll probably get an artificial joint or be in a wheelchair for the rest of his life."

Yami nodded slightly and sank back into the pillows. "That's…nice…" he whispered.

Then he promptly fell asleep.

Kaiba and Serenity crept out of the room, leaving Yugi inside to stay with his Yami. The brown-haired boy gently pulled the door shut, hearing it seal with a click. Then he turned to Serenity, staring awkwardly at the floor.

Serenity was blushing. She bit her lip. "Um…I…" she began nervously.

"I…uh…well…" Kaiba tried.

They stared at each other for a brief moment before bursting into giggles. "You first," Serenity said.

"No, no, that honor would fall to the lady," Seto replied.

She flashed him a small smile. "I'm, um, really happy, about Yami, I mean."

"Yeah," he blurted. "Me too."

Both glanced away, embarrassed to even look at each other. Then something unexpected happened. Kaiba stepped forward. Serenity looked up and was paralyzed by his striking blue eyes. And slowly, ever so slowly, he pulled her into an embrace.

"You're amazing," he whispered. "All this happened today and you've still kept yourself pulled together."

Serenity shook her head. "Yami is the amazing one. He did what no one else dared to."

He moved his face a little closer. "Has anyone ever told you that you have beautiful eyes?"

"Not yet, but I'm hoping a certain someone will," she replied with a little smile.

"Well then," Kaiba said, leaning in to kiss her gently on the forehead, "Your eyes are beautiful, the color of the ocean on a warm summer day, sparkling like the glittering gems in a diamond mine."

She cocked an eyebrow. "All that…for me?"

"All that and so much more that in a hundred lifetimes I couldn't say it all."

"You really have a way with words, Seto."

"It's an honor to speak that way about you."

Serenity's lip trembled. "What you said before…about being pulled together…I'm-I'm scared. W-what's going to happen? Tea's my friend, Seto."

Kaiba frowned. "There'll be a trial. You and the others will be called on to testify. I'm worried, though," he confessed. "Worried about Yugi. He's a major witness, but it might be too hard for him to speak against Tea."

"And Yami?"

"If he's well enough, he'll be put on the stand first. Not to mention his injuries will be a big plus for the prosecuting side."

"You really know the drill," she observed, managing a tiny smile.

"I've done it before. Basically, a trial is ninety percent politics and ten percent law. It's who you are, what you look like, and who pities you that really wins a case."

"Yugi can't do it, Seto. He won't testify against his friend."

"He has to understand that Tea is not his friend. Friends don't bring guns to school. Friends don't shoot you. Friends don't cause the anguish of losing someone you love. Tea is in no way his friend, Serenity, and he's got to learn that eventually."

"I-I-I don't want to t-testify," a weak voice behind them said.

They turned to see Yugi, standing at the door, biting his lip. Serenity quickly knelt and gave him a hug. "Don't worry, Yugi, you don't have to if you don't want to. No one's going to force you to do anything you don't want to." She shot Kaiba a pointed look, and he nodded.

"Is everything okay in there?" he then asked.

Yugi nodded slightly. "Yami wants you."

Kaiba smiled, tousled the young boy's hair, and stepped inside the room.

Yami was waiting for him. He motioned to the end of the bed, and the brown- haired boy sat carefully, not wanting to jostle the bed. Unfortunately, movement was inevitable, and Yami grimaced in pain.

"Sorry, sorry!" Kaiba apologized quickly.

Yami winced. "It's-fine." His eyes narrowed. "I felt the young one's fear. What are the charges on Tea?"

"I know the legal system. She'll easily get ten to twenty for assault with a deadly weapon, plus another five for possession of a concealed weapon in a public institution. And that's going easy on her because she's a minor. If she were eighteen, the sentence at the very least would be life."

"And Yugi will testify?"

"They'll try to force him. However, I have some leverage in the police department. I can pull some strings, provided," Kaiba said with a wink at Yami, "you get well enough in time to take his place at the stand."

"Good. Leave my aibou out of this."

"Even without his testimony, Tea will receive a guilty verdict. If she pleads guilty, she might manage to walk away with only ten years without parole. If not, she'll get the full twenty-five. And I know the lawyer she's getting. He's one of the best. They'll go for the not guilty plea and try to get her off with nothing. We're really going to need your testimony, Yami. If she walks away with nothing…" He drew a long breath. "If she gets off with nothing then I'm going to prosecute on your behalf, under charges of assault and battery."

"But-"

"Yami, I'm mad. I'm very mad about this. And I'm going to make sure she's put away for a very, very long time."

"Kaiba, I must point out," Yami said slowly, "I know what you're trying to do. You think somehow you're avenging Terry by keeping these people off the streets. But it's not going to bring him back."

"I made a mistake once," Kaiba growled. "I won't do it again."

"I'm not arguing with you. If, in the rare event Tea is found not guilty, you have my blessing in prosecuting her. But you must realize that Terry is dead and he is not coming back."

"I-I…you're right, Yami…" he said, defeated. "I just…I just-"

"I know. And I understand. I've lost people I love before, too. You just must realize that they would want you to move on, to enjoy your life like they now cannot."

"Yes. I realize that now."

"What is the date of the trial?"

"It's not set yet, but it will be within two weeks from now. So you'd better get well soon."

Yami nodded. "In that case, I will need all the rest I can get, hmm? And do me one last favor?"

"After all you've been through? Name it, Yami."

"Make sure Yugi can stay with me as long as he wants, and that he gets dinner."

"Your wish is my command."

Yugi ended up staying with Yami the whole night, cradled protectively in his other's arms. The little one refused to enter the soul room, and Yami refused to let him sleep on the hard plastic chairs, so they worked out the current arrangement. Yami was particularly happy because he wanted to be as close to Yugi as possible for a very long time.

The next day at school, Yugi was absent. But the shooting from the day before was the talk of the class.

"So who was that guy that got shot?" a girl cried out.

"Who, Randall?"

"No, the other guy! The one who looks exactly like Yugi."

"His brother," Joey answered hastily.

"I didn't know Yugi had a brother! What's his name?"

"Um…"

Neither Joey, Tristan, nor Ryou could think up a good lie in time, so Ryou replied, "Yami."

"He was really hot!" one girl squealed. Joey whipped around and shot her a dirty look.

"Is he gonna be okay?"

"Nope. They said his wounds were fatal."

"Poor Yugi!"

The teacher rapped at her desk. "Order, please, class. It's time to begin. Now, I'd like to talk about the events of yester-"

She was interrupted by the late entry of Seto Kaiba. His shirt was rumpled, his hair was in disarray, and he looked like he hadn't gotten a wink of sleep in the past week.

"News," he croaked out, and everyone whipped around to face him. Most gaped at his appearance.

Joey leaped out of his chair and ran to him. "Is Yugi okay? How's he…I mean…"

Kaiba smiled faintly. "Yami's alive," he whispered.

The entire school heard Joey's whoop of joy. Gleefully, he leaped a foot in the air, pumping his fists happily.

"What? WHAT?" Tristan demanded.

"Yami Moto is alive and well," the boy CEO told everyone.

More cheers, though not as loud as Joey's, followed.

Kaiba turned to the teacher. "I have passes for Joey Wheeler, Tristan Taylor, and Ryou Bakura. Their presence is requested at the hospital at once. I also have school excuses for Yugi Moto, Serenity Wheeler, and myself. If needed, you can reach me at this number." He handed the woman a slip of paper with seven digits on it. "That settled, Joey, Tristan, Ryou? Come with me."

They got in the limo Kaiba had waiting and drove off. "Now, listen to me very carefully," Kaiba said once they were in the soundproof back.

"W-what's going to happen?" Ryou said nervously.

Joey smiled gently and patted him on the shoulder. "Don't worry, Ryou. I won't let anyone do anything to you. I promise."

"When we get to the hospital, there will be two men and a woman waiting outside Yami's room. The one in blue is the prosecuting attorney. He's on our side, and he'll ask you some questions. The one in gray is the defense attorney. After the prosecutor, he'll have his turn to question you. The final one, the one in black, is Judge Andrea Hart. She wants to talk to you, but she won't be asking any questions. Now, I've got some leverage over these people. All their questions will be yes or no answers. You don't even have to speak if you don't want to. Just a nod or a frown will do."

"What about Yugi and Yami?" Tristan wanted to know.

"They will be questioned at a later time. Now," Kaiba continued, "Joey, tuck in your shirt. No smart remarks from any of you. And Ryou," he said with a softer look at the quivering white-haired boy, "If anything they say makes you uncomfortable, just get my attention somehow. I'll make sure he gets what he deserves." His eyes hardened. "I know this guy. He'll push you around and really get into your personal space. Ryou, Joey, Tristan; be strong, guys. Don't take any crap from him."

"I can take care of myself, but if he says anything to you, Ryou…" Joey growled.

Ryou blushed. "You don't have to be so protective, Joey," he said in his gentle way. "I'm only three years younger than you, you know."

"Oh, hush. Of course I have to be protective. It's the same with Yugi," Joey replied. Kaiba nodded in agreement.

The car pulled to a stop. "Here goes, guys," Kaiba told them. "Let's go."

As promised, three figures were waiting outside Yami's door. Ryou gulped and moved a little closer to Joey. Tristan gave Kaiba a nervous glance, but it was returned with a reassuring smile.

Kaiba stepped forward. "Mr. Reynolds, Mr. Anderson, Judge Hart," he acknowledged them with a nod. They returned it.

"This is Tristan Taylor, Ryou Bakura, and Joey Wheeler. I'll give you two, Reynolds and Anderson," Here he looked at the lawyers, "five minutes. Judge Hart, if you don't mind waiting?"

"Not at all," the pretty coffee-skinned woman said with a dazzling white smile.

Her gaze must have put Ryou at ease, because he began to relax and unclenched himself from Joey's arm.

"Mr. Reynolds?" Kaiba said then. "Your five minutes starts now."

They entered a small room across the hall from Yami's. Reynolds lost no time in sitting down at a table and spreading his papers out. "All right, let's begin," he said quickly.

"Name?"

"Joey Wheeler."

"Tristan Taylor."

"Ryou Bakura."

"Good. Now then, did Tea Gardiner bring a weapon to school June 4th?"

Joey nodded. Ryou bit his lip, and Tristan didn't reply.

"Did you see it?"

Once again, Joey nodded. The other two did as well.

"Did Tea Gardiner deliberately shoot Yami Moto on June 4th?"

"Yes," Ryou whispered. Joey gave him a comforting look and stroked his hair.

"Now, please think hard about this. Will you testify in court that Tea Gardiner did indeed deliberately shoot Yami Moto with the intent to kill him?"

"I-I-I-" Joey stammered. Kaiba glanced at him. Ryou squeezed Joey's arm tightly.

"Y-Yes," Tristan managed. "She's my friend, but I will testify that."

"M-me too," Ryou mumbled in a voice below a whisper.

Joey nodded in agreement. "Yes."

Reynolds gathered his papers just as Kaiba said, "That's time. Please send in Mr. Anderson."

The slick, greasy lawyer didn't just enter the room. He slithered. Joey took an instant disliking to him. Carefully, Anderson set up his papers and started a tape recording.

"Turn it off," Kaiba said bitingly. "No recordings."

With a gulp, Anderson did as he was told. "Name?"

"Joey Wheeler."

"Ryou Bakura."

"Tristan Taylor."

"Well, let's get started, shall we?" Anderson hissed. "You there, the white- haired lad. Yes, you. Are you an expert on guns?"

Ryou's eyes widened in shock. "N-no…"

"Are you in perfect health?"

"I-I guess s-so…"

"Is your vision 20/20?"

"Y-yeah…"

"What makes you think that Tea Gardiner shot that boy? How do you know the gun didn't just accidentally discharge?"

Ryou bit his lip as barely contained tears welled up in his eyes.

"Enough!" Kaiba thundered. "You know the deal, Anderson. Yes or no questions only. You have exactly one minute and thirty seconds left with these boys, and all you are doing is pressuring them into being afraid of you and making them doubt what they saw. In short, Anderson, I am not pleased with your actions. Save those antics for the courtroom, because I will not allow you to bully my friends."

The greasy, smirking lawyer gulped and pulled at his collar. "Awfully warm in here," he grumbled. "All right, Snowy Locks. Do you believe Tea Gardiner shot that boy on purpose?"

"Joey!" Ryou cried, bursting into tears and racing into the blonde's open arms.

Joey shot an angry look at Anderson. "Leave him alone," he ordered, eyes narrowing. "Enough questions for Ryou. He's scared enough as it is."

"Fine," Anderson sniffed. "You, then. Do you think Tea Gardiner purposely-"

"Time," Kaiba interrupted him with a carefully hidden glare. "Leave and send in Judge Hart." He turned to Joey, Ryou, and Tristan. "I'm going to go see Yami. Judge Hart just wants to talk to you a little bit. You don't have to say a word, Ryou. Just take it easy."

Kaiba followed Anderson into the hall. "They're waiting for you, Judge Hart," he said, motioning to the door. Then he crossed the hall and entered Yami's room. Anderson was close behind.

"Out!" Kaiba raged. "Leave my friends alone!"

Cringing, Anderson slunk back out the door.

Free of that annoyance, Kaiba moved to Yami's side. "You okay?"

"Fine, thanks," Yami replied with a smile.

"Need anything?"

"A bath would be nice, but I can't exactly walk to the bathroom."

"Problem easily solved," Kaiba said, smirking. He gently lifted Yami into his arms and began walking towards the bathroom.

"I should be beating you down right now, but quite frankly I don't want to move," Yami mumbled.

"Jeez, you're light," Kaiba mused, turning sideways so they could fit through the door. "It can't be healthy."

"I don't eat, remember?"

"But still! How much do you weigh? A hundred pounds?"

"Doesn't matter. Besides," Yami said with a tired grin, "chicks dig me. Who cares how thin I am?"

"Can't expect to pick them up when you weigh that little. Heck, Yami, you're practically a broom. Maybe that's why you have so much luck in sweeping girls off their feet."

Yami couldn't help but laugh at Kaiba's bad puns. "All right, all right. I'll try to eat more often. Just lay off with the puns. You're making me laugh, and it hurts a lot."

"Sorry," Kaiba replied with a grin. He was quite pleased that Yami was in a good enough mood to laugh at jokes and to tease him right back. Carefully he set Yami down on a tiled counter and started the tub filling.

"Um, this is going to pose a problem," Yami noted.

"Huh?"

"Quite frankly, Seto, I love you and everything, but there is no way in heck I'm going to let you take my clothes off so I can get in that tub."

"Um…" Kaiba drew a blank, mind racing for some sort of plan. "Well, look. You're wearing a hospital gown. How about if I put you in the bathtub and you take the thing off before it hits the water?"

"I'm wearing a what?"

"A hospital gown. They do that to all their patients."

"Oh, heck no. Where are my clothes?"

"Probably in the room somewhere. A cupboard or something."

"Well the heck with this!" Yami exclaimed. He began to sit up but cried out in pain. "Ooh, that stings like crazy! Ow! Oh, shoot! Shoot, ow! OW! PAIN! AGONY! OW!"

"Stop moving!" Kaiba said urgently. He forced Yami to lay back, relaxing his still-sore stomach.

"Ah…much better…" Yami gasped in relief.

"Now you listen here, Yami Moto. You are going to get in that tub and relax all those sore muscles for at least fifteen minutes, after which you are going back in your hospital bed and getting some sleep. Understand?"

"Yes…mother…"

"Let's go, mister." Kaiba gently lifted Yami again, being mindful of his stomach, and slid him into the warm bubbly water. Quickly, before it got too wet, he unlaced the hospital gown and whipped it off. Yami winced, but easily sank into the soothing water.

"Ahhh," he sighed happily. "Much better."

"So, um, I never got to ask you," Kaiba said slowly, "Is there, like, a hole in your stomach? I mean, a real live stick-your-finger-in-it hole?"

"Oh, yeah, a hole," Yami teased. "Yup, I can feel the sudsy water gushing into my stomach right now. Ooh, it's flowing through my intestines. Ooh, I'm like a giant waterworks, pumping water through my body every time I breathe. Ooh, I'm-"

"Okay! Just shut up! Gross! I didn't need to hear that," Kaiba said with a shudder.

"Hey, you asked," Yami shot back, sinking a little lower into the water. "Pass me the soap?"

"Sorry, they don't provide soap."

"WHAT?!"

"Just kidding. Here."

Yami accepted the soap haughtily. "Now, back in ancient Egypt, we never had this problem. If you didn't have soap, you ordered your slaves to get you soap and gosh darn it you would have soap within thirty seconds or heads would roll. Literally. But no, here in the stupid present day they have no respect for people who just want a bar of soap. Yeesh."

"Yeah, but you were a Pharaoh. Common people didn't have soap."

"Not my fault they weren't the Pharaoh," he replied snootily.

"You want me to leave? I mean, if I'm making you uncomfortable or anything…"

"Oh, sure, Kaiba, I want you gone so I can start daydreaming about this really hot nurse that's been hitting on me. Maybe she'll give me a sponge bath, even. No, I don't want you to leave. What if I slip under the water and drown?"

"You're right. Dying twice in two days would not be a good thing."

Yami shuddered involuntarily. "I wish you wouldn't bring that up."

"Sorry, Pharaoh Yami."

"You don't have to call me that. My name is Yami. I don't call you Seto, CEO of KaibaCorp every time I address you."

Kaiba grinned. "But it's such a cute nickname," he pouted.

"Don't do that."

"Oh! I brought you something," Kaiba exclaimed, reaching in his pocket.

"A present? For little old me? Do tell."

"Here." Kaiba pulled out a little stuffed animal and handed it to Yami.

The former Pharaoh looked the little toy over, being careful not to get it wet. "It's a Blue Eyes," Yami exclaimed in surprise.

"Yeah. And I got you this to go with it," Kaiba replied, handing him something else.

Yami unwrapped it and groaned, shooting a glare at Kaiba. "A Kuriboh? Stupid little fuzzball. Cheap way to win, huh? Kuriboh with multiply. Jeez, what a stupid move. What made me think up that one? I don't know what was going through my mind when I played that."

"Made a great defense, though."

Yami wagged a finger at his brown-haired friend. "Now don't go trying to steal my moves, hear?"

"Oh, no!" Kaiba cried in mock fear. "Heaven forbid I should steal your moves!"

"Bah. You know you want my moves. Heck, I got it all. Wealth, prestige, smooth with the ladies, and the best moves this side of the Nile."

"Hah! Sure you're not confusing us two?"

"Oh, yeah right. Like I could ever confuse me with you. Besides, it's not like you're currently available."

"Excuse me?"

Yami rolled his eyes. "Well, duh, Kaiba, it's not hard to figure out." His voice changed to a teasing, singsong tone. "Kaiba's got the hots for Joey's sister! Kaiba's in love! Kaiba loves Serenity! L-O-V-E love!"

Blushing furiously, Kaiba tossed a washrag at him. "Shut up! I do not!"

"Mmm-hmm. Right. Sure. Oh, yeah. I believe that one. Yup. Sure, sure."

"Oh, just shut up."

"I think," Yami continued with a sly grin, "I'm going to call Joey right now and tell him. In fact, I think Yugi is with him right now. I'll just get him on the soul link and-"

"No!" Kaiba blurted. He turned bright red. "Um, I mean…er…"

"I knew it! I knew it! Kaiba has the hots for Serenity! Woo! When's the wedding? Can I be best man? Pleasey-pleasey-pleasey? After all, I do look great in a tux."

"Will you just cut it out, please?"

"No, I will not cut it out. It's too much fun."

"Yami," Kaiba said with a dangerous glare.

"Okay, okay, okay. I'll lay off." He sank back into the bubbles. "But I won't forget. Not by a long shot."

"I'll give you a long shot right in the kisser if you don't shut up," Kaiba threatened, playfully shaking his fist at Yami.

"Eeek!" Yami cried in mock terror. "No hitting the invalid! Abuse! ABUSE!"

"I said, shut up!"

"Help! Murder! Abuse! Serenity, your boyfriend's gone mad! Eeek!"

"Look, you little punk," Kaiba growled, pressing his face very near Yami's. "You may be an invalid, but I can still make you sorry you ever came out of that stupid puzzle. Now, for the last time, shut up."

"I'm sorry! Sorry! I give! Please don't hurt me," Yami joked.

"All right, that's it. Out of the tub."

"Aw, out of the tub? Do I have to?"

"Yup."

"But I don't wanna!"

"Tough. Can you stand?"

"Barely, but I'll manage somehow."

"Good. I'll turn my back and hold out a towel behind me. You put it on, and then I'll carry you back to the bed."

Yami stuck out his tongue at him, but complied. Kaiba turned his back and a second or two later he heard a painful groan. The towel was whisked out of his hands, and after a moment he heard a pained, "Okay, now would be a good time. Yes, now would be a very good time. Ow."

He turned and lifted Yami into his arms. "Jeez, if I didn't know better I'd think you were anorexic. You really need to eat something."

His reply was slow, relaxed breathing, indicating that Yami had fallen fast asleep.

The Pharaoh was carried out of the bathroom and back into his bed, where Kaiba gently tucked him in the thin sheets. He was full aware of the shocked stares he was getting from Yugi and the others, who had entered the room with Judge Hart. Kaiba glared them down and set about making Yami comfortable.

"He'll be fine," he told the others.

Yugi smiled. "I knew that already."

"Are you sure he'll be ready to testify?" Judge Hart asked.

Kaiba nodded. "As long as he gets plenty of rest, yes."

"All I can say is, he'd better be rested enough within forty-eight hours," the judge said quietly.

Kaiba felt himself pale. "They're not!"

She nodded. "The date is set for Saturday. If he's not there, the defense wins."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Whoa! Just to clarify here, I love picturing Ryou and Yugi as about three years younger than everybody else. Also, I'm firmly convinced Yami and Kaiba are friends. Perhaps even best friends. Maybe more…? Who knows? Anyway, this pairing isn't something I'd usually do, but it seemed opportune, and it worked into the story well. That's Part Two, ladies and gentlemen. Part Three will be up soon!