Angel:  Thank you all for the wonderful reviews!  Escagirl, you are a mind reader!  That IS a scene.  Sorry I took so long to update, my computer was under repairs.  Hope everyone enjoys!  And Cassie, I'm updating, so you HAVE to do that sequel to Soulmates!!

Ryuu:  Yeah, I like that story!  I think all yamis should be with their hikaris!

Angel:  *blushes*  ANYWAY, I don't own YuGiOh!

Ryuu:  *blushing*  or its characters.

Angel:  And look!!  WAIIIIIIIIII!!  I got 18 reviews!!!!!!!!

Ryuu:  But no presents...

Angel:  Shush!  Selfish!!

Ryuu:  *pouts*  B-But OTHER authors get presents...

Angel:  QUIET!  WAIT!  WE GOT A COOKIE!!!!

Ryuu:  MY COOKIE!

Both fight over the cookie, then Angel gets the cookie and locks Ryuu in his soul room.

Chapter 2 ~ Pampered Pet

                The moment he was put down, Jou had the urge to either gag on the carpet or bolt for the door.  He was, however, a bit too occupied looking at the mansion to do either.  The place was huge!  Everything looked expensive, but at the same time, lived in.  The whole place smelled faintly of vanilla and something he couldn't place.

                "Mokuba, tadaima!"  Kaiba called, picking Jou up again and walking into what appeared to be the living room.

                "Okaeri!"  Mokuba chirped, skipping into the room, "Huh?  A puppy!!" 

                Jou's eyes lit up.  Anything to get away from the rich pig.  But why was Mokuba looking at him with that knowing smile...?

                Kaiba smiled faintly, "Yep.  What do you want to name him?"

                Jou blinked.  There was that smile again!

                "Jou!"

                Seto's eyes widened and Jou gave a start.  No... way...

                Mokuba smiled, "Well... You always call Yuugi's friend a puppy, so I figured if I ever show him the puppy, it will make him more mad."

                Seto grinned, "Very true.  Give me a sec to put the collar on him and you can play with him."

                An alarm went off in Jou's head.  There was NO way SETO KAIBA was putting a collar on HIM.  He thrashed around a bit, but Kaiba just held him tighter with on arm, the other reaching for the collar.  Then Jou did the only thing he could think of...

                "ITAI!!"

                Jou ran and hid behind Mokuba as Kaiba clutched his arm, "He bit me!"

                Mokuba stifled a laugh and picked up Jou, who nuzzled Mokuba's cheek just to add more injury to Kaiba's pride.  It worked.

                "Oh, so he bites me and loves you?"  Kaiba muttered, handing Mokuba the collar.

                Mokuba giggled, "Well, he'll learn to like you, Oniichan!"

                Jou growled, "Yeah, as likely as a cold day in hell!"

                Mokuba smiled and brought Jou up to his room while Kaiba went to his office to nurse his wounded ego.

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                "You know..." Mokuba said as he made a small bed for Jou, "My onnichan isn't THAT bad.  He just doesn't know how to act with people or animals.  He's never had friends or pets, you see..."

                Jou snorted, "I can see why..."

                Mokuba smiled and picked Jou up, "Well, I have to go somewhere for a while, so you will have to keep my brother company."

                Another alarm went off in his head.  He REFUSED to keep that pig company, but he didn't have much choice as Mokuba plopped him down in Kaiba's office, gave a short explanation, and left them.

---------------

                "You don't like me much, do you?"  Kaiba muttered, his eyes on the mountain of papers in front of him.

                Jou snorted.  That was an understatement.

                Kaiba shook his head, "You are as stubborn as that other mutt—"

                RING!

                Kaiba picked up the phone, "Moshi moshi.  Seto Kaiba desu.  Yuugi??  What do you want??  No... ...what...?  When did this happen...?  Just today?  You sure he isn't home...?  What is THAT supposed to mean, he doesn't like to be home??  Fine, fine, whatever!  He wasn't at school?  I'll keep an eye and ear out, if it makes you happy.  Fine.  Bye."

                Jou felt a lump catch in his throat.  Yuugi!  His friends!  Jou whimpered and lay on the carpet, his head on his paws.  Why did this have to happen to him?

                "What could have happened to him...?"

                Jou's ears pricked up.  Was Seto talking about him?

                Seto walked over to Jou and picked him up, sitting on the couch.

                Jou blinked, surprised, and didn't move.  Maybe being a puppy had its advantages.  He might learn secrets in this house he wouldn't have found out before.  If puppies could smirk, this one would look more cocky than Kaiba!

                Seto absent-mindedly pet Jou as he spoke, "Yuugi's said he wasn't at school today, that he never misses school.  You'd think he'd be home, but what did Yuugi mean when he said Katsuya never likes to be home?"

                Jou whimpered.  He never DID like to be home.  His father was always drunk and smoking.  He was the reason his mother moved out with Shizuka.  She would have taken Jou too, but his father grabbed him away and threatened his mother.  She had no choice but to run without Jou.

                Seto looked down at Jou, "What's wrong, little one?"

                Jou looked up at him, then down.

                Seto sighed, "Yeah, I'm a bit worried about him, too..."

                Jou cocked his head to the side.  Did Seto Kaiba, the world's biggest jackass, just say he cared?

                Seto sighed and shook his head, "I wish Yuugi and his friends luck in finding him."

---------------

                "Where could he be...?"  Anzu asked, nibbling nervously at her lower lip.

                "Kaiba said he hasn't heard anything, either," Yuugi stated as he walked into his room and sat on his bed with Yami.

                Anzu, Honda, Ryou(Hikari), Bakura(Yami), Yuugi, and Yami were sitting in Yuugi's room, talking about where they could look for Jou.

                Yami wrapped his arms around Yuugi, "Don't worry aibou, we'll find him."

                Ryou leaned back against Bakura, "I hope so.  I hope his father didn't do anything to him."

                "Don't be so ignorant," Bakura snorted, "We all know what his father is capable of!"

                Yami glared, "Well, SOME of us are trying to be positive here!"

                "Being positive won't bring your friend back, Pharaoh!"  Bakura sneered, saying Yami's title as if it were a disease.

                "Stop it!!" Yuugi cried, on his last bit of sanity, "Everyone stop!  We have to worry about Jou, not your past in Egypt!"

                "You don't have to worry about Jou-kun..."

                Yuugi looked at his doorway, "Mokuba??"

                Mokuba nodded and leaned against the doorframe, smiling, "Jou is fine.  I can't tell you where his is, but he is fine, and he'll come back eventually."

                Yami stood up threateningly, "Where is he??"

                Yuugi grabbed Yami by the arm and shook his head, "No, it's okay Yami.  We know he is okay, that is what is important.  And he'll come back."

                Mokuba nodded, "Well, I have to go back to my onnichan now.  Bye."

                Yuugi nodded as Mokuba left.

                Yami smirked at Bakura, "Being positive doesn't help, huh?"

                Bakura growled, "Baka, we're leaving!"

                "Don't call Ryou-kun baka!" Anzu shouted.

                Yami glared as well, but Bakura sneered, "I can call him what I want!  Now come ON, we're leaving!"

                "He doesn't have to go anywhere!" Honda growled, cracking his knuckles, "He's staying with his friends!"

                Bakura leered at Ryou, "Well??  Are you coming or not??"

                Ryou was at a loss.  If he went, he would probably be beaten, but if he stayed with his friends, he'd be free for a bit, then beaten worse.

                Bakura took an answer from the silence and growled low in his throat, "Fine then!  See you at home, Hikari!"  Bakura walked out of the room, leaving behind a shaking Ryou and Yuugi-tachi comforting him.

---------------

                Jou's jaw dropped.  He could NOT believe this.  He thought for sure he'd be eating dog food, but Kaiba just plopped a good sized piece of steak in his food bowl.  Jou wasted no time in digging right into the steak, Kaiba chuckling, "Well, someone certainly has an appetite."

                Jou was greatly tempted to bite is ankle, but figured that Kaiba might take the steak away, so he continued to eat.

                "Tadaima!" Mokuba called, walking into the kitchen.

                Kaiba smiled, "Okaeri!"

                Mokuba pet Jou on the head, "Hi Jou."

                Jou humored him with a bit of a bark, but went back to his food.

                "So,"  Mokuba said, sitting, "How did you and Jou get along while I was gone?"

                "Well, he didn't bite me again..." Kaiba said, eyeing the dog, who looked all-too cocky about said subject.

                Mokuba smiled, "That's good to hear.  Oh, and I talked to Kairi, and she wanted to know if I could go to the mountains with her and her parents for the week.  I'll be safe!"

                "No Mokuba."

                "Please?"

                "No!  The mountains are dangerous."

                "But you know Kairi's parents!  I'll be fine with them!"

                Kaiba sighed and set their food on the table, "Fine..."

                "Yay!" Mokuba smiled and hugged Kaiba around his waist, "You're the best!"

                Kaiba smiled as Mokuba shoveled down some food, then ran upstairs to pack.

                Jou smiled too.  A full stomach was just what he needed.  But his happiness was interrupted by a pair of hands reaching down and picking him up.

                Kaiba shook his head and held the dog, "He sure is happy about it."

                Jou sighed.  If Mokuba was leaving, that would mean that he would be stuck with Kaiba for a week.

                Mokuba raced downstairs with a back over his shoulder, "Oh, and big brother.  Don't bathe Jou in warm water."

                Kaiba laughed, "Are you crazy?  It's winter time.  I'm not going to freeze him."

                Mokuba begged with his eyes, "Please, it does really bad things to his skin and fur.  I've looked into it."

                Kaiba sighed, "Fine, he's your dog..."

                Mokuba smiled, "Thanks!"  He gave Kaiba a quick hug, then bolted out the door.

                Jou whimpered.  COLD baths??  This day was turning out for the worst. 

                He was pulled from his thoughts when Kaiba carried him upstairs and into a room he hadn't been in yet.  Two walls were painted deep blue, one had a large mural of a Blue Eyes White Dragon, and the fourth was a mural of Egypt.  It showed the pyramids at night, with a full moon and millions of stars.  The room smelled like cinnamon and incense.  Then it hit him.  Kaiba's room.

                Kaiba put Jou on the bed, then laid down himself, "I wonder if Yuugi and his friends found Jou yet..."  Kaiba blinked, "I did NOT just call him JOU!"

                Jou blinked too.  "Sheesh... Hasn't this guy ever heard of an inner monologue??"

                Kaiba sighed and pet Jou absent-mindedly, "Why... didn't I see it before...?  Like the time I slapped my hand on his back and teased him for being too sensitive when he freaked out... Someone... hurt him...  Maybe he's run away..."

                Jou felt sick to his stomach.  Why did KAIBA, of all people, have to find out his secret.  No one was supposed to know.  Well, at this rate, if he stayed a dog, Kaiba's pampered pet, he wouldn't have to worry about the pain of his life before the change.  But no metter how much he thought that, he knew those images would never fade.  Never.

                Kaiba shook his head, "I promised... To take care of anyone who fell in that situation... Stubborn mutt... He should have asked for help..."

                Jou growled.  He didn't need anyone's help!

                Kaiba blinked at the dog, "What's up with you?"

                Jou stopped growling, but backed away.  He wanted out of this.  And fast.

                Kaiba sighed, "I guess you found out what I was planning."

                Jou blinked.  What he was planning.

                Kaiba picked Jou up, "Come on, a bath isn't THAT bad.  I'm taking one too."

                Jou stared dumbstruck.

---------------

Ryuu:  *stares in disbelief*  You dare?

Angel:  *grins evilly* Oh, I dare.

Jou:  Why me...?

---------------

                Jou barked, bit, scratched, tried everything he could, but was hauled into the bathroom just the same.  In any other case, Jou would have admired the huge size of the bathroom, and how big the tub was.  Unfortunately, the one thought that registered was that Seto Kaiba was about to take a bath with him.  If ever an alarm went off in his head, it was deafening now. 

                Jou tried to scratch the door open, but was grabbed and pulled back against Kaiba's chest.  It had no shirt...

                Jou closed his eyes and blushed.  This was NOT happening.

                Kaiba turned on the bath water, "Sorry, but I don't care what Mokuba says, I'm not so heartless as to make you take a cold bath, and I don't want to take a cold bath either."

                Jou would have sighed a bit in relief if he could.  At least the water wouldn't be freezing.  But then something occurred to him.  The way Mokuba always looked knowingly at Jou, and how he begged Kaiba not to give him a bath in warm water, as if he KNEW something bad would happen.  He wasn't much on dogs, but Jou knew warm water was NOT bad for dogs...

                Kaiba sat on one side of the huge tub, pulling a struggling Jou in with him.  Jou whimpered.  This did NOT feel normal...

                Kaiba's eyes widened as the puppy's skin started to shift around over its body.  Maybe he SHOULD have listened to Mokuba.  Then...

                Jou sputtered water, "What the--??"  Jou stared at Kaiba, and Kaiba stared right back.  This was NOT expected in the least.  Jou growled.  Mokuba KNEW he'd be human again with warm water!!  Now Jou was in the worst possible situation.  But...  How was he going to get out of it?

Ryuu:  OOOOO!   Cliffhanger!

Angel:  *unlocks his soul room*

Ryuu:  YAY!!!!!!

Angel:  *smiles*  sorry about the cliffhanger guys!!  R&R!!  *drags Ryuu into his soul room and locks the door* .........