Chapter 10: Talks and Discoveries
A/N: This chapter is pretty sappy in the beginning, but don't be fooled I'll leave that for the next chapter. This one can be graphic, not sexually graphic, but like murder scene graphic, so be prepared.
"So, do you think I'll be getting another visit from a social services agent?" Alex asked as she put the rest of her valuables into her bag. She looked up at the others who were helping her clean out her room before Bill and Connie got back. "Why would you say that?" Yugi asked handing her, her deck from a drawer.
"Well, since Connie and Bill are out of the picture, I have no where to go. And without a home, I'm pretty much at another house by sundown," Alex slung her bag over her shoulder, "And that means I leave all of you behind. And I'll have to figure out if this new family is after the bracelet or is just a family in need." The others jumped out of the window and Yugi followed.
Yugi sighed and looked up at Alex from the ground, "You know that no matter where you go, I will always be there." He offered his hands up to help Alex down.
"What, are you going to stalk me or something, Yugi?" Alex smiled and happily accepted his help. She meant to gracefully touch the ground with her feet, instead nearly knocking Yugi over as she tripped out her window. Yugi laughed a little then looked in her eyes, "If need be I will follow you till the ends of the earth. And if Yami and Amunet could find each other after thousands of years, then I think that we have a very good chance."
"Hey, you two love birds coming? We're going to catch a movie until the heat calms down," Tristin waved at them from the group of three ahead.
Yugi shook his head, "No thanks, I think that we're going to take a walk together." Tristin shrugged his shoulders and walked with the other two toward the inner part of Domino. Alex looked at him with an amused grin on her face. "What?"
"It's just the way you were talking. It was as if you and I were some sort of item, Yugi Motu," Alex said walking in front of him, backwards so she could face him. He smiled, "You mean that we aren't? I thought that risking my life and talent would qualify enough for me to be a good boyfriend."
"Well," Alex stopped him as they were at the edge of the park entrance, "I never heard the question 'Alex would you be my girlfriend?' or 'Do you want to go steady?' ever enter in any of our conversations." Yugi rocked back and forth on his feet as he stepped around Alex and into the park, "I thought we were going to take a walk."
"Don't you try to change the subject Yugi!" Alex ran up to his side.
"Who's changing the subject, I just thought we were taking a walk."
"Yes, but you never did answer my last statement."
"And?"
"And . . . I thought that it was a good point that would need some answering. Don't you?" Yugi kept his head forward watching the path ahead as it twisted and turned. "Yugi? YUGI!"
"Hmm?"
"I hate it when you do this," Alex hit him in the arm.
"Do what?"
"Take me around in circles like this. You never answer my thoughts."
"Aren't you supposed to answer those yourself?"
"Yugi!"
"What?" He laughed at how frustrated she was getting and held her hand. "If nothing else, I'll tell you this. I'm looking for the right moment. I never knew how valuable you were to me until you weren't here to touch or to see anymore." He turned her to face him, "I don't want to lose you to some one else."
Alex narrowed her eyes at him, 'I've heard that somewhere before.'
How about in your dream. You told him the exact same thing in your dream.
"Yugi, you don't have to worry about that. I'll never become someone else's, because my heart can only belong to one."
"And who could that one be?" Yugi asked in a playful tone.
"*sigh* I just don't know yet," Alex said in a sarcastic voice as she turned away from him. She looked up at the sun as it was climbing down the sky and into the trees above her head. Yugi came up behind her and put his arms around her waist, pinning her arms to her sides. He softly kissed her cheek from the side, making her lightly giggle. 'I never knew that I could giggle.'
"If you think this is going to help me make up my mind, it's not," she turned toward him.
"Then what is?"
"I'm waiting for the right time," she stepped out of his arms and walked toward town. "Come on, I want to see what new cards your grandfather got in." Yugi walked behind her shocked, 'She turned my trick right back on me.'
'She is pretty good Yugi. So was Amunet in our time.'
'Quiet Yami." The two walked back close together, almost stepping in time as they made their way to the shop.
***
As soon as they made their way to the front door and opened it, Alex knew immediately that there was something wrong. Yugi's grandfather was on one of the chairs and none other than Angie seating him opposite. "Alex, so glad you're alright," Angie stood up and looked over at Alex.
"Why wouldn't I be, I was out with my friend Yugi. What's going on here?"
"You've been gone for a while; every one thought that you were kidnapped."
"Some bullies kept me away for a while, they poked me with what I think was a drug for fun," she showed Angie the bruise, "And then when I woke up, Yugi found me in the park."
"We were worried and after I got the call today."
"What call?"
"I was at your home today, people were complaining about some noises, and they were worried. When I went inside, there were bodies. Two of them."
Alex's eyes bulged out, "Who?"
"We didn't know at first. Their fingers were gone and their teeth were also- excuse me." It looked like she was about to gag, then composed herself again, "The only way we could identify them is their wallets that were left behind in their back pockets. The criminal who did that was clumsy enough to do that. They were your guardians, Alex. We need you down at the station to find out if that is who they really are, and to check you story. But only look at the bodies if your stomach can take it."
"My stomach could take almost anything you throw at it, but they think I'm a suspect?" Alex turned to go with her.
"Not really, if you were held up by some bullies, like you said, then you have nothing to worry about. And I believe you; I wouldn't bring charges against you. Another thing, Alex. If these are your guardians, then you'll have to be put in another home-"
"Wait," Yugi's grandfather stood up and approached Angie, "If she has no place to go, then I will be more then happy to take her. She has been through so much; I think that staying with a familiar face will help. Don't you think so Alex?"
Alex smiled at the old man, "It would help more then you'll ever know."
"Alright then," Angie said from the door, "I'll get the paper work all done, and until that is done, you are free to stay here."
Alex went over to Yugi's grandfather and gave him a huge hug, "Thank you so much! I swear I'll never be a pain."
"I never thought you would be," he let her go.
"Now, we got to go, Alex," Angie motioned toward the door.
"Um, can Yugi come with me? For support?" Yugi looked at her and gave her a half smile.
"Of course, come on," he took the two out to the car and drove toward the station.
***
At the station Yugi and Alex entered holding tight to one another's hand. Angie, along with another officer led them to one of the back rooms. In the room they had to check out Alex's story, and the only way to do that was with a polygraph. She told them that some people took her and gave her an injection of some kind and she was found by Yugi. All was true, so nothing showed up. She couldn't tell them about the rare hunters, they wouldn't believe her. They told her that she passed and she was let into the next room.
She felt like there were millions of tiny snowflakes touching the back of her neck all at once as soon as she entered. She led over to two bags and as soon as they were unzipped, she knew them, and had to turn away. She brought herself to look back. 'That's Connie, but that isn't Bill,' she looked back at the male on the other table, 'That's my father.'
"Alex? Are you alright?" Angie touched her shoulder.
"That's them. Although, I can't be to sure about the male. He looks familiar, but something tells me that it isn't Bill for sure."
Angie nodded, "It's hard to tell in this condition." She helped the two teens out of the station and back to the shop. "I'll be in touch, Alex," Angie waved as she drove off. Yugi put his protective arm around Alex's shoulders and walked into the shop. Yugi's grandfather was finishing closing the shop, but Alex and Yugi just slipped up to his room to talk.
"Why didn't you tell them that that was your father?"
"Do you think that they would have believed me? They believe that I've never seen my father. How would it sound if I said that I did when he and a whole bunch of rare hunters kidnapped me?"
"But that was Connie?"
"Yes," Alex held her head and sat down on his bed, "Why would they kill her . . . and my father? They followed orders-"
"But not well enough," Yugi looked down at her. He went over a kneeled in front of her, "Are you alright?"
"I would think that I would be happy that they were gone, but, you know . . . I never knew my father, and I guess I never will. And if they can do this to their own kind, what can they do to my mother?" Yugi held the end of her chin to keep her head up, "We will get her back."
"How do you know, Yugi?"
"I got you back didn't I? And all I needed was my heart to find you. I think that is all we need to find your mother."
"You know," Alex said kind of laughing, "I still don't have a dress for this Friday." They both smiled and leaned on one another's foreheads.