A/N: Oooohhhh.... if anyone though a few chapters of Fierce Child got confusing, I think I actually managed to top myself here. Most of the reason lies in the fact that none of these were written together, each a different day and in a different order, I just chose to patch em all together now. It swings between past and present. If anyone is confused enough to need a roadmap e-mail me, just check my profile, it's in there. Sorry for the long wait too, but I hope a certain section of this chapter will make up for it. I didn't know I could actually write it. This chapter isn't for the squeemish. Sorry also for such a long hiatus, I've just had a hard time getting going and finishing this, I had the squish part written long ago, it was what to put around it that eluded me. I'm not sure if I'm happy with this, I'm not sure if I ever could be. We do the best we can.

***

Ending: Haunted

***

I blinked "What?" I asked groggily as I was being shaken from behind by two sets of small hands. I knew of course who those hands belonged to, Yugi and his Yami. It was odd to see them and feel them both at the same time, they were so different, but still so much the same. It was kinda freaky, but in an exciting way. Two of them...it was pretty intoxicating and I felt myself grinning like an idiot at the thought.

Then again, they seemed pretty taken with the arragement themselves. Who knew?

I felt a soft kiss of my cheek and I knew that it was Yugi. Yugi always tended to be more submissive, never too forward, Yami on the other hand prefered to be aggressive. Despite my arguments they had both decided that Yami was to keep his hands off at most times. I was up for a little aggression, I really didn't mind, but they had other ideas. I think it had something to do with 'healing', but I was feeling pretty good. Random badness happens to the best of us, but oh well, we deal. Still, Yami kept his hands off of me, which was a somewhat disatisfying quality in a lover. Freak had a thing with watching though, he certainly seemed to enjoy it.

Maybe I'm the freak, 'cause hey, I kinda like it too. Not that I would mind some serious groping without all the eyeballin'. Serious, just touch me already!

I sighed lightly and rolled over to stare up into the sweet violet eyes of my best friend and now lover. Strange how things work out, huh? I really hadn't seen this one coming at me, but it certainly felt alright. They both walked around me on eggshells though.

I guess there just might be happy endings after all, wasn't I proof of it?

Of course, it was a naive lie, the problem was in the fact that I believed it.

I tried to.

****

I sat in dark silence, enjoying the cool feeling of the leather that I was currently encased in. I caught myself wondering idly how the fabric could feel so warm and cold on me at the same time. Not that it mattered, it was comfortable and nice, I liked the feeling of it clinging to me as if in need. Damn. There I go again, anthropomorphizing. Neat word, huh? Saw it on a word-a-day calendar in the principals office during one of my many sojourns there...not that I was the most trouble prone student even, but I certainly spent enough time there that it was a familiar sort of place.

I was waiting in the shadows not really doing much of anything, just waiting patiently. I found it interesting to note that Kaiba had a personal doctor on staff. Came right to the house with one of those nifty medical bags and was escorted right on into the mansion complex. I guess they weren't monitering the gates, or maybe nobody cared, and that's how I waltzed in so easily like I owned the place. Nice feeling, wish it were true. If I had enough money to blow I'd buy myself a swimming pool full of jello. I've seen that little weird fantasy come up in many places, I want to know if it's as cool as people seem to want to think it is. I kinda doubt it, but hell, I'm up for a surprise or two.

In case anyone's curious I'd buy a slushee machine next. Or hell, my own private fast food restaurant. Why was it that all my fantasies seem to lean in the general direction of my stomach? food fixation? Then again, considering what they served at the hospital who could blame me really for wanting something of quality. As soon as I got the chance I was going to raid the Kaiba family kitchen, money-bags would certainly have something good to eat in there I bet.

What? Hmmm....yeah, so I can call him what I want to now, I get it. He's not my fucking Master, or Kaiba-sama as his employees call him, he's what ever the hell I want to name him. I have a few choice petnames that I already came up with, I'm looking forward to trying them out.

And there he goes, the doc is back and on his way. Patience pays off once more. I hop down off my tree branch and onto the cool grass. I smile and brush my hands a few times across the well manicured lawn to rid them of claminess. I'm nervous, can you blame me? So I happen to get really clammy hands, it's not my fault, at least I'm taking care of it. I'm sure his super-fussiness would hate it if my hands were all wet and cold on him. I'm suddenly wondering why in the hell I wiped my hands off.

I'm not sure next about what I'm going to do. Yeah, I'm going to go in there and have a little heart to heart with Kaiba, but about what? I'm not sure. 'Hi, I'm sorry I raped you a few nights ago, but hey, you started it!'....somehow that lacks the proper emotions for what I'm feeling. I'm currently thinking more along the lines of 'ready to die, bitch?', but that smacks of melodrama. I'm not sure what's coming, but hell, I'm prepared. Got my treasure chest of goodies that I'm so hoping to play with on Kaiba, I'm sure he'll enjoy in some sick masochistic way.

Then again, aren't I the masochist? Looking at the miles of bandages wrapped snuggly around my arms screams out an undenyable 'yes!'. The bandages were Yugi's idea, he seems to have problems with the sight of blood. I kinda like it myself, it's a vibrant colour. I guess it reminds me that I'm still here, there's still some life left in me even after what was taken from me.

I'm anxious and my heart is pounding, but I'm still taking steps forward, kinda shambling, trying to look cool, like I know what the hell I'm doing. That, of course, is a huge lie. I have no clue what I'm heading into, what I'm going to do once I see him again. I gotta keep going though, I have to see.

A sick part of me wants to know if there's any fear in those cold blue eyes.

I'm in the house and so far so good, if anyone's seen me they aren't doing anything to stop me. I can't help but wonder if they do know I'm here and Kaiba just told them to do nothing to stop me. He just might, he's weird like that. I'm amazed I haven't gotten lost yet, but it's like there's some homing instict drawing me forward, I can almost feel him through the walls, his heart beating, the rise and fall of his breathing, I just know he's ahead of me. My feelings lead me to a fairly plain wood door, no decorations or clues to say that something important waits inside, but I know it does. He's here.

I push the door open slowly, not that Kaiba would permit any of his doors to squeek, that'd be too disrespectful, all his possessions must maintain a quiet dignity like their owner. Scary thing is, despite my own admitted past craziness, I'm half certain Kaiba may actually think like this. Spooky.

He's laying still and peaceful in his rather oversized bed, his hair brushed nicely and the covers tucked in carefully around him. There's a bottle on his night table, I can't read the medical term, but I think it's gotta be a sleeping pill or something, maybe a tranquilizer. I'm surprized Kaiba would actually let someone make him take sleep meds, it's not like him. Kaiba must hate being forced into defenslessness. I'm kind of liking it.

I reach out and brush gently at the bangs that cover his forhead and lean in to kiss him softly. He doesn't look like such a bastard when he's asleep. Odd how sleep and death make everyone look okay, like they perfect little angels. Sure, this is fairly cliche, but hell, if it's true, so be it. After I make myself all nice and cozy on the edge of his bed I slap him.

No, I don't think I actually thought of it, I just did it. More of this instinctive stuff again. I toy momentarily with the idea of simply smothering him, and I go so far as to pick up a pillow.

Gee, this is almost as nice as seeing fear in his eyes, good ol' Kaiba is sleeping with a gun. Doesn't he know how dangerous that is? He really oughtta be careful, after all, what if Mokuba found it. Well, okay, Mokuba's probably too damn smart to go messing around with a gun if he found it, afterall he has bodyguards who carry all the time, I'm sure he knows how to use one properly. Kaiba would've made sure to teach Mokuba, just in case you ever get kidnapped but some sort of sadistic torturer.....

Ugh, my head hurts.

It sounds like an awfully nice idea though.

****

"Jounouchi-kun??" Yugi called out quietly into the room, huge eyes searching out for his blonde haired friend. He was already fairly certain Jounouchi wasn't there, he wasn't going to answer, but Yugi felt he had to make a token effort before allowing panic to set in.

Jounouchi had first come to him a little over a week ago, kinda lost and confused. Yugi thought he was doing better though, that he'd recovered a little. Jou wouldn't talk about how he busted out of the hospital, but he was secretly glad. It hadn't been good for him, if anything it had screwed him up worst. The police hadn't given them a choice though, they simply took him, they said he needed to be watched. The doctors said he was dangerous to himself and still needed to be watched. Yugi just though Jou needed his friends.

Yami thought Yugi was being a little too naive and idealistic. Sure, in a perfect world being surrounded by the people who cared for you most could cure everything. The real world though was a bitch about such things, and even friendship and love weren't always enough. Something was seriously wrong with the shaggy haired blonde, some deep part of him had been broken into pieces and nothing was fitting back into place properly. Yami sighed somewhat dismally, noting almost all of his metaphors came in terms of puzzles to be fixed.

Yugi sat down heavily on his bed and stared up at the ceiling. Jou had been coming and going for th past few days. Sometimes he'd be there, and sometimes not, occassionally he'd suddenly come up behind Yugi and frighten the hell out of him. Instictively Yugi would hug him and bury his face in Jou's chest and hope that maybe now everything was going to be fine, that this time Jou would just stay put. It hadn't happened so far. He always came back eventually, usually covered in cuts and scrapes, Yami was fairly certain most of the wounds were self-inflicted, but Yugi tried to deny it, tried to believe he knew his best friend better than that, knew Jou wouldn't be capable of such things.

Yami wasn't so sure either of them knew who Jounouchi really was anymore, what he'd become. His eyes were far away and distant, filled with pain and anger. Such things were to be expected, what made Yami nervous was the darkness swirling through the blonde's mind, the dark thoughts and deeds that claimed more and more of his soul each day. He was afraid that one day Jounouchi Katsuya would no longer exist and some souless monster would be standing in his place.

To think such a thing could happen to the boy they both knew so well once, both loved, it was hard to bear, and Yami chose to do so alone. He sheltered Yugi from the darkness in Jou as much as possible, tried to keep Yugi from seeing what was really happening. Most of all, Yami refused to let Jounouchi kiss Yugi, he could see in Jou's eyes how much such things meant to him, how dependant he was upon affection now, but how shadowed and hateful his eyes became when he was touched. The spirit was becoming more and more certain that is Jou couldn't be rescued from himself and soon, then there would be nothing left within him to save.

****

I'm floating in nothingness, a sea of darkness and light swirling around me, through me. Colours and shapes loom up before my eyes but I can't make sense of any of it. Th images fade to black and begin again. I'm in new places with new people. I'm off balance, I never know what's coming next. It's like a dream only you know it's a dream and you can't control what's happening and all your worst fears are coming true. The only problem I have is that I don't think this is a dream.

The light grows dim and fades, the darkness overpowering it for the moment. It feels like my head is in a vice, that something is pressing hard against my brain and as it tightens i lose more and more of myself. It's frigtening and I want to cry out. I wanted Yugi to come and save me, to help me. Wherever I am he can't hear me, no one can. I'm lost an alone and this darkness is feeding off me, it's stealing away everything that matters until I feel empty and alone.

Nothing matters, not Yuugi, not Yami. My friends are meanigless, small images that have been pushed away from me. I shiver against the coldness inside, but it makes no difference. More images shuffle across my view and I begin to walk forward. Some small part of me whispers against what I'm doing but I quash it. I have to, what I do I do to protect myself. It's far and distant, quiet and cold like myself. It's here waiting and I can feel myself trembling with anticipation. All thoughts of those I might of once loved are now unimportant, all that matters is what waits for me behind the door.

My secret, my treasure, the thing that defines me now and gives me meaning, and he is waiting. I brought him here, from where I can't remember, the place gives me nightmares, but I know why I brought him.

It fills me with disgust and self loathing. And lust.

Without truly knowing myself or who I once might have been I knew from now on I was a monster. The things I would do to him....the worst part was it wasn't for vengance, it wasn't for hatred. It was about need.

And perhaps love. In a sick and twisted way this is the kind of love he taught me about, love that requires great sacrifice. I took those sacrifices from his body, I took the things he needed most. I broke him and mad him into something that pleased me, something that depended upon me.

I love him, if monsters can feel love. I'm not sure anymore.

****

I was with Yugi when we got the news, it was shocking, utterly shocking. The last thing anyone could have expected, certainly not from our resident arrogent SOB, namely Kaiba.

Gone. Poof. Vanished. Not even a word to Mokuba before he dissappeared.

Well, considering how he reappeared, that last part wasn't all that much of a shock.

Funny thing, the cops think it was the same phatom rapist who got to me. Isn't that a strange idea? They're still looking for me too. Yuugi thinks I should go to the cops and tell them what happened to me, maybe that'll help them find who did it. They might even be willing to overlook the fact I stabbed somebody. Sure, the nurse lived, but I doubt it'll look good for me if I go in and outright say it to them. After being locked up in that damn white hospital I don't look eagerly upon going to jail. It'll just be another cage, only grey instead of white. I think jail would be grey, I'm not sure why though.

Yuugi tries to get answers out of me himself, but I just avoid it and try to kiss him into insesibility. I found that methos works well on both of them. It gives me an hour or so of peace to think though. Well, no, I mean I do think about Yuugi during sex and stuff, but other things too. I have to, if I don't...I don't want to hurt Yuugi, not ever. I have to keep focussed.

It's getting harder, when he touches me I want to scream or cry, I can't be sure of which anymore. I can feel his warmth and it terrifies me, it's so unlike what I'm used to. I want to drowned in his warmth like it will cure me, but I already know it won't. I'm afraid if I try I'll just drag him down with me, and I don't want that either. There's not really any way to win in this situation.

I'm losing at this whole thing. Normally I would say things could only get better from here, I'd get ready to pull some miracle out of my hat and things would be all magically perfect again. I really wish I could manage that, but I know that sometimes it just isn't possible. I don't care if you call me a quitter, because it would be the truth. I've quit, given up. I lost.

Last night I lost it all and I'm paying for it with my soul.

**** (DISTURBING, IF YOU ARE SQUEEMISH TURN BACK NOW!!!!-Ryan-ookami)

He whimpered once in the dark as the bright silver bit deeply into the soft flesh below his nipple. I reached down eagerly with my mouth and took the torn skin delicately to touch my lips. I sucked lightly as I took it in, the taste of his skin, light and salty, mixing in with it the coppery fire of his blood. Shivers ran through me as I drew more from him, my tongue ghosting lightly across the cut. He whimpered once, low in his throat, the startled frightened cry of an animal as the predator toyed with it.

It was nice to know he finally understood me. After all, hadn't he made me?

I nipped softly at his chest as I slowly pulled back from his flesh, I had left it swollen and bright red, the blood still winding it's path down the silken cream of his skin. He was so pale and thin, his lank lean body stretched out like a white heaven below me.

I'd hated that all encompassing white that drowned the hospital ward, but this was different. My own personal space of pale silvery white gleaming in the dark shadows of the room. It was all for me and no one else now. No one else would ever know how it was to feel that skin beneath their body, perfect and smooth, to have his body as their own.

He was mine now, and mine forever. He would think of me, breath for me, live for me. By my will he would live or die. For my pleasure he would do whatever I asked.

I gently licked the crimson stain from the edge of my blade, delighted by the fear and hurt in those shattered blue eyes, wide and staring up at me, all attention focused on me. I owned his thoughts, his body, but not his heart. I knew he wanted me, wanted my heart, but I denied it to him. I didn't particularily care about whether or not he loved me, what did his love matter? I knew I loved him, but from him? I simply wanted to know that his body attuned to me, everything he was, his essence focused on me. I wanted him to pay attention to his lessons, after all, there might be a test later.

I laughed quietly into the shadows, and he spasmed beneath me, his body giving way to fear and pleasure. I could do both, I could be both. I was his everything now. I leaned in and kissed him along his jaw, nibbling my way to his ears and lingering lovingly on his earlobe as my hands tangled in his hair. He jerked away in pain as I bit into the delicate skin, yet again drawing blood. I seemed to be doing a lot of that lately. I grabbed a nearby cloth that was waiting and gently washed away the blood, both fresh and clotted, from his ear. I blew softly and wordlessly into it afterwards and he moaned shaplessly in pain. I was almost afraid he'd just start bleeding on me again. I prefered it when I was doing the cutting, the blood seemed somehow in the way while I was trying to tend to my playmate afterwards.

I kissed him once more, deeply and passionately, my tongue demanding entrance to his empty mouth. A small pained whimper built up in his chest but it was swallowed by the kiss and died between us. I clutched roughly at the sides of his head, my fingers playing with his ears harshly. I knew how fresh the pain must still be for him there, how he jerked away violently, only to get nowhere. I could feel blood on my fingertips and knew he still had fresh blood to give, but time was ticking away. Places to go and things to be.

He'd already received his pleasure for the day, and I was content with mine for now. I might come back later if I felt like it. I didn't come every night, I tried my best to keep him off guard, never knowing when to expect one of my periodic visits. All in all, it worked out nicely. With that done, I left him in the dark of the small shed to look up into the shadows with frightened blue eyes.

I never grew tired of that shade of blue.

***

What was happening to me? I couldn't tell anymore. Each day I lost more of myself, forgot more of myself. Each night I tried to give what was left to Yugi. I was leaving myself behind and it terrified me. I did my best to console myself against Yugi's soft skin, but I couldn't help what happened I couldn't stop what I was becoming, the things I had done, the monster he'd made of me.

Yugi looked so small and vulnerable beside me, his body curled tightly against mine. He was achingly beautiful and I wanted to wake him up again and tell him that much, make him know how loved and desired he was. He deserved that, he decerved more than me. More than who I was now.

Shadows still churned in my heart and I craved them at times, the freedom that embracing them gave, the way it expiated my pain, the way I could funnel it all out into his body. Kaiba. The things I'd done....Oh god, no matter what he had done to me, it didn't make my own actions right, but I kept doing it anyways.

The police thought he'd disappeared, been kidnapped like I was. I knew they would like to have interviewed me, to try and find out more about my captor, they thought Kaiba was a victim of the same predator. In a way he was, he was a victim of the pain he'd caused me, of the person he'd shaped me into. So the police were on the look out for me, although it might have something to do with the nurse I stabbed. I honestly don't recall doing it, my mind hurts to think of it, but I'm still certain it's true. At least she survived, not that it makes me any less guilty, but it's something small at least.

I sigh into the night and stare out through the skylight over Yugi's desk. It's an akward angle from where I'm laying, but I need to see the stars for a bit. Of course, there aren't any out tonight, I guess they've decided to hide from me. Hell, I'd hide from me if I could.

Then again, I know what I've done, do the stars? Does Yugi? If he knows how can he touch me? It hurts to let him, knowing what I am and what I've done. I come back home to him and pretend as though nothing is wrong and I let him come to me anyway. I think that's what makes it worse, that I say nothing and let him love me, let him try to rescue me even though there is no coming back, no one can save me.

***

He had been found naked, tied down to a chair, the bonds digging into his flesh tightly like he had tried to escape, pull free. His blue eyes stared upwars blankly, not seeing, never seeing again. Dried blood had pooled beneath him on the floor, an ugly brown stain now, rather than the bright crimson of fresh blood.

It was none of this however which made the young cop run from the small shed and get sick in the bushes outside.

He had almost tripped upon the small bit of naked flesh and not knowing what it was he'd shined down his flashlight and stared at it with eerie fascination. His heart beat faster and he knew with sudden shock he was looking at a tongue. It had simply been tossed aside almost casually, far too casually. The cop ran and couldn't help it. Later, when more seasoned veterans showed up a better understanding of the case was come to, only to be written down in small scratchy script on a notepad already filled with horrors from dozens of other crimes.

The rookie cop quit the force soon afterwards, his first case having been unbareable to stand. He still woke nights, hearing the soundless screams of the poor boy found tied silent and deaf to the world, the terror still a gleam in the dead glazed eyes. He would never forget that first sight, and the word Master etched deeply in the boy's flesh, the bright crimson of his blood standing out so brilliantly from his pale dead chest.

No one came away unhaunted.

***

A/N: The end. If you have any questions or unresolved issues from this story, well, yeah, you're supposed to. It wasn't meant to be wrapped up nicely. Jou is a monster, he loves Yuugi and wants to be with him but can't escape the thing inside that Kaiba made him into. Will Jou ever be better? Will Yuugi ever find out what Jou did to Kaiba? Who knows, it isn't for me to say. For now all we'll ever know is that a monster sleeps hungry in Yuugi's bed. Whether it will continue to feed is something only the stars can guess at.