Yay!! Todo's back ^_^ Uh, yeah, I'm sure you all care so much about that.

Anyway, thanks to Mare, Shaami, Queen Hatshepsut II & Todo for reviewing, as always.

Uh, no idea about loose ends, but pass, maybe you'll get the answers you want Mare. Shaami, you need to calm down ^_^ It's only a story, you'll be fine. QHII, I write when I get bored ^_^ This chapter is at Todo's command however. And finally, Todo, you've made this angsty enough already, I want a happy ending.

~-~

Upon entering the Game Shop, I see Yugi hovering around looking worried. As soon as he notices me he immediately heads my way. I hold out & hand, motioning for him to stop & then point upstairs, I've no wish for Yugi's grandfather to hear this. I follow Yugi upstairs & enter his room, closing the door behind me.

"What did Bakura want? Why hasn't he been at school?" My hikari asks immediately.

"His name is Ryou, hikari & he had an accident." I reply, trying not to get angry.

"I bet it was the evil spirit, Bakura should just destroy the ring." Yugi continues muttering.

I can't help but wonder if he's partially right however, I don't think the Bakura I've got to know would hurt Ryou, even accidentally, so I can't help but think that maybe it was 'the evil spirit' that hurt him.

Ryou wouldn't tell anyone because he's protecting Bakura, still, if he's out of the house now & knows what happens, then even if it was 'the evil spirit'; it's gone again now. Still, if it can return so easily, is Ryou really safe keeping the ring? Maybe aibou is right; maybe the ring should be destroyed? No! How can you think that? Bakura is your friend Yami, the only one that actually treats you like a person. Aibou's feelings of him are wrong & I can't get lulled into believing otherwise.

"Were you even listening to me aibou? Or Ryou for that matter, when we were at the park, or have you simply forgotten that?"

"The park? That was wrong; he lied to you & Bakura. Have you forgotten everything he's done?"

Aibou has a point I know, but he doesn't understand. Bakura hasn't lied to me though, he let me see the real him.

"You're wrong aibou, Bakura hasn't led either Ryou or myself astray, he's changed & if you were willing to see the good in him, like you do with everyone else, you would see that."

Maybe that's the problem. Damn it, why didn't I realise this sooner?

"He's nothing but trouble! All he does is try to hurt us, he always has!"

Aibou, this is jealousy, isn't it? I've been drifting from you, because I found something real & you're afraid of that. You deleted the message because you knew it would cause this, you thought that I would just move on & forget him, but you missed something aibou, you didn't count on Ryou caring so much, nor did you count on my feelings for him. Even if you don't see it aibou, I love him & I can't forgive this.

"You're wrong hikari, but I see the truth now, I know why you did this, but you still had no right. It's my life hikari & you can't rule that."

"What are you.? Fine, enough deceit, I hate him, because he was taking you away, because you stood up for him in a way that you've never done for me. I should be your priority Yami! It's supposed to be us."

Even if I knew the reason, hearing it from him hurts.

"You've no right to say that hikari! I don't care if you're jealous of him, that doesn't give you the right to hurt the three of us! Besides, you & your little friends used me hikari, it was never 'us'."

"How can you say that Yami? I know things haven't been the same since Battle City, but how can you suggest that I don't care? You're a big part of my life, of my destiny, you mean a lot to me & you have since I first got the puzzle. Even if you're my dark, you've always been my light, my hope."

Well, that certainly sobered my mood. I don't know what to say to him now, one part of me wants to apologise & the other wants to yell at him further.

"Even if that's true, that isn't how it felt to me, I felt used & unwanted, I was there for information & that was it. That isn't what this is about though, this is about you erasing a message & hurting three people in the process."

"I don't regret removing it Yami, because I won't see him hurt you. He is nothing but trouble, he wants the puzzle & nothing more."

"You're wrong hikari, you couldn't be more wrong about him. Even if you were, I wouldn't care. I love him hikari, more than anything & that's all that matters right now."

I didn't mean to tell him that, so I walk away quickly, before he recovers from the shock of my admittance. Now hopefully, since I've told Yugi, I'll have the strength to tell Bakura too.

~

Bakura looks at me expectantly; I don't know how to start though. Do I just state everything, or do I get around to it eventually? Bakura seems like he's going to talk, so hopefully this will make things easier for me.

"Where did you go?" He sounds so concerned, I'm glad I have my Kura back.

"I had something to take care of. Sorry I didn't let you know I was leaving."

"What is it Ryou? Did something happen?"

I nod & smile. "I spoke to Yami, well, more like I yelled at him. It turns out that he never got your message Bakura, Yugi must have erased it."

"He didn't get it? Then, he doesn't hate me?"

Bakura looks pale, well, more so than usual. I'm not really surprised, since it means that everything we've been through this past week was for nothing.

"No Kura, he doesn't hate you. He's coming over once he's finished with Yugi."

"Coming here? I. How do I face him? How do I face you?"

Damn, I hate being right sometimes. I walk to him & embrace him tightly; my poor yami looks about ready to cry. I don't want him sad though; this was supposed to make him happy.

"Everything's going to be okay now Kura. I don't care about last week; I just want you to be happy. As for Yami, he feels bad about this, so it's him facing you, not the other way around."

Bakura's arms tighten around me, whether it's for support or out of gratitude, I'm not sure, but it makes me feel safe & once again it reminds me just how much niisan means to me & how lucky I am to have him.

"Arigato hikari. I've hurt you so much, yet you still stand by me, that means a lot."

Any further conversation is cut short, as there is a knock at the door. Reluctantly I move away from the comforting embrace & walk to the door. Whoever this is had better not be wasting my time.

Opening the door, I'm startled by who I see. "Yugi?"

He's been crying & he's out of breath, he must have run all the way here, I wonder why. I don't think it can be because Yami yelled at him, he wouldn't have come here if that was the case, speaking of which, where is Yami?

~-~

I'll just leave it there I think ^_^ I'll have to get lots of nice reviews before I finish the story, which should be the next chapter.

It was a bit sappy for my liking, but I did say I wanted a nice ending. Anyway, please review. Ja ne!