Ok, ok, this is probably not the best part, but I'm trying to establish something here... something, I think. I'll let you all be the judge O_o Besides, if I take it any farther than I'm ganna, this part would be it, and it's not like me to end on a measly 5 parts. (anyone who's been to my site knows this; book one is like 15 parts and still going. Book two IS 15 parts... you get my point ;p) Not that this is going to be 15 parts, but I still think 5 is too soon to end. Please don't hate me O_o
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Al waited outside Mai's for his charge, when the door opened and out he came, blowing a kiss to his girl.
"See ya in school tomorrow, babe!"
"Right, 'dork'! And thank you again! It's perfect!"
"It was nothin'! See ya!" and he took off.
Dork?! You ganna... kids! Al tried to follow him as best Ziggy could. The closer to Joey's neighborhood they got, the slower the boy walked.
"Wow, Joe. I wish there was more I could do for ya." Al wanted very much to be able to reach out to him. The boy stopped a few blocks short to breath when a motorcycle came roaring up behind him and the hologram.
"HEY JOEY!" yelled Tristan over his engine as he slowed to a stop. "I've been looking all over for ya! Yugi's been lookin' for ya. Says he needs to talk to you."
"What about?" he asked as he climbed onto the bike.
"I dunno. He seemed pretty upset though."
"Well take me to him! Giddy-up!"
Ziggy seemed to sigh in relief. "I know I know. I've been trying to tell him!" Al answered, then was off to Sam.
~~~~*~~~~
Al popped into the game shop and looked around. Sam was alone.
"HEY SAM!" the little body jumped. Al got a kick out of it. Sam didn't.
"Honestly, Al! You sure you and Joey aren't related?!"
"Sure as I am about Tina."
Not so sure then, huh? he thought and rolled his eyes. "So why are you here and not watching Joey?"
"Cuz he's on his way here. These kids have a very close knit friendship, Sam. Tristan went looking for him for ya. So he's bringing him here."
"Great." Sam didn't seem pleased. Al threw his hands up.
"So...?" the guide was becoming irritated with his friend's attitude.
"I'm sorry. I'm not ready to talk to him yet..."
"You were earlier."
"Well, Yami convinced me he's not going to like what I just did."
"And what did you just do?"
"Told Grandpa about a "gut feeling" and got Joey's money back. Said Mai can keep the card, but..."
"That's great, Sam! Why would he be upset? He can take the money back before his dad notices it..."
"No, Al you don't understand..." Sam filled Al in on what Yami had to share; Joey's run with gangs, his bullying Yugi, how Yugi saved him and Tristan, "Yami split, by the way. Said he'll come back if Bakura, or whatever, decides to visit, but wants no part in ruining a hard earned friendship."
"Really? So telling him you somehow know he stole the money..."
"He'll be pissed. And that's puting it mildly. Accusing someone like this kid of a wrong doing from his past..."
"Psyco-babble talk, Sam..." Al just wanted him to get on with it. "So don't say anything. Grandpa had a change of heart about taking his money."
"No, I'm not going to lie to him. I know for a fact Grandpa is going to say something to him, he's so disappointed in him I feel terrible. Besides, we don't know for sure if it's his father that's going to kill him anyway..."
"Uh, well...see..."
"Oh no, oh no! Al!"
"I just found out myself! You think I would keep this from you?!"
Just tell him, Sam. He will be very upset, but if it's going to save his life...
Yami! I thought...
I am very sorry. I knew you were here to save his life, but I thought it would be why I was here as well. I didn't think...
It's ok. I understand. "Al, I'm just going to..." he was interrupted by the sound of the motorcycle pulling up in front of the store. He tried to look busy and act surprised to see his friend.
"Hey, Joey! What's up? Tristan not coming in?"
"Nah. He said you needed to talk." He rounded the counter and pulled up a stool. "So, talk it out, pal!" As if this leap wasn't tough enough, the kid had to be all cheerful. Sam just looked at him; resting his chin in his hand, swining his feet just inches from the floor, big smile across his face. It was like Al had said, 'Just being a kid.' Sam was getting nauseous.
Not going to make this easy for me are ya? he ran for the doors, locked them and pulled the closed sign.
"Yug, your grandpa..."
"Is running errands and will be a while."
"Wow. This is serious! Sure you don't need one of those psyco-docs?"
"A psyc... wha.. no!"
"Ooook..." Joey thought a moment, then side glanced his little pal and began to inch away, "Not goin' 'Bakura' on us are ya?"
"Wha.. Baku... NO!", Yami, is he serious?!
Afraid so.
"No! Just listen!" he was getting fustrated. Did this kid ever shut up?
"Ok! Ok! I'm sor... what's this?" Sam held the money out, not watching for any reactions. He just wanted Joey to take it and be greatful. Unfortunatly, this wasn't to be. When the money wasn't being taken, he slowly opened his eyes. Joey's bright brown eyes were wide, the color from his cheeks fading.
"Just take it. Please. Mai can keep the card..."
"What's goin' on, Yug?" his expression hadn't changed, but his tone had.
Uh oh.
'Uh oh' doesn't sound any better coming from you than it does Al!
"Yugi, why ya givin' me my money back? I know your grandpa, he's not one for charity when it comes to these cards!"
"It's not like that...", Yami, I'm not so sure...
Like I said, he will be upset, but he will get over it. Their friendship is very strong...
But, strong enough to withstand an accusation like this?
...?
"Joey, I... don't ask how, why or anything, ok?"
"Right. I'm just hereta listen. So spill! What's on your mind? You really seemed bummed!"
"Yea, so... I know you stole this..."
"Y-you wha...?!"
"Just take it back! Put it back! Please!"
"I'm not hearin' this! You know me better..."
"Do I?
"Sam!?"
Sam!?
"Sam don't push it!"
He's right. Please be careful!
"I'm not ganna take this!" Joey ran for the doors, forgetting they were locked and slammed right into them. He quickly stood up and began fighting with the lock, becoming more and more angry. He punched and kicked at them as hard as he could. Sam slowly walked toward him, staying out of striking range. "UNLOCK 'EM, YUG!"
"No. Not till you take the money back." Joey stopped and turned to face 'Yugi', bending down to eye level and took the money.
"This money?" he asked bitterly.
"Yes, that mon..." Joey flung it in Sam's face then turned back to finish his assault on the doors.
"OPEN 'EM!"
"No."
"Damn it, Yugi! I'm not playin'!"
"Neither am I. I know you stole this, I wish I could tell you how. If you don't... DAMN IT KID! IS YOUR LIFE REALLY ONLY WORTH EIGHTY DOLLARS?!" Joey froze, this did not sound like Yugi.
" 'Damn it kid?' Wha... I'm ol... MY LIFE?! Whattya gettin' at, Yug?" Sam was begining to believe multi-tasking was not one of this kid's specialties. That wasn't important, so he shook it off.
"There's a reason you don't speak to your mother and it's not just cuz she left you and took Serenity. There's things you're keeping from them, me, everyone..."
"Shut up! What do you know..." his voice was cracking, he was trying to hold back from crying.
"You'd be surprised."
"I haven't stole anything since you, YOU, turned my life around..." the kid was a convincing liar, but Sam had all ready figured on that. Joey had to be with what he was living with.
"Right. So let me help you again. First, take the money back, no big deal. Second, call your mom..."
"Wrong move, Sam!"
"Open... these... doors, Yugi."
Maybe you should let him go...
No way! I open these doors, he dies.
"YUGI!"
"No." Joey couldn't take anymore. He grabbed Sam by the collar, flung him around and slammed the little body into the doors.
"Don't make me hurt you, please, don't make me..."
"Then just listen to me. Calm down..."
"Just let me go home..."
"No way. Not without the..."
"You say 'money' I'll..." he raised his fist, ready to strike. Sam kept eye contact, and his cool.
"Go ahead. Think it will make you feel better? Think it makes your dad feel better when he does it to you?" Joey let out a cry to rival a banshee. Sam braced himself for the blow. Instead there was a loud crash and several shards of glass just inches from his ear. Joey had put his fist through the window. The pain must have been unreal. He dropped Sam, jumped back, fell to his knees and hugged his hand to his chest.
"Sam...?" Al couldn't believe what he had seen. Sam kept his cool through the whole thing even knowing the bigger of the two was capable of ripping the smaller to shreds. Sam just nodded. He was fine, Joey was another story. He snuck past the sobbing boy to find a small note pad. He scratched a note to Al.
"You're going to sneak the money into his pocket? What if he doesn't..." Sam began writting again, "With his keys. Ok, but you still need to get him to speak to his mother..." he started scribbling more, " 'I will, he just has to live one more day for that to happen.' I understand. You're hoping he finds the money in time to put it back so daddy can't say anything. Sam what if..." more writting, " 'That's why you'll be there.' Sam, Ziggy is getting temp..." this time Sam wasn't writting, he was glarring, angry. "Ok, Sam!" Sam remembered seeing a first aid kit and went for it to clean Joey's hand.
"Geez, Yug, you a doctor now too?" Sam looked at Al for a answer.
"Yes, Sam, you are M.D. extraordinaire!"
M.D. is a doctor? I thought you were...
I'll explain later.
"Yugi, I'm sorry. I just... just..." the boy was now in full blown tear mode. Sam and Al both were ready to follow, but decided to stay strong for him. "Stay out of this, ok? He doesn't...please Yug." As the boy continued to plead with his friend, Sam finished with his hand then slickly slid the money into his patient's pocket.
"Joey, I can't pretend there isn't something wrong. I'll drop the money issue if you speak to your mother..."
"No way. I got nothin' ta say ta her."
"I think you have more to say to her than you're willing to admit, but ok." Joey never looked up, he kept well hidden under his thick bangs. Sam opened the doors, figuring his next move was to have to find an explination for the broken window.
"See ya around, pal." he said solemnly.
"Sure."
"You sure he's going to be ok, Sam?"
"Better than he would have been had I let him just go. Besides, Al, look at it this way; I don't have to ask Mai anything!"
That's a relief! Yami didn't want to know either.
"It have done no good anyway." Al offered.
"Why's that?"
"They haven't 'done' anything..."
"How do you know?"
"Trust me, pal. These kids have yet to round first! See ya later."
Round first? Poor Sam felt as though he was there for Yami just to explain things, which he really didn't have time for now. He peeked through the hole in the glass to be met with a bewildered grandpa doing the same.
"Yugi! What happened here?!"
"Long story, grandpa. Long story."
tbc...
