DISCLAIMER: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! , Wee aren't I happy about that *obviously not happy*

Neko: *prying the hikaris off of Bakura. * Bakura, do you like have a hikari magnet attached to you?

Bakura: Iie, why?

Neko: They always attach to you. *Pops Yugi off * Yay! Yugi!

Yami: *Grabs Yugi's hand, dragging him away from Bakura. *

Yugi: Neko Yami's being pissy!

Neko: Quit being pissy! * Pops Ryou off * That's two.

Ryou: You could have just asked.

Neko: More fun this way.

Bakura: Concentrate here. I still have one on me…

Neko: Awwwww come on watashii no baka kawaii aibou, don't you want some chocolate?

Yugi & Yami: Chocolate?! Where?!

Neko: Not you!

Tsuki: Iie…Kura.

Neko: * sigh * How about some sugar?

Tsuki: Iie…Kura.

Bakura: Would you stop calling me that?

Tsuki: Kura, Kura, Kura, Kura, Kura, Kura, KURA!

Bakura: Well that answers my question.

Ryou: You're doing it all wrong. *walks over to Tsuki, works up some tears* Tsuki-chan…I need a hug…

Tsuki: *lets go of Bakura and latches onto Ryou* Ry, Ry *kawaii noises*

Yami: That was incredibly simple…

Neko: She is incredibly simple…

Yugi: Then why were you using a crowbar on her?

Neko: *pet pets Yugi * Don't ask questions dear.

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Time period: About four months later

Ryou's POV.

Dad is coming home today. I think Bakura is just as nervous as I am. He didn't have to worry about being seen before. I think he's afraid of what Dad might think of him, after all look at what he used to do to me. I can still remember the look of horror on his face when we heard that message.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

I walked in, Bakura trailing lazily behind me.

"Hey what's this blinky red light on this black box thing mean?"

I laugh at his question. It sounds like a question from a little child.

"No really, what does it mean?"

"First off aibou, that's the answering machine. The little red light blinks when someone has left a message."

"Oh...well it's blinking."

"Push the green button for me."

"This one?"

"Hai that one." He pushed the button, stepping back a bit from the sounds it made as the message started.

Hey son, well obviously you're not in, or you're just being lazy. Moving on, I just wanted to let you know that I'll be coming home on Wednesday. My plane arrives there at three so I should be home around five, maybe later. So I guess I'll see you then son. Remember no wild parties or unsupervised drinking. Oh fine, mild parties and supervised drinking. Love you Ryou, see you soon.

"Cool Dad's coming home." I looked over at Bakura, startled by his expression.

"Y-your dad's coming home?"

"Hai on Wednesday. Is that a problem?"

"Hai it is! He never believed that I'm real let alone seen me!"

"Calm down Bakura it'll be fine."

"Iie it won't! Remember what I used to do to you! Aibou I can't let him see me!"

"I can't keep you a secret forever aibou. Don't worry." I walk up to him, giving him a reassuring hug. "I'll make him see that you've changed."

*^*^*^*^*^*^**^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

I get up off my bed and walk down the hall to the guestroom. Well I guess it would be called Bakura's room now. He insisted on having a room of his own, didn't want to invade my space too much or something. Besides after being locked up in the millennium Ring for three thousand years I guess he would have some space issues. Plus he kicks in his sleep so I don't mind. I knock on the door and push it open. He's on his bed, reading as usual. Can someone read too much?

"Hai my hikari?"

"Nothing really, just felt like being annoying. You want something to eat?"
"Don't tell me you're hungry again, we just ate."

"That was at noon aibou."

"You eat too much."

"You eat too little."

"Slaves were trained to eat little."

"Would you get off of that, now come on." I walk over to him and pull on his sleeve.

"Stop that now, or I'll give you the worst bad hair day you've ever had."

Bakura's POV

He smiles at me and continues to tug on my sleeve.

"Come eat with me."

"But aibou-"

"Onegai?"

So convincing. He tugs at my sleeve harder, still trying to get me to come with him.

"Okay aibou, I warned you! If you thought my hair was bad, just wait till I get through with yours!"

I jump up, chasing him out of my room and down the hall. He comes to a stop and I slide to a stop in front of him. I smile at my hikari, pulling him into a mock headlock and start screwing up his hair. (A/N: Enter angst here) Just then the door opens and there's Ryou's dad, staring at us. We freeze, returning the shocked stare he's giving us. Oh Ra, this looks bad. His son with messy hair so it looks like he's been roughed up, in a headlock, and me, the fabled Yami Bakura from his son's so called stories. Shit this looks so bad.

"Uhhh hey dad, this is uhhh Yami Bakura."

"Y-you mean it's true? All the cuts, the bruises, it's all true?" He locked eyes with me, staring pure hate at me.

"Dad listen he do-"

"So what he's said is true, you are real and you're the one who tortures him and beats on him."

"But dad' it's not like that any-"

"Get your hands off of my son!"

I let go of Ryou and step back from him. I'm a bit shaken by his verbal assault, I know what I did was wrong, why does everyone have to rub it in? I stand there, unsure of how to respond. This man means business, and his business is with me. He clenches his fist and takes a step toward me. Next thing I know I'm on the floor, holding my cheek with Ryou kneeled down next to me. Being hit was a shock to me. I'd hadn't been hit in over three thousand years. I stood up, him watching my every move.

"Ryou get away from him!"

"Iie!"

"Ryou, I'm not going to let him hurt you anymore. You are my son now get away from him!"

"Dad listen to me. He doesn't hurt me anymore."

"I can't believe that I thought you were lying. I should have believed you that night that you or him rather pulled that knife on me."

I swallowed. I guess it's better now or never. "Gomen."

"Nani?"

I think my voice startles him, after all this is the first time I've said anything during this conversation. "Gomen for hurting you and you're son." There was an awkward silence between the three of us, until Ryou broke it.

"See dad, he's changed. He wouldn't even think about hurting me or you, let alone doing so. And you had no right to hit him!"

"He has no right to hit you!"

"If you knew his past like I do you would understand!"

"So you're taking his side?!"

"Enough! Ryou, if you need me I'll be in my soul room."

"Iie Bakura do-"

I didn't wait to let him finish his sentence, I don't want to have them fight because of me.

Ryou's POV

I turned to face my father again. "Now look what you've done dad!"

My father sighed. " He lives in that ring right?"

"Iie. It's only his soul room, he lives out here."

He shook his head and extended his hand to me. "Give it to me."

"My Millennium Ring?"

"Hai. Now give to me."

"Why?"
"I'm going to get rid of it."

I took a step back. He couldn't be serious, then again he had that look. "Why do you want to get rid of him so badly? You don't even know him!"

"I know what he does and that's enough!"

"You're not listening to me dad! He doesn't do that anymore!"

"I won't run the risk."

"Well you're going to have to!" I shove past him and out the door, when I get to the sidewalk I just run and don't look back. Where am I going? I'll find that out when I get there. I came to a stop at the park. It was sunset and everyone else had already left, a perfect place to be away from it all. I sat down on a bench, angry at myself. Why did he have to come in then? We were just fooling around, he wasn't hurting me at all.

// I'll stay in the Ring.//

/Iie Bakura, you can't./

//Why not? I did it for three thousand years before and I can do it again.//

/That's not the point Bakura. I don't want things to go back to the way they were. I don't want you locked up in your soul room all the time. And, and things would change again. You'd be angry all the time again. Then eventually you would take it out on me like you used to. I don't want any of that./

The Ring glowed softly and Bakura materialized next to me, his hand on my shoulder. "Listen aibou, I'm not going to let thins change for the worst, but I'm not going to have you and your father fight because of me."

I sat there for a moment, thinking. I then looked up at him, guilt instantly rising up in me as I saw the mark under his right eye. "I apologize for him, he shouldn't of hit you."

"It's okay my hikari, it isn't as if I haven't been hit before."

"But he still sh-"

"Hush now, he had every right to."

We talked for about an hour, me and my yami. Nothing particular just...things, pet peeves and such. He was trying to get my mind off of the situation between me, him, and my dad. It was working too, but I knew I had to go home soon, seems he knew it too.

"Ryou, you should go back home, its getting cold and your father is probably worried."

"But what about you?"

"I'll sleep in my soul room tonight."

"Promise me you'll come out tomorrow. We'll work this out with my dad."

"I promise aibou."

We walked home slowly, a strange sight for anyone who knew me and might have seen us. As far as anyone aside from our little group nobody knew about him, and seeing two of me would freak anyone out. We arrived home about fifteen minutes later, Bakura returning to the Ring as I opened the door. My dad had obviously gone to bed.

// At least he left the door open for you.//

/ He doesn't stay mad at me for long./

//Who said he was mad at you? I thought he was mad at me.//

/He's mad at me for taking your side./

//Oh...//

Bakura's POV

It must have been around eleven o'clock that I came out of the Ring this morning, so why was Ryou still asleep? He usually woke up early regardless of the fact that he didn't need to get up early on weekends. I walked over to his bed and sat down on the edge.

"Ryou, wake up."

He rolled over, burying his face into his pillow.

"Come on my hikari, you'll be pissy if you miss breakfast."

"Mmmm five more minutes aibou, onegai."

"Don't make me pull you out of this bed."

He yawned, opening one eye to look at me. "Go on downstairs. I'll come down in a minute and make us something to eat." He yawned again, rolling back over.

"If you're not down in five minutes I'll come back and drag you out by your ankles." A sleepy okay was the only answered I received. I got p , leaving the room and heading downstairs. I turned the corner, stopping dead in my tracks. There in the kitchen was Ryou's dad. Lucky for me he had his back turned. I turned back around to sneak upstairs.

"Morning Ryou."

How does he do that? Just great, not only was I caught, he thought I was Ryou. Well I don't want to bring up the subject of me yet so I decided to play along. Fortunately I could mimic Ryou's ' I just woke up and I'm still half asleep' voice. "Morning dad, I forgot you were home."

"Want something to eat?"

I don't eat... "Iie, iie I should really go change."

"You feeling okay son? I mean you slept in your clothes and everything."

I look down, noticing I'm already fully dressed. Well this just keeps getting better and better. " I-I was just tired that's all."

"Oh."

I turn, wanting to get out before Ryou comes down.

"Ryou, I know you're mad at me about this whole Yami Bakura thing, but I want you to get rid of that Millennium Ring for your own good. People who were abusive only stay abusive, they don't change."

I spun around quickly, my anger quickly getting the better of me. "Is that the only kind of person you can see me as?!"

"Yami Bakura?"

"You're not going to make this any easier for him are you!"

Ryou's POV

Oh no. They're yelling at each other! I totally forgot that dad was home! I shouldn't have sent Bakura down there alone. I ran downstairs, peering around the corner into the kitchen.

"What do you mean?"

"It's not about me! It's about Ryou!"

"Hell, of course it is, if you hadn't of hurt him in the first place then this wouldn't be about him! It would only be about you and you I can deal with!"

"Can't you just get past that already! If you want me to admit it then fine! I was wrong for hurting Ryou! You're the one who can't seem to accept the fact that I don't do that anymore! I would never hurt him again! Besides you're the one who didn't believe him when he told you I was hurting him! What kind of father are you?! You could have stopped me!"

"You son of a bitch!"

"Have you seen the scars on his wrists?!"

"What?"

"He tried to kill himself while you were gone."

"H-he what? Ryou would nev-"

"Hai he would old man, I saw the blood myself. I picked him up out of it, I carried him to his friend's house to get help, I'm the one who saved him, now where were you? Oh that's right, you were away, digging in the dirt!"

I couldn't take it anymore, I stepped around the corner and up next to Bakura. My dad suddenly grabbed me by the wrists, yanking me over and inspecting them. He looked at the scars, pure horror crossing his face.

"I can't believe this Ryou!" He held my wrists tighter, his grip starting to get painful. "How could you!"

"Dad you're hurting me!"

"Why didn't you call me!?"

Bakura grabbed a hold of my dad's wrist, applying enough pressure to make him let go of mine. He pushed me behind himself, acting as a barrier between me and my father. I grabbed onto his shirt, seeking protection from the person I least expected.

"Hurt him again and so help you."

"He's my son, you have no right to tell me what to do with him."

"Like I give a damn. Protecting him is the only thing I care about, even if it is from his own father."

"Stop it! Can't you two just be civil! Come and get me when you two can look at each other without glaring!" I walked out the kitchen, heading for the front door. I wasn't going to sit around and have them fight.

Bakura's POV

"Ryou wait!" I was suddenly grabbed by the back of my shirt and spun around, his fist connecting with my jaw. Another punch to my left eye. I didn't want to fight back, so I simply let him take his anger out on me. It's not like I didn't deserve this, I probably needed this beating , just like all the others. I let my memories resurface in my mind as I closed my eyes. I didn't wan to hurt Ryou's dad...so I put myself in a time and place where I wouldn't even think about fighting back.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

Zaran slammed me face first into the wall, pinning me there. He grabbed a hold of my wrist, twisting my arm up behind my back, straining my shoulder joint, and pushed my wrist to the side at a horrible angle.

"I've broken your wrist before brat, don't make me do it again."

"P-please d-don't..."

He pulled back more on my arm and I screamed as I felt my shoulder dislocate. He spun me around to face him, sending another punch into my face, then throwing me to the ground .

" You're lucky I'm in a good mood...clean up this blood and hurry about it!"

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

I don't know how long he spent beating the crap out of me, it was sunset when I woke up, he had apparently gone out to look for Ryou. I got up and went over to the sink, washing the blood off my face. I looked at my right arm, it was dislocated at my shoulder. Apparently my memory was in direct correlation to our little brawl. I grit my teeth, popping it back into place. Grabbing a dishtowel with my good arm, I make a makeshift sling for the bad one. Well better find Ryou. I walk out the house, concentrating my thoughts into the Millennium Ring. I'm surprised by his reaction, it can sense Ryou's father's soul , but my aibou's. I try to make a mental link with him, only finding the connection closed. Damn it Ryou, I know why you're doing this. Well then my hikari, I guess I have no choice. I turn in the direction my Ring indicates. Straight towards the north, heading for Ryou's father.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bakura: Well isn't that nice....

Ryou: I run away a lot...anyone else notice this?

Yugi: *looks up from his industrial size bag of chocolate* Notice what?

Yami: O.O Where did you get that!? Give me some!

Yugi: Iie!

Yami: *pounces on Yugi. dust cloud forms as they roll around the room.*

Tsuki: *blink blink* Ummm....

Ryou: Chocolate fight.

Tsuki: Oh...

Neko: *walks over* Hey chocolate! *starts eating it*

Yami & Yugi: Dust cloud stops* Hey that's ours!

Tsuki: ^_^ Review guys!