Chapter 11

"Complications"

Vitani woke up in the middle of the street, feeling light-headed and freezing. The cold wetness on her face told her it had started to snow before her eyes had adjusted to the street-lamp lit night. She shivered, and then noticed the Millennium Rod clutched in her right hand. 'No…' she thought, 'What the hell is happening…?? I was in Egypt…where am I now?!" As she stumbled onward, she began to recognize the surroundings. 'I'm…I'm back in Japan…but how did I get here?! What have I done? I can't go back to Kaiba like this…besides, I'm sure he's forgotten about me by now already…I don't even know how long I've been gone…'

She stopped at the nearest lamp-post, clutching at it for support as a wave of dizziness swept over her. 'What's wrong with me…?' The answer was in her mind before she even realized it. 'It's him…he's doing this, I know it…' She felt for the Sword and drew it out of its sheath. "Jestu…" she said his name for the first time in six months, "Why won't you just stay in hell?!?!" Anger, confusion and fear overpowered her better judgment and she lashed out at the pole, slicing it clean in two without meaning it.

There was a resounding crunch and a muffled curse. Vitani froze in horror as Seto Kaiba stepped out of his now broken limousine, the driver also stepping out (looking severely shaken).

The boy billionaire looked over at his personal assistant, surprised. He had been on his way over to his office to meet again with those he had put on the case of finding Vitani, but having her cut down a lamp post to get his attention worked as well. At least she wasn't lost anymore, "Vitani!" he called, taking several strides forward, "Where the hell have you been? I-… er, that is, Mokuba's been so worried about you!"

Vitani felt the Sword fall out of her hands, landing in the thin layer of snow that was now covering the sidewalk. "I…I…" she stammered, wondering how she could possibly answer. She had wanted to see him so badly, but not like this. Out of ideas, and with no way to explain her self without sounding insane, she strode over to him, thrusting the Rod at his chest forcefully, "Here."

Kaiba started, but didn't back away. He had seen this Item before, but it had been taken away. It was the Millennium Rod, "Where did you get this?"

"In Cairo," she said.

"When? Yesterday?"

"I don't know…what day is today?" She knew this sounded ridiculous, but she truly had no idea how long she'd been gone.

"Tuesday," he replied, eyeing her suspiciously.

"Then yes…yesterday night," she said, "I stole it."

"Why?" he asked incredulously, wondering why he insisted on this ridiculous banter.

"Because it's what you wanted," she said, regretting the sound of her own voice cracking slightly.

"What I wanted was to know where you were. Why you up and decided to leave without a word." Kaiba told her firmly, not quite catching on to what she was trying to tell him.

Vitani felt her stomach twist uncomfortably, as she found herself unable to break the lock he had between their eyes. "No…you've wanted that magic for the past six-months…it's been making you miserable, and I couldn't stand it anymore. So I found this for you…We both know it's the only Item you'll ever be able to wield."

"I do want the magic… but not at the expense of those close to me," he chuckled slightly, "Mokuba showed me where my priorities should have been all along."

"…Close to you…?" she echoed, a strange bubbling sensation rising up from her stomach to her throat, "What are you saying…?"

"I'm saying that I…well…" he began, feeling his words catch in his throat and tugging at the collar of his shirt, "It's just that…since you've started working here…I've started to realize…things…about myself. Things I probably never really wanted to find out…"

"Seto…" she said, feeling the color rising in her cheeks, "Are you saying…what I think you're saying?"

"Well…" he said, turning his eyes to the ground, "If you're thinking that I just might…care about you, than you'd be right…" He looked back up at her, but his small smile faded quickly as he saw tears streaming down her face. "What is it…?" he asked, as panic took a firm death-grip on his insides. 'Oh no…don't tell me I'm about to face rejection…' he thought, horrified.

Vitani was trembling, failing miserably at willing her tears to stop. "I-I've wanted you to say that for…so long," she said, her breath catching in her throat and coming out as a hiccough, "But you can't care about me, Kaiba…I'll just end up hurting you…"

"What are you talking about?" he asked, reaching for her arm, but she pulled away.

"No!" she cried, "I promised myself I wouldn't fall in love with you…" His eyes widened at these words, but she continued, not seeming to notice. "You don't understand how grateful I am to you…for trusting me…but you shouldn't have. He's not gone, Kaiba. I'm not free of him."

"Who?"

"Him…" she said, staring daggers at the Sword on the ground beside her, "He's…he's still here…I think he's inside me…"

"Vitani…" Kaiba said, trying to reach out to her again, "You're delusional…let me get you back home…"

"You don't get it!!" she lashed out suddenly, "I can't be here anymore! The longer I stay, the more your lives are in danger! He'll end up destroying us all if I don't leave!" With this finally out of her system, she turned and broke into a run down the street, muffled sobs slowly being drowned out by the wind.

Kaiba didn't even think; he just bolted after her. She was fast, but her crying seemed to be slowing her down and she hadn't made it farther than the next intersection when he caught her by one arm and held fast against her struggling.

"Stop it! Let me go!" she cried, rounding on him and pounding his chest with her free hand, "I'll hurt you if I stay!"

He released her, only to clasp her face in both hands and force her to look him in the eyes. "If you leave…you'll hurt me more than you ever could by staying…" he said quietly, as her tears ran across his fingers, "I love you, Vitani…let me help you…"

At this she lost all strength in her legs and clung to him desperately, burring her face in the folds of his coat. "I'm sorry…" she wept, "I love you, too…"

He wrapped his arms around her tightly, feeling warmth swell up inside him, despite the wind whipping around them both, as a great gaping hole within him was filled. 'So this is that love that everyone keeps talking about…' he thought mildly, enjoying the feel of her against him, 'Heh…it's almost as good as all the hype…I could get used to this…'

* * *

Who would have the gall to come visiting at this hour? Barak thought testily as he stood up and walked across the room to answer the door, leaving the sleeping spirit of Bakura back on the bed. He yanked the door open swiftly, only to have some shadowed figure throw themselves at him in an over-eager hug.

"Bakura-chan!" came a female voice whispered excitedly in his ear, "It's so good to see you!"

Barak did not return the friendly gesture and simply pushed her away from him, trying to get a clear view as to who his assailant was.

As her figure slowly came into focus, another figure pushed his way between them, grabbing hold of the collar of the flannel, button-down pajamas Barak was forced to wear because of Bakura's intolerance for the cold. "Let's get one thing straight," the new figure said, "You better watch yourself around my sister, got it??"

Barak slapped the hand away and reared his fist back. He let loose and connected solidly with the man's cheek, knocking him to the ground. The yami spirit turned to the female, whom he could now identify as Bakura's friend Athena, "My host is asleep right now. If you and yours wish to stay here, I'd advise you to not to cause any more ruckus." He moved out of the doorway and went back over to Bakura's bed, sitting down at the end and watching the visitors carefully.

The third figure, who was also female, leaned down to help the man to his feet. "You idiot…" she muttered.

"What?" the young man half-shouted, half-whispered, "Athena – why didn't you tell me he had a yami?"

"I did," Athena hissed, "On the plane. You just weren't listening." She dropped her bag on the floor and sank onto the couch, joined quickly by the slightly taller woman.

"I was asleep on the plane!" the young man protested, flinging himself angrily into a chair across from the women.

"That's not my fault," Athena said.

"All right, enough!" said the second woman said, "This is getting us nowhere, and we're all too tired to think straight anyway – so let's just drop it, okay? Go back to sleep, Nick."

Within an hour, all three of the siblings had fallen asleep. It was then, and only then, that Barak finally relinquished the body back to his sleeping host.

* * *

"Ow, ow, ow ow…"

"Oh, stop being such a baby. He couldn't have hit you that hard!"

"Look at this mark!"

"It's your own fault, after all."

"You were the one that hugged him!"

"That didn't mean you had to go all over-protective and try to threaten the Spirit of the Ring!"

"I didn't know it was the spirit! I didn't know he had a spirit!"

"Why can't you two ever shut up!?!? Its 7:00, give it a rest for a few more hours at least…"

Bakura wasn't sure as to why there was a conversation going on in his room, but one of those voices sounded awfully familiar. He sat up quickly and looked around, spotting the three bickering beings. He rubbed his eyes, unable to believe the information they were transmitting to him, "Athena?"

The younger woman turned, and her blue eyes lit up as she clambered over the back of the couch and ran to embrace him. "Bakura-chan!" she said happily, "I've missed you!"

He accepted her hug, but they broke off soon enough, "I didn't expect you so soon! Who're… um, your friends?" he asked nervously, looking from the calm, older woman to the surly, young man with a bad bruise on one cheek.

"Oh! Right – I didn't mention them to you in that text-message I sent," Athena said, slapping herself lightly on the forehead, "I didn't realize they'd be coming, at the time. Bakura, I'd like you to meet Diana, by older sister, and Nick, my baby brother," she said, gesturing at the pair still seated in the living-room section of the apartment.

"Hello!" he said cheerfully, smiling at the two, hoping that they would stop staring at the two of them like that.

"Good to finally meet you, Ryou," Diana said, inclining her head towards him, "Athena's told us plenty about you."

"I'm sure she has, although I don't know if any of it would have been interesting," eager to move the subject away from him, he turned to Athena, who was now sitting next to him on the bed, "When did you get here? I didn't hear anything last night."

"Well…we had a little run in with Barak," Athena admitted, jerking a thumb in her brother's direction, "I don't remember exactly what time it was when we got in."

"Oh dear," Bakura said, "I hope he didn't give you too much trouble."

"Well…Nick was really the one who started it," Athena said.

"Did not!" Nick protested as Diana hid her smile with her hand.

"Don't you have somewhere to be?" came a harsh voice from behind Bakura. He didn't even have to look to know that Barak had just appeared out of nowhere.

"Do I?"

"How about school?"

Bakura fell out of the bed in surprise, "I completely forgot!" He began to rush around the room like a madman and in less than five minutes, was dressed and ready to go.

"How did he do that…?" Nick whispered to Diana.

"Foreigners are very high strung…" she observed, not really answering his question.

"Will you three be all right here until I get back?" Bakura asked, slightly out of breath.

"We'll be fine," Athena assured him, "We'll just get settled in…then maybe do some sightseeing – we've never been to Japan before, actually." She stood up and ushered him to the door, "And maybe tonight you can give me a real tour, hmm?" she suggested, giving his hand an affectionate squeeze.

Bakura went very red and put one hand behind his head, "If you have time, perhaps… But, I really must be going now. I'm sure there's food around here if any of you get hungry. Bye!" With that he grabbed the Millennium Ring off of his nightstand and tied its string around his neck. At last he left, the door slamming in his wake.

"Sightseeing…?" Nick said skeptically.

Athena shrugged guiltily, "Okay – investigating…disguised as sightseeing."

"Why did you not tell him the real reason we've come?" Diana asked solemnly.

"I don't want to worry him yet," Athena said, sitting back down beside her sister, "If his yami found out what we were up to, he would want to be involved…and I don't want Bakura getting hurt because of me anymore."