Well, I'm sorry the last chapter didn't please some people, but I like it
and this is my story after all.
About the Malik dies comment. I like to have fun. And yes I find that fun. I'm sorry if that caused people to not read the last chapter, but I don't apologize for the comment.
One more chapter to go!
WARNING: Angst.
Comments to reviews at the end of chapter.
- - -
Tis The Season
Warnings: Christmas angst. AU. No death ^_^
Pairings: You'll just have to wait and see.
/ thoughts /
*italics*
- - -
Chapter Sixteen
Upon entering the orphanage Ryou excitedly ran up to his room to change. Now that Bakura was awake he didn't have to worry anymore and he wanted to play with Yugi. He hadn't been at the orphanage and he wondered what the older boy had been up to.
Grinning at the thought, Ryou quickly changed out of the clothes Malik had given him (he'd neatly folded them and placed them on the bed) and changed into a pair of his own rattier clothes. Dressed, he ran across the hall to Yugi's room and quickly knocked. After a moment Ryou knocked again, when there was no answer the little boy became confused. He hadn't seen Yugi at all on the other floor (not that he'd actually taken the time to look); maybe he was with Duke again. Quietly he opened the door and looked inside. The light was off, but the sun from outside was enough to light up the room and what he saw caused Ryou's heart to drop. He'd been dreading this day.
Just as soundlessly he closed the door and went down the stairs. Linda, who'd been busy with the other kids and hadn't been able to bring Ryou home because he couldn't stay at the hospital anymore, was trying to round up a few of the kids for their baths. "Linda?" He asked softly, gaining her attention.
"Yes sweetheart?" Linda wondered as she grabbed a giggling Mokuba.
"Why is Yugi and Yami's woom empty?" He wondered shyly, noticing how Seto was snickering at him. What had he missed?
Linda sighed and let Mokuba go, the laughing child running to his older brother and the two running away to hide. The older woman knelt down in front of Ryou, knowing that what she was about to say was going to break the little boy's heart. "Ryou, Yugi's grandfather was released early from the hospital. They went back to live with him this afternoon while you were with Bakura." She said gently.
There was a moment's hesitation, but then Ryou grinned despite what his eyes were telling her. "Weally? Mista' Motou will be otay now? He's not sick anymowe? Yugi missed him a wot..." The boy recalled, though his voice was slightly strained and the sound quivered.
Linda knew the boy was hurting. "No, he's not sick anymore and he'll be fine now. I know how Yugi missed him, Yami did too. They'll get to spend the New Years together as a family."
Ryou nodded, sincerely happy for his friend. "Otay." He said and with that went back up the stairs, excitement gone.
Linda sighed, realizing how Ryou was trying to hide what he was truly feeling. Bakura was rubbing off on him.
Once in his room Ryou trudged over to the bed, only to notice the book he'd missed in his excitement. He reached out and touched the cool cover, then climbed up onto the mattress and held the object in his lap. It wasn't everyday he had a friend move away. Yugi hadn't been just a friend either; he'd been Ryou's only friend. Yugi had had lots of other friends though; everyone at the orphanage liked him. Ryou wondered if Yugi had said goodbye to any of them.
Getting up and gently setting the treasured remembrance back on the bed, Ryou moved to the window so he could look out. He could almost imagine the two brothers getting into a car as they said their good-bye's to everyone at the orphanage. "Bye Yami. Bye Yugi. Tank you fo' being my fwiend." He sniffled and was silent a moment as he imagined the two waving at him from below, "I'ww miss you. Mewwy Chwistmas." He whispered, his breath gently fogging the window.
Wiping his eyes with the back of his hand, Ryou moved back toward the bed and climbed onto it. He felt weird being there alone. Before, Bakura would always be there, and if he wasn't he wouldn't be gone for long. Now Ryou couldn't even go see Yami or Yugi...he was alone again.
But that was okay. He'd been alone before, he could do it again. He decided as he grabbed the book and slipped off the bed, leaving the room. The book was large and it was a little awkward to carry, but Ryou slowly made his way down the stairs, hanging onto the railing with every step. Once on the ground floor, he made his way into the playroom. It was practically empty, which was unusual, but considering that it was so close to suppertime, everyone was probably getting cleaned up.
Moving passed the three older kids sitting in front of a TV, playing a video game, Ryou headed straight for the still standing Christmas tree. It wasn't unusual for the tree to stay up until after New Years. It was usually taken down by the time school had resumed though. For now, Ryou was content with it still standing and once he reached the plastic structure, he got down on his hands and knees and dragged the book under the branches, to the very back where he could lean against the wall.
Last Christmas, whenever Bakura was away, Ryou would always spend his time hiding behind the Christmas tree. It had become comfortable to him, a safety place, he'd been sorry when it had been taken down. He hadn't needed the hiding place this Christmas, what with Bakura being sick most of the time and the time he spent with Yugi and Yami.
Now, with the multi coloured bulbs glinting off his hair and making the white strands different colours, the small boy opened the book and began to look at the pictures, easily remembering the story from the many times Yami had read it to them.
When Yugi had first gotten to the orphanage, he'd quickly become popular with everyone. Especially since he could teach them how to play Duel Monsters. Linda had asked Ryou to show them around since they were new (she'd been hoping that the little boy would make a friend). He'd answered their questions to the best of his ability and he'd shown them all the important places in the house. After that the new boy had wanted to teach him how to play Yugi's favourite game so Ryou had tried to learn.
He wasn't very good though and Ryou could easily tell that it annoyed his new friend. Soon Yugi had stopped trying and they'd eventually started reading the book he now held in his hands. Ryou didn't want to tell Bakura, but he knew Yugi only wanted Yami to read the book to them so he didn't have to do anything else with Ryou. Yugi only wanted to hear the story whenever he was with Ryou; any other time he'd be playing some kind of game with the other kids. Ryou didn't mind though, Yugi pretended to like him so he could pretend the same. He was used to pretending.
Sighing to himself, he set the book down, unsure if the memories of false happiness were even worth remembering. Missing his brother all the more, Ryou moved so he could lie down. He stared up through the Christmas tree branches and for just a few moments he felt comforted.
Linda found him an hour later still under the tree. She'd noticed his absence at suppertime but figured he wanted to be alone after the news of Yugi's leave. When she'd gone to check on him, she'd found him missing. After a few quick searches of the boy's usual hiding spots (he had several) she remembered last Christmas and how Ryou had spent his time behind the Christmas tree.
He had curled himself into a ball and was sleeping soundly. Not wanting to disturb him, she grabbed a blanket from the hall closet and carefully covered him up for the night and that was how morning found him.
Noise from the other kids, who'd awakened and were playing within the playroom forced Ryou to reality. Realizing where he was he sighed to himself and pouted slightly. He'd been dreaming of belonging somewhere, both he and his brother had had a place to call home with a real family and even a dog.
Gasping suddenly, Ryou sat up and scrambled out from under the Christmas tree, leaving the book behind. Ignoring the strange looks he got from the other kids, he went in search of Linda. He'd almost completely forgotten that Bakura got out of the hospital today! He found her coming down the stairs as he turned to go up them.
"Well, you ready to go pick your brother up?" She wondered, smiling as she carried a box down with her.
Excited, Ryou nodded. "Can we go now?" He wondered.
She grinned, glad to see him happy again. "Of course, let's go." She held out a hand and he took it, then together they went to the front doors. Ryou quickly pulled his boots on; tying the laces the way Bakura had taught him. He found it a little funny when he spotted his jacket (which he'd taken off in his room the night before) hanging in the closet. Shrugging it off, he pulled it down and put it on, doing up the zipper as quickly as he could without catching his chin.
Done dressing, he followed Linda out to a van waiting for them. Once inside and strapped in the back seat, Ryou noticed all the other boxes and things piled in the back. Curious he moved so he could open one and found some of his own stuff within it!
Confused, and slightly afraid, he watched as Linda climbed into the front seat. As they made their way to their destination Linda didn't bother speaking to the young boy; Ryou had never been all that talkative unless he was speaking to his brother. She wasn't sure what had happened to either of them to make them so distrustful to everyone, but she wished she could change it. /Malik got through. Maybe that's a start./ She mused to herself.
So with neither talking, the ride to the hospital was quiet and seemed long. It was somewhat a relief when they were finally parked within the hospital's parking lot. "There." Linda smiled to herself as she shut the van off and climbed out. She came around and helped Ryou out of his seat and he silently followed her, forced to hold her hand as they trudged toward the entrance doors.
From behind the glass to one of the sliding doors Ryou spotted a familiar face and quickened his pace. When they had reached the sidewalk and were out of harms way by any passing vehicles, Linda let go of the small boy's hand so he could run toward the doors quicker. She smiled when those doors opened and Bakura limped out, slightly weakened by his collapse. The older boy knelt down immediately and gathered the little one into his arms and she stayed back to give them a moment.
When she finally did move forward Bakura had already stood up, though Ryou's hand was securely held within his own. "Ready to go?" She asked as she smiled a greeting.
"Yes." Bakura grunted, "Get me out of here!" He muttered, his voice still hoarse. His throat was still sore too, but he could live with that.
Linda raised an eyebrow, "Any orders from the doctor?" She wondered.
Sighing, knowing he wouldn't be able to win Bakura begrudgingly repeated the doctor's orders. "No strenuous activities, no drinking, no smoking – which was useless information, I have to eat properly and get at least eight hours of sleep a night – though more is okay." He mumbled, "She gave me a prescription for some pills I have to take to fight away any infections and I have to come back and see her in about a month so she can tell me if I can or can't do any heart-building exorcises...or something like that."
Chuckling lightly, Linda handed Bakura the keys to the van, "Take Ryou back to the van. I'm just going to see if I can get this stuff written down so I know for sure." She promised not to be long, "Did you want me to take that for you?" She wondered, pointing to the backpack Bakura happened to be sporting.
The boy glanced back at the bag that was stuffed with the few things (which included a Christmas tree) he'd had with him while staying at this lovely place. He frowned and looked back at Linda, "This is not a strenuous activity." He muttered lowly as he gently tugged on Ryou's hand.
Linda rolled her eyes in humour as she walked through the front doors. Bakura only shook his head as he led Ryou back to the waiting van. By the time they'd reached the vehicle, Bakura was beginning to notice something about the small boy with him. Normally Ryou would have been acting excited, but the boy seemed to be depressed again.
/Did Malik do something?/ Bakura wondered, knowing that the last time he'd seen Ryou was when the boy left with the Egyptian. Once unlocking the back door and helping Ryou in, then climbing in after, Bakura shut the door again. "How was your night?" He wondered softly as he watched Ryou do up his own seatbelt, struggling slightly with the long belt, but eventually getting it.
"Otay." Ryou replied softly, smiling up at his big brother. The smile didn't seem to reach his eyes like it had for the past few days though and Bakura was beginning to worry.
He buckled himself in so he was sitting beside the little boy and he wrapped an arm around Ryou, as the two got comfortable. Ryou leaned against Bakura, cuddling close to the extra warmth. It wasn't that cold out today and the van had just been running, but the familiar warmth was comforting all the same.
"Alright baby, spill it." Bakura tightened his hold on the boy slightly, then let go. Ryou looked up questioningly, but his brother just rolled his eyes, "I know you Ry, something's bothering you. Please tell me." He stuck out his bottom lip in a playful gesture.
Ryou smiled slightly and poked Bakura's lip to make his brother stop pouting. When Bakura stopped, Ryou turned away and his smile disappeared. It looked like he was about to say something, but then Ryou just turned and buried his face within Bakura's jacket.
"Ry?" Bakura questioned as he ran his fingers through the soft white locks.
Pulling back slightly, Ryou refused to look up into his brother's face. "Yugi's gwandpa's otay now." He tried to make himself sound happy. "They goed home yest'aday." He explained softly.
Understanding why Ryou was so down, Bakura hugged him tightly, kissing the top of the boy's head. "I'm sorry Ry. And you were with me, weren't you? Did you get to say goodbye at least?" He wondered, rocking the child as Ryou leaned into him.
Shaking his head, Ryou shrugged, "I wanted to be wit' you Kuwa! You come fwirst!" He declared, looking up at Bakura with determination.
Bakura listened, his heart beaming at Ryou's maturity. He chuckled as he pulled his brother into a hug, "Where would I be if I didn't have you to take care of me?" He wondered, burying his face within Ryou's hair. After a moment he pulled away so he could talk. "I am sorry that you didn't get to say goodbye to Yugi, whether you wanted to stay with me or not."
Ryou only shrugged, not wanting to make a big deal out of it. "Thewe's somfing ewse..." The small boy began but stopped as Bakura looked at him questioningly.
"What?" Bakura wondered, seeing the worry in Ryou's eyes. The little boy didn't reply in words, instead he pointed to the boxes behind them. Raising an eyebrow Bakura turned and opened the same box Ryou had opened before. His eyebrows narrowed in confusion as he realized the stuff was theirs.
The door to the van suddenly opened, startling both boys, and Linda climbed in. She was humming happily to herself as she started the van and began to back out.
Bakura wanted to say something, wanted to ask, but the words wouldn't form in his mouth. Were they being kicked out? It wasn't like they had any other place to go besides the orphanage. Would Linda really just kick them out when Christmas had just passed and on the day Bakura was released from the hospital?
Unconsciously Bakura tightened the hold he had around his brother and they all rode in silence for a long while until the white-haired teen couldn't stand not knowing what was going on. "This isn't the way to the orphanage." He spoke up, hesitant – which was new for him.
Linda only smiled, "So you did notice. You probably noticed all your stuff in the back then as well, right?" She asked while she continued driving.
"Yeah..." Bakura began, sitting up so he could see her better, "What's going on?" He demanded.
Linda glanced at him through the rearview mirror, "Sweetheart, the orphanage is no place for you while you recover. You won't get the attention you need – even if you deny needing attention and help, you know you need it. We have too many other kids to look after and take care of you too. I am sorry Bakura, but we need to take you some place where they can take care of you." She didn't *look* sorry. "And of course Ryou would go with you, I wouldn't dream of separating either of you." She promised and at least that sounded sincere.
Not comforted a bit Bakura huffed, "So you're just abandoning us to some strange person?" He growled, worried for the safety of his other.
Linda chuckled, "I suppose he is kind of strange."
Bakura glared at her through the mirror though she wouldn't look up at him at all. Knowing that he was under her care and not able to do a thing about this, he leaned back and pouted. At least Ryou was with him.
"It won't be so bad." Linda promised, speaking up again. "I'm sure you and my friend will get along quite well."
Bakura crossed his arms and continued to glare at her. "Who are we staying with?"
She smiled a secretive smile that was about to drive Bakura crazy. "I'm not sure I should tell you. There's the house, ask Ryou if he knows." She said, pointing to an overly large mansion.
Bakura blinked at the sight of such an enormous place, then he looked down at Ryou. Ryou looked at the house and suddenly gasped, a giggle of excitement escaped his lips as he tugged on Bakura's jacket.
"Batuwa! That's Mawik's pwace!" He exclaimed.
- - -
NOTES:
- About Ryou sitting in the back of the van and not with Linda in the front: Where I live it's illegal to have a child younger than ten in the front seat while driving.
- When Bakura says 'so you're just abandoning us to some strange person?' and it says 'his other' it doesn't mean his 'light' other, this is just showing how close the two are...I hope.
COMMENTS:
Ishtarzkiss75 - I won't say sorry, it was all in fun. I'm glad you enjoy the fic so much.
Sugar-Goddess – Where can I find it? *chibi eyes*
Kira-Kura – Malik Muse is sex-deprived because Marik Muse isn't putting out. (Funny...it's usually the other way around...anyway). I'm sorry I caused you such emotional trauma, I figured I had mentioned the sequel, but I guess not.
Kyrene (once Blood Roses – Meep! You're going to hate me after this you know...
Yami Kura – I will get down on my hands and knees and kiss your feet if you send me those pics! You'd probably have to send them to marikishtar@hotmail.com since spyderswebb... is kinda full with other crap.
To Everyone:
Heh. One more chapter where most of you will want to lynch me and hide my carcass in that one far corner of the Shadow Realm that nobody really looks in, but ya know.
There is a prequel being planned, so everyone who wanted to see Duke/Malik gets to see it and then there's a sequel to this that I want to write. I've really gotten attached to this story...and considering it was supposed to be done by Christmas and be a one-shot...yeah. To say this story did not go the way I planned would be the ultimate understatement.
And I promise not to take so long for the last chapter. I just have had no inspiration lately.
But on a brighter note, I work at a fast food joint and someone decided that we needed a drive in instead of a drive thru and drove right through the main window in the lobby! Luckily (or unluckily, depending on your point of humanity) nobody was hurt.
About the Malik dies comment. I like to have fun. And yes I find that fun. I'm sorry if that caused people to not read the last chapter, but I don't apologize for the comment.
One more chapter to go!
WARNING: Angst.
Comments to reviews at the end of chapter.
- - -
Tis The Season
Warnings: Christmas angst. AU. No death ^_^
Pairings: You'll just have to wait and see.
/ thoughts /
*italics*
- - -
Chapter Sixteen
Upon entering the orphanage Ryou excitedly ran up to his room to change. Now that Bakura was awake he didn't have to worry anymore and he wanted to play with Yugi. He hadn't been at the orphanage and he wondered what the older boy had been up to.
Grinning at the thought, Ryou quickly changed out of the clothes Malik had given him (he'd neatly folded them and placed them on the bed) and changed into a pair of his own rattier clothes. Dressed, he ran across the hall to Yugi's room and quickly knocked. After a moment Ryou knocked again, when there was no answer the little boy became confused. He hadn't seen Yugi at all on the other floor (not that he'd actually taken the time to look); maybe he was with Duke again. Quietly he opened the door and looked inside. The light was off, but the sun from outside was enough to light up the room and what he saw caused Ryou's heart to drop. He'd been dreading this day.
Just as soundlessly he closed the door and went down the stairs. Linda, who'd been busy with the other kids and hadn't been able to bring Ryou home because he couldn't stay at the hospital anymore, was trying to round up a few of the kids for their baths. "Linda?" He asked softly, gaining her attention.
"Yes sweetheart?" Linda wondered as she grabbed a giggling Mokuba.
"Why is Yugi and Yami's woom empty?" He wondered shyly, noticing how Seto was snickering at him. What had he missed?
Linda sighed and let Mokuba go, the laughing child running to his older brother and the two running away to hide. The older woman knelt down in front of Ryou, knowing that what she was about to say was going to break the little boy's heart. "Ryou, Yugi's grandfather was released early from the hospital. They went back to live with him this afternoon while you were with Bakura." She said gently.
There was a moment's hesitation, but then Ryou grinned despite what his eyes were telling her. "Weally? Mista' Motou will be otay now? He's not sick anymowe? Yugi missed him a wot..." The boy recalled, though his voice was slightly strained and the sound quivered.
Linda knew the boy was hurting. "No, he's not sick anymore and he'll be fine now. I know how Yugi missed him, Yami did too. They'll get to spend the New Years together as a family."
Ryou nodded, sincerely happy for his friend. "Otay." He said and with that went back up the stairs, excitement gone.
Linda sighed, realizing how Ryou was trying to hide what he was truly feeling. Bakura was rubbing off on him.
Once in his room Ryou trudged over to the bed, only to notice the book he'd missed in his excitement. He reached out and touched the cool cover, then climbed up onto the mattress and held the object in his lap. It wasn't everyday he had a friend move away. Yugi hadn't been just a friend either; he'd been Ryou's only friend. Yugi had had lots of other friends though; everyone at the orphanage liked him. Ryou wondered if Yugi had said goodbye to any of them.
Getting up and gently setting the treasured remembrance back on the bed, Ryou moved to the window so he could look out. He could almost imagine the two brothers getting into a car as they said their good-bye's to everyone at the orphanage. "Bye Yami. Bye Yugi. Tank you fo' being my fwiend." He sniffled and was silent a moment as he imagined the two waving at him from below, "I'ww miss you. Mewwy Chwistmas." He whispered, his breath gently fogging the window.
Wiping his eyes with the back of his hand, Ryou moved back toward the bed and climbed onto it. He felt weird being there alone. Before, Bakura would always be there, and if he wasn't he wouldn't be gone for long. Now Ryou couldn't even go see Yami or Yugi...he was alone again.
But that was okay. He'd been alone before, he could do it again. He decided as he grabbed the book and slipped off the bed, leaving the room. The book was large and it was a little awkward to carry, but Ryou slowly made his way down the stairs, hanging onto the railing with every step. Once on the ground floor, he made his way into the playroom. It was practically empty, which was unusual, but considering that it was so close to suppertime, everyone was probably getting cleaned up.
Moving passed the three older kids sitting in front of a TV, playing a video game, Ryou headed straight for the still standing Christmas tree. It wasn't unusual for the tree to stay up until after New Years. It was usually taken down by the time school had resumed though. For now, Ryou was content with it still standing and once he reached the plastic structure, he got down on his hands and knees and dragged the book under the branches, to the very back where he could lean against the wall.
Last Christmas, whenever Bakura was away, Ryou would always spend his time hiding behind the Christmas tree. It had become comfortable to him, a safety place, he'd been sorry when it had been taken down. He hadn't needed the hiding place this Christmas, what with Bakura being sick most of the time and the time he spent with Yugi and Yami.
Now, with the multi coloured bulbs glinting off his hair and making the white strands different colours, the small boy opened the book and began to look at the pictures, easily remembering the story from the many times Yami had read it to them.
When Yugi had first gotten to the orphanage, he'd quickly become popular with everyone. Especially since he could teach them how to play Duel Monsters. Linda had asked Ryou to show them around since they were new (she'd been hoping that the little boy would make a friend). He'd answered their questions to the best of his ability and he'd shown them all the important places in the house. After that the new boy had wanted to teach him how to play Yugi's favourite game so Ryou had tried to learn.
He wasn't very good though and Ryou could easily tell that it annoyed his new friend. Soon Yugi had stopped trying and they'd eventually started reading the book he now held in his hands. Ryou didn't want to tell Bakura, but he knew Yugi only wanted Yami to read the book to them so he didn't have to do anything else with Ryou. Yugi only wanted to hear the story whenever he was with Ryou; any other time he'd be playing some kind of game with the other kids. Ryou didn't mind though, Yugi pretended to like him so he could pretend the same. He was used to pretending.
Sighing to himself, he set the book down, unsure if the memories of false happiness were even worth remembering. Missing his brother all the more, Ryou moved so he could lie down. He stared up through the Christmas tree branches and for just a few moments he felt comforted.
Linda found him an hour later still under the tree. She'd noticed his absence at suppertime but figured he wanted to be alone after the news of Yugi's leave. When she'd gone to check on him, she'd found him missing. After a few quick searches of the boy's usual hiding spots (he had several) she remembered last Christmas and how Ryou had spent his time behind the Christmas tree.
He had curled himself into a ball and was sleeping soundly. Not wanting to disturb him, she grabbed a blanket from the hall closet and carefully covered him up for the night and that was how morning found him.
Noise from the other kids, who'd awakened and were playing within the playroom forced Ryou to reality. Realizing where he was he sighed to himself and pouted slightly. He'd been dreaming of belonging somewhere, both he and his brother had had a place to call home with a real family and even a dog.
Gasping suddenly, Ryou sat up and scrambled out from under the Christmas tree, leaving the book behind. Ignoring the strange looks he got from the other kids, he went in search of Linda. He'd almost completely forgotten that Bakura got out of the hospital today! He found her coming down the stairs as he turned to go up them.
"Well, you ready to go pick your brother up?" She wondered, smiling as she carried a box down with her.
Excited, Ryou nodded. "Can we go now?" He wondered.
She grinned, glad to see him happy again. "Of course, let's go." She held out a hand and he took it, then together they went to the front doors. Ryou quickly pulled his boots on; tying the laces the way Bakura had taught him. He found it a little funny when he spotted his jacket (which he'd taken off in his room the night before) hanging in the closet. Shrugging it off, he pulled it down and put it on, doing up the zipper as quickly as he could without catching his chin.
Done dressing, he followed Linda out to a van waiting for them. Once inside and strapped in the back seat, Ryou noticed all the other boxes and things piled in the back. Curious he moved so he could open one and found some of his own stuff within it!
Confused, and slightly afraid, he watched as Linda climbed into the front seat. As they made their way to their destination Linda didn't bother speaking to the young boy; Ryou had never been all that talkative unless he was speaking to his brother. She wasn't sure what had happened to either of them to make them so distrustful to everyone, but she wished she could change it. /Malik got through. Maybe that's a start./ She mused to herself.
So with neither talking, the ride to the hospital was quiet and seemed long. It was somewhat a relief when they were finally parked within the hospital's parking lot. "There." Linda smiled to herself as she shut the van off and climbed out. She came around and helped Ryou out of his seat and he silently followed her, forced to hold her hand as they trudged toward the entrance doors.
From behind the glass to one of the sliding doors Ryou spotted a familiar face and quickened his pace. When they had reached the sidewalk and were out of harms way by any passing vehicles, Linda let go of the small boy's hand so he could run toward the doors quicker. She smiled when those doors opened and Bakura limped out, slightly weakened by his collapse. The older boy knelt down immediately and gathered the little one into his arms and she stayed back to give them a moment.
When she finally did move forward Bakura had already stood up, though Ryou's hand was securely held within his own. "Ready to go?" She asked as she smiled a greeting.
"Yes." Bakura grunted, "Get me out of here!" He muttered, his voice still hoarse. His throat was still sore too, but he could live with that.
Linda raised an eyebrow, "Any orders from the doctor?" She wondered.
Sighing, knowing he wouldn't be able to win Bakura begrudgingly repeated the doctor's orders. "No strenuous activities, no drinking, no smoking – which was useless information, I have to eat properly and get at least eight hours of sleep a night – though more is okay." He mumbled, "She gave me a prescription for some pills I have to take to fight away any infections and I have to come back and see her in about a month so she can tell me if I can or can't do any heart-building exorcises...or something like that."
Chuckling lightly, Linda handed Bakura the keys to the van, "Take Ryou back to the van. I'm just going to see if I can get this stuff written down so I know for sure." She promised not to be long, "Did you want me to take that for you?" She wondered, pointing to the backpack Bakura happened to be sporting.
The boy glanced back at the bag that was stuffed with the few things (which included a Christmas tree) he'd had with him while staying at this lovely place. He frowned and looked back at Linda, "This is not a strenuous activity." He muttered lowly as he gently tugged on Ryou's hand.
Linda rolled her eyes in humour as she walked through the front doors. Bakura only shook his head as he led Ryou back to the waiting van. By the time they'd reached the vehicle, Bakura was beginning to notice something about the small boy with him. Normally Ryou would have been acting excited, but the boy seemed to be depressed again.
/Did Malik do something?/ Bakura wondered, knowing that the last time he'd seen Ryou was when the boy left with the Egyptian. Once unlocking the back door and helping Ryou in, then climbing in after, Bakura shut the door again. "How was your night?" He wondered softly as he watched Ryou do up his own seatbelt, struggling slightly with the long belt, but eventually getting it.
"Otay." Ryou replied softly, smiling up at his big brother. The smile didn't seem to reach his eyes like it had for the past few days though and Bakura was beginning to worry.
He buckled himself in so he was sitting beside the little boy and he wrapped an arm around Ryou, as the two got comfortable. Ryou leaned against Bakura, cuddling close to the extra warmth. It wasn't that cold out today and the van had just been running, but the familiar warmth was comforting all the same.
"Alright baby, spill it." Bakura tightened his hold on the boy slightly, then let go. Ryou looked up questioningly, but his brother just rolled his eyes, "I know you Ry, something's bothering you. Please tell me." He stuck out his bottom lip in a playful gesture.
Ryou smiled slightly and poked Bakura's lip to make his brother stop pouting. When Bakura stopped, Ryou turned away and his smile disappeared. It looked like he was about to say something, but then Ryou just turned and buried his face within Bakura's jacket.
"Ry?" Bakura questioned as he ran his fingers through the soft white locks.
Pulling back slightly, Ryou refused to look up into his brother's face. "Yugi's gwandpa's otay now." He tried to make himself sound happy. "They goed home yest'aday." He explained softly.
Understanding why Ryou was so down, Bakura hugged him tightly, kissing the top of the boy's head. "I'm sorry Ry. And you were with me, weren't you? Did you get to say goodbye at least?" He wondered, rocking the child as Ryou leaned into him.
Shaking his head, Ryou shrugged, "I wanted to be wit' you Kuwa! You come fwirst!" He declared, looking up at Bakura with determination.
Bakura listened, his heart beaming at Ryou's maturity. He chuckled as he pulled his brother into a hug, "Where would I be if I didn't have you to take care of me?" He wondered, burying his face within Ryou's hair. After a moment he pulled away so he could talk. "I am sorry that you didn't get to say goodbye to Yugi, whether you wanted to stay with me or not."
Ryou only shrugged, not wanting to make a big deal out of it. "Thewe's somfing ewse..." The small boy began but stopped as Bakura looked at him questioningly.
"What?" Bakura wondered, seeing the worry in Ryou's eyes. The little boy didn't reply in words, instead he pointed to the boxes behind them. Raising an eyebrow Bakura turned and opened the same box Ryou had opened before. His eyebrows narrowed in confusion as he realized the stuff was theirs.
The door to the van suddenly opened, startling both boys, and Linda climbed in. She was humming happily to herself as she started the van and began to back out.
Bakura wanted to say something, wanted to ask, but the words wouldn't form in his mouth. Were they being kicked out? It wasn't like they had any other place to go besides the orphanage. Would Linda really just kick them out when Christmas had just passed and on the day Bakura was released from the hospital?
Unconsciously Bakura tightened the hold he had around his brother and they all rode in silence for a long while until the white-haired teen couldn't stand not knowing what was going on. "This isn't the way to the orphanage." He spoke up, hesitant – which was new for him.
Linda only smiled, "So you did notice. You probably noticed all your stuff in the back then as well, right?" She asked while she continued driving.
"Yeah..." Bakura began, sitting up so he could see her better, "What's going on?" He demanded.
Linda glanced at him through the rearview mirror, "Sweetheart, the orphanage is no place for you while you recover. You won't get the attention you need – even if you deny needing attention and help, you know you need it. We have too many other kids to look after and take care of you too. I am sorry Bakura, but we need to take you some place where they can take care of you." She didn't *look* sorry. "And of course Ryou would go with you, I wouldn't dream of separating either of you." She promised and at least that sounded sincere.
Not comforted a bit Bakura huffed, "So you're just abandoning us to some strange person?" He growled, worried for the safety of his other.
Linda chuckled, "I suppose he is kind of strange."
Bakura glared at her through the mirror though she wouldn't look up at him at all. Knowing that he was under her care and not able to do a thing about this, he leaned back and pouted. At least Ryou was with him.
"It won't be so bad." Linda promised, speaking up again. "I'm sure you and my friend will get along quite well."
Bakura crossed his arms and continued to glare at her. "Who are we staying with?"
She smiled a secretive smile that was about to drive Bakura crazy. "I'm not sure I should tell you. There's the house, ask Ryou if he knows." She said, pointing to an overly large mansion.
Bakura blinked at the sight of such an enormous place, then he looked down at Ryou. Ryou looked at the house and suddenly gasped, a giggle of excitement escaped his lips as he tugged on Bakura's jacket.
"Batuwa! That's Mawik's pwace!" He exclaimed.
- - -
NOTES:
- About Ryou sitting in the back of the van and not with Linda in the front: Where I live it's illegal to have a child younger than ten in the front seat while driving.
- When Bakura says 'so you're just abandoning us to some strange person?' and it says 'his other' it doesn't mean his 'light' other, this is just showing how close the two are...I hope.
COMMENTS:
Ishtarzkiss75 - I won't say sorry, it was all in fun. I'm glad you enjoy the fic so much.
Sugar-Goddess – Where can I find it? *chibi eyes*
Kira-Kura – Malik Muse is sex-deprived because Marik Muse isn't putting out. (Funny...it's usually the other way around...anyway). I'm sorry I caused you such emotional trauma, I figured I had mentioned the sequel, but I guess not.
Kyrene (once Blood Roses – Meep! You're going to hate me after this you know...
Yami Kura – I will get down on my hands and knees and kiss your feet if you send me those pics! You'd probably have to send them to marikishtar@hotmail.com since spyderswebb... is kinda full with other crap.
To Everyone:
Heh. One more chapter where most of you will want to lynch me and hide my carcass in that one far corner of the Shadow Realm that nobody really looks in, but ya know.
There is a prequel being planned, so everyone who wanted to see Duke/Malik gets to see it and then there's a sequel to this that I want to write. I've really gotten attached to this story...and considering it was supposed to be done by Christmas and be a one-shot...yeah. To say this story did not go the way I planned would be the ultimate understatement.
And I promise not to take so long for the last chapter. I just have had no inspiration lately.
But on a brighter note, I work at a fast food joint and someone decided that we needed a drive in instead of a drive thru and drove right through the main window in the lobby! Luckily (or unluckily, depending on your point of humanity) nobody was hurt.