Chapter Thirteen-Staying Here

"Are you okay, Victoria?" Marik's gentle, concerned voice spoke through the young girl's cloudy mind.

"M-marik? You're.....alright?" She opened her eyes slightly. A blurry image of the Egyptian boy appeared. She struggled to sit up. "You're all right!"

Marik chuckled lightly, and nodded. "Yes, I am. A little sore, but otherwise, I am all right." He hugged her gently. "How are you feeling?"

"My head hurts.....I was dreaming something strange too." She told Marik slowly about the two Roba brothers who had saved her from Yami Marik. "It was a weird,unreal dream, Marik. They can't all be psychic, right?"

"They are though." It was Mokuba who spoke up. The youngest Kaiba had been talking to Jonathan and Christien when Marik came in, supported by Rishid, and with Ishizu not far behind. "They did save you."

"I....wasn't dreaming then...." Victoria stared at Christien and Jonathan Roba in awe. "Wow...." They'll never believe this back home! We all always knew Espa was actually psychic, but none of us thought it was all five of them!

Christien stepped forward now, a look of concern on his face. "Are you sure you're all right ? You fell pretty hard back there...."

"Yeah...I'm all right..." Victoria studied him. "Ch-christien, right?" She hoped she didn't muck up their names.

"Yeah. That's me." Christien smiled at her now. "And this is my brother Jonathan." He gestured to the boy beside him, who was taller. "I guess it's only natural to reintroduce ourselves. None of us were really in the state of mind for that before..."

"You got that right." Jonathan shrugged. "Anyway...my brother and I should probably get home now. Espa didn't really want us to stay long..."

"Alright." Victoria laid back on her pillow, and watched Jonathan leave with Christien behind him. They really don't look all the same! It's amazing. Christien is so cute. I gotta get to know him before I leave here. I gotta!

Johanna looked around the room Yami Bakura had given her in Ryou's house. It was plain, but it would work. She wasn't one for being civilized, and hadn't been for years. She knew things would be rough on her for a while. She'd had no parental upbringing from the age of four. This would be new. I can't believe I'm living with Ryou Bakura! Man! My favorite character........er..person. He's a person, Jo! Not a character! She frowned now. It had occurred to her that Rakura...or,Yami, as Ryou called him, hadn't said a word to her since he'd left her up there to settle. Settle what?! All my stuff's back in Egypt! Of course, she didn't mean the real Egypt. It was a lot in downtown New York City that her and Victoria had built years before. It was her home, and Victoria's sanctuary. She scowled, and headed downstairs. She'd have to demand that Rakura sent her to her world again. At least to get her things. That seemed fair.

When she got downstairs, only Ryou Bakura was in the living room. He smiled up at her kindly. "Hello, Johanna. Is there anything I can get you?"

"Well....." Jo wasn't used to kindness of strangers. The streets of New York were cruel. "I'm a little hungry...do you have any beef sticks?"

"I'm sorry. I don't, but if you like those, you might like the steak I have broiling..." He stood up now, as if remembering something else. "So...Yami said you were living on the streets? How is that someone didn't take you in to a foster care place?" He stirred a pot of rice as he spoke to her.

Jo scowled again. He had no right to tell Bakura anything with- wait! I never told him either! How did he possibly know? ! Just wait until I talk to him later! Jo shrugged. "I don't know. I was okay though, until he left."

"Hmm?" Bakura was surprised by her reply, and change of attitude. "I didn't mean to pry...I just don't understand why anyone would let their child out on a curb, then leave."

"My mother had her reasons, I'm sure." Johanna replied in denial of the fact her mother had done it for any other reason than she'd had no choice.

"Well, in any case, you're here now. I'll make sure you're well taken care of. How does that sound?" Bakura handed her a bowl of rice.

"Well....okay." She sighed deeply. This is going against everything Tori and I had planned. I hate this!! I can't skip off to Cairo with him on my back! I'm sure Rakura also mentioned that I was a thief too! I just bet he did! Despite how annoyed with yami she was, Jo felt excited about being in a place she and Victoria had only dreamed was real. "I'd...like to stay..."

"Wonderful. Yami will be happy to hear that, I'm sure." The British boy smiled at her now, obviously pleased. "It's been rather lonely...despite the fact yami is here."

"So he said." Johanna muttered. "Don't tell him anything until I get a chance to talk to him, okay?"

"Sure thing." Bakura opened the oven, and sniffed, with a smile. "And it seems our dinner is done too."

"Great! I'm starving!" And it wasn't far from the truth either, Jo realized. Rakura hadn't fed her in a day!

"I'll just go get yami , and then we can eat." Bakura turned to go upstairs. "Jo...I'm glad you're staying here."

"Me too, Bakura." Jo was sincere.

"So the doctor said she can go home in a couple of days. Isn't that awesome?" Mokuba was explaining the latest report from Victoria's doctor.

"It is. It's the best news we've had since Marik awakened this morning." Rishid remarked.

Victoria had fallen asleep again, with the help of a sedative. Her nerves seemed to be really bad right now. Marik watched his young friend, a frown of worry on his face. "I think she has forgotten she has nowhere to go but with us."

Ishizu put a hand on Marik's shoulder. "Yes, I'm sure she has. I could see it in her eyes, as she talked to the Robas." She studied Victoria's sleeping form, sadly. "She will have to adjust to being here now. "

"I'll help her. So will Christien and Jonathan, I'm sure of it!" Mokuba volunteered. "I really like her. Even if she is a bit weird..."

"She's not weird, Mokuba. She's just...she's just been shown things a lot differently than what they are." Marik replied softly.

"Anyway, she'll be all adjusted in no time!" Mokuba beamed at Marik reassuringly. "We can all help her, right?"

"That's right." Marik smiled, feeling a little better. "She'll be fine here. I know it." As long as my yami leaves her alone!

As he was tucking her blankets closer to her, Marik heard three words that made him feel better about having to tell her the decision he and his siblings had made for her future. "I'm staying here."

"Yes, you are. You're staying here, my friend." Marik sat back in his chair, and watched his friend sleep now. I do hope it is a peaceful sleep. She deserves it.