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Disclaimer: I don't own Yugi or any of the characters.
'Thoughts'
(Yugi talks in 3rd person, and has a speech problem)
Yugi Speaks
Yugi sat in shock for a few minutes, he couldn't believe what Yami had just asked him,'Yami wants to adopt me,' Yugi thought, 'I can't believe it. He really wants me to stay with him forever.' Yugi thought that he was dreaming, he always thought that if his own parents didn't want him that no one else would. 'Yami has given me so much already; first he has given me friendship, then a party and wonderful presents, and now a home. How could I possibly ask for anything more.'
With tears of joy running down his small face, Yugi leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Yami's neck. At first Yami was startled, but then he returned the loving embrace, but nothing could've prepared him for what Yugi would do next. Yugi rested his head on Yami's shoulder and whispered in his ear.
"Th..thank you a..'ami, yo..you ma..made Yu..Yugi happy," Yugi stuttered softly, "Hai, Yu..yugi l..love to st..stay here. Yu..Yugi want 'Ami for da..daddy."
Yami was touched by the loving words that Yugi spoke to him, he gently pulled Yugi away from him and looked into his eyes. "You can speak! Yugi that's wonderful!"
Yugi nodded happily and crawled into Yami's lap and embraced him once again. Everyone in the room smiled, tears in their eyes, this turned out better than anyone had planned. Yugi finally got the one thing in the world that he really wanted, a family.
'Wow,' Thought Bakura, 'Yugi actually spoke, maybe Yami taking him in did both of them good.'
Yugi finally let go of Yami and then ran to Bakura and Marik hugging them both also.
"Th..thank for he..help 'kura." whispered Yugi
Bakura smiled at him and hugged him back. "You're very welcome Little one."
After the party, Yugi, Ryou, and Malik went into Yugi's room to play with the puppy while Yami, Bakura and Marik cleaned up the mess in the livingroom. After they were finished cleaning up, Bakura walked up to Yami and put his arm around his neck, "That was a really good thing you did," He said, "Did you see how happy Yugi looked?"
"Yeah," Yami nodded, "I really love having him here, What about you guys?"
"What about us?" Bakura asked confused, "We love having him here too."
"I mean what about Malik and Ryou?" Yami explained.
"I love having them here also..." Bakura explained "I think we should ask them to stay here also."
"I agree." Replied Marik. "Now that their here, I can't imagine this house without them. I guess I never realized how much fun it is to have kids running around the house."
"Good," Yami said, "Then that's settled, lets go find them and ask them right now."
Before they headed upstairs, Marik stopped Yami, "Yami, do you think Yugi's speech problem has to do with him not talking before, or what his parents did to him?"
"I don't know," Yami admitted, "Maybe we should take him to a doctor and find out for sure."
"I think that's a good idea." Bakura replied.
The three got up and went to see what the other's were doing. As they approached the top of the stairs they heard laughter coming from Yugi's room. They stood in the door way and smiled at the scene. Yugi was chasing the puppy around the room, while it ran onto Malik and Ryou knocking them both down, and they fell to the floor laughing. Yugi also laughing, kept trying to catch the puppy.
"Wa..wait! Me...Messha, come he..here!." Yugi said.
Yugi was so into his chase that he wasn't watching where he was going, and as the puppy ran out his room, Yugi chased after him. Until he suddenly ran into Yami knocking them both to the ground. Yugi sat up on the floor and rubbed his head. Yami was the first to get up, and he reached out a hand to help Yugi, and he couldn't help himself, he had to laugh at the face that Yugi was making. Yugi looked up and saw who he ran into. Yugi blushed and grabbed the offered hand and got to his feet.
"So...sorry 'Ami," Yugi whispered, "Yugi n..no watch were go..going."
"Its okay Yugi. What did you name him?" Yami asked.
"Me...Messha." Yugi replied smiling.
Yami thought for a second, "I like that name, its cute."
Yugi smiled at Yami again and then turned around, "Me..mesha go down, Yugi go find her." And with that Yugi went downstairs in search of his little friend.
Yami walked into Yugi's room to see Ryou and Malik getting off the ground, still laughing. They noticed Yami and the others walk in. They calmed down when Yami walked up to them.
"Ryou, Malik how would you guys like to live here permanently with us?" Yami asked.
Malik and Ryou nodded happily and both of them hugged Yami and the others.
"Come on Malik," Ryou said, "Let's tell Yugi the great news." They both ran from the room and headed downstairs. Just then the phone rang, Yami being closest answered it.
"Hello?" Yami asked.
"Yami hi its Mrs McGuire." She answered, "How are things over there today?"
"Couldn't be better." Yami replied laughing, "We asked the boys to live here with us, and they very happily agreed. I also have really good news, Yugi spoke to us today."
"Yugi spoke?" She was shocked, "That's wonderful. Whenever you guys are ready just come down here and fill out the forms for adoption."
"Well first Yugi has to catch his present, then we'll be down there." Yami chuckled
"What do you mean catch his present?" She asked curiously.
"We got him a puppy for his birthday and he loves it, he just chased it into the livingroom." Yami replied.
"Really," She said laughing, "it sounds like he is really happy there, I am so glad."
"I do have one question for you," Yami asked, "Yugi has a speech problem and he talks in third person, is that because he's never spoken before or is it a result of his injury?"
"More than likely it's a little of both," she replied, "we can have a doctor check him out if you wish."
"Let's see what Yugi wants to do first," Yami answered, "then we'll decide."
They said there goodbyes and Yami hung up the phone. He headed into the livingroom to see what the Yugi was up to. When he entered, he found Yugi sitting on the couch with the little puppy happily sleeping in his lap, and Malik and Ryou were sitting on the floor, petting the puppy. Yugi looked up when he noticed someone enter the room. He smiled when he saw Yami.
"I see you caught him." Yami asked laughing. Yugi nodded and gently laid the puppy on the couch and walked over to Yami.
"Mrs. McGuire called, we're heading to the orphanage in a few minutes to fill out the paperwork to adopt you guys." Yami said.
Yugi gave Yami another hug which Yami happily returned.
"Th..thank you much 'ami," Yugi whispered, "Th..this best birthday Yugi ever h..had." Yugi then saddened for a minute, "Ac..actuawy th..this first birthday Yugi ever h..had."
Yami just held him tightly and said, "Well now you get to enjoy many more birthdays and finally have the kind of life you deserve."
Yugi had tears of happiness in his eyes when Yami said that. They both smiled and Yami held out his hand which Yugi took. They went into the kitchen to find the others.
Soon, everyone was ready and they all piled into the car. Yami smiled as he watched the boys in the back seat. They were playing a game and laughing. Yami looked over to Bakura and Marik and noticed both of them smiling also.
"We should go out and celebrate." Yami said.
"Yeah, sound's like fun," Bakura replied, "What do you guys want to do?"
"How about go somewhere for dinner?" Marik suggested. "No I know, how about a picnic in the park?"
"A picnic sounds like fun," Ryou said happily, "We've never been on a picnic before."
"Alright, a picnic it is." Bakura said laughing.
They decided to go on the picnic as a celebration after they filled out the paperwork to legally adopt the three boys.
When they arrived at the orphanage, they boys ran out of the car and into the building with Yami, Bakura and Marik were right behind them.
Yugi saw Mrs. McGuire and gave her a hug. She was confused at first by the show of affection from the usually quiet and withdrawn boy, but returned the hug anyway.
"Th..thank you.." Yugi whispered, "Th..thank you for br..brining 'ami to Yugi."
Mrs. McGuire was shocked at first, she never heard him speak before. Then she kneeled down in front of the boy and replied, "You're very welcome Yugi, as long as your happy." Yugi nodded and hugged her again. Yami walked up to Yugi and placed his hand on Yugi's shoulder, Yugi turned around and smiled at Yami.
Mrs. McGuire led the small boys into the playroom, while Yami and the others filled out the necessary paperwork. They were just about done when a man and woman walked into the office. He was a stocky man with black hair and crimson eyes. The female was on the shorter side with amenyst eyes and blonde hair. Yami could smell the alcohol on both of them from where he sat and it disgusted him that people like that would want to adopt a child.
'they probably just want the kid to be their slave,' Yami thought to himself, 'there's no way they could be doing it out of love.'
"Can I help you?" Mrs. McGuire asked.
"Yeah," The man replied sneering, "You can give me my brat back."
"Your brat?" She asked cautiously. "Who exactly are you looking for?"
"Yugi." The man answered, Yami, Bakura and Marik noticeably tensed. "I did my time and I took those stupid classes and now I want my brat back."
"You can't have him," Yami said angrily. "He's happy with me and I'm adopting him."
The man stormed up to Yami, "Look here, he's my kid and I want him back. You can't stop me I'm his father."
Yami was beyond mad now, "HIS FATHER! What kind of father beats his own kid and gets him sent to the hospital in a coma?"
"That's none of you business, now are you going to hand the brat over or do I have to get the law involved?" The man replied. Yami was stuck. He knew that the man had the law on his side.
He turned to Mrs. McGuire, "Isn't there anything we can do?" He asked fearfully.
"You do not have the law on your side this time, Mr. Mouto, after what you did to Yugi, no jury in their right mind would let you have him back." She replied, "Especially when he's finally starting to recover and has the chance to live a happy life with Yami and that's where Yugi wants to be. Now are you going to leave quietly or should I have the police escort you out."
"Recover?" the man asked angrily, "what do you mean recover?"
"He's finally comfortable around people again," Mrs. McGuire replied firmly, "and for the first time he gets to just be a kid, which is what he's supposed to be."
It was silent for a few minutes and then they heard a whimper from behind them. Everyone turned around and saw Yugi in the doorway shaking and with tears in his eyes. His father started to walk toward him, but Yami got to him first and picked him up, holding him close and away from his father. Yugi fearfully clung onto Yami tightly, hiding his face in Yami's shirt. Yami glanced over his shoulder, glaring at the man claiming to be Yugi's father. Yami then carried Yugi out of the room, ignoring the protest from Yugi's so-called father. Yami carried Yugi down the hall until found an empty room. He walked over to the couch and placed Yugi gently in his lap. Yugi sat in his lap and cried into his shoulder while Yami tried to soothe the frightened youth. When Yugi finally calmed down he tearfully looked up at Yami.
"Don't worry Yugi," Yami said while continuing to comfort the small boy, "We won't let him anywhere near you, you're safe with us. Bakura, Marik and I won't let anything happen to you."
Yugi nodded his head and then nuzzled into the crook of Yami's neck. Yami still held him, rocking him back and forth. They stayed that way and were still in the same position when Bakura and Marik found them. Bakura walked up to Yami and asked, "Is he going to be okay?" Yugi looked up and smiled when he saw who was with him. 'I feel so safe when they're around.' Yugi thought, ' I want to stay with them, I don't want to go back to him.'
"Yeah," Yami replied, "I think seeing his father just brought back some unhappy memories, I told him that he's safe with us and we wouldn't let anything happen to him."
Bakura nodded, "You got that right, that man comes anywhere near Yugi and he'll have to deal with me."
"And," Replied Marik, "If he somehow got past you then he has to deal with me."
Yugi got up off Yami's lap and walked over to Bakura and Marik. He smiled at both of them, then he hugged them whispering a stuttered'thank you' over and over again. Then Yugi walked back to Yami and crawled back into his lap again. He nuzzled in the crook of Yami's neck and fell asleep.
They walked back to where Mrs. McGuire was waiting. She had a worried look on her face that Yami didn't like. He handed Yugi to Bakura, knowing that this was probably something Yugi didn't need to 'hear' right now. Bakura understood and took Yugi into another room.
"What's wrong?" Yami asked.
"Yugi's father has called a lawyer, he wants to fight for custody of Yugi." She replied.
"What are his chances of getting Yugi?" Yami asked worriedly.
"Actually, slim to none." She replied, "but that's not what worries me."
"Then tell me what's wrong." Yami stated.
"It's Yugi I am worried about.." She said, "he's going to have to take the stand and tell what his father did to him, I don't know if he can handle it yet. Who knows what reliving that nightmare will do to the poor boy, especially since he just started to open up and talking to people again."
"Given his circumstance, do you think they would let me go up there with him?" Yami asked, "As long as I don't influence his answer in anyway."
"In some cases that's allowed, I'm sure the judge would allow it, you'll have to ask him," She said, "Now I suggest you get a lawyer also and get started right away so you have plenty of time to prepare." Yami nodded at her then went in search of his group. He found Bakura and a still sleeping Yugi in the small family room, and Marik was with the boys still in the play room.
Yami waited until they arrived back home before telling Marik and Bakura about what he learned. He gently took Yugi from Bakura and carried him to his room. He laid Yugi down on his bed and covered him up, giving him a loving kiss on his forehead. Yugi stirred by didn't awaken. Yami stood back up and watched the young boy sleep for a few minutes.
"Don't worry Yugi, I won't let that man anywhere near you." Yami whispered brushing his blond bangs away from his small face, "I have the best lawyers around and I won't stop fighting until your far away from that man and safe here with me." Meesha ran into the room and jumped on Yugi's bed then laid down beside the sleeping boy in a protective manner. Yami patted the puppy's head then went back downstairs.
Before joining the others, Yami decided to call his lawyer first.
"So you see, Mr. Larson, I need you to get started on this case right away." Yami explained what happened at the orphanage and told him everything he knew about Yugi.
"I see," Mr. Larson said, "don't worry from the sounds of it, there is no way that guy is getting custody of Yugi. I will get everything ready on this end, but I will need to speak to Yugi to get his story as soon as possible and to prepare him for this case."
"That might be the hard part," Yami replied, "As a result of what his father did, Yugi is very scared and nervous around people. He also has trouble talking, I don't know if it's because he never talked before or because of what his father did to him. By the way, is there a chance that when Yugi takes the stand, I can be up there with him? I won't influence his answers in anyway, he's going to be so scared up there and he trusts me."
"I don't see why not, but you'll have to ask the judge." Mr. Larson answered, "but usually in cases like this, the judge will allow it for the comfort of the boy. I will get started on this end then when I am done I would like to meet with you and Yugi to get everything ready."
"Alright, call me when you're ready." Yami said. They both said their goodbyes and hung up the phone. Yami walked to the living room to talk with Bakura and Marik. He went over to Malik and Ryou and asked them if they could be alone for a few minutes. Not understanding the situation they reluctantly left the room.
Yami explained what his lawyer had said and what they are planning to do. He knew that Marik and Bakura would stand by him through this, but they were worried about how this would affect Yugi.
"Mr. Larson said that because of what his father did, he has a slim to no chance of getting custody of Yugi."
"That's good, but does Yugi really have to take the stand?" Bakura asked.
"Yeah," Yami replied, "I'm going to ask the judge if I can go to the stand with him for emotional support."
"He should let you," Bakura commented, "I don't know how Yugi would get through this if he had to sit up there alone."
"I know," Yami admitted," That's what I'm afraid of."
For the next few weeks Mr. Larson got everything ready for the upcoming trial. He called Yami and set up an appointment to meet with him and Yugi. Yami was dreading telling the small boy he would have to take the stand so he put it off as long as he possibly could, but when his lawyer called, he knew that he had to talk to Yugi now and he dreaded it. He went into Yugi's room and saw him sitting on the floor playing with Meesha. Yugi looked up and smiled at Yami. Yami returned the smile and walked over to Yugi's bed and sat down, patting the spot next to him. Yugi got off the floor and sat next to Yami.
"A..'ami," Yugi whispered, "Wh..what wrong?" Yami sighed and picked up Yugi and placed him sideways in his lap. Yugi snuggled up closer and rested his head on Yami's shoulder. Yami smiled briefly, but it faded fast when he remembered what he had to tell the small boy.
"Yugi, I hate to tell you this but your father is taking us to trial for custody of you." Yami looked carefully at Yugi for his reaction. Tears started to well up in his big amethyst eyes and Yami just held him close gently rocking the scared boy back and forth.
"Yu..Yugi no wa..want him for da..daddy, Yu..Yugi wa..want you." Yugi whispered tearfully. Yami smiled at Yugi's loving words, but he knew there was more that he had to tell Yugi, so when he then noticed that Yugi was staring at the ground, he gently lifted Yugi's chin so he was looking into his eyes.
"I don't want him to be your daddy either, Yugi," Yami started, "but you're going to have to take the stand and tell the judge what your father did to you." Yugi started to cry and shake violently.
"Its okay Yugi, I'm going to ask the judge if I can stand next to you while you tell your story." Yami said soothingly, "And remember that Bakura, Marik and I love you and we won't let anything happen to you."
Yugi nodded tearfully but refused to release his hold on Yami, so he just rocked the boy until he finally calmed down and fell asleep. Yami gently lay the small boy down and let the room quietly. He went back downstairs and saw his friends looking at him worriedly.
"How's he doing?" Bakura asked worriedly
"He's scared, which is to be expected, but he knows that we won't let anything happen to him." Yami replied.
That night, once again, Yugi came into Yami's room in the middle of the night. Yami, silently, just pulled back the covers and Yugi immediately crawled into the bed and snuggled closer to Yami, using his chest for a pillow. Yami just smiled at the small boy and held him close as Yugi started shaking again, until he finally calmed down again and was able to go to sleep.
The next day Mr. Larson showed up at the house to prepare for the trial next week. He sat down with Yugi who refused to let go of Yami. Mr. Larson told them what to expect and what was going to happen. Mr. Larson tried to talk to Yugi but he would just hide his face in Yami's shirt and refused to look at him. It took Yami quite a few times before Yugi would look at him so that the lawyer could ask his questions.
"Now Yugi," Mr. Larson started when he saw that Yugi was looking at him, "I'll just go over the questions that will be asked during the trial so you know what to expect."
Yugi nodded his head but tightened his hold on Yami as he started shaking again. Yami noticed this and just held the boy to reassure him.
"Yugi, tell me what your life was like living with your father." Mr. Larson asked.
Yugi looked at Yami, who smiled reassuringly at him, then he answered in a quiet voice, "Yu..Yugi daddy make Yu..Yugi sleep basement. On..only come ou..out when da..daddy say. Da..daddy only l..let Yu..Yugi out when ho..house need clean or when Yu..Yugi need to be taught le..lesson."
"You're doing great Yugi," Mr. Larson smile replied encouragingly, "What kind of lesson?"
"Wh..When Yugi no clean go..good enough, da..daddy hit Yu..Yugi."
"Is that what you got sent to the hospital for?"
Yugi nodded, "N..not just for th..that, Yu..Yugi daddy hit with mo..more than just hands."
Mr. Larson wanted to ask what Yugi meant by that but he could tell that the questions were really upsetting him so he decided to go to another question, "How many times has he sent you to the hospital?"
Yugi thought about it for a second before replying, "Yu..Yugi go ho..hospital many times, mo..more than s..six Yugi thinks."
Yami and Mr. Larson were both appalled by Yugi's answer but it was Mr. Larson who found his voice first, "What did you get sent to the hospital for?"
"Yu..Yugi no clean good en..enough," Yugi replied quietly, "Da..daddy throw Yu..Yugi down st..stairs and hit Yu..Yugi with bat until Yu..Yugi go sleep."
Yugi started trembling worse with each question the lawyer asked, Yami wrapped his arms around the small boy to comfort him." Can we stop for the day?" he asked nervously, "I think he's had enough."
Mr. Larson saw the young boy trembling in Yami's arms and understood immediately, "Alright, we can stop for the day."
Yami nodded thankfully, he picked Yugi up in his arms and walked Mr. Larson to the door.
"I'll call you later," Mr. Larson said, "there's still some things we need to go over before the trial starts."
Mr. Larson looked sadly at the small, scared boy in Yami's arms and his heart went out to the young boy as he said his goodbyes and left the house. Just as the door shut, Bakura walked into the room and saw Yugi shaking violently in Yami's arms and he grew concerned.
"Is he okay?" Bakura asked worried.
"Yeah, the questions were really hard on him," Yami replied looking sadly at the small boy trembling in his arms, "I"m going to take him upstairs and see if he'll lay down."
Yami gently carried Yugi up to his bedroom and lay down with him until his trembling had stopped, and any worries Yami had about Yugi sleeping vanished when Yugi fell asleep almost instantly since he was so emotionally drained.
The week went too fast for poor Yugi's taste and soon the trial day was here. Yugi was shaking violently by the time they reached the courthouse. Bakura, Marik, Ryou and Malik sat behind Yugi, while Yami sat right next to him. Before the trial started Yami asked to approach the bench told the judge about Yugi's situation. The judge agreed to let Yami stand by Yugi as long as he didn't influence Yugi's answers in anyway.
Mr. Larson and Yugi's fathers lawyer, Mr. Hirishimo started with their opening arguments, both stating where they think the best place for Yugi would be.
Mr. Larson then stood up, "I call Yugi Mouto to the stand." Yami tapped Yugi's shoulder to get his attention and told him what was going on. Yugi started to shaking but walked to the stand, he refused to let go of Yami's hand as he took his seat. The bailiff came up with the bible and asked if he swore to tell the truth.
"Yu..Yugi swear." Yugi whispered. The judge had to lean over to hear Yugi's response. Mr. Larson walked up to Yugi and started his questions.
"Yugi," He said trying get the boys attention, Yugi wouldn't look at him so finally Yami had to tap his shoulder. Yugi looked at Yami and then Yami pointed to the lawyer. Finally, Yugi looked at Mr. Larson.
"Yugi," Mr. Larson began again, "Tell me what happened that got you taken away from your father."
Yugi shivered and lowered his head, "Yu..Yugi daddy be..beat Yugi." He whispered, tears starting to fall down his face, "Yu..Yugi go h-hospital, when da..daddy hit Yugi with ba..bat." Yugi broke down crying and clung to Yami as tight as he could as the memories of that night came flooding back to him. Yami knew that they weren't finished with the questions so he needed Yugi to look at the lawyer. Yugi tearfully looked up again, he tried to duck his head but Yami wouldn't let him.
"Yugi?" Mr. Larson continued when he saw Yugi looking at him, "You're doing fine Yugi, just a few more questions okay?" Yugi nodded.
"How long did this go on for and can you please tell me the extent of your injuries?" He asked.
Yugi nodded, burying his face once again in Yami's shirt. "Yu..Yugi I..in coma for th..th..three months," Yugi started to shake violently, Yami held him trying to comfort the scared boy. "Yu..Yugi deaf in bo..both ears, Yugi st..still have n..nightmares al..almost e..every night." Yugi whispered.
"You're doing fine Yugi," Mr Larson told the scared boy, "we're almost done."
"Yugi, tell me what your life was like living with your father." Mr. Larson asked.
Yugi looked at Yami, who smiled at him, then he answered in a quiet voice, "Yu..Yugi daddy make Yu..Yugi sleep basement. On..only come ou..out when da..daddy say. Da..daddy only l..let Yu..Yugi out when ho..house need cleaning or when Yu..Yugi needed to be taught le..lesson."
"What kind of lesson?" Mr. Larson asked
"Wh..When Yugi no clean go..good enough, da..daddy hit Yu..Yugi."
"How many times has he sent you to the hospital?" Mr. Larson asked
Yugi thought about it for a second before replying, "Yu..Yugi go ho..hospital many times, mo..more than s..six Yugi thinks."
"You're doing just fine Yugi," Mr. Larson told the frightened boy, "After you left your father, did you go straight to the orphanage?"
"N...no," Yugi whispered, "Yu..Yugi go d..d..different home, but Yu..Yugi no like it th..there."
"And why didn't you like it there?" he asked
"Th..they m..mean to Yugi." Yugi responded quietly
"Who was mean to you?" Mr. Larson asked, "The foster parents or the other children?"
"B..both." whispered the small boy
"How about where you are now," asked Mr. Larson, "How do you like living with Yami?"
Yugi smiled for the first time during his testimony, "Yu..Yugi wa..want A..'Ami for da..daddy."
Almost every heart in the courtroom was breaking over the small boys testimony, but then everyone smiled when they saw the look of happiness come over the boys features as he said that simple sentence.
"Good job, Yugi," said Mr. Larson smiling, "I have no further questions."
Yugi tensed up noticeably when his father's lawyer approached him and squeezed tighter on Yami's hand.
"Yugi, living with your father really wasn't as bad as you said it was, was it?" Hirishimo asked, "I mean you had a warm bed, a roof over your head and meals on the table."
"Yu..Yugi no have b..bed, Yu..Yugi have p..pile of r..rags. And if b..bad, Yu..Yugi no e..eat." he whispered, he tried to move closer to Yami but the walls of the box prevented him from getting as close as he wanted to. The judge saw how uncomfortable the frightened child was and gently tapped his shoulder. Yugi jumped and glanced at the judge nervously.
"Do you want to take a break?" he asked
Yugi looked away and buried his face in Yami's shirt again before he whispered, "Yu..Yugi want 'ami."
The judge saw how scared and emotionally drained the poor child was, "I think that's enough questions," he replied, "this poor boy has been through a lot and I think he needs a break."
"But Your Honor," Mr. Hirishimo complained, "I wasn't finished with my questions yet."
The judge looked at the small boy again, "Are you alright to continue?"
Once Yami got his attention, Yugi looked back at the judge and whispered, "Yu..Yugi just wa..want to go ho..home."
"I'm sorry Mr. Hirishimo but I think it would be in the best interest of the child to stop with the questions," The judge replied firmly, "Yugi, You're done with the questions."
Yugi nodded and rested his head on Yami's shoulder as he was lifted into Yami's arms. Yami tried to comfort him when he had tears running down his face and was shaking uncontrollably. When it was Yami's turn to take the stand, Yugi refused to let go of him, not even for Bakura when he offered to take him, he just hid his face and wouldn't look at anyone, so the judge allowed him to sit on Yami's lap during his testimony. He wrapped his arms tightly around Yami's waist and kept his face hidden in Yami's shirt the entire time. The jury noticed how scared the small boy was and they all looked at him sadly, then would glare at the father.
"Yami, can you please tell the court about when you first met Yugi and took him home with you?" Mr Larson asked.
"Sure," Yami replied, "When I first met him he refused to look me in the eye, sometimes it took maybe five minutes before he would. Mrs. McGuire had told me that he was punished for looking anyone in the eye."
"Objection," yelled the lawyer, "that can't be used as testimony, that could have just been her own opinion on the matter."
"Actually, its not just her word," Mr. Larson replied, "it's right here in Yugi's chart. Yami please continue."
Yami sighed, "He was also scared of any type of physical contact, he would jump if you tapped him on the shoulder. He also has terrible nightmares. It took a lot to comfort him when he woke up, luckily Mrs. McGuire called me and told me how to handle them. He wouldn't show any kind of emotion or speak a word to anyone, he smiled for the first time when we went to the beach and he didn't start talking until his birthday party when I asked him if he wanted me to be his dad."
"How did he react to your friends at first?" Mr. Larson asked
"He was scared at first, he would hide by me when they came close. It just took him a little longer before he felt comfortable around them," replied Yami, "but now he's fine around them and will now go to any of us if he needs something."
"Okay Yami, I'm done." replied Mr. Larson. The cross examination began.
"Yami what made you decide to adopt the kid in the first place?" Mr. Hirishimo asked.
Yami and his lawyer decided to leave out the real reason this all began. "My house is too big for just one person, and I wanted someone to share my life with." Yami replied confidently.
"How many people are living there now?"
"Including myself there are six of us." Said Yami.
"That's a big jump going from just you to five other people, How long did you know these people before you let them live with you?" The lawyer was trying to make Yami look bad but it wasn't working.
"I have known Bakura and Marik practically my whole life, since I was five years old. I trust them with my life. As for the others, first we got Yugi and then went back and got Ryou and Malik. Both of them were friends of Yugi's while he was at the orphanage." Yami replied.
"But if he was as traumatized as you said he was and scared of human contact, one would think that he wouldn't let anyone get close to him and if they were such good friends, don't you think he would have talked to them?"
"Mrs. McGuire said he wouldn't talk to anyone." Yami replied
"So he talked to you first, but he knew his friends longer than you," the lawyer sneered, "that doesn't make any sense."
"I don't know why he talked to me before he did his friends," Yami stated then he looked down at the small boy trembling in his lap and smiled, "I'm just glad that he started talking and feels more comfortable around people. It took a lot to get him to this point Mr. Hirishimo and I will not give him up without a fight, I promise you that."
"I have no more questions." the lawyer sneered. This was not going well for him at all and he knew it. Yami glared at the man as he gently lifted Yugi up and carried him back to their seats, but he still refused to raise his head, not even when he was surrounded by his friends and family. Yami knew that Yugi wouldn't be comfortable again until he was back at home and safe in his bed.
"I call Mrs. McGuire to the stand." Mr Larson stated.
Once she was sitting and was sworn in, Mr. Larson asked his first question, "How long was Yugi at the orphanage for and what was he like during his stay there?"
"Yugi was in my care for about three years," she replied, "and in my opinion as a social worker, his was one of the worst cases of child abuse I have ever seen. He refused to come out of his room for the first month and when we finally coaxed him out, he refused to look at anyone and he was easily frightened when anyone came too close to him."
"How did you feel about Yami wanting to adopt Yugi?"
"I was unsure at first, only because I was looking out for the child's best interest," she admitted, "but then I got to know Yami better and Yugi seemed happy for the first time in his life. I knew for sure I made the best choice when Yugi came up to me, gave me a hug, and thanked me for bringing Yami to him." She smiled at the memory and waited for the next question.
"I have no more questions, Your Honor." Mr Larson stated.
"Why were you unsure at first?" asked the other lawyer
"Like I said, I was looking out for the child's best interest." Mrs. McGuire replied again.
"Why did you feel at first that Yami wasn't in his best interest?"
"I didn't think he really knew what he was getting into adopting a child like Yugi," she replied, "I wasn't sure if he could handle it."
"What do you mean 'a child like Yugi'?" Mr. Hirishimo asked curiously.
"Taking in a child like that is a huge responsibility," she said, "He required a lot of special attention."
"If you didn't think he could handle it, why did you let him take Yugi?"
"Well, it's a requirement that he come back for a meeting and I knew that Yugi would let me know if he wasn't happy where he was. I talked to him and he wanted to stay where he was."
"How do you know his answer wasn't influenced by Yami?"
"I always talk to the children alone, so they can answer freely and without any influence." she replied annoyed.
"Why did it take three years for him to find a home," Mr. Hirishimo asked suddenly, "was he a troublemaker or something?"
"Nothing like that," Mrs. McGuire responded quickly, "Not many parents wanted a child so traumatized and withdrawn as he was."
"No further questions, Your Honor." the lawyer stated, "Next I call Steven Mouto to the stand."
A whimper could be heard throughout the courtroom when Yugi's father took the stand. The judge looked over at the small boy and saw that he had tears running down his face and Yami just held him tight trying to comfort the boy.
Yami leaned over and whispered to Mr. Larson, "Since we're done with the questions, Can I take Yugi into another room until his father is done?"
Mr Larson looked at the small boy in Yami's arms and could see how frightened he was, he nodded his head and replied, "Sure, I'll come and get you when the jury reaches its verdict."
"Thank you." Yami replied and picked up Yugi. The second Yugi was in his arms, he tightened his grip and hid his face in Yami's shirt as he carried him out of the court room. He went into a small empty room and set the boy gently in his lap. He tried to get Yugi to look at him, but he refused to look up or release his hold on Yami. Yami tried again and finally Yugi looked up.
"It's okay now, Yugi," Yami asked trying to soothe the young boy, "You're safe now."
Yugi looked around the room and seemed to just realize they were not in the courtroom anymore, he sighed and rested his head on Yami's shoulder and whispered, "Yu..Yugi okay now."
Yami smiled and held him close.
Back in the courtroom Bakura and Marik angrily watched as Yugi's father tried to justify the way he treated his son, claiming that Yugi was a disobedient child and the reason he went to the hospital is that he was always hurting himself.
"I never touched my son," Steven yelled angrily, "only when he needed to be disciplined, which was quite often. Don't let that innocent look fool you, he's a very disobedient child who causes nothing but trouble."
"And what kind of discipline did you use?" Mr. Larson asked
"Nothing worse than spanking." replied Steven
"Then why was he sent to the hospital six times in just one year alone?" Mr. Larson asked
"Like I said before, that kid was always hurting himself." Steven repeated himself.
"Well I just happened to have a copy of Yugi's medical record right here in my hands, and the doctors wrote in here that they suspected child abuse the second time he was in the hospital," Mr. Larson said, "It says and I quote: 'Child brought in after taking a fall down the stairs. He was still conscious, but was disoriented from the hit his head took from the fall, and he fractured his leg. He also had cuts and bruises on his body that didn't match what a fall down the stairs would cause, child abuse is suspected."
"They couldn't have suspected too much since they still let me take him home." Mr. Mouto
"They didn't do anything because Yugi wouldn't speak to anyone," Mr. Larson replied, "They asked him but he refused to answer."
"Like I said, he was a disobedient child and needed to be disciplined." Steven replied angrily
"Disciplined you say, well then why was he sent to the emergency room for burns all over his body?"
"He was a klutzy kid," replied Steven, "he was always hurting himself. He was cooking dinner and spilt a pan of hot water all over himself and I had to leave work early when I got the call from the hospital stating he was in the emergency room."
"How did he get there if you were working?" Mr. Larson asked curiously.
"A neighbor heard him scream and called the police."
"Well as his father, shouldn't you be supervising him when he was cooking?"
"Like I said, I was at work. He was getting dinner ready so we could eat when I got home. That was one of his chores."
"What other chores did he have?" Mr. Larson asked
"Just normal kids chores: keeping the house clean, cooking dinner, do the laundry. Stuff like that." replied Steven.
"If he did all that, what were your chores?" asked Mr. Larson
"I went to work and got the money to put a roof over his head and food in his stomach." replied Steven.
"But you worked during the day, what did you do after you got off work?" Mr. Larson said curiously.
"I ate dinner and then went to my second job."
"Where was your second job?" asked Mr. Larson, "and who stayed with Yugi while you were gone?"
"He stayed alone, he can take care of himself."
"But if he was as klutzy as you said he was, I would think you would have had someone there incase something happened." replied Mr. Larson, "Where's his mother, if I may ask."
"She was murdered when Yugi was five," Steven replied grimly, "One night when I was at work, someone broke into the house and murdered her right in front of the boy. He was really traumatized after that."
"Then why did you leave him home alone?" asked Mr. Larson, he was starting to get angry, "If he was that traumatized, you should have had someone stay with him at night."
"I tried, no one would stay with him,"
"And why's that?"
"He was a very disobedient child," said the annoyed father, "I went through many babysitters and some of them even left before I got home because they couldn't handle him."
"If he was such a disobedient child, why after all these years, why are you seeking custody now?" Mr. Larson asked
"He may be disobedient but he's still my child. It took me years to track him down, no one would tell me where he was sent." Steven replied, "And when I finally did find him, he was sent to a different place. Now I found him again only to find out that someone wants to adopt him when I never gave up custody or told anyone he was available for adoption. He is still my son legally and I want him back now."
"You lost your rights as his father when they took him away from you and child abuse charges were filed against you, and that makes him available for adoption," replied Mr. Larson, "I have no further questions."
"Mr. Mouto," Mr. Hirishimo said, "Describe the ways that Yugi was disobedient."
"He would constantly talk back," the father replied, "He even tried to hit me on quite a few occasions."
"And how did you react to the situation?" Mr. Hirishimo asked
"I spanked him and sent him to his room without dinner." replied Mr. Mouto
"When did his bad behavior start?" asked the lawyer
"Shortly after his mother died." came the quiet reply
"Did you have him taken in for an evaluation?"
"Yea, I did. They just told me he was severely traumatized and to be patient with him." replied the father angrily, "and to try and make him feel as safe as possible."
"And did you do what the doctor told you to do?"
"I tried but he didn't want anything to do with me," Mr. Mouto replied, "he would flinch away and start screaming for his mother."
"Thank you, I have no further questions Your Honor." replied Mr. Hirishimo before taking his seat again.
The judge nodded and turned to the jury, "You have heard the testimony from both sides, I will now excuse you while you come up with your verdict."
The jury left the box and went into a small room to discuss what they heard. When they left, Bakura went to try and find Yami. When he entered the room, he was saddened to see that Yugi still had a tight grip on Yami and still refused to look at anyone. Yami looked up when he heard the door open and smiled sadly at his longtime friend.
"How is he?" Bakura asked worriedly
"He's still really upset," Yami replied sadly, "He won't even look at me."
"It's a good thing you left the courtroom, Yugi definitely didn't need to hear some of the things that were said in there." replied Bakura
"What kind of things?" Yami asked curiously. Bakura proceeded to tell Yami what had occurred in the courtroom, but at the part of Yugi's mother's death, he stopped.
"There's something your not telling me, now what is it?" Yami asked worriedly
"Yugi's mother was murdered right in front of him, and his father said it really traumatized him."
Yami was shocked and tightened his grip on the small boy.
"Poor Yugi," Yami said softly, "he's been through so much and is finally starting to recover and now this happens, his lowlife father comes back into his life."
"I know," agreed Bakura, "I came to find you because the jury is now deliberating and will return with the verdict, and with what I heard from the testimony, I don't think there's going to be a problem with you getting full and permanent custody."
"I hope your right Bakura," Yami replied softly, "I care about him so much, I can't stand the thought of losing him."
Bakura walked over to his friend and put an arm around his shoulder, "Don't worry Yami, I can't see them taking Yugi from you. You should have seen the jurys' faces when you and Yugi testified, Their hearts were breaking when Yugi was telling his story. Now come on, lets go and see if the jury reached their verdict yet."
"Alright, lets go back now." Yami replied as he gently lifted Yugi off his lap and held him securely in his arms. Yugi whimpered when he felt himself being lifted, but calmed down when he felt Yami wrap his arms tightly around him. He snuggled closer, but still refused to look at anyone, the memories that came flooding back to his mind had frightened him and he wasn't ready to face anyone yet. He just wanted to be held and feel safe and secure again, a feeling he only got when he was close to Yami.
When Yami re-entered the courtroom, all his friends gave him sad looks as they saw that Yugi was still hiding from everyone. A few minutes after Yami had sat down, the jury returned with their verdict and everyone tensed waiting for the results.
"Jury," The judge said, "What is your verdict?"
"We the jury, find that in the best interest of Yugi Mouto that full custody will be awarded to...