One week, and then I've got to go to school again. I'm not looking forward to it... especially not because I'm going to a higher level of my school and my friends will not. They quit. So now I'll have to go to a new class full of people I don't know.

Yami Bakura: Huh, good for you...

Ryou-Ran: (to Ryou) Did you hear something?

Ryou: Yes, I heard my Yam-

Ryou-Ran: --" (deep sigh)

Yami Bakura: (eagerly) Am I going to kill somebody?

Ryou-Ran: I won't tell you, Yami.

Yami Bakura: (puppy-eyes) Aw, why not?

Ryou-Ran: Mainly because you are hiding a whisk behind your back. Did you plan on making scrambled egg today?

Yami Bakura: Beh, found out.

Ryou: Why don't you give up? You know Ryou-Ran won't allow you to eat Wee Wee, Kyo-Kyo and Ed'raht... Ed'rashta...

Ryou-Ran: Ed'Rashtekaresket.

Ryou: That's what I mean.

Yami Bakura: (blows up his chest) My dear Hikari, Yamis never give up.

PANG!

Ryou: OO"

Ryou-Ran: I think he blew his chest up a little bit too much.

Ryou: I'll get stickers.

Ryou-Ran: Okay, then I'll do the disclaimer myself. Ahum: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

Bakura, Bruised and Battered

Ryou stayed home from school that day and slept a lot. He was completely drained from his energy. Mr Bakura took care of him.

"Ryou, wake up!"he said. "I've got something to drink for you." Ryou opened his eyes and sat up. He took the glass and emptied it quickly. "How do you feel, son?"his father asked him. Ryou gave the glass back. "I'm feeling better already."he said. "I think I can go to school tomorrow again." "Well, let's just hope you haven't missed too much."Mr Bakura said and slapped Ryou on the shoulder.

"Ow!"Ryou cried and grabbed his shoulder. Mr Bakura was surprised. He hadn't slapped Ryou that hard. It had just been a gesture of affection. "Sorry, did I hurt you?"he asked. Ryou rubbed his shoulder. "No, it's nothing."he said. "It's just a little sore... I tripped yesterday, remember?" When rubbing he accidentally pulled his shirt up a bit and revealed a purple stain on his back. He tried to hide it, but heard a gasp and knew it had been discovered.

"Ryou, what's the matter with you?"Mr Bakura asked. "What's going on?" He grabbed Ryou's arm and wanted to take the shirt off, but Ryou resisted. "Really, Dad!"he pleaded. "It's nothing..." Mr Bakura did not listen to him and pulled the shirt over the head of his son. He gasped again. Ryou's back was covered with bruises. It was all stained black and purple.

"Oh my God!"Mr Bakura cried. "Who did this to you?!" Ryou withered and tried to avoid Mr Bakura's gaze. His father sat down besides him and took Ryou's chin between two fingers. He forced his son to look into his eyes. The look he saw in Ryou's brown eyes shocked him. Ryou was scared. And not a bit, but scared to death. "Ryou, I want to know what's going on."he softly said. "You must tell me." Ryou tried to look away, but Mr Bakura turned the face of his son back at him. "Really, Dad, it's nothing."the Japanese boy said.

The phone rang and saved Ryou. Mr Bakura went away to pick it up. When he came back Ryou had crept back under his blanket again and appeared to be asleep.

Ryou was in fact wide awake. He had closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep. He clenched his fists and tried to stop his body from shaking. He could not face his father. Yami Bakura had threatened him with about everything bad on this planet if Ryou would tell his father about him. He let out a sigh of relief when Mr Bakura left and closed the door.

Later Yami Bakura paid him a visit. He did not bring Ryou's soul to his soulroom, but decided to come out into the real world for a change. The first thing he did was closing the curtains. He did not like the light of the sun. Then he went to stand in front of his scared host. "You've had a narrow escape, huh?"he asked. Ryou looked up at him, but did not speak. "That idiot almost found out."his Yami continued. He saw Ryou's lips move, but there was no sound coming from his mouth. "What are you saying, Yadonushi?"Yami Bakura asked, kneeling down in front of Ryou. "My father is not an idiot."Ryou softly said. Yami Bakura chuckled. As a thief that had stolen Ryou's body he did not want to be heard by Ryou's father. He followed the line of Ryou's jaw with his finger in almost a tender fashion. "He's beginning to find out."he said. "We don't want that to happen, do we?" Ryou shook no, also to shake Yami Bakura's finger off. "There are many solutions."Yami Bakura dreamily said, now placing his finger on the tip of Ryou's nose. "I could... erase his memory... or send his soul to the Shadow Realm... or... kill him... that would be more fun, don't you think?" Ryou's eyes became as big as saucers. "No!"he breathed. Yami Bakura brought his face close to Ryou's. "If you aren't able to keep me hidden then I might be forced to execute one of those plans."he whispered. "Maybe just the first one, maybe... the last one."

His words had a strange effect on Ryou. He became angry. "Keep your hands off my father!"he hissed. Yami Bakura got an expression of amused surprise on his face. "Oh, did I touch the sensitive chord?"he asked. "I am so sorry, Bakura." "I won't let you touch my father!"Ryou almost shouted. Yami Bakura became a little pissed. "And what would you do?"he asked. Ryou grabbed the Millennium Ring that was hanging on a cord down a neck. "I... I'm going to break the Millennium Ring!"he cried. Yami Bakura chuckled again, but not because he found it funny. "Oh, you won't!"he growled and grabbed Ryou by the shoulders. He pushed Ryou in the direction of the door. Ryou tried to resist, but his Yami was much stronger. "Let go of me!"he cried. "Let go of me, or..." Before he could finish his sentence Yami Bakura gave Ryou a push. Ryou let out a reedy scream of shock as he fell down the stairs.

Mr Bakura was reading the newspaper when he suddenly heard a yell and lots of noise on the stairs. He dropped the paper and ran into the small hallway. He gave a shocked cry when he saw what had happened.

Ryou was lying in a heap on the floor, eyes closed, blood oozing from a wound just below his left eye. Blood was flowing from his mouth too. He had grazes on his legs and arms and a red bruise on his chest. Mr Bakura looked up at the stairs and saw the balusters were broken. Ryou had appareantly fallen on them and had hurt his ribcage.

Mr Bakura let himself fall onto his knees and palmed Ryou's chest. He was relieved to find out Ryou was alive and breathing. "Ryou, wake up!"he cried. He gently slapped him in the face. Ryou did not wake up. He only groaned when his father hit him. Mr Bakura looked at Ryou's chest. He saw the Millennium Ring. Again that Ring. There was something strange about it.

Hours later Ryou woke up. He felt sick and when he breathed in a sharp pain went through his chest. A soft moan escaped him. His father was sitting at his side and held his hand. A woman he did not know was putting plasters on the cut below his eye. "Ryou, how do you feel?"the woman asked. "I have felt better... ow! Who are you?"Ryou answered. "I'm doctor Tuzaki."the lady said. "Your father called me. You have fallen down the stairs and have lost consciousness."

Memories struck Ryou like lightning. His head began to hurt. He remembered being pushed by Yami Bakura. He saw the Ring was lying on a small table. "I tripped over something."he said. "I guess. I can't remember really well." Tuzaki smiled. "You took quite a blow to the head. You've got a minor concussion, which causes memory loss."she said. It took time for it to be processed by Ryou's tormented brains. "Concussion?"he asked. "Yes."doctor Tuzaki asked. "Do you experience any nausea?" Ryou promptly became green around the nose and swallowed something. "Yeaaah..."he uttered. The next moment he was enthusiastically throwing up over the floor. When he was done he clutched at his bruised ribs and almost blacked out of pain. Mr Bakura quickly pushed Ryou's head down so the blood could stream back to his head. "Oohh..."Ryou groaned. Mr Bakura went to the kitchen and came back with a glass of water for Ryou and a cloth for cleaning the mess Ryou had made up. Ryou gratefully accepted the water. He looked up at the doctor. "I'm sorry."he said. Tuzaki smiled. "You couldn't help it."she said. When Mr Bakura had finished cleaning up Tuzaki wrapped a bandage around Ryou's chest and gave him a package of painkillers. She instructed him to take one twice a day. Ryou nodded, but got dizzy and decided it would be wise to lie down again. "Well."doctor Tuzaki said. "Tomorrow I'll come back to check on you. You're a good boy."

Almost like wanting to protest the Millennium Ring fell with a "cling" to the floor.

Later that day Yugi, Joey, Tristan and Tea came to bring him his homework. They rang the doorbell and Mr Bakura opened up. He looked worried and tired, they noticed. "Hello, sir."Yugi greeted him. "We came to visit Bakura-Kun." "Yeah. We've heard he was sick today."Joey added. Mr Bakura rubbed the back of his head. "Yes, well... he was sick indeed..."he began. The others looked at him expectantly. "But he fell down the stairs. Don't get shocked when you see him." He led them the way to Ryou's room, and did not see the others change glances.

"Oh!"Téa cried when she saw Ryou. Ryou had fallen asleep. A white bandage was wrapped around his upper body and the plaster below his eye was stained with blood. His arms were covered with scratches. A little bit of blood was still visible around his nostrils. He looked in one word terrible. Mr Bakura touched his eyelashes. Ryou fluttered his eyes and woke up. "Your friends are here, Ryou."Mr Bakura softly said. Ryou looked at his right and saw the four people that were packed in the landing. He tried to smile.

Mr Bakura left to make the visitors some drinks. Yugi went over to Ryou and sat down on the floor. "What happened, Bakura-Kun?"he asked. Ryou sat up. "I fell down the stairs."he said. He made a gesture with his head in the direction of the Millennium Ring, that was innocently lying on his bedside-table. Yugi's purple eyes widened. "You mean the Spirit of the Millennium Ring pushed you?"he asked way to loud. "Sssh!"Ryou hissed. "My dad does not know. I do not want him to find out." "Why not?"Joey asked. Ryou turned to him. "If my father finds out about Yami Bakura, Yami Bakura will kill him!"he said. He began to cough.

"We'll keep quiet, Bakura."Tristan said. "No word about Yami Bakura will pass my lips." Right at that moment Mr Bakura came in. "Who's Yami Bakura?"he asked. The others froze. Tristan muttered an expletive under his breath. Joey sent him a death-glare. "Yami Bakura?"Ryou asked, his voice a little higher than usual. "Oh, that's... a new avatar. You know, Monster World. I wanted to keep that a secret, but Tristan found out." He was glad to see his father believed him. The gang let out a sigh of relieve when the older man left. "That was a narrow escape."Tea sighed. Ryou was a white as a sheet. "How can I ever keep my Yami hidden from my father?"he sadly asked. "Look what he did to me." The others looked at him. "Dad is already suspecting something. If Yami Bakura keeps hurting me like this he will find out. There is no other way." He looked down at Yugi. "He wants my father to find out."

Ryou: (comes back with stickers) I've got the stickers!

Ryou-Ran: Good. (tries to piece Yami Bakura back together)

Yami Bakura's head: Hey hey! Watch the heart ! Watch the heart!

Ryou-Ran: Why are you worried about the heart? You're dead.

YBakura's head: Yes, but it's still mine. I'm incomplete without it.

YBakura's heart: (flies out of the window)

YBakura's head: (is grumpy) And I wasn't even in the mood for a change of heart!

Change of Heart: (appears) Did someone call me?

YBakura's head: No. Leave.

Change of Heart: (shrugs) As you wish. (leaves)

Ryou: Now we should find that heart.

Ryou-Ran: We'll be busy for a while.

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