Borath: Ha! The megaupdate! So stupendous that it deserved a new word as a title! (Comes down off high) Right, the babyshower idea is credited to Pachelbel--I just stuck in my 2 cents (or pence, to stick with my nationality). So yeah, huge update and I think I can speak for both of us when I say that this is one of the best chapters so far. If I can't speak for both of us, then I sure as Hell think it is. ^_^

And whoot-diggity-damn, ''Spawn''s broken the 100 reviews mark! You are all beautiful people, particularly those who reviewed. Those who have been reading and not commenting... Well, you smell. (Waves said readers away.)

Pachelbel: HUGE update. We've got 14 pages! FOURTEEN! So, be kind and review, since we got this out just a few weeks after our last update. Also, in this chapter: Bakura names the Father. Ooh, ominous XD...

Spawn: Chapter 10

Bakura hated Mondays.

Everybody seemed to hate Mondays. First day back at work or school, a reminder that you did have a responsibility and that you couldn't spend the rest of your life lounging around on your arse watching trash TV and eating junk food. What Bakura found strange was that he still hated Mondays without actually having to go to a school or a job. He just sat on his arse watching trash TV and eating junk food.

He'd spent a bit of time speculating on this and finally came to the conclusion that thousands of years ago, when the "week" was being formed, the priests or what-have-you had figured out that every seven days everybody got really cranky and brooding, and thus had proclaimed this day as the beginning of the "week" and figured out the rest around that. Some magical thing must be attached to Mondays, Bakura had decided. Probably a cock-up in the Shadow Realm, or just a spell gone wrong.

He looked down at his rounding stomach.

Spells did go wrong, so it was probably that.

Looking back up to the television, Bakura noted with pleasure that the Architect had finally finished gibbering crap that no one understood and he could finally go back to watching the film and, more importantly, cease these very meaningless and disturbingly astute thoughts. They had been unnerving him.

The front door slammed shut, signaling Ryou's return from school. Typically, he dropped his bag the second he was in the house and set about ridding himself of his jacket. "Bakura, are you here?"

Bakura rolled his eyes with a snort. "Just where the Hell would I be? I can barely get up with this thing attached to me." Said "thing" began wriggling with glee upon sensing that Ryou was home.

Ryou seemed to ignore that, coming into the sitting room where the second "Matrix" was blaring and sat down. He looked down at the breakfast tray on the coffee table, sighing when he saw that it was totally untouched. Both pieces of toast, the bowl of cereal, spoon, knife and marmalade were all exactly where he had put them this morning.

He fixed a firm gaze on Bakura who met it equally. "Why didn't you eat your breakfast this morning?"

Bakura shrugged, his eyes drifting back to the television. "Didn't want it," he mumbled quietly.

Ryou arched a brow. "Have you eaten at all today?"

"Yeah.."

Crossing his arms as what had probably happened for the hundredth time settled into his mind, Ryou couldn't help but glare at his yami. "Did you just eat Saltines all day?"

".Maybe.."

"Bakura! That's not good enough! You need to eat healthy food, things that'll be good for both you and the baby and not just things you like," he exclaimed, rising to his feet so as to stand over the spirit. Bakura merely looked up at him with darkening eyes.

"I know. But the leach doesn't like a lot of that stuff and I'd rather eat crap and not puke than to suffer through a meal just to see it again in Technicolor."

Ryou threw his arms into the air in exasperation. Sometimes his yami could be very testing. "And the baby tells you what it does and doesn't like, does it?!"

The child in question squirmed pitifully, and Bakura picked up on a distinct feeling of uncertainty and fear coming from it, likely caused by Ryou's unusual outburst. He unconsciously laid a hand over his stomach, still glaring at Ryou. "It might as well 'cause I can tell when it disagrees. And would you bloody calm down; you're upsetting it."

Lowering his arms with an apologetic expression, Ryou wrapped them about his waist and cast his gaze to the space of carpet between his feet. Only the sounds of explosions from the television could be heard for several minutes before he spoke again. Bakura seemed quite happy to sit glowering at the screen.

"I'm sorry. I'm just worried about you. This is quite a dangerous situation and you really need to look after yourself. You remember how hard it was for Yami-Yugi; it nearly killed him," Ryou murmured steadily, finally eyeing Bakura as he trailed off. The spirit was still staring at the television and if anything his glare had intensified.

Bakura spoke without looking at his Hikari. The truth was he was more scared than angry after that little speech. He did know what he had gotten himself into, and he did know better concerning taking care of himself. Hell, Tetsuo had started dragging him into the Shadow Realm almost daily to lecture him, something that he was really hating. But hearing it from Ryou with that much concern in his voice. He didn't like that one bit.

"You will *not* compare me with the Pharaoh. Ever. And I don't give a damn if you're worried because I can take care of myself. So if you'd kindly take your sentiments and good intentions and shove them up-"

Ryou stared wide-eyed as his yami broke off mid-insult, snatched up the knife from the tray with an expression of terror and then almost stabbed himself in the stomach with it. He caught himself in time though, holding the blade a few inches from the area of flesh he was now staring intently at. After a moment his entire body twitched and the blade jerked dangerously in his hand before settling again.

Not entirely sure what to do, Ryou spoke his yami's name aloud and was partially relieved when cold, startled eyes locked onto him. He wasn't used to the expression that the spirit was wearing though.

Looking back down at his stomach, Bakura put the knife down on the cushion beside him and contemplated what had just happened. His conclusion was quickly reached and quietly announced. "I don't think it likes me shouting at you."

Tipping his head, Ryou finally felt he could broach the question without Bakura stabbing either him or himself. "What just happened? Are you alright?"

Bakura nodded rapidly, still looking at his stomach. "Yeah, I'm fine. I think it just kicked. A real kick, not these weird, mental ones that I've had already. It kicked my." His brow furrowed and he looked up to Ryou again. "What d'you reckon it kicked?"

"Your uterus," Ryou replied flatly, his expression switching from anxiety to bemusement. This really was a priceless moment.

Bakura pulled a face. "Don't be stupid, Ryou. I don't. Oh wait. Aw Hell, I grew a uterus. That's disgusting."

Laughing, Ryou considered moving closer to his yami in this time of confusion, but decided that it would likely be better all around if he stayed on his side of the room. "Did you think it was just growing in a space that happened to be in your abdomen? Besides, you had a uterus already. All guys do. It's very small and underdeveloped, but it's there."

The spirit looked like he'd rather have been told that he'd have to cut off his own arm to survive the night. The astonishment left now that he'd gotten a little more used to the idea of a baby sending a foot into his gut, and a glare at the situation in general slid violently into place. "Bloody Hell. You do know that if I get fucking periods after all this, neither of us are going to survive the first month?"

Ryou nodded solemnly in understanding. He'd be killed during a mood-swing and then Bakura would kill himself rather than face night-sweats, bloating, cramps and hormones.

Silence reigned for a quarter of an hour as Bakura steadily cooled off and Ryou watched his yami's restless fingers working over his side, evidently where the child had been attacking.

"What's it feel like?" he finally ventured, curiosity getting the better of him.

Tipping his head to the side, Bakura thought back to the sensation that may have *perhaps* caught him a little off-guard. "Like, a hard feather. Hurt a bit." A secret smirk, one that only a mirror and his Hikari (when Bakura was in a good mood at least) were permitted to see. "Felt kinda nice."

***

Four days passed with only a little activity from the baby, though Bakura seemed more relaxed than he had before the baby's movements. The atmosphere of the house was far more peaceful, near to glowing in fact, than it had ever been before. Ryou would have found this a good thing, if it weren't for one problem.

Ryou hadn't mentioned the baby shower to Bakura. As planned, it was going to be a surprise. Getting the belligerent spirit to actually leave the house long enough for Ryou and his friends to set up, however, was proving difficult, thanks to the yami's newfound "relaxation". Apparently Bakura had been reading and was using the "rest and relaxation" instructions wherever applicable.

"You need exercise, Yami," Ryou prodded for the fourth time that morning. "You should go for a walk."

Bakura snorted from where he sat in his customary position on the sofa. There was even a little dent beginning to form in the cushions from his almost constant presence there. "I have enough trouble walking from here to the bathroom and back. And would you move out of the way? I can't very well see through you."

Ryou was beginning to get desperate. The guests would arrive soon, and even if he could tell them to wait outside with their gifts, Bakura would find it odd that everyone Ryou knew was showing up at the same time. He wouldn't survive the minutes following that when Bakura got either overwhelmed or figured out what was going on.

So he planted himself firmly in front of the TV and glared with all the force he could muster. Bakura raised an indulging and slightly curious brow. "Get out of the house, Yami! I thought you'd be happy to chase a few ducks, what with the spare tires you're getting."

That did it. Either Ryou had tricked the spirit into leaving, or Bakura was about to commit murder. Either way, the thief was on his feet. Resisting the instinctive urge to glance about for his best escape route, Ryou held his ground defiantly and didn't take his eyes off his yami's.

"What did you say?" That was a tone that leaned more towards the "murder" possibility. That escape route was suddenly becoming remarkably appealing..

Ryou swallowed, feeling a little faint. Probably from the blood draining from his face. "You know...love handles around your waist? You...uhm...I bet you could lose them in no time." The urge was too strong and he edged steadily towards the door, not turning his back on Bakura once. That would be like turning one's back on a tiger that you'd just walloped with a stick.

Bakura followed. Ryou fumbled for the doorknob, but Bakura grabbed it first. At the last possible second, just before Ryou was certain Bakura was going to slit his throat with his fingernails, the thief yanked open the door, shouldered Ryou aside and headed down the steps.

It took a few minutes for the teen to get his knees to stop knocking together, but he managed to open the door when Isis and Rishid arrived. He sighed shakily and motioned them in, relieved that he wasn't on his own with a murderous yami roaming around.

"Where do you want us to put our gifts?" Isis asked, smiling pleasantly.

Rishid was holding two armloads--Rishid-sized armloads, mind you, and he was not a small man--of blue- and pink-wrapped presents. Both adults seemed very happy to be there.

"Uhm...put them in my dad's room for now." Bakura never went in there. Aside from the time he'd come home drunk and attempted to kill Ryou's father, that is. "It's the last one on the left down the hall."

Rishid awkwardly staggered away, trying to balance the teeming armloads. Isis smiled and sat down on the couch. "Is there anything you'd like me to do, Ryou? I could set out snacks or put up decorations."

"Oh! Yes, please. The snacks are in the kitchen." He led her in and showed her the stash under the sink.

Not long after, Joey, Tristan, and Yugi arrived, minus the heap of presents. Joey had an unwrapped pacifier, Tristan had a single bottle of bean-and-broccoli baby food (which wouldn't technically be useful until the baby was a little older, and the food would likely be spoiled by then. But Ryou decided not to say anything). Yugi had a small plush chicken.

"Yami's coming by later," Yugi offered, after putting the newest gifts together with the Ishtars'.

Ryou nodded, though he was feeling a bit anxious after hearing that. He didn't know how long Bakura would be gone, and Yami was really their best defense if this surprise party did in fact surprise the thief. He was very unpredictable when startled and having Yami pull both of them into the Shadow Realm would likely be the only way out of that sort of situation.

Tristan looked around. "So, where's your sister?"

Yugi and Joey exchanged a "look". Ryou blinked and then, abruptly, remembered. He'd put Amane's name on the invitations. Yugi and Joey knew she was dead. Ryou swallowed heavily and chose to simply come clean. The worst they could do, he reasoned, was take their presents home and never speak to him again.

"Guys, actually, the truth is...the baby shower is...for my yami." With that, he cringed, waiting for the laughter, the questions, the wrath. He had dreaded this possible moment almost as much as Bakura's bad reaction to this shower.

Yugi stared at him for a moment before looking to the side with narrowed eyes. He looked thoughtful, but not particularly pleased. "I had wondered. Yami's been talking a lot about him lately...so I wondered." His tone was not altogether inviting, and Ryou didn't know what to think of it.

Joey began laughing. "Bakura's knocked himself up!" When this statement registered, he frowned. "Waitaminute...who knocked him up?"

Now, this was one of the many things Ryou could not answer. And before he could say so, Joey held up a hand to stop him. The blond's expression was stoic and some of the colour had left his cheeks.

"Never mind. I don't want to know." The blond grimaced, the muscles around his jaw tightening fiercely for a second. "The mental images of Yami and Seto--however hard I fought them off, mind you--are enough scarring to last me a long time. So forget I asked, huh?"

Ryou nodded with an understanding smile and glanced back at Yugi, who seemed less than thrilled by this news. He didn't even seem remotely excited, and Yugi was generally one of the most upbeat people in Domino.

Ryou sighed to himself. He should have at least anticipated that Yugi wouldn't take the news well. Bakura had, inadvertently or not, killed one of Yami's children and Yugi was fiercely protective of his "nieces and nephews".

Isis broke him out of his thoughts before he could come up with something to say to his friend, smoothly gliding in front of him with a questioning expression. Rishid was off to her side with a piece of paper and small pencil in his hands, watching them both. "Rishid and I were wondering...where will the baby be sleeping, once it is born?"

Ryou frowned. His first guess would be Bakura's room, but if the baby was too loud at night it was likely that Bakura would move it to Ryou's care. He couldn't imagine his yami was a patient parent.

"We...haven't really discussed it," he admitted at length. "His room I suppose."

Rishid nodded once, jotted something on the paper and sauntered off. From what Ryou could tell, he had a list in his hand.

At Ryou's questioning look Isis explained, "We found a magazine article on household dangers to children. He wanted to make certain your house is free of them."

This, of course, was ridiculous. If there had ever been a more dangerous home for a child, Ryou couldn't fathom it. Perhaps a torture chamber or dungeon, but Bakura's bedroom doubled as both those things and more, on multiple occasions.

Though, whatever Rishid decided was unsafe would be confiscated, and there was nothing Ryou could do about that. It would have had to be done sooner or later, anyway. He just hoped that Rishid wouldn't go overboard and deem the house as unsalvageable and demand that they move in with him and Isis.

Deciding that it was likely best to speak to Rishid before he could further extend what already looked like a long list, Ryou began to go after the man. Until the door swung open and Bakura walked in. He stopped in his tracks instantly, looking slightly out of breath. The room froze as everyone turned to look at him.

"Uhm...surprise, yami," Ryou murmured weakly, trying to force a smile that came out more nervous than happy.

Bakura looked around, slowly taking in the subtle changes to the living room. It was cleaner, and the coffee table was laden with more junk food than Ryou had allowed in the house in weeks. The baby squirmed in a physical manifestation of a gleeful squeal. On either end of the table, vegetable dishes were also laid out.

Gradually his eyes came back to rest on Ryou. His expression was one that promised much suffering if he didn't like the answer he received. "...What is this?"

One thought pounded through Ryou's mind in a merciless loop at that expression: Why wasn't Yami-Yugi there? "A baby shower."

"A what?" Bakura's eyes narrowed, his tone low and disbelieving. The baby on the other hand seemed much keener. If it could have, it would have pricked up its ears at the thought that it was having its own "shower".

Ryou sought to explain, raising his hands minutely in a pacifying gesture and forcing himself not to back away. Perhaps this hadn''t been such a good idea after all... "Baby shower. It's a gathering, of...friends, and they give you things to help when the baby is born."

Said baby was beside itself with glee, practically quivering with excitement and joy. Not only had it picked up on all its favorite people being in the room, it also knew that it was going to get a lot of attention. Bakura thought he might be sick from the physical and mental cartwheels the baby seemed to be turning, on top of the thought that *this many people* knew about his "condition".

That freaked him out the most. But as the thought registered in his mind, he felt a sudden surge of warmth spread through his gut and heard a faint pop in his ears. No one else seemed to have noticed, but Bakura could tell that Tetsuo's concealment spell had just kicked in. Still, he wasn't entirely comforted. There were people here who knew about the baby and were, what? Giving him things?

"What *sort* of "things"?" He finally ground out, scanning the room quickly for any signs of conspicuous parcels.

Isis took up the answers this time, apparently unfazed by Bakura's mood. "Gifts." She turned to the bedroom hallway, her smile growing again. Ryou could tell that she was quite into the idea of being an aunt. "Rishid, please bring out the presents!"

Bakura's irritation quickly vanished, or at least was put aside to simmer, when he found he'd been given a crib, extra diapers, formula, a changing table, toys, blankets, clothing, pacifiers, and one bottle of baby food. His little child had exhausted itself in the excitement, though that wouldn't last long. Yami arrived fashionably late, with a basinet and diaper bag to add to the list.

About an hour after Bakura first arrived, everyone had divided up into smaller groups and were talking amongst themselves. Ryou had been standing off to one side with Bakura but left to sort out some more food, leaving his yami toying with the rubber bit of the pacifier Joey had given him.

The baby had finally exhausted itself from all the excitement and was being fairly quiet with only the odd flitter of overwhelming joy or boundless excitement drifting into Bakura's mind.

Bakura was just starting to enjoy the peace inside his body when he saw Yami approaching him. He stiffened involuntarily but tipped his head in greeting all the same. The animosity between them was still there and well founded but they had both become more civil around each other over the past few weeks.

The Game King smirked at the pacifier as he came to stand by the wall, leaning against it casually and crossing his arms. "You're taking all this surprisingly well."

Bakura glared at the other spirit who merely nodded to his stomach before continuing. "You're overdue for another ultrasound. It'll have to wait until next week though, when Seto is out of town."

Bakura smiled faintly. "Had a bit of trouble redecorating from when I last came over?"

Now it was Yami's turn to glare but he only "hmm"ed darkly in agreement. His expression turned strange then, crimson eyes dropping to stare at Bakura's strangely normal *flat* stomach, though Yami could see past the spell. There was a definite "silhouette" where Bakura's real girth should have been.

"Just how many times have you seen Tetsuo now?" Yami wondered aloud. "It seems that every time I see you, you reek of his magic."

Bakura snorted, tossing the pacifier onto the table. "It's not my choice. The last few times he's just snatched me up, had a chat, maybe worked some mojo and then dumped me back again," he groused. He had lost count of the amount of times when Tetsuo had pulled him into the Shadow Realm for a few minutes to lecture him or quiz him about something. Ryou didn't comment on it anymore it had become so commonplace.

Yami looked amused again. "It seems you've become his new project. I'm relieved. The Shadow Realm was even more chaotic than usual with him bored, and as he was created solely for me, I'm responsible for keeping him in order. But, if you're distracting him so well, I believe it'll be a far easier task for me."

The thief frowned as the implications of that set in. Tetsuo was going to get more and more involved and considering how much the monster interfered already. He had a headache just thinking about it. Apparently Yami acknowledged that it was his job to keep the monster in line, so maybe he could nip it in the bud. "You're refereeing the monsters then?"

Yami could instantly tell where this was heading. The eagerness and hope in Bakura's eyes gave it away. "Just Tetsuo. He's got an uncanny amount of sentience for lack of a better word, and it seems he has a fully formed personality and it's making him something of a pest. I am greatly indebted to him so I will not act against him, but I do need some way to control him."

A slick smile, almost mocking. Bakura looked like he wanted to claw it off.

"And as he's taken such a keen interest in you, I see no reason not to let him carry on with his new "project". He's helping more than hindering from what I can see, and hopefully he'll leave the other monsters alone now."

Bakura looked like he was on the verge of growling, his hands clenched in tight fists at his side as he glowered at Yami. The baby, perhaps deciding that it had had enough of the tension, kicked quite firmly in one of the more tender places it could, distracting Bakura enough for Yami to slip away back to where Yugi and Tristan were standing.

"That looked tense," Tristan commented with a glance over to Bakura. The thief appeared to be brooding now, slipping off into the kitchen moments later after Ryou.

Yami shook his head with a slight smile. "No, I was just teasing him. Tetsuo's meddling with him and I don't think he particularly likes it. I think it's for the best though."

Yugi cast Bakura's retreating back a dark look before looking up at Yami. "I don't understand. How you can...can even *talk* to him, or why you're helping him."

Yami eyes widened a little in mild surprise and Tristan wisely backed off, moving to see Joey on the other side of the room. "Yugi, I-"

"He's not sorry about it, Yami. I remember what happened and I don't understand how you can act like it never did. It's like you've forgotten about it."

The spirit's eyes darkened several shades with emotion as he swallowed around a sudden bitter lump in his throat. "How could I forget? I helped in her destruction, I felt it, did it and it still haunts me. I will *never* forget it."

Yugi studied him, a pained and confused expression in his eyes. "Then why are you helping him?"

"Because he didn't mean for it to happen. It was an accident and as brutal as it was, I've accepted that. I've done terrible things just like him, and when-"

"So you think that one of your children being killed was some fate-destined punishment for your sins?" Yugi cut in quickly, caught in the heat of the moment now.

He didn't notice that they were beginning to get the attention of those close-by despite how tightly hushed their voices were. Their expressions gave away everything even if they had been communicating telepathically. Verbalizing just seemed to be a more powerful way of relaying the point right now.

"I will *not* stand here and by psychoanalyzed by you. The point is that he is in a dangerous situation and I'm the only one with the experience to help him aside from Tetsuo."

"He-"

"This is neither the time nor the place Yugi," Yami snapped flatly, finality laid on so thick it was almost chewable.

From the doorway into the kitchen, Bakura and Ryou stood having watched most of the exchange, the latter holding a plate of sandwiches in his hands. Bakura's brows were raised, mostly because of Yugi's behaviour, and Ryou simply looked concerned.

"Do you think you should go over and say something?" he asked softly, watching Yami turn and stride away from Yugi while Joey place a hand on his smaller friend's shoulder.

Bakura looked to him in utter disbelief. "What? And have Yugi string me up by my entrails? Not a chance. If I'm lucky, Yami'll calm down and come back before I have to say anything because I know somehow I'm going to get blamed."

Ryou made a thoughtful noise before a loud bang caught his and everyone else's attention. The front door swung open yet again, but this time it was to admit an unwelcome guest.

"Malik!" Isis grinned.

Okay, mostly unwelcome.

Bakura frowned and moved to stand a little in front of Ryou, but Malik seemed not to care. Instead Malik strode over to him, knelt down, and thrust a hand under his shirt to feel his stomach before Bakura had the chance to protest. His eyes widened as the baby tentatively punched against Malik's hand, making Bakura growl.

"What the hell--"

"It's...it's still in there! And you're not fat!" He tossed a narrow glance over Bakura's slightly doughy frame. "Well, not fat with the baby. How'd you do that?"

"Magic," he answered clippishly, not noticing that Ryou had disappeared a few feet behind him. "What the fuck are you doing here?"

"It's a baby shower. I saw so on the invitation in Rishid's sock drawer and the one on Isis's fridge. I figured you were Ryou's "sister"." He tugged a package out of one of his cargo pockets. It was hastily wrapped in tin foil, and Bakura honestly couldn''t venture a guess as to what it might be. It wasn't unlike Malik to wrap up poisons this way, nor could he think that it was unlike him to simply give away a ball of scrunched up tinfoil.

"I also came to give you this," Malik added.

Bakura took it cautiously and probed it with Shadow Magic for danger. Finding none, he carefully unwrapped it to find a cord of knitted, multi-colored yarn. He looked up at Malik's proudly beaming face.

"It's a baby noose! I figured you won't accept my help to get rid of it magically--my yami thinks it's because you're afraid we'll goof up and give you twins--so I made this instead. This is for when you get sick of its wailing, whining, spitting, sleep-robbing--"

The baby was now cowering so far back it could have been clinging to Bakura's spine. For his part, Bakura's expression was so malignant it had everyone in the room flattened against the walls. Except Malik, who was still yammering and not even looking at the tomb robber.

"*Listen*, Malik," Bakura snarled, and the Egyptian broke off mid-paragraph. "I don't want your help, your pity, or your pranks. I don't want you to come *near* us." He was seething now, blood pounding in his ears. "I don't want your psychotic driving. I don't want your schemes. I don't want *you*. From here on out, you are *not* the brat's other father." Bakura didn't look away from Malik, but he did point at Rishid. "He is!"

There was what could only be described as a collective blink from the entire group, although Isis looked at Rishid with a certain amount of interest. For his part, Rishid appeared a little fazed by the shock before smiling thinly and tipping his head graciously in Bakura's direction.

Joey's mouth had dropped open and the next words to tumble out of it were accompanied by a groan. "That's even worse than thinking of you an' Malik together...."

Rishid flushed at that and looked cautiously between Bakura and Malik. He didn't want to move anywhere, as that might draw their attention, and at the moment he couldn't tell what Malik might do. The younger Egyptian didn't take well to having things turned around on him.

A few minutes passed, and then Malik tossed his head back and laughed. "Ri-Rishid? The father? You're not serious!" His laughter died out. "I mean, you're *not* serious. *I'm* the one who's been sleeping with you, you dolt. Maybe not lately, but a hell of a lot more recently than *Rishid*."

"Master Malik..." Rishid began. When Malik didn't glare at him, merely turned an interested, slightly patronizing gaze on him, he moved forward until he was standing within arm''s reach of them. "You don't want the baby, Master Malik. Allow me to care for it as my own."

Bakura snorted. "'As your own'? It might just as well be. You're the one who made the potion. Malik just ordered you to do it."

Rishid kept a cautious eye on his brother, but had a thoughtful frown on his face. "I suppose that is true, Bakura."

Malik protested, half-heartedly. "What? Didn't you hear me? You and me, Bakura! Not..." he gestured at Rishid. When neither seemed swayed by this non-argument, he rolled his eyes and sighed in disgust. "Fine. But don't *ever* think of asking me to babysit, Rishid."

He turned and stalked away, not bothering to shut the door behind him. Rishid seemed about to go after him, but Isis shook her head. The tall man looked back to Bakura with the same thoughtful expression. For just a second, his frown flickered into a smile.

****

Borath: Well, there ya have it. It''s possible that this could be the very first ''pairing'' of Bakura and Rishid, so kudos to us for originality. Nice and long update here, so review with all due haste and intelligence. Or just say something nice.

Pachelbel: We need...crave...your reactions. And responses. *points* Review. *pause* Please?