Author's Note: I'm so glad people like this fic! I'm updating quickly this time (a first), and I'll try to update fairly consistently. Oh, also, in the last chapter I tried using double back slashes for when Bakura 'spoke' to Ryou, but they didn't show up. This time, =blah= isBakura to Ryou, /blah/ is Ryou to Bakura. I'll change the other chapters to match, eventually.

Ryou wondered why he got himself into such idiotic situations.

"Because you love me, of course," his yami informed him with their mouth, which he was currently controlling.

Ryou wasn't sure if breaking into the Domino History museum was a-well-healthy expression of love. Somehow, he doubted it. /You remember about the security system, right, Bakura?/

=What, like the one at the convenience store? The one with the ridiculously loud alarms and sirens?=

Ah, yes. Ryou remembered the convenience store fiasco only too well. Bakura had broken in the back door at 3:00 AM, rendered the clerk unconscious, and walked calmly out with his prize-a single package of chewing gum. Ryou would never tell him 'why don't you get it for yourself?' again. /Yes. So you know how to get past it, then?/

=Don't be silly. Of course I do.=

/Ah...good./ Right. Just excellent. Now he was aiding and abetting the criminal. Oh well, Ryou realized. The criminal's using my body, anyway. Somehow, Ryou knew the police wouldn't believe that it was actually the looney in his head who had decided to waltz right into the closed museum. He could just picture it. "Right, and, officer? I take a size 4 straitjacket."

=Don't be so dramatic,= Bakura scolded. =All I have to do is clip a few wires, walk in, take the amulet, and walk out. What could go wrong?=

/I can only think of about fifty things, offhand,/ Ryou replied dryly.

=Don't worry so much,= Bakura admonished cheerfully. =I've been doing this for a while, you know.=

/I know,/ Ryou told him. /Believe me, I know. Um, Bakura?/

=Yes, dearest?=

/You do know the way to the museum, right?/

=Of course I do!=

/It's just that we're walking through a lot of alleys, 'Kura. Isn't the museum on Eighth street?/

"Oh!" Bakura suddenly exclaimed, stopping.

/What?/ Ryou asked, alarmed. /Are you lost?/

"No-o," Bakura said, with a small chuckle. "It's just...you thought we were going to walk right in the front door?"

/There's another door?/ Ryou asked in surprise.

Bakura sighed. "You wouldn't think I'd forget that you're not a thief." He shook his head and continued walking.

/No,/ Ryou agreed. Then there was silence, until Bakura started humming quietly. Ryou was amazed. He hadn't known his yami was musical. He listened for a minute, then had to ask. /'Kura, what's that?/

=What's what?= Bakura asked, quickly looking around.

/No, sorry. I meant what you were humming. It's beautiful./

Bakura smiled imperceptibly...to anyone but his light, that was. =It's from Egypt. I learned it on the street, when I wasn't robbing tombs yet.=

/Wow,/ Ryou said, impressed. /I like it. Does it have words?/

=Oh, yes,= Bakura told him.

/Can I hear them?/

=Well, it's hard to translate, but basically, it goes 'Filthy son of jackals, may your liver be devoured by crocodiles-=

/Um./

='May your soul be devoured and live forever in the stinking belly of a hippo-'=

/Um, 'Kura?/

=Yes?=

/It's a lovely song-/ Ryou searched for a diplomatic way to put it. /But...ah, it's not very nice is it?/

=That one?= Bakura inquired. He sounded genuinely surprised. =That one's not bad at all, really. You should hear the one we sang about the Pharaoh.=

/Er, no thanks,/ Ryou said hastily.

=We're here!= Bakura announced. They were in front of a drab little door on the side of the museum. There was a numerical keypad next to it, and a sensor above it.

/I hope my father won't mind bailing me out of jail,/ Ryou said gloomily.

=Have some faith in me,= Bakura grinned.

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As it turned out, Ryou's fears were misplaced. After studying the sensor for about five minutes, Bakura climbed partway up the wall (Ryou wasn't entirely sure how; he hadn't thought his body capable of such things) and opened the cover of the box. He cut some of the wires with a pair of wire clippers Ryou hadn't known he'd been carrying, and, miraculously, there was a buzz and the door swung open.

Ryou didn't bother asking how a tomb robber from ancient Egypt could figure out modern technology better than he could. He was just grateful that it was true.

"All right, what did that psychotic Egyptian say?" Bakura murmured.

Ryou decided it was better not to comment on that.

"Let's see, left side, left side." Bakura walked silently, carefully, past statues and paintings. Then, he halted abruptly.

/What? What's wrong?/ Ryou asked anxiously. /Do you hear something-oh./ He had just noticed the case full of gold jewelry.

Bakura let out a hiss of breath. =Why even bother sneaking in, if only to steal one thing...?=

/No!/ Ryou exclaimed, horrified, but not altogether unsurprised. /We're doing this for a reason, remember? Not a greedy, selfish reason-well.../ he trailed off. /Well, a bit selfish. But don't you think about it, 'Kura!/

=Too late, hikari,= Bakura said, staring at the jewelry. They were bedecked with precious gems, and they caught the light in such...a nice...way...

Ryou snapped himself out of it. /I'm going to turn into a jewel thief one day, you know, 'Kura. And it'll be your fault!/

=Excellent!= the ex-Tomb Robber responded happily. =We could work as a team! We could become world-infamous...= he mused.

It was not exactly the answer Ryou had been hoping for. /No, that is not a good thing. I was a completely upstanding citizen before you came along!/

=I'm glad to have helped,= Bakura said smugly, with a hint of a laugh.

Ryou was beginning to think that he was going insane. He was in a closed museum that he (technically speaking) had broken into, planning to steal something that was most likely priceless, and he was debating with the voice in his head whether or not they should steal something else, as well.

=I mean, as long as we're here,= Bakura said, doing his best to sound reasonable, =we might as well make some side profit, don't you think?=

/Oh, as long as we're here, oh brilliant. Shall we snag some valuable paintings while we're at it?/

=Hmm...but they'd be hard to carry and hide,= Bakura said thoughtfully. =Maybe some of the smaller sculptures, though...=

/I wasn't serious, 'Kura!/ Ryou exclaimed.

=Neither was I. You're so easy to tease.=

/Well, we're not stealing anything else except what we came for,/ Ryou said, only slightly mollified.

=Fine, fine. Such a waste of a good opportunity, though.=

/Why did I get the thief for a yami?/ asked Ryou despairingly.

=Oh?= Bakura asked. =You would rather have Malik's yami?=

/No,/ Ryou said with a shudder. /No, definitely not./ Yami Malik was sexy-but that was all he had going for him, in Ryou's opinion.

=You think he's sexy?= There was something that might have been hurt in Bakura's tone. One of the disadvantages of a mindlink, Ryou thought dismally. I really have to learn to control that better... /No, 'Kura, I said, sexy but nothing else. Whereas you're sexy and-um-sane./

=Well, that's all right, then,= Bakura replied with satisfaction. =As long as you're not planning to run off with him.=

/You really have some bizarre ideas, 'Kura./

=Oh, look! There it is!= Bakura said, changing the subject. =Rather a big amulet.=

/It is,/ Ryou agreed, still contemplating how Bakura would ever think that he would ever run off with Yami Malik, off all people.

Bakura looked the display case over. =Hmm. I think the easy way would work.= The amulet vanished.

/What did you-/ Ryou felt the weight of the cool gold crocodile in their palm. /How did you do that?/

=I sent it to the Shadow Realm, and then brought it back, but out here,= Bakura told him, immensely pleased with himself.

/Why didn't you do that with the gum?/

=The Shadow Realm isn't good for the flavor.=

/Oh. Right./ So Bakura had almost gotten him arrested so that his gum wouldn't be de-flavored by a trip to the Shadow Realm. /I have to say, you've definitely made my life more interesting./

=I know, my dear innocent hikari.= Bakura inspected the amulet closely. =Rather plain thing.=

Ryou suddenly had an awful thought. /'Kura! What about the security cameras?/

=You don't give me much credit, do you?= Bakura asked. =I used my shadow powers to fix that before we came in.= He smiled and started walking towards the door they'd used. =All they'll see is the amulet vanishing.=

/Sorry, I do know you're a good thief./ Ryou apologized. /It's just that I've never really robbed anywhere before. Which is a good thing,/ he added.

=Of course.=

/And don't think this will be a regular occurence, 'Kura,/ Ryou warned.

=Of course not.= Somehow, this didn't comfort Ryou overly much, especially since what Bakura said next was, =I could use some gum.=

/NO!/ Ryou said vehemently.

Bakura laughed. =Heheheh. So easy to tease. You're so cute.=

Ryou had to admit, it was true. Not necessarily the cute part, though. Well, maybe.

Bakura walked casually out the side door and into the alley, closing the door behind him. =So. Where should we go to try this?=

/Not the house. Father's there, remember?/

=Ah, yes. How inconvenient.=

/Well, it-he-he'll be gone soon,/ Ryou finished. He'd intended to defend his father, but it was inconvenient. There was no way he could tell his father about his dark (well, no good, believable way that wouldn't end up with him visiting a psychiatrist). It was very, very difficult to balance his relationship with his father and the one he had with Bakura.

=How about an old warehouse?= Bakura suggested. =I know one close to here.=

/You know this city better than I do,/ Ryou commented. /How did that happen?

=A thief has to know all the good hiding places,= Bakura replied. =Remember that, dearest.=.

/I hope I never have to use the knowledge,/ Ryou said darkly. /Yes, an old warehouse sounds perfect./

Bakura took off at a sort of odd loping gait. It was smooth, graceful, and covered a good distance with each stride. Ryou thought, It would be nice to see him from the outside, too.

=Why thank you, hikari,= Bakura purred. Ryou blushed. /I didn't mean for you to hear that./ Bakura just chuckled.

The old warehouse was fairly run down. Ryou was a bit nervous. /This building isn't likely to fall down, is it?/

"No," Bakura said aloud, confidently. "I've been here often enough. It won't fall."

/Do I even want to know when this was that you were here?/

"Probably not." Bakura looked at the amulet again. The little crocodile's jaws seemed wider than they had been. Ryou figured it was just his imagination. "I wonder how it works."

/I have no idea./

"Hmm." The Millennium Ring began to glow faintly. A moment passed, and then the crocodile amulet started to glow, too. "Ah, good! Now..." The Ring flared, as bright as any light bulb Ryou had seen.

/Wait! Are you sure you want to do this?/ asked Ryou anxiously. /I mean, after what Yami Malik said, I'm worried. What if you-I mean-what if something happens?/

Bakura was abruptly in Ryou's soul room. =You're cute when you're worried, too,= Bakura told him, flashing a grin. =But don't worry. You know that Yami Malik is a drama queen.= He ran a hand through Ryou's hair (or whatever soul hair was called), and said, =I'll be fine.=

The Ring shone again, even more brilliantly. Bakura said, out loud, "I wish for my own body, after millennia of lacking one. Will the gods of Egypt grant my request?"

/How do you know what to say?/ Ryou asked, impressed.

=It was a guess,= Bakura said, shrugging. =I've never asked the gods for anything before.=

/Well, it sounded official./

=But nothing's hap-= Bakura's tone was disappointed.

Somewhere far away

The god Seth smiled. The Tomb Robber had always been so amusing. Perhaps his request should be granted...

Suddenly the amulet flashed, blinding them.

Ryou blinked, trying to see. He realized with a start that he was back in control of the body. "'Kura?"

Then, his vision cleared. Standing not a foot in front of him, was a man who looked a lot like him. A man with white hair, and very tanned skin. Who wasn't wearing all that much clothing. Oddly enough, what he was wearing looked like a skirt. Ryou's first thought, much to his later chagrin, was Malik and Yugi are going to be so jealous...

"Bakura?" Ryou asked, not that he thought it would be anyone else.

The man...Bakura, Ryou corrected himself...seemed to really look at Ryou for the first time. He grinned, sharp teeth gleaming. "Well, you are pretty, aren't you?"

Before Ryou could object, the distance was closed between them, and he was being passionately kissed. Very nicely, too. Ryou thought, This really was a good idea.

Author's note: Sorry to end it there, heh. Please review, and I'll try to add another chapter soon!