Disclaimer: You know the drill.

A/N: I'm not dead!! I got banned for a little while though...( Got a bunch of old humor fics that I didn't really care about anyway taken down...) But I'm back now and I promise to update soon. If not, feel free to send me nasty e-mails and the like, nagging is the only thing that makes me get things done sometimes.

I walk into my apartment, physically and mentally drained to find Bakura lounging on my couch, helping himself to some of my pocky.

"I really don't like coconut." He said as he thoughtfully sucked on the chocolate covered stick, frowning up at me.

"Then why are you eating it?" I ask, with a hint of annoyance.

He shurgs, turning his attention back to the television. "You had nothing else good."

"Well, I'm glad to see you're making yourself at home." I scowl as I flop down on the couch next to him, taking the stick out of his mouth and biting off the tip. He frowns but says nothing as he takes another stick out of the package.

"So, how did the little meeting go."

"Kaiba is one screwed up mother fucker." I sigh, he chuckles at that.

"I didn't need you to tell me that."

"Let's see...basically he refused to listen to me when I told him about what was on the letter and...Jou broke up with him, not vice versa."

"Really now?" The spirits eyes widened at that as he sucked on his pocky thoughtfully. "Hmm...perhaps it's time we paid the blonde one a visit?"

"I guess...he said he was going home so...uh...Bakura?" I turn to him as I notice a faint light admitting from the ring, seeing a pair of innocent brown eyes blinking up at me.

"Otogi?" The voice came out much softer before the boy trailed off, looking like he was listening to something no one else could hear, a conversation going on in his head. "You what?!" He exclaims, "Well yeah...but..." He sighs, running a hand through pale hair, "Alright fine."

"...Ryou?" I ask, looking at him in confusion.

"What on earth have you gotten yourself into?" He asks not in a disapproving tone but more in a concerned manner, turning to look at me and sighed.

"Uh..."

"Bakura explained everything to me." He says, and I nod my head, I almost forgot there was another personality inside that body, I had gotten so used to dealing with the feisty spirit. "Come, let's go find Jou shall we?"

"Ok, but wait, why did Bakura..." I trail off as we head out the door, even though I hate to admit it, I feel strange doing this without my recent partner in crime.

"Well, he thought it might be better if I went in his place, you know, I'd seem less suspicious."

"And you're okay with doing this?" I ask, slightly confused, Jou was supposed to be his friend after all, and here he was helping us.

"I really don't have much of a choice..." He mummers, fingering the ring around his neck absently before he jumps slightly, shrinking away from an invisible pain that I cannot see, making a startled yelp. "Hey that hurt!" He hisses, glaring down at the ring but keeping his mouth shut. I didn't really know what was going on in the poor boy's head but I suddenly find myself feeling sorry for him. I mean, when it came to Yugi, Yami was his partner, a friend that could be counted on. But Bakura...he only used his host's body as a tool, without his permission even.

"So..." I start as we walk down the street towards Jou's house in almost complete silence. "What's it like? You know...being in possession of the ring?"

He turns to me, a strange look on his face, before he answers. "Well...it's strange. Walking up in an unfamiliar place, not knowing how I got there." He sighs, turning to me and giving me a faint smile. "It's seems to be happening a lot frequently lately, has he been spending all that time with you?"

"Well...yeah, I guess." I bite my lip as I feel my face heat up slightly, not sure why.

He seems relieved at that though. "Good, at least I know he hasn't been up to anything...that bad."

"Yeah...well, he's not that bad either, you know, when he want's to be."

He smiles at me again. "I know that." The silence returns for a couple moments and I notice Ryou taking a few quick glances at me, smiling every so often to himself, before we reach Jou's apartment building.

"This is it." He announces and I nod my head, looking up at they grey, run-down building. "Have you ever been here before?"

"No."
He frowns at that but says nothing as we make our way up the stairs and through numerous hallways. A right here a left there...we stop finally in from of an apartment labeled 'Jounouchi', the numbers 34b falling off slightly. I turn to look at Ryou as he knocks, the noise echoing down the empty hallway. Something doesn't feel right, I can't put my finger on it but...

We both jump as we here a crashing noise coming form the other side of the door, accompanied by a muffled yelp. "Jou?!" I cry out as I grip the door handle, trying to jerk it open but to no avail. I hear another yelp, and it is definitely the boy's voice. I recall something I heard awhile ago...

"Don't give me that bullshit...where did he hit you this time?"

Jou's dad, Kaiba was right, he had to be. I bang on the door as hard as I can, calling out the blonde's name. I hear the noises from the other side quiet down, and that's not a good sign. Jou could be dead by now...I feel a wave of nausea hit me, and my hands are shaking in fear. How could I ever forgive myself if I let this happen when I was right outside the damn door?!

"Stand back." I hear a calm voice order from behind me. As soon as I'm out of the way the door is blown right off the hinges, landing on the ground with a dull thud. I turn around to see Bakura, the ring glowing slightly, those dark eyes narrowed. I feel relived now as I rush into the apartment, knowing that the spirit is there to back me up, but I stop dead in my tracks a few moments later.

"Jou?!" I cry out as I find him curled into a ball at my feet, broken bleeding and not moving. I fall to the floor and grip him by the shoulders, shaking him slightly, not wanting to hurt him further. "Oh god Jounouchi...don't you fucking die on me! Jounouchi!!"

"Who the hell..." I hear a voice slur out form behind me, the unmistakable rotten smell of booze and cigarettes and I freeze. I look up slowly to see the man standing over me, he was tall and you could tell he had a beer belly, but he was strong. Strong enough to over power Jounouchi. I then notice what he's gripping in his hand, a broken beer bottle, the jagged ends stained with blood, and I know who's blood it is.

I throw one arm protectively over Jou and the other instinctively over my head as he reaches out for me. I flinch slightly as I hear the loud moan of pain from above me, looking up to seeing the older man gripping his hair, hunched over slightly.

"Bakura..." I whisper gratefully as he uses his shadow power to bring the man to his knees, knocking him unconscious. I'm distantly aware of the sound of the sprit's voice, speaking into the phone calmly, getting help. I grip the unconscious blonde tighter to me, trying to stop some of the bleeding by putting pressure in certain spots. I just hope we're not too late.

Satanic Mechanic: Whooo! Cliffie!! I will update soon, I promise! And if I don't, I give you all full permission to nag me to death, it's the only way to get me to do anything. X.x
I also want to point out that I don't usually agree with the whole 'jou's dad beats him' plotline. I agree that their homelife is not exactly perfect, but I don't believe that there is as much abuse as some people tend to believe. Plus I think it's a little too overdone. But you know...for the sake of this fic...yeah, I needed a turning point. (points to the title of chapter.)