DIS: Welp, this is the end of the line, everybody! My beloved, favorite fic is coming to an end! (sniffs tearfully) This will be the final and last chapter. Oh and for whoever asked what the last chapter's title meant, it means 'I love you' in French. I am just so very keen with that language. Now, enjoy this last chapter. Thank you to everyone who reviewed. I cannot express my thanks enough. (tear!)
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Chapter Twenty-Five, The culmination"We'll have to make haste," Marik informed Anzu, helping her on the horse. "The meeting is supposed to be at St. Ives. It's not that far from here, but still..."
"What if we don't make it?" Anzu asked him as he came up in front of her.
"I guess at that point I'd say, 'Damn!'" Marik told her, shrugging. She smiled at the humor.
"Onward, old boy!" Anzu commanded him.
"Old?" He muttered under his breath as his heel dug into the horse's side.
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"That's Yami's horse, it would appear," Ryou murmured to his brother, who nodded mutely. "But where are the others?"
"I can't tell from here. All these damnable trees are in my sight," Malik growled from behind them. Bakura glanced behind them to stare at the others.
"Hello, chaps!" They whirled around and either pointed a dagger or a pistol at their visitor. Cornwell's eyes widened with horror. "I say, lads! I wish no harm upon you."
"Oh? Aren't you Julian's dog?" Hathaway demanded, shoving the pistol under the other male's nose. Cornwell paled, looking sickly.
"Hathaway, they killed Sofia." Cornwell sputtered.
"They?"
"Well...Julian did. And I...She was...And..."
"Spit it out!" Bakura snarled, impatient.
"I stretched her on the wheel, but...I mean, Julian finished it off."
"Who else is at the meeting?"
"Meeting?" Cornwell looked blank. "There was no meeting, Bakura. Julian would have informed me so."
"Son of a bitch!" Malik hissed under his breath. "Yami's walking into a trap!"
"It would appear so," Bakura murmured, then glanced at the flat. "You two," he pointed to Ryou and Duke, who were huddling close together. "Stay here. If we're not out in less than thirty minutes, you'd better get your asses in there, understood?"
"Yes," the two gulped.
"Good. Cornwell," Bakura turned his gaze to the elder male, who blinked at him.
"It would be an honor," was all Cornwell said to him.
"Then let's go, gentleman."
X
Ah, I'm walking into a trap, was Yami's first thoughts when he had arrived at the flat. His instincts supported his thought. There were no voices in the flat. It was completely silent. Lucky for me I brought a pistol, Yami thought with relief.
"Hello, Yami," Julian greeted when Yami entered the family room. Yami inclined his head politely.
"I see you've found me out, Julian."
"Oh, yes," Julian's eyes narrowed. "Who else would have told Bakura and his followers of my plans? Hathaway?" He snorted. "He's just now become in league with his daughter's lover." Yami watched as his adversary poured some brandy and drank it nonchalantly. "I do hope that Anzu is feeling...More at ease."
"She is," Yami responded lightly. "Tell me, just what are you planning?"
"Planning?" Julian feigned puzzlement. "Why, you are a scalawag, aren't you, Yami?"
"Scalawag?" Yami chuckled. "Such an unintelligible word, Julian. I expected better of you."
Frowning, Julian snorted and took a deep drink of his brandy. "That mouth of yours will get you killed."
"Will it?" Yami widened his eyes in surprise. Julian growled and at the same time that he had flung his gun out, so did Yami.
Click, click, click, click.
Julian blinked.
"Now, Julian, you're not playing nice," Bakura murmured from behind him.
"Why, Bakura! You came to my rescue!" Yami exclaimed, beaming. "I could just kiss you."
"The hell if you could. Give me the gun," Bakura held out his hand and Julian reluctantly handed over the pistol. Malik shoved the monsieur into the ground, his foot on the small of his back. "Cover him for me." Bakura told Malik, who nodded silently. Julian watched as Bakura shoved his pistol in his holster. Smirking, Julian slid his hand into his coat pocket, his fingers brushing against steel.
"What the hell is your problem, Yami?" Bakura demanded of the shorter male. "Didn't you realize it was a trap?"
"Yes," Yami replied easily.
"THEN WHY DID YOU COME IN HERE?"
"I had everything under control before you came," he assured Bakura.
"The hell if you did! You were almost – " Bakura winced as a bullet whizzed past him. He whirled around, wrenching his pistol out. Julian chuckled at the only two conscious men.
"Providential for you that I missed, eh Bakura?" Julian asked, grinning. Bakura didn't know what the hell 'providential' meant, but he was going to guess that it meant 'lucky'.
"It would seem so," Bakura told him, glancing at Malik, who was waking up from the vicious bonk on the head from Julian. Hathaway and Cornwell, however, were knocked out cold. Malik was looking around for his gun, glaring at the floor in anger. In a swift moment, Julian shifted his gun to point behind him and shot. Malik yelped, grabbing his hand, which was spurting blood.
"Bastard!" Malik hissed, hastily wrapping his coat around his hand.
"Yes, yes, I've heard it all before, chap. Now you can go over by your friends." Grumbling, Malik followed his instructions, shoving Hathaway's gun in his pocket, stumbling over to Bakura and Yami.
Anytime now, Ryou... Bakura thought in despair. He really could back-up anytime now.
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"I think I heard a gun shot," Ryou told Duke, who just blinked, turning his eyes from behind him.
"I-I think I heard something behind us."
"Wh-what?" Ryou sputtered, glancing behind him as well. They heard leaves crunching, making them both catch their breath. Then, deep breathing was followed.
"Ryou?"
AWWWWWWWWWW!
"Ryou!" Marik grabbed the lovers and shook them. "Shut up!"
"M-Marik?" Ryou looked up at him, fear apparent on his face. "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be watching Anzu?"
"I am," Marik grunted, dropping the two and jerking his thumb behind him. They peered over his shoulder at Anzu, who blinked at their stares.
"You brought my sister to be raped again!" Duke grabbed Marik and viciously shook him. "Damn you! What were you thinking, you ass!" Marik shoved him off him, glaring.
"Never touch me again," Marik growled. "She insisted."
"YEAH?" Duke glared at him in fury.
Ignoring Duke entirely, he turned to Ryou, asking, "Did I hear you correctly? You heard a gun fire?"
"Yes," Ryou nodded, wiping perspiration from his brow. "I think we had better go in."
"I agree." Marik turned to Anzu. "Stay here."
"No!" Anzu retorted, frowning. "I know how to work a gun!"
"Can you hold one?" He demanded, raising a brow.
"Of course I can!" Marik shrugged and took out a small pistol and threw it to her. She caught it and broke out in a sweat, anxious. It was rather heavy.
Oh well, I can do this! Anzu nodded to herself and checked the safety, letting it fall back.
"Shall we, then?" She asked the males.
"I don't know, Anzu..." Duke began.
"Stop worrying, Duke." He merely sighed.
X
Bakura glared at Julian, who had shoved the pistol deep in his cheek.
"So tell me, Bakura, are you afraid?"
"Should I be afraid of someone who likes to make random shots?" Bakura asked, raising an eyebrow. Growling, Julian banged the hard gun against his enemy's head. Wincing, Bakura blinked, seeing dots in front of his eyes.
"This is exactly why I never liked you, you jackass!" Julian snarled.
"I never even knew you until Ryou introduced me to you," Bakura informed him after he could see normally.
"True, but I knew you well before that." Julian turned to him, slamming his fist down on the table. "Do you remember a lovely woman named Caddice Loxley? Lady Loxley?" Bakura sighed, closing his eyes, his brows furrowing together.
"Was she the daughter of Felicity Loxley?" Bakura asked at last.
"That's right."
"What about her?"
"What about her?" Julian looked livid. "She was my fiancé, you disgusting mongrel!"
"And?"
"You don't remember, do you?" Julian leaned forward, tipping Bakura's chin up with the barrel of the gun. "I'll tell you, then. Caddice and I had fight a few years ago during December. Only a week before her birthday. Want to know what happened? She went out and she met you. You offered her a place to sleep and then – you slept with her! And she got pregnant! When she came back after that, she claimed she loved you. But you left. You had left to France. Caddice left with her mother to a country home in Scotland. She hated me. She hated me, but loved you! When I found out that you were in London, I immediately took a home there as well. Then, when you started taking an interest in Anzu – again, the woman I loved – I assumed that you were trying to ruin me just like last time."
"I wasn't interested in Anzu as you so cleverly put it. I was interested in her brother, trying to get him to pay his debts. It just happened that she became an offering." Julian snorted. "You don't believe me? I didn't even know Caddice was engaged to you, she said nothing about it!" Julian's finger tightened on the trigger and Bakura gulped.
"Liar!" Julian swung the barrel into his chin. "Caddice wouldn't have betrayed me! You drove Anzu from me purposefully!"
"What is your problem?" Malik interrupted, sucking on his wound after having taken the bullet out. "When you went berserk, Anzu didn't want to have anything to do with you. It's your own fault!" Malik shook his head, wincing at the pain in his hand. "You almost killed her when you were fighting with Bakura. She knew you weren't the sweet man that you had feigned to be." Julian said nothing, just stared at him.
"I am normally kind," Julian murmured at last. "Just around this...thing do I act out of hand. Besides, you don't even love Anzu, why bother avenging her?" Bakura glared at him in abhorrence.
"Who says I don't?" Julian rolled his eyes.
"You aren't capable of loving, Bakura. Hell, I'm not even sure that you're human!" Julian laughed at his own remark. A loud bang shut him up as a bullet pierced his shoulder. Shrieking, Julian whirled around.
"Good evening, Julian," Anzu greeted pleasantly, hiding the overriding fear in her. Marik patted his gun fondly.
"I've always wanted to use this on someone evil – other than Bakura and myself."
"Bakura," Julian addressed his enemy behind him. "Have you told her about the Will?" Everyone stiffened, except Duke, Anzu and Julian.
Julian started to crow with laughter.
"Ah-ha! You haven't!"
"I told her," Bakura confirmed, frowning.
"Oh? Did you tell her all of it?" Julian was smirking.
"He did," Anzu told him firmly.
"Did he mention what plans he had?" Anzu just stared. "He was going to marry you, get you pregnant, take the kid, then dump you on your parents."
"He wouldn't do that now," Anzu murmured, "He loves me." Julian snorted.
"Words are nothing, Anzu. It's the actions that really matter."
"Bakura," Yami hissed in his ear, "Julian's going to manipulate Anzu so that she doesn't believe you."
"How so?"
"You have to admit you haven't been all that...Loving."
"Shut up over there!" Julian snapped. "Tell me, Anzu, has Bakura ever really shown that he loves you? It seems to me that he's shown more of his passion, if anything." Anzu seemed to be contemplating about that. Biting her lower lip, she brought her eyes to Bakura's.
"Did you really only want me for that? Do you really feel nothing for me?" Bakura stiffened, feeling his hope in her sink to his stomach.
"No! You know that's not true, Anzu! He's lying to you."
"But...How do I know?" Anzu whispered, confusion written all over her face.
"You're losing her, Bakura," Yami whispered.
"Then do something!" Bakura whispered back, desperate. Yami just nodded.
"Anzu, would Bakura really go through all this trouble if you were just a toy to him?" Yami spoke up. Anzu gave a puzzled look. "Would he comfort you when Julian raped you? Would he go through all this to avenge you? If you were just a toy, would he make sure you were safe from Julian and everyone?" Anzu stared at him, then her face brightened.
"No," she shook her head, her brown curls fluttering against her cheeks, "he wouldn't." Bakura sighed in relief. Julian sighed.
"Then I suppose I'll have to surrender..."
"Oh, piffle," a small voice came from behind Anzu and Marik. They turned to see Anzu's cousin, Alora holding onto Duke with a sharp knife against her neck. "I'm very sorry it had to come down to this, cousin."
"Unlike me," Mai dropped Ryou, who had fainted from fright. Duke gulped, staring with wide-eyes. "Good to see you again, Bakura."
"Bitch," Bakura growled, glaring at her resentfully. Mai laughed, taking a step and patting Julian's cheek.
"How are you holding up, hun?"
"Quite fine," Julian replied, kissing her softly. Anzu paled, feeling sick. Marik pinched her gently, causing her to look up at him.
"Shoot," he whispered softly, his eyes flickering to Alora. Anzu gulped, her hand trembling. Calming her nerves, she glanced at Julian and Mai, who were occupied. Swinging around, Anzu squeezed the trigger. Alora screamed, clutching her chest, where the bullet hit. Collapsing on the floor, she wheezed, trying to catch her breath. Marik took the chance to shoot at Mai and Julian. Julian growled, shoving Mai in front of him.
"Well, there goes that relationship," Bakura muttered, then was shoved brutally by Julian.
"Shoot me and I shoot him," Julian informed Marik. Marik shrugged and swung the gun up, aiming for Julian.
"No!" Anzu grabbed his arm. "Are you trying to kill him?"
"I'm sure he'd do the same for me," Marik told her, widening his eyes meaningfully. Anzu wrinkled her brow, but in the corner of her eye, she saw movement. Biting her lip, she nodded.
"I...I...I guess so." Bakura looked livid, wanting to strangle them both. But before he could cuss them out, Julian became a – literally – dead weight on him.
"Well, that solves that, now doesn't it?" Malik asked, chucking the dagger on the ground. Anzu flinched.
"Did you have to do it right in the head?"
"Of course!" Malik chirped.
"You're bleeding," Duke said bluntly.
"But no one even touched her," Yami blinked in confusion. Anzu seemed puzzled, but then her eyes welled up with tears and she started to cry. Bakura, trying to shove Julian off of him, grumbled, "She had a fucking miscarriage."
X
Epilogue
Duke glowered at the wedding, swearing under his breath.
"What are you cursing about?" Malik asked, arching an eyebrow.
"That damn Bakura..." Snorting, Duke chugged down a class of brandy. "I should kill him."
"Why, pray tell?"
"Because he married my sister, dammit!"
"You could have objected, you know."
"Well, since Anzu's happy, I have to accept this." He glared at his empty glass. "Besides, I was trying to, but Marik slammed my head into the wall, shutting me up." Malik smirked.
"That's my brother."
"Are they, uh, still going to try for a kid?" Duke awkwardly shuffled.
"Oh yes," Malik smiled at him. "They must, after all. If not, Bakura won't ever have an heir!"
"How could I forget?" Duke growled, rubbing his eyes angrily.
"Ryou and you are leaving soon as well, am I right?" The younger male seemed to think about that, before breaking into a dopey grin.
"That's right! Well, I suppose I should enjoy this old place while I can, eh?" Duke scrambled up and went to get more brandy, even though he was half smashed (drunk) already.
"So," Marik sidled up to Malik. "Looks like we're going to be the ones lady hunting every Season."
"A pity, actually. It's so much more fun with Bakura."
"You means it's amusing how he insults the ugly women?"
"Quite right." Both were silent, before they stared at the rest of their brandy, then glanced at each other. Raising their cups, they chorused, "To Bakura!" and drank up.
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DIS: (;.;) Aw, I do so hate to end this fic of mine. It was my very favorite. (hugs reviewers) I thank you all! Ta-ta and see you in the next fic!
