Hehe!! I'm done with High School! I'm done with High School! I'm officially graduated and off to college! Can't wait! Well I don't really have a lot to say so here is chapter five of 'Thinking Over'. Enjoy!

Oh yea! When you see this /words words words/ it is Yugi talking to Yami in his mind. When you Yugi does this 'words words words' he is thinking to himself. And since Yami can't speak unless he is in control of Yugi's body I do not want to bother with the // stuff. He is talking and no one else can hear him. So that is that! 

***********************************************************************

            "Hey Anzu" Yugi greeted as the brunette ran up.

            "Morning Yugi," she replied slightly winded from the run she had just made from her house to school. Yugi looked concern.

            "You ok Anzu?" he asked.

            "Yea, I just worked out a little too long and was late leaving the house." She told him frantically trying to dry her still damp hair. She barely had time to towel it off after jumping from the shower and into her school uniform.

            "Eww, so this is sweat?" Jou asked stupidly upon arrival. He stuck his hand onto of Anzu's head with empathies. "Do we need to have a talk about personal hygiene Anzu?" Anzu looked annoyed as she pushed his hand off her head.

            "Grow up Jou!" she fumed. It was at that point that the ten-minute warning bell rang and the masses still outside the gates started to pull inside. It was also at that point that Anzu saw Rory. The she was leaning against the brick wall, sunglasses on but Anzu could tell that she was looking at her. Anzu tried to make it to the other side of the entrance, away from her but the flow of traffic did not allow.

            "Can we talk?" she asked quietly as Anzu walked past so that only she and Anzu heard. Anzu walked on without responding. Unfortunately for her all three of the guys noticed Rory as the passed by her.

            "Hey wasn't that the girl from the other day?" Honda asked once they were in on the other side of the gate. "You know that one that found Yugi's deck?"

            "Yea I think so," Yug piped in looking up at Anzu "did she say something to you Anzu?" Anzu walked quickly ahead and Yugi could see her hands clenched at her sides.

            "Don't know don't care" she told them simply. All three boys watched her go in wonderment, shocked by their friend's behavior.

            "That was weird" Jou said finally. Yugi and Honda could only nod in response. Later in homeroom as the morning announcements went on Yugi's mind drifted back to Anzu. /Hey Yami?/ he finally asked.

            "Yes Yugi," he spoke clearly in Yugi's mind.

            /Did you notice anything odd with Anzu this morning? /

            "How could I not?" he answered

            /Any ideas as to what's up with her/ Yugi asked. Yami sighed heavily.

            "If I knew what was wrong with a woman every time that they acted strangely I wouldn't be a former Pharaoh. I'd be a god." (AN: After having a conversation with a good friend of mien who we will simply call 'Bob' I realized that the only thing that guys know for certain about girls is that they know nothing at all. Cue sweat drops) But even though their conversation on Anzu had ended Yami couldn't help but think about it. First there was that strange woman who appeared at Yugi's door for the sole purpose of watching Anzu and then there was of course Anzu strange behavior this morning. Yami still had the same foreboding feeling that he had had the day Yugi had lost his deck. Yami frowned at this. The more that he thought about it the more it seemed unlikely that Yugi had actually lost the deck. Too many coincidences were pilling up between the Anzu and the new woman. He concluded later after thinking about it for a time that Anzu might just be feeling the pressure of her upcoming dance recital and that was why she was actin gin such an odd manner. But he just couldn't get the woman out of his head. What connection did she have with Anzu and why did Yami have the awful feeling that everything was about to be turned upside down?

************************************************************************

            "Stop! Stop! Stop! STOP!" Mika *******'s voice rang out across the dance floor. Anzu, who currently about to perform a difficult turn, struggled to right herself before losing her battle with gravity and landed on her side. A few girls giggled while two of the assistant instructors who had been assisting helped her to stand. She smiled weakly in thanks but felt a bush creep on her cheeks. Mika moved across the room from where she had been watching and quietly criticizing. Now she looked as if a storm cloud had broken. She stood in front of Anzu looking at her slightly miffed, but at the same time was obviously concerned. "What's wrong Anzu? The past two days you aren't yourself. First with not coming in yesterday and today you seem like your in another world. Is everything all right?"

            "Umm," she answered nervously looking about the room. Even if she did want to tell Mika about Rory she certainly did not want to talk about it in front of the six other dancers and other two instructors. Luckily for her, she and Mika had been working together for sometime and the older woman seemed to read her thoughts and let out a loud sigh.

            "All right, I guess we'll wrap it up for the day. Things were going pretty well but people," she said with an exaggerated hand movement. "We need better than pretty good. We need fantastic. I want to see you all here at least five out of seven days. If not more! And no taking two days off in a row, that means you Miss Kino." One of the two dirty blondes in the room rolled her eyes as she left. Anzu knew better than to try to leave. Mika wanted to to talk to her in private and Anzu knew that was what she was going to get. As soon as the last assistant instructor had shut the door behind her Mika tuned on her young student. "All right Anzu spill it. What is going on?" Anzu shifted her feet nervously glancing at the wood notes in the polished wooden floor.

            " Nothings going on Mika, just feeling a bit flakier than usual, that's all." The instructor looked at her skeptically. "Seriously," Anzu said in defense " nothing is going on. You don't have to worry."

            "Honestly Anzu?" The stunted nodded firmly and the teacher sighed once more. "You really need to be on your game for this performance Anzu. I chose you for the lead because there are going to be a lot of scouts there. One from the states as well. I've been making a lot of calls on your behalf. That's why I gave you the free style at the end. I want you to really wow them." Anzu looked at her instructor and long time friend with slight shock. She hadn't known that scouts where going to be watching the performance. And one from the states? She felt her mouth go dry and she through her arms around the taller woman in a fumbled hug.

            "I can't believe it," she said muffled into Mika's shoulder. "Why didn't you tell me?" she asked drawing away from her.

            "I didn't want to stress you or get your hopes up for that matter Anzu. There is a big chance that nothing is going to happen" she told her sternly. Anzu nodded happily in half understanding.

            "I'll do you proud Mika. You'll see! I'll do great and my free style will knock them dead. It'll be the greatest thing I've ever done!" Anzu even stuck her fist in the air for emphatheis  as she spoke and Mika couldn't help but laugh soflty at her sudden change in demeanor.

            "Ok then Anzu? You'll start trying a bit harder?"

            "A bit?" Anzu questioned sounding slightly indignant. "A lot more than a bit. I'll practice twenty- four seven, round the clock." Anzu ranted as she practically skipped out of the studio. Mika smiled to herself as she watched Anzu go. 'Some things never change' she thought.   

************************************************************************

            It was less than ten minutes later when Anzu entered the Game Shop, still in her dance outfit, spirits high. However it only took a few moments for her renewed hype to go crashing to the floor. Yugi, standing behind the counter, along with Jou and Honda who were leaning on the glass were staring with odd expressions at a customer who glances at the shelves causally. Anzu knew the woman all too well, but why would Rory Waters be in a game shop. She knew the answer as soon as it went through her mind and felt her the morning's anger rise up once more. Yugi pulled his eyes off of the red head to acknowledge Anuz.

            "How was dance class Anzu?" he asked. He noticed that she too was giving to woman a hard stare. But besides the questioning look that he and the others were giving her Anzu was looking angry, perturbed, and oddly enough worried. 'Worried?' Yugi thought to himself. 'How odd'.

            "Fine" she answered halfheartedly, earlier enthusiasm lost. "What is she doing here?" she whispered across the glass counter.

            "We were wondering the same thing," Honda answered, still not taking his eyes off of Rory. "Does she freak anybody else out?" Jou nodded but suddenly froze and became very interested across the room. Honda followed suit as Rory suddenly turned toward the counter, a few items in her hands. As usual, sunglasses masked her face, making what she was truly doing a mystery. Anzu stepped around the corner of the counter, putting herself closer to Yugi, and manuvering so the Jou and Honda were between her and Rory. No one seemed to notice, except for Yami who was watching from the solitude of his and Yugi's spirit room. He watched this curiously, the same prickling on the back of his neck, as had been two days ago. 'When that damn woman came here before' he thought grimly.

            "Can I help you with anything else?" Yugi asked her with the practice politeness he had attained by working in the Game Shop.

            "This will be all," she said putting the items on the glass counter. Jou and Honda goggled at the items she had chosen. They were some of the rarest items in the shop and she was acting as if they were everyday boxes of tissues. Yugi took notice of her lackadaisical attitude as well and felt himself grimace slightly. His grandfather prided himself and his shop on selling quality items to some of the top players in all games. He didn't feel comfortable selling suck desired items to just anyone. This woman looked as if she had wandered in off the street and decided to pick up some toys for a three year old or something.

            "Are you sure you want these items miss?" Yugi asked suddenly realizing that he disliked this woman, well as much as he could dislike someone. He suddenly noticed Anzu's uneasiness and how she became very interested in her hands, which were folded neatly on the glass countertop. The woman raised a slender red eyebrow above her sunglasses.

            "Is there something wrong with my choices? My nephew loves games like this, I thought that they were good choices." Her voice was sweet like poisoned honey and Jou and Honda felt the hair on the backs of their necks stand on end. Across the glass Anzu glared up through her bangs at Rory. Messing with her was one thing, but messing with her friends was another thing. She was about to say something when Yami took care off it for her. He and Yugi had changed so quickly that everyone was taken a bit off guard.

            "Actually there is," Yami said answering her question. Only Anzu noticed that Rory paled slightly and found some amusement in this.

            "What do you mean by that?" Rory asked coolly, her act gone. This boy knew something about her; she might as well be herself. He was staring at her hard, and Rory returned the favor by tipping her head down slightly so that he could see her hard gray stare. Neither seemed willing to back down. Rory was very rarely beaten at such things and wasn't willing to be beaten by someone nearly ten years younger than her. And Yami was of course the King of Games and never willing to give up on everything. The match was decided however when Seto Kiaba walked into the game shop, a rarity for him. Accompanying him, a constant shadow, was Mokuba who greeted everyone, completely oblivious to the tension. Rory's eyes quickly swept over the two Kiaba brothers and then gave a look to Yami which clearly said 'this is not over', turned on her heel and brushed past the two Kiabas, her head low and eyes hidden. Both boys looked rather surprises and Mokuba actually stuck her head out of the door, trying to get a better look at her.

            "Was that," Mokuba asked trailing off and looking up at his brother. Kiaba looked abosoutly furious. The look took all members on the game shop, excluding Yami, by surprise and slightly frightened Anzu. She had never seen Seto so furious.

            "Stay here Mokuba," he commanded and swept back out the door.

            "I guess she really is alive," Mokuba mumbled to himself though the others heard. "I told Seto, and I guess I was right." The boy had a far away look in his eyes and jumped slightly as he seemed to comeback into the present.  "Hey guys, whats up?" he asked with boyhood innocence. Everyone looked at him oddly as he walked over to the counter that they still surrounded.

            "You know that girl Mokuba?" Jou asked.

            "Sorta," he answered, sounding unsure of himself. Yami watched him from the opposite side of the counter. However half of his attention was still on Anzu who was still watching the door, her face pale.

            "Anzu?" he asked knowing she was the only one who could hear him. She looked at him, suddenly as if he hadn't been standing next to her the whole time.

            "I'm going to go home and change," she stammered. "I'll be back in a little while." And without a backwards glance she was out the door and walking directly into Seto Kiaba. Through the glass windows the four boys watched as Anzu mumbled assumingly an apology and took off down the street. Kiaba watched her go, a slightly surprised look on his normally impassive face. A moment later he was back in the shop looking murderous once more.

            "Mokuba, we'll come back another time. I have to go back to the factory." Mokuba looked slightly crestfallen but ran to his brother none the less.

            "Kaiba!" Yami called to him before he could leave the shop completely. The CEO looked at his rival with cool annoyance.

            "Yes?" he asked in what was close to bored drawl, but there was obvious agitation in his voice. Presumably caused by the red haired woman who had suddenly made such an intrusion into all of their lives.

            "Who was the woman Kiaba? You obviously know who she is and it seems she knows you." Yami told him with teetering patience.

            "Yea Kiaba! Spill the beans!" Jou chorused, leaning on the glass.

            "Down boy," Kiaba immediately responded. Honda had to practically drag Jou into the next room to keep him from killing Kiaba. Incoherent shots followed him out and persisted even after the two were out of the room. Yami, meanwhile, continued as if had never happened.

            "Well Kiaba, who is she?" Kiaba gave him a look that clearly said 'why do you think I'm telling you anything' before looking away from the former Pharaoh's stare and caving.

            " If she's the woman I think she is than her name is Rory Waters and she is extremely dangerous." Yami raised an eyebrow and Kiabe continued. "She used to work for a secret society of elite 'secret agents', for lack of a better word, call The Syndication. She is a 'for hire' girl, working for the highest price, with absolutely no loyalties. She'll do anything for a price. Works with rouge and recognized governments as well as the mafia, underground crime circuits, and anything in between. The fact that she is in Domino is a bad sign." Kiaba stared at Yami and Yami felt the hair stand up on the back of his neck, though not from his stare but his words. "A very bad sign. Come on Mokuba, we have work to do." With a final wave of goodbye from Mokuba, the Kiaba brothers were off. Moments later Jou ran back into the shop, brandishing something that looked like a chair leg Honda follow with what appeared a black eye. Yugi, replaced with Yami, grimaced recognizing the chair leg.

            "Where is that Ass Hole? I'm going to rip him apart." Jou announced swinging around the shop with the chair leg waving wildly, as if expecting Kiaba to jump from the shadows. Yugi sighed as Jou looked around stupidly.

            "He's gone Jou, now could you please but my great-grandmother's antique rocker back together" Yugi asked the question with obvious restraint, pressing the heal of his hand into his forehead. Jou dropped the chair leg looking aghast.

            "I… I… I…" he managed to stammer.

            "Come on you idiot," Honda said dragging him and the chair leg back into the privacy of Yugi's home. "I've got to pay you back for this shiner I'm starting to feel." Jou looked positively horrified, but not from Honda. Solomon Moto voice had suddenly boomed through the house.

            "My mother's chair!!!!" he exclaimed quickly followed by "JOU!!!!!!" Once the two were out of the room Yugi turned his thoughts to Yami.

            /Yami?/ he asked and was met with silence. /Yami what do you thing about what is going on? Is this what you felt coming?/

            ' I sincerely hope not Yugi. Evil forces and world dangers I can deal with, but what ever that woman is up do I have the awful feeling I can do nothing about it.'

            /Helplessness is the worst feeling in the world Yami. I doubt you've felt it in a very long time./ Silence followed Yugi's random comment and Yugi knew that she would get no more out of Yami on the subject.

************************************************************************

            Nearly a half and hour later Anzu rejoined her friends who know included Ryou who was dueling with Yugi as Honda watched and Jou worked in the corner to fix the rocker. As she walked in Yugi immediately noticed she still looked a bit frazzled and was press her knuckles into her forehead periodically. "You ok Anuz?" he question while laying a trap.

            "Umm, yeah, just can't see to get rid of this head ache." The truth was that she had run into Rory about a block from her home and she tried to talk to her about her wild accusations again. Rory, it seemed had finally lost her temper with the situation and thrust a large brown envelope at her and walked away muttering something about better uses of her time. The trouble was that it would have been so simple for her to dump the papers, shred them, or simply throw them away. But for some strange reason she just couldn't and they were stored unopened in the bag she currently placed at her feet. Anzu could only explain it as morbid curiosity. While her thoughts wandered on the envelope Yugi successfully beat Ryou.

            "Ohh! Ohh! My turn" Jou practically screamed jumping into the seat that Ryou had suddenly left vacant.

            "What about the chair?" Yugi asked collecting his cards.

            "All fixed in classic Jou craftsmanship." Honda was inspecting the chair by walking around it. Ryou walked over, placed a finger on one of the arms and the chair quickly quivered and both legs fell off. Ryou looked scared/shocked and Yugi just looked ill.

            "Both legs Jou!" Yugi exclaimed.

            "Well," Jou said looking sheepish "I had to see how it fit in so I took the other one off to see."

            "JOU!" the whole room exclaimed to him.

            "Don't kill him Yugi," Honda said with a sigh "I'll fit it."

            "Thanks Honda" Yugi said feeling a bit more confident.

            'Yugi' Yami suddenly said in his mind. 'Let me out, I want to duel with Jou. I need to let out some energy.'

            /Sounds good/ Yugi told him. A few minutes later Jou and Yami were going at it while Honda worked on the chair, Anzu half watching the duel, and Ryou watching both Honda's progress and the duel. Seeing Ryou made Anzu think of the previous night and her encounter with Malik. She blushed slightly at the thought of it.

            "Umm Ryou," she said softly trying to catch only his attention.

            "Yea? What's up Anzu?" he asked noting she looked slightly uncomfortable.

            "Have you, well you or Bakura," she said as an after thought "seen or heard from Malik?"

            "WHAT?" Ryou yelped as if being bitten by something. Honda looked up curiously from the chair and the two duelists looked at them curiously.

"What'd you say Anzu?" Jou asked looking over his shoulder at the two. Yami peered around him and looked at the two hard. Had he heard her mention Malik?

"Oh its really nothing," she twisted her hands looking uncomfortable. "I just ran into Malik last night and was wondering if Ryou or Bakura had heard from him." But everything after 'Malik' was lost to everyone but Anzu. Jou had turned about so quickly that he went head over heals in his chair and Yami was a heartbeat away from doing the same thing. Ryou looked a little paler than usual and Honda stood so quickly that he re-broke the leg he had just reattached. "Well really" Anzu said in a quiet huff.

"You've got to be kidding me," Honda said. "He has the nerve to show his face around here after what he did to us at Battle City?" Jou was muttering incoherently and Ryou just looked nervous. Yami looked at Anzu in his usual hard manner.

"You 'ran into him' Anzu?" Yami asked. Anzu looked a little angry at his tone.

"Yes, I got caught in the rain and he lent me his umbrella. And, and he" she looked nervous once more "he walked me home." It was at that point that the stresses of the day seemed to get to Jou who simply fell back to the ground after detangling himself from the chair.

"You let that creep come within a mile of you?" he asked from the carpet.

"And if I did? Look he's not a 'creep' as you so eloquently put it Jou. He was a complete gentleman the whole time." 'Well except that moment he threatened to kill me,' Anzu though to herself. "Unlike you four who seem to think that it's ok to yell and interrogate me!" No one moved or made a sound. Anzu finally broke the tension by standing in an angry huff, grabbing her bag, and leaving the room in complete silence. Yami was a step behind her, grabbing the papers and brown envelope that had slipped from her bag in the process.

"Anzu," he called finally catching up to her on the street outside of the Game Shop. She didn't answer him. "Come on Anzu, don't run away like this."

"Just go away Yugi," she told him shooting a dirty glance over her shoulder as she went.

"I'm not Yugi," he told her matter of factual.

"I don't care if you're Yugi, or Yami, or Buddah!" she yelled. "Just leave me alone! Can't anybody grasp the concept of leaving me alone lately? Between you and the others and Rory," Yami cut her off.

"Rory? That damn woman from earlier? I knew it. What does she have to do with you?" he demanded finally reaching out and grabbing her arm.

"I don't know that woman. I talking about my cousin Rory" Anzu said thinking fast. Yami looked down at her hard.

"I don't believe you for a second"

"Oh well that's just great! I thought you and I were friends. And I hate to be the one to break it to you Yami, but friends believe and trust each other." She would have gone on but Yami stopped her.

"Friends also tell one another the truth. So who is at fault here Anzu? And besides," he said pulling her closer to him "I see us as more than friends." It was at that point that Anzu realized how close together they really were. The tips of their noses couldn't be more than a centimeter apart.

"Yami?" she seemed to question unsure. "What do you," but she was cut off when he pressed his mouth to hers. At any other time she would have loved this moment but for some reason fresh anger flowed through her once more. And the moment that Yami pulled back from her she slapped him with all her might. Yami's head barely tipped from the impact, but a shiny pink spot rose on him cheek and Anzu's hand stung sharply.

" Nice. Very nice," a new voice broke in distracting them. Both turned their heads to look at Malik who looked as if Christmas had come early. "Oh don't mind me," he said, a cocky and sinster grin on his handsom face "please, please continue." Yami's hand was still on Anzu's slim arm and tightened suddenly causing Anzu to grimace slightly.

"What the hell do you want Malik," he asked in controlled anger. He knew that Yugi had forgiven Malik, but Yami still harbored some ill will to the Egyptian. From the look on Malik's face, he felt exactly the same way.       

"Oh nothing," said sticking his hands in his pockets, "just enjoying the show."

"Well go enjoy somewhere else" Yami ordered finally releasing Anzu's arm. "We've are in the middle of something."

"We?" Malik questioned a malevolent smile on his face. "You seem to have lost the other half of your 'we'. Or are you French instead of Egyptian?" (AN: Stupid, stupid joke!!!! I could kill my friend GlowWorm for making me put it in! Damn her to hell! Oh wait, she's standing right behind me….time to run!) Malik grinned at his own joke. Yami turned to watch Anzu walking purposely down the street away from him.

"Anzu!" Yami called out after her. He was about to run after her when he remembered Malik. Turning back to face the pale haired Egyptian he glared once more. "This isn't over Malik," he told him before running off.

"Oh I agree Pharaoh," he said to himself watching his and Anzu's retreating figures. "This isn't over," he licked his lips in anticipation as his thoughts fell to Anzu, "not over by a long shot."
************************************************************************

With an exasperated breathe Anzu crumpled onto a park bench nearly and hour and a half after her encounter with Yami outside of the Game Shop. Yami had, of course, caught up with her as she stormed off, despite her short quick pace. Surprisingly however he did not speak with her, merely kept stride with her as she navigated her way through the busy streets. She had wanted to say something to him at several points during their pointless pilgrimage and opened her mouth to say something to him, but every time it was as if she had never spoken. Even now she felt words caught in her throat that she wanted to speak but couldn't find the ability to. Finally the silent duo had made their way to Anzu's house where Yami simply handed her the missing papers, envelope included, and bid her a simple goodbye. But he didn't leave, just sat on the railing of her house and stared at her door, though his attention was clearly elsewhere. When he finally left nearly an hour after dropping her off Anzu had bolted for the park.

Anzu had also had feelings for the spirit, despite not really knowing him until after Battle City. She always attributed to the idea of an actual 'Prince Charming' and the classic childhood fantasy. After all what could be more romantic than a noble and heroic warrior bridging the gaps of time and space to love you? (AN: Ladies? What could be? Possibly Malik standing on my front porch to take me away on his motorcycle. I'm not sure which wins. Can't I have both?) She would daydream in class of Yami returning her unpronounced feelings but she always wondered if he was capable of love beyond the simple and automatic love felt with friendship. Just a few weeks ago she would have traded the world for the kiss that Yami had given her. And she had slapped him.

Cradling her head in her hands, elbows resting on her knees, she wondered what was wrong with her. Possibly the worst part of the whole situation, was that as she watched Yami on her porch from the secrecy of her window she had thought of Malik. She thought of how just the touch of him the night before had sent the same shivers through her body that Yami's kiss had caused. Guilt from her thoughts of Malik, the new turmoil from Yami, and of course the Rory situation all welled inside of Anzu as she sat their alone in the fading afternoon. So much had happened in the past twenty-four hours that Anzu was sure her head was going to split. "Why is this happening?" she asked, head still in hands. "What's wrong with me?"

"Well you're talking to yourself for one thing," a new voice piped in.

"Go away Malik," Anzu said tiredly, "I'm in no mood for your Cheshire Cat routine." She rubbed her eyes with the heal of her hand as her approached her from behind, in indeed a very cat like manner.

"You act as if you aren't happy to see me. I thought of all the people in this cursed city that you would accept me."

"At this point in time, I don't Malik. Please go away I," she paused as he sat beside her, " need some space." She finished the last part in a defeated mumble.

"And risk you worrying your pretty little head to death," she raised in eyebrow which he ignored, "I think not." He stopped for a moment, not daring to look at her. " Besides it is me who is messing up your fairy tale with the Pharaoh. Though I don't see what you see in him" She looked at him indignant and he snorted a laugh. "You don't think that I saw what was in your eyes when you looked at me after I interrupted your moment with the Spirit."

"Don't flatter yourself, you could not be further from my mind," she lied,  "And for your information Yami is possibly the greatest man I have ever met. It would do you some good to take a few pages from his book."  She stood to leave but he grabbed her and spun her to face him.

"What makes you, for one moment, think that I would want to be anything like that fool?" Malik looked positively frightening and Anzu felt herself stiffen. He smiled at the reaction. "Besides," he spoke smoothly, "why would I need advice from the Pharaoh when it seems that I am doing a perfectly good pursuing you myself." He pulled her close to her suddenly and moved his head toward hers but moments later he was on the park's cement path in a good deal of pain. Anzu had moved quickly to knee him between the legs and then sweep his feet from beneath him. She looked down at his hunched form in anger, blue eyes sparking.

"I've already had that happen to me once today. You think I was going to go through it again?" She asked him this but didn't expect an answer. Indeed, the only response she got was a tiny puff of 'oww'. She stepped over him determinately and stalked down the path towards her home leaving the crumpled Egyptian to deal with himself. She was just around the first turn out of sight when a slight chuckling caught her ears. There Rory stood, seemingly rubbing out a cigarette out with the toe of her boot, still decked out in three pairs of sunglasses, a smile lighting her features.

"I'm impressed," she said eyes smiling over her tortoise shell sunglasses, " and here I was worried you couldn't take care of yourself. I guess I was wrong." Anzu sniffed the air pointedly.

"Cigarettes?" she asked not moving from the older woman.

"Yea, I'm trying to quit," as if to prove her point she popped a piece of gum into her mouth, "horrible habit. I do not recommend it." She said this all with a grin.

"Oh, I'll keep that I mind" Anzu mumbled.

"I was about to go pull that creep off of you but you obviously had the situation in complete control."

"He's not a creep, he's my friend" Anzu scolded.

"Ahh, a friend? Even better" Rory said sarcastically.

"Listen, do you want something from me?" Anzu asked impatiently. She didn't want to be around when Malik finally got up off the ground.

"Nope," Rory said with a shake of her rich red head, "just going for a walk. Care to join me?"

"Ohh, you are impossible!" Anzu said turning on her heal and stacking away. She could hear Rory's laughter follow her on the path and soon their footsteps fell into sync. They walked together, Rory half a step behind, in comfortable silence until reaching the outlet that led toward Anzu's house. Then Rory spoke.

"Anzu I wanted to apologize. I went about this situation all wrong. I was as clumsy as a twelve year old and didn't really consider that you would probably react like you did." Anzu looked over at her oddly and Rory sighed before continuing. "I've been doing stuff like this for so long and hardly any of my cases have what one might call a happy ending. I've been successful in everything but no one was truly happy as a result of me doing my job. Maybe that's why I took the Gardners' case. I thought it could end happy. I assumed," she swung her head to look at Anzu, "that you would be happy too. It seems that I have assumed too much." They stopped a few houses from Anzu's home and stood for a few minutes in silence. Finally Anzu found her voice and croaked out the question she knew they were both expecting.

"What do you want from me?"

"To try and to think about it. That's it."

"What is there to think about?" Anzu questioned hotly, the long day starting to get to her.

"Anzu," Rory said in a warning.

"No, seriously what is there to think about? I know who I am, I am Anzu Mazaki. And there is no way I could be anybody else."

"Two weeks"

"What?"

"I give you two weeks Anzu, and then I want the answer from you" Rory told her.

"Answer to what may I ask?" Anzu said impatiently. But Rory was already gone, jumping the low garden fences common in her neighborhood.

"Two weeks," Rory repeated holding up two fingers but not facing her, "two weeks."

"You are impossible!" Anzu called. "I never want to see you again!"

"This is going to be a fun two weeks," Rory said to herself on her way to her first visit to Kiaba Corps.            

************************************************************************

I have nothing to say expect that I don't know if Malik is OOC, cause I'm not sure how he acts when not possessed by his evil half. Oh well. And by the way, this chapter is dedicated to Kassie aka Princess of Darkness and me. Thanks for the constant support and reviews. They do help. Ok then, Peace!

                                                                        -Star_Chan