The Game of Life
By: Rogue Fox
Part Twenty-Two... Hello, Charity
A/N: Ahhh! *_* I'm sooooo sorry about the lateness! Christmas and all, you know! And a total excess of homework, and writer's block... ^_^; I got a terribly awesome stereo (pause to listen to booming Vanessa Carlton CD) ^_^ Joy! I hope you all had an awesome Christmas!
*+*+*Yuki*+*+*
" I did so brush my hair!" Mokuba cried indignantly, as Mai walked out of the room.
" It most certainly doesn't look like it." I responded.
" It's genetics." Seto told me.
" Don't they make gels stronger than genetics? He looks like a black pin cushion!" I cried. " We have enough trouble with those social workers as it is. If his teachers think he looks so much as badly dressed, they'll tell those social workers and then we'll have a big problem on our hands."
" I pay attention in class, Yuki. The teachers all like me." Mokuba assured me. I smiled at him.
" I know, Mokuba. Alright, you three, go get your things." I directed. Yoshi, Yukio, and Mokuba all slid out of their chairs and bounded out of the kitchen to their respective rooms.
" You shouldn't let those letters rattle you, Yuki. I promised I'd take care of you and the boys, and I will." Seto told me as soon as they were out of earshot. I sighed.
" I know, Seto. It's not that I don't trust you. It's just... Just when I think we're in the clear, they come back and remind me just how thin the ice we're walking on is." I said, balling my fists in frustration.
" Trust me, I know. I've been doing this for a while now. All we have to do is walk them through the house and prove to them that we can provide a normal, stable home. That's all." Seto said.
" I wish it was as easy as you make it sound." I said, smiling up at him. He smiled back, and opened his mouth to say something. Unfortunately, he was interrupted.
" YUKI!" Mai cried suddenly. Shortly after her voice, a thin wail erupted. Like a baby's bleat. Seto and I looked at each other for a bare half second, and I was off like a shot. Something in that tiny cry hit a string in my heart. It was something I felt I was destined to answer. My first thought was that it was one of the boys crying. But Mokuba rarely cries, and when he does, he doesn't wail like that. Yoshi is like Seto. He doesn't cry, he gets mad. And Yukio, even though he can be a crybaby, is too old to sound like that. So I dashed up to the front door, which was still open. I stepped into the cold December air and saw Mai kneeling in front of something. I knelt beside her.
" Oh my God." I murmured gently. I pushed past her and pulled the tiny bundle that lay on the hard porch to my chest.
" What the hell?" Seto asked, running up to the door. " That sounded like a- a..." he started, stopping when I rushed past him into the warmth of the house.
" A baby!" Mai cried, finishing for him. I didn't stop running. Don't ask me what I was thinking, because I don't know. It was all instinct. I ran into the kitchen and huddled near the warm stove, thinking only of warmth. Warmth for the little thing in my arms. I frowned, feeling the rough sheet the poor thing was wrapped in.
" Yuki, what's going on?" Yoshi asked, bursting into the kitchen. Followed by Yukio and Mokuba.
" Yoshi, go call Yami and Himeko and tell them to get over here. Tell them to call everyone. Mokuba, go up to the rooms and bring me the softest, warmest blanket you can find. Yukio, go get Mai and Seto. Now!" I barked as softly as I could.
" But, what's-" Yoshi started to protest.
" Now!" I said, raising the volume of my voice slightly. All three nodded and ran off. After they left, I pulled the bundle away from my chest and peered into it. I pulled a bit of the sheet away gently to reveal a tiny human face with bright blue eyes. The crying stopped as our eyes met.
We must have stared at each for a few minutes. Just sat there, staring. Then, suddenly, the tiny child blinked and opened its round little mouth as though asking a question.
" Baby..." I murmured. I remembered when my mother had Yoshi. I remembered when they put him in my lap and let me hold him. He was so small... But this baby was smaller. So very small. Of course, Yoshi and Yukio were both pretty pudgy babies.
Yukio came back right then, Mai and Seto right behind him.
" Yuki...?" Seto asked softly, holding out an arm to force Mai and Yukio to keep their distance. The baby in my arms shifted a little, as though getting more comfortable, and closed its little eyes, heaving a small sigh.
" It's okay." I whispered. " Just be quiet. She went to sleep." I said.
" She?" Mai asked, but Mokuba returned right then, pulling a soft blanket with him. It wasn't big. It was something Seto had bought to take with him on overnight flights, small, but very soft and warm.
" Clear off the table. Quick." I instructed. Seto and Mai leapt to oblige, as quietly as possible. As soon as they had done so, I laid the infant on the table and began unwrapping the badly-wrapped sheet. It was a dirty sheet, no less, and I soon saw why. Mai dashed out of the room when we saw it, and I heard gagging noises as she went, but I didn't let it get to me.
" She was just born." Seto said, looking away. I winced. I wasn't sure what I was doing, but a part of me seemed to know what to do.
" Get me a big bowl of warm water and a soft wash cloth. Get Mai back in here." I said to Seto and Mokuba. Mokuba gave Yukio a gentle shove toward the door, and he ran off to find Mai. Then Mokuba and Seto went about finding the items I needed.
" How warm?" Seto whispered.
" Comfortable." I whispered in return. Mai came back in, looking a little green, just as Seto gave me the bowl and cloth.
A few hours later, I was curled up in an overstuffed armchair, the little one still in my arms. Yugi had taken her for a little bit, while I got something to drink and relaxed for a moment. Yami drove Ryou to the store with a list I gave them to pick up things like diapers and formula and bottles. I had to be very specific. I wrote down things I remembered my mom using with my little brothers. But other than that, I was the only one that held her. I think the others were too nervous. Now, the police were here. And their presence made me nervous.
" You're sure you didn't see anyone?" the lady officer asked Mai, who nodded. I could tell she was annoyed. We all were. They kept asking the same questions over and over again.
" I went out to get the paper cause Yuki asked me to, and I saw her on the porch." She repeated. Seto finally intervened.
" If you're done asking the same questions repeatedly, I'd like to ask you to leave." He said gruffly. I looked up at him from the armchair, and the baby made a small noise. She was too young to coo. Just then, though, Bakura led the pediatric Ryou had called into the room. She was a middle- aged woman, with a kindly face. I liked her the instant I saw her.
" Well, let's see the little one." She said. I stood from the chair and handed the baby to her. She took her expertly, and I was reminded of how my great-grandmother used to hold Yukio. Like she knew exactly what she was doing. " You can stretch, dear." She told me. I smiled gratefully, and did so. Yami wrapped a protective arm around my waist, as though his very presence could ward off any harm that might come to me. But it comforted me to know he was there, all the same. The police handed Seto a card.
" It seems that the best thing to do is to leave her where she is. She seems to be in good hands." The lady said, nodding to me.
" If there are any problems, call us at this number." The lady's partner, an overweight man, said. Seto nodded.
" Himeko, would you show them out?" he said distantly. Himeko stood from her own chair, as eager to get the strangers out as any of us. Bakura bristled a little as they walked past, but held his tongue. I commended him silently.
" She seems to be perfectly healthy." The doctor said, smiling at the baby. She had laid her on the floor on a blanket, and was checking her over. " She's barely a few hours old, though." The baby made another almost-coo.
" She's so cute!" Anzu squealed.
" Shhh!" Jou and Honda hissed in unison.
" There's no need to walk in tiptoe. Noise won't hurt her." The doctor said. She smiled up at me. " My name is Dr. Ran Kameyo." She told me.
" My name is Yuki Motou." I said, suddenly feeling embarrassed. Where were my manners? " And these are my older brothers, Yami and Yugi, and my older sister, Himeko," I said, going on to introduce everyone.
" Quite a large family." Dr. Kameya noted.
" The more the merrier!" Yugi said quickly.
" We're not all related, though." Anzu jumped in.
" We just act like it." Ryou said, grinning largely. The doctor seemed to sense we weren't telling the whole truth, but she seemed satisfied.
" Well, the baby is perfectly healthy. But she is lacking one thing." Dr. Kameya told us. We all sort of jumped.
" What?!" Honda asked, sounding frantic.
" Is something wrong?" I asked, a little confused. She looked fine to me.
" What in the world?" Mai wondered out loud. Dr. Kameya laughed.
" My, you're all jumpy! She needs a name, that's all." She said, still laughing.
" Oh!" I said, feeling embarrassed again. Mai sank into a chair and Jou cast her a concerned look.
" What a day!" Mai cried.
" You're telling me." Yami said, rolling his eyes. " I'm almost out the door for school when Himeko comes running after me to tell me that Yoshi called and said there was an emergency. I nearly had a heart attack!" he said.
" At least you didn't have Ryou jumping on you to wake you up." Bakura growled. Ryou smiled weakly.
" We all agree it was a little scary." Yugi interrupted as I scooped the baby into my arms.
" Hello, there! Did you miss me?" I cooed. She just looked at me with that baby bewilderment that's just so endearing. I smiled real big at her, and she tried to mimic the expression. Which just got every girl present cooing and giggling.
" It's a woman thing, right?" Ryou asked Bakura, who shrugged.
" Names, huh?" Honda wondered.
" Boy, I didn't think I'd ever be naming a kid." Jou muttered.
" Let's see the rug rat." Seto said, and I handed her to him. He took her into his arms carefully, old instincts buried with Mokuba's growth slowly returning. " She is cute." He admitted. I smiled at him, knowing what a softie he is for kids and babies. I stood there, next to Himeko, watching Seto play with the baby gently, when suddenly, it hit me. Next to me, Himeko jumped at the same moment as I did.
" Charity." I said suddenly.
" Charity Faith." She finished.
" What are you two talking about?" Yugi asked.
" Her name." We both said in unison. " Charity Faith Motou." We told them all. The doctor was pleased.
" That's a wonderful name for her!" she said happily.
" Great. Now how are you going to talk Grandpa into adopting another kid?" Yami asked.
" We'll figure something out." Yugi said dismissively.
" I'll just lay down the law right now. She's not going to an orphanage. She's not." Seto interrupted, his voice surprisingly angry. Even for him.
" Fine with me." Ryou said, shrugging.
" We're going to need more stuff than what we've got." Himeko pointed out. " I mean, I have no idea what a baby needs, but I figure she's going to need clothes and toys and a crib and who knows what else?"
" Not a problem. Yuki and I have raised our brothers since they were babies. We know what we're doing." Seto reminded her.
" I'm glad someone does." Yami muttered.
" Well, ladies and gentlemen, I'd best be off." Dr. Kameya said.
" I'll show you out." Yugi volunteered, leading her off. As soon as she was out, the tense air fled.
" I couldn't say it with those people around, but back when I still lived with my tribe, I used to help take care of the younger ones." Bakura said.
" That big fat cop was annoying, wasn't he?" Mai asked the baby in a cooing voice. I smiled and took her back from Seto.
" Hello, Charity. Welcome." I said softly.
*+*+*Seto*+*+*
I guess Charity was good for us. She brought us together. I'd never seen Yami or Bakura so lighthearted. Anzu kept giving me surprised looks and when I asked her about it, she told me that she'd never seen me smile so much. Everyone loved her. She became our child, even before the adoption was finalized. Her last name was officially Motou, but that meant nothing to us. We all held her, rocked her. Himeko would stand in the nursery, holding her and swaying back and forth, singing soft Egyptian lullabies. Yami would play soft melodies he made up on his keyboard that he got for Christmas. Mai sewed and shopped for her. Anzu would dance with her pressed to her shoulder. Jou and Honda would crawl around the floor and make faces and amuse her endlessly. Ryou took endless delight in fascinating her with different toys. Bakura would lay on his back, pull his knees up to his chest, place Charity on his lower legs, and lift her into the air with his legs. He claimed it was great exercise and it amused her. Yuki would spend endless hours cuddled in an oversized armchair beside the fire, feeding her and rocking her to sleep. We all loved her. She was ours.
I came home one January evening to Yuki, cuddled up in her usual spot by the fire with Charity. I was late that evening, so I supposed that the boys were already asleep.
" Hello." I whispered. Yuki turned and gave me an accusing glare over her shoulder.
" You're late. Yukio threw a fit." She told me.
" Sorry. I had a meeting that went longer than I planned. I couldn't get away." I apologized. She sighed.
" Just don't be late Friday." She told me. " Jou and Yugi will be really upset."
" I know." I said. Jou, Yugi, and Yami had decided to have a joint birthday party, since their actual birthdays were so close together (Yami's birthday is the same day as Yugi's, and despite our story, Yuki and Himeko's birthday is in September). It was a little late for Yugi and Yami, and a little early for Jou, but none really cared. " How's the rugrat?" I asked, nodding to Charity. Yuki smiled, and I marveled at her. She seemed to glow with maternal warmth.
" Wonderful. She smiled at Jou today. Of course, he was making one of those faces at her." She told me. I smiled.
" Want me to put her to bed?" I asked.
" Would you?" she asked in return, a pained expression crossing her face. I smiled.
" Of course." I said, taking the little baby from her. Charity had gained some weight, but she was still so small. At barely a month old, she still fit into everyone's arms perfectly. She curled toward my chest as I crept up the stairs to the nursery.
Charity brought back memories for me. Memories of when Mokuba was a baby. Memories of when I first met Yuki and Yukio was still little. I smiled. A lot of those times were happy. I slowly set Charity into her crib and smiled down at her.
" Don't get into any hurry to grow up, Charity." I whispered. She heaved a small baby sigh, and I left the room. I returned to the fireside to find Yuki, fast asleep in her chair. She was working overtime, with Charity to care for on top of the boys. And she already looked so pale. A few nights before, I'd found an old picture that I used to keep on my desk at work. The picture was taken when Yuki and I were fourteen. In it, we were sitting on a tree branch. I had my arms around her waist and was leaning my head against the back of her shoulder. She was grinning down at the camera with those big eyes. In the picture, she was tan and healthy looking. Now she looked sickly and pale. I wondered where I'd gone wrong. I'd only been trying to help her, and it seemed like I was doing her more harm than anything else.
I sighed and picked her up, cradling her against my chest. Honda was a lucky guy. A very lucky guy. I winced, realizing how light she was. After everything we'd gone through together... She meant so much to me.
She was sick.
I don't know how I came to that conclusion. The thought suddenly popped into my head. She was sick. Yuki. My Yuki. My precious, beloved best friend was sick. And as it occurred to me, it struck a nerve. She really was sick. So pale, losing weight, weak spells, always tired... Oh God, I thought, she's really sick. I need to get her to a doctor. Oh God. Fear began to grip at my chest. When did this happen? How long? No... Not Yuki. Please, not Yuki.
*+*+*Mai*+*+*
I don't know what I was thinking. I really don't. I should have called Jou, the minute I knew it would be dark when I started home. I should have called Jou, or Yami, or Kaiba, or even Honda (although I really don't like riding with him on that motorcycle of his). But I didn't. I guess I thought nothing would happen to me. You know, when you're a teenager and you think to yourself, oh, that only happens in movies and on TV. It'll never happen to me. I guess that's what I was thinking. Well, guess what, kiddies? It really does happen. To people just like you... to girls like me.
It was dark, which is kind of a dumb statement, considering it was night. So duh, it was dark. That tends to happen at night. In alleyways... in scary alleyways where you can hear shuffling feet and male snickers... I knew I was in trouble. And I was scared.
I clutched a sack of cute baby clothes for Charity and material for a dancing costume Anzu asked me to make close to my chest for comfort. I was so lost. All I could see was shadows and alleyways. All I could hear was said shuffles and male snickers. I turned around and tried to remember which way I'd come from, but I couldn't.
" Oh God." I muttered. All the stories I'd ever heard of girls getting raped and left to die in alleys came rushing back to my head. I gulped and wondered if I was going to live to see the next day. A little dramatic, I know, but I was scared. I heard someone behind me and I turned around. There was a tall, very skinny man standing there, snickering at me with tobacco-stained teeth. I whimpered almost inaudibly and turned to run in the opposite direction. Unfortunately, one of the skinny guy's considerably more buff friends had cut off my escape route. More men started to step out of the shadows into the light of a street lamp, which cast an eerie orange glow on the scene. I could hear dripping water somewhere, which explained the wet appearance of the pavement under my feet. Your classic assault scene. After fear, my next reaction was anger. So I tried to fight when the skinny guy came after me. I hit him pretty hard. But one of his buddies came at me with a knife.
" Now, just be a good little girl and I won't cut your face to ribbons." He told me in an angry tone. I noticed he had a chunk cut out of his left cheek. The skinny guy got back to his feet and rubbed his jaw. His companions sniggered at him.
" What a pretty thing!" one of them hooted. I clutched my bag closer still and tried to keep out of their arm's reach, but they were forming a circle around me and closing in.
" She's mine!" the skinny guy snarled, shoving his way towards me. I backed away from him, but the burly guy with a chunk of his cheek missing shoved me toward him.
" Have fun!" he called. The skinny guy grabbed me by the shoulders and kissed me ferociously while I struggled against him, his friends hooting and hollering. Oh, God, this can't be happening, I thought. Please, someone save me... Then, quite suddenly, he went limp and fell to the ground in front of him. I backed away, confused and all but paralyzed with fear. The yelling stopped as someone else stepped from the shadows. I caught a glimmer of bright blonde hair in the orange light. I looked down and saw the stone that had hit my attacker in the head.
" Get him!" the guy with the knife yelled, and without a word, the guy who had come to my rescue slipped back into the shadow of the alley he'd come from. I took this as my cue, and turned to run. " Oh, no you don't!" knife- and-missing-chunk-from-left-cheek guy told me, grabbing my arm. There were yells of pain and sounds of fighting from the alleyway. Then, everything went eerily quiet again. The guy who had me started to pull me along with him.
" No! Help! Please!" I screamed, finding my voice again, hoping beyond hope that the guy from before might come... But he'd been outnumbered fifteen to one at least... Surely he'd been...
" Hey!" someone cried, and I heard someone running after us.
" Help!" I screamed hopefully.
" Shut up!" the guy holding me yelled, backhanding me. Everything got really fuzzy, but I remember sinking to my knees as someone tackled the guy and fought him. Then, everything went silent again.
" Please..." I whimpered as someone approached me, cringing. I was barely conscious.
" It's okay. I'm... I'm a friend." Someone said, a gentle hand resting on my shoulder. That's when I finally passed out, still thinking that the whole thing was one big nightmare.
*+*+*Mai's Savior (see Author's Note at bottom)*+*+*
Wow. Did I feel like an idiot. So... What was I going to do now? She'd passed out. I mean, obviously I couldn't leave her there. Right, go to all the trouble to keep her from getting raped and then just leave her for some other pervert looking for some kicks to find.
I paused to hit my head on a brick wall pretty forcefully. I mean, if she'd gotten a good look at me... Oh gods, I didn't even want to think about it. She'd tell all of them, and then they'd all know we were here. So what was I going to do now? I couldn't leave her... Alright, obvious answer. Take her someplace safe. Someplace safe... Well, I most certainly couldn't take her home. I really didn't want to think about what, um, shall we say my "accomplice" would say about that. Hmmm... Well, I figured she'd probably be safe at one of her friend's homes. I could take her to Yugi Motou's... And risk the Pharaoh sensing me. That was a big no. I could take her to Ryou's... But I didn't want to talk to Ryou or the thief yet. I wasn't ready. There was no way, come hell or high water, that I'd ever go to Kaiba's place without an armed escort. Especially right then, when I was very sure that the entire world, save maybe three people, hated me with a passion. I didn't have a clue where that Anzu chick lived. Um, who else was there? Oh, that Jounouchi guy. Yeah, I could take her there. He didn't live too far. He was a dork if I remembered correctly, but he was a nice dork. He'd take care of her. Yeah, I decided, I'll do that.
Now, the problem of actually doing it. She was not exactly light, and riding on a motorcycle with an unconscious passenger is no mean feat. But I did it... Okay, I had a little help. Just a little. Heh-heh... Don't ask. But I did get her there. Safe and sound. And I carried her up the stairs to the door of his apartment. Okay, now what? Well, I wasn't hanging around. The idea was to lay low and avoid this group of people. Great job I'd done so far, right? Well, I was just hanging out in the alleys, and I saw that gang of idiots gang up on her. I didn't even realize who she was at first, I just saw a girl in a jam, and besides, you're not supposed to pick on girls. So I threw a rock at the guy who had her and used a little, um, persuasion to deal with the others. Just my dumb luck she turned out to be who she was. So, I laid her down on Jounouchi's doorstep and knocked on the door. Then I turned and sprinted back down the stairs, hiding at the bottom until I was positive the coast was clear. After he'd gotten over his initial shock and carried the poor girl in, I started up my bike and rode off, knowing I was going to get hell for this later.
A/N: Hey all. I just want to explain that the last person talking there is going to remain a bit of a secret. Sorry again with the lateness, been suffering from writer's block... ::sigh:: Yeah, well, you know how it is. Guess what?! I finally got my driver's license! I failed the dumb test twice, but then I went to a different testing facility and passed with flying colors. Yay me! ^_^ Like any of you care... But hey, humor me. Well, arigato for reading!
By: Rogue Fox
Part Twenty-Two... Hello, Charity
A/N: Ahhh! *_* I'm sooooo sorry about the lateness! Christmas and all, you know! And a total excess of homework, and writer's block... ^_^; I got a terribly awesome stereo (pause to listen to booming Vanessa Carlton CD) ^_^ Joy! I hope you all had an awesome Christmas!
*+*+*Yuki*+*+*
" I did so brush my hair!" Mokuba cried indignantly, as Mai walked out of the room.
" It most certainly doesn't look like it." I responded.
" It's genetics." Seto told me.
" Don't they make gels stronger than genetics? He looks like a black pin cushion!" I cried. " We have enough trouble with those social workers as it is. If his teachers think he looks so much as badly dressed, they'll tell those social workers and then we'll have a big problem on our hands."
" I pay attention in class, Yuki. The teachers all like me." Mokuba assured me. I smiled at him.
" I know, Mokuba. Alright, you three, go get your things." I directed. Yoshi, Yukio, and Mokuba all slid out of their chairs and bounded out of the kitchen to their respective rooms.
" You shouldn't let those letters rattle you, Yuki. I promised I'd take care of you and the boys, and I will." Seto told me as soon as they were out of earshot. I sighed.
" I know, Seto. It's not that I don't trust you. It's just... Just when I think we're in the clear, they come back and remind me just how thin the ice we're walking on is." I said, balling my fists in frustration.
" Trust me, I know. I've been doing this for a while now. All we have to do is walk them through the house and prove to them that we can provide a normal, stable home. That's all." Seto said.
" I wish it was as easy as you make it sound." I said, smiling up at him. He smiled back, and opened his mouth to say something. Unfortunately, he was interrupted.
" YUKI!" Mai cried suddenly. Shortly after her voice, a thin wail erupted. Like a baby's bleat. Seto and I looked at each other for a bare half second, and I was off like a shot. Something in that tiny cry hit a string in my heart. It was something I felt I was destined to answer. My first thought was that it was one of the boys crying. But Mokuba rarely cries, and when he does, he doesn't wail like that. Yoshi is like Seto. He doesn't cry, he gets mad. And Yukio, even though he can be a crybaby, is too old to sound like that. So I dashed up to the front door, which was still open. I stepped into the cold December air and saw Mai kneeling in front of something. I knelt beside her.
" Oh my God." I murmured gently. I pushed past her and pulled the tiny bundle that lay on the hard porch to my chest.
" What the hell?" Seto asked, running up to the door. " That sounded like a- a..." he started, stopping when I rushed past him into the warmth of the house.
" A baby!" Mai cried, finishing for him. I didn't stop running. Don't ask me what I was thinking, because I don't know. It was all instinct. I ran into the kitchen and huddled near the warm stove, thinking only of warmth. Warmth for the little thing in my arms. I frowned, feeling the rough sheet the poor thing was wrapped in.
" Yuki, what's going on?" Yoshi asked, bursting into the kitchen. Followed by Yukio and Mokuba.
" Yoshi, go call Yami and Himeko and tell them to get over here. Tell them to call everyone. Mokuba, go up to the rooms and bring me the softest, warmest blanket you can find. Yukio, go get Mai and Seto. Now!" I barked as softly as I could.
" But, what's-" Yoshi started to protest.
" Now!" I said, raising the volume of my voice slightly. All three nodded and ran off. After they left, I pulled the bundle away from my chest and peered into it. I pulled a bit of the sheet away gently to reveal a tiny human face with bright blue eyes. The crying stopped as our eyes met.
We must have stared at each for a few minutes. Just sat there, staring. Then, suddenly, the tiny child blinked and opened its round little mouth as though asking a question.
" Baby..." I murmured. I remembered when my mother had Yoshi. I remembered when they put him in my lap and let me hold him. He was so small... But this baby was smaller. So very small. Of course, Yoshi and Yukio were both pretty pudgy babies.
Yukio came back right then, Mai and Seto right behind him.
" Yuki...?" Seto asked softly, holding out an arm to force Mai and Yukio to keep their distance. The baby in my arms shifted a little, as though getting more comfortable, and closed its little eyes, heaving a small sigh.
" It's okay." I whispered. " Just be quiet. She went to sleep." I said.
" She?" Mai asked, but Mokuba returned right then, pulling a soft blanket with him. It wasn't big. It was something Seto had bought to take with him on overnight flights, small, but very soft and warm.
" Clear off the table. Quick." I instructed. Seto and Mai leapt to oblige, as quietly as possible. As soon as they had done so, I laid the infant on the table and began unwrapping the badly-wrapped sheet. It was a dirty sheet, no less, and I soon saw why. Mai dashed out of the room when we saw it, and I heard gagging noises as she went, but I didn't let it get to me.
" She was just born." Seto said, looking away. I winced. I wasn't sure what I was doing, but a part of me seemed to know what to do.
" Get me a big bowl of warm water and a soft wash cloth. Get Mai back in here." I said to Seto and Mokuba. Mokuba gave Yukio a gentle shove toward the door, and he ran off to find Mai. Then Mokuba and Seto went about finding the items I needed.
" How warm?" Seto whispered.
" Comfortable." I whispered in return. Mai came back in, looking a little green, just as Seto gave me the bowl and cloth.
A few hours later, I was curled up in an overstuffed armchair, the little one still in my arms. Yugi had taken her for a little bit, while I got something to drink and relaxed for a moment. Yami drove Ryou to the store with a list I gave them to pick up things like diapers and formula and bottles. I had to be very specific. I wrote down things I remembered my mom using with my little brothers. But other than that, I was the only one that held her. I think the others were too nervous. Now, the police were here. And their presence made me nervous.
" You're sure you didn't see anyone?" the lady officer asked Mai, who nodded. I could tell she was annoyed. We all were. They kept asking the same questions over and over again.
" I went out to get the paper cause Yuki asked me to, and I saw her on the porch." She repeated. Seto finally intervened.
" If you're done asking the same questions repeatedly, I'd like to ask you to leave." He said gruffly. I looked up at him from the armchair, and the baby made a small noise. She was too young to coo. Just then, though, Bakura led the pediatric Ryou had called into the room. She was a middle- aged woman, with a kindly face. I liked her the instant I saw her.
" Well, let's see the little one." She said. I stood from the chair and handed the baby to her. She took her expertly, and I was reminded of how my great-grandmother used to hold Yukio. Like she knew exactly what she was doing. " You can stretch, dear." She told me. I smiled gratefully, and did so. Yami wrapped a protective arm around my waist, as though his very presence could ward off any harm that might come to me. But it comforted me to know he was there, all the same. The police handed Seto a card.
" It seems that the best thing to do is to leave her where she is. She seems to be in good hands." The lady said, nodding to me.
" If there are any problems, call us at this number." The lady's partner, an overweight man, said. Seto nodded.
" Himeko, would you show them out?" he said distantly. Himeko stood from her own chair, as eager to get the strangers out as any of us. Bakura bristled a little as they walked past, but held his tongue. I commended him silently.
" She seems to be perfectly healthy." The doctor said, smiling at the baby. She had laid her on the floor on a blanket, and was checking her over. " She's barely a few hours old, though." The baby made another almost-coo.
" She's so cute!" Anzu squealed.
" Shhh!" Jou and Honda hissed in unison.
" There's no need to walk in tiptoe. Noise won't hurt her." The doctor said. She smiled up at me. " My name is Dr. Ran Kameyo." She told me.
" My name is Yuki Motou." I said, suddenly feeling embarrassed. Where were my manners? " And these are my older brothers, Yami and Yugi, and my older sister, Himeko," I said, going on to introduce everyone.
" Quite a large family." Dr. Kameya noted.
" The more the merrier!" Yugi said quickly.
" We're not all related, though." Anzu jumped in.
" We just act like it." Ryou said, grinning largely. The doctor seemed to sense we weren't telling the whole truth, but she seemed satisfied.
" Well, the baby is perfectly healthy. But she is lacking one thing." Dr. Kameya told us. We all sort of jumped.
" What?!" Honda asked, sounding frantic.
" Is something wrong?" I asked, a little confused. She looked fine to me.
" What in the world?" Mai wondered out loud. Dr. Kameya laughed.
" My, you're all jumpy! She needs a name, that's all." She said, still laughing.
" Oh!" I said, feeling embarrassed again. Mai sank into a chair and Jou cast her a concerned look.
" What a day!" Mai cried.
" You're telling me." Yami said, rolling his eyes. " I'm almost out the door for school when Himeko comes running after me to tell me that Yoshi called and said there was an emergency. I nearly had a heart attack!" he said.
" At least you didn't have Ryou jumping on you to wake you up." Bakura growled. Ryou smiled weakly.
" We all agree it was a little scary." Yugi interrupted as I scooped the baby into my arms.
" Hello, there! Did you miss me?" I cooed. She just looked at me with that baby bewilderment that's just so endearing. I smiled real big at her, and she tried to mimic the expression. Which just got every girl present cooing and giggling.
" It's a woman thing, right?" Ryou asked Bakura, who shrugged.
" Names, huh?" Honda wondered.
" Boy, I didn't think I'd ever be naming a kid." Jou muttered.
" Let's see the rug rat." Seto said, and I handed her to him. He took her into his arms carefully, old instincts buried with Mokuba's growth slowly returning. " She is cute." He admitted. I smiled at him, knowing what a softie he is for kids and babies. I stood there, next to Himeko, watching Seto play with the baby gently, when suddenly, it hit me. Next to me, Himeko jumped at the same moment as I did.
" Charity." I said suddenly.
" Charity Faith." She finished.
" What are you two talking about?" Yugi asked.
" Her name." We both said in unison. " Charity Faith Motou." We told them all. The doctor was pleased.
" That's a wonderful name for her!" she said happily.
" Great. Now how are you going to talk Grandpa into adopting another kid?" Yami asked.
" We'll figure something out." Yugi said dismissively.
" I'll just lay down the law right now. She's not going to an orphanage. She's not." Seto interrupted, his voice surprisingly angry. Even for him.
" Fine with me." Ryou said, shrugging.
" We're going to need more stuff than what we've got." Himeko pointed out. " I mean, I have no idea what a baby needs, but I figure she's going to need clothes and toys and a crib and who knows what else?"
" Not a problem. Yuki and I have raised our brothers since they were babies. We know what we're doing." Seto reminded her.
" I'm glad someone does." Yami muttered.
" Well, ladies and gentlemen, I'd best be off." Dr. Kameya said.
" I'll show you out." Yugi volunteered, leading her off. As soon as she was out, the tense air fled.
" I couldn't say it with those people around, but back when I still lived with my tribe, I used to help take care of the younger ones." Bakura said.
" That big fat cop was annoying, wasn't he?" Mai asked the baby in a cooing voice. I smiled and took her back from Seto.
" Hello, Charity. Welcome." I said softly.
*+*+*Seto*+*+*
I guess Charity was good for us. She brought us together. I'd never seen Yami or Bakura so lighthearted. Anzu kept giving me surprised looks and when I asked her about it, she told me that she'd never seen me smile so much. Everyone loved her. She became our child, even before the adoption was finalized. Her last name was officially Motou, but that meant nothing to us. We all held her, rocked her. Himeko would stand in the nursery, holding her and swaying back and forth, singing soft Egyptian lullabies. Yami would play soft melodies he made up on his keyboard that he got for Christmas. Mai sewed and shopped for her. Anzu would dance with her pressed to her shoulder. Jou and Honda would crawl around the floor and make faces and amuse her endlessly. Ryou took endless delight in fascinating her with different toys. Bakura would lay on his back, pull his knees up to his chest, place Charity on his lower legs, and lift her into the air with his legs. He claimed it was great exercise and it amused her. Yuki would spend endless hours cuddled in an oversized armchair beside the fire, feeding her and rocking her to sleep. We all loved her. She was ours.
I came home one January evening to Yuki, cuddled up in her usual spot by the fire with Charity. I was late that evening, so I supposed that the boys were already asleep.
" Hello." I whispered. Yuki turned and gave me an accusing glare over her shoulder.
" You're late. Yukio threw a fit." She told me.
" Sorry. I had a meeting that went longer than I planned. I couldn't get away." I apologized. She sighed.
" Just don't be late Friday." She told me. " Jou and Yugi will be really upset."
" I know." I said. Jou, Yugi, and Yami had decided to have a joint birthday party, since their actual birthdays were so close together (Yami's birthday is the same day as Yugi's, and despite our story, Yuki and Himeko's birthday is in September). It was a little late for Yugi and Yami, and a little early for Jou, but none really cared. " How's the rugrat?" I asked, nodding to Charity. Yuki smiled, and I marveled at her. She seemed to glow with maternal warmth.
" Wonderful. She smiled at Jou today. Of course, he was making one of those faces at her." She told me. I smiled.
" Want me to put her to bed?" I asked.
" Would you?" she asked in return, a pained expression crossing her face. I smiled.
" Of course." I said, taking the little baby from her. Charity had gained some weight, but she was still so small. At barely a month old, she still fit into everyone's arms perfectly. She curled toward my chest as I crept up the stairs to the nursery.
Charity brought back memories for me. Memories of when Mokuba was a baby. Memories of when I first met Yuki and Yukio was still little. I smiled. A lot of those times were happy. I slowly set Charity into her crib and smiled down at her.
" Don't get into any hurry to grow up, Charity." I whispered. She heaved a small baby sigh, and I left the room. I returned to the fireside to find Yuki, fast asleep in her chair. She was working overtime, with Charity to care for on top of the boys. And she already looked so pale. A few nights before, I'd found an old picture that I used to keep on my desk at work. The picture was taken when Yuki and I were fourteen. In it, we were sitting on a tree branch. I had my arms around her waist and was leaning my head against the back of her shoulder. She was grinning down at the camera with those big eyes. In the picture, she was tan and healthy looking. Now she looked sickly and pale. I wondered where I'd gone wrong. I'd only been trying to help her, and it seemed like I was doing her more harm than anything else.
I sighed and picked her up, cradling her against my chest. Honda was a lucky guy. A very lucky guy. I winced, realizing how light she was. After everything we'd gone through together... She meant so much to me.
She was sick.
I don't know how I came to that conclusion. The thought suddenly popped into my head. She was sick. Yuki. My Yuki. My precious, beloved best friend was sick. And as it occurred to me, it struck a nerve. She really was sick. So pale, losing weight, weak spells, always tired... Oh God, I thought, she's really sick. I need to get her to a doctor. Oh God. Fear began to grip at my chest. When did this happen? How long? No... Not Yuki. Please, not Yuki.
*+*+*Mai*+*+*
I don't know what I was thinking. I really don't. I should have called Jou, the minute I knew it would be dark when I started home. I should have called Jou, or Yami, or Kaiba, or even Honda (although I really don't like riding with him on that motorcycle of his). But I didn't. I guess I thought nothing would happen to me. You know, when you're a teenager and you think to yourself, oh, that only happens in movies and on TV. It'll never happen to me. I guess that's what I was thinking. Well, guess what, kiddies? It really does happen. To people just like you... to girls like me.
It was dark, which is kind of a dumb statement, considering it was night. So duh, it was dark. That tends to happen at night. In alleyways... in scary alleyways where you can hear shuffling feet and male snickers... I knew I was in trouble. And I was scared.
I clutched a sack of cute baby clothes for Charity and material for a dancing costume Anzu asked me to make close to my chest for comfort. I was so lost. All I could see was shadows and alleyways. All I could hear was said shuffles and male snickers. I turned around and tried to remember which way I'd come from, but I couldn't.
" Oh God." I muttered. All the stories I'd ever heard of girls getting raped and left to die in alleys came rushing back to my head. I gulped and wondered if I was going to live to see the next day. A little dramatic, I know, but I was scared. I heard someone behind me and I turned around. There was a tall, very skinny man standing there, snickering at me with tobacco-stained teeth. I whimpered almost inaudibly and turned to run in the opposite direction. Unfortunately, one of the skinny guy's considerably more buff friends had cut off my escape route. More men started to step out of the shadows into the light of a street lamp, which cast an eerie orange glow on the scene. I could hear dripping water somewhere, which explained the wet appearance of the pavement under my feet. Your classic assault scene. After fear, my next reaction was anger. So I tried to fight when the skinny guy came after me. I hit him pretty hard. But one of his buddies came at me with a knife.
" Now, just be a good little girl and I won't cut your face to ribbons." He told me in an angry tone. I noticed he had a chunk cut out of his left cheek. The skinny guy got back to his feet and rubbed his jaw. His companions sniggered at him.
" What a pretty thing!" one of them hooted. I clutched my bag closer still and tried to keep out of their arm's reach, but they were forming a circle around me and closing in.
" She's mine!" the skinny guy snarled, shoving his way towards me. I backed away from him, but the burly guy with a chunk of his cheek missing shoved me toward him.
" Have fun!" he called. The skinny guy grabbed me by the shoulders and kissed me ferociously while I struggled against him, his friends hooting and hollering. Oh, God, this can't be happening, I thought. Please, someone save me... Then, quite suddenly, he went limp and fell to the ground in front of him. I backed away, confused and all but paralyzed with fear. The yelling stopped as someone else stepped from the shadows. I caught a glimmer of bright blonde hair in the orange light. I looked down and saw the stone that had hit my attacker in the head.
" Get him!" the guy with the knife yelled, and without a word, the guy who had come to my rescue slipped back into the shadow of the alley he'd come from. I took this as my cue, and turned to run. " Oh, no you don't!" knife- and-missing-chunk-from-left-cheek guy told me, grabbing my arm. There were yells of pain and sounds of fighting from the alleyway. Then, everything went eerily quiet again. The guy who had me started to pull me along with him.
" No! Help! Please!" I screamed, finding my voice again, hoping beyond hope that the guy from before might come... But he'd been outnumbered fifteen to one at least... Surely he'd been...
" Hey!" someone cried, and I heard someone running after us.
" Help!" I screamed hopefully.
" Shut up!" the guy holding me yelled, backhanding me. Everything got really fuzzy, but I remember sinking to my knees as someone tackled the guy and fought him. Then, everything went silent again.
" Please..." I whimpered as someone approached me, cringing. I was barely conscious.
" It's okay. I'm... I'm a friend." Someone said, a gentle hand resting on my shoulder. That's when I finally passed out, still thinking that the whole thing was one big nightmare.
*+*+*Mai's Savior (see Author's Note at bottom)*+*+*
Wow. Did I feel like an idiot. So... What was I going to do now? She'd passed out. I mean, obviously I couldn't leave her there. Right, go to all the trouble to keep her from getting raped and then just leave her for some other pervert looking for some kicks to find.
I paused to hit my head on a brick wall pretty forcefully. I mean, if she'd gotten a good look at me... Oh gods, I didn't even want to think about it. She'd tell all of them, and then they'd all know we were here. So what was I going to do now? I couldn't leave her... Alright, obvious answer. Take her someplace safe. Someplace safe... Well, I most certainly couldn't take her home. I really didn't want to think about what, um, shall we say my "accomplice" would say about that. Hmmm... Well, I figured she'd probably be safe at one of her friend's homes. I could take her to Yugi Motou's... And risk the Pharaoh sensing me. That was a big no. I could take her to Ryou's... But I didn't want to talk to Ryou or the thief yet. I wasn't ready. There was no way, come hell or high water, that I'd ever go to Kaiba's place without an armed escort. Especially right then, when I was very sure that the entire world, save maybe three people, hated me with a passion. I didn't have a clue where that Anzu chick lived. Um, who else was there? Oh, that Jounouchi guy. Yeah, I could take her there. He didn't live too far. He was a dork if I remembered correctly, but he was a nice dork. He'd take care of her. Yeah, I decided, I'll do that.
Now, the problem of actually doing it. She was not exactly light, and riding on a motorcycle with an unconscious passenger is no mean feat. But I did it... Okay, I had a little help. Just a little. Heh-heh... Don't ask. But I did get her there. Safe and sound. And I carried her up the stairs to the door of his apartment. Okay, now what? Well, I wasn't hanging around. The idea was to lay low and avoid this group of people. Great job I'd done so far, right? Well, I was just hanging out in the alleys, and I saw that gang of idiots gang up on her. I didn't even realize who she was at first, I just saw a girl in a jam, and besides, you're not supposed to pick on girls. So I threw a rock at the guy who had her and used a little, um, persuasion to deal with the others. Just my dumb luck she turned out to be who she was. So, I laid her down on Jounouchi's doorstep and knocked on the door. Then I turned and sprinted back down the stairs, hiding at the bottom until I was positive the coast was clear. After he'd gotten over his initial shock and carried the poor girl in, I started up my bike and rode off, knowing I was going to get hell for this later.
A/N: Hey all. I just want to explain that the last person talking there is going to remain a bit of a secret. Sorry again with the lateness, been suffering from writer's block... ::sigh:: Yeah, well, you know how it is. Guess what?! I finally got my driver's license! I failed the dumb test twice, but then I went to a different testing facility and passed with flying colors. Yay me! ^_^ Like any of you care... But hey, humor me. Well, arigato for reading!