Chapter 21

Yay...people, my grandmother has a laptop and here I am sitting in the living room typing my next chapter...Well actually, by the time I post this I should be in my bedroom! XP...aren't you guys happy? Anyways, I had this sudden urge to type...so this chapter is going to bekinda long, well might be...And it's sucks that I'm too young to gamble!

Bummer really...I'm sure I could get away with it...not like I'm going to win anything...my luck is very bad...

ok, and note, Bakura has been 'dead' for about2 weeks...just to let you all know...So almost a month pretty much...So Avila is almost 2 months prego!

Well now...on with the show...

Chapter 21

Illusion:

Avila felt like she was floating, like there was nothing but air beneath her feet, brushing against her skin. 'Where am I?' She thought to herself. She struggled to open her eyes, but was blinded by light. She felt strong arms around her waist, holding her close to a hard warm body. She squinted her eyes, trying to make out the face of her captor. She felt the strong horse beneath her, racing through the desert, kicking up sand. She didn't know just where the horse was taking her, but she knew it was away from the palace.

"Who are you? What are you doing with me?" She mumbled, hoping that the man could understand her choked words.

"Shush...Rest..." Were the simple commands that she received. Avila would be more then willing to rest. Her head felt like it was being tossed against a stone wall, and her stomach churned with sickness. "Who are you?" she asked again, not giving into his demands.

She forced her eyes open once again then gave a gasp. "BAKURA!" She screamed, joy spreading over her face. Bakura gave a frown and stared down at her. "I'm no-" But Avila cut him short, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Bakura, I thought you were dead...gone forever into the darkness of hell!" She snuggled into his chest, taking a deep breath, not wanting to let go ever again. "Now you'll be here for the birth of our child...your son! Ra has answered my prayers!" Avila expected Bakura to hug her back, and draw her closer to his chest, but he remained stiff and distant.

"Bakura!" Avila cried, looking up into his brightly lit face. Bakura shook his head. "Avila...I'm not Bakura...open your eyes."

Avila's eyes flew open, and she glanced up into the face of Malik. "NO! Where did Bakura go? He was right here!" She pushed out of Malik's arms and sobbed in dismay while frantically searching for the white haired thief. "Bakura!" She called out, straining her eyes to catch any glimpse of him. Malik tightened his grip on her waist and shook his head. "Avila...you were dreaming. Bakura was never here and he never will be..."

Avila fell limp in his arms and bit down on her lower lip, trying to hold back her tears. She had made a promise to never cry again, and she would keep that promise. She wasn't going to cave in here and now, not after she had accepted the truth of his death.

"I'll have my revenge again, this time on the Pharaoh. Josana wasn't good enough...Atemu WILL die!" She shouted, balling her fists and flinging them into Malik's shoulder. Malik shook his head and pulled her tighter into his side. "No, Avila...You almost died this time, I'm not letting you risk the life of your child. Bakura would never forgive me if something happened to you or his son." Avila grew silent and looked away from him. She didn't want to risk hurting the child, but this was one of those pride things. She wasn't going to let Atemu get away with such a crime. He deserved what ever she handed him. Death preferably. If Bakura couldn't hand Atemu his death, then Avila would. As soon as she could...she would make sure he paid for his torment on her. She would not rest till he was six feet under!

Bakura smirked then briskly strode into the Pharaohs chambers. The Pharaoh was so stupid, dismissing his guards from their posts. But then again the poor guy thought that he was dead and gone. Blown away by his damn god Ka. But Bakura was smarter then that. Stronger even. He used his Ka's special ability to fade through walls, escape unnoticed and appear dead to all. He chuckled under his breath as he thought of the look on the Pharaoh's face, such joy and happiness. He just couldn't wait to wipe it off. Now would be his chance.

He slowly slipped into the large chamber, making sure that he was silent and unheard.

"Oh Pharaoh...you are large!" The concubine exclaimed. (YOU KNOW IT! Just not as big as Bakura XD) Bakura watched as the slight figure towered over the Pharaoh. Now was the perfect time, he was stark naked in his large bed, with one of his concubines. He would never expect Bakura to appear now. If anything, he would think that Bakura was a ghost, back to haunt his castle.

Bakura crept towards the bed, amazed that he was not yet spotted. He couldn't help but grin at the thought of him ruining Atemu's 'luck'. When he reached the edge of the bed he paused then crossed his chest with his arms.

"Atemu...you let your women take control?" Bakura smirked, watching the pair with amusing eyes. He got the response that he had been looking for. Atemu flung the poor girl off him, sending her crashing to the floor.

"BAKURA!" He shouted, his violet eyes growing like large saucers. Bakura tilted his head to the side mockingly. "Miss me?" He gave a sly smile, a dark glimmer in his dark red brown eyes. Atemu grabbed his kilt and tugged it on, making sure he was far away from the deadly looking thief. "How did you survive!" He began to frantically search the room, as if searching for an escape rout or someone to protect him. Bakura watched him, still amused. "Don't worry, Pharaoh." Bakura spat the title, still smiling in that cocky way of his. "No one is here to Interrupt our little reunion."

"PHARAOH!" The girl cried out, fear in her voice. "Shut up!"Atemu cried, not moving his gaze from Bakura's shadowed face. She shut her mouth and began to crawl towards the door.

"Take another step and I shall kill the Pharaoh...right here and now." Bakura barked, not even looking over his shoulder at her. She stopped dead in her tracks, turning slowly to face his back.

"What do you want Bakura!" Atemu asked, as if he had no idea.

"Why to warn you all mighty Pharaoh...I would get my revenge right now...but...I have matters to attend to...something way more important then you." and with that he shoved Atemu backwards, so that his back hit the mattress. He drew his blade and then roughly placed it against his throat. "You will die eventually Pharaoh...and I shall be the one to hand it to you. With my own bare hands!" He raised his blade then brought it down, lightly grazing the side of his face, and sending it through the feather mattress.

"Warning...remember that Pharaoh." And with that said, he grabbed his sacks of gold, then disappeared. A dark figure in the night, on his way back to his love.

"AVY! How could you go! And in your condition!" Kuni cried, running towards Avila with wide open arms. Avila limply fell into Kuni's arms, not feeling any emotions at the moment. If she hadn't killed Josana then, she would have somehow gotten away with what she did. Which had Avila wondering. What had happened to the other thieves? Had they all been captured? Killed? Had Josana turned in her own brother? And all for gold and riches?

"Come inside Avy...You need some rest. You look awful!" Kuni began to push Avila into the hut, bugging about how terrible she looked and what could have happened to her. "I'm fine Kuni..." She whispered, not at all in the mood to argue. She felt as bad as she looked. She just wanted to fall into her cot and sleep until the birth of her child. She placed a hand to her stomach and smiled. At least she still had some part of Bakura left.

She pictured a small little boy that looked just like Bakura. With big cute brown eyes, innocent and adorable. Fluffy snow white hair that spiked in every direction, all messy and untamed, just like Bakura's. She closed her eyes and smiled at the image imprinted in her minds eye. She would love the child, and cherish it as long as she lived. She would teach him everything. Nurture him into manhood, until he could raid the tombs on his own.

"Avila! Are you paying attention! Malik and I think that we should leave Egypt. We can't hide forever!"Kuni waved her hand in front of Avila's face, drawing her out of her thoughts. Avila shook her head, clearing her mind of allimmages then blinked. "Leave Egypt? I can't...this is where I live! Where would I go! I don't know any other languages!" Avila stared at Malik and Kuni in disbelief, not understanding their reasons. Kuni sighed then placed her hand on her shoulder, trying to reassure her friend. "Avila, we don't want you running away all the time...you know, from the pharaoh. Especially since you're expecting a child..." Malik nodded his head in agreement.

Avila looked from one somber face to the other. It appeared that they weren't going to give in, and that they wanted the best for her.

"I'm fine...I can handle the Pharaoh...he is nothing to me, and I won't always have to run. Please, just let me stay here...there are too many memories here that I cherish and never want to forget..." Avila knew that they weren't going to give into her pleas and cries. Tears stung at her eyes and she immediately wiped them away, not wanting them to see her moment of weakness. "Well where then, shall we go? I don't want to go anywhere far...I want to be somewhere close to Egypt..." She whispered, turning her back on her friends. Kuni smiled happily then patted Avila's shoulder. "I'm so glad that you saw reason...we only want the best for you. We won't go too far, just out of Egypt."

Avila weakly nodded her head and pushed her friends hand off her shoulder. "I understand, now please leave me alone." She shuffled lightly into the back room and kicked the door shut, not wanting to be around anyone at the moment.

"Leave. Leave this place. Where I've lived my whole life?" She flung herself onto the cot and dug her head into the soft pillow. "This is like running from my problems." She muttered to herself, dwelling on the negatives of her leaving. "It would be giving Atemu what he wants..." She heaved a sigh into the pillow then raised her head. "Bakura would never allow it...He would refuse to let me run from my problems. He'd want me to fight back!" She nodded her head, as if she was agreeing with someone other then herself.

"Are you ready?" Kuni asked, peaking her head in to the back room where Avila sat, staring at the bare wall. Avila looked up and heaved a sigh. "Yes..." She grabbed the sack that sat next to her and tossed it over her shoulder. She had tried being stubborn and fighting back, but in the end Malik and Kuni had won.

"Hurry, we don't want to miss our boat." Malik called from the front door way. Avila looked around her self, trying to imprint everything around her into her mind. She would never see this place again, let alone any other place she had stayed at. It wasn't the hut in general, it was Egypt. She didn't want to leave her home country.

"Rome..." She whispered to herself. Rome was their destination. A place that was near Egypt, yet far away. Avila didn't know if she would be able to live there for the rest of her life. The people there were paler then the moon on a cloudless night. They all had light skin with matching hair and eyes. She knew she would stick out, her with her cinnamon colored skin and dark hair. She could just picture all the stares she would receive. In a sense, Rome wasn't the perfect place. But Kuni and Malik were hoping that the Pharaoh would think them dead and have no reason to go searching for them. At least this way, they had no risks of running into his guards.

And how would they make their living? Sooner or later their gold would run out. They would need something to live off of, and she doubted they had tombs. Avila didn't know anything about working an honest job. She had always had five finger discounts.

"Come on Avy...Let's leave this Ra for saken place and get out of here!" Malik cried from outside, hopping onto his horse. Kuni followed and smiled at Avila. "It won't be so bad Avy...We'll get a nice house and send Malik off to go work somewhere. And just think of your baby. Soon you'll be too busy to think about anything else." Avila forced a smile and nodded her head. She really didn't want to raise her child in Rome, in a country it did not belong in. In a way that would make it a Roman.

"My child will born in Egypt." She stated, hoping that her friend would understand her reasons. Kuni sighed then nodded her head. "I had a feeling that you would want that. I understand. Malik will bring you back here for the birth of your child. But only when the time comes."

Bakura smiled as he neared his cave, hoping that somehow, Malik was stupid enough to return there. When he jumped off his horse, he knew instantly that no one was there. "Should have known." Bakura grumbled. But it didn't hurt to try, now did it? "Finding them is going to be harder then I thought." Bakura muttered, jumping back onto his horse.

Being a thief, he knew all the secluded hiding places. Places that the Pharaoh would never dream to search. Allies were all over. Who ever said you should watch out for the silent people, were right. Most of Bakura's friends were the silent, obeying type. Always appeared good and innocent, when deep down they harbored darkness in their soul.

How was Avila? Was she well? And their child? Bakura didn't know too much about babies and pregnancies, and had no idea how Avila was affected. he knew the woman carried the child inside her womb for nine months, but that is as far as his knowledge went.Then without warning,realization struck him dead in the face.

"I'm going to be a father..." He whispered, staring out into the desert with large saucer eyes. A child. A bigger responsibility. Something that he was NOT ready for. A child that would call him father, and expect everything from him. He would be a role model to this kid, and lets face it, he's not the best person to look up to.

And if the child was a girl, it would make it worse. Mood swings. In other words, another Avila. A son would be nice, but would he be able to teach him the ways of his 'work'? He had no idea what Avila wanted, and how she wanted to raise their child. He would prefer a son, but then again, a daughter held less stress. A little house wife in a way.

Bakura didn't know what he wanted. "Now isn't the time to be dwelling on this." he kicked his horse into a trot, heading towards the next hide out, hoping that's where his friend and lover were.

"What do you mean they left!" Bakura barked at the inn keeper. His friend gave a shrug of his shoulders. "Malik brought two girls here and rented a hut from me, said it was on your behalf. Speaking of which...aren't you supposed to be dead?" The man raised his eye brows, confused yet not surprised. He knew that Bakura would live and that the rumors were NOT true.

Bakura brushed the question off with the wave of his hand. "Do you know where they went?" He asked, fear itching into his stomach. He had a feeling that they were leaving Egypt for good.

"He rented a boat to go up the Nile...towards Alexandria I believe." He still had time to catch them. "Do you know if he ever plans on coming back?" Bakura asked, already half way out the door. The man shrugged then smiled. "Not staying for a drink?" But Bakura was already gone.

Avila leaned over the side of the boat, emptying her stomach into the Nile. She didn't know if it was from her child or from the rocking of the rickety old boat. "You alright Avy?" Kuni asked, patting her friends back for comfort. Avila nodded her head, then wiped her mouth with the sleeve of her tunic. "How much longer must we be on this Ra for saken boat?" Kuni shrugged then smiled. "Malik says not much longer, but then again, what does he know?"

Kuni smiled only to receive a frown from Avila. Avila walked away from Kuni, swaying with the movement of the boat. "I'm sorry Kuni. I just can't feel any happiness. My life has been torn to pieces and the only thing keeping me sane and alive, is my baby."

She placed a hand to her stomach and began to gently rub the small mound. Her stomach had a small bulge, but nothing noticeable. She could get away with being a man for a little longer. "Avy. I know this must be hard for you. We didn't really want to leave either, but we figured it was for your own good. We didn't want to have to keep hiding from the pharaoh. At least this way he will think you are dead. Some day, we will come back, but not till it is safe."

Avila just shook her head. "I don't know. A part of me...doesn't ever want to come back. To leave behind Avila's life and start a new. Change my name and live a quiet and peaceful life in another country. Raise my child and live out my days in happiness. But some how, I know it won't happen." Avila bowed her head and heaved a sigh. "Then the other part of me says I shouldn't leave. I guess that side of me, still has hope for Bakura's return. That he is really alive." Kuni studied her friends slumped back. "Avila...He...He can't be alive. Do you even know how he was killed?" Avila shook her head then held up her hand. "Don't tell me. Please, just leave me to my sorrow and last shred of hope."

Seto's Sister: (tosses her a cookie) happy now! XD I'm glad you 'Love' my story!

Ok, I'm sorry people, I would write more reviews, but that would take TOO much time, and I can happily say that, because I got tons of reviews. Anyways, I just got home today, at three in the morning…so, I'm pooped! I need some sleep! So, until next chapter!