Again thanks to those who reviewed.

Darkchildlover: hi and thanks for reviewing.

Dark Magician Of Chaos: glad you enjoyed the cookies.

Tsukiyo Kagami: thanks for the help.

And a thank for my first flame: A.O.T.I.F.

All input is welcome.

Disclaimer: I own nothing, not even the voices, they own me. Anyways I no own yugioh, you no sue.

And so to the character developing story line bit.

--- is thoughts

"—" is speech

Deep in his fever, Jou was being tortured by his memories. When younger he had been part of a somewhat broken family, his father, a tough man, prone to drinking but more prone to bouts of violence. Jou's mother had been the first to find out what was happening.

His mother had been working long hours and had been sent to show some business men round town, normal stuff like where everything could be found and where they were staying. She had of course told her husband of this but he, busy with the latest baseball results really had not listened.

So when Jou's mother was not home to cook for him that night the task fell to a very young (and short) Jou.

ohh, where does mum keep the noodles, I mean come on they are not in the normal place. Could they be up in the cupboard? Ok, time for a look-see.

A small blond boy was jumping up and down trying to reach the top cupboard and find noodles for his father. Jou cooked in a slightly haphazard way, all the vegetables had been cut up and the pan for the stir fry was already on the stove, filled with oil, which coincidentally is under the cupboard.

Well I can't reach like this so…. I need something to stand on.

The blonde mop scooted off to find the old rickety stool that was used for reaching the lights and painting the top of the rooms.

While he was wandering around in search of said stool his father was steeling himself to crawl back to semi sobriety for dinner. His head hurt, he was sitting in the dark in front of the TV and was very hungry. Jou hurried past the lounge to the kitchen, humming softly.

well now I have the stool… the brave explorer Katsuya Jounichi was creeping towards the kitchen of doom, ready to find the fabled noodles, a treasure so well hidden many before him had given up and never returned…. our small blond 'explorer' was just about balanced on the stool, one foot on the stool, one stuck out in the air his hands flapping as he tried to grab the handle of the cupboard above him.

"Ha gotcha!" Jou crowed triumphantly as his hand came into contact with the cupboard handle.

And the great Katsuya Jounichi, explorer extraordinaire has succeeded where all others have failed…..

"Finally, I found the noodles…."

Jou began humming as he turned on the stove, noodles in the pan ready for the boiling water, vegetables in the pan with oil.

Deep in his pit, Jou's father was stirring, the smell of cooking drawing him from the depths he had been stewing in. swaying slightly he walked into the kitchen. Met by the sight of Jou cooking instead of his wife he paused and slowly, so that he did not slur his words he asked "Jou why are you cooking and where is your mother?"

A startled Jou had almost upended the boiling water in the noodle pan over himself but recovered and just managed to keep it on the stove.

"Mum is out working tonight dad, she did tell you….. I'm cooking stir-fry and noodles for supper, if that is ok?"

Upon hearing his son's words the older Katsuya had grown angry damn woman out with her friends all the time while I earn the money that keeps us here, while I am starving, leaving the boy to cook for me. Well I'll show her…teach her for not telling me she was going out, leaving me with the boy…

During his internal rant Jou's father had come closer to his son, reaching out his hand for the pans on the stove, first the hot oil, which came crashing down on the floor, straight over Jou's feet, hot oil and vegetables running down his legs to his feet. Screaming from pain and surprise Jou collapsed to the floor, trying in vain to stop the burning. His father staring at him, half ashamed, half proud, then the second pan full of boiling water and noodles was being poured over his chest, down his body to his already burning feet. Screaming Jou tried to stop the pain, rolling over the floor, clawing at anything to stop the pain inside, crying Jou stopped at his father's feet, looking up silently begging for help. His father stared back suddenly afraid of what he had done; he bent and lifted his son carrying him into the lounge. Hurrying out Jou's father called an ambulance and set about removing all evidence of his drinking, it would not do for the ambulance crew to see any thing that might prove this to be his 'fault'. Ten minutes later the ambulance crew arrived, sirens blaring and bundled a now unconscious Jou into the back of the ambulance. Jou's mother had been called from her meeting and would meet Jou and his father at the hospital.

Hours later Jou lay alone in A and E covered from the chest down in bandages, a drip in his arm trying to re-hydrate him. His parent had left for the night a little over an hour ago, not that Jou had been awake since he had been burned. Trapped just below the surface of consciousness Jou was drifting through the last few minutes. (1)

Had he done something?

Did his dad, his dad, the man who had taught him to play football, helped him with his reading, looked after him when he was sick and comforted him when his little sister had been so ill, had he just poured boiling oil and water over him?

Was all this his fault?

Again and again Jou thought these things, telling himself that he hadn't done anything, it wasn't his fault, he was not responsible for what happened. However there was a small voice, one that whilst hiding in the back of his mind would not, could not be silenced. The small voice telling him he had done something wrong, he had poured the pans over himself, obviously he had his dad wouldn't, didn't hurt him deliberately.

Well there you go. Sorry it is short but what can you expect from a holiday?

Jou does not know how much time has passed, hence 'a few minutes'

If anyone has some ideas for this could they please mail me as I am finding this a bit slow…

This will continue but updates will be erratic.

Happy new year.