Woah, two weeks already? I'm shocked. I haven't even been that busy, at all. In fact I've done like nothing except go to all these stupid doctors appointments. That saddens me, that and summer vacation is officially half over. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! (world crashes)

This epilogue is exceedingly long (shrug) but I like it this way. Yeah this is sorta part 1 of 3 of the ending or "dénouement" as my drama teacher would say, so don't get all sad at the end f this chapter you still got two more to go.

Two new Japanese phrases: "nii-sama" – very honorably way of saying brother and then "Tou-san" – one of the many ways to say father, not extremely honorable like "Chichiue" (what Malik calls his father) not very informal either

Grrrr, I get really angry every time I upload this onto because all the conversations with / 's cuts off the end punctuation, example /NO/ (There are exclamation points there, you just can't see them) Really pisses me off but, hey, I can only blame myself for putting them there.

GO JOUNOUCHI/SETO! I LOVE YOU GUYS!

I also love my readers, they are my reasons for living! (gives happiness to readers)

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Chyaputa 25: Ray of Hope

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

"Are you sure, Ryou?" Malik asked suspicious, lilac eyes glaring down at the four remaining golden Sennen Items on the table. Ryou nodded his white haired head solemnly.

"I'm sure. Those items have no power left in them anymore. To use one of the Sennen Items you need to have the soul of the destined person inside of you. My darker personality could only use these four Sennen Items because he had sealed all four souls of the other chosen ones within himself," Ryou explained, sitting cross-legged on his woven papyrus mat that he was using as a bed.

"And all four souls were released? You are absolutely certain?" Yami no Yugi questioned firmly, leaning coolly up against the sun-dried mud brick wall of Rishido's house. Ryou nodded again.

"The seals are gone, all four souls can rest in peace now," Ryou answered. His pale hand was gripping his own Sennen Ring rather desperately. He hadn't let go of the thing since he had woken up.Malik was staring down at the four remaining unclaimed golden objects.

"Even so, I would feel safer if they were put away somewhere where no one could reach them anymore," he said seriously. He reached down toward the Sennen Tauk, one copper finger tracing the golden eye. Ryou watched him for a moment then bent his head gravely.

"I agree," Yami no Yugi added. Ryou nodded, wordlessly. "Is there anywhere that would be safe here in Egypt, Rishido?" Yami no Yugi asked, turning to the older Egyptian man also in the room with them. "I don't think they should leave the country."

"I could find a place," Rishido answered, bowing respectfully.

"Good." Malik snatched his hand away from the Sennen Tauk and turned forcefully away from the table. "So now that these items have been cleared up, what are everyone's plans?" he asked more cheerfully. The golden Sennen Puzzle around Yami no Yugi's neck glowed and Yugi replaced his darker half in the body.

"Well… I guess we need to go back home to Japan," Yugi said. "My grandfather and mom will probably be wondering where I went."

"What about you Ryou?" Malik asked. Ryou bent his head again, brown eyes looking at the floor.

"I don't know. Maybe I'll try to look up my father again. He's the only family I have left…" he muttered. Malik and Yugi glanced at each other uneasily.

"If you guys want you could stay here for a couple more days before heading home," Malik suggested. "You know, just to recuperate." Yugi nodded.

"That would be great," Yugi agreed. Ryou looked up and nodded as well.

"Sounds nice," he added, smiling pleasantly.

"Awesome! Well, if you guys are staying we'll need something to eat! I'll go to the bazaar and get stuff," Malik said briskly and moved toward the door.

"I could go, Malik-sama," Rishido offered.

"No, no, I need the walk," Malik said and walked out of the door. Rishido looked worriedly after his master.

"I'd better start the laundry then," Rishido said and went to finish his chores. Ryouand Yugi were left alonein the room. Yugi glanced nervously at his friend. Communications had been stressed between them for the passed week of everyone's recovery. Ryou had woken up to find himself tied down, seeing as Yugi and Malik hadn't known whether it would be him or his darker half they would find when his body returned to consciousness.

"Has he said anything?" Yugi asked awkwardly, stealing a glance at Ryou again. Ryou looked up to meet Yugi's eye.

"Nope. He hasn't said a word," Ryou answered and he smiled. Yugi looked confused.

"But aren't you worried that your darker half hasn't said anything to you?" Yugi asked. Ryou thought about this for a moment and then shrugged.

"He'll talk when he wants, I can't really force him to do anything," Ryou said truthfully. Yugi nodded and placed a hand on his golden puzzle. He could feel a deep stirring of troubled thoughts within. Something was troubling his darker side too, although he hadn't said anything to Yugi yet.

"I still can't believe that we all survived that day," Yugi commented. "I was certain we were going to die. What exactly did you do?" Yugi prodded his friend curiously, sitting down at the foot of his mat.

Ryou shrugged. "I didn't really do anything," he admitted truthfully. "I knew I had to at least try to protect you guys so I made that soul shield. To tell you the truth I thought I was going to die there too. But then…" Ryou toyed with the end of his shirt nervously. "I remember the darkness attacking me and this big explosion then… I guess I blacked out."

"But Bakura must have stopped his attack somehow, that would have been the only way you could have survived," Yugi pointed out. "So... the only way he could have stopped the darkness from attacking you was by releasing the seals on the chosen one's souls? But he knew he was never going to be able to use the Sennen items if he broke the seals… and still he saved you?"

Ryou bit his lip, maybe out of nerves, maybe to stop himself from grinning. He suddenly became much more interested in texture of the papyrus mat below him. "I guess…" he muttered softly. The Sennen Ring's pointers clicked pleasantly.

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Jounouchi had been staring at the phone for the last fifteen minutes. A large yellowing phone book lay open on his lap, the number for Kaiba Corporation was printed near the top under a large advertisement. Hard as he tried, Jounouchi had been unable to find Kaiba's home phone number so this would have to do. This was the best chance he had at contacting Kaiba again.

It had been one week since his release from the mental hospital, practically a month since he had last seen Kaiba. His last days in the hospital had been hell. His new roommate had been a real nutter, not someone you could talk to, not that one could talk to Kaiba Seto. Otogi and Honda had still been ignoring him so the blonde had to eat his meals and hang out all by himself. Eventually they had come around and forgave him or he forgave them, Jounouchi couldn't quite remember which.

"I'm going to do this," Jounouchi ordered himself firmly, glaring at the phone. He stood there for another five minutes. Why was this so hard? Why was he even calling Kaiba anyway? What was the point? What the hell was Jounouchi even trying to get out of talking to him?

The blonde's hand landed on the phone. He wasn't even aware that he had picked it up and dialed the number until it started ringing in his ear.

"Hello, Kaiba Corporations, may I help you?" a cool female's voice spoke.

"Ah, hi, I would like to speak to Kaiba Seto, please," Jounouchi said bluntly. There was a pause, the hairs on the back of Jounouchi's neck prickled.

"Do you have an appointment?" she asked warily.

"No, I don't. Look, just tell him my name is Jounouchi Katsuya. He should remember that," Jounouchi instructed bravely. There was another long pause.

"We're going to have to put you on hold," the woman said and soft elevator music began playing in Jounouchi's ear. The blonde groaned and flopped down on his bed and stared up at the clock, preparing himself for the wait.

A half an hour passed and Jounouchi started to get cranky. He was glaring at the ceiling, the phone's receiver digging painfully into his ear. The same annoying elevator music was repeating itself over and over again. Forty-five minutes passed and Jounouchi started pacing the room. The sun had practically gone down outside his window. Jounouchi was almost ready to hang up and call again when the music finally stopped.

"I'm sorry, Kaiba-sama isn't taking any personal calls at the moment."

"I've been on hold for an HOUR and that's all you can say to me!" Jounouchi roared. "Did you tell him my name? Did you say Jounouchi Katsuya wanted to talk to him!" His patience had run out, his temper was now boiling over into the phone.

"The CEO is a very busy man…" the woman protested weakly.

"I don't fucking care! I know him, alright!"

"I'm sorry but no one can speak to the CEO without an appointment…"

"But I know him!" Jounouchi screamed. "Can you at least give me another number to call or something?" he asked desperately.

"I could transfer you to another operator…" the woman suggested.

"Good, fine. Anything, just let me speak to him," Jounouchi agreed hastily.

"Alright, please hold," the woman said the infamous music started again.

"No! Don't put me on hold!" Jounouchi screamed but it was no use, the woman could no longer hear him. Jounouchi let out a roar of frustration and threw the phone back onto its holder.

"Dammed fucking bastard!" he snarled, positively fuming.

(-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-)

/Oi/ Yami no Malik called warily, his transparent form leaning against the wooden table, his expression looking utterly and completely bored. Malik ignored his darker half and continued peeling the shriveled potato in his hands with the golden blade of the Sennen Rod. Yami no Malik's eye twitched dangerously. /Oi/ he snapped again. Malik continued to ignore him and flicked the peeled skin of the vegetable into the bowel. Yami no Malik was getting seriously ticked off by now. He slid off his chair and onto the dirt floor of the apartment, crawling over to his lighter half, sitting on the floor a few feet away. /Oi/ he repeated, more angrily.

"What?" Malik snapped, eyes focusing on his potato. Yami no Malik scowled, stood up on his knees and lay on Malik's back, arms falling over Malik's shoulders, his head leaning one side looking down at his light half from behind.

/What the hell do you think you're doing/ Yami no Malik hissed in his ear sadistically.

"Preparing our dinner," Malik answered curtly, he dusted off another piece of potato skin. Yami no Malik's scowl deepened.

/You mean you and your servant's dinner/ Yami no Malik corrected rudely, leaning forward so Malik had to slouch uncomfortably to continue working.

"Not now Yami," Malik half whined half ordered, still trying to peel the vegetable despite his darker side lying on top of him.

/I can't believe you let a servant order you around/ Yami no Malik grumbled. /Shouldn't he be the one peeling and doing all the weak and boring stuff/

"He's not a servant! He's family," Malik snapped fiercely. "The only family I have left." Yami no Malik rolled his light-less eyes insensitively.

/Whatever. How can you use the Sennen Rod like that/ Yami no Malik complained, leaning even farther forward, squishing Malik to the floor. /You're defiling a sacred artifact, you know. It wasn't made to be used as a dammed kitchen tool/ the dark soul hissed threateningly in Malik's ear.

"It's mine and I'll use it as I please," Malik stated firmly, determinedly continuing to peel. Yami no Malik chewed irritably on his bottom lip. Silence stretched in the dull dry heat of the Egyptian air. Malik started on another potato.

/I'm bored/ Yami no Malik commented accusingly, as though this were all his lighter personality's fault. The dark soul poked Malik hard in the side of the head.

"I bet you are," Malik answered coldly, swatting his poking hand away. Yami no Malik groaned and leaned forward again, Malik was almost completely doubled over by now.

/There's nothing to do anymore…/ Yami no Malik commented dryly. /Now that those guys have left./

"Yeah, I do kinda miss Yugi and the others," Malik agreed, picking out one of the potato's eyes. "You know, despite all our almost certain deaths and the whole end of the world stuff, that adventure was pretty fun," Malik reminisced pleasantly. Yami no Malik frowned deeply, looking disgusted.

/I don't think so/ Yami no Malik grumbled darkly. /That dammed bastard almost killed us all, in case you forgot./ Malik grinned.

"You're just angry cause Bakura turned out to be a better villain than you," Malik taunted, smirking smugly.

Yami no Malik scowled again. /Go find someone's mind to control and make them peel stuff/ Yami no Malik ordered forcefully. /Then we can do something else./

"No, I don't feel like controlling anyone right now," Malik answered defiantly. Yami no Malik, now getting very frustrated and annoyed, poked his lighter half in the temple again forcefully. "Ow! Stop that!" Malik cried.

/You are so boring, main personality-sama/ Yami no Malik sneered. An evil glint lit up his pale pupil-less eyes. /I don't like boring./ His arms, still hanging over Malik's shoulders, reached up and snatched the half peeled potato out of Malik's hands.

"Stop that!" Malik ordered reaching for the vegetable and failing, his body very squished now. Yami no Malik grinned and swiped the golden Sennen Rod out of Malik's grip with his other hand. "Give those back!"

/No/ Yami no Malik hissed. He tossed the potato onto the dirt floor a few feet away.

"Yami!" Malik lunched forward to save it but he was too far away.

/No more distractions/ Yami no Malik said, voice dangerously low. Yami no Malik hooked an arm around Malik's neck and tilted sideways bringing both of them to the ground. /The darkness is hungry, main personality-sama./ Before Malik could cry out, Yami no Malik was on top of him and so were his jaws. His sharp tongue danced around in Malik's mouth. Malik gagged and shoved him away.

"You bastard!" Malik cried angrily as soon as his mouth became free. "You ruined my potato!" Yami no Malik smirked, pale eyes wide.

/And what are you going to do about it/ Yami no Malik taunted coolly, pale eyes flashing with glee, getting fully on top of his lighter half.

Malik reached up grabbed two fists full of his darkness' hair and jerked his head violently downward, mouths crashing into each other. A battle for who could shove more of their tongue into the other's mouth began. Teeth bit, lips grew extremely sore and both participants' hands were on the other's head trying to further the violent contact. Finally Malik broke away, panting heavily, trying to fill his lungs with oxygen again. Yami no Malik, having no need to breathe, grinned broadly and mischievously.

/Your punishment excites me/ Yami no Malik hissed. He leaned forward and began attacking his lighter half's neck with his teeth. Malik's heavy breathing increased, his hands grasping his darkness' hips for support.

I know something interesting we could do, Malik suggested through their mind link, his mouth busy leaning down and biting Yami no Malik's ear lobe.

What, main personality-sama? Yami no Malik had pulled up his lighter half's shirt was begun groping sensitive sections of Malik's golden chocolate chest with his mouth. His hands teasingly slid down below Malik's waist. Isn't this interesting enough for you? Yami no Malik asked, dirty thoughts encircling his mind. Malik frowned inwardly.

How would you like to go on another plane ride? Malik asked. Yami no Malik paused and lifted his head up Malik's chest, staring skeptically at him.

/Why/ he asked out loud, eyes narrowing suspiciously.

Malik gave him an impish grinned.

(-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-)

"Hello, Kaiba Corporation, may I help you?"

"Yes, I would like to speak to Kaiba Seto, yes, the president. No, I do not have an appointment. No, I do not wish to make an appointment and don't you dare put me on hold again! I've been calling this god-dammed company for a WEEK and I will continue to call until I can speak to Kaiba! Just tell him I called, me, Jounouchi Katsuya! He knows me! No, I am NOT making this up!" Jounouchi explained very fast, voice stretched a bit thin with stress.

"I'm sorry, you're not allowed to speak to the CEO without an appointment-"

"I DON'T CARE! JUST LET ME SPEAK TO HIM!" Jounouchi screeched.

"I'm sorry but there's nothing I can do for you. I could transfer your call-"

"NO! DON'T YOU PUT ME ON HOLD! I DEMAND TO SPEAK TO KAIBA!"

"I'm sorry, sir," the woman protested weakly. "But I can't…" There was a long pause, Jounouchi strained to hear what was going on the other end.

(-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-)

"Mokuba-sama," a secretary called through the intercom. Mokuba pressed the call button to answer.

"Yes, what is it?" Mokuba asked businesslike.

"I'm sorry, I normally I wouldn't disturb you but we have a situation. There's man on the phone asking to speak to Kaiba-sama…" she asked politely.

"Does he have an appointment with nii-sama?" Mokuba questioned.

"No… but he claims to have spent a great deal of time with the CEO." Mokuba scoffed.

"That's nothing new. We get calls like that all the time. Tell him to go away," Mokuba ordered dismissive.

"But, Mokuba-sama, he's been calling back every day for the past week. I don't know how to get rid of him," the woman explained weakly. Mokuba frowned glaring at the phone.

"Oh, has he?" Malik questioned. "Put him through to me."

"But Mokuba-sama…" the woman protested.

"Just do it. I'll make sure he never calls back," Mokuba said, brushing his long black hair away from his ear and picking up the receiver.

(-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-)

"Yes, sir, I'm patching you to Kaiba-sama," the phone operator said.

"You are!" Jounouchi exclaimed, suddenly very surprised. Something inside his chest pounded, Jounouchi ignored it. "Oh god, thanks!" There was an electric click as the lines switched. He was going to talk to Kaiba; he was finally going to talk to Kaiba again.

"Hello, Jounouchi Katsuya, was it?" a sharp voice that definitely wasn't Kaiba spoke into the phone. Jounouchi was felt insulted, the person on the other line sounded like a kid.

"Who the hell is this?" Jounouchi demanded.

"This is Kaiba," the guy on the other line answered.

"You don't sound like Kaiba," Jounouchi accused harshly.

"I assure you, I am Kaiba," the child insisted.

"No, you're not," Jounouchi argued.

"I am too."

"Are not."

"Are too."

"Not."

"Too!"

"This is stupid, I feel like I'm arguing with a seven year old," Jounouchi spat. Then suddenly he paused, for all he knew he could be talking to a seven-year-old. "How old are you?" Jounouchi questioned rudely.

"That- that's none of your business. If you really did know me, as you claim, you wouldn't have to ask that question," the guy answered, coolly. Jounouchi scowled, this kid was really starting to tick him off. Now that Jounouchi thought of it, the guy did talk a little like Kaiba.

"Look, I know how old Kaiba is and you're not him!" Jounouchi said firmly. Then it hit him, Jounouchi had to slap himself on the forehead for not realizing it sooner. "Oh, I get it. You're Kaiba Mokuba, aren't you?" There was a long pause. Jounouchi grinned. "Ha! I knew it!"

"How'd you guess?" the boy asked.

"Kaiba told me all about you," Jounouchi answered. "You two were adopted into the Kaiba name, right?"

"You could have gotten that information anywhere," Mokuba snapped defensively. "That doesn't prove that you know nii-sama."

"Look, my name's Jounouchi Katsuya. Surely Kaiba's mentioned me," Jounouchi said confidently.

"No, no one by that name," Mokuba said flatly.

"Oh… well, if you just tell him I called, I'm sure he'll tell you. You see he knows me, okay?" Jounouchi argued back.

"Nii-sama is a very busy man who has more important things to do than take crank calls," Mokuba barked, extremely Kaiba-like.

"This isn't a crank call, I need to speak to Kaiba Seto! Please! It's really important!" Jounouchi cried.

"And just where do you know nii-sama from, Jounouchi Katsuya?" Mokuba asked stiffly.

"I was his roommate at Domino Mental Hospital," Jounouchi said before he could stop himself. He knew before Mokuba could even find his voice he had said exactly the wrong thing.

"You stay AWAY from my brother!" Mokuba cried angrily.

"Its not what you think, okay?" Jounouchi protested defensively.

"He doesn't need any more reminding of that horrible place!" Mokuba snapped fiercely. "If you ever call back again I'll trance your number and arrest you for harassment!"

"You know what? Fine! I give up!" Jounouchi shouted back at the kid into the phone. He had snapped. It wasn't worth it anymore. "Tell your brother that I give up! He wins! He's a great fucking winner! And you can also tell him that I said he's a dammed fucking prick!" And without a second thought Jounouchi slammed the phone back on the receiver, insides burning.

The room was silent. Too silent. Jounouchi hated silence. He threw himself down upon the bed.

"I can't believe I humiliated myself for that guy…" Jounouchi muttered darkly. His insides were squirming with nerves and rage. It had taken Jounouchi all his strength just to work up the courage to call the god forsaken bastard and he didn't even get to speak to him.

'Kaiba's the fucking head of that dammed company!' Jounouchi thought aggravated. 'He should at least know that I tried to reach him…'

'Maybe he does,' a small voice interrupted his thoughts. 'Maybe he knows you're trying to contact him and is ordering his secretaries and even his own brother to tell you he's busy. Maybe he only kissed you, knowing he'd get away with it…'

"Just like something that bastard would do…" Jounouchi grumbled to the ceiling. "Looks like he's going to get away with it too."

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Ryou's father's office had given him five different numbers to call. Ryou had already dialed four of them. All had been to foreign countries; his last call had been to South America where he had been on hold for almost a half an hour while the people on the other end had searched for someone who could speak Japanese. The last number was to his father's old archeological site in Egypt. The irony was painful.

After much debating with international phone operators, the phone on the other end finally started to ring.

"This is Bakura," a deep man's voice spoke on the other line. Ryou's throat froze; the phone in his hand grew surprisingly heavy. "Hello?" the man asked again after Ryou forgot to answer.

"T-Tou-san?" Ryou croaked, trembling with anticipation. The man on the other end of the line hesitated.

"Who is this?" the voice questioned, more sharply.

"It's me, Tou-san," Ryou repeated, it felt so good to say "father". He couldn't remember the last time he had actually said it out loud. "Your son, Ryou, remember?" There was another long pause.

"Is this a joke? My son is in an insane asylum," the man on the other end accused harshly.

"It's not a joke," Ryou insisted hastily, trying to keep his voice strong. "I… just got out of the hospital," he explained awkwardly, tugging nervously at one of his stray white locks.

"You weren't supposed to get out until you were 18," the man said suspiciously. Ryou's stomach sank. Had his father sounded disappointed?

"I was released early," Ryou lied weakly. "I, ah, dropped by our old house to see if you were there. They said you moved out six years ago." Ryou hesitated, giving his father a chance to respond but it didn't come. "So… ah, you're in Egypt again? That's really cool. You always used to talk about finding new tombs… Um, can I come over there and see you?" Ryou asked, voice staying painfully cheerful. There was yet another long, long pause.

"Well… uh, I wasn't expecting this," his father admitted uneasily. "Ah, look… I don't think that you coming over and living with me is such a good idea…" he said. Ryou felt strangely empty.

"Why not? I… haven't seen you in over eight years," Ryou admitted painfully, voice growing soft with nerves.

"Well, my job requires me to move around a lot," his father pointed out. "There would be so much travel and work. Archeology is not as exciting as it seems, believe me, you would be so bored." Ryou couldn't believe his ears; his own father didn't want him to live with him?

"Then… where would I live?" Ryou asked weakly. He swallowed forcefully, trying his best to hold back his tears. "I-I'm not a legal adult yet." His father wouldn't put him in foster care again, would he?

"Oh right… well… you must be what? 14 by now…"

"I'm 16," Ryou corrected faintly.

"Really?" His father sounded surprised. "Wow, time sure does fly, doesn't it? Well, anyways, how about I buy you an apartment?" his father suggested optimistically as if this was an opportunity any other kid would jump at. "I'll put the apartment under my name and I'll pay the rent. If anyone comes by to talk to me you can just say I'm on a business trip! How about it?" Panic was building up in Ryou's heart as he listened to this idea. This was insane! An apartment? Was his father crazy?

"Y-You can't be serious, Tou-san," Ryou said, voice trembling. "An apartment? How am going to take care of it? How am I going to take care of myself? How will I sleep? How will I go to school?"

"Oh come, it will be fun," his father fake laughed, good natured-ly again. "You'll have your own space! That's what every teenager wants nowadays, right? I'll give you full access to my money accounts to buy food and stuff. Don't go over board though, I'm not made of money," he joked, laughing nervously. "Just kidding, I'm sure you're, ah, responsible and mature enough to handle it," his father reassured him dismissively.

"But I don't want to live all by myself, Tou-san," Ryou said, bending his head toward the floor in shame. "I… I want to live with you," he admitted, his voice almost begging. Couldn't his father feel the sadness in his voice? Couldn't his father hear the pain he was trying desperately to conceal?

"Oh don't worry, you'll do fine," his father repeated, voice rushed and detached almost as if he hadn't heard Ryou at all. "Oh look, someone over there needs me. So sorry, I'll have to call you back."

"Wait! Tou-san-" Ryou began but a click on the other end of the line cut him off.

(-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-)

Mokuba stepped out of the elevator and jogged off towards his brother's office. He slid open the door and there was Kaiba Seto, sitting at his desk, eyes nailed on the bright computer screen in front of him, typing away at his keyboard.

"Hi, nii-sama," Mokuba greeted cheerfully ducking into the room. Kaiba grunted in answer, eyes fixed upon his computer. Mokuba walked into the office and put his school stuff on his desk in the corner. He pressed the button on the intercom to contact the secretary downstairs.

"Yes, Mokuba-sama?" the woman answered.

"Did the stalker call back today?" Mokuba asked.

"Surprising, no," the woman answered. "In fact we haven't gotten any calls from him since you talked to him."

"Oh, well, alert me if he does call back."

"Yes, Mokuba-sama," the woman answered and Mokuba moved his hand away from the intercom.

"Another stalker?" Kaiba asked mildly from the desk, blue eyes fixed on his computer screen.

"Yeah," Mokuba said. "He was really weird too, saying he knew you personally. Said you told him about me and us being adopted."

Kaiba scoffed softly. "He could have gotten that from anywhere," the CEO muttered coldly.

"That's what I said. He called nonstop for an entire week, wanting to speak to you," Mokuba recalled. "Harassing the receptionists. I talked to him." Kaiba raised an eyebrow coolly, still not looking up from his computer.

"He must have been really desperate," Kaiba scoffed.

"He even claimed to be your roommate at that mental hospital. What a jerk," Mokuba commented. Kaiba paused in his typing, thin fingers going slightly rigid.

"What happened to him?" Kaiba asked casually, his voice suddenly blank.

"I told him I'd arrest him if he called again and he uh, said some pretty vulgar words and hung up on me. And I guess hasn't called back since," Mokuba said with a careless shrug. Kaiba finally lifted his blue eyes up from the computer screen.

"Did he tell you his name?" Kaiba asked, face expressionless and completely unreadable. Mokuba looked slightly startled.

"Ah, Jounouchi Katsuya," Mokuba said, confused. "Why?"

And to Mokuba's compete and utter bewilderment, Kaiba laughed.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

A lot of people thought Bakura was dead. They were like, "NOO! How could you kill him!" Come on, it's me! I wouldn't kill Bakura, he's too amazingly cool, duh.

Malik is cool also. Teehee. "You ruined my potato!" (fit of mad giggles) Oh potatoes...

I know what your thinking, "EEE! KAIBA LAUGHING! THE APOCOLYPSE IN UPON US!" Please, its not like Kaiba doesn't laugh, he does it all the time in the show, just, you know, evilly. This is kind of an evil laugh. It's a I-got-my-dog-bitch-right-where-I-want-him sadistic laugh. (sigh) Poor poor Jounouchi...

Guess what? Two chapters left! (GASP!) Dun, dun, dun…

Next Chappie! Yugi and Yami have got to have a, um, (cough) talk about some things. So do Kaiba and Jounouchi… and Ryou and Bakura… A lot of communication issues.

REVIEW or Yami no Malik will dirty your celery and carrot sticks! Really he will, I'm not making this up.

REVIEW!