Disclaimer: I don't own Yuugiou… sadly y,y

Ryu: Hey everyone, I'm back for more updating action. Getting those review has me fired up but I'll still take time to do the thank you portion. Here we go!

Ai Baka-san Austra: First off, the quote you put in your review was said by Mariku, not Malik. No, Ryou's not going to go into meditation, but things will get better for him soon. As for Malik having it harder, maybe so but keep in min he only has 1 day of this, Ryou's put up with it for months. Mariku; he's always a bad guy in fanfics so I decided to make him nicer and it seem to be working. As for Shizuka… yeah, enough said. Anyway, hope you don't get grounded so you can read this soon.

Adva Atreyu: I needed a cop so I figured I'd use an actual character (although now that I think of it I should've used someone else since Duel Monsters is mentioned in this story but oh well). I don't wanna give anything away about where the love triangle's going… so I won't. I'll try to take my time, but hope you like this chappy too.

GreyLiliy: Your short review doesn't give me much to say… Thanks for reading!

Lady-Silverkiss: At first I was scared you wouldn't show this time around. I'm glad I was right about you liking that chappy, but I hope I'm wrong this time. I really don't think anyone will like this chapter, I don't much like it, but we'll see.

Ryu: …Anyway, I guess I should mention some things before this next chappy. First off, it moves really fast, but mainly because it's a transition chapter between one conflict and the next in the story. Also, it's a happy chapter. I hope no one hates me, I thought a little happiness before the next conflict would be fun, although this chapter through chapter 11 (as far as I've gotten) are kinda happy but I'll worry about that later.

So, yeah. Again, I apologize for moving so fast but it's only a transition so I want it done and hope you all still like it. See you at the closing.

Chapter 8: Temporary Relief

Ryou Bakura sat quietly in the room he'd been brought to. After arriving at the police station he'd been brought to this room and told to wait. It was a small, empty interrogation room, containing only a table, a light above, and three chairs, one of which Ryou was sitting in.

Ryou sat quietly in his chair, the blanket Malik had given him back at the harbor still wrapped around him. It both comforted and depressed him, the Egyptian boy's scent wafting off as a constant reminder of what had happened. Come to think of it, Ryou had thought of nothing but Malik since he'd arrived.

'I just don't get any of this… Malik-kun saved my life so he mustn't hate me… And he did tell me he loves me… but I love Shizuka-chan, don't I? But then the two of them…'

His elbows fell to the table and his head into his hands, his long white hair falling around and hiding his face. He let out a soft groan of frustration. Yesterday had been so fun… so good… But today… today had been hell. What could've gone so wrong?

'At least it's quiet in here,' Ryou thought.

No sooner than that, though, did the door to the room open, causing Ryou to jump with a start. In walked Officer Crawford followed by a man with blonde hair dressed in a navy blue suit that contrasted with his combat boots, sunglasses, and American-flag bandana on his head; definitely an American. Behind him walked a familiar face, very familiar. So familiar that you'd think there were two Ryou when in reality it was Ryou's father, Barak Bakura, looking confused, solemn, and somewhat disgruntled.

Bakura walked into the room and sat down next to his son, giving a weak smile. "Are you all right, Ryou-kun?" he asked, trying to seem friendly.

Ryou only gave a small nod, not looking at his father.

"All right, lets be quick about this," said the blonde man, sitting at the table across from the twin-like father and son. "I'm Detective Keith Howard and I just need to ask a few questions so I can figure this whole thing out," he said, boredom clear in his voice.

"Ryou-kun's already told his side of the story," Bakura interrupted. "Why not let him rest."

"Sorry," Keith said in a tone that stated otherwise. "He needs to be here incase a blank comes up that we need him to fill in."

Bakura sighed in defeat, leaning back in his chair. "All right," he agreed sadly.

"Good. Now, I'm going to need to hear the story from the beginning," he said, sitting back in his chair and crossing his arms over his chest.

And so it was déjà vu for Ryou as he retold the day's tale with a heavy sigh, starting with the phone call he'd received from his father earlier and ending with his falling into the bay.

"So you were trying to kill yourself," Keith assumed once Ryou had finished.

"No," Ryou relied, not looking at anyone or anything. He was staring at the floor but he didn't see the white tiles below. All Ryou saw was a vast void of empty nothingness surrounding his entire being, much like the emptiness he felt in his heart over the incident with Malik and Shizuka, something he'd left out of the story.

"But you jumped into the bay and did nothing to save yourself; or breathe for that matter," Keith pressed.

"Yes," Ryou replied, not even wanting to give the single word answers he was giving but wanting to make more trouble even less.

"And you wouldn't call that suicide?"

"No."

Keith sighed as he took off his sunglasses, revealing blue eyes, and rubbed the bridge of his brow. "Why don't you explain then?" he said irritably, setting his sunglasses down on the table.

"Living to dying didn't matter to me," the white-haired teen explained, tears dripping from his eyes. "I… I just wanted it to be quiet…"

Keith gave another heavy sigh and placed his sunglasses back over his eyes.

"Bakura-san," he said, rising from his chair. "May I speak to you in the hall?"

Bakura hesitated, glanced at Ryou, then sighed and got up, following Keith to the hall, giving one final, sympathetic look to his son before the door was closed, leaving the pale boy alone in the room with the silver-haired officer.

Officer Crawford, who'd been leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest, sighed and looked boredly up at the ceiling.

'Geez, this boy is like a soul-less shell,' he thought. 'I'm surprised he answered any questions at all. He just sits there, staring off into nothingness. I almost feel sorry for him.' He shrugged and sighed again. 'But I guess if I didn't feel for people I wouldn't have become a cop.'

"What's going to happen to me?" a voice asked that brought Officer Crawford out of his thoughts with a start.

He looked down and saw the white-haired youth staring at him with eyes that not only looked as wide as a doe's but were a similar color too.

He sighed off his startled state and looked back at the ceiling. "It all depends on what's decided," he said truthfully. "What you did was close enough to suicide that you may need to be put into an asylum for a while. This may even be the final straw that sends your father away too."

Ryo gave a weak nodded and went back to staring into the vast nothingness the floor had become to him, his own silent sobs the only noise in the room.

"You can't go in there," came the roar of Keith's voice from the hall, startling both Ryou and Officer Crawford.

"Shaddup ya stupid prick!" came an accented shout in reply that Ryou would've known anywhere.

"Jounouchi-kun?" he breathed, rising from his chair.

The voice was followed by a series of shouts and the sounds of a struggle.

Officer Crawford, finally concerned enough, moved from his place on the wall and went to open the door saying, "What the hell is-" but was cut off by the door flying open in his face.

And who else would come through the door than the dark-skinned boy whose heart Ryou owned.

"Ryou-kun!" Malik called, running to the boy. "Ryou-kun, daijoubu?"

"Malik-kun? What are you doing here?" Ryou asked, completely in shock, not sure what to think.

"I came to make sure you were all right," Malik said brightly.

"But what's all that noise?" Ryou asked.

"Oh, Jou-kun and onii-chan are trying to hold off your dad and that American dude," Malik said casually. "So are you ready to go?"

"Go?" Ryou couldn't believe his ears. "You psychos just attacked the police in a police station while they were in the middle of interrogating me; there's no way any of us will be able to just waltz out of here."

"I called Seto-kun," Malik said with a cheerfully smile.

"Kaiba-san?" Confused did even begin to describe what Ryou was feeling. Nothing the Egyptian said made sense.

"Don't you know?" Malik asked, surprised.

Ryou just shook his head.

"KaibaCorp practically owns all of Domino. And Seto-kun is the president."

"So Kaiba-san owns all of Domino?"

"For the most part," Malik said.

"Otou-san picked the strangest place in all of Japan to live," Ryou thought aloud; then it hit him. "Otou-san!"

No sooner than he'd said that Bakura burst into the room, followed closely by Mariku, Shizuka, and Jounouchi.

"Ryou Bakura you have a lot to explain," he shouted.

"Great, he forgot again," Ryou mumbled under his breath.

"I haven't forgotten a damn thing," Bakura defended. "And I want some answers before I do."

Ryou's face brightened at those words. That had been the first time in so long Bakura had said anything so… parental; the first time in so long he'd seemed like a father. Ryou was so happy that he would tell his father anything but didn't get the chance. A cold, taunting voice from the doorway drew everyone's attention.

"Calm down sir," it said.

Everyone looked to the doorway here Seto Kaiba stood, dressed in black leather pants, a black turtle neck, black boot, and his sleeveless white trench coat; all complemented by navy blue belts around his biceps. In one hand he held his trademark silver, steel briefcase and in the other, Miho Nosaka; dressed in a lime green skirt and a black sweater, her favorite yellow ribbon in her hair.

"Who the hell are you?" Bakura spat at the boy.

"Seto Kaiba," he replied. "President and CEO of KaibaCorp. I've gone ahead and taken are of everything for Ryou-kun."

"What do you mean?" Bakura asked.

"All charges have been dropped," Malik said happily.

"But… how?"

"Are you kidding me?" Jou exclaimed. "KaibaCorp owns this town; anything Seto-kun says goes."

"Hold on!" came another voice from the hall.

Kaiba and Miho both stepped aside as Keith pried himself from the floor and into the room.

"This boy tried to kill himself! And these punks just attacked me and Officer Crawford, that can't go unpunished!" he yelled

"If you value your job you'll let it go," Kaiba said coldly.

Keith started to argue, saw the look and Kaiba's face, and decided against it. As long as he still got paid it didn't really matter to him.

"Whatever," he said with a shrug, getting up and leaving the room, throwing the unconscious Officer Crawford over his shoulder and taking him too.

"Is there anything else you need?" Kaiba asked, somewhat kindly, when the authorities had left.

"No, but thanks for your help," Malik said.

"No problem," Kaiba replied. Not like he had anything else to do, just run a multi-billion company, no big. "Come on Ribbon-chan," he said affectionately as he left the room.

"Hai," Miho said, following her boyfriend out.

"Arigatou, Seto-kun!" Malik called as the two left. He turned to the rest of his friends when the rich one and his girl had left. "Who's ready to go home?" he asked happily.

"I am, I'm beat," Jou said, stretching.

"Let's get out of here then," Mariku suggested.

The sun had already set and the street lamps were flicking on as night descended over Domino by the time they all got out of the station.

"Jaamatashi, mina," Ryou said to his friends as they all climbed into their respective vehicles.

"Your friends seem nice," Bakura said as he started the car when he and his son were inside.

"Yeah… they are…" Ryou agreed. He didn't realize how much he meant to his friends.

"We should have a party sometime," Bakura suggested.

"Nani?" Ryou asked, looking at his father with shock.

"It might be nice to get to know them," Bakura explained. "Especially if there are anymore rich ones like that Kaiba-kun."

"Otou-san," Ryou sighed playfully. "But what about… your condition? No offense but it would kind of suck if you freaked out while everyone was over."

"True," Bakura said, "But that Jounouchi has quite an arm on him. He can take care of things I'm sure."

"But I don't want you to get hurt," Ryou said. He gave a heavy sigh before adding, "I feel like I've suddenly burdened everyone."

Bakura returned Ryou's sigh with one of his own as they pulled into their driveway. "Look Ryou-kun, for the last three months you've sacrificed your own happiness to take care of me and keep my secret. But I'm supposed to be taking care of you. You should go out and be with your friends sometime."

"But you-"

"I'm going to try looking for help," Bakura interrupted.

"Nani?"

"I need to try and beat this," Bakura said, looking at his son.

"But by stage three SMLD is irreversible," Ryou pointed out.

"I'm still going to try," Bakura stated. "If I can't solve this then I'm gonna commit myself and send you back your mother and… Amane." He paused and stared out the windshield, a single tear rolling passed his eye as he realized how long it had been since he'd seen his little girl, not since he left. "I just want you to be happy Ryou. I don't want you trying to hurt yourself anymore."

"Otou-san, I don't want to go back to okaa-san," Ryou said flatly.

"Why not?" Bakura asked, looking at his son. "You'd be so much happier there."

"No I wouldn't," Ryou argued. "Okaa-san… she has a boyfriend. They're living together and everything."

"When did all this happen?"

"About a month ago."

"But why didn't she tell me?" Bakura asked, upset to say the least. He still loved Ryou's mother and had heard nothing of this.

"Okaa-san said not to mention it. Said you'd probably just forget."

"Well I don't doubt that," Bakura joked. "What's the guy like?"

"Not really sure, I've never talked to him. All I really know is he's a stage Magician from England with the stage-name Pandora."

Bakura couldn't help but burst out laughing. "Sounds like a real pansy."

"That's what I thought," Ryou chuckled. "In any case I don't want to go there. I want to stay with you, otou-san."

"Okay Ryou," Bakura said after a silence, "You can stay."

Ryou leaned over against his father's shoulder. Bakura sighed and rested his head on Ryou's. They both just sat there in silence, enjoying the company of each other and happy they'd reached a better understanding of each other.

"Hey Ryou-kun?

"Hmm?"

"Where are we?" Bakura asked curiously.

Ryou sighed sadly. Even if his father was going to try, they both still had a long way to go.

Ryu: I finally did it. Sorry this update took so long. Between my novel, a writing contest I'm considering, school, and all the ups and downs of my engagement I haven't had time for this. But I'm no gonna give up.

Again, sorry for this happy chapter and the few that are going to follow. Only 3 more chapters in my notebook and then I have to start thinking again. But I'll worry about it later. Until then, I hope the joy doesn't drive you all away. Ja for now.