Chapter 3

"Promises"

Koji blinked with no small amount of surprise. "What?"

"Are you deaf? I said, 'I. Am. Taking. Shadow. With. Me'. You know, that kid with the tri-colored hair, who's probably still sitting in his little corner…" Bakura reply was coated with dripping sarcasm.

"I know who he is, idiot. I meant, what about him?" Koji said, rolling his eyes.

"You want me to repeat it again? 'I. Am. Taking. Him. WITH. ME.'" Bakura snapped impatiently. "Let me in willya? It's not too warm out here."

Koji obeyed, stepping back and allowing Bakura to enter. "But why?"

"Because it's the right thing to do," Bakura growled. Then he added as an afterthought, "Now there's a sentence I never thought I'd use in reply to a question like that…"

"But how old are you? We can't let just anyone take kids home, no matter how desperately they need it," the young man argued with a frown.

Bakura snorted. "I'm older than you. That's all you gotta know."

Koji still didn't look convinced.

Bakura snarled, and stuffed a hand into his jeans' pocket. When he withdrew it, he held a driver's license, which he shoved into Koji's face. "This clearly states I'm twenty-two. At that age, I'm old enough to buy liquor, and I am willing to bet I'm also old enough to adopt. Happy now?"

"You don't look that old," Koji muttered in self-defense, but he couldn't very well argue with against an official document. Defeated, he gestured towards the living room door. "Well, go on in. You'll be able to take him back with you today, if he agrees. I'll fill out some forms. A letter should arrive at your house in a couple of days, just sign those forms when they arrive. Go try and see if you can somehow succeed in getting the kid to leave with you." With that, he turned and trotted down the hall and disappeared into a room at the far end.

Bakura blinked, a bit windswept by the quick turn of events. "Ok…talk about your quick getaways…" Shaking his head slightly, he entered the living room.

Shadow was indeed still sitting in his little corner. He didn't show any signs that he'd heard Bakura come in, remaining motionless as Bakura came up and knelt down in front of him.

"Hey kid," the teen said, trying to make his voice as soft as possible. The last thing he wanted to do was scare the kid.

There was no response.

Bakura gave an inner sigh. This wasn't going to be easy.

He tried again. "Hey, you don't look too happy here." No, really? "How would you like to come home with me?"

He had expected a response at that, and he wasn't disappointed. Much. A flicker of surprise darted through those crimson eyes. It was gone almost as soon as it had come, though, and the child lifted his head slightly to glare at the teen before him.

Bakura sighed again, for what felt like the hundredth time in the past twenty-four hours. "I don't want to fight you. If you come with me, I promise I'll feed you and make sure you're warm and clothed. I'll take care of you." At least I'll try, he added silently, but Shadow did not need to know about his poor domestic track record.

Shadow wasn't going to come easily. He refused to even look at the guy talking to him anymore, busily pretending that the man didn't exist. Bakura tried to keep his impatience from showing. Why, dammit, why won't the kid listen to him him?

At once, he heard Ikari's voice at the back of his mind. "He's been in orphanages and foster homes forever…ending up in an abusive one every time…" Well, it was a small wonder the child didn't trust him.

Bakura ran a hand through his long hair, and gave a small, weary groan, followed by a small growl of anger. How could anyone hurt an innocent, frail little kid like Shadow? Were humans really so cruel?

Of course, if Ryou heard that, he'd tell his yami exactly how ironic it was to hear Bakura's mind think up something like that. There'd been a time where the sprirt'd have hurt a child, no questions asked, just because he felt like it.

Pushing that thought aside, he told himself he had changed for the better. Turning his attention back to the problem before him, he tried once again to reach Shadow. "Alright, listen, kid. I promise I won't hurt you. I know you've been…mistreated. And I know how you feel. You listening to me? I haven't had an easy childhood myself. I just want to help you. I swear I won't hurt you, and I won't let anyone else hurt you either. That's a promise, Shadow."

That was when Shadow fully looked up. For the first time, Bakura saw the child's face in full light. It was very thin, like the rest of his body. But now Bakura saw the details, and the evidence that confirmed the violence in his short life.

There were old scars scattered all across his young face. Thankfully, there weren't any new ones. At least, this orphanage was kind to him. However, there was one scar that really caught Bakura's attention. It ran down the child's left cheek, starting from just below his eye and continuing all the way to his chin. It had obviously been very deep, for even after all this time it was still a bit indented.

Bakura swallowed, keeping his voice steady. He couldn't waver now. "Please, Shadow. Come with me. Let me take you away from here, and give you a new life. I'll take good care of you, I promise I will." I will give you the childhood I never knew, but wanted so very much.

Shadow's crimson eyes moved up and down the older male serchingly, taking in every last detail. They finally met and locked with Bakura's own crimson-brown ones. The white-haired teen saw a hint of indecision in them before they hardened again. Shadow cocked his head slightly, before lowering his gaze and giving an almost unnoticed nod.

Bakura fought the instinctive urge to give a huge whoop at the mission accomplished. Standing up, he bended down to offer Shadow a hand. The child didn't so much as twitch. Slightly dismayed, Bakura realized he was going to have to carry the kid.

Suppressing a growl, his previous good mood fleeing awfully fast, he reached forward and scooped the small boy into his arms. His blinked at how light the kid was. He was going to have to ask Seto for the CEO's personal doctor to come and give the boy a check up…

After settling Shadow in his arms, Bakura made his way out of the room, where he met Koji in the hall. The taller teen looked quiet surprised to see Shadow in Bakura's arms, but made no comment. He held out Bakura' driver's license, which was taken back by its owner.

After a small hesitation, Koji moved down the hall with Bakura right behind him. He opened the door for the two, standing aside to make way for them. Looking at Shadow with a wistful expression, he said softly, "Good luck, kid."

Shadow gave no response. He didn't even glance at Koji.

Bakura gave Koji a parting nod, then started across the distance towards his car once more.

"Oh, and Bakura…"

The mentioned teen paused and looked back.

Koji smiled. "Thank you."

Bakura only smirked in reply.

This time, when he reached his car, he opened the door to the back seat. Leaning in, he gently placed Shadow down and strapped him in, saying, "You might as well get comfortable. It's going to be a long drive home."

With that, Bakura backed out and shut the back door. Going to the trunk, he opened it and grabbed his spare gas. After he refilled his tank, he got into the driver's seat.

As the engine sputtered to life, he sent up a prayer that he would be able to reach a gas station before he ran out again. Then, after casting a final look back at the orphanage, he took off, and headed in what he hoped was the direction of the main road with only himself, his car, and a little kid in the back seat.

As the orphanage disappeared form view, Bakura couldn't help feeling that this was just the beginning of a long and difficult journey for both himself and little Shadow.

When he glanced at the rear view mirror a little while later, he saw that Shadow had fallen asleep. In his sleep, the child looked much more peaceful, more like the little boy he really was, and not the old man his life had turned him into.

And as Bakura watched the little boy in his peaceful slumber, he gave a slight smile, and knew that in the end, everything would turn out all right.