Chapter 9
"Developement"
There was a moment of silence in which everyone except Bakura, Seto, and Ryou stared at the child sited on 'Kura's lap. Shadow squirmed under their gazes, obviously uncomfortable. He pressed even closer to Bakura than he already was with a small whimper, averting the prying eyes of the staring group. Bakura wrapped a protective arm firmly around the child, sending a defiant and warning glare over the boy's head.
Tristan shook his head slightly in wonder. "He…he's…" he started, not having gotten Bakura's silent warning.
Yugi, who no doubt had gotten the meaning of Bakura's glare, interrupted before his friend could say anything wrong. "He's adorable," the hikari said with a grin, violet eyes sparkling.
Tristan blinked. "Well, yeah, but he-"
He fell quiet the next moment as Bakura, Ryou, Seto, and Yugi all shot him a fierce glare.
Joey, who had more or less recovered from his shock, cleared his throat. "Well, Bakura, I'd have to say I'd never have thought of YOU being a parent."
Marik leaned back in his seat with a grin. "Yeah. Weren't you the one who managed to blow up four microwaves in ONE afternoon?"
"That was years ago!" Bakura replied indignantly.
"Years and still no improvement, eh, 'Kura?" Ryou said with a teasing smirk.
"Oh, thanks a lot, hikari. Your support means the world to me," Bakura muttered darkly.
"So, umm…how old is he?" Tea asked a bit hesitantly, drawing their attention back to Shadow.
"Six," Bakura replied, stroking the boy's hair comfortingly.
"May I hold him?" Yugi asked, a wistful look appearing in his eyes.
Bakura paused, then shook his head. "He's a bit shy. Perhaps later."
Yugi didn't argue, and Shadow, who had tensed the moment Yugi had voiced his question, relaxed.
"OK, you guys, this is sad," Marik suddenly spoke up. "It's been seven years, and none of us has a wife – or husband, let alone kids. Except Bakura! How does THAT work out!"
Everyone exchanged looks.
Joey put his face in his hands. "Showed up by Bakura. In this department. Aw man, that's just so…so…"
"Pathetic," Marik finished flatly.
"Speak for yourself," Seto drawled, leaning back into the cushion. "I mean, Shadow-chan is alright, but a wife and kids of my own? No thanks," the CEO shuddered slightly at the thought.
"So you mean you're gonna remain a bachelor for the rest of your life?" Joey asked, a mischievous sparkle in his eyes. "That's going to break a lot of hearts out there."
"At least if I remain single, it'll be because I choose to. If you remain single, it'll be because you had no choice!" Seto replied with a slight growl.
Joey flushed an interesting shade of red.
Marik, seeing an opening, instantly jumped in. "Yeah, Joey, have you even done it once?"
Joey flushed impossibly deeper. "Have you!" he roared.
"Well yeah! Who hasn't after years at college?" Marik laughed.
Everyone else stayed silent…for reason of their own.
Marik looked around. "Aww you guys…don't tell me…"
Malik shook his head. "Only you, hikari, only you. I told you it wasn't normal to you it with every girl who so much as blinked at you…"
Tristan raised an eyebrow. "Frisky…"
Ryou leaned over to his yami. "Bakura!" he hissed into the spirit's ear. "Shadow!"
Bakura blinked, then jumped up as he realized what Ryou meant. The boy was, after all, only six. "Uh…say, Yugi, how about…umm…a cup of water?" he hurriedly asked, trying to find an excuse to get Shadow out of the room and away from this conversation.
Yugi quickly stood up as he realized what the matter was. "Of course! Follow me."
In the kitchen, Bakura sat down on a stool, settling Shadow on his lap. "So, Yugi…have you had any thoughts about going back to Domino for a visit?" he asked in an attempt to make conversation.
Yugi glanced over from where he was getting the requested glass of water, and smiled. "Yes. Actually, I was hoping we could all go back sometime, together. It'd be more fun with everyone…" he trailed off, and Bakura saw a faraway look come into his eyes.
The yami looked down at the child cuddled up against him. Shadow was falling asleep, a thumb tucked instinctively in his mouth. Bakura smiled softly at that. It was a habit the boy had yet to lose, although he was rather old for it.
Yugi, who had recovered from his brief trip down memory lane, sat down next to him and handed over the glass of water, which Bakura accepted with a murmured thanks.
There was a moment's silence. Then Yugi spoke up. "You've changed, Bakura."
The yami looked up at him with a tiny smile. "Ryou said the same thing. But," his expression changed to a menacing one. "That doesn't mean I'm any less dangerous!"
Yugi chuckled. "Yes, yes, most definitely." The hikari's gaze drifted over to Shadow, who was now fast asleep in Bakura's firm hold. Without warning, his violet eyes clouded over. "I miss him, 'Kura," he whispered, using Ryou's nickname for the spirit. "It's been years, but I still think about him. It like…he won't leave me alone…"
Bakura was slightly taken back. Why was Yugi confiding in him? Joey was his best friend, and Ryou was a fellow hikari who would gladly listen. Why him, of all people?
Unable to keep his curiosity in check, he blurted out his question. "Why are you telling me?"
Yugi looked at him with slightly moist eyes. A sad smile appeared on the hikari's face. "He trusted you, you know. He's always known you had some good in you. He told me. And I never doubted his judgment. When the others talked trash about you, he'd always come to your defense. Did you know that?" Bakura shook his head. "Well, he did. I never could figure it out. But I trusted him. Still do."
Yugi sighed tiredly. "There are times when I get mad at him for leaving. It's selfish, I know, but I just miss him so much…"
"It's always hard to lose someone you care about," Bakura muttered, looking down at the boy sleeping in his lap. "It leaves a wound in you heart, one that doesn't heal no matter how much time passes."
"Shadow-chan's a special child," Yugi grinned, wiping the tears away before things got too depressing. "You picked well."
"Yes, I did. Thank you, by the way, for stopping Tristan earlier. Sometimes, he's just not very bright. I don't want Shadow-chan to have to live knowing about exactly who he is. He's gone through enough. He doesn't need something like that hanging over him."
Yugi nodded in agreement. "But the others, they'll be curious. You'll have some explaining to do."
The white-haired teen snorted. "I don't have to do anything. I do things because I want to, not because I have to!"
The hikari rolled his eyes. "But you want to, right?"
"It's probably the only way to keep them from saying anything reckless," Bakura growled.
Yugi smirked. "Just get it done. Come on, I'll show you your room. You'll be bunking with Ryou, Marik, and Malik, by the way. I don't have enough rooms for everybody, seeing as how Seto quite bluntly requested a room to himself, and Tea needs a room to herself. Joey and Tristan have the smaller guest room. Yours is a big enough room, but there's only one bed, although it is also very big. The rest of you will have to take the air mattress."
"Doesn't matter. I sleep with Shadow-chan anyway. Ryou can sleep with us, no problem. The psychos can take the mattress."
Yugi giggled. "You have no idea how funny it is to hear you calling someone else a psycho."
xxxxxxxx
Bakura sighed, relaxing on the couch with a warm cup of coffee in his hands. He had spent the morning and most of the afternoon catching up with the gang. Everyone had bombarded him, Seto, and even Ryou with questions about Shadow. At last, they had backed off. Yugi had given them a tour of the house and showed them their rooms. The others were currently in the living room, chatting. Bakura was spending some time alone in the den.
Someone opened the door and padded into the room behind him. Bakura didn't turn to find out who it was. He would know soon enough. A moment later, a slight depression formed in the couch beside him, telling him that the person had sat down.
"It's been a while, huh, Bakura?"
Bakura sighed. "Something you want, Malik?"
"Can't two old friends simply talk?" the other yami asked, oh-so-innocently.
The white-haired teen gave a slight growl. "What are you up to now, you psycho?"
Strangely enough, Malik didn't come up with any kind of comeback, as Bakura had expected him to. After a few moments of silence, the spirit of the ring looked up to see just what the other was up to.
What he saw made him instantly drop the defensive walls he had instinctively raised around himself when Malik had entered.
The blond teen was staring at the floor with an expression of something Bakura knew only too well. It was loneliness. As Bakura had found out from first hand experience, the feeling that no one in the world understood you is one of the cruelest and most depressing feelings in the world.
"Malik?" Bakura asked tentatively, well aware that he was now treading into dangerous territory.
"I thought you, of all people, would understand," the other yami muttered.
"I…I don't know what you mean," Bakura said nervously, not used to this kind of behavior from the guy he had always known to be insane, cold, and sadistic, even more so than himself.
"Don't you?" Malik asked. Seeing that Bakura was truly confused, he laughed bitterly. "My, but you're dim. You aren't the only one who was shunned from society, Bakura. You aren't the only one who knows what it truly means to be alone."
Bakura understood what the other was getting at, and, truth be told, did feel a bit ashamed and stupid for not having seen it sooner. "So, you've come to do what? Connect with me? Wanna be friends do ya?" he said sarcastically, putting his walls back up.
"Awww, dammit, Tomb Robber, don't play games with me!" Malik snapped back. "Hell, I don't know why I came here in the first place, bastard! I…" he quieted his voice. "I guess I just wanted someone to talk to, someone who understands what I'm feeling right now. The others out there, they're all talking and socializing. They're a group. I don't feel as if I belong in that group. No body wants me there…except maybe my hikari. Only reason Yugi invited me was because it'd be rude to ask Marik and not me…"
Bakura gulped. He wasn't comfortable with listening to people spill their secrets to him. That was Ryou's job. "You aren't going to do anything…uh…mushy now, are you?"
Malik looked at him strangely. "No. Why would I? Am I the mushy type?"
"Well, that's what they do in the movies and on TV…"
The blond yami just stared at him.
"Never mind," Bakura muttered. "I…uh…well, I'm not that great at talking. Never have been, but, uh…well, I won't mind if you stay in here…"
He was rewarded for this rare bit if kindness. Malik gave him a small, but genuine smile. "Thanks, 'Kura."
xxxxxxx
Shadow woke up late in the afternoon. Opening his eyes, he instantly saw something was wrong. He was in an unfamiliar bed, in an unfamiliar room, and Otou-sama was nowhere in sight.
To put it plainly, he was lost.
Panic instantly flared up in him. His first instinct was to hide. Somewhere, anywhere. No one was here to protect him, and he was on foreign land. This must mean that someone was coming shortly to inflict some kind of pain upon him.
However, a second, calmer and more reasonable voice spoke up quietly, trying to reach him through his fright. It told him to relax, and think things through. Otou-sama won't just abandon you. Remember, you're at his friend's house. That's what he said, right?
Shadow paused, then gave a faint nod. Yes, Otou-sama had said he would be safe, and Otou-sama didn't lie. The thought calmed him down, but didn't stop the instinctive fear he still felt.
So, the question then became 'what to do next?'
To go look. He'd have to find Otou-sama, and as quickly as possible.
He didn't like to be alone.
Sliding off the bed with a slight thump, the child exited the bedroom and began his search.
xxxxxxxxx
Crash.
The sound announced to everyone in the room that some item had met an untimely demise.
"Oops," the culprit said, wincing guiltily.
"Folks, he's done it again! Let's give a healthy round of teasing to Joey Wheeler!" Tristan laughed, an evil smirk on his face.
"Oh, Tristan, stop. Don't worry, Joey, I'll get it cleaned up," Yugi gave his friend a reassuring smile, before leaving to get the broom to sweep up the glass.
"Joey, Joey, Joey. You are such a klutz!" Marik rolled his eyes at the taller blonde. "Some things never change."
"It slipped!" Joey protested.
"Yeah. Just like how the glass of orange juice walked off the lunch table in eighth grade, huh, buddy?" Tristan grinned.
"You shut up."
"Well, you should at least help clean up, you ill-mannered little mutt," the others sniggered as Joey's face turned red at the use of his old "nickname". Seto's smirk only grew wider as he dragged to blonde out of the room, saying, "Come on, boy, you gotta go apologize to Yugi."
Ryou shook his head, smiling. It seems that no matter how much time passes, some things still stayed the same.
The white-haired hikari was enjoying himself immensely. It really felt good to be with his old friends again. He was currently leaning on a counter, his back to the door. Marik was next to him. Bakura had disappeared somewhere a while ago. Ryou figured his yami had probably gone to check on Shadow.
"You want some chips, Ryou?" Not waiting for an answer, Tristan threw the bag to his friend. Ryou had to lunge forward to catch it. Unfortunately, this caused him to lose his balance, and he started to fall – straight into the pile of glass Joey had created.
"Ryou!" Marik yelped, grabbing the other hikari from behind. He managed to yank them both back from the glass, and they ended up on the floor, one on top of the other.
"Thanks, Marik. That was close," Ryou panted.
"You're welcome. Now get offa me. You're not as light as you look," Marik grunted.
"Sorry!" Ryou jumped up, letting the other climb a bit unsteadily to his feet.
In all the excitement, no one heard the soft footsteps that announced the entrance of another person into the room.
Ryou was distracted by slight tugs on his pants. Looking down, he saw Shadow standing there, eyes wide and scared. The child looked to be on the verge of tears. Ryou had no way of knowing that the boy had spent almost fifteen minutes scouring the huge house, looking, and had finally found a familiar face when the noise of Joey's breaking the glass had drawn him to the living room where the group had gathered.
"Shadow-chan was wrong?" Ryou asked, leaning down and scooping the child into his arms. Shadow gratefully put his head on Ryou's shoulder, cuddling against the man's body.
The others were watching interestedly. Bakura had warned them ferociously to keep silent about Yami in front of the boy. He had made it clear that anyone who slipped up would have him to answer to. However, despite all his explanations and threats, everyone was still very interested in Shadow and the child's story.
"What wrong, kiddo?" Ryou repeated his question, worried.
"Where's Otou-sama? I can't find'im." Shadow whispered with a sniff.
Ryou blinked. He had thought Bakura had went to Shadow after leaving the group…but if that wasn't the case, then where was his yami?
"Onii-chan, I wan' 'tou-sama…"Shadow whimpered.
"Shh, Shadow-chan, it's ok. Don't cry, alright? C'mon, we'll go find Bakura. He's bound to be around here somewhere…"
"Try the den. He looked like he wanted to be alone when he left." Yugi had reappeared, broom in hand. "Here, I'll take you. Joey, would you mind?"
"Oh! Of course, Yug, leave it to me." Joey took the broom and started to sweep. Marik, of course, started to tease the guy immediately. He seemed to have a talent for finding a jest to throw at anyone, anytime. Seto might have joined in, had he not been distracted by Shadow. The CEO followed them out of the room.
"What's going on? What's wrong, Shadow-chan?" Seto asked, concerned.
"Bakura's gone off somewhere," Ryou answered for the boy.
"Oh."
"Here we go," Yugi said as he opened the door to the den.
Bakura looked up as the door opened. It was dark in the room; he had left the lights off and the blinds down. The light from the hallway poured in, illuminating the four people at the door.
Spotting Shadow, Bakura jumped up. "Is something wrong?"
Shadow turned around at the familiar voice. "Otou-sama!"
"'Otou-sama'?" Malik repeated disbelievingly as Bakura went over to his hikari and took the kid into his own arms.
"Aww, Shadow-chan, don't be scared. What, you thought I'd leave you here?" Bakura murmured softly to the child, rocking him back and forth slightly.
Yugi smiled. "Come on, you two. Let's go stop Marik before he and Joey start a fist fight."
Bakura closed the door as the three left, and returned to the couch where he had been sitting.
"It's ok, kiddo, I'm right here. I won't leave you behind, you know that."
"I coundn' find you," Shadow whispered, still sniffling.
"Well, I'm here now, ok?" Bakura rubbed the boy's back, trying to calm him down.
After a few minutes, Shadow had quieted, and was happily curled up in Bakura's lap.
Malik, who had been silent throughout this little exchange, spoke up. "Well, Bakura, I'd have to say that you have one hell of a kid."
xxxxxxxx
As the days passed, Shadow warmed up to his new house-mates. This was a big relief to Bakura, as it meant he no longer had a little weight attached to his leg wherever he went. Yugi showed them around town. Portland was a beautiful city, especially at night. Seto commented that it reminded him a bit of Hong Kong. Apparently, they had a wonderful view there. Shadow didn't enjoy it as much as the others. He was still very shy about being in public places.
Three weeks went by, and no one seemed to want to leave. Everyone had just gotten past the college years, and so they were in no hurry to go anywhere, with no jobs or school (Seto could work online). They felt they had all the time in the world. No one had brought a round-trip ticket, because they hadn't known how long they'd be staying. Yugi didn't mind, he liked company.
"Ha! I beat you!" Joey crowed one morning as he raced into the kitchen with Marik only a step behind him.
"Cheater! You shoved!" Marik protested.
"Boys, boys. Settle down," Seto muttered absentmindedly, typing away on his laptop. He was used to this kind of thing from his time of living with Bakura.
"Yes, dad," Marik sneered, making a face at the CEO.
"Trust me, if I was your dad, I'd have spanked you," was Seto's reply.
"Seto-ojichan!" Shadow padded into the kitchen. "Otou-sama's messed up 't 'pew-ta again."
"Again?" Seto sighed. "Alright, I'll go see what he done this time." With that, he stood and left the room.
"Hey, Shadow-chan! How're you this morning?" Joey grinned, swinging the child into the air. Shadow giggled softly, being used to this kind of behavior from Joey.
Joey swung the boy onto his shoulders. "You want some breakfast?"
"Toast!" Shadow replied happily.
"Toast it is! Hey, Marik, get the bread."
"Why don't you!"
"You do it!"
"No, you!"
"You!"
"You!"
"You!"
"Both of you!" Ryou interrupted, entering and taking Shadow from Joey. "Now quit arguing and make breakfast!"
Scowling, the two marched to the refrigerator, glaring at each other.
"Those two act like five year olds. No offense to you, of course, kiddo. You're much more mature than them." Ryou sat down at the kitchen table, putting Shadow on his lap. "So, Shadow-chan, where's Bakura?"
"He trwied ta work 't 'pew-ta this mornin'" Shadow replied, turning to look at Ryou."Onii-chan, what does 'Shitfuckdammit' mean?"
Ryou choked, paling at the crude language coming from the child's mouth. "Where'd you hear that!"
Shadow frowned. "Otou-sama's always yellin' it when he's mad."
"Don't repeat it. It's a very naughty word," Ryou told the boy firmly, making a mental note to himself to talk to Bakura about his language.
"It's actually three 'naughty words' in one," Joey commented from where he was preparing the toast. "Hey you! I had the butter first!"
Ryou shook his head as Joey and Malik started to fight yet again.
"What now?" Yugi sighed as he came into the kitchen.
"Fighting over butter, of all things." Ryou shook his head again. "They never grow up."
Yugi took a seat across from Ryou and Shadow. "Good morning, Shadow-chan." The hikari smiled, nodding at the boy.
"G'mornin'," Shadow replied, grinning a little.
"Stupid computer! I hate technology!" Bakura stormed into the room, flinging himself into a chair next to his hikari.
"I don't see why you keep on trying. Just give up," Ryou sighed.
Shadow managed to crawl onto Bakura's lap without touching the floor. Giggling a little, the boy looked up into the spirit's face. "Seto-ojichan said you were tec-o-wo-gic-awy-chawenged," he chirped cheerfully, causing both Yugi and Ryou to start sniggering uncontrollably. Bakura scowled, and started muttering about murdering a certain CEO.
"Breakfast!" Marik all but threw the plate of toast onto the table.
Shadow reached for the bread, but was interrupted by Joey thrusting another plate of toasted bread in front of his nose. "Don't eat his, Shadow-chan. He probably poisoned it. Here, try mine."
Marik snarled, shoving Joey away. "Don't listen to him. Go on, eat."
"Why you…!" Joey recovered himself, and threw his plate onto the table before tackling the other to the floor. "Don't you shove me!"
"You think you're so tough!" Marik kicked the other blonde in the shins.
"You guys, stop," Yugi groaned "After two weeks straight of fighting, it's becoming more annoying than endearing."
"But think. Twenty years from now, we'll look back at this, and laugh," Ryou pointed out. "And not with them, but at them."
The two blondes on the floor glared at each other for a moment, Joey halfway on top of Marik. Slowly, a grin appeared on Marik's face. "Tell you what, Joey. Let's go see which of us made better toast, eh? Then we'll see who wins this battle."
Joey stood up. "Fine. You're on."
Marik also stood up. "Now then, who'll be the judge…"
There was a pause, then both turned at once to look at Shadow.
The boy looked back, still clueless as to what the two had in mind.
Joey and Marik walked to the table. "Shadow-chan…" Joey began.
"Eat. Which one's better?" Marik asked, pointing to the two plates on the table.
Shadow blinked, and started to shrink back, not liking pressure. He looked up to Bakura for help.
He wasn't disappointed. The former tomb robber shot the two his famous death glare. "Back off, idiots. I could make toasted better than both of you!"
"Oh? Then please, show us!"
"Maybe I will!"
"You will do no such thing!" Seto said, coming into the kitchen. "We value our lives, thank you."
"At least I can manage a toaster!"
"Shut up, pup!"
xxx
"They're all so happy…"
A lithe figure crouched in the shadows of a forest, staring into a globe of glittering magic in his hands.
With a hiss, he fisted his hands, shattering the magic globe. Small sparkles scattered to the ground.
"This wasn't supposed to happen! I was supposed to walk away the victor. That idiot, interfering pharaoh!"
There was a rumble to his left, one so low that one who wasn't listening would have never caught it. The figure cocked his head towards the sound.
"Yes, yes, you're right. That fool died that day. And that was good…but not good enough, apparently. They grieved. We brought them pain. But it still wasn't enough. They recovered!"
The rumbling grew louder, feeding off of the figure's anger.
"And that boy…" he snarled. "That boy mustn't be allowed to live. He's dangerous. Lucky for us, he isn't old enough to be able to tap into his abilities, but still…"
The rumble turned into one of agreement.
"It'll be a sweet day when we catch them. And we will, oh, we will…I never lose a game, and I won't start now. They thought the won that day, but that was only a warm up. Next time, they won't be able to escape."
Excitement made the rumbling sound grow and intensify.
"Ah, but we mustn't rush. We will plan, and we will wait. We must make it so that by the time they step into our waiting net, we will have a flawless plan. The day we catch them is the day they die."
The rumbling grew affectionate, and wispy, unnatural shadows started to encircle the figure.
"Be patient, my pet. Soon. Soon, they will be ours. They won't be laughing then, I assure you…"