Here's the next part as promised! What will Marik do? Let's find out!

Usual reminders:

Italics are thoughts, dreams, or word emphasis. Bold is Malekos' speech.

I do not claim to own Yu-Gi-Oh or its characters. I only own Jessica and Malekos.

Jessica found herself growling as she watched the platinum-blonde, Marik, step towards her with a wicked smirk. He was holding a golden rod in his hand with an eye engraved on it, like the one on Yugi's puzzle. She grew tense, eyes narrowed as her heart pounded in her ears. He stopped in front of her and held the rod in front of her face, making her flinch back.

"Hold still while I control your mind!" Marik grinned as the eye on the Millennium Rod began to glow and she felt a surge of pain shoot through her mind.

She cried out in pain as her eyes changed from green to red in an instant, and she felt Malekos' presence consume every fiber of her being as his growl drowned out her scream. And everything went black for her.

"What?! How is she able to resist my Millennium Rod?!" Marik growled as he watched her squirm in the chair. Then her head fell limp and a black aura surrounded her body. His eyes widened in shock as he stepped back. He knew what was happening, he had watched it happen the first time through his Rare Hunters' eyes.

Red skin grew from her fingertips and faded into her natural skin tone just past her elbows. A long tail slithered out from behind her and her shoulders shook in a laugh. When her head lifted, her eyes were black and red once more. She snarled at Marik with fangs bared not unlike an animal. "We've given you plenty of warnings about this, Marik. Now it's time you experienced it for yourself and not through your puppets!"

Marik stepped back out of reach of the knife-like tail as he growled. "Who are you?!"

"My name is Malekos." Shadows danced around Jessica's body as they pulsed with energy.

"You will obey me, Malekos!" Marik held out the rod as its eye glowed, but it only made Malekos snarl more.

"Nice try, but you can't simply mind control a demon. Remember this well." His tail easily sliced through the restraints that were holding him and he surged forward with a clawed hand and a snarl. He was aiming for Marik's face.

Before the blow could connect, the tall figure pulled Marik out of the way and lifted his arm to shield himself. Claws raked across his arm and he grunted in pain. Malekos kicked them both aside, causing them to fall to the ground. He glanced at Joey and Téa who stood by without a command and growled to himself.

"Sorry, little one. But your friends will have to wait." Then he bolted out the door before anyone could react.

Out in the open, he could see Rare Hunters scattered about the pier. When they saw him, they tried to catch him, but he easily knocked them aside by using their own weight against them. Red wings sprouted from his back and he leaped into the air, taking flight above their heads where they couldn't reach him. He flew across the pier and towards the city. He knew Yami would be searching for them after they finished their duel, so he only hoped he found them before his time ran out. He grit his teeth as he could feel the strain set in, and he knew he didn't have much longer. His gaze darted among the streets and alleys for a familiar head of hair and he soon found what he was looking for. He dove down without a second thought, closing his wings to gain speed as he willed himself to go faster.

"Pharaoh! Catch!" His shout successfully caught the attention of the frantic pharaoh who looked up just in time to see Malekos open his wings when the time was right to slow his momentum. His wings caught air and it jerked him to almost a halt as he relinquished control at that moment and Jessica's unconscious body fell into Yami's awaiting arms.

Yami caught her just in time before her body hit the ground and he knelt down, ignoring the footsteps behind him as Kaiba and Mokuba ran up to him. Her skin felt hot to the touch and he placed a hand on her forehead, growling to himself as he felt the sure signs of a fever. "Oh no… Malekos must have had to take control in order to escape." He grunted as he shifted her body in order to carry her on his back like he did earlier.

"Care to explain to me what just happened?" Kaiba asked, staring suspiciously at the girl on Yami's back.

"There's no time. We have to keep moving!" Yami turned and ran down the alley while he held a firm grasp of Jessica. He had to reach the pier no matter what. Their friends depended on it.

Jessica slipped in and out of consciousness within the next hour. The first few times her head hurt so much that she was only able to listen to what was going on around her for a few moments before slipping back into the darkness. The other times she was able to crack an eye open, only to close it again when the sunlight bombarded her vision and caused her head to ache more. She felt Malekos' presence at the back of her mind, but it was weak. That usually meant he had used too much energy and was recuperating just like she was.

She heard voices and shouts around her, ringing in her ears and causing her to wince in pain. It was hurting her head. She cracked an eye open and the first thing she saw was the sea, stretching out into the distance. She felt gentle hands holding her shoulders as she was leaned up against a body, but she didn't turn her head to see who it was. She saw a wooden dock in an odd shape, and two objects hanging from different places. When she tried to focus on their shapes, her vision grew blurry. She could only make out blobs of color as she slipped back into the darkness once more.

The next time she woke up, she could hear voices talking around her again. The same ones from earlier, but she couldn't make out their words or who the voices belonged to. She still felt herself propped up against someone, although they were lightly petting her hair in a soothing motion that made her want to go back to sleep. She cracked open her eyes and tried to see what was going on around her. She could see blobs of colors that moved about as the voices continued to talk. She blinked slowly and her vision cleared a bit, allowing her to see shapes more clearly. She could see a group of people huddled together near the pier. She saw a familiar head of spiky hair and her first instinct was to call out to him.

"Y-Yugi…" Her voice was hoarse and came out as a whisper. The person holding her seemed to hear it though, as they gasped and shouted something that made her ears ring more and wince.

She saw the group of people suddenly start running towards her, with that spiky hair being at the lead. He dropped down beside her and she could see his mouth moving but she couldn't make out the words. She managed to lift her hand and reach out to him, snagging his jacket in her grasp and she didn't let go even as she slipped back into the darkness.

"Jessie…"

A sweet voice echoed in her ears softly and she furrowed her brows. She didn't open her eyes even as the voice echoed her childhood nickname once more.

"Jessie…"

Who's there? She wanted to ask, but she felt like she was floating. The space around her felt empty yet there was a thickness that surrounded her, keeping her from doing anything. How do they know that name?

"You're such a silly girl…" The voice giggled softly at her silent questions. "I always loved that about you…"

What? Who are you?

"You've been through so much… Such a strong, brave girl…" The voice started to fade and she wanted to reach out to them, but her body wouldn't move.

Wait! Don't go!

"...We will always be with you…"

Her eyes flew open and she panted quietly. It was dark and she could make out a ceiling above her head. A dull throb in her head made her wince and she groaned quietly. She pushed herself to a sitting position and something fell from her forehead into her lap. She noticed she was laying in a white bed, and a crumbled white cloth lay in her lap. She didn't remember having a white bed and she looked around. Curtains surrounded her on all sides and she grew nervous. Where was she?

The curtain parted to reveal a man in a white lab coat and she flinched in surprise, muscles tensing. "Relax, miss. I'm a doctor," he assured her as he stepped to her side.

"A doctor?" Her brows furrowed and she didn't protest as he placed a hand to her forehead.

"Yes. Your friends have been very worried about you." She watched as he did his job, taking her temperature and writing it down on a clipboard. "Your temp has finally gone down… That's a relief."

"I'm in a hospital?" She asked, looking up at him.

He shook his head. "No. You're on the KaibaCorp blimp. This is a makeshift hospital room in case of emergencies."

"KaibaCorp blimp?" Her head was starting to hurt more in her confusion and she clutched the side of her head. "Why am I on a blimp?"

"The Battle City semi-finals are being held here. You wouldn't let go of your friend so they had to bring you along." He chuckled quietly and shook his head. "You don't have a fever anymore but your body will be weak for a while, so take it easy."

She rubbed her temple and groaned quietly. "How long was I out?"

He opened the curtain to reveal the rest of the room. She could see a desk on the far wall with a computer on it, and cabinets were bolted into the walls filled with medical supplies. "Well. I don't know about before you came to the blimp, but one semi-final duel has already ended."

"Who were the duelists?"

"Ryou Bakura and Yugi Muto. Mister Muto was the winner."

Her heart thumped as she heard Yugi's name. She found herself smiling. "So he's moving on up into the finals, huh?"

"Yes, he is. You're lucky to have a friend like him to worry over you. He wouldn't leave your side until he was called to duel."

She blushed and she hid her face in her hands, hearing him laugh lightly at her. It was a nice laugh in contrast to the ones she was used to hearing from the Rare Hunters, and she welcomed it. She heard the door open and a gasp caught her attention. She lowered her hands and blinked in shock when she saw Yugi staring at her from the doorway. She smiled and reached her hands out to him, and he immediately ran to her and wrapped his arms around her in a hug.

"Jess, you're awake!" He buried his face into her shoulder and she rubbed circles into his back soothingly.

"I heard you won the first duel. Congratulations!"

His body tensed and she frowned in response, knowing something was wrong. She pulled away slightly to look at his face.

"Yugi… What happened?"

"Bakura, he… He was injured. He shouldn't have even been dueling, but the spirit of his Millennium Ring forced us into a Shadow Game. Now he's unconscious and I don't know when he'll wake up."

She felt her heart sink at the worry etched on his face and she ran her hand through his bangs gently before cupping his face softly. "Oh, Yugi… It's not your fault. You did what you had to do to win. It sounds like you didn't have control over the outcome."

He nodded slightly and then glanced at her, relief flooding his violet orbs as he focused on her once more. "I'm just glad you're okay. How do you feel?"

"Honestly? Like I've been hit by a train, dragged for a mile, and then dunked in the ocean." She scrunched up her face at her analogy, earning a light chuckle from Yugi that made her smile. "But I'm feeling a lot better."

"Good. I was so worried about you…" He hugged her again and she hummed quietly in response.

"Do you have a room on this thing?" She asked suddenly. He peaked at her with curious confusion.

"Yeah. Every duelist has their own room. Why?"

"Because I don't want to keep sleeping in here, that's why."

Yugi chuckled and then pulled away, and she almost didn't let him go again. "I'll go talk with the doctor to see if it's okay for you to leave." When she nodded, he disappeared around the curtain to find the doctor. She heard them talking just on the other side but she didn't focus on their words. She stared at her hands absentmindedly. When she heard him come back, she lifted her head to see him giving a thumbs up. "You're free to go as long as you take it easy."

She smiled and peeled the blanket off of her immediately, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. As she stood, she still felt weak and her legs wobbled a little, but Yugi was instantly at her side supporting her. They left the room and walked down the empty quiet halls and she could now feel the sway of the blimp under her feet as she walked. It made her stomach churn uncomfortably but she forced herself to ignore it. They came to room number three and walked inside, the door sliding shut and locking behind them. He helped her over to the bed where she sat down with a sigh, glancing over at the large windows that overlooked the city.

The city lights danced in the darkness and it was something she hadn't seen before. Looking at it from above was a sight to behold. Her green eyes softened as she smiled. "It's so pretty…"

"Yeah, it is. I think I was lucky to get a room with a window." He handed her a water bottle and then sat down on the bed beside her.

She thanked him for the water and opened it, chugging at least half the bottle before closing it and setting it aside. She then plopped down onto her side on the bed and stretched out, sighing in content. "Ah, what a comfortable bed!"

He laughed and plopped down beside her. The bed was big enough for two people so they didn't have to fight for space, not that they did anyway. "Maybe tonight you won't have to worry about a restless sleep."

She turned to face him with an amused smile. "I hope not. You've got enough things to worry about than having to keep me from having nightmares."

He scrunched up his face as he turned to stare into her green orbs. "You're not a burden if that's what you mean."

She gave a half-shrug since she was laying on her other shoulder. "I can't keep anything from you it seems." She gave an amused smile and stared into his violet orbs, and only then did she notice their close proximity. Her heart fluttered as a blush dusted her cheeks. They were both silent and she noticed a blush dusting his cheeks as well. She bit her lip and she watched how his eyes watched that action before moving back up to her eyes. Her heart thumped in her ears and she wasn't sure she could hold back anymore. "Yugi, listen…"

He hummed quietly in response and she felt his hand reach hers, lacing his fingers with hers. She accepted the gesture and tightened her grip on his hand slightly, feeling his warmth. "What's up?" His voice was soft, urging her to continue.

Her face grew hot as she gulped. This was it. She was going to tell him and hope for the best. If it didn't work out then hopefully they can stay as close friends as they are. She took a deep breath to gather her nerves before speaking, her voice soft and a bit shaky as she worried about his response. "I…" Her voice faltered and she tried again. "Y-you know I care about you a lot. Ever since we met, you've been so kind to me and stuck by my side despite my curse and I'm just so grateful to you for that… It means so much to me. A-and…" Just go for it! "I like you… A-as more than a friend…" Her face was burning by this point and she squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting to see his face as she waited for him to answer.

His hand slipped from her grasp and she felt her heart sink, expecting the worst. But then she felt his hand cup her cheek gently and she could feel his breath on her face as he touched his forehead against hers. She opened her eyes to peek at him and found his violet orbs staring at her with so much love and longing that caught her off guard. She hadn't seen that look before and she found herself holding her breath. "I-I like you too, Jess… I have f-for a while now…"

Her heart fluttered and she felt tears prick the corners of her eyes. She felt his lips brush against hers and she immediately pressed them together, kissing him gently. They shared a kiss for a few moments, but those few moments seemed like forever as her heart swelled. Butterflies bounced around in her stomach but she didn't care. When they pulled away, they were both smiling like idiots. She cuddled up close to him and he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close as they fell into a comfortable silence. She hummed quietly in content and she felt the happiest she had ever been before in her life.

EEEEEEEE they're official now! As you can probably tell, I'm very much not experienced in the timing or writing of romance but I do enjoy it anyway xD

I'm excited for the Noah arc coming soon! Leave a review and let me know what you thought~