Author's Note: I usually don't do these, but I wanted to let my readers know why it has been so long between updates. My computer died back at the beginning of December and could not be repaired. The (used) replacement tower I was given does not have a working modem (or much else). Since I am broke and unable to buy parts or afford a new pc, that's where things sat for months. Until now. A very generous internet friend GAVE ME A LAPTOP! I am still overwhelmed by her generosity. So, thanks to the wonderful Tex-chan (and the equally cool Kitt, who is providing me with 'net access), I'm back -- and fic updates will now resume. To make up for the long wait, I plan to post several chapters a week for a couple of weeks. Thanks to everyone who is still reading. Your reviews inspire me to write more!

Chapter 11

The block of stone slammed into the ground, close enough that Yami thought he felt it graze his leg in passing. Dust from the impact obscured his vision and choked the breath in his lungs. Coughing, he pushed himself up on his forearms, only then realizing he was lying on top of Yugi.

"Yugi!" Yami's entire body was shaking with suppressed rage at the notion that someone had tried to kill Yugi, but his fear for the other's safety overrode his anger. He lifted himself off Yugi, eyes scanning his body for injuries. In the darkness, it was impossible to tell shadow from bruise -- or blood. Yami abandoned the hands-off approach, rolling to one side to leave his hands free to roam over Yugi's body, reassuring himself it was whole. "Are you all right, love?"

"...Yami?"

Dazed amethyst eyes opened, peering up at him with such open admiration that Yami thought his heart would burst. He did the only thing he could, then -- leaned down, and captured Yugi's mouth with his own. To Yami's eternal gratitude, Yugi responded, lips parting beneath his, body shifting so that Yugi's fit against his like the missing piece of a puzzle.

Oh, God... Yami took it all back. His past life had been exemplary -- glorious! -- for him to deserve such a reward as this. He plundered the willing mouth offered to him, tongue coaxing Yugi's to duel. Yugi's mouth was warm and pliant, and his body arched against Yami's as if trying to meld them into a single being. Yami was lost, drowning in wondrous heat that ignited every nerve ending he owned and a few he'd never even suspected existed. It was the most wonderful thing he'd ever felt. He never wanted it to end.

"Dr. Viridian! Mr. Mutou!"

Reality struck a death-blow to Yami's euphoria, bringing him back to himself and reminding him that this was neither the time nor the place to carry things any farther. Breath coming in hard pants, Yami forced himself to pull away. He stood, offering a hand to help Yugi to his feet. Yugi stared at the enormous block that had nearly crushed them, then gave Yami a look that sent a jolt of electricity all the way to the soles of his feet. Wide-eyed, Yami forgot his new resolve and reached for Yugi again.

"Is Mr. Mutou injured?" called an oily voice, reminding Yami, once again, that they had an unwanted audience.

Yami jerked his gaze from Yugi's and found Pegasus, Mahaad, and Mana all hurrying toward them. Mahaad had taken Mana's hand to help her over the uneven terrain. Not far behind the lead trio, the rest of their tour group followed at their heels. When it became clear what had happened, everyone crowded around Yugi and started peppering him with questions.

Pegasus did his best to restore calm. "This was but an unfortunate accident, I'm sure. The stone must have been shaken loose from its proper moorings by the recent earthquake." He looked to Yami for support. "I'm certain the authorities will know what to do. Fortunately, no one was injured."

Yami's lips flattened into a thin white line. The Temple of Ptah was one of the monuments he and Isis had inspected along with the engineers, and the stone had not been loose earlier in the day. He would stake his reputation on it. His hands clenched at his sides. Someone had tried to kill Yugi -- and had come frighteningly close to succeeding. If Yami could've gotten his hands on the would-be murderer in that moment, he would've crushed them gladly.

"I'm all right," Yugi was saying, trying to reassure the concerned group clustered around him. "I'm just dusty and a little shaken up. I'm really okay -- thanks to Yami."

Pegasus shook his head, white hair gleaming in the faint light. "We must report this to the engineers at once. Because of the earthquake, the temple is now unsafe."

"You do that," Yami said, shouldering aside a pair of the ladies clucking worriedly over Yugi, and sliding an arm around his shoulders. If Pegasus wanted to downplay what had happened, let him. Yami had more important things on his mind. "I'm taking Yugi back to the River Horse. He needs to lie down."

When Yami tugged him away from the group, Yugi didn't resist. In fact, he leaned into Yami's side -- not much, but enough to send a fresh shock through Yami. Apparently, the incident had shaken Yugi more than he wanted the others to know. Yami's arm tightened around him. "Come on. Let's get you back to the boat."

Yami led him back through the temple, toward the Avenue of Sphinxes. When they reached the second pylon, Yugi began to drag his feet. At Yami's questioning look, he said, "I don't really want to go back to the River Horse..." He sighed tiredly. "We do need to talk, though."

A discreet cough from behind them forestalled Yami's response. Glancing back, he spotted Mahaad, still holding Mana's hand, trailing Pegasus, Ryou, and Téa as they bee-lined in on Yugi again.

"I have requested a local guide escort the tour group for the remainder of the show," Pegasus said. "Of course, my first concern must be for Mr. Mutou's well-being."

"Good!" Téa planted her hands on her hips and gave them all a Look. "I'm a dancer and I've taken a few hard falls in my time. If you ask me, what Yugi needs is a couple of aspirins, a steaming hot bath, and a bed -- in that order. If you've got any questions for him, they can wait until tomorrow."

"Thanks, Téa," Yugi said quietly. "That's exactly what I'll do -- after Yami and I stop by Peabody House first."

Yami quirked an eyebrow. What did Yugi have in mind? Every instinct urged him to take Yugi somewhere safe, where Yami could protect him, but intellect told him to let Yugi take the lead.

"Men." Téa threw up her hands. "You'll do what you want, of course. Men never listen to the sensible advice of women." She turned and stalked off, still muttering.

"She may be right, you know," Ryou said, looking Yugi over with concern in his eyes. "That was quite a shock you've just had. You should have some hot tea with those aspirin tablets and go directly to bed."

"I will... As soon as I can."

Shaking his head, Ryou backed off, following in Téa's wake. Mana took the opportunity to dart forward. "I'm so sorry!" she wailed, wringing her hands. "I should've kept a better watch on you. It's all my fault!"

"It wasn't you fault, Mana." Yugi patted her drooping shoulder. "I don't blame you at all."

"Really?" Mana looked up at him, tears painting her cheeks, her eyes big and hopeful. "You forgive me?"

"There's nothing to forgive."

Still sniffling, Mana allowed Mahaad to steer her away from Yugi. Yami could feel the tension in Yugi's body. He gave the shoulders beneath his arm a gentle squeeze, and Yugi sent him a grateful look.

"We'll take Mahaad's car back to the Institute," Yami decided. He glanced at his friend. "Mahaad, give me your keys."

"I will drive you," Mahaad volunteered.

"No!" Yugi tensed. "I mean, that's okay... We'll be fine on our own."

Yami's grip tightened. Yugi's body was practically vibrating with rigidly controlled tension. What, exactly, was he afraid of? Yami had to find out. He sent Mahaad a silent plea for understanding.

Mahaad handed over the car keys without further argument. "May I stop by Peabody House later to check on you?"

"That would okay, I guess." Yugi was subdued, leaning his body into Yami's side.

Yami's throat ached with the confusion of emotion churning inside him. He held Yugi close, and vowed that, whatever Yugi needed from him, he would get.

Moments later, they were at Peabody House. Yami was being incredibly considerate -- and he had apparently saved Yugi's life -- but Yugi couldn't let that distract him from the business at hand. He said, "I want my grandpa's papers. Are they still in your office?"

When Yami nodded, Yugi turned and limped wearily in that direction. Without protest, Yami followed. Of course, Yugi had no clue how to even begin looking for the papers in the dense strata that covered Yami's desk, so he simply stood in the doorway of the office, looking lost. Yami pushed him gently to sit on the nearest chair, then retrieved Sugoroku's notes and laid them on Yugi's lap like an offering. Yugi gave him an unsteady smile. "I guess you really do know where everything is..."

"Wait right there," Yami said, overlooking the weak joke. "I'll get us both something to drink. After what just happened, I need some liquid fortification."

Yugi sat staring blankly at the papers clutched in his hands. The writing danced and writhed before his eyes, a serpentine blur that mocked his inability to answer the riddle of his grandpa's disappearance. Reaction from his close call sent nausea twisting in the pit of his stomach, and left him limp and shaking. His eyes burned, and he ached all over. Even his hair ached. He slumped in his chair, hugging the pages to his chest and wishing he could get Yami to trust him and stop dancing around the truth.

As if summoned by the thought, Yami stalked back in, a bottle of Egyptian wine and two plastic tumblers in his hands. He poured the wine, and thrust one of the glasses at Yugi. "Drink."

Yugi wasn't much of a drinker, but he did as commanded, tossing back the dark red liquid. He sputtered when it burned his throat and made his eyes water. He blinked accusingly at Yami, who frowned at him and shrugged. "You get used to it."

Yugi hopped from his chair and deposited his glass on the desk. He started to pace, stopped, and decided to skip right to the point. "I saw you take the necklace from the museum."

Silence stretched between them. Yugi studied Yami's face closely, but his gaze -- rich and warm and brown -- didn't falter, and his handsome features revealed nothing. "If that's so, why didn't you turn me in to the authorities?"

"Because I thought it might have something to do with Grandpa. I started following you around because I thought you'd lead me to him. Now..." Yugi shoved his fingers through his sweat-matted bangs, making their disarray worse. The blond strands stuck out at odder angles than usual, but he didn't care. "Now, I just hope you'll help me find him."

He could tell the revelation stunned Yami, though he still looked reluctant to make any confessions of his own. "Please, Yami. I need to know."

"Why are you telling me this?" Yami's voice was gruff as he added, "After all, I'm just a thief."

Those deep brown eyes didn't conceal as much as Yami thought they did. Yugi could tell he was stalling. He reached out and brushed the back of Yami's hand with his fingertips. "I'm not stupid, Yami. I know you're not a thief."

Watching Yami's eyes widen, Yugi said, "Someone searched my cabin this afternoon. They went through my stuff and found the letters my grandpa wrote to me. Tonight, someone tried to squash me like a bug under a rock. I need to know what's really going on. Please... " He reached up and laid the backs of his fingers against Yami's cheek. " Tell me what's going on. Tell me the truth."

Yami's hands were suddenly on his shoulders, pulling him into an embrace. Yugi lifted his face, his lips parting--

The sound of the front door banging shut and brisk footsteps echoing on the marble floor broke the moment. Yami sighed, dropped a quick kiss on the tip of Yugi's nose, and righted him. He offered Yugi a tiny smile. "It's just Mahaad, I'm sure." Confusion pulled the corners of his mouth down. "If you were going to confront me about my theft of the necklace, why didn't you want him to come with us?"

"He's your friend." Yugi looked down at his feet. "I didn't want him to have to choose between friendship and moral obligation. If he knew about the necklace, he might feel he had to arrest you. I didn't... I don't want that."

The smile Yami gave him lit the room. Yugi felt his pulse do a quick-time step, and then Yami was kissing him again, and everything else fell away. The next thing he knew, Yami had deposited him back onto the cushioned chair, and was kneeling in front of him.

"Don't worry." Yami's voice was like a soothing balm. He smoothed Yugi's bangs out of his face. "Everything's going to be okay. I'll tell you what I know, and we'll--"

"Am I interrupting something?" Mahaad stood in the doorway, a faint, knowing smile tilting the corners of his mouth.

"Mahaad, good. You'd better sit down," Yami said. "We've got a lot of planning to do."

"It is about time!" Mahaad folded his arms over his chest and gave Yami a pointed look. "I have been wondering when you would finally deign to confide in me." He glanced at Yugi, then back to Yami. "Dr. Mutou's continued absence suggests he is unable to return. If someone is holding him against his will, why are they doing so? What do they want from him? Why are the authorities not more involved? I believe you can tell us these things, my friend."

"Damn." Yami drew in a deep breath, then blew it back out. He braced his hands on his hips and nodded. "I hate to get either of you any more mixed up in this mess than you already are, but... I can't think of any other way to keep Yugi safe until we figure this out."

"Grandpa's disappearance has something to do with his search for the Millennium Items, doesn't it?" Yugi rolled his eyes at the twin surprised looks his insight garnered him. "I'm not stupid."

"I never thought you were." Yami shook his head. "I was just hoping you wouldn't figure it out -- that you wouldn't have to."

Mahaad leaned forward, his blue eyes intense. "My men have confirmed that several of the small villages between Luxor and Aswan have become involved in the revival of the cult of which we spoke earlier."

Cult? Yugi couldn't stop the shiver that wracked him. "What are you talking about? What kind of c-cult? My grandpa wouldn't get mixed up with a-- He wouldn't!" His pleading gaze focused on Yami. "...Would he?"

"Not voluntarily." Yami knelt beside Yugi and took one of Yugi's hands in both of his. He gave it a reassuring squeeze. His gaze was earnest as it sought Yugi's and held it. "You were right about the necklace. I took it because the cult said they wanted it in exchange for Sugoroku's freedom."

Yugi shook his head, the words refusing to process. His grandpa had been kidnapped? By some crazy cult that was holding him hostage in exchange for the Millennium Items? None of it made sense. Yami leaned closer, the heat from his body making Yugi aware of the icy chill permeating his own. At that moment, Yami's touch was the only warmth in Yugi's world.

"From Sugoroku's notes, we now know that objects matching the description of the Millennium Items do exist. The cult wants all seven of the Items -- and they believed Sugoroku could lead them to the Puzzle." Yami rose and began to pace.

Mahaad spoke up. "The missing antiquities from the European collections -- there was a golden balance that might be the Millennium Scales, and another object that could be the Millennium Ring."

"And I have the Millennium Necklace." Yami raked his hand through his already messy hair. "That's three, four if Sugoroku really did find the Puzzle."

"That leaves the Rod, Eye, and Key of Life," Mahaad said. At Yami's upraised brow, he added, "I have been researching."

"Why do they want the Items so badly?" Yugi looked at the other two men. Kidnapping and attempted murder were a little extreme for a simple case of Egyptomania, so Yugi knew it had to be something more. Something worth killing for. "What do they expect to get out of all of this?"

"According to legend, the Millennium Items belonged to the Nameless Pharaoh. It is said that whoever holds all seven Items has the power to rule the world."

Yeah, that was sane. And these nutjobs had his grandpa? Yugi hugged Sugoroku's papers to his stomach. What would they do to him if they didn't get what they wanted? "What can we do? Why didn't you notify the authorities as soon as you knew what had happened?"

"I did. I called Interpol as soon as the cult made contact. They told me to cooperate with the cult, to do whatever they asked."

"That's why you're on the cruise," Yugi said, as another of the puzzle pieces slotted into place. "Isn't it?"

"They told me to keep the necklace with me at all times, so I'd be ready to make the exchange when the time came. They would tell me when and where." Yami shook his head. "Only now I think they've got something else in mind. Remember the guy I chased into your room back at the hotel our first night in Luxor?"

How could Yugi forget? "The mysterious not-masked man."

"I'm positive he was one of the cultists, a messenger."

"And what message did this mystery man deliver?" Mahaad demanded, his expression thunderous. It was clear he didn't like being kept out of the loop. Yugi had a feeling Yami would pay for that omission later.

"A note telling me to go to Dendera. But if my contact was there, I never saw them. I think Yugi may've scared them off. When I got back to the River Horse, there was another message, a sheet of papyrus left on my bed. The new meeting place is apparently the Temple of Horus at Edfu."

"You do know what this means?" Mahaad's expression had darkened even further at the news.

"I know. In addition to the probable Interpol agent on the boat with us, there is at least one cult member."

Mahaad nodded decisively. "There is only one thing to do. I will accompany you when you return to the River Horse, and sail with you to Edfu."

"And I'll be glad for the back-up," Yami said, "but Yugi's not getting back on that boat. Someone's already searched his cabin, so there's no doubt they know who he is. Besides, that was no accident at the Temple of Ptah. It was a warning. I won't let him risk his life by--"

"I'm going with you." Yugi was amazed at how calm he sounded. "Maybe we can use my grandpa's notes to find him. I'm good at puzzles, I'll figure it out." He lifted his head and met Yami's concerned gaze. "You don't know who you can trust on the River Horse, so it only makes sense to have two of us to watch your back."

For a long moment, he and Yami simply stared at one another. Yami seemed to be trying to read his very soul through the window of his eyes. Yugi held his breath. One way or another, he was going, but Yami's acceptance would mean a lot. Finally, Yami gave a mirthless chuckle, little more than an explosive exhalation of breath.

"I'd tell you to go back to Cairo and wait for me, but I know you won't." Yami's expression softened. "Besides, there's no one I'd trust more to watch my back than you two."

"It is good you remember who your friends are." Mahaad looked as pleased as Yugi felt, pride blossoming in Yugi's chest at the thought that Yami knew he could count on him as well as Mahaad. "So. We are agreed, yes?"

Yami nodded. "According to Sugoroku's notes, he picked up a clue at Edfu to the Millennium Puzzle's hiding place. That's where the cult must've taken him. They probably had him under surveillance for months, waiting for him to lead them to the right place." He gave Yugi's shoulder a squeeze. "If you're ready, we'll head back to the boat. I believe Pegasus intends to set sail tonight for Edfu."

"We're going to find my grandpa," Yugi said, pouring every ounce of his optimism and conviction into the statement as if he could make it true by sheer force of will alone. "With all of us working together, I just know we will."