Marik was miserable beyond belief, and not even keeping himself distracted by tidying Ishizu's apartment was helping. It didn't matter what he did, everything reminded him of Bakura, who had left for Japan a week prior, as he said he would.

He felt tears sting his eyes as he recalled their farewell; his hands digging into Bakura's shirt and head buried in his chest, sniffling and sobbing like they would never see each other again. Bakura had been his usual self, if a little more withdrawn, wrapping his arms around him and telling him to stop being silly, it wouldn't be long till Marik could join him. "You'll wait for me?" Marik had whispered anxiously. "You won't start seeing anyone else, will you?"

Bakura had laughed at that. "Nobody but you could tolerate me for more than five minutes. I'll wait for you. I promise." A gentle kiss was pressed to Marik's lips. "Now stop crying. I don't want you crying for me, alright? We'll keep in touch and everything will be fine."

I won't cry. I won't. I promised him I wouldn't. Marik scrubbed his eyes with a scowl and stalked to the kitchen.

The front door banged open and Ishizu trailed into the apartment, lowering the loose silk scarf covering her hair to rest on her shoulders. Her pregnancy was overdue now and she looked just about ready to explode, but still radiated a wonderful sense of happiness and contentment. "Hello, Marik!" she called. "I didn't expect to see you here today. Your motorcycle isn't outside."

"I walked," Marik replied, his back to Ishizu as he washed up in the kitchen. "I thought I'd let myself in and tidy the place up while you were at work."

"You make it sound like I'm messy," she laughed, settling herself down onto the sofa and cradling her bump.

"Have you heard from Rishid?"

"Not today. I imagine he'll call later tonight."

Marik finished washing up, dried his hands and brought a mug of karkady tea through for Ishizu before dropping down into the armchair Rishid usually sat in. "How are you feeling today?" he asked her. "What has your midwife said about you being so overdue?"

Ishizu sipped her tea with a thoughtful expression. "She isn't concerned," she replied. "I've been having some cramping pains today, so we could be looking at the new arrival being here very soon."

"It'll be nice to finally be able to see your feet again."

"Yes, and I won't have to ask you to paint my toenails for me," Ishizu laughed.

"Hey, any excuse to play with makeup is a positive in my book."

"And speaking of makeup…Marik, your kohl is all smudged." Ishizu set her mug aside with a small frown as she gestured towards her brother's face. "Have you been crying?"

"Trying not to," he admitted, shrugging.

"What's wrong?"

Marik hadn't told Ishizu about Bakura yet. She wasn't likely to flip out at the news, but given their history, he was a little nervous about how she would react and didn't much fancy sending her into labour with his admission. But he couldn't keep it from her much longer if he was going to be moving away at the first available opportunity. So he sighed, fidgeting and playing with his hair, trying to pluck up the courage to tell her. He would keep the business with the Ring firmly out of it, though. He was never going to admit that.

"Sister, I've started seeing someone," he finally said, "since a few weeks ago."

Ishizu's perfectly threaded eyebrows rose up sharply in surprise. "Really?" she gasped. "Oh, Marik, that's wonderful. I've been wondering when you might start to settle down. When do we get to meet him?"

It had only been recently that Marik had admitted his sexuality to his siblings. Ishizu had been a little surprised, while Rishid had just laughed, asking Ishizu how she hadn't figured it out sooner from the number of times Marik had "borrowed" her makeup, and of course, that lavender belly shirt. Marik didn't know whether to be amused or offended that it was apparently that obvious to everyone but his sister.

"You, uh…you've already met him," Marik murmured.

"Come again?"

"You already know him."

"It isn't Ryou, is it? I thought he was with Yugi?"

"Close, but not quite."

"I'm afraid I don't understand, Marik," Ishizu said, reaching for her mug again. "The only person who is even remotely like Ryou is the spirit that…was…oh."

Her blue eyes fixed firmly on Marik, suddenly serious. "Marik, has the Spirit of the Ring returned to the mortal world?"

"Uh, yep. That's right. In his own body and everything."

"Oh, my goodness…then…it was right…"

"Hm?"

Ishizu ran a hand through her hair, sighing. "Just before I gave the Millennium Necklace to the Pharaoh, I saw one last vision. Just one. I couldn't quite make out everything I saw, but what I did see clearly was you and the Spirit. You were older, he was kissing you, and you both looked so happy." She pulled her legs up to the side, clenching her free hand over her swollen stomach. "I thought it must be nonsense at first, but the Necklace had never lied to me." Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Which means that you must have been the one to take the Millennium Ring from the museum. There's no other explanation for the Spirit's sudden reappearance."

"His name is Bakura," Marik said smoothly, skating over Ishizu's (correct) accusation.

"Marik."

"Yeah…alright, it was me. Are you going to turn me in?"

Ishizu shook her head. "No. I think you've had your fill of incarceration to last you several lifetimes. This was fate. Nobody could have stopped it from happening."

Marik was rather surprised at his sister's reaction. She was always calm, always mature and level-headed, but Bakura had frightened her somewhat back in the day, so to see her react to his revelation with just a slight narrowing of the eyes was unexpected. Nevertheless, she didn't look 100% impressed, and it didn't help Marik's nerves any, so he jumped up to make more tea.

When he returned, Ishizu was rubbing her bump, eyes closed and breathing heavily. "Are you okay, Sister?" he asked worriedly. "Is the baby hurting you?"

"A little," she said through gritted teeth. "They may be arriving quicker than I anticipated."

"Oh, lord help us."

"Stay calm, Marik. This is what my body is designed to do." She held her free hand out for one of the mugs Marik held, and he passed it over to her, sitting down beside her instead of in the armchair, sipping his own drink. After a few moments, Ishizu relaxed and leaned back, pain-free for now. "Let's go back to Bakura," she said. "What about him is making you cry? In fact, don't answer that…I remember his attitude all too well."

"No, it's not that," Marik replied softly. "He's changed so much, Sister. You wouldn't believe it if you saw him now. But that's the thing…you can't, because he's not here. He flew back to Japan a week ago to stay with Ryou. He couldn't stay here…after tying up his loose ends in Kul Elna, it was too painful for him to stick around. I'm planning to go out there too, to move there with him, but I wanted to be here with you while Rishid's away."

"Oh, you sweet thing, Marik." Ishizu patted his hand sympathetically. "You didn't have to do that. You know I can handle this…but I do appreciate your consideration. Truth be told, it would be nice if you were here for just a little while, if only to spend some time with your new niece or nephew, but I won't stop you if you want to hop on the next plane to Japan. You always did seem very much at home in Domino City."

"You really wouldn't mind?"

"Not at all."

"I'm going to stay here for at least a few weeks, though."

"You really are sweet, Brother – ngh!" Ishizu's eyes suddenly screwed shut and she hunched inwards, hands trembling around her mug.

Marik gasped and pressed his hands to her stomach, feeling the muscles tightening. "You're contracting," he murmured. "Should I call your midwife?"

"N-No." Ishizu shook her head, panting. "Not yet."

"Ishizu – "

"Marik…listen…I want to stay here." She tried to speak as levelly as she could, breathing hard through the contraction. "I don't…I don't need the midwife yet. Not until I feel I need the extra support."

Marik frowned, but he nodded. He knew Ishizu wished to have the baby in the comfort of her own home. Her pregnancy had been plain sailing and low-risk, so there was no objection from her healthcare practitioners. There was no way he could leave her now; he wanted to stay here, keep her comfortable. It wasn't like he'd anticipated being her birth partner, but somehow he'd just ended up planning how he would help her early on in the pregnancy. "Rest up as much as you can," he told her firmly. "Maybe take a bath, then lie down. I'll get everything ready that you need."

The contraction had subsided now, and Ishizu nodded slowly, smiling. "That sounds ideal. I'll do that. Thank you, Marik. Maybe I shouldn't rely on myself for everything all the time; you've matured so much."

Six hours later, Ishizu's labour had progressed rapidly, and Marik had called her midwife in. Egypt's healthcare system was good, but as far as traditional maternity services went in a country that valued modesty, all hell usually broke loose if men were present while a woman delivered, and Ishizu staunchly refused to have her husband and brother forbidden from attending if they wished, so she had chosen a foreign midwife, an English girl a few years older than Marik, called Maribel. She was progressive, open to suggestion and very sweet. "Ishizu is very lucky to have you," she told Marik as she jotted down in her notebook. "Most young men here would be completely averse to being around a labouring woman, and that's if they're allowed near."

"We're not the most conventional of Egyptians," Marik laughed.

"You're not her husband, are you?"

"Younger brother. Husband is away on a business trip."

"What a fantastic brother you are, Marik," Maribel smiled. She put her notes aside and folded her hands in her lap, peering through to the bedroom, where Ishizu sat quietly in a black nightdress, eyes closed. She looked as if she were meditating, breathing through the discomfort of her contractions. Marik marvelled at how well she was holding herself together, unable to imagine the pain she must be in and knowing it was only going to get worse, but she was adamant that she wanted to deliver naturally with no intervention. "You feeling alright, Ishizu?" Maribel called through. Her Arabic was near flawless.

"I'm starting to feel like I need to push," Ishizu replied, her voice slightly strained.

"Okay, should I come and examine you, see if you've dilated?"

"Yes, please."

Maribel held up a finger to Marik, and disappeared into the bedroom, closing the door to give Ishizu some privacy. He located his mobile and strode through to the kitchen, dialling Ryou's number. It would be early in Domino, but he wanted to give him and Bakura an update.

"Hey," Bakura's voice came through. Evidently he had got to the phone before Ryou did.

"Morning, gorgeous," Marik replied, smiling. "I didn't wake you, did I?"

"No. I've been up all night."

"What?"

"Monster World campaigns don't build themselves, you know."

"You fucking idiot, go to bed!"

"Nah. Well, maybe in a few hours. What's up?"

"I just thought I'd let you guys know that Ishizu's gone into labour. Baby's going to be here in a few hours, by the look of things."

Bakura exhaled a shaky breath. "Scary. How is she?"

"Good. She's handling this amazingly."

"Wouldn't expect anything else from your sister, she's like a damn pillar of rock. And you?"

"I'm alright." Marik made tea, falling silent for a time. When the kettle whistled, he sighed. "I miss you."

Bakura was quiet on the other end; all Marik could hear was Ryou clattering about in the games room, tidying away what he presumed were their Monster World supplies after pulling an all-nighter of crafting. Then Bakura gave a tiny groan. "Yeah, it's not too great over here without you."

"Can you just be soppy once in your life and tell me you miss me too?"

"Can I fuck."

"Bakura, it wouldn't kill you."

Bakura grumbled irritably. "…I miss you too."

Marik smiled. "Not long now, ya amar. I've spoken to Ishizu. I'll fly out in a few weeks."

"Thank fuck for that. Yugi stays here for days at a time and he's so sickening, it drives me up the wall. The sooner I can move out of here, the better. Ryou's fine, but Yugi is too much."

"So we're totally getting ourselves a bachelor pad and moving in together, right?"

"Just so long as you don't mind me cluttering up the place with my nerdy shit," Bakura chuckled.

"Fuck, I'd put up anything just to be with you, Kura."

"You're nuts."

"Yep."

A pained groan sounded from Ishizu's room and Marik winced. "I'd better go. I'll update you later, okay?"

"Yeah, sure. Ryou's probably having a bitch fit that I won't give his phone back, anyway. Speak later."

As Bakura put the phone down, Maribel shouted out, "Marik! You won't want to miss this! The baby's head is crowning already!"

Holy crap, that was fast!

Marik didn't even have time to lament over how much he missed Bakura before he was sprinting to the bedroom and throwing the door open, rushing to Ishizu's side. She knelt by the bed, panting, her brow drenched in sweat, but she appeared to be in control and calm. "Just breathe deeply, Ishizu," Maribel told her gently, which would have had a softer effect had she not been on her hands and knees to peer between Ishizu's parted legs. "Let your body do what it wants to do…you've got this, okay? You're doing so well."

Ishizu grabbed Marik's hand, squeezing tightly. He stroked her hair back from her face with his free hand and murmured soft words of encouragement, not sure if it was the right thing to do, but it was all he could think of to soothe her pain. After the horrific torture he himself had been through, he couldn't stand to see any of his family suffer. The only thing that was getting him through this was remembering the fulfilling reward that would come at the end.

"Baby's head is out," Maribel said, popping up her head with a wide smile. "Ishizu, if you feel the need to push now, make it little and gentle, okay? We should have shoulders coming through soon."

Ishizu nodded, her brow pressed against Marik's knee from his position on the bed. "Little and gentle…little and gentle…" she whispered, over and over, like a mantra or prayer. Not once had she screamed like in the horror stories Marik had heard about babies being born. He couldn't help but be utterly amazed by her strength, yet at the same time he was thankful he would never be one to put a woman in such a painful position.

A slew of low curses suddenly flew from Ishizu's lips and she groaned, squeezing Marik's hand so tight he felt his fingers lose sensation. "Here come the shoulders!" Maribel trilled. "And the rest of the body is coming right about…now! Ishizu, here's your baby!"

"Alhamdulillah," Ishizu sighed, slumping onto Marik with exhaustion evident in every fibre of her being, but as the whimpering infant was passed through her legs and settled onto her chest, at that moment, she looked the proudest, most beautiful woman in the world.

"Well done," Marik whispered, gazing down in wonder at the rather messy bundle in Ishizu's arms. Blood and vernix coated the baby, but Maribel passed a towel over and Marik helped clean it up gently. "Sister, you were amazing. I'm so proud of you."

Ishizu's eyes sparkled as she looked from her baby to her brother. "A girl," she said softly. "You have a niece, Marik."

I'm an uncle! I have a niece! Gods, I'm so happy and proud beyond belief.

"Congratulations," Maribel said, smiling widely. She held up a little pair of scissors to Marik. "Marik, do you want to cut the cord?"

Marik looked down at Ishizu questioningly, and she nodded. With a slightly shaking hand, he took the scissors and Maribel showed him where to cut, assuring him that his niece wouldn't feel a thing. She began to cry heartily the minute the cord was cut and he jumped back, startled, but Ishizu laughed wearily at his reaction as she tugged at the neckline of her nightdress and drew her daughter to her breast. "She's just a little shocked at coming out into the world, don't worry," Maribel explained. "You've got a very important job now, Marik, being an uncle. I think in Ishizu's capable hands, you'll do just fine."

Only a few years ago, Marik couldn't have been near this kind of situation. The blood, the sheer rawness of the moment, the pain – it would have been enough to send him into dissociative meltdown. But none of that factored into anything now. All he felt was love, pride, joy. He wept freely as he settled beside Ishizu and stroked his niece's head, watching her nurse. "She's beautiful," he whispered. "She looks so much like you."

"She has her father's nose and eyes," Ishizu smiled. Sighing heavily, she leaned her head against Marik's. "I'm a mother," she said quietly, more to herself than anyone else. "Can you believe it, Marik? I'm a mother."

"I can believe it," he replied. "You raised me, and you raised me well. I know you'll do the same with this little one. You're going to be a brilliant mother."