Author's Note: I think there are about five more chapters left guys. That's it. Hold on tight and we'll get through this together.

Predictions on how it will end?

Also... Today's my roommate and beta tester's birthday! Woohoo!

I hope you enjoy! I update weekly!

Bon appetite!

The following weeks passed in a haze as Bakura wandered aimlessly about his life. He knew that this part of his life was over – his life of crime, the Millennium Case, Marik – all of it was done. He couldn't go back. But Bakura also couldn't move forward. He didn't know what road to take. At this point, any direction would work better than no direction at all. But instead, Bakura found himself laying on the couch, staring at the ceiling.

He turned his head to stare numbly at the clock in the room. 3:26 pm. It's not over yet. Damn. Bakura lulled his head back to stare at the ceiling. Ryou had decided that Bakura needed to do something besides lay around and watch the news. So Bakura compromised by laying around and not watching the news. He knew obsessively watching the TV would get him no further. But at the same, what else did he want to do?

Bakura had watched the news following Marik's trial and arrest. Aside from some footage of Shadi speaking and another prosecutor, Bakura was no closer to knowing how Marik was doing. He breathed a huge sigh of relief when the jury found Marik guilty, but mentally ill. After deliberation with the judge, the court decided to commit Marik to a psychiatric hospital. That's all Bakura knew from the news.

Bakura wasn't stupid enough to try calling Ishizu to talk to her about Marik. Ishizu had only called him to help with Marik's defense. As far as he was concerned, Ishizu wanted him out of their lives and Bakura was forced to agree. He had fucked up their lives pretty badly – he would hate himself if he were in their shoes. Thankfully for Bakura, he didn't have to call Ishizu to find out news on Marik. Shadi had decided to make a courtesy call.

Bakura wasn't sure if Shadi knew of the beef between him and the Ishtar family, but he seemed to have assumed that this was the case. He told Bakura briefly about the case. Ishizu and Marik had been rather closed off during the entire situation, but thanks to Shadi's hard work, they were able to convince the court of Marik's condition. It didn't hurt that Marik's mood swings had become more erratic as Namu came out. In the end, the jury thought it would be wiser for Marik to seek medical attention than serve time in prison.

When Bakura asked how long Marik would be in there, Shadi didn't have an answer. He mentioned something about Marik being kept away from the other patients as Namu had a bit of violent streak and Marik was becoming rapidly paranoid. This concerned Bakura but at the same time, if Marik was going to find help, surely it would happen at a psychiatric facility? There's nothing that he or Ishizu or anyone else could do to make Marik get better. Shrinks were professionals for a reason.

Still… Bakura couldn't let go of the entire situation. Things were supposed to get better now that Marik was seeing professional help. So why did everything feel more shitty now than ever before? Hell, Bakura was sitting on a gold mine in his bank account. He was loaded, unemployed and completely burden-free. Well. Not burden-free. Because I can't fucking let anything go. Damn. Bakura had quickly realized that he did not do well as an unemployed freeloader.

Perhaps freeloader wasn't the best term to use. By no means was he relying on Ryou – he pitched in his fair share to rent and groceries. But he wasn't really doing much else with his life. He knew he should apply to jobs and look around, but for what? Bakura didn't even have a high school diploma. How the hell was he supposed to find a job in more… lawful opportunities? Bakura knew that putting himself out there would probably make him feel less useless. But Bakura hadn't heard back on any of his applications.

… I wonder if there are any commissions out there for my set of skills?

Bakura sat up, glancing outside at the beautiful April weather that greeted him. Bakura just snorted as he turned away. This good weather seemed to mock his entire mood. He has felt nothing but depressed for the past several weeks. In spite of himself and his sour mood, Bakura decided to get some fresh air. It was better than staring at a ceiling all day. Bakura reminded himself to leave his jacket behind, now that winter was finally gone.

A warm breeze, the promise of better weather to come, greeted Bakura. He welcomed the warmth and the sunshine as he walked down the sidewalk, not really paying attention to where he wandering. It was nice to think about nothing. Bakura often found he desperately needed to clear his mind of the darker thoughts that plagued him. Anything to take his mind off of ancient Egyptian relics, gold, death, mental illness, those angry lavender eyes…

Bakura narrowed his eyes as he sped forward, not paying attention where he was heading. He just needed to get away. It wasn't until Bakura stood at the entrance of the graveyard did he realize where he had wandered. He blinked as he glanced around, as if registering his surroundings for the first. When he thought about it, he hadn't visited his family here in months. He hadn't talked to Ryou about that either.

Bakura spotted a florist cart not too far from where he stood at the entrance. Spending a few moments trying to make a decision, he finally caved as walked over to buy a couple of flowers. Since he was already here, he may as well pay a visit. Three flowers in hand, he strolled through the graveyard, following a familiar path to three gravestones that were all too painfully familiar. He sighed, glancing around at the various tombstones around him.

One short walk later, Bakura stood in front of three gravestones, flowers clenched in one hand. He sighed as he knelt down and placed one in front of each respect grave, starting with father. He gently laid down his mother's flower next before finally settling on his little sister to the right of his mother. He straightened up where he was standing, brushing off his jeans momentarily before shoving his hands in his pockets, staring down at the graves.

He and Ryou didn't visit their family's graves all too often. They agreed to visit on the anniversary of their deaths, taking one day to come down and spend time together. Bakura knew Ryou came down to visit more often, writing and reading letters out loud to their buried kin. Bakura didn't quite understand it, but he understood that it helped Ryou in some way to talk to them.

Bakura had thought coming here would be more depressing, but he found himself more at ease here than he did back in the apartment. He sighed as he closed his eyes, not wishing to disturb the peace and quiet that rested here. Bakura wasn't the type of person to talk out loud to their graves. In some way, he felt like it would disturb the peace here. Just standing here in silence help filled the aching pain in him.

… I should come visit more often. Ryou said it's not right to keep our parents waiting – they get lonely. I don't know about that, but it still feels good to see them, even like this. It feels less… lonesome. And yet still so lonely. I suppose one doesn't truly ever move past the loss of a family member. It always stays with you. But it does get easier with time. We learn to keep them close and keep moving forward. Even if some days the grief feels fresh. Everyone needs to mourn some days. Like Ishizu and Mari-

Bakura flinched at the thought, driving it away from his mind. Every time he felt himself get dangerously close to feeling decent about life, he would suddenly catch himself thinking of painful memories. Bakura sighed as he leaned his head back to the sky. It wouldn't help dwelling on the past. Or rather, his past with the Ishtar family. Specifically Marik. It always was Marik. That's what hurt the most. He needed to move forward. Regardless of how much he wanted to save what he had, he had to accept that the part of his life with Marik was over. He had fucked that up royally.

I still love him. But that doesn't matter. He hates me.

He hates me…

Bakura sighed heavily as he opened his eyes. He stared down at the three slabs of stones, names written neatly with dates and some quote that Bakura couldn't even remember from the funeral. He couldn't tell of this situation was depressing him more than he already felt or cheering him up. If anything, he was feeling numb. Perhaps feeling numb is better than feeling too much. Bakura had had enough of emotions in his lifetime.

He turned his head to gaze around the graveyard, noticing a few specters paying a visit to their loved ones. He glanced back at his family. Bakura knew he needed to find something to do with his life. He couldn't go on doing nothing. Nobody would hire a young adult without a degree or experience in something, let alone lacking a high school diploma. Bakura knew he couldn't say what he had really been doing the last nine years for work experience, so he simply wrote it off a free-lancing and traveling. Apparently, that wasn't marketable.

So Bakura faced the odd dilemma of asking what he was going to do now. One idea was to go back to finish high school. The very suggestion made Bakura want to vomit. Perhaps he could pass on high school and try going to a trade school or at least take some college classes until he figured out what he wanted to do. Could he get into college? That was something he hadn't considered. He was pretty sure a high school diploma was the minimum to get in.

Bakura shook his head. He made a promise to Ryou that he would get out of the crime scene and move on with his life. He wanted to keep said-promise, but his prospects weren't looking too good. He didn't want to be fatalistic, but Bakura had to wonder if there was a point in trying. It's like a rock you throw in a river – it causes a ripple but the current eventually wins in the end. Or something like that. Bakura wondered if him trying to straighten out his life was nothing more than stone toss. He wondered if despite all his efforts, he would never be able to escape from the vicious cycle he's created for himself.

Bakura snorted as he glared down at the cold stone tablets standing erect. Hell no. Bakura was frustrated and felt like he wasn't going anywhere, but going backwards wasn't an option. That path would be short-lived. Bakura had already pushed his luck too far on this past mission – as exciting and thrilling as it was, he knew he had to step down and take his final bow. Yami's commission was his last job – that had been the plan. Bakura intended to stick to his commitment.

Sorry mom, dad, Amane. I can't let Ryou kill me yet for my stupid decisions. Gotta live to see another day. Bakura chuckled at his morbid humor, glancing one more time down at the flowers on each of the graves before slowly wandering back towards home. The warm sunshine and fresh air spoke of life and hope even in a place of mourning and death. Bakura said nothing as he bit the inside of his cheek, passing by the graves towards the entrance. Well, my life's fucking hell. What else is new? Let's do this.

As Bakura approached the door to the apartment, he heard voices inside. Bakura raised an eyebrow but said nothing as he jingled around for his key. He hadn't expected Ryou to be home already, nor for him to bring back company. Yuugi must have talked him into some game. Those two nerds were always trying out new games. Bakura froze when he heard the two inside laughing, one voice distinctly higher than the other. A puzzle look grew across Bakura's face.

He… has a girl over? Bakura felt himself blush, glancing away from the door as if he were peeping in on them. Bakura didn't realize his brother was on a date. Or was it a date? I thought he was gay. Is he bisexual? Fuck, I have no fucking clue. He never tells me this shit. Bakura swore at his brother for keeping secrets, carefully avoiding the fact that the last time he talked to Ryou about relationships, he hassled his twin for dating his former boss.

Regardless of the situation, Bakura wasn't going to just standing out in the hallway all night. He took a deep breath as he unlocked the front door, letting himself in. He kicked off his shoes as he cautiously approached his living room. Bakura felt his mind go blank as he stared at the woman sitting on the couch, a soda in hand. The pair finally turned their attention to Bakura, who stood there speechless. The blond woman blinked for a moment before smiling and winking at the stupefied albino.

"Well, hey babe. Long time, no see."

The words finally broke Bakura from his frozen state, as he anger replaced his shock. "Mai, what the fuck are you doing here?" Bakura started to storm towards her, his fists clenched when he heard Ryou call his name. He blinked as he stared at his twin, who was glaring at Bakura from his spot on the couch. "Don't be rude, Bakura. Mai is my guest." Bakura was ready with a snappy retort when he did a double take. His guest?

Bakura gaped at the two for a moment, trying to figure out what the hell was going on. Ryou glared defiantly at Bakura, as if challenging him to push his luck. Mai said nothing but started to hum to herself as she looked around the room, taking a sip of her soda. When Bakura realized he wasn't going to make sense of this situation on his own, he decided to continue his interrogation. "What do you mean guest?" He growled at Ryou, glaring at Mai as if she were to draw a weapon at any time.

Ryou just huffed as he rolled his eyes, trying to keep his composure. "Well if you must know, a guest is someone who you invite over, usually to spend time or hang out somewhere." Bakura snapped his gaze away from Mai to glare at Ryou, bristling at the condescending remark. "I know what the fuck it means! I want to know why you have Mai over as a guest!" Mai, meanwhile, said nothing as she leaned back into the couch, glancing down at her phone.

Ryou didn't move, glaring up at Bakura. Where the hell is this coming from? When did Ryou and Mai become so buddy-buddy? Bakura crossed his arms, more to keep his fists from shaking too much. Ryou stared for a few more moments before placing down his glass of water. "If you must know, I ran into Mai while shopping for groceries the other day. We got talking and realized we both wanted to go see that rom-com that just came out in theatres. One thing led to another, and we started hanging out."

Bakura scoffed at Ryou's explanation – there was no way Ryou expected him to believe that story. "Bullshit. What did she blackmail you with?" Ryou gave Bakura a dangerous look, standing up as he placed his hands on his hips. Well, there goes him trying to stay civil. "Piss off Bakura. I'm not some damn damsel in distress. I can take care of myself and make my own goddamn decisions. If anything, you're the one to blame for this. You're why I met Mai and conveniently, you hadn't wanted to go see that new Julia Roberts movie with me. What was I supposed to do?"

Before Bakura could snap back, a sudden noise caught his attention. The two arguing albinos were startled out of their shouting match as Mai swore under her breath. Her hand had slipped while placing her soda down on the table in front of her. Ultimately, some soda had spilled over onto Ryou's papers on the table. Mai snatched the can up, trying to stop the flow of soda across the table. "Shit. I'm sorry, hon. I don't know what I was doing to mess that one up."

Ryou blushed as if realizing he had company and his behavior had been most unsuitable. He gave a small smile as he grabbed some paper towels to hand over to Mai. "It's no big deal. Did you get any on you?" Mai chuckled, quickly wiping up her hand and the can. "Barely. I'm worried about your papers there. Can you save them?" Ryou blinked as he looked down, his face blanching. Bakura stole a glance down at the paper on the table, recognizing them as some of the blueprints that Ryou had been working on.

"… Um… Well shoot. Can you give me a few minutes? I'm going to see if I can salvage this. Would you excuse me?" Ryou gave a pinched smile, trying to not to reveal how distressed he was. Bakura knew Ryou had worked hard on his designs, so to see them all in peril was likely causing his albino brother a lot of stress. Mai just waved him off, letting Ryou collect his papers as he ran back to his room to try and salvage some of his designs.

Bakura leaned against the wall, staring at Mai, who finished cleaning up the table. She ignored the glaring albino, content to stay focused on her task. After a moment, Bakura snorted and glanced away. "You spilt your drink on purpose so you could talk to me. Fucking hell." Mai didn't say anything, but shrugged her shoulders. "It worked, didn't it? You were getting your brother's case so I figured I'd bail him out of that conversation."

Bakura studied the blonde as she settled back onto the couch. "And why would be pulling favors for him? What's your game?" Mai just rolled her eyes as she faced the room, still not looking at Bakura. "Would it be so strange to think that your brother was telling the truth?" Bakura raised an eyebrow as he heard Mai lower her voice, as if murmuring the words. She still avoided his gaze, leading Bakura to suspect she was hiding something.

"I'm still calling bullshit." Mai sighed as she glanced over at Bakura, her usual smirk gone from her face. "Well, call it whatever you want, it's the truth. Criminals have to go grocery shopping too, you know. I hadn't expected to run into him, but I did. We got talking and sure enough, I was right – he's way more fun to talk to than you are." Bakura bristled at the derisive comment but he could tell by the way Mai had dropped the charade that she wasn't lying.

Correction – she's probably telling the truth. Ryou is definitely better company than myself. Bakura flipped the bird in Mai's direction before turning to stare at the wall. He heard her chuckle, but she didn't say anything. This whole Mai-and-Ryou-are-now-friends thing was one of the most bizarre developments of his life. "So what? Now you and Ryou are going on fucking dates now?" Bakura growled out his question and glared at the wall as if it were the reason for this mindfuck he was currently experiencing.

Mai cracked her neck and closed her eyes. "I wouldn't really call them dates. I'm not his type after all. Which is a real shame to all the women who fall for you. It should be a crime to be as good looking as you two and both end up gay. Honestly." Bakura snorted, rolling his eyes at Mai's disappointment. Somehow, I think she will manage. "So? I thought you preferred blonds anyway." He heard Mai give a soft chuckle, not denying his comment but instead tossing his own words back at her.

"So? From what I understand, you prefer blonds as well." Bakura blinked, snapping his head around to look at Mai. She was looking at her nails with mild interest, her hair providing a curtain around her face. Bakura recalled his conversation with Yami and how he pointed out that he knew about him and Marik's relationship. He also mentioned it was Mai who had suspected that the two were dating. Bakura couldn't really get mad about that anymore – you couldn't get mad about something you refused to think about.

"Bakura." The albino looked back to see Mai watching him, her violet eyes unusually soft. "How have you been?" Bakura blinked for a moment, his defenses flaring back up. He narrowed his eyes. "Why're you asking? Looking to report to Yami some more?" Mai just snorted, leaning back as she crossed her arms behind her head. "Hell no. I'm off duty. I'm not about to create more work for me on my day off."

Bakura shook his head and rolled his eyes, pushing away from the wall as he went to sit down on the arm of the couch across from Mai. He leaned into the cushion as he studied Mai. She didn't say anything, but shrugged as if she didn't care whether Bakura didn't believe her or not. Perhaps it was this reason that Bakura suspected she was telling the truth. If anything, his last conversation with her on the phone indicated that she was willing to put down her guard around Bakura and be sincere. That was something.

"How is he?" Bakura glanced back up at Mai, drawn away from his thoughts. It took him only a moment to figure out what she was referring to. He glanced down at the ground, grounding his foot into the carpet. He shrugged, words escaping him for the moment. "… I don't know." He glanced out the window to avoid meeting her eyes. "You know as much as I do on the matter." He muttered out softly, wanting to drop the issue. He didn't want to discuss what happened to Marik when he last saw him. He didn't want to think about what was said.

Mai furrowed her brows, glancing down at the ground. Apparently, she wasn't going to let go of the issue. "So are you two… did you break up?" Bakura blinked, the question having not crossed his mind. I suppose Marik yelling he hated me qualifies as a break up, doesn't it? Bakura resisted the urge to flinch at the thought, glancing back down to the carpet. "Unofficially yes, I suppose." He settled for that response, feeling that damn awful squeeze in his chest that made it hard to breathe.

"… I'm sorry. That really sucks, babe." Bakura just shrugged, still avoiding eye contact with Mai. "It is what it is. Shit happens. Gotta keep moving forward, you know?" Mai raised her eyebrows at that, a wry smile growing on her face. "Always do." She muttered back softly, a knowing look in her fact. The two sat in silence for a little while longer, but it didn't feel as uncomfortable as Bakura thought it would be. He leaned back against the wall, closing his eyes, the silent company much more appreciated at this moment.

"Sorry, I'm back. I had to transcribe two of the pages, but the rest I was able to save." Bakura opened his eyes as he saw his twin enter the living room, Ryou running a hand through his hair as he trying to release his stress. Mai chuckled at the sight and glanced away, Bakura raising an eyebrow at the noise. Ryou caught the giggle and tilted his head in confusion. "Something funny, Mai?" She shook her head, but an amused smile grew on her face.

"It's nothing. I just thought it was funny how the two of you are so similar. You run hand through your hair when you're annoyed or stressed like Bakura. You can tell you're brothers." Bakura rolled his eyes, crossing his arms as he slouched back. Ryou just laughed awkwardly as he scratched the back of his head. Clearly Mai doesn't know us well enough if she thinks we're alike. Dumb blonde.

"If you like, I can grab you another drink since I suspect Bakura didn't offer you a replacement." Bakura felt his eye start to twitch. Apparently Ryou was still feeling rather salty over their argument from earlier. "Pfft. Piss off," Bakura muttered as he stood up to pass Ryou. His twin just shook his head as he left for the kitchen to grab another soda.

"Hey Bakura, there's a voicemail on the phone for you." He heard Ryou yell as his twin left the room. Bakura paused from grabbing his laptop as he spotted the flashing light on the phone. He wasn't really sure who would be calling him. He sighed as he picked up the phone and started playing the message, glancing over towards Mai who stood up to stretch. Bakura blinked as he listened to the message.

"Hello Mr. Bakura, thank you for taking the time to fill out our application at Wholesale Food Market. We found your resume to be very interesting. However, we have decided to pursue other opportunities at the current moment. Feel free to apply to our location in the future. Best of luck and thank you for considering our Wholesale Food Market."

Bakura didn't say anything, instead deciding to stare at the carpet. He sighed as he deleted the voicemail and hung up the phone, glaring down at the metal contraption. He couldn't even really get angry at this point. He was used to getting emails and phone calls that turned him down. It was hard to find a job without a high school diploma, let alone any real work experience that he could put on a resume. He raised a hand to run through his white locks, biting his lip as he thought over his rather difficult predicament.

He was broken from his thoughts from a giggle to his right. He glanced over at Mai, who had a smug smirk on her face. Bakura froze in his spot, glaring at her. "What the fuck are you laughing at?" He growled. Mai said nothing but ran a hand through her hair. Bakura suddenly realized what she was gesturing to, quickly removing his own hand from his own hair. He swore under his breath as he heard her continue to giggle at his expense.

"So what was that call about?" Thankfully, Ryou returned with drinks from the kitchen, sparing Bakura of losing any more of his dignity. He also came bearing a drink for Bakura, as if it were a peace offering. Bakura took the soda that Ryou offered him as he cracked open the can. "Store cleric position I applied to." Bakura explained, taking a sip of the carbonated drink. Ryou nodded, looking tentatively hopeful. "And?"

Bakura sighed as he lowered his drink, closing his eyes. "Close but no cigar. The cost of being overqualified." He explained, walking past his brother. Bakura thought Ryou got his hopes up too high in his job search, but wouldn't voice this concern. He didn't want to crush his brother's hope. Not that he's the one searching for a job. It was hard to stay optimistic with so many rejections. Nothing like constantly being turned down job after job to make you feel so incompetent in life.

A soft cough caught Bakura's attention as he made his way to exit the room. He glanced over to see Mai watching, a curious look on her face. "You're applying to jobs Bakura?" He swore, raising his hand to rest at his hips. Bakura hadn't meant to divulge this information to Mai. He took a swig from his drink before sighing loudly. "Yeah. Call me a retired man, I guess. Yami's commission was the last commission I took on. Now, I'm trying my luck at the straight and narrow."

Mai's expression took a more serious expression as she studied the albino. "That's easier said than done. You're really going clean?" Bakura heard the note of skepticism and he couldn't really blame Mai for that. Most people in their field stayed in the occupation because they had nothing else to go to. Crime is usually the fallback career path for most, and for Bakura to try and dig himself out of that hole was no easy feat. Honestly, Bakura wasn't really sure if he could.

He glanced over at Ryou, who was getting himself settled back on the couch. Bakura returned his gaze over to Mai, speaking softly. "I know. But Ryou deserves better. I can't keep dragging him down... It's better if I... " Mai didn't say anything but nodded, as if contemplating his words. "I understand. I suppose the alternative is to keep at it until you get caught." Bakura nodded, taking another drink as he went to leave. Well, it's get caught or get killed. I'm going to guess the latter is worse.

"Hey Bakura." The albino rolled his eyes, stopping his steps. He was never going to leave this room at the rate this was going. He didn't bother to look back, but waited for Mai to continue. "If you haven't already, you should apply at Kaiba Corp." Bakura just laughed out loud, feeling rather sardonic. "Already did. They never bothered to get back to me. That's how much I'm not worth their time."

"Please, love. You're friends with me. And I've got friends in high places. I'll put in a good word." Bakura blinked as he turned around, confusion flooding his face. Ryou looked equally surprised as he looked at the blonde. Mai said nothing as she closed her eyes, taking a sip of her soda. After a few moments, Bakura smirked, chuckling to himself. "Well, if that's the case, I'll take another look into it. Thanks."

"Anytime, babe." She called back before returning to her conversation with Ryou. Bakura made his way back to his bedroom, laptop and soda in hand. He grinned, feeling less depressed. During the case, Mai seemed to have it out for him. It was hard not to hate the person who was blackmailing Bakura into not screwing up by holding his brother hostage. It was easier to just demonize her and anyone who stood between Bakura and his goals. Now that he didn't have the commission and he was searching for a job, it felt like a lot of bad blood was gone between them.

… Odd that she would choose to be my ally. For whatever reason, that was the part that confused Bakura the most. Mai had no reason to keep helping Bakura – the only reason she helped him on the case was because it would benefit her client. All that extra work she pulled to help him get the Items was just that – to get the Items. So the fact that Mai told him that she would help him on his job search was a rather stunning revelation.

Bakura initially figured it was because she was buddy-buddy with Ryou. … That's still really weird, but whatever. Bakura couldn't really be picky about Ryou's choice of companions. At this point, it seemed like the cat was out of the bag and it didn't matter who knew. In fact, it felt like a relief not having to hide this from everyone. Perhaps Bakura had been paranoid for no reason. No. People have threatened Ryou's life. I was paranoid for a good reason. I'm an asshole and I work with assholes.

Despite Mai and Ryou's newfound friendship, Bakura suspected that this wasn't the reason Mai was helping him out. He wouldn't put it past her to be trying to earn brownie points with Ryou to annoy Bakura. However, helping Bakura to find a job would be a huge roadblock in the "annoy Bakura" part of her mission. There's no reason for her to be suspicious of me at this point. She knows all my secrets. I did my job. My part is over. So maybe…

Bakura chuckled to himself as he sat down on his bed, opening up his laptop. Bakura wasn't one to warm up to people. He always kept them at a distance. It was a hazard and risk. However, ever since he met Marik, Bakura found he was forced into far too many emotional situations for his liking. And while a lot of it had been for the bad, some of it had been good. Bakura recalled how he and Mai sat in silence after talking about Marik. He had no idea how therapeutic it was to have someone to simply be there for him.

For the first time in a long time, Bakura didn't feel as alone as he usually did.

He shook his head of the sappy thought. If Ryou knew how much of a softie he had become over the past few months, Bakura would never hear the end of it. He opened up the job search engine as he continued to scope out potential jobs. Perhaps he was on a wild goose chase with this job search. But at the same time, going back wasn't an option either. He thought for a moment, before searching Kaiba Corp. Mai said she had connections? Well I hope they're good ones.