welcome to chap3. enjoy. and apologies for the LONG update

Jou panted as he ran down the sidewalk, having ran nonstop from school. Stopping, he leaned one arm against a wall, trying to catch his breath and ease his pounding, pain filled chest.

Once the pain in his chest abated, Jou leaned his full body against the wall, and tried to think.

'Ok, first off, I had that really creepy dream. Then, I hit Kaiba…heh.' Jou snickered at that thought. 'Then I ran out of the school, and here I am…now what?

'Well, first off, I need to go to a doctor. That dream was just too freaky for me. Now, for the problem. No money. What am I gonna do?' Jou sighed and shoved his hands in his pockets, glaring at passerby's.

'I can't go to my friends. Though they'd love to help out, I just can't bother them. So that leaves them out. Moneybags? …Ch, yea right, like he'd ever want to help me, the "mutt". So who does that leave?' Jou signed andlooked up to the sky for answers.

Bright baby blue colored the sky like a blanket, white fluffy clouds accentuating the look of calm fantasy. Jou sighed, the sky should meet his mood, not the opposite.

Glancing around himself, he started to remember the old days when he was in his old gang, making trouble for everyone.

A small smile started to sprout when he snapped his eyes wide open and gasped. That was it! His old gang! He could get the money from his old gang. He'd probably have to do some illegal shit and lots begging, but he'd have the money!

Abruptly, Jou turned and started walking towards his neighborhood, determined to do anything to get that money…well, almost anything.

Reaching his destination, he looked up and shook his head. He was at an old abandoned apartment building that should have been torn down years ago. The windows were most, if not all broken. The brick was falling apart faster than the weeds grew. And it was Hirutani's territory.(1)

Taking a deep breath, Jou steadied himself, and entered, prepared for anything.

'Well, almost anything.' Jou thought as gasped for breath. Upon entering the hellhole, he was immediately jumped, tied down, and gagged. Now, here he was, staring up at Hirutani's looming figure.

'Maybe I shouldn't have pissed him off in the past.' Jou thought, grimacing at the taste of moldy cloth in his mouth.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't our old pal, Jounouchi. Now, why am I not surprised to see you back among us?" Hirutani asked himself as he stared demeaningly down at him.

"Hmph mhmmhm mmmph!"

"Get that dirty old sock out of his mouth!" Hirutani ordered, glaring at one of the thugs. They quickly walked over and ripped out the cloth tossing it somewhere behind him. Jou moved his jaw around, trying to get it back to feeling, then grinned up at Hirutani.

"Aw, come on now buddy. You aren't still sore, are ya?" Jou asked, then doubled over in pain as he was kicked in the stomach. "Yea, you're still sore." Jou coughed.

"Now Jounouchi, why wouldn't I be sore when your so called "friend" electrocuted me, and sent me to Juvenal Detention for three years?"

"Good point. Look, I came here for a favor." Jou started, getting to the point.

"I know. You always need something or another. What is it this time? A hit on your father? Revenge on a classmate?" Hirutani asked, turning his back on Jou, glancing at him from the corners of his eyes.

"…money." Jou admitted, bowing his head.

Hirutani frowned and motioned his men to pick him up. Jou was heaved to his feet and stared face to face with Hirutani. He scrutinized him for a few seconds, then snorted and glanced around his men.

"You want money, after what you put me through? Why?" Hirutani asked, leaning back against a table, smirking. Jou glanced around at the other men who seemed interested in his answer, and lowered his head again, gritting his teeth in embarrassment.

"…because…" Jou started, then slammed his eyes shut and spilled. "because I'm sick, that's why. I need the money to see a doc. There, ya happy now?"

The gang started whispering to each other in excitement. Hirutani frowned and silenced them with a hand. He walked up close to Jou and lifted his face, watching as Jou glared at him, a blush evident on his face.

"You aren't lying, are you?" Hirutani asked quietly, almost to himself.

Jou just stared him in the eyes, telling him through his emotions. Hirutani studied him a bit longer before releasing him and walking back to the table, dismissing his men as he went.

"Get out. Me and Jounouchi here have business to deal with." The gang glanced at each other in hesitation, but the glare their leader gave them made them scamper out the door quicker than a jackrabbit.

Sighing, Hirutani turned back to Jou, finding him attempting to get the binds off of him. He sighed again and walked forward, untying Jou and setting him down on a chair. Then he walked back to his table and leaned heavily against it.

"…what are you sick with?" Hirutani asked, staring intently on Jou, who shifted uncomfortably under his gaze.

"I don't know, that's why I need to see the doc, find out what's wrong with me." Jou looked down at his hands in his lap, wringing them in his slacks.

Hirutani sighed again and stared at the ceiling, considering what he would do. And also, thinking of the past.

"Katsuya," Jou glanced up sharply at the name, "you never asked for anything while we were together, nor when we broke up. You just followed orders, or ignored them and tried to do things your own way. So, why now? Why not ask your new friends to help you? Why me?" Hirutani asked, turning his gaze back to Jounouchi's grave features.

"Hiru…we…we didn't work out. You always tried to rule, even when we were together, and, that just didn't do it for me, ya'know. That's why I broke up. And now, when I come to you for help, you, what? Won't help me? You'll refuse me and send me on my merry way? All because of a little grudge? Look, you…are my last hope. I couldn't burden Yugi and the others with this. Hell, I don't even want them to know I'm sick. So…look, if you're not gonna help me, I need to leave." Jou finished, standing up to leave, ignoring the throb in his chest.

"Katsuya, wait!" Jou stopped, his back turned to Hirutani. "…I'll help you. But only because you asked…and you begged. How much do you need?" Hirutani sighed, going over to his stash.

"About $250,000 yen." Jou murmured, surprised that Hirutani would help him out so easily.

Hirutani grabbed the amount of yen, and turned to Jou, who was still staring in shock. He smiled, and placed the money in Jou's hand, closing his over it.

"Just get better. That way, you can join my gang again." Hirutani said with a smirk.

"You know I'll never obey you." Jou replied with one of his own, then smiled sincerely. "Thanks Hiru, this means a lot to me."

"Hey, I can't just let you die, now can I? Besides, I like you too much to let go." Hirutani mumbled closing the gap and kissing him lightly on the lips.

Jou held it for a few seconds, before he pulled back, placing a hand on Hirutani's chest. "That was then Hiru. See you around."

Jou nodded once, then turned and left, never looking back.

The white walls were driving him crazy.

Jou drummed his fingers on his legs, waiting for the nurse to call him. He had already read twelve magazines and had paced the room. He was nervous. Was there really something wrong with him? And if so, what?

Jou was in such deep thought that he almost missed his name being called.

"Mr. Jounouchi? Mr. Jounouchi, if you would come with me please." The nurse asked, making room for him to pass.

Jou got up and followed her down the hall. They did the normal beginning tests, weight, height, and eyes. Now, Jou sat on a examination table, waiting for the doctor.

'Jeeze, all they really do is take your height and weight, then make you wait in the examination room for who knows how long, and then the doctor shows up to tell you what's wrong. And it never goes well.' Jou thought, examining a picture of a skeleton. 'Why do they even call it an examination room? They even don't examine you!'

Jou turned towards the door as it opened, and in came the doctor. 'Finally.'

"Mr. Jounouchi, Katsuya. 15 years old. And…you've been sick for over a month? What is it?" Doctor Kwan(3) asked.

"I don't know doc, but I've been feeling…really strange, for the past couple of days. Weird dreams and stuff." Jou admitted, leaning back on the table.

"Hmm, can you tell me what symptoms you have?" Doctor Kwan asked, sitting back in his swivel chair, pen at the ready.

"Well…it kinda happens in spontaneous moments, but, sometimes I have a sharp pain in my chest, and it gets hard to breath, and it also hurts when I breathe." Jou surmised, staring as the doctor wrote all this down.

"Well, it sounds like allergies, but let me be sure." Doctor Kwan announced, standing up and beginning the rest of his tests. For about half an hour, the doctor ran his tests, the last one, drawing blood. Jou shivered as the needle went through his skin, but, it was over quickly.

"All right, now I'll send these to the lab, and get the results right to you. Do you have a number that I can call?"

Jou thought hard, finally conceding. His father was never home anyway. "Yea."

Jou walked down the street, the doctor's words echoing through his mind.

"I'm sure its nothing but allergies. Although your medical history states nothing about you having them, I'm willing to bet that's it. But just in case, I want you to relax for a while. Don't do anything harsh that will cause your chest pain. And here." The doctor reached over and grabbed a bottle. "I want you to take at least two once a day. I'll talk to you soon."

Jou hissed as his chest started to cramp up. He grabbed the bottle and shoved two pills in at once.

'I sure hope you're right doc. I sure hope you're right.'

(1) ok, I know that hirutani is from the manga and he was defeated/killed by yami, but still, he's alive in this. Has to be.

(2) ok, so I made Jou have a thing with hirutani, but u can't blame me, it couldn't work out if I did differently. If it helps, it was just a fling! hides behind boulder as sharp objects are thrown

ok, I'm no expert, trust me on this, but I assume this to be about $33.75 in US$. i was hoping to make it more expensive, but oh well

(3) Kwan sounds more Chinese than Japanese doesn't he?

Alright, now here this, 1) hope ya'll liked. 2) I have decided to update once a month, (or more) and 3) plz review,

ps, i'm counting this as July's update.