Shadow:Mwahahaha, finaly I update! It's been crazy!!! Since my last update I've moved 3 times, had 2 laptops just quit and gone without internet or TV for 6 months! And the library here sucks or i would have gone there to upload this chapter.

Seto: *Rolls eyes* That is no excuse you pea brain.

Shadow:*Glare* Says he who's going thru his midlife crises at 19

Jou: *raises hand* I have a question, why am I the only one who's Japanesse name used?

Shadow:Because I like Jou better than Joey and I can't spell anyone else's name. Now on with the chapter! Also this is so not Beta'd and was typed up at 2 in the morning at the begining of a sugar crash, i've done the best i could with Spell check so please don't hurt me.

Seto's POV

I continue to hold him as he falls asleep.

I've never seen Jou cry before. It makes me want to scream, seeing him this helpless. Without looking at the others, I scoop the other teen up and up the stairs into my room. As I pull the covers around his curled form, I feel my heart crumble a little more. He looks so innocent, so fragile.

Back downstairs, Yugi and the rest of his fan club stood waiting.

"Ok, Kiba." Tristan crosses his arms. "We want answers. Why is Jou here and what did you do to him?"

I walk towards the fire place and pick up David's photo. It's actually a very good photo of the man and his wife. And it was true that they had dies 3 months before, but their son Noah had died in the same crash.

David's adoptive father had called and told them of the three's death. David had only died moments before but had asked his father to call Seto. The oldest Kiba had received a package a day later. From David.

It was everything he needed to devertualize his own Noah, including his son's identity.

"Kiba?" Yugi laid a hand on my arm. "You ok?"

"I can't lose him, Yogi." I whisper. "First my parents, than David, along with Gorzo turning out the way he did, and now I've lost David all over again. The only constant in my life has been Mokuba. If I lose Jou, I'll crack." A tear slipped past my lids.

"You won't lose him, Seto." Yugi smiled up at me. "Trust me- what Jou lacks in quickness he makes up in stubborn, staying power."

I chuckled at that. "True."

The smaller teen moved to sit on the couch. "Why was Jou here this morning?"

I sighed. "I asked him to go to America with me and Mokuba to pick up Noah."

Yami frowned. "You saw his dad, it would never happen."

As I nodded, something occured to me. "Have any of you seen Jou's back?" The others frowned back at me.

"Come to think of it, no." Tristen scratched his head. "Even when we'd go to the beach he'd ware a shirt. Said he had delicate skin and would burn easily."

I closed my eyes and take a deep breath. "I believe his father's been whipping him with something."

"How do you know?" Ryou frowned at me.

I blush slightly. "A gentleman never tells."

Bakura and Marik start laughing.

"Stop it." Malik scolds them. "I think it's sweet. At least he's willing to keep his lips buttoned, unlike two someone's I could mention." The two looked at each other before moving to a corner to whisper to one another.

"Nice one Malik." Ryou elbowed his friend. "They'll bug me for weeks now."

Yami and Yugi laugh as Tristan pulls Ryou into his arms, glaring at the two blonds.

I smile softly. They're like a big dysfunctinal family. Teasing each other, showing each other they'll be there for the others threw everything. My eyes dart towards the ceiling where Jou sleeps in my big bed by himself.

Yugi's POV

I try hard not to laugh as Kiba's eyes are drawn to the ceiling yet again. Jou use to make the same longing glances at an oblivious CEO not long ago.

"Well I don't know about you guys, but Yami and I have work" I finally say, not looking at Kiba.

"Abue?" Yami whispers in my ear. I jerk my head at Seto who's eyes are drifting again.

"Ah." He stands and pulls me to my feet.

Ryou shoots another glare at Malik then smiles evilly. "Malik, you promised we'd go to the mall today."

"Mind if I come?" Tristan smiles.

Malik walked over to the taller boy and grabbed one arms and felt the muscle. "Oh, very nice."

I laugh at the look on four boy's face: Marik, Bakura and Ryou's murderous, Tristan's fearful.

"Touch and die, Malik." Ryou slips his arm around his boyfriend's waist and pulls him the room. "And it won't be pretty."

Malik fallows closely yelling. "I was talking about him carrying the bags!"

Bakura and Marik whisper to each other and fallow the three out.

I laugh and tug Yami out of the room. "We'll come back tonight, ok Seto?"

As I walk out the door I hear Seto. "Oh, joy."

Seto's POV

I'm happy that they've left. That means I can go crawl in bed with Jou.

After a quick call to my lawyer and my friend Samantha and ask them to visit this afternoon, I run up the stairs. At the top of the stairs so not to frighten Jou by making so much noise.

Quietly I slip into my room. I've only been gone 20 min and already the bed is a mess, Jou in the middle of a tangle of blankets, his shirt riding up one side, showing tantalizing skin.

Images flash threw my head. Jou with chocolate syrup drizzled across his abs, whipped cream in his belly button, honey smeared on his hips just waiting to be licked away.

STOP! I just want to cuddle. That's all we both need. I pull the blankets from under him before laying down.

As I pull the blankets around us both, he moans then begins to thrash. "Jou?" I sit up and look down into his face. "Love?"

"Daddy, please stop it." I wince, rage filling my veins. Jou's voice was soft and weak, the voice of a frightened child.

"Shhh," I brush the hair from his face before pulling him to my chest. "He won't hurt you again. I'll make sure of it." He quieted, as though my voice broke threw the darkness of his nightmare. Pulling the blankets up around his head, the tears still fresh on his cheeks, I make a vow.

James Wheeler would pay.

Jou's POV

I feel something against my cheek, a soft, warm breeze. I try to lift my head but something prevents it. Someone is curled around me.

Seto.

It's his head that prevents me from lifting mine. It's his soft breath I feel against my cheek. He's curled around me, arms cradling me gently, our fingers interlaced.

He saved me from my father this morning. He said he would call the police. For me.

I look at the clock next to the bed. 8:50. Everything happened almost an hour ago.

Seto stirs behind me, he squeezes my fingers.

"Seto? You awake?" I whisper, afraid that I'd wake him if he's asleep.

"No." He murmurers in my ear. He looks at the clock and groans. "But I need to be. My lawyers will be here sometime this afternoon with child welfare, and I've got so much work to do."

I stiffen. "Child welfare?" I whisper and he tightens his grip around me.

"You're not leaving this house with them. You're mine and Seto Kiba get's what he wants. Besides I'm a certified foster parent, they just never place a child with me."

I smile. "Because you don't want one or they just haven't."

"They just haven't placed anyone with me." I feel him shrug.

Suddenly, I feel the need to look into his blue eyes. I turn on my back as he came up on one elbow. "Do you want to have kids here?"

"Why else would I take all the classes and deal with all the paperwork if I didn't?" I feel his thumb on my hip bone, softly caressing the scar there.

"Then why don't we?" I reach up and run my fingers threw his hair. "I'll take the classes, and we'll have all sorts of kids."

His eyes widen slightly. "Why would you do that?"

"I don't want other kids to go threw what I did." I bite my lip. "I want as many kids as I can take care of. I just want to help them."

"You mean that?"

I frown at him. "Would I say it if I didn't?"

His eyes bare into mine. "What did he do to you? And why?"

Seto's POV

He buries his face in my neck. "I can't remember, not a lot of it anyways."

I hold him close, because for now that's all I can do. "Tell me what you remember. Get it off your chest please."

"I remember that just before my mom left, they got into a huge fight and mom stomped out of the house. I'd gone downstairs to get something to drink and he saw me before I could get away and before I knew it he was hitting me." I can feel his tears on my skin and tighten my hold. I can feel the muscles in my arms begin to lock up. "After mom took Serenity and left he blamed me. And I believed him, until he went after Serenity, then I started to fight back."

"Jou did he ever-touch you?"

"Like that? No, Dad is a homophobe so I don't think he ever even thought about it."

I hold for a little while longer before looking at the clock. "Can you go back to sleep? Or are you up?"

No answer. Looking down I see he's fast asleep, clutching loosely to my shirt.

I wrap him around my pillow before slipping out of bed. After a quick shower I go downstairs to my office and turn on my laptop. There's a lot of things to be done before my trip. Some where between new duel disks and company figures I lost track of time and before I knew it, Mokuba had let Samantha Dawning, the social worker I work with primarily, into the large room, as well as Patrick Douglas on of my lawyers.

"Oh good you're here, Jou's asleep but please have a seat." I motion to the two chairs before my large oak desk. "Sam did you check out the Wheeler place?"

"Yes." She nods and places her briefcase on the floor next to her. "And you were right. The place is a dump. I think I saw a rat." She shutters. "Seto, the boy will be taken from his father and placed in a group home, he's to old to be placed in a foster home."

No, Jou can't go to a home. "Can't he just stay here? Please Sam, I promised him he could stay here."

Patrick me a scolding look. "You know you should never promise something, Seto, it's one of the first things they teach you."

"He's my boyfriend, you can't blame me for wanting to protect him. To take care of him."

Sam sighs. "We've never placed someone with you before. Are you sure about this?"

"Why else would I go threw all the motions if I didn't plan to go threw with it." I smile softly. "Jou wants to take the classes, he wants to stay here and take care of children."

"Seto." Jou stood in the door way, rubbing sleep from his eyes.

"You should be asleep." I pushed myself from my seat and across the room.

"The bed got cold." He slips into my arms, eyes on Sam and Patrick. "Don't let them take me away. I promise I'll be good, just don't get rid of me."

I tighten my grip around his shoulders. "Shhh, no one's taking you from me. This is Samantha and Patrick. They're here to help." I tug Jou to my desk then pull him into my lap as I sit down. "Just tell them about what your dad did. They wont judge you." Slowly, his head buried in my shoulder, he tells them what he could remember about everything his father had done and said to him.

"Seto said something about scars." Sam asks softly. "Would you show us?"

Jou raises his brown eyes to mine. "She has to, it's to get you away from your dad." I didn't tell him that I'm also going to be pressing charges of child abuse. He still looks hesitant. "She's seen mine." Slowly, eyes still locked on mine, he unbuttons the borrowed shirt and pulls it off his shoulders.

The other two gasps. "I need pictures." Sam says pulling out her camera. "Can you stand up for me Jou?"

I help my love to his feet and hold his hands while she takes her pictures.

"Thank you Jou." Sam packs her camera away. "You can put your shirt back on. Now, I'm placing you in Seto's care. Not that you really need to stay with someone at your age, but it will make the transition easier." She hands a sheet of paper to me. "Your contract."

I sign with a flurry. "It's a basic contract that I'll take care of you until your 18th birthday." I tell Jou. "So now you're stuck with me. Now, you two vamoose. I've got other things to do today." As the two walk towards the door I call. "Sam I meant what I said." She nods and leaves.

I turn to Jou and smile. "How about you get some real cloths on and I'll make some lunch."

Jou's POV

"Don't you have stuff to do?" I ask him.

Seto smiles. "Of course I do, I've got to do stuff with you. Mokuba's going to a friend's house for a sleep over, so I thought we'd do something together. You'll need some cloths of your own, you can't keep borrowing mine. Ryou and Malik said something about going to the mall."

I grin. Shopping with Ryou and Malik? Oh was Seto in for it. "I'd like that." I chuckle as I walk towards the door.

His eyes narrow slightly. "What's so funny?" he asks playfully.

"Nothing." My eyes widen innocently as I turn to look at him from the door. "Just the thought of Seto Kiba in Domino city mall is a little amusing."

It's Seto's turn to grin. "Who said anything about Domino City Mall? I had planned on taking you and your friends to Tokyo, but if you'd rather go to the mall we can."

"Tokyo?" I gasp. "You want to take us to Toyko? Seto it's to much!"

His gaze is tender as he wraps his arms around my waist. "I want to spoil you. Just a little." His smile broadens. "Besides, I want to get back at Bakura and Marik for something they said this morning. So I figure an all expense paid trip to Tokyo would be just what they need."

I laugh. "Sounds like you've got a plan." I pull out of his arms. "I'll call them. Anyone else I should invite?"

"Call Yugi, he might want to go." I stair at him. "What?"

"You." I reach up and place a kiss on his nose. "Are." Kiss on the cheek. "Amazing." The other.

"If that's my reward," he pulls me back into his arms. "I'll try to be amazing more often!" He places a kiss on my lips. "Now scoot." He pushes me out the door. "Or I'll say fuck the shopping trip and lock you in our room."

I laugh and walk out of the room. "One day we'll have to do that."