Chapter Seventeen: Attack
Yugi didn't go to school that day. Yami felt that Yugi should rest up. Seigyoku said that she'd go to work for both of them for that day. After she left, Yami thought about Seto's offer. He really had nothing to lose…but nothing to gain either, except an explanation…which, in turn, might be nothing but nonsense. He sighed and laid down on his bed, covering his face with his hands. Anzu was dead, and even though he wasn't psychotic enough to go and dig up her grave to prove it; he did have her funeral papers, somewhere in the void known as his file cabinet. He turned onto his stomach. He never really explained to Seigyoku anything about Anzu…not even on their first date. He didn't know why he didn't. He groaned. Maybe, while Seigyoku was gone he could pull out the old photo album and the funeral papers. Then, when she came back, they could have a nice talk about his dead wife. Yami sat up in the bed. "What kind of hell-risen idea was that!" he asked himself mentally. Then again, if he did that, it would be possible for Seigyoku to understand Yugi's point of view. He got up and went downstairs and to the kitchen.
He went to the left side of the kitchen and opened the largest cabinet. Inside was a burgundy-colored photo album. He took it out and brushed the little dust off of it. He closed the cabinet and sat down at the table, flipping through it. Since he and Anzu had been high-school-sweethearts, there were lots of school pictures of them; then wedding pictures; then Yugi's pictures came up, along with some family photos. By each photo was a date and a small explanation of the photo. That had been Anzu's idea; so they wouldn't forget when they became old. That thought stabbed his heart. Now he'd grow old with Seigyoku. He blinked. Since Seigyoku was his new wife, maybe he should get a new photo album for the new family. Speaking of which, he remembered something he wanted to talk to Seigyoku about…but was it too early? Yami pushed that thought aside; that one could wait. He needed to think about Yugi's 'imagination' at the moment. He glanced at the clock. 10:00 am. Yugi would be awake by now. Maybe he could make Yugi understand what a psychiatrist was and convince him to go. He put the album away and went upstairs to Yugi's room.
Yami opened the door quietly incase Yugi was still sleeping. He poked his head in and saw Yugi sitting up in his bed, rubbing his eyes. Yami smiled. "Morning son," he said. Yugi turned and gave a sleepy smile.
"Hi daddy," he said. Yami smiled and walked over to the bed. He kissed Yugi on the cheek before sitting down on the bed.
"How's your head feel?" he asked.
"Okay," Yugi replied. He yawned softly. Yami smiled.
"Good," Yami stated.
"Did Ms. Seigyoku go to work?" Yugi asked, rubbing his eyes again. Yami nodded.
"Yugi," Yami said. "Mr. Kaiba has a…friend that I would like you to talk to." Yugi blinked, so Yami continued. "This friend is a doctor." Yugi lost some of his color. "But different from Samara," Yami added quickly. "All she wants to do is talk to you."
"Talk?" Yugi asked confused. Yami nodded. "How is she gonna tell I'm sick if she just talks to me?"
"She doesn't tell you if you're sick, she tells you…" Yami hesitated, choosing his words. "How you're feeling."
"Huh?" Yugi asked bluntly with a blink.
Yami sighed. "Remember when Mommy first died and how sad I was?"
Yugi nodded. "You left me at Mr. Kaiba's for a long time so you could go on vacation."
"Didn't know a 'vacation' meant shutting yourself out of the world for three months." Yami thought. "Yeah," he agreed. "When I came back, I went see this type of doctor so she could tell me how I could be less sad about Mommy going away. Understand?" Yugi nodded slowly. "I want you to talk to her."
"Why?" Yugi asked innocently.
"Because," Yami said. He didn't know how to explain it anymore. He sighed heavily.
Yugi blinked. "Would it make you happy if I went talk to the doctor?" Yugi asked.
"Yes," Yami blurted out.
"Okay," Yugi said. "I'll do it." Yami blinked at him.
"Really?" he asked. Yugi nodded. "Uh…thanks Yugi."
"Welcome daddy." Yugi hugged Yami. Yami smiled and hugged him. "What's for breakfast?" Yugi asked, looking up.
Yami shrugged. "Whatever you want." He smiled. Yugi nodded and started to crawl out of the bed. Yami watched him, then left the room so Yugi could dress. He waited for Yugi downstairs.
When Yugi did come downstairs, he fixed himself a bowl of cereal and talked with dad as he ate. As soon as Yami got a chance, he went up to his bedroom and called Seto, asking him to make him an appointment. Seto agreed and said he would e-mail Yami the time and date. Yami thanked him and hung up. He smiled to himself.
Seigyoku came home at around six. "What up!" she yelled as she walked in. Yugi giggled as Yami stared at her. "What?" she asked when she noticed Yami's stare.
"Could you be any louder?" he asked her. Seigyoku nodded with a smile. Yugi laughed at that. "Don't encourage him." Yami told her.
"Kay." She replied. "Where's my little Ki-Cat?" she asked.
"What's a 'Ki-Cat'?" Yami asked.
"It's short for 'kitty cat'." Seigyoku explained. "Now where is he?"
"Six feet under, in the backyard." Yami said in a normal tone as he walked back in the kitchen. Seigyoku's jaw dropped and she turned pale. Yami looked back at her; trying not to smile. When he saw the look on her face, and the tears in her eyes, he panicked. "I'm joking!" he said quickly. Seigyoku sniffled.
"Really?" she asked. Yami nodded quickly. She smiled, making him sigh in relief. He turned to go back into the kitchen and felt something hard ram into the back of his head.
"Ow!" he said as he whirled around. He saw Seigyoku's purse on the floor. He looked up at her. Now she was giving him a deathly glare.
"DON'T EVER DO THAT AGAIN!" she shouted. Yami and Yugi stared at her wide-eyed. "GOT IT!" They both slowly nodded. "Now," she said happily. "Where is Kiwi?" Both boys shrugged. "He's probably upstairs." Seigyoku headed upstairs.
Once she was out of hearing range, Yugi said "She's crazy." Yami slowly nodded in agreement. Seigyoku came back downstairs a few minutes later, the tabby following her.
"He was under Yugi's bed," she said as she walked into the kitchen.
"Work was good?" Yami asked.
"Normal," Seigyoku said as she sat down. She looked down to pet Kiwi, but saw he had taken comfort on the couch. "He'll come when he's hungry." she said to no one in particular.
"How come daddy won't give Kiwi some of our food?" Yugi asked.
"Cause he has his own." Yami said.
"But Ms. Seigyoku gives him a lot." Yugi stated. Yami turned and gave Seigyoku a stern look. She laughed guiltily.
"I can't help it!" she said. "I wuv Kiwi!" She smiled at Yami. Yugi giggled. Yami sighed and shook his head.
"Just don't do it often." Yami said.
"I don't!" Seigyoku said defensively. Yami gave her another stern look. Seigyoku stuck her tongue out when Yami turned back around. Yugi forced himself not to laugh.
When supper was ready, they all sat down. "Kiwi!" Seigyoku called as she put his food bowl down next to her chair. Kiwi started to walk over to the bowl, but he stopped when he reached the entrance of the kitchen. "Kiwi?" Seigyoku said, looking at her cat curiously.
"He'll come eventually." Yami said. Seigyoku gave Kiwi one last look before she started to eat. Once dinner was over, Yami put the dishes in the sink and began to wash them.
"He still hasn't eaten," Seigyoku said in a worried voice. Yami rolled his eyes. "C'mere Kiwi." Seigyoku called as she kneeled down near the food bowl. The cat merely looked at her. "C'mon and eat." She gave the food bowl a small push toward the cat, a few steps in front of him. The cat still refused to step inside the kitchen. Seigyoku sighed.
"Can I try?" Yugi asked.
"Go ahead," she said. "I bet he's starving." Yugi nodded and picked up the food bowl.
"Here Kiwi," Yugi said as he walked over to the cat. Kiwi watched his every move. Yugi placed the food bowl in front of the cat. Kiwi let out a loud hiss. Yugi blinked. "Kiwi?" he asked leaning forward. The cat let out another hiss, then pounced on Yugi biting him in the shoulder. Yugi let out a cry of pain.
"Yugi!" Yami cried worriedly as he turned around. Yugi pushed the cat off and turned to his father. Kiwi landed on his feet and started to attack Yugi again, but Yami threw a knife at him, grazing his left hind leg. Kiwi let out a howl of pain and ran off. Yami quickly picked up Yugi.
"Kiwi!" Seigyoku called after her cat. She chased him. Yami held Yugi close, trying to calm him down.
"It's okay," Yami whispered to him. Yugi held onto his father's shirt. When Yugi stopped crying, Yami gently pulled Yugi's shirt off and saw the two small puncture wounds Kiwi's teeth had left. Yami glared at the injury.
"Uh, Yami?" he heard. Looking up, he saw Seigyoku in the kitchen doorway with Kiwi, who was purring loudly, in her arms. Yami glared at the cat.
"He just bit Yugi and you're comforting him?" Yami asked.
"I'm sure he didn't mean it," Seigyoku said. "And I punished him for it too." She nodded.
"Put him outside," Yami said as he put Yugi's shirt back on.
"Why?" Seigyoku said. "He's an inside cat."
"Because," Yami said. "I have a rifle in the closet."
"NO!" Seigyoku shouted in protest. She held her cat closer. "He won't do it again!" She reassured. Yami glared at her. "And…uh…also he's grounded!" Yami glare stayed. "Yep," Seigyoku continued. "I'm gonna go put him in his room." She headed for the stairs.
"We agreed that if he ever hurt Yugi, he'd have to leave!" Yami shouted as she turned away.
"But…" Seigyoku started. "Maybe it wasn't his fault…"
"So you're blaming Yugi?" Yami asked. Yugi seemed hurt by that question. He looked down sadly at the floor.
"No!" Seigyoku said quickly. She hesitated for another answer. Looking up at Yami, she saw the same intense glare. "Just one more chance Yami," she asked. Yami raised an eyebrow. "Please." she begged. "Kiwi's never done that to anyone before." Yami didn't answer right away. He looked at the cat; Kiwi let out a gentle meow. Sighing, Yami agreed. "Thank you!" Seigyoku said happily. She gave Yami a quick kiss; too quick from his point of view. He blinked as she walked up the stairs. Recovering from the kiss, he picked Yugi up and smiled at him.
"You're okay right?" Yami asked in a playful tone. Yugi smiled weakly and nodded. Yami hugged him. "Okay then," he said. "How about a bath?" Yugi smiled and nodded. Yami smiled as well and went upstairs with Yugi. They played around while Yugi took a bath and once Yugi was dressed, Yami started to tickle him.
"Stop!" Yugi finally called as he ran from his dad on got on the bed. Yami smiled at him and ran after him. Yugi giggled and laid down on right side of the bed. Yami sighed happily and threw himself on the left side of the bed. "Do you think the other kids will laugh at me?" Yugi asked, cuddling up to his father.
"Why?" Yami asked, putting his arm around Yugi. "Because of your stitches?" Yugi nodded. Yami smiled. "I doubt it," he reassured. "Back when I was in school, the kids thought that stuff was cool."
"Really?" Yugi asked. Yami nodded. "Did you ever hurt yourself like this dad?"
Yami sighed. "No," he answered. "I was always kept up in my room, studying. Remember? I told you that before."
"Oh yeah," Yugi said. He fell silent, trying to imagine what that was like. "Why did Grandpa do that to you?"
"I was never really sure." Yami explained with a sigh. "But I'm sure that they were of the best intentions." He smiled at Yugi.
"How do you know?" Yugi asked, sitting up.
"That's just it," Yami said, sitting up with him. "I don't." He pulled Yugi into his lap. "But now that I'm a parent myself, I know that everything I do is for your benefit." He smiled and looked down at Yugi gently. Yugi looked up at his father. "I would never do anything that would hurt you in the long run Yugi." Yami said. "No matter what I do, whatever decisions I make; you will be the first thing I debate in my mind. I'll always make sure that everything helps you more then it helps me." Yami pulled Yugi closer. "I want you to remember that; forever because when you, yourself become a father you'll realize that nothing is more important then the children you have…." He kissed Yugi gently on the forehead. Yugi cuddled closer, into his father's chest. The two Moutos sat there, enjoying their time together.