I am back with an update! I hope that this is longer and better than the last, and hopefully warrants more reviews than the last. I love to hear everyone's opinions, and from reviews comes inspiration (and cookies)! I do apologize for the billions of flashbacks, but for the most part, they are of some significance. Apparently this story has 5 chapters, though I thought it had 3. Either way, I will not update again after this until I manage to hit 40 reviews. That's 21 more. You can do it. ;) Now, to thank those who did review:

DarkAngel048, my very first Beautiful Tears reviewer, who has reviewed every chapter.

Lemonrocker, the reader who apparently stays up all night reading my fanfiction and the fanfiction of others.

Shadowb3e, who was the first to comment on just how badly I beat on Jounouchi in this fic.

Jenni45

Celdria, and the reason Jou puts the blame on himself is because of what he said to his father. He thinks he might have saved him if he just accepted the apology instead.

Mew for telling me just how good my story is, no matter what I think of it myself.

Black Rose Pirate for reviewing my stories all the time and dealing with my spelling and grammar errors, which are too many for my liking.

Usa-san

Ryuusama's disciple for my Christmas present.

Kara, for being the one to ask just how Seto will fare, when all others eyes were focused on Jou.

Blissful Imperfection for being the most amazing friend one can have, and for urging me to continue on with the story, and for giving me the idea for the Grey World.

ShelbyMutou

Dark-Angel-Princess 01 for demanding an update.

Magnetic-Paw

and

YourGothicButterfly

Last time: "I'm not going to give up on you Mutt. Not like your so-called friends." He was going to be sure that the dog got the attention he needed, even if it exhausted Kaiba. He was determined to get back the mutt he knew, the idiot that never gave up, never backed down, and didn't know when to shut up. He spent the entire day just sitting there with Jou, talking nonsense to him about different things. Seto relieved stress that was pent up from work, told Jou about his own past, and read something to him. When night fell, Jou had moved only a little from his spot. Seto got up and laid him down, pulling the blankets over the smaller male.

No one ever realizes just how much they think about themselves and their own pain, while oblivious to all the others who suffer with them. No one takes the time to see that broken smile and ask 'what is it that makes you fake a smile instead of showing your tears?' No one ever bothers to look past the automatic response of 'good, and you' to the polite question 'how are you?'. The thing is that no one else cares. They don't see past their own, sometimes even petty problems. Then, when something bad happens, they wonder: 'How could I have stopped this?' The answer is simple. Read the broken smile on their lips, listen to the hidden pain in their voice, look for it in their eyes. It's there. Just like it is in Katsuya. I never thought I would see him like this. He's always been... unbreakable. Sure, he's a mutt, but he was also spirited, and, dare I say it, somewhat gifted, and kinda cute in a completely irritating way. Now... I don't know what he is. Lost? I guess that's the best word I can come up with to describe that expression. I've never really known him to give up so easily.

I am not starting to like the mutt. That much I do know. If he was still that loud mouthed idiot that had no idea when to shut up, I would most certainly still be annoyed by him. It's just that being so helpless is not like him. He's never played the victim. Katsuya has always been strong. The fire in those unique amber eyes has left, replaced with something empty and cold. It's the same feeling I get sometimes when I look in the mirror. My eyes are like the Atlantic ocean on the chilliest winter day. And now... so are Katsuya's. What happened to that warmth that I was always so jealous of? I really hope Mokuba doesn't get hold of this again, but they told me that I should write about Jounouchi's progress in a journal of some kind. My question: What progress? He hasn't changed whatsoever in the past few days.

I wish that I was better at these things. I'm not the right person to be counseling Jounouchi. He needs real, professional help. I've never seen anyone so far gone. I've never experienced such absolute emptiness. How do you counsel someone who doesn't hear a word you say? I suppose I could get some work done while I visit with him. The thing is, I don't even know if my visits affect him in any way. He just sits there and stares into nothingness, a blank stare that could give Hades the chills. I could just read him some of the things about business that are actually interesting. Maybe he'll retain some of what I say, though I'm almost certain that he won't even hear me. I guess it's wishful thinking, but it doesn't hurt to try. Besides, by counseling the mutt, I'm falling behind in my work. Perhaps... if I can get him out of this... trance that he's in, maybe, just maybe I could... No, that's crazy! He's a dog, and I don't want dogs running around KaibaCorp! Still, I need a rep that's more socially presentable than myself. Perhaps if the m-... Jounouchi cleans up well enough, he might just have what it takes. I can't find anyone else to fill the position, and at least, if nothing else, he has a nice smile... I did not just think that! Or write it! Disregard that last statement because I'm too damn lazy to erase it right now! (A/N: Or maybe he just doesn't want to.) Well, I think that's it for today. I'll be back tomorrow with another update about how little progress Jounouchi has made.

Kaiba stared at his journal entry. He didn't have much faith in Katsuya recovering to tell the truth. It seemed like he had completely shut himself out from the world, just withdrawing into his own mind where, Kaiba was sure, things were much simpler. He didn't know what could have been so terrible that the blond could no longer cope with the outside world. Jou had never been one to allow things to get him down. At least not as long as the eyes of his friends were on him. This was no longer the case. The CEO couldn't honestly say that he knew what it was like to be alone, but he did know what it was like to feel like he was all alone.

It was one of the worst feelings one could have. The flow of emotions when he felt alone were so powerful, so overwhelming, and they were extremely hard to cope with. So that must be how Jounouchi felt as well. Kaiba sighed softly to himself and thought about what he could do to get through to the mutt. There were so many possibilities, but none actually generated an outcome. Each scenario ended in the mutt sitting there on his bed, not saying a word to anyone. Still, the CEO was determined to at least get his attention. Seto didn't honestly know if he would be able to stand Jounouchi's icy gaze again. He had to bring back the fire. That was certain.

Jounouchi's world was gray. There was no black or white, no good or evil. It was just... gray. He felt pain, loss, sadness. He hurt more than he had ever hurt in his short 16 years. The blond would never have believed that his father leaving him alone completely would hurt more than being raped daily by him. He had never thought that losing such scum could truly impact someone's life. He had been proven wrong. Now here he was... Well, to tell the truth, Jou didn't actually know where he was. He was a hollow shell that was trapped within his own mind with nothing to save him. It was just like the dream that he'd had, the one that Yami had invaded. There was no one to cut through the thickness of his new reality though. He was gone. Jou didn't even really process that of all people, Kaiba had been coming to see him. He had heard that voice that was distant, somewhere in the background, but he didn't know who it was.

He didn't come out for lunch. He didn't move from his current position, even as different people entered the room throughout the day. They would ask him questions, but he didn't hear them. Their words fell upon deaf ears. The thickness of the gray world had scared Jou at first. He had thought that maybe it was like this world where somewhere along the way one would have twists and turns thrown in, and they would never see it coming. However, the more time he spent, the more he realized that nothing changed in this place. They gray world was a constant, and so he sought safety in the likeness of this place.

Jou had felt someone move him to a different position not too long ago, but he couldn't place a time, or a face, or a voice. All he knew was that they had laid him down and tucked him in. He was almost curious enough to focus on the person, to let the gray fade back into the world of color, but he had decided that if he knew, it would simply hurt too much. Instead, he let himself be moved by the mystery person. He didn't even have a clue why they were visiting him. Perhaps it was just out of pity. He thought of the way his friends had treated him, but... there was nothing. The only face, the only person he remembered was his father. He'd had friends... hadn't he? Wasn't that why he was hurting so much? Jou realized that he couldn't remember why or how this had all happened. All he remembered was that for some awful reason that had to do with his father, this was where he had ended up.

He didn't do anything as the door opened once again, revealing a face that was shrouded in gray. Just like always, there was nothing else there. Then he heard a voice, gently speaking... something, though he didn't know what. He couldn't make out the person's words. He knew that there was another presence in the room, but Jou wasn't ready to come to reality. Hell, if he liked it enough, he might stay eternally in the gray world, where he was safest. Nothing in this place could ever hurt or betray him. But then... something about that voice was so inviting... He could hear it, though he couldn't place it. It was smooth and confident, blissful to his ears. And if he listened closely, he could hear a very slight broken tone... Who was this broken person who came to see him? What was it that they wanted with him?

Seto was back again. He couldn't help but feel that his presence here was completely useless, but he couldn't give up. There was just no way. He had an idea. Something told him that this place wasn't helping the blond out very much. This center was just making things worse for him. And that was when he got an idea. Seto stood up and then helped Jou to his feet. He led him one step, but almost immediately, the pup stumbled and fell. He was quick to catch the smaller boy. The brunet shook his head and picked Jou up, holding him bridal style. In a different situation, this would have been extremely embarrassing. He walked by the secretary, who looked up when she saw Kaiba carrying him.

"Um, what do you think you're doing Mr. Kaiba," she asked in a I'm-too-good-for-you-and-this-job tone. He glared at her, and when he spoke, his words were vicious lashes.

"I am bringing this boy outside where he won't be so suffocated by you insufferable fools. If I had to stay in a place like this all the time, I would probably be in the same position. So how about you shut your over made face up and leave me to my methods?"

She looked appalled, but she did precisely as he asked without so much as another word. Seto smirked and brought Jou outside, going over to a large willow tree that was on the property and placing Jou down in a sitting position, then sitting himself. He looked at the other in the light, and realized that along with being dangerously thin from not eating, he was also extremely pale. Jou had always had a slight tan that made his features just that more alluring, and the pale look didn't do his puppy the justice that he deserved. Seto mused over his thoughts, smiling on the inside. His puppy. What was the point in denying it now? After all, Jou had gone crazy, and Kaiba would probably never get him back. A painful thought, yes, but Kaiba wasn't the type to sugarcoat things, even when it came to his own personal life. That would just make things worse.

He watched something flicker in Jou's eyes, almost as if for just a second, he was conscious. However, Seto decided to dismiss it, figuring that it had just been his eyes playing tricks on him. He wasn't going to give into the false hope that Jounouchi was going to be okay. The way he had suffered, he was surprised that Jou was even slightly responsive. The brunet had noticed that whenever he would enter the room, that messy blond mop turned in his direction, though the look he was met with was always distant. Still, it was never quite blank. If that had been the case, then that would have truly meant that Jou was broken, and there would be no point in trying to counsel him at all. At least knowing that he would acknowledge the CEO's existence was enough to keep Kaiba coming back, which he was finally admitting to himself. A mutt that didn't do anything besides sit there and stare into space was better than no mutt at all.

Kaiba felt a tug at his heart. How could he think that? Jou would never argue with him again. Oh, how he loved to get a rise out of Katsuya. He was too funny when he was angry, and though he could be a complete idiot, it just made him that much more adorable. Cheeks red from anger, though Kaiba had imagined it before as being from... other things. Damn, now he was realizing just how sick he was, fantasizing about Jou when the blond was truly in trouble. He sighed and pushed his thoughts away. Even if he knew it was impossible, he just had to try. Jou wouldn't come back to him, but if he gave up on the mutt, then what kind of person was he. Kaiba sighed and shook his head, and suddenly noticed that he was being watched... Well, he thought anyways. There was really no way to be sure. However, when he made eye contact, that distant look came back, and Kaiba groaned.

"I'm beginning to think that you take delight in torturing me Katsuya," he said quietly as he watched the smaller male.

"Yeah," was Katsuya's hoarse response. Seto's eyes widened when the blond spoke. Granted it wasn't his normal voice, and he still wasn't there with Seto, but off in his dream world somewhere. Still, it meant more than even the brunet himself realized. Jou was alive somewhere in there, and that one word had been enough to rekindle the flame known as hope to the CEO. Perhaps Katsuya wasn't completely gone after all. Perhaps he was just on vacation...

Jou had felt himself being helped off the bed, and he looked around, but the person that was there was blurry and it was if a dark grey cloud swirled around them. He was a little surprised by that, though it didn't show from his expression. Why was this man covered in darkness? Was it a man? Jou was pretty sure, but they could have been female, or even been a monster. He thought of Kaiba, and how if he was there, he would say there was no such thing as monsters, even with all he had seen. To be honest, Jou was pretty certain that Kaiba did believe, but he just loved to annoy Yuugi and the others by calling what they believed in bogus. Jou couldn't blame him there. Even though Yuug' had been his best friend, he could easily get annoyed by the short kid. His innocence and naivete was enough alone to bother the blond.

Then there was Yami, who, in reality, did all the dueling for Yuugi. Yeah, Yuugi had beaten him once, but what if, like it often was with Jou, that had just been luck? Jou thought about the deck he'd once carried with him, and how it had had a gambling theme. It had never really bothered him until now. He wondered if such a theme was just a cruel twist of fate, or if it existed just to show him that he really was like his old man. There was a sigh from the blond, but whoever that person was with him in the room didn't catch it. Perhaps, event though that oddly familiar voice had tried to reassure him that they cared, they had been lying. Wouldn't they have noticed if he was seemingly somewhat conscious, seeing as he hadn't been for... how many days had it been now? Had it been a week? A month? A year? He had no way to be sure. In the gray world, time didn't really seem to exist. The only thing that seemed completely solid in Jou's safe world was the teen himself.

He felt himself fall. Jou waited to feel the impact of himself hitting the ground, but instead, he felt two strong arms around him. If this person was female, she had to be a body builder of some sort. Dead weight wasn't exactly easy to lift. Suddenly, he was being carried. He didn't move, even though he badly wanted to curl to the warmth of the other body and suck in that sweet smell of cinnamon and nutmeg... Who was it that he knew that smelled like that. Someone... who he didn't get along with. But because Jou had once been in a gang, there were honestly a lot of people that he really didn't get along with, though he had tried to make amends. Still, he had been a bully before he met Yuugi and the gang. The one good thing that had come of being their friend was that he had mellowed out a lot. Still, if he had known that they were going to treat him in such a way, then he would have never allowed himself to get so close to them.

He knew he was being carried somewhere, but he had no idea where. Jou sighed, hoping that maybe someone would dump him off a bridge or something. He didn't want to go back to his room. He didn't want to be in this place. The blond sighed when he heard some witch who he was pretty certain was the secretary asking the person carrying him what they were doing. He expected her to say that he had to go back to his room, but instead, he heard them telling her off. Suddenly Jou had a new respect for this mystery person who was shrouded in grey. Perhaps he could catch a glimpse of who they were. Jou tried to focus, but the cloud wouldn't clear. If anything, it just got worse. He tried to sigh, but even breathing was taking a lot of energy. Jou was frustrated with himself. He had withdrawn to far into this place, and he had been here for too long. He wasn't sure that there was a way back out. Jou wasn't even sure if he wanted there to be a way out.

He could feel himself being set down in the grass. They were outside, and he knew that the other person's eyes were on him. He tried to react, to reach out for them, but his body wouldn't move. It was as if he had lost control over it. The blond sighed and looked around his grey world. Did he want to leave this place? He was surprised when a path that was metallic black appeared before him. Around it were blood red flowers with black stems. He stared for a moment. It was so strange to see color in the grey world. Well, besides grey. Black, that made sense. But the vivid blood red color of the flowers was enough to make Jou long for the world outside of this place, where even though there was so much evil, pain and hurt, there was also love, beauty, and happiness. In the grey world, there was only sadness. Nothing else existed here for Jou. He watched the path, and suddenly, half of it changed color. This baffled him. He stared as it lightened to metallic silver, creating a strangely beautiful contrast. On the side where the silver part of the path was, the blood red flowers turned to a brilliant cobalt blue. Jou didn't know what to make of the colors invading this world. He knew for sure that even though this path had appeared, no more color would come to the grey world. This path led to another place, one he wasn't sure he was ready to go back to.

The path flickered before Jou's eyes, and he felt it in his gut. This was his only chance out of this place, otherwise he would be stuck in the grey world forever. This was Jou's chance to find out who had been talking to him for... he still had no judge of time. But the point was that they had been talking to them. It was his chance to find out who had actually been there to catch him when he fell. He knew that this path reminded him of... something. What was it. Red and black... It meant something to him. It had to, otherwise it would never have appeared on the path. But what about the silver and blue? What did those mean? He sighed and shook his head. He knew that if he didn't focus on it, he would lose the path, and he might never get out of the grey world.

He looked to one side of him. It was blurry, but there was a small piece of the outside world. He squinted to try and get a better look, but it didn't work. Suddenly the magnificent colors were thrust from his mind. He was beginning to feel like that Greek guy from the myth who couldn't look back at his wife while they walked the path from the Underworld back to the surface. He just had to steal a glance of the woman, to make sure that she was really there. And because he had not been able to follow the instructions that he had been given, she had been lost to him forever. (1) He now realized that the path was going to taunt him with glances of the outside world. Jou could take a quick peek, but if he looked too long, then the path before him would fade and he would be stuck here forever, with only taunts of the world he had left behind to bring him peace. He didn't know that the path appearing had brought back a quick flicker of fire to his amber eyes, and that the mystery person who was taking care of him had noticed that flicker.

He heard that voice again talking to him. They were under a willow tree, which was Jou's favorite kind of tree. Weeping willows were the most beautiful of trees, the way their branches hung over one's head, the branches lightly brushing his hair as he walked underneath, taking comfort in the privacy. He wasn't sure how he knew where they were to be honest. He wasn't anywhere near the exit to the Grey World yet. Jou was still on the path, looking around, though he never let his eyes stray from up ahead for too long, not wanting to lose his way out. I'm beginning to think that you take delight in torturing me Katsuya, he heard someone say. Jou was surprised when he came out with a simple 'yeah'. He was sure that this mystery person was just as surprised as he was.

Seto watched Jou for awhile as they sat under the willow tree. He had leaned the blond against it and folded his arms over his stomach. Jou looked comfortable, or at least, Seto thought he did. He couldn't really be sure seeing as the teen's expression never changed. There was a sigh from the brunet as he kept an eye on his "assignment". If he was to be completely honest with himself, he was glad that he was the one dealing with Jou. Kaiba had been in that dark place before, though he had never retreated into himself the way his puppy had. It was obvious that they handled their pain differently, but in a way it was the same. Kaiba had been abused at the hands of his stepfather for several years before Gozaburo had "committed suicide". The memories from that day always brought a twisted smirk to the brunet's face. His stepfather had gotten what was coming to him.

That was another way in which the two boys differed. Jou had taken his father's suicide pretty hard, while Kaiba had been the one to cause his stepfather's death. Perhaps it was because it was only natural to love one's family, and Jou's father was his biological father. Gozaburo was just an asshole who needed an heir. To this day, Kaiba regretted the chess game at the orphanage. It could have been anyone. Why did it have to be Gozaburo. Mokuba would often remind him that he probably wouldn't have won if he hadn't cheated. Seto knew he was right, and he couldn't change the past. Dwelling on it wouldn't help himself or his pup. However, if he took his own situation, applied it to the pup in some form, and then analyzed his reactions, he might be able to break down just why Jou was like this, and perhaps he could bring the blond back. If Kaiba could only see into Jou's mind, then he would know that Jou was slowly on his way. He was hurrying down the seemingly neverending path.

Seto ran a hand through those soft blond locks and shook his head. He would bring him back. But for today, he had to go. Mokuba would be out of school soon, and he had promised that they would go out to dinner. He repeated the act, not really wanted to leave his puppy. He also refused to cancel on Mokuba. Kaiba sighed and picked Jou up. He carried him back into the place that he had started to look at as a clinic, and he sent a glare the secretary's way. She didn't seem so keen on flirting with him anymore, which made him smirk. Like he would ever pay attention to a bitch who wore too much makeup anyways. Now if she had been a bit kinder, he might reconsider. Kaiba might seem indifferent on the outside, but on the inside, his brain turned like clockwork as he summed up the people that he came face to face with, whether it was just a one time casual meeting, or on a day to day basis. The expression on his face made it impossible to read him, and that was exactly how he liked it.

He looked down at Jou as he brought him to his room, pushing open the door with his foot and bringing him in. There was a small shiver from the blond, which surprised the person holding him. Kaiba chuckled slightly and pulled back the blankets, putting Jou into his bed. He covered the smaller male and watched with a soft smile. Jou didn't move or curl up, but just laid there completely still. It didn't bother Seto at all. He knew now that there was a way to bring Jounouchi back to him. He just had to find it, and he sure as hell wasn't going to quit on Jou, not even once he ran out of options. Kaiba looked at the clock. He still had a few minutes before he had to leave. The brunet laid down in front of Jou, placing his hand on the smaller male's side.

"I'll be back tomorrow Pup. You can count on it. Behave for them while your master is gone." He chuckled softly and ran his hair through Jou's messy mop of hair one more time before leaving the place.

Jou was being carried again sometime later. He wish he had a better sense of time. Unfortunately, any clocks in the Grey World were blurry, shrouded in clouds as the mystery person had been. Time simply didn't exist here, and to be honest, it was starting to bother Jou. He didn't want to live like this anymore, never being certain of his surroundings, never knowing who this person that stuck by his side was, never being able to see the colorful world that held so much good and bad in it. If he could get through this, Jou knew that he could get through anything. He just had to make it back. He was growing tired though, and he wasn't sure if he would make it much longer before he fell asleep. He needed to reach the end of the path before he fell into slumber.

He felt the person carrying him bring him back into that place. The blond frowned. He had hoped that he would be free of the center, but it appeared that the mystery person was bringing him back there. He shook his head, but his body made no such action. Instead, he lay there in the other person's arms, not liking where he was going, but not being able to do anything about it. Jou shivered as he thought about spending another night in this place. That got through the the one carrying him, but they didn't stop. Instead, he felt the familiarity of the room that he had been assigned. Jou tried to close his eyes, but it didn't work. He was placed in his bed. It must have been nighttime, or at least getting close to it then. His fear was that if this person put him down and left, that they might never come back. Jou didn't want them to leave. He didn't want to be alone. They pulled his blankets up over him and tucked him in. He could feel the mystery person laying down beside him, their warm breaths gently caressing his skin.

He wanted to reach out for that person, to beg them not to leave, but the window disappeared, and the path before him was almost gone. He sighed and continued on, as exhausted as he was. However, soon the path was fading, and Jou had only just noticed. He cried out, though only mentally, and as it disappeared, he fell to his knees and sobbed. Why had it disappeared? He shook from anger, sadness, and disappointment, but soon, it only faded to pain. He was going to be stuck here forever. Jou didn't want to stay in this world anymore. He wanted to face the hard times with his once friends, and maybe even his enemies. After all, having enemies only meant that he had stood up for something. He cursed softly and stared ahead at where the path had been. Jou closed his eyes once, trying to will it to reappear, but it would not come back. He sighed and stared at the ground, kneeling there for a long time before he finally decided to lay down and rest. Perhaps it would reappear again someday, and Jou might have another chance to go back to his world. But for now, he was stuck here, where the only emotion that existed was sadness, and the only thing he could see was grey.

The person who had been with him before whispered a promise into his ear that they would return the next day. Jou desperately wanted to believe them, but he had his doubts. He was a useless empty shell. Why would anyone want to be near him? He wondered what it was about those words that seemed so familiar. The person who was there... he could almost remember who it was. However, just as their face was becoming clear, their image faded away completely. He had been so close to knowing who the person was who was coming to see him. Perhaps if he had been able to grasp it, it would allow him a quicker exit out of this place. Unfortunately, that person had managed to slip right through his fingers, though their words lingered in his mind. All right, he thought. Your pup will wait here for your return.

Seto felt terrible for having left Jou behind. He wanted badly to bring the blond home, but he could not. Jou wasn't ready for something like that just yet. He needed consistency, and even though he had only been at the clinic a couple of days now, bringing him into the mansion would be too much of a shock. Such an action might make it so that the blond would never come out of his near comatose state. Seto decided that once Jou was doing a little better, he would bring him to Kaiba mansion to take care of him. The pup was more likely to recover there than he was at the clinic, but he had to be mentally stable before that place would ever even consider releasing him. Kaiba wished he could pay them off to bring Katsuya home, but that wasn't what the blond needed right now. However, it only made Seto feel slightly better that he was being supervised 24 hours a day.

Seto was glad that Mokuba had an after school program, otherwise his time with Jou would have been cut even shorter. He was pretty certain that the reason Mokuba had joined was so that he could dedicate more of his attention to the blond. Seto didn't want Mokuba around a place like the clinic, feeling that it could have a bad influence on him. Honestly, he didn't feel much better about Jounouchi being there, but that wasn't really his choice. Seto could only be relieved that Jou hadn't been forced to leave Domino to go live with his mother. Ms. Kawaii had hurt her son when she split him and his sister up. That much Kaiba was aware of thanks to the combination of Duelist Kingdom and Jounouchi's biography. If she fought to take custody of him, Seto would fight right back. She wasn't going anywhere near his Jounouchi.

He sighed as he looked out the window at the passing scenery. The limousine seemed so quiet, even compared to the time he had spent with the empty shell known as Jounouchi. At least the wind had been there to make a little noise and remind him that this was reality, not some horrid nightmare that he was going to wake up from to find out that Jou was okay. If only... Damaged and broken were not words he thought would ever remind him of the blond, even if he had seen through that happy grin that was so often used to mask up the pain and distrust. Still, Jou had been a strong boy who seemed to be unbreakable... until a few days ago. Kaiba didn't notice his driver watching him. He didn't really care either. His thoughts were on a whole different planet.

Seto didn't really notice when they pulled up to the school, though he looked up as Mokuba got into the car. He received his usual hug from his brother, the one person who was allowed to even come near him without getting to much as a scowl, nevermind touching. He saw Mokuba's smile, but he didn't really pay attention. Those thoughts had reminded him of a time when Jounouchi had ran smack into him as Kaiba pulled back a door, which Jou had been pounding on and yelling at Kaiba to open up as he did. The look on the idiot's face had been priceless, and he was tempted to tease him about it by holding him there and... other things, but Kaiba had chosen to ignore the thought, dismissing it as absolute nonsense. At the time, it had baffled him, though the reason that he had thought so much about Jounouchi was now clear. He wondered if he had been sooner to act, if perhaps Jou would have never ended up in the clinic to begin with. Maybe Jou would have moved into the mansion and lived with the Kaiba brothers. His father would have stopped abusing him. Hell, he could still commit suicide for all Kaiba cared.

Mokuba looked worried about his brother, and he gently tugged his sleeve. Seto was pretty lost in thought and didn't even notice when Mokuba did so. The raven haired boy sighed and looked around the car for a moment, then found what he was looking for. When Seto wasn't dueling, he kept his blue eyes in a safe at the house usually... For some reason though, he had brought it with him each time he went to visit Jounouchi. And now, to Mokuba's utter shock, it was on the floor. Obviously there was something wrong. He sighed and picked it up. Mokuba decided that the only thing that was going to break his brother of this ridiculous trance was a taunt, and he had plenty of those. He thought about what would work best, and then smirked in much the same manner that his brother would. Sometimes it was scary just how alike they were.

"Seto, I'm going to dump wine on your Blue Eyes." That got his attention.

"Mokuba, give that to me!"

"Um... how about... no?"

"Now!"

"All right, all right. Don't have a coniption." The younger of the two looked at the card before handing it back to his brother. If it hadn't been the CEO's most prized possession, Mokuba was sure that he would have ripped it out of his hand angrily, but he was careful and gentle as always... Well, almost always. And then there was Sugoroku's Blue Eyes, which Kaiba had torn up. He held a deep regret for that, though he would never apologize to the old man. Why? Because the old man didn't quite understand what Blue Eyes meant to him. Yes, it was a powerful card, but it was always symbollic of his relationship with Mokuba, who had actually saved him by drawing him a picture of that very card. Not many people actually knew that story. Kaiba didn't allow others into his private life.

"So, how was Jou," Mokuba asked, knowing that that would get his brother to talk.

"He's... all right. He was a little bit responsive today, which I'm quite impressed with. I was beginning to think that he would forevermore be an empty shell."

Impressed with... That meant that it had pleased Seto greatly, or, in lament's terms, made him really happy. Mokuba smiled to himself. His big brother would not admit in a million years that he was happy aloud. That just wasn't how he worked. The rest of the ride to the restaurant was silent, and through dinner, they just talked about what had happened to Mokuba throughout the day. Jou came up a few times, but Seto didn't talk much about it. Mokuba wondered if it was simply patient confidentiality, or if his big brother was bothered by something. He decided not to push the issue. Seto would talk about it if he wanted to. That was how the CEO worked. After dinner was dessert... for Mokuba anyways. Seto had never been that big on sweets, but he knew that his brother loved them, so he was willing to allow it. It was actually a rare treat.

It was already 10 at night when they got home that night, no thanks to city traffic. Kaiba couldn't remember the last time it had been that bad. He didn't blame his driver. If it had been really important, then he might have been a little upset, but Mokuba's bedtime was 10:30 pm, and Kaiba didn't have work in the morning. Even if he had, he didn't usually get to sleep until at least 1am. He decided to take a bath before going to bed, allowing himself to relax for awhile. Hot water did the trick to relax the brunet's muscles, and he closed his eyes, fantasizing about being in the large tub with his mutt. He washed up after a little bit and headed to bed, having some of the oddest dreams in his lifetime, which was saying a lot considering he'd had strange dreams all his life, some involving Red Eyes and Blue Eyes doing weird things.

A path made of metallic silver and black lined with vibrant cobalt blue and blood red flowers lined each side. Well, the symbolism was perfectly obvious. The colors coincided with his and Jou's dragons. He sighed and looked along the path. It went on literally forever... But what really caught his eye was some distance away, there was a blond puppy dog walking the path, amber eyes looking sad and lonesome. He watched as suddenly the puppy laid down in the middle of the path and fell asleep. Right before his eyes, it morphed into Jou. All right, even as a dog, it had been perfectly obvious, so what was the point of making it morph anyways, Kaiba's logical mind asked. What really got him though were the giant words suddenly flashing before his eyes. They were in block letters and yellowish-green, and they flashed one at a time, reading: 'You have to go back.'

"I am going to go back," he yelled at the stupid words. And that was when Kaiba woke up. If it hadn't been for that dream, he would have slept right through until noon. He now realized that it was simply his mind trying to tell him that it was time to get up and go see Jounouchi. He wondered if the path was what Jounouchi was seeing in his mind... The world around them had been grey. It had been seeping with sadness and pain, and Kaiba had felt overwhelmed. He wondered how Jou could withstand such a place. He was truly strong, that much the brunet was certain of. If it had been Seto, he would have crumbled from the powerful emotions that had washed over him. But Jou was different. He was truly unbreakable. Seto was certain of that now. No matter how damaged Jou's spirit was, no one would ever break him. The thought made the brunet happy. He loved that fiery spirit, the way those cheeks turned red, burning up from anger, the way those eyes lit up with passion... Okay, he was definitely a lovestruck idiot, though he would never be willing to admit that aloud.

Seto arrived back at the clinic, a little on the groggy side. He had passed up his morning cappuccino, deciding that getting to Jou was more important. He felt like the matter of being near the mutt was urgent, though he wasn't really sure of the reason why. Still, Kaiba decided to follow his gut. His driver had him there in just a few minutes, and Kaiba checked in, then headed straight for Jou's room. Jounouchi wasn't sleeping. He was just staring ahead, exactly the same way Kaiba had left him the day before. He sighed and sat down on the bed, running his fingers through Jou's hair. It was always so soft, almost like silk. He wondered why, even when Jou hadn't showered, if always felt so soft... Or had they been showering him. The idea of anyone seeing the blond naked but him made jealousy flare up in Seto.

Jou had slumbered in the same place for what seemed like years, but he now awoke to find the path slowly flickering to life. He blinked and stood up quickly. The path was back! He had to continue. That mystery person... He could feel them there. They had really returned. He blushed slightly, and the color actually came through, blood rushing to his cheeks as he was touched so lovingly by the other male. He couldn't figure out why the path had disappeared. It bothered Jou that the path had faded away, but he decided not to dwell on that fact. Right now, it was just important that he get as far on it as he possibly could before it faded again. He was running along it, glancing at the flowers every now and again. They were what gave him hope that eventually he would find the way out of here and back into the world of light and color.

He looked up as suddenly something roared overhead, and he was met with onw of his supposed friends. Ahead of him was the Pharaoh, but instead of that usual proud smile, he was sneering in probably the ugliest way imaginable. Jou stared in horror as he got closer and got a better look at the other male. His face was dark, shadows crawled over and around him. his eyes, unstead of the usual maroon color, they were black. Jou's eyes widened in fear and he went to turn around, but realized that if he did so, he wouldn't be able to continue. This was one of his inner demons. He had to face it, or he would never be allowed to leave the Grey World. Jou needed an escape. He wouldn't stay here, and he refused to let some shadow version of the Pharaoh stop him. (2)

"Jounouchi, don't you want to stay where it's safe," a voice that was deep, dark, and evil spoke maliciously. Jou shivered slightly, shutting his eyes tight, and he whimpered. The Pharaoh smirked. How was he supposed to overcome a demon like this? And if this was only the beginning, how much more would he end up having to face? The blond tensed as the other came towards him. He couldn't move. He didn't know what to do. Pick a flower... Uh, first of all, where the heck was that voice coming from, and second of all, a flower? Like that was going to do him any good. You have to trust me... Yeah, Jou was pretty sure that whoever was talking to him was nuts. He couldn't even figure whose voice it was. His memories of his friends and the Yamis where clear, but everyone else... Well, he sort of remembered Kaiba. He knew the name, and that they didn't get along, but he couldn't remember what the man looked like or smelled like or sounded like.

"Jounouchi, pay attention, you fool! You are a stupid dog, aren't you?" There was a growl from Jou, which only really seemed to reinforce those words. "You have a choice to stay where it's safe. You were allowed into the Grey World because you can handle the sadness and the pain, and you'll never have to face anything evil or hurtful again. Sooner or later you'll be numb to the sadness, and you can just go about, wandering on through this world without ever having to eat or sleep. You can belong here in the Grey World, become an empty shell to the outside world where all the pain, hurt, and anger exists, where evil runs rampant every minute of every day!"

"You're the one who's evil," Jou yelled, making the shadow cackle. He shivered again, and tears ran down his face. "I thought you were my friend, but it turns out that you're just like everyone else! You don't give a damn about me! You never did!" Another cackle.

"Who would care about a scrawny brat that's never going to amount to anything?" He laughed again, even as tears fell from Jou's eyes. The blond had to be strong. He had to remember that this version of Yami Yuugi had been developed by himself. This wasn't the person who had been his friend. It was the dark shadow that Jou had started to see his friend as when he proved to him that he simply didn't care about him. But even Yami would never go as far as to say something like that. Jou knew that for sure. He shook his head... Grab a damn flower! There was that voice again. Jou's eye twitched. Fine! He walked over to the silver side of the path, but the voice spoke again. No, don't use those ones yet. You need one from the black side of the path. He sighed and walked to the other side of the path and grabbed a black and red flower.

Instead of holding it though, he dropped it when it started to burn him. Sure, pick a flower. A lot of good that had done him. However, his mind changed quickly as the flower began to morph. His eyes widened, and he wondered just what was going to happen. Yami looked rather surprised himself. Just what was going on here? What was with the stupid flower? He glared at it, only now realizing what was happening. The Pharaoh then turned his glare to Jounouchi. Jou felt himself shiver again as he looked at the other male. He had a feeling that something bad was about to happen? Could one die in the Grey World? He honestly didn't know, and Jou wasn't sure that he wanted to find out. All he wanted was to get back to the world of light and happiness.

Seto watched the blond curiously. He wondered what was going through the other male's mind right now? Was he really on some sort of path, or was there more to it than that? Maybe his dream had meant something else. He knew that it applied to Jounouchi in some way, shape, or form, but he really couldn't be sure how. The brunet sighed and pulled him close, playing with his hair. That tiny gesture earned him a blush. That made Seto happy. It was the first real response that he had gotten that day. He wanted to take Jou away from this place to bring him somewhere safe. There was a slight mumbling from the blond, and Seto's eyes widened. He couldn't fully understand what Jou was saying, but still, he was speaking, which had Seto ecstatic. Perhaps he was coming to. There was a flicker of fire in those amber eyes again. Seto smiled. He knew that it was going to take some time, but eventually, Jou was going to come to.

He went into the lunchroom and bought some food for the deathly thin puppy, deciding that it was important that he eat. He just hoped that Jou would respond to it. He paid for the food, hurried back to the room, and something dawned on him. He put the tray down and walked over to Jou, looking into his eyes. Somehow, Seto could see exactly where Jou was and what was going on. He wasn't even going to begin to try and understand what he was seeing, but he knew that he had important information. He didn't know how he had acquired the knowledge, but he did know the flowers were lining the pathway for a reason. Seto looked at Jou, who looked completely helpless. He wanted to reach out to the blond, but there was no way he could. Well, he could try poking him in the eye, but Seto doubted that it would work.

"Pick a flower," he said to the blond, hoping that it would get through. He watched the "battle", which was more or less a battle of words at the moment. Seto rolled his eyes. Suddenly he understood why people told him that he talked way too much while dueling. No one wanted to listen to you talk when there was some major event going on. They just wanted to get on with the match. However, in Jou's case, this was necessary. First he had to realize that if he didn't face his demons, then he could never come back to the real world. He would be stuck in that place forever. Seto didn't want that. He didn't want to lose Jounouchi to the Grey World, not when he realized how much he cared for him. Jou had to come back so that Seto could finally tell him the truth about his feelings.

"You have to trust me," Seto said when Jou didn't seem to be taking his advice. He noticed that Jou didn't seem to keen on taking his advice. Seto listened to the exchange between Yami and Jou. Jou would amount to something. Yami was wrong about that. If Kaiba hadn't been smart enough to know that this was simply one of Jou's inner demons, he would have come to hate Yami, and probably Yuugi, even more. He watched the goings on, waiting for the mutt to take his advice. Still, he didn't seem to keen on picking a flower. Well, then again, now that Kaiba thought about it, it seemed crazy unless Jou had the revelation that Kaiba had had. He was pretty sure though that if he told Jou, this idea wouldn't work. Part of this process was for Jou to learn to trust again. Strange way of teaching him, he thought to himself.

"Grab a damn flower!" Kaiba was now growing impatient, though he smiled when Jou finally did as he was being told. He did notice however, that Jou was going for the silver side of the path. No, that wasn't right. Something in Kaiba's mind was telling him that Jou needed the other side, the red flowers right now.

"No, don't use those ones yet. You need one from the black side of the path." Seto watched again, looking into Jou's eyes to see the Grey World in which he was stuck. He dropped the flower after a moment, revealing a burn on his hand. Maybe Seto had been wrong. Maybe those flowers were evil, or poisonous, or something else terrible. He stared wide-eyed at the scene, praying something wouldn't happen to Jounouchi. His prayers were answered, and he quickly thanked whatever deity it was that was watching over his pup... in those exact words. Kaiba then turned his attention back to the flower on the ground. He had been right! It was morphing, getting bigger and bigger. Within just a couple of minutes, a Red Eyes, Black Dragon stood before Jounouchi, staring the shadow version of the Pharaoh down.

1: For those who don't know what myth I'm talking about, google Orpheus and Eurydice.

2: Because I have a feeling I will get this question, no, they are not in the Shadow Realm. The Grey World is completely different from the Shadow Realm.

Lastly, I ask that you guys review, tell me what you think, and what you would like to see in future chapters. And if anyone has any ideas for the story 'Only We Will Know', please message me with them.