AN: Erk, this chapter is barely making the deadline I myself set! Lol. I just decided on the name for my new puppy. I'm going to name him Loki! (After the trouble-maker god). I added a little more to this chapter to make up for the two hours it was overdue. (Though I didn't get to properly edit the chapter…simply ran out of time). Please enjoy!

Thanks to…

dragonlady222: Go Bakura! Hm, I don't know what the fire ladder is for…(hehehe). You'll find out later. Thanks for the review!

ONIX-21: He's about eight years old. I'm glad you like the story so far! Lol, it makes me want to write more. Thanks for the review!

Tails7651: Hehehe, evil plans? We'll see . I'm having a lot of fun writing this fic, but I constantly keep changing the original plan. Lol. Thanks for the review!

D.H. Knightly: Hm, how observant you are! I'm happy to hear you like it so far. Thanks for the review!

FlyingShadow666: I haven't stated why Ryou must stay at the park yet, and the ladder…hm, I wonder what it could be used for? (-) Thanks for the review!

Vikerink: Lol. Beat him up, huh? And yes, he's eight. Thanks for the review!

The Vampire Prince: I don't know, I wonder about that too. Lol. Thanks for the review!

akuma1225: lol, okay! Thanks for the review!

Chapter Three: Madness

Ryou blankly stared at the ground, his face feeling numb. The wind had dried his tears, but his eyes were still red. He could tell, because whenever he tried to blink, they stung a little. His hands were cold, having clenched onto the iron chains on either side of the swing for too long. He felt like he had to cry, but he had this dull sensation of emptiness that wouldn't let him.

Why did they always lie to him?

"Don't worry, this is the family you've been waiting for…"

How many times have they said that to him? Two, three, four? They didn't keep track. They didn't care, and neither did he.

Or that was what he wanted to think. Ryou slammed his eyes shut and gritted his teeth as he suddenly felt angry at the world. What did I ever do to deserve all this? How come I can't have a good family, or a mom that loves me, or a dad that plays catch with me, or…or…

"Here you are."

Ryou bolted upright as the words flew over his head. Instantly losing his center of gravity, the child flailed his small arms to keep from falling out the back of the swing. A strong hand planted itself on his back, saving him from a backwards tumble to meet the ground.

"Careful, kid," Bakura murmured, slowly pulling his hand back. He glanced at his watch as he readjusted Ryou's backpack that he was now carrying, and said, "You still have another hour."

"Do we have to stay until seven?" Ryou said, not trying very hard to cover his obvious loathing of the place.

"Well, either it's here or my room. Take your pick," Bakura gruffly retorted, growing a little irritated.

"I'd rather go home!" Ryou barked back, glaring at Bakura now.

Bakura studied the boy for a little bit, his eyes cold. Was it just him, or was the kid sulking? Either way, he didn't like being yelled at. "Fine, have it your way," Bakura growled, tossing Ryou his backpack. Then he stormed out of the park, leaving a distressed Ryou behind.

He doesn't have to be so mean, Ryou thought, knowing he was being a little oversensitive. I'm not some pet you can keep penned in somewhere… Slowly, he dragged himself off the swing and proceeded to somehow track the angered Bakura home.

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Bakura could have sworn his bones were creaking when he opened the door to his house. He was so tired from everything today, and the small squall he had with Ryou just added to the pile of crap that he had amassed already.

"Ryou? Bakura? Iszat you? Er you boyz ome already?" a slurred voice called out.

A groan escaped Bakura's lips. Mother was drunk again?

The door squeaked open, announcing Ryou's delayed arrival. Silently, the boy took his shoes off and hurried up the stairs. A door slammed shut, making Bakura flinch. Bakura knew he was still fuming over the teen's rules, but he didn't mind. He didn't have time to mind.

Bakura made his way to the kitchen, not really surprised that his mother was leaning against the counter with a bottle of Vodka in her hands. He eyed it as he started to wash his hands under the sink faucet. "You'd better not let father see that," Bakura said, pointing to the drink. More than anything, he wanted to tear it out of her hands and throw it away, but he knew that his mom would cry and wail until she got another one. That would really piss his father off.

"I'm hungry," Jesse pouted, disregarding Bakura's warning completely. "Cook me some dinner."

Bakura didn't say a word as he dried his hands. Of course I'm going to cook you dinner, mother, he thought, mentally spitting out the last word. I've cooked dinner for the last ten years! Why would I stop now?

However, his face remained stoic as he readied some rice and rinsed bell peppers and tomatoes. Mentally he noted that he would have to put some food to the side for his father, who usually came home late. After he sliced the veggies up, he added onions, and set the stove to heat some chicken.

"What are you making?"

Bakura almost burned his hand because of Ryou's sudden appearance. "Don't just sneak in like that!" Bakura growled, taking the pan of meat off the stove.

Ryou shrugged, but didn't apologize, still feeling a little rebellious toward the teen.

"It's stir fry." Bakura scooped the veggies into the pan and placed it back on the stove.

The child watched him cook for a little bit more before he sulkily crossed the kitchen and plopped himself down at the dinner table, across from Jesse. Ryou found himself staring at Jesse, who was smiling dreamily while she sloshed the liquid around in the bottle she held.

Jesse seemed to know that he was watching. She played with her drink a little more before she met the child's eyes. "Would you like to try some?" she softly asked, offering the bottle to Ryou.

There was a pause. "What is it?" Ryou asked, hesitantly reaching for the glass container.

"Something really good," Jesse murmured happily, giggling to herself. Ryou nervously took the alcohol from his newest mother, noting her odd behavior. But then again, this woman had always struck him as…odd.

"Jesse, I'm home!" a familiar, strong voice hollered. "Bakura, start dinner!"

"It's already done, father," Bakura called back, entering the dining room with the pan of stir fry. "Move over, Ryou," Bakura murmured, placing dinner in the center of the table. "Don't touch the pan, it's hot…"

Ryou froze as the teen trailed off and stared at the bottle he held.

"Already, Bakura? Did you come home early or something?"

Utaka's voice was drifting closer, and for some reason, Ryou was getting scared. Why was Bakura staring at the drink? Did he want some? Was it bad? Was it stolen?

In less than a blink of an eye, Bakura snatched the bottle out of Ryou's hand. Ryou was stunned for a moment, trying to figure out what was happening. Did Bakura take the bottle away because it was good? Was he going to hog it to himself? Ryou frowned, weakly attempting to get his drink back. "That's not fair, Bakura!" he complained. "I found-" it first.

But the child never got to finish his sentence, because Bakura clamped a hand over his mouth just as their father walked into the room.

Ryou was about to try to grab the bottle again when Utaka grabbed it himself. Hey, that's mine! Ryou wanted to shout, but he didn't dare say a word because the man looked absolutely livid.

"What…are you doing with alcohol?"

Bakura could see Ryou grow as pale as snow, and instantly realized that the child hadn't known. Cursing a mile a minute in his mental realm, Bakura swallowed hard and found himself at a loss for words as his father glared at him.

The tense, brief silence was broken by a command. "Ey, gimme dat back," Jesse demanded in her slurred speech.

It set off everything.

"You let her drink?!"

There was an inhuman cry as the boys' father hurled the glass bottle at them, his entire face red from fury. For the first time in his life, Ryou screamed. However, no sound came out, since his throat had closed up from shock. Someone, Bakura, kicked his chair over, sending him flying from the table.

Ryou landed on his back, the breath knocked out of him. Sometime amidst the confusion, he heard the bottle shatter. He immediately curled up into a ball as a shadow fell over him. Something heavy crashed on top off him, making him cry out in pain. The teen, who had been thrown into him, rolled off. Ryou tried to scramble to his feet, to get away, when he saw Bakura struggling to get up as well.

"Go to your room!" Bakura shouted, wincing as he stood. Ryou was about to say something when Utaka's voice roared, "I told you that no alcohol was allowed in the house! Are you trying to kill your mother?"

Ryou shot straight for the stairs, stumbling just once.

"I didn't give it to her!" the child heard Bakura say. "She had it when we got home!"

He ran up the steps and basically dove for the haven that had once been a cage to him. Ryou could hear them fighting now, verbally rather than physically.

"You'd better not be lying to me, young man!"

"You didn't have to get to so angry!"

"You nearly killed your mother!"

Slamming the door close and locking it, Ryou jumped into bed and pulled the covers over his head, as if to protect himself from the madness in the dining room.

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AN: Sorry it was a little rough around the edges. I never got to edit it properly, but I hope it was still got the point across. Thanks for reading! Expect the next update to be on Monday or Tuesday night.