AN: All right! I've conquered the neverending piles of homework for the holiday (temporarily). I'm back with a new chapter! Enjoy, and please review!

Thanks to…

dragonlady222: Yeah, poor Ryou indeed. Bakura is…having trouble with having to face all this, ne? Let's hope to can overcome it all and save Ryou! Yay! Thanks for the review!

ONIX-21: I know! Poor Ryou, he's caught! Bakura must go save him! Thanks for the review!

Dragonlover149: Haha, really? Thank you! I'm glad you like it, and hope that you continue to read it. Thanks for the review!

bookworm3213: Erk, sorry about that. Lol, it was sounding like quite an impressive list, too (though I believe there's a ton of room for improvement ;;). Thanks for the compliments and the review!

The Vampire Prince: Ah, thanks. Yeah, I tried to make it so that they both seemed to have reasonable arguments. Hope they resolve them quickly, eh? Thanks for the review!

bakura666: Soon, you'll know soon! (Though…er…well, read the chapter -;;). Thanks for the review!

Chapter Twenty: Savior

A hand clasped Bakura's shoulder, making him jump. He quickly brushed off the hand and glanced back, relieved and annoyed at seeing Marik standing behind him. "So you followed me."

Marik chose not to say anything as he stared at Bakura. Since when did he look so old? And his eyes – they held the look of one condemned. There was an awkward silence where traffic passed the two over. Bakura felt tired and uneasy as Marik continued to study him.

Finally, Bakura sniffed, feeling a cold coming on. "Look," he muttered, coughing to clear his throat. "I've got to go-"

"You aren't going today," Marik curtly said.

Bakura was taken back. "What?"

The same hand that the teen had brushed off earlier grabbed the neckline of his coat. Marik looked dead serious as he murmured, "You're not going back to that bar ever again. Do you hear me?"

Growling, Bakura tried to pry Marik's hands off of him. He was sick of all this. "What gives you the right to say that?"

Marik scoffed. "I thought if you were allowed to get mad at Ryou's secret, I ought to be able to tell you I'm furious about your night job." The guilt that flickered in Bakura's eyes told Marik he got his point across.

Bakura looked away as he fiddled with his mused coat collar. His mind was spinning. He wanted it to stop. He wanted everything to stop. "I…I need the money…" he mumbled.

The quivering tone of voice that Bakura used shoved Marik into further silence. There were so many things that Marik wanted to tell the teen standing before him. You aren't alone in the world, you have Malik and I… But saying such things would only send Bakura on the defensive. He didn't want a larger chasm between the two because of independency.

"Marik…" Bakura took a deep breath, pressing a hand against his head. "I can't do this anymore." There was a rush of emotions that overtook the teen's mind, but he pushed himself further from it. Stay away from me! It hurt too much, feeling… There was a choking sound as Bakura tried to keep his voice from breaking. "I don't think…I can care for Ryou anymore…"

Marik closed his eyes. I did not just hear that. Something in his heart pained him as Bakura muffled his cries. Marik felt guilt wash over him as he gently placed a hand on Bakura's shoulder again, before slowly pulling him close. Bakura didn't protest as he continued to cry. He's broken… The anguish that crushed Marik made him clench his jaw in shame. He had played a part in breaking the boy before him. He felt he was partially to blame for shattering the will of this rebellious spirit that had strived to rise against all odds to love and protect a loved one. I should've watched more carefully, I should've paid more attention!

Never before had Marik felt this strong of sentiment for anyone, save for his twin brother. But even then his conscience had never hit him as hard as it did now. Marik swallowed hard as he attempted to steel himself, trying to understand the flow of emotions that coursed through his mind. It was unlike him to get poignant, and he wasn't going to start now.

Marik gently peeled the lifeless Bakura off and started to guide him home, feeling his mind flit with unrest. Marik, who had always been disdainful of the emotionally strong, was so confused.

Malik gave a cry of relief when he saw Marik and Bakura hobbling down the street. He ran to greet them, on the verge of tears.

Marik frowned when he saw his brother, who was shaking uncontrollably and restless. "What's wrong?" he asked immediately.

"T-they took Ryou," Malik stuttered, trying to calm his nerves. "They t-took him away, t-the police…" Marik's frown deepened, his stoic mask falling. Malik was surprised for a moment when he saw his brother's look of anguish and confusion, but quickly turned to Bakura.

He had expected immediate surprise and anger, even an outburst of cussing from the teen. However, Bakura continued to keep his silence, looking tired and old beyond his years.

Malik gave his brother an inquiring, worried look. His brother said nothing as he tried to gather his thoughts. "Are they searching the condo?"

"I don't know," Malik murmured, fidgeting with his hands as he continued to glance at Bakura. Something was wrong, he could feel it. "They did earlier, but I don't know if they're still there." Malik turned to Bakura, and said in a low voice, "Bakura, Ryou's gone. He's been taken." Bakura blinked, and slowly looked at Malik. He couldn't take it. Malik grabbed Bakura and started to shake him. "Bakura! Bakura, snap out of it!" he shouted, feeling like Ryou's life depended on it. Why didn't he understand? Ryou was gone!

Marik quietly pried his brother away from Bakura, a hard look on his face. "It's no use, Malik. I…I think-"

"What is wrong with the two of you?" Malik suddenly screamed. The Egyptian could see people on the street stopping and staring at him, but he could care less. He grabbed the front of his brother's shirt, and fisted the front of Bakura's coat as well. "He's gone! He's taken! Don't you care?"

Marik angrily released himself, stiff and still unsure. "If he's going back to his father, then it should be fine. At least it's a parent." His voice was shaky, not confident at all.

"No!" Malik didn't let go of Bakura. Something shifted in the teen's eyes, but he didn't really respond. It was like Bakura had cut himself off from the rest of the world, and he was just floating. The Egyptian didn't think that Ryou missing had fully registered for Bakura. Desperate, Malik tried to get Bakura to listen. "Are you just going to abandon him, too?"

There was a flicker of something ugly and sad in the teen. Suddenly, Bakura's face contorted with rage. "You don't understand!" he snarled, snapping Malik's hands off of him. The Egyptian jerked back, startled at the outburst. "You don't understand how hard it is! How unfair it is!" Bakura felt his hands ball up. All he could think about was how iniquitous it all was. Why did anyone expect him to care of a kid at all? He wanted to hit someone, he wanted someone to hit him. He just wanted this gnawing, tortuous feeling in his gut to leave him alone! "I'm sick of it all! I'm sick of him! Why do I have to take care of him? Why do I have to watch over him? Why do I have to give my life to some kid I don't even love?" Even as the words left his mouth, Bakura felt his pain heighten. Don't I love him?

There's was an eerie silence as even the gathered crowd of people were hushed. Marik's mouth was slightly open, his face struggling to stay blank. Malik looked pained, shaking his head.

"You don't really mean that, do you?" Malik whispered, daring to take a step toward Bakura.

"Why do you even care?" Bakura spat, and almost regretted his words when Malik looked like he had been slapped. The teen shifted his gaze away. More quietly, he muttered, "Why should I care if he's gone? I don't want to be responsible for him anymore."

Malik quietly gave Bakura a look of disappointment, blinking back tears. Then he softly said, "Because he is your brother. Because I thought you loved him. Because I know he loves you."

Those honest words slowly crumbled whatever rage and contempt Bakura harbored. Strong self-contempt swept over the teen. How could he have forgotten? It had been Ryou who saved him from the dark. Just last year he had planned on taking his own life, after years of his father defiling him. When Ryou appeared at his door, the child had restored the will to live, a will that Bakura had thought he lost long ago. Bakura felt his breath and strength slip away as he fell to his knees, feeling dreadful and cruel. The child who loved him so endearingly, the child he had almost betrayed… Just because he didn't want to face the world alone, just because he was too scared, he had thought about – no, he almost did leave his brother behind. Oh, God, Ryou…What kind of monster was he, that he could forget his Ryou so easily?

Malik tersely watched as the teen clenched his fists, his head bent as he continued to kneel. Then, with a shout of anger, Bakura slammed a fist into the ground before he launched himself to his feet. Malik moved forward to help him when his brother brushed past him to do so. Malik felt his chest ease up. Marik's alright, too…

Bakura turned around, the lavender mist in his bloodshot eyes miserable but determined. He silently thanked Malik, feeling absolutely vindictive about almost leaving his little brother to a fate much crueler than death. But now was not the time to repent.

"Malik, take me to Ryou."

-


AN: Much darker than I intended, but I hope you liked it…I think this is the most emotionally charged chapter I've ever written (or maybe that's just me, lol). Please review! I want to update as soon as possible (within the week) but I'm not very good with deadlines at the moment. Eheh :; … I promise to update when I have time.