DD: Yup! For the first time in ages, I updated a chapter a day after the last one! ^-^ Thanks to everyone who reviewed. This is my most popular story ever so far and I'm glad you like it!

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Umai Dango: Yeah, but I'd say Aknamkanon knows that if he let them out, they wouldn't be coming back.

Inori no Uta: Trust me; you'll find out very soon.

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DD: Phew, that was a lot of reviews! Thanks guys! I hope you all enjoy and please, no flames about Ryou's mom being alive. I own nothing but the plot and Ryou's mom.

Yami hung up as Bakura looked over at him. "Was that the shrimp?"

"He's not that short," Yami sighed.

"But you admit that he is short?" Marik smirked.

Yami frowned in mock-confusion. "You know I can't help but think we've had this conversation before…"

Marik just rolled his eyes. "I still think we should ask him for help."

"We've been through this," Yami snapped, surprising his younger brother. "We are not asking him for help!"

"Why? You worried you boyfriend will get hurt?" Bakura asked with a smirk.

"For the last time, he's not my boyfriend!"

"You wish he was though."

Yami growled. "That's not the point. We are not putting Yugi in danger."

"But we wouldn't be!" Marik protested. "We could just tell him to call the police, or… or… unlock the door while he's out!"

"Like we did with Heba and Atemu?" Yami asked. Marik fell silent.

"I don't think that's a bad idea," Bakura said.

Marik looked over at him and Yami's eyes widened. "What?"

"Things are different now," Bakura stated. "We're in the city. The police station is a ten minute drive away, at most. We can just wait until he goes out, get the shrimp to unlock us and worst comes to worst, we can call the police."

"Worst comes to worst?" Yami raised an eyebrow. "Bakura, worst comes to worst, what happened to Atemu and Heba happens all over again!"

"But it won't!" Marik tried.

"And if it does?" Yami snapped. "Are you two really so eager to have two more deaths on your heads?"

Marik fell silent. Bakura on the other hand, stood up. "I'm really getting sick of you, Pharaoh!" Bakura spat. "Atemu and Heba were a thing of the past and there was nothing we could do about it."

"Nothing we could do?" Yami yelled. "Are you deluded?"

"It was their choice and their mistake to help us!" Bakura snarled.

"You were the one that persuaded them to help!" Yami yelled.

"Don't act like you weren't in the wrong!" Bakura glared at him. "Who was the one to ask them in the first place? Who was the one that swore they heard him leave? Who was the one that promised he didn't have a weapon?"

"Shut up!" Yami clenched his fists, his crimson eyes sparking. "I was also the one that saw them die! As I recall, you ran!"

Bakura lunged at Yami, bowling him over. "What would you know?" He roared. He threw several punches at Yami, who continued to dodge. "You have no idea why I ran, do you?"

"Because you were a coward!" Yami pushed Bakura back, flipping their positions so that now it was Bakura that was dodging Yami's punches. "You never could handle getting hurt!"

Bakura twisted his head, causing Yami's fist to hit the ground. He kicked Yami off him. "If that's true, why did I take the punishment for you and Marik two days ago? Or every other time?"

Yami landed on his back, caught off guard by the kick. "I don't know, but I didn't know why you ran either!"

"Guys, knock it off!" Marik hissed, stepping between them before either could attack again. "He's still-" They all froze at the sound of heavy footsteps walking towards the door. "-Here…"

They scrambled back as the door slammed open. "You know," Aknamkanon growled, "I'm beginning to wonder if I need to up my punishments a notch. None of you seem to be learning your lesson."

Yami heard Marik gulp. Bakura didn't have any noticeable reaction.

"So who was it this time?" His tone betrayed boredom, but there was a spark of sadistic anticipation in his eyes. "Bakura?" Bakura didn't react. "Maybe Marik?" Marik looked down. "Or…you." Yami refused to look away.

A moment of pure silence passed. Aknamkanon raised an eyebrow. "Well somebody had to make that crash."

Yami narrowed his eyes. "I tripped."

Aknamkanon looked over at him. "Oh really? Then what was the yelling about?"

"I…" Yami hesitated. "…I was yelling in pain."

"In pain?" Aknamkanon smirked. "There'll be a lot more yelling from you before the day is out then, won't there?" He reached out and grabbed Yami's wrist.

Yami tried to pull himself free, but Aknamkanon was stronger than all of his sons and had no trouble pulling the sixteen year old out of the room.

For a few minutes after the two had left, neither Marik nor Bakura moved. "Will he be okay?" Marik asked, breaking the silence.

Bakura snorted, folding his arms. "He'll be fine. Father always goes easy on him." He spat the word 'father' with venom. "You know he does. Yami told you himself." Despite the attempted reassurance, Marik still seemed worried. "Besides, now that he's gone, we can ask someone for help."

Marik looked over at him as Bakura sat on the couch. "…What if it does end up the same way?"

Bakura met his gaze. "It won't."

"Are you sure?" There was a serious tone in Marik's voice that was often absent.

Bakura looked away.

Yugi checked his phone for what felt like the fiftieth time that hour. Yami still hadn't responded to his texts. He bit his lip, worried about his neighbour.

"Yugi!" Solomon Mutou called. "Don't you need to go to Ryou's house? It's almost six!"

Yugi looked at the clock on his phone, sighed and ran downstairs. "Right. See you tomorrow, Grandpa." He pulled on his shoes, picked up his overnight bag and walked out of the Kame Game shop.

At every intersection, zebra-crossing and block, he checked his phone. Still no texts from Yami.

When he felt his phone vibrate, Yugi pulled it out of his pocket so fast that it almost went flying out of his hands. Somehow he managed to keep his grip on it and with frantic movements, he unlocked his phone.

Only to find that it was Malik texting him to find out where he was.

He groaned, hitting his head off the nearest wall. "Ow…" He rubbed his forehead. "Okay, that wasn't a smart idea…"

He pocketed his phone and trudged the last four blocks to Ryou's house. When he pushed open the door, loud Christmas music assaulted him, along with the sounds of Malik's maniacal laughter, Joey and Seto's argument and everyone else's general laughter and conversation.

"Yugi!" Yugi was almost knocked over as Malik glomped him, camera in hand. "You're here!"

"Yeah; sorry I'm late," Yugi apologised, trying to unwrap Malik's arms from around his neck. "Grandpa needed help at the shop."

"At least you're here now," Ryou said with a smile, helping Yugi to free himself.

"Come on; we're just about to start exchanging presents!" Malik cheered, running back into the living room and crashing through one of Joey and Seto's arguments.

Yugi and Ryou shared a glance before sighing and following the hyperactive blonde into the living room. "Who gave him sugar?" Tristan sighed.

"I think he snagged one of my cookies when no one was looking," Anzu sighed as Malik grabbed one of the presents and unwrapped it without looking at the tag.

And thus he ended up with a fluffy white bear dressed as a ballerina. "I love it!" He squeezed it tightly to his chest.

Mokuba gave him an odd look. "Uh…Malik? I got that for Anzu…"

Malik looked at the bear. Then at Mokuba. Then at the bear again. Then at Anzu. Then at the bear again. Anzu laughed. "You can keep it, Malik."

Malik's lavender eyes lit up. "Really?"

"As long as you don't glomp me!" Anzu added with haste.

Malik nodded in agreement and continued to hug the bear he had received. Mokuba sweatdropped.

"Let's open the rest before he steals them," Tristan muttered. Everyone nodded in agreement and lunged for the rest of the presents before Malik could reach for another one.

Yami glanced over his shoulder, trying to find the knot in the rope that was keeping his hands tied behind his back. He strained his fingers, trying to reach for it, but it was in vain.

Gritting his teeth, he looked across the basement, where Aknamkanon was filling the bath with water.

Yami narrowed his eyes. What's he planning?

As though hearing his thoughts, Aknamkanon smirked at Yami before turning off the tap.

"Time for you to learn your lesson." He strode over to Yami, grabbed him by one arm and dragged him over to the bath, forcing him to sit on the stool. Yami refused to look at the bathtub of water, instead glaring at Aknamkanon. "So disrespectful," Aknamkanon sighed before gripping Yami's head and forcing him into the water.

Not having been able to take a breath, Yami struggled, trying to get above the water to get the oxygen he needed to survive.

Blood pounded in his ears. His head felt as though it were imploding. His struggles grew more desperate. Just as he was about to give in, Aknamkanon pulled him out of the water.

Gasping for breath, Yami collapsed back onto the stool, his body shaking. Aknamkanon smirked at him. "It's your own fault, Yami."

Yami glared at him again, his breath still coming in gasps. Aknamkanon raised an eyebrow and clicked his tongue. "It seems as though you still haven't learned your lesson."

This time, prepared for what was coming, Yami drew in a deep breath as Aknamkanon shoved him underwater again.

His cheeks were puffed out as he struggled to contain the oxygen he had absorbed. He squirmed and thrashed to get free. He squeezed his eyes shut. He tried to focus on something else as his oxygen began to run out.

He let out slow puffs of breath to lengthen the time he could go. His struggles grew desperate again.

Once again, Aknamkanon pulled him out of the water just before he would have given in to the darkness threatening to claim him.

"You really are a glutton for punishment, aren't you?" Aknamkanon chuckled as Yami leaned his head back, coughing and gasping for air. "If only you would learn your lesson."

"What lesson?" Yami coughed out, glaring at Aknamkanon. "All I did… was trip…"

"You and I both know that that's not true," Aknamkanon chuckled. "You can't lie to me, Yami. I'm your father, after all."

Yami's glare darkened. "You are not my father!"

"No matter how much you and I wish it wasn't so, the fact still remains that we are related by blood." Aknamkanon's smirk became a glare. "And as your father, I demand respect."

"I'll give you respect when you earn it," Yami snarled.

Aknamkanon growled and stood up. "I was hoping that I wouldn't need to use this."

Yami didn't turn around, unsure if he wanted to see what Aknamkanon was doing. He heard a small click and then Aknamkanon returned. "It's a pity. You're my son… and yet you disgust me." Yami tensed, feeling Aknamkanon's hand on the back of his head. "The only one that is actually my flesh and blood, and yet you are the one I despise the most."

He plunged Yami into the bathtub again. Yami tried to resist. He felt something being plunged into the water beside him. He screamed in pain. Electricity seared through his body. All oxygen left him. He writhed, trying to escape the electricity-filled water. The iron in the water brushed against his skin.

More electricity ran through him. The water muffled his screams of agony. He felt his pulse in his neck. His heart beat at what felt like ten times its usual pace. Hot tears pricked his eyes and were washed away by the bath water.

He gritted his teeth together. Then Aknamkanon pulled him out of the water.

Yami felt the electricity continue to course through him, but at a less painful rate. He gasped for air, his heart still pounding. He swallowed, his throat dry.

"I hope you've learned your lesson, Yami." Although he could hear his father speaking, it was as though he was wearing earmuffs. Everything was muffled.

He felt Aknamkanon pull him up again and he took a deep breath, focusing on trying to create a mask.

Not for his father.

For his brothers.

Yugi yawned as he sat between Malik and Ryou in the circle. Anzu nodded in approval when she saw that he had changed into the pyjamas that she had gotten him; a black tank top with the words 'Game Nerd' written in purple letters and warm black pyjama pants.

"What now?" Malik asked, still hugging the ballerina bear.

Anzu grinned and held up an empty bottle. Where she had gotten it from, Yugi didn't know. "Truth or dare!"

Seto scowled but made no complaint. Joey groaned. "Come on, can't we do something else?"

Anzu frowned at him. "Joey Wheeler, we came to this party to have fun and hang out together. We are not spending the night watching television."

"Plus we can't go outside until morning," Malik pointed out, nodding at the snow storm outside. Everyone's eyes lit up at the prospect of the snow in the morning.

"Fine," Joey sighed, "but I'm going first."

Anzu handed him the bottle and everyone sat in a circle as Joey span it. It landed on Malik, who smirked. "Hit me with a dare."

Joey grinned. "I dare you to stay away from the chocolate for the night."

Malik's eyes widened. "Aw, but that's not fair! It isn't even funny!"

"It doesn't have to be funny. That's my dare."

Malik hesitated. "What's the penalty?"

"Eating chicken."

Malik glared at Joey. "You win this time, Wheeler."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. To most, the dare might have seemed like a waste of a turn, but with Malik, it was necessary for everyone to survive the night.

Malik took the bottle and span it. It landed on Tristan. Tristan gulped. With Malik, it was a game of chance. He picked one truth or dare for each person. If he had a dare for Tristan and Tristan picked dare, he was dead. The same went for truth.

"Um…" He hesitated. "…Truth…"

Malik pouted and Tristan breathed a silent sigh of relief. "Do you like Serenity?"

Tristan paled and glanced over at Joey. "Uh… n-no?"

"You have to tell the truth!" Malik sang with a triumphant smirk.

Tristan swallowed, seeing Joey clench his fist. "Uh… my turn!" There was a nervous tint to his laughter as he span the bottle. It landed on Yugi.

"Truth," Yugi decided.

Tristan scowled, knowing that Yugi was avoiding choosing dare with him. Everyone always did. A smirk formed on his face. "Have you ever seen anyone completely naked?"

Yugi's face turned crimson and he almost choked on the hot chocolate he was drinking. "Wh-what?"

"Answer the question!" Tristan smirked.

Yugi's blush darkened. "Uh… o-once…"

Everyone's eyes widened in shock. "Who?" Anzu asked.

"I'm not saying!" Yugi replied, his blush still evident as he span the bottle. It landed on Mokuba.

"I'll go with truth," the younger Kaiba said.

Yugi tilted his head before grinning. "Is it true your brother has a crush on someone?"

"Yup," Mokuba said with a grin at his brother. "It's-" Seto gave his brother a warning glare. "…someone I can't say right now…"

Everyone groaned in disappointment but were hoping Seto would pick truth on his turn as Mokuba span the bottle. It landed on Ryou. "Dare please," the albino said with a smile, lowering his cup of tea.

Mokuba blinked in surprise. "I dare you to… change your email signature to 'proud servant of Xena Warrior Princess' and keep it that way for two days!"

Ryou groaned and nodded, already imagining what would happen if he emailed his father. "Fine…" He span the bottle and it landed on Seto. "Truth or dare?"

"Dare," Seto responded in a cool, bored tone.

Tristan, Anzu and Malik drooped in disappointment that they wouldn't get to find out who he had a crush on yet.

"You have to put on a blindfold and guess who one of us is just by touching their face," Ryou decided. Anzu perked up again and pulled a scarf out of her bag, tying it around Seto's eyes before he could protest.

He sighed and put out his hand as someone walked in front of him. A mop of hair covering their forehead, a small nose, a wide, annoying grin…

"The mutt," Seto sighed, taking off his blindfold to find that it was indeed Joey in front of him.

Joey growled. "I ain't a stinking dog, Kaiba!"

"Guys, don't start this again," Ryou sighed, taking a sip of his tea.

"You can take it out on each other in a snowball fight in the morning," Tristan pointed out.

The two glared at each other once more before turning away. "Fine…"

Seto reached for the bottle and span it. It landed on Joey. Everyone sweatdropped. It was going to be a long game.

When Yami made it back up to the attic, it was dark. Bakura and Marik were feigning sleep. When Aknamkanon released Yami's arm, the latter strode into the room with even steps.

As soon as the door slammed closed, Marik sat up and looked over at Yami, who was still sopping wet. "Are you okay? What happened?"

"I'm fine," Yami replied, pulling off his shirt and exchanging it for a dry one.

"What did he do?" Bakura's tone was unconcerned. Yami knew that he was only asking the question for Marik's sake.

"He just threw me under cold water for an hour," Yami lied, keeping his tone even.

"Typical," Bakura snorted.

Yami looked over at him, eyes narrowed. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Bakura glared at him. "You know very well what it means, Pharaoh."

Yami scowled. "Actually I don't. Care to fill me in, Thief?"

"He always goes easy on you," Bakura snarled. "He made Marik feel like cement blocks were being dropped on his head and half-drowned him, and he beat me to a bloody pulp! But you he just throws into a cold freaking shower! The most you'll get is a cold!"

Yami gritted his teeth together. His mask was becoming difficult to hold. "What would you know, Bakura?"

"I know that you never get it as bad as Marik or I because you're his son!" Bakura yelled.

"You're his sons too!" Yami shot back. "We're brothers!"

Bakura's lip curled. "You know that's not true."

"Big deal; you were adopted!" Yami folded his arms. "You're still his sons."

"And yet because we're not his real sons, he goes harder on us than you!" Bakura's hands balled into fists. "Do you think I like being reminded every bloody day that I'm not a part of this family? Do you think it's fun to be…to be tortured like that because we're different?"

Yami blinked, his muscles going slack for a moment.

Bakura continued to glare at him. "You really have no idea what we go through every bloody day," he huffed, lying down again and pulling the thin quilt over him again.

Marik didn't even say anything. He just looked over at Yami once more before lying down as well and closing his eyes. Yami sighed and moved to sit on the couch. His fingers twitched every few minutes with electrical charge. You're right. I have no idea what it's like not to almost die every time I go down there.

It was an unspoken rule on Christmas morning after the party that Joey would wake up first because of the alarm clock. Being closest to it, he would reach out from underneath his blanket, pick it up and hurl it across the room. Then he would fall back asleep.

Ryou would wake up next because of the commotion. He would lie in bed for a moment before getting up, waking Yugi and the two would go into the kitchen to turn on the heating and make breakfast – if they weren't at Seto's, in which case breakfast would already be made.

Mokuba would wake up next and in an excited frenzy would wake Seto, whose grumbling would wake Joey.

Joey would then begin arguing with the CEO, which would wake Anzu and Tristan, who would have no choice but to stop the argument. The five would then go into the kitchen, where Joey and Seto would continue to bicker, but with more consideration for the others.

Malik would wake up last, and run into the kitchen with some kind of trick up his sleeve. This time, it was a 'starfish'.

"Starfish!" Malik yelled as he skidded to a halt.

"What are you on about?" Joey looked up from his pancakes.

Malik pointed at a spot on the ceiling. "Starfish! Starfish!" Everyone looked around, trying to see the so-called starfish. "Don't you see it?" He started jumping up and down, pointing at another spot. "It's right there!"

Mokuba caught on. "Oh yeah! Starfish!" He cheered through his laughter.

Soon everyone but Tristan had caught on and, with the exception of Seto, were joining in.

"I don't see it!" Tristan complained.

"Buddy, it's right there!" Joey pointed at a random spot on the ceiling.

"No, it's there!" Yugi pointed at another spot.

Tristan swung his head around, trying to find it. When he heard everyone laughing, he scowled at them. "You guys suck."

"No; we're just awesome!" Malik cackled as he sat down to his plate of pancakes.

Everyone would then continue with their breakfast and conversations, snickering about the morning madness that was Malik every now and then.

But their breakfast was never crashed by an adult. Least of all, Ryou's mother. When Ryou heard the door slam open, his fork clattered onto his plate.

"Ryou!" Akane Bakura's voice was hoarse. She staggered into the kitchen. Make-up was plastered to her face, a toner making her look orange, her lipstick, eye shadow and mascara making her look like a clown. Her skirt was tiny, her high heels were seven inches high and bright red and her t-shirt was skimpy at best. Her brown hair was held back in a tight ponytail, slicked with sweat and water. She looked around at Ryou's friends and her eyes narrowed. "Everyone out." No one moved. "Now!"

"Mother-" Ryou began but she silenced him with a look.

"Not one word, Ryou. Get out! Now!"

With hesitance, everyone began to collect their things and leave. "I'll call you later," Ryou mumbled to Yugi and Malik when they gave him questioning looks.

They nodded and left, leaving Ryou and his mother alone. Ryou turned back to Akane. Her pupils were dilated and her veins could be seen on her pale, thin arm. So could numerous red stab-wounds.

Ryou recognised them as wounds from syringes. "Why are you back?" He murmured, not meeting her gaze.

"Ran out of money," she replied, staggering towards her bedroom. "And stash."

Ryou's eyes widened. "You keep that here?"

"Of course." Akane smirked. "Where else would I keep it?"

"Anywhere else!" Ryou replied, following her. She ignored him, rummaging around in the back of a press until she found what she was looking for.

She pulled out a large bottle filled with what Ryou now knew was heroin. "Perfect." She filled a needle with it and injected it into her arm. Her muscles became even more relaxed.

Ryou took a step back as she filled the needle again. "Y-you're going to take two?"

"Of course not," she giggled, moving with astounding speed in her heels and pushing Ryou against the wall. "I'm getting one for you too."

Ryou's eyes widened in horror as Akane grabbed his wrist and brought the needle closer to it. His pulse grew faster and he twisted his wrist out of her grip, only just avoiding having the drug injected into his system.

"Oh c'mon, Ryou!" Akane grabbed for his wrist again, but he managed to dodge. "It's great; you should try it!"

"I'd rather not…" Ryou ducked out from behind her and darted down to his room.

"Ryou!" His mother called after him. He winced at the high pitch in her voice and he closed his door. He then proceeded to grab his schoolbag and stuff any essentials he had into it.

Toothbrush, pyjamas, clothes, five hundred yen, phone, Christmas presents. He nodded, opened his window and clambered onto the roof. He took a deep breath and jumped from the roof onto a thick branch of the tree beside his window and shimmied down it. A few seconds after his feet landed on the grass, he heard his mother enter his bedroom and call his name.

Not again. Never again. He swallowed and began running towards the Kame Game shop, thankful that it was near his house.

Yugi would understand.

He hoped.

By midnight, the three siblings were still awake. Bakura was still fuming, Marik was keeping a vigil in case he needed to break up another fight and Yami was still unable to sleep because of the electricity.

"Bakura." Yami's voice cut through the silence like a knife.

"What is it?" Bakura's seemed softer after Yami spoke, even if it was more irritable.

Yami sighed and looked at his phone. "You were right. We need to get help."

"Hm." Bakura leaned his weight on his elbow and sat up. "Glad you're finally seeing sense. What made you change your mind?"

"Does it matter?" Yami snapped, walking over to his mattress and lying down. "We can ask Yugi the day after tomorrow."

"Why not tomorrow?" Bakura raised an eyebrow.

"It's Christmas," Marik pointed out. "If… if there's a repeat of what happened to Heba and Atemu-"

"Which there won't be," Bakura cut it.

"-We can't just let someone die on Christmas. It's not right."

"Hundreds of people die on Christmas every year, Marik," Bakura sighed.

Marik just shrugged. "It still wouldn't be right."

Bakura groaned. "Fine; the day after tomorrow then. Happy?"

"Very," Marik agreed with a grin.

Bakura rolled his eyes and looked at Yami. "So what's the plan?"

"No plan for now," Yami mumbled. "Just sleep."

Silence fell over them once again, even though they knew that no one had fallen asleep. They stayed like that until morning.

DD: Whelp, I hope you enjoyed! Please drop a review; they're very encouraging! See you next time!