I know that I haven't updated on this one in a while, but I thought that I would do a little work on it, so enjoy.

Warnings: Rating M, swearing, child abuse, if this type of thing offends you then DO NOT READ! This is a fictional story and nothing more. This rating will be staying the same nothing will change, so please take note.

Chap 18: Unraveling.

Malik pulled Ryou behind him who was still crying and wanted to go back to Bakura, Malik knew that Marik would fix everything. "Malik stop, I'm tried!" Ryou whined behind him. Malik's reply was another tug to keep him moving. "I want my Daddy!" Ryou burst into a new fresh round of tears.

Malik wanted Marik too, here and now, to save him from the guy who was chasing them down, to save Bakura who was most likely dead. Tears filled Malik's eyes and he rubbed at them with his mitten hand to clear his vision. "Come back here?!" Malik looked over his shoulder to see the guy still limping after them.

"Run, Malik." Ryou picked up his pace though he was still a lot slower then Malik, who still had to drag him in this run for their lives. There was a pained scream and both boys looked back to see the guy had fallen, but he was getting back up.

Malik slid to a stop at the intersection; one was their street, but which one? Malik couldn't remember. Milly came to a stop at their feet and was happily panting along with both boys. "What way Malik?" Ryou clung to his arm, the boy shook his head he didn't know, and it all looked the same covered in snow. "I'm scared." Ryou cried again but he gasped as he was pulled forward as Malik dashed across the street at seeing the teens playing ice hockey on the road.

Malik ran right through the players, some of them falling over with shouts of protest of having their game ruined and getting a little hurt, Malik and Ryou managed to stay on their feet and not get knocked down. "He's coming." Ryou informed him, clinging onto Malik's one hand with both of his own, his cheeks flash red and he was out of breath and his legs burned with the effort of running all the way here in the cold.

"Hey, your Marik's new boy?" A tall teen slid to a stop in front of them, remembered seeing the blonde out in the front yard not to long ago with the only cop in the street. Malik didn't stop and ducked around him, their house was just a few yards away.

"It's the bad man!" Ryou shot at him and pointed as he had no choice but to follow Malik as the other wasn't going to let go of him anytime soon.

The teen frowned and turned around and looked to see that someone was defiantly after them. "Guys we have a perverted son of a bitch!" The rest of his team got up gripping their hockey sticks. Alistar stopped when he noticed the group but it was to late as he slipped again on the ice and the team sped their way towards him.

Marik sighed as he looked at his watch again for the hundredth time in five minutes. "You know the time isn't going to move any faster." Rishid said.

"I know, they should have been back ages ago." Marik growled, as he got up, unable to sit still for to long while he was worried about them.

"Relax, they probably found something interesting in town and stopped to have some fun." His older brother tried to reassure him… it wasn't working as Marik started to pace the living room.

"I only hope." Marik mumbled glancing at the clock on the fireplace mantel.

"You worry too much, these boy's have to fall into a proper life style as do you and that includes you not all being together day in and day out." Rishid leant back in the couch with a sigh.

"Does that include them being over half an hour late?"

"You're timing them?" Rishid asked disbelieving his younger brother. "Marik you have to give them some freedom."

"Not when Malik and Ryou are out as well, they are having enough of a hard time adjusting as it is and for me to just relax, because they are far from just normal children."

"I know but they seem to be adjusting and you're doing a fine job, little brother." He complemented Marik.

"Ask me that in, say… about a year." Suddenly pounding came on the door and soon was opened.

"DADDY!" Ryou screamed breaking free of Malik's hand and rushing into the house, Malik fell to his knees wheezing for air as his lungs refused to work, Milly bounded after Ryou.

Marik jumped over his coffee table and dashed out of the room, Rishid followed just as quickly, Marik scooped up the boy in his arms. "Where's Malik?!" He demanded as he was still approaching the front door, but Ryou only sobbed into his chest shakily and tightly wrapped his arms about his neck shivering. "Malik?!" Marik knelt down pulling the boy towards him. "Rishid get his bag, from upstairs." The said man turned and ran up the stairs taking two at a time. "Where is Bakura?" Marik asked them, but stopped at seeing Malik's eyes roll to the back of his head as he collapsed in his arms. "Malik?!" Marik called at him to keep him awake.

"MALIK!" Ryou cried even louder at seeing the other and was panic stricken that his new brother was dead.

"Here." Rishid said kneeling beside them, Marik pried Ryou off him so he could work on Malik, placing his mask over his mouth and nose with spray like mist of his medication.

"Something must have happened…" Marik trailed off as he looked outside his open door and couldn't see Bakura anywhere. Marik turned to Ryou after instructing Rishid to take over and move Malik to some place more comfortable then the hard floor.

"Ryou what happened? Where is Bakura?" He gripped the child by both shoulders.

"The bad man came and took Kura away and they were hitting him." Ryou burst into another wave of tears.

"Okay." Marik had to keep himself calm for if he started to yell at Ryou he would get nothing but more tears and crying. "Ryou, where were you when the bad man came and took Bakura?"

"In the shop." That was good enough, Marik pulled away getting to his feet and rushing upstairs, going right for his room and to his closet, ripping open the doors, he pulled out his gun, pieced it back together and grabbed his cuffs.

"Rishid?!" Marik called out coming back downstairs and walked into the living room he shoved the gun into the back of his pants and hooked his cuffs in the loops.

Malik lay on his back and not moving at all as Rishid held the mask over his mouth and nose. "I don't think its working, his bottom lip is turning blue."

"Malik." Marik whispered as he wiped away the hair from the boys face. "Call an ambulance, take Ryou with you I'm going to get Bakura." He really didn't want to leave them, but he didn't want to let Bakura down in not being there for him when needed.

"Daddy?!" Ryou was now following him like a little lost lamb, eyes wide and full of tears as Marik moved about pulling on his jacket, boots and grabbing his keys. "Don't leave Daddy, the bad man will get you." Ryou latched onto his leg preventing him from moving.

"Ryou please, I have to." Marik pulled him away, as the front door opened and Isis walked in looking confused. "Here take him." Marik lifted Ryou up by the back of his shirt and handed him over to his sister.

"What's going on?" She asked taking the child in both her arms.

"Help Rishid with Malik." Marik swiftly walked out the door.

"NOO DADDY !!" Ryou screamed after him holding out both his arms for the older male.

"Marik." One of the teens greeted looking rather smug with himself. "We got the pervert that was after your boys." He pointed with his hockey stick towards the group. Marik stopped and looked over to see the teens on ice skates circling an older teen, using their hockey sticks to trip him up and keep him on the ground. Marik walked over the guy held a black eye, bust lip. "Of coarse we had to give him a little touch up."

Marik grabbed the guy about the collar and pulled him to his feet. "You were chasing my boy's?" Marik instantly lost his patience and grabbed his wrist and twisted it. "I won't ask again." The six teens winched as they heard the bones popping but not breaking.

"YES!" He cried out.

"Why?!" Marik growled giving him a little bit of a shake.

"I'm not talking to you." He spat out, Marik looked over to see Seto and Otogi pull up.

"Okay, I have someone else you can talk too, lets go." Marik started to pull him along with his arm still pinned behind his back. "Thanks." Marik threw over his shoulder.

"Not a problem Marik, you need a hand, you can call me!" The teen called happily as he and his friends were congratulating each other.

"What's going on?" Seto asked being the first one out of the car.

"This guy was chasing Malik and Ryou, and Bakura is missing." Marik pushed him down on the hood of car. "Otogi can you take this guy until I get back as a little insurance if I don't find Bakura." Marik pulled his cuffs out and placed them on the teen.

"You can't keep me locked up like this, this is kidnapping." He hissed and started to struggle.

"Come on lets see what I can arrest you with." Otogi said grabbing the guy and taking him towards the house.

"Otogi, take him around to the shed or you'll scare Ryou." Marik called out.

"You need help?" Seto asked.

"Sure." Marik said as he headed to his car Seto followed him.

On the way Marik filled him in on everything from letting the boy's go on their walk to Malik and Ryou coming home and when he and Otogi pulled up at the house, when he was done they pulled up and had even doubled parked. "This is the store." Marik said looking up and down the street.

"I'll go this way." Seto started to jog off to his left Marik turned and went right.

Alleyways were always a bad place to start, but you always came out with something, Marik searched the first two, and coming into his third one, spotting two guys beating into something at the other end. Marik's heart just about stopped and he called out. "Hey?!" He started to run pulling out his gun from behind his back.

"Police!" Came a shout from Seto who was now coming up behind Marik, the two guys looked up and started to run.

Marik slid to a stop and feel to his knees at seeing Bakura unconscious, his clothes torn up and stained with blood from his mouth and nose. "Bakura?" Marik said checking his pulse as he pulled out his cell and dialed for an ambulance and gave them the location of where they were. He noticed the boy having difficulties in breathing. Marik pocketed his cell and opened Bakura's jacket and placed his hand under his shirt and felt about his ribs, to see if they were broken. Bakura woke with a choked cry and started to cough pushing Marik's hand away. "You're alright." Marik reassured him as he pulled his hand out and noticed it was wet from Bakura laying in the snow for so long.

"Ry… Mal." Bakura gasped out clutching onto Marik's arm.

"They're okay…but I'm going to get you the to hospital."

"FUCK!" Seto shouted as he kicked some trashcans over. "I lost them!" He walked back. "It was like they walked through the wall." Seto knelt down next to them. "How's he doing?"

"Not good." Marik took off his jacket and wrapped it over Bakura, not wanting to move him just incase there was more damage then what he could see.

The paramedics came in swiftly they worked quickly and took Bakura to the hospital. Marik and Seto rushed to the car and followed them.

Isis sighed as she was still holding a crying Ryou, though his sobs had subsided to a softer crying and hiccups. The boy had refused to be looked at. Since Ryou didn't look injured in anyway, Isis suggested that they wait until Marik got here and then maybe the child would cooperate.

Malik on the other hand and been swept away in a flurry of doctor's one including doctor Tucker. Isis couldn't think of what might have happened to the boy's to have them all back here again. The doors burst open and the paramedics met by doctors as the stretcher was taken away. Ryou had gotten a look on who was on that stretcher and started to struggle. "Kura!" He gasped out, Isis had to put him down on his feet before he fell from her arms and hurt himself.

Ryou rushed after them he needed to see Bakura, but Marik picked him up in mid run stopping him from going after the doctors. "Is Kura okay?" Ryou gripped onto Marik's shirt tightly his eyes locked onto the doors that swung that they had taken his brother through.

"He should be." Marik reassured but hoped he was right; Ryou nodded and rested his head on Marik's shoulder, glad that the bad men hadn't gotten him. Rishid, Isis and Otogi went to get everyone some coffee, Ryou once again refused to go with them at an offer to get something to eat.

Marik sat down still holding Ryou in his arms, the boy had soon fallen asleep even puffs of breaths washed over Marik's neck. Seto sat down beside him his eyes on the few people that were there waiting also. "You know those punks that were beating on Bakura looked familiar." His voice was low for only Marik to hear. "I'll take a look when I get back at the office."

"Thank you." Marik said glancing at him as he rubbed Ryou's back a little. "You seemed a little high-strung with them getting away." Marik said running his fingers through Ryou's short hair. "I mean I would have liked to have kicked their ass and arrest them… but you… what was that all about?" Marik gave him a side-glance as Seto lent forward resting his elbows on his knees.

"The killings aren't the only reason Otogi and I have been moved here." He stopped talking as someone walked by them and then continued again once they were no longer in earshot. "I've been after this guy who runs a business in shipping illegal aliens."

"What they pay him for a fare?" Marik asked, it wasn't something he had never heard of before, it happened all the time.

"You make it sound so easy." Seto glanced at him leaning back as a nurse walked by them giving them a smile. "You pay up before you get on the boat, plane, car, truck, whatever. So if you die, he still gets his money." Seto reached out and grabbed a lock of Ryou's hair with a thoughtful frown on his face. "Funny thing is I was chasing a boat coming in from England that was meant to be holding a killer on board. So we think that the guy from England came here to continue his work."

"But why would they want to beat the crap out of a boy? Out of Bakura?" Marik asked with a growl.

"Maybe your street urchin's here worked for them… people like that don't let their workers just walk away, no matter what their age is."

Marik's hold tightened on Ryou, what kind of mess did Bakura get them into? "Marik?" Tucker came walking out; looking a little worn for wear, and strings of her hair had fallen from the hair that was pinned up, her white jacket was creased a little.

Marik was up on his feet and approached her, not struggling once with the weight of Ryou in his arms. "How are they?" He asked pushing aside for now what Seto had said, but he and Bakura were going to have a good long chat.

"I'm not sure on Bakura but I can talk to you about Malik." Marik nodded his head and started to follow her. "Malik's doing okay, but the damage to his lungs can't repair while he's still having these attacks brought on by stress." She sighed.

"It's not like I'm placing him in these situations." Marik felt bad enough for letting them all go without an adult. Damn it! Bakura, Ryou and Malik should be able to live a somewhat normal life… They soon stopped outside Malik's door and Tucker opened it slightly to look inside.

"He's asleep for now, you can go in." She stepped aside. "But please minimize his stress as much as possible because one more attack we might not be able to…" She trailed off and started walking down the hallway; Marik knew what she was talking about.

"Can you find out about Bakura?" Marik called after her, she nodded with a wave of her hand.

Marik walked into the room to find Malik asleep in a large bed with a mask attached to his face and the light hissing that came from the machine as it administered the medication to the child. Marik walked over and placed Ryou down on the bed the boy instantly woke up looking up at him, then over the bed and gasped. "Malik!?" He crawled over to the other.

"Easy Ryou, he's resting." Marik picked him up and placed him down closer to Malik.

"Malik's breathing stopped again?" Ryou rested his hand on Malik's shoulder. "Poor Malik." Ryou sniffled wiping at his nose. "This." Ryou pointed to the mask on Malik's face, very lightly touching it. "Is it going to make Malik all better?"

"Yeah, it is." Marik said leaning over a little running his fingers through Malik's hair. Light lavender eyes opened slowly and looked about tiredly.

"Malik you're awake?!" Ryou squeaked out, the boy started to cough and Marik helped him to sit up as Ryou moved back.

"Marik?" Tucker called sticking her head into the room with a soft smile.

Marik nodded knowing what she wanted. "Hey, you did a fine job in protecting Ryou." Marik said and Malik glanced at the said boy then back at Marik, who lent down and placed a kiss to the top of the boy's head. "You did real good." Malik smiled as Marik pulled back. "Wait here." He ruffled Ryou's hair and he turned and walked out of the room.

Malik went to remove the mask, but Ryou stopped him. "Don't take it off, Malik." He shook his head, eyes wide, stopping Malik's hands. "It's meant to make you better." Malik just frowned at him but didn't struggle against him. "I'm sorry that you got chased by the bad man too." Ryou bit on his lip as Malik just stared at him. "I was happy that I had you." He took Malik's hand in his. "But they took Kura away and I don't know…. Where he is." Ryou started to cry.

Malik had faith that Marik had saved Bakura and he was in this hospital getting help like he was. Malik sighed coughing a little as he for the first time pulled Ryou into a hug. The boy threw his arms about Malik still crying softly.

Out in the hallway Marik was talking to Tucker about Bakura. "Bakura's wounds received very little damage though there is bruising about his body and we had to place three stitches in his right brow. His black eye will be gone in a few days or so and his broken fingers will take time to heal, but other then all that and surviving a beating like that… he was one lucky kid." She smiled then frowned. "Oh, we got some tests back from the last time he was in here and surprisingly his age didn't match on what you gave us."

"What?" Marik shook his head.

"You said that Bakura was ten years old, right?" Her frown deepened even more, as she flipped open her clipboard that held Bakura's records in.

"No, that was the age he gave me." Marik corrected her.

"Yeah, but he's older than that." She shook her head as Marik gave her a lost look that he didn't understand what she was talking about. "Bakura's in his teen years maybe around the age of fifteen, one thing you can't hide and that's puberty." She shrugged. "We get it all the time, teens come in hiding there age from us." She closed the clipboard. "Bakura's in room twenty-six on the fifth floor."

"Thank you." Marik lent against the wall rubbing his eyes, he knew all along that Bakura wasn't ten years old, for one he was to tall and two he just didn't look it.

"Marik its hard taking in kids off the street like that, they are going to hide a lot from you, until they feel as though they can trust you." She bit her lip and smiled softly. "Kids like Bakura that have taken abuse from grown ups are the hardest kids to get to open up." She placed a hand on his shoulder. "Give him time, that's all he needs." She walked off slowly.Marik walked back into the room, Bakura was going to talk Marik would even make him sing.

TBC

Hmmm… stay tuned and find out what happens next. Review (Love and Cookie)