Been a while since an update and I'm just trying to find my grove in writing again, but mostly I would like to say thank you for the support you guys showed with my accident that my editor had posted up. I'm sorry if I missed someone with the small thank you notes I sent out. My E-mail box was playing up aka full, but I'm still recovering and only got the use of one arm, so this chapter took ages write, but enough about all that, you're here to read so enjoy the update.

Warnings: Rating M, Swearing, Child Abuse. If this type of thing offends you then DO NOT READ! This is a fictional story ONLY and nothing more. Flames will be used to toast my marshmallows. I own nothing!!

Chap 24: The Caller.

"Take a look at this." Yami said, pinning A4 size photographs onto a whiteboard in his lab of the police station. He spoke the names of each girl. "Hami, Orika, Tomoyo, Rei and Abby." Yami stepped back looking over his work for a moment. "All prostitutes, no real drug use… except for Rei, she liked her cocaine."

"Your point Yami?" Marik asked, he knew each of these girls by name, age and background without the need to look into their files; he studied them so much in hopes of catching their killer.

"My point." Yami said. "Is that each girl here was killed by the same man, and that same man carved up your dog." Yami walked over and pulled out all the photos of Milly's wounds and placed them flat onto the table in front of the whiteboard.

"He wrote Malik's name on their dog?" Marik raised an eyebrow, he be damned if he called it his, it was more Malik and Ryou's dog. This was a new twist.

"No, yes." Yami said, walking over and grabbing the photo of Abby and placed it down. The pictures were all of the woman's breasts with the word bitch carved into the flesh. The killer's calling card. "The downward strokes of the B, I, T and H are the same depth and length as the M, I, L and K of Malik's name. The C curve in bitch matched the A in Malik." Yami said a little excitedly as they really hadn't had anything new on the case in awhile.

"The Serial Killer knows Malik somehow, we covered this with finding his hair on one of the victims. I'm placing all my money on his father." Marik said picking up the photos and looking them over closely. The poor dog was going to have to go away for a while until she healed. Marik didn't want the boys getting upset in seeing the dog how she was. His Sister was the better option for looking after said puppy for awhile… Ryou though was going to be beside himself when he finds out.

"You could want it to be Malik's father so badly it'll make it easier on you to take full care of the boy." Yami frown. "A conflict of interest on this case would have you bared from it." Yami ran a hand through his hair in thought. Marik glared at him and his friend couldn't be fast enough in covering over what he had just said. "There is that… or the killer has taken an interest in you, Marik. Since you are the one that's there to find the girls that he dumps."

"You're saying he's stalking me?" Marik asked, this just heightened the worry within him that the bastard had been in his house without him knowing. The guy could have done anything to any of them.

"Could be and he found out Malik's name and used that to scare you." Yami turned back to the board. "He'll hit you wherever he can to hurt you and the boys seem the better option for him to use against you."

"If I was the killer I would aim for the boys too." Marik growled wanting to kick something or to hear the satisfied sounds of something smashing. "You know Malik is never going to talk with this bastard stalking me and Malik's father around… and my hands are tied because I still don't have the evidences to put either of them away. Malik's so insecure as it is and I have to get him in the same room as his father again and I'm hoping the bastard is the killer just so I can lock him up… hell I want Malik to tell me it's him."

"Court hearing coming up?" Yami asked as he started to pack everything away, Marik often would fall off track when stressed about something and rant.

"Soon." Marik sighed. "If Malik goes back to his father, there will be no hope or help for the boy." He handed back the photo to Yami.

"Lets hope that'll never happen." Yami said.

"There is also something else I'm going to need help with." Marik said, it was only a few more nights away from his little meeting, he asked Yami. "What do you know about a man named Dartz?"

Yami paused in what he was doing, the name sounded familiar, but where had he heard it from? "Not sure, but leave it with me and I'll find out all I can." Yami said as he started to gather up his things.

"You never leave work early." Marik frowned.

"I promised Yugi that I would take him to the mall to see Santa for that last minute wish for some toy he doesn't need." Yami stopped and groaned letting everything he had in his arms to fall onto a desk.

"What?" Marik asked as he had been slowly following him out the door.

"I was meant to speak with this woman who has been hanging about the station for the past four days." Yami picked everything up. "We picked her up from a street corner and brought her in. she stands there looking over the missing persons wall and watches everyone we bring in. They have tried to talk with her, but she walks away and comes back a few hours later."

"Good luck with that." Marik said, he was suspended and couldn't talk to her himself, besides right now he had too much on his shoulders and truthfully he was thankful for the days off. "I still have to convince my Sister that she needs a puppy for a while and I have three boys starting school in the morning."

"Good luck with that." Yami grinned as Marik turned off all the lights.

"I have no idea on where I'm going to put her." Isis said, holding a few bags of shopping in her hands. The mall was jam-packed full of last minute shoppers that it took them a good two hours to get what she and Marik needed. Not to mention the horrid Christmas music playing throughout the mall. "Does she chew?" She asked Marik, foreseeing all her good furniture going to ruin with puppy chew marks.

"Worried for your Prada?" Marik nudged his Sister, the older sibling always dressed smartly, the dark blue jacket and long black dress pants and the shoes were all designer, her hair was pulled back and a little make-up left over from her day at work, still turned a few heads in the mall.

"Hardly." She rolled her blue eyes. "I keep all my shoes packed away."

"Well, lets not forget who got me that dog in the first place." Marik reminded her of having the puppy that would be a large dog in time just thrusted upon him unexpectedly.

"I know, I know." They both stepped into the lift that was also packed that the two siblings crushed together near the buttons. "This is nice." She grinned glancing up at Marik, both chest to chest and her younger brother stood whole head taller then her, even with her high heels. "I feel like a damn sardine." She didn't have the room to move and Marik was trying not to crush her into the wall, when more people squeezed in.

Marik chuckled at her. "Why are you so irritable?"

"I get a call this morning from my boss to take a good four hour drive away to the next city to look at their new stock and give them the stamp of authenticity. It'll only take like five minutes of my time and I have to drive all the way back again." She huffed a little.

Marik's cell went off. "Hold this." He passed a bag to his Sister with some difficulty and pulled out his cell and answered it. "Hello?"

'Daddy, Malik and Bakura said they want pizza and me too.' Came Ryou's excited voice.

"Malik said, huh?" Marik raised an eyebrow looking at his Sister when she mouthed out, 'who is it?' "Ryou." Marik whispered back to her.

'He wanted pizza too.' Ryou mumbled. Marik and Isis stepped out of the elevator and walked to the car park.

"Fine, I'll get pizza and why are you using the phone?" Not liking Ryou playing with his phone at home, Isis laughed finding it cute that Ryou was ringing him.

'Uncle Rishid pushed the buttons for me, he wants pizza too.' Ryou explained.

"Okay, I'll get the pizza." Marik grinned. "I'll be home soon."

Ryou called out 'Daddy is going to be home soon with pizza!' As he hung up the phone, not giving Marik a chance to say his goodbye, he placed his cell back into his pocket.

"Keys?" Isis asked stopping at the back of the car.

"Jacket pocket." Marik said taking all the bags from his Sister, Isis dug about in his breast pocket for his keys and opened the back of the car.

Marik's cell went off again, he pulled it out and placed it against his ear and before he could say anything a voice spoke up first. 'Evening Detective Ishtar.' The voice was covered over by a device making it deep and hard to make out if the person was a male or a female.

"Who is…"

'Don't talk, listen.' The voice cut in, 'you got my little message? And don't bother tracing this call, I'll know and hang up.'

"Yeah, I got it. What do you want?" Marik kept his voice even as possible and asking who he was talking to would only get him laughed at or hung up on. Isis gave him a look, she knew that tone all to well, Marik used it when he was talking to someone he didn't like.

'You have a child in your care, Malik.' There was a long pause; Isis placed her hand on Marik's arm a little worried. 'You see Detective, I have done a lot of bad things and I'm looking out for number one.'

"I have a VIP cell waiting just for you with all expenses paid for." Marik wondered what the outcome of his conversation was going to be.

'Now, now Detective lets not get ahead of yourselves.' The voice held an eerie smooth, calm tone that it made Marik angry as it came to him on who he was talking to. He wanted to reach down the phone line and straggle the bastard. 'I have to say that I have had so much fun watching you over the last five years trying to catch me. I'm existed that I'm finally talking to you.'

"Sorry I can't say the same about you." Marik almost snapped back.

'I must congratulate you on making Detective Marik Ishtar. And at such a young age, none the less and landing your first and only big case… me.' The voice chuckled.

"I don't think anyone will be rolling out the red carpet or handing you an Emmy-Award on being a Butcher." Isis shook her head but new better then to say anything; Marik turned his back on her.

'You should feel honored Detective Ishtar, that I'm taking an interest in you.' The voice purred.

"You're not my type." Marik said smoothly.

'No, but I bet you like the girls with a tan, long back hair and blue eyes, sexy too in that dark blue Gucci jacket.' Marik turned about staring right at Isis, who was still giving him a worried look; the guy just gave off what she was wearing right now. 'Wouldn't mind having her over for a little get together… but wait? Doesn't that sound like your Sister? Or what about the one you call partner? Works in Internal Affairs, Elder Hoshi. Or there is your mother.' Marik glanced about the car park, was the bastard watching them? There were a few people getting into their cars, not one of them was talking on a cell phone. 'Now you're looking for me. I assure you Detective that I'm no longer in the area.'

The bastard had his sights set on his Sister and his fiancée… Marik's blood ran cold; did this bastard already have Elder? Was that why she never picked up her phone? Marik grabbed Isis's arm firmly and pulled her about the car to the passenger side, he opened the door and watched as she got in. "They have nothing to do…"

'Oh but they do, Detective. They have everything to do with what I want and I always get what I want in the end. Once you are out of the way, they shall be my playground.'

"What do you want?" Marik snapped, his anger getting the better of him, not wanting to hear anymore of his twisted bullshit.

'You'll be in court soon in getting custody of little Malik… I want you to tell the judge that you made a mistake, you don't want the boy anymore.' The voice now had a harsh authority bite to it.

"It's all too clear." Marik said watching the area around him closely not believing his words on not being near them. "Poor Psycho Serial Killer, so insecure and paranoid, that he had to beat up a child and threaten him. In fact you got so comfortable in knowing Malik wouldn't speak a word to anyone about what you are doing to all those women, that you got careless. Malik escaped. Landed right into the hands of the very man who is trying to catch you." Marik grinned a little. "I to get an interest with things as well and you are my interest is you, Mr. Psycho. You don't mind me calling you that?" The line was silent, but the person was there listening. So Marik continued. "Worried that a little boy can point you out?"

'I'm not worried.' The deep voice spoke up once again, though that bite was still there. 'I know for a fact that Malik won't talk, ever, I made sure of that.'

"And I'll make sure that you'll be seeing the inside of a cell, soon. I won't hand Malik over so go fuck yourself!" Marik hung up the phone and got into the car.

"Marik, are you alright?" Isis asked placing her hand on his arm, still very worried.

Marik didn't answer her as he called Elder's cell, the ring went on for a bit until voicemail came up. "Hey, call me when you get this, night or day, just call me." Marik hung up and said to Isis. "Lets get that pizza and go home." Marik backed his car out and left the shopping mall. He wasn't sure if he had made things worse with what he had said, but he wasn't going to give Malik up without a fight. "You're staying the night at my place or with Rishid. I don't won't you alone."

"What's going on Marik? Should I be worried?" She asked.

"Could you just listen to me for once." Marik said firmly, Isis fell silent glancing at her younger brother. Whatever was on his chest he would say in time, so she let it go for now.

The next morning, Marik hardly got any sleep; he sat at the kitchen table with a hot coffee in his hands and had yet to get dressed. Elder still wasn't answering her cell phone or called him and the call from Mr. Psycho didn't help on what he might try next to get to Malik. "Daddy, it's all funny." Ryou complained as he walked into the kitchen, pulling at his clothes irritably.

The uniform was a gray winter jacket, matching pants and a white t-shirt and white tennis shoes for easy playing. "Here." Marik stood and picked Ryou up and placed him to stand on a chair and straightened his clothes up. "Is that better?" Ryou only nodded his head and was placed back onto his feet on the floor. "Where are Malik and Bakura?"

"Upstairs." Ryou huffed squirming and still tugging at his clothes; Marik just stared at Ryou for a moment, asking himself if this was such a good idea sending the boys to school with everything that was happening… but if he wanted to have a very good chance at keeping Malik, then he had to go. Marik was also sure that it would also help Bakura and Ryou get back to something a little normal.

Marik sighed as he left the kitchen to get ready himself. He found Malik first; the boy was sitting on the floor in his bedroom trying to tie his laces up. Malik's foot was against Ryou's bed and teeth gnawed away at his bottom lip in concentration.

"Need a hand?" Marik asked, the boy looked up wide-eyed for a second as if being caught doing something that he shouldn't have. He walked in and picked Malik up under his arms and placed him on the bed and crouched down. Placing Malik's foot on his knee and tied his laces up, then the other foot. "Ryou's downstairs." Marik straitened out Malik's jacket.

Marik left the boy's room and walked into his own and gathered up his clothes and headed for the bathroom. Pushing open the door and walked in to find Bakura standing at the sink in long pants and shaving cream on his face and shaving. "I didn't know you were in here." Marik mumbled.

"I was just…" Bakura blushed somewhat and moved about to grab a towel to wipe his face clean. Marik held back his smirk, the teen didn't look old enough to start shaving yet and Marik wondered if it was a curiosity Bakura had.

"It's alright." Marik said and was about to walk out when something got his eye, he walked up to Bakura. "Has anyone shown you how to shave?" Marik asked, Bakura shook his head no. "Do you know how?" Marik asked, and again Bakura shook his head no.

Marik walked up and turned Bakura about to face the mirror. The teen tensed up at the contact and went to pull away when Marik got a little to close for his comfort, and found he couldn't move. "You are dong everything right so far, but." Marik picked up his razor and noticed the blades had been changed. "Do you mind?" He asked, Bakura nervously shook his head watching Marik's movements very closely. "Lightly so not to cut yourself, but still firmly enough to remove hair and cream," Marik pressed the razor to Bakura's left cheek and moved the razor down. "And go with the grain." Within a short time Bakura relaxed a little more and with the guidance from Marik, Bakura had his first shave and he was quite pleased with himself.

A soft giggle came from the door and two head of white and sandy blonde ducked back out. Marik placed the razor down and moved away. "Better hurry or we are going to run out of time."

Bakura walked out of the bathroom without a word.

"Anytime." Marik said to the empty room.

Ryou rushed in dragging Malik with him. "Daddy, us too!" Ryou said, Marik chuckled as he picked them both up, Malik looked unsure about getting a shave. "Not right now, I have to get ready and pick up Isis." Marik said getting a small complaint from Ryou.

An hour later Marik stopped his car out the front of the high school, all the teens including Bakura wore dark blue jackets and pants with black shoes, the girls wore matching skirts and tops and all rugged up in big jackets, scarves and gloves.

Bakura got out of the car and gave his school a weary once over look, Marik joined him on the path a few feet away from the car. "I got this for you." He held out a brand new cell phone.

"For me?" Bakura asked taking it and looking it over, not sure what to say, not even his parents gave him a cell phone.

"My cell number is one, the house is two, the station is three, Isis's cell is four, her home is five, Rishid's cell is six and his home is seven." Marik pulled out his wallet and took out a few notes.

"I don't need your money." Bakura said rejecting it and giving him a skeptical look.

"Take it." Marik growled and placed it into Bakura's jacket pocket for him and straightened it up a little with small hugs. "Now if there is any after school activities you wish to do, go right ahead." Bakura nodded his head still glancing about a little. "I also made you an appointment to see Mai this afternoon." Marik sighed glancing over the school then back at Bakura, who was about to retort back. "You don't have to tell her everything, just talk to her about whatever you want."

"I'm not asking you to do all this, the phone, money, clothes and food, I can get a job and look after Ryou and myself just fine." Bakura placed the cell phone into his pocket anyway.

"I know you could, though I would prefer you to go to school and just be like all the others." Marik said firmly.

"I'm not like all the others." Bakura mumbled as he walked off, following the stream of teens into the building.

Marik turned to get into the car, when he heard his name being called out; he glanced over to see Bakura looking at him. "Marik, I'll see you later." The teen gave a small smile before jogging off.

"Sounds like progress." Isis said with a grin when Marik got into the car.

"Maybe." Marik said starting the car up and headed for the Elementary School.

The hallway was filled with squealing children and parents helping their kids get ready and into class and Teachers talking to each other while keeping a watchful eye for troublemakers.

Malik clung to Marik's hand and side in fear of being run over or knocked about, Ryou on the other hand giggled every now and then. "Here we are." Marik said walking into the room that was a little quieter then out in the hallway.

Ryou hooked his backpack up and glanced about at all the children wearing the same thing. "Malik can put his bag here next to mine." Ryou said, Malik shook his head no and clutched his backpack to his chest.

"Malik isn't going to be in the same class as you are." Marik said, Ryou glanced up at him worriedly. "He will be from time to time."

"No, I don't want to be here without Malik." Ryou grabbed his bag and pulled it off the hook and threw it to the floor. "They'll make Malik cry again."

"Malik will be fine and he is just across the hall." Marik said picking up the bag again and hanging it on the hook. "You'll have lunch together and playtime."

"I'll be lonely." Ryou's chin trembled as tears started to fall; Marik sighed as he glanced at Malik.

"Hey, lets go talk to your Teacher." Isis said taking his hand and led a reluctant Ryou away in hoping to distract the child. Marik took this opportunity to take Malik to his classroom.

Malik's classroom was silent even with the few students in the room; Malik didn't know what to make of it. The room where Ryou was was on the silly side with all the noise and chaos, but it looked fun.

The room wasn't without it's brightly coloured walls and pictures here and there… it was just so silent. "Mr. Ishtar?" Said a woman walking into the room with a student. "I'm Mary Sanders and this must be Malik."

Malik ducked about behind Marik to hide. "He's a little shy." Marik said when she glanced at him.

"They all are on their first day." She glanced about the room. "My class is small so, Malik find a desk you like."

Malik shook his head and clutched onto Marik's legs tightly with his bag, he wanted to go home and stay with Marik, Ryou, Bakura, Isis and Rishid. "Hung your bag up." Sanders said, Malik knew that if he gave up his bag he would be staying.

"Here Malik." Marik picked him up and walked him over to a desk that was near the window and sat him down in it; he then crouched down beside the child. "Malik it's just for a few hours a day and then I'll be back to pick you and Ryou up." Malik buried his face into his backpack. "Malik? Malik?" Marik tried to get his attention.

"Mr. Ishtar." Sanders interrupted with a faint smile. "I ask of all parents to do a swift goodbye, it helps the child to understand that they have to stay and they calm down a lot faster when you leave."

Marik gave her a hard glare, she closed her mouth and backed up a little, he turned back to the child. "I have to go." Marik said standing, Malik latched onto him and shook his head no. "Alright, how about I give you…" Marik patted down his pockets and found his badge and pulled it out. "You can hold this until I came back." Malik took the badge and looked away still holding his backpack.

Marik walked to the door and found his Sister waiting for him. "Ryou is doing okay." She said looking in on Malik. "They aren't taking this well." She murmured.

"It's got to be done." Marik said he didn't like it either leaving his boys here, his boys? As strange as it was but it did seem that Malik, Ryou and Bakura are his. Marik looked after them and was fighting to keep them; he was no longer living alone and liked having his house full with the three.

Marik drove Isis to her apartment, that was a two bedroom, one room was the master bedroom and the other turned into a study, nothing but the best in furniture and polished wooden flooring, ceiling to floor windows for the sunlight and everything was tidy, it reminded Marik of a bachelor's pad then an apartment for a woman.

Isis stepped out of the bathroom dressed and ready, she grabbed what she needed when Marik stopped her by the door. "Look, something has come up and my work has become personal, he has made it personal."

"What do you mean?" Isis paled a little; she knew Marik was working on a case; he was always a little vague on detail with his work.

"Where is your taser I got you for your birthday?" Marik asked.

Isis frowned. "I keep it in my car."

"Keep it on you at all times." Marik said walking out the door, Isis followed him locking up her apartment.

"What is this all about, Marik?" She asked.

"Just taking precautions." He grinned at her and slung his arm about her shoulder and walked her to her car.

TBC

An update after a while and I feel a little nervous, I'm not sure if the chapter isn't as smooth as what it should be, anyway, Reviews are always a good thing (love and cookies)