I'll be posting/writing whenever I get the chance to… as for Demon Nights, I may be scrapping it, I don't know I'm in one of my moods/tired right now, though to me Demon Nights could be better or I just place it on a further hold for now, -shrugs- donno. My Dark Work is coming along nicely and the next chapter will be my next update… Ah, enjoy.
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!! But for the plot, the plot belongs to my Bunnies and Muses.
Chap 26: Makings of a Plan
Malik was still sleeping off the effects of the drug into the late hours of that morning. Marik wanted to ring Tucker and let her have it on what she did as the child was in such a heavy state of sleep, that it didn't matter what he did, he couldn't getMalik to wake up. Marik sighed; it would accomplish nothing in doing so and it wasn't as if Tucker could snap the boy awake. Besides he had another pressing issue to deal with today… he had that noon meeting with Dartz and to pay him what Bakura and Ryou owed and have the man back off and hope to arrest him at the same time for something. A very soft knock came on the bathroom door and then it opened slowly. "Daddy?" Ryou stood in the crack of the open door, seeing the older male in only long pants and a towel wrapped about his shoulders.
"Come in Ryou," Marik pulled away from the basin and mirror to see the boy step into the room with his eyes to the floor and fiddled with his own fingers nervously. Marik was glad that Ryou hadn't stopped talking to him. The child still looked upset and Marik was truly missing the child's optimistic personality. "You want that shave?" Marik asked since that was what he was starting to do anyway.
"Really?" Ryou seemed to brighten up at the offer and walked forward.
"Oh sure," Marik picked him up and sat him down on the sink in front of him, grabbing Ryou by the chin gently and titled his head this way and that with narrowed eyes. "I so see growth." Marik confirmed.
"Really?" Ryou touched his cheek with a big grin. "Like yours?" He reached out and ran a few fingers across Marik's cheek feeling the rough stubble there, though he took no real notice of his own smooth skin.
"Yes and if you don't shave you're going to end up looking like a pirate." Marik smirked as he wiped the white foam over Ryou's cheeks and chin. The child giggled and squirmed. Marik did the mock shave on the boy and much to Ryou's delight at the attention. Though looking like a pirate didn't come as such a horrid idea, but what was a good pirate without good treasure to hide. "There," Marik pulled the towel from about his shoulders and wiped away what was left of the foam from the child's face.
"Daddy?" Ryou asked watching in complete fascination as Marik did the same to himself in shaving. "Does Malik have a tongue?" Marik stopped and glanced down a little at the boy.
"Of course he does… why are you asking that?"
"The bad men said that he was going to chop it off." Ryou bit his lip.
"What man?" Marik frowned his full attention was now on the boy.
"The one at school… I tooks Malik to the toilet 'cause he had to go and whens we finished he was there. He said mean things to Malik and he had a knife and said he was goings to chops Malik's tongue off if he did" Marik held in his anger as Ryou told him what had happened at the school. "He said that Malik had do go with his Daddy." Ryou frowned in hard concentration, his mind working over time trying to piece together information that was beyond his years. "He said that, that Detective will be like a girl… dead." Ryou wrinkled his nose up, "he was so mean saying yous not Malik's Daddy."
"What do you mean I'll be like a girl?" Marik fought so hard to work out what that had meant; surely he hadn't meant that he would turn into a girl… Marik played with the words in his mind for a few moments, adding words in, taking words away and changing words about to make more sense of it. It hit him and he couldn't believe that the killer that he had been chasing all this time might have slipped up so stupidly. "Ryou, did he say that the Detective will end up like all the girls, dead?"
Ryou nodded his head yes. "He said it to Malik, but why would he say yous isn't Malik's Daddy?" Ryou really pressed to know and was rather upset about it.
"I'm…" Marik didn't think that Ryou would understand. "Malik was hurt and needed a good home like you and Bakura. So I'm looking after you all." Marik knew now why Malik wasn't talking… he would have to tell Mai what she would be working with. Marik still held that hope that in time Malik would talk. "Do you think I'm doing a good enough job?" Marik wondered if the boys were happy living with him.
"I like you as my Daddy. Malik and Kura does too… but my last Daddy was mean to me all the time. He liked Kura more." Ryou leant forward and cupped one hand beside his mouth and whispered to Marik, "I sawed them in old-Daddy's office he was hugging and kissing Kura on the desk like what the bad men Roy was always doing to mummy." Marik knew already but to have Ryou know as well and not quite understand, this would be so hard to explain if Ryou pressed the matter further.
"No Ryou your father was very wrong to do that to Bakura." Marik tried to explain though lacked the words to say in a way that Ryou would understand and not be traumatized by it.
"But you hug and kiss me and Malik." Ryou looked confused, was it different?
"Not like that," Marik sighed wondering if Ryou had the wrong impression. "It's kinda like how you hug Bakura and how I hug and kiss Isis and Rishid, they're small gestures of affection or comfort…. If you're uncomfortable about it, I won't do it anymore."
"No," Ryou shook his head with a gasp and his eyes widening, "I likes hugging and when you kiss my head."
"Alright," Marik's smirk fell to a smile and he continued shaving while Ryou watched. A thought came to Marik about what they had been talking about previously. He glanced down at the boy before him, "Ryou, was the bad man at the school, a teacher?"
"No," Ryou shook his head. "He had overalls on and a hat." Ryou winkled his nose, "it was yellow and a badge on his clothes. Like the one you gives Malik."
Marik sighed, an emblem in the shape of a police officer's badge, which narrowed it down to half a dozen companies in the city. "If I show you some pictures in a book, do you think you can remember what he looked like or what he was wearing?" Ryou nodded his head. "Good boy," Marik praised.
"Am I going to be a detective like you today Daddy and lock some bad men away?" Ryou asked excited to be helping out.
"You bet kido." Marik gave him a wink and soon after Ryou was out of the bathroom and heading downstairs while Marik showered. Ryou settled in for a little t.v and soon after he was singing along with that same woman. "Never smile at a crocodile. Never dip your hat and stop to talk awhile," the doorbell rang. Ryou jumped off the couch and walked to the front door and peeked out the side window and saw his Aunty. "Never run, walk away, say good-night, not good-day." He opened the door with a big grin and his singing forgotten as he was scooped up from behind and into Marik's arms.
"Hey," Marik greeted his sister; she did a quick exchange of a brief hug and a kiss to her brother as she entered his home and removed her gloves and jacket, then shaking snow from her hair.
"Cold morning," She remarked with a smile. Spotting the child she held her arms out for Ryou who wriggled out of Marik's hold to get a hug from the older woman. There was just something soothing about her hugs and seemed far more comforting and soothing then Marik's… yes Ryou liked this woman as much as he liked his Daddy. "Morning baby," Isis hugged him while she followed Marik to the kitchen.
Bakura sat at the table with a freshly empty bowl of cereal and nodded his head in greeting. "I want pancakes?" Ryou was placed down on his feet and he rushed over to Marik. "Make pancakes for me Daddy?"
"Told you," Bakura said, standing up with his bowl in hand.
"Alright," Marik picked up the boy and sat him down onto the counter to watch. "You want a few?" He asked Bakura.
"A few," not like he was going to pass on such an offer as pancakes, Bakura grinned to himself. He rather liked the hot breakfasts in the morning and Marik was rather a good cook.
"I'll go look in on Malik," Bakura said walking out of the room.
"Malik's still sleeping off the drugs he was given last night?" Isis asked worriedly, even to her it had seemed rather extreme.
"Yes," Ryou answered. "I went in to see Malik and he is sleeping so much," he turned to look at her and not realizing that he was telling on himself. "That when I poked him in the cheek he didn't wakes up." Isis tried to hold her laugh in, looking at her brother.
"You don't poke people." Marik said sternly.
"When I wants to wake Kura up, I pinch his nose, like this," Ryou squeezed his nose with his fingers, blocking his own air off and made funny snorting sounds. "He does that and wakes up and yells at me," Ryou had a short moment of confusion on why he got such a reaction from his brother.
"How cute," Isis ruffled his hair making Ryou giggle, "just like I used to do to Marik." She lent in towards the child with a big grin, "he was also hard to get out of bed."
"Don't encourage him," Marik scolded her. Isis brushed him off with a few well placed comments of her own.
Isis brought his attention back to the more important subject. "Just remember that I have to go to work about three this afternoon," she said moving around Marik to make them both a coffee and hot chocolate for the little ones.
"I should be back well before then," Marik said flipping a pancake into the air and catching it again perfectly. Soon Breakfast was on the table and they all sat down to eat.
She sighed leaning her elbows onto the table. "The museum called again with a new shipment I have to inspect today. Once they hire a new curator I won't have to travel the three hours there and back again."
"You love your job," Marik grinned at her; and more so the paycheck that came her way each week.
"Yeah, I do, but traveling wasn't part of the deal I signed for… but I also don't trust anyone else to do it." She frowned pointing her fork at him. "You better be back before three," she warned him, Marik gave her a mute nod of his head that he would be back in time.
"Oh, Malik has that valuation with Mai at one today, can you get him there." Marik watched as Bakura pulled a few pancakes onto his plate.
"But he is still out of it…" Isis protested angrily, "she can't possibly think on doing it today. Can't she wait until he is a little better?"
"I wish," Marik watched Ryou drag pancake after pancake onto his plate. He knew the child was listening to them as well as Bakura. "He has to go whether we like it or not."
"I don't mind helping out Marik. I know you're busy with work as well, but you can't push him like that for everyone else's needs." She shook her head, changing her dialect to Arabic. 'It's not good for him,' Bakura and Ryou looked at her not understanding what she was saying anymore.
Marik too changed his dialect as easily as his sister had. "You prefer me to have everything held off because of what the doctor did to him… if I let this appointment slide; I'm at a higher risk of losing him." Ryou stared at Marik wide eyed and a half of the pancake hanging from his mouth and fork.
"I think all of you forget that he is just a little boy with a troubled past and should be treated as such and not one of your damn witnesses for your murder case," she scolded him from across the table. Marik had told her about the hair follicle found on that poor dead woman and how Malik may be linked somehow to the Serial Killer or know of him or may have even seen him in person.
"The appointment with Mai is for Malik's own good and you'll take him for me without anymore moaning from you or I can find someone else to do it for me," Marik growled at her. He was doing what he thought was best for the boys in his care.
"You can't do that?" She snapped at him, her hands tightening on the table in frustration. "Isn't it bad enough that he has to face his bastard of a father in court and having you and everyone else pushing him to speak?" Tears gathered in her eyes.
"I would rather Malik be upset or even hate me, then stand by and let his real father take him back again… at least here in my care, he is better off."Marik narrowed his eyes even more at her and Isis glanced away. "Look," Marik sighed calming a little, he did always hate to see her upset. "If it was up to me it'd let Malik hide away from the world in a closet if he so wished, but it's not going to happen. Malik has to do this so he can be free and what damage was done to him can really start to heal…don't make this harder for me as it is."
"I hate what's been done to him and what he has to face." She let go of the table and was surprised on how much she had become attached to the little ones in such a short time.
"It'll get harder before it gets better." Marik spoke more softly.
Isis smiled, "if you want it better faster, just shoot the fucker in the head." Marik laughed, more so at the words as his sister hardly used such language, unless she was quoting something their father had once used, plus she sounded so odd saying it.
Marik turned his attention onto Bakura, "I got work; I need you and Isis to keep Ryou and Malik busy for a while."
"…Sure," Bakura glanced at Isis. The siblings looked a little more relaxed and he had a feeling that they had been agreeing about Malik, since his name came up a few times.
"Are you fighting?" Ryou bit his lip looking back and forth between the grownups. The words sounded mean and he didn't like it when his Daddy and his Aunt spoke like that to each other… he didn't understand them at all.
"No," Marik and Isis reassured him. "Just eat," Marik pushed the plate closer to the child to emphasize his point.
Ryou had to wonder if they were fighting because of him…
A little later that morning Marik watched Isis, Bakura and Ryou walk down the path towards the main part of town. She had agreed to take the boys out for a short time and be back again before Marik needed to leave. He was also relieved to see Ryou once again being his usual happy self.
Marik stepped back to close the door when two black cars pulled up out the front of his house. Yami was the first one out of the car and greeted him with a wave. Seto and Otogi soon stepped out, grabbing bags from the boot of the car. The second car Marik's boss and chief of police John Eddy followed by three others.
Marik stepped aside and allowed them all in, taking jackets and hanging them up. "I hope you didn't mind doing this here," Eddy said, stomping his feet to be rid of the snow.
"I thought it best that you didn't come to the station for this." Yami added on his way in, "just in case you're seen leaving and then going to the park."
"It's fine." Marik said, "we'll set up in the kitchen. I'll be there in a moment." Yami nodded and walked on to the suggested room. Marik turned and dashed upstairs and into his bedroom.
Malik still slept soundly and unmoved from his position from the last time Marik had looked in on him. Marik walked over and pulled the covers up more and tucked him in. He wished that he had the powers to stop all the events that were about to happen to Malik. The gods knew the kid needed a break and Marik felt helpless to get Malik out of it. All that Marik had to offer was his support and it didn't feel enough. He brushed the sandy hair from Malik's face and then turned leaving the room.
Marik found everyone in his kitchen and Yami was handing out cups of coffee to the other officers. "Let's get started I have only a few hours," Marik got their attention.
Yami grinned as he picked up a smaller black bag and placed it down on the counter and waved Marik over. Yami rummaged through the bag and pulled out a small case, "put this in your ear." It was a tiny earpiece. "You'll hear us, but don't respond," Yami placed the empty case back into his bag and pulled a slightly larger one and then hooked it onto the cuff of Marik's long sleeved tee-shirt like jumper. "We'll hear everything that's being said clearly. This little baby can pick up a conversation from another room." Marik glanced over the small objects that were being placed on him. Yami loved his small toys and it wasn't often that he got to use them. "Well have visual so don't worry." Yami stepped back as Seto and Otogi moved in.
Seto dropped a large black sports bag at Marik's feet and bent down, "there is a tracker sown into the bag itself and there are twenty or so marked bills."
"How much?" Marik asked.
"Seventy grand," Otogi said as if it was nothing, "the forty, plus extra."
"Don't worry," Seto stood up after making sure the bag was zipped up tight, "Dartz won't get out of the park."
"Seventy grand?!" Came an angry tone, everyone in the room turned to see the teen in the threshold of the kitchen.
"Bakura…" Marik moved forward pushing by the others.
"Were you planning to buy me like some cheap whore?!" A few of the officers slinked their way out the back door unnoticed, leaving Yami, Seto, Otogi and Eddy in the room. "I trusted you!" The tone of Bakura's voice was heart wrenching and so full of hurt. "And Ryou loves you more then he has anyone else, AND YOU BETRAY US?!" Bakura raged at him, fists clutched at his side, he knew this was all too good to be true. It had been a good thing that he had come back at Ryou's request to get his scarf and gloves. Marik's true nature had reviled itself and all it took was time.
"I'm not buying you," Marik stopped before him.
"Not buying me," Bakura scoffed almost mockingly. "Then what do you call what's in that bag? Because to me it looks like a hell of a lot of cash," Bakura stepped back a step, tears had gathered in his eyes and fell from them slowly and down his cheeks, either from his anger he was holding back or the sorrow he felt.
"Do you think that Dartz is going to let you walk off scot-free?" Marik narrowed his eyes, his tone sharp.
"I'd pay him back," Bakura retorted.
"How?! You're only fifteen years old," the teen seemed to deflate a little at Marik's words. "Bakura, I'm not buying you and I wouldn't betray you in such a way." Marik dared the chance to place a comforting hand on Bakura's arm. "All this is a ploy to get Dartz, it really has nothing to do with you or Ryou; I wouldn't do that to you."
"You're arresting him?" Bakura was surprised and looked it. He had know Dartz for some time, and no one had come close to even getting something worth sticking to the man that would hold up in court and have him placed behind bars. Dartz was slimy as an eel and just as hard to catch with bare hands.
"We are using the fact that he wants payment for you." Seto spoke up; Otogi elbowed him and shot him a glare to keep his mouth shut.
"Is that all?" Bakura again scoffed at them like they were idiots. "Do you know how many people before you have tried and failed? Not to mention fell off the face of the planet."
"We are able to get him on drug and people trafficking." Seto spoke up again, not liking their well set out plans shot down by a mere child who knew nothing about what they were about to do.
"Do you have proof?" Bakura raised an eyebrow, knowing they didn't, no one ever did.
"We were hoping you could help us with that." Marik asked. "You know and seen more than anyone else."
"Dartz would be very happy to have his men make me a perfect set of cement boots and a splendid lift time view of the ocean floor, if he ever found out I was a part of this." Bakura shook his head. "Not on your life, just pay the money and walk away." Bakura suggested to them.
"Bakura, a thug like Dartz, is never going to let you and Ryou free, no matter how much you give him… you'll always be running."
"But, I'll go to jail too." Bakura shook his head; there was no way he saw that he would come out of it alive or free.
"No you won't," Marik reassured.
"Yes I will, I was there, I was right there when it happened," Bakura stepped back.
"No," Marik pulled him a little closer and to prevent Bakura from making a run for it. "It makes you a witness and there is nothing Dartz can do to stop it if you go against him." Bakura bowed his head, not sure what to do, what if it all back fired? "Once Dartz is taken down then the rest of his men will fall apart and run like the vermin they are."
"Wait," Eddy spoke up. "The kid is a witness to seeing Dartz committing murder?" That was just enough to put that man behind bars for the rest of his life.
Movement behind Bakura got Marik's attention and the room fell instantly silent, a very sleepily looking Malik stood there rubbing at his eyes and yawning. "Malik," Marik moved about the teen and picked up the child.
Through blurry tired eyes Malik saw the kitchen full of people he didn't know, all he was after was Marik. "I'll be right back," Marik shot over his shoulder, then left the room with the child in his arms. Bakura looked the others over once, before rushing after Marik.
Marik sat the boy down on the basin in the bathroom and gave Malik's face a light wash over with a cloth to help wake him up a little more. Marik knew the effects of the drug would be hard to shake off. "You had me worried," Marik gave him a small smile and handed the child a glass of cool water.
Malik drank it down thirstily in large gulps before handing it back. "You want to tell me what happened?" Malik just stared at him, he wasn't sure himself. His father's friend had shown up at school and then he was at the hospital. All Malik had wanted was to be with Marik and to be reassured that he was still wanted. The doctor named Tucker stopped him and he had thrown a fit that had seemed so shocking that she had hurt him with the needle in his leg and then… he woke up in Marik's bed and he was home again. "Hey," Marik lifted Malik's chin up. "What's wrong?" Malik burst into tears and instantly he was embraced in a hug.
Malik didn't want to see Marik hurt and he was so sure that his father and his friend would live up to their threat as they always did. "Marik?" Bakura pushed open the door a little more and stepped in to see the older male hugging Malik.
"It's alright," Marik stepped back a little, cupping the child's small face in both his hands. "We'll talk later." Bakura raised an eyebrow; the only talking that would be happening would be from Marik.
"Is he alright?" Bakura asked moving closer.
"I think so," Marik picked Malik up once again and walked out of the room, Bakura followed right on Marik's heels.
He carried Malik downstairs and made the child comfortable on the couch with a blanket and pillow, then turned on the t.v for him and left the room. "Glad you're okay." Bakura said kneeling down in front of the boy. Malik tiredly hugged the pillow to himself. Bakura gave a weak smile. "Ryou was so worried about you." Malik glanced away; he hadn't meant for this much trouble to happen.
"Malik!" Ryou squealed happily and rushed to the couch, in his hurry he bumped into Bakura who helped his brother up to sit next to Malik.
The teen was once again after Marik and found the older male in the hallway talking to Isis. "There you are," She said looking over Marik's shoulder, their conversation ended right away.
"Sorry," Bakura said.
"That's alright, Ryou really didn't want to go," she walked by Marik, placing her hand on Bakura's shoulder. "He wanted to be with Malik," she walked by him and into the living room.
"Marik, take me with you," Bakura now stood before him, almost pleadingly.
"No," Marik shook his head.
"Why not?" Bakura narrowed his eyes, "I need to know personally that he'll leave us alone."
"I don't want you to be further involved then what you already are," Marik hissed back.
"I was involved before I knew you," Bakura crossed his arms to his chest.
"No," Marik said again.
"Besides with me there he'll say something stupid to me and you can all jump in and arrest him." Bakura shifted his weight from one foot to the other; it didn't look as though Marik was going to give into him any time soon.
"No," Marik said again.
"You know," Yami said moving towards them and he had heard everything they had been saying. "Let Bakura go with you."
"No," Marik's right eye twitched, why didn't they see that he was only trying to protect him.
"We don't really have anything that'll stick…" Yami glanced at Bakura in thought. Eddy stopped just behind them. "Bakura, are you willing to go against Dartz in court if it comes to that?" Yami pressed.
Bakura pressed his lips together in thought… in one hand he could be free of Dartz and that meant that Ryou and himself could live a comfortable and a somewhat happy life here with Marik… in the other hand, he could be sharing a cell in the same block as Dartz and branded a killer and Ryou would live the somewhat happy life here with Marik. It was all about Ryou being safe and happy… "I'll go as far as you need me too," Bakura said a little hesitantly and glanced at Marik.
"I want him as safe as possible," Marik growled, "If anything happens I want him to be the first one you get out of there."
"Come with me," Eddy beckoned Bakura to follow him.
Once Bakura was out of ear shot Yami spoke up again, "You remember the woman you were going to arrest for loitering at the station?"
"... Yeah," Marik raised an eyebrow, truthfully he had forgotten about her.
"Her two sons ran away from home," Yami's voice lowered, hoping Marik would catch on and he wouldn't have to say it.
"Did she file missing persons?" Marik asked, wondering why his friend was bring it up now when he already had so much on his mine.
"No," Yami said, thinking it was best to bring it up later when he had a better chance at having Marik's attention.
Marik placed a hand on Yami's shoulder and walked by him, "then we can't help her," he shrugged.
"Oh," Marik turned about. "Get Shizuka to pull out the books on all the companies that have their employees wearing overalls and their logo in a shape of shield, Ryou saw the bastard that threatened him and Malik at school." Yami sighed as Marik vanished into the kitchen… he would have to tell Marik after their small operation.
TBC
I'm leaving it there it has taken a little while to get posted but I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did writing it, so Review, (Love and Cookies)