Okay! I'm REALLY SORRY! My damn internet got shut down on Saturday and I've only just got it back about half an hour ago! -.- Thank you so much for your patience and this is the second to LAST chapter! ONE more chapter to go! I can't believe it! I may post it Christmas Day instead of Christmas Eve, but anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter as it is the first half of the ending ^^ Sorry for the delay again.

Many Thanks, Cookies and Plushies to Lioutenant Flame, Waterlillyx 2, Lunarius-Chibi, Shadow fairy princess, Sorceress of the nile, my account won't let me log in, Begecko and crystal moon princess! =D Hope you like this chapter and the next! ^^

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Yugioh or A Christmas Carol!

WARNING: Shonenai ^^

Chapter 12

Ryou knocked on the door; he could hear the sound of laughter and the Christmas tunes coming from the door. He saw Yugi's silhouette coming nearer to the door and sure enough, Yugi's smiling face was the first to greet him.

"Ryou! You made..." Ryou giggled at Yugi's reaction to seeing Bakura and now seemed to be blushing.

"It…Um, welcome?" Yugi finished timidly and he gave Ryou a look that said 'tell me everything!' Bakura scowled.

"Well are you going to let us in before we freeze to death?" Bakura growled. Ryou sent a warning look at Bakura, but Yugi seemed startled back from his shock.

"Oh, sorry! Yeah, of course!" Yugi opened the door wide open and Bakura walked past Yugi and went inside with Ryou who smiled sweetly and thanked Yugi as he went to follow Bakura. Yugi pulled him to one side.

"What on Earth? How did you manage to get Bakura here? I hope he isn't here to cause any of us, including you trouble." Before Ryou could reply however he heard Bakura call back to him

"Ryou?"

"I'll be with you in a minute!" Bakura merely grunted his reply and waited for Ryou by the door.

"It's a long story. But to cut it short. He's had a change of heart and... well... we're sort of together now." Ryou blushed as Yugi beamed.

"I'm so happy for you! Malik and I were worried last night you know, because you didn't seem yourself." Ryou smiled.

"It's still a long story, but let's get to the party shall we? I'll tell you and Malik later. I just need to get this food to the kitchen and I just want to see the look on Yami's face when he sees that Bakura's here." Yugi giggled and nodded.

"Okay I'll wait." And Yugi led the way towards the door and Ryou went up to Bakura.

"Took you long enough." Bakura muttered to Ryou.

"Oh behave." Ryou scolded playfully.

"Ryou's here!" Yugi announced to everyone in the room.

Ryou entered the living room and was welcomed by everyone, mostly Malik and he tackled him nearly making him lose the food, which Yugi managed to grab in time.

"Bakura?" Ryou heard Malik's shocked voice. Suddenly the room went silent on hearing the former Thief King's name. Malik's arms dropped from Ryou as he stared hard at Bakura.

Bakura stared back at Malik and stared at the room at large. Everyone he saw last night in the future vision was here. It seems his presence has already changed the path of the future. Bakura smirked as Yami came into the room and froze when he saw Bakura.

"Bakura! What are you doing here?"

"Why don't you ask your hikari? He's the one that seems to have invited me." Yami looked at Yugi who shrugged.

"I did ask Ryou to ask Bakura if he would like to come." The party went back to normal and Bakura's smirk grew as Marik came over and clapped him on the back.

"How's it going?"

"Well I've had better days. But just seeing the Pharaoh's expression has made my day." Marik chuckled.

"So why the change of heart?" Bakura looked over to Ryou, who was talking to Yugi and Malik. Bakura guessed they were talking about him, but he wasn't about to do so.

"I just did." Marik nodded not pursuing the matter further.

"Want a drink?" He asked holding up what Bakura was sure was alcohol. He shook his head.

"No, drink too much of that and it will make you look ugly and then it will take you away from your hikari-pretty." Marik's eyes widened and he dumped it in the nearest bin.

"I'm not drinking that ever again! I don't want my kitten to not love me anymore or lose him!" Bakura raised his eyebrows at Marik.

"Kitten?" Marik nodded his whole face lit up like a Christmas tree when he gazed at Malik.

"You know, he's so cute and sweet like one, but he's feisty when you upset him! I love feisty Malik-Pretty!" Bakura snorted as he looked at Malik and couldn't help but think how funny it'll be if he had kitten ears, a tail and purred. He smirk turned into a grin when he looked over at Ryou who was chatting animatedly to Malik and Yugi, who both faces looked shocked, angry then happy.

"I knew it! You have always loved Ryou. I noticed the way you looked at him." Bakura looked at Marik.

"How is it someone so insane guessed and not even Ryou had a clue?" Marik shrugged.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Bakura continued. Marik smirked.

"It was not my place to, you had to figure it out all by yourself! I had to!" Bakura rolled his eyes and turned back to watching Ryou.

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Bakura watched as the night went on. Jokes were traded, food was eaten; a lot of alcohol was consumed and then it was time for presents to be opened - except Bakura and Marik that is. Ryou smiled as he went a got his bag from the other side of the room and he sat next to Bakura. Everyone looked excited. Bakura groaned, if it wasn't for Ryou he was doing this for, he would have just gone home. He looked at Marik who looked excited as well. Bakura rolled his eyes, he might as well get this over with.

Yugi and Yamis presents were first traded. Everyone laughed at Joey's blushing face when he opened his present; it was a collar, just like the one Yugi and Yami wear only it was brown and it had a little bell on it. Seto smirked as Joey went as red as a tomato. Seto got a leather laptop case, Malik and Marik got some interesting toys, Bakura and Ryou got some homemade cookies that was baked by Yugi and decorated by Yami. Bakura made a face at this, which told Ryou that he'll be eating them by himself. Ryou smiled encouragingly at Bakura and squeezed his hand, who in return managed a grimace.

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After some laughter and more presents traded from Joey and Seto, and Malik and Marik, it's was Ryou's turn to give out his gifts. He handed Yugi and Yami a book about Ancient Egypt, which he knew Yugi would find fascinating and Yami would complain about. He gave Joey a voucher, that gave him free food for a year from his favourite restaurant. He gave Seto a plushie that was of the Blue Eyes White Dragon, which Ryou was surprised Seto looked extremely happy to receive. He gave Malik and Marik tickets to visit Egypt to see his sister after Christmas, which Malik tackled Ryou and hugged him tightly thanking him. Bakura watched all this with wonder. How did Ryou know what to get these people? Finally Ryou took out one last gift and looked at him.

"I wasn't going to give you this until after Christmas, but I thought… well… maybe you'd like it now?" He said shyly. Bakura took the gift gently from Ryou and looked at it. It felt hard on the edges, but smooth and cold around the middle, it was wrapped in plain red paper and it had a bow and a label which was written in Ryou's tiny, neat handwriting;

Bakura,
A Gift from Me to You.
Love
Ryou x

He didn't know why, but he felt like crying when he read that note alone. He now had a feeling on what it was. Carefully, he opened his gift like it was the most delicate thing to him. What he saw, confirmed his suspicions; It was a picture, a picture of Ryou. The same picture he saw with the Ghosts of Christmas Present and Future. The same picture, he would have only had left of Ryou, had he stayed ignorant to what he was doing to him.

Ryou looked at Bakura worriedly. Did he not like it? His head was down so he couldn't see his reaction. He looked at the others, who were also looking worried, but it was different reasons than his. They were worried, he may attack him. Ryou himself didn't think so.
"Bakura?" He whispered. Without warning, he grabbed Ryou and hugged him tightly.

"Thank you Ryou." and then he let go. The rest of the group sighed in relief and then looked at each other in confusion. What was that about?

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Did you like it? =) I hope so. Review please! *chibi eyes* I accept flames, but not insults! This will result in Yami Marik giving you a hug! xD