Warnings: M. Yaoi. . No spoilers here. The plot is mine and that's all.

Chapter 13: Passing Ownership

Yugi rolled over and opened his eyes, squinting at the clock through the darkness, it glowed a dull red of 2:36 am. Pushing himself up with his good arm, he carefully removed Yami's limbs from around him and got to his feet. Without a sound, he crept across the room taking up his flashlight and left the room.

He only turned on his flashlight when he was out of the bedroom and the door was closed behind him, tiptoeing down the hallway to the bottom floor of the house. He stopped on the ground floor for a moment and listened... Not a sound, other than a dripping tap in the kitchen and a ticking clock in the hallway.

Yugi had to do this swiftly and silently as possible.

Light footed, he dashed to the basement door, avoiding the stairs that creaked under foot, Yugi rushed to the old wardrobe, opening the doors. He knelt down and started to pull out the shoe box. Quickly checking the contents inside, making sure it was all there, the gold bits shone dully in the poor light.

"I must move you now." Yugi whispered to it as he shut the lid of the shoe box, closed the wardrobe. "I'll try tomorrow." Yugi dashed upstairs and stopped in the hallway, thanking himself for his occasional laziness of leaving his school bag by the front door. He shoved the shoe box into his backpack and zipped it up... it was risky leaving the box so exposed, but he could grantee that Yami wouldn't come within five foot of his bag. Yami took no interest what so ever in his school life or his social one for that matter, so it should be safe.

Yugi turned and walked to the kitchen, a little hot milk would hit the spot and help calm him down and sleep. He just sat down and took his first sip of his warm milk when a familiar cold hand landed on his head. "Everything dark and sinister comes out to play... so why is little Yugi taking in such company?" Bakura removed his hand from atop of Yugi's head and sat down next to him.

"My arm was..."

"Cut the crap... you're moving it, why?" Bakura narrowed his eyes, his white hair falling partly over his face as he glanced towards the hallway and back to the boy.

Yugi hated it when Bakura would suddenly become lucid. "Yami almost found it." Yugi whispered. "It's one thing that you are here... today in the basement Yami almost found it." Silence blanketed the room and Bakura's face twisted up in confusion and thoughtfulness. "I couldn't sleep." Yugi tried again hoping to the throw the other off and make him think they were just having a general conversation.

Bakura looked away, his face expressionless. "You give it to the right person and we'll be both free." Bakura looked at him a confident seriousness laced his voice. "If you have what it takes."

"What would happen to me if I did?" Yugi bit his lip, to be free, to be a normal person frightened him, he saw the anguish that Ryou had gone through time and time again and it wasn't something Yugi wanted to experience first hand.

"Loneliness so big that it will consume you body and soul. Sadness that not even time will heal and you'll feel as though you are rotting from the inside out." Yugi stood, staring down at him for a long moment, before his hand stretched out and slapped the dark Spirit across the face, before running out of the kitchen.

What did Yugi expect something that made him feel whole as a person and then to cut it away so completely would leave such a void, on one could get over it or heal it... but one could learn to live with it.

Bakura slowly stood from the kitchen chair and wandered into the hallway and stopped by the front door and stared down at the backpack... He needed to get it to Malik for he was the only one that could help him find Ryou.

Ryou woke that morning with a note on the pillow, Marik was at work complete with instructions to be careful in his absence and he would be back later that day. Ryou kept himself busy for most of the day, but he couldn't keep out the thoughts of what had transpired between them last night... As much as Ryou had enjoyed every moment of what Marik had done to him, but the way he had thrown himself at Marik, like he was some common whore and on top of that expected Marik to completely mean the words he had said.

He was so messed up right now, with his memories shut off even to himself by amnesia and intruding in on Marik's life, Ryou truly felt horrid for what he had done.

"Marik!" Came a voice over the sudden insistent knocking.

Ryou placed down the basket of laundry onto the table and answered the door. Miss. Yamauchi looked to be in tears and in distress. "What's wrong?" Ryou asked concerned opening the door wider.

"Mr. Perkins has gotten himself stuck in the air vent in my apartment. Don't know how he got in there, but he's stuck." Ryou could imagine as the cat was so overweight from years of being fed so well.

"Ok, just give me a moment." Ryou said retreating back into the apartment, grabbing a flashlight and his shoes, he turned about to see Marik home from work and talking to the old woman at the door.

"Let me change." Marik said walking towards Ryou. Miss Yamauchi turned away and walked back to her apartment to comfort her distort cat.

Ryou followed Marik to the bedroom and watched the other undress; muscles were in all the right places, not to large but noticeable and rippled with every movement, it was the job Marik did that kept him in shape and Ryou was very appreciative for it. Thoughts of having that hard body pressed against him or holding him or thrusting into him... Ryou bit his lip and chased away the thoughts before they made him a complete slave to such emotions and hopefully put a stop to the start of his arousal. He hadn't notice standing right before Marik with his hand on the other's chest. "I'm doing laundry; I can wash that for you." Even though Marik had removed his work shirt, he still had on an under Tee-shirt on. Ryou added as an afterthought, "Your pants too." He blushed as his fingers stopped at the button of Marik's pants and pulled his hand away and moved back.

With a knowing smirk Marik removed his Tee-shirt and pants and held them out while muttering, "Perv."

Ryou who took them added once again, "All in the name of laundry." He turned and walked from the room and once again someone was knocking on the door.

Tossing Marik's clothes into the already full basket, he answered the door. "Hello Ryou." Miss Hitomi greeted happily. "Is your husband home?"

Ryou shook his head; there was no telling this woman that they weren't married. "Marik just got home."

"Oh wonderful!" She clapped her hands together. "Tell pumpkin, that I need two light bulbs fixed and my thermostat is on the fritz again."

"I'll send him right over." Miss Hitomi shuffled down the hallway as Marik came out of the bedroom changed in jeans and a sleeveless top. Ryou quickly filled Marik in on what the old woman wanted as he picked up the basket, arms wrapped about him and he was pulled back against Marik's chest. His chin lifted and turned meeting dark lavender eyes.

"You do know that you're not my maid." Marik glanced at the basket and then back to Ryou's darker eyes.

"It's mostly mine as well." Ryou muttered his heart slammed about in his chest and he held his breath as Marik kissed his lips, removing the basket from Ryou's hands and turned him about to press against him better; he fisted white locks as Ryou obediently parted his lips for the tongue that instantly filled his mouth. Ryou felt the hand cup his rear end and his feet left the ground for a moment and he was sat on the table edge.

"The joys of being young." A voice broke the mood.

Marik pulled back with a lick of his lips and greeted the old man at his open door with a growl. "Spooky." Ryou slipped off the table with a blush and straightened himself up.

"Sorry Marik, I can come back later." The old man had a teasing smile on his face.

"It's alright." Marik said as he cupped one side of Ryou's face once more stealing a kiss. Ryou squeaked and flushed even more and it seemed that Marik was talking to him rather than Spooky. Marik now had his attention on the old man. "I've got a few jobs that need doing right away." Marik informed him as he walked to the door.

"I have a few jobs for you as well." Spooky held out a small list, they were always jobs that the old man couldn't do himself due to his age and he never abused Marik's good nature or his offer to help wherever he could.

Ryou tightly held the basket as he now stood in the basement before the man-made laundry area. He really didn't like this basement, it was so poorly lit and dark, real dark in some corners. He slowly walked by the gate and assessed what was being used and what wasn't. A few of the dryers were going as well as a few of the washers. He found a few that weren't in use, however he only needed one. He loaded up the washer. "Look at you playing Marik's little house wife."

Ryou froze up missing the 'out of order' sign on the washer lid as it slammed down and made him jerk away and faced the hooded figure that stood at the only exit and entrance. "You traded off your dark soul for another dark soul that isn't yours in the name of finding protection... I always thought that Bakura was a slippery bastard to pin down... to get rid of. But you, you're like a cockroach."

"I didn't trade him off for anyone!" Ryou backed up as the figure moved slowly towards him. "Marik... Marik will be here any moment." Ryou tried hoping the other would take his bluff and leave.

"Liar!" The other yelled slamming his first down on the washing machine making Ryou jerk in fright.

"What do you want?" Ryou was quickly running out of room, if he knew what the other wanted, Ryou was more than happy to give it to the other if it meant that he would leave him alone.

"You." The other purred in a way that made Ryou's skin crawl. "Who would have thought that all the times Bakura was sent away, it was you that brought him back!" The other slowed in his approach knowing Ryou couldn't go anywhere. "You were so smart and even cocky to think no one would notice." The figure moved forward again. "But I did!" Ryou held in his gasp as his back hit the brick wall. "You freed Bakura completely from yourself, were as others still remain bonded... Did you not think I wanted to be free as well?" Ryou's eyes darted about as he franticly looked for his chance to escape. He didn't know what the other was talking about and Ryou didn't want to stay and find out. "Did you think you could get away with it, that no one would come after you?" He lunged forward.

The lights suddenly flickered on and off and Ryou put all his weight in and pushed the other aside and made his escape from the basement.

Ryou rushed up the stairs and was tripped halfway up by the hand that grabbed his foot. He hit the stairs hard; the edges of the steps dug in and made him cry out in pain. "I told you I'd get you sooner or later." He pulled Ryou's ankle jerking him down.

There was nothing to grip and Ryou wasn't going to let the other pin him down. He lent up on his hands and with his free leg, kicked the other in the chest, who tumbled the rest of the way down the stairs and laid in a heap on the bottom floor. Ryou shot up the rest of the way on this feet and hands and out the door at the top.

Ryou tried to lock the door, but his hands trembled so much that they didn't function right and he couldn't grip the small latch. He gave up and rushed for the lift and hit the button more than needed. "C'mon! C'mon!" Ryou urged it glancing over his shoulder very now and then, until the lights shut down completely with a soft boom sound. Ryou gasped pressing his back to the lift doors. He couldn't see a thing, his heart raced in his chest and he hoped for some miracle that Marik would appear before him and save him from his attacker.

Ryou glanced up as the lights flickered on and off again and noticed the figure was now standing at the other end of the small hallway staring him down and moving forward slowly at first. "I want the item Ryou, whole or broken, I need it!"

"C'mon Perkins!" Marik grunted laying on the floor with a torch held in his hand awkwardly and his other arm so far down ventilation shaft that the edges were cutting into his underarm and shoulder. "I'll never call you names again if you just come out..." His eyes widened as the cat gave a soft cry and turned his back on Marik and laying down for a nap. "You good for nothing dust brush! I'm going to feed you to the first rat I see!" Marik glanced up with a frown as the lights flickered on and off and stayed off. "Shit!" He wondered if Ryou used that faulty washing machine, but he had placed a warning sign on it maybe it was something else he would have to spend his night hunting down whatever the problem was.

Marik grunted as he got up, he helped the old woman light some candles, in case the power went out again. "I'll be back." He instructed Miss Yamauchi to keep trying to get her cat out.

He left the apartment and headed for the only lift in the building, he had to shut it down until the power was fixed or someone could get trapped inside it.

Ryou cried out as something hit him in the arm; it tore his sleeve up and his skin. He cried out again covering his head and ears as deafening sounds of the metal doors dented inwards by an unseen force that hit it over and over again and Ryou was sure that whatever it was, was meant to hit him.

The doors suddenly parted and Ryou fell through them, hitting the ground and the other was on top of him, pinning him down. "You got away from me last time; I'm tired of waiting, give me what I want, now!"

Ryou struggled with all he had and managed to get his leg up and kicked the other off him and shoved him out the doors. Ryou panting scuffed backwards on the floor until his back hit the lift wall watching fearfully as the other got up stretching his arm out towards Ryou and muttered a few words.

Suddenly glass from above him shattered and fell over him; Ryou shielding his head with his arms, the glass nicked into his skin regardless as it spilled over everything within the lift. The doors right at that moment closed on the other. "NO! NO!" Ryou flinched as he moved his hands to cover his ears trying to block out the other's screams and the sound of metal being hit and bending, his attacker was still trying to get to him.

Ryou hoped the doors would hold and once again he was thrown in to complete darkness as the lift shut down... He silenced himself, held his own panting breath and listened, everything was hypersensitive to the point of hearing his own heartbeat racing in his ears, would his attack be able to get in so much easier now that the power was off, would the doors simply open without having power to them... "Marik." Ryou huddled to himself against the wall and hoped he was found soon before anything more happened.

"Are you alright, Ryou?" Marik asked as he walked into the laundry, the beam from his flashlight swept over the dark area. "Ryou?" He frowned at seeing the basket empty and upside down on the floor. "Damn it!" Marik walked over and noticed Ryou had used the out of order machine that he had on his 'fix it' list. He picked up the basket and placed it down on another washer and opened the lid of the faulty machine and turned about for the fuse box.

Marik opened the large box on the wall and flipped all the switches to 'on'...moments later the building powered up and lights turned on as well as all the washers and dryers. Marik did wonder where Ryou had gone during the power-out.

He headed for stairs that lead to the lift so he could turn it back on as well. He walked through the door and towards the lift and slowed in his walk at seeing the dents in the metal doors and the drops of blood on the floor. Marik hoped no one had hurt themselves when the lights went out.

He turned on the lift and the doors chimed opened... Marik wasn't expecting Ryou bleeding from his arms and laying on his side unconscious in a mess of broken glass. "Ryou!" Marik rushed in.

Marik nervously watched as Hitomi assessed the damage done to Ryou. The old woman had been a doctor in her youth and had insisted on looking Ryou over upon seeing the boy being carried in Marik's arms. "How odd," She muttered to herself.

"What?" Marik was over her shoulder looking as well.

"This appears to be nothing but gravel rash and... also bites marks..." She straightened up and wrapped Ryou's arm up in a bandage. "Keep the wound clean, apply this cream twice a day and keep it bandaged and your wife should be fine pumpkin." She smiled, finishing what she was doing. The other wounds were nothing but small cuts and a few bruises that didn't need much attention at all. "It worries me that your sweet wife was attacked in this very building... to say that it frightens me would be an understatement." She turned looking at Marik.

It was apparent that whoever was after Ryou meant business, if this attacker was prepared to come after Ryou in the only place Marik had thought the boy would have at least been safe. "Don't worry; I think Ryou was their main target." Marik would make this attack know that he too meant business.

"The sick bastard... the reason I don't use lifts, rapists!" Hitomi said sternly. "Poor Ryou, with his good looks I'm surprised he isn't constantly having to run in order to save his... chastity. I'm glad Ryou has such a strong husband to take care of him." She shuffled towards the door.

"Ryou's not my... never mind." Marik opened the door for her. "Thank you again Miss. Hitomi."

"My pleasure pumpkin." She patted him gently on the cheek as she passed him. "Make sure he gets plenty of rest... no hanky-panky." Hitomi warned him with a level voice. "He's in shock so be sure to keep him warm as well." With that she left, Marik shut the door and leant against it.

There was only one person he knew of that could get into Ryou's mind and find out what was really going on that was worth almost killing the boy over... Marik's curiosity broke free and he too now wanted to know what was so important about the former host of the Ring.

Malik towel dried his hair while walking out of the bathroom, having washed away the drowsiness that the medication given to him, always left him in such an exhausted state each morning. A good hit of caffeine and Malik hoped he would be feeling like himself. "Sleep well?" Tearing the towel from off his head and jumped back with a frightened yelp, Malik tumbled and fell on his rear end and staring up at the dark Spirit of the Ring.

"Damn it!" Malik got up after a moment of making sure his heart was still in his chest. "Bakura! Don't do that! You scared me half way to hell." Malik huffed walking by him.

"Half way to hell?" Bakura raised an eyebrow and followed the other to the small kitchenette.

"Never mind." Malik muttered getting his coffee ready and watched Bakura from the corner of his eye. "Why are you here?" Malik was rather glad to see the other was still about and willing to see him.

"You have a visitor." Bakura turned towards the door just as someone knocked on it.

"A what?" Malik walked about the counter and stood by Bakura staring at the door as if it were about to attack him.

"You know someone who comes to see you." Bakura filled him in. "They call them guests. Ryou had a lot of them... well his father mostly when he was alive."

"I know what a visitor is!" Malik snapped at him then lowered his voice asking Bakura. "Who is it?" The knocking came again this time his name was called out through the door and Malik recoiled with a gasp.

"Yugi." Bakura moved towards the door, Malik grabbed him by the arm, the Spirit glanced back to see the other had paled and his eyes were wide as if witnessed an unspeakable horror.

"Don't... don't! You can't, don't let him in." Malik backed up shaking so badly that Bakura turned about to face him front on.

"Malik." Bakura reached out to place his hand on the other's shoulder, what had gotten Malik so damn frightened. "He has something that you need to take possession of."

"Don't care!" Malik backed up out of reach and fell against an armchair and toppled over; he scrambled to his feet and ran for the window. He had to get out, he wouldn't go through it again, he wouldn't... no one knew he was here and he wanted to keep it that way.

"Malik." Bakura approached him trying to stop him.

"NO!" Malik threw the window open his hands gripped the windowsill and before he could get out, Bakura had wrapped his arms about him and pulled him back. "NO! Let me go!" Malik struggled with all he had.

"Malik." Bakura tried calming him down. "I'll not let anything happened to you, I'm here."

"No." Malik turned wide frightened tear filled eyes onto Bakura's narrow darker ones. "You don't understand." He was begging. "Let me go, I can't." There was just suddenly not enough air in the world and Malik started to hyperventilate and with it his limbs weakened and crumbled against the other, Bakura eased them both to the floor and rocking Malik in his arms, he seemed to calm down after a good few long moments.

Bakura muttered in his ear, knowing Malik was having a panic attack, Ryou often had them, he vaguely remembered what to do, hold them and talk to them until it passed since he didn't have anything on him to help. "What are you so afraid of?"

"Him." Malik trembled in his arms glancing at door and thankful it was still locked. "Them. They knew, they knew and they still let it happen... Marik saw it, saw me." Malik started to gasp again for air. "I want, I want Marik."

"Shh." Bakura continued to hold him. "You can do this; all you need is to take the shoes box from him. I'm right here." Bakura stood watching as Malik lent against the wall, in the midst of a complete breakdown. Bakura had to do this quick, he walked to the door and unlocked it and opened it for Yugi who was still thankfully waiting. "Keep it quiet and set it down over there."

Yugi placed the shoe box down onto the kitchen counter and stopped at spotting the other. "Malik?" He hadn't see then other in so long and he hadn't seemed to have changed much, maybe he was a little bit thinner, but the same none the less. "Are you alright?" Yugi approached, but was stopped by Bakura.

"Get out!" Malik yelled at him, Yugi jumped and backed up, until Malik screamed at him a second time to leave and that was when Yugi fled the room, it was all out of his hands now, all he could do was sit back and wait to see what was to come.

TBC

Really not much to say, but R&R (love and cookies)