A/N~ Okay, chapter 3 is done. Again, sorry for the late update. I seem to have lost support for this fic but I will continue it anyway. Thanks to those who do review. I t really makes my day.

Chapter 3- Forgiveness

"I don't know, Aurma." The black-haired man said with uncertainty. "I just don't see how that is going to work. We have tried everything to catch these criminals and nothing works." He growled, stomping his feet as he walked down the narrow street.

"Amerald." The red and black haired woman interjected. She looked behind her at their son, who was listening intently to the conversation. "Do I have to have the privacy lecture with you again? Not around Atemu."

"But--,"

"But nothing, Amerald." Aurma snapped. She softened her gaze and nodded behind her. "We just enjoyed a wonderful movie. Can't we keep it on nice terms for the night? Just this once, can we not worry about Marik and Malik? They have their own problems and we have ours."

Amerald turned to see Atemu, his fifteen year old son walking quickly behind them. He sighed and nodded once. He slowed his pace slightly to allow his teenaged soon to walk next to him. He wrapped an arm about the teen and smiled, "Did you enjoy the movie tonight?"

Atemu beamed and nodded happily. "It was awesome! There were so many explosions."

Aurma shook her head in dismay. "All you boys are the same. The more the explosions in a movie the better it is for you. Why can't you just enjoy the romance or comedy in something?" She asked.

Atemu frowned. "Well then it isn't as much fun. Besides, there has to be explosions. Otherwise the bad guys wouldn't die off. That was the entire point of the movie. Good guys kill bad guys. It's a classic."

Amerald sighed nervously. He was starting to think that his real life experiences were starting to cloud his son's mind. "Atemu, not all bad guys have to die in the end. There are other methods to making the bad guys pay for their crimes. Never think that death is the answer to everything." He explained.

"But father." Atemu whined. "You are catching bad guys all the time. They usually end up getting the death penalty for doing the things that they do. What about the two guys you were just talking about? Don't they deserve some kind of punishment?"

Aurma nodded. "They do deserve punishment. Never forget Atemu, for every action there is always a consequence. But that by no way means that they deserve death. Marik and Malik have done many bad things but none of them deserve death. They are just petty thieves and drug dealers. Though they have done wrong, they are still young. There is time for them to make up what they have done." She tried to explain as they continued down the alley.

Atemu shrugged, "Yeah I guess. But most people don't change."

Amerald smiled, "That's true. But you always must give them the chance to. That is what your mother and I do. We hunt down the bad guys and we give them a chance to repay society for what they have done."

Atemu beamed and started to walk fast down the alley. "When I grow up, I want to be just like you guys!"

Aurma smiled at her fifteen year old and gazed lovingly at her husband. "I really hope that he changes his mind. I don't want him to end up like us." She said and turned back down the alley. "Atemu! Keep in sight!" She shouted after the boy. She didn't know why she was always so worried. Probably because of the many people out there that she had seen in court that were lower than dirt. Some of the criminals she and her husband had punished were horrible people. To think that their could be an entire world filled with them was hard to imagine. It wanted to make her hold her son close to her and never let him go.

Amerald wrapped his arm about his wife. "Yeah, but I hope he does." He looked at her and smiled at her quizzical expression. "If it weren't for the job then we would have met."

Atemu had stopped walking fast and watched his parents. His father leaned in and gave his mother a sloppy kiss. Atemu made a face and ran down the alley. "Ew!" He shrieked. He never liked to watch his parents kiss like that. It was weird even though, in his heart he wanted the same thing. He wanted someone to hold, kiss, and protect. He bolted down the alleyway, running as fast as he could. "I'll be the best protector out there!" He proclaimed.

He threw a punch in the air at nothing in particular. "I'll show everyone. I'll meet someone, fall in love, and then we can fight crime together!" He chipped, kicking the dumpster harshly and laughing. "I think I am going to need a little more practice though. Hey, father? Can you teach me?" Atemu asked, turning to his side. He blinked. His parents weren't there. "Mother?" He asked.

Atemu stood there and peered down the alleyway. He heard shouting but he couldn't hear what the shouts were saying. Atemu started to creep back to where he last saw his parents. Before he took too many steps, he heard a gunshot, it was faint but he knew what it was. His blood ran ice cold. "Father?" He whispered.

"Atemu!" He heard his mother shout, "Run!"

He didn't need any more instructions. Atemu ran down the alleyway, towards the busy street where the cars and many people would certainly make him safe. He stopped suddenly. What was he doing? Another gunshot rang out and this time laughter along with it. Atemu turned around. If he was going to be like his parents, he had to start now, by saving them from whoever was attacking them. Atemu gritted his teeth and bolted down the alley.

He froze as he rounded a corner, his face falling. His mother lay on the cold concrete, a bullet hole in her head. Her blood formed a small puddle under her and was growing bigger by the second. Atemu started to pant from fear as he allowed his eyes to travel slightly to the left. He could make out his father's jacket from behind a dumpster. Atemu's legs moved on their own accord, stepping over his mother.

Atemu stopped when he saw his father. He too had a wound in his head, but also one in his chest. Blood spatter was everywhere. It looked as if his father had crawled in attempts to seek some sort of shelter from his attacker.

A chuckle from behind him caused him to turn around and stare at two teenagers, perhaps a year older than him. They looked identical, and they were smirking at him. "Your parents should have thought twice before coming after us. They won't bother us again. You'll do best to do the same." One said, still smirking, "Come on Malik. Let's get out of here."

Atemu shook in fear as he watched them leave. He looked back at his father, whose eyes were slightly opened, looking at him. They were completely empty. Dead as winter.

Atemu sat straight up in his makeshift bed on the couch. His entire body was covered with sweat and he was shaking from head to toe. His heart pounded out of control and his breathing was ragged. "No." Atemu whispered aloud, looking around him. He got up and started pacing the room. "Not again."

Those flashbacks hadn't plagued him for a few months. They had stopped when….Atemu stopped his pacing and his body felt numb. Those terrible nightmares had stopped when Atemu had met Yugi. Atemu glanced at the clock. It was four in the morning and there was no way the little teen was still awake. The former agent sighed deeply and made his way over to their bedroom door. He peeked inside, and sure enough all lights were off.

Just a little. That's all I need. Atemu decided as he made his way into the bedroom. Moonlight shown in slightly from the window to the left of their bedroom. Atemu almost gasped when he saw Yugi's face illuminated by the light, it was startling. The teen looked so perfect when he slept but adding the moonlight only added to the unnatural beauty the teen held.

Atemu just stood starring at the perfect figure laying on its side in their bed. Yugi tightly clasped a pillow and had part of his face buried in it. The former agent swallowed hard. How are you doing this to me? He questioned. After pondering for a few more moments, Atemu realized that it really wasn't important. All that was important was the pain. Yugi, Atemu pleaded in his head, Make the pain go away. Make it go away again.

He couldn't stand it anymore. Looking alone wasn't enough for him. He needed to feel his little love. Atemu made his way over to his side of the bed and sat down carefully. Yugi must have sensed him for he snuggled cutely against the pillow he held so tightly. Atemu almost growled. The pillow didn't deserve that kind of love.

Gently, Atemu removed the pillow and pulled the sleeping teen closer to him. Yugi reacted to the warmth and moaned slightly, wrapping his arms about his protector. Atemu breathed a sigh of relief and pulled the younger tightly against his body. Already, the teen's presence was working its magic. His body began to relax.

"Atemu?" Yugi asked.

Atemu looked down into amethyst and let out a shaky breath.

"What's wrong?" Yugi pressed one last time.

Atemu wanted to explain. He wanted to explain the fight with Bakura, his dream, his inability to control himself around the teen but found he couldn't. A single tear leaked from the corner of his eye and trailed down his cheek.

Yugi noticed immediately and sat up, looking at the older with fear. He had never seen Atemu cry before. He opened his mouth to say something, anything of comfort, but no words would form. Maybe words weren't needed.

Atemu almost let his body melt as Yugi leaned in and kissed the tear away. He wrapped his pale arms around the protector and kissed his neck softly. Atemu closed his eyes and allowed himself to bathe in Yugi's warmth and love. It was all he needed right now.

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