AN: Two 'new' participants this week and my characters are beginning to dictate their own story. I'm still using the P&P storyline but…ever more broadly from here on in. You'll have to excuse all my liberties – they just have a will of their own. I hope you continue to read and enjoy :)

My daily good moods this week were provided by the following reviewers, thank you so much for all your support:

SmellyBelly69 (so generous, interesting and such fun), Nenya85 (you are so giving of your time and always constructive), Kaibasbigbluedragon (lol), Sakura-chan and IkoWillows (thanks for joining me), Bella and Jackie (I'm so glad you're on board), TheAlphaChives (like I would complain!), I wasn't born Guesterday (clearly unstifled – I really appreciate your thoughts – cue: a wistful moment just for you), Bill (lol – see author's note below) and Acirederf (for all your input).

As ever - to all the above and everyone else who is following or reading my story, thanks so much – my appreciation of you all is huge – you add immense pleasure to my writing experience :)

"There is a stubbornness about me that never can bear to be frightened at the will of others. My courage always rises at every attempt to intimidate me." Jane Austen, P&P.

Chapter Eight

January passed into February without much change. Joey had extended his stay and was not returning until March (nothing had been heard from Mai); Yugi had been home for one weekend - full of his happiness with Tea, and Yami had missed them both. He had continued to spend time with Ryou and Tristan although their dice games held only a little interest for him, and had even been convinced to play Risk with Marik a few times, but domination was far more interesting to one than the other and Marik had an annoying habit of pretending he could control all the forces with his rod.

Yami had encountered Duke on many occasions but had come to the conclusion that his attraction to him was: mostly physical, partly gratified vanity and the rest – loneliness, he too wanted to find someone special. He liked Duke, condoled with him and found him interesting company but something was lacking…they remained friends only (although gratifyingly - Duke clearly would have liked more). Over the next couple of weeks it became evident that his restraint had been fortunate.

Attending a gaming evening with his two younger brothers, Yami quickly became aware of a newcomer, the stranger could hardly have been missed. Dressed in an open-necked crisp white shirt (a glint of gold betraying some sort of amulet beneath?) and blue trousers, he was of slender build yet with a wiry, muscular strength to his frame and he somehow seemed to exude an aura of dangerous sensuality. A mane of roughly tousled white hair obscured his face as he leant over a table to make a cast, but as he rose up and glanced around; his hard black gaze scorched the room. Beneath his slightly slanted fierce brows and intimidating stare lay a sharply defined bone structure and the whole was completed by an expression of superiority and cruelly smirking thin lips.

As he swept that searching look across the new arrivals, Yami had a sense of being weighed up and recorded but the eyes did not pause long until they narrowed abruptly, focussed upon something behind him. He glanced back to see what had arrested the attention of this somewhat ominous newcomer and was startled to see Ryou transfixed, meeting the stare and looking like he had been hit by a thunderbolt.

"Ryou," he hissed quietly, "snap out of it."

His brother gave a start and turned wide, dazed eyes upon him; he looked suddenly alarmed and younger than his years as he asked, "Who is he?"

"I don't know, I thought perhaps you did by the way you were staring? I'll certainly find out." Yami replied.

It transpired that the compelling new presence was in town upon business with KaibaCorp - on behalf of Maximilian Pegasus. Exactly what that might be no-one seemed to know, but he was Head of acquisitions at Industrial Illusions and his name was Bakura.

"Acquisitions? What does that entail?" Ryou asked Yami, showing far too much interest in this somewhat menacing visitor for Yami's peace of mind.

"Roughly that he oversees, advises upon and gains possession of, anything Pegasus might desire." Yami answered succinctly, "by all accounts he's pretty ruthless Ryou, I can't see that he's likely to have any interest in us, but watch yourself around him, he looks pretty cold-blooded."

"Perhaps his exterior hides a warm heart," Ryou laughed, but he had a slightly giddy, reckless air to him that Yami distrusted and he resolved to keep a close eye on his brother that evening.

Yami maintained his vigilance and thus was quickly aware, when a few hours later Ryou shared a drink with Bakura. He glanced across the room to where they were seated and stood up, despite both occupying chairs; the older man seemed somehow to loom alarmingly over Ryou a distinctly rapacious expression upon his face. Yami did not like it and determined to take his younger brother home as soon as possible, it was lucky he could not hear their low-voiced conversation or he would have been more shocked.

Ryou wasn't sure why he had accepted the offer of a drink, Bakura was unnerving yet something about him was darkly fascinating. He looked into those calculating eyes like a mouse hypnotised by a hungry cobra and sought conversation, "I hear you work for Pegasus, head of acquisitions…sounds interesting."

Bakura's predatory eyes glinted maliciously; he decided to play with this tempting little mouthful. "Pegasus likes to dress things up with fancy titles," he began slowly; "it means that if he wants something, I find a means to get it for him, legally - if that's at all possible."

"Oh," was all the response Ryou could find to this somewhat daunting statement.

"I think you should know," Bakura continued, disregarding this irrelevance. "I may try to get things legally for him, but if I see something I want for myself, that's different, I just take it."

Nothing in Ryou's limited experience gave him any idea how to deal with someone like this and his brown eyes opened wide beneath his own white fringe, making him look almost absurdly innocent. Bakura's smile widened and he was about to continue in this vein when he became aware of a distinctly frosty presence at his side. Diamond hard eyes met challenging amethyst which failed to drop beneath the glare of his own, in fact an answering fierceness rose within them.

"I apologise for interrupting your drink," said Yami flatly, sounding distinctly unapologetic. "Father just called me Ryou, I'm afraid we need to leave…right away," he finished implacably.

Ryou rose to depart with his brother, muttering a slightly relieved "goodbye," but as he followed, a softly audible sentence drifted after him, "We'll meet again you know, I practically guarantee it…" The accompanying salacious chuckle followed him across the room.

Yami was annoyed and lectured his brother for much of the way home. "Far too experienced," "warned you to stay away from him" and "you're not going there again while he's in town," forming the basis of the tirade. Ryou was acquiescent, his heart still raced from the feeling he had had of being overwhelmed and the small spark of desire he had felt had alarmed him almost equally.

Yami was implacable in his determination to safeguard his brother and threatened disclosure to their father if necessary, but he needn't have. Ryou was gentle and yielding by nature and had moreover the habit of obedience to his older two brothers, he ignored a lingering feeling of fascination, aware it was probably self-destructive anyway. As a result of all this, when Tristan mentioned going out a few evenings later, he replied that he was staying in to watch The Exorcist with Marik.

"Very wholesome," said Yami approvingly and squeezed his shoulder meaningfully. He gave Ryou a slight nod of approval, relief in his eyes as he announced to Tristan that he would accompany him.

Back among the tables, Yami was aware of a searching look from Bakura when they entered and a wry smile passed swiftly across his face as he noted the absence of Ryou. Yami stiffened and met those eyes squarely but was surprised and relieved when a slight nod and raised glass were all that followed. Bakura seemed perfectly unperturbed and continued to dice with his playing partner; with a tiny feeling of indignation at this riposte (although unmixed with surprise or pain) Yami observed that it was Duke.

Throughout the evening, the pair were noticeably flirtatious, drinking from the same glass and challenging one another both verbally and with eye-contact. Yami was pleasantly conscious that he felt unaffected by all this; his chief feeling was of relief that Bakura had found another quarry. Any prick to his pride was further soothed when he recalled that not only was his own disinclination the reason his friendship with Duke had cooled slightly, but that there was another motive conceivably at play here.

Bakura was clearly a potential route to Pegasus, and Duke - his thwarted ambitions for Dungeon Duel Dice still festering, would certainly not miss this connection. Yami was somewhat perturbed to recognise these suspicions - that his friend might be capable of such calculating behaviour. He pushed it from his mind as unworthy, but at a deeper, more instinctive level – he knew it was possible.

A day or two later when he heard that Bakura, business completed, had left town, Yami was thankful. The news that Duke had apparently accompanied him - bothered him not at all; he wished Duke well, but was in fact more troubled by the clear disappointment and faint evidence of distress that he observed from Tristan who told him the news. All-in-all, 'perhaps it is fortunate that both are gone for the moment' - was his final thought on the matter.

A few more weeks and the time approached for Yami's visit to Yugi and Tea. Joey had returned from his stay with Rafael and Ishizu, he seemed more rested but had lost some weight and carried an almost undetectable air of hopeless resignation about him which his brother's keen eye could not fail to observe.

Inwardly Yami damned both Kaiba and Mai; clearly Joey felt as strongly as ever but had given up hope. He was trying to get on with his life but plainly found no joy in it at present and was unlikely to for some time. The two were both glad to be in one another's company again, Yami felt almost regretful to be going away for a few weeks although he had previously been looking forward to the visit.

When the morning of his departure arrived, Joey was conscious of his brother's concern, "Don't worry about it Yami," he told him with a smile that went only slightly awry, I'll be fine, I'm stronger than you think."

"I know how resilient you are Joey," Yami smiled back, concealing the ache that lopsided smile gave him, "I've just missed you."

"Well I'll still be here in a few weeks, have fun…give my love to Tea and Yugi."

Yami shared a reassuring glance with his father and knew Joey would be alright, Solomon was clearly aware of Joey's heartache and would be watching over him. With hugs all around, he said his goodbyes and left to catch the train.

As the train drew into the station, Yami could see Yugi waiting, an eager expression on his face as he scanned the carriages, Tea - almost bouncing with excitement was holding his hand at his side.

"The best of friends must part, but it's so good to see you again Yami," she burst out, as she saw him approaching. All three laughed and shared a group hug on the platform before Yami was taken to their apartment.

As he entered their dwelling place, Yami looked about him appreciatively, the flat reflected its' owners, a comfortable and friendly place to be. It was very informal and was clearly no show-house, this was a home. Tumbled cushions and dancing shoes, duel monster cards on the table and bright curtains at the windows…Yami was suddenly very sure about the place Yugi had found for himself and he smiled at the pair as he spoke. "Your home is so welcoming, it reflects you both and I'm very glad to be here." Two identically broad smiles greeted this pronouncement and the three enjoyed the rest of a cosy evening with a bottle of wine, exchanging news and just enjoying the time spent together.

The next day or two was spent acquainting Yami with the local town, before Tea had to return to 'work', she clearly enjoyed being part of the Industrial Illusions project and left each morning with a spring in her step. Yugi had a few days off and the two enjoyed the time together, relaxing back into the familiarity of their close bond.

Yami felt happy that his best friend had found such contentment and Yugi privately wished that he could see Yami, similarly situated sometime soon. He could sense that longing within Yami, it did not require words for him to feel it.

Yami found the change of environment stimulating, delighted in Yugi's happiness and was glad to get further acquainted with his cousin – clearly she was going to be a firm fixture in Yugi's (and therefore his own) life and it was pleasing that they all got along so well.

One evening Tea returned home with an invitation, she had spoken to Pegasus about their visitor and all three were invited to dinner. Yugi smiled, he had become used to the flamboyant Pegasus and found him entertaining company, furthermore he was prejudiced by the kindness shown to Tea, but he wondered what Yami would make of him.

As Yami dressed for dinner that evening (his black suit admirably suiting his vibrant colouring) he wondered what Pegasus would be like. His public persona varied wildly via differing accounts, yet he was clearly beloved by Tea and Yugi spoke of him with amused indulgence, it would be an interesting evening.

As the trio entered the Industrial Illusions penthouse he got an immediate first impression, "Tea my little peach and Yugi-boy, what a treat to see you again in my humble abode, let me look at your charming guest, oooooh such a handsome one, and a card player too I understand." Pegasus was most definitely a presence in the room.

Yami looked appraisingly at him and his scrutiny was returned with interest, as Pegasus raised a quizzing glass (was that an eye emblazoned on it?) to fully return the inspection.

Yami saw before him a tall and surprisingly imposing figure, Pegasus was dressed in a clearly expensive, tailored red suit and white hair hung to below his shoulders – springing from a widow's peak. His sharp featured face was dominated by a pair of arresting and penetrating eyes, above a smile which was currently considering and was not reflected within them. Yami's impression was that yes, here was a foppish dandy (as he had read) but there was more. He carried a hint of melancholy about him, but above all - here was a man accustomed to authority and to getting his own way. The mannerisms seemed a front, what lay behind them remained to be seen.

Pegasus - in turn, saw a confident young man clad in a sombre suit which merely served to emphasise the riot of his lurid hair. The creamy column of his throat, rising from the black shirt, a foil for his slightly slanted almost purple eyes. These were surveying him without any self-consciousness, considering - even as he was assessed in turn.

Each reserved their opinion, waiting to know more. Yami found himself quite equal to the scrutiny and was able to look about with composure. He admired the fantastic view from the wall of plate glass windows and surveyed the opulent furnishings without feeling in any way diminished by them.

Pegasus was intrigued by this self-possessed individual and desired to know more of him. After welcoming all three in his customary effusive fashion and seeing them supplied with drinks he began conversation politely, by speaking to Tea about dancing choreography and asking her opinion upon the results obtained from the motion capture suit she was using at work.

During intervals in this discourse, he addressed a variety of questions to Yami, "Who are your parents? Do you have siblings? When did you learn to play Duel Monsters?"

Yami was aware of feeling somewhat interrogated but replied composedly to these questions and explained that his father had taught him and ran a gaming shop. At the answer to the last question, Pegasus' interest sharpened and he again raised his monocle to examine Yami minutely. The conversation turned completely to the game and the cards themselves, as devotees, both Yugi and Yami expressed their admiration for the beautiful artwork used to create them. After all, this was the creator of the game – in person.

At dinner - an unexpected surprise awaited the guests as Pegasus' daughter Serenity joined them. Serenity was a fragile seeming but extremely pretty girl ('about Marik's age,' thought Yami), she had auburn hair which flowed down her back from the same widow's peak as her father, but her soft brown eyes glanced shyly at the guests. As she peered more closely (the eyes were weak but medical intervention was slowly correcting this), she recognised Tea – whom she considered a friend - and squeaked with pleasure. A kiss for her father, followed by a shy hello to the two male strangers and then the women became engrossed in conversation together.

The dinner was predictably sumptuous and all three guests complimented their host. Whilst Serenity and Tea had been otherwise occupied, the male conversation had revolved around duelling. Pegasus – a championship winner himself, had seen a recording of the recent duel between Yami and Kaiba and had been fascinated.

"You were impressive indeed," he began, "poor Kaiba-boy, (Yami noticed he was not yet 'Yami-boy', and wondered – 'what inducted one to that slightly patronising clique', and could he avoid it). I'm afraid he won't take it at all well that you were quite obviously his equal," he finished complacently. He was clearly able to bear the idea of Kaiba's probable frustration with great fortitude.

"Won't take it well…?" Yugi prompted, after a moment's pause.

"My dears, you must know he considers himself supreme," Pegasus declared, with an affected air of surprise. "The only person who duels at his level is myself, and we don't duel," he added.

"Why is that?" Yami asked.

"Oh he doesn't approve of my toon deck," Pegasus pouted, "thinks it's disrespectful to his beloved Blue-Eyes to have a toon version. When it's sooo adorable too…plus we do quite a lot of business together so rancour wouldn't be a good thing."

"I didn't know there was a toon version of Blue-Eyes?" Yami questioned.

"Only mine," was the smugly satisfied reply and the conversation turned to the rare cards of which only Pegasus was a holder.

As the evening drew to a close, Pegasus invited all three to come again in a few days' time. Only once they had accepted this invitation, did he drop a bombshell.

"Oh, I almost forgot to tell you, my shocking memory you know," he smiled maliciously (clearly his memory was just fine), "dearest Kaiba-boy will also be with us that evening, we have some business to discuss and he's coming here for a few days. My right-hand man Bakura – I think you know him? – Let me know the delightful news just this morning."

Clearly Pegasus kept himself better informed than Yami had realised.

"I'm so glad I'll be able to witness your reunion Yami, It's sure to be such a happy one." The last was said with a giggle and a triumphant air as he observed Yami narrowly, impressed by his own cleverness.

His three departing guests looked at him in consternation but there was nothing to be said, the invitation had already been accepted and could not now be declined without giving offence.

'Just as Pegasus clearly planned it', thought Yami angrily, he had thought Pegasus would prove to be manipulative, but had unwisely lowered his guard.

AN: In my story Bakura has combined the roles undertaken by two others in the original P&P. He is primarily replacing Darcy's cousin (Colonel Fitzwilliam), but I have expanded the participation of that character and he will thus be present a lot more in later chapters. In this week's instalment he also occupied the position of Mary King, the heiress whose money was the main source of her allure for Wickham. I thought that his proximity to Pegasus would prove sufficient incentive for the temptation of my own 'Wickham'.

Thanks to all who continue to read, and especially those who follow/review, all feedback (even when short) is SO gratefully received.

Looking forward to next week's update, two big chapters coming up as Kaiba and Yami meet again and tensions start to really rise between them.

Hope you stay with me, if so – see you next Friday :)

Bill – investigated further on your behalf – lol : Ass…bottle and glass…(became just) bottle…Aristotle…(shortened to) Aris…(ended as) Harris; I hope you both enjoyed it this week. You should definitely take that 'sex change' lmao, then I could have PM'ed you with this instead of sharing it widely – oh well, I guess it's informative (sort of?) ;)