To those who are reading, hi. :3 This story is a bit slower than how I usually pace things. I guess I wanted to try taking my time. You know, make it seem realistic. Besides, I got to set everything up so all the characters can come crashing down in an unorganized, bloody mess.

Please, review, let me know what ya think. It's how I get better. (Man, I feel like such a lard craving donuts like this. Maple bar, first one of the morning, with the KrispyKreme sort of melt in your mouth fluffiness….haaaaaaaaaaah.)

Pika, ya'all

p.s. please excuse any minor edits that need to be done. My husband won't let me read this aloud to him anymore so I can edit after the whole 'godfather demon sucking on naive little girl's blood' stuff. It's too much for him. (Pansy)

Chapter 3: Body Bag and Wrong Dreams

(and a girl too hawt to be legal)

Jim's yelling sounded like roaring. Mom's lark-like protests, though equal in volume, always quavered with tears. Yugi let the familiar icky tar-like sensation have its moment in his chest before plugging sound-blocking headphones into his keyboard and drowning it out. He closed his eyes and listened to where his fingers were leading him. There were velvet like words rising to his mind from somewhere in his gut rather than his lungs. Every once in a while he would stop just long enough to write the words down in his notebook. When Jim's or his mother's thunder itched to make itself heard through the music, he'd start to sing softly.

At some point he stopped to write down another line to see Yami leaning against his bedpost with his chin on his knees and his fists clenched. His eyes were wild, his mouth hard. The door to his bedroom was still closed, though, and now locked.

Yugi lowered his headphones. "Yami?"

"They're fighting again." he said.

"What else is new? Do you know about what this time?"

"Does it matter?"

"I guess not. I got a splitter and another pair of headphones on my dresser if you want."

Yami floated to the dresser, eyes on the door. Yugi could hear it too. Sobbing. Yami's knuckles went white.

"Bastard-"

"Stay out of it." said Yugi, trying to remember where his fingers were last.

"That's our mother out there!"

"And she chose him. I talked to her earlier. She doesn't want us to mess in it, we just make it worse. Just get the headphones and plug them in."

"I can't believe you can say that so cooly."

Yugi looked up hard at his brother, trying to loosen his suddenly tense jaw to speak. "I respect her and her choices. You can't always force people to do what's best for them. Besides," he turned back to the keys, "who are we to say what's best for her? She's afraid of being alone. She loves him."

His brother only growled and stuffed the headphones on his head, then jammed Yugi's headphone jack into the splitter along with his own and stuck it into the keyboard. Yugi went through a few relaxing chords before slipping into a song he thought would help, watching his twin out the corner of his eye, who smiled weakly. His angry gaze softened.

"Of course," he said, "thank you, Yugi."

"I know you."

"Better than anyone."

The chords rolled up and down the keys, tinkling in the high keys now and then, strong, brave, noble, with just an edge of sadness. It was a song he had written for his brother years ago for a christmas present. The song was one of the few sure fire ways to calm his brother, who often had a terrible temper. Even now Yugi watched as the heat melted from Yami's face and his eyes closed.

Yugi felt a vibrate in his pocket at the same time Yami did. It was from Joey.

Aaaand hes out. Be there in 5.

The text couldn't have come a second too soon as their mother pounded on their bedroom door. Yami took off his headphones to let her in, blotchy faced and tearful. Strawberry blond hair stuck to her face and her thin wrists shook against her hips.

"We're leaving, boys. Get your stuff."

"We can't, mom," said Yami bluntly, "our friend Joey is on his way. We already made plans to get parts for the carport."

Their mother's eyes sparked something similar to the way Yami's eyes did when his rage flared up. "You aren't going to be building a carport."

"Then at least-" started Yugi, who had also taken off his headphones, but Yami broke in with a forced calm.

"Mom, you do this every month. You'll just bring us back by tonight anyways and everything will be as though nothing has ever happened. We're sixteen years old. We'll take care of ourselves."

Her eyes widened and before she could say anything else, Yami shut the door in her face and locked it once more. Before either of them could hear the results of his brashness, Yami had stuffed the headphones back on his head and glared at the keyboard, daring Yugi to say something.

Yugi bit his lip and continued to play his brother's song to stall for time. He needed to think carefully what he was going to say next.

When Joey texted them, they walked through the house as though it were but mist. Their mother had vanished and Jim sat at the TV, purposefully trying to make a show that he wasn't in the least affected or moved by his wife's tears. Yugi stopped, all the air in his body pushing against the back of his throat for a scream. It was wrong. This made him feel so nasty. He wouldn't-

But then he was out of the house and the cool spring air breathed against his face, and he couldn't remember walking out the door. He looked over at his brother as they walked to the blotchy old sea green truck. He still held that angry, wild look.

Joey took one looks at their faces and said nothing as he reveresed out of the driveway. The truck smelt of cigarette smoke and something rotten. Half-way to the junkyard he dared to start a conversation.

"So, um, you up for burgers after this?"

"Don't you have to get the truck back before your dad notices it's gone?"

"Let me worry about that."

In other words, Joey knew they didn't want to go back home.

Suddenly, Yami slammed his fists on the cracked dashboard. Joey and Yugi jumped.

"I hate him!"

"Yami-"

"Did he ask if he could be a part of my family? She was our mother first and now he thinks he can just treat her however he likes-"

"They're getting better-"

"Better?! Damn it, Yugi, will you stop acting like it's nothing!"

Yugi spluttered. "Some people's parents just fight, and Jim's going through a hard time right now-"

"It's always like that! He goes through a hard time and takes it out on mom! I don't care how he treats us, but I won't stand for that, when we go home I'm going to shove my shoe through that stupid wide screen TV he loves so much-"

"Yami-"

"-and I'll tell him exactly what I think! He hates hearing that, after all."

"No you won't," said Yugi quietly.

Any normal person would have cowered underneath the furious glower his brother aimed at him, but Yugi just stared him down unflinchingly. He knew his brother.

"He gives us a home, he gives mom a home, and you know he'll just bring that up if you say anything. He might take it out on mom."

"I won't let him!"

"How? Fight him? Mom wouldn't forgive you. Besides," Yugi sighed, "like it or not, he's our dad now. For mother, we have to do our best."

Fuming, Yami crossed his arms so tight against his chest that his leather jacket squeaked. Joey tapped the steering wheel awkwardly. They didn't say another word till they had

turned into the junkyard check in barrier, where a seedy looking man chewing on sat in the guard house. Joey stopped at the barrier.

"Uh, we'd like to go in." said Joey.

The guard just jabbed at a sign next to the window. Various fees lined the board. Yugi didn't need to look closer to realize they wouldn't be able to go in. None of them would be able to afford it. The most they had on hand were a few dollars to get those burgers Joey mentioned, and from Mcdonalds dollar menu at that.

Joey cursed. "What the-are you serious?"

The guard spat out a black, wet lob of tobacco out the window onto the road. "You got a problem with that, kid?"

"Yeah, I do, are you seriously charging us for junk?"

The man smiled dryly, showing yellow stained teeth. "Must not be junk if you're here, eh?"

Joey glared knives at the man and backed out without saying anything. He drove till he was a street or two over from the junk then parked and let the truck idle.

"So...what now?" he asked.

"Um…we could sell something?"

"Nah, let's just get Yami to date Tea. She's loaded, isn't she?"

Yami just looked at Joey until he quailed against the door. Obviously he was still in a bad mood.

"I don't think it's a good idea to pretend to love someone for money." said Yugi.

"Unless it's for a good cause." said Joey.

"Granted."

Yugi leaned back, fingers to his chin and feet on the dashboard. "I guess we could just go down in quality. I hear you can find good stuff at the dump if you're willing, and that's free. It just cost to dump stuff there."

Both Joey and Yami wrinkled their noses in Yugi's direction. As Joey moved to tell him something along the lines of 'no way, hosea,' by the look on his face, Yami suddenly busted into an evil smirk and let out a single bark like laugh.

"Perfect," he said, "a carport made of trash. Fits him and his rust bucket bug. Let's do it."

"Wait, are you kidding me? Isn't the fumes suppose to be enough to kill you?"

"Yes, Joey, whoever sets foot into the dump will die of nostril poisoning. You better not come, it's far too dangerous."

"Shut up."

Ten minutes later at the end of a long dirt road at the edge of town, they reached the dump. Mottled colored land spread out as far as the eye could see, speckled with metal that glinted in the sun with tractors roaming about like cattle. All three of the boys grimaced as they explained to the surprisingly cleaner and more pleasant security guard that they were just looking for scrap metal to build a carport. He downright congratulated them for caring for the future by choosing to man even directed them to an area where they gathered the metal, offering them a small hand drawn map. With one last warning about tetanus (among other various diseases), he opened the gates. As they drove in, trying to make the rotting apple and mud smell of the landfill less than it was, Yami seemed to finally make a comeback from his foul mood.

"Screw the junkyard, it's the dump from now on, guys." he said.

"Amen!"

"Maybe those dumpster divers aren't as crazy as I always thought." said Joey.

"You're just saying that because it's you now." said Yugi.

"Bananas." said Joey.

Yami sighed. "You're get out of jail free card. You're so cheap."

The land of sheet metal and dead cars welcomed them with a thousand reflected suns. They slipped on their gloves and dove in. At one point Joey started up a round of Bohemian Rhapsody, but due to their distance from one another they had to shout the lyrics at the top of their lungs. By the end they had fallen into their respective piles of old metal, laughing-avoiding nails and sharp metal, of course.

"Hey guys, check this out." Joey hefted up a giant metal cone, splotched with red paint and rust.

"What do you think it was for?" asked Yugi as he made his way closer to Joey. Yami just looked on from a few feet away, laughing at the cone, but continuing his search.

"Cliffords cone of shame?" said Joey, grinning.

"Nah, it'd have to be white." said Yugi.

"How come?"

"Its law for cones of shame, don't question me."

"How about...an oil funnel for a monster truck."

"Lame! It's a failed Lady Gaga dress."

"No way. It's a giant's boob guard."

"With the nipple out? You're such a perv, Joey."

Then above them came a terrified, high pitched bleat from the person they thought incapable of making such a noise. "G-guys!"

Yugi and Joey dropped the giant cone and ran to Yami, who stood ramrod straight, palor grey in the sun. At first all Yugi saw was a black bag, tucked away with a bunch of others against an old riveted sheet of tin. Then Yugi's stomach jumped to his throat.

A hand, covered in dried blood, had fallen out of one, along with one, open, opaque eye in a man's face. His hair was dark brown and spilled over his blue bicep. The other had long ago been picked out by birds.

"Guys," croaked Yami, "I think that's a body."

Joey coughed and turned to leap down their mound of metal, just to throw up somewhere behind them. Yugi could feel his own stomach threatening the same, but he was afraid to barf. That would somehow make it real.

Yami, however, just took out his phone and dialed 911.

"Hey, yeah, um, we found a body at the dump. A human one."

Then Yugi made the mistake of looking again at the dead man's face and noticed his tongue had decayed in his mouth and a maggot was wriggling past his lips.

He didn't even make it as far as Joey. He threw up right there on the spot.

Yami just gave directions and made his way to the truck to wait.

! $#%^&*(&^%$#

Angie made dinner for Cain as normally as possible while not saying much. The less she said, the less likely her bad lying skills would show. For once she was grateful that Cain had his eyes glued to his laptop and fingers that only left his keyboard to eat the steak she cooked for him.

Right before she left, though, he called her name. She stopped, feathers on end beneath her illusionary shawl.

"Yes?"

"How attached are you to school?"

She felt her heart drop to her stomach. "Oh, more than I can say. I love it! It's the best thing you've given me so far."

He grunted and eyed her for a bit, as though considering what he saw. Then, with a frown, he looked back to his laptop.

"I need you to come straight home after school. Right onto the bus, then right off here, nowhere else."

She cocked her head to the side, confused. "Um, I wasn't planning on going anywhere. Why?"

"The bodies of two boys were found in the dump this afternoon. Got it off my police scanner." Cain didn't make as much as he did by getting things second hand or the day after. "From the details I heard they were murdered by a killer that has a taste for youth. I wouldn't want my beloved daughter getting found by them."

She frowned as well. "Taste for youth?"

"They were two students from the local university. I'm pretty sure he's killed others that aren't found yet, though, and it wasn't too far from here. You'll probably blend in with the other kids and its not like he'd target you in the one block you have to walk from school to the bus stop, otherwise I wouldn't be letting you go at all. But promise me."

"I promise." though her promises were meaning less and less of late.

"Good. Had enough to eat?"

"Yes."

"Then head to bed. Good night."

"Night."

Upstairs in her room, surrounded by her painted walls, she tore off the shawl and let her wings spread wide. Papers fluttered, the blankets on her bed shifted a bit, but other than that she didn't have much in her bedroom to be disturbed by her wings. She kept it that way. So that when she started to flap, eyes closed to feel each muscle, the wind didn't cause chaos. She gave in to the daydreams as she exercised, remembering the feel of the sun and the smell of unfiltered air. Also, she had hoped by letting her wings out she could beat out the nervousness that cramped her stomach. She knew she should go downstairs and tell Cain what happened and receive the consequences. It tempted her at every moment. But that meant she'd never see the twins or Joey again, that she wouldn't finish her painting, that she wouldn't get to be in the sun or go to school. The thought would instantly re-harden her resolve. For sun. For paintings. For people.

Only when she was dripping in sweat did she stop and go to take a shower. Again the black dye ran down her back and into the drain. When she got out her hair was once more white-silver. Usually when she saw herself in the mirror without all the black or shawl she'd avert her eyes quickly. Now, however, she stopped and looked closely, though not entirely sure why. But, for a minute, it didn't bother her that she didn't look like Cain. She touched her lips, her cheeks, the edge of her eyelashes, her ears….

What did the others see when they saw her? Not this. But what would they think? Was being this white and silver really that bad? Why had Cain demanded she cover it up with black? Why couldn't she wear a different color? Originally she had thought she'd like it, because it meant she could look more like she was meant to with the daemon genes, but even if her whiteness was a fluke, could it be okay to just be her?

She shook herself and frowned. All this quiet rebellion of hers was getting to her head. Cain knew more about the world than she did and she should stop being so stupid. She was already being stupid as it is.

As she dressed into a nightgown and tied it up the holes that let her wings through, she looked out of the window she had painted for herself. A silver moon sat amongst a fat pillow of stars. She had only seen the night sky a few times when Cain had taken her to the park as a child. This wasn't right to lie to him. Besides, he'd find out eventually.

At that thought she put her hands over her eyes and shuddered. She just had to be patient. One day she'd learn to fly and could live her life however she wanted. One day she could make friends with real people, not people online who had no real clue as to who she was.

She curled underneath her blankets and turned off the light, resolving to do her best to keep her promise tomorrow. Perhaps if she did well from here on out she wouldn't have to lie to Cain anymore.

But the thought made her throat tighten and tears bud out from underneath her eyelids.

! #$%^&*(^%$#

"OW! Freak, do you have to pull so tight?"

"Stop complaining, Max. You're the one who got cocky around a daemon."

"It doesn't hurt when mother changed the bandages."

"Are you really comparing me to mother?"

"That'd be too nice-OW! Damn, what is your problem?"

"What's all the yelling for?"

"Jake's trying to kill me, Orphus."

"Like a little pain is going to kill you."

"It's your fault you got hurt, Max."

"No pity at all. Love you too."

"Any info on where the daemon went, Orphus?"

"I think he took cover in a basement somewhere north of the university. It would keep him out of the sun. Also, some bodies were discovered by some kids in a dump nearby."

"Nasty little shock, I bet."

"Not as nasty as the shock to the dead one's when their visitor got hungry."

"Why didn't he eat the entire thing?"

"Beats me."

"If you ask me there's something screwy with that one's head."

"You're only saying that because he took a bite out of you and said 'yum'."

"Well, I hate to break it to you, but we're edible too."

"I'd hate to think what would happen if she's down there…"

"We have no proof that our sister is down there, Max."

"Or if she's down anywhere."

"Don't start, Jake."

"Sometimes I feel discriminated because I talk differently than you too. I like to call it realism. Shiney, new, doesn't drop you down the cliff of disappointment when you're wrong-"

"OUCH! Idiot! Pay attention to what you're doing!"

"Oh, hello, blood."

Sigh. "I'll probably die the day I wake up and you two act your age. I'm going to take another peek at the city for clues. Maybe I'll get lucky and people might actually realize they're not apex predators anymore."

"Ow ow ow OW! That's it! I'm doing it myself."

"I'd like to see you try! Go! Midair Twister!"

"And you guys aren't even listening to me."

"Stupid bandages, why won't you freaking clip."

"Because they don't like you, Max."

"Shut up!"

! #$%^&*%$# $%^&

"Where's Angie?"

Joey shrugged. "Have you tried the courtyard?"

"Yeah, she's not there. But Yami said he saw her in English this morning, so she's not sick."

"Why do you look so worried? Maybe she just had something to do."

At least Joey had the grace to not give Yugi his trademark-needs-a-punch-in-the-face smirk at his friend's over-awareness of a girl he wasn't suppose to be liking. And he didn't. He was just worried about her, that's all. She was really self-conscious and didn't have any other friends yet besides them, though whether she considered them her friend or not was a different story.

Over at Yami's table, his brother was listening to Tea as she hung on his arm and chattered with overly-bright eyes. As he ate his pbj sandwich and, trying to avoid at all costs the topic of the bodies that had kept them up last night, he forced himself to think about what he was seeing. It was mundane. It didn't have maggots wriggling past any lips.

He swallowed. "Why doesn't Yami like Tea, do you think?"

Joey rolled his eyes, knees up and leaning against the glass with a poptart in hand. "Do you really have to ask?"

"She's hot, though, and she seems nice enough to him."

"Well, I'd never like her, so it's pretty obvious to me, but otherwise you're the one most qualified to answer that question."

Yugi frowned and tapped his shoes together. "I dunno. Last time Yami had a crush it was on a girl in middle school who ended up moving. He's kind of a hypocrite for nagging me about crushing on girls when he's pretty picky himself. But anyways, I don't think I'd want him to date her anyways. What do you think? Joey?"

But Joey was staring out in front of them, poptart drooping from his mouth and eyes glassy. Yugi followed his eyes and his mouth dropped.

The girl who walked towards them looked as though she had just walked off of a movie set, and a racey one at that. She had lean legs that curved just right into her tight butt and hips. Her breasts and the amount her low-cut tee show made Yugi squirm in uncomfortable ways and try valiantly to look down at the floor just to catch sight of her high heeled leather boots. Her short skirt showed just enough halter above her stockings to make it useless in making itself anything other than lingerie.

Her wide, perfectly made up face smiled down at them. It was then Yugi realized she held a tray with food on it. A student? No way.

"Hi," she said, "all the tables are a bit too crowded for my sake. Can I sit with you?"

Joey made a vague garbling noise that could have passed for 'yes.' Whatever it was, she took it as one and sat down next to him, long stocking legs tucked beneath her and skirt leaving little to the imagination.

Yugi wasn't sure he liked this girl. She made it hard to think or look at her face and that sort of power made him feel more vulnerable and pathetic than he already thought himself as.

"I just moved here from another part of town. Mom found a better deal on a house. What do you guys do for fun around here?"

What do you do for fun around here? Inwardly, Yugi scoffed at this. It was the most cliche opening line for any guy to grab on like a fish on a hook. He looked back over at his brother, who was staring at the girl along with everyone else in the cafeteria, it seemed. The power this girl held wasn't natural.

"Um, uh, all sorts of stuff." said Joey lamely.

"Oh? Give me an example." she seemed to blink extra slowly, giving time for Yugi to see how long her lashes were.

Joey bumbled to answer her questions and made a sad attempt to help with the conversation, but just ended up sounding like a gurgling baby. Yugi tried as well to rescue his friend and only helped minimally. It was really hard to think when you could see she was wearing a leopard print bra with rhinestones underneath that tight lavender t-shirt. Eventually he gave up and left Joey to her wiles and finished his lunch.

When the bell rang and she finally excused herself and walked away, long curly blond hair waving across her swaying hips as she walked. Yugi stuff his sandwich container into his bag and got up, but Joey stayed down, untouched food in his lap. Yugi rolled his eyes and kicked his shoe.

"Wake up, Joey. It's time for class. Oh, and you're drooling."

Joey didn't respond. He didn't even blink, eyes left on where she had vanished through the cafeteria doors. Yugi kicked his shoe again and was about to leave without him when he finally spoke.

"That's her, Yug. The girl I'm going to marry."

Yugi grinned, amused. "A bit of a skip, hop, and poll vault, don't you think? You don't even know her name."

Joey's face snapped to Yugi's, horrified. "Damn, you're right!" And he leapt to his feet.

"Wait! Joey! You forgot your…" too late. He was already out of earshot and down the hall. Yugi ran his hand through his wild hair and bent to pick up the backpack Joey had left behind. No sooner had he walked into the hall when guys he barely knew converged on him.

"What did you do?"

"Yugi, who is she?"

"Dude, you've got to tell me how you got her to come sit by you."

"Did you get her number? Where she lives? Anything!"

"Woa!" Yugi cried, "I don't know anything! She just came over, that's all!"

They bantered him, determined to get out any bit of information he had as Yugi vainly tried to make it to his art class. By the time he was finally able to shake them off before they could get angry at him and reconsider the bullying days before Joey, he had begun to believe that the whole male population of that school had officially gone insane.

Yami met him in the corner, paints and portrait already up. Yugi grabbed his painting and joined him, resisting the urge to scribble over the painting in annoyance once he sat down.

"Who was that girl?" asked Yami.

"I don't freaking know already!"

"Woa, chill. No need to bite my head off."

"And Joey's decided he's going to marry her." said Yugi.

"Good for him?"

"He's going to have to compete with every male in school. Probably a result of seeing dead people in a bag."

Yami looked offended. "I've never heard of guys going horny because they saw bodies, and I would hope you think I have a little more taste than that. Sure she has a great body, but what does that have to do with anything?"

"Don't pretend, Yami, you were staring at her like everyone else."

"Jeeze, what's up with you?"

Yugi said nothing, for Angie had just walked in for the first time that day, except this time she had lost the raccoon look and only wore enough eyeliner and mascara to be noticeable. It brought out the green of her eyes more than ever, even from across the room. Somehow, just seeing her cooled him off and he mentally shook himself.

"Sorry. I just got harassed by a mob because of her. And it just annoys me when I meet such shallow guys."

"And yet here you are, gawking at a girl just the same."

"That's different Yami."

"Ah! So you admit it! You are looking!"

"What? What did I-no!"

"No taking it back now!" Yami cackled as he got up and made his way to meet Angie, who's mouth thinned as he approached her. She brought her hands in front of her and started pulling her fingers nervously. For a brief, terrifying moment Yugi thought Yami was about to tell her he liked her and start teasing her, but then he realized this was his over-protective brother who wanted him to get a girlfriend. Exasperated with the day and people in general, he turned back to his dragon, which despite his attempts, looked even more demented than when he started.

When Yami returned to his seat with a confused frown and Angie returned to her corner, Yugi grew concerned.

"I asked if she wanted to sit with us and she said she couldn't. Is there a rule in class I'm missing?" asked Yami. "I mean, it'd be different if she said she didn't want to or nevermind, but she said it twice-she couldn't."

"That's a little weird." said Yugi, trying to ignore the disappointment in his chest, "maybe its just her roundabout way of giving us the silent treatment."

"But what did we do? She said we didn't do anything."

"Girls always say that."

"And when did you become the expert?" asked Yami.

Yugi said nothing, pretending to be completely involved with finding the right color for his sad dragon. Yami sighed and looked back at the dark girl, who had eyes for only her painting and already had specks of paint on her cheeks. A small smile tipped the edge of his brother's mouth.

"The way she's getting paint on her face. Adorable."

Yugi's head spun so fast he thought he heard his neck pop. "Adorable? Did you really just say that with a straight face?" then it hit him. "Wait, are you…?"

His twin blinked and looked away, trying to hide the way his hands fidgeted, but he forgot who he was trying to hide from. "I was pointing it out for your sake, idiot. If you'd just appreciate girls in the normal fashion like every other guy I wouldn't have to do it for you."

But his hands continued to work clumsily as Yugi watched. The delicate curls of details to the bark on the tree got fatter and fatter towards the bottom as he painted. A weird squirming feeling took over his gut.

But Yami didn't lie to him. He was probably being an idiot. No, he was. Besides, what did it matter if Yami did find Angie adorable?

He reluctantly continue his ugly painting, preoccupied with his disappointment that the first time he saw her today she had confined herself into the corner, and he was too concerned that she didn't want him around to go and talk to her himself.