Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Anything For You ❯ Invesitigations ( Chapter 41 )

Thank you, guys, for being so patient with me. My paper is done, but now it's revision time and final exam time. I'll update on Friday and I will also do review responses then.

Thanks to all my wonderful reviewers!

Investigation

Mrs. Flannery pulled out her file on Ryou Bakura. The file went all the way back to Ryou's childhood. When Ryou's mother died, Child Services was called to the home of Steven Bakura. She looked at the photo attached to the boy's file. Her supervisors were concerned that Ryou would not be sufficiently supervised after the death of his mother. Also, family members, concerned about Ryou's safety around his father, called her to express hesitation. Steven never knew his kid and had little interaction with him. When Ryou's aunt and uncle volunteered to raise the boy, Child Services was content with the arrangements. They checked back with the boy every six months to make certain the boy had adjusted well to living with his relatives. Flannery looked at the boy's record:

Name: Bakura, Ryou Thomas

Date of Birth: September 2nd, 1987.

Parents: Father: Bakura, Steven

Flannery took a pen and wrote beside the name: "Deceased….2003 (exact date unknown)." She looked below:

Mother: Bakura, Rhea Arianna. Deceased: September 29th, 1989. Cause: Murder.

Flannery sighed as she looked down at the form. It was very rare that she had to fill out the "Children" section of the form. She had no particulars regarding Ryou's children, but she remembered during his father's trial that he carried in two infants…a boy and a girl. Flannery put beside the "Children" field: Aria and Aten (last names unknown).

Flannery picked up the letter that she received in the mail. On the outside of the note, the mailing address was in Brackenridge. The Zip code was 102578. It read:

To Whom it May Concern,

It is with heavy heart that I must inform you of the condition of a little girl living on 4085 Englewood in the City of Domino. The child, Aria Kanika Itemri, is living in a threatening environment. One of the occupants of the house is a known child abuser. This is not all this child is subject to. This child co-habits with four men involved in a life of prostitution and living in depravity.

As a concerned citizen, I wish to remain anonymous, but the life of the child may be in danger and I humbly ask that proper action be taken by the proper authorities to remove the child from this hostile environment.

Flannery closed the file and looked at the clock. She had to leave for her appointment with a Dr. Zira at the Domino Hospital regarding Ryou Bakura. The doctor had called her that morning stating that something drastic had happened to Ryou. The doctor called Child Services and the department knew Flannery handled Ryou's case in the past, so they told her to go investigate.

*****************

Flannery stopped Zira outside Ryou's room. "Ryou Bakura is a good kid. I never knew Ryou to do anything like that."

Zira sighed. "I barely saved him when we brought him in from his ordeal with his father. I honestly didn't expect to see Ryou come out of it."

"But, to try to kill himself….that isn't like Ryou at all."

Zira shook his head. "Ryou was always a good parent to these kids. I've never heard of them physically harming them, but Ryou's actions put these kids in danger. But Aria and Aten are so young, and Aten has gone through a traumatic experience of his own."

"Surely, we can take Ryou's past into consideration. Ryou's never done anything hostile."

"Maybe not, but I don't want to risk the chance that Ryou may hurt the kids."

Flannery nodded. "Let's see what Ryou has to say."

Flannery opened the door slowly. Ryou was sitting up in his hospital bed looking outside the window. The white-haired boy heaved a heavy sigh as his hand went to his hospital waistband brandishing his identity.

"Ryou?"

Ryou turned his head and his eyes widened in shock. "Mrs. Flannery! What are you doing here?"

"I came to visit you, Ryou." Flannery hugged the boy gently. Dr. Zira stood at the foot of the bed.

"Dr. Zira called me," she said pulling over a chair to sit beside Ryou. Flannery took Ryou's hand. "Ryou, why did you try to kill yourself?"

Ryou's smile faded and he resisted the urge to curl up in a tight ball. "I had to get rid of the voice in my head. I had to get rid of Aku."

"Aku?"

"My other yami. He made me hurt Malik. I didn't mean to do it."

Zira raised an eyebrow. Flannery turned to Zira. "Malik Ishtar is his friend. His sister is Ryou's guardian. Ryou, what did you do to Malik?"

Ryou shook his head. "I don't remember much. All I know is seeing blood. But I don't remember anything."

"You didn't stab him, punch him, cut him?"

"I don't remember. Aku told me to do it."

Flannery and Zira wrote down in their files. "Ryou, was Aria or Aten with you at the time?" Zira asked.

Flannery turned to Zira. "Who are they?"

"My children," Ryou responded with a gleam in his eye.

"You had kids, too, Ryou? Who's the mother?"

Ryou looked up at Zira. "I am. Zira delivered them."

Flannery rubbed her eyes. "Ryou, you can't bear children. You are a boy. Didn't you have a girlfriend when I last saw you?"

Ryou chuckled. "No. They are mine." Ryou moved his hospital gown to reveal a scar. "See? That's my proof. No, I didn't want to kill myself. Aria and Aten are everything to me. I just had to get that voice out of my head."

Zira wrote down in his file.

Flannery took Ryou's hand. "Who found you, Ryou? Do you know?"

Ryou shrugged. Zira said that Bakura found him.

"Ryou," Flannery gripped Ryou's hand. "Did your recent experience with your father cause you to do this?"

Ryou looked down and wiped a tear from his eye. "I was a filthy whore to my father. I never want to hear his name again! I hate him! He made me into this! He told me to enjoy it! But I didn't. I don't have a father anymore."

Flannery hugged the distraught teen. "I'm here, Ryou. Shhh….."

"Ryou, Aria and Aten weren't with you when you took the drugs, were they?"

Ryou shook his head. "No, I didn't want my kids to see me like that. I'm glad Aria or Aten didn't see me. They would have been upset."

Zira bit his lip remembering Aria's panicked expression on her face. Aria had seen Ryou collapsed on the bed.

Flannery broke her hug with Ryou. "Ryou, where is your guardian, Isis?"

"Isis went to the Egyptian museum in Cairo."

"Who looks after you? And Malik Ishtar? He's underage, too."

"Our yamis take care of us. Marik and Bakura are old enough."

"Ryou, if you need to talk with someone, please call me, ok?"

Ryou nodded. Flannery hugged Ryou one more time and she left with Dr. Zira.

"I had no idea Ryou was a father."

"Well, Ryou is the mother, actually."

"How can he be? He's a boy."

"Long story. I didn't believe it myself. But, Ryou was…um…is…the biological mother. That scar was from the delivery."

Flannery shifted uncomfortably. "You delivered his kids?"

"Yes, well, I didn't expect to save the boy. Aten was a struggle to keep alive. They really are good kids."

Flannery looked in her file. "I'll have to check on them then."

"Aten was sent home with Ryou, so his father should be there."

Flannery nodded. "Ok. I'll talk to Bakura."

"Marik is the father of Aten. Take it up with him. But, I warn you, Mrs. Flannery. Marik won't even let me near Aten when I have to examine him. Marik is extremely..overprotective of him."

Flannery nodded. "Ok. I love Ryou. I really do. He's like my own son, but I have to make sure that those kids are in a suitable environment."

"Ryou loves his kids, but this incident, I have to confess, worries me. Aten and Aria are only toddlers. Ryou's behavior is very unstable because of what his father has done to him. That is why I called you here, Mrs. Flannery. Ryou would never hurt his kids, but I think this entire incident has affected Ryou to the point that I worry about those kids. I don't want to be the bad guy here. I am looking for whatever would be in the kids' best interest."

Flannery nodded. "So do I."

*****************

Aria sat on her father's lap. Bakura was struggling with her white, spiky hair. He already broke combs in her thick hair. Marik had just picked the kids up from Seto's place. Seto and Joey said they could not do the chibis' hair because of how thick their hair was.

"S'arete ari Faris briman! Ra madamen!" Bakura grunted as the brush got caught once again in his daughter's hair.

Aten let out a giggle as he curled up in Marik's arms. "Daddy Bakura said a dirty word!"

Marik cuddled Aten closer. "Watch your Egyptian around these kids, Bakura."

Aria lifted her doll into the air. "Daddy! Jessie's hair is all bwushed! Ain't she pwetty??"

"Yes….dear! AHHHHHHH!!! RA-DAMNED HAIR!"

"Watch your English, too! Here….let me brush her hair. For Ra-sakes, Itemri."

Aten sat beside his father holding his toy Millenium Rod. He curled up beside Marik, nuzzling his head into Marik's ribcage. The brush went through Aria's hair with little effort. "I thought you wouldn't have a problem with this."

"Is mommy gonna come home today? I miss mommy," Aria said playing with the doll on her lap.

"Mommy will come home today," Bakura said standing up. "I better check on Malik. He hasn't come down all day."

"He thinks you're still pissed at him."

Bakura turned around and opened his arms. "I told him I was sorry!"

Marik rolled his eyes and gathered Aria's hair on the right side of her head into a ponytail. "Pouncing on my hikari while he's shaking is no way to say you're sorry to him."

"I was giving him a hug!"

"You were raising your voice and you jumped on him the same way you pinned him to the bed. Oh…By the way….Only I…get to pin Malik to the bed. That is NOT for you to do..got it? Pin your own hikari to the bed, but leave mine out of it."

The doorbell ran and Aten let out a squeal and curled up into a tight ball and shoving his face in Marik's back. Marik rubbed his son's back.
"It's ok, Aten. Daddy's here."

Bakura opened the door. "Mrs. Flannery? What are you doing here?"

"Can I come in, Bakura?"

Bakura let her in and she saw Marik with two chibis. Aria smiled at Flannery. "hey, lady! Wook at Jessie! Her hair's all pwetty and bwussed."

Flannery bent to Aria. "You must be Aria."

Aria nodded. Aten peeked out an eye and quickly hid his face.

"And who is this?"

"Oh…Aten, she's talking to you, son."

Aten cuddled closer to his father and shook his head.

Marik sighed and ran his hands through the white and blonde locks. "He's still kind of shy, miss. It's not his fault."

Flannery sat down on the chair. "I'm here to talk to you about Ryou, Bakura."

Bakura sat beside Marik and took Aria into his lap putting her other ponytail in.

"I take it you heard about his…incident."

"Dr. Zira filled me in on the details regarding the incident with his father."

Bakura shook his head. "Steven went too far with Ryou. I don't know how a father could do that to his own kid. I mean, my father was just as bad."

"In speaking of caretakers, where is Isis?"

Marik brought Aten onto his lap, but the little boy squirmed uncomfortably. "She's in Egypt now. She'll be back in several months, actually."

"Who is responsible for Ryou?"

Bakura shrugged smoothing out his daughter's dress. "Marik and I take care of

Ryou and Malik while Isis is away."

"But, Bakura, you admitted in open court to beating Ryou."

Bakura and Marik exchanged worried glances.

"I said I didn't do that anymore."

Flannery wrote something down in her file. "I also was told that Malik Ishtar is here?"

Marik nodded. "Why?"

"Ryou told me that he hurt Malik. I want to talk to him about it."

Marik stood up and handed Aten to Bakura. "I'll take you upstairs." Marik grabbed the Millenium Rod and brought her upstairs. Marik opened the door and found Malik lying in his bed.

"Hikari?"

Malik raised his head and turned around. He shifted uncomfortably on the bed.

"Hello," he said, a small whimper escaping him. "Can I help you?"

Marik sat beside his hikari who cuddled up to him.

"I'm Mrs. Flannery from Child Services, Malik. I just came from talking to Ryou."

Malik's eyes lit up. "Is he ok? Is he alright? I'm really worried about him."

"Ryou is fine. He told me he hurt you last night….that you were bleeding."

Malik's face grew red and he moved closer to his yami putting his hand on the Millenium Rod. "Ryou…he didn't ….he didn't mean it. It wasn't his fault."

"Exactly how did he hurt you, Malik?"

Malik shook his head. "I can't say. It's not..that bad…really." Malik shifted uncomfortably again.

"Where is your sister, Isis?"

"She's out of town for a while. My sister sometimes goes away for long periods of time. I'm ok on my own."

Flannery wrote down in her file. "She does this often?"

"Not all the time. But, I rarely see my sister because she is so busy."

"Thank you, Malik. One more question, did you see Ryou take the pills?"

Malik shook his head. "I was in here….alone."

Flannery closed her file. "Thank you, Malik. I hope you feel better."

Flannery left the room and footsteps were heard leaving the house. Malik wrapped his arms around Marik. Marik rubbed his hikari's hair. "It's ok, tenshi. Shh..It's ok."

"I couldn't tell her."

"I understand."

Bakura came up the stairs with the two chibis at his heels. "Malik?"

"Mom?" Aten and Aria grabbed onto Marik's leg and Marik put them on the bed. The two chibis curled up on Malik's lap.

"That was an abrupt exit," Bakura said.

"I wonder what Ryou told her."

Bakura looked at the clock. "We have to pick him up from the hospital anyway."

Updates: I will update on Friday.