Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Hostile Takeover ❯ Remember ( Chapter 6 )

WARNING: ANGST SECOND HALF OF CHAPPIE AND ANZU BASHING! *grabs Millennium Spear*

Caterfree: I was made fun of at school from the beginning. The only difference is I was mocked not for anime, but for other pointless reasons.

Ryou's Mistress: I need a name and a description for my wife's fic! Check your email!

Lady Elfskye: Robbie and Aten are cute together…especially when they get older.

IYYASHI: Don't hurt Seto? *grins evilly* I wouldn't dare…*wrings hands together cruelly*

Joeyrules: Thanks. well, aku is all about painful memories, so why not, right?

Valea: Wow. sorry to hear about it. I was a gifted kid in a class of struggling kids, so I got the brunt of it. Then in 4th grade, I suddenly struggled with math and science.

Bwuebewwy Sugar Princess: I know. so sad

Joey's Gal: Aku feeds off the essence of bad memories. Kinda interesting.

Shadow of Light: Aten and Robbie are cute together and the bullies are much like mine were.

Yami Bakura Awai: I already have one planned between Malik and Marik later.

Remember

Aten and Robbie colored their picture of a ball, bear and a happy smiling bat. Gabby and Aria were chatting endlessly about the happy bat on the paper and how cute it was. Cullen had the kids sit on their squares of carpet after they were done coloring. Robbie and Aten sat next to Umi.

Cullen asked the kids what other words began with "B." He turned to Eric hoping it wasn't something crass.

"Bastard!" Eric said crossing his arms smiling, very proud of himself knowing the teaher couldn't punish him. If he did, his mommy would come to his defense.

"Eric, please do not use that language here," Cullen scolded.

"Bastard is a word! My mommy uses it all the time! That's what she says about people who don't let me have my way!"

Aten sifted closer to Robbie whispering, "I no wike him, Wobbie."

"Still, Eric, you cannot us that type of language here. No playtime for you today."

Eric pouted. "My mommy's not gonna be happy."

"I will talk to your mother, Eric. Arthur?"

"Beetle! My daddy's friend teached me all about bugs! He duels, too!"

"Justine?"

Justine smiled shyly. "Umm….Butterfly?"

"Very good, Justine and Arthur. Rhonda?"

"Brat! My Uncle Tristan calls me that all the time, but it's not true! I ain't no brat! I'm pretty and efferyone in my family loves me!"

Cullen nodded, not knowing how to respond. "Ok. Bruce?"

"Battle Ox! He's sooooooooo cool! He swings his axe like this!" Bruce mimicked the Battle Ox swinging his axe, complete with sound effects. "His axe goes swish!"

Cullen tried to beat back a chuckle, but he failed. "Ok, very good, Bruce. Mallary?"

"Bow!" Mallary said pointing to the big pink bows on her dress.

"Good, Mallary. Jason?"

"Boring….like this stupid activy!"

"Jason, this is to help you understand the letter "B"."

"I know..but it's still boring…..like you!"

Cullen narrowed his eyes then took a deep breath. "Do you also want to go without playtime today?"

"Bite me! That begins with "B," too, right?"

"You and Eric will sit in the corner during playtime. Jason, I will not tolerate nonsense in this class!"

Aten shifted closer to Robbie.

"Gabby?"

Gabby wrapped her arms around Aria. "Bestest Friends!"

"SQUEE!" Aria squealed her little chibi head off.

"Aria?"

Aria pounced on Gabby and hugged her in a tight bear hug. "Aria?"

Aria sat back down scratching her spikes. "Umm…daddy calls me his baby girl. Baby starts with "B", right?"

"Yes it does, great job!"

Eric snickered. "Baby Aria! You are a baby! Helpless little Aria!"

Aria narrowed her eyes, growled, and snarled at him. "I am not helpless or a baby!"

Eric sneered. "Yes you are!"

"Eric, stop it! Go to the corner!"

"OOO! My mommy is not gonna be happy!"

"Go, Eric."

Eric smiled confidently all the way to the corner.

"Umi?"

"FISH BOY!" Eric cat-called to Umi.

"Stop it now, Eric."

Umi rolled his eyes, ignoring the insult. "Baracutta."

"Good job, Umi. Robbie?"

"LIMPY!"

"Eric? Do we have to have a talk after class?"

Eric smiled and laughed. "You don't hafta talk to me. You'll hafta talk to my mommy!"

Robbie held up a toy boat. "Boat!"

"Excellent, Robbie. Aten?"

Aten lifted his shirt up to his chest. "Bewwy! And Bewwy Button1 I dot two tings wif "B"!"

Cullen and Robbie gaped at Aten's ribcage which protruded from his skin. The chibi ha no fat on his little body. A thin layer of tan skin barely covered the bones underneath. Aten smiled as he pointed to his belly button. "One tine, Unkie Seto tol me dat if I pess my bewwy button hard enough dat my bum would faw off!"

Cullen tried not to laugh, but some of the girls let out giggles of amusement.

"I tink he was jocking causs Unkie Puppy woll his eyes. I pessed it one tine until it weawwy hurt, but my bum not faw off." Aten motioned for Cullen to come near him. Aten pulled Cullen down and whispered in his ear. "But I tink I pessed Awia's bewwy button in de baff or before we were bornded betaws her penis fawwed off! See's till tying to fine it."

Cullen stood up and looked at his sister sitting nearby. She wore a white and red dress with velvet red bows on here two bat-wing spikes. The chibi girl sat crossing her legs and smiled at him.

Mallary helped Cullen hand out pieces of bananas. Mallary gave Aten the biggest slice she could find.

Aten's little eyes lit up and he smiled up at her. "Tankoo, Mawwawy."

Aten and Robbie colored more thins that began with "B" on the other side of their paper.

"What's that, Aten?"

"Dis is Bastet, an Egishin gadogess. See iss my daddy's potetcter gadogess en he was in Eshipt. I no know Awia's daddy's gadogess."

Aria leaned over. "I tink it was Osiris."

Aten pointed to her. "Dat it! Orisis! I no know how my potetcter gadogess is yet. I guess I fine dat en I det oller."

Robbie nodded. "I wish I had somethin' like that."

"Yadoo, Wobbie! All peetle hass a potetcter gadogess or god! My daddy tays dat effen de Wa-Damned Pharaoh hass a potetcter gadogess."

Cullen heard a knock at the door and stuck his head out of the classroom.

"HELLO, YOUNG CHIBIS!"

Every eye in the room went wide and Aten squealed in horror. Cullen's eyes went to Aten to scurried behind Robbie hyperventilating. Aten began to clutch his chest in pain and Cullen ran for the pills in his desk. He walked to Aten and gave him a pill.

"Aten, you ok?"

"Dat wady mace my chess hurt," he whimpered as he swallowed the pill.

Cullen looked at the brunette who jumped around the room skipping brainlessly. The school had hired her to come in and do balloon animals for the kids.

"I'm going to do balloon animls for you because balloons are like friendship! Who wants a happy-slappy friendly-wendly bawoon aminal to hug and squeeze and kiss and love forever like a cute little puppy dog or fluffy bunnies?"

Umi's bottom lip trembled and his eyes watered. "I've been in hurnicanes that weren't as scary as this!" Umi began to sob and rub his eyes. His tears flowed freely. "I want my daddy!"

Gabby backed away in horror trembling and crying. "I don't like her! She's scary and dumb and…and….scary…and she looks funny….and….and….and she scares me! And ….and…..and….I want her to go away!"

Anzu ran up to Aria. "Do you want a bawoon aminal?"

Aria scratched her head and grinned. "I want a sword! It's long and big and it hass to be pink!"

"Pink is the color of friendship! I LOVE FRIENDSHIPY COLORS! HORRAY FOR FRIENDSHIP!"

Anzu made a sword for Aria out of a pink balloon. Cullen saw that the object looked nothing like a sword.

Aria took the "sword" in her hand. "WOW! It looks like Unkie Setos sword fom the toybox!"

Robbie turned to Aten. "Who is she?"

Aten's eyes widened and his face went pale as he looked at Aria's new "sword." Aten's little fingers clutched onto Robbie. "See's a scawy wady who tink butt fendsip all de tine. My daddy no wike her."

Aria went to Bruce and grabbed his rubber ball he was playing with. "OO! Balls are like friendship! Hard balls are the friendliest because they feel good! You can rub them on your hand, you can rub them on your cheek! Rub them on your chest!"

Cullen bit his lip and ran to Anzu. "Why don't you talk about something else?"

Anzu leaned into Cullen. Having no sense of decency or common sense, Anzu shouted. "BRAS ARE LIKE FRIENDSHIPP!"

Every child in the classroom broke into pitiful sobbing. Aten curled up in a fetal position and Aria's air twitched in anger and frustration. Aria walked to Aten and caressed his white and blond locks. "I no wike her," Aria sneered.

"Miss, you'll have to leave," Cullen said.

Anzu looked at the happy teddy bear on Mallary's desk and grabbed the paper squishing it tightly. The little girl cried harder as the paper crinkled between Anzu's arms and her body.

"OOO! HAPPY BEAR JAMBOREE! I love happy bears! They are so cute! I want to hug tem and squish them and pet them and kiss them and…hug them because they are so friendly!"

Mrs. Barnes entered the room seeing Eric cry. "That girl scared me!"

Barnes saw Anzu pretending to be a cow. The girl was jumping side to side brainlessly. "I'm a happy cow! MOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!"

Barnes walked up to Cullen. "You must really want to be flipping patties, Mr. Cullen."

"Mrs. Barnes, I did not hire…""

"Look at my Eric! Now I have to get my little boy an ice cream!"

"Mrs. Barnes, we really need to discuss Eric's language in class."

Barnes sighed in frustration. "The only thing we really need to discuss regarding my son is your obvious inability to teach at all! I bet one of these kids are going to get very far! My son will go further than all of them! I have nothing to discuss with you!" Barnes carried her crying son out of the room.

Ryou and Bakura entered and saw Aten wailing and Aria twitching her hair. One look at Anzu and they both went white.

"Ryou! Bakura-poo!" Anzu ran to hug Bakura, but he put his arm out to shield himself from her.

"Touch me," he growled, "and you will face pain!" Anzu clutched onto him anyway. "Dying was less painful than this," he grunted trying to free himself.

Ryou brought Aten into his arms and took Aria's hand. Ryou looked at Robbie sobbing and whimpering.

"Robbie, do you want to wait with us outside until your mommy comes to pick you up?"

Robbie nodded taking Ryou's other hand.

Tristan and Otogi wlked in hearing Rhonda cry. Rhonda latched herself onto Tristan. They saw Anzu who wrapped her arms around Otogi's waist.

"OOOO! OTOGI-POO!"

Otogi's eyes widened. "Get….off….me….you….leech!"

"Otogi! I love you and I want little dice-babies with you!"

Tristan leaned against the wall hysterically laughing. His face was turning red and if it wasn't for the wall, he would be lying on the floor dying of laughter.

Otogi screamed in horror of fathering children with Anzu. "Listen! I do not like you! I'm gay!"

Anzu squealed loud enough to crack glass with her pathetic squeal. "That means you're happy! YEAH FOR HAPPINESS!"

Tristan laughed harder. "That's it…..happy. Well, Anzu, I think Otogi would love to have babies with you."

Otogi rolled his eyes. "No! Tristan! Knock it off, man! I don't prefer women!"

Anzu gave a brainless stare. "I would love Otogi babies! I danced for Seto with no clothes on!" Otogi and Tristan grabbed their stomachs in pain and closed their eyes at the mental image of Anzu naked.

"I had his baby by him looking at me naked and I didn't even know I had a kid!"

Bakura sighed in pity. "No, Anzu, Seto adopted."

"No! I was naked!"

Umi wailed louder, running to Cullen's leg and wiping his tears away. Tristan and Otogi left with Anzu in tow. Ryou and Bakura followed Tristan and Otogi. Anzu was singing off-key and dancing like she had no coordination. Outside, she was distracted by something shiny and ran over to it since it reminded her of

Friendship.

Ryou called to Tristan as he waited for Robbie's mom. "How's the shop coming along? I heard you opened up a motorcycle shop.

Tristan nodded. "It's coming along. Quite busy, actually."

Bakura picked up Aria and cuddled the chibi against his chest. "Hey, Dice-Boy, what happened to your Dungeon Duel Monsters thing?"

Otogi crossed his arms and smiled. "Not bad, Bakura. I opened up another shop across town. I just help Tristan in the motorcycle place occasionally when things are slow."

Rhonda tugged at Tristan's pants. "I want to go home to my mommy!" Rhonda whinned, crying.

Tristan sighed. "Ok. Fine. Sorry, Ryou. We'd love for you to come check out the store sometime!"

Aten gave a little yawn on Ryou's shoulder.
"Aww….looks like someone's getting sleepy, Ryou. Better get him home.."

Ryou shook his head. "I can't leave Robbie here alone."

Tristan pat Aten on the back. "Goodbye, little buddy!"

Aten closed his eyes. "Bye, Unkie Tissan."

Tristan cupped Aria's cheek. "Goodbye, cutie-pie!"

Aria squealed and grabbed Tristan's face. She brought her lips to Tristan and gave him a huge kiss. "Bye, Unkie Tistan!"

Mrs. Morgan arrived shortly after and took Robbie into her arms. Robbie's mother rocked him gently.

"There was a scary girl in class, mommy!" Robbie cried.

"It's all over now, son," she said trying to console her crying little boy. Robbie stopped crying slowly. When he was done, he turned to Aten, who laid on Ryou's chest like a limp ragdoll.

Bakura looked at Aria's balloon noticing its obvious phallic shape. "Who gave you that, Aria Kanika?"

"Anzu!" She said happily. "I gots my sword back! And it looks like

the one at Unkie Seto's!"

Robbie's mom looked up at Ryou. "Can I ask you to take Robbie after school tomorrow? The military base needs to talk to me."

Ryou was surprised she trusted her son with him. "Ok. No problem. For how long?"

"Just an hour or so."

"Thank you so much! You only live down the block from us, so you're close. Say goodbye, Robbie."

Robbie turned around. "Goodbye!" Robbie reached out for Aten, but Aten was fast asleep. "Bye, Aten."

Aten nuzzled closer into his mother as Robbie's mom buckled him into the carseat.

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

Ryou put Aten to bed in is room. Ryou had somehow managed to dress Aten in his sleepwear without waking him up. He tucked the chibi underneath the sheets and covered him. Ryou gave Aten his toy monkey and his Winged Dragon of Ra plushie.

Aten cuddled up to the gorilla on the bed. He curled up and sucked his thumb as he slept. Ryou sat on the bed, stroking his son's white and gold mane.

Aku narrowed his eyes in his soulroom and reached into the black metal box. He walked to the fake barrier. //This isn't the first time you saw him like this, Ryou. Remember your uncle's basement?// Aku pushed the memory through a crack in the fake barrier.

**********Memory************

Ryou sat by Aten in the cold, dark hidden room in his uncle's basement. Ryou had to lay Aten on a moldy, dirty cot to sleep.

Ryou put his shirt on the bed under Aten's face so h wouldn't have to breathe in the mold from the thin cot. He stroked Aten's cheek as the moonlight dimly lit the room. The sound of his father laughing upstairs made him lift his head sadly only to see hundreds of cobwebs. His father…laughing…while he was in this dark, moldy hidden room surrounded by bottles of wine and whisky, all the while trying to lull his baby boy to sleep.

Ryou looked down at Aten and leaned over to kiss the boy's cheek. As he placed his lips on his child, he gripped his chest as his heart began to ache. He had to give Aten all the medication h had. It was difficult to beat back a whimper from Aten's ear.

"Love you, my baby."

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

Ryou shook his head. What caused hat memory to come to him? It had been a month since the abduction. Why think about it now? Ryou looked down at Aten sadly, reminded of his father.

'I thought I was over this!' Ryou screamed at himself angrily. 'I cannot believe my father laughed while I was struggling to keep Aten and myself alive!'

Aten wrapped his arm around the Winged Dragon of Ra plushie as

His little side rose and fell with each breath. Ryou brushed back the hair from Aten's face.

'I should have found a way for Aten to escape from my father! But how? I couldn't push my infant out of the back of a moving van! I couldn't break the barred window at my uncle's house. Aten would have made it out, but how could I let my baby boy run loose in the woods? He couldn't survive. He'd be nothing but a snack for the wolves or the bears! There was no escape from the cabin's basement.'

Ryou sighed.

'There was more than one opportunity for Aten to escape from the cabin. Tim, Jessica, and daddy were around me most of the time. Daddy left the room sometimes. Whenever Tim, Jessica, and my daddy were 'having fun' with me, they always kept Aten in the next room. Tim always said….he always said that he loved an audience when he was with me. The thought there was no better way to lull Aten to sleep than with a chorus of my beautiful screams. When daddy left the room, Aten in the room next to me would become quiet. I remember praying to every god above that he wasn't hurting Aten.'

Ryou rubbed his eye as his hand began to shake.

'Although, there was a few times Aten's ear-piercing shriek shot through the walls when I was with Tim and Jessica. Through the walls I could hear my father yelling at Aten to stop whatever he was doing. Once…my father must have had lost his temper with me. I was refusing to come for Tim. My father tried everything. Jessica tried everything. Tim….tried everything. Aten was crying so badly because I couldn't stop screaming. My father…my own father…

brought Aten into the room while Tim was on top of me taking what he wanted. My own father said that I had better make sure I pleasured Tim and stop screaming in pain or he would snap Aten's neck.

//Oh, it hurts, doesn't it, Ryou? Because you didn't let your son escape, look at what he witnessed. You didn't do your job as a mother! You failed to protect your son and so he had to watch you being treated like a piece of meat!//

Ryou stood up and closed the kids' bedroom door. He went into the bathroom and washed his face.. Bakura came upstairs and stood in the doorway. "Ryou, are you ok?"

Ryou dried his face and nodded. "I'm ok."

"No you are not, hikari. Tell me what is wrong, baby. Talk to me."

//Your father watched you in the bathroom, Ryou. Remember? You couldn't even go to the bathroom without an audience. Tim watched you shower once in the two weeks you were with your father.// Aku snickered. //Well, they bathed you, but not with water. They bathed you with their white, hot--.//

Ryou shoved Bakura out of the way violently. "DON'T TRAP ME HERE!"

Bakura fell back into the banister. If he didn't hold onto the wood, he would have toppled over the stairs.

Ryou ran down the steps and grabbed onto the doorknob of the front door. He opened it feeling the need to flee, to run, to escape, to hide. When he opened it, he gave a loud shriek. Aria lifted her head sharply at the sound. Malik ran into the room, wooden spoon in hand.

Seto and Joey were standing at the door with Hayden.

Ryou jumped back and ran into the kitchen to grab his heart medication.

Seto and Joey exchanged glances. "We've never gotten that kind of response before."

Malik went to Ryou's side and gripped his shoulder. "Ryou, are you ok?"

Joey, Seto, and Hayden peeked into the kitchen as Ryou took his medication and leaned over the counter sobbing. Malik rubbed his back softly as Seto suddenly felt something poke him at the bottom of his ass. He jumped slightly and turned to see Aria poking with him a balloon shaped like a phallus.

"SQUEE!" the chibi girl squealed and laughed with joy. "I poked Unkie Seto in the butt!"

Bakura came down and saw everyone gathered at the entrance to the kitchen. He heard Ryou sobbing in the kitchen again.

"Unkie Seto likes being poked in the butt with my balloon!" Aria giggled merrily, drawing Bakura's attention.

Bakura picked his little girl up. "Aria, go play with Unkie Puppy. Joey, can you play with Aria while I attend to Ryou?"

Joey turned around shocked that Bakura had just called him by his real name. Joey nodded and took the little girl in his arms.

"Unkie Puppy, can I poke you in the butt with my balloon, too?"

Seto turned his head. "Puppy would like that, Aria."

"HEY!" Joey said indignantly.

"Just keep her happy, Puppy."

Bakura pushed past Seto and saw Ryou kneeling on the kitchen floor, bent over in half, hiding his face on the floor in his crossed arms.

"Love?" Bakura kneeled before Ryou and put his hands gently on his husband's white hair. "Ryou, please tell me what is wrong."

"My father………I blame Aten's problems on him! My father ruined his life! My father ruined my life! I am a terrible mother!"

Seto shook his head kneeling beside Ryou. "You are not a terrible mother, Ryou! Aten and Aria are very good kids. You sacrificed a lot to bring them into our lives and we will always be grateful for that."

Ryou clenched his fist and banged it on the floor almost cracking the tile. "I should have found a way for Aten to escape! I should never have been a mother! I can't even protect my own children!"

Seto, Malik, and Bakura gasped. "Ryou! Don't say such a terrible thing!" Seto said sternly.

"Ryou, you did all you could for Aten!" Bakura said trying to maintain his composure. He never knew Ryou would ever say something like that! "We can only protect Aria and Aten so much. As much as I would like to admit, there are some things I can't protect Aria against."

Ryou turned his head to Bakura. "You do not know what I went through for Aten, yami."

Bakura was told very little by Ryou about what had happened. He wasn't ready to tell him everything.

Bakura tried not to lose his patience. "If you would just tell me, Ryou, then I could help you!"

Ryou shook his head. "No. I can't, yami."

Malik sat on the floor. "Ryou, we love those kids. Our lives wouldn't be the same without them."

Aria squealed in the living room. "Unkie Puppy likes being poked in the butt with my balloon!"

Seto giggled. "Yeah, how else would we know the puppy likes to be poked in the butt with a giant phallic-shaped piece of rubber?"

Marik and Bakura tried to chuckle. Ryou's cries began dying down to whimpers from the medication.

Seto looked up at Bakura. "Is this the first time he's done this since he returned home?"

"Malik, look after Ryou for a minute. Come with me, moneybags."

Bakura dragged Seto out into the living room. "I don't know what to do, Seto. He no sooner came home from the hospital and Child Services came to take Aria and Aten away from us. Ryou had no time to recover from the experiences of his abduction before Flannery took the kids away. I think that's why Ryou's having a very difficult time now."

Seto crossed his arms. "That could be right. Has he done this before?"

Bakura nodded. "He's been depressed these past two weeks that the kids were gone. And lately, he's been up and down emotionally."

Seto scratched his ear. "So, what do you want to do about it?"

Bakura sighed and leaned against the wall. "Well, tomorrow we have Aten's friend Robbie after school. Aten's school lets out at noon and we have Robbie until 1pm or 2pm, so…."

Seto looked at his appointment book. "Hayden's class lets out at 1:30. I can pick up the kids."

Bakura nodded. "Thanks, Kaiba. I think Ryou needs to spend some time with us alone. We'll make Ryou feel better."

Seto shrugged. "We'd love to have the kids over. And we can even take them to school the next morning for you."

"Thanks, moneybags. I sure hope this works."

"Bakura?"

Bakura walked into the kitchen and found Ryou sitting up against the cabinets. Ryou's arms reached out to him. Bakura sat next to his husband and leaned into him. Bakura and Ryou wrapped their arms around each other. Bakura rocked Ryou in his arms slowly.

"It's ok, sweetheart. I know, hikari. I know."

"I'm so sorry," Ryou whispered as he nuzzled into Bakura's chest.

Bakura closed his eye, letting a tear fall. "I love you, hikari."

Ryou smiled. "I love you, too, my yami."

Aria giggled louder as she ran around the living room. "I poked Unkie Seto in the butt and he didn't even notice! SQUEE!"

Updates: Tuesday