Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Hostile Takeover ❯ Fever ( Chapter 30 )

Aria: Thank you to all reffewers! *hands out Aria plushies*

ssjgoddesschico: Yugi will be ok. Promise.

Ryou's Mistress: 'Freakin' is a curse! You cursed! No, Aria doesn't torture anyone with the swords.

IYYASHI: Aten and Robbie do end up together.

Adrie: Aww, thank you! It's hard to control the kids sometimes, and I know bringing in the kids was a risk, but they are so cute!

pharaoh yami's princess: Yami has to let Bakura out, but it won't be for a long time.

Shadow of Light: Aten's going to almost turn into a dragon. Aten and Robbie are cute together.

Dragondreamer: Yami: X_X MY EYE, IT BURNS!

star: no, Yamis isn't being fair, but bakura's whole point is that Yami was never fair.

Valea: Naked=vulnerability. Yami was trying to show his power to Bakura. Not only that, he's trying to strip Bakura of his humanity and his dignity. It is very symbolic. It's all symbolic.

Crazykins: Poked to death! hahahaa!! I love that! I gotta see if I can fit that in later with the kids! Full credit goes to you!

Amane: Aww…I'm glad you like Aria. I love her too. I usually don't like OC's either. I don't like self-insertions at all, either. But, Aria and Aten have grown on me. If they were on the real Yugioh, think of how cool that would be! I'd be rich!

ZLChan: Yami is pissed beyond belief and Bakura is back in the ring until Yami gets him out.

Fever

Ryou opened his eyes and felt something hot pressed against his chest. He looked down and saw Aria shivering.

/Yami!/

//What??//

Ryou felt Aria's forehead drenched in sweat. "Baby girl?"

Aria coughed deeply. "Mommy? No feel good."

Ryou felt her burning forehead and jumped out of bed. "You stay there, honey, and I'll get you some medicine."

Ryou covered her with more blankets and ran downstairs. Ryou's hands were shaking as he searched the medicine cabinet.

//How is she?//

/She has a fever and she's sweating and shivering./

Bakura kicked the rock walls of his soulroom furiously. //I knew it! That pathetic, viscious, No-Good, Ra-Damned Pharaoh made my daughter get sick!//

Ryou grabbed a spoon from the utensil drawer. /Yami is going to have to explain himself!/

Ryou grabbed a small cup of juice for Aria and ran upstairs. He grabbed her Change of Heart plushie and returned to the room. He helped his child sit up in bed and gave her the medicine and her juice.

"Here's a little plushie for you, baby girl."

"Thank you, mommy," Aria said laying down and cuddling into the plushie. 'She hasn't cuddled that plushie in a long time,' Ryou thought.

Aria nuzzled her hot little cheek into the cool material. Her face was covered in red from her high fever. The material was cool to the touch. She wrapped her arms around it, hugging it against her body. Aria yawned tiredly and rubbed her eye.

"Mommy?"

Ryou brushed her hair out of her face. He laid down beside her and looked into his girl's chocolate brown eyes. "What is it, my angel?"

"When's daddy coming home?"

//…………….//

"I'm going to try to bring daddy back today, sweetheart. I have to leave to talk to Auntie Yami. Somebody is going to watch over you."

Aria's eyes slowly blinked and nodded. "I want my daddy, mommy."

"I know you do, sweetheart. Your daddy is always with me."

"I want to hug my daddy."

//I want to hug you, too, chibi.//

"Daddy wants to hug you, too. Maybe we can arrange something tonight."

Aria smiled and buried her face in her plushie. She sighed and yawned. "Mommy, can you kiss me?"

Ryou leaned down and kissed Aria's cheek. "Go to sleep, my angel girl."

Aria nuzzled into the Change of Heart and closed her eyes.

Ryou went into the kitchen and called KaibaCorp. Seto wasn't there. Mokuba was at school and Joey was still in his room.

Ryou called Yugi and the phone number had been disconnected. That wasn't like Yugi to have his phone disconnected.

Ryou called Tristan to see if he could come over and watch Aria for an hour, but Tristan was too busy with his shop. "Really sorry, Ryou. I hope she feels better. Why don't you try Otogi?"

Ryou called Otogi. "Otogi?"

[Otogi here.]

"Otogi, can I ask a big favor?"

[Ryou? Sure. Anything.]

"Can you come over to my house for an hour or so? Aria is sick and I have to go talk to Yugi."

Otogi was silent for a moment. [Yugi? Ryou? Didn't you hear this morning? The Yugi's Game Shop burned down.]

"Was Yugi hurt badly??"

[There's not too much information now. I passed there this morning and it isn't pretty.]

Ryou gripped the phone cord. "Can you come over to watch over Aria? She has a bad fever and I don't want to make her worse by bringing her with me."

Otogi nodded. [I'll be over now. I do have a meeting this afternoon, though, so I can be gone until then.]

Ryou sighed in relief. "Thank you, Otogi!"

[I'll be right over, Ryou.]

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

Otogi arrived and Ryou showed him where the medicines were placed in case she needed more medicine. Ryou drove to what remained of the Game Shop. Ryou gasped at the charred ruins and stepped on the ruble of what used to be the retail area.

//What the hell? Is his what the pharaoh was babbling about?//

"So, did you bring your yami to celebrate the destruction he caused?"

Ryou turned to see Yami standing with the Puzzle around his neck.

//BITE ME, PHARAOH!//

"Yami? What happened here?"

"Bakura burned down the Game Shop and injured Yugi."

Ryou covered his mouth in surprise. "Yugi? Is he ok?"

Yami scowled. "He'll be in the hospital for another day at least."

//Ryou, I didn't do anything! I swear on my own grave!.....Wait. I didn't have a grave….oh yeah. I forgot about that.//

"I'll go visit him in the hospital. Bakura told me you sealed him in the Ring."

Yami approached Ryou growling.

Bakura saw Yami approach and he began throwing himself at his soulroom door snarling and seething. //Stay away from him, Ryou!//

"I sealed him away because he left me no other alternative. He ruined my Light's home, his business, everything! He hurt Yugi. I have had all I can stand from Bakura Itemri."

//Stay away from Ryou, you murdering, thieving, coward!//

/Yami, stop banging against your door! You're giving me a migraine!/ "My yami was with me all night. He couldn't have hurt Yugi or done this," Ryou explained.

Yami narrowed his eyes. "You can't keep your eye on him all the time, Ryou."

"Do you have solid proof that my husband did this?"

Yami snapped his fingers and the Puzzle glowed. The security recording played on the charred wall.

//I'd have more tact than to let myself be photographed or caught on camera!//

Ryou watched as his yami threw Yugi around the shop. When he spoke, it was Bakura's voice. "Yami, please! Bakura is innocent!"

Yami's eyed glowed red with fury. "Bakura has been proven guilty! These surveillance photos do not lie, Ryou! Bakura has taken everything away from my Aibou and he has been proven guilty! Besides, Ryou. Bakura was lucky to get away with a simple beating by me. He could have suffered the same punishment I gave him for robbing my father's tomb."

A loud piercing shriek filled the soulroom.

/Yami?? You ok?/

//……….don't want to talk about it, hikari.//

/Yami?/

//…….//

Ryou could feel Bakura trembling in fear and horror in his soulroom. Never before had panic been sent through their mindlink which was so strong.

Ryou looked up at Yami as a brief flash of a naked Yami on top of Bakura flashed in front of his eyes. "What about my children, Yami?" Ryou asked as he put a hand on Yami's shoulder. "My babies need Bakura."

"Marik fathered Aten."

"That's beside the point! They love Bakura and my little girl needs her father!"

Yami folded his arms. "You have Marik."

Bakura let out a growl in his soulroom.

"Marik was hurt by Malik yesterday and he isn't doing anything but crying and rocking himself on the bed!"

Yami sneered. "Then Marik better snap out of it, get off his ass, and help you!"

Ryou growled at the back of his throat at the stubborn pharaoh. "What am I to do, Yami? My little girl is terrified she lost her daddy! Marik is badly injured! Where else am I to go?"

"None of my concern."
Ryou tensed, growled and slapped Yami across the face.

//RYOU!//

"You know what, Yami? I have two children at home who ARE my concern! You know what? My yami is right! You are cruel! You allowed my three year old girl to be left alone with no supervision! I found her last night wandering the house naked, wet, cold, and scared that her daddy had abandoned her! Now, who is the cruel one?"

Yami stood silently.

"My baby girl is sick because of you, Yami! She is sick because you decided to take it upon yourself to issue an unfair sentence without any consideration for his family!"

"Bakura showed no consideration for Yugi. Why should I have showed some mercy to him?"

//Forget it, Ryou. Let's go home to our daughter.//

Ryou looked up at Yami. "When my yami said that you were cruel, I always tried to defend you! But I guess Bakura was right, Yami. You are cruel and heartless. And I feel bad for Yugi that he has to exist with you!"

Ryou gripped the Millennium Ring in his hand. "If you'll excuse me, yami, I have to go home and tell a three year old girl why her daddy will not be able to tuck her in bed tonight."

Ryou brushed past Yami and opened the car door. He sat behind the wheel and covered his hands sobbing.

/What am I going to do?/

//Ryou, baby, don't cry. It hurts me to see you cry."

Ryou retreated into his soulroom and stepped in front of Bakura's soulroom door.

He slid the window open as a sharp chill hit his skin. Bakura stood at the door. "Please don't cry, Ryou." Bakura reached out a thin arm and cupped Ryou's cheek in his ice-cold hand. "Breaks my heart to see you cry like this."

Ryou sniffled. "I missed you this morning. I wish you were here, yami."
Bakura tried to manage a smile. "Well, Ryou, I AM always with you."

Ryou kissed his yami's hand. "I want to touch you so bad, yami. I miss you."

Bakura sighed. "I love you, Ryou. You'll get no where with the pharaoh. Maybe if you go see his lapdog, he can talk him into convincing Yami not to be such an ass."

Ryou rubbed his cheek against Bakura.

"Hikari, your skin is warm. It feels so good."

"Do you still have your blanket?"

Bakura nodded. "I do, but it gets colder in here every night. The blanket doesn't protect me against the cold too well."

Ryou rested his head against the prison door. "I wish I could help you, yami."

Bakura squeezed Ryou's hand. "Go home to our daughter."

"But, I have to go see Yugi. If there is a chance that I can have Yugi talk him into it, I have to try."

Bakura nodded. "Ok. Talk to the lapdog and try your luck."

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

Ryou walked into Yugi's hospital room and brought with him a small bouquet of flowers. Yugi opened his eyes and gasped as Ryou opened the door.

"Yugi? Can I come in?"

"If you want to, Ryou," Yugi said calmly.

Ryou handed Yugi the flowers. "These are to say that I'm sorry, Yugi. My yami…he didn't do that to you."

Yugi looked down at the sheets. "What makes you think so?"

"My yami was home with me the entire night. He would never harm you, Yugi. Remember when Anubis controlled him and made him hurt you?"

Yugi looked down sadly. "Yes."

//Tell him I didn't do it, hikari!//

"My yami is saying he didn't do it, Yugi."

"Where is Bakura?"

Ryou sighed sadly. "Yami sealed Bakura in the Millennium Ring. I came to ask you if you can talk him into letting Bakura go free."

Yugi opened his eyes and looked up at Ryou. "He sealed Bakura in the ring?"

"Yugi, you have to talk to Yami! Please? I need Bakura at home. Aria is sick and I need him to help me with Marik."

"What's wrong with Marik?"

Ryou's lip began to tremble. He grabbed a corner of Yugi's bedsheets.

//Don't tell him, Ryou. Marik wouldn't want anyone to know.//

"Malik beat him up pretty badly. Please talk to Yami, Yugi. I need Bakura back."

Yugi nodded. "I will, Ryou. I hope Aria feels better. What does she have?"

//A PAIN-IN-THE-ASS AUNTIE YAMI!!!!//

"Your Yami beat up Bakura and sealed him in the ring. Aria was in the bathtub--.'

//I'M NAKED, TOO, RYOU! THAT BASTARD STRIPPED ME!//

/You're naked??!/

"Bakura told me that Yami beat him, stripped him, and sealed him in the Ring. Aria was in the bathtub at the time and when I came home, she was in the kitchen shivering without any clothes or towels. She woke up with a fever."

"I have to tell Yami! He should let Bakura go free because of that."

"I just talked to him. Yugi, he won't let Bakura go. Can you talk to him? Let him see that he has to let Bakura go?"

Yugi nodded. "I'll try. He'll listen to me. I'll call you tonight."

Ryou hugged Yugi. "Thank you. I have to get home to my daughter. Hope you feel better, Yugi!"

Ryou left the hospital and returned home quickly. He opened the door and found everything where he left it. He went upstairs and found Aria sleeping beside Otogi. Otogi looked up from his romance book as Ryou crept inside.

Ryou looked down at his sleeping little girl. Aria was snuggled up to Otogi's chest curled up in a fetal position, her Change of Heart plushie on her other side.

She was against Otogi's chest sucking her thumb. Her cheeks still were covered in red and still hot to the touch.

"Did she sleep the entire time I was gone?"

Otogi closed his book. "She tossed her plushie aside and cuddled up to my chest and began sucking on her thumb." Otogi looked at the strategic positioning of Aria's hand against his chest. " In her sleep, she put her mouth to my chest and began to drool on my chest. She started sucking on my shirt. When she started whimpering, she put her fist against my chest and started sucking on her thumb. She fell right back asleep."

Ryou chuckled. "You DO know what she was trying to do, don't you, Otogi?"

Otogi shook his head. "I don't have kids. And after having Rhonda over a few times, I'm thinking of asking Tristan to get me a vasectomy for Christmas."

"Hmm…put it this way, Otogi. You would make a nice wet nurse."

Otogi's jaw dropped in shock. "You mean….?"

"She was trying to nurse off of you."

Otogi's eyes flashed wide and he looked at the wet spot over his nipple. "Oh gods!" Otogi jumped out of bed. "Disgusting!"

Ryou shrugged. "What's so bad about it?"

"I'm a guy!"

"Aria tried to do that to me this morning."

Otogi gasped. "What?"

"Well, she's technically only one year old, Otogi. Sick children want skin-to-skin contact. Last night, Aria shifted close to me and tried nursing off of me again in her sleep. She was whimpering because you didn't put an arm around her as she was trying to nurse. I always held her when I did and I put my arm around her last night."

"I can't do that, Ryou! Gods…now I have to go change for my meeting! I'm covered in chibi drool! Couldn't she tell you were a guy?"

Ryou snickered at Otogi's embarressment. "Well, I keep my chest completely bare for that reason. I want them to have the same kind of contact with me as when I had them. I was a girl when I did have them, so I keep my chest bare."

"But, Ryou! You're a guy!"

Ryou laughed. "She knows the bedroom rules, Otogi."

"Bedroom rules? Maybe I shouldn't be hearing this."

"The most important rule of sleeping with mommy and daddy is 'Never kick your feet.' She kicked Bakura once and he needed an icepack for the next day."

Otogi grabbed his book. "Well, glad to see you're home, Ryou! Gotta go! Bye!"

Ryou smiled. "Thank you, Otogi!"

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

Joey dipped the paintbrush into the white paint. The city hall needed another coating to distinguish it from the surrounding buildings. Joey stepped back and looked at the cityscape painting. He darkened a little corner of the blue sky and put his palate down smiling.

Done!

Finished!

Finally.

Seto had set aside a room for Joey and Aten to use as an art studio. Aten's paintings were on the right side of the room. Joey's paintings were lined up and drying on the left side of the room. The phone rang and Joey wiped his hands with a towel. He picked up the phone and it was the security guard at the front desk.

"Mr. Wheeler, some people are here to see you. They claim to be from the art museum."

"I'll be right down!" Joey said quickly washing his hands with soap and water in a large ceramic bowl. Joey smiled as his hands started to shake. 'This is something I've wanted for a long time! I hope they accept!'

Joey ran to the elevator and rode it down to the ground level.

Four people, three women and one man, stood at the security desk.

Joey shook each of their hands. "Welcome, ladies and gentleman! I'm honored to meet you again."

"Seto Kaiba is a valued contributor to the museum. Besides, Mr. Wheeler, we are familiar with your works. We hear that the Gillespie Gallery also displays your work."

Joey smiled. "I sold them one painting about a year ago."

The man nodded. "Yes, Mr. Wheeler, and that is the reason why we were interested in devoting an entire art show to your work. We only include young aspiring artists such as yourself."

A blond woman in her late forties nodded. "We are here to see what you have prepared for the show."

Joey smiled and lead them to the elevator. They rode the elevator to the top floor and Joey lead them to his studio.

Joey lead the group to the left side of the room. They carefully examined and attempted to interpret each piece of art.

Joey had twenty paintings consisted of cityscapes, pictures of kids at the park, and some abstract art. One painting was started and completed the days after Seto found him with his father.

It was a considerably darker picture and more abstract. The group stood around it nodding approvingly.

"We are very pleased with your work, Mister Wheeler," one woman said.

"We can tell that this is going to be one of the most successful shows the art museum has ever seen!"

One of the woman let out a gasp across the room. The group turned around and saw her standing looking at Aten's painting of a still life.

"Mr. Wheeler! This painting is…astounding!"

Joey and the group approached Aten's paintings. The group looked at Aten's paintings with wonder and astonishment.

"Mr. Wheeler, you will have to bring these paintings with you to the art show! They are just too good to pass up!"

Joey scratched the back of his head. If these people only knew that a three year old painted those pictures!

"I didn't paint those pictures."

"Who did?" one woman asked.

"We have to meet this artist! The work is so……avant garde!" the other woman exclaimed excitedly.

Joey smiled and shrugged. "Ok. If you want to see the artist, I can have him over tomorrow. How does three in the afternoon sound?"

The group nodded. "We HAVE to see this artist! I can picture him now: tall……brooding…..quiet……imaginative...insight ful."

Joey tried not to snicker, knowing the artist couldn't even tie his own shoes or pour himself a glass of milk. "I'll have him here tomorrow."

The phone rang and Joey excused himself. Ryou was on the line.[Joey?]

"Ryou? What's up, man?"

[Joey, can I ask you a huge favor? Could you pick up Aten today from school?]

"Sure, buddy. Why?"

A loud cry sounded over the phone. [Aria is sick with a fever and I'm trying to get an appointment with Dr. Zira. I don't want Aten to catch this, so can you take him overnight for me? Please?]

"No problem, Ryou. I also need him after school tomorrow. I have some people from the art museum over here and they are interested in meeting Aten. Can I borrow him after school? I'll give him back to you, I promise!"

[Thank you, Joey! Have Aten call me tonight after his bath.]

"We have some spare sleepsuits for him."

[Seto won't mind, will he?]

"He hasn't been around. Sometimes he leaves for a day of unscheduled meetings or last minute stuff. I'll take care of Aten for you, Ryou. I have to go."

[Thank you, Joey. This is a big help.]

"Bye, Ryou."

[Bye, Joey.]

Joey returned to the group. "Tomorrow you can meet the artist of those paintings. He'll be waiting for you."

The group shook his hand one by one and left.

Joey looked at the clock. It was time to pick up Aten from school.

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

Donny, Seto's personal driver, drove Joey to the school yard.

"Did you take Seto anywhere today or this morning, Donny?"

"No, Joey. I haven't seen him. The only place I drove today was to take Master Mokuba and Master Hayden to school."

Joey sighed. "Strange. It was kind of lonely waking up this morning without him."

"Maybe he took the helicopter somewhere, Joey. Have you checked?"

Joey nodded. "He didn't take the helicopter anywhere. It's nothing for Seto to be gone sometimes, though. He disappears because he has business to attend to and then he comes back. I just wish he told me when he leaves. That way I could have told him how much I love him."

"He knows that you love him, Joey. I'll tell the boys on the streets to keep their eyes open for him if they see him."

The limo pulled up to the side of the school. Joey emerged from the car. His eyes opened wide as he saw something shocking about Aten…..

Updates: Tomorrow