Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Hostile Takeover ❯ The Black Crayon ( Chapter 31 )

WOW! So many hits and reviews! You guys rock! Loves you all!

Aten: Me, do!

Aria: SQUEE! This is for all you guys! *holds bags of M&M's*

Malik Lover and Anzu Basher: I can give Aria a bag of the M&M's when she gets better. It's just another chappie away.

joey rules: Yeah, Yami's being so unfair here.

bakachibi voidfox: Bakura will be in there for a while yet. Aww…I like that key idea!

ZL Chan: Yeah, Aria wanted her daddy. She's so cute!

Bwuebewwy sugar princess: Yup, Malik did. I know I'm evil, but I'm going to be more evil around chappie 35.

Pharaoh yamis princess: Evil Yami!! MWAHAHAHAHA!! The cliffie was a good one, but nothing bad will happen.

Shadow of Light: Yami will let Bakura out, but Yami will think he is still perfect. He is the pharaoh. The pharaohs were meant to think they were above all else and were perfect, like Yami.

Marik Ishtar: Ryou needed a little slice of revenge.

star: Yeah, the punishment for robbing was severe. still is.

Lady Elfskye: Aria: SQUEE! I love my daddy!

Dragondreamer: Yami needed a bitchslapping.

The Black Crayon

Joey stood outside the gates of the school and saw Aten hugging another boy giggling. The blond sighed, content knowing that Aten had found someone whom he trusted after his abduction.

"Aten!"

Aten turned his head and squealed. "UNKIE PUPPY!" Aten opened his arms and ran to the gate. Joey opened the door to the gate and let Aten run into his arms.

"Unkie Puppy! Wobbie! Tum oafer ear!"

The boy Aten was hugging limped over to him. "Hello, Mister!"

Joey smiled at the back-haired, blue-eyed boy. "Hello, Robbie. I'm Aten's Uncle Joey."

Aten squealed and wrapped his arms around Joey. "Choey no Unkie! Unkie Puppy, Wobbie!"

Robbie snickered. "Why are you called 'Unkie Puppy?'"

Joey blushed. "It was Bakura's joke."

Robbie's face lit up. "Oh! I see! Where's Aten's mommy?"

"Yeah, Unkie Puppy, where my mommy?"

"Your sister is sick, Aten, so you're going to stay with Hayden and I tonight."

Aten's eyes lit up. "Weawwy? I det to tay wif you? TIPPIE!"

"Robbie!" Miranda called to him as she approached.

"Mommy!" Robbie limped up to his mom and she quickly brought him into her arms. Miranda carried Robbie over to Aten.

"Wobbie's Mommy? Dis is my Unkie Puppy! I det to tay wif him to sweep!"

Miranda held Robbie close to her and smiled. "Really? Well, have fun, Aten. Nice to meet you….umm…Unkie Puppy." Miranda let out a giggle as Joey blushed red as a cherry.

"My name is Joey, really."

"Hmm..somehow 'Unkie Puppy' sounds more…..cute."

Aten and Robbie laughed and Joey's palms were beginning to sweat. His heart beat furiously and his hands began to tremble as he held the tiny, thin chibi in his hands.

"Yeah, well. It could be worse, I guess. Anyway, umm….I have to go."

"Nice to meet you……Unkie Puppy." Miranda left snickering

as Robbie waved to Aten.

Aten waved to Robbie from up in Joey's arms, his little legs dangling and swinging.

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

When Joey brought Aten into the car, he buckled Aten into the carseat.
"Aten, I have some good news for you."

Aten looked up at Joey excitedly. "I no haff to take mecation anymore?"

"No. Some people from the art museum are coming to see you tomorrow afternoon. They want to meet you because of your paintings."

Aten's eyebrows raised and he cocked his head to the side confused. "Dey do? Why?"

"They love your paintings. That's why. These people want to meet you."

Aten shivered in his carseat. "Stainchers?"

Joey took Aten's hands reassuringly. "I will be with you, Aten. I won't leave you alone with them."

Aten's large brown and purple eye went teary. "I no wan be weft awone wif stainch peetle."

"I won't leave you alone with strange people, Aten. I wouldn't do that to you."

Aten shook his head. "I no wike stainch peetle. I no wike peetle I no know."

Joey smiled. "What about Robbie? You met him at school, right? You didn't know him before school."

"My tisser was wif me. See tan haff hewped me if I need her. I no wike peetle I neffer teen bifore."

Joey stroked the boy's cheek. "I'll be with you, Aten."

Aten nodded. "Tankoo, Unkie Puppy. Stainchers weawwy mate me tared."

Joey nodded. "I know, Aten. But, your Unkie Puppy will be right with you. I'll get you home, give you your snack, and your medicine, and you can take your nappies, okay?"

Aten nodded. "Unkie Puppy?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I tate my nappies wif you? I no wan be awone wifow my mommy."

Joey nodded solemnly. Maybe Aten hadn't healed as much as he thought. "Ok, Aten. You can stay with me."

"Unkie Puppy?"

"Yes, Aten?"

"Tan I sweep wif you when is no wight?"

It took a minute to decipher what Aten said. "Oh! Yes, Aten, you can sleep with me tonight. When there is no light, it is dark."

"Tark?"

Joey nodded. "Otay, Unkie Puppy. Den…tan I sweep wif you when is tark?"

Joey stroked the boy's cheek gently. "Sure, little man."

Aten smiled and put his other hand on Joey's hand. "Tankoo, Unkie Puppy."

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

Joey gave Aten his snack, medication, and sat with him in the library. He began to yawn when Donny entered.

"Sir, do you want me to pick up Master Hayden and Master Mokuba when it is time?"

Joey looked down at Aten who was struggling to keep his little eyes open. "That may be a wise idea, Donny. I don't think I'll be able to get up until dinnertime."

Aten looked up at Donny tiredly. "Koodnight, Bonnie."

Donny chuckled. "It's 'Donny,' Aten. D-onny."

Aten closed his eyes and curled up. "Bonnie…….."

Donny shook his head. "If the other guys knew he called me 'Bonnie,' I'd never hear the end of it."

Joey laughed. "He's just a kid. Give him a chance. Yeah, tell Hayden and Mokuba that I'm in the library when you bring them home."

"Yes, sir," Donny said as he left.

Joey picked up a book to read. Aten's head rested on his lap as he read. He stayed this way until Hayden and Mokuba entered the room quietly.

Mokuba ran up to Joey.

"Joey, have you seen Seto?"

Joey shook his head. "I checked his appointment book and it was filled. It was filled with meetings out of town. He didn't tell me about these trips."

Hayden looked down at Aten and cringed. Hayden gasped and ran into the corner behind his chair.

"Hayden, Aria isn't here. Aten is spending the night."

Hayden peeked his head around the chair. "Aria….isn't here? Promise?"

Joey shook his head. "No. She's home sick with her mother. You can come out."

Hayden crept from behind the chair and up to Joey. "Daddy? Can I…..umm…sit at your feet?"

Joey nodded.

Hayden sat at Joey's feet and sighed quietly, contented to sit by Joey's feet.

Joey peeked down and grinned at the red-haired boy, who, two weeks ago would not have approached him without permission. Yes, he did ask permission to sit at his feet, but sooner or later, he hopefully wouldn't ask permission for too much longer.

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

After dinner, Aten retreated to Hayden's room to draw with Hayden. Aten laid on his stomach and colored in the coloring book. Hayden drew on blank paper with his crayons.

"Do you teel bedder, Aiden? I know my tisser mate you tared."

Hayden nodded. "Kind of. Daddy talked to me and Mr.Kaiba."

"Unkie Seto! He no tum and tee me. I wonner where he is."

Hayden sighed. "At least I have daddy here with me. Mr. Kaiba…hugged me and daddy."

Aten clenched the green crayon in his hand. "I wuff it when Unkie Seto huds me! He waps his arms awoun me and holes me! I miss Unkie Seto."

Hayden bit his lip and looked down at Aten. "I…..miss Mr. Kaiba, too."

Aten reached out and put his hand on Hayden's leg. "S'otay, Aiden. I did tay to you dat Unkie Seto is good." Aten smiled at his coloring of a giraffe and an elephant. "When it's tark, I det to sweep wif Unkie Puppy."

Hayden dropped his crayon and his eyes looked up in horror. "You can't sleep with an adult! It's not good! What if he tries to hurt you? Touch you?"

Aten shook his head. "Dis is Unkie Puppy! He won't tush me! He wuffs me."

"What makes you think that he won't hurt you?"

"My mommy toll me. My mommy ted dat if tumone wuffs you, dey will not hurt you. I know Unkie Puppy no hurt me betaws he wuffs me. If tumone hurts you, dey do not wuff you."

Hayden shivered. "Be careful, Aten. Growned-ups can change when it is nighttime. Growned-ups can turn mean when it is dark!"

Aten shook his head. "Not my Unkie Puppy."

Aten leaned over and grabbed the black crayon. He took the black crayon and looked at the picture he was coloring in the book. A smiling man was handing out balloons to smiling kids.

[Come here and let your granddaddy hold you, Aten…Be a good boy, Aten, and don't say anything about what happened.]

Aten took the black crayon and blackened the man's face and his hands.

[Does it feel good, Aten? Your skin is….so soft.]

[Lay back and relax, Aten.]

[That's my little boy. Look into my eyes.]

"Aten?"

Aten shook his head a little disoriented from the flashback. Aten looked down surprised as the black crayon completely hid the man's face and hands from view.

"Why did you do that, Aten?" Hayden asked curiously.

Aten continued to stare at the coloring book page. He couldn't see the man's face or his hands. Aten's hands trembled as he looked at the page. "I…….I no know. I no know why. I just…..tood no look at de man's face and hans. I was tared of dem."

Hayden nodded. "Yeah. I used to do that." Hayden went back to coloring.

Aten looked down at the man's darkened face and hands. He shivered at the thought of those hands and that face staring down at him. The little boy shivered and dropped the black crayon. "De man's face and hans are tarey." Aten closed the coloring book quickly.

"What's wrong?"

"I no tan cudder peetle. Dey too tarey."

Hayden looked up from his coloring. "Aten? Did…someone hurt you, too? You know? Doing bad stuff?"

Aten looked up at Hayden with large, chibi eyes. "Yes. You, Aiden?"

Hayden nodded. "Yeah. I think about it a lot. I couldn't color people's hands or faces for a long time. I'm sorry, Aten." Hayden hugged Aten.

"Aiden? I tink I boke you back cayon," Aten said looking at the crayon broken in half.

"It's ok, Aten. I have more black and red crayons than I need. I can still use it."

"I wuff cuddering wif you, Aiden."

Hayden smiled. "Me, too. I'm glad we can color together. I'm just a little scared of you staying with Daddy in his bed tonight."

Aten shook his head. "My Unkie Puppy no hurt me….at weast I hope he no hurt me. If he twy, I no tan fight him. He too tong."

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

Hayden looked around the dark room. The shadows lingered on the floor, casting claw-like images around him. He snuggled into the carpet below him when images of Aten and Joey crossed his mind. If Aten was being touched by Joey, he had to help him!

Hayden shoved the blanket off of him and crept to the door. He sneaked down the hallway as quickly and quietly as he could. Hayden opened the door to Joey and Seto's room and peeked inside. Joey and Aten were asleep. Hayden sneaked to the bed and looked over the edge. Joey was fast asleep with Aten cuddled up to Joey's chest sucking his thumb.

If Aten was this content laying beside Joey……..

Maybe Joey was safe.

Hayden pulled himself onto the bed and saw Joey's arm wrapped around the white and blond haired Egyptian boy.

Hayden pulled back the covers and slipped beside Aten. He closed his eyes and wrapped his arm around Aten.

Joey felt a new hand beside him. He cracked his eyes open and saw Hayden in bed with he and Aten.

Joey smiled as he fell back asleep. 'Now this is progress,' he thought as he drifted into sleep.

Updates: Tomorrow