Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Orphan ❯ Settling In ( Chapter 2 )

Here's Chapter Two of Orphan!! Please tell me what you think!! R&R!!

 

I do not own Yugioh... only my character, Jenna.

 

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About an hour later, Yugi knocked on her door. “Jenna? It's time to eat.”

He heard a vague rustling behind the door and then it opened, Jenna using her crutches. Her eyes were red and puffy, a sure indication that she had been crying. Yugi didn't see any reason to point that fact out, though, so he just kept his smile in place. “We're having ramen.”

She smiled a little. “Alright.”

He blinked and looked at her as they approached the steps. “Do you need any help?”

She shook her head. “Just hang on to one of my crutches, please. I can do the rest.”

He nodded, doing so, and watched as she limped her way down the steps one by one until they reached the main level. Then they sat at the table and started eating in silence. Well, Jenna more picked at her food than anything else. She had only eaten about a quarter of a bowl before she pushed it away.

Solomon blinked. “You're finished already? My dear, you've hardly eaten!”

Jenna looked decidedly uncomfortable. “In the last three days I've learned that if I want to keep any food down at all, to stop eating when my stomach starts to turn.”

Yugi's eyes went wide and Pharaoh was out of the puzzle immediately. “Are you feeling sick?” he asked, greatly concerned.

She shook her head. “The doctor says it's just stress. It could last a few weeks.” She reached for her crutches. “I'll just get a glass of water. It might help settle my stomach...”

Yugi was on his feet in an instant. “I'll get it.” He quickly grabbed a glass, filled it and brought it back to her. As she drank it down, Solomon looked at her.

“I... know this is probably the furthest thing from your mind right now, but I registered you in Domino City High School. You will start your classes the day after tomorrow on Monday.”

She blinked and regarded Yugi. “You in grade eleven?”

He nodded. “Yup. We'll probably be in the same class. There's not that many students in our school.”

She nodded. “Well, at least I'll somewhat know someone there.”

Yugi smiled broadly. “My friends all want to meet you already. In fact, they said they might drop over tonight. I'm not sure if you're feeling up to it right now, but if you don't think you can handle it, I can just introduce you to them tomorrow or in school on Monday.”

She shrugged. “I'm fine.”

Yugi smiled at her. “Great!”

Jenna tried eating a few more bites before she winced visibly and pushed her ramen away from her. She took in a few deep breaths, her eyes closed tight. Yugi was at her side in an instant.

“Jenna! Are you okay?!”

Her eyes opened wide. “Bathroom! Now!!”

Yugi's eyes went huge as he quickly helped her up the stairs. The girl almost didn't make it before falling to her knees in front of the toilet and her ramen reversed course.

Yugi knelt be her side, rubbing her back gently. He saw Pharaoh standing by her side, looking at her in deep concern. Then his eyes went wide seeing something he couldn't. Jenna reached up and flushed the toilet, but didn't look up.

Yugi put a hand on her shoulder gently. “Jenna?”

“Could I get a glass of water please?” she asked, her voice barely audible.

He nodded immediately and got to his feet. There were styrofoam cups in the bathroom right by the sink. He filled one up and handed it to her. She kept her face hidden from him as she took in a mouthful and spat in the toilet, getting the sour taste of vomit out of her mouth. Then she had a few actual sips.

Pharaoh was still looking at her in concern. 'Yugi.... she's crying.'

Yugi's eyes went wide and he put a hand on her shoulder once more as she set the cup down on the floor beside the toilet. “Jenna?” Then he reached out with his other hand and gently turned her face so she was facing him.

Tears were steadily flowing from her eyes, her expression one of shame and internal agony.

Yugi reached forward and brushed some of her tears away, his own expression now deeply concerned. “Jenna...?”

Before he could say anything else, the girl flung herself at him, bawling immediately. “I'm sorry!!” she whispered.

Yugi held her back, but his eyes went wide hearing those words. “Sorry for what???”

She looked down. “I'm useless. I can hardly walk and I can't even hold my food down. You didn't need me coming into your home and making your life complicated...”

Yugi's gaze immediately hardened. He cupped her face in his hands and turned her head so she was looking him in the eyes. “Don't EVER say that again! You're NOT useless! Your wounds will heal and your stomach will get better. You've just been through hell and my friend Joey will pound anyone who dares say that you're useless or a burden! Because you're not. You're a worthy young woman who needs someone to help her right now, and I'm going to be there for you. By moving in here, you're practically family now... and me and grandpa will treat you no less!”

Then he gently pulled her into his shoulder and held her for a few long minutes.

Grandpa stuck his head in the bathroom. “Yugi? Is everything okay?”

The boy smiled up at him. “Everything's fine, Grandpa. She's just a little upset because she got sick.” He knew it was a half truth, but there was no point in embarrassing Jenna.

The old man smiled fondly and put a hand on her shoulder. “There's nothing to be ashamed of, Jenna. It will all pass in a little time.” Then he regarded the two of them. “I'm just going to clean off the table. By the way, Joey called. He and the others are on their way down. They should be here in about ten minutes.”

Yugi nodded. “Alright, Grandpa.”

The old man left the room, leaving his grandson with his new charge.

Jenna pulled away and Yugi smiled at her gently. “Better?” he asked softly.

She nodded. The boy then helped her to her feet and handed her the crutch that had been left in the hallway. “Thank you.” she said quietly.

He looked at her, the concern returning. “Are you sure you're up to meeting my friends tonight? If you'd rather wait, I'm sure they'll understand...”

She shook her head. “I'm fine.”

He smiled at her gently. “Alright. Let's get back downstairs. They'll be here soon.”

Yugi took her crutch again and she made her way down the stairs once more wordlessly. Yugi didn't even bother asking if she wanted any help, knowing she'd say no.

Jenna sat down with a sigh on the sofa in the living room, Yugi joining her. She seemed content to sit in silence, and the boy decided to leave her be.

A few minutes later, there was the knock at the door. Yugi got up with a smile and went around the corner to the side door that led straight to the living area of their home. He answered the door, coming face to face with the smiling faces of Joey, Tristan, Tea, Duke and Ryu.

“Hey there, Yug'!” Joey said with a smile. “Is she here?”

The youth nodded. “Yeah, she's here. But there's a few things I should tell you guys in private before you guys meet her. I wanna make sure we're out of earshot to make sure it doesn't affect her.”

The teens all blinked as Yugi stepped outside with his friends and brought them around the corner of the house and to the front of the shop.

Then he brought them up to date on what he and his grandfather had discovered about the circumstances of her parents deaths, and the ensuing behavoral problems she'd been experiencing.

“She's kind of antisocial right now... trying to close everyone off, so don't be surprised if she's not very talkative. And whatever you do, make sure you don't make any references to parents or death or something like that. There's no telling how it might affect her.”

Tea's hand was over her mouth. “Oh, that poor girl...”

Duke looked at him. “How banged up is she?”

The boy smiled. “Well, that's the one piece of good news out of this whole situation. Her injuries are minor. Just a cracked hip and a few broken ribs. She had a piece of shrapnel pulled out of her side, and then a cut on her forehead and a few bruises and minor cuts.”

Bakura smiled a little sheepishly. “Well... it's a faint silver lining, but I suppose it's good news.”

Tristan smiled. “Well, come on! Let's go meet her!”

So the teens reentered the house and Yugi led them into the living room where Jenna was still sitting on the couch. When she looked over, Duke and Tristan stopped in their tracks, fighting to keep from drooling. Yugi, meanwhile, simply led the others right up to her and smiled at her.

“Jenna, these are my friends, Joey Wheeler, Tristan Taylor, Tea Gardener, Ryu Bakura, and Duke Devlin.”

She gave them a barely perceptible smile. “Hello.”

Joey grinned broadly and shook her hand. “Nice ta meet ya! Welcome to Japan.”

She nodded. “Thank you. It's nice to meet you too.”

Bakura smiled at her gently, sitting next to her on the couch. “We're going out tomorrow to do some shopping. Would you like to join us?”

She smiled a little once more and nodded. “Sure.”

Tea glanced at Yugi. “Did your grandpa get Jenna a school uniform yet?” she asked, not noticing the girls eyes widen.

Yugi nodded. “The school said it will be here by tomorrow night.”

“Uniform?” she squeaked out.

Duke blinked. “Hey, that's right! They don't have to wear uniforms in Canada, do they?”

The girl sighed. “Let me guess... it's got a short skirt, but I'm afraid to ask about the color...”

Tea rubbed the back of her head, a sheepish smile on her face. “It's got a pink top and a blue skirt.”

The girl made a face hearing this. “The blue, I don't mind. The pink is what bugs me.”

Tristan smiled. “Hey, you'll get used to it. Besides, it's only for a few hours a day.”

Jenna sighed. “I guess. It's just one more thing to get used to.”

There was a moment of awkward silence, before Joey grinned broadly. “Hey, Yugi! I brought my duel monster deck with me! You wanna have a duel?”

Jenna blinked. “Duel monsters... isn't that a card game?”

Yugi smiled at her. “Yeah! You duel with monster cards, magic cards, and trap cards. We can even duel with these devices called duel discs that create the actual holograms of the monsters and various cards, but since we'll be dueling inside, we're just going to do it the old fashioned way.” He turned back to Joey. “I'm just going to grab my deck. It's upstairs.”

A few minutes later, Yugi and Joey were sitting opposite of one another having a duel. Jenna was watching with a great amount of interest, something that escaped none of the teens. They patiently answered her questions about the rules of the game until Yugi won the duel, wasting the rest of Joey's lifepoints with his Dark Magician Girl.

After the duel was over, the teens all saw the time and decided it would probably be best if they headed home... except for Ryu who winced.

“The bus I have to use to get home stopped running a half hour ago. Would it be possible for me to stay here the night, Yugi?”

The boy smiled. “I don't see why not... that is if Jenna doesn't mind...”

Jenna simply shrugged. “I have no problem with it.”

Joey grinned. “Well, it was nice ta meet you, Jenna! We'll see you tomorrow!”

She nodded. “It was nice to meet you too. I'll see you.”

The teens left, leaving Jenna alone with Yugi, Ryu and Grandpa Moto, who was bustling around in the kitchen.

They stayed up for another hour when they decided they should get to bed, Yugi and Ryu headed into Yugi's room, and Jenna heading into her own.

 

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Only an hour after everyone went to sleep, the Yugi and Ryu were immediately awoken by the most horrifying and anguished screams they had ever heard. The two of them bounded out of bed, tearing out of the bedroom and into Jenna's where they saw the girl thrashing madly in her bed, crying out in English.

Yugi rushed forward and quickly shook her. “JENNA!!”

The girl sat bolt upright, her eyes snapping open, wild and filled with terror.

Yugi quickly hushed her. “It's okay! It's me. You're safe now, Jenna. It's over.” he said gently rubbing her shoulders.

The haunted look in her eyes vanished in an instant as she remembered where she was and who was with her, and she instantly threw herself into his arms and started sobbing. Ryu quickly came to her other side and gently rubbed her shoulders as Yugi rocked her back and forth.

Her trembling slowly came to a stop, and her heartrate slowly returned to normal. She stayed up against Yugi for a few minutes longer, just gripping his pajama's and taking in slow deep breaths. She could still feel Ryu as he rubbed her shoulder gently and Yugi's hands as they trailed up and down her back soothingly.

“You okay now?” he asked her softly. Only he and Ryu were aware of the Pharaoh who was out of his puzzle, looking at her in a great amount of concern.

She gripped him as though she were a child seeking comfort, but afraid to ask right out. She gave a single nod into his shoulder. “Y... yes. Thank you...”

“Would you like a glass of water?” he asked.

She hesitated, and then nodded. Yugi gently dislodged from her and smiled at her. “I'll grab it for you. I'll be right back.”

He got to his feet and left the room, leaving her alone with Ryu. She didn't say anything and was too ashamed at the moment to look him in the eyes. He just sat there in silence and continued to rub her shoulder until Yugi came back, a tall glass of water in his hand.

She drank it all down in seconds and let out a sigh of relief. “Thankyou for waking me up... but I should be getting back to sleep now.” she said quietly.

Yugi hesitated. “Would you like me to stay with you until you fall asleep again?”

“You don't have to...” she started, but Yugi cut her off.

“I WANT to.” he said.

She blinked and looked at him in surprise, and then a small smile formed on her lips. “Thank you.”

Yugi nodded and turned to Ryu. “You can go back to bed. I can take things from here.”

Ryu nodded. “Alright. If you happen to need anything, don't be afraid to ask.”

Yugi nodded. “I will.”

The boy left the room, leaving the two alone. Jenna was still sitting on the edge of the bed, her gaze downcast once more. Her hand came to her side and she winced a little. “Could you grab me my purse, please? I need my painkillers.”

He nodded, grabbing it off a hook it hung on by the wall, handing it to her. She pulled out a bottle of pills, popped two in her mouth and started to lay down once more. Yugi pulled a chair up beside the bed and took a seat as she layed her head down on the pillow and settled down.

The boy ran his fingers through her hair. She stiffened at first, and then relaxed, her eyelids sliding shut. Then she thought she saw a flash of light behind her closed eyelids, but before she could open her eyes, she felt Yugi's hand settle over her temple and brush up and down gently. The light was forgotten in an instant, before she saw the beginning of a faint glow once more, but this time, what stopped her from checking it out was instant and deep sleep.

 

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Pharaoh looked down at the sleeping girl for a long moment, his fingers still resting gently over her temple. He had just used his Millenium Puzzle to ensure she would experience no more nightmares tonight. He remembered the days events... her inability to hold down her dinner, the ensuing breakdown, the silent moments, the looks of shame... and just now, the wild terror he had seen in her eyes the instant she had awoken. He sighed, shaking his head as his fingers ran down the side of her face. He returned her purse to the hook on the wall, double checked to make sure she was all right, and then exited the room.

He ran into Grandpa in the hallway. “Is she alright? I thought I heard screaming a moment ago.”

Pharaoh nodded. “She is settled down once more. There is nothing to worry about.”

Solomon nodded. “Alright. Since it seems to be resolved, I'll go back to bed now.”

Pharaoh nodded again, letting Yugi regain control of his body. “Yeah, I've gotta get back to bed myself. I'll see you in the morning, Grandpa.”

The old man smiled. “Yes. Goodnight, Yugi.”

The youth sighed, climbing back into his own bed. He could see Ryu sleeping soundly on the floor already.

Yugi turned so he was facing the wall, closed his eyes, and tried to sleep.

 

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Okay, please tell me what you think!! I know my first chapter was short, but the rest should be about the length of this one! R&R, Please!!