Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Watch Over Me ❯ Like Me... ( Chapter 17 )

I want to say that in no way am I saying that Child Services is full of people like Flannery. Child Services does a lot of good for kids who really need good homes. I met several people in college who were adopted. So, if anyone feels I'm dissing the department, I'm really not.

*review responses next chappie*

Ryou's POV

Dinner was once again ruined by Anzu. Not surprising anymore. Every day I run upstairs after dinner with a headache. Today's "friendly message" was that not only were rocks friendly, but pavement was also friendly. Why? I have no idea.

Anzu jumped up and down…go figure we had spaghetti…the sauce got all over my hair and my white shirt. I asked her how she got out of the Shadow Realm.

Anzu's face assumed its normal blank stare. "Well, they put me on this friendly turtle with catapult on it. OOO! CATS ARE FRIENDLY! And then they shot me out of the cutsie wootsie Swadow Wealm! I miss it so much….." Her face turned sad….pathetic type of sad. "No friendship."

I had to lay down on the bed before my foster father came upstairs. Bakura was busy beating his head against the soul room because of Anzu to realize how achy I was. My foster father is really great. I wonder how he ended up with a daughter like Anzu.

"Ryou, are you feeling ok?"

I sighed. "She gives me a headache."

"I know. She's been giving me a headache for the last fifteen years."

We both nodded. "Do you like it here?"

I looked over at the clock…..830 pm. It was almost my time to spend with my babies! The best part of my day is tucking my chibis in bed! But tonight, I missed them particularly bad. "I miss my family. I miss Aten and Aria."

"I know. I'll never know how it feels to miss a normal child since every time Anzu leaves this house, it's like a breath of fresh air."

I looked up at the man. "I'm really sorry. I do like it here. My father never had time to talk to me like this. The last parent to sit and talk to me like this was my mother."

He put his arm around me, which surprised me. "We heard about your case, Ryou. We're sorry about your father."

I clenched my fists and my teeth began to grind.

//Ryou! You ok?//

\ Sorry……..\

//All of a sudden, our soulrooms began to quake!//

\Sorry, Bakura. My foster father just mentioned my father.\

//……Are you ok, Ryou?//

\I'll be ok, yami. Once I get my father out of here, we'll leave.\

"I know, sir. He was cruel. I'll never be able to forgive him for doing what he did to me or to Aten."

"Well, Ryou, I know things have been hard on you, but we'll help you."

My father hugged me tightly and the phone rang. From downstairs, I heard my foster mother call me. "Ryou! Phone for you!"

"PHONE CALLS ARE LIKE FRIENDSHIP! WHO IS IT? WHO? WHO? OOO!! I SOUND LIKE AN OWL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OWLS ARE VERRRRRRRRRRRRRYYYYY FRIENDLY! HORRAY FOR FRIENDLY THINGS! YEAH FRIENDLINESS!!"

Bakura once again began banging his head against his soulroom. // I've never wanted to kill myself again so much in my afterlife! Make it stop……….//

I ran downstairs and picked up the phone. "Hello, Ryou speaking."

[Ryou? I need you to come over here immediately.]

Kaiba. The way his voice came over the phone sent shivers up my spine.

"Kaiba, is anything the matter?"

[You have to come over, Ryou. I need to speak with you.]

"Are Aria and Aten ok?"

Silence came over the phone.

[You may want to pack a bag. You are staying here overnight.]

My first instinct was that one of the kids was ill. Seto knew I stayed awake with Aten all night when he came home. Aten spent a few days in the hospital along with me. Both of us were terribly sick after my father kidnapped us. But, I never left Aten's side after Aku, my other yami created by my father and Cinetti's son, was destroyed.

"Kaiba, is something wrong that I should know about?"

[Everything is under control, Ryou. Bring Bakura with you.]

Kaiba hung up the phone and I stared at the receiver.

\ Bakura, we are going to KaibaCorp. Kaiba was acting strangely.\

// Are the kids ok? //

\Kaiba wouldn't tell me a thing. \

// Then get going before I have to show Anzu what her stomach lining looks like. //

Anzu ran into the room. "OO! MOMMY LOCKED ME IN THE BASEMENT AND TOLD ME THERE WOULD BE LOTS OF FRIENDSHIP DOWNSTAIRS! I FOUND FRIENDLY SPIDERS AND FUN FRIENDLY STUFF!"

"How did you break out of the basement, young lady?"

" I broke that ever-so-friendly lock you put on the door! FRIENDSHIP HELPED ME BREAK THE DOOR! YEAHHHHHHHHHHHH FRIENDSHIP!"

I could hear my yami screaming and growling and trying to pull his hair out. // IF I DON'T GET OUT OF THIS HOUSE RIGHT NOW, I'M GOING TO KILL MYSELF AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN…//

\Ok! I'll get you out.\

"Mother, my friend Kaiba wants me to stay the night. Can I? Please? I'll be back tomorrow."

My mother thought. "Ok, Ryou. Come back tomorrow." She kissed me and I ran upstairs to pack my bags.

\Yami, I'm in my room. Come out.\

//I'm not coming out of this ring until we are gone from this Ra-Forsaken hell hole!//

I packed my bags quickly and I ran out of the house. When we were a safe distance away, Bakura materialized beside me.

Bakura and I ran to KaibaCorp both worried about Aria and Aten. My imagination began to run away with me. What if it was about Aten and his bad heart? Did Aria get into something she shouldn't have and is sick?

Beside me, Bakura ran hardly breaking a sweat. I could feel his concern for Aria over the mindlink. A few years ago, I never would have known that he would make such a great father! He was good with both of the kids, even though I almost expected him not to be close to Aten because he wasn't his son.

When we arrived at KaibaCorp, the guards let us in. The guards seemed relieved to see us.

Seto met us at the elevator door like usual. I grabbed onto Seto's shirt. "Where's Aria and Aten? Are they ok?"

"They're ok. Aria and Aten are with my temporary guests," Seto said walking away dressed in his dark blue bathrobe with gold trim. He opened up the door to a bedroom. "But you can go inside."

Bakura and I walked up to the door and both of us stopped moving…stopped breathing…stopped thinking.

Aten and Aria were cuddling Marik and Malik. Marik stood up from the bed gripping the Millennium Rod.

"Itemri!"

Bakura gasped. "Ishtar!"

Bakura ran for Marik and the two yamis collided in an embrace hugging each other.

I ran to Malik and I found my friend laying on his side with a steaming bowl of chicken soup beside him and a bottle of medicine. Aten was beside him cuddled up to Malik's chest.

"Malik?" I hugged my friend who laid there half awake. I heard a little moan come from him.

"Joey…..please stop. No….Joey…"

I turned to Marik and Bakura having a serious conversation. Their serious conversations always involved their trademark poses. Bakura stood facing Marik with his arms folded across his chest. Marik's face was almost glaring as he put one hand on his hip and tapping the Millennium Rod against his leg.

Bakura glanced at me and turned back to Marik.

"Malik?" I took Marik's hand and he looked up at me slowly. "Malik? What's wrong?"

Malik sneezed and rubbed his cheek against my hand. Malik had no grip. Seto's footsteps came behind me.

"Joey helped him escape."

I turned to Seto. "Why is Malik sick?"

"A damp alley was no place for him. I hope my puppy doesn't come down with it, too."

"Joey? Is Joey here, too? I thought he had to leave."

Aten crawled over to me and I picked him up in my arms. I really didn't want him or need him to get sick.

"To hell with Flannery! This is KaibaCorp and here I do things MY way from now on!"

Aten brushed back his hair. "Unkie Seto taid dat Mom was wunning away from Unkie Puppy's meanie daddy. Dat's why Mom isn't fewwing well. Poor Mommy Mawik."

"Joey returned to his dad and he," Seto looked at Aten smiling in my arms and Aria clinging to her father's leg jumping up and down frantically trying to get his attention.

"I can't go into it with the kids here."

"I want to see Joey," I said.

Seto nodded and picked up Aria. We put Aria and Aten on the bed.

"Mommy, no go!" Aten clung to me tightly whimpering.

"I'll be right back."

Malik brought Aten close to him and cuddled him. Seto lead me and I pulled Bakura along to Joey's room next door.

Joey was sitting up in bed having a bowl of chicken soup like Malik. His wrists were really bruised and I noticed something different about him. He smiled when we entered the room and out his chicken soup aside.

"Ryou! Bakura!"

"Puppy, what trouble did you get into this time?"

Joey shifted uncomfortably and winced as he slipped into the sheets. Beside the table was a bottle of prescription medicine and Tylenol. I noticed the brand of medicine. It was the same pills that Zira prescribed to me when I came to the hospital. Its purpose was to reduce the risk of infection in suspected rape cases.

Joey was……….? By his father?

"Nothing, Bakura. I wish I never went back to my father, but Malik needed help. I couldn't let anything happen to him."

I sat beside Joey. "Are you really ok, Joey?"

Joey looked at me with large brown eyes. "It's hard for me to talk about."

I nodded. It wasn't something I wanted to talk about either when it came to Tim and my own father. It wasn't easy and I thought no one would understand. Me and Joey are in the same situation that neither of us could control.

Seto sat beside me. "It's ok, puppy. We're here for you."

"How is Malik?"

"Still running a high fever. He drifts in and out of sleep though. Once Marik feeds him, he'll sleep like the dead….no pun intended, Bakura."

Bakura rolled his eyes and snorted. "Very funny."

"You said something about a damp alley, Seto. What was Malik doing there?"

"Like Aten said, he and Joey were running away from Joey's dad. Malik hasn't tried to walk since we brought him back."

Joey looked down and almost blushed. "Well, there's a reason for that…."

"Did your dad hurt him, Joey?"

Joey looked down and nodded.

"He said "Joey, please stop" in the room. Joey, did you do anything to Malik?"

Joey looked up at Seto and squint his eyes. He shook his head and whimpered. "I was forced to…make love to Malik." Bakura growled gripping the bed post in his hands. Seto and I bit our lips and put our hands on Joey's arm. "It didn't get all the way, but…..I didn't want to hurt Malik. My dad threatened to stab Malik in the throat. I couldn't let that happen."

Joey saved Malik's life? " Why did you go back to your dad? You knew what he was like!"

"Ryou, I had to try to get even! I wanted to get revenge on my dad."

Bakura leaned against the bed post. "Revenge is good, Joey, but look where it got you."

Joey sighed and put his head down. "True…..but, I did it for Malik's sake and for my sanity. I couldn't stand being his punching bag or his……fuck-toy anymore! I don't know what Seto did to him, but I never want him to forget how much of a bastard he really is!"

I rubbed Joey's back as the tears welled up in his eyes again. "I know you are angry and you haven't had time to heal. It will take a while to get over this."

"It's been ten years almost! I should be over this already! I shouldn't be here crying like a baby!"

I hugged Joey tightly. "You have to let it out, Joey." Trying to restrain my own tears, I rubbed Joey's back.

"It's not fair! It's not fair! Why me? What did I do to deserve him? What did I do wrong?"

Seto took his hand and stroked Joey's face lightly. "You did nothing wrong, pup. He got his just desserts, love, don't worry. You just lay down like a good little puppy and relax."

The soup soon took effect on Joey and he fell asleep. I remember after the incident with me and my father. I slept for days nonstop. The doctors told me it was my coping mechanism. They said it was a way to escape my emotions and the situation. Joey was lucky he was eating. I didn't eat….only slept.

Once Seto, Bakura, and I left, my yami turned to Seto. "So, Seto, what ever happened to Joey's dad?"

Seto folded his hands. "What do you mean?"

"Look, Kaiba, you aren't the only one in this hallway whose ever had to hide a body. So….what did you do with it?"

Seto turned away. "I admit to nothing. Besides, it's nothing a needle and thread and several icepacks won't cure."

"Why would he need a needle and thread?"

Seto smirked. "Because, Joey's dad will have to pull himself back together….or rather, sew himself back together."

Seto's cryptic answer was all he gave as he turned away from us again. Bakura and I reentered the room and found Aten asleep beside Malik. Aria was under a table in the corner. Bakura picked her up and looked at our daughter…covered in chocolate. Her mouth was covered in chocolate, her dress was covered in chocolate, her hands were dirty, and her white hair had chocolate stains. Marik was sitting in a chair gripping the Millennium Rod tightly.

"Ishar! Look at Aria!" Bakura held Aria up for Marik to see. "She's filthy!"

Marik snickered. "She's tuckered out."

"She's dirty!"

"Just give her a bath, Bakura," I said to my yami. "It's time to get them to bed anyway."

Aten wrapped his arms around my shoulders and he snuggled into me. Aten remained slightly awake as he was bathed. I dressed him in his moon and stars sleeping gown and Aria in her pink, lacy nightgown. We tucked them in bed and kissed our children goodnight.

Bakura and I returned to Malik. Marik sat by his hikari waiting for Malik to show some signs of consciousness. The only reward he got were twitches of the fingers.

I stood beside Marik and put my hand on his shoulder. "Marik?"

Marik just sat there.

"Marik, come talk to me."

Marik looked up at me with those captivating purple eyes. "Malik is ill. I can't leave him."

I watched Marik turn back to Malik. I know what he was going through….I wanted Malik to be better, too. I missed Marik and I hugged him tightly.

"Bakura, can you watch Malik? I have to talk to Marik."

Bakura nodded and Seto sat on the other side of the bed. My yami seemed intent on having Seto divulge what he did to Joey's dad.

"Well, when I saw what happened to Joey, I couldn't take it. So, I did what any lover would do, I…"

The door closed behind Marik and I as we headed to the study for some quality time.

Updates: Sunday or Monday.

Next Chappie: I'm gonna do a special request from Hato chiisai….a Marik x Ryou lemon next chappie.