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I Know You're Out There Somewhere	By : Firewing Category: Yu-Gi-Oh > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 3536 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own YuGiOh!, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 35
- 36
- 37
Chapter 36: Terrors of the Night

Gee�don�t think I�d be posting this on a fan site if I did own it, but think how different the anime would be if I did�

��

After his father�s exit, Jou stalked upstairs reluctantly to talk to Seto. Though his father also deserved an apology, Pegasus had his ever-present bodyguard and friend to bandage whatever emotional wounds he may have suffered due to Jou's all too quick tongue. Seto, on the other hand, had no one but Jou and Mokuba, and with the latter of the two not even aware of the situation, the dragon master was liable to seal himself away for a day or two with his computer if Joey didn't act quickly to prevent him from retreating beneath his practiced armour.
A nice ocean breeze was blowing in through the open French doors to the master suite�s overlarge balcony, and Jou followed it out to where Seto stood, shoes clicking on the stone surface as he joined his lover on the terrace. With a grunt of acknowledgement, the dragon master turned to face Joey.

�You should see this, Jou,� Seto said neutrally, reaching out to Jou and gesturing for him to look over the edge of the balcony. Below them, Pegasus and Croquet were visible, sitting shoulder to shoulder in the sand. �You don�t suppose��
�What?� Joey gave him a quizzical look, the implications of the scene going way over his head.
Seto grinned down at the blond, finding his confusion absolutely endearing. �Do you think they have something going on?�
�Huh?� His boyfriend might as well have been speaking another language for all Jou understood.
Seto laughed, simply shaking his head as he all but dragged the puppy back into the suite. As the billionaire closed the French doors and drew the curtains, Jou fidgeted nervously, picking at a piece of lint stuck to one of the pillows as he tried to decide how best to approach the situation that had brought him up to their bedroom in the first place. Seto seemed in an unusually good mood, but perhaps that was just a facade for his pup's benefit. Either way, there was no way he could just pretend nothing had happened and not expect the wound to fester.
�Seto, I know I screwed up when I suggested you partner up with my father for a duel�� Jou began hesitantly, his cheeks reddening with embarrassment.
Seto sighed as he pulled the curtains closed a little more roughly than was necessary. �It�s okay, Jou. I was out of line too." He joined his golden dragon-pup on the bed, lying on his side so that he could stare into honey eyes that, however similar they were to that of the Duel Monsters creator, evoked emotions in him that were completely different from those he had experienced during his conversation with Pegasus earlier that day. "If you want a team duel, why don�t you team up with Pegasus against Yugi and I?�
Joey rolled onto his back, interlacing his fingers behind his head as he considered Seto's proposal. His father was an awesome duelist, Millennium Eye or not; he knew every strategy, every card, and every counter attack there was to know, having reinvented and mastered the game before Jou had even known what a Red-Eyes Black Dragon was. Still, Seto and his powerful dragon deck were tough to bring down, and since Jou himself relied as much on his heart and Lady Luck as he did skill, things could go sour for Team Pegasus in a hurry. Finally, there was Yugi, and he was absolutely impossible to defeat.
Jou shook his head as he turned back to face his bed-mate, �Nah. I appreciate the effort, Seto, but we both know the outcome of that match-up.�
Seto nodded, his leering grin back in place. �Yes, we do.�
The blond smiled back, drawing Seto into a comfortable embrace. It wouldn't hurt the dragon master to think that his lover had been referring to his formidable talents as a duelist rather than the spotless record of his long-time rival. As he snuggled deep into the firm planes of Seto's chest, Jou gave a soft, contented sigh. For the moment, all was right in his world.
The other man, however, had more than gentle cuddling in mind, largely due to the fact that he had been tortured mercilessly by the provocative blond all day . �I want you, Jou,� he whispered in a low, ragged voice, shifting so that his boyfriend could feel his arousal. �I want to feel you inside of me. I want you to touch me, possess me, like no one else ever could, or ever will.�
�Are you sure, Seto?� Jou asked softly, the desire to hide from his lover�s raw intensity nearly overpowering him as he reached up slightly to caress the firmness of Seto's sex through his pants. �I don�t need to be dominant, you know.�
Seto nodded, closing his eyes as he fought not to arch up into the gentle touch. �Only you, Pup.�
A flash of inspiration struck Joey then, and he headed off to the bathroom, a curious and partially annoyed dragon master following in his wake. Through eyes tinted by lust, Seto watched the blond lay out a few items, fill the bathtub, and slip out of his clothes before turning the whirlpool on low and sinking into the tub. Gloriously nude beneath the distorting ripples caused by the whirlpool, the golden demi-god beckoned for Seto to join him, causing the billionaire to perform an amazingly rapid strip show before practically diving into the pool next to Joey. Smiling appreciatively, Jou drew Seto to him, positioning the long, lean legs such that he could slide his own underneath his lover�s.
�The first time I saw you, Seto, you were so cold and distant. You acted so superior to everyone else, but somehow I still knew you�d been badly hurt. All I wanted, more than anything else, was to take the pain away, to see you smile and laugh, to know you were happy,� Jou told him softly as he took a washcloth, rubbed some scented soap into it, and began to slide it reverently across Seto�s chest. �I always knew you were beautiful, inside and out; I think even a blind man could sense it from across a crowded room. You have such a presence, so confident and strong. You're impossible to miss.�
�It�s just a mask, Jou,� Seto said, sadness creeping into his tone. He was so undeserving of this treatment, this relationship, even Jou himself. Why would such a being ever waste more than a second's glance on a creature as broken as himself?
�No.� Joey shook his head, interrupting Seto's self-deprecating speech. �The mask is the cold, hard-nosed, unfeeling CEO called Kaiba. My first impression was right, Seto; wanting to reach out to you was so totally right. You�re so amazing, so strong. Even when you�re vulnerable, you�re powerful, seductive somehow. I belong in your arms like I�ll never belong anywhere else.�
Having said all he felt was necessary, Jou dipped his fingers into a strategically placed jar. He was all too well aware of the fact that he had not taken Seto since the first time they had been together, and he knew that he would have to be as careful now as he had been then. Carefully, he slid their bodies closer, kissing Seto eagerly as he pressed a jelly-coated finger to his opening, warning him before penetrating the tight ring of muscle. He raised Seto so that his lover was on Jou�s thighs, positioning himself carefully. With a hand on Seto�s hip, Jou guided him down, penetrating the brunet�s body slowly, letting Seto remain in control even though their roles had been switched.
Seto quickly caught on to his puppy's plans and promptly took all of Jou in, giving himself over wholeheartedly to his passion and hunger. He wrapped his legs around Jou, finding his leverage and going with it.
�This�wasn�t �exactly�what�I had�in mind�Jou�� he panted breathlessly, struggling to keep from degenerating into a chorus of incoherent, euphoric moans. Why hadn't he suggested they do this again sooner?
"Submission isn�t your style�oh, Seto.� Jou bucked up to meet the taller man, wrapping one hand around Seto�s oozing erection as his lover's inner muscles constricted around his own length. A fervent desire to taste Seto swelled in his chest, and the vivid image of his lover releasing sent Jou right over the edge. A moment later, he watched in fascination as his fantasies became reality, and Seto came over his hand with a deep, sustained groan.
With slow, deliberate strokes of his tongue, Jou cleaned his hand of Seto's seed, revelling in the smouldering, unwavering cerulean gaze almost as much as he did in the taste of Seto himself. Prior to becoming the dragon master's favourite pet, Joey had never dreamed that he would ever enjoy the taste of any man's semen more than he did that of most foods, but the proof was evident in the alacrity with which said substance was vanishing from his rough, callused fingers. It wasn't the substance itself Jou adored, though; rather, the blond loved the feeling of oneness that drinking his boyfriend's essence entertained, like a sort of sensual, earthly communion. Idly, he wondered if Seto felt the same when he tasted him.
�Oh, Jou�I want you so much�� Seto moaned, completely intoxicated with passion even as Jou's softening penis slid out of him, and he leaned down to kiss the boy, tasting the last vestiges of his come on the golden god's lips. Joey's mouth yielded to his easily, and that simple display of submission was enough to arouse Seto all over again.
Joey grinned as his tongue slid from his lover's mouth. �You�re insatiable,� he observed, any trace of his musings gone from his demeanour as he gave the dragon master's near-hardness a teasingly firm squeeze before sliding out from under him and attempting to exit the tub.
Seto, however, wasn't done playing with his puppy yet, and his arms snaked around Joey's waist in a death grip, pulling him back down into his lap and grinding his now fully hardened erection against the small of the other man's back. "One more time, Amber-Eyes?" he pleaded seductively against Joey's ear as he reached down to run one hand along the still-hypersensitive shaft and over his lover's spent testicles, keeping him pinned against his chest with the other. "You've been teasing me all day, and I haven't gotten nearly enough of you yet."
Though Joey would have loved nothing more than to grant his perpetually horny boyfriend's request, he could already discern tiny spots of darkness blurring into his peripheral vision. Perhaps his day had been more tiring than he had originally believed. �I�m so sleepy, Seto,� he yawned in reply, leaning back to nuzzle the brunet's cheek in apology.
Inwardly, Seto groaned, but nodded in understanding nonetheless as he kissed his lover chastely, releasing him from his embrace. "I didn't realize you were so tired," he said, lifting Jou from his lap and seating him on the floor of the tub so that he could rise from the rapidly cooling water himself.
"It was more of a sudden thing," replied the other man as his lover reached back into the tub in order to drain the water before easily lifting him from the water and running a soft, thick towel over him slowly, savouring the feel of his toned body through the material.
The dragon master grunted as he wrapped Jou up in the towel, clasping him to his own still wet and deliciously bare body. "Do you need any help getting to bed?" he murmured softly, and the blaze of love in Jou's breast intensified twofold.
"Were you planning on carrying me, Master?" returned the blond with a roguish grin, and the next thing he knew, he was quite literally being swept off his feet. "Whoa, Seto! Give a guy some warning before you do that!"
"And here I thought you enjoyed spontaneity, Pup," said the taller of the two with a grin of his own as he manoeuvred them into the adjacent room carefully, mindful of his precious cargo.
Jou snickered as he was gently deposited on the bed, the towel falling away to expose his golden beauty once again. "You gonna join me?" he asked, eyelids growing heavier by the moment.
Seto nodded as he climbed into bed alongside Joey, brushing stray locks of golden mane aside so that he could kiss the centre of his pet's forehead. "Of course," he said, curling into his lover's warmth as he sank into the feather mattress.
Jou was fast asleep before Seto's head came to rest on his pillow.

~*~*~*~
Cecelia knew nothing of what it was to possess a Millennium item or, more accurately, to be possessed by one. Because of this, her soul had become a waning light, unable to withstand the rigours of the Shadow Realm, and it would not be long before she ceased to exist altogether.
Ryou, meanwhile, was trying to focus his energy on the one true Ring. He could sense it, yet he was unable to summon the strength of will necessary to wrest control of it from his darker half. Nevertheless, though Bakura was doing a great job of holding his body hostage, Ryou could not, would not stop trying to reclaim it.
The albino boy had become so involved in his task that he failed to notice that he was alone in Cecelia�s vision of an English garden until his fruitless efforts exhausted him completely. He fell to his knees in the grass, cursing himself for being worthless.
Suddenly, a high-pitched scream pierced Ryou�s self-loathing, and he had pushed himself to his feet and through the barrier between Cecelia�s sanctuary and the Shadow Realm. The impenetrable, unforgiving darkness that enveloped him immediately thereafter, however, slowed his whirling tailspin of a mind down enough that he could process the necessity of having a plan of attack.
He clutched his copy of the Ring, bending his tired will upon it again. �Where is she?� he murmured, putting as much mental force behind the command as he could dredge up. To his infinite gratitude, the shadow of the Millennium Ring glowed as its spires pointed into the darkness. With a nod, Ryou ran.
Moments later, though the astral projections of his legs burned as though he'd been running for days, he caught a glimpse of a turbaned man spinning away from a motionless, crumpled form. Before Ryou could intervene, the man had vanished amid the rustle of long, sweeping robes, his unnatural blue eyes seared into Ryou's consciousness forever.
�No!� Ryou cried out in dismay even as he dove toward the manifestation of Cecelia's spirit, knowing somewhere deep within himself that he was too late.
He knelt beside the transparent, fading beauty. He expected his hands to pass through her shimmering image as he reached down to lift her into his arms, but they didn�t. Cradling the light, barely-there burden to his chest protectively, the youth returned to Cecelia's pocket of Shadow space, laying her out tenderly on the cushions and coverlets. Gently, Ryou brushed a ringlet from her face, captivated by the manner in which it curled around his finger, as though it were trying to comfort him.
Hot tears of frustration began to stream unbidden down his face in his self-deprecation. Somehow, he felt as though his ineptitude had failed her, because he had not been able to save her. It escaped his temporarily selective memory that the Egyptian man he had seen standing over her must have been the human embodiment of the entity known as Souleater, potentially a match for the great King of Games himself.
Ryou laughed bitterly to himself as he dragged his knuckles roughly across red-rimmed chocolate eyes. Had he really believed that he could confront Bakura, imprison the errant yami in his soul chamber, go to Duelist Kingdom in order to return the Millennium Eye to Pegasus as a token of his regret, and tell him that his already-deceased wife was dying in the Shadow Realm? He couldn�t even touch the true Ring's energy from where he was, much less reclaim control of his own body.
Apologetically, he took Cecelia�s delicate hand in his own, raising it to his lips and kissing it softly. He could not imagine anyone wishing to harm to this beautiful creature, so easily loved, but he would do all in his power to make sure their foul plans did not come to fruition.
"As little as that might be, Cecelia, it is all I can offer you," he whispered against ethereal fingers, but the woman to whom they belonged did not even stir.
~*~*~*~
While Ryou began his vigil over Cecelia, Croquet was watching over her husband from his twin bed. Though he would much preferred to have slept with Max (all the better to fight away his inevitable nightmares), two men sharing a twin bed did not make for the most comfortable of situations. Besides, Max had reasoned with him when he had voiced this complaint as they changed for bed, it would be rather hard to keep their relationship a secret should they sleep in and be caught in bed together by any of the other residents of the beach house. So, thanks to the ever-frustrating laws of physics, Chris had to settle for guarding his master from a bed placed four feet from Pegasus' instead of shielding the silver-haired inventor from threats both physical and spiritual in his protective embrace.
At the moment, though, the usually-carefree man was tossing and turning, his arms flailing against the nightmare that held him in its tendrils, his normally articulate voice reduced to unintelligible grunts and whimpers. Christopher had been content to stand guard silently for the past half hour, but when his employer threw a strangled, battered, over-loved Funny Bunny plushie in his face, Croquet drew the line.
His hand was no more than three inches from Pegasus� shoulder when his master sat bolt upright and screamed, �Cecelia!�
Relieved that the dream�s spell had been broken, however temporarily, Croquet sat down on the side of the bed. �Max?� he said softly, his hand beginning to trace soothing circles down his master�s back. �Max, it was a dream��
�No! He�s hurting her! Her soul! She�s being murdered again!� Pegasus shouted, only half coherent as his arms shot up, finely manicured nails digging into Chris� bare shoulders.
�Max, no one can hurt Cecelia. She�s gone. She�s been gone a long time,� Chris tried to reason with him. He was well aware that Max�s dreams could be horribly vivid, and that when the man woke, he sometimes had difficulty separating them from reality.
�Listen to me! They murdered her body, and now they�re killing her soul!� Pegasus insisted, shaking Croquet roughly.
Chris� instinctive reaction was to fill Max�s head with senseless platitudes, but somewhere deep within himself, he had always known that Cecelia�s death had been no accident. Denying what they both knew would make things easier for no one. � Who, Max? Who killed Cecelia?�
The shaking slowed, then stopped completely as Pegasus came back to himself. �It was... it was that damn midwife, Anya. It was all a set up: Shadi, the Millennium Eye, Cecelia�s death, everything. But why, Chris? I don't know why!� With a heart-wrenching sob, Pegasus fell into Chris' arms, shaking against his long-time friend's chest as the other man stroked his fine, silver hair.
�You saw this in the library earlier today, didn't you?" Chris asked gently, and Max nodded into his lover's warmth. " I never did like Shadi��
Max stared up at him, the white of his surviving eye nearly completely red. �And, of course, I didn�t listen to you. When will I learn that you're always right, Chris?�
�What do you want me to do, Max?� Croquet asked, trying to change the subject. Regrets would do no one any good, and stood to harm a great many.
Pegasus sighed, his breath warm against Croquet's firm flesh. �Do what you do best, Chris; watch my back, catch me if I fall, guard me while I sleep. No one can do more than you do already.�
"I wish that weren't true, Sir," replied his bodyguard. "I feel woefully inadequate against magical attacks."
A chuckle floated up from beneath the silver curtain of Pegasus' dishevelled hair. "Inadequacy and you do not belong in the same universe, Christopher." The other man opened his mouth to reply, but his lover stopped him with a single heated glance. "Shh. No more talking."
As Pegasus' lips claimed his, Croquet decided that was one order he was all too happy to obey.
~*~*~*~
Croquet and Ryou weren't the only ones keeping midnight vigils; Tristan was also watching his sleeping roommate, for slightly different reasons. While he couldn't put his finger on anything specific that was 'wrong' with the other boy, something about Bakura had creeped the brunette out ever since Duelist Kingdom.
Perhaps he had had too many close encounters with the spirit of the Ring, and become paranoid as a result. But, of course, he�d taken care of that by pitching the Ring out of a castle window and into the forest below, and since then Bakura had seemed pretty cool; though Tristan had begun to spend more time with him after Joey had moved onto the Kaiba Estate, he was unable to pinpoint any one event that could have perpetuated his irrational fears.
A smile ghosted across his lips as he remembered the little bit of fun they had tried to have the day Jou had moved into his new apartment, and said smile quickly became a scowl as he recalled how quickly Kaiba had put an end to it. Next time they tried to pull a stunt like that, they would have to get Kaiba drunk first� preferably to the point where he passed out, so they could lock him in a closet.
The sound of his roommate chanting what sounded like some strange mantra brought Tristan back to the present, although he would much preferred to have kept strolling down Memory Lane. Bakura didn�t seem to be awake or asleep, but rather in some sort of trance, and Tristan shivered involuntarily as the memories of screaming guards and a growling, all-too-real Man-Eater Bug assaulted his senses.
Resolutely, he jerked out of bed, grabbed his jeans and a pillow, and headed for the comfy conversation pit downstairs. Perhaps if he could put some physical distance between himself and Bakura, he would get some sleep that night.
~*~*~*~
Being a spirit, Yami had no need for sleep. Normally, the fact that Yugi did was not a problem for the dark spirit of the Puzzle, but tonight was not a normal night. Just as he had on the night of the fire, Yami found the Millennium Puzzle too confining, and so he had separated from his soundly sleeping light in order to take a walk on the beach.
His plans for quiet solitude were foiled, however, when he discovered that Tea had also had been thinking along those same lines. The lovely azure-eyed dancer didn't seem to notice him, however, but instead seemed to be deep in thought as she stared out at the ocean. Yami had been enchanted with her ever since Johnny Steps had challenged her to DDR; when she danced, her passionate fire was plain to see, and that attracted him to no end. He supposed it was because she reminded him of someone from long ago: a slave girl, her memory adorned in layered silk veils and gold bangles. The only feature of her face visible to the casual onlooker were eyes the color of the sea, challenging and willful. Though he could remember nothing else of her save that she had danced before his throne for his entertainment, the thought of her set off something instinctive in him, something primal that told the former pharaoh that she had been much more to him than a servant, and perhaps even more than a friend.
As he approached the young girl, so like the vision of his dreams, Yami was as silent as a hot breeze blowing over burning desert sand. Of course, Tea nearly jumped out of her skin when he crouched next to her and tapped her on the shoulder gently.
�Oh, Yami! It�s just you!� she gasped, clutching her hands to her rampaging heart. "Having trouble sleeping too?�
�I don�t actually sleep, Tea," he replied. �However, I take it that you couldn�t?�
She shook her head, turning back to the water. �It�s just a strange place, that's all. The sound of the ocean kept me awake.�
�Everyplace is strange to me,� Yami sighed, and Tea could have sworn she detected a note of bitterness in the deep, baritone voice. A flash of sympathy shot through her, and she wanted nothing more than to comfort him, although she had no idea how.
�Do you miss Egypt?� she finally offered, rather lamely.
Yami's head swivelled slowly, narrowed crimson eyes nearly swallowing her whole. �It�s difficult to miss a place you don�t remember, Tea.�
His glare frightened her, she averted her eyes contritely. "I'm so sorry," she began quietly. "I wasn't thinking. I didn't mean to disregard your feelings or anything--"
She was cut off when strong, sun-darkened hands enclosed her own pale ones. "No. It is I who should be apologizing, Tea." His eyes were no longer cold, but rather so warm that Tea had to look away, for fear of getting burned. "You were only trying to help. I had no right to react in that manner."
�No�I�� She wanted to accept responsibility for her own thoughtlessness, but she just couldn't look into his eyes. She was afraid of what was in his heart almost as much as she feared that which grew inside hers.
Confused, Yami reached up, gently tilting her face back towards his. "Do you fear me, Tea?" he asked directly, the question devoid of anything resembling malice.
Her breath caught in her throat as she struggled to reply. "Maybe a little, sometimes," she said honestly, regretting the words almost as soon as she drew breath to speak them.
"You needn't," came the soft reply before she felt warm, gentle lips against hers, pressing firmly yet keeping the kiss chaste. Though she was surprised, her eyes slid closed anyway, only reopening once Yami backed away a few seconds later.
�Why haven�t you ever told Yugi how you feel about him, Tea? You must know he�s crazy about you," the former pharaoh stated, abruptly changing the subject.
�I�I�� she stammered, unable to think of a suitable reply. In the end, she decided to say exactly what she was feeling. "Why did you kiss me, then, if you know Yugi has feelings for me? How could you betray him like that?"

A puzzled look crossed Yami's face. �You don�t have to choose between us, Tea."
The brunette blinked in surprise, and a rosy blush blossomed on her face. �W-what? What do you mean?�
�There is much that Yugi and I share,� Yami told her seriously, abandoning one of her hands in order to trace the curve of her face with gentle, dexterous fingers, �and I am certain that there is more that we could share, were you willing. I know I would be more than amenable to such a possibility.�
Tea pulled away from him as understanding dawned on her bewildered mind. �I-I think I�ll just go in now... � she began, but her voice became a high-pitched squeak as Yami rose as well, taking a few steps toward her.
"Have I offended you, Tea?" he asked, his brow creased with worry. Yugi would never forgive him if he pushed the object of their affections away, especially not if it was by being too forward.
�N-no... I wouldn't say I'm offended, exactly..." Even so off-balance, she managed to appear graceful in Yami's mind. "Look, I�ll talk to you tomorrow, all right, Yami?" Before he could say anything more, she dashed into the house, hoping he wouldn't follow her. All she wanted at that moment was to be in her bedroom in Domino with the door bolted, barricaded, and perhaps even painted shut.
Thankfully, Yami didn't follow her, choosing instead to stay on the beach for a while longer. The endless waves of water lapping at the shore fascinated him as he attempted to make sense of the puzzle that was Tea Gardner. Since she seemed to be interested in both Yugi and himself, it had seemed perfectly reasonable to him that she should just date both of them. It solved many problems. Still, though he had not meant to, he had somehow wound up frightening the girl away, and that was what baffled him about the entire exchange.
"Modern women!" he sighed to himself. "They can't possibly have been this complicated in my day."
/Yugi!!!/ A desperate cry seared across the pharaoh�s mind, shattering his musings. His head whipped around, taking in the empty stretch of sand between his position and the beach house. The voice had not been altogether unfamiliar. �Bakura?� he whispered.
/Yugi, help�/ The cry faded as Yami fell into his Shadow powers, attempting to locate its source. It was definitely Bakura, but it was coming from his mind, not the surrounding area. He would not have believed it possible for one bearer of a Millennium item to contact another telepathically, but the mechanics of the situation could be sorted out later. At the moment, all that was important was that Bakura was in danger, and he had to help him.
The spirit of the Puzzle ran towards the house, taking no notice of the screen door as it banged shut behind him. He charged up the back stairs and down the second floor hallway, throwing wide the door to Tristan and Bakura's room. Though Tristan was nowhere to be seen, Bakura appeared to be fast asleep. Of course, there was the tiny matter of the round, golden glow beneath his pyjama top, not to mention the fact that he was chanting softly under his breath, to dispel that illusion faster than a Mystical Space Typhoon.
Pushing any reservations out of his mind, Yami strode up to the white-haired boy and tore the upper half of his shirt open. As he had suspected, the Millennium Ring had once again returned to its host, and Yami was willing to bet that the dark spirit locked within it had wasted no time in banishing his lighter half to the Shadows once again.
Whoever happened to be in Bakura's body at the moment, however, took no notice of Yami's actions, or even his presence. In this close proximity, Yami could make out just enough words to deduce that the chanting was part of a spell used to keep spirits from re-entering a physical body once they had been banished.
"Stop it!" shouted the pharaoh, reaching out to try and tear the Ring from about Bakura's neck. A bright flash of punishing golden light threw him back immediately, however, and as Yami dragged himself back up to his feet, he felt the energies sustaining his physical form beginning to wane. I may have gotten better at this since the fire, but there's no way I can hold onto this body and work on breaking his shield at the same time.

"You haven't won yet, tomb robber," he growled as his body became ethereal, then faded entirely.
~*~*~*~
Jou was sleeping peacefully in Seto�s embrace when he was suddenly jerked into an all too familiar smoke-filled hallway. Realizing what was going on, he ran forward until he saw the figure of a woman crumpled on the ground before him. The sight unbalanced him so that he tripped and fell, and crawled the rest of the way to her before lifting her into his lap.
�Mother�� Acting on some instinct that he didn�t understand, he bent over her as if to give her mouth-to-mouth, forcing his own spiritual energy into her form instead of air.
Cecelia opened her crystalline blue eyes then, reaching up to touch Jou�s face. He took her fingers and kissed them. As his lips brushed her hand, visions began to pass through his mind: Ryou clutching a shadowy version of the Ring, which was glittering faintly, while his body floated above the bed amidst muted, incomprehensible chanting. There was a flash of Yami Bakura and his light standing back to back, the Ring between them, and Ryou bleeding into the shadows.
Suddenly, he was once again looking into his mother's worried face. �Tell your father�� she whispered as she faded away, and Jou felt himself being pulled back into the realm of the living, too shocked by what he'd just seen to even attempt resistance.
~*~*~*~
Back on the physical plane, Joey shifted in Seto�s arms, ignorant of the events transpiring around them as he snuggled in closer. Eyes the colour of the sky on a cloudless summer's day cracked open at this deepening of their contact, and Seto tightened his arms around his lover possessively, stealing a languid kiss from ruby lips. Years of emotional starvation had made him ravenous in his need for Jou; in fact, the rest of the blond�s friends would be as shocked by the intensity with which the ice-cold CEO burned for the boy with puppy dog eyes as Tristan had been. Jou had not only melted his heart, but set the whole of his being ablaze with passionate fury, and Seto would never be able to thank him enough for that awakening.

As he leaned down to press his lips into a flaxen mane made more unruly by sleep, Jou jerked in his embrace, his eyes snapping open in wide-eyed terror. �No!� he shouted, thrashing around wildly in Seto's slackened, but not altogether lax embrace.
"Jou, snap out of it!" Seto shook the blond roughly, and eventually his crazed amber eyes settled into recognition. "You were having a nightmare. Are you all right now?"
"Seto?" Joey's brow furrowed in confusion. "Where am I? Is this the Shadow Realm?"
"Shadow Realm?" Seto was quite possibly more confused than this lover at this point. "Jou, listen to me. You were dreaming. That's all."
Jou stared into Seto's eyes, and their electric cobalt brought the dream back in a rush. Cecelia, unconscious on the ground... his spiritual resuscitation.... the two Bakuras... "Father! I have to tell Father!" He tried to kick off the covers and roll out of bed, but Seto held him in place.
"What could you need to tell Pegasus at this hour of the night?" he demanded.
Jou had never been much for patience at the best of times; at this point, he was worse than a caged lion. "I don't have time to explain, Seto! Just let me go!" Angrily, he shoved his boyfriend away, sending the much slighter man tumbling to the floor. Taking advantage of his temporary reprieve, he leapt out of bed, pulled on his discarded boxers and a robe, and dashed out into the hallway.
Seto growled as he pushed himself to his feet, "Damn crazy mutt..." he growled. "If I didn't love him so goddamn much, he'd be out like yesterday's trash." His grumbling degenerated into angry muttering as he searched for his pants and shirt, stumbling over random pieces of furniture. Maybe the Spartans were on to something...

By the time he had accomplished this, Jou was already knocking on his father�s bedroom door. Croquet opened it far too quickly for either occupant of the room to have been asleep, letting Jou in graciously and glaring daggers at Kaiba as he dashed up to the wooden portal. True to form, the younger man merely sneered as he blew into the suite with all the force of a chill wind, his eyes darting around the room in search of Jou.
Pegasus was sitting in an armchair, wearing black silk pajamas that made him look regal but underscored his despondence. Somehow, Jou knew that the shell-shocked expression on his father�s face was related both to his own dreams and whatever was going on with Bakura. Exhaustedly, he knelt in front of his father and laid his tawny gold head on Pegasus� silk clad knee.
"Cecelia�my mother�she�s trapped in the Shadow Realm, isn�t she?" he asked.
"Yes," replied Pegasus somberly.
"But how can that be? Does that mean that she isn�t really dead? We have to save her!� Joey was getting frantic as more and more questions flew out of his mouth. He wasn�t sure what he was thinking, much less saying.
�Joseph.� Pegasus slowly focused on his son, stroking his hair, the action soothing himself more than his distraught child. Suddenly, he was conscious of Seto scowling at them, and he glared up at the brunet, angry with him for keeping their project a secret from his child. �Tell him what you�re working on, Kaiba," he commanded. "If you do not, I shall, and you can explain to him why your secrecy was more important than his emotional well-being."
Seto ignored Pegasus, kneeling down and taking one of Jou's hands. "Come on, Jou. I'll explain everything in private." He had known that letting Pegasus into their lives would be tantamount to opening a door into madness, and the events of the last eighteen hours had been proof enough of that for him.
But Jou stopped, almost not hearing him. His mind was a tangled jumble that he couldn�t process without speaking. �She wanted me to tell you," he all but whispered to his father. "I saw Ryou in the Shadow Realm, but his body was here, and I think Yami Bakura's taken over, because he had the Ring back, but I thought Tris got rid of that on Duelist Kingdom, so that's impossible..." He trailed off, turning back to the door. "We've got to go warn Tristan! He's sleeping in the same room with that maniac, and if something--"
Pegasus grabbed Jou�s free arm in a vise-like grip as more repressed memories began to flood into his mind, and Chris' position as an observer afforded him a perfect view of the symbolic scene. �Bakura�is the keeper of the Millennium Ring. He appeared after I had set their souls free: Kaiba, Mokuba, and Yugi's grandfather...� He had slipped into a trance, his face turning as white as his hair and clashing painfully with his dark clothing. His father resembled a gothic vampire, Jou thought, but there was a subtle tremor in his voice that belied his all too fallible humanity. �'I�m a man of my word. Bakura�but it wasn�t Bakura, just some ancient evil creature in his body�so strong, inhuman, millennia old�he challenged me to a Shadow duel. The stakes were our Millennium items. I was weakened by releasing those souls, exhausted and devastated over losing to Yugi��
Croquet decided that it was time to intervene; as enlightening as Max's visions were at times, and as dangerous as repressed memories could be, neither of these benefits would mean very much if his master were driven insane by trying to assimilate too much at one time. He shattered Pegasus� grip on Jou, sending the boy sprawling into Seto, who clutched him possessively even as they both fell backward, and moved into the space Jou had vacated.
�Max?� He brushed back the long silver strands of hair that veiled the man�s once perfect face, and Joey gasped in shock as Seto averted his eyes for the briefest moment. Though Chris would have liked nothing better than to smack their heads together for that minor insensitivity, he had to attend to his master first.
The evidence of the atrocity horrified Joey far less than what it represented, and he realized that this was the first time he had ever seen his father as he truly was. No Millennium Eye, no patch, no silver veil covering half of his face; there was only a sunken hole in the man�s skull, covered with healed over flesh that was puckered and scarred. Tears rolled down Joey�s own face in his grief as he came to comprehend just what had been stolen from both of them, and though Seto may not have understood exactly what was affecting him so strongly, that didn't stop him from stroking his pet dragon-pup's hair soothingly.
Seeing that his efforts were having no effect, Croquet pulled Pegasus into his arms in order to comfort him on a level that was that much deeper, hoping to draw him away from the unleashed memories of the past. He hated that the man he had devoted his life to protecting had to face these constant spectres alone, but he would do all that he could to facilitate the process anyway. The whelps' impressions be damned. �Max, I�m here. Come back to me,� he murmured, almost frantically, against his lover's ear.
The glassy brown eye cleared, and Pegasus stared up at his protector, childlike and lost. �Why couldn�t I remember, Chris?�
�Bakura stole the Millennium Eye, Sir?� Every line of Croquet's body had gone rigid, yet his voice remained calm and reassuring as Pegasus attempted to focus.
�Yes.� He paused, deep in thought, before looking over Chris' shoulder to Jou. �Joseph, did you say that Tristan disposed of the Millennium Ring?�
Joey nodded, not really paying attention; he was far too busy watching the two older men together. Some small connection had begun to spark in the distant reaches of the blond�s tired brain when Croquet had stepped in between himself and his father. There had been something nearly possessive in the salt-and-pepper haired man�s manner. Even though Croquet was angry and on edge, he had been beyond gentle in his treatment of Pegasus, expertly drawing Joey's father back from the demons that inhabited his memory. Nonetheless, though Jou recognized that there was something to be noticed, he was far too overwhelmed by the night�s events to ascertain exactly what.
�Millennium items can only change hands as the result of a win or loss in a duel,� Pegasus explained, obviously not noticing his son's short attention span manifesting itself. �Unless Tristan duelled Bakura, in which case he would have it, Bakura has both the Millennium Ring and the Eye.�
Croquet was on the move as soon as the final syllable had left Max's mouth. He strode quickly over to the bed and pulled a leather case out from under it. With practiced efficiency, he loaded and inserted a clip of ammunition from the case into his Glock, and the ensuing click sent waves of nausea through Seto's stomach. He had become far too familiar with that sound.
�Christopher, stop." Had Pegasus not been so drained, he would have taken the gun from his servant physically. In this case, however, that was almost entirely out of the question if he wished to stay conscious. "No matter how many bullets you were to pump into the poor boy's body, I would have to duel Bakura for the Eye, and I do not think I want it. Besides, going up against an enemy whose powers we know nothing about is suicidal at best. We need to think this through carefully if we are to emerge the victors.� As he spoke, Pegasus glanced at Seto, who glared derisively at him.
�So, what, we�re just going to ignore the situation and hope it goes away on its own?� the brunet sneered.
It was with a great reluctance that Croquet put his weapon away. Though using it on Bakura had been forbidden, he could think of someone else in the immediate vicinity who would be a lot more bearable as a corpse. �Sir, perhaps we should locate and warn Tristan before we get into any complicated planning?� Chris had taken a liking to the quiet, brown-eyed teen. His unshakable loyalty and protectiveness of his friends, in particular Joseph and Serenity, reminded him a little of his own fierce dedication to Pegasus.
�But that means that maybe... Bakura isn�t Ryou Bakura at all!� Jou exclaimed suddenly. All the talk of Millennium Items had sidetracked the blond, dredging up memories of being run down by the Reaper of the Cards in a Flame Swordsman costume.
�What are you talking about, Jou?� Seto turned the boy in his arms around, gazing at him with extreme scepticism.
�It�s like Yugi and Yami, Seto. Yami's the spirit of the Millennium Puzzle, and he used to be a pharaoh in Egypt�� Jou started.
�Fairy tales,� Seto interrupted, folding his arms over his chest.
�That fairy tale carried me out of a burning building!� Jou snapped, forgetting in his anger to mourn the loss of Seto's embrace.

Pegasus shot Seto a warning glare before turning back to his son, ignoring the other billionaire's disbelief. �So, Joseph, it was Yami to whom I lost the Duelist Kingdom tournament?�

�Yes,� Jou confirmed, sticking his tongue out in Seto's direction. "At least somebody around here believes me, Moneybags." Taking no notice of Seto's sputtering, he turned back to regard his father. �The Ring has a spirit attached to it too, only that one's evil. He trapped our souls in our favorite cards on Duelist Kingdom during a Shadow duel he was fighting with Yami, and I almost got skewered on the Reaper's scythe!" Jou shuddered so lightly that none but Seto noticed before continuing. "At least Ryou was able to stop him that time, but maybe Yami Bakura came back, and did something to take over his body? I mean, he went after Mokuba while you were duelling Yugi, because he needed a soulless shell�� He trailed off with a sigh. "I hope Ryou's okay."

Pegasus sighed as well. He was saddened by his son�s reference to his soul-stealing days, especially since Joseph appeared to be oblivious to the guilt that he had lived with ever since. He also knew that, if what Joseph said was correct, they were all in a great deal of danger. He had had first-hand experience with this particular yami�s powers, and that was not a fate he would wish on anyone. �One thing at a time, Joseph. First, we need to be certain that Taylor-boy is safe, and then we must get some rest. Even with the best of plans, it will take all our energy to fight this spirit, if that is truly what we are up against.�
Seto, however, had stopped following the conversation when Jou had mentioned his little brother's near miss with Yami Bakura. He had known nothing about the attempt, and being reminded of the entire incident (including how Mokuba had become soulless) made him infuriated with Pegasus all over again. Not only was the madman responsible for the first debacle, but he was setting things up for a repeat performance by refusing to take immediate action against this new threat. "No way!" he exploded, and the other three men turned to stare at him.
"Seto, what--" Jou started.
�This is my house, and I�m getting Bakura out of it tonight!� Seto's eyes were blazing with such an obstinate, azure fire that Jou did not relish the prospect of attempting to calm his lover down.
His father, however, wasted no time attempting to defuse the situation. Were they to prevail against the dark spirit of the Ring, there was no room for anything resembling such a blinding rage. �Despite your station as our host, Kaiba-boy, I feel obliged to warn you that such a course of action would be most unwise. We mustn�t let this evil Bakura know that we suspect he�s a danger at all; rather, everything must appear to proceed as though we had never had this meeting.�
Only Jou noticed the identical frowns on Seto and Croquet's faces. Though he was overjoyed that they had finally agreed on something, he wasn't sure how he felt about that something being his father's poor judgment.
�I won�t have some maniac around my brother!� Seto roared deafeningly.
Pegasus, for his part, simply raised an eyebrow and glanced at his protector. �It appears my position as most dangerous maniac has bee usurped, Christopher." To Kaiba, he offered a wan smile. "I'm touched.�
Seto snorted. "Hardly. In fact, if you were anyone but Jou's father, I'd have tossed you out of here so fast--"
Joey caught the sudden tension in Croquet's shoulders, and decided that the verbal battle had gone on long enough. "Come on, Seto," he said, slipping his hand through that of his master. "Let's go find Tristan before Yami Bakura decides he'd rather be a brunet."
As soon as they were gone, Pegasus� strength seemed to leave him, and the memory of what Yami Bakura had done to him flooded back. He had had quite enough revelations for one day, and didn't think he could take one more unbidden image assaulting his consciousness.
True to form, however, Chris was right there beside him, silently pulling him up to his feet and into his arms. Neither man spoke until Max whispered, �I don�t want to remember anymore, Chris.� He looked up at Croquet, feeling some of his strength and willpower bleeding back into him as he lay with his cheek pressed against firm musculature. �If Joseph is correct, then Yami Bakura has most likely sent Ryou's soul to the Shadow Realm, just as he did my own." The silver-haired man's nails dug into his guardian's shoulders desperately. "It is imperative that he does not know what we suspect, Christopher. A cornered animal fights viciously, and I do not want my son endangered. He�s all the family I have left.�
Eventually, Pegasus returned to his bed, but Croquet chose to remain in the window seat, watching over his master in the same patiently unobtrusive manner that he had while Max was comatose. �Though I will do as you request, Sir, I find that for once I agree with Kaiba. It would be better to get Bakura out of the house tonight before he has the opportunity to bring harm to anyone, especially yourself. We must not overlook the possibility that, if he discovers that you recall his theft of the Millennium Eye, he may attempt to murder you.�
Though his tone betrayed nothing, Christopher was fuelled not only by concern over his master�s passive attitude, but by anger as well. He would love nothing better than to rip Bakura�s throat out with his bare hands while the ancient spirit still slept.
�And then what, Christopher? We wait for him to come skulking out of the shadows while our guard is down?" Pegasus rolled over to stare at his lover, pushing himself up onto one elbow. �It would be a far better idea to keep him close, where we can keep an eye on him, don�t you think?�
�Yes, Sir.� Croquet answered him stiffly as he reached over to turn out the lights. Though he would get no more sleep that night, he knew that Max sorely needed some rest.
~*~*~*~
Once they were downstairs, Seto and Jou had only to follow the sounds of snoring to find Tristan contentedly asleep on the longest section of the conversation pit in the family room.
�Wow, I didn�t notice that before.� Jou whispered as they retreated to their own room, careful not to disturb the sleeping teen.
�Notice what?� Seto asked, his voice a muted hiss.
�That you and Tristan sound exactly the same when you snore,� Jou grinned, forfeiting the enjoyment of watching his lover's shock in order to ensure that he didn't trip on the stairs.
Seto froze on the staircase below his pup, clutching the railing so hard that Jou was sure it would snap. �I do not snore.�
�Uh huh. Whatever you say.� Though Joey didn't turn around, the sarcasm in his voice was more than enough to tell Seto that the acknowledgement was insincere at best.
�Do not,� Seto insisted.
�Ask Mokuba. I'm sure he�ll tell you.� Jou snickered as they cleared the final step, turning to stroke his master's cheek softly and finding the newly formed creases in Seto's face rather amusing. �You're pouting, baby blue eyes,� he said, though he couldn't see for sure through the darkness.
�I don�t pout and I don�t snore,� Seto corrected him tersely, pushing past him on the stairs and stalking back to their room. Joey followed him, shame creeping into his heart as he realized that Seto was upset about far more important things than whether he snored or not, and his good-natured teasing was only aggravating the situation.
�I�m sorry, Seto,� he said, closing the bedroom door behind them before shuffling contritely over to his boyfriend and leaning up to give him a quick kiss. "I was only trying to lighten things up a bit."
�I don�t know where Pegasus gets off, telling me what to do in my own house; he�s such a control freak!� The mere fact that Seto refused to acknowledge Jou's apology meant that he had already forgiven the blond, and for that Jou was grateful.
Of course, he nearly blew it by making the mistake of snickering again, knowing full well who the control freak was under this roof. Thinking quickly, he managed to turn it into a cough, and Seto only missed this slight because of his absorption in his frustration.
�Why didn�t you tell me Bakura, or whatever it is that is masquerading as Bakura, tried to take my brother�s soulless shell? A shell that your precious father made soulless!� Seto demanded. Joey knew instantly that his lover's ire wasn't directed at him, but at Seto himself for having been unable to protect Mokuba from Yami Bakura. That didn't make it any easier to weather Seto's furious glare, though.
�I didn�t think about it until tonight, Seto. I mean, it never came up before�� Joey said quietly, looking down at his bare feet as his shoulders slumped.
�It isn�t your fault, Jou,� Seto admitted grudgingly. Even he wasn�t insensitive enough to overlook the sting of hurt in his puppy�s voice. �I maintain that Pegasus is wrong, but I�ll go along with letting Bakura stay for now. If he steps out of line, though, I�ll do whatever it takes to protect you and Mokuba.�
"I know, Seto, and I love you for that." The dragon master's arms slid around him as they had countless times that night, and Jou pressed his lips against Seto's equally hungry mouth. �He was right about one thing, though; we should get some sleep. Don�t forget, surf�s up tomorrow.� As the image of Seto with a tan crossed his mind, he brightened considerably. Tomorrow would be fun, Jou promised himself, and no bitter spirit was going to screw it up for them. It would just be himself, Seto, his father, and their friends on a nice, warm beach, with no distractions or worries except when the tide was coming in.
Seto nodded, but like Croquet, he knew that he had gotten all the sleep he would that night. He couldn�t believe he was going along with Pegasus' plan of inaction, but that took a backseat to assimilating the knowledge of the danger Mokuba had faced while they had both been soulless shells. The dragon master couldn�t help but feel that his perfect, orderly life had been spinning out of control since Jou had come into it, yet even as the golden boy curled up against him with a low, contented sigh, nuzzling his chest gently, he knew he wouldn't want it any other way.
Amazingly enough, the soft, rhythmic sound of Jou's breathing eventually lulled Seto to sleep as well, granting him a few more hours of blissful release from the all-too-real demons that threatened all he held dear. Though he had no way of knowing this at the time, he would need all the rest he could get and more in order to get through the next twenty-four hours. Bakura, never one for patience, would likely make a move soon, and Seto would have to be ready to face whatever came.
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