I LOVE YOU GUYS!!!  I REALLY DO!!!  YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST AND I’M NOT JUST SAYING THAT!!!!!  I REALLY TRULY MEAN IT!  *Ryou hugs for all *

Gralnak: Yeah, Ryou needs to heal first.

Randalbezerker: I like parties!  Ryou’s my date for it!!!  I’ll take care of him *wink wink *

Aino Bakura: I’m glad you like it! I really like reviews!!!!

Digi: I agree with you. In fact, lemon postponed for one more chappie. This one seems like it’s getting a little long without that park scene.

I’m glad you like my ideas, Digi.  I’m going to give you a biig hug  * hug *

Stupid kid and blah: Yeah, a crab that does that is funny.  Who knows where my mom gets these ideas.

Nega Cat: Yeah. I want Ryou to relax a bit.  No use running into it.

Moonnymph: Yes, Steven does come back…and he is again up to his old tricks.  His buddies post his bail along with Cinetti.

Lemon will wait.

Dragondreamer yami Dragon: yeah…I’m gonna wait for the lemon. Patience, kiddies, patience.  Maybe the yamis can beat Steven and Cinetti. They beat Anzu and Anubis in Servant yamis.

Beholder of the Shadows: Ryou will have time to heal.  Promise.

( I updated this on the same day as chappie 22, so if I miss anyone, I will put you in the next chappie. )

Lunara Stormrider Moonbeam:  For never doing lemons before, I think they turned out pretty well.

Prince Ian: Good luck on your fic!!!  I love that title! That works well.

Liz: yes, they got caught. The yamis just don’t like modern conveniences.  It freaks them out.

Anigirl: Thank you for all your help! In the last chappie, the medics jumped to conclusions when they were afraid to touch Ryou.  Ryou doesn’t have any contagious disease, but the medics automatically jumped to conclusions.  After all, Bakura said he uses protection-a pen knife and he didn’t know about condoms.  He admitted having Marik as a lover before, too so that was enough to scare the doctors.  The doctors didn’t know Ryou’s medical history either, so that also was a cause for concern.  I just wanted to say that in case there was some confusion. 

WARNING: NO LEMON IN THIS CHAPPIE, BUT A LITTLE ANGSTY…NOTHING BAD. I PROMISE.

//….//-Ryou’s memories

I WANT TO THANK ANIGIRL 15 AND BAKURALVR FOR THEIR HELP WITH THIS FIC.

Mirror Image

Normal POV

            Ryou opened his eyes slowly and let them adjust to the morning light.  Bakura slept right against his back with a light arm around his chest.  Ryou was surprised to see it already mid-morning, but he didn’t mind.  Ryou closed his eyes as everything seemed better in the world.  The birds outside sang the song of his liberation from his father.  The sunlight warmed their skins.  Even the sky was the perfect shade of blue without a cloud to cover it.  Ryou breathed as deeply as he could with relief.  His father wouldn’t come in to spoil their moment in each other’s arms.  Ryou clutched onto Bakura as he remembered the morning before. 

// “Ryou!  Don’t tell me you did this again!”//

Bakura loved him unconditionally.  Why couldn’t his father….his own father….be the same?

He giggled as he felt Bakura’s breath move his hair tickling his scalp.  Ryou raised his arm to scratch it and Bakura hugged him tightly moaning.  Ryou winced and shook Bakura’s hand to wake him.

“Bakura…..chest.”

Bakura released Ryou’s chest and opened his eyes yawning into his ear.  “Did I hurt you?”

“Not your fault.  I’m alright, yami.”

Bakura leaned over to kiss Ryou’s cheek.  “How are you feeling today?”

“I slept so much yesterday, I better be feeling better today.  I don’t want to be wasting my last days before school begins.”

Bakura rubbed Ryou’s side.  “I’ll go easy on you today.”

Ryou rolled over to his back and smiled at the yami’s head hovering over him..  “Promise?”

“Promise.”  Bakura said sighing and putting his head on Ryou’s chest listening to his steadier heartbeat and rubbing his cheek against the skin now tinged with color again.  Ryou clutched the face of his yami closer to him as he took a deep breath.  As he pressed his ear against the chest, he could feel Ryou’s lungs filling up.  It was amazing…to be this close to someone you loved and to feel the rhythmic pulsing of the body was one thing Bakura could never get tired of.  Ryou ran his fingers through his yami’s hair looking down at him with a contented smile. 

Bakura looked up into the chocolate brown eyes of the boy whom he loved more than anything else in the world.  “I wish we could stay like this all day and never move.”

Bakura ran his hands through Ryou’s chest almost convincing himself he was taking Ryou for granted.  When he saw him attached to those machines and Ryou’s weak body shuddering, he was convinced Ryou couldn’t be saved.  His wailing pierced through the walls of the ICU.  He couldn’t remember ever wailing so loud in his life or his afterlife.  Yami once told him to cherish each moment with his hikari since their time together would be limited to Ryou’s lifetime.  As he watched Ryou sleep, he wondered how he could have ever hated the life he now cherished, how he beat the body he now loved.  Bakura kissed Ryou’s chest tenderly.  “I’m glad you’re feeling better.  Are you going to eat something today?”

Ryou laid his head back on the pillow.  “I guess. I’ll try, yami.” 

Bakura smiled and put on his bathrobe.  “Eggs and toast sound good?  I don’t want anything heavy on your belly.”

Ryou’s POV

            I nodded to him.  Slowly I stood up out of the bed and put my bathrobe on that Marik got me for my birthday.  My side still hurt and I gripped it.  When the doctors talked to me, I was in a daze.  I couldn’t really understand what their diagnosis was.  When I came to, all I felt were the tubes and IV’s.  Cinetti and my father beat me up pretty badly.  Lucky Seto was here with me.  Otherwise, I didn’t stand a chance.  Somehow, I’m not sure if the doctors told Bakura or me the entire story.  I coughed again and checked the bruise on my stomach.  It was back unfortunately.  As I looked at it, I couldn’t believe it.  My father.  My only father.

Funny how the human psyche works.  My thoughts drifted to my dad.  I got him arrested.  I am to blame.  I fought with him.  If I didn’t intercede, he would have hurt Bakura.  The cops have him in a prison cell and he’s going to have to face the courts.  It’s not easy keeping a happy face.  The only time I am truly happy anymore is when Bakura is holding me.  He is my refuge.  He is my darker half with the soft touch of all the angels above. 

No one must know about how I really feel. I don’t want Bakura to worry about me.  I was worried about my father and Bakura.  Fighting. Screaming. My father hitting me.  It was taking its toll.  Can’t keep any food down.  I can’t eat.  When I do, it doesn’t stay for long.  During my birthday party, I tried to leave the room inconspicuously, but I failed….like I failed my dad.

I didn’t have the heart to tell Bakura no matter what he fed me, I refused to keep it down.  Not because he’s a bad cook.

I closed my robe and walked down the stairs.  Bakura had my breakfast done quickly.  He didn’t make his until he watched me eat.  My body hungered, starved for the nourishment and it began to greedily soak up the nutrients before the inevitable.  I ate quickly and told him I had to get changed.  I hurried upstairs and ran to the bathroom locking it behind me.  I kneeled on the floor, the anxiety pooling in my gut.  My father wanted to control me!  No matter what I did for him, he was never happy!  I wanted control over myself for a change!  This was the only way to do it!  I live for Bakura.  I breathe for Bakura.  My father will never accept that.  I know that if I continue this, I will die for Bakura, too.   

Bakura’s POV

            Ryou ran away from the table faster than I thought he could run.  It looked like he had a hard time eating that breakfast.  I didn’t think it was bad, myself.  He usually stays with me until I’ve eaten, but I know he’s been to hell and back these past few days.  I sat at the table and read the newspaper and there was an article about Steven and Cinettis’ arrest.  Cinetti supposedly was a “respected member of the community.”  The laughter couldn’t be suppressed.  My little hypocrite, “Mr. Almighty”, was a respected abuser!  I put down the paper and sipped my chai tea (I love that stuff!) and sighed at the empty chair.  I didn’t know Ryou got scratched my Cinetti on his hand.  I wonder why the doctors never bandaged the hand up. 

Someone was at the door.  I grabbed a steak knife and headed for the door hoping a certain someone hadn’t been released from his prison. 

I opened the door with a growl.

Normal POV

“Ah!  Bakura! It’s me!” Yugi Motou said standing at the door with Seto, Joey, Tristan, and Yami.

Bakura lowered the knife in question and actually laughed.  “Sorry guys, I can’t be too careful anymore.  I’m a little jumpy this morning.  Come in.”

The group entered.

“It’s OK. How is Ryou today?  Is he feelin’ better?”  Tristan asked. 

“Well, he still looks like he’s in pain, but I think he’ll be fine.  Give him some time.”  Bakura looked down at the picnic basket and towels.  “What’s all that for?”

Yugi picked up the basket.  “We’re going to the park to have a picnic.  You and Ryou want to come if Ryou is up to it?”

Bakura shrugged his shoulders.  “It may help him to get him away from the house for a while.”

Yami nodded.  “Is Yami still in the fishbowl?”

“Why yes, he’s still sucking up the scum from the bowl I put him in.  Thanks for asking.  You know, you could have really jeopardized Ryou yesterday fighting me.”

“You’re right. I should have called the number.”

Bakura stood in shock. The pharaoh admitted he was wrong!  “Hmm..Well, let me check on Ryou and see if he’s alright.  We still have to get dressed.”

“Please do, tomb robber. I’ve seen enough of you to give me nightmares for another millennia.”

Bakura turned around moving his bathrobe like a cape.  “You’re just jealous, King Yami.”  Bakura ran up the stairs and opened Ryou’s bedroom door.  Ryou wasn’t there.  He heard coughing in the bathroom.  “Ryou? Ryou, are you ok in there?”  Bakura tried to turn the knob, but the door was locked.

“Ryou, your friends are downstairs.  They want to go to the park.”

Ryou ran the water in the sink.  “A-Alright, Bakura…I’ll be out in a few minutes.”

“Are you dressed?”

“No…not yet.”

“Do you need help in there?”

“I’m fine, yami.”

Bakura returned to Ryou’s room and changed into his clothes. 

Ryou POV

            Tears poured down my face. I wanted to yell to him and tell him what I was doing starving myself.   I saw Bakura looking at my hand during breakfast.  Maybe he suspected I was forcing myself into this.  I looked at my face in the mirror.  I saw how thin I was getting.  I was always a scrawny kid to begin with.  I ran into my room trying to find clothes that would make me look the same weight I was.  It didn’t take much to diagnose my current problem.  I didn’t need a doctor to tell me.  In the last two days I ate a piece of chocolate cake and my breakfast this morning.  Both of which did not stay down. 

I looked at myself in the mirror.  The mirror image was getting skinnier since the day my father caught us in bed together.  I stared at the image of myself.  I looked more like my mother and that gave me more comfort at that moment than I needed as I looked at myself.  I loved my mother………..and I still do.

Normal POV

When Bakura returned downstairs he heard the bathroom door open and his bedroom door shut.  Bakura sighed as he sat on the couch. 

“How was last night?”

“Well, he slept most of the day, so there wasn’t anything much we could do.  I didn’t want to hurt him if we….you know.”

“True,” Seto said as Joey leaned into him whining like a puppy.  Seto rolled his eyes and scratched behind Joey’s ear. 

“Do you two have to do that on my couch?”

Joey stopped kicking his leg like a dog and Ryou came downstairs.  His friends crowded him into a corner.

Tristan put his hand on Ryou’s shoulder and he shrunk back.  “How are you, buddy?”

“How are you feeling, Ryou?” Yami chimed in.

“Ryou, You Ok? You don’t look so good.”  Yugi sounded concerned.

Seto and Joey remained on the couch. 

“I’m fine, guys. Thanks for helping me yesterday.”

“You’re our friend, Ryou.”

“Come on, pal!  We’re gonna go to the park and getcha some air.  It’ll make you feel better.”

Ryou smiled.  “Alright.  Thanks.  Maybe some air is what I need.”

NEXT CHAPPIE: Ryou goes to the park…..and yes, my personal punching bag (ie Anzu) will be there,too.)  NO LEMON NEXT CHAPPIE!!!  PATIENCE, KIDDIES, PATIENCE.