Bakurasgirl: I’m glad you guys liked the last chappie. I wasn’t sure how it would work.  I’m glad it worked.  Now our beloved cast goes to the park….with the demon of evil herself………….Anzu!

Bakura’s baby: Thankesi!

Angel Black: Welcome back!   Anzu makes more kids cry here but because she thinks bees are her friends.

Yugi Closet Fan:  Right now, my plans are Steven will tolerate it, but no more. I’m not sure yet.

I’m happy being insane, too. It’s fun!

Moonnymph: Yes, Steven is behind bars and we can all go clubbing *picks up club *.  It’s sad about Ryou. It just goes to show how much pressure some parents put on their kids to be perfect.  I think somewhere it was inevitable.

Gralnak: Hmm…Joey and Seto, huh?  I can try to squeeze it in.  I know Ryou runs away from home eventually to escape his father after Bakura is taken away.  I can squeeze some in there.  Question, though: shouenen-ai or Seto x joey lemon? Your choice.  (Please pick what I think you’re going to pick!)

Sarah-Chan: Kick away. Steven will enjoy getting his butt kicked anyway later.  I think.

Berrieberrie: Steven is an ass and will continue to be more so later. I’m relieved you like my lemons.  You know, I am my own worst enemy. I sometimes doubt myself, but I bounce back because of you guys.

Negacat: You hate Cinetti now? Things will make you hate him more, if that is even possible.  That’s my point. He thinks his life is flawless, that he does everything right.  But he is as flawed as everyone else.

Dargondreamer Yami Dragon: Well, I hope you’ve gotten over your case if you do indeed have bulimia.  If you’re not getting help for it, please do. I don’t want to see anyone I care about hurt (except Anzu, but I don’t care about her).

Anigirl15:  I am my own worst enemy.  Sometimes I doubt myself big time.  It’s wonderful people like you that help me through that.  Thankies!

Ssgoddesschico: I’m glad you liked the lemon in the rose and ryou..  I really want to continue that, but I have no idea how.  Well, how do I update so fast?  I write one chappie every day at work or on the bus.  Or when I’m not working on my thesis.

Anaki: I want Cinetti to be a recurring evil guy.  I know they go well together. I love my boys!

GOC: I had a heck of a time with that chappie yesterday.  Sorry.

Fluffcat: here is the park chappie.  Enjoy.

Melokitty: You can keep begging and I will give more! More, I tell you! MWAHAHAHA!

Cheesepuff: Bakura probably would have ran out naked.  OF course, I left details of his body to your imagination *wink wink *

Digi: I’m glad Seto enjoys my fic *Seto glare *  I know in his heart he does.. This story may be my longest. I have tons more things to do.

Firedraygon97: Ryou will eat in this chappie….until Anzu comes.  *kicks Anzu *  Ryou will tell someone soon about his problem.  Who should it be? 

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE BARNEY SONG NOR THE SONG "ON TOP OF SPAGHETTI"

(for anyone who doesn't know the later song, it can be a really high pitched song if you sing it correctly)

NO LEMON IN THIS CHAPPIE…BUT THERE IS ANZU HUGGING A KILLER BEE HIVE….DON'T MISS IT!!!!  LOTS AND LOTS AND LOTS AND LOTS OF ANZU BASHING!!!!

At the Park

Bakura and Ryou went to the park nearby in Seto's limo.  Malik and Marik were waiting for them on a park bench.  When Malik saw Ryou walking around, he hugged Marik and ran over to the other hikari also giving him a hug. 

"Ryou!  I'm so glad you're moving around!  You had me worried!  Don't you ever do that to me again!"

Ryou wrapped his arms around Malik hugging him tightly.   Malik didn't return to tight hug for fear of hurting Ryou, but could feel Ryou quiver even at the light embrace. 

"While you two lovebirds hug each other to death, I'm gonna get the grill started," Seto said. 

Some people never change and Yami Yugi was no different.  As pharaoh, he was used to giving out orders.  "Joey and Tristan, you get the net set up.  Malik and Marik, you set the picnic table.  Seto's getting the grill.  Bakura and Yugi, come with me."

Ryou watched everyone get to work and decided to stick with Bakura for now.  "I didn't get anything to do." 

"We don't want you to strain yourself," Yami said.  Yami threw a blanket to Bakura.  Bakura help the purple blanket quizzically. 

"And just what am I supposed to do with this?"

"I want to sit down.  Put the blanket down."

Bakura threw the blanket back at him.  "I am not your slave, pharaoh!"

Ryou grabbed the blanket and gave one edge to Bakura.  "I'll help you."

"It's the principle of the thing!"

"Bakura, please. We have to do our parts, too, you know."

Bakura grumbled.  Yami wasn't going to get away with this.  He stepped on a pine cone trying to put the blanket down and grinned.  Yami and Yugi sat in the shade leaning against a pine tree.  Yugi cuddled up to Yami as the spirit ruffled his hair playfully.  Ryou returned to the picnic table where Malik and Marik put on the table cover.  Ryou and Malik unpacked the food, fluid, and charcoal for the grill.

Malik brought over the charcoal for the portable grill Seto carried from his car.  "Hey, Seto, got your "Kiss the Cook" apron?"

Seto glared at him.  "Don't be obnoxious."

Malik winked at him, "Oh come on, Kaiba, don't be such a stiff!  I think that apron would look nice on you."

Seto rolled his eyes at the Egyptian boy.  "Don't you have more important things to do besides pester me?  Go talk to Marik."  Malik turned around to see Bakura and Marik behind a tree snickering pointing to Yami.

"He's talking to Bakura.  I never interrupt their 'yami conferences' as Marik calls them."

"Why isn't Yami included then?" He asked seeing Yami falling asleep against the tree.

"It looks like they're trying to play a prank on him."

Seto rolled his eyes.  You figure that being 5,000 years old, they would learn how to act as adults.  Bakura and Marik grinned evilly snickering and scurried around gathering pine cones and acorns around the park.  Tristan ran for the ball in the bag beside Ryou. 

"You sure you feelin' OK, Ryou?"

"I'm fine," he said with a sigh.

Tristan didn't want to press the issue, so he tossed the volleyball to Joey.  Malik sat beside Ryou at the picnic table.  He looked over to see the warm wind blow the white strands of hair moving them in a frenzied erratic manner.  There were no signs of their yamis so they watched Joey hit the ball to Tristan grunting.  Tristan jumped for the ball and hit it before he hit the ground.  Joey looked up at the ball and backed away.  "I got it! I got it!"  Joey jumped for the ball, and just missed it by an inch.  Tristan stood up doing a victory dance.  "I got you!  One point for me!"

Ryou heaved a sigh as he leaned his head on his hand.  Malik looked over and saw a tiny scratch on Ryou's hand.  He was about to ask about it when a twig snapped behind them sending Ryou practically jumping on Malik. 

"Ryou!"

"What was that?"  A squirrel jumped up on the table letting out a startled scream from Ryou. 

"It's only a squirrel, Ryou.  Calm down.  I won't let anything happen to you.."  Malik turned to the squirrel and offered it an acorn he found on the table.  "It only came up for this, Ryou."  Malik broke out into Egyptian talking to the squirrel as it inched closer to him and began nibbling on it in Malik's hands.  "See?  It's only a squirrel, Ryou."

Ryou blushed. "I'm sorry.  After all that's happened I'm a little jumpy."

"Just relax, Ryou.  We're in nature now.  Nothing can go wrong."

Just then, the birds in air stopped chirping.  The insects stopped their humming and buzzing.  In from the park gates ran Anzu holding her crab Fluffy.  "I love birdies! I love trees! I love friendship! I love bees!"

Anzu caught the sight of Yami dozing off in the shade with Yugi smiling contentedly up at the sleeping spirit.  Anzu ran towards Yami.  "YAMI! YAMI! I WANNA HUG!"

Yami's eyes shot open like a cannon and saw the wide-eyed annoying girl run towards him.  Yami screamed and returned to the Millenium Puzzle.  Yugi never saw Yami disappear that quickly.  Anzu pulled on Yugi's puzzle causing him to cough. 

"Yami!  Hold me!!!!!"

"Go away," came the threat from inside the item. 

"Aww….Yami's not being very friendly!  Let me sing you the friendship song to make you feel better!"

"OH FOR THE LOVE OF RA!  DEAR NO!"

"I love you, you love me, we're a loving fam-il-y," Anzu sang the Barney Song completely terrifying the Yami in the puzzle readying a noose for himself and Yugi trying to break away from her singing.  Yugi finally broke away and ran to Joey hiding behind him. 

"Yug, I'm in the middle of a game, here."

"ANZU IS HERE!"

Joey looked at the girl running towards them and he screamed.  "NOT YOU AGAIN!"

Joey and the group ran away from her.  Anzu stopped when they scurried away staring blankly at the net. 

"Nets are like friendship!  They interwine and they need each other!"

Anzu looked over and saw Malik stroking the squirrel's ear with his finger.  Ryou smiled as he felt the furry tail.  Malik always had a way of cheering Ryou up when he felt lonely.  The squirrel climbed over Malik's arm to his shoulders.  The boy giggled as it climbed onto Ryou. 

"My father never let me play with squirrels.  He said they were dangerous."

"Only if they scratch you.  I used to play with them all the time as a kid when I first moved here with my family."

"My mother let me play with them," Ryou said still laughing.  "I would give them peanuts and they would take them right from my hand."

The squirrel returned to the table allowing the boys to pet it. 

Anzu saw the squirrel and ran towards the boys.  "A squirrel! Come here little squirrely!"

The squirrel shrieked and ran away leaving Ryou watching it flee in horror.  "Anzu, you ruined our fun!"

Anzu literally jumped over the table and hugged Malik tightly.  Ryou and Malik screamed and Marik came running unsheathing the hidden dagger in the Millenium Rod.  "My wittle Mawiky-poo!  How are you?!"

Malik struggled to breathe as Anzu crunched him in a powerful hug.  Bakura came running hearing the deafening squeal of Anzu.  Within second, Bakura was at Ryou's side to protect him.  Marik wrapped his arm around Anzu's throat roughly.  "How dare you touch Malik!"

"Strangling……is………….like………….*cough *…………….*gurgle *………..friendship!"

Anzu released Malik who gasped for breath as Ryou rubbed his back comfortingly.  Anzu kissed Marik's arm and he relaeased her.  "*cough * You needed   *cough *….a kissy!  KISSSSSSSSSSSS MEEEEEEE!"  Anzu ran after Marik.  Malik ran after her.  "Anzu!  Wait!  I know ssomething that needs a friend!"  Anzu stopped and turned to Malik.

"You do?????"

"Yes…*cough *."  Malik took her to a tree where he saw a hive.  "See that hive up there?  Those are unfriendly bees!  I need you to go up there and teach them how to be friends to one another."

"They are not friendly?"  Malik looked up at the swarm of killer bees.  "I doubt they are very friendly.  One of them came and told me they need a friend and they specifically asked for you."  Malik was laughing to death on the inside.  How could anyone hope to befriend a hive of buzzing, swarming, nasty killer bees?"

Anzu looked up at the tree.  "How can I get up there?"

Killer bees swarm angrily when there is a threat to the hive and Malik wanted to see how this would happen.  "I know there is one way to climb the tree.  I need you to climb and the louder you scream, the faster you can climb that tree.  It's a magical tree!  If you scream realllllllly loudly as you climb, you'll be able to get up there faster."

Anzu smiled stupidly and wrapped her arms around the tree.  "I can sing to them!"

Anzu screamed at the top of her lungs singing the Barney song.  "Sing "on top of spaghetti!" They like that song!"

Malik fell to the ground in laughter with tears falling out of his eyes as the swarm buzzed angrily and the tree shook with her climbing attempts.

 "ON TOP OF SPAGHEEEEEEEEEEEEEETIIIIIIIIIIIII….ALLLLLL COVERED IN CHEEEEEEEEEEEEESE, I LOST MY POOR MEEEEEEEEETBAAAAAAALLLL…WHEN SOMEBODY SNEEEEEEEEZED…"

Marik can over to his hikari to see what was causing him to die with laughter.  Anzu made it to the top of the tree and was hugging the hive. "Oh Ra!  Pharaoh!  Get over here!"  Yami came over and looked into the tree and gaped. 

"Killer bee stings…OW…..are like friendship….OW!!!….Come here little…..OW!….bees!  OWIE!"

Yami shook his head in pity.  Ryou and Bakura looked in the tree laughing.  Anzu began to sing her songs over and over again. 

Seto called over to them.  "Tell me what you guys want to eat or you don't get anything!"  Bakura ordered his cheeseburger rare.  Ryou was quite amazed Bakura still liked his meat raw.  He found it kind of gross, but never questioned Bakura's motives.  Seto expected both Malik and Marik to order hot dogs, which they did.

"Ok, but I don't want to see you guys eat them," Seto declared to them sending them into another laughing fit.  Joey and Tristan, Yami and Yugi also got cheeseburgers. 

"What about you, Ryou?"  Seto asked.

"Nothing, please.  I…I already ate."

"Yeah, breakfast.  This is lunch, Ryou.  What do you want to eat?"

"Nothing!"  Ryou growled to Seto.

Seto was completely taken aback by Ryou's gruff response.  Ryou was laughing a few minutes ago and now he snapped at him.   

As such, Bakura's lunch was done quickly.  "Are you having fun, Ryou?"

Ryou nodded.  "Maybe we can go to the swings later.  I promise not to push you too hard."

He smiled at his yami.  "OK. We can do that."

Seto listened to this quietly.  Considering all that happened to Ryou in the past few days, he was entitled to be a little moody.  Bakura ate quickly and showed Ryou all the acorns he collected to throw at Yami Yugi. 

Malik and Ryou brought out the potato salad, fruit, chips, dips, and chopped vegetables that Malik had cut up that morning.

Bakura ran off with Marik to drop the acorns on Yami's head.  "This will show him," Bakura laughed.  The first acorn dropped on Yami's head.  "Ouch."

Marik and Bakura covered their mouths to stop laughing.  Marik dropped another one.  "Ouch."  Bakura hugged the tree snickering.   

Seto called the group when their lunches were done.  Ryou watched everyone eat hungrily.  Ryou reached for a celery stick and Bakura wanted to celebrate, but he remained quiet beside his hikari.  Anzu climbed down from the tree and ran to the table where the boys were eating.  Anzu took some potato salad and tried to feed Fluffy potato salad.  Bakura and Yami rolled their eyes. 

"Fluffy doesn't like potato salad!  Maybe he likes veggies!  Go Fluffy!"  Anzu fed the crab a celery stick and everyone stopped eating, including Ryou who only finished half of his celery stick. 

"If you don't get that crab away from me, I am going to eat it myself," Marik said eyeing the crab greedily.

"Don't eat Fluffy!  Fluffy is cute and cuddly and friendly and affectionate and….."Anzu went on for what seemed like hours. 

"I'm not hungry," Ryou said running away from the table and to some distance away disappearing from their sight.

"Anzu!  I finally got him to eat something!"

"Fluffy was hungry!  Go Fluffy!"

Bakura growled angrily.  "He was finally eating something!"  Bakura ran from the table to find Ryou and found him hidden in the shade of an oak tree curled up with his knees drawn to his chin. 

"Ryou?  Why don't you finish your lunch?"

"Not hungry."

Bakura sighed and looked at the swings.  "Let's go play on the swings.  You love swings."

Ryou looked up at Bakura and smiled.  "OK."

Bakura took Ryou's thin hand and led him to the swings. "I promise I won't push you hard."  The yami pulled the swing back and lightly pushed Ryou as the swing became further and further away.  Ryou leaned back  and laughed kicking his feet.  'At least he's laughing," Bakura thought.  Ryou told Bakura lots of times about his old swing set at home when he was little.  His mother used to push him on it.  Ryou couldn't resist a good swing set.  When his mother died, his father got rid of the swings telling him "swings are for girls."  His father thought swings were not for boys.  Ryou ignored him anyway and continued to enjoy the swings at the park. 

It lifted Bakura's spirits to see his hikari laugh again.  Malik and Marik joined them when they finished their lunch.  Malik sat in the swing and Marik pushed him.  The lights laughed happily as their yamis pushed them higher and higher.  Bakura made sure not to go too high for Ryou.  Joey and Tristan resumed their game, but Anzu kept interfering, so they hit her with the volleyball.  Anzu ran off to find squirrels again. 

Ryou stopped swinging and told his yami to sit down.  Ryou pushed Bakura for a little.  Ryou couldn't push him too high, but Bakura made himself compete with Malik for swinging height.

"I can go higher!"

"Marik, push me higher!  Higher!  Higher!"

"Will you knock it off, hikari? I'm pushing you as hard as I can!"

Ryou rolled his eyes and laughed a little uncomfortably.  "That doesn't sound right."  Ryou stopped pushing and returned to the picnic table.  Bakura followed Ryou and sat beside him.

"Are you getting tired?" Bakura brushed back Ryou's hair. 

"No.  'I'm pushing you as hard as I can.' "

Bakura shook his head.  "Nobody is pushing you.  Malik didn't say that on purpose.  You know how he is.  There's only one thing on his mind and it's not the Millenium Rod."

"No….My father always told that to me.  He always pushed me to be better than I could ever be."

"Ryou, we are here to forget about your father.  That is why I brought you here.  I want you to relax and be a normal kid for one afternoon."

Ryou hugged his yami.  "I love you, Bakura."

Bakura smiled.  "I love you, too, Ryou."

Seto sat on the bench on the other side of Ryou.  "The issue is not what your dad wants, Ryou, or what anyone expects you to do.  What do YOU want?"

Ryou hugged tighter onto Bakura.  Bakura wrapped his arms around Ryou's back to rub his back.  "I want Bakura!  I want him!

 "See? You solved your own problem.  Joey's dad don't care what we do.  One night we were making out on the couch." Seto grinned with the memory. "I had Joey howling like the puppy he is.  His dad was right upstairs. I was amazed he didn't come down with all the noise Joey was making.  Suffice to say we had a great night."

Ryou looked down at the ring on his finger.  When you're in love, you want to show the world you love the other person.  What happens when the world threatens to shun you because your love is, according to the world, "Immoral" or "evil"?   "I don't care what everyone wants anymore, Seto. I won't let him go, Seto. Not for anything." 

Bakura smiled and kissed Ryou's forehead.  Malik and Marik pulled a ball and baseball glove from the bag of toys.  Malik tossed the ball to Marik laughing. Marik missed it because he wasn't ready.  Marik ran to get the ball.  

Anzu ran out from the trees chasing the squirrel Malik and Ryou were cuddling earlier.  The squirrel ran to the Ishtars and ran up Malik's pants' leg.   

"It's in my pants!"

Marik returned to him concerned when he heard him yell.  "What?

"In my pants! In my pants!"

Marik grinned and pet his hikari's cheek lovingly.  "I know it is, but we can't do that in public."

"I can't get to it!"  Malik said reaching to his hip.

Marik looked around at the children in the park.  "Are you really ready now?"

"A squirrel is in my pants!  I can't get to it!  Help!"

"Number one, I don't think you should scream that in front of kids.  Number two, you have no idea how wrong that sounds.  Number three, no way am I reaching into your pants in plain view of everybody."

Bakura and Yami, concerned, ran up to them. "Guys, what's wrong?"

"I have a squirrel in my pants and I can't get to it."

"It's not that hard, Malik."

Bakura grabbed Malik's shirt. "Can't you go one afternoon without talking about…..you know!  I don't want to hear about your little squirrel!"

Malik shook his leg and the little squirrel ran out.  Malik fell on the ground panting. 

"Hey, it was a real squirrel!"  Marik rushed to his hikari's side holding him and caressing him. 

Anzu ran back to them.  "Squirrels are like friendship!  YEAH FRIENDSHIP!!!!!"

Bakura retreated back to Ryou who retreated to Yugi and Yami's picnic blanket.  He sat down beside and wrapped his arm around Ryou.  "It's amazing. She hugs a swarm of killer bees and she's still standing."

Ryou leaned his head on Bakura's chest and wrapped his arm around his yami's.  Ryou sighed as Joey and Tristan began their game again.  Malik and Marik retreated to the blanket with Ryou and Bakura.  As they watched the children play and Joey and Tristan's game, the darks held their lighter halves dozing off into a contented slumber. 

Next Chappie: Ryou and Bakura must replace that fishbowl that was cracked…but they are being watched.