JUST 10 MORE REVIEWS UNTIL WE GET ABOVE 400 REVIEWS!!! *hugs reviewers *

Chibi Ryou: *happy giggle * I love reviews!  *hugs reviewers *

Liz: I'm sorry if it was a little violent. I needed to release some frustration. 

Chibi Black Magician Girl: Bakura is understanding. Don't forget, he loves Ryou to death, but that doesn't mean he doesn't feel a little dejected. He hugs Ryou, don't worry. He's sympathetic.

Digi: Oh. Ok. Thanks for clearing that up. I'm glad you liked the chappie. I didn't want it to be too kinky. Thanks for the praise of my lemons.  Did that sound right? Anway, Digi, you are so nice to me! I'm glad you love my story! 

Dragondreamer Yami Dragon: I love dissing the rod.  It's fun and funny. Yes, in Servant Yamis I did bash Seto.  Badly.  Now I mend my ways ....for now.  I loved Yami in Servant Yamis.  So funny!

Ssjgoddesschico:  No Steven doesn't want to learn and yes, he is a jerk.

Sarah Chan: Congrats on your music competition! I play violin!  I loved that part where Rhea claims her marriage was an accident!  I loved that part to death!

Randalberzerker: They won't die. Beating is like friendship!  Ha Ha!

Cat: I know! Rhea was so mean, but Steven deserved it!

Blah ad kldjf: No, he didn't use a toothbrush. He used his fingers instead, but stopped when Bakura became suspicious.

Liz: Well, he was relieved to find Ryou was willing to be with him even after all they've been through.

Escachick: YES-THE F-WORD! FRIENDSHIP!!!! Ha ha! 

Angel Black: Gotta love those cliffies!

GOC: Yes, this chappie is a little angsty, but Bakura stands up to Steven,too.

Yugi Closet Fan: Steven is so blind, he can't see the reality of the situation and he's too wrapped up in himself to care about his own son.  *runs off to kill Steven *

Dark Raven: I don't know what to say *blushes *. Your friend freaked out when he read the lemon?  In a good way or a bad way? If he liked it, I'm glad!

Moonnymph: Steven gets the ring...eventually. *evil grin *

Aino Bakura: Steven needed interaction with his dead wife in a dream. I love dream sequences.  I wish I could put more in, especially with Ryou and his mother. Hmmm....

Diamond: Thanks!

Gralnak: I read chappie 3 of undying light and will keep my eye out for the next one!!! It was very good!

Negacat: I know...Steven is so ungrateful!! Rhea went through terrible pains to give birth to Ryou and now Steven acts like he doesn't even care!  *kicks Steven *

Anigirl: I think that's why I like my lemon scenes too.  I'm actually a little nervous of putting the traditional words in there, so I use euphemisms and make you fill in the blanks.  I find that some lemon scenes can be really romantic if you don't name the anatomy. This way, the physical aspect of their relationship is placed on the side and the spiritual is emphasized.  Their bonding scenes are more than merely physical, but they are often portrayed in my lemon scenes as either 'joining as one' or 'moving as one'.  The physical is important for them,too, but their relationship runs beyond physical pleasure. They need to be together and feel the other ones presence. That's more romantic....Awwww.......

Aesa best: I'm trying to figure out how I'm gonna handle the ghost thing.  Her ghost did appear in Nanny Bakura to Bakura in the alley.  So, I may have the ghost save his life.

Hidden Secrets, Hidden Lies

            Ryou woke up the next morning with stomach pains.  He crawled out from Bakura's embrace and put on his boxers.  Bakura continued to sleep peacefully in the bed with the collar still around his neck.  Ryou gently kissed Bakura's cheek and grabbed his stomach walking down the steps.  He found a hidden bottle of aspirin in the kitchen and took a few hoping it would end his pain.  He sat at the kitchen table in front of the chocolate box and licked his lips greedily.  His stomach growled fiercely as his hand reached for the box.  He drew his hand back quickly and ran to the living room grabbing the fish food.  Ryou refused to give into his body.  He was doing this for his father.  Ryou knew he could never be the perfect son his father wanted and thought if his father was so miserable with him, his father would most likely be happier without him….but then there was his yami, his reason for existence.  As he watched the fish eat, he was reminded of how hungry he was and the memory of Carl's threat to bail his father from jail made his stomach turn and twist.  Ryou ran to the front door and opened it nervously and looked outside seeing if Carl made good on his threat.  Ryou locked the door, his stomach tensed and he ran upstairs quickly slamming his feet.  Ryou ran into the bathroom shutting it behind him.

            Bakura opened his eyes hearing someone run up the stairs.  Carl said they were going to free Steven and Cinetti the night before.  Maybe Steven was in the house.  He stood up and removed the collar around his neck and put on his boxers.  Bakura grabbed the pen knife beside the bed as he heard the sound of choking coming from the bathroom.  Bakura grabbed the knife ready to strike anyone hurting his lover.  The yami ran to the bathroom and listened to the voice inside whisper, "I'm sorry, Bakura."

Bakura opened the door and found Ryou drinking from a bottle furiously.  Bakura lunged forward and grabbed it from Ryou's grasp.

"Ryou, what are you doing?"

Ryou began to sob holding his side.  Bakura wrapped his arms around Ryou fighting back tears of his own as he looked at the bottle's label: Syrup of Ipecac.  Ryou leaned over to the toilet wretching still in Bakura's clasp.  Bakura threw the bottle in the sink and grabbed a towel wiping Ryou's mouth.  He clasped Ryou's shoulders tightly.  "Why? Why are you doing this?" the yami sobbed, his voice almost high-pitched.  He trembled in fear as Ryou's body once again reacted to the liquid's effect.  He wiped Ryou again and pressed him to his chest.  "Why are you doing this? Why didn't you tell me?"

Ryou wiped his tears away on Bakura. "I didn't want you to worry about me."

"That's a poor response, Ryou!  I do worry about you, my love," Bakura said kissing Ryou's hair.  "I don't want you to hurt yourself, Ryou.  This can kill you.  I love you too much to watch you fade away like this."

Ryou began to whimper.  "I feel like I've lost control over everything.  My father hates me!  He sent that mob after us! He sent that woman to seduce me! He almost strangled me!  I wanted to gain control over my life again."

Bakura ran his hand through Ryou's hair and kissed it holding Ryou's thin frame close.  "This is not the way to gain control, Ryou.  This is making you lose control."  Bakura ran his hand over Ryou's ribcage now plainly visible and took Ryou's bony wrist.  "You have lost control, Ryou.  This is the proof."

Ryou held onto Bakura sobbing barely able to breathe. Bakura didn't want to upset him by rocking, so he rubbed his back gently. 

"So explain the marks on your fingers."

"You became suspicious and it hurt worse than the syrup."

Bakura helped Ryou to his feet and let him brush his teeth and rinse his mouth out.  Bakura drew a hot bath for Ryou when he finally had him calmed.  He placed some lavender bath salts in the water and watched as Ryou sat in the water.

Ryou almost fell asleep as Bakura washed his hair rubbing the strawberry shampoo into his hair and scalp.  Bakura took the washcloth and washed Ryou's back feeling every vertebrae. 

"Ryou, why didn't you tell me?"

Ryou sighed.  "I didn't want you to be angry with me, too.  My father is already angry at me.   I couldn't bear to lose you, yami."

Bakura washed Ryou's shoulders.  "I'm not angry with you. I can see why you didn't tell me, but I wish that you did so I could help you."  Bakura turned Ryou's face to look into his eyes.  "I love you too much to lose you, Ryou.  I don't want to see you leave me.  You are everything to me."  Bakura kissed Ryou's lips deeply as the scent of lavender lingered in the air. 

The boy in the tub wrapped his arms around his yami's neck.  "I'm sorry if I disappointed you, yami.”

“It’s alright, Ryou.  Let’s get some food into you.  You’ll feel better.”  Bakura helped Ryou out of the tub and wrapped a towel around his shoulders.    Ryou leaned on Bakura as he unsteadily got to his feet.  Bakura placed him on the edge of the tub and dried his hair. 

“Stay right here. I have to get your robe.”

Bakura ran into his room when he heard Ryou moan in the bathroom.  He ran back in and found Ryou looking at his reflection in the mirror as he leaned against the sink. 

“I had to see for myself,” Ryou said sadly.

Bakura put the robe on him and carried him downstairs to the couch.  He laid him down and propped him up with pillows.  “Don’t move or I’ll tie you down this time.”

A knock at the door caused Bakura to stiffen.  Ryou didn’t move.  He laid there passively, his eyes glazed over. “Stay here, Ryou,” Bakura ordered removing the knife from his pocket, his muscles tensing.  Maybe the mob followed them last night! Maybe Steven was at the door!

“Ki’itai? Who’s there?”

The door was knocked desperately again.  “Bakura! Let me in! It’s Malik!”

Bakura relaxed and saw a very jumpy Malik at the door with a newspaper.  His yami stood casually beside him with his Millenium Rod held against his shoulder.

“Bakura, we are in big trouble!” Malik said opening the paper.  “Listen to this: “Last night around 8:30 pm at the corner of Locust and Chestnut Streets, the body of a man identified as 30 year old Alan Ridgeway was found dead.  The cause was later to be found as forced blunt trauma to the skull.  All sources point to an unidentified teen around sixteen years of age with blond hair, blue jeans, and a gold chain.  Any witnesses or anyone with information is asked to notify Domino County Police immediately.”

            Bakura looked at Marik calmly watching his hikari read about the drama.

“Malik, I told you this morning! That could be anybody!”

“Well I don’t want you to go to jail and I certainly don’t want to!”  

Bakura pulled Malik inside and pushed them into the living room.  Malik saw Ryou on the couch and dropped the paper. 

“Dear, Ra!  Ryou!”  Malik ran to the other hikari clutching onto his hand.  Marik looked at Bakura with a sideways glance.

“Malik, I need you to watch Ryou for me,” Bakura said covering Ryou with a blanket.  Marik followed Bakura into the kitchen.  He reached for a can of chicken soup and put it into a pot.  He put a flame under it and sat with Marik at the kitchen table.  Bakura could see Ryou slowly open his eyes and Malik putting his hand over Ryou’s chest gently.

“Remember when I showed you those marks on Ryou?”  Marik nodded.  “I found Ryou drinking syrup of ipecac this morning.  Apparently, he’s been doing this for a few days already.”  Marik shook his head.  “Marik, I don’t know what to do!”

“What did you do for him?”

“I calmed him down, bathed him, dressed him, and now I’m going to feed him.  That’s all I can think of.”

“I never thought Ryou would do that to himself.”  The yamis looked at the hikari’s now embracing each other.  Bakura was waiting for another sly remark about the hikari’s looking cute together, but was amazed when Marik was almost lost for words.  “It seems that’s all you can do sometimes, isn’t it?  That’s how I felt last night when I saw Malik pressed against that wall.  I froze and I don’t know why.  Last night we were chased all around the city it felt like.  Those blood stains were cleaned off the Rod quickly.”

Bakura stood to stir the soup.  “Malik shouldn’t worry. We were out at night.  We’ve been out that late and nobody has ever caught us.  We do have an advantage over that.  Malik!  Come here a minute.”

“Are you ordering MY hikari around?”

Malik ran in. Bakura poured Ryou a cup of cold tea.  “Give this to Ryou. Make him sip it..don’t let him get an entire mouthful.”  Malik walked the cup to Ryou.  Bakura sat down with Malik again.

“I knew something was wrong, but I never thought Ryou would do this,” Bakura said running his forehead.  Marik turned behind him to watch Malik slowly let Ryou sip the drink. 

“He has you, Bakura.  That is what counts.”

“Doesn’t he trust me?”

“If he didn’t, he wouldn’t have married you.  And-.” Marik looked closely at a slight indentation on Bakura’s neck, “he certainly would not have slept with you.”  Bakura looked stunned.  “That collar line tells the tale, Bakura.  Back in Egypt, you could be pretty rough.”

Bakura poured the soup into a cup smiling at their little sessions in the sand of the desert.  “Marik, from what I remember, you never complained.  You always were left wanting more and more.  In fact, I’m amazed Malik can keep up with you.”

“Speak for yourself! I feel bad for Ryou.”

Bakura scratched at the collar line.  “This was his idea last night.  I hope I didn’t hurt him.”

“I can’t see you doing that anymore.” Ryou coughed in the living room. 

“I need you to help me.  I need you to go upstairs and get rid of any bottle you see with ipecac on it.  Ryou may have hid them from me,too. Dump them in the sink.  Malik will help me with Ryou.”

Marik ran upstairs as Malik pat Ryou’s back.  “Swallowed wrong,” Malik said.

“Sit behind Ryou.  Let his back lean on you.”  When Malik was behind Ryou, it reminded Bakura of the position which drove Ryou to passion the night before.  Ryou sat between Malik’s legs as he leaned against the Egyptian boy’s stomach.  Bakura stirred the soup and spooned the broth into Ryou’s mouth.  “Sip, Ryou.  You’re stomach isn’t going to like this at first, but please try to eat it.”  Ryou bit on the spoon.  “I said sip, not bite!”

Marik returned with the rod and sat back on the chair watching Malik run his fingers around Ryou’s hair.  Malik coaxed Ryou on verbally.  Ryou relaxed and actually smiled as he ate.  Bakura couldn’t help rejoicing that Ryou was eating again.  He was almost finished the cup when he rested his head back on Malik’s shoulder and fell asleep yawning.  Bakura rubbed his hikari’s cheek with his hand and smiled. 

The front door opened and Steven walked in.  Ryou’s arm fell limply beside him.  Steven gasped at the sight of Malik holding onto his unconscious son.  Bakura and Marik stood quickly blocking his way to his son as Malik gripped his arms around Ryou’s chest.

“So the caged bird has been set free.”

“No thanks to you, you squealer!”

Marik clasped the Rod tighter to his body.  Marik glared at the source of Ryou’s pain and the cause of all his problems. 

“I want to see my son, now stand aside!”  Bakura motioned for Marik to stand aside, but keep his guard up.  Marik stood behind Malik and Bakura beside Ryou.  Steven walked up to Ryou cuddled under a blanket, his arm thin, his face pale as a ghost.  Bakura placed the cup of soup on the table.  Steven leered down at his son and the boy looking up at him, his eyes full.  The father turned angrily to Bakura and shook.

“What did you do to my son?”

Bakura growled.  “You think I did this?  You know what I’m doing right now?” Bakura poked Steven’s shoulder.  “I’m cleaning up the emotional baggage you caused your son.  I am caring for him!  Your son is very sick and you know what, daddy?  It is all……..your………..fault.  Ryou has lost faith in his father’s love.  It is all your fault Ryou did this to himself and you stand there not shedding a Ra-damned tear!”

Steven looked down at Ryou’s fingers twitching in his sleep. 

“I saved your son’s life last night and again this morning.  You should be thanking me that I saved your only child!  You made Ryou sick with all you have done to him!”

Bakura stopped poking Steven and beat his own chest.  “You want to hate someone?  Hate me!  You may hate me all you want. I deserve it! I hated your son once with every fiber of my being! I beat him, humiliated him, and worse!  Hate me for all I’ve done to him!  But don’t hate your son because of me.  He’s innocent.  If I have learned to love your son, surely you can learn to do the same.”

Malik sat aghast as Bakura shed tears in front of the shocked father. 

“I promised to love your son and take care of him in sickness and in health.  And nothing will stop me from my promise.”

Steven glared at Bakura.  “How am I responsible for this?  You are the one who caused this!  If you hadn’t slept with my son in the first place, I would not have caught you and Ryou would be back to his old self!”

Malik felt Ryou’s entire body spasm in his arms and he whispered into Ryou’s ear words to calm him. 

“You blame this on me?  You raised Ryou to be so concerned about everyone else, he denies his own feelings!  Have you ever considered what makes him happy?”

“What makes us happy is not always right.”

“Right or wrong, caring for Ryou makes me happy.  Even if it means endangering myself, I would do it for him.”

“If you love him, you will let him go.”

“Never,” Bakura whispered. 

Steven headed for the stairs.  Marik stepped towards him grasping the Rod in fury.  “Some father you are! You son is lying on the couch very sick because of you and you pass by as if nothing is wrong! You good for nothing low snake in the grass!  May the god Anubis drag you to hell!”

Steven turned to Marik.  “I will see Ryou…but without Bakura near him.”

“You think I’m going to leave you alone with him after what you did to him?” Bakura bellowed.

“I will stay here,” Marik said putting a hand on Bakura’s shoulder.  “I will stay here with Malik and watch him for you, Bakura.” 

Malik felt a drop of liquid fall on his arm. He lifted his arm and found a translucent tear linger, trickly down his arm.  “It’s Ok, Ryou,” Malik whispered calmly as he clutched Ryou to his body closer.

Bakura retreated upstairs passing the snarling father.  He didn’t trust Steven, but with Malik and Marik there, but he knew Ryou was protected.  Steven brought a chair beside Ryou and  took his son’s hand.  Steven shed a tear looking at his son.  Malik rubbed Ryou’s chest watching the father through narrowed eyes.  “You are a monster,” Malik sneered as he felt Ryou’s heart pound furiously when this father clutched his hand. 

Steven ignored Malik declaration.  “ My poor son!  Sick! My legacy! Daddy’s here, Ryou!  I’m sorry! Forgive me! WOE IS ME!”

Marik snarled and rolled his eyes.  Malik cocked his eyebrow suspiciously on Steven.  Steven pulled Ryou out of Malik’s grip and collected him in his arms.  “My child! My boy! I’m sorry I did those things to you, Ryou!  I was an ass!  I’ve been a horrible father!  I can’t expect you to understand why I did what I did! All I can do is ask for your forgiveness!”  Steven kissed Ryou on the cheek.  Steven released Ryou back onto Malik.  He stood up and grabbed the cup of soup almost empty.  “I’ll put this away for his dinner.  I will take care of my son.”

Malik held Ryou closely looking at his yami. 

Steven took the bowl into the kitchen. 

Steven’s POV

So, sonny has more lovers!  That kid never quits!  The spirit’s speech was most compelling, though.  Is there any men in this town my boy hasn’t slept with?  Bakura said I am to blame!  He started this entire mess!  Well, I won’t have to contend with him much longer.  Once Bakura is gone it will be “Out of sight, out of mind”.  Ryou will return to his old self once I eliminate the spirit, who must have Ryou under his powers somehow.  Bakura could have Ryou under some strange spell.  Brainwashing!  That must be it!  When Bakura is gone, Ryou will be happier.  After all, I am doing this for my son.  All of us will be happier without that spirit.

Next Chappie: Thief of the Ring