Hi Everyone. Yeah, I'm alive. And I've finally updated after who knows how long. Yay. Anyways, sorry about the long wait, but I've lost all confidence I had in writing and I realize now that all my work sucks so I have absolutely no motivation whatsoever to keep writing, but I finally managed to kick my sorry butt into action and now I'm attempting to at least finish all my current stories. It's only fair to all my readers. So, I present you with the final chapter of Kidnapped By a Murderer. I hope you enjoy it. Please don't hate me for how short and rushed it is, I really just can't write much right now. Sorry.

Nerves wracked Yami's frame for reasons he did not know as he stood in front of the door to the Bakura household. Only a day after the battle had ended, Yami had rushed to retrieve Yugi. He left his trusted friends and fellow victors to take care of the aftermath, such as making a treaty with any surviving enemy officials, cleaning up the battlefield, and securing The Three Egyptian Gods into a safe and secure tomb guarded by the capable Ishtar family. Right now, all he cared about was his little boy.

So here Yami was, his hand hesitating above the doorbell. He wondered how much had changed in the four months he was away at war. Yami briefly contemplated the possibility that Yugi wouldn't want to see him after all this time, but quickly pushed the thought away. With a deep breath, he pressed the doorbell.

A few moments later, the door opened to reveal a very tired looking Sarah Bakura. Her eyes widened when she saw Yami, then narrowed in suspicion. "You have a lot of explaining to do." She said as she crossed her arms over her chest defensively. Yami blinked in confusion.

"I'm sorry? I just came to pick up Yugi, I'm sorry it's been so long and all—"

"Yugi's not here."

Yami thought for sure his heart had stopped beating. "What?"

"About a month ago Yugi disappeared right after school, Ryou couldn't find him anywhere. I called the police and when they investigated, you know what they told me? They said Yugi was at home with his parents. When they told me his father was Boryoku Moto and that he didn't even have a job, let alone was away on a business trip, I couldn't believe it. And when I told them about you they said they had no records of a 'Yami' even existing! They thought I was crazy or something—"

"Wait, what did you say? Yugi is with his parents?" Yami was getting frantic now, adrenaline rushing through his veins because he had to do something and Yugi was gone, no, worse, probably locked up somewhere getting beaten or maybe even, no, he was alive, he had to be, but why was he still standing here—

"Yes. His real parents. Now are you going to explain to me why you showed up claiming to be his father or am I going to have to call the police?" Sarah stood as tall as she could, trying to appear threatening. Yami felt like he couldn't breathe… This couldn't be happening. Finally, he managed to find his words.

"Sarah, please, you have to tell me the address. I have to go get him…"

"Why on Earth would I tell you that? I don't even know who you are or why you had Yugi with you—"

"Sarah! Please just listen to me! Yugi is in danger and I need to go get him, right now, so tell me the address or so help me…" Yami took a deep breath, attempting to rein in his frustration and panic. "I'm sorry. But please, I need your help."

Sarah looked worried now, along with her confusion. "I don't understand, why would Yugi be in danger—"

"Look, his parents are abusive and I don't have time to explain everything but let's just say I took him away and protected him but right now he could be hurt and I need to get to him so please just tell me where he is!" Yami spouted out in one frantic breath. Why couldn't this woman understand? His little one needed him and he had to be there right now…

Sarah gasped at this new information. Sweet little Yugi was being abused? Sudden guilt hit her for not doing more, or anything, while Yugi was being hurt for a whole month, especially since he was supposed to be in her care…

"Sarah…"

"Right. Of course, um, the address was, uh, number 372 on 7th and West I believe…"

Yami wasted no time as he bolted back to his car and started it up, muttering curses and self-depreciating thoughts all the while. Yami didn't know what the speed limits were on these roads, but he was pretty sure he tripled them as he raced towards the house imprisoning his son.

As he screeched to a halt in front of the dilapidated, white-ish house, Yami practically threw himself towards the door. One solid kick later, he was inside the building. There was a shout of indignation, then Boryoku Moto turned the corner into the hallway, looking drunk and overall disgusting. In a second flat Yami had him pinned to wall, a hand around his throat and Yami's face inches from his repulsive face.

"Where. Is. He?" Yami said, every word slow and deliberate, his voice low and threatening. Boryoku's eyes widened with sudden fear as he recognized the man who had taken his son… and had kicked his butt. Not to mention the situation he was presented with was terrifying. Boryoku had no doubt this man would kill him in a heartbeat. So… he did the only thing he could.

"Egh… Basement…" Boryoku managed to say, his face turning purple from the tight grip around his throat. Yami was shaking with rage by this point, face-to-face with the man who had hurt his little one for so long… A memory of the shaking, terrified, and bruised little boy he had taken from an alleyway all that time ago flashed in front of his eyes and a second later, a corpse lay at his feet.

Not wasting a second, Yami ran off into the house, finding the basement door a moment later. He yanked the door open and sprinted down the steps. At the bottom, he found a small, well-worn room, barren of any furniture except for a small, dirty mattress in the corner. Sitting on that mattress, knees curled up to his chest, was a boy.

"Yugi…" Yami said, his heart fluttering in relief to find the child alive.

"… Yami?" A small voice replied. Yugi managed to crawl to the edge of the mattress, the dim lighting finally revealing his features… And Yami's heart broke. Bruises and small cuts littered his small, too-thin frame. Yugi looked so small and beaten-down in that moment, tears filling his big purple eyes, and Yami wanted nothing more than to take all the pain away.

"Yugi, my Little One, I… I'm so—"

"It's 'kay, Yami. You came… Knew you would. Thank'ou." Yugi said. He was so tired… so, so very tired of all this suffering, emotional and physical. All Yugi wanted was for Yami to hold him in his arms, warm and safe… Yugi reached out a shaking limb to his father, his true father. Yami welcomed him, pulling the small boy into his arms. He planted a kiss on Yugi's forehead, tears falling down his face to mix with those of his child's as the two embraced each other tightly.

Yugi soon succumbed to his exhaustion and fell asleep in Yami's arms, knowing he was safe now. Yami smiled tearfully down at the sleeping boy and picked him up, making his way out of the house. He passed Yugi's petrified mother, who he sent running with one glance. Yami walked out the front door, not even sparing a glance at the body in the hall.

Yami laid Yugi in the backseat of his car, though he was reluctant to let him go so soon after getting him back. The ride back home seemed short as thoughts rushed through his head about the events of the past year. It all started with Yugi.

Looking back, Yami realized his life had… stopped, almost, when his family was killed. After that he'd just been going through the motions, living day to day, throwing his whole existence into the battle with the Shihai. There was nothing else for him to live for, other than to continue to fight for the cause that his family had died for. Then, a little boy stumbled into his life, one just as broken as he himself was. And they had fixed each other. Had learned to smile again, to laugh, to love. Suddenly, he had something to live for.

As Yami carried Yugi to his room and tended to his wounds, he couldn't help but smile. Everything was okay now. The war was over, Yugi's parents weren't a problem anymore, and he had his son with him. There were still things to be fixed, of course. These wounds inflicted by times of trial still ached, they were both still a little broken, but they had each other. Finally, light and darkness were put in balance again, and times of healing and happiness lay ahead.