Hello people! I have had this story in my brain too long and I had to get it on here! So sit back and relax and enjoy chapter 1!

Save Me

It hurt to breathe. It hurt to see. It hurt to feel. The fire raging around the church made him think of hell. If he'd ever known a heaven, it was yesterday when the sun was shining and the cool breezes of August whispered of summer's end and fall's beginning. The flowers were in bloom and the apples he had picked from the tree had been crisp and fresh, tasting as sweet as the forbidden ambrosia. A perfect day. If he had been privileged to know heaven, then by proxy of the universal scales of equilibrium he must now know hell. He held an arm up above his head defensively as he searched for them. He'd heard the screaming before. He had been lying in bed reading a book when Sister Martha had barged in yelling at him that the church was on fire and that he'd needed to get out. And he had not hesitated. Like a frightened rabbit he had sprung to life and ran down the tower stairs to the exit by the side street. Around him the other nuns and priests of the church had gathered, crying in woe and disbelief as the church was being rend asunder before their eyes.

He'd never considered himself devout by any means. He didn't even know if he necessarily believed in God. But he could comfortably admit he did think there might be something more beyond what he could see. But to the others who called this holy place home he could understand this was like witnessing the brutal death of someone beloved. A high-pitched scream had brought him out of his own mind as one of the other nuns-Sister Amelia had pointed to one of the windows. " Someone's still in there!" And indeed silhouetted against the flames was what looked like one of the priests. Without even thinking his plan through he had thrown the water bucket down the well, then brought it up to pour it over his own head. Mildly confident that he would be harder to burn he then ran back in to the church through the opulent double-doored entrance.

" YUGI-NO!"

" COME BACK, CHILD! PLEASE!"

"FOOL! YOU'LL BE BURNED ALIVE!"

" YUGI!

" YUGI, LAD!" He'd paid them no mind. Yugi ran back in, dodging a burning beam as it fell to block the way he'd come in. He heard a distant scream above him and covered his nose with a sleeve as the smoke threatened to blind him. Another scream, this time for help. Then another scream for God to save him. Yugi ducked and more or less felt his way to the stairwell, blissfully made of stone. Nothing burned him as he ascended. But the smoke was his constant companion as he coughed in a vain attempt to expel it from his aching lungs. He reached the landing to the kitchens and was met with a horrifying sight. Parts of the floor were already burning. The curtains were burning. The body in front of him was burning. He couldn't tell who it was they were so enflamed. But he could easily tell what had happened. Whoever it was had tried escaping by using the dumbwaiter as a lift down. But the lowering mechanism had jammed and they'd been helpless to flee when the fire caught the hay stack next to the mechanism. They used the hay to help light the fireplaces and the stoves more easily. Now it had become a death trap, burning high as the poor soul had tried to escape.

Now the victim was being rent to ash as the body lay curled-up in the lift as it burned. The sickening smell of burning meat accompanied the smell of burning destruction around him. Another scream for help told Yugi that this wasn't who he was searching for and he hastily dodged the flames to the next room over. Here were the communal living quarters. Siting rooms, sewing rooms and libraries were dedicated to this space. He ran as the scream sounded, reciting the Lord's prayer. It was coming from the library. A veritable death trap in itself with it's plush carpets, plentiful oil lamps and large volumes lining the walls. Only a few small spaces had yet to be consumed by the fire. The entrance where he stood and along one section of the wall. Above in the rafters Father Peter was clinging to the boards-one of which was beginning to catch flame as he watched the destruction below with wide eyes. Then he found Yugi. And became even more panicked.

" YUGI!" He seemed incapable of saying anything else. His hand waved him off in a ' Leave now' gesture. His wide, terrified eyes silently prayed ' Save me' as they stared at him. Yugi cast his gaze around the room. What now?! He looked for a place with no fire. The entrance where he stood, a couple of bookshelves had yet to catch flame, the rafters and the stone balcony. Yes, that must be why Father Peter came here. It was well known the balcony housed thick, creeping vines along it's wall. Father Peter must have tried to get to the balcony when the fire caught in the library. Essentially trapped he must have used the library's book ladder to get to the rafters. Hastily Yugi ran to the first bookshelf, dodging the burning carpet by the edges. He grabbed the shelf and began pulling with all his strength. It swayed, but otherwise stayed immobile. Coughing and growling in frustration he angrily threw volumes to the ground, the leather tomes smothering the flames around him briefly before becoming one of them.

When two shelves had been emptied he tried again. He pulled and pushed as the wooden shelf groaned then finally crashed to the ground, creating one small island amidst the lake of fire. He hastily edged around it and threw the books rom the second shelf, the corners slowly trying to catch aflame. He couldn't tell if the seconds had become minutes or the minutes had become seconds as he hastily cast the books away to lighten the burden. He coughed violently and gasped as breathing became more difficult. Tears blinded his vison as his eyes were stabbed by the smoke and heat. With a whimper of pain and exhaustion He pushed against the shelf. It toppled over in protest to meet it's brother on the ground, now creating a larger island. he leapt on to the solid back of the shelf and looked up at Father Peter. " Jump!" He called. His voice was barely audible even to his own ears. Above Father Peter cautiously edged over the fallen bookcases cautiously...then jumped.

He landed on his feet which buckled and he fell then to his hands and knees. Yugi could feel the wood growing hotter under his feet. They didn't have much time. He grabbed the Father up by his arm and the older man used Yugi's shoulders to support himself. " Quick! Jump-to-the balcony!" He coughed. The father shook his head as he briefly judged the distance between the fire and the safety of the stone ledge. Six feet at least.

" N-No, I can't!"

" We have to or we'll die! Now jump, damn it!" He then harshly grabbed the man by the scruff of his clothes and all but hauled him off the boards. He used Yugi's force to help him jump, just barely reaching the ledge. The flames suddenly burst to life under his feet and Yugi quickly hopped to one side as the first fallen shelf had finally succumbed to the fire. He held his sleeve to his nose again in the hopes of taking a cleansing breath. His clothes smelled so strongly of smoke now it nearly choked him. Squeezing his eyes shut he ignored the fresh stream of tears rolling down his face and jumped off of the wood. His shoes slid upon landing and he fell, rolling away from the fire on to the hard stone. Blindly he trotted to the ledge. A bleary glance down showed the priest already descending the vines as the fire brigade fruitlessly shot water from the hose to the nearly destroyed building. He leaned against the wall as his breathing became more labored and he grasped the vines with slick, trembling hands. He sluggishly hauled his body over the ledge as he coughed again. His body seemed to weigh three times as much as it normally did.

Each step down felt like an eternity. He didn't look down and he didn't look up. He just put one foot below the other, one hand below the next. If he had to hazard a guess then he would have said he was barely half-way down when his grip faltered and he fell from the vines and the wall. He hit the grassy ground with a hard thud, his head bouncing painfully upon impact. He closed his eyes-it hurt too much to keep them open. Around him he heard a calamity of voices. " Sir, this boy's still breathing!"

" Is he alright?!"

" We need a doctor now!"

" Yugi! Can you hear me?!"

" Get him away from there!"

" Someone help!"

The yelling hurt his ears. It hurt his head. Dimly he was aware that they all meant well. But all he wanted was some peace and quiet so he could go to sleep. Taking one more deep breath he was pleased to find it didn't hurt as much now. Relief washing over him Yugi succumbed to the darkness as he finally fell in to dreamless sleep.

When he woke up next, it was with Sister Laura siting at his bedside. Everything hurt. He blinked as the sun's mockingly bright rays shined in his eyes. The pain alerted him to the gladdening fact that he was alive. The pain also told him that he could feel it in nearly every fiber of his being, and that second fact was a most unpleasant one. Gentle hands helped him to sit up and a cool glass of water was given to him. Yugi drank slowly, the liquid both burning his throat yet cooling the pain at the same time. When he'd had his fill Yugi ran a hand through his helplessly messy hair and took in the sights around him. He was in a clinic. The painted white walls and the medical cot he had slept in were evidence of this. A white privacy curtain separated him from the other beds on either side of him. At his bedside Sister Laura sat on a finely carved wooden chair. Her brown hair streaked with grey hung loose and un-kempt under her headdress. Her tired brown eyes were rimmed red, implying that she had spent much time crying. Her uniform was clean but rumpled. And her smile was tired.

" Yugi, my precious boy. What in God's name were you thinking?" She asked kindly, like asking a child if they really thought stealing from the cookie jar was the best option available. And even though she was smiling, he knew this was a reprimand. " No one here is ungrateful that you saved Father Peter. Especially him. But Yugi, we nearly lost you, too. When my day of judgement comes, and I am faced with our father in heaven I will be asked why I let you go back last night. Why I didn't fight harder to keep you from the hellfire that destroyed one of his houses. If you had died it would have ben my fault. I am the one who swore to care for you always. Last night I failed." A tear slid down her face and he reached out and gently swiped the liquid jewel away with his finger. Somehow her smile seemed to crack under his touch.

" What am I going to say to him, Yugi?" Yugi let out a tired sigh and swung his legs over the side of the bed to face her. He took both of her hands in his and gripped them gently.

" You tell him...that nothing could have been done to stop me. Father Peter needed my help. So I ran to him. How could I do anything else?" Sister Laura regarded him for several long minutes as if she were searching for something.

" You're not a child anymore." well he wasn't so sure about all of that. At eighteen years old he was undeniably the youngest member of the church. All of the other members were at least thrice his age and some aged before their proper time it seemed. He wasn't in the priesthood or a scholar by any means. But he was the church's official servant boy. It had always been his task to garden the grounds, cook the meals, clean the halls, polish the church bells and do whatever other task they may ask of him. For eight years that had been his duty and privilege. Without Sister Laura's help he would have ended up somewhere far worse after...no. He wouldn't think of that now. As to him being a child he wasn't quite sure how to respond, so instead he decided to say nothing. Laura seemed to understand as she pat his hands and they broke apart so she could stand.

" I've had a bath prepared for you, and I found you some fresh clothes. Why don't we go to the bathing chambers and clean you up? You are covered in soot, Dear." Suddenly a bath sounded nice. He nodded and allowed Sister Laura to walk with him out of the patient's wing and with the help of a nurse they found the bathing chamber. Multiple tubs lined the blue-painted walls. Against the west wall was a large canvas cart meant for dirty clothing to be washed later. He noticed of all the tubs only one was filled with water. " I'll be waiting outside for you to finish." Yugi shook his head, even as the motion made his skull pound painfully.

" No, Sister. That's okay I don't need you to chaperone me." The look she gave him would have had the bravest of men on their knees. Yugi merely blinked having been on the receiving end of this glare so many times he was nearly immune.

" Not a chance. After what happened to you I'm not letting you out of my sights, young man." And with that the door was closed. With a resigned sigh he walked over to inspect the tub of water. The bath was warm. A bar of soap and a bottle of shampoo waited on a wooden tray next to the bath on the floor. They'd even been kind enough to give him a comb. On a stool was a fresh pair of clothes. Against the opposite wall was a full length oval mirror. Automatically falling in to the familiar routine he stripped his filthy clothes and expertly tossed them in to the laundry cart. He eased his aching body in to the water, letting the warmth seep in to his muscles and he instantly began to relax.

Yugi picked up the wash rag and using the soap he lathered a generous amount to the cloth before he set about scrubbing himself clean. His hands bumped and dipped along his body, rising and falling with the trail of lean muscles developed from years of physical labor as he washed. His fingers traced the numerous scars he could feel though the cloth and he vaguely wondered-and not for the first time-if the scars were a testament to stubbornness or foolishness. The slashes dotted his hands, clipped along his arms and slashed along his torso and legs. His knees were especially bad. One large, long deep scar ran from below the right shoulder blade all the way down to his lower back. That one he knew was not his fault. After washing his body he set about to scrubbing his hair with the shampoo they had left for him. The task didn't take long. But the thickness of his hair made rinsing the most bothersome part of bath time, as usual.

Once he was sure he was clean Yugi stepped out of the bath and toweled himself dry. After dressing himself in the clean clothes left for him he chanced a meeting with the mirror. He walked to the glass, his reflection becoming clearer with each step. And yet, not the one he was used to. He looked at himself in the mirror, wondering at what was staring back at him. His height of 5'7 was not so impressive but not demeaning either. His clothes were nothing too special. An off-white button down shirt with the top two buttons at his throat left undone so that he wasn't constricted. A brown cotton vest stitched with a black stiff back hung around him, the black buttons were done up properly. A simple pair of dark brown trousers, darker than his vest, covered his legs. His plain black shoes had no signs of damage to them so he had put them back on over the clean socks the hospital had supplied him with. In actuality this wasn't so different from what he wore daily. What interested him now was his own reflection. Sister Laura had called him a man. Was he? Was that a man staring back at him? This pale boy whose wide amethyst eyes stared out with curiosity? His hair was a hopeless cause from day one. His hair spiked upwards in a mess of black, the ends tipped naturally in purple. Golden lightning bold shaped bangs hung around is childishly round face.

What sort of face was it anyways? A handsome face, was it? Did he look intelligent? Stern? Brave? Naïve? Was it even memorable? Yugi had no way to possibly compare. He had never really paid attention to his own looks, and he'd certainly never received any favorable attention from outside of the church. Anyone from the outside only ever gave him as much consideration as they would any other servant. That is to say, very little. Just who was this person staring back at him? Boy. Eighteen. Servant. Orphan. Somehow even though these words had settled comfortably with him before, they now seemed inadequate. Not quite enough. What was he now? The transition for boy to man through the sister's eyes had shaken his ideas of being " Just Yugi" of the church. What made him " Yugi" now? Sister Laura's light knocking on the door echoed in the room making him jump slightly as the silence was disturbed.

"Yugi, are you alright?" Although she couldn't see it Yugi nodded and then walked to the door and opened it for her.

" Yes, Sister Laura I'm fine." A relieved smile spread over her face.

" Oh, good. Well, the doctor's back and he wanted to speak with you." A single nod.

" Alright." He held out his arm for her like a gentleman ought to do and with a light laugh Sister Laura took his arm with gentle hands. Together they walked back to the patient's wing and it was there that Yugi first encountered him. The man sitting in the chair beside his bed was not like any other he had seen before. And Jesus Christ if he wasn't the most devilishly handsome man he'd ever encountered. His frame boasted of strength and confidence, with broad shoulders and a back as straight as an arrow. His skin was tan, hinting at his exotic heritage. His hair was much like Yugi's, only there were more streaks of blonde in his hair, and the ends were tipped in red. Sharp, observant eyes watched him from pools of crimson, like fine red wine. His angular face, high cheekbones and straight nose gave him an aristocratic look. The black suit he wore added to this effect. Perfectly pressed with not a single thread out of place. A red silk neck scarf tied expertly around his neck, with a black opal broach at his throat. Traces of a fine white cotton shirt peeked from the dark ensemble. Shiny black shoes adorned his feet, legs crossed elegantly over knee.

The only thing that disturbed this image of dark temptation and quiet power was the black cane resting in his hands. The handle was silver, molded to look like a ferocious dragon's head. What need would such a healthy-looking man have for a cane? Upon their arrival the man smiled at him and Yugi swallowed hard as his throat suddenly decided to dry of it's own accord. " Yugi Mutou, I presume?" His voice! Deep and rich yet so smooth and relaxing. Clearing his throat Yugi nodded and politely walked over to shake his hand.

" Yes, Sir. Are you my doctor?" The man nodded and grasped his hand in a firm shake. The two broke apart and Yugi settled himself to sit on the bed. Suddenly he felt a little light-headed...

" Yes. I'm Dr. Atemu Sennen, one of the chief residents of this hospital. " Yugi smiled and gave him a short bow of the head.

" It's a pleasure to meet you, Sir." His eyes gazed at him with warmth as he spoke again, his voice washing over him so soothingly.

" No, Young One. After what you did last night, I assure you the honor is all mine." Ah, he heard about the fire, too. Gratitude mixed with annoyance clenched at his chest. He was flattered, but was what he did really so extraordinary? He didn't think so... " I'm just here to check on your status now before you're discharged. Do you feel up to answering my questions?" He shrugged at this and shifted to settle himself more comfortably. The switch from personal to professional eased his nerves greatly.

"I guess so." Dr. Sennen smiled and then pulled out a pen from his breast pocket and held it up to his face.

" Just follow the pen with your eyes and answer me honestly. Are you currently experiencing any pain?" He followed the pen as instructed, keeping as still as stone.

" Yes. My head hurts and I have aches all over."

" Any trouble breathing?"

" A bit. But not nearly as bad as yesterday."

" Are you feeling weary or have any inclination to sleep?" Actually, now that he mentioned it...

" Yes, Sir."

" Name?"

" Yugi Mutou."

" Year?"

" It's 1895."

" City?"

" Domino."

" Location?"

" America." And with that Dr. Sennen put his pen down and nodded once as he hummed to himself.

" It seems you have a mild concussion. As for your breathing I wasn't too surprised. You inhaled a lot of smoke. I think you'll need to remain here for at least one more night before you're comfortably discharged." Yugi nodded absently as he listened. But...discharged to where? St. Michaels's church was no more. Was he going to another church with the members? Was he to be put in to service somewhere else? Where was everyone else going? Sister Laura seemed to sense his thoughts. She placed a hand on his shoulder and patted his hand reassuringly.

" Don't fret, Young Man. Just rest yourself today. Tomorrow's troubles can be only dealt with tomorrow." Yes, he knew she was right. It was pointless to worry about it now. Dr. Senned stood up using his cane to assist him, then he smiled down at him kindly.

" Listen to her, Yugi. Lord knows nothing good ever came of disobeying a woman." He said, his face gravely serious. But that just made it seem even more jesting and Yugi smiled up at him. Beside him the Sister laughed, slapping her knee as she did so.

" I couldn't agree more. " She stood up and like the mother she was Laura pulled the blankets up to his chest and smoothed back his hair, like so many times before. " Yugi, try to rest now. I promise I'll be here to watch over you." Too tired and worn out to argue he lay back on the bed and rested his head on the plush pillow. As he closed his eyes Dr. Sennen tapped the nun on the shoulder. He beckoned her silently with one long finger and the two of them stepped away from his bed. She followed the man as he walked down the isle and out of the room, leaning on his cane as he did so. He seemed to young to her to be needing a cane. But who was she to pry? Once they were alone, the man leaned on his cane with one hand as he slipped the other in to his dark coat jacket.

" He's been through quite the ordeal."

" Indeed, he has, Doctor."

" Tell me," He leaned forward, his face kindly inquisitive but lined with worry. " Now that the church is gone, what is to be done with your members?" Sister Laura Sighed heavily and fingered the gold cross at her throat.

" It seems we're to be banished to the four winds, Doctor. We've telegrammed our plight to the other churches and they've all agreed to take us in, but not all in the same place. We're all to be sent to different houses of God with uncertain outcomes." Atemu hummed and slightly jerked his head back to the patient's wing.

" And Yugi?" She rubbed her head tiredly and breathed in deeply.

" Ah, yes our youngest member. Well, he's not in the priesthood or an alter boy so finding a place will be a bit harder. A shame, too. He acted the part of the hero last night, yet his status has barely altered." Atemu frowned at this. He actually had assumed Yugi was an alter boy, if not an up and coming scholar. He had spoken so eloquently, not like the boys from the street he usually treated.

" He's not of the priesthood?"

" No. He's our servant boy. Yugi's been with us for years, under my care." He tapped his cane thoughtfully. That boy had been the church's only servant? Taking on so many tasks by himself? He remembered the church. It had been a grand house. How much had he had to do there?

" He was the church's only servant? Was he burdened by it?" Sister Laura smiled ruefully at the doctor.

" Don't let that angel face fool you, Doctor. He's older than he looks. Just turned eighteen this summer, you know." His eyebrows rose at that. He'd quietly estimated him to be fifteen years of age. " But, he's a good little worker. I can promise you that." Atemu nodded and processed all of this quietly. From the moment he's set eyes on the boy he had become instantly fascinated. Those breathtaking violet eyes were filled with so much emotion. To the committed observer his heart was an open book. His lithe build and aura of innocence drew one in invitingly. Yet he had a hidden strength about him that gently called for respect. His fire rescue proved that. And just from conversing with him Atemu knew the boy possessed a mind and a will to use it. The boy was a beauty. No question or denial. And his story was remarkable. A servant boy of all things, acting like the heroes of legend as he saved a priest from the burning church. But the sister was right: Although he had acted courageously in the eyes of the public he was still, only a servant. Placing him might be difficult. If he had already been accepted to stay in another church, then Sister Laura would have said so. How this was not the case was a mystery to him.

It was clear to him as he treated the young man that he was much loved. Priests, nuns and even members of the fire brigade had hounded him almost incessantly with inquiries about his health. Many times he'd nearly lost his patience with the amount of interruptions on the boy's behalf. At one point he nearly had a mind to just throw everyone out of the hospital entirely just for the sake of tranquility. Luckily one of the priests had took notice of his clenched jaw and death-grip on his cane and ushered everyone away from the wing until he was done. And now that Yugi was on the mend, what was to become of him? The doctor knew in that instant that he couldn't leave him alone. Yugi had been entrusted to his care, and that is where he decided, the boy should stay. " Sister, I think I may have a solution. Do you think you and your fellow church members would be willing to write some references for him? My steward is very particular about paperwork, you see."

So that's that! So how did it go? Next chapter: Things happen! Please R&R and bless your happy happiness!