A/N: You all thought I disappeared off the face of the earth, didn't you? Well, I can only explain this final chapter as a result of my mind nagging at me to finish this thing. It's been what, two years? There are many reasons why I haven't updated, including a move to Arizona, a lost interest in anime, and much more. Entertaining, I know, right? To be honest, my writing sucked especially in the chapters before this one. I'm hoping to have improved at least a little, because well, to be honest, I was only a freshman in high school when I wrote the majority of the chapters, and now I'm a junior. This will most likely be my last installment ever on (if it's still referred to as that nowadays), so feel special. Enjoy!

Oh, yeah, and I still adore Bakura.

-----

Serenity had started going to school again after a week or two. With Bakura's help, she was slowly recovering from the death of her older brother. Thinking of him was painful, but she had learned to turn her pain into determination. Whenever he came into her mind, she would focus on his will for her happiness. Never would he stand to see her cry for his sake; she knew that things would be no different now that he was no longer with her.

When Serenity returned to Domino High, numerous questions were forced upon her about the details of the funeral and how she was coping with Joey's death. People she had never seen before apologized, and she dismissed their apologies with a brief nod and a glance to the floor. Sometimes the constant questions and reminders of what she had lost were too much to bear. Bakura had told her to hold her head up high and remember the good times she shared with Joey in order to lift her spirits. She forced herself to do so, and it paid off more than she honestly imagined it would. As the days passed, her moods were brighter, and soon enough she seemed like her old self again. It was obvious to even her that she was handling her brother's death so much better than before, and she couldn't help but be proud of herself. Eventually she applied for a part-time hostess job at a local restaurant in order to make money for herself and contribute to the payment of the extra groceries Bakura brought home every week. At first he refused, but Serenity insisted, and he gave in.

Each day after school, she would return to Bakura's apartment, and he would always be there waiting. His cheerful smile and welcome when she arrived back home was something she looked forward to. Every time she walked through the front door, she heard the exact same phrase:

"Hello, Serenity! How was your day today?"

Each day his smile grew wider and friendlier; it was enough to put a stressful day at ease. She had learned to confide in Bakura and ended up telling him nearly all the slightest details of school and work. He listened more than anyone else had and was always willing to give advice when needed. In return, he also trusted her with everything that was on his mind. If one of his bosses was giving him a hard time or if his day was just plain stressful, she did her best to listen and sympathize. After a month or two, they were completely comfortable around each other. There were hardly any awkward silences during their many conversations, and in the rare times they occurred, they would be broken as quick as they came. Serenity enjoyed talking to him more than anything; he was wise and full of experience with a painful past behind the gentle words he spoke. There was a feeling she experienced when she was around him—one that made the possibility of leaving him unbearable. At times she wondered if it was a simple case of codependency or rather something deeper than that.

Months passed since Serenity started living with Bakura, and all of their friends were well aware of this now. Mai volunteered to help her move out of Joey's old apartment completely; all his things were packed away and kept in a spare room at Mai's house for Serenity to take whenever she decided to leave Bakura's apartment. Somewhere in that period of time, Mai had decided to move to a city quite a few hours away from Domino. Her reasons were unknown, but it seemed as if she was more than eager to get out of the city she had moved in just a couple of years before. Coincidentally enough, she had invited Serenity to go with her. The two girls were nearly sisters, being friends only eleven years apart in age. Mai was the most ideal guardian for Serenity before she was emotionally able to live on her own. She had agreed to her friend's proposal, though Bakura knew nothing of it yet. Because of this, she felt a terrible sense of guilt. This was the only thing she hadn't told him yet, and she didn't plan on telling him either. She was afraid of leaving him; he was now closer to her than anyone had ever been in her entire life, aside from her brother. Part of her wanted to go with Mai, and the other wanted to stay with Bakura. Repeatedly, she would convince herself that moving out was much better for her than continuing to live with her older brother's friend. Of course, he wasn't just Joey's friend, he was hers too.

Still, there was a longing she felt to be more than friends with Bakura, and she had no idea if he felt the same way. Although it felt silly to even think of such things, she couldn't help but wonder. What was the harm in that, anyway? He was everything she had dreamed of in a potential boyfriend. Not only was he handsome, but incredibly sweet, thoughtful, and caring. Somehow, she had missed these qualities when she first met him.

In the back of her mind, she believed Joey's death had occurred for a reason. It was tragic, yes, and excruciatingly hard to deal with, yet she felt more confident than ever before. This was what Joey wanted her to be, brave and strong. And by doing this, she believed, she was.

-----

Ryou's dreams slowly changed for the better. As they grew closer, the more Serenity appeared in his dreams, standing strong next to him as his dark side slowly faded to nothing. He dreamt about her almost every night, and seeing her outside of his dreams gave him a reason to smile more. His happiness was no longer forced, but genuine, and everyone he was around could see it. Because of this, his journalism career improved, giving him the chance to travel all over Japan, and sometimes even outside the country. Serenity went with him most of the time, for they were only short trips and usually didn't interfere with her school or work.

For her eighteenth birthday, he had set up a surprise party for her at Yugi's home. The entire gang was invited, and the party went well. She was more than surprised; never had Ryou seen her smile that much in one night. Her thanks to him was conveyed in a tight hug which not only surprised him but made his heart feel warm. There was something about her that made him realize she meant a lot more to him than he thought she did. During her graduation ceremony, he attended along with the old gang and he was first to receive a hug from her.

He found himself watching the clock in anticipation for her to get home from school and work, all to greet her with a smile and hear about her day. Serenity seemed just as happy to see him when she explained her own day and asked about his. After that, he would help her with her homework and they would resume talking until she needed to leave for work. Then the process repeated itself the next day, and the next, and the next.

Girlfriend was a foreign word to Ryou, given that he had never been in a relationship before. However, he was sure his feelings for Serenity were more than he had ever felt for someone before, and if he were to have any sort of a girlfriend, she would be the only one he would want as his. She, after all, was the reason why he smiled so much lately, why he had such a sudden positive outlook on life. He decided that he must find time to talk to her about how he felt about her, but didn't have any idea of when the right time would be. It had to be perfect, nothing less.

It was a bright Thursday afternoon when Serenity came home from school, but there was something different about her expression than usual. Instead of her usual cheerful smile, she seemed tired and as if something was bothering her. Ryou tilted his head and glanced over at her curiously. "What's wrong, love?" He inquired, this being his usual question whenever he sensed things had gone amiss in her world.

A quiet sigh escaped Serenity's mouth, her lips curling into an unsatisfied frown. "Nothing, really," She started to explain, lifting her gaze to meet his. "Today was just stressful, I guess. One of those days where everything seems like it's going wrong, you know?" After setting her bag neatly on a chair, she joined him on the couch.

Ryou nodded, understanding well what she meant. He had his own share of bad days, worsened by being alone. Now that Serenity was always around, his usual bad days weren't so bad anymore. "Yes, I do," He admitted, his enormous brown eyes looking into hers. Suddenly, a smile crept upon his face; the greatest idea had passed through his mind. "Here, let me show you something."

-----

"Come on," Bakura urged as Serenity fought to keep a grin off of her face. Once out of the apartment complex, he started leading her across the park immediately next to it. Upon entering a gathering of trees that could very well serve as a mini-forest, she couldn't help but wonder where he was taking her. This was her last day with him; that was part of the reason why today was such a rough day. She had quit her job without telling Bakura and had almost finished packing. Mai was taking care of the rest of her belongings at the apartment to make things easier. Amazing how there was so much a person couldn't know.

"Where are we going?" Serenity asked with a slight laugh, letting him lead the way, his hand loosely grasping hers. It would be a lie if she said she didn't enjoy the fact that they were technically holding hands. A light pink colored her cheeks as they walked, all the while silently scolding herself for acting like a child.

"Here," Bakura stated with a grin, letting go of her hand to sit on an old tree stump in a more roomy area of the forest. Scooting over, he patted the spot next to him a few times in order to gesture for her to sit next to him. She did so without any form of hesitance, and then he continued. "You, my dear, are the first person besides myself to be introduced to this place. I come here often to think a little. Peace and quiet like this helps me regain my thoughts and feel less stressed. You should feel terribly special." With a light chuckle, he smiled over at her and she did the same. His expression softened slightly as he continued. "Whenever I take walks, this is where I go. There's some strange beauty I find here that's reassuring when I'm upset or confused or feeling anything for that matter."

Although it wasn't gleaming with natural beauty, Serenity could easily spot what Bakura was talking about. There was a light wind caressing their cheeks, ruffling the leaves on each one of the trees. The sound of the wind itself was calming. "I see it," She admitted, glancing around with wide, hazel eyes. "How pretty it is, I mean." After a few minutes of silence, she was beginning to see how amazing this little space was. Being so close to Bakura wasn't so bad either. She looked over at him for a few seconds, watching as he silently admired the scenery in front of him. When he noticed she was looking at him, he smiled over at her.

"What?" Bakura asked in a sweet tone of voice. Serenity's response wasn't in the form of words, but in kissing him softly on the lips. She knew why she did it, but not why she acted upon it so fast. This wasn't like her at all. To her surprise, he kissed her in return. When she pulled away, he couldn't help but ask, "What was that for?"

Serenity just smiled innocently and shrugged. Before she could answer him, he put his hand on her cheek and kissed her right back. This continued on for a few moments, both of them enjoying every minute of it and too timid to try anything more with each other. There was one point where Bakura's hand had unknowingly slipped under her shirt, but he removed it immediately and pulled away to apologize before resuming again.

Due to how unaware of the time of day they were, it was becoming dark and the two decided to head home hand in hand. Serenity thought they resembled teenagers in a way, with his laughs and her giggles, not to mention the cliché warm fuzzy feeling she felt in her stomach.

When they arrived home, they sat on the couch to watch the television, Bakura refraining himself from kissing her again just yet. He had been taught to respect women and not to depend on his own male human instincts. Due to the lack of romance in his life, he was incredibly self-conscious about any form of expressing attraction to someone he was interested in. That had been something he confided in Serenity about, anyway. However, he did put his arm around her, and she was obviously alright with his gesture by the way she leaned her head against his shoulder. There was nothing much to watch, and in result Bakura ceased flipping through the stations at a random comedy show that she had never recalled seeing before. Before he could think much of it, Serenity had already drifted off to sleep.

Serenity woke up to find the television set still on and Bakura asleep. Glancing over at a clock, she discovered it was only midnight. It was that moment that she remembered what was happening the upcoming day. Mai would give her a call on her cell phone early in the morning, and she would come out with her suitcases, all ready to leave. Her heart sank as she realized what would happen. There would be no living with Bakura anymore, no adorable British accent to greet her when she came home from work, and no trying to teach him how to cook in the evenings. She lifted her head and stood up from the couch as quietly as she could, heading into her room. As she closed the door behind her, the sadness she never expected to feel finally rose in her throat as she fought to hold back the tears. She had managed to go without crying in a long time. "I can do this," She whispered to herself, pulling out her suitcase and packing the rest of her things. This was the next step she needed to take in order to become a better person. Now, after months of living together something was finally starting to happen between them. It was a shame that this spontaneous physicality with Bakura had all happened now, rather than before, but that was her fault. If only she hadn't kissed him…

Among all of her doubts, she knew that there was no time for regret. Change was necessary for improvement; that was one thing she had learned through all of this. As she packed, she took another long glance at the room she had been staying in. This had become her room, with pictures of her family on the nightstand and dresser. Taking them off of the nightstand and dresser, she knew very well that something was wrong. What if she wasn't supposed to leave just yet? What if her life was supposed to be with Bakura?

There was a sudden knock on the door, and she quickly shoved her suitcase under her bed. After making sure nothing looked suspicious, she sat on her bed and told Bakura to come in. The door opened slightly as he peeked in, smiling at her still. It was an awful smile that flooded her with guilt. Should she have told him earlier? Should she even tell him now?

"I just wanted to say goodnight," Bakura said, blushing enough to where Serenity could see. He was so sweet and thoughtful and cute; the regret was eating her heart away. She forced a smile and nodded her head.

"Goodnight."

"See you in the morning."

The door shut, thankfully, before she could say anything. Mai was coming early due to the long drive, earlier than Bakura woke up. She hoped to God she would be out of the house before he was awake. The disappointment on his face would make their goodbye far more dreadful than she had ever imagined. After pulling out her suitcase, she packed the rest of her belongings away and closed it. Tears escaped down her red cheeks until she wiped them away. One thing was for sure, now: not one part of her wanted to leave Bakura.

She rose to her feet, her heart scolding her all the way as she quietly walked out of her room and into the room with a desk, where she opened the drawers and shuffled through his things for a pen and paper. When she found both, she went back into her room—or so now called the guest room, since it was no longer hers—and shut the door behind her.

Then, she began to write.

-----

The sound of car doors slamming outside of his apartment caused a startled awakening for Ryou. It was early, six o'clock, when he usually made it out of bed around seven. There wasn't much of a difference, he figured, and decided to begin getting dressed. As soon as he changed his clothes, he went to see if Serenity was already awake. His dreams were full of her and of them together that night. As soon as he saw she wasn't in the living room, he went outside to see what the weather was like. Yawning, he put his hands in his pockets and headed outside.

There was a car parked outside with a woman in her twenties in the drivers' seat. He didn't mean to stare, but there was something about the woman that appeared oddly familiar. A few seconds passed before he realized that the woman in the car looked exactly like Mai; she was Mai. Confused at why she was in this area, he glanced over to look behind the car, and there was Serenity, closing the back of the trunk and getting in the front seat. He felt his heart sink as he hurried over to the car. "Serenity!" He called, almost panicked. "Wait!"

Before he could catch up, Serenity took one final glance back as the car took off. "Wait," He said, more softly, wondering what the hell had just happened. His mind was swirling with thoughts, all about what had just happened. Most of all, he wondered if she would be back. From what he saw, she was packing a suitcase into the car. That wasn't a good sign. After standing there for a couple of minutes as if the car would come back somehow, he turned to go inside.

As he entered his apartment, he assumed her leaving had something to do with him. Ryou opened the door to her room to see everything folded neatly, all of her pictures and personal belongings gone without a trace. However, there was a small piece of paper against one of the pillows, drawing him nearer. Picking up the note, he read it and for the first time in a long, long, while, fought tears.

Bakura:

I want to apologize for leaving like this, but I know that this won't be nearly enough to express how sorry I am. I suppose I should first tell you where I'm going. Mai picked me up this morning; I'm living with her now in a city several hours away from Domino. I've known about this for awhile now, I was just scared of telling you. This has nothing to do with yesterday. I had a lot of fun with you and I sincerely care about you more than I have ever cared about anyone else. You taught me a lot of things, Bakura, and one of them was to not to run from what I'm afraid of. And to be honest, I know that I'm supposed to get away from this town. I'm ready to let go of everything and begin again. Mai is providing everything for me and I've been accepted into one of the colleges there. As you read this, I just ask that you don't hate me. I promise I'll come visit you again, sometime, when I'm ready. You mean so much to me. Thank you again for taking care of me and looking out for me when I needed it. You've become a great friend of mine.

--Serenity

-----

Serenity was far from ready to see Bakura when she did. When he was chasing after the car, all she could see was a young Joey, screaming out her name, yelling at her not to go. Tears were in her eyes as she slunk in her seat, trying her hardest not to cry. There was silence for a few moments before Mai spoke up.

"You alright, sweetheart?" She asked, turning once to glance at Serenity before returning her gaze to the road in front of her. With a sigh, Serenity's lips curled into a frown as she wondered if this really was the right decision to make. Images of a distraught Bakura and Joey flooded her mind, so much to the point of where she couldn't handle it anymore. All she wanted to do was demand of Mai to turn the car around, to come back to Bakura with her arms open wide, to kiss him, to say how sorry and stupid she had been. And that, she was convinced, what she was going to do.

And yet, her mouth decided otherwise.

"Yeah, I'll be alright," She managed to say, her voice cracking as Mai smiled sympathetically over at her. Turning her head to stare out the window, she bit her lip before speaking again. "Everything's going to be just fine. I'm not going to run away anymore."