A/N: OKAY!! So I tried adding a little humor. If you tilt your head to the side and squint you might be able to find it. PLUS!!!! I added a bit more to the last chapter. If you want you can read it but it shouldn't make much of a difference whether you do or don't.

Some people said they wanted to see how Bakura reacts. I was mentally debating whether I should skip ahead a few years or write out at least a little of what happens right afterwards and after many complete remakes I decided to come at it with a COMPLETELY different approach than I had planned. ^ . ^ (rubs hands together) this should be good.

One more thing….. THANK YOU!!!! To all the people who reviewed last chapter, you made my heart sing and my eyes tear up. ='')

Chapter 2: Dirty Little Secret

(Screeching noises) WAIT!!!!!!! I forgot to do the disclaimer thingamajig!!! And I forgot last chapter. OOOOOOPS!! X.X my bad. Well anyways…..(clears throat)

Ahem. Because my collateral revenue is disproportionate to that of Kazuki Takahashi, it is egregious and insurmountable to ascertain that I, in any form, possess Yugioh

Translation: I'm broke so I obviously own zilch.

On with the fictitious writings!!!

Chapter 2: Dirty Little Secret

"I love you….Bakura"

The statement was barely audible, even in the silent soul room; but it echoed in Bakura's ears as though Ryou had shouted. Ice shot through his veins, freezing his limbs and thoughts alike. His fingers stopped caressing the sleeping child's hair and now gripped the white tresses so hard, his knuckles paled.

Love you

I love you

Bakura

I love….

..kura

His mind was having difficulties processing Ryou's confession and remained blank for a long time. But eventually his death-hold loosened as the fog encasing his wits faded. When he finally understood the words reverberating throughout his psyche, he stood up so fast that he would have disconnected Ryou's head from his body had he not already let go of him. He ran from the boy's room as if he was being pursued, and he was. His mental ramblings refused to let him be, no matter how fast he ran down the corridor between his and his light's soul room.

Deciding that he needed more space, more physical space, he took over consciousness.

Bakura found himself huddled on the boy's bed with his arms wrapped around his torso and his legs curled up. He quickly yanked himself out of the uncomfortable bed and the helpless position, wiping his cheeks on the sodden pillow in the process. Damn the kid cries a lot!

Bakura studied the room briefly; it had been a while since he had seen it. The walls had silly drawings hung up on it, like things a five year old would draw. There was an armoire in the far right corner of the room. In the other corner was the bed and across from it was a small closet with a few pairs of nice slacks and collared shirts inside. A wooden, writing desk was adjacent from the bed. Bakura smirked; the room had the same set-up as his little hikari's soul room. Funny, his soul room had less in it than his room room; usually it's the other way around.

Losing his sense of humor at once, he paced across the wooden floorboards, allowing is brain to run around in useless, pointless circles. Bakura snarled in confusion and anger, showing off his perfectly white canines.

Fuck Ryou! Who the fuck does he think he is? He doesn't know what love is! Does he even think before he speaks?? He's delirious, crazy! He was half asleep anyways. I probably shouldn't have even talked to him. He's such a fucking crybaby. But what the fuck were my choices? I wouldn't have gotten any sleep with that racket going on! Damn that pathetic, useless, inferior, stupid, impudent, foolish, annoying child!!

Bakura kept on cursing his host, and, as his temper rose, his insults became more and more vulgar. His strides became more erratic and his feet started stomping rather than pacing. If Bakura was anything but furious he would have realized that he was throwing a childish tantrum. But such things were past his recognition in his current state. Suddenly one of the floorboards crunched beneath the assault and Bakura's foot slipped inside.

"FUCK!" He growled aloud. He wrenched his foot out, hissing in pain as splinters were embedded in his shin and ankle. He knelt down to start ripping the grievous chunks of wood from his skin, but stopped when something caught his eye. He had spotted a small chest through the opening his foot had created. Curiosity once again piqued, he grabbed the floorboard, intending to rip it off, but was shocked to feel it detach from the floor with hardly any effort involved. Apparently Ryou had a secret that Bakura was unaware of.

He gently pulled the metallic box from its hiding place. It was pretty plain, like everything else the boy owned. It was a metal box with a lid held together by a black shoelace. The thing was so crumpled and bent that Bakura was surprised it could even hold anything; it was probably made out of aluminum. With a strange rush of something akin to exhilaration, Bakura untied the string and slowly lifted the lid. He was a little disappointed to see a familiar-looking rock, a couple of journals, and a few letters inside; but his disappointment was short-lived when he grasped what he was staring at.

Ryou's diary!

As much as he wished it was possible for him to be able to read Ryou's mind twenty-four/seven, there were only brief instances when their thoughts and emotions were on the same tangent that he actually could. But now was a chance to get inside the other one's head. Bakura let himself smirk again.

He lifted the oldest leather journal from its confines, careful not to mess anything else up. He opened to the first page…..and rolled his eyes.

This journal belongs to: Ryou Bakura

Nickname(s): Ree Ree, Big Brother

Age: 8

The scrawl was hardly legible but Bakura managed. He licked his finger dramatically and turned the page, smirk still in place.

Deer Diuree,

Today we went to the stoor and mommy let me by you!! Isnt that grate?! Now I dont hav to wate for aneewun to get home befor I can talk. I promiss to rite mor later.

~Ryou

Bakura let his breath out in a huff of indignation. This wasn't what he wanted! This was an even more immature, babyish Ryou….who couldn't spell for shit! He wanted to read about how terrified Ryou was of him, how awful his life is now that he was stuck with Bakura. He flipped to the last page and, finding nothing of any importance to him, switched to another journal. He grinned, despite the sloppy handwriting.

This wasn't exactly what he was looking for, but it would do.

Dear Diary,

I don't even know how to explain everything that has happened. You remember when I said I wished I was an only child? That time when Amane got me in trouble with Dad? I didn't mean it! Really I didn't!! Please bring them back! If you can take them away then just give them back to me. Oh God I don't even know what to say!! There was a crash, a lot of lights, too much noise, she was screaming! Amane was screaming for me! She begged me to help her, to save her, and I couldn't Diary, I couldn't. I swear I tried! But, I just couldn't move, everything was black and she was screaming. That's all I heard, that's all I can remember. I should be grateful that my mind's blocked the images from me, that I survived. But I'm not. I don't deserve it. I deserve complete agony; I deserve to be in the place where lost souls remain. I should be there; the doctors said it was a miracle I survived. I guess they need to look up what the word 'miracle' means.

All I remember are glimpses, then blackness, then waking up here in this stupid hospital that smells too clean. Dad…hasn't stopped by yet, well, at least not that I know of. But I mean, I have been on morphine and I haven't been completely awake all the time so maybe he just dropped in while I was out of it. You know, I bet that's what happened! He's just trying to let me get some sleep. I'll tell the nurses next time that they can let him come in when he comes back.

I can't believe that they're gone…..

Bakura grinned, but there were too many teeth for it to be cheerful. He could just picture a defenseless Ryou hunched over this journal, crying. He flipped the page, eager for more.

Diary,

I talked to the nurses….they said that my dad hasn't been by since he signed the paperwork. I've been here for almost a week now. I guess he's just busy with whatever he does. He just started working at the FBI not too long ago. Mom was so proud of him...

Mom and Amane's funeral (I'm pretty sure they're having a joint one) is in a couple days and there's a lot of documents that he has to go through. I wonder if the doctors will let me out by then.

~Ryou

He threw the book across the room, not caring about its fragileness any more. He wanted a journal where he was what made Ryou cry. He stuck his hand back into the deformed tin, looking for another one. He pulled out a journal that looked rather recent and yanked it open.

He chuckled; this was getting somewhere.

Dear Diary,

I'm 10!! My birthday was yesterday!! Guess what my dad got me! It's really really cool! He said it came all the way from Egypt. He got it for me when he and his department were sent there for some weird guy who stole some important military information that could bring about the end of the country as we know it (I'm never really told the specifics). It's supposed to be cursed; the last few people who had it died "mysteriously". But I haven't really gotten any bad vibes from it. Then again I've only had it for a couple days. Who knows? Maybe there really is a ghost haunting it. That would be so cool!!

Sorry I didn't get to write but I decided to start a new diary and went out to buy one yesterday. The weirdest thing happened to me. I was given a rock. A rock of all things! Some girl just handed it to me. She was pretty I guess. She had light blonde hair and dark blue eyes. And freckles. Well, she gave me this rock, I guess it's more like a stone, but she handed it to me and said "Don't give up boy, he does love you." I must have looked funny because she started to laugh at me. I'm pretty sure that was when I started to blush. She probably felt bad because she stopped immediately. "You'll see, but be patient. He doesn't even know it yet himself." Then she smiled and walked off. I felt idiotic. I would have chased her to make her explain, but I was confused. Of course my dad loves me. He wouldn't have bought me a present if he didn't. He's just sad that he's stuck with me all alone. I'm pretty sure he loved Amane more. She had mom's green eyes and his dark brown hair. She would have been 8 in six weeks.

You haven't brought them back yet…I'm still waiting.

~Ryou

Bakura laughed out loud at the irony. I wonder if he still thinks it's 'really really cool'….

He flicked through the pages, skimming the boy's writings. He was looking for one that seemed interesting. It seems that his light has yet to figure out what dates are. Seriously, it was hard to find anything in there. How hard was it to put a month, a day, and a year at the top? Oh well, no use crying over spilled juice…or was it milk? Bakura shrugged, tomato tomahto.

Finally something caught his eye.

Dear Diary,

How long has it been? A few weeks I'm guessing. School is still hectic but people stopped telling me how sorry they were for me so I guess that's better. My teacher is really sweet, but she asks too many questions. 'Why do you always look so tired Ryou?' 'How's your dad been holding up?' 'Are you sure you're okay?'

How am I supposed to explain everything to a fifth grade teacher? 'Yes Ms Flannigan I'm fine. I just have this possessive, evil spirit that takes over my body and harasses my mind constantly. My dad is great! He's found a new outlet to keep his spirits up. That's what these bruises are from. No, no, it's okay, he just blames me for killing my mom and my sister. He loved them the most after all. Really, don't worry yourself. It isn't that big of a deal.'

Sometimes I think the spirit is the only thing that keeps me sane.

~Ryou

Flip.

Dear Diary.

Today is Amane's birthday. I've been writing her letters, but I don't know if I should wish her Happy Birthday or not. I'm pretty sure she'd find it insulting.

I know I don't write as often anymore, but it's hard to find time to. It's not that I've recently been busy, I just don't want either of them to find out about you. My dad would probably rip it up and throw it in my face, the spirit would probably read it, then throw it in my face. I just want part of my mind safe from him. I sure he can't hear everything that I think. If he could he would have found you by now. But I can tell that sometimes, he gets a basic gist of my thoughts. His eyes will gleam gleefully whenever I'm really scared, even if I don't show it. I'm just glad he hasn't picked up on anything else. I know he's awful and he's evil and he's cruel, but I need him. Even if he's mean, even if he mentally abuses me, he's always there. I hate him with everything that I have, but I could never let him go. Is that what people say love is? I can't love him. But I do, don't I?

I should go. Writing for too long is never a good idea.

~Ryou

Bakura hurled the book and the tin away from himself. They collided with a dull thud and loud clank, landing on the floor. The contents were now scattered across the room. The envelopes flittered down last but the rock hit the ground and rolled over by Bakura's foot. He watched its slow process, blinking when he realized why it looked familiar; this was the same stone that Ryou was holding. It must have been the thing that obnoxious, know-it-all girl gave him a few years ago. He snorted; it was just like him to keep something so insignificant. He picked it up and turned it over. Although he was interested in the black stone, all he was able to register was the word Libertas before everything went black.

A/N: Sooooooooooooo, not what you were expecting, huh? Or maybe it was. Yes, the stone is important. ;) I have a basic idea of where to go with this but input would most definitely be wonderful. After all, I write for my lovely readers.

I'm sorry! This is cutting it close to my self-appointed deadline, but I have a really good excuse! I'm not even in California (which is where I live)! I'm in Colorado right now celebrating my wonderful seventeenth birthday. =) I was debating whether I should update or hit the town, but the sirens kept me inside (downtown Denver is kinda scary at night). At least its night here. I know, stop yacking already.

You know what would be an excellent birthday present?

Reviews!