Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Baby of Mine ❯ The Trial Begins ( Chapter 21 )

Hato-chiisai: Bakura brushed his hair down so he looks like Ryou in every way, so Steven won't recognize him. As far as him testifying, I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. I know that if Bakura can imitate Ryou, he can imitate the scars, too. That should also be no problem for him, because if he was a slave in ancient Egypt, he's bound to have lash marks.

Aino Bakura: Welcome back! I was wondering where you were! Yes, here we see the return of Anubis from Servant Yamis. Once I get a good villain, it's hard to let go.

Falling Leaves: That is too funny. That's a good one: Mr. Silly Shake! XD….

Ryuuka: If I did mix them up, I'm sorry. I tried to be careful when I wrote it, so maybe I got lost. Malik's not going to turn into a girl, but he's going to be emotional because he and Ryou are both emotional people. Malik's going to be involved in caring for Ryou.

AMT: I think my Marik is going to hate me now because of that chappie. He' not going to let me write him anymore.

Jocelyn: I know. I almost died laughing. That's worth a two hour laugh.

Pharaoh Yami's Princess: I just like his comment about not using it the night before and Bakura's reaction is priceless. I hate retail. And I figured that job would tick him off.

Kitty-Chan: How many chappie until the baby shower? Hmmm….Not sure, but it will be soon. Kinda taking this one chappie at a time. Can't be more than 8-10 chappies though.

Gralnak: I know. Mr. Happy Pickle….Mr. Sunshine! *author dies laughing again * Thanks for the baby shower presents.

Ssjgoddesschico: If you go into some stores, that's how these customers are. I hated my retail jobs and this is what they are like.

Moonnymph: I died laughing too. I needed a laugh yesterday.

Angel Black: Poor Marik. He's going to hate me.

Yui: Thanks, yui. I wasn't sure as to what it meant.

Mystical Elf: It's ok. You'll get to the lemon later.

Tiamat: You have a point. Isis' perspective would be interesting.

Kye: Anzu bashing soon at the baby shower. The babies are growing somewhat fast. Ryou got pregnant the day before and she already has a little bulge in her belly, so she' probably equivalent to one month now or six weeks. She's just beginning to show, so she's gonna be progressing one day for six weeks if that makes any sense. I want to enjoy this fic and all its possibilities, so we have a little bit before Ryou gives birth. I want to do an emotional scene, a mood swing scene, Marik has to feel her belly, Malik has to mother Ryou. Of course the baby shower scene. So we have a little bit. In fact, this story may be longer or as long as The Fall of Icarus.

\\…….\\---Ryou through mindlink

//…….//--Bakura through mindlink

The Trial Begins

Bakura stood outside the courthouse with Ryou holding onto him tightly. Ryou's hand was becoming sweaty as she looked up at the statue of the blindfolded Justice holding the scales, ready to tip in her favor or condemn her to living with Steven again. Ryou's heart raced as Bakura turned her towards him.

"Ryou, can you do this? Do you need to sit down?"

Ryou nodded uncertainly. "I have to do this, yami. For you. I don't want you to be taken away from me. My child deserves its father. My baby needs a daddy."

Bakura took her in her arms. "We'll get through this, angel. Together."

Bakura led Ryou past the statue looming above them imposingly. Ryou couldn't help but cringe as they entered the curiously cold courthouse. All around them, the people bustled around with files, papers, wearing formal suits and ties. Bakura and Ryou entered the courtroom when everyone turned around to see them enter. Mr. Daniels was seated at a table in front of the courtroom.

On the other side sat Steven in his orange prison suit. Ryou's eyes opened in apprehension and she clung onto Bakura.

"I can't face him, Bakura. I just can't."

"You have to sit in the crowd, Ryou. I'll take care of the trial. You just sit behind me and relax." Bakura kissed Ryou on the lips. "Don't worry, sweetheart. Everything will be Ok. Just sit down and relax."

Bakura sat Ryou behind him and walked up to Mr. Daniels. The lawyer shook Bakura's hand.

"Well, Ryou. How do you feel?"

"Little nervous to be honest with you," Bakura responded mimicking Ryou's quiet voice.

Steven chuckled to himself. "Awww…is my little girl scared of a little trial?"

Ms. Flannery entered the courtroom with her briefcase and her files.

"Hello, Ryou. How do you feel today?"

Bakura shrugged. "Tired, miss. Little nervous."

"Yeah, my little girl is scared. Maybe she needs her boyfriend," Steven whispered to himself.

The jury began to fill into the room. When the judge entered the room, everyone stood up.

The judge opened the file. "The court recognizes Trial 18372-B. The City of Domino Versus Steven Bakura. Steven Bakura, you are on trial for the following charges: Assault and battery of a minor, corruption of the morals of a minor, attempted murder of your son Ryou Bakura, first degree of your wife Rhea Bakura, child abuse and neglect, and damages of private property. How do you plead?"

"Not guilty," Steven said confidently.

It was time for opening arguments.

Steven's lawyer went first. He stood up from beside Steven and approached the jury.

"Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury, Steven Bakura has always been a model husband and a loving father. There sits a man…who would do anything for his child. There sits his child….claiming that he was abused and that his own father tried to kill him. Let me ask you this: What type of father would be so desperate as to want to kill his own child? What would drive this man, a respected member of our community, to poison his own child? Ladies and Gentlemen of this jury, this father loves his child and this trial…..is proof of how this child has returned his father's love. Ryou Bakura loves his father so much, that he is now placing him on trial claiming that his father was trying to kill him! Steven Bakura has returned home from Egypt at the call of his son, who has been tormented by a person calling himself `Bakura.' We have evidence that proves that Steven Bakura did not, in fact, attempt to kill his son, but it was this `Bakura.' This `Bakura' is the real culprit, esteemed jury. My client would never dream of killing his only son. How many of us would admit that we would willingly kill our own flesh and blood? I know you'll make the right decision and release my client, Steven Bakura, and reunite this once-happy family. Thank you."

The lawyer crossed in front of Bakura with a smile. Ms. Flannery took "Ryou's" shaking hand.

"Mr. Daniels, please state your case."

Mr. Daniels removed his glasses and stepped before the jury and the judge.

"Esteemed members of this court, Mr. Norstrom asks a good question: What would motivate a father to kill his only son? What type of father would be so desperate as to want to poison his son and make him suffer?

Mr. Bakura was hardly in contact with my client, Ryou Bakura, as he was growing up. Mr. Bakura works as an archaeologist and is very rarely home. So that is a good question: Why would Steven Bakura, a father who never sees his child, be driven to kill Ryou Bakura? No sane person would want to kill their own son. My client is not placing his father on trial for revenge. My client is protecting himself from harm. His father has caused bruises and scars that take time to heal, some mental and some physical. The City of Domino will not stand idle as Ryou Bakura is returned to his father. Would a model father beat his son? Would a model father try to poison his son? Steven Bakura is far from a model father, ladies and gentlemen. The decision you make will change Ryou's life forever. I know you will make the right decision."

Mr. Daniels returned to his seat.

The judge thumbed through the papers in the file. "Mr. Daniels, call your first witness."

"I call Ryou Bakura to the stand."

Bakura stood up and turned to Ryou wiping away tears from her eyes.

// Don't cry, Ryou. I'll be ok. //

\\ I'm trying not to cry, Bakura. I really do not want to go home with daddy. \\

Bakura was sworn in and sat down at the seat beside the judge. The judge looked down at Bakura and scribbled something into her notebook.

"You promise to tell the truth?"

"I said I did…I mean, yes. I do."

Mr. Daniels approached Bakura. "So, Ryou. Tell us about your life with your dad before the incident happened."

"Well, father was always away in Egypt. I mainly stayed with my aunts and uncles. They took care of me for as long as I could remember. My father hardly came home for special occasions. He came home sometimes for my birthday when I was a little kid, but as I grew up, he stopped coming.

My aunts and uncles stopped coming around and I was eventually left by myself. My father sent me money, but I missed him a lot. He was just never around."

"What caused his sudden change?"

// Ryou, should I tell them? //

\\ You have to, Bakura. It's ok. Go ahead and tell them. \\ Ryou managed a little smile to Bakura.

"My father found me in bed with another man."

The court immediately began to whisper and talk among themselves until the judge slammed the gavel on the stand. "Quiet in the court! Silence!"

"After that, my father went crazy." Bakura managed to even fake tears. Ryou watched as Bakura acted the part.

"My father slammed me against the wall and punched me! It was horrible!"

\\ Yami, you deserve an Emmy Award for this performance! \\

// I know. I'm beginning to convince myself! //

"He locked me in my room with no water and no food. He threatened to kill me and he almost succeeded had no one found that bottle beside my bed."

"Bottle? What bottle, Ryou?"

"My father tried to poison me with rat poison, vinegar, and insecticide! My father tried to kill me! Just because he couldn't accept me for who I was, he tried to kill me!"

\\ Yami, you are so dramatic! \\

// So does this mean, we'll have an encore performance tonight……together? //

\\ If you think I am going to carry two babies, you are crazy! One is enough! \\

"I tried to make my father understand, but he……he couldn't understand! All I wanted is for him to accept me. But no, he starved me and tried to kill me."

\\ They get the idea, yami! \\

// I know. But I feel like being dramatic. Maybe you find it attractive in me! //

\\ You don't have to try to be attractive to me, yami. \\

Mr. Daniels pat Bakura on the back. "It's ok, Ryou. You're doing fine. Can you continue?"

Bakura nodded.

"Does the court see the effect this whole situation has had on Ryou? This boy is terrified of his father. He has been abused and neglected. This is what we are trying to stop, ladies and gentlemen. We are trying to stop this boy from suffering even more than he already has. No further questions."

The judge called Mr. Norstrom to interrogate Bakura. "Ryou, you claim your father hit you. Is that true?"

"Yes, he did."

"If your father loved you so much, why would he do that?"

"Because he couldn't stand the fact that I love Bakura! He's nothing but a prejudiced, intolerant swine!"

\\ Yami, you have to ACT like me! I would never call my father that! \\

// Sorry. I got carried away. //

"I mean, he couldn't stand the fact that I love another man."

"Do you have any proof that he hit you?"

Mr. Daniels stood up. "We have evidence to support that Ryou was beaten! Hospital records, testimony by doctors all saying that Ryou was beaten severely and almost died."

The judge turned to Daniels. "We will see physical evidence tomorrow, Mr. Daniels."

"I had bruises on me for a while that never cleared up until recently."

"Now, did you ever fight him back?"

"I didn't want to, but I had to defend myself."

" I see. No further questions, your honor."

\\ Wow. That was fast. \\

// I know. Wonder what that was all about. //

The judge took the gavel in her hand. "You may step down, Ryou. Thank you."

Bakura returned to his seat.

"Tomorrow at this time this court shall reconvene and hear physical evidence. This court has adjourned."

The judge left the room and everyone in the crowd exchanged whispers and filed out of the room quickly. Steven was lead out of the room in shackles. Ryou hugged Bakura tightly. "Thank you for doing this for me, yami."

Mrs. Flannery turned to Bakura. "Bakura, the judge will want to hear physical evidence next time. Are you sure those scars on your back were not caused by your father?"

\\ You can't tell the truth, yami. You have to tell them. \\

// I have my own scars, Ryou. I don't need to recreate your own. When I was captured by Yami's guards…..they……..//

\\ Yami? \\

//…………………..//