Disclaimer:I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.

The Lie That I Lived

Mai Valentine- 26

Seto Kaiba- 25

Joey Wheeler- 24

Yami Mouto- 24

Tea Mouto- 24

Serenity Wheeler- 22

Mokuba Kaiba- 20

YES! ONE MORE –big smiles- hehe! The wait is almost over, soon this story will be done, though I'll miss all the people who enjoyed this story and stuck with it till the end. Thank you for your reviews, I hope you'll leave a few after this chapter. I DEEPLY apologize for such an extended update! Lots of work and such, I just never got around to it, but now with March break I promised myself to sit down and write!

Chapter 11

-II-

"I never knew you had such slow reflexes Wheeler!" Kaiba muttered as he paced back and forth through the hallway.

"Shut up Kaiba," Joey replied, his head in his hands.

"You guys, there's no point in fighting now," Tea quickly said before they started up again.

"I just hope Mai's all right," Serenity whispered to herself, though everyone heard what she had said.

They all stopped and thought about the blonde who had just given birth to a premature baby girl. The doctor said that her baby had been in danger, and right now she would need to be properly monitored and taken care of. The doctor had also said that Mai was very tired and that what she needed right now was rest.

"She went to see you didn't she, Yami?" Kaiba asked, his back to him.

"Yes she did Kaiba."

"Why?"

"She told me that I've been somewhat of an adviser, and she wanted to hear her problem out loud, and someone else to listen."

"She told you?" Joey asked.

"No, that she kept to herself," Yami smiled, trying to help Joey feel better.

There was no better moment for fate to intervene and take Mai away to labour while the two men waited, a wall between them and their answer. If it wasn't for the doctors and nurses running in and out and a tired Mai, trying to sleep away the tiredness of the last few hours, both men would've marched their way in and demanded an answer.

"How long have you been involved with Mai, Kaiba?" Joey asked, Kaiba didn't turn around and Tea and Serenity turned to look at him.

"Ever since I beat the shit out of the guys who did this to her."

Joey was taken aback. 'Kaiba, he saved her.'

"Why'd you help her?"

"I'm not a bastard Wheeler."

-II-

Mai has her baby and looks at it tenderly in her arms, her developing golden locks and her tiny violet eyes melt Mai's heart as all her pain returns once more.

"Miss, there are two men who are extremely eager to see you," a young nurse informed.

'Joey and Kaiba, what can I do?'

"Can you please tell them to go home, I feel too tired to talk," Mai said.

"Alright. What did you name her?" The nurse asked happily, referring to the bundle of joy in her arms.

"Faith."

"A beautiful name, she looks just like her mother," the nurse said as she left the room.

Mai put her baby down onto the carrier and caressed her tiny face. "My beautiful baby, I want you to live a full life with happiness to never have to experience what I did," Mai bent down and kissed her gently. A tear fell upon her pale skin, the baby stirred in her slumber. "I love you, never lose faith like I did, but I only realized much too late, it's too late for me now."

Mai had not only found two worlds of happiness, she had finally self a sense of belonging, she needed someone and someone needed her. But, it wasn't hers to have anymore. Happiness had found her, but not touched her; she was still much too cold. Everything that had happened in her life had stripped her of her ability to live, but these past few months, it could've been an attempt at reviving her dead soul, or her final prayer had been answered, dying happy.

Kaiba, the most unlikely candidate had found her, rescued her, and housed her. He slowly opened up to her, began to care for her, even showed specks of human emotion. Joey, the one that had always been with her, looking for her, loving her; he had never let her go and she knew that wherever she went, no matter hot far away she was, he'd always be there. Two men, one love. It was possible. In her mind they were not two men who both loved her, but one vessel full of incomprehensible love- that was the only way she could think about it without her hurting not only herself, but those two as well.

However, God knew they would never learn of her reasoning.

She looked over to her child, sleeping peacefully without a worry in the world. She wanted to like for this child, but she couldn't live in order to protect this baby. Hate and lies had been so much a part of her life, she knew that one day she wouldn't be able to handle her life, she'd become self-destructive and this child could not suffer with her. Her Faith could not suffer at all, she should have all the happiness in the world, but that happiness was not with Mai.

Over to her left, there was a nightstand there was a bag, she could tell that obviously Joey and Kaiba had never done this before from some of the things they had packed. Lipstick? Not anymore. A book? Of course, who doesn't enjoy a good read while screaming 'Bloody Mary' at the top of their lungs for 10 hours? PADS?! She could only wonder whose bright idea that had been… But underneath all that, she found a few useful items, her cell phone- the one thing she needed right now. Hesitantly, she brought it before her and stared at it. Kaiba had given this to her a few months before, he had thrown her old one out, claiming it looked like she made drug deals on it. This one was much sleeker, jet black, and obviously, since it was bought by Seto Kaiba, top of the line. Sliding it up, she tried to wrack her brains for the number. Trying to remember the number was her excuse, she just didn't want to make the phone call.

She kept telling herself this needed to be done. And it did, she had made a decision and now she had to follow through.

After a few rings Mai's heartbeat began to come back down. She didn't know why she was doing this, an obligation inside told her it needed to be done. But who even knew if this was the right number? For all she knew he could've moved….or maybe he was dead.

"Hello?" The voice was rough on the other end. The stench of cigarettes and alcohol was brought back.

"Daddy…?" She whispered as her voice cracked.

"Mai…What the hell do you want you whore?" He yelled back at her. After leaving him, his habits still hadn't changed. Still that drunkard, now only more bitter and abusive.

"Daddy, I just wanted to…I…"

"You want money you filthy, good-for-only-a-fuck daughter?" He laughed.

She began to sob. Why was she even doing this?

"What Mai? Cock in your mouth, that's why you can't say anything?!"

"Daddy…I just wanted to say goodbye…"

She lowered the phone from her ear and lay it on her lap, taking both her hands she wiped the tears off her face.

He probably wouldn't even remember that in the morning.

Mai looked over to her nightstand and picked up a notebook and a pen; nothing could be chaotic anymore. If this was her final decision, she'd leave with everything in order, no questions left to ask, no questions left unanswered. This was it.

-II-

This was it. The brink where life met death and the transition between the two happened within a matter of seconds. Mai had been sitting on this bench for two hours now. Eerily silent, slightly cold, and completely alone. She knew someone at the hospital was going to notice she wasn't there anymore and they'd come looking for her, it wouldn't take them long anyways, in her condition, she couldn't go very far anyways.

She rested her head in her hands and stared out to the black lake. In the horizon, the clouds had began to part and the rays of the sun began to wake everything it touched. Mai leaned back on the bench and let the sun wake her as well, she let the last rays she would ever feel bathe her body in their warmth, almost like a mother's touch. Straightening out the white gown the hospital had given her, she arose from the bench and approached the shore. A smile came to her lips, all the happiness that she had found through these past few months mounted in her. She hugged herself, tears blended into her smile. At her toes she could feel the bitter cold of the lake brush against her pale skin, but that warm feeling of love didn't subside.

Thank you Tea, you were the perkiest and most overly happiest woman I've ever met, but I've always envied you for having the perfect life…

Thank you Yami, who knows where I would've gone without your wisdom, you were the realist, never afraid to tell me I was wrong. You helped lift the veil I hid myself under with my fears and sadness and opened me to a world where I could belong.

Joey…Kaiba…I'm sorry…Maybe it wasn't meant to be for me right now.

Faith, my child, I'll always be your mother. I haven't left.

She brought her thoughts with her, her last moments, her everlasting memories, even her goodbyes. And even as the cold surrounded her, she still held onto that warm feeling.