My Everlasting Immortal

Yu-Gi-Oh

Beezy18-06

Summary: Mai has cancer and is reminiscing about her relationship with Joey one fate full evening. (Part Song Fic)

Category: Tragedy/Drama/Romance

Rated: PG. 13

A/N: hey! Okay time to try another type of story. I'm still on the one shot fic kick! So PLEASE, PLEASE! R+R! ^_^!

DEDICATION: Okay Ms. Lisa AKA: Molly! This one is so for you! You're so great thanks for believing!

DISCLAIMER: I don't any of this! Not Yu-Gi-Oh Characters, Not "My Immortal" by Evanescence. Only thing that's mine is the plot!

~*~

I'm so tired of being here; suppressed by all my childish fears. And if you have to leave, I wish that you would just leave. Cause your presence still lingers here. And it won't leave me alone. These wounds won't seem to heal; this pain is just too real.

The lyrics played on and Mai Valentine stopped remembering and started thinking about the pain. The leukemia was winning her body over. The once well-proportioned beauty was now unnaturally thin. Her once rigid blonde girls fell limply against her bony shoulders. Mai Valentine was slowly dying.

She sat in her moon light living room on the plush bench inside her bay window. She looked out as the stars seemed to be falling into the ocean. In the distance the phone rang and Mai just let it ring. The answering machine turned on:

"Hello, you have reached Mai Valentine at 433-0793. I am unable to come to the phone at this moment please leave your name and a contact number where I can reach you as soon as possible. Thanks!"

The annoying beeping noise went off.

"Mai, please pick up! Come on Mai! I know you're there… Fine Mai, I'm coming over now!"

* CLICK * The caller had hung up.

Mai instantly knew it was Joey. She instantly knew she didn't want him to come over! In her heart she couldn't stand for him to see her like she was, sick, tired and so weak. Mai also was still unsure where she and Joey stood. At Battle City, he didn't care and said he didn't consider her a friend! On the other hand, when he rescued her from the shadow realm… it was like he really cared a lot! It was very obvious he had sacrificed a lot to save her. No matter what though, Mai still knew what Joey said, in Mai's mind words spoke louder than actions. Besides, Yugi probably organized her rescue, so it wasn't Joey's idea! Side-kick dog, good for nothing except following. Mai never stood for people like that! Except, for some weird reason, she still accepted and even loved Joey. Mai thought about him often and one question always remained unanswered.

'How do you trust someone like that?'

That night Mai looked to the stars and found her answer.

'You don't, you just tough it out. But in the end your hurting!'

But there was another problem, Joey knew Mai was sick but he didn't know why. It was more important in Mai's eyes to tell Joey she had Leukemia. Besides, when Joey comes he'll want to know why Mai was so weak that she couldn't even get up to answer the phone. But as she did often times when ready to tell him she decided against it. She would continue to hide the truth from Joey. She'd put on her best face hoping he wouldn't see past it! Then Mai heard the lyrics that expressed what she felt she had done for Joey!

When you'd cry I'd whip away all your tears. When you'd scream I'd fight away all your fears. I held your hand through all these years…. You still have all of me.

Mai realized Joey would always have a piece of her. It hurt her, knowing he was the keeper of her heart and she didn't have her heart when she needed it most! With this Mai leaned against the bay windows and wept bitterly. She felt as though she had let him get away with everything of hers. All of a sudden a sharp pain shot through Mai's body. She cried out in pain and she began to sob more than before. The pain was a burning one it gave her the feeling her whole body was on fire. For the first time since her diagnosis Mai was scared. She felt as though she was going to die. Mai began to worry.

She cried out, " Oh my God, please, I haven't said goodbye! What if I die right now! No please it's way too soon. I'm too young to die. Please, please, don't let this be my last day! I'm all alone, I don't want to die alone."

Again a burning pain shot through Mai's body. The pain was too unreal to be a reality, but Mai knew better.

"This is it, I know it." Mai whispered to the sea and stars.

With this Mai Valentine took her last look at the ocean and the stars that looked like they were crying for her. The front door of her apartment opened and Mai stood up to greet Joey. As she did Mai collapsed to the ground.

* THUD *

Joey hear something hit the floor. He called out in search of Mai.

"Mai? Mai! I know you're here!" Joey screamed into the darken apartment.

He walked into the living room and saw Mai lying on the floor.

"NO! Mai! Come on! Wake up!" Joey said running to her side.

He picked her up and began to shake her, shouting, "QUIT IT MAI! This isn't funny anymore!"

He continued to shake her with no success then suddenly he heard a soft groan escape Mai's lips. Joey immediately stopped.

"MAI? Are you there, talk to me!" Joey pleaded with the tall blonde.

"Joey?" Mai asked questioningly as though in a daze, not knowing if she was really seeing him.

"Mai!" Joey answered then he said, "Okay Mai, stay with me, you gotta stay with me, you can't leave alright? Now what's wrong?"

"Joey, I'm dying," Mai said slowly.

Joey shot back, "Shut up Mai! No you are not dying!"

"Yes I am Joey! I have cancer!" Mai shot back.

"YOU WHAT!" Joey screamed, "NO, Mai, no, you can't! Your fine!"

"Joey! Shut up and listen to me! I know what I have, I have leukemia, and it's getting worse! I'm going to die tonight, right now I think… but before I do…" Mai gasped reaching for a breath more, "I want you to know… I…" she gasped again, Joey could see this wasn't a hoax Mai was pulling, she was really dying. "will always consider you as my best friend."

Joey sobbed in disbelief, Mai was dying and there wasn't a thing he could do about it.

"Mai, please, don't go. You mean way too much to me! I need you here with me!" Joey cried out.

"I'm sorry Joey… If only.. if only I'd known, maybe I would have been… able to hold out.. hold out strength." Mai gasped out through shallow breaths.

Joey rearranged Mai in his lap he bent his head over and his tears began to fall into Mai's blonde locks.

Trying to be strong he encouraged Mai, "Shh, Mai, it does no good to…" He sniffled, "Blame anyone. Save your strength, it'll all be over soon." He said placing his fingers to her lips.

"Actually, Joey…. I love you… Goodbye friend." Mai whispered as her head fell back and her eyes closed forever.

"No, no, NO!" Joey cried out in bitter anguish.

Mai Valentine's time was up. She left in total peace and happiness. Joey cried for a long period of time afterwards. He promised to never forget her. Then a bit of ironic lyrics came on:

Now I'm bound by the life you've left behind. Your face, it holds my once pleasant dreams. This pain is just too real.

Joey felt as though in the final moments of her life, Mai had united her life to Joey's. Now he had a sensation of commitment to her life as though it were his own life. He couldn't think of anything to say or do to make the hole in his heart disappear. He finally found the words….

"I love you too, Mai."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* TEN YEARS LATER*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"DADDY!" A little girl with blonde curls screamed as she ran into her fathers arms.

"How are you Maya?" Her father said picking her up and swinging her around.

"Fine, Daddy! I missed you! DADDY! QUIT IT! I'm getting dizzy!" The small girl screamed.

Her father stopped and Maya showered her father with kisses. The small girl was rather attached to her father and had missed him while he was on his "Business" trip.

"Daddy? Can we play hide and seek out back?" The little girl asked.

"Sure honey, remember to stay inside the fence, Daddy doesn't want to see his little girl hurt!" her father requested.

"Alright, now count to twenty-five, no cheating!" Maya requested back.

"Okay… 1,2,3…" her father started counting. Maya shrieked and ran off to hide.

"I thought I heard you, welcome home honey." The man's wife greeted him.

"Thanks. Maya's getting big! I was only gone for two weeks and she's seemed to grown so much!" the man complimented.

"She missed you a lot." Maya's mother commented.

"I see. She nearly killed me!" Maya's father said.

"So how is everyone back home?" his wife asked.

His "Business" trip was actually a trip where he had gone back to Japan to visit his family and some friends.

"Good…" He drifted off.

"Are you alright Joey?" his wife asked.

" Sorta, it's just hard seeing Mai's grave again." Joey said sadly.

"It must be what… ten years now?" His wife questioned.

"Ten years tomorrow." Joey stated.

"She was something else huh Joey?"

"Yeah, something else." Joey said.

"COME ON DADDY! COME FIND ME!" Maya screamed.

"COMING MAYA HONEY! We'll talk later honey. Someone needs to be found." Joey smirked.

Joey turned and walked down the sidewalk to back yard.

"COME OUT, COME OUT WHEREVER YOU ARE!" He called out. He heard a giggle and looked behind him. He saw a flash of a purple skirt behind the large oak tree.

"I WONDER WHERE SHE IS!" Joey pondered aloud, as more giggles rang out rather muffled.

Joey walked slowly around the other side of the tree. Maya was looking the other way. She looked confused, she turned around and looked right into her father's face.

"Boo!" He whispered.

Maya had a delayed reaction and all of a sudden let out an ear piercing shriek. Joey wrapped his arms protectively around her.

"Shh, Maya, shh. You're all right, it's only Daddy."

Maya fell into her father's lap. She smiled and closed her eyes. Joey looked down and for a short moment he felt as though her was looking at Mai again. Maya opened her eyes and instead of seeing his five year old daughter, he saw once again the face of Mai Valentine. Off in the distance a song rang out, Maya didn't hear it, but Joey did.

I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone. But though you're still with me, I've been alone… alone.

Mai was still here in spirit but she wasn't physically her. But for a brief moment Joey felt as though Mai was giving him a sign to let her go and live his life, not hers. Mai would always be his everlasting immortal watching him from above.