Eleven

# CW: Ok, let's get back into the action. (Don't feel bad, DayDreamerz, I was going to do it anywayz) #

Sanumun sent another energy beam spiralling towards Yami, but an eye symbol on his forehead appeared, glowing gold, and the blast was blocked by an invisible force.

'OBLIVIATE!' he roared, and Sanumun was struck to the bone by something unseen. She fell backwards and seemed to smash into a million pieces.

'I hate having to do that.' Muttered Yami, stowing his duel device away.

He hurried over to where the rest of his friends now stood, leaning over the lifeless form of Seska Chance.

Joey had her limp hand tightly in his, and he was sobbing heavily into Mai's bosom. She didn't seem to mind. She had an arm round him and was muttering words of assurance.

'I'm sorry, Yugi.' Rain looked up at the duellist. 'She's gone.'

Yugi noticed Téa was crying too. After all, he remembered, Seska had been her friend for years. He hurried over to comfort her.

Weevil took off his glasses to wipe a tear from his eye and Bakura was biting his lip very hard, his fists clenched.

Kaiba had his arm round Mokuba, who had his arm round Sandra.

Duke and Tristan were both comforting Serenity.

'Joey.' Said Mai softly, and Joey looked up. 'I'm really, truly sorry about this. She thought it was her fault, you thought it was your fault, but it's truly my fault.' Joey was amazed. This was very un-Mai-like. 'If I'd at least kept in touch with you, you wouldn't have felt the need to date Seska and she wouldn't have died here. If only I wasn't so cold.'

Joey shook his head, unwilling to believe that this goddess was to blame for Seska's death. He let go of the dead girl's hand and threw both his arms around Mai, sobbing harder than ever.

Futilely, Téa called an ambulance.

The twelve (A/N I think that's all of them) friends climbed out of the hole using the ladder from Kaiba's chopper.

The white vehicle arrived, sirens flashing, and the men scrambled down into the dark depths. They emerged again with the young woman on a stretcher, but they turned to the friends with regret in their eyes.

'Dead on the scene.' One announced. 'We're truly sorry.'

Mai pulled Joey closer, although his tears were gone now.

~

Seska's parents were informed and the funeral took place a few days later.

In the stone chapel, Joey stood beside the coffin, wearing a black tux. He gazed into the dead face of the woman he had spent so much time with in the past few months of her life, the woman whose very life he had exploited to get to another.

He didn't cry. His well of tears had long since run dry. Inside, though, he was tearing himself apart. It was all his fault.

He felt an arm slip through his.

'I wish I'd been a little kinder to her.' Said Mai from underneath her small, stylish black hat. 'I felt, since she was the underdog, she wasn't worth my time.'

'Would you say that at my funeral?' Joey smiled half-heartedly.

'Joey, I wouldn't be able to go to your funeral. I would be too wrapped up in my own.'

This remark confused Joey slightly, but inside he understood what she was saying.

~

Joey went home early, along with a three of his friends. He hadn't wanted to speak to Seska's family.

His speech at the service had been hard enough. He had looked round at all the devastated faces of the relatives of Seska Chance, and choked half his words back down his throat.

They met up at Yugi's house again. The minder that Téa had hired was just leaving and Vicky was sound asleep for once.

Yugi and Téa silently went to make a meal, leaving himself and Mai to sit on the couch where he had told Mai his feelings.

Now it was Mai's turn.

'Joey, maybe we should talk.' She said. 'Not here, though. My second cousin runs a fancy joint down the road from here.'

'Sure, Mai.' Joey was confused. 'Are you asking me - '

'On a date? No.' Said Mai. 'Well, whatever you want, really. I mean, it wouldn't be right for us to go out right after Seska's funeral, would it?'

'I dunno.' Replied Joey. 'Maybe Seska would want this. I mean, for me to find another companion.'

Mai's artistic face flushed a little.

'Yugi!' she called. 'Joey and I are going now! Don't bother with our meals, it's Ok!'

'Sure!' Yugi called back through, sounding slightly confused.

Mai ad Joey hurried downstairs and grabbed their coats.

On the way out, Mai turned the sign on the door.

Yugi had forgotten again.

~

They wandered down the street in silence, heading towards the movie theatre.

Joey could see that Mai was bursting to tell him what it was she had to say.

He fingered the little velvet covered box in his pocket.

Well, so was he.

No. He couldn't do it. This was wrong. This was insulting Seska.

'Mai, I can't do this.' He said quietly. 'Maybe you were right all along. We shouldn't be doing this right after Seska's funeral.'

He turned and started to walk away.

'Joey, wait!'

He heard high-heeled footsteps racing after him.

A hand grabbed his shoulder and spun him back round.

Mai thrust her face towards him, taking him by surprise.

Before he knew it, their lips were together.

Guiltily, he let all thoughts of Seska dissolve in his mind and he kissed Mai back, his hands on her waist.

Laughing, Mai pulled Joey into the nearby alley.

~

Mokuba knocked on Seto's office door.

'Come in.' muttered a tired voice.

'Seto, I came to apologise.' Mokuba began before he was even through the door. 'I've been a jerk to you and you didn't deserve it.'

Kaiba locked his slender fingers together and smiled in an amused way over his desk.

'How exactly have you been a jerk?' he asked his younger brother.

'Well, I went out and got these done without you knowing, for one thing.' Mokuba ran a finger along the piercings in his eyebrow. 'And I'm always answering you back and I always do the opposite to what you say these days.'

Kaiba sighed, still smiling. 'Mokuba, it's Ok.' He said. 'Jesus, I acted far worse than you when I was your age, remember?'

Mokuba couldn't remember a single time when his perfect brother had done anything wrong.

'Anyway, now I've got something to tell you.' Continued Seto, slightly nervously. 'You see, Hazel and I are expecting...'

'She's pregnant, huh?' Mokuba said. 'Am I right?'

'Well, yeah.' Said Kaiba. 'She has been for two months. We kept it from you because we thought you'd be mad. It's twins.'

Mokuba looked like a thundercloud. His dark brows knitted together angrily.

Then, suddenly, it was as if the sun had come out over his face.

'Wahoo!' he leapt in the air. 'I'm gonna be an uncle!'

Kaiba smiled in relief.

~

'Hey, get outta there, you dirty rascals!' a cop had found Joey and Mai's hiding place. He shone a torch straight in their eyes, leaning on his motorbike.

Joey and Mai broke apart, tumbled out of the alley and ran hand in hand down the main street.

The cop shook his head in an amused way and drove off, his light casting eerie shadows along the road.

Joey and Mai stopped, laughing their heads off.

Joey kissed Mai again and they started to laugh once more.

'So where's the flashy place, huh?' Joey asked Mai after they'd both calmed down.

'Here.' Said Mai simply, gesturing up at a sign on a shop just in front of them.

Claudette's Fine Foods.

'Damn!' Joey burst out laughing.

'What?' Mai stood firm, hands on her hips.

Joey gradually stopped laughing. It looked as if there was a dull pain glowing in his eyes.

'Mai, this is the place Seska and I went on our first date.' Said Joey. 'We got banned.'

Mai smiled and put a hand on Joey's shoulder.

'Ah, well.' She smiled this was worth it, huh?'

'You bet!' Joey turned and kissed her again.

# CW: Awwww! This ain't the end, by the way. One or two more chapters oughta do it. #