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Disclaimer: I do NOT own Yu-Gi-Oh!

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Author's Notes: I'm still trying to get over the whole Doom Arc thing with Joey and Mai. My god, it sucks to live in the UK!! Alright, fluffiness is here!! *Everyone starts running around and screaming*

Chapter Four: In The Shadows

After the police had questioned Mai, she hugged the pillow and lay down flat on the couch. She buried her face into it and groaned. Was this her week or what? First she had almost knocked over Joey, then she came home to blood dripping off her walls, then she had been eyed up in a sleezy bar, then she had a run in with the past, and just now she had to recall the whole thing all over again to the police!!

"Hey Mai," Joey's voice came from above her.

She looked up at him, keeping one side of her face in the pillow. She looked drawn, tired and pale. Oh, yes she was feeling great. Joey put his arms on the top of the couch and folded them. He looked down at her and smiled. "That was really brave of you."

Mai sighed and smiled for his sake. He seemed to be really watching over her. After all, she had heard about him running half way around Domino just to find her. She frowned recalling everything that had happened. She didn't want to come up against Allen again. He was dangerous but who knew what he was going to do to her? The mark on her face told her a thousand things, but too many to count. She could only pray she would somehow get through this. On her own or not…she had to see this through. Joey was there for her all the time and she felt a slight pang of guilt about the way she acted before. He cared about her, she was his friend, he was hers…She didn't want to lose a friend like him.

Mai hated Joey though for some of the things he did for his friends. Risking his life for them was just too extreme. She hated him for his lovable loyalty. She held a special lovable hate for him. A love and hate friendship was fine for her. But for know she had keep it on the love side because if she lost him…she wouldn't just lose her protector but she would lose her only friend that understood everything that she felt.

"Whatever…" She scoffed a little.

"Hey come on Mai…I won't let anything happen to ya-"

"Yeah I know Joey, it's just that…" She paused looking into his mahogany eyes.

"What Mai?" he asked leaning a little closer and looking deeply into her lavender eyes. His eyes could see through her, see into her mind, see into her heart, see into her soul…or so that's how it felt.

Mai sighed and turned her face fully to meet his. She turned onto her back and wrapped her arms around her waist tightly.

"It's just that I don't know why you've gone to all this trouble. I know you say you're my friend. I know you really don't want to see me get hurt. I know all of that Joey…but I feel really confused." Her eyes glazed over slightly and she looked at the ceiling. She could still feel his eyes on her.

"Listen, maybe if you come to the games shop with me you'll be ok…" He said slowly.

Mai looked at him and sighed. Maybe he was right. He'd never lied to her before had he? (Apart from a certain incident at Battle City which she could never forgive. But it didn't surprise her he didn't tell her he was her friend.)

"Alright then." She sighed, getting up.

***

Tristan fell over when Joey began to strangle him viscously. The day hadn't exactly been one Mai had thought it would be. A friendly chat with Yugi and his friends always turned into some kind of brawl. Joey wasn't being the least bit merciful as Yugi tried to pry him away from the brown haired boy who was struggling to breathe.

"So Mai, have you heard anything from the police yet?" Serenity asked ignoring the fight her brother was having.

"No," And Mai wasn't sure she wanted to. If they found out he was one of the buyers from a prostitution business a years ago, then she would have to tell them the truth. Which she couldn't handle. Half of her wanted him to be caught yet the other didn't in fear of what the consequences for her actions would be.

"Don't worry. If you're staying with Joey he'll look after you. And so will I."

Mai nodded and smiled. She was glad Serenity was able to visit for the weekend and to keep her company too.

"Alright!" Joey shouted getting off Tristan who was holding his neck and looking purple. Joey put a hand behind his head and smiled a little, "Heh, sorry about that!"

Tristan growled and shook his head. "It was only a scratch-"

"Come on guys, I thought we were all gonna go to that new arcade today," Yugi interrupted, hoping that another argument wouldn't erupt and trying to lighten up the mood.

"Oh yeah!! They've got that new dance machine there, come on!!" Téa said running out of the front door before anyone could even take another breath.

"I don't know…arcades really aren't my thing…" Mai stated a little quietly.

Serenity tugged at her hand, "Come on, it'll be fun!" She smiled at her.

Mai let a little sigh escape her and nodded letting them lead her to the 'land of fun and galore' whatever that meant.

However when she did get there, she realised on what she missed out on as a child herself. Still it wasn't too late was it? Everything looked so new and she felt old. Wrapping her arms around herself she followed the gang to the dance machine which Téa was stomping on like a giant. She shook her head a little and took a seat at the table nearby watching as everyone forced Yugi to dance too.

Looks like this new age is a little too new for me. She thought drumming her nails on the table's surface.

"Hey Mai!" Joey said sitting down next to her. "What do ya wanna do?"

Mai laughed and shook her head at him, "Nothing."

Joey looked around the arcade and found something he knew she'd love. He took her hand. Ignoring her shouts of protest and led her to the virtual room, where there were people shooting off lasers in every direction.

"Come on! Pick up a gun and let's kick some Duel Monster's-"

"No way Joey!" she said pulling her hand out of his. "I don't want to!"

Joey sighed and threw a laser gun in her direction. She caught it and stared at it, then at him.

"Yeah well, Mai time to loosen up! Besides I had no idea you were scared of a few lasers!"

"What did you say?" She asked flaring up in venom.

"You heard me!" He said running into the game that was shaped out to look like a cave. "Mai Valentine is nothing but a scared little-"

Joey squealed as he narrowly avoided a laser shot in his direction from a very annoyed woman.

"I'LL SHOW YOU JOEY WHEELER!" She screamed chasing him around the cave.

Joey was admittedly, having a really good time with her. He was glad she was actually doing something, even if it was chasing him around the cave, trying to kill him.

He turned a corner and pressed up against the wall until he could hear her angry shouting approaching. He snickered a little and ran out at the exact same time as she came around and both ended up falling down.

A blush immediately spread across both of their faces when they realised Mai was on top of Joey. It reminded her of Battle City when he had to catch her, after Jean-Claude Magnum had tried to force her to marry him. She had escaped the clutches of the monster who held her, but she had to grab onto a pole jutting outside of a building just so that she wouldn't fall to her untimely death. Then Joey came along and told her she would be safe when he caught her. Unfortunately she fell on top of him and knocked him out. Only this time, both were wide awake.

She immediately got up, turning away a little to hide her glowing cheeks. Joey too was trying to ignore what had happened but there was awkwardness between them that just couldn't be broken.

Suddenly Joey shouted when a loud beep signalled on his gun, telling him he'd just been hit. The laser was fired by a certain multi-coloured haired boy who was grinning at him.

"Yugi, man what was that for?!" He yelled at him.

"It's the game Joey!! I didn't know you were really that stupid!" he teased.

"Hey, now Kaiba's got Yugi saying that!! Argh, come here Yugi!!" Joey began to run from Mai, until he realised he couldn't leave her.

But when he turned back around, she was gone.

***

Mai rounded the corner away from where Joey had run after Yugi. She didn't know why, but she just had to get away from him. Being so close to him wasn't scary at all though. She liked it. She didn't want to pull away.

No, what on Earth am I thinking?! She thought madly, stomping her way past lasers beams and shouts of players dying.

Suddenly, without warning there was a loud claxon going off and red light spiralling around the cave. But Mai wasn't able to even make another step when she was thrown onto the ground forwards. Blood seeped out of her fresh wounds on her palms and knees as she struggled to get up. The markings of where she'd skidded across were marked in her blood over the concreted floor.

Her eyes struggled to stay focused or open as she set up with her elbows and turned around to see the maniac who'd pushed her.

No one.

She gritted her teeth together and got up, thinking it was just some random person desperate to get out. However she was wrong when a hand grabbed hers and pulled her away from the route of the exit.

She was pushed against the curving wall into a very dark spot of the whole entire cave. She could feel the icy breath sweep down upon her shoulder skin as an arm made its way to her neck and held her in a choke hold. A cold sharp object was placed to her neck.

"Have you got it yet?" The gruff voice asked her.

"Got what?!" She hissed, trying to pull away the arm.

"You know what…" his mouth touched her ear as he continued, "My payment!"

"Payment?" Mai repeated, gasping as his arm tightened.

The dagger was pushed into the skin on her neck and Mai held back the agonising scream rising within the depths of her throat. "Yes Mai, the payment…you owe me twenty grand-"

"What?"

The dagger pressed firmly into her skin as he gruffly continued, "-or you'll find yourself not waking up to see the light ever again."

Mai closed her eyes and let the tears fall down from her eyes. She was scared and wished she had never come here. Immediately, flashbacks of Joey telling her she would be safe cropped into her mind until she realised the fearful fact that it wasn't his fault at all- it was hers. It was her own stupidity that had led to her vulnerable state at the moment. Maybe death was more of a present than a threat. Life wasn't being the least bit fair on her. Death was going to be kinder on her…but Allen wasn't.

"Listen sweetheart, I'm going to give you until tomorrow. Show up at the graveyard near your part of the city at noon…until then, I'll be watching you in the shadows."

She was pushed forward and for the second time, skidding across the floor, making her wounds deeper. The tears dropped onto the floor, crashing into millions of tiny particles that felt like her heart breaking. It hurt. The pain was causing her to just break into even more pieces.

Mai was being watched like prey, but also like a vulnerable person in need of help. One by Allen, the other by Joey.

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Author's Notes: Really need to stop listening to such depressing music!! Anyways, review please and so sorry for such a late update!!I have just been having a lot of stuff on lately.