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

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Author's Notes: Yeah, so…what do you think is gonna happen to Mai? Hell, it isn't even Valentines Day yet and she's being threatened already. Well, there's a clue for you. Valentines Day…By the way, I hope you don't have nightmares after this chapter. Because bloody hell, I do now. Me and my stupid mind.

Chapter Five: I Screamed In My Nightmare, I Cried In My Dream

Mai washed her face and looked in the mirror. She was scared to death. Her body was still shaking from the day. When Joey had seen her, the instant reaction was to curse himself for not protecting her. She would have told him to stop it but she was blacking out from exhaustion.

It was her own fault. If she hadn't had confined in Roxanne when her parents had died, she probably wouldn't be in this whole mess. She regretted everything. Why had she gone into the business of prostitution at such a young age? Why had she decided to sell her body to some strangers hungry for a woman's body close to theirs? Some sad men with lusty desires…just a girl meant to satisfy the greedy lusts of scraggy old men.

As she looked in the mirror a shiver went down her spine. The image of a knife raised to her back appeared as Allen appeared out of the shadows of the corner of the room. It was brought down in a sharp quick movement and Mai screamed, turning around.

"Mai?!" Joey yelled running into the room.

Mai could feel the pain in her back however nothing was there. Nothing had happened to her. It was imaginary.

She was shaking and had gone so pale. Tears fell from her eyes as freely as they wanted. What she had just experienced was so real, she wasn't even sure if it had actually happened. Her mind just couldn't block out the image of the knife falling into her back.

"…Here, Mai…" Joey said, bringing her into a close embrace. He protectively locked his arms around her back. Mai stayed still for a while and suddenly, a surprise to Joey, she threw her arms around his neck and wept into his shirt. "It's alright now…I'm here. You're safe."

Mai listened to his soothing voice. It calmed her down dramatically but she didn't stop crying. She was safe now, she knew she was. She didn't want to break free from him at all. Just stay with me…don't let me go…please…

He kissed her on the forehead gently before pulling back. He told her to look at him, but she wouldn't. Gently he put his hands on her cheeks and tilted her head up gently to his.

"Mai, you're ok, now. I promise nothing is going to happen to you." He said wiping away her tears although more still worked its way down her cheeks.

She could only nod and pulled away gently, looking at the ground. Shaking her head a little she sniffed gently.

"Thank you, Joey."

For what? Joey thought bitterly. I couldn't even keep her out of harms way! That's the last time that will happen. I know it will be. I won't let Mai get hurt ever again. He thought as he escorted her to her room.

"Mai, I was just wondering…" A small voice said from the doorway before Joey left. Both of them turned to Serenity who was looking sympathetically at her. "Would you like to stay with me tonight?"

"Huh?" Mai asked dumbly.

"Just to be on the safe side, heh? So you won't be alone tonight." She said putting on a brave smile.

Mai smiled at Serenity and shook her head, "No, it's alright Serenity."

"Alright Mai, but remember we're just next door to you if you need anything." Joey said before closing her door, rather reluctantly.

Mai cuddled herself tightly when she made her way into the bed. She lay awake, staring at the door. It was nice to know Joey and Serenity cared so much but she really didn't need any protection right now. She just needed to be alone, to sort out what she was feeling inside of her heart. It ached, from loss of someone, from a void within not being filled by it. And she had a feeling she knew what or rather who it needed to feel complete.

Joey Wheeler.

A smile crept onto her lips as she remembered the way she had fallen on top of him back at the cave. The blush covering both of their faces was incredible. Mai knew Joey had a crush on her from the moment he laid eyes on her on the boat to Duelist Kingdom. So really she wasn't surprised at how he behaved when she was around. Always acting like he hated her…but in the end, he always knew that she was close to him. He always ended up admitting he was in the wrong…

She sighed and rolled over to stare at the ceiling. Now, why on Earth was she thinking about him? Shouldn't she be more concerned about her life? She had to come up with the money for Allen by tomorrow or she wouldn't live to see the next day. What was she going to do?

If I run away now, maybe I'll be safer off…but that might put Joey in danger or worse Serenity, I can't. But…maybe if I could get the police to be on guard when I get there so they can arrest him there and then. That's the only way I can stop this. But what if he's expecting it and has some other horrible plan up his sleeve?!

All the thinking Mai did, eventually wore her out, causing her to fall asleep, with no idea of what to do the very next day.

***

Joey stared at the ceiling of his room, unable to stop thinking about Mai. He was getting too worked up over her. But the thought of something terrible happening to her like before just made his blood boil. He wasn't going to let it happen to her again. He just wouldn't let it be.

As the wind breezed in from his window, he looked over to the wall that separated the spare room from his room. She was so close…but he couldn't reach out for her. He wanted to know she was ok, that she wasn't being haunted by nightmares. It was his own fault for allowing such thoughts and images from entering her mind. He was supposed to be her guardian; he was supposed to protect her.

Joey stared at it and closed his eyes.

He was running, trying to find her. She was calling out to him for help.

"AH!" The scream was enough for Joey and before he knew it he was racing past the blackness surrounding him and straight forward…and he was there.

All he could see was Mai's body lying lifelessly on the floor, her scream pounding through his head and the blood coming from her heart.

Jolted by the thought, he opened his eyes and sat up in bed, sweat rolling down his head. Blood coming out of her heart? What was that supposed to mean? What kind of nightmare was that?!

"Man…what's that all about?" he questioned himself.

Pushing back his blond hair he slumped back onto the bed. He hated himself for what he had put Mai through but he hated the mental maniac who was out to get her more. He would get whoever was doing this to her.

Damn…I can't sleep knowing Mai's probably in there having a nightmare…he thought. It was true; if she was having a nightmare, he wasn't going to rest until he knew she was getting to sleep alright.

Getting out of the bed, he silently walked to the door and shut it behind him as he entered the hallway. Walking to the next door, he quietly rested his hand on he knob, contemplating on whether he should enter the room or not. With a deep breath he gently turned the knob and peered inside.

Mai was having a nightmare, it was obvious. She was pale and sweat was running from her forehead. She was groaning and her grip on the pillow that she had was tightening.

I won't let that creep enter your dreams either Mai.

***

Mai watched as the waves tossed and turned about the sea. The wind blew in her face, blowing her blonde hair away from her eyes that were stinging. She wouldn't allow the tears to fall down her cheeks. She didn't want to cry; she didn't need to cry. Not now. Not when she had a daughter to think about.

"Mummy!" Her voice echoed through the dark night's air. The young girl ran and pulled at her mother's hand.

"Ayeka, go back to bed. It's freezing out here and you're hardly wearing anything." Mai said softly, picking her daughter up.

"Oh mummy, I'm wearing your big baggy shirt, I'm fine!" The four year old girl said, her emerald eyes glimmering.

Mai smiled and kissed her on the cheek softly. This was why she had to stay strong. For her daughter, Ayeka Valentine. This was her young child's life and she was going to keep her safe and protect her. Such a young girl full of life and love. She was going to keep her safe.

"I love you, Ayeka." Mai whispered, a single tear falling down her cheek.

Suddenly, the wind picked up it's pace, making Mai turn to the sea. It had turned black. The sky had turned purple. Staggering back in shock, she clutched onto Ayeka and put her hand on over her ears as a roar deafened her own. She closed her eyes and tried to fight her way to shelter against the strong winds, however she didn't feel herself move anywhere but back to the edge of the cliff.

Her eyes looked back to where the sea was and in horror watched as a huge black tornado worked its way above the sea and towards Mai and Ayeka. Mai could hear Ayeka's scream and pulled her closer to her body as the tornado rapidly approached.

"No!" Mai screamed trying to reach out for something, anything that would help her along.

Suddenly, a hand gripped hers tightly and she looked up into the eyes of a very good friend of hers.

"Joey!" She yelled through the howls of the winds, and the roar of the tornado.

"Like I said Mai, I'm here for you, always!" He pulled her like there was no tornado approaching and shielded both girls from the weather. "Go, Mai!"

She looked at him and shook her head, "What about you?!"

"I'll be alright!" He smiled.

"You liar, come on, we have to get out of here!" she yelled pulling at his hand, horrified when it slipped and Joey disappeared from her in a wave of colours. "J-Joey?! Where are you?!"

He certainly hadn't been pulled in…he'd just disappeared.

A hand gripped her shoulder and a mouth touched her ear as a growl emitted from the depths of the voice of a person behind her, "You're always going to be mine, my Valentine…You know why? Because that's our daughter!"

Mai screamed and awoke suddenly in a bed. She gasped from the dream and remembered where she was. She pushed her blonde hair back and wiped the sweat from her head. She landed back onto the mattress with a soft thud and closed her eyes.

"You're always going to be mine, my Valentine…You know why? Because that's our daughter!" The words kept repeating, over and over, until Mai realised they weren't just being said in her mind…

Slowly looking over to the side of the bed, her breathing being the only sound in the room at that exact moment, when she looked down at the ground, to see a black liquid pool forming, and looking up she found it dripping from the roof. As she looked back down the liquid slowly formed and rose to take the shape of a figure. She could barely move; it was as if she had been tied to the bed. She couldn't scream; she was speechless at the sight before her, in pure terror. The black figure took the shape of a hooded person and something of a familiar object appeared in its hand. Raised up, it ripped through Mai's body, tearing the flesh and sawing through everything that existed inside her, including her heart.

***

Joey put his hand over hers that was gripping the fabric of the pillow and watched as she gently sighed and stopped groaning. She had settled down because of him. He smiled and took his hand away, leaning resting his head on his arms and turning his head sideways to look at hers.

Mai, I wish I knew what was going on. You lied to the police, I can tell. You didn't tell them the truth…can you trust me enough? He thought hoping it would reach her through some magical link, like Yugi and Yami had.

He watched a tear roll down her cheek, and wiped it away with his thumb. He hated seeing her cry. It hurt inside him. He just didn't want to see her upset. Not like this.

And he thought, what was that tear for? Was it because she was dreaming of something terrible happening to her? Did it tell more of a story than just that? With all the questions rapidly entering his mind, he felt growing need to wake her up.

It seemed he didn't need to when she began to toss and turn again. He couldn't take it; he had to wake her up somehow.

Putting his hands on her cheeks, he stopped her head from turning and gently whispered to her, in his lowest gentles voice, "Shh…Mai, it's ok."

Mai sighed in response and gently lifted her eyelids. After a few slow lifts, her lavender eyes were finally looking up at him. But with tears of painful joy of waking up. She was glad she had woken up from the terrible nightmare…but she didn't want to wake up to know that her nightmare would come true.

Sitting up, she looked down, her tears falling gently like rain. Joey lifted her chin up and smiled.

"Hey, come on Mai. It was only a nightmare." He said reassuringly sitting on the bed next to her.

That was enough to make Mai, sob harder and cause Joey to hold her close to him. She held onto him, burying her face into his chest and crying as hard as she wanted. She knew he was wrong. It wasn't just a nightmare. It wasn't just her mind playing games on her. It was her mind telling her she was going to die.

Joey knew it wasn't the time for him start asking her what was really going on, but if would life Mai's burdens, he had to. But he just couldn't…not when he held a weeping Mai in his arms. He could feel she was hurting. Now was not the time.

"I'm sorry…" Mai said quietly, raising her tear stricken face up to Joey's gaze on her.

"Shh…" He whispered running his fingers through her blonde tresses. As he did, he gazed into her face and she stopped sobbing.

They stayed like that for a minute, forgetting everything around them. They both looked into each others eyes trying to figure out what they were feeling. But both of them knew one thing; they wanted to move closer until they were touching lips. Maybe it would comfort them in this time of confusion and pain. Bliss was within their reach, all they had to do was close their hand and grab it.

Slowly, Mai moved up closer as he moved lower until both of their lips touched each others. Joey ran his hand through her hair, to the skin of her cheek, resting it lightly there, making her shiver slightly. She was the one deepening the kiss as she opened her mouth wider and let her tongue explore further. Joey began slowly to let their tongues brush against each others, and play while he brought his hand to Mai's shoulder and wrap his arms around her back pulling her closer, however she couldn't hold her breath any longer and pulled her lips away from his, looking into his mahogany gaze, wondering just what he was thinking…because right then, she was thinking silently to herself, in a whisper…

…I love you.  

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Author's Notes: Finally took them long enough to kiss! What am I talking about?! Took ME long enough to update! Sorry for such a late update, I've been working on a website for my two favourite couples in Yu-Gi-Oh! Guess which ones? So, that will explain why I haven't been updating in a while. Sorry! ^   ^