New chappie, new chappie:D :D :D :D :D

...'nyways.

This chapter took...-counts fingers- uh... –counts again- Damn, I'm out of fingers! Ah well, it took a really long time. Fucking writers block! –shoots it- Well...I now have an idea of how to end this story! –proud- So, it might go a bit easier to write now...I got inspired by reading it over and thinking "I can't end it like this! It needs to continue!"

Thank you all for reviewing last chapter, it was wonderful just to read all of your wonderful (and not so wonderful) reviews! It gave me the will to carry on...

Thanks again! ...story starts!

Disclaimer: Own nothing concerning Yu-Gi-Oh. Though, I have Jou and Seto locked up in my closet to pet them once in a while...WHAT DO YOU MEAN THEY ESCAPED! –brakes down-

Pairings: Yugi/Yami, minor (or should be) Seto/Jou and other pairings. Onesided Anzu/Yami. (Well, DUH!)

Warnings: Boy/Boy love, angst and character death.

Yup, that is all I've got to say! Anything else you wish to know? Ask later! Here starts the chapter!

Chapter 10

Hospital

10:00

Normal POV

At the second the doctor walked in, they all knew something was up. His old face was down in a serious frown, and his eyes showed that something had happened. Something they probably wouldn't like.

Jou, Yami and Sugoroku was in Yugi's room, all sitting by the hospital bed. They hadn't spoken a word since they all got there, and they had already been there for a few hours. It simply didn't seem right to speak.

Sugoroku rose and looked worriedly at the doctor. "Is...something the matter, doctor?"

The man looked seriously at Sugoroku. "There's something we need to discuss. Concerning Yugi. Preferably-" He glanced at the other teens. "-alone."

"Anything you can say to me, you can say to them." Sugoroku said, looking the doctor straight in the eye. His old face was dead serious as he said this, and had no signs of surrendering.

The doctor hesitated for a second, and then spoke again. "Fine. You know that Yugi has been laying at this hospital for a little more than a week now...and we need you to make a decision."

"About what?" The old man said confusedly, and blinked.

"About...his future." The doctor fidgeted a little, and glanced at the bed before locking gazes with Sugoroku again. "You see...he has given no signs of waking up, whatsoever. We can wait for as long as you wish. But...there's a limit to when the hope is unreasonable." Pause. "The brain might close down some parts to be able to make the body function... and may not start up again..."

A light of realization flashed in Sugoroku's eyes, and he paled. "You...you're asking me when...we should let Yugi die?" He swallowed. "O-Of when we'll give up?"

Yami's head snapped up at this. Give up? On his hikari? To let Yugi die, just because he hadn't woke up yet? That...that was just...wrong. There was no other way for the former pharaoh to describe it.

The doctor nodded, and quickly spoke up again. "The decision can wait, Mr. Sugoroku. It's not necessary to make a final decision right now. But...in the end, you have the final responsibility for your grandson's life."

Silence fell over the room.

The old man sank down into a chair next to the bed, burrowing his face in his hands. He had no idea of what to do. This was the toughest choice he had ever been put up for. To let his grandson, his dead daughters only son, die or live. The decision was too heavy for him, and he found it hard to breath. "Yugi...what should I do?"

Yami looked at Sugoroku, watching his emotional struggle. Then he looked down at the serene boy on the bed. Even if Yugi had been keeping things from him lately, he knew one thing; Yugi didn't want his grandfather to get this upset. Yami knew how hard this decision was. He had been put up against it several times in ancient Egypt.

After glancing at the old man and at Yugi again, he made a decision. It was a hard one, but he would stand for it. He looked up at the old man.

"The final decision isn't in your hands, Mr Mouto." Yami said softly.

Sugoroku looked up, and stared at Yami. Surprise and disbelief clearly showed in his eyes. "Huh? Yami, what are you talking about? Of course it is my decision. I am his closets living relative, and-"

Yami shook his head, and looked Sugoroku straight in the eye, making the man fall silent. "I am his other half, the one who shared body with him for several years. I, better than anyone, knows how Yugi is doing. I know if he'll live or not. I can feel it in my soul. I am the one closest to him." A sad smile spread over Yami's lips. "Therefore, the decision isn't yours. It's mine."

Sugoroku watched Yami carefully. "Yami, I really don't want to force this decision on you..."

"You're not." The former pharaoh assured, and gave him another weak smile. Then, he turned to the doctor. Thinking for a moment, Yami made another decision. One that maybe would kill him. "We'll wait one day. If Yugi hasn't woken up or given any signs of waking up by tomorrow by noon, we'll...we'll...give up." The two last words stung on his tongue, and he winced inwardly.

"One day?" The doctor repeated, and blinked. "But...isn't that a little...short? Many people waits at least one week..."

Yami shook his head. "One day. Tomorrow, by noon. I know when hope is out. But, if there's any sign, only the slightest...then we'll wait. Understood?" For a second, Yami looked just like the ancient pharaoh we once were.

The doctor nodded. "Y-Yes, sir."

"One more thing." Yami looked straight at the old man. "I'll guard over him tonight. If I notice any changes, I'll tell you."

"Wait a minute, how can you notice any changes! You're not a doctor..." A very strange shade of purple coloured the old doctor's face, mostly caused by intense anger. Who did the boy think he was!

Yami calmly looked at him. "Trust me. I'll know when it changes." And how could he not? Yami could feel every beat of Yugi's heart, and all the emotions running within him at any time of the day. How could he not know if there was hope for Yugi?

With a huff, the doctor stomped out, closing the door forcefully behind him. They could all hear him mumble things like 'teenagers', 'love struck fools' and 'thinks he's so superior.'

Sugoroku sighed, and then rose. "I have to go. Call me if...if he wakes up or anything changes, alright?" After getting a nod from Yami, the old man walked out.

Silence fell over the two teens, only broken by the small beeps from the machine that kept Yugi alive. After a few minutes, Jou broke the silence.

"Yami?" He said carefully. "Why only one day? I mean...you could ask for so much more time..."

For a moment, Yami was quiet. He didn't even look at Jou; he just kept looking at Yugi, softly stroking his hair. Seconds passed by, and soon they turned into minutes. Then, Yami spoke with a very calm voice.

"Yugi is fading within my mind."

Jou stared at Yami. "...what?" He said shocked.

Slowly, Yami looked up. The ruby eyes were calm, and filled with tears. It looked like a piece within him was fading, along with...

Jou stared for a second.

Yami was turning a bit transparent, and didn't look completely solid.

"I said; Yugi is fading within my mind." Yami repeated. Even his voice sounded a bit far away and hollow. "And if he dies...I too will cease to exist. That's why I'll know when Yugi will die, or when hope is out. In the moment it's all over...I'll disappear. The puzzle will take my soul back. I will again be trapped within it, until someone else solves it." He bent his head down. "I feel his mind disappearing. I feel my own end approaching."

Jou stared at Yami, and then shook his head. Forcefully, he grabbed Yami's shoulders. "No! You'll not fuckin' disappear! You...You can't..." Jou forced back a sob, and shook. "...please? I...I can't stand loosing...two friends...at once!"

Yami blinked upon seeing Jou's heartbroken state. Then he sighed. "I'm sorry, Jou. These are things I can not control. If I could...then I would make Yugi live again. If I just could..." He stopped to swallow the large lump in his throat. When he spoke again, his voice was weaker than ever. "I'm afraid, Jou. Not only will I loose Yugi...I'll have to return to the puzzle, and remember him for all eternity. Knowing that I...I never could..." Yami closed his eyes tightly.

"...knowing that you never could save him?" Jou finished quietly. The normally happy eyes were now dark and sorrowful. He still held onto Yami's shoulders, without noticing. "I know the feeling. When Seto got shot...I thought I'd never cope. Seeing him like that, just lying there...I wished that I could just save him." He chuckled softly. "But I couldn't. I felt so weak and helpless that I was sure that I would die."

Yami swallowed deeply; Jou could feel it through his hands on the ancient spirit's shoulders. "But he woke up. That's the difference. Yugi maybe won't wake up, and..." Yami sighed, glancing at Yugi. His eyes softened, and he forced down a sob. "...and I can't stand that thought."

Jou watched Yami quietly. Then he sat down next to Yami, and pulled him closer to him. "Don' worry, Yams. It'll be alright. Yug' has been through worse. Hell, he has saved the world with ya several times, been to the Shadow Realm and back, and survived Bakura's cooking! He'll be fine..."

Yami sobbed quietly, and wrapped his arms around Jou's waist. The former pharaoh buried his face in Jou's chest, and tears leaked through his eyes. "Ra, I don't know what to do! I've never been without him, Jou! I can't...I can't live without him! Oh, I'd die just to let him live! All I want...all I want is for him to wake up..." Yami broke down completely in Jou's arms, and shook violently.

Jou simply held Yami, saying nothing. He could sense that Yami needed to get those words out, and wouldn't, no; couldn't, stop him. He waited for Yami to continue speaking.

But Yami didn't say anything more. He just cried, and occasionally wailed into Jou's chest. Though, the sounds were muffled, and therefore not heard to anyone but Jou. The blond simply stroke Yami's back and hair, making soothing sounds through Yami's heartbreak.

Jou suddenly remembered the way Yugi had cried in his arms, when he thought Yami didn't love him, and loved Anzu. It hadn't been long, but it seemed like decades to Jou.

Why did the Gods hate Yugi and Yami that much? To give them so much pain and trouble, when all they wanted was to love each other? Was the Gods really that cruel, that they couldn't let those two persons be happy? Silently, Jou prayed to God, Allah, Buddha, Ra and all other Gods that he knew off, that Yugi would wake up, and see all the love Yami felt for him. He deserved that. They both deserved that.

After many, long minutes of crying, Yami sobered up. Suddenly understanding what he was doing, Yami pulled away from Jou's touch, and angrily dried away his tears. "Damn, I shouldn't cry like this..." He growled, and glared at the tears on his hand.

Jou simply smiled slightly. "Yami, it's natural to cry sometimes. We all do it. Even Seto does. At least when he thinks no one sees..." He whispered the last part, with saddened eyes.

Yami shook his head, and turned to Yugi. "I shouldn't cry. I'm so weak, and it's disgusting me! I hate being like this, and I hate feeling like this!" Yami slammed his hand on the small desk next to the bed. The glass of water on it jumped slightly, making a clinking sound.

Jou was quiet for a second, considering what he should do. After a few seconds of thinking, Jou rose. "You need to be alone for a while. Good luck, Yams. Call me if Yugi wakes up." And with those words, Jou left.

Yami stared at the closed door, blinking several times. Then he sighed, and bowed his head. Jou was absolutely right. He needed to be alone. To perform the act he was about to do, he needed to be alone. Sure of that no one would stop him.

Yami closed his eyes, and the puzzle appeared around his neck. The red eyes slowly opened again, and he looked at Yugi. A small smile formed on his lips. "I'm sorry, Yugi. I know that this will hurt you. But...whether we like it or not; you won't survive if I don't do this. Even though it kills me to say it...we were never meant to be." Yami bit his lower lip, and looked at Yugi. "And I'm sorry for this too." Yami bent down, and softly, without hesitation, brushed his lips against Yugi's.

Electrical jolts travelled trough him, starting by his lips, and then went through his entire being. Yami felt only Yugi's soft lips against his own, and the slight taste of strawberries from the other's mouth. Yami pulled back after only one second, and licked his lips subconsciously as he watched the boy.

That kiss would forever warm his soul when he once again would be trapped within the puzzle, and would light up the darkness within it. He would always remember it with both happiness and despair. And he would always remember Yugi. He silently vowed that, no matter what happened or how long time that passed, he would never forget Yugi.

Caressing Yugi's face a few times, just to memorize the feel of his skin against his hand, Yami rose. A final look shone in his eyes.

It was time.

Yami pulled down the blinders by the windows, and the door to stop anyone from looking in. With a soft click, Yami locked the door, and then walked back to Yugi. He sat down on the edge of the bed, and watched the serene boy. "I'm sorry, aibou." Yami whispered again.

Then he put one hand on the puzzle, and one hand on Yugi's forehead. Softly, he mumbled Egyptian words, a soft, blue glow enveloping both him and Yugi. The puzzle also shone, but in a golden light.

The blue glow seemed to sink into Yugi, away from Yami, and Yami felt the magic course through both of their bodies. Half way through the healing spell, Yami suddenly lost the ability to feel the puzzle in his hand, and after a few more moments the warmth from Yugi disappeared from his hand too. Yami felt sharp pain within his heart at loosing the feel of Yugi, but he didn't stop.

Yami could feel his life drain, and run into Yugi to wake him. The power Yami had used to provide himself with a solid form was moved into Yugi's body, to wake his sleeping mind. It would send him back into the depths of the puzzle again, Yami knew that.

But he didn't care. It would also make Yugi live again. And that was all that mattered.

Soon, the glow around him and Yugi disappeared. Yugi's skin lost its' paleness, and gave it a colour of life. Yami smiled, when he saw Yugi's chest rise and fall on its own accord. The machine next to Yugi gave a long and steady tone, signalling that Yugi's heart once more beat on its' own.

Yami looked down at his hands. They were completely transparent, along with the rest of his body. He smiled slightly, and looked at the puzzle. It had placed itself neatly in Yugi's slightly open hand, still glowing in a soft, golden light. Yami could hear its' call for him, telling him to return to it. Yami would. Soon.

Yami reached out for Yugi's face, and gently put his hand on his cheek. Even though he couldn't feel it, Yami still remembered the way it would have felt if he still had been alive and with a body. He smiled, a soft expression in his eyes. "I love you, Yugi..." He said softly, not to be heard by anyone.

Then, Yami closed his eyes and surrendered to the darkness of the puzzle.

A small and silent explosion followed his disappearance, sending small, golden lights in all directions.

The doctors ran into the room the next second, forcefully kicking the door down at finding it locked. They started to examine Yugi, and made surprised faces at finding that his body worked on its own accord. They all saw Yugi live.

None of them knew that one life had gone out in the same room the past seconds. And none of them noticed the golden pieces that laid scattered around the room. And they didn't see the small puzzle piece in Yugi's hand; the one with the eye of Horus on.

They didn't see Yami's soul that had exploded inside the room, to give life back to his one true love. And they probably would never know.

End Chapter!

I know what you're all thinking, but no; This wasn't the last chapter. I wouldn't let the story end like this. I wouldn't be able to sleep at night if it was...

The next chapter will, as usual, take some time. Probably quite alot of time. (like this one, that took AGES, But hey, I did update!) I hope you all will bare with me, and be as patient as you've been with this one! –bows-

Now, PLEASE review! It's only your reviews that keeps me going, alright! I really, really, REALLY need you opinions! I had decided to quit writing on this fic a long time ago if none of you had reviewed! Thank you all who has, by the way! Love you all heaps!

Ah, and DevineQueenYeiweh; -glomps- Thank you for the ideas! And thank you for the compliments, about this being your favourite Atem/Yugi fic! I really, really, really...-seventy-two and a half hours later- REALLY appreciated it! Just had to say it!

See you all later, and I will try to give you a new chapter so-...uhm, as soon as possible.

-The Blonde Midget