DON'T SHOOT! I know I've taken ages to upload this chappie.

Truth be told, I actually had this chapter finished last week, but I haven't found the time to upload it, damn my workload! And even with little time left over to write, I'm still behind, *sigh...*

But oh well, I finally got it up! Hope it was worth the wait.

Hope it was worth waiting for. Enjoy, and review!

It was foggy the next morning. Not the type you could lose yourself in, but the misty kind that turned the world into a fairytale. The ground was sprinkled with dew, adding to the effect.

Mai left Joey sleeping and went out wrapped in her morning coat to have a good look around. These kinds of mornings were some of her favourite; where the world around you shrunk until it was just the house you owned along with a part of the lawn that was visible, and everything else was hazy through the fog and the parts that weren't were the treetops that rose above it.

She winced as she trotted over the bare grass-wishing she had stopped to slip shoes or slippers on-to look at the spiderwebs draped along the fenceline, clearly visible because of the moisture that clung to them and turned them into gauze-like fairy shawls hung out on display.

Mai smiled as she touched one lightly with just a finger. She straightened and pulled her dressing gown tighter around her body. Ignoring her cold feet, she stared out into the mist and could just make out where the cliff dropped off. One part of her wondered if she were to walk out and let the fog seal her off from the house, would she find her way back to discover that it had all been only a dream? That Joey hadn't really been there and she'd just fallen asleep in her deck chair and the mist would pull her away from the dream back into her real mind? But...it couldn't have been-she could still feel his touch, taste him on her lips, and remember his kisses too well. Her dreams never had that kind of clarity unless they were based on a true memory, and she'd never had such a moment with Joey.

Mai breathed in and smelled bacon frying. She turned and grinned-the lights were on in the living room and kitchen and she could see a figure moving around them both. No way had it been a dream-it was as real as the cold in her feet, but a heck of alot nicer.

She danced back over the pavement to the open sliding door, trying to avoid getting them any more wet and cold if possible. Drying her feet on the carpet, Mai moved to slip silently behind Joey and cover his eyes with her freezing hands. He yelped, wrenched away and turned, pinning her arms to her side while Mai giggled.

'Do you have walk so quietly?'

'It's a gift.' She grinned at him. 'Are you gonna let me go?'

'Nope.' He grinned back.

Mai gave an exaggerated sigh, rolled her eyes, then quick as a wink had him dumped on his butt and strode over the strove to check on the bacon and eggs.

'Hey!'

'You're welcome.' Mai turned her head to smirk at him. Joey stuck out his tongue.

'Just my luck; I get a girl who can knock me flat in a fight.'

'It wasn't really a fight-more of a tussle.' Mai's eyes were wide and innocent when she looked over at him, but there was a wicked twinkle behind them.

It was Joey's turn to sigh. Then he pushed himself up slowly and moved over to her. Mai left the food and turned to him, smirk back in place. Joey covered her mouth with his, and felt her go limp under him. 'I've wanted to do that since I woke up. Morning.'

Mai cupped his cheek in her hand. 'Morning.' She softly brought her lips to his again.

They had breakfast, with Joey consuming three times Mai's portion. While they cleaned up, Mai turned on some music and sang along. Joey joined in once he's figured out the words. He wasn't great-but his voice didn't sound like he was chewing on broken glass. Mai had a heartbreakingly sad voice with the right kind of song-one, Joey thought, that wouldn't have to look far for a source of grief for its emotion; she'd been through a lot, and Joey knew there would be other bits he didn't know-minor events or words that had still hurt but that slipped her mind when she gave someone the whole picture.

When the song changed to a more lively one, Mai's voice changed with it. Joey smiled when he heard the lilt in Mai's voice; at least her voice wasn't sad all the time. And he wanted to erase that sadness it had had in it. More than anything he wanted to take away the pain she held in her heart. But he didn't know what she would need for that, and more than that; he knew he couldn't take away all of it-not even time could do that. But she had learned to cope, and she had learned how to be happy, and he hoped that maybe having him with her helped her heal a bit more.

Mai smiled when she saw his frown, and traced her finger through the lines. 'It's too early to be thinking so hard, don't you think?'

'Maybe.' He smiled at her.

'So...' Mai leaned back against the bench. 'What do you wanna do for that barbeque lunch Annie had planned? It's a potluck, though the meat's provided. Think we can handle a potato salad.'

Joey kissed her, 'Together, I think we can conquer anything.'

Mai looked at him for a long time, and Joey knew she'd caught the deeper meaning in his words. Then she smiled at him. 'I think you're right.'

Awww...had to put that bit in. Aren't they perfect together?!!

Well, I gotta go, but I'll try to get the next one up as soon as possible.

One more thing; please review!!!