Ghost Hunt 1. Chapter 1

**Please read the author's note after to understand the goal of the story.**

Prologue

_The darkness ate at her __like a carnivorous being, with elongated fangs and tapered sharp talons. The cold it provided biting in it's own way. __It made her shiver as i__f the water in the air molecules themselves were frozen__. She could see nothing surrounding her but an ethereal bluish white __light__ in the distance __that __painted __a glow against the cave wall behind it__._

_ She pushed herself up from the position she had awoken in. Her legs had been folded beneath her and she felt herself in a weakened state. She felt her teeth clang together as she shuddered against both the deep sense of dread and the crisp bitter cold. Her body felt heavy and shaky almost as if she had a frail constitution._

_ She hobbled awkwardly towards the light. The trepidation she felt in the dark needed to be vanquished by the light, or at least that is what she had inwardly speculated. She hoped that her conclusion was accurate, the hope itself a placebo that was casting a flicker of warmth in her veins._

_ When she got close enough to the light she became puzzled. Before her was what looked to be an ancient burial urn. But it was casting it's own light as if it were a lamp._

_ She tried to reach out to touch it, awed by it's complexity and improbability . The light the urn gave off flickered momentarily and suddenly she found herself propelled away from it. Her body crashing into a wall behind her. She fell limp to the ground. The light now a good ten feet away from her._

_ "You shall not desecrate that which is mine to covet. You shall not unearth this location. Your inward compass will become askew and you will only falter in all endeavors to discover this space. If you quest for this relic you will only find yourself and those you hold dear in eternal pain and suffering."_

_ Several pairs of skeletal hands grasped her body sharply. The tapered boney fingers stabbing painfully into her flesh. __Her eyes roamed over the darkness, seeking out to visually discern what was assaulting her __. __What her eyes could not__ see __her touch and ultra awareness detected__. __She momentarily caught sight of a skull in her peripheral vision. She truly was being mauled by aggressive animated bodies of bones. __Why were they animated? What caused the__se __skeletal beings to awaken from their __deathly slumber?_

_ Then a larger entity pushed it's way into her sight. He was the greatest skeletal creature of all both in size and presence. But where the others had vacant dark hollowed eyes. This one's eyes were aglow with a spectral light within. The glow a similar bluish white to the one that the urn projected._

_ "You shall not __desecrate__ that which is mine to covet. Remember this __insignificant whelp.__ For if you were to pursue it my skeletal army will come after you all. This pain you may feel now, __i__t is but a grain of sand compared to what would be in store for you."_

_ The figure pointed back to the urn. "Remember that you and your friends lives are trivial in the grand scheme of things. You shall not become ambitious enough to search for this object. If you do there will be dire consequences." The sinister voice echoed against the dimensional space of the bleak yawning cavern._

Mai's body propelled from her state of slumber. Her body saturated in sweat. She shivered at the chill of the room. "First I dream of ghosts, now I dream of skeletons? Although skeletons is definitely better then zombies..."

She briefly remembered the case of the cursed house and the drowned victims that were reanimated. Whatever was warning her in her dreams was probably just as dangerous as that case. If she searched out this relic then she was sure someone close to her would probably die...

Chapter 1

Although Naru had left with his brother, Gene, Mai's life didn't just stop. Her dreams continued onward just without her spirit guide. Gene had came to her while he was in a coma during her dreams. She had been convinced that her dream Naru was simply the side he didn't show to the general populace. But apparently that hadn't been completely accurate.

Naru did have a hidden side that was loving and considerate, she was convinced of that much. She was convinced that she fell for that side of him she knew was hidden. But when she admitted her feelings, when she took that chance...he didn't reciprocate. He didn't refuse her affections. He merely asked "me or Gene?"

The question had stunned her to immobility. She couldn't fault his logic, because it was a good point he made. She very well could have been misdirecting her feelings she had for Gene and confused herself into thinking it was Naru she loved. Four years had passed since that day of confusion and heartbreak.

Mai had felt her latent psychic talents were a gift, and she didn't want to give up on her ability after a great portion of SPR left. Her greatest concern at first had been finances, without her job she could not afford the apartment she lived in. But then emotional abandonment kicked in a few days later. She felt like an emotionless zombie. She rationalized with herself that the reason she was so down in the dumps was because she had loved her job and the cases she went on. She mourned over the fact that she couldn't go to college for parapsychology like she wanted too. But she became bound and determined to at least continue on a career path using her gift.

Mai became the glue that held the family together. She had convinced her SPR family that just because Naru, Lin, and Gene had left them behind did not mean they could not pursue their own venue to utilize their unique gifts. So they had decided to form their own psychic phenomenon facility. The hardest part to work out was finances. But Ayako told her not to give it a second thought and fronted the money for the company. They named it Psychic Research Investigators.

PRI went on cases just like SPR but they also did other things for the community. John gave the group the idea to open an orphanage/training facility for psychic youth. It had been discovered in recent research that parents that gave birth to psychic children many times were frightened of them. They either thought that their abilities were demonic, inhuman, or they just were plain scared out of their minds.

Because of the need of a large facility PRI had been opened in an old school building. Originally the building had been haunted and the PRI team before officially establishing their name cleansed it and purchased it afterward. There actually was still a few spirits floating around, they weren't malevolent however. In fact Masako said one or two viewed themselves more as 'guardians' for the group.

A few new members were added to the team so there would always be someone left behind to train and watch over the children. This included two other psychics.

Fukui Atsuko had the gift of clairsentience, or empathy would be an easier term to understand. Her ability was greatly appreciated when it came to the children in their care since she could understand their needs without having to ask. But there were also times when the team couldn't decipher the intent behind a spirit on a case this was where they called upon Atsuko to help them out.

Hashimoto Daichi was gifted with a very specific clairvoyance. He was able to sense other psychics around him in a 32 km (20 mi) radius. The ability doubled in strength and radius when a psychic was in trouble. As a result, Daichi had found five orphaned psychics in the six month duration of his time with the company.

Akiyama Katsuo was the only new member who was not a psychic. But he had talents that were needed at times. He had went to college to become a psychiatrist but funds fell through when he was only a year away from getting his degree. His studies had focused on psychiatric healing through hypnosis. Therefore Katsuo became important on cases where it was possible an adolescent was a latent psychic, much like Mai's first case with SPR.

Katsuo had planned on becoming a child psychiatrist. He felt great love an affection towards children. Because of said affection and emotional knowledge of a child's psyche it was an easy fit for him to spend most of his time with the children that were housed in the orphanage.

John also spent most of his time with the children. He claimed to have been excommunicated from the church when they discovered he had been performing exorcisms without their permission. But it was more then that. John had left during his spiritual preparation in seminary. He had learned how to perform the exorcisms and soon thereafter moved to Japan. He lived in Kyoto for a year before posing as a fully ordained priest. His Kansai accent was picked up during the year he lived there. His ability to exorcise those possessed had not diminished, in fact, it had grown. But he only took part on cases when they needed his expertise.

Osamu Yasuhara now worked as a research assistant at a local newspaper. He grew to love research so much he made a career out of it. But because Yasu wasn't needed much on the actual cases he was mostly just an outside research resource for the team. But working at a newspaper was the perfect facility to work in to conduct that research on his downtime. His boss knew about his side job and didn't mind. His only stipulation was that the newspaper could get one of their reporters to question the team if the case became newsworthy.

Monk's band unfortunately split up a year ago. So he now devoted his full time to the cases and orphanage. He took it upon himself to be the lead on most cases unless he felt it was somehow out of his line of expertise. His help on the cursed house case the July before Lin, Naru, and Gene left actually gave him a good background to be the lead of cases. The only person he had trouble bossing around was Ayako.

Matsuzaki Ayako spent equal time between the hospital and PRI. She grew to love most of the children she worked with and while she wasn't great at teaching them the psychic side she taught them to never be afraid of their power. She taught them meditation to help ground those powers that were too fierce in concentration.

Hara Masako still did most of her work on camera. She came in PRI about once a month to either work on a case or train the children. The 'guardians' flocked to her when she would be there. Mai was convinced that a couple of the spirits had a thing for Masako. The weird thing was whenever Mai mentioned this Masako would blush and deny it.

Romantically the only people employed at PRI Mai was certain were together was Ayako and Monk. They still fought most of the time but when they thought no one was looking they were usually cuddling or kissing. Mai thought it was really sweet but she teased them often. They considered her their little sister, it was in her job description.

Mai sighed to herself. She folded her arms across her chest and reminisced over the past. She now knew who she truly loved. It hadn't taken her long to figure out her feelings. But now she would probably never see him again.

The phone rang and Mai went to pick up the receiver. "You've reached the office of Psychic Research Investigators this is Mai speaking how may I help you?"

"Hello, Mai, I'd like to hire your team for a case."

Mai took a deep breath and responded as cordially as she could muster to the voice on the other end. "Hello, Mr. Davis, when should I schedule the appointment to meet with you?"

**Because I have three other stories I am working on please do not expect this story to be updated often. I plan on being very demanding on myself when writing this particular story and because of that I will be editing it like crazy before I ever post it. **

**Regarding John, I just recently read as much of the manga as I could which left off in the middle of a case at a school house where they were locked in. I didn't really understand what I read about John but I deciphered that he wasn't actually a priest at all. I don't know if this is right or not but I hope putting John in a role like this won't upset anyone.**

**This story will have numerous cases, in office problems, romance, and one huge paranormal problem always on the cusp of the story. Please review I'd like to hear what you think.**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

A week and a half ago...

Noll's psychic tie to his twin could be frustrating some days. He was so thankful that he had misinterpreted those dreams. Granted he hated being wrong at any given time. But this was the one time he relished that he was inaccurate in his dream analysis.

But now his psychic tie to his twin was affecting him in a different way. Gene had been Mai's dream guide while he had been in a coma. Now Gene was not only psychically connected to Noll but to Mai as well. Whenever Mai had a prophetic dream Gene would see it, and if the dream were strong enough it would also be mentally played in Naru's mind as well.

Oliver Davis looked out his bedroom window of his lush British apartment. Two weeks ago Gene had a dream that had shaken him to the very foundations of his being. Mai was about to be in a world of trouble more profound then anything she had experienced before. He knew that for certain. But everything Gene had perceived in the dream had been fragmented and made it difficult to decipher anything other then the dramatic amount of fear he felt upon waking.

Mai. Even when he tried to stop thinking of her he could not. He missed her tea. No one could make a cup of tea the way Mai did. Whenever Noll attempted to try to enhance his tea the same way it always failed. Gene had told him what Mai did to it, turned out she added mint and honey to every cup. But when Noll tried adding honey and mint himself it did not come out the same. Why could he not replicate a simple cup of tea? "Maybe it's not the tea you miss," Gene had repeated over and over again day in and day out.

The thing was he wasn't wrong. He couldn't get the petite brunette out of his mind. How if the sun caught her hair just right it seemed to shimmer with it's own glow. How her cinnamon brown eyes shined with laughter when she was happy, and how they turned more of a cappucino color when she was angry or upset.

But it was Gene she loved. Noll was sure of it. The two were so similar it was like they were made for each other. The few times he saw them together when Gene was in the hospital in Japan were surreal. Noll could never be that cheerful person in the hospital bed who's eyes laughed with every funny thing the girl said. But he mentally pictured himself in the role. He dreamed that he could be like that for Mai. She deserved someone like Gene. Not a know it all narcissist, like himself.

Noll constantly replayed all the insults that Mai would fire his way. He tried to use them to berate himself. To help him realize again and again that she had to love Gene, not himself. But all it did was make him realize how much he missed her insults.

So he missed her tea, her smile, her hair, her eyes, her insults...the ever accumulating list of everything that made Mai who she was. Which made him come to one scientific conclusion. He would never admit it openly, but he missed his assistant. He missed Mai.

Martin Davis kept tabs on possible cases in Japan and he would send any he thought might be pertinent to his research, or ones that had made a notable story in news reports. He gave any such cases to Lin so he could pour over them and decide if he should bring them up with his son. Oliver so far had turned down every one.

Lin had brought a new case to Noll a couple days ago. The boy had not even looked it over. He glanced at it and said, "I think we should look into this case. But I believe we will need some assistance."

Lin smirked at the boy. "You know they have their own company now, right?"

Of course Noll knew that. Every case that Noll had previously turned down had ended up cases the PRI company in Japan had been hired to research. The clients of said cases had been contacted by an anonymous concerned citizen who referred them to PRI. Noll would never openly admit that half of PRI's clientele came from his personal anonymous referral.

Gene knew what his brother was up to. He knew that his brother had usually passed on the cases to PRI. But this time he was concerned for Mai. This time he would hire the company to work side by side with his team. Lin, Noll, and Gene were going back to Japan.

A week later...

Noll now stood in his old apartment. He was pleased to see how nothing had changed in the building. Luella Davis had the insight to employ a family to maintain the cleaning on a weekly basis.

Gene looked in the refrigerator. "Looks like mom let the Ito family know that we would be moving back in today. We appear to be fully stocked on food."

Noll smiled at thoughts of his mother's sensibility. She was a kind soul with a level of sympathetic intelligence that astounded Noll's aptitude on human behaviors.

Lin, Gene, and Noll arrived in Japan late at night. It was now one in the morning. Noll smirked at Gene. "I am going to go out for a bit."

"It's one in the morning! Where the hell are you going?"

Noll didn't answer his brother he merely walked out the door. Lin looked at Gene. "Where do you think he is going?"

"I don't think he knows she moved though." Gene stated.

"Oh trust me, Noll knows she moved."

Noll could legally drive in Japan when he turned 18. He was now 21 so instead of having to be chauffeured around by Lin he could drive himself around. He coaxed his Black Infiniti convertible down the vacant streets. He headed directly to the office of PRI. He knew that John and Mai both had converted a couple of upstairs classrooms into an apartment for each of them.

Once he pulled outside of the building he parked the car on the curb and looked up. He noted that there was a light on in one of the rooms on the top floor. The blinds were pulled down and the building was too far away from the street for him to make out much from his vantage point. But when a shadow cast against the blind he took in a deep breath. He didn't know how but he knew the silhouette belonged to Mai. Her curves were more pronounced and her hair was longer. He gasped in appreciation at the sight.

He would call her later on today and make an appointment regarding the case. He told himself he could wait. But he really couldn't.

The next day he pulled up to the PRI office again and placed the call. Again he was a good distance away but he could just make out her shape as she walked to the phone. She wore a tight business skirt that hit just below her knees. She seemed taller, but he noticed the shoes were high heels. Her hair was coiffed up upon her head in a bun. He noticed that her hips naturally swayed as she walked to the phone and despite his distance he still groaned in appreciation. He mentally pictured how the skirt would mold to her curves as her hips swayed when she walked.

"You've reached the office of Psychic Research Investigators this is Mai speaking how may I help you?" Her voice sounded sultry despite the fact that she was merely stating the everyday business narrative.

"Hello, Mai, I'd like to hire your team for a case." Noll tried to keep his voice stoic even though inside he quivered with anticipation of what she would say next.

"Hello, Mr. Davis, when should I schedule the appointment to meet with you?"

Mr. Davis? Where was the Naru or at least the Oliver or even Noll? But she was cold and calculated in her phrasing. He already missed her nickname for him. "Do you have anything open tomorrow?" He wanted to give her some time to prepare.

He saw Mai pick up something from the desk. "We can meet after the office's lunch hour at two pm."

"Sounds good, I will see you then Mai.

"See you then Mr. Davis."

**This story is so challenging me in a very good way. I am not 100% happy with this chapter but it is only the beginning. Again, keep in mind that I will not be updating this story quite as much because I am being very persnickety (I love that word!) before posting it, and I do have 3 Fairy Tail stories I am also working on.**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Nearly all of the members of PRI lived on the top floor of the old school building. Each apartment floorspace wise was the size of two classrooms, they simply had taken out a wall to accommodate. The apartments weren't all that spacious but they had room for a small sitting area, a full bathroom, and a bedroom. When Mai thought of what it took to have the bathrooms installed she shivered. She hoped to never have to deal with having plumbing installed again.

It was ten o'clock at night and normally Mai would be getting ready for bed but right now she knew that she would just lay there and think of him. She thought of the sake at the back of her cabinet. She could drink to calm down her mind and heart. She received the sake on her twentieth birthday as a celebration of drinking legality. But, indulging in alcohol seemed like a bad idea. The meeting with Naru was scheduled for two in the afternoon. If she started the day hung over she was sure her schedule for the whole day would fall behind, and last thing she wanted to do is have the meeting get held back from her poor decisions. She also really didn't want to hear Naru try to condemn her with a, "You're late, Mai."

Mai got up from her couch in her living space and decided to go talk things out with a friend. She thought of going to see Ayako and Monk but honestly they were probably otherwise entertained with each other at this time of night. They started officially dating two years ago and would be celebrating a year of living together in about three months.

Mai knew John wouldn't repeat anything. He always listened but didn't make rash judgments. She left her room to go talk to him. His door was only two doors down from hers. She crossed her fingers hoping that he was still awake. She would have felt awful for waking him up. She knocked hesitantly.

John Brown answered the door. He didn't appear as disheveled as she feared he might. In fact he looked like he hadn't been to bed yet. "Mai, come in come in."

John knew that look on Mai's face. She was confused and a certain member of the male persuasion was what put her in this state. Of course John already knew about the call she received earlier in the day. All of the members of PRI that were originally members of SPR knew. The news spread like wildfire and of course the forefront of everyone's mind was concern for the feelings of their new boss.

Once they reached the couch, John turned to her. "Something is bothering you, talk to me."

"I thought I had finally put him out of my mind. But now he shows up when I feel like things are finally starting to feel normal without him." She sighed.

"Mai, you can't just turn off your feelings like that. We might not talk about it but we all know how hurt you were. It took you a good while to even act like yourself completely again." She looked at him perplexed. She never once showed how much she was hurting outwardly. She had always tried to be the silly fun loving girl they knew. Before she could interject and argue that fact John continued to explain his rationale behind their concern. "I mean you showed you were happy go lucky on the outside but on the inside I could see how much it bothered you. We all worried over how you hid your feelings."

She sighed again. She wanted to be surprised but in all honesty she couldn't. Of course she had no one fooled. But still...if they had truly known the amount of depression that hit her in one fell swoop they would have worried immensely about her. So she knew that she at least accomplished keeping that from her friends.

"It's strange it hurt me a lot but at the same time I can understand why he might have thought it was Gene. I mean the two are polar opposites but when Gene smiled at me in my dreams all it did was show me the potential of what Naru could be like." Mai sighed. "The rare occasions he did smile at me what I felt for him was so different then when Gene smiled in my dreams. I wish I could have thought of this reasoning when he asked me though..."

"You know why you are so out of sorts right now, yeah?"

Mai nodded. She knew the reason she was out of sorts was because she still had feelings for him. She had went on a couple of dates in the four years since his departure but she never had the urge to pursue a second date with any of them. So here she was twenty years old and fearing her first love was her only. It was the only explanation to why no one else would do. But she also hoped that this time maybe her feelings might actually be reciprocated.

"I'm not saying show him you still have feelings for him, Mai. In fact I discourage that. You are both four years older which means you are both different now. I am sure you will need to get to know each other again."

"True, but honestly I'm still so many parts hurt that I wouldn't be able to let him in yet anyway. I'll warn you. Be prepared for a lot of arguments in the future on this coming up case. I am sure there will be an abundance of them."

"Why would we be prepared for anything less? You and Naru are always arguing."

Mai got up from the couch battling against a fit of giggles. "G'night Mai, glad I at least got ya to laugh again."

OoO

Atsuko would always have preferred to live alone. It would be easier for her to deal with the peace it would bring her. Instead she had to deal with other people's emotions running rampant. It wasn't like she could afford a house on her own. If she could she would be out of the apartment she lived in now. Granted, living on the top floor of her employer made it for a definite easy commute. Plus sometimes the children needed her in the middle of the night and she would never turn her back on the kids.

Tonight she had been feeling a lot of jumbled emotions coming from the opposite hallway. The top floor was like a box. There were the apartments for the residents on the outside of the box. On the inside box was a large recreational area for times when they had a holiday event or a pizza party. The inside box also had a stairway to the roof so they could indulge in rooftop parties. Atsuko had chosen the apartment in the furthest corner from the main street. It didn't help a lot but it was easier to put her away from as many people as possible. Mai of course had chosen one of the apartments on the main street.

From the direction of the emotions she was feeling she would guess it was all stemming from Mai. Atsuko noted that it was 9:55 PM, not overly late. She made the decision to go seek out Mai. She put on her robe and exited her apartment. There wasn't a need to lock her door since she trusted all of her coworkers/neighbors. Plus even if she hadn't she would be able to feel any malicious intent anyways.

Once she turned the corner she saw Mai coming out. Looks like Mai didn't need to talk after all. She was going to seek out a friend. It didn't surprise Atsuko when Mai reached John's door.

Atsuko hated to eavesdrop but the energy coming from John's door had her hesitating. She waited out the anxiety, the confusion, the concern, the hope, the fear, and once she felt the contentment she walked back down the hall a bit. Mai walked out giggling. Well, that had to be a good thing. But then she felt doubt, worry, self-loathing, and turned her head back to the door behind her.

Poor John, he felt these emotions so often. She knew he doubted his own self worth and identity. He had lied to so many people. He came into the orphanage side of the business looking overly tired and distraught many mornings. Atsuko doubted he got much sleep. She knew that he felt he had cheated his education. But he really needed to realize that he did it for a greater purpose and that he was loved.

**First of all this chapter was a pain. I had so much difficulty writing it. I'm hoping I was able to capture the intent intended though.**

**I still don't plan to update this story as frequently as my others but that does not mean I am not invested. I will work on it bit by bit. Normally I probably wouldn't even post this chapter and edit it more but honestly I am not sure I can make it better without having the key points I need in it.**

**If any readers are also Ouran fans and are at least mildly okay with a HikaruxHaruhi pairing I highly recommend this story: LionHeart by Yulisan. I have personally reread it somewhere between 6-7 times and I am greatly anticipating an update. Even though it has only been 4 days since last updated.**

**I do feel bad about what my story is doing to John. But honestly I want him to be able to form a relationship of some sort at some point and as a priest he cannot have one. Priests have to be celibate. Sooo...yeah that's my reasoning. Before anyone asks about Atsuko and John pairing, honestly I dunno. I think no matter what John needs to learn to love himself first before he even looks at anyone in a romantic light and that will take some time.**

**Please review and tell me what you think!**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Noll, sit down already you are driving me crazy. I think Lin is about to have an aneurysm."

Noll looked over to the unflappable Chinese man. While he did not appear to be under the extent of duress his twin brother was proposing he did appear to be fighting a mischievous grin.

This was slowly becoming a running gag where Gene would make fun of how Noll would cope with his inner monologue. Then Lin would try his best to appear frosty and unmoved by Gene's childish antics. Luckily, Madoka stayed in England otherwise she would also be teasing him boisterously.

Mai of course was the subject that was currently plaguing Noll. He was disturbed at the calculated way she called his name. No, the calculated way she had called him 'Mr. Davis.' He was concerned that his initial hypothesis about her loving Gene might have been true. Even though Gene emphatically tried to put that subject to bed more times then Noll could count.

He supposed it was possible in their four year separation that Mai may have moved on. She very well could be in a serious relationship. He would know if she had married. But he never made the effort to dive deep enough in her personal life to find out if she was dating anyone.

Noll remembered at one point how Yasu had seemed interested in the girl. Something burned in Noll's stomach when he thought about that possibility. The possibility that the two of them might be together. The acid boiled and churned and made him sick.

"Geez, Noll, stop working yourself up already. We will see her tomorrow and then you can ask all these questions that are playing ping pong in your brain right now. I know you are an idiot scientist but you really have to stop speculating. You will give yourself an ulcer or something."

Noll glared at his brother. He was thankful every day that his brother hadn't died in that hit and run accident. That the woman that hit him was mistaken when she checked for his pulse before dumping him in that lake. But he had been in a coma. He had been traumatized for life because of that woman. They still had yet to catch her and bring her to justice.

Gene no longer looked exactly like Noll. He had a jagged scar that appeared from his hairline down the right side of his face. It wasn't an overly large scar but it was enough to differentiate the two of them from each other.

Sometimes Gene would have trouble with his vision. At first he would have full days where his vision was just completely gone. Then it decreased to time frames of a couple hours. It happened rarely now but sometimes he would have times where he was blind for half an hour. Because of these blind moments though Gene couldn't really live a full life.

Noll of course never wanted to go on a date during the four years he was back in England. Several girls asked him of course. That would never change. But his lack of interest in said girls also stayed the same. When the same girls went and asked Gene out it actually made Noll angry. Not because they asked his brother out. But because he felt they asked him first because he was the brother with no flaw to his face. Noll worried that they would not want anything to do with Gene if they found he could go blind for any given amount of time.

Gene didn't date though either. That always struck Noll as odd. He asked him a few times why but Gene never gave a definitive answer. If Noll had to guess he would have said it was because he didn't want to have to depend upon someone else to drive them around. That maybe he didn't want to have to explain if he lost his sight.

"Geez, Noll seriously sit your ass down already!" Gene threw his hands up in the air. Noll had literally worn a pattern in the carpet where he had been pacing back and forth.

A knock at the door suddenly penetrated the silence of the apartment. Noll glanced at the clock. "Who could that be? It's past midnight!"

Gene shrugged but got up and answered the door. Suddenly the wind brushed past the twins as a streak of pink catapulted past them to where Lin was sitting.

"You seriously just left without telling me you were leaving? You seriously came here to Japan with no goodbye or anything?" Madoka looked like she had steam coming from her ears as she read Lin the riot act.

Noll looked at his brother who was mildly amused at Madoka's outburst. He rolled his eyes and sat down. There was no point in going to bed now. Madoka wouldn't let any of them rest until she had her say.

Everything Madoka said basically consisted of the same thing. That she was thoroughly annoyed with Lin for leaving her behind in England. But every other syllable seemed to have it's own choreography. It was like the twins were watching an aerobics instructor or something.

Gene found the whole thing quite comical and tried hard to sustain fits of laughter. Noll found the whole thing annoying and while he could not ignore it he at least attempted to do so.

Lin finally having enough of her theatrics clapsed both her wrists in his hands. "Okay, I get it. You're right I should have at least told you I was planning on going."

Madoka grunted at Lin, "hmmph." She was not going to easily let this go.

"Noll and Gene both had suspicions that Mai might be in trouble after a dream I guess Gene had. I didn't care to get the details. I am after all their security. Where they go I go."

"Oh dear, you think Mai is in trouble?" Madoka now concerned for the young woman.

Noll sighed. Now the attention of course turned to him. "When is Mai not in trouble?"

Gene shook his head at his brother. "Hey Madoka, you would think that he doesn't care the way he says that but come here." Gene pointed out the trek in the carpet. "He made this pattern from his pacing back and forth for the past hour."

"So? When I think I pace. So what?" Noll defended.

"Uh..no you don't Noll. You do this cute pensive hand to your chin thing and stand in one spot. You're worried!" Madoka made it sound like the most exciting news. It was like it was a ground breaking discovery.

Noll groaned.

Gene grinned. "I don't think he's just worried about Mai though. I think he is worried on what she thinks of him."

"What do you mean?" Madoka asked.

"Before Noll left Japan four years ago Mai admitted her feelings toward him. Instead of Noll turning down those feelings like any other girl, he asked her 'Me or Gene?' He seriously thought Mai had feelings for me because I was the one that smiled at her so often. I was the one she saw in her dreams. I do believe that Noll is now worried that she does have those feelings for me. Even though, I have told him time and again that we have only really been like brother and sister regarding our affections."

"You mean Noll finally has feelings for a girl?! Oh I have got to call Luella!"

Noll gritted his teeth and gave Gene the stink eye.

**Hope you all liked this chapter. We are finally getting to the point of reuniting characters. It should happen next chapter unless I decide to add more background stuff. I doubt I'll do that though. I want the two together just as much as you all reading it. **


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Sept 23

It was a mildly warm day for the first day of fall. Mai seemed to be embracing the new season with the outfit she was wearing. It was obvious to all the members of PRI that she was taking extra care in her appearance.

She normally would wear her hair up on a business day. But today she wore it down and it was now cascading across her shoulders in gentle waves. She had also obviously took care choosing her outfit. She wore a silky crepe peach blouse that brought out the creaminess of her skin and enhanced the cinnamon highlights in her eyes. She had paired it with a black floral skirt that hit a couple inches below her knees. She didn't normally wear jewelry but she must have deemed today special because she selected a couple pieces to wear with her outfit. She wore a leather braided bracelet with rose colored quartz gem charms that Atsuko had bought her on her most recent birthday. She didn't have her ears pierced four years ago but just before she started dating she decided to update her look. The earrings she wore in her now pierced ears she purchased for herself to specifically go with the whole outfit. They were lever back earrings made of rose gold with white rectangle crystals.

Mai dressed to impress when she should have stayed in a more business type attire. But she thought maybe if she felt she looked her best she would be more comfortable and able to convey herself easier. Her outfit had her worrying on what Naru's perception of her would be. Would he think she was overdressed? Would he appreciate her outfit? On the whole she just couldn't stop the plethora of questions that plagued her on how he would feel about her outfit.

Because of all her worries the morning of course went at a snails pace. Mai spent some time with a few of the children hoping that would make the morning go faster. But she just kept worrying over the 2 o'clock meeting they would be having with the members of BSPR. She was excited to see Gene and Lin. But any thought regarding seeing Naru was making her a nervous wreck.

Atsuko finally went over to Mai to attempt to calm her down. "Did I tell you how nice you look today, Mai?"

Mai nervously brushed at her skirt. Then she pushed a stray hair out of her face. "Do I really look okay?"

Atsuko nodded. "You are abnormally worried about how you look. Is there a reason behind that?'

Monk chose that moment to walk by and mussed Mai's hair affectionately. "She wants to look nice for Naru."

Mai glared at Monk. "Mr. Oliver Davis has no influence on my choice of attire, and I can't believe you messed up my hair." She pulled out her purse from her desk and ran a brush through her hair attempting to fix the mess Monk made.

"'The lady doth protest too much, methinks,'" Ayako quoted as she came into the room behind Monk.

Mai sighed. She knew it wouldn't matter what she said they would constantly provoke her on the subject unless she just outright ignored them. Granted Monk and Ayako didn't know when to quit and even though she attempted her best not to react she couldn't stop glaring at them. So with every glare the two received from Mai they rattled off something new to say regarding the subject. In turn this did help her somewhat though because with their constant harassment the morning started to proceed at a swifter pace.

Mai sent everyone on a slightly early lunch. Her stomach was in knots but she knew if she didn't eat something she would regret it. Luckily Mai predicted her stomach reacting in this manner and had made Tori Shoga Gohan before hand. The chicken, ginger, and rice concoction tended to soothe her stomach when it was upset.

Mai went up to her room to relax during her lunch break. She took off her shoes, heated up her meal, and sat at her kitchen table to eat it. She momentarily debated on eating it at her couch but she feared dropping the food on her outfit.

About an hour later...

Of course BSPR was prompt. Naru would have it no other way. The group was greeted at the door by an unfamiliar female.

From her vantage point of the meeting room Mai watched as the 6" (183cm) tall male walked in the building like he owned the place. His gait overbearing and determined. Luckily Mai had tea already made for the group otherwise she was sure the narcissist would be demanding it as he walked in the door.

Noll nearly drooled on himself at the scent of Mai's tea. There was no denying that he missed her heavenly concocted beverage. Noll shook hands with the stranger in front of him. She introduced herself as Fukui Atsuko. Noll had already done background checks on the unknown members of PRI so he knew that she was the empath. Noll did not have many previous encounters with empaths but the few he did have were inconclusive. Their powers seemed feeble in nature and none seemed to be able to get a read on him. Granted his own high end psychic abilities might have blocked his emotions from reaching the empaths he came across in the past.

"You can quit doubting my abilities any time now, Mr. Davis. I assure you I'm the real deal."

Noll schooled his facial features before turning to her. "You can call me Oliver. I'm sure this case will be very informal and titles or honorifics I really feel are unnecessary." He smiled his typical impersonal smile. The smile that never quite reached his eyes.

Atsuko wasn't sure what to make of his character at the moment. He was like antiseptic, clean and sterile. How scientific and non-emotive could one person be? What exactly did Mai see in this guy? He was attractive sure but Mai wasn't vain like that. There had to be more to his character. Then she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Don't let my brother bother you. He may not seem warm and welcoming but that's just his surface self." The face that appeared in front of her was identical to the previous. But where Oliver's face was cold and clinical this face was warm and infectious. His face was marred with a small jagged scar but it gave his face more personality. "I'm Eugene Davis but please call me Gene." He held his hand out to Atsuko.

Atsuko felt the warmth and friendliness coming off of him in waves. There was an underlining sensation of fear which she didn't quite understand. The feeling that was buried a bit deeper then the others was...attraction. Atsuko was glad the feeling was potentially mutual. She smiled at his back as he walked past her.

The tall stoic Chinese man that walked past Atsuko had already known to be Lin. Mai had briefed her how Lin tended to be quiet and unreceptive but was generally a good guy. He looked quite tired compared to the other boys. She wasn't getting a great feed on his emotions other then exhaustion so she couldn't be sure of the reason behind his lethargy.

Mai took a deep breath as the male she had mixed feelings about seeing entered the room. He didn't say a word or spare a look in her direction. He merely sat down and started sipping at the teacup in front of him. She opened her mouth to shout at him for his lack of manners when suddenly she was enveloped in a nearly suffocating bear hug. She didn't have to look into his face to know who it was. "Gene...can't...breathe!"

She caught a glimpse of Oliver glaring her direction suddenly. But the look was so brief she was unsure if it was real or her imagination.

Then Lin was walking in the room. The quiet Chinese giant pushed Gene aside and stole a hug for himself. He also surprised her by gently kissing her cheek and smiling at her. Mai remembered how at one time she thought Lin hated her. This was a welcome change.

Everyone took their seats and Mai looked Oliver's way. "So, Mr. Davis, what can you tell us about this case?"

Noll frowned at her formality again. He had been covertly regarding her appearance while she was greeting his other team members. When she and Gene embraced Noll fought a disproportionate amount of angst and jealousy. She looked amazing today. Her hair hung in coppery brown waves and the colors she wore enhanced her features. He did miss the business skirt she wore the other day. Her curves in this outfit were cloaked by the way the top and skirt hung on her body. But her skirt still had the redeeming quality of showing off her legs. The girl may be short but her legs were nothing to scoff at. He cleared his throat before breaking away from his reverie.

"First of all, Mai, let's not treat each other as if we were strangers. We all know each other here for the most part. I think this case should be conducted as informally as possible."

"Fine then, Oliver, what can you tell us about the case?"

Noll was sure he would be in a perpetual state of flux on how he felt about the way Mai was addressing him. He yearned for the nickname she pinned him with four plus years ago. He started to become worried on his own ability to keep on task. He shifted the manilla folder that contained the case file in front of him and pretended to peruse the details there for a moment. He already had most of the aspects of the case memorized.

"The Hisakawa family just recently inherited a house from a distant relative they weren't aware of. They hired a construction crew to renovate the house but the renovations have come to a halt because of unforeseen circumstances. As we all know sometimes when a building is disrupted it provokes spirits to react in a hostile manner. Some of the crew have been injured and Ms. Hisakawa herself has claimed she has heard moaning and strange cackling. We will have to question her further on where this has happened in the house."

"Do we have any background information on the house itself and it's previous owners?"

"Not as of yet, I see that Yasuhara is not here will we be able to get his help with researching the building?"

"I don't anticipate that to be a problem. He is still a resource on many of our cases."

"I'd like to be able to start this case as soon as possible."

Mai picked up her calendar. She already knew they had no future cases at this time but she wanted to appear as official as possible. "I think we can start this as early as tomorrow if you like, unless the family stipulated otherwise of course."

Noll shook his head no. "They really want these renovations done so they can move in. They are expecting their first child in a couple months and will be needing the extra space."

**Wow, this story is so easy to get carried away on. I have been writing for like 3 hours and it went rather fast for me. I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter the first case should start next chapter. I realize I didn't previously have the date in the other chapters but that is because I couldn't decide when to date the story. **

**I highly doubt I will write again before the holidays so I wish everyone a happy and safe holiday this week!**

**I'm adding references to my profile for this story and my main Fairy Tail story so please be sure to check them out.**

**Please review it actually encourages me to write more often when I get positive feedback. :)**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Sept 24th

10 am

Case 1 – Day 1

For once it wasn't Mai that was late but Oliver. The PRI group already had the van loaded and were waiting to go. They planned on taking their van and another car to transport everyone but Oliver decided to pitch a fit about the integrity of his equipment versus hers once he arrived with his own van.

"Oliver, do I have to remind you that you technically hired us to help out on this case? You aren't the boss here. Besides, we already loaded the van." Mai cleared her throat when she realized her voice was taking on the same discordant tone that came out when dealing with his pigheaded nature.

Noll felt his temperature rise. He hadn't secured much sleep the night before so he was having a harder time then normal tapering his emotions. He woke up at about 2:30am. His dreams had unsettled them. Not because they instilled him with fear but because they were so real.

The dream itself felt quite tangible. He could smell her perfume, touch her skin, hear her sighs, and if he had let it get further he was sure he could taste the flavor of her skin. The taste of her lips was real enough the peach flavored lip gloss he dreamed haunted him. He woke up in a state of heat and discomfort.

Trying to get back to sleep had proved fruitless so he stared at the ceiling and attempted to go over the case in his head. But even when he did that his thoughts would bring him back to his former assistant. It had been only a couple days since he had returned but he hated the new emotional distance he felt between them. He had to get her to at least break down and call her Naru again. Maybe he would just rile her up somehow.

Mai waved her arms in front of Oliver. When he blinked at her in response. "Wow, not like you to phase out like that. I don't believe I have ever seen the great Oliver Davis look so dazed before." She was familiar with his pensive thinking pose but this was different.

Noll chose to ignore her and continued the conversation as if there had been no pause. "You may have loaded your van but I also loaded mine. We will take both to ensure the equipment is secure."

Mai sighed. There was no point in continuing this argument as much as she wanted to. She turned her back on Oliver when she heard a new car door slam and was throttled from behind with a pair of slender arms that now wrapped her waist. "Mai!"

Mai turned to look at the woman who had called her name. "Madoka? Oliver didn't say you were going to be joining us! I didn't even know you were in Japan."

When Mai called him Oliver Madoka momentarily flinched. She glanced at Noll. His face may normally seem impassive but now he was fighting to hide his grimace of annoyance. "I came in a couple nights ago. It was late so I was too tired to make the meeting."

Monk drove the van that Mai was riding in. Along with herself and Monk was of course Ayako and Gene. Masako couldn't make it such short notice but when Mai called her to inform her that Oliver was back she let out a piercing screech.

Masako and Mai had slowly started to grow closer to each other over the past four years. When Mai and Masako had finally talked about Oliver and how they both felt was one of the tenses moments Mai had experienced. Not because of who she was talking to but because Mai was concerned about what Masako might reveal. Turned out Masako had pretty much given up on her own feelings for Oliver. "Honestly, I think our friendship helped me get over it. My feelings were mostly occupation appreciation. Well, I guess I can't deny how attractive he is either." Both girls burst out in a fit of laughter.

Gene poked at Mai's shoulder. She had been looking out the window at the landscape passing by. Not really seeing it while she reminisced. "What's got you so somber, Mai? Is it that idiot scientist brother of mine?"

Mai let out a breath like a deflating balloon. She turned back to the window without answering him. What was the point if she lied Gene would call her out on it. If she admitted it that would open a whole new can of worms she didn't want to deal with.

He poked at her shoulder again. "Mai? When we get to the house can I pair up with you for a bit? I actually have something I want to tell you and I figured working and talking is the best way to spend our time."

Mai looked over at the near replica of the only man that made her belly tingle with butterflies. The scar marring his face always made Mai sad but then she thought of how it could be worse. She wanted to talk to Gene too. Not over anything important really she just missed his presence. He no longer was her spirit guide since coming out of the coma. But for some reason she still seemed to sense his presence in her dreams regardless of that fact. She took comfort in that sensation when things seemed most grim. It was something she hoped she would never have to give up.

Mai considered his request again before responding. "I think we can manage something. I mean we have to meet with the clients first."

"When is Yasu supposed to report to you with his background information?"

"Well, his work at the newspaper comes first so I don't try to pressure him too much. But I know he plans on driving out here himself when he gets the information. He will call me beforehand though."

OoO

The vans pulled up in front of a large building. It was definitely an old building. It could have been from the Edo period according to the way the roof was built. She somehow doubted it though. It was probably built in commemoration for the time period. Still, she had to question why anyone would renovate such a beautiful building. She didn't see any scaffolding. She sincerely hoped that most of the work was being done to the interior.

Noll noticed how Mai was staring at the house in awe. She obviously appreciated old architecture. Made him wonder if she liked art. If she did what style was her favorite, or who was her favorite artist. He cleared his mind and went up behind Mai. "I think you are supposed to be working. Specifically getting the equipment out of the van."

Oliver's words catapulted Mai out of her admiration and into frustration. She turned and glared at him but said nothing in retaliation.

Her quiet approach was confusing him. It was like she had adapted some of his traits. He missed how she blew up at him he would replay those moments in his mind and laugh in his head. What would really get her upset? He wondered then came up with a clever idea.

They had finished setting up the equipment and while Noll would never admit it aloud some of the equipment PRI had was in better condition then his own. He slyly smiled in his head. "Now that we are set up...Mai, tea."

He watched as her face turned from its peachy normalcy to a fiery red. "Na-" she paused for a moment and took a breath, "Oliver, I am not your assistant. We are colleagues. I planned on making tea for everyone because everyone appreciates my tea. But now, you won't get any."

Noll's face fell. No...tea...

OoO

Oliver and Mai were now in a large sitting area with the Hisakawa's. Hisakawa Haruka was a beautiful woman with long dark straight hair and deep forest green eyes. Her belly was rounded with child and her hand repeatedly rested there as if to offer her unborn child reassurance. Hisakawa Kaede was a handsome man with a kind face. He wore glasses that made his hazel eyes stand out from his face. His black hair was styled back from his face.

Mai smiled kindly at Haruka. "How far along are you in your pregnancy?"

Haruka smiled back. "Seven months, the renovations were supposed to be done a month ago but we keep having setbacks."

Mai continued, "Have the disturbances affected the baby?"

Noll glanced at Mai. This wasn't an afternoon tea with a friend this was an interview with a client. Where was she going with this?

"No, the doctor says our daughter is doing fine." She smiled pleasantly at Mai as if to thank her for her concern.

"Oh a girl? What do you plan on naming her?" Mai was actually drifting from the interview at this point. She felt Oliver's glare of annoyance at her side but she couldn't help herself. She always loved children.

"We plan on naming her Emiko."

"Hmm the kanji being blessing beautiful child?" Mai asked.

Haruka nodded. "Exactly!"

"What a lovely name!"

Noll finally interjected. "I'm sorry for interrupting but we seem to be getting off subject here. So, what can you tell us about the disturbances?"

Kaede looked at his wife for a second. "We can mostly only relay what has happened. We have been staying at our old house while the renovations are completed."

Haruka said, "I have experienced some odd moments. I originally just attributed them to the fact that this was an old building. When we first entered the house it was dark and vacant. What little furniture there was was covered with cloths and the place didn't seemed to be vacant for years."

"Who did you inherit the house from?" Mai asked.

Kaede responded, "I apparently had a great uncle I was not aware of. He was estranged from the family years ago. When I asked my parents about him they were both clueless. My grandparents have passed and I have no other great aunts or uncles on that side of the family."

Oliver looked back an Haruka. "You mentioned odd moments. Could you elaborate?"

"It was mostly just the sensation that I was being watched. I would get chills and shiver out of nervousness. I remember one time Kaede and I had ventured into the master bedroom. He looked around then continued on to another bedroom. I lingered. I thought I heard moaning. Kaede shortly after called me to the next room asking if that should be the nursery."

Mai turned to Kaede. "Did you also hear the moaning that day?"

Kaede shook his head. "No, but I was shifting around some of the furniture before asking Haruka to my side. I might have been causing too much noise to notice."

"Is there anything else either of you have personally experienced?"

Kaede shook his head. "No you will probably want to talk to the carpentry company working on the renovations. But I can relay some of the things I have heard."

Noll nodded telling him to proceed.

"One man said he kept hearing a woman's voice muttering the word red over and over again. One of the architects in charge, a woman by the name of Naoki. She had an accident. She fell down the stairs. It wasn't anything serious she just overlooked a loose plank. But when she tried to get up she felt hands clasping her throat and squeezing. Later on when she was examined at the hospital they noticed bruises had appeared. Many have reported back the same moaning and sense of being watched."

"Any room specifically?"

"Hmm, you may want to ask the crew that. I didn't think to ask that detail myself."

Noll nodded and reached for a cup to fill with tea. Mai immediately smacked his hand away and glared at him. "Na-Oliver, I said no tea for you!"

**Well first of all I am sorry for the long wait! I hope everyone had a wonderful New Year. Secondly, holy crow that was long. The only notes I had before writing this chapter were regarding their discussion with the Hisakawa couple. It took me forever to get there and I wanted this chapter to be a true case chapter without the discussion I didn't feel it was a true case chapter.**

**Please review! If you want to see the house I will be posting a reference pic on my profile.**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Sept 24th

12:30 pm

Case 1 – Day 1

Mai went out to the van to grab the bento boxes she had kept behind her seat. Not that Oliver deserved lunch. After she told him he couldn't have tea he became a grouchy old bear. Not that was different from the norm. But it was beginning to make her very aggravated. Mai sighed as she realized this wasn't different from the norm either. But it annoyed her beyond measure to feel that way.

Everyone was waiting in a sitting room they set up as base for this case. The monitors were set up but the cameras weren't hooked up to anything yet. Of course this was another subject Oliver decided to get into a stink about. Not that he was outwardly throwing a tantrum. But for him it was close. He was outwardly huffing in his annoyance.

When Noll saw Mai bring in several bento boxes he became concerned. He never liked to admit his avoidance for Japanese cuisine. It wasn't that he disliked it or anything. He just was accustomed to eating British cuisine. But also Noll barely could hold chopsticks. He excelled in everything he did and he had gotten better when he was last in Japan. But he hated to admit his shortcomings, and his lack of practice would probably show when he attempted to wield the utensils.

Noll watched Mai with hesitant eyes. She outright glared at him and approached Gene. He watched on annoyed while she whispered to Gene and handed him something. When Gene approached him, Noll floundered for a second with his emotions then curiosity won out over his momentary annoyance with his brother. His twin smiled his friendly grin and handed Noll something. Noll attempted to hide his surprise when he looked at the object he now held in his hand. Mai had given both Gene and himself a plastic fork to eat with.

Noll turned and nodded to Mai. He told himself that he would not show how he admired her consideration for others. She proceeded to pass out the food. She included a sample of everything on each team member's plate. Each person got three onigiri (rice balls), tamagoyaki (japanese omelet), oshinko (pickled cabbage), nikuman (steamed pork buns) and a tempura mix. The tempura mix consisted of: sakana (fish), Ebi (shrimp), kabocha (japanese pumpkin), and satsumaimo (sweet potato). Noll was surprised at how delicious everything smelled. But he was still apprehensive, at least the only things he truly needed the fork for would be the tamagoyaki and the oshinko. Everything else he could technically eat with his hands. Finally his stomach decided to make the decision for him and growled loud enough it echoed in the quiet room. He felt his cheeks redden slightly and gave in to sample the meal Mai made.

Noll of course knew that Mai was talented in many things. Even if he would tease her about a lack of intelligence in the past. She had some life experience that even Noll could say he lacked a bit of himself. Noll could of course cook for himself. In fact he cooked quite a bit when he was last in Japan. That was how he was able to avoid using chopsticks quite a bit of the time. But he never truly expected Mai would have a grasp of domestic arts. So when he sampled the food and became immersed with the delicious flavor he was shocked. In fact he had to bite his lip to keep the moan of satisfaction from escaping. He quickly attempted to recompose his standoffish expression.

Gene and Madoka both witnessed the momentary slip of his normally detached expressed. They smirked at each other nodding in affirmation that they both were aware of his failure to stay composed. Gene and Madoka would talk later but in the meantime they were each speculating over their own assessment of the situation.

As everyone settled into their meal the team discussed what they had learned from the Hisakawa couple. Mai momentarily lost focus on the case itself and started teetering on about the baby. Outwardly Noll showcased annoyance, inwardly he began to wonder about what kind of mother she would make. He didn't let that subject enter his thoughts for long however. He didn't want to begin to imagine who the father of the child would be, and about her life with that male in question.

When Oliver gave her a look she became refocused on the job. They talked about the events that Haruka had experienced, and the things the couple had learned. "I planned on calling the company hired for renovations after lunch and seeing if we could set up a meeting with the staff that had their own incidents in the house."

Mai was annoyed with how Oliver took over the plans but she couldn't fault him for the good idea. She shrugged off her annoyance with his domineering personality. "I think that's a good idea. Ayako and Monk you both focus on doing the preliminary temperature checks and setting up cameras for the downstairs. Gene and I are going to take the upstairs and take care of the preliminaries up there. I definitely think we should focus both sound and video in the master bedroom."

Noll didn't like the idea of Gene and Mai going off together somewhere alone. But he couldn't really keep it from happening. I mean what kind of premise could he propose to the two to cease them from working together? More importantly though what exactly had him so sore about the idea? Was it maybe that same sense that Mai would realize all along that it was Gene she loved? Gene had told him time again that neither of the two felt that way about one another. But for some reason there was always a shred of doubt that made him perceive that it could be true.

Instead of showing his exasperation at that reoccurring thought. Noll showed his annoyance with the fact that the particular job procedure in question had not being performed already. "Really, Mai you should have had Ayako and Monk setting up the cameras and doing temperature checks while we were interviewing the Hisakawas."

Mai felt her face flush and her ears turn red. She was getting really tired of his domineering personality, even if it was his normal character trait. "Again, Na-" she took a deep breath before continuing, "Oliver, my team are not your employees. You do not condone us for doing things differently. You hired us to help. We are helping. We do things a certain way for a reason."

Noll looked at her. He prompted her with her eyes to continue but when she didn't do so on her own he asked, "What would the reasons be?"

Mai blew out a puff of air. She was unaware of how some of her hair had fallen from the knot she wore on top of her head, and how it now tried to curl around the curve of her face. She didn't notice how Oliver deeply inhaled his breath. No, Mai composed herself to answer his question. "First of all, while we were interviewing the couple Ayako and Monk took a tour of the building. They now know the layout of the building, but I am sure if we still needed it we could probably ask the Hisakawas for a copy of the floor plan. If it were a building like a school or hospital we would already have the floor plan so that wouldn't be necessary. But this perusal over the building helps us in the decision making process on where cameras should go in the rooms we put them up in. A side benefit is that when it comes to a residential case I find that the owners of said property are more open when we talk to them before we put up our mechanical gadjets and gizmos."

"Hmm, I see you acquired a degree of intellect over the years." Mai seethed at him which had Noll inwardly chuckling. Luckily his trademark pensive look, with his finger cupping his chin, covered the slight momentary quirk of his lips.

Gene got up from his seat to stand next to Mai. "I'll grab the equipment then we can go start our work."

OoO

Gene had said he wanted to talk to her but he hadn't yet opened himself up for discussion. They had set up cameras and done temperature checks for all of the rooms except what would be the nursery and the master bedroom. Now they were in the nursery and Mai squealed at how the room was decorated. Talking with the Hisakawas she assumed they hadn't touched done anything with the room yet. Instead of going for pink like many baby girl's rooms they went for bright colors. There were brightly colored teddy bears splashed around the room. One particular picture where a teddy bear was dancing made Mai giggle. She turned to her companion when Gene cleared his throat.

"Sorry, I've been avoiding the talk I wanted to have with you. That was the whole purpose of us pairing off together too." He ran his hand through the hair at the back of his head.

"It's okay I figured you would open up when you were ready. So, what did you want to talk to me so earnestly about?" She stood in front of him and poked him in the ribs.

Gene chuckled at her childish antics. Yes, if she were his little sister this is exactly how he would expect her to treat him. "So, I know you are still having dreams, Mai."

Mai nodded. "Yeah, I think I would be pretty worthless to the team if I didn't."

Gene hated when she did that to herself. "I disagree. I feel like without you this team probably would not exist. I am sure you are the one that suggested forming this team to begin with, and the orphanage."

Mai nodded.

"Let's not dwell on our self worth right now okay?"

The way Gene said that had Mai concerned. He didn't sound like his sympathetic and cheerful self for a moment. But when he turned his grin on her face she disregarded her concern. "So, how is it you know I dream? I didn't tell you..."

"No, you didn't tell me. I...I know I'm no longer your spirtual guide anymore, Mai. But we are still linked. I can still view your dreams. But, I'm always an outsider. I hate not being able to help you like I used to."

"Well that explains why I sense your presence when I dream." Mai sighed. "I do feel calmer when I feel you near so in a way you still help a bit."

"But it's like I'm chained and can't...gah Mai...I can't protect you and I hate that!"

Mai was sure there was more. This news didn't surprise her in the least so he had to drop another bombshell, right? "There's more..."

It wasn't a question and Gene didn't take it that way. He nodded back at her. "Yeah, since I have came out of a coma the link Noll and I share has increased. A majority of the emotions I feel, Noll does also and vice versa. So when I dream about you..."

"He knows about it..."

Gene nodded his eyes clouding over in worry.

"What does he know about exactly?"

Gene shook his head. "He doesn't see the dreams also. If he did...well I think we would have been back in Japan long ago. But Mai, this most recent dream...it scared you more then I have ever seen..."

"I don't know about that. I mean the Urado case was pretty terrifying."

"Yes, and that definitely was up there on a fear level. But there was something more with this most recent dream."

"It was like a horror movie creature come to life. When the men dragged me into that room I could feel their flesh. But when those skeletal hands touched me...it was just really creepy. Plus, the big cloaked figure, he threatened more then my own safety..."

Yes, that definitely made sense to Gene.

"Does Na, sorry I mean, Oliver know about that dream?"

"No, but I was excessively worried after that one. He won't openly admit it about the reasons we are here in Japan. But, those reasons don't actually involve this case much. Yes, the case fell into Noll's hands, and yes he decided to take it. But his reasoning for taking it was because it brought us back to protect you."

Mai's belief level in Gene's explanation was low. It was mostly to keep her from having hopes of a possible future with Naru. She told herself that she couldn't ever fully believe something her heart hoped when it came to Naru unless he admitted it to her himself. If she admitted he worried about her then she would let her feelings of love for him engulf her again. She couldn't afford for it to be one sided. Her heart wouldn't be able to take it. It was bandaged and bruised after she tried to repair it the first time.

The pair moved on to the master bedroom. Gene had to excuse himself though because he had to use the "loo." Mai chuckled and assured him that she would be fine.

Mai had the camera set up fast. Once it started streaming a feed to the monitors at base she waved her hand. The sound wasn't set up yet but she mouthed, "Hi Lin!" to the camera anyways.

As Mai was putting on the finishing touches for the sound equipment she felt a shiver run down her spine. There across from her a ghostly apparition appeared. It was a woman dressed in a bright red kimono. Her style of dress suggested she had probably lived during the time of the Edo period. She would have struck Mai as once being beautiful except for the fact that the ghost was reaching for Mai. The apparition's eyes bulged from her face unnaturally. Mai screamed when she felt a cold solid hand grasp her arm painfully. Then suddenly Mai was enveloped in darkness.

**Well that was fun to write! No, I am not being sarcastic I seriously had so much fun writing this. You guys should see my set up here. I have two monitors one with where I typed the story at the other with chrome open. I tend to play with a lot. I mean Naru has to have a big vocabulary right? So what did you think? No seriously, I want to know! **

**There is one thing in my writing style of this story I was concerned someone would point out to me and be bothered by. I write in a third person perspective because I can juggle multiple characters easier that way. But I have been identifying Naru as Noll when he is the one dominating the paragraph, or Gene is calling him Noll. I have been identifying him as Oliver when Mai is dominating the paragraph. But this one I snuck in a paragraph where Mai calls him Naru. Yes, I did this on purpose before anyone asks! But I'm curious if you know why I did it? :)**

**Thanks to my Chapter 6 reviewers: Erzatscarlett, Ishval (also writes Ghost Hunt stories check out her profile too), Gally619, and ErinAR. If you guest reviewed and I missed it I swear it is not personal for some reason it doesn't always show the guest reviews when I go to peruse over them again. Also, Mai is not Nazi! :P (lol)**

**If you like the story don't forget to fave and follow it. Warning self advertising coming: If you also like Fairy Tail (especially NaLu) then I suggest checking out my other stories on my profile (my fave is Hearts, Flames, Stars). **

**As always I love to hear from you so please review! Or if you really want to you can PM me. I will respond! Promise!**

**Wow finishing this chapter left me giddy! :)**

**Oh also I am going to be putting up lots of reference links on my profile so check those out!**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Mai's body shivered in the change of atmosphere. There was a breeze permeating through the house. As she walked past a door she noticed the cherry blossoms fluttering in the courtyard. That was her first clue she was in a dream. It was a different season then the one of reality.

In the reality she currently occupied the house looked different. The basic structure of the interior the same but just by glancing it was easy for Mai to distinguish that this was the original house and the one her body now resided in was merely a replica built in it's place. So, someone along the lines of the ownership of the house wanted to keep as much of the original floor plan intact. It made Mai happy and she smiled briefly.

Mai walked out to the courtyard and looked down into a gentle spring. It was twilight so the fluttering cherry blossoms and the hues of pink and purple in the sky complimented each other aesthetically. There was a small pond tucked away in the courtyard, nearly unnoticeable with the amount of blossoming trees here and there.

Mai bent at the knees and reached out to the water of the pond. She didn't gasp when she saw her reflection. It was becoming fairy common to see a reflection that was not her own. The woman that looked back at her was beautiful. She had dark hair woven up in an intricate style atop her head. It was obvious the lady did not get outside much. Her skin was a pale ivory. The kimono she currently wore was fairly simple but something about her posture and the way she carried herself when she walked made Mai believe that it wasn't her typical attire.

The sound of a twig snapping alerted Mai to another presence in the courtyard. She gasped when a figure came from a shadow corner of the courtyard.

The man had a fierce expression on his face. Mai felt her body tense of it's own accord. The man in front of her was not someone the woman trusted. He was someone she feared.

A calming presence resonated inside her and she knew that Gene was now in the dream's landscape also. Mai still feared the man in front of her but with Gene nearby the chill that resonated inside her became obsolete. She would push herself through this dream.

The fierce looking man was now only a foot in front of her. "Sayuri, I will tell you again. You can't do this! I won't allow it!" Each word he uttered was punctuated with malice and contempt. But his hands shook as if he were afraid or emotionally overwhelmed.

Mai shivered involuntarily as she felt a presence compelling her. Suddenly words were coming from her. Her vocal chords taken over by the spirit that veiled her inward existence. "I told you. I am not going to live that life anymore. I am going to live a better one, a happier one."

The man growled at her then pushed down her body to the ground. His hands clamped around her neck fiercely. Mai struggled for breath. It wasn't the first time she was strangled in a dream. But it always surprised her how the hands around the throat always felt different. The man above her was fiercely applying most of his pressure with the tips of his fingers. Nearly unconscious in the dream she momentarily wondered why he wouldn't use the force from the palms of his hands which would apply more strength.

OoO

Noll stared down at the two unconscious figures. He had moved Mai to base and Gene had followed. When he laid Mai down on the couch his brother had suddenly fallen unconscious also.

Gene had apologized left and right when they discovered Mai's prone form in the master bedroom. He had explained the reason but Noll did not care. He had voiced his opinion of his recklessness and mentally shut him out to focus on relocating Mai and ensuring her safety.

Suddenly, Mai's body began to shake and Noll went to kneel at her side. He knew better then to wake her up. She would discover nothing if he woke her up too soon. But then he sensed Gene's worry build up inside him and suddenly Mai was coughing and gasping for breath. "Mai, wake up." The others looked over his shoulder. He told them to get back to work but because it was Mai he didn't enforce it.

He looked down at her. Her eyelids blinked and her cinnamon brown eyes were revealed to him. "Tell me what you learned, Mai."

Gene woke up from the floor. "Sure, you give Mai a couch but I wake up from the floor? You know you shouldn't annoy her when she first wakes up."

"No, Gene, it's okay." Ayako must have left the room for a moment because suddenly she was handing Mai a glass of water. "Thank you, Ayako." She smiled at her.

Noll became momentarily jealous because she hadn't shined that brilliant smile his way since he returned. He wanted to be lit up by that glow only she could provide with her happiness.

After Mai took a sip she informed the group of what happened in her dream. She paused over the part where she was strangled because of how it would affect the group. But Gene bypassed her and informed them himself. She glared at Gene. He chuckled at her glare then cleared his throat. "Sorry, Mai, I know you are trying to keep them from worrying but knowing all the details takes precedence."

"He's quite right, Mai." Noll noticed the bruises forming along her neck. "It appears this will be a case where you can get hurt in your dreams. You have marks from where that," Noll bit his lip to keep from saying bastard, "man attacked you."

Mai gingerly touched her neck. "It's strange. I don't think he intended to kill Sayuri. He used his fingertips to apply the pressure. I think he just wanted to knock her out."

The information didn't quell Noll's concern. But they did have business to conduct. "Hmm, I think it's time we look into some of the background of this place."

"Yasu will be here tomorrow. He will go over what he learned with us then."

**I'm sorry I haven't written in a bit. I have been wanting to read myself and just haven't been up to writing. I think that reflects in this chapter also. It's not bad but the dream was giving me grief and it's shorter then the other chapters so I apologize about that.**


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