A/N: Set about two years after Naru and Lin leave for England. Not an incredibly original starting point, but hopefully interesting enough.

I own nothing but the mistakes. All of the mistakes.

Chapter 1

Wingspread

She got the call twenty-two months too late, but she thought that maybe that was karma. She'd never been known for her timeliness either.

Lin's voice was the same as always and it made Mai wonder why she would even think it wouldn't be: "The SPR branch is reopening, and I hoped you would still be available to work for us. With a three percent pay increase, of course."

Mai grew cold. The room around her felt like it was spinning, the rice she was stirring was forgotten, the music on the radio a faint, looping hiss she couldn't make out anymore. Her stomach gave a wrenching pull before settling into a numb gnawing. She couldn't think.

"Taniyama-san?"

She remembered her situation, tried to feel the floor solid underneath her feet again. "Is…is everyone coming back?"

"Mostly," Lin said, "I haven't heard back from Hara-san or Yasu-san, though it is likely they will also be available."

"-long?"

"Sorry?"

Mai cleared her throat and tried again, "For how long?"

Lin paused, "I thought it would be a given that this is a permanent assignment."

She couldn't help but chuckle a little bitterly, "So indefinitely?"

The silence at the other end was substantial and Mai felt bad. It wasn't Lin's fault. It wasn't his fault they'd been disbanded, that she'd been cast out and abandoned, even if most of her work-family had tried to stay in touch. Most of them.

Lin's tone was warmer now, "You don't have to do this. You would be an asset, naturally, but I would understand either way."

Mai looked at the ceiling, the smoke that was rising from her now-burning rice. She flicked off the stove and closed her eyes, "Alright."

"Alright?"

Mai nodded before remembering he couldn't see her, "Yeah. Alright, I'll do it."

"Good. I'll draw up the paper work for you to sign—"

"Lin," she interrupted.

"Yes?"

"I have two conditions."

Pause. "Yes?"

Mai gave a faint smile, "I want a five percent raise-full time position."

"I'll see what I can do." Heartened, Mai smiled.

"What's the other condition?" he asked after another beat.

The smile didn't waver. "I want Naru to ask me himself."

It had taken another week to receive that demand, but Mai had plenty of time, and her patience had grown since she was sixteen. It was like him, though, to do it in the most annoying way possible, showing up at her door at ten o'clock one night while she was in pajamas with her hair haphazardly around her shoulders, cookie crumbs on her shirt, which she brushed off quickly.

"Naru," she said, somehow unsurprised, though she tied her robe around her frame tighter. She beat down the emotions of seeing him again until they were a faint powder at her feet, a dust of feelings.

He gave a nod and walked in past her without waiting for an invitation. She rolled her eyes, muttering, "Good to see you too."

He looked around her apartment and Mai felt instantly embarrassed: it wasn't much. Some neutral furniture and small knickknacks on shelves—but at least everything was clean. Naru turned to face her, his expression, as usual, cool and aloof. Mai could see the small changes in him: slightly longer hair, wider shoulders, sharper jaw. His eyes were different too, though not in color. That color would always stay carved in her mind's eye.

"I heard you spoke to Lin." His voice was still slow, methodical, though she wondered if it was deeper than before. She swore she could feel the vibrations and her heart stuttered.

She smiled faintly, "He was considerate enough to call."

Naru's expression didn't change, "The job offer still stands and…" he paused, looking around, "…and you definitely need the raise."

Mai's eyes narrowed before she grit out, "Ask me."

Naru raised an eyebrow, though his face was impassive. Mai sighed, "That's not an offer."

"The offer has already been made."

Mai felt heat pool in her cheeks, "Ask me."

She could swear she saw him keep his eyes from rolling in annoyance. It made her smirk. "Don't be idiotic, Mai. This is a better opportunity than you've likely had in a long time and useless gestures hardly change the facts of the situation."

It took all of Mai's hard-earned self-control over the years not to yell at his cold face. "I'm fine with useless gestures, being human and all."

The dark haired man gave her a hard stare, "I hope you understand that that kind of thinking won't serve you well at this job."

"A job I haven't accepted," she said, trying to match his stare but finding herself not nearly as deft at acting harsh.

Naru almost sighed, voice toneless, "Of course you accept. I don't like games, Mai."

Something broke in her and she felt and saw red, "YOU DON'T PLAY GAMES?"

The young man rubbed the bridge of his nose, shutting his eyes at her explosion. Mai tried to get her temper under control, "What are you doing now? What is so important that you can't just ask me to come work for you after you just dropped me without warning?"

"Why are you so adamantly determined to act like such a fool? I wasn't aware I was talking to a little school-girl."

"Get out."

Naru didn't blink and Mai opened the door, holding on to the handle and gesturing for him to leave.

His eyes narrowed and for the first time in a long while, Mai felt absolutely exhausted. She couldn't do this. Go back to this. Maybe she was making a mistake after all, and not just because she had always loved this damn man so much. Maybe she just didn't like herself enough to move on. She closed her eyes and took a steadying breath.

"Fine."

Mai nodded, not opening her eyes, waiting for him to walk out. She didn't hear any movement, however, and after several long moments she finally opened her eyes. Naru's face was impassive.

"Mai, I would consider it a service if you were to come work at SPR again."

It took her several seconds to understand what he'd said, and even longer to process his words. His features were as stoic as always and he was looking at her—right through her—waiting for her to respond. This was what she'd been asking for. Yet, Mai found herself completely at a loss in the face its reality. His blank face and general Naru-ness were a blizzard she was caught in, and she had no idea how to get out, if she was even strong enough to pull through the freeze.

She turned her face away and looked down, saw his thin frame and dark clothes and his hands by his sides. It took Mai a long moment to realize that despite his apparent lack of feeling, his fists were clenched so tightly his knuckles where white.

Mai snapped her eyes back up to his and found them not nearly as cold as she'd imagined. Without thinking, she reached her hand out and took his fist in her palm. It instantly unclenched. A faint thawing sensation was coming over her, warming her chest.

"Well?" Naru gritted out, pulling his hand from hers and Mai blushed, embarrassed at her actions.

She bit her lip and looked back up at him, nodding. "Okay."

Naru didn't show any outward reaction, merely moving towards the door, "Be there at eight in the morning, sharp."

Mai's face betrayed her surprise, "You mean tomorrow?"

The corner of the young man's mouth quirked upwards, "Don't ask inane questions. Of course tomorrow."

Mai rolled her eyes but smiled, "Yes, boss."

He turned his back and walked out the door without another word, leaving a still-smiling Mai at the threshold wondering what she'd gotten herself into.

But, then again, she thought that she was more equipped to handle him this time.

She hoped.

o-o-o

Lin and Naru found that Mai was a contradiction of old and new as soon as she was back at the office. The Chinese man found it mildly amusing (though you'd never know it by looking at him), while the younger man was completely frustrated (thought you'd never know it by looking at him).

New Mai was an enigma. A strange miss-match of naiveté and bravery, of improved education and lack of common sense, of open caring and wary sarcasm. Naru was not prepared.

Of course he had expected that it would be different, if only because they had not parted on the best of terms, though that was hardly his fault. She seemed to have some grand assumptions about their relationship that he simply had not shared, knowing his duty was, first and foremost, to right by his brother and family. While lying certainly wasn't something he enjoyed, it had little to do with moral qualms or guilt. It had been in everyone's best interest, especially his own, to keep certain secrets exactly that. Like his name, and his intentions.

And he could hardly be blamed for returning home afterwards, once the job was finished. To expect otherwise, or to expect he be apologetic for the fact was irrational and idiotic, two words that most certainly described Mai Taniyama.

The fact that he'd caved to the demand of the later, however indirectly, a week ago was absolutely not something he'd planned or fully understood. Against all of his feelings to the contrary she had made him act impulsively and emotional. Two emotions that he never was except around her.

He attributed the weakness in his own convictions to three factors. Firstly, because Mai was generally simple and her earnest nature often extracted goodwill from others. He'd seen it with others—the team, clients, even Lin—and it was one of the few things she was good at. Secondly, Naru attributed it to the fact that she was a girl and, despite the moderate maturity she'd seemed to acquire since his departure, he was hardly immune to feminity. Though he did not dwell on this fact, watching a girl close to crying was decidedly unpleasant (never mind that this theory did not seem to hold water with Masako Hara). And, finally, there was something about Mai that reminded Naru of Gene. Like the second point, he did not like to dwell on this, as it caused him pain to think about his brother but Mai had concerns and traits that were Eugene Davis through and through. If he wasn't careful, she could make him almost feel like he had his brother—his balance—there for an instant.

As nice as those moments could be (and Naru didn't like nice, not at all), they were immediately replaced by a painful sting, knowing Gene would never laugh, or quip, or be there again. It was this fact that sometimes, if he let it, would make him resent Mai. Resent her for her life like he resented his own while Gene would never live again.

His contemplation of Mai, life, and death was abruptly halted when the girl in question came into his office and set down his usual tea, holding a stack of notes in one hand. Naru wanted to reprimand her for not knocking, but was interrupted by her cheerful voice.

"Alright, I have several calls and emails that we've received that I've looked at. I've circled the most promising ones, though here's the whole list." She furrowed her brow looking at her notes, "There's also a reporter who wanted to follow up on some questions about the branch and…oh, Brown-san called and wanted to know if it was alright that he came a few days late. He's working on a case in Australia."

She looked back at him expectantly. He remained neutral, "How are you choosing the promising cases?"

Mai bit her lip and her cheeks flushed slightly, "I…er, just from what I've learned here."

"You haven't worked here in almost two years," he said, "Why should I trust that you know what you're doing. You certainly never knew before."

The young woman colored more and Naru found it fairly interesting that he could still cause her to react like that. "Well," she started and looked away, "I've been reading a lot and…my abilities have improved."

Naru was surprised, but didn't show it, "Reading what?"

"Oh," she laughed, waving a hand, "Just some occult books and accounts. Henderson and Katogawa and…you. Oh, and some history as well." Flustered, she looked away, "You know, in my spare time."

He raised an eyebrow, "And you could follow Katogawa?"

She avoided his eyes, "It took a few times. And mostly."

Naru didn't know what to say and couldn't explain why he felt so bewildered. He took a sip of tea to clear his mind and found that the drink was pretty distracting as well. It smelled so familiar and tasted better than he remembered.

He looked up, "Your abilities have improved?"

If he thought she was pink before, she was positively rose-colored now. "I can er…feel more. I can see what the emotions are with spirits. And I can feel out the spiritual with touch."

"Touch?"

She nodded, "Like this, I guess." She turned and looked around the office, searching for something. Naru watched, amazed, as she found what she was looking for, bringing forward a chair and a newspaper, sitting down across from him. She spread the newspaper out on his desk.

"What are—"

She shook her head once and Naru fell silent watching as she moved her fingers over the paper's surface, eyes moving quickly over the writing—far too quickly to be comprehending much, he was sure. He looked at her face and saw her eyes were wide and slightly glazed. She smiled suddenly and Naru felt a breath catch in his throat without his permission. He wondered idly why that was.

Her fingers hand stopped and she spoke, "Here." Naru had been watching her mouth form the words and now moved his gaze to where she was pointing. It was the obituaries, two columns down. "There's something odd about this one," she said, "Something supernatural. This person is not at peace yet."

She broke out of her near-trance and looked up at him, flushing again, "It's not super specific yet or anything, but I've been pretty accurate so far."

Naru let her words sink in, "You've been going on cases?"

Mai smiled slightly, "Some. I usually go with Ayako-san and Monk-san when I could get off work."

Naru frowned, feeling irrationally angry, "That's a dangerous job."

The young woman rolled her eyes, "That I've done before."

"Yeah, with Lin and I—trained and able to offer protection."

Mai's eyes narrowed, "I did fine and I was always careful. And I am training."

Naru scoffed, "Some psychic tricks and bravado don't count as training. You shouldn't have taken those kinds of risks for—"

"What? Ghost hunting?" she bit out, "It's what I've been doing with you, with SPR, and I love the work. Why would I stop just because you weren't here?"

Naru clenched his jaw, leaning back in his chair, "Because I didn't peg you as suicidal as well as idiotic."

Mai was on her feet, "I did just fine. Ask Ayako or Monk. I didn't just go in blindly into anything. I knew the risks—"

"That doesn't make you smart. You should have…"

"Waited for you to come back?" she said carefully, her eyes sparking, "For you to let me join you on a job that my abilities make me naturally suited for? I couldn't wait for that. For when you would deem it the right time to bless us with your presence again."

Naru felt something akin to sting in his gut before replying, "I did what I had to do."

Mai's eyes were fierce as she snapped up the paper from his desk, "And so did I. I had a life to live, and freaky psychic abilities that kept me awake at night, and desperate, and lonely. I had to do something. I couldn't just wait or forget."

She looked down and Naru saw she was trying not to cry. When she faced him again her face was much softer, "I could never forget what I've seen and I couldn't pretend this world didn't exist. Spirits, possessions, ghosts…I thought…" She took a steadying breath, "I thought you, of all people, would understand."

She moved to the door, not waiting for a response, pausing long enough to say, "Let me know who you'd like to respond to and set up consultations with. I'll get the messages out by the end of the day."

The door closed with a small click and Naru was left in a room far too silent and tea already gone cold.

Worse yet, was the feeling that maybe his logic had been flawed this entire time: that his understanding of the past several years was based on a faulty premise. That maybe Mai Taniyama was someone he'd never actually known at all.

o-o-o

She didn't need the dreams anymore to see into the spiritual.

Mai leaned back into her couch, setting down her book, hand at her breast. Often, she would feel a slight tugging in her chest, like string coiled to her insides being pulled, and she knew it meant that her powers wanted her to know something.

It had taken a long time to learn the deep concentration she needed to have in order to have a vision. It was like meditating, clearing her mind and controlling her breathing and counting backwards until she was there, where she was being drawn to. It took even less time than usual and she was relaxing, her living room fading away from her senses until she was in a dark space that turned into a landscape of night, of wind.

Mai looked up and saw the sky, completely breathtaking, the stars so vivid she almost thought they were foxfires. Her neck prickled and she knew he was here. She turned and, sure enough, Gene was standing behind her, a smile on his face.

"Hey A-Mai."

Mai grinned at the affectionate nickname, "I'm sorry I've been away."

He stepped next to her, "I thought you'd forgotten about me."

She rolled her eyes, "I've just been busy. Back at SPR and all."

Gene nodded, "How is my lesser half?"

"A git," she said. Over the years Gene has taught her some of his favorite Britishisms, delighting in her incorporating them into her everyday speech.

"That's Noll," he smirked, though he was sympathetic. He looked around and Mai remembered that she was there for a purpose, not to just chat with her spirit guide. They were on the roof of what appeared to be a tall building, the lights around them shining light on a beautiful garden, manicured hedges and lights strung into the deep greenery. It looked like a nice apartment building or hotel, though there were no people up here at all, despite the beautiful view.

Mai had little time to enjoy the sight before she saw a girl running past them, brown hair streaming behind her, dress whipping in the wind. Mai was hit with a slew of emotions, first and foremost that of desperation and sadness. Without looking at each other, both she and Gene followed the girl as she came to the end of the roof, braced against the railing. Mai stepped next to her and watched the girl's grief-stricken face, tears streaming down her pale cheeks.

"Gene," Mai said, voice breaking, "I can't—"

Gene's arm was around her as they watched the girl climb over the railing, standing over the side facing both of them. Mai was struck by the sorrow she was feeling, the girl's green dress billowing in the dark like a leaf. She wanted to reach out a hand to touch the girls' own, gripping the roof, but knew it would be useless, like air passing through her skin.

The girl's eyes snapped up and looked past them, but when Mai turned, she couldn't see anything to be afraid of-could feel no spiritual presence or evil. Fear entered her eyes and she took in a shaky breath and Mai forced herself to watch as the hands in front of her released, the girl pushing herself backwards as she fell, no sound escaping her mouth, open in a soft 'o'.

Mai moved to lean over the side but Gene held her back, forcing her to his shoulder, "You don't have to see this part."

"I do," she grit out, pushing away from him, "It's my job."

Below her the street was dark, but a nearby streetlight illuminated enough. The girl was splayed below, her dark hair clouded around her. But it was her blood that froze Mai. Blood that was spreading into the distinct and unmistakable impression of two giant dark wings.

Mai screamed.

o-o-o

A/N: Feedback is much appreciated and chapter 2 is coming up.