A/N: The long-awaited sequel! (Thank God for spell-check! I normally can't spell 'sequel' heh….) I do not, in anyway, own Ghost Hunt. (And if I did, Naru wouldn't be such a pain in the ---)
Naru: 'Long-awaited'? You finished the story YESTERDAY!!
Mai: (sweat drop) Well, she waited the whole night to start typing again…..
Bookfreak: Yeah! I couldn't sleep, too! That made the night seem longer! (gives sly look at Naru) Hey…. you didn't curse me did you? So that I can't sleep at night?
Naru: (looks surprised (not)) Me? No way. (sarcasm, and fakes looking hurt (meanie!)) Why would I do such a thing?
Mai: 'Cause we chased you with pitchforks….?
Bookfreak: It was a harm (cough) ful (cough) less prank! Can't you take a joke?
Mai: Obviously not. (snicker)
Bookfreak: And I apologize in advance to Lin-san. Sorry dude, but it was an idea that popped into my head, and was too funny to get rid of. And the OOCness is supposed to be there! And this was named after ANOTHER song. Another song by Vanessa Carlton too! (It's called 'Afterglow' duh!) And I don't own that either!
Afterglow
"Mai, could you get me some tea?" Naru looked up at his beautiful girlfriend. He refused to say please in public, but this was close enough for Mai.
"Ok. Lin-san? Would you like some tea?" Mai looked into Lin's office door, gasped and shut the door. Loudly.
"Mai, what's wrong?" Naru heard the door and thought something was wrong.
"I though I saw Madoka-san walking on the street." Mai murmured to herself. Naru overheard her.
"Madoka? Where is she?" Naru thought that she was here to give them work. (Well, she isn't! This isn't one where they go on a case. I used all my brilliant ideas on the last one…)
"In Lin-san's room. But be fore-warned! Don't go in there." Mai said quickly as Naru grabbed the doorknob. Unfortunately, he didn't hear Mai's warning. Naru opened the door and shut it quickly.
"Lin! Get a shirt on!"
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Ahem. Soooo Madoka-san, do you have any work for us?" After seeing the two adults in a full blown make-out session, Mai and Naru were sitting far apart. Madoka was fixing her make-up while Lin was in his office fixing his shirt.
"No, actually. But I do have this for you! Ta-da!" Madoka pulled out a white envelope. It was addressed to Mr. and Mrs. Naru-chan.
"Bou-san." Mai said shaking her blushing head while taking the envelope.
"Is it an invitation to another party?" Naru looked at Mai face as she read the piece of paper she pulled from inside. At first it was a look of confusion, and then her face lit up.
"Oh, my GOD! It's not just any party! Bou-san and Ayako-chan are getting MARRIED!" Mai screamed for joy. Naru had a moment of surprise on his usually impassive face but then it quickly disappeared.
"We have to go shopping! Naru can we go shopping? Please?" Mai gave him the puppy-dog eyes. Naru sighed. He hated those eyes. They always got to him.
"After work." Mai's screaming could be heard at her own apartment, 5 blocks away.
Store-
"This one is so pretty! No, I like that one more! No, wait, this one is defiantly the best! Oooo, look at that one!" Mai pointed to one dress after another, not caring about the prices. Madoka and Lin came along too, because Madoka needed a new dress and Lin was growing out of his old tuxes.
"Mai-chan, this one would look great on you! Don't you think Naru?" Madoka looked at Naru with a raised eyebrow. Truth-be-told, Naru wanted to see Mai in that dress right from the start.
"Pretty!" Mai's eyes glittered as she took her size and ran to the dressing room. Madoka laughed and grabbed a dress that caught her eye and went after Mai. That left two men in the women's dress department. Alone. Not to mention, that they're handsome men.
Women were swarming around them when the two girls stepped out to show off.
"Naru?" Naru heard Mai's vice and looked over to where the dressing room was. She was beautiful, besides the look of pain in her eyes. 'Dammit! Why won't these stupid girls go way?' Lin heard Mai too, and looked over at Madoka. She too, had a look of pain in her eyes.
Mai and Madoka turned and went back into the dressing room. In a few minutes they came back out and told the girls to back off their boyfriends. While it scared away the girls, it didn't seem to the guys that they were putting their hearts into their act. The men paid for the dresses and bought their tuxes and they left.
Instead of Lin driving and Madoka sitting in the front, Naru was sitting besides Lin. Mai and Madoka were sighing out the windows all the way back.
'Why didn't he send the girls away? I know he could have. He just likes the attention, I bet!' Mai thought.
Madoka was having similar thought. 'Lin could have turned them down and stepped aside. Why didn't he?'
Then both girls thought the same thing at the same time.
'What if he doesn't love me anymore?'
Madoka gasped and turned so that Lin couldn't see her crying face. Mai stared at the ground letting her short hair cover her face as she cried.
Back at SPR-
The girls climbed out of the van. 'I really want to go home.' Mai thought as she wiped dried tears from her face. 'I need my bun-bun!' Madoka thought as she walked over to her car without saying a word. She climbed in and drove off. Lin was surprised. She never left without saying goodnight.
Mai took her bag and immediately started to walk home silently. Naru looked at her. She never left without smiling and waving at him.
Madoka-
'God I so do not want to go to work tomorrow. I don't want to see Lin so soon.' Madoka climbed into bed, not bothering to take off her clothes. She grabbed the worn-out bunny and held it close.
'Although, maybe I should go? I need to talk to Mai-chan.' Madoka Mori closed her eyes and drifted off to a dreamless sleep.
Mai-
'I can't believe Naru. How could he? He does love me, right?' Mai felt more tears fall down her face. She shifted in her bed. She looked to her right and there was the flower that Naru had given her on their latest date.
'Hmmm. He loves me. He loves me not. He loves me. He loves me not. He loves me. He loves me n--- Why? Why did it stop on that one? Why doesn't he love me?' Mai plucked all the petals and started to sob. She cried herself into a dreamless slumber.
The next day-
Mai grumpily sat up. 'I am going to be late. Who cares?' Mai slowly got dressed, but forgot to wash her face. The evidence of tears was still clearly there when she arrived at work an hour late.
"Mai, why are you--" Naru stopped. He saw the dried tear streaks. "Mai, what's wrong?" A touch of concern was in his voice. Mai looked at him confused.
"Why? Is there something wrong with me?" Mai glared at him. Naru looked surprised for a moment. "What's with the attitude? I think you misunderstood what I said." Naru gave her an equally cold glare.
'Why? Why does he look at me like that?' Tears threatened to spill, but Mai swallowed them.
"Hey." Madoka walked in dejectedly. "Good morning Mado--" Lin's eyes widened slightly at the sight of Madoka's dried tears. 'What is going on with these two?' Lin thought to himself.
"Mai-chan, can I take you out for lunch today?" Madoka avoided Lin's eyes and looked at Mai. The brunette gave a small nod. They got to work silently.
12:00 P.M.-
Both were uncomfortable working with both of the men's doors open. They could feel pairs of eyes on them. "Come on Mai. Let's eat." Madoka grabbed Mai's hand and they ran out the door.
"Wait! Where are you --" Naru glared at the running backs of the two women. Lin came and stood with Naru. "You know what we have to do." Lin talked to Naru, but sill was watching Madoka running with Mai. "Yes. Grab your coat. We're following them."
Girls-
The two gals were sitting in a booth at the local diner. The grabbed a seat at the counter and looked at the menus. But neither of them were thinking of food.
"Hey Mai. Do you know if Lin still lov-- uh, likes me?" Madoka fiddled with her menu. Mai looked at the older woman.
"To tell the truth, I don't even know if Naru loves me anymore. He always looks at me so coldly. Of course he looks like that to everyone, but still….. oh sorry, I'm rambling aren't I?" Mai looked at her menu sadly. Madoka nodded and put her arm around her.
"It's ok. I think or more really I hope, that they still at least still like us. And that isn't so bad." Madoka's voice didn't sound hopeful. It sounded as though she already lost the battle.
"I'm so scared that he will break up with me. I don't want to go back to the office, but if I don't that almost ensures that he'll break up with me." Mai felt the tears start to fall. She didn't care though. Madoka pulled Mai up and they walked out of the diner without buying anything.
Just when the days start getting colder
I walk the streets I never knew
And there're some words I never told you
The sound rings out like the truth
Mai thought about all the times she had with Naru. The bad outweighed the good. 'How can that be? I love him so much! It's not fair.'
And if you could see
What's come over me
Then you would know
Cause I'm walkin' free
The wind at my back
Bathed in afterglow
Madoka walked with Mai, but she wasn't even paying attention. 'Lin, do you think about me the way I think about you? Do you love me the way I love you? It's not fair.'
And as I sit here in this dark room
All I seem to feel is light
And I see color
I see the maroon
In the blood of this life that's ours
Mai stopped. 'If he doesn't love me, I shouldn't hold him back from dating other people. I need to end this. For Naru. But mostly for me…'
And if you could see
What's come over me
Then you would know
Cause I'm walkin' free
The wind at my back
Bathed in after...
Madoka stopped with Mai. She saw the determined, pained look on her face and knew what she was thinking. 'Should I do that? I know that Lin can get any woman he wants, but am I holding him back?'
Watch the sun, it paints an orange sky
Lay me down, and feel the day has gone by
-
Just when the day
Just when the day
Oh, oh
Both women looked up. The sun was setting. "Uh oh. Naru's going to yell at me when we get back. I guess we should go then." Mai gave a forced smile and Madoka pulled the sad girl near. "Shh. It's ok. Let it all out. I will too." They started to cry together.
Just when the days start getting longer
I walk the streets I never knew
And the sun comes out for you
The men were watching the whole thing. They followed them into the diner and overheard their conversation. They wanted to cry out and tell them they were wrong, but they just couldn't find their voices. They watched the girls cry. An overpowering emotion took over their hearts. They ran to the brunette and red (or is it pink?...) haired girls and held them.
And if you could see
What's come over me
Then you would know
Cause I'm walkin' free
The wind at my back
Bathed in after...
"Mai, I love you and only you. You know that right? I will never leave you, so cry into me. Cry all you want. Just know that I will be your shoulder to cry on." Naru held Mai tightly as though she would disappear any moment.
Cause I'm walkin' free
The wind at my back
Bathed in afterglow, oh, oh
"Shh. Madoka, I'm here. I always am, and always will be. Come to me if you need something, or if you want to talk. I'll be here." Lin whispered into Madoka's ear. He held her near and dear to his heart. Physically and physiologically.
Both couples pulled apart and kissed 'till the sun completely disappeared.
There always are happy endings to those who are truly in love.
A/N: I had the song on repeat the entire time. (I listen to it like 6 or 7 times!) I hope it helped my writing. This one took one day to type. (But I typed it at two different times) Was it worth it?
Naru: …
Mai: …
Lin: …
Madoka: …
Mai: Wow I like it.
Bookfreak: I tapped into my sensitive side.
Naru: You have a sensitive side? I though you just had a violent side.
Bookfreak: (trying to ignore) I didn't type the wedding part though. So this will be a two part series! Please review and look for the last chapter!