Author Notes and Disclaimers: I don't own the characters (anything really…) from the show Ghost Hunt.
Okay so this time I decided to make a sequel and add some romance. I'm not too in to answering my reviewers just because you guy's ideas throw me off sometimes… but the theme Ghost Hunt gave me some reviewers with some decent suggestions and well, I had fun with the last story so I think I'll give it another shot! Hope you guys like this one. As for me, well it sure does take the heat out of these upcoming summer days.
"But it's freezing!" Mai whined, hiding herself under her blankets as if Shibuya was there with her and trying to pull them off. "What's wrong with you? What's more, it's like the middle of the night!"
"We don't have time for this Mai, we have a case. So get ready. We'll swing by to pick you up and remember that planes won't do well with liquids. Just bring money to buy toiletries when we get there."
"What are you talking about? Why can't we take a later flight?"
"The tickets were mailed to us."
"What, so you just decided to check the mail at three in the morning?"
"Lin couldn't sleep, so he went through the mail. When he found them we reviewed the case and decided to take it. Why are you complaining anyway? I faintly remember you being the one who said you were happy to go on cases and not to wait as long as last time to take a new one?"
"Well… I…"
"Pack heavy this time. It's going to be a lot colder than this where we're going."
"Where are we going anyway?" Mai yawned.
She waited only to be replied to by the dial tone. She lay there in the darkness for some time thinking about her situation. She laughed but there under the blankets a scowl grew on her face. "Prick."
Mai waited outside her house with everything she needed in her suitcase and carryon bag. It seemed okay at the time but now she really regretted wearing Capri's even with a thick coffee colored and fur rimmed jacket hugging her back. She looked up towards the sky and began to wonder when the sun might come up. As dark as it was she almost wanted to doubt the sun would ever come up again but she knew better. She had more faith in the sun rising than she did in Shibuya and Lin coming to get her before she froze to death.
"Sorry to keep you waiting Mai. It's nice to see you again!"
"Hey John."
Mai smiled, seeing the young priest as he stuck his blonde haired head out of the van window and then back in again, considering the cold. The door was opened for her and as she got in she realized how very cold she was.
"You look like you've frozen over kid. Here, take a blanket; I grabbed a bunch of them. You need a bit of warmth in here you know? Anyway, you may as well go back to sleep okay?" Ayako said, sitting up and helping Mai adjust.
Mai glanced at the front seat where Shibuya and Lin sat quietly going over the map and directions to the airport.
"Hey Ayako, where are we going? What's the case about?" Mai asked, not taking her eyes off Naru as she spread the blanket over her and tried to relax.
"Well, this time we don't have any crazy people. The only problem is the house is out there in Asahikawa, Hokkaidō so you can imagine how cold it's going to be. Besides that, this case seems to be kind of simple. Natsume Sasaki mailed Naru a day ago. She's a woman who lives with her husband in the city. However, they also own a cabin out near the mountains that she thinks may be haunted by a young man and a child… surprisingly, the husband disagrees. Anyway that's where we come in. They sent us a bunch of plane tickets and judging by the prices they must be pretty desperate. Hope you got some sleep since our last case because I don't think anybody's going to get much sleep from tonight on."
"No, it doesn't sound that bad." Mai said trying to ease the situation.
"Oh really? What easy case has Shibuya ever taken?" Ayako replied.
Mai glanced back at Shibuya one more time before she decided to go back to sleep. Her short-lived vacation was once again over.
The night was shattered. Each hour was something different: picking Houshou up and his humorous complaints about them being at his house so late, arriving at the airport, checking the bags in, waiting for the plane, getting on the plane. It wasn't until sunrise that Mai finally woke up for good.
"Did they explain the trip to you?" Shibuya asked.
Mai woke up slowly and glanced at him. She straightened up a bit, feeling someone hovering over her.
"What the—?"
"If you're going to be awake help me put your seatbelt on." Lin mumbled.
Mai was forced wide awake by what seemed like an earthquake as Lin finished with the seat belt. She sat there for a moment before realizing that the plane had started rolling. She looked from Shibuya to her left to Lin at her right who seemed to be trying to signal an airline attendant.
"You woke me up to tell me that?" she asked irritated.
Shibuya paused. He took a bottle of water and swallowed a few small white pills, "No."
"So why?"
"It's motion sickness. It helps when there's someone to talk to him."
"You're his friend too, Lin. What's wrong, you guys get in a fight?" she asked.
"No, I drove." Lin said as he turned over and leaned against the pillow the attendant gave him.
"Yeah, I guess that's fair."
'Just wish you picked someone else who was awake to babysit.' She thought.
"Right, so first, you have any dreams recently?" Shibuya asked.
Mai shook her head. It wasn't an odd question now. He'd asked her ever since that day at the beach before they left Alice's Island. It was like a case by case check up.
"Why?"
"I needed to make sure you haven't picked anything up about the case besides what Ayako leaked to you. She was right, but the case isn't that easy." He told her. "For now, let's just go over the ground rules. Ms. Sasaki will go over the details."
"Got it chief." Mai joked.
"First, stay with the group. Don't go anywhere by yourself, even if I do. If you must come looking for me, bring one of the others."
"We have names." John said awkwardly from behind them.
Mai smiled but agreed, "Alright, what else?"
"If you've never been on a snowy mountain don't let this trip be the first time you get on one."
"Naru, I've been on a mountain before-! And in the snow too, we've all been in the snow!"
Shibuya glared at her before he continued, "Last, stay away from Mr. Sasaki."
"The husband?" Ayako asked suddenly, leaning over Mai's seat to get a look at Shibuya's face. "But he's so…! Oh, so that's why!" she laughed.
"What's why?" Mai asked, wondering what was so funny.
"He's jealous!"
"I'm trying to explain—"
"What? Can't handle us single ladies around a married young man? Well how dare you mister! And how selfish! After all, you refused us for your own face in the mirror!"
Shibuya glared, shaking with a mixture of anger and embarrassment.
"Wow Ms. Ayako, you made Lin laugh… or smile, sort of."
"Great, now can you quiet down? You're attracting a bunch of attention and you're supposed to have your seat belt on." Houshou said, smiling a bit himself.
Ayako took her seat with a wink at Shibuya. She left Mai on the verge of falling apart with laughter, yet she tried not to let him see. Instead she pestered Lin about letting her see his face.
"Come on Lin, I just want to see! It's not even a real smile, right?" Mai said, her voice cracking from the laughter trying to barge its way past her cringing teeth.
"I'm serious Mai; I don't want anyone near him, but especially you. The only problem is that he's a key part of solving this whole thing. I doubt the ghosts will bother us as much as he will." He explained. "They've got some family problems."
"Is it really that bad?" Mai asked.
"It's that serious… anyway, I'm going to sleep. Wake me up after we land."
"Okay… wait but, you guys woke me up to talk to you! You can't just go to sleep!" she reminded him.
She waited a moment before scowling again, "Geez, you know I really hate you sometimes!"
"Don't worry Naru, it's a thin line though." Houshou mumbled, sending all of them into another fit of giggles.
