Author's Note: this is like an alternate ending to the anime show, I know that the manga continues but for those who saw the show, this is your alternate ending and also for those who want to read it. So this takes place after the end of episode 25, I think this is going to be a pretty short story but not a one shot. As we all can probably guess Mai is feeling bad about what happened to Naru and she thinks it's her fault so that is were our story begins. Enjoy!

I DO NOT OWN GHOST HUNT

Chapter One

Mai's P.O.V

I was standing outside the hospital door debating whether to go in or go get something to eat. It had been a while since our last case and ever since then I've been visiting Naru at the hospital. It was the least thing I could do after what had happened and who was I trying to kid? I wanted to visit him; it was pretty lonely at the office without him. I bit my lips my eyes casted downward, I had forgotten that it was my fault that he was in here. I just didn't know when to keep my mouth shut, not even the kind words from Lin had been able to erase the guilt.

"Do you mind telling me what you're doing standing right in front of a hospital door?" I nearly jumped ten feet in the air when I heard Naru's voice behind me.

"What are you…don't scare me…why aren't you in the hospital?" I demanded finding something to yell at him.

"It's called being discharged," he responded. "Even an idiot like you should know that," I was about to yell at him when a thought ran through my head.

"When did you get discharged?"

"Mai, I won't tell you again, you're in front of a hospital, control yourself," he warned. "This morning," I looked around.

"Where's Lin-san?" I asked him.

"I'm not sure, at the office, or maybe sleeping," he suggested.

"Wait, so he let you leave the hospital by yourself?" I asked him.

"Actually, I don't think they've informed him that I discharged myself," he said walking away while fixing his collar, his words slowly sank in. I reached my hand out and grasped his arm.

"Are you crazy? You can't just discharge yourself from the hospital!" I exclaimed. He didn't seem fazed and just kept walking, the never of that idiot! He turned his head around slightly.

"You're just going to let an early discharged patient walk away alone?" he asked, I hurried to catch up.

"Sorry!" I said it took me a while to notice that he wasn't following. I turned around to look at him his eyes were slightly wide. "Is something wrong?" I mean he was right after all I couldn't just let him walk off on his own, I wasn't even sure if he was 100% okay.

"Nothing," he answered his expression controlled, I followed close behind him as he began to walk again, just in case he needed the help. As we walked in silence my mind hell back to its original thoughts, back to our old case.

"What the hell is pride worth if you have somebody else protect it for you anyway?" I flinched remembering my words.

"You're right," his words and his body lying on the ground filled my mind, all my fault.

"Mai," I stopped turning around to look at Naru who had stopped walking, I hadn't even noticed.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"I was going to ask you that," he told me, was it really that avoids? He had told me that he could read my expression but I didn't think it would be that easy to see. But there was still the small voice in my head that didn't want to tell Naru, not yet.

"Nothing's wrong," I said forcing a smile on my lips, he didn't look like he believed me, but Naru being who he is didn't press on the situation, and that, that hurt more then if he did.

Naru's P.O.V

Mai's hand was holding my arm. I looked back.

"Are you crazy?" she demanded. "You can't just discharge yourself from the hospital!" she was partially right, but I didn't need a hospital. Her hand fell away from my arm, when I didn't hear footsteps behind me I turned.

"You're just going to let an early discharged patient walk away alone?" I asked her, her eyes once filled with anger widened and she hurried to catch up.

"Sorry!" the words left her lips in a rush and I looked after her stunned. She turned around. "Is something wrong?" Mai, always being Mai, did these kind of things. It was expected her mind always trying to help others and so innocent.

"Nothing," I replied and we continued to walk, I could feel her eyes on me, she probably didn't think that I was able to walk on my own. I turned my head on instinct, her eyes where casted downward and her small hands were in fists. She flinched and I stopped walking. She didn't seem to notice.

"Mai," she turned shocked. I was going to continue but she opened her mouth to speak.

"What's wrong?" I looked down her hands were still in fists I looked up into her eyes.

"I was going to ask you that," I told her, her eyes widened and she forced a smile.

"Nothing's wrong," she said turning around and we continued to walk. I didn't bother pressing any further; she knew that I knew something wasn't right. I kept my gaze on her and the smile fell ever so slightly and as if she caught herself it came back.

*************************************************************************************** I opened the door to the office and I walked into my own. I heard Mai close the door and I felt the words leave my lips.

"Mai, tea,"

"Hai,"

The usual response came but it wasn't as cheery as normal. I took one of the books I had already read and flipped through the pages stopping at my favorite parts. I heard a slight knock at my door.

"Come in," I called, Mai set my cup down.

"Reading that book again?" she asked I looked up at her, she was observant I would give her that.

"It's good, maybe if you read something like this you would quite being such an idiot," her face conveyed all the anger that she felt but it flattered slightly and she looked away.

"Have it your way," she said, I reached my hand out and grabbed her wrist, she turned around her eyes confused and her cheeks had a soft glow that I hadn't seen in a while.

"Mai-" my words were cut off as the door burst open and Lin stormed in.

"What the hell were you thinking leaving the hospital without telling me?" he demanded, I sighed letting go of Mai's wrist.

"Don't worry about it, I'm fine," I told him, from the corner of my eye I saw Mai walk out of the room.

Mai's P.O.V

I took Lin's outburst as an opportunity to sneak out of the room, all the while feeling the heat of him hand on my wrist. I laughed bitterly to myself thinking how I felt when I thought he was going to leave me alone and how he didn't. I set the tray down and turned around when I heard the door open. Bou-san, Masako, Ayako, John, and Yasuhara walked in.

"What's up?" I asked then.

"We heard that Naru got discharged," Bou-san answered, I nodded.

"Where is he?" Masako asked looking around, I frowned slightly.

"In his office but Lin-san is talking to him I suggest we leave them alone, for now," I said.

"Why is that?" she demanded.

"Because," I said. "He discharged himself, tea anyone?"

"WHAT?" they demanded, I covered my ears.

"Shh!" I said putting my finger to my lips, too late I thought as Naru's office door opened.

"Keep it down," he said as he walked out.

"Naru, you discharged yourself?" Ayako asked his eyes sifted to me.

"They asked," I said sitting down.

"Yeah, yeah," he said brushing it off. We soon found ourselves sitting in the couches.

"Are you well enough to be out of the hospital?" Yasuhara asked.

"I'm out of the hospital aren't I?" Naur's voice was calm but I could read underneath it, we huddled together.

"He's in a bad mood," Ayako stated what was on all of our minds. We nodded in agreement, I looked over towards Naru he had that calm expression on that said he was about to pop a vein. My mind had a painful thought, what if Naru was mad at me because the others were taking the opportunity to poke fun at him because of what I had caused? His eyes met mine and something twisted in me, making me turn away in embarrassment. I couldn't help but look up at him ever so often as the others went on chatting the time away. Our eyes met again and I didn't look away, instead I looked deeper into grey eyes with a line of navy around them, those eyes that I loved those eyes that seemed to mock me now.

"Mai, you wanna come?" Bou-san asked I broke my gaze away.

"Go where?" I asked.

"What! You mean you weren't listing!" Ayako demanded.

"Sorry, I was just thinking," I told her.

"Since when?" I turned around that wasn't the voice of Naru mocking me, I looked at Masako but she didn't appear to have said anything, but her hand covered by her kimono was covering her mouth.

"Do you want to grab something to," John clarified.

"But I don't really feel like going out to eat," Masako said. "I have an idea why doesn't Mai go out and get it?" I looked at her shooting daggers at her with my gaze.

"And why would I do that?" I asked her.

"You could be useful in that," Ayako said.

"This coming from the priests that won't be useful unless she's surrounded be trees," I muttered.

"Why I ought to-" I ignored her, Masako handed me a piece of paper.

"This is what we want, the money should cover it," she told me.

"Are you kidding me? Why don't you get it?" I demanded.

"It's obvious isn't it? Masako said. "We're famous and would get surrounded by people; you on the other hand are a simple nobody,"

"Now, Masako, maybe you shouldn't— I cut Bou-san off.

"What I wouldn't— I was interrupted.

"How about I go with you Mai?" Yasuhara suggested probably noticing that Masako was in danger of my temper.

"Well—I was cut off again, that was getting pretty annoying.

"It's quite all right, Yasuhara, I'd rather go anything is better then staying here," I watched him, was this the same Naru? "Mai, hurry up before I change my mind," there he was I got up.

"Well if Naru is going then there's no reason for me to go," Bou-san said. "Take care, you two,"

"Sure, sure," I said smiling at how convenient that answer was, it answered both of them. When we got outside I realized that I wouldn't had made it back before the sun set, the idea send shivers down my back.

"Where should we go first?" I asked Naru he didn't answer, I frowned. "You know it wasn't mandatory for you to come," I stopped walking when he didn't answer; I put my hands on my hips.

"Damn it, Naru ans— a hand came over my mouth dragging me to a side alley. It was cold and firm, I turned my head as much as I could and le out a muffled scream when I saw that the one holding me was no other then a ghost. And then I felt my world slowly glaze over.

Naru's P.O.V

"Damn it, Naru ans—her protest where cut off and I immediately turned around when a muffled scream followed. I walked back and into the alley where I had heard the scream come from. A figure was holding Mai, I walked over slowly. It didn't look human but I couldn't be sure. As I approached them slowly, all the possible scenarios ran through my mind. I reached then and wrapped an arm around Mai's waist pulling her towards me while not breaking my gaze away from the spirit. He appeared to be a teenager he continued to have a passive expression as he looked at Mai, I slide my hand towards his hold on Mai and then his gaze snapped to me filled with rage.

"Let Kaze go," he demanded. "She's mine!" I tilted my head to look at Mai; her eyes looked like they had begun to glaze over.

"Mai," I whispered she looked over to me.

"Naru," she breath her eyes slowly returned back to normal, I turned my attention back to the spirit.

"This is not Kaze, she is Mai, let her go," I said taking a step back with Mai, his grip had fallen; his face still held anger, but it slowly began to change into despair and he tried to reach for Mia again.

"Naru," she whispered leaning into me, I automatically tightened my grip on her waist pulling her closer to me.

"It's okay, just stay clam," I comforted her turning my attention back to the spirit. "You should go I'm sure that Kaze is waiting for you," he stopped advancing.

"Kaze," His expression was twisted in grief.

"Go to her," Maid whispered he looked between us.

"Thank you," he said and then he began to disappear and just before he did I saw the ghost of a smile, I felt Mai sag into me.

"This is why I didn't want to come out here, all the freaky stuff only happens to me," she complained.

"Are you okay?" I asked her.

"I'm fine," she answered. We walked away and towards the lithe streets.

Mai's P.O.V

I could still feel his hand on my waist, the warm sensation, I looked up at him, but either he didn't seem, or didn't want to notice. We entered into a café, I looked around this didn't seem like a place where we would get the food on the list.

"Hey, Naru what are we doing here?" I asked him he had led me to a table.

"Sit down," he said motioning to the table in the corner. I complied as he sat down across from me.

"What is this place?" I asked changing strategies.

"A café, are you really that much of an idiot?" he responded, I frowned.

"Well no duh, Naru, I know that, I want to know what we're doing here, what about of the others?" I asked.

"They can wait," he said motioning for the waitress to come. "Order something." I quickly looked over the menu and decided I would only have something to drink; the earlier incident had made me lose my appetite. Naru ordered tea, no surprise there; he turned to look at me as I rolled my eyes. I ordered an orange-mango ice tea.

"What?" he asked, I was playing with a napkin.

"Well you always have tea; don't you think that you should try something different?" I asked him.

"If you mean ordering something as absurd as an orange-mango ice tea then I highly doubt it," he answered.

"Humph," I said turning my head away and crossing my arms. From the corner of my eyes I saw him smile.

"But maybe you're right," he offered.

"Change is a good thing," I told him.

"Not all the time," he contradicted.

"Well drinking something other then tea wouldn't kill you," I said.

"You wouldn't know that," he said in such a way that I couldn't help myself, I started laughing.

"Fine have it your way," I said between giggles. He smiled but it disappeared as the waitress appeared with our drinks. Those were the thing that bothered me about Naru he couldn't keep a smile, and when he did smile it never reached his eyes. I took a sip of my drink it was bubble and it took my mind off the earlier events.

"Is that any good?" Naru asked.

"Mmhm,"

"What do I find that hard to believe?"

"Because you're a ghost hunter without any taste buds," I responded, he shook his head.

"Everyday you just convince me more and more that you're an idiot," he said.

"Oh just shut up," I said.

"Alright Mai, do you mind telling me what's on your mind?" Naru asked his face completely serious; I bit my lips thinking how I was going t get out of this one.

"Nothing's on mine mind I'm fine," I answered forcing a smile on my lips.

"The fact that you said you're fine implies that something is wrong, so stop lying and tell me the truth," his eyes were so deep that they willed me to tell him the truth, I hated keeping things from him and I had to tell him. I wanted to. My gaze fell to the table and I some how found my voice.

"I'm so sorry Naru,"

Author's Note: did you like? I love how this is going so far, Mai being who she is just has to get the guilt out of her system, just so that you guys are a little more hooked the next chapter is called confession, and there will be one. Please review!!