Hey Guys!
So I was able to get this out earlier than I'd originally planned, which I'm sure you're happy about. Like I posted in the prologue, I'll try to have one to two chapters out in a week. Just keep checking back.
As always, feel free to leave a review or comment.
- Singed
Disclaimer: I don't own Ghost Hunt.
Chapter 1 – Life's Cruel Joke
Mai
I ran down the side walk. My shoes in hand and my purse swinging wildly as I raced. I was late! Oh so very late to meet up with my friends. Regardless of how I felt about meeting Naru again, I knew I'd hate myself even more if I missed this opportunity. I had begged, bribed, and finally lied to get my shift switched at the café to the morning instead of the night. Of course, I should have known better. My shift had been pushed almost two hours past when I should have gotten off because, as the boss put it, 'they were doing me such a favor.' Thankfully, I had brought my dress and shoes with me. I had even applied some make-up, but that was more to hide how tired I was.
I turned the last corner and saw all my friends standing outside the book store, waiting to be allowed in. Masako was actually signing autographs as this ghost crazed group waited to see the Dr. Oliver Davis. I sighed in relief and started running towards them. Suddenly, a security guard ushered them forward and I watched as one by one they disappeared into the book store.
"Wait!" I cried. John poked his head up, as if hearing me, but of course, he never looked in my direction. "Wait!" I called again. I slowed as I watched Ayako step inside and the door was closed to the public who were waiting to get in. I took a deep breath and calmly walked the rest of the way. I stopped outside the door and looked at the security guard though the glass. He rose an eyebrow at me and I knocked. Freezing me with a glare, he opened the door and looked at me.
"I'm here to see Oliver Davis."
"Yeah, so are they," he said motioning towards the crowd that reached down the rest of the block and turned a corner.
"Right, but see I was with that group of people you just let through. I was a little late." I said with a sheepish grin. He sighed and looked at his list.
"Name?"
"Taniyama Mai."
"Nope, not on the list."
"What! Can I see that?" I didn't even wait for him to hand it to me, I grabbed it anyway and looked. Masako, Yasuhara, John, Ayako and even Monk's name was there, but mine wasn't. "I don't understand," I whispered as the security guard ripped the clipboard back out of my hands. "I told them I was coming, how could my name not be on the list."
"Don't know, don't care. Now, if you want to see the good doctor, you need to wait in line like everyone else." He promptly slammed the door and I sighed, putting my face into my hands. This seriously couldn't be happening. I had gone through all that trouble and now I couldn't even see him. I felt a tear leak from my eyes, but I whipped it away angrily. No, I wasn't crying over this. I took my cell phone from my purse and tapped the screen only to get no response. It had died. Of course it had.
So, I did the only thing I could do. I turned and walked to the back of the line. I actually met some pretty interesting people and even though my feet were killing me by the end, since I thought I should wear high heels for the event, I'd had worst evenings.
"Look Mai!" The fan girl who I'd been speaking to for a better part of an hour said, "I see the doors now. We'll be in the next group they allow in." I nodded and sighed in relief. I looked at my watch and cringed to see that the book signing was almost over. We had maybe ten minutes left, but that should be enough time I reasoned. I wasn't even going to buy a book. In fact, all I needed was ten minutes to see him. It would be pleasant small talk, just long enough for me to convince him that I lived and see that he did the same. Then I could walk back out of his life, much like he had done mine.
"Next," the security guard called and we all stepped forward. He was counting people, when suddenly, even before he got to fifteen which was the group size they had been letting in, he stopped just before me and gave an evil smirk as he placed the rope back.
"Hey!"
"Sorry babe, better luck next book." The girl who had been with me, turned back with an apologetic smile.
"Don't worry Mai, I'll let Dr. Davis know you're here, since I know you're friends." I just nodded and then dispersed with the rest of the crowd since we all knew it was over. I sat on the side walk and watched as the last of the sun disappeared from the sky. It was middle summer, but cool and I shivered. I looked back at the book store and saw the last of the people leaving. The second story was still well lit and I could see some people milling about. I wondered if he were still up there or if he'd already left.
"Mai," I jumped at her voice, turning to see the fan-girl, Iako, I think was her name, hand me one of his books.
"Oh, I can't pay you for this." I said guiltily.
"Don't worry. When it was my turn to see Dr. Davis, he was saying good-bye to a group of people, who were leaving out the back. One of them, a red haired woman told him 'Don't worry Naru, I'll give Mai your info. I have no idea why she's not here.' Then I remembered my promise to you. Sorry, I know I just made it like ten minutes before. So I said. 'She's outside. She's been waiting for hours, with the rest of us.' The group had already left, but he just looked at me as he took my book and asked me what my name was. I told him and thought perhaps he was going to ignore me, thinking that I was trying to get his attention. I was almost out the door, when I heard him call out my name. I turned to see him coming after me. He handed me this copy and told me to give it to you."
"Really?" I looked at the door, but there wasn't anyone there. I'd hoped that he would actually come to the door to say hi. Just like him though, thinking that a book with his signature was good enough.
"Yes, but before I could say thank you for you, he'd called for his assistant who looked terrified as he pulled along the security guard at the door. I'm not sure what happened after that." I nodded and said good-bye as she walked off. I looked down at the book and then slowly opened it. There in the corner, was his neat handwriting that I had gotten to know so well.
Mai,
Stop Exclaiming!
Just Turn Around and Smile
- Naru
"What?!" What kind of message was that?
"Did I not just tell you to stop doing that?" I slowly righted my hunched over posture and turned. There he was, handsome as ever. His hair was more styled than it had been as a teenager and his face had matured a little, but it only made him more handsome. There I was, in a thrift store dress, shoes so old that I had sown the straps back on twice and here he was, the most handsome man I'd ever met. His suit was black, what else, but he had on a dress shirt the same blue as his eyes. Yeah, he looked great.
Regardless of how I felt about my appearance compared to his at that moment, I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face. "Naru," I whispered. His mouth smirked at the corners and he approached me.
I knew not to expect a hug from him, but he knew to expect one from me, since he reacted quickly to my sudden embrace. "It's so good to see you!" I said, doing nothing to hide my excitement.
He did not try to return the hug and I pulled away too fast for it to become awkward. He smirked down at me and nodded. "It is good to see you too, Mai." We just looked at each other for a moment and I could tell he was waiting for me to say something. I saw a car pull up next to us and I realized that his car was already here to take him away. Wow that was fast, I guess I'd only get five minutes then, fine.
"I'm sorry I missed you. I was late."
"Yes, so I gathered and expected," he sighed motioning behind me. My face crinkled in anger and I was about to tell him how that was not something you say to someone you haven't see or even talked to in eight years.
"Come here," he said forcefully. I thought he was speaking to me for a moment and I was really going to let him have it, when I saw a mousy college-aged boy come scampering into view. "Make it good Chad." Suddenly Chad was bowing to me and apologizing.
"My deepest, sincerest apologizes Ms. Taniyama! I was in-charge of making sure that all the names given to Dr. Davis were on the list presented to security, but your name never made it on."
"Oh, well, um…" I quickly looked at Naru's stone face. He was angry, very angry and even though it probably shouldn't have, it warmed my heart. He was angry because I had been poorly treated. "As long as it doesn't happen again, I think I can forgive you."
"Thank-you miss!" He bowed more deeply and then turned to Naru.
Naru huffed a sigh and waved his hand. The young man scampered off and I was once again left with Naru. He just turned and looked at me before turning away and walking towards his car. 'That's it?' I thought. No 'good-bye,' no 'we should catch-up sometime when I'm not being famous.' Then again, what did I really expect?
He got into the car and looked back at me. "Well, are you coming?"
"What?" I asked approaching.
"That girl you were in line with said you'd been waiting for hours and I can only assume that that meant you haven't eaten yet. I am on my way to catch a late dinner and I'm bringing you along."
I raised an eyebrow at him and huffed. "You assume I can go, just like that."
"Yes," he replied scooting over, leaving me room. It took three seconds for me to throw caution to the wind and jumped in. I couldn't really afford anything, but it beat having nothing at home, and if they had a cheap appetizer or something then I might actually eat something today besides the small cup of soup I'd had earlier.
Naru
To say that I was disappointed when Mai didn't show up with the rest would be a gross understatement. I had purposely chosen this spot and this time just to see her and the others. I tried to hide my bad mood, but the others picked up on it eventually and I assumed from there quick glances and cautioned thought patterns, they were worried. They shouldn't have been. It wasn't their fault and I wouldn't take it out on them, it was just such an inconvenience. Now, I was going to have to hunt her down. If there was one thing I hated, it was wasted time.
'She probably couldn't get off work,' Masako informed me by sending out a thought. She knew what I was capable of. I wouldn't be able to reply back to her since she couldn't receive, but I nodded, understanding. I tried, but not as hard as I should have, to block out the thoughts of my Japanese family. Usually, I was very good at blocking out everyone, but I was a little to miffed to be able to fully concentrate. They were all very worried for her, though they didn't speak about it openly. Ayako especially, since she'd seen her most recently. It would seem from her worried assessment that Mai had lost more weight and was treated horribly at work. When I saw just how horribly through her most recent memory and saw the dark circles under her eyes and hallow cheeks, a few books actually went flying from the table and shot over the railing.
Everyone looked at me, and I had to calm myself quickly and pull in my powers just a bit more. "Just a small show for my fans," I smiled winningly. They all clapped, but I was angry. I hadn't done something like that since Gene's death. I guess I would have to admit to the realization that I was more emotionally attached to this venture working out than I had previously allowed myself to believe.
"If it upsets you Naru that Mai isn't here," Ayako said towards the end of the book signing, "then give me your contact information and I'll pass it along. I was going to surprise her with a new rug this week anyway." I had nodded and handed it to her as the others left. I hadn't admitted that it was Mai's absence that had caused the incident, but I hadn't denied it either.
When that Iako girl said something though, I almost got up right then and there to find her. Hours? Seriously? Why didn't she just go to the security guard? Regardless of how I acted towards her eight years ago, I knew she was anything but stupid. When I gave the girl back her book, I called for Chad and asked in the most icy voice I could if he could get me the list from the security guard. It quickly became apparent what had happened. It didn't surprise me that the new assistant they had sent me was so incompetent, but what did was that she stayed. I would have left or demanded entry, but then I was me and she was, well herself. I quickly gave that girl a copy of my book with my message to Mai and had Chad follow me as I chewed him out. He apologized and apologized, but it wouldn't save him his job, not like he'd have one anyway by the end of the week if my venture turned out the way I wanted it.
I slipped out the back door and walked around to the front. I waited for the girl to leave. Sure enough, there was Mai. Even from the back, she did look awfully thin, but even so, she'd grown into her curves as a woman and I smirked. My smirked grew even more when she replied just as I'd thought she would to my message. I stepped out quickly and started our game. If I'd missed anything for sure from my old life here, it was our game. Her face, so expressive gave away exactly what she was thinking, even if she also hadn't been so loud with her thoughts. Like I said, I usually block them out, but I couldn't resist getting a glimpse of hers. I smiled, actually smiled, when she hugged me and I was about to hug her back in a rare show of affection since I had gotten over myself ever so slightly over the years. But then, I received all the information she was trying to not let me see. How poor she was, how abused at work she was, how lonely she was.
My anger grew tenfold and I let her push herself away as I called over my assistant. While he apologized, I seethed. Where had our little family been to protect her? How could they allow her to have come to this point? How could I have left her? That thought slammed into me and I grimaced, though thankfully, she was still looking at Chad. I had abandoned her, and I knew that the others probably did what they could, but I would take full responsibility of my own actions. I could easily give the excuse that I had been seventeen. I wasn't ready for the responsibility yet of having someone love me like she claimed. I wasn't ready to be the reason everyone had come together. After all, they had all been fine before I'd come in, so I knew they would be fine after I left. I just hadn't been thinking of Mai when I made that assessment, because I had assumed she'd make it. She was just too alive not to, but I'd been wrong.
So, here I was now, taking her to dinner, knowing full well that she hadn't eaten a proper meal in three to four days. That would be one of the many things I'd change as soon as tomorrow came. I watched silently as she happily and it seemed thankfully, plugged her phone into one of the outlets the limo had. Her dinosaur of a phone sprang to life and she sighed.
"So where are we going?" She asked happily.
I'd had planned on going back to my hotel room after the book signing, but now… so I just shrugged. "Not sure. Where do you suggest?"
"Oh, well there's…" suddenly her phone rang and she looked guiltily up at me. I waved for her to answer, while I knocked on the window separating us from the driver.
"Where is a good place for us to eat around here?"
"Oh, well there is a small restaurant about ten minutes from here that shouldn't be too crowded by now, but it has good food." I nodded to indicate that I trusted his recommendation. I sat back and was instantly bombarded by both her tone and her emotions. Something was wrong.
"Listen Boss, I already worked today and the café is only open for another two hours. I'm not coming into work now." I closed my eyes and leaned my head onto my hands, concentrating on the conversation. Once again, not very ethical, but I needed to know.
"Listen Mai, I could fire you in two seconds. I could call others, but they don't need this job and you do. I want to go home and watch this movie on tv tonight. So, if you want to keep this job, you will be here in fifteen minutes." The boss hung-up without waiting for a reply and Mai looked stricken.
"Where is this café?" I asked. She didn't even bother to ask how I'd heard.
"About five minutes from here by car. I'll give the driver the address." She leaned forward, blushing with embarrassment and I was surprised to see no tears on her face. Most other women would be crying. This spoke more loudly than anything else that she was used to such treatment.
"I'm sorry, Naru," she said as we pulled up and she readied herself to climb out. "I guess if you're ever in Japan again call me up and we can try that dinner again." Yeah, like I was going to let her leave that easily.
She actually jumped in surprise as I climbed out with her. I knocked on the driver's door and he rolled down the window. "I'll call you when we're done." The driver nodded and left. I turned back to a stunned Mai as I just walked passed her towards the café.
"Naru, wha..what are you doing?"
"Going for a late dinner. If this is where you have to be right now, then I'm coming with you." I just kept walking and she took a moment to process this before she caught up.
"But I'll be working. I won't be able to talk to you."
I nodded as I opened the door for her. "I had gathered that." She looked at me, miffed that I called her out for speaking the obvious. She disappeared in the back, presumably to change and I took a seat. Many of the workers were teenage girls and I couldn't help but notice how they kept staring at me while I perused the menu. One, the ring leader, sauntered up to me and asked me what I wanted to eat.
"I'll take a tea and your ramen please." She nodded with a giggle and I sighed. Mai came walking back out, with an older woman, who was following her, berating her the entire time.
"I'm glad to see that you can follow orders for once, and so quickly too! My my, I guess I know now whom I will be calling on whenever I want to go home early." I watched the other waitresses. Half of them looked frightened and pitying at Mai, but the others gloated. They resented her I realized for being a hard worker, and a decent human being. The boss left and I watched as Mai, took charge of the orders. Besides me, there were maybe three other patrons in the café. I watched as the other girls followed her lead, but half of them made snide remarks and undermined her authority the entire time. Well that had to change.
"Here you are sir," the original waitress was back with my order. The ramen did smell amazing and I had watched closely enough to see that Mai had been the one to prepare my tea. I took a sip of it and smirked. It hadn't changed.
"Please thank Mai for the tea." The girl's face fell and she looked back at Mai, who having heard her name, looked up.
"Her? Why her?"
"I saw her make the tea. Besides, even if I hadn't, I'd know her tea anywhere." I lifted the cup towards her in thanks and Mai nodded her head before turning back to the work at hand. All the other waitresses were shooting looks between the two of us now and I was glad to have their attention. When I was done, I waved my waitress back over who sauntered with a winning smile.
"Anything else?"
"Yes, send over Mai."
"Mai?"
"Yes, did I stutter?" Her face grew red and she stomped off to grab Mai. The other patrons had left and the employees were in the process of closing down.
"Yes Naru?" She asked tiredly. The other waitresses were listening carefully and I smirked at the show that was about to happen.
"Order," I commanded, not reacting to her bewildered look.
"Excuse me?"
"Order. I had planned to take you to dinner tonight and so this is me, fulfilling my end. Order whatever you'd like and pack it up to take home. I'll add it to my bill."
"I can't do that."
"And why ever not?"
"We're not allowed to take food with us."
"Perhaps, but this is me, a customer ordering for you. Now order, or I'll do it for you." I picked up the menu and started looking through. I could feel her anger rising and she snatched the menu from my hands. I heard a collective gasp from the girls.
"I don't know what you're playing at Naru, but it won't work. This could get me in a lot of trouble."
"Seems to me that you're already in a lot of trouble, what with your current occupation." Her eyes flared and she leaned in, holding up the menu as a shield between us and the girls so we could have this argument privately.
"What do you know or care Naru?" She whispered harshly, so only my ears could here. Okay, I deserved it but I still couldn't believe that she thought I didn't care. "You who never bothered to talk to any of us for eight years and then you come walking back into all our lives for one night and expect us to just fawn all over you? Well I have news for you, this is my life and yeah, it might suck," which it obviously did, "but it's my life and if I refuse your arrogant offer, so be it." I just watched her and leaned forward so that our noses were almost touching. She was so mad she didn't notice or care. Perfect.
I tilted my head ever so slightly as I said. "You want to know something Mai?"
It was her turn to tilt her head, but in the opposite direction. "What?"
"They probably think we're making out behind this, what with the menu strategically placed, my leaning forward and our heads angled." She blushed so red that I couldn't help the smirk this time. She shot away quickly and raced to the back, but not before sending an embarrassed look over to the girls. They all gaped at me and I smiled back at them. I motioned to my waitress and watched as she tripped her way over.
"Yes?"
"I want an orange soda, a bowl of ramen, extra chicken and an order of dangos. To go." I was surprised to remember that I still had her favorites memorized, but I had a good memory so the surprise passed quickly.
"Um, sure." The order was done soon enough and I paid my bill as the girls cleaned up lightning quick. I opened the door to the café, but never stepped out. I gave it five minutes, when sure enough Mai, who thought I'd left, came walking back out. She stopped when she saw me leaning against the door frame, waiting for her. She just glared at me as she spoke to the girls, reading off a list and making sure everything was done for the evening. She disappeared one more time, this time with the money from the cash register, presumably to count the drawer and I watched as the other girl's left. They locked the door behind themselves and I quietly walked to the back, ignoring the employee only signs. She looked up at me when I walked in and sat next to her.
I placed the bag of food next to her and the drink. She paused for a second, but didn't take it. "You shouldn't waste food."
She sighed and looked over at me. "Naru, why are you here?"
"Waiting for you to finish your job so I can give you a ride home and then return to my hotel."
"No, I mean why are you here, in Japan? You never came back for any of the other book tours, even though the first two were mostly about Japan and yet, suddenly you come walking back, like it's no big deal. It makes a girl wonder why."
I just looked at her before saying. "You read my books."
She blushed again before saying. "Yeah. You left so quickly and never came back, so I had to get to know you somehow."
"You do know me."
"I know you as Naru, the narcissistic boy genius who kept more secrets than he told and who treated us like friends one minute and mere people to be studied the next. I guess I wanted the chance to meet Dr. Oliver Davis, the genius who's so gifted with his abilities that he became a doctor of parapsychology when he was seventeen just before he ran off to return with his brother's body, and solved more cases than even he can count. I wanted a chance to meet Noll, Gene's brother, who traveled around the world to find him and return him to his home to be buried with honor. In that though I've been disappoint, because he's never showed up in your books."
All I could do was look at her. I realized that much like her, I didn't really know Mai. This was a different Mai than I remembered, of course, I probably wasn't paying attention all those years ago. I would have to do a better job then.
"Fine, you are correct that I am back for a specific reason."
"And that would be?" She asked as she closed up an envelope with the money and dropped it into the safe.
I handed her the bag of food and drink. "To see you eat the food I bought you and to give you a ride home on this summer evening." She seethed, but followed me out anyway.
"Where do you live?" I asked as we climbed back into the car. She was sipping on her drink now and I heard the containers of dangos opening.
"Just drop me off at the closest subway station."
"No." She sighed, but didn't argue anymore, before she wrote down her address on a napkin and handed it to the driver through the window.
"What are you doing living in that part of town?" She looked shocked for a moment, she had gone through great lengths to make sure I didn't see.
"I'm a psychic remember? One of my many abilities is to see what people are writing in my head."
"Nosey jerk," she muttered before she ate another dango. She wouldn't admit it, but she was starving and she was perking up as the food hit her stomach.
"Well?"
She looked away, embarrassed and muttered, "I can't afford anything else, okay."
"Fair enough. Still, you couldn't have found a roommate?"
"I haven't spoken to most of my friends from high school in years and I was too busy working in college to make many there. I would have asked Ayako, but.. ." she suddenly paused
"But?"
Mai sighed, obviously not wanting to speak, but seeing no other way around it. "She and Monk secretly started dating awhile back and she made up stories about her horrible roommate so none of us would know it was him." I took this information and filed it away. That would be why her aura seemed off, I finally realized. She was pregnant.
"Does she know she's pregnant?"
Mai nodded, "Yes, she just found out. If my senses are right, with a girl. I haven't told her yet, and I'm not going to. Monk doesn't know since he's on tour."
"Yes, I'd heard his band got big." She nodded and said something else, but I wasn't listening. If her senses could pick something up like the gender of an unborn baby during the mother's first trimester, then her powers had grown. Good.
We pulled up to her building and I instantly had to stop myself from grabbing her arm to stop her. This place was dangerous, couldn't she feel it? I looked over to chide her, only to do a double take. She knew alright, because she was shielding herself. Interesting.
"When did you learn that?"
"Learn what?" I watched her large eyes and realized that she had no idea what she was doing. She was doing it on pure instinct. Better and better.
"When Ayako was pregnant."
"A few days ago." I nodded and looked at her as she looked at me. Suddenly she clutched her bag to herself and hugged me again.
"It really was nice to see you again, Naru." I returned the hug this time, much to her surprise.
"The sentiment is mutual." She guffawed at my formality as she climbed out.
"Oh, and thanks for the food," she smiled before running up the stairs to her building. As soon as the door shut, I asked the driver to take me back to my hotel and immediately called Lin.
"Oliver, do you have any idea what time it is?" the grump asked over the phone.
"Yes, I do. Now, I need you to get working on something for me right away."
"Naru," Madoka, his wife chided through the phone, "can't it wait until morning?"
"No. I need this by the start of business hours tomorrow. It's about Mai."
