Authors note: I received a few requests for a continuation. So here it is, not sure where its going but hope its lighter than the first chapter which was kinda gloomy, but really, how would you feel if a good friend of yours left for good? Never happened to me but that's how I'd feel.

Once again sorry for any OOC but I'll do my best!

Just a quick note, I'm planning on doing NaruXMai friendship, yeah I'll drive everyone crazy but it'll develop into something else later.

I'll try and give Lin-san plenty of attention, he is always ignored and that annoys me. He's a great character.This one takes a while just to get to the case and I apologize for that, just trying to deal with some details to get the hang of the characters. Hope this ones better than the last.

I do not own 'Ghost Hunt' or the characters. All I own is the plot line and characters that do not appear in the original book/Manga/Anime.

Shibuya, Dogenzaka

Mai was currently doing what she did best at work. It was something that Naru didn't approve of, brought her misery on cases but was necessary.

In other words, she was sleeping.

Currently she was having an interesting dream about a strange garden that floated on water, there was a garden party and she was wearing a white dress with silver bells, or was it blue?

Was it water the garden was floating on or air?

Obviously this wasn't an important dream as it was hardly lucid. Just one of those nice floaty dreams to contemplate later, she turned over and her head hit something hard. It was a sharpener.

The hard piece of metal dug into her scalp.

"Ouch!"

Mai jerked awake and rubbed her sore head, glaring irritated at the offending instrument.

"Stupid . . . !! Now what was that dream?'

Naru opened his office to find Taniyama Mai sitting at her desk, staring into space and rubbing her head.

He glared at her, impassive and expressionless as usual, he regarded his part time investigator with annoyance.

"Mai, wake up and get me some tea!"

The young girl jumped, and got up to prepare the infusion as requested.

"English or Japanese Naru?"

"English" the teen replied without looking up from his black case file that he was currently browsing through, Having found what he wanted the black clad man returned to his office, barely glancing at his employee as he brushed past her.

Mai was in no mood to grumble as she entered the tiny kitchen to get out the tea bags.

The other door opened. The buildings resident Onmyouji stepped into the main office, Mai looked up from the kettle and peered around the screen separating the main office from the kitchen.

"Lin-san? Would you like some tea?"

"Yes thankyou"

"What kind?"

"Green tea is fine"

"Ok!"

The young girl turned back to the kettle, which was now whistling insistently.

"Jeez, ok! Stupid piece of . . . . ok! ok!! For gods sake shut up!! I'm coming!!"

Lin smiled slightly and watched as the young girl who had worked at their offices for two years not counting the two months since they'd returned from Japan, frantically try to turn off the whining piece of kitchenware with thinly veiled amusement. Two years ago he would have barely glanced at the part-timer who he had viewed as loud and overly exuberant. Now he enjoyed her cheerfulness and she had proved herself helpful and kind even if she was a bit overconfident during her second case.

Lin remembered that clearly, when she had gone ahead and declared the culprit a poltergeist not having been in the building more than fifteen minutes. Naru had rebuked her for that immediately which was reasonable Lin supposed, if a little harsh.

"Finally!" Mai sighed as the kettle was silenced at long last, she picked out two different teas and cups, she put leaves in the teapot and poured in the water to make the green tea and put the teabag in Naru's cup.

Mai began to count to thirty, Naru was picky about his tea, and I mean very picky. It had to brew for thirty seconds, one and a half sugar and no milk. If Mai made it wrong she would receive a quiet request for a fresh cup accompanied by a silent glare that refused all complaints if she grumbled.

How the hell can he tell the difference?

"There!" Mai picked up her tray and turned to find Lin closing his office door.

Was he watching me?

Mai shrugged and walked into Naru's office where he sat in his usual big black chair, he was still wearing black, even though Gene was at rest. His dark business shirt blended perfectly with the material of his chair.

"Naru, I have your tea here. I'll just leave it on your desk"

She placed the new teacup she bought for the office by his papers, they were the same theme as the last set, only blue.

"Is that all you wanted?"

"Yeah"

". . . . . "

Mai paused

"Do you still want something?"

"Huh? Oh . . ."

Slam!

Still no thank you! Oh well . . . . I give up . . .

Mai knocked lightly on Lin's office door, after receiving permission to enter she opened the door. It was the first time she had been in Lin's office, it had a desk on the right wall, and the desk had a laptop and an array of notebooks and file cases. Other than that there was a scanner and printer situated under the desk.

The other walls had numerous bookcases and shelves which contained books and information CD's.

Wonder if he listens to music . . . . . . I don't see a radio or anything . . .

"Taniyama-san?"

oops!

Embarrassed to be caught staring she shook her head to clear away her musings.

"Sorry Lin-san, here's your tea"

"Thank you"

He took the offered cup and drank a sip before turning back to work, after a few moments he looked round to see Mai still standing there.

"Anything wrong?"

"No it's just; I thought you didn't like tea"

Lin paused, thinking "And why would you say that?"

"You never wanted any before"

"I'm not fond of English, the sort Naru gets is one I particularly dislike"

He didn't tell her it also because he hadn't wanted to socialize with her back then. Times had changed and it would not do to offend her now that they were past their wariness of each other.

Just then there was a jangle of the doorbell.

"Sorry Lin-san, coming!"

Mai took off to greet the client.

It was a young woman; she was wearing a pale blue dress with fine white flowers traced over the surface. She had long black hair and dark green eyes. Tall and willowy; she looked to be about twenty years old.

"Hello? Um is Shibuya-san in?"

"Yes he is, are you here for a consultation? "

"Yes"

"Please have a seat, would you like some tea?"

"Yes please, English if you have it"

Mai was slightly startled but held it back. "Alright I'll go get our director"

Mai knocked on the door using formal reference "Shibuya-san, you have a client"

"I see, I'll be there in a minute"

Mai quickly made two fresh cups of tea, as Naru would probably like a fresh one.

Naru sat on the couch opposite to the client with his clipboard resting on his knee, he had a pen in one hand and steadied the book in the other.

"What is your name?"

"Ito Naoko"

"What seems to be the problem Ito-san?" he asked as Mai set the teacups down and took up her position behind him.

"The hotel I'm running has been experiencing some unusual phenomena"

"Such as?"

"Guests can hear the running of seawater as if its in their rooms at night, the hotel is situated on a cliff but the sounds of water are like its running across the floorboards"

"It may be pipes or ventilation" Naru reasoned, seemly a little irritated by the petty excuse to come to his office and bother him.

"I thought so too, we repaired the plumbing and checked all other known causes, but found nothing, and that's just a minor problem. There have been screams."

"Screams?"

"Yes, and water stains will show on the wallpaper, only to disappear in an hour or so.

Guests have reported seeing apparitions wandering the stairs or apparently sinking through the floorboards. There are cries in the night, screams for help"

"Have you personally experienced this?"

"Yes, many times. One time I was walking up to my room, which is on the lowest floor, and saw a young lady standing by my dressing table looking in the mirror. She was . . . . "

Naoko floundered around for a word

"Translucent I guess, she turned to me and said "Its cold", she shivered and then disappeared"

"Has any of this become dangerous?"

"One time yes, one guest was suddenly sent into a coma and is currently in the hospital, she awoke from her coma pretty soon but has pneumonia, she said she suddenly felt very cold while in bed and couldn't move. It got colder in her room each night until finally she almost froze in her bed."

"Didn't she complain beforehand?"

"Yes, and we supplied as many blankets and a heaters as we could. It had no effect though"

"I see"

"Does it sound serious?"

"At the moment I'm unsure whether it's supernatural or paranormal, it may have a logical explanation. However, it does seem dangerous. I accept the case."

"Thank you very much! Is there anything that you need prepared?"

"Yes, we will need a main room to set up our equipment. Also please be prepared to house up to eight people. You can expect us around twelve tomorrow morning"

"I will make the necessary arrangements. Thank you very much once again Shibuya-san!"

Mai saw the woman to the door. She waved and made her way down the stairs.

"Mai, I need you to call Bou-san and Matsuzaki-san. Tell them the details of the case. Meet here tomorrow at eleven"

With that he re-entered his office and shut his door firmly behind him.

Stuck up workaholic . . . .

Authors note: How was it? I thought it was kinda boring. Is the case interesting enough?

I thank music.is.my.soulmate.-san for the idea! Don't say anything please, its not entirely the same! Just similar.

I hope it wasn't too dry. I just wanted to get something up before I forgot. I also have a lot of free time on my hands now that the school holidays are almost up. Run out of things to do.

Please review!