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day 1
May 3
"You are so full of it." Ayako fumed, stepping off of the pier and officially on to Nagasaki Island.
"Ayako wait!" Takegawa yelled after her, cradling his sore hand and running as if hell hounds were after him.
Rolling her eyes Ayako hefted her handbag over her shoulder and turned to Monk so he would know to get the rest. He looked from Ayako, to his suitcase, and her remaining luggage in dismay.
"You want me to carry all of that?" Monk groaned.
"It's punishment for flirting with that girl on the ferry." Ayako said maliciously.
"I wasn't flirting!" he insisted, "She was simply giving me directions to the villa I-"
But he stopped dead.
Standing several feet away was the girl he hadn't seen in over a year. She smiled sweetly and waved from where she stood next to Natsume, her fiancé. Natsume himself was leaning against their car, seemingly disinterested.
"Mai!" he called, dropping Ayako's bags to scoop her up in a hug. "Thank goodness! Will this car fit all of Ayako's stuff!"
"Monk! Let, go." Mai said laughing, "You're squeezing me too hard."
Ayako watched this exchange with a smirk. Neither of them nor anybody else from SPR had seen Mai since the incident a year and a half ago. She looked good.
An inch or two taller than before, but still as thin as a rod. Her hair had grown out to her shoulders and her skin seemed a shade darker than her SPR days.
"All of this fresh air did you good kiddo." Ayako said, ruffling Mai's hair.
"Ah, Ayako, it's good to see you." Mai said just noticing the surprisingly quiet Miko.
Leaning in so that the boys--Monk and Natsume--couldn't hear she whispered, "I heard you and Monk finally moved in together, way to go."
Ayako blushed and glared at Mai, who ignored her.
"So, Mai, who's your fiancé?" Monk inquired, giving Natsume a skeptical look.
Of course, not seeing Mai for so long, they hadn't met her soon-to-be husband yet. No one had. He was a mystery because Mai had only spoken to her friends by phone for over a year.
"He's Natsume!" Mai said latching herself on to his arm, "He's not very talkative...but...."
"It's good to meet you," Natsume said calmly, and Ayako and Monk exchanged a look, "I'm Natsume Izumi, you can call me Natsume, and you are Bou-san and Ayako?"
"Yup." Monk said simply, grabbing Ayako's hand. "We should really be going, it looks like there's a storm rolling in."
Mai and Natsume turned to what did indeed look like storm clouds. There were only a few darker ones and Mai sighed with relief.
"It should pass right over, but we should get going, so we don't get your things wet." Mai explained.
After a few moments loading the car Monk and Ayako took the backseat for themselves while Mai and Natsume sat up front. They watched the couple for a few minutes as Mai would smile and laugh and talk, Natsume would sit silently a small glimmer of a smile flashing across his face.
Monk leaned in inches from Ayako's face and hissed, "And who does he remind you of?"
Suddenly a sound, like hail hitting the roof of the small vehicle, echoed throughout the interior of the car.
Ayako sighed, staring out the window at the sudden downpour, before answering, "Naru, who else?"
*******
"Who else is coming to the wedding?" Ayako asked Mai as Monk and Natsume struggled with the luggage. Of course, Mai had tried to help but Natsume had said to 'let him handle it.'
"Well if everyone comes as planned Masako, John, Yasuhara, Lin, Madoka, a few friends from my old school, Natsume's family and....um...." Mai said looking nervous. "The Davis'."
"What?" Ayako said, spinning to stare at her, "You don't mean-"
"No, no, not him," Mai confirmed, "His parents, they were always so sweet when they would visit the office, you know after he returned from England, I had to invite them."
Ayako nodded understandingly. "As long as he's not here... Who else has already arrived?" she said, changing subject.
Mai smiled. "Yasu got here this morning, and Madoka and Lin are coming tonight."
Ayako smiled and looked up at the house the wedding would take place in. "Well you're certainly not marrying someone poor Mai, this house is amazing, and huge."
Mai looked over at Natsume's villa. It was very big, almost as big as....
"Doesn't it just remind you of the old days? When we'd only get in to houses like these if we were on a case?" Mai said with a laugh.
Ayako put an arm around the girl's shoulder, trying her best to comfort her, "Yeah. The good old days."
"Ayako!" Monk shouted angrily from the car. "What is with you and clothes!"
Mai and Ayako turned only to find a suitcase ridden Monk who was practically tipping over from the weight of his girlfriends luggage.
"You can never be too careful Hun, like I always say, better to take too many than not enough." Ayako recited.
"We're here for five days!" Monk said with difficulty, "How could you wear all of this in five days!!"
Mai laughed as Monk finally fell backwards, suitcases tumbling over him in a heap.
Ayako, spurred on by Mai's happiness, caught his eye and smirked, "Watch me."
*******
Mai turned around and looked up the driveway, ignoring the fighting couple. "Where did Natsume go?"
*******
The day had gone by in a flurry of greetings and introductions for Mai. Yasu had locked himself in the library and was reading with such vigor Mai was afraid to disturb him. Monk and Ayako had taken to arguing over her suitcases in their guestroom and she hadn't heard from them since. Which wasn't a good sign considering they had either killed each other or.... Mai didn't want to picture it.
More importantly Natsume kept running off. She'd found him on the terrace earlier, staring at the sky, and she'd wrapped her arms around his back and smiled. Trying to cheer him up.
"Do you think we can pull it off Mai?" he'd asked distantly.
Mai frowned, "We can only hope for the best."
She put her head in her hands as she sat in the car, waiting for Natsume so they could pick up Madoka and Lin. Suddenly she shrieked, Ayako had just appeared in the passenger side window.
Relieved Mai placed a hand over her heart. "Ayako you just scared me half to death!"
"Get out." Ayako ordered, opening the door and gesturing for Mai to leave.
"W-Why?" Mai stuttered.
"Because Monk and I will pick up Madoka, we'll even bring Natsume with us, just go take a break!" Ayako said, practically hauling the small girl from the car.
Mai looked at her strangely. "Um, okay. Tell Madoka and Lin I said 'Hi'!"
She crossed her arms across her chest as Monk and Ayako scrambled in to the car. Sneaking up behind her Natsume gave her a peck on the cheek and got in the car as well.
"Bye guys." Mai said with a frown.
Then she sighed, 'I guess I'll have to entertain Natsume's family by myself now.'
*******
Ayako snuck a peek at Natsume who was distant as ever in the backseat. She sighed at the uncanny resemblance to Naru and then turned to Monk.
"She's bringing a guest, you know." Ayako whispered. "That's why Mai isn't coming with us. It's a surprise."
Monk eyes widened, "Madoka actually dragged him here?"
She nodded conspiringly and Monk smiled, "Aw man this is gonna be great!"
"If you don't mind me asking, what are you two talking about?" Natsume asked indifferently.
"All in good time my dear Natsume, all in good time." Ayako said with a chilling laugh.
Monk frowned at her and then placed a hand on her shoulder. "Ayako, you do know that that was not cool at all."
*******
Stepping off of the ferry Madoka smiled at the fresh sea air. It was warm for May and sunny after the sun showers earlier in the day. Everything was wet and cool.
Lin stepped up behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder, his wedding ring reflecting light in her eyes.
They had been married now, for a year and a half.
"He's not coming out." Lin confirmed to his wife.
Madoka pouted and rushed back on to the upper deck of the ferry. She grabbed his hand and pulled but all of her brute strength couldn't force him to do anything.
"I'm not going Madoka." Naru insisted, "Mai is grown enough to make her own decisions."
Madoka glared at him, "And your grown up enough to make yours! Be brave for once in your life Naru! Admit that you love her."
Naru looked at her and sighed, his entire being defeated. "I'm brave," he said stubbornly.
"Courage and bravery are two different things." Madoka recited. "Courage is acting without fear, bravery is being afraid but acting all the same."
Naru narrowed his eyes at her, his fists shaking at his sides only slightly. He was mad. Mad at everything that had happened to him, to Mai, and to Gene.
Mad that he couldn't admit something so simple as love but he could send a grown man flying in to a wall with a single thought.
Mad that Madoka could tell, even without being told, that he was simply afraid of telling Mai he loved her. After all of this time he was afraid, and he just couldn't do it.
Finally Naru looked back up at Madoka and gave in, as he always seemed to be doing these days.
"Fine, I'll go, but on one condition."
*******
"Madoka!" Ayako greeted as the woman skipped off the ferry. Ayako and Monk had arrived moments before and Lin had filled them in on the 'situation.'
"He's coming, just cold feet you see." she smiled.
Silently all four adults watched as their former boss walked off of the boat and headed towards them. He held his head as high as ever and when he stood in front of Ayako and Monk he smirked at their expressions.
"Do my eyes deceive me?" Monk said dramatically, "Naru-"
Ayako slapped him and pointed towards the car. Natsume stood staring at them, his eyes narrowed but intrigued. He was curious, and he knew about Naru. Mai had told him all about her SPR days, he knew exactly who 'Naru' would be, and Ayako wasn't so sure he would like Naru at his wedding.
"Narumi!" Monk corrected himself. "Good to see ya!"
Naru, however, wasn't looking at Monk nor at Ayako or the others. He was looking past them at the young man leaning against the car.
He was Naru's age with scruffy black hair and brown eyes. He didn't seem intimidating with his thin toned muscles and tall stature but appearances could be deceiving.
"Who is that?" Naru asked briskly.
The others turned to look and sighed all at once.
"That," Monk explained, "Is Natsume Izumi, Mai's fiancé."
*******
Squishing in between Ayako and Monk in the backseat was no problem for Madoka. She was only worried about Naru who was seated between the driver and the shotgun. Natsume and Lin. Fortunately there was no fighting...yet.
'These three men could win a no speaking contest hands down.' Madoka thought sarcastically as Naru refused to acknowledge the curious Natsume.
Suddenly remembering something Madoka turned to Ayako and whispered, "I just remembered Naru set one condition about coming!"
"What?" Ayako frowned, "'I have to wear black to the wedding', or 'only if Mai makes me tea?'"
Madoka sighed, "I wish it were that simple. He...doesn't want to see Mai, at least before the wedding. He doesn't want to upset her."
Ayako groaned. "This could be a problem."
Reviews: (Thank you for your kind reviews!)
ursecretlover: Don't worry he will. You pretty much read my mind! ;P
Emina 105: Here's an update!! I updated as fast as I could!
TheGoldenChick: Thanks for wanting to read it! I wasn't sure many would. I'll update super fast, promise :)
REVIEW PLEASE!!! OR I'LL SICK NARU ON YOU!!!