Yo! Thank you to all readers so far!

Disclaimer: I do not own Ghost Hunt or any of its characters...

There was a light drizzle falling when the team met up outside SPR's office at eight the next morning. The usual black van, along with Bou-san's car were parked out front, already packed with equipment and suitcases-they never knew how long their cases were going to last, so it was better to be over prepared than under. They all greeted one another tiredly, some of them not speaking at all, though that wasn't much of a surprise.

Once everyone was there and prepared, Naru and Lin got into the van, while the others (Bou-san, Ayako, John, and Mai) packed into the monk's car, and they drove off, the car following after the van, since Lin was apparently the only one who seemed to know the way to wherever it was they were going.

Yasuhara, busy with summer classes, wasn't going to be joining them (at least not right now), though he had informed them that he was open to helping them with research if needed, even despite his school work. Masako however, had other engagements at the other end of the country, and wasn't going to be helping at all as far as they knew. Naru didn't seem too pleased with that.

Though Mai used to situate herself in the van with the other two normally, she had since stopped doing so unless it was necessary. It wasn't worth the torture. So instead, she happily settled herself next to Ayako in the backseat of the car, joining in on the rather inappropriate conversations that were taking place-although they kept things tame enough for John, just to be polite, what with him being a priest and all. It wouldn't be very fair otherwise.

"So, uh, who's the client in this case?" asked Bou-san finally, turning left as he continued to follow the van. "What's the deal?"

"I have no idea," Mai replied with a shrug. "Naru didn't say." She frowned slightly, her brow furrowed. "He...doesn't really say much to me anymore anyway," she muttered. And then she caught sight of their stricken faces, and smiled quickly. "Sorry, sorry, I'm fine," she assured them.

Deciding it would probably be better to change the subject, Ayako then told them all a hilarious story about something that had happened at the hospital the other day to a friend of hers. And when Mai began laughing hysterically in response, she smiled, aware she had made the right choice here. Wanting to continue on this path, she remembered another story and recounted that one too, pleased with the way she had managed to distract Mai from her somewhat morbid thoughts.

While Mai was cheerful enough, she found her good mood wavering slightly when the drizzle turned into a pounding rain, another storm cell rolling through the area. It was going to be a very hot summer this year, according to meteorologists, which meant it was likely that there were going to be many more storms like this...much to Mai's displeasure. Stupid storms...

With their location being rather far, they decided it would be best to switch drivers at the half way point-Bou-san and Ayako changing places. As the miko got into the driver's seat, the monk moved in next to Mai, who smiled at him as he settled in. He nudged her playfully, only to have her nudge him back with a laugh.

The four in the car chatted and laughed as Ayako followed the van leading the way in front of them at a steady pace. The rain alternated between pouring and drizzling, as if it was unsure about what it wanted to do, and the darkened skies, soft chatter, and sway of the car soon lulled Mai into a light sleep.

Nobody noticed that Mai had fallen asleep until her head dropped down onto Bou-san's shoulder. The man glanced at her, finally noting her state of unconsciousness, and with a small smile, gently brushed her hair away from her face. He gazed at her only for a moment before looking away back out the window, silently telling his brain to shut up before it could get started taunting him.

More time passed, and Bou-san found himself getting increasingly tired. John and Ayako had kept up a steady conversation, but the monk found he was too sleepy to join in. Or maybe that was just because he was too distracted. Mai had sort of...cuddled into him in her sleep, and one of her small hands was now resting on his thigh. He didn't want to move her, because he didn't want to risk disturbing her-or so he was telling himself.

"Finally!" exclaimed Ayako suddenly, causing the monk to jolt to attention. She brought the car to a stop behind the van. "I guess this is it. They're getting out. Come on."

Ayako and John got out first, followed by Bou-san and Mai, once the former had woken the latter. Having been cooped up in the car for so long, the first thing Mai did was stretch. Bou-san happened to glance over at that very moment, only to see that in the midst of her stretch, Mai's shirt had risen up, exposing her pale, smooth navel. He looked away immediately, clenching his fists.

Furious at himself for the way his fingers were itching to touch that soft skin, he settled with simply nudging her again instead. "Look," he said, nodding towards the house.

"Hm?" Mai followed his gaze and looked over, her body going slack and her jaw dropping. "I-is that a house or a castle!?"

"Both?" Bou-san replied. He was pleased to see that it wasn't just him and Mai who were surprised with the size of the house. John and Ayako were staring openly, and even Naru and Lin seemed faintly surprised. Whatever they had been expecting, it certainly hadn't been...this.

The group approached the massive, western style house, taking in the green garden around them, bright and neat. There were large trees bearing fruits, and beautiful, lovely smelling, colourful flowers everywhere. The walk leading up to the front doors was made of old, grey stone, and the house itself looked as if it was made of the same material, though it likely wasn't.

Naru was the first one to reach the large, wooden front doors, and he rang the bell, his face expressionless and passive, as always. They didn't have to wait long before the doors were swept open, revealing a man dressed in a simple black suit. He topped off at about six feet, had dark brown hair that was swept back away from his face, and sharp green eyes that seemed to be appraising them. It was clear he wasn't from Japan, a fact proven when he spoke.

"Good afternoon," he greeted them politely in a voice that clearly stated he was an Englishman. He bowed neatly. "Please, come in." With that, he took a step back and to the side, allowing them to enter and file into a rather long hallway. Once they were all in, and the door closed, the man turned and began to walk down the hall, the rest following after him.

The hall opened up into a large, almost lobby-like room, but the man didn't stop there. He took them through a door at the other end of the room, followed by another, and then yet another. Mai, walking next to John, was already unsure of how to get back to the entrance. ...Oh dear.

The green eyed man led them through a final door, and into a rather comfortable looking room, large and lined with elegant furniture. "The parlour," he announced. "Please, have a seat. Mr Cross has been delayed and is on his way back as we speak. Shall I perhaps bring you something to drink while you wait?"

"Thank you, Mr-?"

"Michael," replied the man. "Simply Michael." He bowed. "Tea and coffee, then?" At their nods, he added, "Very well," and then departed, leaving the team alone in the room...

And that's it for now. I've got a bad migraine right now, which makes it a bit hard to concentrate, so I'm sorry if this is a tad on a dull side. Looking forward to reviews! Laterz!