A Time for New Beginnings Chapter 2...
Me: YAY! Another Chapter!
Naruisawesome: our readers will think you are hyper...
Me: wellll...I am...
Naruisawesome: We don't own Ghost Hunt
Recap:
Getting closer to the other team I stop dead in my tracks. "No...it...it can't be..." Everyone on my team stop at the sound of my voice and look back at me.
"Na-Naru..." I sat causing the rest of SPR to look back at me along with Naru and Lin.
Chapter 2
Mai
My eyes went wide in shock and my heart pounded against my chest. What are they doing here? What is Naru doing here...?
"MAI!" Monk ran up to me but Sergey stepped in front of him.
"Who the hell are you?" Sergey asks.
Monk stops with narrowed eyes and slowly places his outstretched arms down. "I should be asking you that."
"I am her brother." Sergey said putting a protective arm around me.
"I don't think so!" Monk yells, suddenly grabbing my arm. He yanks me to him and hugs me tightly. "I'm her big brother!"
Sergey glare along with Michelle and Ryan take me back. I just stumble back, letting everyone do whatever they wanted with me. I was still in too much shock to understand anything really.
Ayako walks up to me and hits me in the head crying. "Do you know how worried I was Mai?! Not being able to find you for 3 long years?!" She hugs me.
"I...I'm sorry..." I whisper, furrowing my brows as I slowly start to wrap my arms around her in a comforting manner.
"I missed you...we all did..."
"...I missed you too." I say as I felt tears began to prick my eyes. I really did miss them... It was hard leaving them and starting a new life in a completely new place, a new country, but I just had to leave because of him. It hurt too much to stay there—with everything reminding me of him.
Naru walks up to us. "Mai can we talk?"
Moving my gaze upwards to look at him, my eyes widened even further if that was possible. I could hear my blood pounding in my ears.
He still looked the same. But he was more handsome.
"So can we talk?"
Ayako slowly releases me with a small, wet smile from her crying. She takes a few steps back to stand beside Monk. They all were smiling at me but then their eyes harden as they look behind me. It was then I notice that Ryan and the others are standing around me protectively.
"I don't think now is the time." Ryan says coldly, crossing his arms as he glares at SPR.
I look at Ryan. "You guys go ahead I have to do this okay? I love you guys a lot but there is something I need to talk to them about." I give Ryan a brotherly kiss but to everyone in SPR including Naru it looked like something more than a brotherly kiss.
Ryan glares one more time before sighing and reluctantly nodding. Finally he gives in. "Come on, let's go." He tells the others.
They all leave, leaving me alone with the rest of SPR.
This time Monk immediately comes over and gives me a proper hug, crying out in those dramatic tears of his about how much I worried them and how much they missed me.
"I'm sorry guys. I'm really sorry."
"Why did you leave Mai?" Ayako asks, hurt.
I look at Naru before looking down at my hands. "Maybe it's because of the ass over there who broke my heart?"
I miss his flinch since I was looking down.
"I left because of him. I had to...it hurt too much to stay in Japan with everything reminding me of him..." I clench my fists crying. I couldn't I was saying all of this especially in front of Naru, but I needed to. I had to... I had to get the weight I had been carrying for the past three years off my chest. "When I left I was happy that I found something new. New friends, new family. New life. I learned to live with the night terrors and my school life. You know because of him I got into the University here? And because of him I'm still a damn Ghost Hunter." I cry. "I tell myself I hate him every damn day but it was and always will be a damn lie! I still love him! And I always will..."
"Oh Mai..." I hear Ayako say so softly that I could barely make out what she was saying.
"But of course being the narcissist he is," I look at Naru with tears in my eyes. "he will never love me back." I turn around and I get ready to catch up with Ryan and the others but stop when I hear him call my name.
I didn't look back at him, I just wait for him to come to me.
Sure enough I heard him walk up to me. "Mai?"
"What do you want?" I sniffle, trying to wipe all of my tears away.
He hugs me from behind holding me close. "Idiot..."
I stiffen under his touch. Naru's not that big on physical contact, so I've never hugged him or anything before... So why is he hugging me now?
"You know nothing about how I feel..." He whispers in my ear holding me tighter.
"I'm pretty sure I do..." I mumble under my breath. I tried to ignore the butterflies in my stomach and the shiver that went down my spine when he whispered in my ear.
"No you don't." He lets me go and walks back to the rest of the group. I run inside to Ryan and the others wanting to get away from him and everyone else from my past quickly.
"What happened?" Sergey immediately asks when he sees me walk in.
"I don't want to talk about it!" I yell at him.
I don't mean to snap, but I could care less right now. I'm an emotional wreck after seeing him again.
Ryan walks up to me and hugs me.
"He's the one who hurt you isn't he?" He whispers so low in my ear so that I am the only one who can hear him.
I really wasn't even sure if I should tell him that or not.
"You don't need to tell me now that you hesitated. I will kill him." He says through gritted teeth.
I freeze before pushing him away a bit. "Leave them alone." I order. I turn to the others so they can hear me too. "Leave all of them alone, understand?"
They all sigh before nodding.
"Let's just get this case over with then." I said solemnly.
I turn to our lead investigator, waiting for him to tell us what we need to do.
"The clients will be here in a few moments so Sergey and Michelle go ahead and get the camera's and give me and Mai one so we can interview them.
They nod and do as told.
"So what are their names Ry?" I ask him.
"Sam and Dean Collins." He answers, giving me a glance. "They're brothers."
"I can never get a break from knowing brothers..." I mutter lowly before sighing and looking back at Ryan. "If I have dreams about this case I need to share it with you and SPR they know about them all of them do they were the ones that helped me discover my latent psychic abilities..."
Ryan raises a brow but his eyes narrow also. "Why should you have to tell them?" He asks, not all that friendly either.
"Ryan..." I groan. "I've been missing for three years! I owe them something! It's either the dream or I would be forced to move back to Japan...! Do you want me to leave for good?"
He turns his head to the side and glares at nothing. "Of course not." I hear him mumble.
"Then let me share what I see. Please?" I hug him.
Reluctantly, Ryan nods after he gives a sigh. I smile to myself. Sergey and Ryan always give in to me so easily. Well, more than the others do at least. Heather always yells at them for spoiling me so much.
But hey they are guys. I am a girl. To Sergey I am little sister. But to Ryan I think he likes me more than a sister. I wonder if I could ever return his feelings. "Thank you Ryan!" I hug him as Sergey comes back with two cameras.
"Here." He says, handing a camera to each of us. His voice is laced with a hint of annoyance in it. I knew he's probably was upset about what happened with Monk.
I sigh and shake my head. Damn it why does my life have to get complicated now?
I turn as I hear footsteps coming towards us and then I immediately turn back around as Naru comes in with two boys that I assume are the clients.
Naru... Why did he hug me before? I mentally shake my head. Now isn't the time, Mai! Don't you dare blush!
Ryan taps my shoulder. "Mai we need to interview them. So come on."
I nod hastily, gathering myself, before turning back around with a smile on my face.
"Hi I'm Ryan Buell and this is my lead investigator Mai Taniyama."
I notice a look of surprise crosses Naru's face, but I ignore it. "Hi, pleased to meet you." I greet our two clients.
"I'm Dean Collins." The older of the two said.
"And I am Sam Collins." The younger one smiles and takes my hand and kisses it lightly. "It's a pleasure to meet you Mai."
I blink in shock while a blush dusts my cheeks. "A-ah...um..." I stutter, not really knowing what to say.
Dean slaps Sam on the back of the head. "Sammy..." He warns.
"What?" His brother asks somewhat defensively. "I'm just greeting this lovely girl."
"Yes but these men are going to kill you if you keep it up they seem protective of her."
I furrow my brows in confusion at his words. Uncertainly, I look at Ryan and then Naru. Dean was right... They look livid...
I hide a smile. Flirting back with Sam might be fun. It's payback on Naru. But is it worth the expense of hurting Ryan?
Hmm...choices, choices...
I think I will flirt back but innocently I have to let Ryan know this though...
I guess I could just tell him after the interview. I just hope Ryan doesn't get too upset right now.
"It's fine." I smile at Sam. "I don't mind."
"See bro she doesn't mind!" Sam smiles.
"Can we get this interview over with?" Naru and Ryan say in unison glaring at me and Sam.
I bite my lip as I look away innocently.
"Right, of course." Dean agrees, grabbing his brother by the collar of his shirt and dragging him over to the chairs for the interview. We all sit down.
Naru glare at Sam. "So what happens here?"
Heh. Looks like my plan worked.
"Well we have had several accounts here from both patients and guards. One of the accounts is how some patients in the women's ward would suddenly get extremely worse and slowly tortured their victims by driving them even more insane than the previously were before killing them." Dean starts.
"Another account would be how during lights out patients would somehow escape their secured rooms and sneak up on a guard stealing their gun killing the guard then themselves." Sam looks at me and tell me this part of the interview.
"One more account has to be in the male ward every 2 days there will be 2 male patients who kill themselves by strangulation. But the beds are bolted to the floor, and there are no things there that they can strangle themselves with. But the coroner's report says they were strangled by female hands but when we look at the hall security footage there are no female nurses nor guards seen in the male ward at night. It is always male nurses and guards at night in that ward." Dean finishes looking at Naru, me and my camera, and then lastly at Ryan and his camera.
My eyes widen a bit. So many deaths have happened here...
"Unfortunately due to funding we can't close the asylum down so please bear with us and the patients?" Dean asked sincerely.
"Of course, we'll do everything we can to help." Ryan assures while smiling.
Sam smiles at me. "We have room's for all of you too."
"Oh, thank you." I say. I wonder exactly how many rooms they're giving us.
"Let's go Sammy so they can get started it's time for the men's word to have free time in the rec room and outside." Dean says getting up. "And make sure the guards don't have their guns! they just have their batons and pepper spray." We nod in understanding.
"Oh hey Sam before you go here." I give him my prepaid cell number. I had a prepaid because it would be harder for people to track me, a.k.a Naru, then I smile walking back to Ryan.
I feel guilty when I see a look of hurt flash through his eyes, then he looks away from me. I don't think he knows that I suspect he loves me, but still.
"Ryan...can I talk to you? Alone?" I put a hand on his shoulder.
The atmosphere grew a bit colder, and I knew Naru was clearly irritated, but I didn't know why.
I take Ryan's hand and drag him to another part of the room. "Ryan I am doing this to get back at Naru for the pain he put me through..." I whisper to him hugging him so he can hear me.
"I just want you...a-and everyone else know that... I don't really like Sam." I continued.
"You want me?" I stare at him.
"What?" I ask, puzzled by exactly what he meant.
"I just thought you wouldn't want me because you had the other guy...whatever his name is..."
I furrow my brows. What the heck is he talking about?! I told him that I- Wait a second... I said 'I just want you' and then I had paused... I think he took what I said the wrong way. Very wrong. Did he not hear the rest of what I said?!
Ryan sighs turning away. "It doesn't matter anymore..."
"Ryan, what are you talking abo—" I begin before he interrupts me.
"It's nothing..." Ryan said but then he mumbles something,
"What'd you say? I couldn't hear you." I tell him.
He looks back at me and pushes me against the wall. "I love you Mai." He lightly brushes his lips against mine.
I stand there frozen with wide eyes. I made no move to kiss him back though. Part of the reason was because I was still too stunned to do anything and the other part was because I didn't know if I really could love Ryan any more than a brother.
"This was a mistake, a big mistake..." He lets me go and starts walking away.
"W-Wait, Ryan!" I yell after him, snapping out of my shock, but he just seems to be ignoring me.
He keeps walking away walking past Naru with a hurt expression on his face. "Now I know how she felt when you rejected her..."
"Ryan!" I call. I notice Naru turn his gaze towards me after he watches Ryan leave.
"Leave him alone Mai. I'm pretty sure he hate's you now." Naru walks towards me.
Moving my gaze on him, I narrow my eyes in anger.
He glares back at me. "You rejected him. I'd hate yo-"
"What?" I demand. "You'd hate me, too? I guess I should know how that feels though."
"At least I had the audacity to leave you alone. I intended to stay out of your life for good but I guess that plan was ruined by this case and now I have to work with the woman I didn't want to see anymore." He spat.
"Well the feeling is mutual!" I retort. "If you hate me so much then just stay out of my way!"
"I said I would hate you! But I don't! In fact I feel the complete opposite!" He blurted out.
My anger falters a bit and is replaced by confusion. "What? What are you talking about?"
"Nothing...just forget it..." He walks away.
"No!" I demand, running to catch up to him. "I'm sick and tired of people walking away from me all the time! Tell me what you meant."
"You really want to know?"
"Well I wouldn't have asked if I didn't, now would I?" I don't know what I'm doing really... I mean aren't I suppose to be mad at him? Even though I still love him...
"I lo-" He's cut off by Masako's scream.
Instinctively, I run towards to where the scream was heard.
I see Masako being held down by John whose hands were wrapped around her neck.
"John, stop!" I yell, despite knowing it wasn't really John. He'd rather be the one getting hurt instead of someone else.
I see Lin come up behind him and hit a pressure point on the back of his neck making john fall limp. I breath in relief before going to Masako, making sure she was alright. I kneel by her side as she sits up coughing trying to get air back into her lungs.
I pat her back soothingly. "It's alright, just relax."
"Thanks Mai." She says after she calms down.
"Mai! What happened?!" Sergey runs in.
I stand up and turn to him. "John got possessed..." I say, gesturing to the unconscious man lying on the floor. "He tried to strangle Masako..."
Sergey blinked walking over to John. "Does anyone know how to exorcise a spirit?"
I give a weak smile and point to John again. "He's a priest." I knew he wanted a helpful answer, but John did know how...it's just the problem that he was the one possessed. Monk can't do it, I know, so that just leaves Ayako...
"Lin watch him!" I get up and go looking for Ayako.
She had to be close by, especially with Masako just screaming like she did. I bet she's running here now…
"Mai! What happened?! Where is Masako?!" Ayako asked running towards me.
"Masako's fine now. John got possessed, but Lin knocked him unconscious." I relay the information to her.
"I can't do the exorcisms on people Mai! I only do it on objects and places only! People are out of my league!"
I bite my lip.
I sigh and turn around. "Grab John's bible and holy water and follow me..." I really didn't want to show anyone what I learned to do over the last few years but I have no choice. John's in trouble and I have to help him.
Ayako does as I ask giving me a puzzled look. When we arrive back to where John and Masako are, I notice that everyone from both teams are there...except Ryan.
"Where is Ry?" I ask Sergey.
"He decided to stay at base." He answers with a slight shrug, indicating he didn't really know why.
But I knew. I knew why and it is all my fault.
"Let's do this..." I get started on the exorcism amazing both teams
I try not to smile at the looks on their faces.
Naru pulls me aside. "When did you learn to do that?"
"I started practicing a few months after I got here." I reply honestly.
Naru's expression softens a bit. "I'm proud of you Mai. Really proud."
I was a little taken aback at that. A blush couldn't help but make its way on my face though.
"And Mai? Do you still want to know what I meant about earlier?"
I give a quick glance to the others to see that they really weren't paying that much attention to us. Flicking my gaze back on to Naru, I give a small nod.
He leans in close to my ear whispering three little words that make me blush and my heart skips a beat."I love you."
He leans back with a slight blush crawling across his cheeks.
Wait...WHAT?!
Me: ...
Naruisawesome: Casey?*waves a hand in front of my face*
Me: ...
Naruisawesome: Please review and help Casey get her spirit back?
Me: ...