"Why is there banana on the doorknob?" Two tall men stood in the tiny door way. All of us just sat in shock. The seventeen year old just stared back as he wiped the banana mush of his long slender fingers. "I see the tea is ready," he bent down to serve himself.

"Here," Masako swiftly grabbed an extra cup and filled it. "I hope it is to your liking," she said from behind her kimono sleeve. He merely glanced at her and nodded. ...Wait. I made that tea! Shouldn't I be the one getting the acknowledgement? Masako simply smiled back at Naru. Grrr... I just want to-

"Hey Naru buddy!" Monk slung an arm around Naru. "How've you been? Find any pretty girls yet?" Monk chuckled but, Naru simply sighed and removed Monk's arm.

"I did not invite all of you here to play. I'm here to work and I expect nothing less than perfect. We start as soon as possible. Please gather your things in the car." He got up and began walking to his office.

"Thats it?" Ayako stood up. "You haven't seen us in like a year and you have the nerve to talk to us like we are just going to go along with anything you say?" Naru flippantly glanced over his shoulder.

"You mean you don't want to go?" He paused and watched the mahogany haired woman. "We already have a priest and monk, we should do fine without you."

"That's not what I meant," she growled through her teeth. The couch started to wiggle as Monk tried not to laugh. "At least we were on time," she muttered under her breath.

"No, I was on time. I just told all of you an earlier time so everyone would be here when I got here." With that he turned around and, followed by Lin, went into his office. Everyone looked around at each other, not sure what to do.

"Well," Monk stood up, "My stuff is back at my hotel. See you guys around."

"I have to gather my stuff as well," Masako stood up and brushed her black hair over her ear.

"You guys are really going to just blindly follow him without even knowing what the case is," Ayako huffed. Masako nodded as if it was the simplest idea ever.

"I already flew in and I have nothing better to do," Monk said matter-of-factly.

"Why not," John grinned. "It'll be fun to have the group back together again."

"And if it has interested Naru it has to be interesting," I added I glanced back at my bags, thankful I had thought ahead.

"See ya guys in a few," Monk causally strolled out of the door. Masako and John also said their goodbyes and left. I stared at Ayako waiting to see what she was going to do. She glared back at me.

"Fine! I'll go!" She promptly left without another word. I sat in awe at the turn of events. This had been just like one of my dreams and it was real. I felt my dopey grin spread my face. I hadn't smiled like this in ages and it wasn't going to end. I couldn't believe we were on a case again! I threw myself back into the cushions of the couch.

"Mai." My eye's flew open to see Naru staring down at me. I blushed and jumped up into a sitting position. Is he going to talk about what happened? I winced inside while I panicked. "Mai," he continued in an uninterested tone. "I did not hire you to absent-mindly sit on the couch. Tea, now." He returned back to his office.

… I can't believe it! He hasn't seen in twleve months and all he does is demand for tea? Does he even remember about our last conversation? The one that left me in tears? That's Naru for you! That stupid jerk only cares about himself. If he is going to act like it never happened, so will I!

I laughed at my genius plan until he called for tea again. Muttering to myself, I grabbed the platter. I stormed into his office without even glancing at him. I hurriedly began pouring him another cup. I felt my eyes wanting to drift up to him. No! No way I was giving him any satifaction. I tried to distract myself by staring at Lin. Or Lin's back as it was, he was already typing away at his small, back laptop that never left his side. I sighed and without noticing my eyes drifted to Naru's perfect, yes perfect, face. The way his dark hair zagged and zigged across his unblemished forehead. His dark eye's contemplating the new mystery that awaited us. His eyelashes casted a shadow across his pale cheeks. His mouth was set in a permanent line, not frowning or smiling. Mai! Get ahold of your self! Teach this jerk a lesson! Ignore him! I was mentally beating my self up again. At this rate I would have to go to the hospital for brain damage.

"Mai," he said slightly frusrated. I glanced back up at him to see his dark eyes penetrating my concentration. "I think I have enough tea now." I looked back down and finally noticed the puddle forming around his china cup. He picked up his papers as the tea river flowed over his desk. He gave me an expectant look. I turned five different shades of red as a grabbed a near by towel. I began mopping up the brown liquid in silent embarrassment. I could feel him watching me and made a curtain with my hair hoping for more privacy. I finished and turned to leave.

"Mai." Chills went down my spine whenever he said my name. I saw his lips part as he thought of what to say next. "Glad to see a year away hasn't made you any less absent minded." He looked back down at his work. "Be ready in one hour." I nodded even though I knew he wasn't looking back at me.

I stumbled out of the office unable to speak. I sat down and put my head on my hands. I couldn't keep my thoughts in order. He was a jerk calling me absent-minded, but... My face exploded with new color as I thought about it. When he said it, he smiled. It was a small smile, but he smiled! I felt my heart race as I relived the moment. I didn't even care how stupid I was acting. He smiled! At me! Sure it wasn't a smile like Gene's where made his whole face seem softer looking and caring. It was small and almost unnoticeable. But it was there, it was directed at me, and it had a certain warmth hidden under it. It was completely Naru's type of smile, but somewhere hidden in my fangirling, I had decided it was mine. I reclined on the couch and fell into one of the best sleeps I had in what seemed like forever.

b=3=b

"Hey Mai," someone gently shook me. "C'mon sleeping buety, rise 'n shine." I peeked one eye open to see Monk's huge grin. "Falling asleep on the job again, are we?"

"Naru gave me an hour break," I groaned as I shove him off of me. I looked around and noticed everyone else had arrived, too.

"You slept for about an hour and a half," Naru said plainly. His mouth was set in a firm line again, much to my displeasure.

"Why didn't you wake me," I wiped a piece of banana away, it must've gotten on me from the couch.

"It's fine," Monk said. "Someone," he enunciated the word, "Didn't show up until just now."

"Well sorry," Ayako said in her usual tone. "I had to lug all of my bags down here because someone," she too enunciated the word, "Wouldn't help me with my bags."

"Well someone," enunciated yet again, "Should pack lighter."

"That is none of your business! I should-"

"That's enough," Naru broke up the fight. "Before we leave," he began handing out manila folders to everyone. I looked off of Monk's. "I want to show everyone what we are going up against." An old Victorian house? Great, those are never creepy. "This is the Ito residence. They have been complaining of many different occurrences. Possessions, furniture moved in unexplainable ways, voices are being heard, their two children keep seeing 'people.'"

"Talk about creepy," Ayako shuddered. "Are you sure its true."

"I've had personal contact with the family," Naru said. We all glanced at each other. Here we were again, about to shove off onto another adventure.

"Well come on!" I could feel myself getting excited. "How long does it take to get there?"

"Roughly ten hours." Naru left while the rest of us groaned. "Mai, ride in the van with Lin and I. Monk can you still fit the four of you in your car?"

"Maybe if we leave Ayako's ego behind." Fists swiftly rained down upon him in a relentless fury.

"Um, a friend has lent me an old truck of his," John quietly said.

"Fine. Who do want to ride with you?" Did Naru even have to ask. I watched John cautiously look past the fighting couple and at the quiet spirit medium. She didn't seem any more pleased at riding with the miko or monk so she gave him a small smile.

"Darn! Am I really stuck with this pig?" Another fist. Naru stepped in front of them before it got out of hand.

"I think it best to leave now." With that, everyone departed to their assigned car. I climbed into the van. Lin sat in the drivers seat with a huge thermostat I could only guess held coffee. Naru climbed in and sat next to me. I glanced out the window... Huh? Naru sat next to me? I whipped around, my mouth in an "O" shape.

"Hm," he glanced back up at me. "I can sit where I want to." The van lurched as it crawled.

"Whoo!" Monk's voice came out as static over the walkie talkie. "On the road again."

"May we have a prosperous outcome," Masako's hushed voice said.

"Work related comments only," Naru, the kill joy, said.

"Party pooper," Ayako chided before the walkie talkie fell silent again.

b=3=b

Well, I hope I can still update regularly like this, but school starts tomorrow! D: Hope this chapter helps start the plot... I know a haunted house sounds cliché, but I hope to make it unique as the story continues. I think the next chapter will be from Naru's view, so... Comment (Thank you everyone who has already, its so awesome that people already like it! And thank you Fly Away! I always hate it when characters get too unbelievable. If something seems too OOC, please comment!)