The Answer is No

Yasu heard movement in the kitchen. Since Mai finished the last of the requirements for her doctorate a few weeks ago, she was up early every morning making breakfast. It was her way of thanking him for helping her. Some days he just wished she'd sleep in again. He liked it when she wandered through the apartment in a half-asleep state in her pajamas. He had tried to hint at a relationship between them, but Mai was oblivious or didn't have the same feelings he did. After the first year of living together, he had let it go and started dating.

"Yasu, it's time to get up," Mai called from the kitchen. Yasu pulled the covers over his head. It was his first day off in weeks. He had a lot of accrued vacation time, so they were taking a long weekend. A soft knock echoed through his room. When he didn't answer, she opened the door.

"If you still want to visit your parents, pick up some new shoes and all those other things you made me write out for our "to do" list yesterday, you need to get up," Mai said, opening the drapes to let the sunshine in.

"When did you become the happy person in the morning?" Yasu moaned.

"When I found out that it irritates you as much as your flirting does me," Mai laughed, spinning back toward the door, her short, bright skirt flowing around her thighs. He peeked out from under the covers to watch her. She closed the door as she left the room. She missed the evil smirk on Yasu's face as he jumped out of bed.

"Oh, Mai-chan," Yasu yelled as he quickly got dressed. "I have a few more things to add to our list."

- x X x -

Mai didn't have the energy to glare at Yasu. She was more tired than she thought possible. It reminded her of the long nights when they were ghost hunting. Mai pushed the thought aside. It was a lifetime ago. She was no longer that small, uncoordinated girl that broke a company camera and hurt one of the employees. Mai gave up using names of any of the past members of SPR. When the memories came, she would think of them by what they did. It helped her distance herself from them. She sighed and glanced at the mirrored wall behind Yasu's head. She could see the crowded tea room in the reflection as the wait staff hurried to take care of their customers.

"I do like your new hairstyle," Yasu said as he looked at Mai's new look. Her shoulder length dark hair now featured red streaks going down it and bangs long enough for her to look through. "I'm not too sure how professional it looks, though."

"I'm working with kids, Yasu. I don't want them to see me as some stuck-up, unapproachable adult who isn't going to listen to a thing they say."

"So, instead you choose to look like a Goth high schooler?" Yasu laughed. "Even the clothes you picked out fit that look. A little more professional, but I could really get into having a Goth girlfriend." Yasu wiggled his eyebrows as Mai laughed.

"I don't really care what you say, I like it." Mai smiled. "I'm old enough to choose how I look and let that reflect who I am. Perhaps I should recommend the Goth look to Hatomi." Yasu smiled at the mention of his latest girlfriend.

"So, how is the new job going, Dr. Taniyama?" Yasu asked, trying to sound serious.

"Just fine, Mr. Yasuhara. It seems the kids like me a lot better than my predecessor. I just need to get the administration head to stop looking at me like he wants to eat me." Mai frowned.

"My offer still stands. I can come in and play the loving boyfriend." Yasu took a sip of his tea.

"I may end up taking you up on that offer if things don't improve in the next week or two," Mai nodded as a quizzical look came over her face. "However . . . Yasu, do you feel something . . . familiar?"

"You mean sitting in our favorite tea house, in our favorite spot, with our favorite tea? No, nothing familiar at all." Yasu teased her as he sipped his tea.

"That's not what I meant," Mai said as her head turned quickly to follow a small streak of light as it moved around the room and headed back toward the entrance of the tea house. Mai stared at the area and Yasu shifted in his seat to see what Mai was staring at.

Mai's face paled as she recognized two people walking into the small restaurant. Naru and Lin silently followed the hostess to a table on the other side of the restaurant. They were both older, but there was no mistaking the pair.

"Did you know they were back?" Mai whispered.

"No. I wonder why they're here. This is quite a distance from the SPR offices. Perhaps they're on a case." Mai shrugged and quickly finished her tea.

"I'm ready to go, Yasu. I want to go home."

"Mai, it would be rude not to say something to them."

"Then I'm rude. I don't want to see them again."

"So, your days of ghost hunting are over?" Yasu asked as he finished his tea. He watched his companion over the edge of his teacup.

"Yes. With working at the hospital and helping Koriko with her special orphans not to mention my own training, I don't have time to play that narcissist's games."

"Well, I can't be that rude." Yasu put his teacup on the table.

"Then you can go say something to them. I'll meet you outside when you're done." Mai started collecting bags. Yasu grabbed a few and headed toward their table. When Mai saw that he had their undivided attention, she fled the restaurant.

- x X x -

"Welcome back to Japan," Yasu said, bowing slightly. "It's good to see you again Dr. Davis, Lin-san." Two heads moved swiftly in his direction. Yasu could see Mai escaping the restaurant. Coward, he thought to himself.

"Thank you," Lin replied, glancing at Naru who was still staring at Yasu.

"So, why are you here? After all, the SPR offices are quite a bit away. On a case?"

"We came looking for you, Yasuhara-san. You weren't at your apartment, however." Naru said sharply, his eyes cold on Yasu's face. "We are re-opening SPR and looking to see if we can get everyone back."

"I don't think that will work," Yasu said, allowing himself to look sad over the news. "I haven't heard from the rest of SPR. In fact, you're the first ones I've seen in years."

"We've already gotten everyone to agree to meeting next Monday . . . well everyone except you and . . . Mai," Naru hesitated over the name of his previous assistant. "Would you at least agree to come Monday morning at 9 AM?"

"Of course, I wouldn't miss it for anything," Yasu agreed.

"Excuse me, Yasuhara-san," Lin interrupted. "Your girlfriend looks impatient outside." He nodded toward the large windows where Yasu could see Mai's back as she angrily shifted from one side to the other. He held back a laugh. Mai changed, but surely not that much that the two of them couldn't recognize her. Suddenly a voice spoke in his head, Are you done yet? I'm sure the narcissist wants his tea more than he wants to talk.

"You are quite right. It's been a long day and we need to get back home. I will see you Monday," Yasu smiled, bowed slightly and quickly left.

Naru stared at Yasu's girlfriend, trying to figure out why something about her seemed familiar.

- x X x -

"No."

"But, Mai . . ."

"No, Yasu. I will not go back to SPR."

"Mai, they're your family. You said so yourself."

"Family helps you, they don't abandon you. There is only one person from SPR that I consider family." Mai stared at Yasuhara.

"What am I to tell them when they ask about you?"

"You are the master of deception and lies when you want to be. Be yourself. You haven't seen me. You don't know where I am. If they want to find out about me, they can. I'm guessing they care just as little now as they did when SPR disbanded." Mai glared at Yasu. Yasu nodded. He knew how stubborn Mai could be when she wanted to be. If he was to get her back with her family, he would have to have a plan. He also needed to stay away from her while he was figuring it out and executing it. If she suspected anything, she'd start to telepathically eavesdrop on him.

- x X x -

Yasu stood outside the SPR door. It looked the same as the last time he was here. In his head, he could still see Mai in her black smart suit for work this morning . . . a little less formal than he thought she should be, but she did work with children who she needed to connect with. He tried to bring up SPR, but she immediately left the apartment, slamming the door behind her.

Sighing, he opened the door to be greeted by chaos. Mai should be here, he thought as he looked around. Naru looked annoyed. Lin sat at Mai's old desk with his computer working and ignoring everyone. The other four were catching up on their lives since they separated.

"Well, it seems we have one more," Ayako said, smiling at Yasu. She stood up and gave him a quick hug. "How have you been, Yasu?"

"Great," Yasu smiled. "How about you?"

"Desperately needing a break from the hospital," Ayako sighed. "I didn't realize how much time I was putting in until Naru and Lin showed up to ask me to stop by today."

"Have you seen Mai?" Monk asked, ignoring the niceties.

"No. Why? Wasn't she invited?" Yasu feigned ignorance, chuckling on the inside. "Did she do something to upset Naru again?" Monk shook his head.

"It seems Mai is the only one they couldn't find," John said, nodding his head at where the two stoic men sat. "Lin has started from the day SPR disbanded to find out what happened to her."

"I'm sure she's fine," Masako said. "She'll turn up when we don't want her to and she'll break something or hurt herself like always." Yasu stopped himself from glaring at the medium. Unlike the rest of them, he kept track of everyone after Mai's hospital trip. He knew that Mai was the only one who worked on her powers while SPR was disbanded. She was more powerful than the four sitting in front of him . . . perhaps even more than Naru and Lin.

"Naru, I found something," Lin said, frowning. He looked at the screen, quickly covering up a shocked look, but his face remained pale.

"Well, we don't have all day." Naru snapped.

"Taniyama-san is dead." Lin said, looking up at his friend.

- x X x -

Yasu's face reflected the shock on everyone else's. While theirs was shock that Mai was dead, his was because Lin stopped researching after seeing that Mai died. But she came back, Yasu felt like yelling at Lin, keep looking.

Lin shut the laptop case and studied the top of it. He didn't know what to say. Of all the people Naru wanted working with him again, Mai was the only one he mentioned over the years. He knew this was going to be bad.

Lin looked up as Naru closed the door to his office behind him. He knew he needed to wait until Naru got his emotions under control. He could already feel Naru starting to lose it.

"How did she die?" John asked, looking at Lin.

"Someone broke into her home and killed her," Lin said.

"Why would anyone break into Mai's apartment?" Ayako yelled, jumping to her feet. "She didn't own much of anything. Everyone loved her."

"They don't know. The case is still open," Lin stated.

"I want to see what you found," Monk said, his hands fisted at his sides.

"No, you don't. I wish I hadn't seen the pictures." Lin sighed. He knew the image of Mai's broken body from the police files on the floor of her bathroom would haunt him for the rest of his life. No one else needed to see that.

"What are we going to do?" Masako asked no one in particular.

"We continue on . . . in Mai's name," Monk stated. "And we find out who did this to her since the police are incompetent."

- x X x -

Naru looked at the wall, uncertain of how he managed to get into his office. He was sitting listening to the inane chattering of his soon-to-be employees when Lin announced that one wasn't coming back. She couldn't come back.

Mai was dead.

Naru didn't know what to think. Was she dead because he wasn't here to protect her? How many times had he saved her? And he failed her.

He felt empty inside. She'd never make him tea again. She'd never argue with him again. He wouldn't get to see her in those short skirts. Worse, all those fantasies he enjoyed of her . . . of them . . . would never come true. They would never be together.

This was his great plan. Get everyone together. Then, push to get Mai to see him as the twin she loved, not Gene. Show her how he changed, how much he wanted her.

Now, he'd never get his chance.

Naru felt despair wash over him and didn't notice items in his office start to float.