Ding ding ding! John's greatest fear is needles. This is established in 'Plain,' the second book of this little series of mine. Here's one chapter, served with a side of fries.

Chapter 6

Since you probably get the essential idea that I was a traumatized emotional wreck at this point, I'll fast forward to after I got properly dressed out of my new unwanted booty shorts (they were more like panty covers at that point, butt cheek hanging out and all, poor John), got my lip to stop bleeding, and returned to base. I was less than thrilled to find curtains closed, the lights on, and the fancy ornate wall cloak pointing out 9:45.

The whole team sat at the couches chatting to one another. I couldn't look at Masako. I didn't want to know what she thought when she looked at Naru and knew the bruises around his neck and his bloodshot eyes were because of me.

Trying to be as inconspicuous as possible, I edged the wall like a mouse and made my way to Naru's side at his laptop.

"I can't believe your hands are that strong," he said conversationally.

"They aren't," I said. I went to say 'that was all her,' but I didn't really feel like talking. What I felt like was going home and curling up in my bed forever. Or murdering someone that was already dead. Seriously, I didn't care what stupid little vendetta she had to stop her from crossing over, possessing me to strangle my fiancé? So not fly. That's murdering material right there.

"Are you sure Mai should be allowed so close to him?"

I froze. Masako. Oh Masako Masako, why'd you have to say something that's probably right?

"We're at base. Naru had the kakai barrier set up, remember?" said Takigawa with an undertone of warning. John had probably told him the horrors of an erupting Mount Mai.

"I'm not sure I'm confident in her ability to set up such a barrier."

Ayako let out a noise of frustration. "Don't you go starting with that attitude, I saved you're sorry ass before, remember?"

"Three years ago. Have you been useful since then?"

"Of course I have! You've just been too busy being the star to come to cases anymore."

"Oh sad, I have a job. I'd think being a doctor would keep one more busy, or are you inept there too?"

"Okay, what is your problem?" asked Takigawa, which was saying something as the men generally headed for the hills whenever anything like a fight picked up between the women.

"All I said was that I don't like the idea of letting Mai be around Naru after almost strangling him to death. Sounds perfectly reasonable to me—"

I stood up. "Don't bother, I'm leaving."

Takigawa stood up from the couch at the same time as John. "No! It's not safe—"

"That's right." Some of the fury from the hour before leaked back into my tone. "It's not safe. I'm wearing John's crucifix, so unless this chick has a messed up medium formula like the hospital ghost, I think I'm good. Good night."

"Mai!"

"Shut it, Monk, I don't want to hear it."

It wasn't till I was half way to my room that I realized why I felt hurt. Naru hadn't bothered to stop me. He hadn't even looked up from his computer. Did that mean he held it against me…? Was he perhaps…afraid of me?

The door to my luxurious room snapped closed behind me, and the empty space gaped wide. I hugged myself tighter and tighter until every joint in my arms and hands popped.

Hell, I was afraid of me.

I couldn't see how I could sleep, so I dug out my extra large T-shirt from the dirty laundry (stupid ghost had to ruin my favorite pajama pants—why?), some clean underwear, and left them on the counter for when I had finished drowning myself in a hot shower.

The Peninsula's bathrooms were legit. The shower was this white, glass and brass gleaming thing with two showerheads spraying towards each other, so you got double the power. If there was ever the shower that could drown a person, this was the one. I almost gleefully tried to see how long I could keep my face up towards the spray.

A long time passed where I did some crying and a good deal of staring into space, numb, besides the occasional ferocious need to cling to Naru and never let go, but then that led back to how the tendons of his neck had felt strained against my cramped fingers. I could even remember his fluttering heartbeat against my skin.

Face up. Time for another drowning go. Bothering with making hydrogen sulfide to commit suicide seemed such a waste. The old guy should have just drowned himself. Stupid survival instincts.

Eventually I figured I was done with my suicide attempts and feeling sorry for myself (never-ending hot water, God really did exist), I got out, slathered myself with some of that awesome complimentary, five star spa lotion, blow dried my hair (just to kill time and to make me even more sleepy), and left. I managed to read a turquoise 1:20am on the fancy digital alarm clock before the light from the bathroom revealed that my bed was occupied.

First, I took the moment to drop my head back and 'ugh.'

"Please let this not be more ghost crap so soon."

Though I remembered closing my door. So unless Naru, who had the master key, had returned and somehow thought a good way of getting back at me/comforting me/seducing me ahead of time was to sneak into my room and curl up in bed, he had another thing coming.

Grabbing one of the heavenly pillows I had thrown around in a fit of boredom, I made my way to the side of the bed and peered down into the fluff of pillows. I saw blond. Then freckles.

"…John?"

He didn't move. If it weren't for his steady breathing, I would have thought him dead, but he was just asleep.

Putting down my weapon of mass destruction, I crawled onto the bed to shake his shoulder. "John, what are you doing here?"

John gave a sleepy, non-ghosty-possession sounding grunt and rolled back, resting an arm on his head. For a second he just blinked blearily at me. Then he gave a little sigh.

"Oh…this dream again." And before I could tell him 'what the fluff,' the arm on his forehead yanked on one of the arms I had been using to support me with surprising strength. Next thing I knew I had a face full of John's chest and his arms tight around me. I gave a little cry of protest, but a mouth full of John chest can be…holy crap, he wasn't wearing a shirt. Good Lord, were those pecs? Like…pec pecs? Not a body builder, but still-

"I'll get up for work in a minute," he grumbled.

I squirmed enough to release my face just to get it nuzzled by said priest. Whatever I meant to say turned into a squished squeak as my bare legs realized that John's were hairy, and that that squishy thing was—

"OH MY GOD!"

John didn't have a choice. I flew the coop. Possession was one thing, failing to commit suicide by drowning in the shower was another thing, celibate-sworn naked John Brown in my bed was entirely another.

John sat up to look expectantly surprised at my outburst. Then, he looked down at himself, now only graciously covered by a sheet, and then back up at me. And the hotel room.

The blood drained so quickly from his face he actually wobbled, as though ready to faint.

"Excuse me." He turned from me, slung his legs over the side, then registered he was naked.

Oh no, oh no, I could see his back, his butt—

I slapped my hands over my eyes. Hard. It hurt.

"Wh-wh-what are you doing in here?"

"Mai, I swear to the Lord Himself, I don't have a clue—I am so sorry, I just—Oh God Almighty."

I turned and let my eyes down long enough to find one of those fluffy robes that were also complimentary to the room and flung it behind me, hoping it got near enough.

It must have, for I heard a quiet, "Thanks."

Then the only thing that could have made this situation worse occurred.

A knock came at the door.

I moved to it mechanically, half planning to squeeze out and book it once I shook off whoever it was.

Naru stood in the doorway in his usual black shirt and slacks, eyes still bloodshot, serious as ever and not looking sleepy at all—because did he ever?

"You're camera stopped working," he said. "I need to check it."

"Uh, now might not be the time—"

That must have put off all his triggers, for he pushed past me and into the room. I launched towards one of his arms, just realizing it might make me look even more guilty, but the damage had already been done.

Naru stared at the half covered John, who rushed to tie up the robe.

"Naru," started John weakly. "I can explain."

Naru was very still in my grip. I thought I could hear my world starting to crash.

"This isn't what it looks like, Naru!" I squeaked, trying to control the panic running away with my voice.

Carefully, but with a strength that denied resistance, Naru pried my fingers from his arm and stepped back into the hallway. I couldn't make out what he was thinking, his expression had frozen in place. I stumbled after him, forgetting all I wore were panties and an extra large T-shirt. I had never been one for flaunting too much skin.

"Naru!"

"Leave me alone."

"No! You're misunderstanding! I would never—John doesn't even remember how he got in there—Ayako and Takigawa—"

"I said leave me alone!"

That worked as effectively on me as throwing a cement wall in my path. Naru didn't yell at me. His voice might rise a little when he was worried or angered, but it never reached the point of a shout. He thought himself above that, and when you worked as logically as he did, shouting didn't get you anywhere. And when we were fighting? That was funny right there. Like he'd ever have to yell at me to put me in my place. I was the one who yelled.

Thus, in my injured shock, I couldn't stop him from vanishing into his room and locking the door, forgetting entirely about his duty to watch the monitors at base.

My knees buckled.

"Mai?"

John was at my side in an instant, his hands fluttering over my shoulders before finally deciding to take them gingerly, comforting.

"Mai, I am so sorry, I'll explain to him, I'll make this all right again, you have my word."

I sniffed. Hard. "John?" His name was a mewl.

"Yes?"

I tipped my head back onto my shoulders and sobbed so hard it was almost a wail.