I am glad that it wasn't three chapter but here is the second part of the dinner scene. I hope this answer some questions and leaves a few more for you to ponder. Thanks for the reviews and I hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the original characters.
"Mai!"
Kai had pulled away from the group and now stood on the smooth stone bridge alone. Mai glanced to Naru and shrugged before leaving him behind by the pond's edge.
Kai was waiting patiently in the middle of the bridge. As Mai drew closer a smile broke out on his face. "Hello."
"Hello again." Mai replied. "What are you up to?"
Kai shrugged and then quickly grabbed her hand. He guided her to the edge of the bridge and peered down. Mai waited for him to speak but he remained silent. She looked at the young boy and wondered at his behavior. "This is probably my favorite place so far." Mai whispered hoping Kai might speak but he kept his silence. So, slowly Mai crouched down and peered into the water. She watched as an occasional koi fish swam into view.
"Do you have any kids?"
The question was so innocent and random. Mai looked up to the boy and chuckled. "Uh, no I don't have any kids but I do work with them. You remember, at the church."
Kai nodded. Then in the softest voice he said. "He said you would be a good mother."
The same sinking feeling came back. Mai wasn't even sure she heard him right at first but her gut told her she did. Taking a deep breath she asked. "Who said I would be Kai?" However, his lips remained sealed. Mai squeezed his tiny little hand.
"Mai." Naru called. "We are heading back."
Mai whipped her head around. When did he… She wondered. However, she didn't have time as Kai yanked his hand out of her grasp and crossed back to the group. Mai watched as they left. I beginning to get the feeling that they want us to be alone. However, alas there was no time to wonder or they would be left behind.
Naru waited as she stood up and together they slowly walked across the bridge. Mai became lost in thought, thinking back to Kai. It's the only explanation. She quickly glanced to the man beside her. She wanted to ask but fear held her back. The walked in silence for a few more steps before Naru spoke.
"Mai, just say it."
Mai once again looked at him. "What makes you think I have anything to say?"
Naru tilted his head, just enough to see her out of the corner of his eye. "You still express everything on your face."
"Oh."
"Mai, just say it." Naru said once again, this time with a bit more annoyance.
"He's psychic isn't he?" Mai finally asked the question.
"What did he say this time?" It wasn't the reply Mai was hoping for but it was a reply nonetheless.
"His exact words were 'He said you would be a good mother.' I tried to ask him who but he shut down."
Naru didn't reply at first. Mai could see that he was deep in thought. It was a look Mai was quite familiar with.
"We aren't exactly sure what his true abilities are, only that he posses them. Every attempt to test him has failed. He refuses to cooperate with us." Naru spoke plainly.
"What does his mother think about all of this?" Mai didn't want to look at him but a part of her needed to know. She peeked up at him, expecting him to be calculating his next answer but instead Mai thought she grew a second head with the look Naru was giving her.
"Why would I care what she thought?"
Mai couldn't believe it. "How can you not? She is his mother!" She retorted.
"Mai, her opinion is of no consequence in this matter, neither is the father."
Wait. What?
Mai was so confused now and it must have been evident because when Naru glanced over it was as if a light bulb went off. "Mai…you didn't actually think that I was…" His voice dropped and in disbelief he shook his head. "Mai, I adopted Kai two years ago from an orphanage in London."
The idea had never occurred to her. She had just assumed. "Well how the hell was I suppose to know?!"
"Mai we look nothing alike."
"I assumed he took after his mother. God know he acts like you and with the psychic powers it only seemed to make more sense. So excuse me for trying to use your fancy deductive reasoning."
"Your intelligence astounds me."
Once again without thinking, Mai smacked him across the shoulder.
"Mai." Naru growled.
"Don't even. You earned both of those." Mai snapped back but he only rolled his eyes at her. They remained silent for a moment before Mai asked another question that burned in her mind. "Speaking of psychic powers, how are yours doing? You're not pushing yourself to hard, are you Naru?"
"You shouldn't worry about silly things." He replied.
I can't help it. She thought to herself but couldn't bring herself to say.
"What about your self? Do you still have those dreams?" Naru asked. Mai shook her head. "No. After you left…everything sort of just faded. The dreams, the projections, the intuition. I don't really get psychic feelings anymore." Mai spouted the words like a well rehearsed line.
"Liar!"
The whispered cut through Mai like a knife. Her insides turned to ice as the word echoed through her mind. She glanced to see if Naru heard it but he continued forward as if nothing had occurred.
"I am sorry to hear that."
Mai quickly pulled herself together, trying not to give herself away. "Don't be. It is nice not having to experience that part of ghost hunting anymore." But even as she spoke the icy feeling didn't fade. "We should hurry up or they might leave us behind."
"I doubt it." Naru replied but Mai didn't have the heart to answer back.
As they made their way back, they came across the group standing in the parking lot. "There you two are!" Madoka called out. Mai tried her best to smile back but it was proving rather difficult. As they reached them, Luella was making plans for Lin to follow behind them to the restaurant and then just as quickly they separated to their respective vehicles.
The drive wasn't a long one, but for Mai it was once again a quiet one. In the back seat she sat thinking about the voice. Over and over the word replayed in her mind. However, it all seemed to fade as the arrived at their new destination. The stone walls, the wood accents, and strings of lights. Mai had never seen such a fancy restaurant. Madoka told her that it was designed with a Mediterranean feel in mind and as Mai expected, the inside matched the grandeur of the outside. Tables were spread throughout the ball room covering in white linens and decorated with small ornate pieces with a candle in the center. It was stunning.
They quickly shown to their table and shortly after had their orders place. Mai reached for her clear crystal glass of water as she listened to the topics of conversations. Once again she found herself beside Naru but thankfully Masako was next to her as well. Kai on the other hand took the seat across from her. Mai kept her eye on the young boy, even as their meals were served, and she thought back to Naru's words earlier.
Adopted huh? She wondered what Kai's life was like before Naru. Then quickly glancing at Naru she thought back to the small picture sitting on her desk next to laptop. What had it been like for both of you?
"…we will be returning by the end of the week. I would have preferred sooner but with between Noll's and my lectures we will just have to wait." Martin said.
Mai looked over to the older man. She hated to admit it but she had gotten too lost in thought to know what was going on, however by the sound of it they had a new case.
"What are the complaints?" Masako inquired.
"Well it is rather interesting actually. The theatre as I told you has quite a history between it burning down and the few stages death that had occurred over the years, so naturally the owner has had problems with sightings, touching, and disembodied voices. However, he has trouble keeping what few employees he does have and as such has contacted other groups. He claims that the theatre has been cleansed at least twice now but the problem keeps coming back." Martin explained with child like enthusiasm.
"Really?! How odd." Masako replied. She thought for a moment before turning to her friend. "Mai what do you think?"
Mai recoiled as the spotlight had been turned on her. She tried to shrink away from it and decline but she wasn't lucky enough.
"Yes, what is opinion of all of it?" Madoka asked.
Mai's eyes scanned across the table, seeing all the interested glances now directly on her. Martin especially was curious. "I…" She tried once again to refute.
"Mai."
Every single time he said her name she felt powerless to resist. Even as the interested glances changed to those of curious ones, wondering why Naru was now speaking so informally with her, Mai couldn't resist. Maybe it was just habit from brief time working underneath him. Mai internally grimaced.
What did they cleanse?
It was the first thought that popped into her. Her intuition screaming to know to the answer. "I would ask where they cleansed?"
Martin gazed remained firm on her but his eyes burned with curiosity. "What do you mean?" Mai instantly knew, without any reason, that this question would be a dangerous one. She needed to back out.
"Nothing, just a silly thought that is all." She smiled softly hoping that they would drop it all together but once again she was not so lucky.
"Mai." His voice was like ice against her skin. Mai knew he wasn't about to let her dropped it but that wouldn't stop her from trying.
"What?" Mai asked, playing dumb to his sharp, knowing gaze. She switched back to Japanese without any thought and Naru follow suit.
"Don't play coy Mai. Speak your mind." Naru hissed but Mai wasn't about to surrender to him. "I did. It was just a silly thought. Let it go." Mai retorted but Naru knew her too well. "I am aware of your silly thoughts which is why you should finish it." Naru growled.
"You don't know anything Naru!" She snapped.
The silent gasp echoed from every person at the table. No one spoke. No one moved. Mai wondered when the last time someone other than Madoka or Lin had yelled at Naru because the feeling surrounding her told her never. They waited to see how this would play out and Mai didn't need to look to know that at this point every curious gaze was on them.
Shit! She thought. She turned away from Naru. Closing her eyes she took a deep breath. There was no other option. "It's not like a cage. Rooms, walls, floors, ceilings, they mean nothing to spirits. They can follow you around a location and if you are unlucky enough they can follow you out of one. The only prison they experience is the one of their own making or a curse." Mai paused and looked to the older man. "I don't know much about the layout of a theatre but usually they have hidden places, secret passages and what not. Cleansing only the main part of the theatre would be useless if the original site is elsewhere."
"You sound like you have first hand experience Miss Taniyama?" Martin questioned.
"I use to once." Mai spoke plainly but even as she spoke memories began to race through her mind. She didn't want to remember, not now. Her hand grasped at the black fabric against her thigh, trembling silently.
"Liar!"
"Once?"
"It was a long time ago but I could astral project. Sometimes I stayed here and other times I went the spiritual plane." Mai replied barely. The memories began to flash quicker through her mind.
"How does it feel to lie over and over?!"
"Amazing!" Martin exclaimed.
"Really?" Kai looked at Mai with a new found wonder.
"That wasn't all she could do…" Madoka began to speak to Martin but Mai could barely hear what she was saying over the sound over her heartbeat. The memories began to feel real once again. Heat began to course through her veins and pressure began to build in her abdomen. She began to feel nauseous.
"Liar."
She wanted to throw up.
"Liar."
She needed to throw up.
"Liar! Liar! Liar! Stop lying! When will you have enough!"
"Excuse me. I need to run to the ladies room quickly." Mai didn't wait for any of them to respond. She left as quickly as she could and search for any sign of a restroom. The bile in throat was overwhelming. She couldn't hold for much longer when she finally saw a sign. Walking as swiftly as she could, she threw the door open and went to the nearest stall. What little of her meal that rested in her stomach emptied into the porcelain bowl. Over and over until there was nothing left. When she was sure there was nothin left, she leaned back against the sturdy brick wall.
What the hell?!