A/N:

Here's the second part to the last update. And Lin's back! Yay!

CaitHawke4ever - The brother/sister duo is something I've been thinking about for awhile now. I'm excited to actually write a bit of it. Thank you for reading and reviewing!

To everyone who has read, followed, favorited, reviewed, etc.: Thank You!

SecretsShe'dUnravel

( Alternatively: She's Unlocked the Meaning)

A familiar darkness surrounded her. She was peaceful, despite being suspended in an unending black hole. She knew her current position was only temporary.

Soon, she'd be joined by her partner in astral crime. Or be pulled into whatever vision was in store for her tonight. Or maybe both. It was always a surprise.

She preferred the nights when Gene could join her. Even when they were both trying (and failing) to escape the hands of a psycopath killer. It was so much better than when she had to face it alone.

But her favorite moments were when they didn't have to see or do anything. The nights when he'd just drop in for a visit. Those were rare, but she enjoyed them all the more for it.

Still, she wondered what tonight would bring. As she observed the void around her, a figure began to materialize.

At first glance, one might assume he was Naru. He was a nearly perfect copy of said man. Nearly.

Mai, however, was aware (sometimes painfully so) of the differences. The almost constant smile etched on the boys face was similar to his brother's rarely bestowed one. But it was still so uniquely his own.

He was a head shorter than his brother, now. His face still held some of it's adolescent chub. His limbs were still thin and lanky.

Naru had grown into his own limbs. He now had a distinct, chiseled jaw line. His shoulders were broader; his muscles more pronounced. He was a man now.

And Eugene was forever immortalized as a sixteen year old boy.

"Eugene!" Mai threw herself at the teen. He greeted her enthusiasm with a grin and a hug. His chin rested on her head.

That was one thing that would never change. Despite the fact that she, too, was growing older and filling out as she ought, her height remained the same. He would always be able to hold her like this. Until the time came for him to move on.

(Secretly, Mai hoped that wasn't for a long while.)

"You seem happy! I assume the boyfriend has returned," Gene let her go and ruffled her hair teasingly.

Mai's grin didn't falter as she fixed what he'd done, "Yep, Koujo and Madoka have been back all week!"

"Madoka too? Poor Noll,"

Mai giggled nervously. Naru had been weird ever since their return. Ever since Madoka told him that his biological father had shown up. Apparently, the man had been searching for them for awhile. But Naru had no intention of meeting the man.

Mai really couldn't blame him for feeling that way. She wasn't sure what she would do if given the opportunity to meet with her father. She still hadn't even gotten a reply from the email she sent. So, she doubted she any reason to be concerned.

But Madoka was determined that Naru at least contact his. She said said it wasn't healthy to keep closed off from his father. That he'd regret it at some point down the road. Maybe she was right, but that was for Naru to decide.

Mai was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice their surroundings changing. It wasn't until Gene had grabbed her hand that she realized they were no longer floating in the darkness. Rather, a brightly lit parlor appeared around them.

"Let's get down to business, I guess," Gene shrugged as the scene became more focused. "What are we doing here? I wonder."

Mai eyed the room. Along the walls were several doors and hallways that alluded to a vast expansion of what she felt was already a ridiculously large living space. A sizable curved staircase told her there was at least another story to the building.

Most of the room was taken up by a seating area. Several couches and chairs sat around a wooden coffee table. A grand piano sat across from the seating arrangement.

Mai and Gene watched as two blue-eyed, black haired twins entered the room. They were young things, probably not even in their teens. "You guys were cute."

"Not as cute as a certain little pig-tailed someone we saw last month," Gene wiggled his eyebrows and did a little cringe worthy dance move.

Last month's visit they had witnessed a 10 year old Mai's obsession with some boy bands of the time. "Oh, hush."

The twin immediately recognized as Naru sat down at the piano. His fingers caressed the keys. Gene joined him on the bench, but he sat with his back to the instrument. A mischievous grin broke out on his face.

The two remained silent, lost in a world of their own. Even as more people trickled in. The space was soon filled with conversation, but no sound came from their corner of the room.

Mai also knew the newcomers well. There were two certain professors that she had gotten pretty close to over email and the rare phone call. There was a pink haired, paranormal teacher that Mai's body was currently under the same roof as. And of course, the handsome young man that Mai was already itching to return to.

"Stop ogling," Gene teased, "we have to pay attention to see why we're here."

She responded in a manner of utmost maturity: she stuck her tongue out at him.

She did, however, heed his advice. She observed the scene before her with the trained eye of a researcher (and not a lovesick girlfriend). And something did catch her attention.

The atmosphere was so thick, Mai could feel it pushing against her chest. It wasn't hostile. Or suffocating like when Naru would lose control of his power. It was just so terribly awkward.

Martin and Luella sat together on one of the sofas. Martin seemed somewhat relaxed, a drink in his hand. Luella was almost on the edge of her seat. Her fingers played with the lace on the hem of her shirt.

Koujo and Madoka were both seated on the couch to the right of the professors. But they sat on the far opposite end from one another. Mai probably could've laid flat between them and not touched either one.

Madoka seemed relaxed as she hugged her arm of the couch. She was situated closest to Martin and the two seemed to be having a nice chat about some recent scientific breakthrough. Luella would make comments every now and then, but she seem to be preoccupied with trying to get Koujo to join in the conversation.

Koujo was stiff in his seat. His eyes seemed mostly trained on the tea cup in his hand. On occasion, they would reluctantly look up to his host or flicker to the boys in the corner.

It reminded Mai of how distant he'd been when they'd first met. It was almost painful to watch. She took comfort in the fact that he'd soon grow closer to every person in that room. Even the one who was just astral projecting her way in there.

Poor Luella, however, had no way of knowing that. She'd already exhausted questions about his family and his education and how he liked the new environment. He'd answered them all very politely. But he returned to his silent state almost immediately after doing so.

Luella quickly realized she had no hope of pulling him out with conversation. She turned to her young boys with a loving smile, "Darlings, would you please perform a little ditty for us? I would love to hear some music."

Silence fell for a brief moment as the two musicians shared a nonverbal communication. Then, the more jovial twin responded, "What would you like to hear, mother?"

"What about that lullaby you guys used to play? I haven't heard it in so long and it is too pretty of a song to not be heard,"

Mai watched as Naru tensed up. His fingers that had been ready to play now sat motionless in his lap. Even Gene's smile looked a little tight.

Only a breath passed, though, and they were granting their mother's request. A beautiful melody soon poured from beneath Naru's hands. Soft, sweet lyrics fell from Gene's mouth.

A wave of nostalgia hit Mai with every note. The Japanese and English verses intertwined. The words were a promise of a father's return.

She knew the song, but she couldn't place how or why. It was familiar, but there was something off about it at the same time. It was like a distant memory she couldn't recall.

"I think I've heard that song before," Koujo's voice cut through when the song was done. Everyone turned to look at him. Even Naru.

"It's a lullaby our birth mom would sing to us," Gene informed him.

"She said our birth father wrote it," Naru added. He gave no indication of whether or not he believed it to be true.

"I'm sorry, it just sounds familiar to me,"

Much like Mai, Koujo seemed at a loss as to why that was. He stared at the boys, as if they could help him remember. Then, the vision started to fade.

Soon, all that was left was Mai, Gene, and the darkness.

Gene had a frown on his face. His hand still had a tight grip on hers. Mai felt like an older sister holding the hand of a younger brother in hope of offering him comfort after something unpleasant.

"I wonder why we had to see that," he muttered.

"That song -" Mai started, unsure of where she was going with it.

"Our mom told us that our dad wrote it for us. He'd apparently sing it to us when we were infants,"

It was a hard subject for them. Gene rarely talked about it. And Naru never talked of it at all.

Their biological father had been with them for the first few months of their life. Then, he'd return sporadically for their first year. Until eventually, he just never came back.

Their biological mother raised them solely on her own for about seven years. Until Naru started to show signs of paranormal power. Until she went mad from the pressure and ran off. Her body was found months later.

They spent a couple years in and out of foster homes. Naru's powers only grew as they went. And, eventually, one their foster parents contacted a paranormal society to try and stop the activity.

That society was none other than Britain's SPR. And the researchers they sent out were professors Martin and Luella Davis. Both of which were instantly smitten with the boys. And the rest is history.

"It sounded familiar to me, though," Mai admitted.

"You and Lin both," Gene laughed a little. He wasn't quite back to his usual happy self, but he was getting there.

"Maybe it's all connected somehow," Mai's brain hurt from trying to place where she'd heard that song before. If she knew where she got it from, maybe she could figure out why it was significant.

She was about to get lost in her pondering, when she felt the air shift. Their time was almost up.

"You think it over in the land of the living," Gene advised. "I'll go haunt Noll and see if he has any information he's not sharing."

"Good luck!" Mai laughed, knowing how difficult his task would prove to be.

"You too," he gave her a genuine smile, before he faded out of view.

The first thing Mai noticed when she awoke was that she was very warm. The second thing was that she really had to pee.

She didn't want to untangle herself from Koujo's embrace. His presence alone eradicated any unpleasant feeling that lingered from her most recent astral trip. It was so comforting to know that he was there, that he loved her. She would lay there for days if she could.

Unfortunately, nature had other plans.

Carefully (and reluctantly), she tore herself away from him. His eyes flew open as soon as she sat up on the edge of the bed. But he relaxed a little when he saw she was still there.

"Good morning," she spoke quietly.

Guilt flooded through her. She knew it wasn't that early. And if it had been a regular work day, they both would've been awake for over an hour by this time. But she also knew that he needed all the sleep he could get.

"Morning," he mumbled, giving her a tired smile. It still took her breath away.

She bent down to give him a chaste kiss on the lips. Then, she stumbled off to start her morning. After awhile, they found each other again.

She was in the kitchen, working on breakfast. He'd come up behind her and wrapped his arms around her torso. He kissed her bare shoulder, inquiring about the food as he did so. She giggled. His warm breath tickled her skin. Then, all too soon, he let go of her to assist with the meal prep.

It was at this moment that Naru had drug himself out of his cave. His shell of a body slumped in his chair. He revived only when Mai placed a cup of hot tea in front of him.

Half an hour (and two cups) later, Madoka joined the party. Despite being the last to wake, she was still the most chipper of the bunch. She gushed excitedly about their plans for the day as Mai and Koujo set the food on the table.

"I don't understand why we can't enjoy a proper lunch inside," Naru complained unsuccessfully. Madoka wasn't going to change her plans and he was very much aware of this.

"The food tastes better in the sunshine, when out with friends," his current adversary countered.

"Only if you like the taste of dirt in your bento," Naru remarked.

"Mai-chan's making the bentos. They'll be devoured before any dirt can get in them,"

Naru proceeded to eat in silence. That didn't mean he agreed with her, however. It simply meant he no longer felt the argument was worth his time. No, he'd rather quietly stew over something that may or may not be related to the topic at hand.

"Hey, you're bringing your guitar, right?" Madoka turned her attention on Mai.

Mai had to choke down a bite before she could answer, "Sure, if you want me to."

"Yay! I want to hear you play at least once before I leave,"

"Okay, but I'm a little rusty and not very good," Mai admitted, in her opinion, honestly. She didn't want anyone getting their hopes up about her performance.

She hadn't actually played in front of too many people. There was Koujo and Naru who were subjected to her musical abilities whenever the mood struck her. And her mom, of course, had enjoyed many a concert. She seemed to recall playing a few songs for the Lin family when she was barely big enough to hold a guitar.

She wasn't worried, though. They were her family. If she totally bombed, they might get a few chuckles out of it. Then, Mai could just hand the guitar over to Bou-san for a real performance.

"I'm sure you'll be great," Madoka insisted. "I've never heard any complaints. Then again, you could probably sound like a dying cat and Koujo would still compliment you."

"I don't sound like a dying cat, do I?" Mai turned to Koujo with a grin.

"I don't believe so, dear," he responded with a smile of his own, "but apparently love is deaf, as well as blind."

"I have earplugs if anyone is truely concerned," Naru chimed in.

"I should hope you'd stop me if it was that terrible!"

Naru's only response was a smirk as he began clearing the table. Mai glared at him for a whole half minute. Then, she was grinning again.

The group dispersed. Naru was on dish duty. Madoka went to take the bathroom over for the next hour. Mai and Koujo took turns getting dressed and packing for the trip.

An hour and and a half later, they were out the door. Ten minutes after that, they were actually on the road to their destination.

It was an hour drive to the spot Madoka had chosen for this trip. It was a peaceful little area, with a stream running through it. It was slightly off the beaten path. That, coupled with the chillier weather, meant there was little chance of it being crowded.

The drive there wasn't as quiet as usual. Madoka kept a steady flow of conversation. Mai would respond with a question or comment. Koujo even spoke once or twice. Naru stayed silent.

The noise quadrupled once they reached their destination. A few of the others had already arrived. Ayako and Bou-san were in the midst of a very intense argument or where to put the blankets. Yasu stood a distance away with a young Hana.

Until the toddler saw her Auntie Mai and Uncle Jo-Jo.

Hana rushed into Mai's arms immediately. Her tiny hands stretched out to reach Koujo's fringe. Koujo bent down to let her pull on it and made a mock complaint when she did so. A soft smile graced his face.

Soon after, Masako and John joined them. They all sat down on the perfectly positioned blankets. Yummy food (dirt free) and good conversation filled the afternoon.

Mai just sat there, with her head on Koujo's shoulder. Her eyes took in the scene before her. The stubborn little girl fighting sleep in Koujo's lap. Bou-san telling Yasu about some great opportunity for his band while the bespectacled genius stole food from Madoka's bento. Masako and John listening somewhat patiently as Ayako lamented about some of Hana's more frustrating toddler habits. Naru sat beside her, reading a book and studiously ignoring everyone. But every now and then, he'd glance up with a smirk.

This was her family. These were the people she knew she could call on, no matter where she went in life. They'd always have her back. They'd never abandon her or push her away.

This was her happy place, her safe haven.

She felt reluctant to leave it when Madoka asked for a song. But still, she obliged. She left her loved ones to go grab her guitar.

The second her fingers touched the smooth surface of the instrument, her vision blurred. The world around her faded. A memory took its place.

Mai's tiny hand wrapped around the neck of the guitar. Her fingers couldn't quite hold down the notes. She could feel her father's laughter as she sat on his lap.

"Let me play for you," She gladly removed her hand. "Shall we play your song, my little ones?"

She nodded excitedly. She liked that song. It was one he sang only for her. He never played it during his concerts.

As soon as the melody began, her eyes started to close. The soft rumble of his voice lulled her into a slumber. The peaceful lullaby had once again done the trick.

Mai's eyes snapped back open to the present. The familiar lyrics still played in her head. Her father's guitar performance and Naru's piano cover blended beautifully in accompaniment.

Their birth father wrote it, Naru had said. Her father claimed he wrote it for his children. She had always assumed that meant her. But that was before she knew of a little sister, of two older brothers. Of twin brothers with blue eyes and black hair.

Naru said that they were adopted by loving parents. The eldest had passed away. The youngest had a little sister now. They were happy. They were proud of her.

Her eyes stung until the tears started to fall freely. They were her brothers, Naru and Gene. They were her flesh and blood.

And Naru knew. He knew and he didn't tell her. He probably thought she'd have a mental breakdown and he'd be left unable to fix her. He was probably waiting for Koujo to come back. Then, Madoka had to throw a wrench in his plans by bringing up his father - their father.

He was looking for Naru. Mai wondered briefly if that meant he would be looking for her, too. Maybe the fact that he hadn't was part of the reason Naru was so adamant on not meetmeeting him.

Mai shook her head. That was a thought for another day. Right now, she had to get back to the others. They'd start worrying if she stayed too much longer.

Sure enough, she received worried glances from everyone as she settled back down. The most piercing gaze was Koujo's. The concern in his eyes was almost too much as he reached out with one hand to touch her face. His thumb wiped away tears.

"Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, everything's fine," she smiled.

And it really was. Knowing that Naru was her biological brother really didn't change much. If anything, it was nice to know they still had each other, that they weren't alone. But they pretty much already knew that.

"Naru said I was annoying, though," Mai pouted, turning to him as she spoke. "He said I couldn't stay out of trouble for five minutes."

Naru blinked for a moment, before realization dawned on him. Then, he gave her a rare, genuine smile. "You must admit, you have your moments."

Mai stuck her tongue out in response.

"Very mature,"

"Loser,"

"Stupid,"

"Idiot,"