A.N: I changed my user name :)

Anvesha07: Hi guys! Here is your next chapter:

Naru: It's time... I won't be surprised if they don't read your story and hate it...

Anvesha07: I only had a writer's block and so it took time... got it, Naru?

Naru: Well.. thats questionable... are you even a writer?

Mai: Be nice...

Naru: Why?

Anvesha07: Because I am writing about you...

Naru: Like I care..

Anvesha07: You will marry that Lily if you talk once more...

Naru: -Silence for eternity-

Anvesha07: I don't promise though... Anyways, here you go:

Disclaimer: I do not own Ghost Hunt.

Last Chapter

Now, helping Naru would get his brother's life in danger, and not doing anything would harm his son. She was stuck and had nowhere to go... unless...

By any means...

Chapter 9

Dream Sequence

Mai was standing in the balcony of the mansion when two people, then she felt someone beside her. Looking up, she almost screamed when she saw Gene smiling at her. She hugged him tightly.

"You aren't hurt right?" She asked him.

He raised one eyebrow, "Mai, you realize that I am dead, right?"

She lightly hit his arm, "I know that, and you know what I mean."

"How's Noll?" He asked breaking away from her.

"He..."

"I think I know a way to find him"

"How?"

"I will tell you later." He looked at her cynically but decided to talk about it after the dream because at that time, Rosa and her husband, entered the room with papers in their hand.

"Listen, Rosa, transferring everything to me is not an important issue. These people were already accusing me of being greedy of your money, and now you-" He looked flustered.

"Calm down, Charles. I am doing this because I want to, and to tell the truth I am not telling anyone about it, so just pretend you don't know it if that suits you." She replied quite irritated.

"Fine, then." He said in resignation.

The scene changed. The new scene that greeted her made Mai speechless. Rosa was lying dead with blood all over her body and nobody seemed around. She was shot. Mai knelt down beside her. 'She isn't dead yet.'

She was ready to grab the phone from the table or scream for help if Gene didn't stop her and hug her so that she didn't have to see the terrible scene.

"Mai its past... it already happened." He whispered to her when she calmed down. "Mai, look at her."

A bitter smile flickered on her face before dying. But she managed to whisper something:

"Life is so wonderful and surprising, isn't it?"

The sentence perplexed Mai. A sarcastic remark like that didn't suit her lively personality... it was more like the ghost she met. She shivered remembering their last encounter.

She looked around the room to find any clue of the murderer or the case... but the scene changed once again. Ughhh..

She found Charles crying and many other people comforting him. It looked like a burial ground, but there was no coffin.

"He must be feeling lonely..." Mai trailed off.

The scene changed and they were in an empty space. Mai turned to look at Gene who was beside her.

"Gene, can I ask you for something?"

"Yeah.. what?" Gene asked, uncertainty visible from his voice.

"Can you not visit my dreams until this case is solved?" She asked hopefully looking at him. He didn't answer.

"Please, for me, Naru, and everyone." She asked with a low concerned voice.

"No, its dangerous."

"But, I promise I will take care of me and it is important."

"What are you thinking about?"

"Please, I will be reasonable and won't do anything stupid."

'That is pretty impossible.' He thought to himself but didn't say it.

"Gene?... please, promise me."

"Fine. But please don't do something for which Noll will be tempted to kill me." Gene teased but worry was written all over his face.

"Then I will say you later." Mai gave him a brief hug and waved her wand as a bye, which Gene returned. 'I have to talk to Noll asap, before she does anything.'

-xxxxxx-

She thought she was going to wake up, but she could still feel the spirit world energy. She was now in a white glowing space.

"Mai?" A voice she recognized called her from behind. She spun around to confirm her theory.

"Gene!" She knelt down and opened her arms and the little boy ran to hug her.

"Are you hurt? Scared?" She asked, happiness running through her veins seeing him fine.

"No, and I am not scared." He pouted a little at her questions.

"Did your dad taught you that big boys don't get scared?" She smiled at him while ruffling his hair.

"No, dad says emotions make you strong and you shouldn't hide them." He recalled proudly.

Flashback

"Why do you hide your feelings, Naru? You should show your sadness, it makes you stronger."

End

"Mai!" Gene called Mai seeing her half trance state.

"Oh, yeah, sorry... what your dad says is absolutely right." She smiled and then frowned.

"Gene, how did you come here, then?"

"I was walking around the house when I found a run down cottage and I felt something, so I went in. and then I don't remember much." He said thoughtfully.

"But the lady is actually nice, I don't know, but she doesn't have a vengeful aura." He shrugged as Mai looked at him slightly surprised.

"Really? You saw her?"

"Once, when I came here. She smiled at me."

Mai was now confused to the core. First she threatens to take hostage and then smiles at the hostage. She has issues. But she was thankful for it.

"Ok, I will get your dad and we'll come to you quickly." She hugged him and left.

-xxxxxx-

"No matter how much you try... you might find the little kid, but I won't let you interfere with my plans. You are too nice for your own good..."

The figure smiled sinisterly... You will surely see the consequences.

-xxxxxx-

She woke up and decided to get a map of the house because as mush she remembered, it was almost like a jungle around the house.

Little Gene's description of the Rosa crossed her mind and she stopped trying to remember the first time she met her. There was anger and overwhelming sadness at the same time. May be Gene felt the same thing.

She straightened her crumpled dress and went to the base. She opened the door to find Madoka dozing while trying to read some files and Lin looking in the computer.

"Where is Naru?" She asked herself.

"Lin-san?" Finally, the people of the room acknowledged her presence.

"Yes"

"Can I have a blueprint of this house? Or any map will do" She asked standing on the doorway.

First, Lin looked at her with confusion, but then without questioning her, looked around the desk.

"Seems like Noll took it with him..." He muttered to himself and then spoke to Mai, "It's with Noll, and the other ones, I presume are with the other members."

"Noll is in his room...apparently, Madoka was...err...irritating him, so he left." Lin added sensing her next question. She smiled gratefully before leaving.

Mai stood in front of Naru's door for quiet a while until deciding that she would tell Naru everything no matter what that ghost threatens. She raised her hand to knock but-

"What are you doing here?" A scary voice asked Mai, but this time knew who the scary voice belonged to... Naru.

"I-I" She was thinking of what to say. Wasn't she figuring this out for the past five minutes?... She made up her mind, All that after Gene is safe and sound.

He walked past her, opening the door and holding it to Mai who was staring at the floor oblivious to everything.

"Mai?"

"Oh..huh.. T-thank you" She quickly went inside.

"I needed the blueprint or map of this house..please." She determinedly asked.

"Why?"

"I... need it... for Gene." She added the last part hoping Naru wouldn't ask more. She noted that Naru stopped staring at her.

"Fine.. but you have to tell me what's it about." She nodded.

Naru searched for the blueprints and held it to her. She reached for it but he didn't let go.

"What do you know?"

"He is in one of the guest houses or cottages around the house."

He opened it and saw that there was no such house mentioned. "There is nothing like that."

"But Gene said he found it somewhere around! It is probably in the other ones." She looked into the other blueprints but there was no progress.

She didn't even notice that Naru was absent for sometime. He came with flash lights because it was 3 in the morning. "Let's Go."

She looked at him and he gave an assured nod as if saying he believed her.

"Thanks." She smiled gratefully and took one of the flashlights.

"No, thank you." He replied after a long silence, but didn't look at her. Mai didn't know what to say, so she just smiled more widely hoping Naru would see it. And Naru did see it from the corner of his eyes and smiled to himself.

They used the kitchen door and went outside to pitch black backyard. It was only clean for a few feet and then, it seemed to turn into a deep jungle. Weeds and trees cluttered the vision of the two people, but they were resolute.

It was eerily quiet except for the rustling of the grass under their feet and the crickets. Some snow still remained in the coolest places under the huge trees, making it slippery. There were some puddles here and there, but Naru saw them and Mai followed his lead to not get wet or blotched with mud.

How did Gene get here? Both thought at the same time.

But as for Mai, she can't do two things simultaneously. So, she slipped not so gracefully on a slippery rock. Thankfully, Naru's reflexes were better and he caught her before she hit her head hard on the wet but rocky surface.

After a long time, they looked into each others eyes and could see a lot of things they were unfamiliar with. Naru was the first one realizing their proximity and concluding that Mai would be feeling uncomfortable (even though she didn't reflect any signs of discomfort), he cleared his throat and began to straighten up.

Mai was jerked from her musings and slowly straightened herself. "Gomen-nasai."

After holding her, he realized that she was a little wet because of the dew and snow falling from the trees. He took her signature black jacket off and handed it to her. "You are wet."

She took it, because she was really cold and she was wondering why did she wear a dress in cold weather as these..

They continued on without any more words for a few more minutes. They approached a dump of fallen trees as if someone gathered all those together. Naru figured his way up.

"I think this building was set up for demolishing, which is why the trees are cleared up from around the house..." He scrutinized the ruined building in front of him and was about to jump to the other side, only to realize that Mai was still on the ground trying to figure a way up.

He sighed and extended his hand to her. She hesitated for a second and then hold it tightly and he pulled her up.

Everything was much clearer, now that the moonlight was not obstructed. They hurried to the house. It was a little house, more like a vacation house. But this far from the actual mansion?

Naru was faster than her and was already inside the house. He looked around and Mai went upstairs.

"I found Gene!" Mai shouted.

He ran upstairs. Gene was unconscious on the bed and Mai kneeling beside him.

"He is breathing..." He heaved a sigh of relief and checked his pulse.

"Thank God." Mai sighed at the same time. "Is he back in his body?" Mai asked the question as they climbed down the stairs.

Naru frowned but she didn't see it. "I am not sure yet."

-xxxxxx-

A.N: Is it a cliffie? I don't know... But you get to know if Gene is back or not in the next chapter..

A.N: So I put some NaruxMai moments in it... Did you guys like it? Or was it dull... I am working on the next chapter, finally my brain started working (who knows if its for better or worse).

R&R... If you guys review, I would write faster ;)