I'm posting these chapters as I finish writing them so the uploading WILL be erratic but I'm working hard! Fight Rin-chan! Fight!

Masako's face was pale and she gripped the wall tightly, her knuckles clenched white as she stared at Mai. "May I speak with my friend for a moment please?" She stepped forwards carefully and held out a hand to the petite brunette. "We won't get rid of you I promise." Her dark eyes locked with Mai's and Takigawa released his hold, allowing the girl to walk to Masako who kept one hand held out to her.

Mai raised one shaky hand to hers but paused as she glanced back at Naru. "I'll come back." She promised and touched her fingers to Masako's. She was still for a moment before her head drooped and she fell to her knees on the floor with the tiny medium holding her shoulders. Naru stepped forwards as Mai groaned but Takigawa blocked his way before running to the girl himself.

"Mai? Mai! Talk to me!" Naru frowned before the other members of SPR gathered around the girl for their precious moments of her company before the other one took over. Naru frowned when he saw that even Lin had rushed to the girl, who was lost to his sight under the crowd around her.

"I- I'm ok Lin-san..." Naru felt his blood run cold; her voice was too weak, despite her own protests that the possession wasn't affecting her; it was putting serious strain on her. "Can I... talk to Naru for a moment please?" The cold glares sent his way weren't missed by the young assistant either. "What- what happened?" She asked, bewildered as James helped her to stand, holding one of her arms around his shoulders and wrapping one of his own arms around her waist protectively.

Naru ignored the pang he felt and walked over to her, ignoring the pains he felt when he moved and the threatening faces of his employees, he came to a stop before Mai and pulled out a notebook. "What did you learn?" He asked; he was, unbeknownst to everyone else, desperate for a way to free Mai... if there was no other way then the spirit could have him.

Mai smiled tiredly. "Don't be rude..." She chastised him weakly. "Well... she wants a man called Oliver Davis... When she was alive, he was her patron as she was a geisha... before the war... and they were lovers." Mai frowned as she tried to remember what the ghost had told her. "Davis-san was from England and he was a young member of parliament... He was there on business at first when his guide took him to a party, where the geisha..." Mai couldn't call the geisha "Mai." It seemed too strange. "... She was making her first appearance that night."

Naru nodded; he knew enough of Japanese culture to understand about a geisha's debut night. "So they met then?"

"Well... yes..."

(This is the past now... just clearing that up... It's what Mai's basically telling the SPR gang)

With Oliver Davis

Oliver was getting impatient; he was here on business and then Daiki, his guide, suddenly decided to take him to a party. "Come on Oliver!" He mimicked, into his sake... under his breath. "You need a break from Parliament. A new Geisha comes out tonight, she's a real beauty."

So here he was, drinking rice wine or sake, watching as his guide fidgets as they wait for this new geisha.

With Taniyama Mai

Mai entered the room nervously; she was to perform a dance with the fans tonight, and her mother had chosen a complex one for her debut.

It was over in a moment... a swirl of colour and movement as she stepped through the dance. It went by so fast that once it was over she glanced at her mother to check her face for a hint at her success rate, and breathed a sigh of relief; those eyes were proud of her daughter.

"Excuse me? What is your name?" A man asked her, she thought for a moment; her mother had given her another name too, for being a geisha; her real name was private. "Little Dreamer." She answered, smiling at the man.

"Beautiful... You can call me Daiki then Dreamer-chan."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Daiki-Sama." She smiled again, looking through him a little, not that he noticed of course. "Did you enjoy my dance?" She continued, glancing at the man behind Daiki; he looked out of place; too serious for the party, too pale to be Japanese, but too dark to be completely Caucasian. Daiki smiled and flattered her dance, her looks, and her manner etcetera before the party sat down to eat.

"Who's your friend?" She asked; smiling in turn at the man behind Daiki, who turned slightly and made a small noise of surprise, as though he'd forgotten the other man, was there.

"Mr Davis, this is Little Dreamer." Daiki said in English, Mai smiled; grateful that her mother had taught English to her "just in case" and she bowed for her introduction. "Dreamer-chan, this is Oliver Davis, from England... He's a member of Parliament and I'm showing him around while he's here." Daiki turned back to Mai and proceeded to converse with her for the rest of the night, even being so presumptuous as to sit with her without asking when the party sat to eat.

It was a week before she saw him again.

Her mother took her on a walk around the town to help her catch more eyes than just parties would allow, so she was by a dango stall when the two men saw her, but it was Daiki who pulled Davis-Sama over to her. "Dreamer-chan? Hello!" He bowed and the English gentleman did the same. "Would your mother allow us to borrow your company for the day?" Daiki asked, referring to the woman beside Mai, who frowned lightly; if Mai was seen in the company of the same men all the time, then when it came to it, would the bidding price be high?

"You may have her for an hour, but then she must return as we have an important meeting scheduled." She answered, her answer slightly clipped as she bowed to him and turned away to leave. "I will be here again." She notified. Leaving Mai with Daiki and Mr Davis.

As they walked along the street, Daiki talked animatedly as before whilst Mr Davis kept silent, but when they passed one of Daiki's friends, he stopped to talk, leaving Mai and Mr Davis by the bridge over a river running through the town.

"How do you like Japan Mr Davis?" She asked, in slightly hesitant English, trying not to laugh as he looked at her in surprise.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't aware that you spoke English..." He smiled apologetically, awkwardly. "I don't know any Japanese at all I'm afraid... I was told that Daiki would be my voice for the entire trip however- ah." He sighed and frowned. "He's a very... social man." He finished, evidently annoyed, this time Mai did laugh, a little too freely for a geisha.

When he raised an eyebrow in question, she shook her head. "I'd noticed... that you weren't incredibly comfortable at the party. Are you not a social man?"

"I'm sometimes social." He objected, raising a hand in authority. "But it's a tad difficult to make small talk when all you can say is Konnichiwa... [A/N imagine it in a very English accent "Even if I could speak Japanese..." He aimed an icy glare at his translator's back. "I'm meant to be here on business."

Mai smiled and tilted her head, forgetting for a moment that she was in public as a Geisha. "You don't mix business and pleasure? If you're here to meet someone you'd rather lock yourself up in your hotel when he's not there?" Mr Davis glared at her and sighed heavily.

"Is that a challenge?" He asked his voice cold and flinty.

Mai smiled again. "Think of it as more of an offer... Accompany me to a party tonight and I will translate for you. No Daiki."

"No Daiki?"

"No. Unless you want to bring him?" That was a challenge, and the sudden gleam in the Parliamentarian's eye told her that he'd picked up on it.

"No Daiki."

He'd understood, and risen to the challenge. As she returned to her mother, she smiled at what tonight may bring. When the English Gentleman would escort her to a party... Mother wouldn't object to his company.

Rin- Ta daa! Some of the history behind Geisha Mai and Parliamentarian Naru! The next chapter will be in the past again with (hopefully) a lot of questions left answered... How are the past and present connected? Wait and see!

Mai- Can I know?

Rin- You're telling the story to SPR... GO AND DO YOUR JOB MAI!

Mai- You're worse than Naru...

Rin- Mai! Tea!

Mai- Grr... Review!