Thanks thecardboardunicorn, much appreciated; hope you don't mind the short chapter. If it helps, originally, it was WAY shorter. I actually added quite a lot to the original.

Here goes . . . ;D

Clearing the air

Mia felt any colour run out of her cheeks.

"Maya, I . . . " she could barely continue as Maya stared up at her, eyes full of confusion and surprise. "This . . . this was always going to be hard for me to tell you, Maya . . . it might even be for the best that you found out this way. This way I can't back out of telling you again."

"I can't believe this . . ." Was all Maya said as she continued to sit gazing into her lap at the case file; her hair falling, like a curtain across her face.

Neither of them said anything for about two minutes, on Mia's part this was because she was worried Maya was about to start yelling or worse crying. There they both sat in silence. Neither of them knew what the other was thinking and yet it was the exact same thing: Misty Fey.

"I knew she wasn't dead." Maya eventually piped up, breaking the sombre silence, which was something Mia was very grateful for.

Mia looked across at her, willing her to tell her a little more on the subject.

"…Well…I tried to channel her, sometimes again and again…but I could never reach her. I always put it down to my own lousy channelling skills but now it makes sense. People always said she wasn't dead but I thought they were sugar-coating it so I wouldn't cry…But know I know she's not."

"You…tried to channel her?" Mia asked, surprised at this for some reason.

Maya just nodded "I-I really missed her…I still do. I really never got over it and I knew I wouldn't be able to talk to her, but it would've been nice to feel her close to me again."

"But you always seemed so happy…" Mia stated, looking over at her heart-broken sister.

"…What can I say? I'm a good actor. I didn't want to you to worry about me…"

"Maya, I did that anyway…I was meant to take care of you-"

"-And you did." Maya cut across her. "But Mia, northing's the same as having our mother back."

"I know, I never wanted to replace her but…you know I love you just as much as she did and still does." Mia said feeling tears form in her eyes.

"-More; you never left like she did."

"Maya…You don't believe that do you?" Mia asked hoping that she didn't. The anger she had felt for her mother before had vanished ever since she'd understood the circumstances of her disappearance. Not that she'd ever felt much anger; in the back of her mind, something always hadn't quite seemed to add up. The woman Mia remembered would never have just left without good reason.

Maya was hesitant in replying but eventually admitted "No, you're right…but Mia, I need you to explain what happened to me, so I can try and understand."

"It's a long story, Maya . . . but I'll try my best." she paused and tried to decide where best to begin. ". . . There was an incident, well, a murder and the police were completely stumped; there were no reliable witnesses and they were at such a loss at what to do that they had no choice but to call in a spirit medium to channel the victim . . ."

Maya nodded, " . . .Our Mum, right?" she had to look of someone who, on one hand, didn't want to hear any more, but on the other, knew they had to listen all the same.

Nodding, Mia looked down at the file. "She gave the name of the man who had committed the murder, but then . . . the police were given a new testimony. The defence attorney got his client to plead temporary insanity and so wasn't arrested."

Maya looked a little blank, "I don't see what was so bad-"

"Don't you see? The police went in a different direction; the murderer wasn't convicted . . . it made out mother look like a sham . . . and then the papers found out."

Playing with her hands now she stared up at Mia, looking her right in the eyes, "This is why you became a lawyer, isn't it?"

"You got it, Maya." she replied, tucking the file back into the cabinet. "I'm going to find the man who did this to her and make him pay, no matter what happens. I mean, can you imagine how different our childhood would have been if it wasn't for him?"

"I . . . I know." she sounded a little hesitant in her response, "J-just be careful though, Mia? He could be really, really dangerous."

But Mia just shook her head, "You know me, Maya. I'm thorough; I'll look after myself, all right? You don't need to worry . . . I'm really sorry I didn't tell you as soon as I found out, Maya."

Half-smiling Maya looked a little tearful, "It's okay . . . I understand that you weren't to know how I might react. Just don't keep anything like that from me again?"

"I won't." she replied, "How can I make this up to you, Maya?"

Still not managing to look completely happy, but looking better than she had a few minutes ago, she smiled cheekily at the floor, "Well . . . there is one thing-"

"Oh, here we go . . ." Mia said, rolling her eyes.

"You have to take me for Burgers tonight!"

"God Maya, you and your burgers," She knew it was partly an act, especially now she could see that her sister was far better an concealing hurt than she'd thought and there was no way she'd genuinely bounced back this quickly. All the same, it was nice to see her smile again, "Fine, it's a deal. No desert though."

"Aww-"

"Just kidding. I am trying to make it up to you, after all. How could I do that with out desert?"