Naru somehow managed to buy the television in the end, sending Mai off to look at one, and signing the receipt by the time she was back. She of course scolded him but Naru was Naru, stubborn, he would do what he wanted to do. The two made it back to the home carrying the TV and set it up.

"You really should take this out of my pay" She grumbled as Naru finally got the signal in, the screen lighting up.

"Maybe someday I will"

"You're such a liar" Mai huffed, and the two watched the game show continue on before eating a quick dinner and got ready to settle in for the night. Naru once again did his routine. Bp, temperature, and then she was off to bed, pulling the blanket around her. She could see the light of his bedroom through the crack under her door, and she laid there, waiting to see if he would go to sleep. She managed to fall asleep before the light went out.

"Let's go swimming"

Monday went by without any problems, and she got to stop by SPR to work on paperwork. With Yasu being there everyone in a while there was a lot less work to do, since he worked much faster than she did. Most of the filing was on old cases, when things happened or what cameras they used. She looked up when she heard a knock at the door, and a woman came in, body shaking. She was hunched over, and while her clothes were that of a working woman her face seemed very pale with a sunken in effect. Mai stared at her for a second before quickly walking up to the woman and offered her an arm to help her to the couch. She looked down at like she had never seen such a thing and took it slowly.

"Here, let me get my boss. Just sit here" She said gently but the woman grabbed her hand before she could move and Mai slowly turned around to look her in the eye. No. This woman was possessed. "If you please" She managed out, mouth growing dry, trying not to let it know that she understood what was happening. It knew.

"I want you to investigate a town with a lake. The ghost has been attacking people and trying to drown them" It said, monotone. Mai shook her head up and down, showing that she understood it.

"We'll be leaving on Wednesday"

"No. Now" The possessed woman said, voice raising and Mai frantically looked over at the office doors. The hand's grip tightened and then it threw her against the wall. It grabbed the coffee table, in a rage and she saw it slowly turn toward her, an angry aura seeping off of its skin. It was going to kill her; she wouldn't be able to dodge this.

"Mai!" She heard someone shout and she squeezed her eyes shut, hands covering her face in a last attempt to protect herself. Yet, the young woman did not feel a single piece of glass or wood hit her, and she continued to lie there, waiting. Then came the sound of a struggle and she slowly pulled her hands away from her face to see Naru and Lin fighting the woman who, with one last glance at her, collapsed. Lin took her and put her on the couch then headed to the kitchen for the phone, probably to call up John. By now she was able to look around and see the damage that the woman had done. Glass and wood was scattered all around her, and she looked up to see a huge piece of wood above her head, pushed right through the dry wall.

"Don't move, I have to sweep up some of the glass" Naru warned her and she looked up as he took a broom from the closet and started to push the large pieces of glass into a trashcan with care. Watching him the realization hit her; she had used her powers to save herself. Without them, she would have a piece of wood through her head.

"I think we should go to the town tomorrow" She said as he swept up enough glass to form a path for her. He looked up at her and nodded before going up to help her and he pulled her into his office until everyone else showed up. It was dark as ever, and she went over to the windows to open them. Naru sat in his chair and she sat on a bench that he had put by the window, the two watching the people walk by down below. Mai could feel Naru watching her, waiting for something to happen.

"Did you get hurt?"

"No"

"I see" He said, head in hands and turned to his desk, and she watched him type on his laptop. This went on for another thirty minutes before Lin came in and the two of them looked at him expectantly.

"John was able to complete the exorcism, everyone else is here" He said and that sent Mai running out of the room, and with a single glance she ran to hug monk. His wounds from the last case were almost fully healed, and he grabbed her, spinning them around as she squealed. The gang hadn't been around since the last case, which had ended around a month ago. Monk had been busying healing and doing band stuff, Ayako went back to being a doctor, Masako and John were busy with her working schedule and Yasu had college. She was just glad that they were back.

"Poor Jou-san, that bad ghost almost got you" Monk said, shaking her body and she giggled.

"Let go of the girl before you end up hurting her!" The Miko shouted, hitting him on the arm and with that Mai went over with her friends to chatter. Masako had gotten another time slot, popularity soaring and she looked almost as tired as Naru did, but happy to be able to do something.

"Are you saving up for something?" Mai asked curiously, and then her friend blushed.

"No-of course" She mumbled and glancing over she saw John's face too was red and he was looking away at the window. Now this got her curious, but for the time being she would leave them, she had Yasu bothering her and once he got talking it was impossible to stop him.

"And that is how I saved the world" He said triumphantly, and Mai looked at him confused. "What you didn't hear it? I'm so disappointed in you Mai, where was your mind? In the gutter, I swear, kids these days, that day when I saved the world in 1945, two days after the atomic bomb hit Hiroshima, everyone listened to my greatest. Those kids had respect for their hero! "He said, going on and seeing that his words really had no meaning she turned toward where the woman had attacked her. Lin seemed to have already picked up most of it, and the wood that had been pushed through the wall was gone with a huge hole in its place. Between her, Lin, and Naru, they all knew that she should be dead. Her powers were strong enough to deflect all of that; she was growing enough to go head to head with Naru, if he was able to use his powers.

"We'll be leaving tonight, and get there tomorrow night. Everyone should pack their bags for at least a week" Naru said, startling Mai and she turned around to see him standing there. He had a case file in his hand, and had the stance of a man ready to go. He seemed tense and everyone nodded slowly, then set out to making plans for the journey. Masako and John had to leave quickly so they could talk to her managers and Yasu had to head home to finish up homework.

"Do you want me to drive you home Jou-san?" Monk said as he slipped on his jacket as well

"Nah, Lin and Naru will drop me off. I have some more work to do" She grinned and waved goodbye to everyone. Once gone she collapsed onto the couch in exhaustion and watched the two men walk around gathering items for the case. By the time they were done getting the supplies it was ten and she was half asleep, body slumped over onto the couch.

"Come on, we need to pack so we can head out" Naru said into her ear softly but she just grumbled, and he sighed, "If you don't pack your clothes I will and I will make sure to pick out every black garment you own." He said and with that she somehow found the strength to pull herself off the couch and wobble to the van. The ride to her house was a blur and she didn't exactly remember walking up the stairs, in fact she stayed in the van and Naru went up the stairs to pack her clothes. There had been a conversation, just whispered in the back of her mind.

"She must be exhausted from using her powers"

"You know she needs her powers to be controlled, I could call up your parents-"

"No, it's alright. She needs to stay out of their view for now"

When she opened her eyes again the car was driving down a long tunnel. It was still very dark out, and glancing down at the clock it was two in the morning. Lin was staring at the road, not even noticing that she was awake. A pillow was behind her head and a blanket tucked around her body, to her right was Naru, his head leaned against the window, asleep. He at least had a pillow this time and watching his breath fog up the glass she pulled in close to him, feeling as if she just had a terrible dream while she was asleep.

"Let's go swimming" She said into the darkness and she felt Lin turn to her in shock and she looked back at him wide-eyed, feeling just as surprised at the words that had just tumbled from her lips as him.

"Are you awake Taniyama-san?" He asked cautiously and she slowly nodded her head up and down before he turned away from her to look at the road again. It was too late to question those words, whatever they meant. Watching him a bit longer she leaned back against the seat and closed her eyes.

"Hey Hey, Let's go swimming!"

I have to get going to a party, but I wanted to post this real fast.

Thank you for the reviews! I love you all so much!