Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing "Where is home?"

Aww...You just made me blush, mr. flakey ^ v ^ LOL

And again, what is Takumi doing in Amsterdam? Hmm...

Here's this week's chapter. Do read and review. * v * Tah!

"Iris, this is Takumi," Mai said, introducing Takumi who sat beside her.

They took a seat in a nearby bench to talk.

"Takumi, this is Iris," Mai said smiling at Takumi.

Takumi smiled warmly at Iris. "Nice to meet you," he said bowing slightly.

Iris smiled back, but kept a wary eye at Takumi.

Mai started to make small talk with him, Takumi's eyes sparkling with excitement with every glance of Mai he took.

Iris didn't like it. Surely Mai could feel it – what Takumi was doing to her. Or could she?

Iris sighed.

"So you're friends with Mai's husband too?" Takumi heard Iris ask.

He was busy telling Mai about his trip back to Japan from England when Iris asked him the question. "Husband..?" he asked, everything around him suddenly coming to a stop.

"Uh y-yeah!" Mai said, her cheeks flushed in a deep shade of red.

Takumi raised a brow at her.

Mai and Naru were married?! He remembered being tasked to get falsified documents that made Naru and Mai a married couple…BUT HE DIDN'T THINK NARU WOULD MAKE IT OFFICIAL!

"N-Naru," Mai said looking shyly at Takumi. "You remember Naru, right?"

"Y-yeah," Takumi said, a little too disappointed for Iris' liking. "So you two…tied the knot, huh?"

"Yes," Iris proudly said. "They are here on a honeymoon, right Mai?"

"Y-yes," Mai answered. "Um, s-so how is Japan?" she asked, trying to change the topic of the conversation. She would have to explain everything to Takumi when they were alone.

"The weather's a bit colder now," Takumi said, trying hard not to show how the news broke his heart. "So are you two going back to Japan?"

"Um-"

"I think they're planning on going around Europe for their honeymoon, yes?" Iris said, winking at Mai.

Mai was stiff and red. "Uh y-yes…something of the sort,"she mumbled. She was too surprised at seeing Takumi and telling him she was married to realize what she should do. "So you're here on business?"

Takumi nodded. "Yes...Something like that."

"What do you mean?" Iris asked curiously. "You're employed under what company?"

Takumi stared at her. The Dutch woman was being hostile. Was she supposed to be Mai's bodyguard?

"I was hired to do a special project here," Takumi said. "…Study Amsterdam as a place for a company expansion."

"Oh wow!" Mai exclaimed. "You've gone a long way, haven't you?"

Takumi smiled at her. "You can say that," he said.

"I'm proud of you," Mai said, giving him the smile he longed to see.

Takumi smirked.

"Naru would surely be proud of you too," Iris interjected.

"Y-yes," Mai agreed, nodding stiffly.

Naru and Takumi didn't exactly seem to like each other. But perhaps Naru's outlook for Takumi would change once he heard the news. Then Naru would be proud of him too…right?

Takumi frowned at Iris.

Iris raised a brow at him.

Mai looked at both of them.

Takumi just smiled at Mai again.

"Hey, Takumi," Iris said. "Would you be a dear and buy me and Mai another round of ice cream? I'll pay you when you come back."

Mai gasped.

Takumi's brow twitched. "Sure," he said smiling widely at her.

"N-no, it's okay," Mai said trying to stop Takumi as he stood up from his seat.

"No, it's alright," Takumi said smiling at Mai. "I was thinking of buying some for the three of us anyway. I'll go ahead. Chocolate sorbet for you..?"

"Raspberry for me," Iris said smiling widely at him.

"Sure," Takumi said smiling widely at Iris. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

Mai and Iris watched Takumi walk to an ice cream stand nearby.

"Ouch!" Mai exclaimed, feeling someone pinch her arm.

"Who the hell was that?" Iris hissed.

"He's a friend of mine," Mai answered. "…And Naru's."

"Oh yeah, that fooled me," Iris sneered rolling her eyes. "He was all over you. He courted you before, didn't he?"

"W-What?"

"Oh come on, Mai!" Iris hissed. "Didn't you see how he flirted with you? Or how he looked like a broken hearted puppy when he learned that you were married?"

Mai sighed and looked away. Takumi had always joked around with her, telling her he would marry her and provide for her but they were all just jokes – nothing serious...none of them true. And it wasn't like Takumi didn't have a love life of his own. He'd been with several women back in Japan.

He was…a 'flirt' as her co-workers in the market would put it. He liked to charm women, but it didn't exactly mean that he was into them.

"Mai, I know I have no right to stop you from doing anything in your life," Iris said. "But I just want you to know what is going on, since you seem too clueless for your own good."

Mai smiled at Iris. "Thank you," she said.

Iris smirked. "So if this Takumi-guy tried to date you, would you give him a chance?"

Mai's cheeks burned.

Noll and Lin walked down the path several paces away from the house. Lin invited him for a walk. Noll obliged, knowing there wasn't much that he could do.

"She's not at home?" Lin asked – his eyes fixed on the path.

The leaves of the trees forming a canopy over the path rustled with the soft breeze.

"She's out with a friend," Noll answered.

Lin nodded. "So you two are married."

Noll didn't answer. He knew Lin got the information from asking around Lindengracht.

"What's her reaction to Ms. Weist?" Lin asked.

Noll scowled.

"Does she know about Ms. Hara?"

"Why exactly are we having this conversation?" Noll asked, glaring at the path.

Lin looked up at the dancing leaves.

"Your father's here," Lin said. "Madoka and Luella have told you about it, yes?"

Noll raised a brow at him.

"The professor knows they are trying to help you," Lin said. "But that doesn't mean they're on your father's side."

"And what side would you be in?"

Lin stayed silent, listening to the humming breeze and their silent foot falls. "Until when are you planning to run?"

"How open to the idea is my father now?"

Lin sighed. "Not very much."

"There you have it."

Lin nodded. "How would you think Mai would react to knowing about Ms. Weist?"

"She's not a social-climbing bint," Noll hissed.

"Is that why you're keeping her in the dark?"

"Why are you asking me these questions?" Noll snapped – stopping to face Lin.

"I'm asking them because I want to know the answers."

"You already know the answers!"

"No I don't!" Lin snapped back.

The leaves rustled loudly in the trees.

"Until when are you planning to keep this lie about you deciding to move out here in Amsterdam to have a new life with her?" Lin angrily asked. "Until when are you planning to keep the truth about you being engaged to another woman?"

Noll glared at Lin. "Shut it! I know what I'm doing. I'll tell her everything when it's time to tell her everything!"

"She needs to know about it now!"

"So you can take me back to London?" Noll asked. "I thought you understood me!"

"I work for your father!"

Noll clenched his fists – his blue eyes keeping the icy glare at Lin.

Lin sighed and looked away.

The leaves sang a gloomy tune.

"I'm not going to take you away," Lin said. "Not yet."

Noll turned away and headed back to the house.

Lin watched him leave. "Tell her, Noll! Tell her before the professor does!"

Noll kept on walking until he reached the gate. He went inside the house, locking the door behind him. He ran up the stairs…down the hall…to the bedroom he shared with Mai…into their bathroom.

He opened the faucet and washed his face with the icy water.

His chest felt heavy…too heavy for his liking. He looked up at his reflection on the mirror. He could see anger in his blue eyes…frustration…fright…pain…

What bothered him most with all that was happening wasn't how he and Mai would escape – it was how to tell her everything, without pushing her away.

"Until when are you planning to keep this lie about you deciding to move out here in Amsterdam to have a new life with her?"

That wasn't even what Mai knew! He told her he was in Amsterdam for a bloody vacation! And learning about Lin…She probably thought he was hiding from bad people…who were actually his parents trying to put some sense into his stubborn head.

He knew…He just knew Mai would think too much about it. She would push herself away, just like when they were in Japan. He would lose her again. He would find himself in that bench once more…in that horrible, rain-drenched bench with nothing but the memories he had of her.

He had everything planned to the very last detail. But how sure was he that everything would go well? What if she decided to move on for his sake? What if she did the most logical choice?

Noll could differentiate the tears from the drops of the icy water on his reflection.

He had been so selfish…so selfish…

Noll looked down at the sink.

"Can you see me, Gene?" he whispered. "Can you see me?" He looked up at the mirror and touched his reflection. "Can you see how miserable I am – the cost of this happiness I've taken for myself?"

But he only saw his wretched face.

"Feel better?" Luella asked as Martin walked into the suite.

Martin nodded, glancing at Luella who was standing by their bedroom door. He had been thinking about his conversation with Mai Taniyama since he left the park. And seeing Luella's anxious face made him wonder if he should tell her about it.

Luella approached him.

Martin knew the expression on her face. Luella had always been perceptive, something women were by nature, according to the studies he had read.

She looked at his eyes, knowing that he already knew what she wanted to ask.

Martin sighed and shook his head. "I thought you hate me."

"I do," Luella answered, fixing the collar of his shirt. "But I don't averse you. There's a difference."

Martin smirked and pulled Luella into a tight embrace. "So you can still forgive me for anything I would do," he whispered.

Luella sighed and wrapped her arms around his middle. "That depends on how idiotic that thing you will be doing will be."

Martin chuckled and kissed her forehead. He leaned away and looked at Luella's face. "Do you think our son would find someone like you for a wife?"

"Goodness, Martin," Luella muttered, scowling at him. "His life would be as bad as yours is now if that happened."

Martin chuckled and nodded. "It's not that bad though," he said sighing. "…Having an insane, scheming woman like you as my wife."

Luella smiled. "It's not bad either," she said. "…Having an idiot like you for a husband."

Martin frowned.

It was Luella's turn to chuckle. "You're not going to tell me anything, are you?"

Martin shook his head. "But I'm telling you I need to jog more," he said. "I can't for the life of me catch up with those bloody joggers anymore."

Luella laughed.

"I hope you don't think badly about Iris," Mai said shyly in Japanese as she walked with Takumi to the bus station.

Iris received a call from her mother, telling her to fetch something for the store. She unhappily told Mai she would need to leave. Takumi took it as an opportunity to speak with Mai alone.

Iris was about to tell Mai she would get her a cab when Takumi insisted that he walk with her to the bus station, since he was going to pass by one, on his way to an office he was scheduled to visit.

Iris was about to protest when Mai agreed to what Takumi wanted. So there they were, walking down the side walk and heading for the bus station several blocks away.

"She's really kind and sweet once you get to know her," Mai said.

"Sure," Takumi sneered. "She practically barred her fangs at me. And they're pretty huge."

Mai sighed.

"She's that much of a fan of NaMai, huh?"

Mai raised a brow at him.

"Naru-Mai couple," Takumi explained. "…You and your husband." He practically spit the word 'husband.'

Mai sighed again and looked away. "Yeah, about that…it's…not true."

Takumi raised a brow at her.

Mai shrugged her shoulders, her cheeks blushing at the memory of how Iris learned she was married. "Things…just got out of hand," she said.

"So you're not Mrs. Kazuya?" Takumi asked.

Mai chuckled. "No. I'm legally still Taniyama Mai."

Takumi hid a proud grin. "And…Iris doesn't know?"

Mai nodded. "It just looked odd for other people if we stayed in one house and we weren't married," she explained.

Takumi smirked. "You didn't share the bed with him though, did you?" he teased. "So there's nothing wrong with-"

The bright red tint on Mai's face made Takumi stop.

Mai shyly looked up at him.

He quickly grabbed her shoulders and pinned her against the adjacent wall. "Did he force you? Did he force himself into you?" he anxiously asked. "Did he threaten you?"

"What-No!" Mai immediately said. "No, Takumi-kun! He didn't! He's not like that!"

Takumi sighed in relief and let her go. "Sorry," he said brushing his hair and looking away in shame. "I just… I just thought he…Well…"

Mai sighed. "It's okay," she replied. She looked down at the pavement, thinking of how to tell him what else he needed to know.

Takumi smiled. "So you're not married," he said. "You're still sing-"

"Not really," Mai muttered.

Takumi stiffened. "You're…"

Mai looked up at him and nodded. "Naru and I are...together."

Takumi felt something inside him crumble as he stared at Mai's anxious face.

What exactly did he expect? They didn't just share a room, they shared a bed! And Naru was Naru! Mai was…Mai…

He looked away as his vision blurred. He chuckled, wiping his face with his hand. Then he began to laugh out loud.

"Takumi-kun..?" Mai asked worried at what he was doing. She hadn't seen him act that way before.

"Oh come on, Mai!" Iris hissed. "Didn't you see how he flirted with you? Or how he looked like a broken hearted puppy when he learned that you were married?"

Mai swallowed. Did she hurt Takumi's feelings? Did she hurt her friend?

Takumi sighed as he calmed down. He looked at Mai with a wide smile on his face. "Then there's a chance you'll be Mrs. Kazuya soon," he jested.

Mai smiled. He was okay. Iris was overthinking things. Takumi wasn't into her. "Shut up," she snapped, feigning a frown.

Takumi chuckled. "So I can't ask you out to dinner now," he said resuming their walk. "…Without asking permission from your boyfriend."

Mai raised a brow at him. "We're friends, Takumi-kun. And he knows you. He wouldn't mind."

"So he won't be threatened if I treat you out to dinner?" Takumi asked, smirking at her.

"So if this Takumi-guy tried to date you, would you give him a chance?"

Mai shook the thought away. Takumi was her friend. It was a dinner, not a date.

"Well you did promise me you'll treat me to dinner when you get rich," she said. "And you got here in Amsterdam. So you should be pretty rich enough to keep that promise!"

Takumi chuckled. "Fine," he said. "So do I pick you up at you and your boyfriend's house so I can ask for his permission? Or do I just meet you somewhere?"

"You can just meet me somewhere," Mai said smiling at him. "I'll just tell Naru I'll meet you. He'll be okay with it."

"How sure exactly are you that he'll be okay with it? I mean, I'm a man asking his girlfriend out for dinner."

Mai rolled her eyes. "You're not just a man, Takumi-kun," she said. "You're my friend. You're Naru's friend too. I told him how you did everything to keep me from ending up as a prostitute back in England. And he was really impressed with you."

Takumi smirked. "Really?"

So Mai still didn't know about the schemes Naru did to get her out of England – to take her to Amsterdam.

He sighed. She might not even know about Naru's engagement yet.

"Hey Mai," he began.

"Yes?" she asked, eyes on the path that lead to the station. They were just a block away from their destination.

"You're sure you want to be with Naru?" Takumi asked. "I'm not saying he's not worth your time or anything. It's just that…well… He lives in England. And you live in Japan. I'm just worried about where you two are going to stay when you get hitched. Are you going to stay here in Amsterdam when you get married? Are you going to stay in England with your in-laws? Are you going to leave Japan for good?"

Mai stiffened and looked away. She hadn't thought that far ahead. Perhaps it was because she was too busy trying to worry about what Naru was going through.

"Hey, I'm not trying to upset you here," Takumi said, taking Mai's hand in his as he looked at her blank face.

Mai looked up at him.

"His parents probably doesn't have a problem with your arrangements but-"

Mai looked away.

Takumi smirked. She hadn't met the Davis couple. "Hey," he whispered. "You've…met his parents already, right?"

Mai shook her head, a smile on her face. "We're just a few weeks in so…Not yet," she answered. She did wonder if Naru would introduce her to his family though. She had met Gene. She had seen that man who presented himself to Iris as Naru's uncle.

Why didn't Naru tell her about him? Why didn't Naru tell her about his parents?

NO. They were just a few weeks in the relationship. It would be weird if…if they met her that early…

Takumi smiled. "You're right," he said. "It would just be weird if you met them already."

Mai nodded and kept her eyes on the path.

"Anyway, how about I just get your number? So I can call you for that free dinner," Takumi said.

Mai chuckled. "Sure," she said as they stopped at the bus station.

"Great!" Takumi exclaimed, pulling out his mobile phone.

Mai pulled out her own mobile phone from her pocket, dragging with it a piece of folded newspaper.

Takumi saw the paper fall on the concrete pavement. "Oops!" he said picking the paper up. "You dropped this," he said handing the paper to Mai.

"Oh!" Mai said staring confused at the paper. She didn't remember slipping it in her pocket that day. "Thanks," she said slipping the paper back into her pocket. It must have been a coupon of sorts that she had forgotten about.

"So your number?" Takumi asked.

Mai smiled and gave him her mobile number. She in turn saved his mobile number in her own phone.

As soon as they were done saving each other's numbers, the bus arrived.

Takumi sighed. "Well, I'll see you for dinner!"

Mai chuckled. "Of course! You're going to pay for it!"

Takumi rolled his eyes and watched her ride the bus with a smile on his face. He didn't leave the station until the bus drove away.

He took a deep breath and sighed.

Yup. Mai was his this time.

"You're with Baehler right now?" Madoka asked from the other line.

"Yes," Lin answered, holding his mobile phone against his ear. He stood behind a tree near the wall that surrounded Noll and Mai's house. He decided to stay in the area and see how Noll and Mai's relationship was.

It was more like his gossiper side kicking in, but to persuade his logical side to snoop around, he thought it would be better if he knew how Noll and Mai really were. Perhaps seeing it for himself would help him decide what he should do next.

So he climbed over the wall and hid himself by the gate to wait for her.

"I'll be back for a late lunch," Lin said, checking his watch. "But don't wait for me."

He could imagine Madoka frowning from the other line. "Then you have to promise you'll let me watch you have lunch."

It was Lin's turn to frown. "Fine," he said. "Wait for me. I'll be on my way back."

Madoka chuckled. "I'll see you soon then!"

With that, the call ended. Lin sighed and slipped the phone back into his pocket.

...Guess he wouldn't be able to see what he was there to see...

He leaned away from the tree and was about to climb over the wall when he spotted Mai, walking down the path that led to the gate – a bag of take away food in hand.

Lin hid himself near the tree, and watched her open the gate.

Mai closed the gate behind her and trotted to the door. She took a deep breath before she held the door knob.

She still couldn't shake the conversation she had with Takumi out of her mind. She felt an urge to bombard Naru with questions, but she knew it wouldn't be fair on his part and wouldn't be wise on hers.

She knew Naru was going through some very tough times at that moment. And she didn't want to lose him.

Lin watched Mai open the door and walk inside the house.

"Tadaima!" she greeted, locking the door behind her.

Lin immediately sneaked to the side of the house, watching Mai from a lobby window.

Mai heard some foot falls upstairs.

She sighed. Naru was probably in the office, still fixing things.

"I forgot to buy lunch back in the town," Mai said, walking to the kitchen. "But I bought lunch on that restaurant nearby. Their food was okay when we ate there before."

Lin sneaked to stand by a kitchen window, watching Mai put the bag on the counter as foot falls echoed from the stairs.

Mai hummed to herself as she placed the food on the plates.

She suddenly felt her phone vibrate against her pocket.

She fished her phone out dragging with it the piece of folded newspaper Takumi told her fell from her pocket.

"Oh!" she said, picking the paper up from the floor. She still couldn't remember what it was supposed to be so she unfolded the paper.

Lin saw Naru walking down the lobby to the kitchen. He turned his head to see Mai unfolding a crumpled newspaper page. His brows furrowed as the page looked somewhat...familiar.

Mai raised her brows as a torn front page of an English tabloid stared back at her.

Naru saw Mai standing by the kitchen counter.

Lin was right. He should tell her. He should tell her now.

Mai read the news article on the crumpled newspaper page

…Oliver Davis…to wed Science Minister's Daughter…

She read the texts, the story, and the supposed announcement of the engagement. She turned the page and saw a picture of Oliver talking intimately to his fiancée…his beautiful British fiancée.

Tears slid down her cheeks.

They ran away so Oliver could escape the wedding. He took her with him so he could have a reason to stop the engagement.

Oliver didn't love her afterall.

Lin froze as he got a glance at the picture on the page.

Where could she have gotten the paper? It was an English tabloid for goodness' sake? Could anyone in their group have given the paper?

Naru slinked his arms around Mai's waist. "Okaerinasai," he whispered, trailing kisses from her neck to her jaw.

Then his blue eyes caught the trembling newspaper page Mai held in front of her.

He stiffened as he felt her shoulders shiver…her chest heave…

"Mai, I can explain," she heard Naru say from behind her.

But she couldn't move. She wanted to listen to him…or did she?

Lin saw desperation on Noll's face – the same desperation he had when they found Mai almost dead in the Norringbent mansion.

Naru turned her around by the waist to make her face him. The tears streaming down her cheeks stung him.

"Mai, please," his said, his voice breaking. "I can explain. Listen to me."

Mai forced her self to look up at his face, but her body was just too stiff and shaky with crying that she could only close her eyes.

Lin watched Noll hold Mai's cheeks in his hands… kiss her gently…fervently…pleadingly…

"Mai please," Noll whispered. "Please, I can explain."

Mai slowly looked up at him – her brown eyes showing nothing but heartbreak.

Naru embraced her tightly. She could feel his cheek against her own…his breath against his ear as he whispered words she, for the life of her, couldn't seem to understand anymore.

Everything just seemed too blurry…

"Mai, please," Naru whispered, kissing her neck, her jaw, her cheeks, her nose, her forehead. "Please let me explain."

Mai closed her eyes again. What should she do?

She suddenly felt his lips against hers once more. It took everything she had to keep herself from kissing back.

But she gave in.

Naru sighed in relief. He broke the kiss and looked her in the eye. "I will tell you everything."