**Hope you enjoy! This was a fun chapter to write. I'm so excited for the next chapter, too. Thank you for all the reviews and follows/favorites!**
Chapter Thirty-Two
Fingertips gently trailed across raised labeled tabs as rosy lips pursed in concentration. Her hand stilled when she found what she was looking for. Creating a channel in between two tabs, another hand placed a manilla folder in it's new home. She closed the filing cabinet with a content sigh and stretched her arms above her head. Her back had been aching more so than usual that day, but it's only to be expected. She brought two small hands up and rubbed her lower back in hopes of alleviating some of the pain.
A small smile pulled at her lips when she remembered it was only a few more weeks until back pain would be the last thing on her mind. She looked down and her smile grew even more. She brought her hands around to rub her protruding belly and a small chuckle escaped her lips when she felt the child within give a small kick.
"I love you dearly, little one, but I have to admit I can't wait for you to come out. Your eviction notice is being served. My bladder has taken enough kicks for my liking," she whispered.
A small gasp escaped her when suddenly a pair of large hands slowly wrapped around her belly from behind. She felt the man rest his head on her shoulder and press a soft kiss upon the side of her neck, sending a pleasurable shiver down her body. One hand gripped her hip and pulled her flush against him as the scent of his cologne filled her senses. She reached up to cover his hands with her own and watched as their matching rings glistened in the light.
The man behind her left out a small disgruntled groan and she laughed.
"Headache already?" she hummed.
Another grunt was her only answer as the man burrowed his obscured face further into her neck and closed his eyes.
"Is there anything I can do? How about I make you some tea?" she asked.
He huffed, his breath ruffling her long brown hair. "As much as I would love a cuppa, I'd much rather you help screen the calls we've been getting. Twelve calls so far and not even one promising case. If I have to talk to one more imbecile..."
She laughed and turned around to face her husband but before she could she froze when her eyes caught her reflection in the mirror on the opposite wall.
The black haired man quickly straightened, catching on to his wife's shock. He looked at her seriously. "Mai?"
The brunette continued to stare at her reflection but her eyes seemed dazed. "It's happening again. She's watching us, but this time it's through my own eyes."
The man turned and looked at her in the reflection of the mirror. His lips were pulled into an irritated frown and his deep blue eyes pierced into her soul. "I would appreciate it if you refrained from spying on my wife and I."
Mai's eyes snapped open as she gasped awake. Her heart raced in her chest as she tried to make heads or tails of the dream she just had. She scrambled into a sitting position and ran a hand through her hair.
"W-what was that?" she panted.
The familiar yet foreign office. The swollen stomach. The scent of cologne. The matching rings. Those blue eyes. Mai shook her head as her brain tried to interpret everything. It had all felt so real. It was real. But it wasn't.
The more she tried to make sense of everything the more her head started to ache. The one thing she did know for sure was that it had been Oliver that had been wrapped around her so intimately.
Her heart felt as if it were going to burst through her chest. She brought her hands up to cover her face in embarrassment. She didn't think she could blush anymore than she was at that moment.
"What the hell was that?" she squealed again.
After the unusual dream that morning, Mai had been unable to fall back asleep. She spent the morning trying to get things done around her flat but her mind kept trailing off and she found herself staring into space on more than one occasion. She wondered if her mind concocted the unusual dream in light of the conversation she had with Masako the previous day during their case, but she knew better.
There was something very odd about that dream. It had been so real and familiar. It was as if she were watching somebody else's life even though the person was herself. Suddenly the memory of those long strong hands wrapping around her flooded her mind for the millionth time that day. Her face felt as if it were burning from the blush that reached to the tip of her ears. She bit her lip and couldn't help but remember the way Oliver had nuzzled against her neck.
Shaking her head, she abruptly stood from her seat on the settee. She continued to clean anything and everything within sight in order to distract herself. It didn't help that her flat was essentially bare since she hadn't been living there that long. She found herself standing in front of the sink and began to frantically clean the dishes.
It was working. Her thoughts began to lessen and she could feel herself starting to relax. She closed her eyes with a content sigh and enjoyed the piece of mind.
However, it was a peace not long lived.
Behind her closed eyes a vivid splatter of blood filled her mind. It was only for a split second, but the memory of the spirit shooting himself in the head had been so clear.
She jumped with a gasp, causing the cup in her hand to fall on the ground. The sound of shattering glass echoed throughout her small kitchen. Her heart was racing in her chest. Placing a hand over her heart she took a deep breath and told herself it was just a memory.
Her eyes glanced down to see the broken glass scattered across the floor and she groaned. After grabbing a bowl off of the counter she bent down and carefully began to pick up the larger shards first. The tinkling sound of glass being dropped into the bowl was almost hypnotic. She didn't even realize when she became caught up in her thoughts.
Shaking fingers reached out and continued to pick up the broken pieces while her mind trailed back to the visions from their case. The visions of each spirit started to invade her mind. The overdose. The suicides.
Cara's final moments. Blood slowly trailing down her forearms as the life drained from her eyes.
Mai hissed and retracted her hand back to her chest. She hadn't been watching what she was doing and carelessly cut her finger on one of the remaining shards.
Shaking her head to clear her mind, she looked down at her hand with a frown. The cut wasn't very deep but blood was already beginning to trail down her hand. She bit her lip at the stinging pain and carefully got to her feet. She grabbed the dish towel off of her counter and wrapped it around her hand before cautiously making her way out of her kitchen to find her first aid kit.
After thoroughly cleansing the wound and wrapping a plaster around it, she made her way back to the kitchen with a hoover in hand. She made quick work of cleaning up the mess and decided to leave the remaining unwashed dishes for later.
She leaned over and propped her elbows on the counter. Her heavy head dropped into her cupped hands. A tired sigh escaped her lips. Her mind was walking a thin line between visions the ghosts had forced upon her and those piercing blue eyes. She inwardly cursed her mind for betraying her so.
A sudden knock on her door caused her to jump. She stared at her door suspiciously. Who could be visiting her on a Saturday? Who could be visiting her in general? She never had visitors except for Mr. Hicks and he was out of the question. Her brows furrowed as she wondered if it could be her landlord's grandson. Phillip had mentioned he wanted her to join him for dinner today. Not in the mood, an irritable grumble left her lips and she made her way to the door ready to turn the man down.
She reached out and opened the door, closing her eyes tiredly.
"Phillip, today's not a good da-" Her eyes widened in shock as she saw another tall blond beauty standing in front of her. "Luella?" she gasped.
Mrs. Davis stood before her with a large smile. "Surprise!"
Long blonde hair was pulled back into a posh ponytail. She was wearing a sleeveless black jumpsuit that hugged her slim body perfectly and showed off her toned arms. Her already tall stature was accentuated even more by her cheetah print heels.
"Who's Phillip?" the woman asked in intrigue.
Mai shook her head. "No one, just my landlord's grandson. But wait, how did you- What are you doing here?" Mai stumbled over her words. The blonde was the last person she had expected to see knocking on her door. Not that she minded, of course.
The woman reached up and took off a pair of fashionable sunglasses. The fine wrinkles around her eyes crinkled as they lit up happily. Vibrant red lipstick stained her lips as she flashed a brilliant smile.
"I was in the area. Hope you don't mind me taking the liberty of popping by for a visit," Luella beamed.
Mai blinked out of her stupor and stepped to the side, allowing the woman entry. "N-Not at all! Please, come in."
Luella quickly entered and pulled Mai into a warm embrace in greeting. Mai chuckled slightly at the older woman's exuberance. As the brunette closed the door to her flat, Luella casually kicked off her heels and placed them adjacent to Mai's shoes near the door.
"Is everything okay?" Mai asked worriedly, wondering to what she owed the unexpected visit.
Luella waved a hand. "Of course, dear. Martin is out of town for the day and I thought it would be fun to get to spend some time with you. I know you don't know many people in the city so I was hoping you'd like the company. Maybe we could hop out to the shops or grab some chips?"
Mai could feel warmth fill her chest at the woman's suggestion. "I'd like that. I'd like that very much."
She looked down at her tartan pyjamas that she had yet to change out of and felt heat rise to her cheeks.
"I'll just go and change and I'll be right back," she muttered, excusing herself to her bedroom.
Knowing that she would be standing next to the goddess that was Luella for the next few hours, Mai put a little more effort into her appearance than usual. She found a flowing floral skirt that's high low hem fell to her knees in the front and swooped to mid calf in the back. Taking a white short sleeve shirt, she tied a small knot at the bottom so it met the waistline of her skirt. She reached up and tied half of her hair up in such a way that it looked like a bow while the rest of her hair cascaded down past her shoulders. Before leaving her bedroom, she grabbed a pair of flats from her closet.
Luella was laying on the settee with her legs unceremoniously hanging over the armrest. Her casual demeanor starkly contradicted her pristine appearance. Mai almost chuckled at the child-like mannerisms of the older woman. Upon seeing Mai return, Luella quickly bounced to her feet.
"Well don't you look lovely," Luelle beamed and clapped her hands happily. "Ready to go?"
Mai nodded with a smile and grabbed her handbag before following Luella out of her flat and locking the door behind her. "Where did you want to go?"
"I know this adorable little hole-in-the-wall boutique. The style there is right up your alley," she said with a wink and looped her arm through Mai's.
A few hours later, an overwhelmed Mai found herself holding several bags from various shops. She had treated herself to one outfit at the first place they had gone to. However, Mai soon had to refuse visiting any more shops after the third one because Luella kept disappearing and returning with clothes she had bought for Mai.
"Really, Mai, I don't understand why we can't keep looking around," Luella pouted as they made their way down the street.
"I truly appreciate the gifts, Luella, really I do, but I can't accept any more in good conscience," Mai sighed.
"How about we just poke around one more place and I promise I won't buy anything else," the woman bribed with an excited wiggle of her shoulders.
Mai gave the woman an unconvinced stare. "You said that at the last shop and then you promptly returned with two bags in hand."
"Fine," Luella sighed dramatically. "It's just so fun to be able to dress you up. Same with Masako, too, but she is getting ready to go to America tomorrow. It's not nearly as fun dressing up the boys. Gene always picks out the most ridiculous outfits just to rile me up. I mean, really, plaid and polka dots. Plaid and polka dots, Mai! The gaul! Such a rascal. And Oliver always looks miserable whenever I bring shopping with me. They're no fun."
The brunette looked over at Mrs. Davis in shock.
"Oliver comes shopping with you?" she couldn't help the giggle that escaped her lips at the mental image of her boss being dragged around from shop to shop.
The woman grinned cheekily. "That boy has never been able to say 'no' to me," she boasted.
Mai brought a hand up to stifle her laugh. "That would be a sight to see."
"Oh, would it? I'll take him with us next time then!" Luella smirked.
Mai's eyes widened and she shook her hand in front of her dismissively. "Oh, no, I was just-"
"I'm just teasing," the woman chuckled. "The last time I took him shopping he moped around for an entire week. I'm giving him a little break for a while, he deserves it."
"I must admit, you do have impeccable taste. He always looks very well put together," Mai commented.
Luella glanced over at Mai from the corner of her eye in amusement. Mai was looking down at the pavement with a slight tinge of pink on her cheeks.
"You think so?" the woman smirked.
"Everyone thinks so. You should see the amount of heads he turns just by walking down the street," Mai said with a playful roll of her eyes.
"Not that he pays them any mind," Luella snorted. "Until recently he's been blind to such things," she muttered more to herself than to Mai.
Mai snapped her head to look at the grinning woman before quickly looking away. Until recently? Did she mean the woman Naru met up with in France? Were they together? She nibbled on her lower lip as the uncomfortable claw of jealousy started tapping on her heart and she tried to ignore it.
"Oh, good! We're here!" Luella chirped with a clap of her hands. In front of them was a small kart on the side of the road. There was an older man wearing a greasy apron shoveling chips into a cup. "Freddy, my darling!"
The burly man, Freddy, beamed upon seeing the bubbly woman. "Well if it isn't Luella. Where have you been? I haven't seen you around in quite some time. I was afraid you found yourself a new chip supplier."
Luella swatted the man's arm playfully. "Yours are the only chips for me, darling."
The two laughed as Mai watched on. Freddy looked over, taking notice of her.
"And who is this gorgeous young thing?" he asked with a toothy smile.
"This is Mai, Noll's new assistant. Isn't she just a doll?" Luella swooned.
The man's eyes widened. "Your Noll hired himself an assistant?"
"Apparently miracles do exist," the woman nodded knowingly.
"Pleasure to meet you, Mai. I hope your host for the day hasn't been too overwhelming," the man jested.
"It's nice to meet you too," Mai said, returning the smile with a slight bow of her head.
Luella placed a warm hand on Mai's arm. "Seeing as this is Mai's first time here, would you mind whipping up your biggest and best batch of chips, my dear?"
"Anything for you, Lu. How about Martin? Any chips to go?" the man questioned as he started scoping their order. He leaned over towards the blonde and gave a smirk. "By the way, he came calling yesterday, all sneaky like, and ordered a bunch just for himself."
"He came here without me?" Luella gasped in betrayal. "Well, I supposed it is merely karma for the three times I've come alone this week. I suppose all is forgiven. Alas, my love has abandoned me for the day for work duties. I've come to drown my sorrow in your golden strips of heaven." She placed a dramatic hand across her forehead.
Mai couldn't help the amused smile that spread across her face. Even though they weren't blood related, Gene and Luella were nearly identical copies of each other in the way they acted.
Freddy laughed merrily and handed Luella her order. "Free of charge for my favourite customer."
"You're the best, Freddy, Toodles," she blew him a kiss and led Mai towards the park across the street. "Freddy is Martin's cousin and a dear friend of mine. I met Martin through him. Believe me when I say his chips are to die for!"
Mai followed the bouncing woman down a path that led to a secluded bench next to a rose bush. The pair sat down and Luella turned to give Mai a guilty smile.
"So, in all honesty, I may have had another reason for dropping by today," the woman began. Mai watched her curiously. "Gene came by last night," the woman hesitated.
Mai visibly winced, wondering what Gene might have said to the woman.
"Mai, he told me that you're an empath," Luella said cautiously. "He also informed me that you experienced a handful of visions yesterday, is that true?"
The brunette nodded faintly, unsure where this conversation was going. "Yes."
Luella's expression grew serious, all traces of her previous mirth gone. "Are you okay?"
"Am I...okay?" Mai echoed, her eyes unfocusing slightly as she pondered the question.
Was she okay? No one had ever asked her that.
She had lived her whole life having to rely only on herself. She would be lying if she said she loved having her ability. Some days she wanted nothing more than to get rid of her abilities all together, but seconds after those thoughts would come to mind she would feel a crushing sense of guilt. She should be grateful for her gift. Hell, she was able to help spirits find peace. She shouldn't be complaining about helping unfortunate souls find happiness...but…
She bowed her head and heavy and thoughtful eyes drifted down to her lap.
It was as if a veil was slowly being lifted and she was starting to process how physically and emotionally draining their previous case had been. Not only had the onslaught of visions made her physically sick but she had never felt more exhausted in her life. Being forced to witness and experience each spirit's death had mentally taken a toll on her. Throughout the day she tried to ignore the quick flashes of memories she'd see when she closed her eyes. She was able to distract herself for the most part, thanks to Luella, but that didn't mean the memories were erased from her mind.
She suddenly felt like an invisible weight was pressing down on her. But in all honesty, that weight had always been there; she was only just becoming aware of its presence.
The cheerful and carefree facade she had spent her whole life composing was beginning to crack and she could feel it. Deep down inside she knew if she truly acknowledged the stress of it all then she wouldn't be confident to ever be able to ignore it again. The thought terrified her.
She realized Luella was still waiting for a reply and so she turned to the woman.
"Of course," she said, feigning a bright smile. "I'm perfectly fine. Things can get a bit...uneasy at times, but it's okay. I'm okay."
Luella watched her solemnly and Mai knew she saw right through her act. The woman reached a hand over and sympathetically took hold of Mai's. "You are very strong, love, but it's nearly to a fault. I hope you know it is perfectly normal to not be okay. You have a very special gift and I can only imagine the toll it must take on you. To see the deaths of spirits, people...To physically feel their deaths...I can't fathom how hard it must be. Admitting your pain doesn't make you weak in any way, shape, or form. So please, if you ever need to talk -no, when you need to talk- I'll be here. I'm a therapist, and a damned good one at that, but most and foremost I want to be a shoulder for you to lean on. I know you don't have any family and I'm not sure about friends, but I assume you don't have many yet seeing as you just moved here. I just want you to know that I am here for you. No matter the time. No matter the topic. It will never be a burden to help you."
Mai felt her smile waver and her eyes began to sting slightly. Quickly blinking and fixing her smile, she turned to the woman.
"That's very sweet of you, but I'm okay. I promise," she lied. She reached out and brought a chip to her mouth, hastily taking a bite. "Mm! You were right, these are delicious. Freddy sure knows what he's doing."
The older woman bowed her head slightly in defeat. She helped people through trauma for a living so she knew pushing Mai to open up would only make her close herself off even more. Luella sighed, relinquishing their conversation.
The blonde smiled up at the brunette. "I would never lie about chips. You're going to be hooked, just wait and see."
Mai looked at a small bag that was tucked next to the other woman. "I meant to ask what you bought for yourself."
Luella looked over at the bag, as if only just remembering it existed. "Oh, yes! Only it's not for me."
"No?" Mai asked, hoping the woman didn't secretly buy her something else.
The blonde looked over at her with an excited grin and wiggled her brows. "Do you want to see?"
Curiosity got the better of her. "Well, when you look that excited how can I resist?" she laughed.
Luella quickly reached into the bag and paused for dramatic effect. With overflowing excitement, the woman pulled out a dark grey babygrow. The feet looked like little ghosts and on the belly it read the words Where my ghouls at?
"Madoka had the baby!" she squealed.
Mai's eyes widened and she couldn't help the smile that lit up her face. "That's wonderful!" she exclaimed.
"Isn't it just? But you can't tell anyone, okay? Mum's the word!" she tapped a finger against the side of her nose. The excitement in her eyes was nearly blinding and Mai couldn't help thinking that the one who would most likely spill the beans would be the blonde woman herself.
"Okay," Mai agreed. "But, why is it a secret? I mean, everyone already knew that she was supposed to have the baby around this time anyway."
Luella smiled softly as she folded the babygrow and placed it back in the bag. "Madoka and baby are fine now, but there had been some complications during delivery. They've kept me updated. Madoka will be in hospital for the next few days. They want to enjoy spending this time together without the whole of BSPR knocking on their door. Once they get home and settled they'll let us come by."
Another smile pulled at Mai's lips. "That's very understandable, especially since this is their first child. I'm glad they're healthy."
"I can't wait to spoil that baby rotten. Kōujo and Madoka have always been like my own children. In fact, I was the one who set them up. I have quite the knack for matchmaking." She leaned forward with a smirk and whispered her next words. "Just between you and me, I'm determined to be the favorite grandma."
Another chuckle left Mai and she picked up another chip. "I'm sure you will be."
Luella nodded confidently.
The sound of a chime reached their ears and Luella straightened up. She reached into her handbag and pulled out her mobile before reading the new message. The woman's eyes widened and she quickly got to her feet and began to gather her things.
"I'm sorry to do this, dear, but I've got to go," Luella said apologetically. "One of my higher profile clients has requested an emergency session."
Mai nodded in understanding and stood from the bench. "There's no need to apologize. Thank you very much for everything today. It was a pleasure to spend time with you outside of the office."
"We'll make this a regular thing, shall we? It's wonderful having another girl around here," the blonde said while giving Mai a large hug. The woman gasped and pulled back suddenly. "Oh no!"
Mai looked at her in concern. "What's wrong?"
Luella smacked her palm to her forehead. "I completely forgot. I was supposed to drop something off at Noll's place. I don't think I'll be able to now. Sessions with this client tend to take hours."
The woman turned to Mai and slowly a small grin appeared on her lips.
"W-What?" Mai stuttered, having a sinking feeling she knew what the woman was about to ask of her.
"You're not doing anything today right?" the blonde asked sweetly.
"No," she said quietly, regretting her answer instantly.
"Oh, good!" Luella cheered and abruptly reached into her bag and pulled out a key and a large folder. "Here. Let me write down Noll's address."
Mai's mouth fell open. "B-But-" she attempted to protest but was interrupted when the other woman thrust a piece of paper into her free hand.
"You have his key to his house. Just pop on in and leave the file and key on the coffee table before locking up. You're a lifesaver," she sighed happily. "He would have my head if I forgot a favor again. It's not my fault things always come up," she muttered to herself.
Mai stared down at the items in her hand, dumbstruck. "O-Okay," she managed to say.
"Thank you again, dear! I must be off. Ta ta!"
Mai watched in shock as the woman ran off in a flurry. The key in her hand felt as if it weighed a stone. She let out a long wavering breath.
"What have I gotten myself into?"