"I told you that's what happened," Mai said to the officer who stared at her. She was just about finished being in this cramped room with these bores. Not to mention her feet were starting to hurt and her back was stiff from the wooden chair she had been sitting in for the good half of an hour. "His name is Dr. Ezra Thorn, just ask Martin, he can hand you over his employee file. I don't see why I have to be here in the first place, I'm not the one under investigation."
She had never felt unbridled irritation like this and was beginning to wish she could telepathically communicate with Naru so he could get her out of this hell. The officer sitting across from her stalled for about 15 minutes before even getting into the thick of things and she was craving a good nap.
After being cleared and leaving the hospital, Mai had never once left Naru's side and vice versa. They were glued to each other at the hip and it had remained that way even now. This was the first time since she had been back that they were out of each other's sight for longer than ten minutes. When they returned to the house, she and Naru fell into a ritual of sorts. When he would go to his office to work on something, she would follow and try to find something to do, although it mostly resulted in her sleeping. She had been exhausted recently and the only thing she could blame it on was stress.
And the fact that she was pregnant.
Her head shook away the thought for the time being. She knew Naru wanted to talk about what they were going to do, but she didn't want to and prayed that they could live in ignorance for a bit longer. Unfortunately, her beloved boyfriend was not going to let her get away that easily.
"Miss, please relax, I am not trying to insinuate that you have anything to do with this, we've been in contact with Martin for some time now and are aware of this organization's intentions." The officer rubbed the back of his neck. "I am just trying to make sure I have the correct information that you've started and then we will be done here."
Mai almost burst into tears at the thought of finally being done but kept up a professional air. "What do you need clarification on?"
The young cop across from her sighed. "At this point, not much, but I do want you to be cognizant of the future interactions you will likely have with the law." She waited for him to continue. "You may have to testify in court as well as face the individuals you are accusing. Do you understand?"
"Yes, I understand and I don't care what it takes!" She stood from her chair quickly and paced back and forth. "He deserves every wretched thing life throws at him and if I can help with that, I will."
Figuring that he was likely tiring the girl out just as much as he was himself, he shut the folder sitting atop the table. "I think we can be finished for now." He scooted his chair in after climbing out of it, and Mai's eyes lit up with glee at the thought of getting the heck out of this station and over to Naru. "We will likely call on you in the near future and keep you updated on anything that we find out."
He held the heavy door open for the brunet and she walked swiftly out, searching frantically for the person she wanted. His figure stood out from the rest and he appeared to be casually reading, and as if struck with lightning, looked up to her before she came anywhere close to her. She hurried over to him and he stood just in time before she came crashing into him, her arms wrapped securely around his torso. He smiled lightly and placed an arm around her and the other cupping the back of her head, tugging her closer to his body.
"Are you all done?" He asked not breaking their position. She nodded her head and hummed a response, and he looked over to the officer who had taken her back to a private interrogation room. Obviously, the man was just doing his job and making sure Mai was walked out to the lobby. However, Naru sent him a quick glare just in case the other man got any ideas. The officer's eyebrows shot up knowing the meaning of the look and put a hand up to keep Naru at ease.
"Can we go home now?" Mai asked, nuzzling her head into the side of his neck. She was done with this place and, quite frankly, never wanted to return, but the truth of the matter was indicating a different fate.
"We can," He said pulling away from her but securing an arm around her small form. He wasn't sure where it was coming from, but he was acutely aware of where Mai was at any given moment. It certainly didn't help that he felt the need to bash anyone's teeth in just for looking at her for too long of a second. His mother likely would have laughed at him at the moment, and she did when he confided in her about what he was feeling one night. An eye twitch began as he reflected on the awkward conversation they had had.
Mai had been asleep for a while and he had laid awake ruminating on the events that had currently transpired. She refused to sleep unless he was with her, whether that was in the room or physically touching her, although the ladder usually prompted sleep for her much faster. Downtime always frustrated him, so he carefully slid out of the bed and opted to sit in the tea room with a book in front of him. The anticipation ate at him knowing that after Mai had been freed, they hadn't heard a peep from the organization and when the police went to check out the cover office Mai was kept in, no one was inside. There were no files or any indication that they had harmed people behind the doors.
The door to the room opened and, worried that he had woken Mai, his head shot up. His mother smiled at him and gently shut the wooden doors.
"Relax," She said cheekily. "I'm not Mai and you didn't wake me up." His mother sat across from him on the couch, her legs curled under her. "Can't sleep either? What's keeping you?"
He debated in his mind whether or not he should confide in his mother, but he knew that out of all those around him, she would likely be able to help him work out what exactly was wrong with him. Swallowing his hesitation, he made his choice.
"I think I'm going crazy." He blurted out with his head pressed to the palm of his hand. He suddenly felt like a child with how dramatic he sounded, but when he glanced at his mother, she had an understanding and patient look on her face. He explained his recent actions in a vented stream and his mother allowed him to do so. "I don't like that I can't understand why this is happening and I don't like that I cannot seem to control it."
When Luella let out a muffled chuckle. Naru sicked a cold glare onto her form that had her reeling. "Honey, I cannot believe you have no clue why you feel this way!" She made it seem like it was obvious. "How do you feel about Mai?"
"I love her." It wasn't something he would ever need to think twice about. A question he could answer without speaking.
"Exactly," She pointed to him in a way of emphasizing her words. "She was taken away from us, more specifically, you, and when she was returned, you found out she was pregnant."
Naru watched her with an unimpressed face. "Are you going somewhere with this?"
She glared at him. "That attitude… Yes, I am." The words were gritted out. "It's pretty normal for you to feel that way I'd bet that Mai felt some of the same. You're a family, we all are, and we all care about what happens to one of our own." She smiled. "Only this time, you are no longer the child you will be having one of your own pretty soon. You're more vigilant because you know what's out there, and so does she. You both strengthen one another and are protective of what is yours to have and hold."
He contemplated her words and didn't reply much after her proposed explanation. Not long after, his mother began listing out all of the things she was getting for the baby and he was again reminded of the fact that he and Mai had yet to even talk about the growing baby, likely the reason she was so exhausted all the time.
His reflecting was interrupted slightly by the young woman shifting in her sleep in the passenger seat. They were almost back to the house, it wasn't a far drive, but Mai had fallen asleep almost as soon as she buckled up. He briefly wondered if pregnant women slept as much as she had been recently. However, knowing Mai, it was more likely she was a special case. He made a mental note to contact the OB-GYN that they had been referred to, to schedule her first appointment.
Then there was the matter of their parents. His father and mother were over the moon with the thought of their son and his girlfriend having a child of their own, despite the abruptly timed nature of the event. Mai's parents, on the other hand, were going to be a different matter. They still had yet to let them know, and judging by how hesitant they felt about Mai remaining here in the first place, they were likely going to be flabbergasted.
They pulled up to the house and Naru silently exited the vehicle before walking over to the passenger side and opening up the door. He unbuckled the seatbelt wrapped around Mai and scooped her into his arms, using his leg to push the door shut. She didn't stir much but eventually curled into him more, her face pressing into his chest.
Before Naru even tapped on the door with his foot, it swung open and he twisted his body away from the violent fling of the entryway to block his girlfriend's body from any possible injury. His mother looked at him with surprise.
"There you are!" She said wrapping an arm around his upper arm and pulling him into the house. He glared at her for a variety of complex reasons, the most important being that she was loud. She glanced back at him and smiled slightly at the sleeping girl in his arms. "Asleep again, is she?"
"She fell asleep on the way back," Naru said following his mother. They made it into the living room where his father and Lin were discussing something. The two men looked up as Naru gently placed Mai onto the couch before covering her with a plush blanket. She gratefully smiled and curled into the softness of the sheet and a small smile was reflected onto Naru's lips. "The drive back wasn't even twenty minutes. It is a mystery that she can sleep so easily."
Madoka walked into the room and perched herself on the arm of the couch close to Mai's head. She placed a hand on the sleeping woman's head and smiled. She had always thought of Mai as a sister or niece, in a way. When they first met, she knew instantly that they would get along swimmingly and often looked forward to any further interaction with her. Mai was such a positive force to be around that she rivaled the sun's glow.
"Leave it to her to sleep at a moment's notice, but she is currently pregnant, so she'll probably be exhausted for the next few months." She grinned at Naru when she mentioned the baby and snickered at the glare she received as a response.
Naru shook his head but picked up Mai's legs, sat on the spot they had originally occupied, and then placed them over his lap. "Have you been able to search for anything on Thorn?"
His father sighed. "Unfortunately, we are still having issues finding him and those who could have participated in any of the agency's production, but we were going to search for some records that could lead us on the right path." Martin typed away at a few keys and began summarizing a few things he had sifted through. "We still have yet to find the death certificate for his wife, and without that, we have no motive for his involvement."
The narcissist let his head fall back on the couch and the stress of the recent events caught up to him. A swell of fatigue washed over him and he let his eyes shut. There wasn't any point in continuing the conversation when they didn't have much to go on in the first place. A character witness would be the nail in the coffin if they wanted to stack on charges, even though witness statements were usually inaccurate. Human memory was a messy thing.
He slowly nodded off but felt a warmth envelop him as a blanket was tossed over his body and the room eventually sank into quietness.
Hello! Another chapter, another step closer to the end of the story. I'm still debating on if I want to make this a series or not, but I'd love to hear what you guys think! Let me know in the review how you felt about the chapter and if you would like it to be a series!
Cheers!