Part VIII

It had been a tense train ride back to Tokyo. Even though Naru knew Mai was exhausted and needed to sleep, she stared out the window for the duration of the trip, her eyebrows knitted together and her hands restless in her lap. Gene was just as quiet, a serious expression on his face as his eyes moved between Mai and his own folded, anxious hands. It had a long time since Naru had been with either of the two with such a long period of silence. Neither did he recall ever being uncomfortable in such a silence and found himself wishing for someone to break it.

After they had arrived and disembarked, the three left the train platform and ventured into the subway station. Naru walked close behind Mai, wishing he could be at her side, but in the dense crowds it was all but impossible as they weaved their way through all the people. Mai paused to study the route map, turning to face them.

"I'm supposed to meet Ogasawara at the agency office. It's not close to my apartment or your hotel, you don't have to come with me," she started, but the expressions on his and Gene's faces were enough for her to quiet. "I mean," she started again lamely and then just shook her head. "I would like it if you came with me, actually," she admitted.

"That's more like it," Gene muttered. "So where is the office you need to go visit, anyway?"

"This way," Mai said, turning her head and gesturing for them to follow her. "It's not very far, actually, only a couple of stops away on the Chiyoda Line."

The agency was a small office located in a narrow building on a busy street. Naru took Mai's bag from her wordlessly, slinging it over his shoulder and placing his hand on hers gently. Mai took a deep breath and pushed open the door with a nod, the twins close behind her.

The receptionist was a young woman, who, seated at the front desk with her chin resting in her hand, was obviously trying very hard not to be sleepy. Naru recognized the look of strained half-lidded eyes immediately as it was something he'd seen Mai do countless times in the past. She did not hear them enter, but as they stepped up to the desk she jumped and her eyes popped open. She seemed quite taken aback by the presence of the twins. When her eyes fell on Naru, moving quickly to Gene, her eyes widened further and she leapt to her feet. "How can I help you?" She said breathlessly, in her haste knocking over a cup of pencils off the desk, scattering them across the floor.

"I'm here to see Ogasawara-san," Mai said, her voice dull and exhausted. "My name is Taniyama."

The woman nodded quickly, bowing slightly, face flushed with embarrassment. "She's expecting you. I'll let her know you're here," she said, her eyes sliding backwards to eye the twins as she hurried away down the hall, leaving the three in the quiet entryway.

Gene stooped and began to gather the pencils, filling the cup and righting it on the reception desk. When the receptionist returned there was a woman following her, a woman with a frown on her face and eyes narrowed behind thin-rimmed glasses.

"Taniyama-san," Ogasawara said curtly; Naru noticed his brother stiffen slightly at his side. "Come with me." The twins moved forward to follow her but Ogasawara stopped and frowned at them.

"Your friends, I presume?" She said, a sneer forming on her lips. "They'll have to wait here."

Gene opened his mouth to object but Mai shook her head at him. Don't, she mouthed, and followed the woman down the hall and disappeared around a corner.

"Sorry," the receptionist said with a nervous giggle. "Ogasawara isn't usually so rude. She's been under a lot of stress lately, and now with that apartment fire..."

"What was the cause of it? The fire?" Naru pressed when the woman didn't answer him immediately.

"Oh... you know, I probably shouldn't say anything, because it's still under investigation, but I think I heard them say it was some old electrical wiring." She lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "Actually, I think your friend Taniyama-san probably got off really lucky. I heard that some of the apartments were destroyed, but it sounds like hers wasn't affected." At that, the twins exchanged glances. "Anyway, that's just what I heard. I couldn't say for sure." She hummed to herself a little and sat back down at her desk. "Sorry there isn't any space here for you to wait. If you want you can wait in the café next door. I think there's loads of paperwork, so it'll probably be a while."

"Let's go," Gene said quickly, his hand on his brother's shoulder and guiding him away. "Thank you for your help," he said, smiling to the receptionist and hurried them out of the office. "You look like you could use a cup of tea," he justified quickly, when his brother turned accusing eyes on him.

"I suppose you're right," Naru admitted. He exhaled deeply and pressed his fingers to his forehead, closing his eyes and trying, but failing, to ease his frown. "Sorry. I just feel so bloody helpless," he muttered. "What good am I, a sixteen year old boy? I might be her boyfriend, but I can't do anything for her at all. Not as a minor."

"That's not true at all," Gene said, his voice sullen. He pushed open the door to the café and led the way inside.

Naru exhaled heavily. "Maybe," he said dubiously. He released another short sigh, his eyes briefly gazing over the menu before stepping up to the counter to order. "I guess we'll just have to wait and see."

...

The twins were waiting for her by the receptionist's desk when she returned from the back office, a steaming to-go cup in Naru's hand. "For you," he said simply, passing it to her, and she smiled as the warmth from the tea spread through her fingers. The receptionist watched them leave, an envious look plain on her face.

"Thank you," Mai said, following the twins outside. It was a breezy evening but the air contained a warmth that had been missing only several days before. Lifting her nose to gaze at the darkening sky, Mai laughed softly, though the sound was forced. "It feels like spring, doesn't it? It was so cold in Nagano. But the weather's warm in Tokyo in comparison."

"What did Ogasawara say?"

"I can't go back to my apartment," A small smile twitched the corners of Mai's lips even as tears gathered in her eyes. "Ogasawara asked if I could come back again tomorrow, and bring an adult with me. A teacher or my school's guidance counsellor, someone I trusted and she would think is capable. They can sign off the paperwork and meet with the police officer and the building management, and only then would they let me go to the apartment and get some of my things."

"What about tonight?"

Mai shook her head. "Surprisingly, Ogasawara didn't seem to care where I went tonight. I told her I'd stay with Keiko. But I hope you don't mind if I stay with you."

"Of course not," Gene was quick to interject.

"She said," Mai sighed again as she spoke, "they don't know how long it will be before we can move back in. My apartment wasn't actually affected by the fire, but there was some structural damage to the building so they're not letting any of the tenants stay there." She shook her head. "The adult I bring tomorrow, Ogasawara wants to talk to them about what to do about all of this, someone who knows my situation and make a decision for me." Mai lowered her gaze to the cup in her hands. "I told her I would just move out. That I could collect all of my things and find a new place to live. But Ogasawara didn't listen to me."

Naru and Gene moved simultaneously, the first putting his hand on the small of her back and the latter's hand on her shoulder.

"I mean, that's what I should do, right? Better to start over right away than to prolong the uncertainty. Even if it means depleting my parents' bank account."

"Money isn't an issue," Naru said shortly. Mai smiled again, her eyes watery.

"I knew you would say that." She exhaled and the tears in her eyes finally slipped down her cheeks. "On the bright side," she laughed, "I don't think I have to go to school tomorrow."

...

The three ate dinner at the hotel and returned to their room, Mai promptly taking off her shoes and crawling into bed. Neither of the twin said anything to stop her and she was fast asleep within minutes.

Gene settled into a chair while Naru drew the curtains, turning on the desk lamp and adjusting the thermostat before sitting down himself.

"You're nervous." Gene finally said, tired of waiting for him to speak.

"I feel… unsettled," Naru agreed. He rubbed his fingers over his forehead. "Perhaps I have been shortsighted." Gene watched him, waiting for him to continue.

"Because the fire was started by faulty or old electrical wiring, and because it did not affect Mai's apartment… I would like to think that we didn't cause it. But since it didn't happen last time around, the only logical reasoning to explain it is that it's directly linked to our actions."

"The butterfly effect, right?" Gene sighed. "A butterfly in Brazil causes a tornado in Texas. Though, you can look at it the other way, too. Maybe it's something we did, yeah. Or maybe it's something we didn't do. Maybe last time Mai did something to prevent it, without even knowing." His lips quirked a small smile. "Maybe this time, not being home on a Saturday night, she didn't need to make her instant ramen. Or perhaps she squashed a bug."

"Gene, be serious."

"I am being serious." Gene leaned forward and touched his index finger to his twin's forehead rather pointedly. "It happened. Whether we like it or not, Noll, and there's nothing we can do about it so you should just stop thinking about it."

"You know I can't."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I won't try to make you." Gene gazed into his brother's eyes seriously. "You called yourself her boyfriend."

Naru blinked. "What?"

"Earlier, when we went to the café. You called yourself her boyfriend." Gene grinned at him. "It took you all this time to finally admit it."

"Did I?" Naru finally let his lips twitch in a small grin, some of the tension easing from his face. "How careless to let it slip."

"A slip, then, is it?" Gene laughed. "What would Mai say if she heard you say that?"

Naru's phone suddenly rang in his pocket, a surprised look crossing his face as he pulled out the mobile. Quickly he pressed it to his ear, his eyes turning toward where Mai lay sleeping. "Hello," he said, his voice hushed and relief visible in his eyes when he saw it had not awoken her.

"I'm boarding a plane for Tokyo in half an hour," a somewhat tired but very familiar voice said. "I should arrive in the morning."

A small smile lifted his lips. "Impeccable timing, Lin."

"Sorry for not contacting you earlier. It's been a little busy here."

"Martin and Luella aren't sending you to retrieve us, then?" Naru asked dryly.

He could hear the wry smile in Lin's voice. "Quite the contrary. Though Luella was a little aggravated that you chose to depart so suddenly. She'd almost thought you'd run away from home."

Naru bit his lip. "Sorry about that."

"I told her I'd sent one of my shiki to follow you.."

"You're lucky that Luella would never even consider that you might lie to her."

"Be as it may. I was able to smooth things over by telling her you were concerned about Gene's safety. That you'd seen something through your psychic connection that indicated he needed you by his side immediately. After that, you can imagine Luella was quite understanding. Though hurt, perhaps, that you still won't ask her for assistance."

"I told you before that both Martin and Luella were excited about your idea for a satellite office in Tokyo. Well—Luella eventually agreed. Martin was ecstatic. They want to come to Japan sometime after you've settled, to see your progress. They'll give you some time, though. They trust you two together, you and Gene."

"Not enough not to send you after us, of course."

"Well... that's another story." Naru could hear the edge in Lin's voice that indicated he was uncomfortable with what he was about to say. "I'm sorry, Naru, but in the eyes of the world you're still only sixteen."

"Much to my aggravation," Naru said, a note of displeasure entering his voice. "Like it or not, I'll just have to wait for the time to pass."

"Most people would be grateful to be returned to their youth." Lin said dryly.

"Are you?" Naru retorted.

Lin hesitated. "Point taken. I'm sorry, Naru, but unless you feel like trying to move us through time again—which I hope you do not—this is where we are."

"Yes." Naru sighed. "I am not... displeased," he finally said, noticing that Gene was watching him with interest. "Not displeased to be here. Quite the contrary. However I know my own capacities and it is immensely frustrating that others cannot." Gene snorted, hiding his grin behind his hand. Naru shot him an annoyed look. "What? It's the truth."

"You're too proud, Noll."

Naru frowned when he heard Lin chuckle into the receiver but the man recovered himself quickly. "Onto a serious subject, I heard from my shiki that there was a fire at Mai's apartment."

Naru's face became solemn with the shift in topic. Even the grin slipped from Gene's face as he sensed what the man said on the other end of the phone. "Yes," Naru said, exhaling and rubbing his hand over his eyes.

"You weren't there, I presume?"

"No. It happened while we went to Nagano, this last weekend."

"And Mai...?"

"She's staying with us for the time being. As far as we know her apartment wasn't damaged but the building as a whole is off-limits."

"What will she do?"

"Find a new apartment, I suppose. But she needs an adult escort to agree to the termination of her lease."

"Ah," Lin said, knowingly. "And so you say, impeccable timing."

"Exactly."

"Even if I'm not her legal guardian?"

"It seems so. Mai doesn't have a legal guardian and the woman in charge of the social services agency doesn't want to listen to anything Mai says. It seems the agency doesn't want to let minors make decisions on their own. That you're over twenty should be enough reason for them to listen to you. And besides, Mai can't stay in a hotel forever. I don't think the agency is offering alternative housing."

"And neither can you," Lin pointed out. "Not this time. The first point of business upon my arrival is to find us a suitable flat. But we can discuss the details later. I don't have much time to talk now."

"Have they called your boarding group?" Naru asked, sounding amused.

"Not quite, but soon. Let me speak to Gene before I go, please."

Naru wordlessly passed the phone to his brother. "Coming to join us in Japan, then, Lin?" Gene said with a grin.

"I am," he replied. "Did you find the answers you were searching for, Gene?"

Gene's smile softened. "I did. We met our maternal grandmother today. I know we'll never see each other again, but I'm content to learn that she didn't even know of our existence before today. She never thought we'd been born. I suppose I'm satisfied, too, to have been able to tell her what happened to her daughter. The truth about what became of her pregnancy."

"She doesn't want to see you again?"

"She has a new family, a different life. Just having the same blood in our veins isn't enough of a reason to stay in contact, I realized. And it seemed apparent to me that Harumi's death really took a toll on her. We take after our mother. Even seeing us on the street she was unsettled by our likeness. I think she'll be happier if we don't continually remind her of what she lost."

"How kind of you."

Gene couldn't tell if it was sarcasm or not, but decided to take the words at face value and shook his head. "I realized that I've been looking for answers, not for a family. To know is enough for me. And Noll, he didn't want a family either.. well, you knew that already."

"You spoke with your father's parents, as well, didn't you? Two days ago?"

"I think we'll meet them, eventually. They wanted to see us, maybe on one of their trips to Britain. I need to write them a letter... and explain all this to Martin and Luella."

"I know they'll support you wholeheartedly." Lin said seriously. "Oh, and one more thing... you don't have any reservations regarding your extended stay in Japan?"

"None whatsoever," Gene confirmed.

He could hear the twitch of a smile. "That's good. I'm trusting you to keep those two out of trouble, Gene."

"Shouldn't it be the other way around?" Gene asked dryly.

"Mai has a remarkable propensity to attract trouble. Or to fall into it, however you choose to look at it. Perhaps it is just her nature not to worry about herself. That wouldn't be enough to worry about in itself, but if there is the slightest threat, I expect Naru will single-mindedly try to protect her, even if that puts him in harm's way as well. Contrary to his nature, perhaps... but we've seen the evidence of it before."

Gene bit his lip, thinking about the fire. His eyes travelled toward the sleeping girl and then to his brother. His gaze softened as he saw his brother's own private gaze, captivated by the girl on the bed. The look upon his face was a contradiction; drawn and tired, but also peaceful and content. "You don't have to worry, Lin," he said softly. "The three of us will always look out for each other." A sly grin suddenly formed on his face. "Lin, you call him Naru, too."

He could imagine the man's face blanch. "A bad habit from Mai," he admitted. "I usually call him Noll in front of your parents. Though I admit I slipped this morning. Thank goodness no one noticed the deviation in pronunciation."

"Anyone else call him Naru?" His brother twitched slightly at the mention of his name again, but he didn't turn his gaze to his twin.

"Madoka did, but only when she was trying to get a rise out of him. You know how she likes to tease."

Gene laughed. "Maybe I should call him Naru, too." His brother shot him a dark look. "Well, maybe not. Have a good trip, Lin."

"Goodnight, Gene."

"Goodnight. Er, good morning. Whatever—you know."

"Good bye."

...

It was deep in the night when Gene awoke. The room was pitch black and though he could not see anything, he could hear the sound of quiet, muffled sobs. The bed shifted beneath him and he realized it was the movements of his brother that had awoken him, not the sound from the other bed. He listened, eyes open and alert in the darkness, to his brother quietly climb into the other bed and he imagined him curling his body comfortingly around the crying girl.

"Shh," he heard a quiet voice, almost so quiet he could not hear it. "It's going to be okay, Mai."

Gene found that there was wetness around his own eyes and so he closed them, his body completely still so as not to betray his consciousness. It was long after her sobs had quieted and the breathing of the two was even and deep that he was finally able to fall asleep again.

She was standing at the top of a hill, overlooking a field of flowers. Different rows of colour stretched before her, nature formed in unnatural straight lines of purple, white, yellow, magenta. It looked like a postcard from Hokkaido's flower fields, fields she had seen in pictures and on TV but never witnessed in real life.

He was standing a short distance behind her, walking toward her slowly. She could feel his presence before he spoke.

"How are you feeling?" Gene asked.

"Better," Mai started. She lifted her face toward the pale blue sky, closing her eyes and inhaling deeply. "Things'll be okay."

"Yes," he agreed.

She turned her head, her eyes open and softening as she gazed at him. "Have you been in my dreams before?"

"This time, you mean?"

She nodded.

"Just once," he admitted. "It was right after we met. I guess I was curious. I thought maybe you were different." He smiled. "I was right, wasn't I?"

She averted her eyes. "It's just like before, isn't it?" she finally said, smiling sadly. Then she looked up quickly, meeting his gaze. "I'm glad I don't think you're your brother this time."

He smiled at her and reached forward, taking her hand. "Me too, Mai. Me too."

...

Mai slept late the following morning. When she finally woke, she was surprised to see Gene sitting at the table, reading while he ate a piece of toast. As she looked at him she realized he had changed. There was something in his eyes that hadn't been there the day previous: he seemed older, somehow, more reserved. With a start she realized he looked even more like his brother. There was a deeper similarity that hadn't been there previously, even with their identical likeness.

Gene turned his head to meet her gaze, a lopsided grin forming on his face. "Rise and shine, sleepyhead," he said in a cheerful tone, his voice pushing from her mind her earlier musings.

Turning her eyes to the digital clock next to the bed on the nightstand, she frowned, processing the current time and trying to recall exactly when she had gone to sleep the night before. "You didn't wake me?"

He shrugged. "Noll said we should let you sleep. You seemed really exhausted, so..."

She looked around the room, smoothing her hair. "Where is he?"

"Went to meet Lin at the airport."

"Oh, I see... Wait, Lin? He's here in Japan?"

Gene grinned. "Well, not yet." He checked his watch. "I think his flight is due to land in half an hour." Watching her face, he laughed. "I guess he's been busy, making arrangements for us here, so he hasn't been in contact much. I was a little surprised, too."

Mai's lips quirked in a grin. "Naru wasn't?"

"No, but you know him. Hard to tell when he is surprised. And he's even worse, now, that we're older."

She noticed he said 'we' when a day ago he might have said 'he,' but the thoughts slipped from her mind when her eyes landed on the breakfast laid out on the table. She scooted off the bed and joined him at the table, mouth watering as looked over the toast, fruit, and a steaming pot of tea. "May I?"

"Oh, for god's sake, Mai, you don't need to ask." Gene pushed a plate toward her and passed her a jar of jam. "Here, try the strawberry preserves, they're divine."

Mai picked up a piece of toast, surprise showing on her face as her fingertips touched the bread: it was still warm.

"Had it delivered just ten minutes before you woke up." He smiled and winked at her. "I had a feeling it would be the right time."

...

Mai and Gene were waiting in the hotel lobby when Naru and Lin arrived. Mai wordlessly walked past Naru as Lin set his luggage down and she embraced the tall man briefly, whispering something into his ear.

Gene, who was watching with an interested and bemused look upon his face, noticed that Lin stiffened—but only slightly—and did not pull away, as the man would have done if it had been anyone else. He watched the two even as he turned his head toward his brother when he addressed him. "Did you see us coming from the room?" Naru asked.

"No," Gene said. "Five minutes ago we were watching the telly. Then all of a sudden Mai said we should come down here. That's all."

Mai had stepped away from Lin and had taken the handle of his rolling suitcase, walking toward the twins. Her smile broadened when Naru met her gaze and her eyes began to twinkle. "It must be about lunchtime, huh?"

...

The four were seated near the windows of a small Western-style restaurant, the bright sunlight streaming onto their table. They had eaten a light lunch and upon Naru's insistence, had ordered a pot of tea and a small carafe of coffee. Lin lifted his teacup and drank silently, the three adolescents waiting for him to speak. When he lowered the cup he began.

"I told Martin and Luella about your plan to open an office in Japan. Well—I didn't put it quite like that. More that you had the idea and wanted to see if it was possible. We all agreed that I should come and help with the minor details."

"They didn't protest?" Gene asked incredulously as he stirred cream into his coffee.

"As you can imagine, Martin was quite excited about the prospect. Luella perhaps had more reservations, however, she agreed." Lin smiled slightly, fingering the handle of his teacup gently. "She thought it would be a great experience for you." He turned his head toward Naru. "I mentioned to Naru on our drive from the airport. Considering your university studies, she actually suggested that you could consider enrolling at Tokyo University."

Mai's eyes widened but remained silent. Gene, on the other hand, let out a sound of disbelief, a wide grin spreading on his face. "She did?"

"It's almost hard to believe. Doesn't seem like her, does it." Naru shook his head. "But no matter how much they trust us, they'll no doubt be anxious to visit and see how we're faring."

A sly grin quirked Gene's lips. "How long should we give them, before Luella insists on checking in on us?"

"No more than a month," Naru said blandly. He paused. "But it'll be after the first case, the case at Mai's school. That's good."

"How long will it take to have SPR completely set up?" Mai asked.

Naru shook his head. "Certainly not longer than last time. I called the realtor on the way here. He said he can show us the office space this afternoon. We could sign the lease today." He nodded toward his twin. "I thought we could meet him there while Lin accompanies Mai. We can reconvene afterwards."

"What time are you meeting Ogasawara?" Gene asked Mai.

Mai's face blanched, glancing at a clock on the wall. "About an hour."

Lin set his empty teacup on the table. "So we should go."

The twins would take a train to Shibuya, while Lin and Mai would drive the rental car to meet with Ogasawara. As they left the restaurant Mai stepped closer toward Naru, reaching toward him suddenly and tugging on his sleeve. He slowed his gait, turning toward her, the anxiety plain on her face.

"It's going to be fine, Mai."

She dipped her chin. "I know."

"If anyone can handle Ogasawara, it's Lin. You know Gene and I. We'd never be able to keep our tempers."

Mai nodded, exhaling slowly. "I know." Her face relaxed, a grin tugging her lips upwards. "Thank you. We'll meet up afterwards, right?"

He nodded. "I want you to be there when we sign for the SPR office." A sardonic smile lifted his lips. "You'll have to be. Lin will have to sign, being the only adult among us."

She giggled. "Of course."

"So don't take too long."

"Definitely won't." She took his hand and squeezed it slightly before hurrying over toward Lin, the usual spring returned to her step. "Then we'll be off!"

...

The meeting with Ogasawara and Lin passed by as if a blur. Mai's thoughts kept wandering to the twins, wondering what their reactions were as they saw the office. Naru, returning to a familiar place from many years ago; and Gene, visiting for the first time a place he'd already seen in her memories. Thinking of the office brought back her own memories, memories that evoked powerful emotions and caused her mind to wander. Not that Ogasawara seemed to notice if she was distant, the woman's attention was focused fully on Lin and ignored Mai throughout their meeting. Lin signed the forms and listened with a strained smile as Ogasawara lectured them on the habits of irresponsible teenagers, stating several times that she did not approve of Mai simply moving into a new apartment on her own. When she was finally satisfied that she had done her duty, she waved them away and tersely informed them someone would be waiting for them at Mai's apartment. They would have one hour for Mai to gather her things. Whether or not she took everything would be up to her.

"Not giving you a lot of time, are they," Lin remarked as they returned to the car. His voice was calm but Mai had known him long enough to know he was irritated.

"Thank you... for everything," Mai said, exhaling deeply as she pulled the seatbelt across her body, buckling it and turning her face toward the tall man. He turned the key in the ignition and the car started promptly. "Thank you... really, thank you, Lin."

"Of course," he said simply. He paused, eyes flicking between the mirrors as he manoeuvred the car into the street traffic. "I imagine you'll have to go back to school tomorrow."

"Maybe."

"As you know, my next task is to find an apartment for Gene, Naru and I to live in," Lin said.

Mai nodded. "I guess me too, now, huh..."

"Would you like to live with us?" Lin asked, his gaze fixed on the road ahead. "We could find a large apartment. You wouldn't have to worry about rent expenses at all."

Mai considered the offer in silence. "No," she finally said. "I don't think I want to. If that's okay."

"Of course," Lin said. "It's probably for the best. Actually, Naru said the same thing but he wanted you to make the decision."

Mai's lips deepened into a slight frown as she thought. "I would like to live close to you. I guess that's a given. But I don't think a shared space is necessarily a good idea. And besides, how would you explain that to Martin and Luella?"

Lin thought before he spoke. "Naru will have to tell them about you eventually. He can't keep such a thing a secret."

"No," Mai agreed slowly, even though she couldn't imagine how they could even begin to explain it. She sighed, and suddenly a barrage of guilt washed over her. Her shoulders slumped and tears welled in her eyes.

Lin recognized the shift in her mood immediately. "It's not your fault, you know," he stated matter-of-factly.

"I know." Mai said, covering her face, ashamed to cry in front of the man. "I'm sorry. It's just... the fire. And everything. I know it's not my fault. But... but..." She sighed and released a shuddering sob. "This wasn't supposed to happen," Mai whispered. "Naru was laughing, Lin, laughing with Gene yesterday in a way I'd never seen before. I thought I'd broken him out of his shell, after all that time, but I realized... I hadn't even come close. Only Gene could make him laugh like that. This was his chance to live it all over again, to be truly happy, and now..." She sighed and covered her face with her hands once again. "I messed it up again."

Lin said nothing for some time. When he did speak he chose his words slowly and carefully. "While it's true the brothers have an incredible bond that cannot be easily rivalled, to say that Naru's happiness depends entirely on Gene—or vice versa, for that matter—is short-sighted and immature. I hope you don't really believe that."

"No," Mai muttered reluctantly, wiping her eyes.

"Good." Lin exhaled and leaned back in his seat.

Mai was quiet for the rest of the drive as she composed herself. "Sorry," she apologized. "I overreacted. I'm just tired of it all."

Lin parked the car and shook his head. "I understand that you're frustrated and upset. Who wouldn't be in your situation?" He smiled ever so slightly. "We'd better hurry. Only an hour, right?"

Mai made a face. "I really don't have that much stuff, Lin. If we're quick it'll only take half."

...

Under the supervision of the landlord of the building and a policeman, Lin and Mai entered the building. While the damage on one half of the building was obviously severe, as they climbed the dim stairs to Mai's second story room, other than the faint smell of smoke there was no evidence of the fire at all. Lin collected all of Mai's kitchen items into a box while she hurriedly threw her clothes into a suitcase and all but dumped the items from her bathroom shelves into a box. Lin carried her folded futon and blankets to the car while she gathered her various trinkets and collectibles she'd accrued over time, a smile lifting her lips as she lifted the plush lion from Gene. With the books from her shelves she was not as careful and was pleased when they fit entirely in one box.

"Is that everything?" Lin asked as he returned, gesturing to the remaining boxes that sat in a neat stack near the door. "What about the kotatsu?"

"That's it," Mai agreed. "The kotatsu isn't mine; it was in the apartment when I came here. So that's it."

Lin shook his head in disbelief. "I'll admit, I didn't believe you when you said it wouldn't take that long. I suppose I didn't remember how little luggage you had when you came to London."

They carried the last boxes out and loaded them into the car, thanked the landlord and said goodbye. Once again Lin drove the route to where the future SPR office would be. Surprisingly, when they arrived there was a parking space available directly in front of the building. Mai, sensing a faint indication of supernatural activity at hand, shot a suspicious glance at Lin. The man merely shrugged, but a small smirk on his lips indicated that he had procured their good fortune with a touch of magic.

"Did you ever do that before, with Naru?" She queried.

"No." Lin smiled slightly. "He'd have called it a waste of energy and resources to ask such a trivial favour of my spirit familiars. Whenever we had to load up early, it would have been early in the morning anyway and parking was never a problem."

Mai laughed and hurried up the stairs. It felt strange to see the blank door, missing the painted letters SPR, and even more so as she placed her hand on the door and pushed it open.

The office was silent as ever but eerily empty. There was no furniture nor any shelves lined with books along the walls, not even a rug to cover the floor. Lin stepped into the office behind her, closing the door loudly behind him and stepping into one of the side offices to greet the agent. Mai walked across the room to the windows, running her hand along the sill as she contemplated the view outside. She was vaguely aware of Lin and Naru crossing into the other room with the realtor, now discussing the finer details of the lease. Gene had appeared from behind them, standing in the centre of the room and gazing at the ceiling absently.

"What do you think?" The realtor's voice drifted over from the other room and Mai turned her head to watch the answer to the question.

Lin first looked to Naru, who, outside of the realtor's gaze, gave a short, affirmative nod.

"We'll take it," Lin replied.

...

Several hours later, the four were seated on the floor of the empty office, drinking tea and coffee out of paper take-away cups. Mai's boxes had been carried upstairs and were stacked against the wall neatly. Against the stark wall of the empty office, it seemed strange to see all her worldly belongings gathered together, and in such a small space. Certainly many of her classmates would have as many clothes to fill as many boxes she had in total.

Naru had unfolded a map of Tokyo and passed it toward Mai. "Where would you prefer to live, Mai?"

She turned her gaze away from the wall and looked down at the map. "Hmm..." She set her tea on the floor beside her and circled an area on the map with her finger. "Around here, I suppose. The trains would be really convenient both to get here and to school."

"Would you like us to look at any apartments, so we could recommend something to you?" Gene asked. "I mean, you're going to school tomorrow, so you won't be able to come with us, right?"

"Yeah, I should go to school..." Mai's voice trailed off and she considered for a moment before answering. "I guess it doesn't matter. If you know where you will live, I can just find any apartment nearby." She grinned. "As long as there's something cheap enough around."

"Money isn't..." Naru started, but she waved him silent.

"I know, I know. But I couldn't live somewhere too nice on a clean conscience. Besides, it has to be small!" She gestured at the boxes. "Look at how much stuff I have to fill it."

"We'll find something suitable to all of our needs, I'm sure," Lin said. He sounded tired. With a pang of guilt Mai realized he was probably jet-lagged and exhausted. He'd been completely silent since they'd returned to the office with their hot beverages, but she'd been caught up thinking about what came next that she hadn't drawn the connection.

"You're right," Mai said cheerfully, springing to her feet. "Let's find some dinner and get back to the hotel. I'm tired! It was a long day."

"You don't look tired," Gene laughed. "But, yeah, let's go."

a/n:

Thanks for reading! I would be so grateful if you would leave a review to let me know what you think. See you in the next chapter!

Original Update 15 december 2012 (Edited)