Disclaimer: I do not own Ghost Hunt.

"English speaking"

"Japanese speaking"

'Thinking'

Chapter 11

Beep… Beep… Beep…

Mai felt like she had been run over by a train or something with just as much force. That beeping was super annoying. She opened her eyes to slits and found a white ceiling above her. From the corner of her right eye, she saw sunlight coming in from a big window. Between her and the window there was a dark shape.

Naru. He was bent forward and his hands were clasped together as if he was struggling with something.

"Naru?"

His head shot up, eyes wide and mouth slightly open. He looked at her as if he couldn't believe his eyes. He scooted forward in his chair to come closer. She lifted her hand and he took hold of it.

"Naru? Are you okay?"

One corner of his mouth lifted and his brows twitched. "For Kami's sake Mai. You're the one laying in the hospital bed, wrapped up in bandages. And you're asking me if I'm okay?"

"Well, you looked like you were in pain."

"I was. But you just took my pain away."

"How did I do that?"

"By waking up. Dummy." He smiled a real smile.

Her cheeks flushed as she caught his meaning. His pained look had been worry for her. She swallowed thickly. "How many painkillers am I on right now?"

A little taken aback by the question, but glad that she was clear headed enough to speak another language, he answered with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm guessing a lot. Why?"

"I'm wondering if this is a dream I'm having." She told him absentmindedly. "It's not unlikely. This is something I'd dream about if I was high on narcotics. Morphine would do it."

"You think your brain would dream of me by default?" He asked with a smirk. This pleased him.

Her eyes widened in horror. "Did I just say that out loud?"

He nodded. Still with a very pleased smirk.

"Oh I am definitely on Morphine. I am way too loose lipped."

"So this is the moment where I am supposed to ask you all kinds of embarrassing things?"

"No, because that would be cruel. And I'm sick. You don't want to be cruel to a sick person, do you?"

"Hmmm." He pretended to think about it.

"Naru!"

"I'll make an exception since it's you."

She smiled with narrowed eyes. "Thanks. That makes me feel a whole lot better." She said jokingly.

There was a knock at the door before it opened to show Luella. "I heard voices. Mai, you're awake."

"Hi Luella."

She closed the door behind her and came to stand at Mai's left side. "How are you feeling, sweety?"

"High on morphine." Mai smiled.

Luella laughed lightly. "Yes, I imagine you are. So does that mean no pain?"

"Only some painful embarrassment. But otherwise I think I'm ok."

"Embarrassment?"

"Mai apparently gets very talkative when she's on painkillers." Naru informed his mother, with a mischievous smile.

"Oh. So I'm guessing you said something you shouldn't have?"

"I'm mortified." Mai said, closing her eyes. "Can I go back to sleep and then wake up anew?"

"You could if you really were dreaming." Naru said.

Her eyes flew open. "Will you shut up?"

Luella laughed brightly. "Oh, I'm so glad you're feeling good enough to start bantering with Noll. I'll just go and inform the nurse that you're awake. The doctor would probably like to check on you." She pointed at her son. "Be nice."

"Aren't I always?"

Then she left the room with no further adieu. About ten minutes later, She reentered with the doctor in tow. He introduced himself as Dr. Samual Smith. He moved her bed to sit up so she was more comfortable when speaking with him. Mai's head was examined, she was asked a bunch of questions like, do you feel any pain? How much do you remember? Social security number. And a lot more.

The doctor told Mai everything the others had previously been informed of and she was shocked to hear that she had been asleep for 14 hours after the surgery. But she reasoned that she had been really tired after everything, so it really wasn't that surprising.

"Your friends have requested that you be moved to a hospital in London now that you're awake. Do you have a problem with this?" Dr. Smith asked her.

"No, not at all." She told him.

After the doctor left, luella told them that she was going to go find the others. They were probably in the cafeteria. And then she left them alone again.

Mai turned to look at Naru. "What's happening with the case?"

"You tell me. Did you encounter any spirits while you were down there?"

She thought for a moment. Then she remembered her talk with Gene. She told Naru everything that he had told her. About how the footprints appeared because some of them found their way out and why the little girl had been attacked. Including that he was going to show the rest the way out, so there would be no need for an exorcism.

"Then it all makes sense. While we were waiting for you to regain consciousness, three more sets of footprints appeared on the floor." Naru told her.

"Have you updated the Adleighs yet?"

"My father called them earlier and told them what happened. They were naturally very sorry that you got hurt. And even more so that such a hole was discovered right under their feet."

"It's a miracle that none of them fell through it before we got there."

"Speaking of. Madoka is a mess. When the others get here she is probably going to cry all over you."

And as if they had conjured her by speaking of her, there was another knock on the door and everyone came in. Madoka went to Mai's side at once and she started to speak, but her words were unintelligible because she was crying so hard. She actually ended up on her knees on the floor, leaning her forehead on the back of Mai's left hand.

"Madoka." Mai tried to console the woman, but she just shook her head.

"I'm so sorry Mai." Gasping. Crying. Sobbing. "I'm so sorry. I should have been more careful."

"Madoka, look at me." Mai's voice was soft, yet it had a note of command to it. Madoka looked up through her tears. "I don't care about what happened to me. As long as you are here and you are safe, it doesn't matter."

"But you wouldn't be hurt if I hadn't…"

"If you hadn't stepped over the line we would never have found the cave at all."

The crying woman smiled and laughed a little at that. "Yeah. Noll told me you'd say that."

Mai looked at Naru and smiled. "He knows me well."

"Mai?" Lin said, stepping to her side.

"Yeah?" She turned her head back.

"Thank you for saving my wife."

"Thank you for getting me out of my panic. But why did you choose that memory?"

He smiled gently. "It was the only thing I could think of that was sure to get you angry with me."

"Why did you need me to get angry?"

"Noll told us it was the best way to get you to focus."

Mai turned to Naru again with a bewildered look.

He smirked at her. "I told you before, remember? You usually get depressed first. Then you get angry. And then you tend to bounce back pretty quickly after that."

"Yeah. That's what you told me while we were stuck in that sewer together. Wow, I can't believe you remember that about me."

Oh, he remembered everything about Mai. "I'm a genius, Mai. I remember everything."

She pouted. "See? This is why I gave you the nickname Naru. You're such a narcissist." But she couldn't keep her smile away for long.

"Wait." Luella said from the foot of Mai's bed. "Naru isn't just the Japanese pronunciation of Noll?"

Mai laughed. "Well, it is. But I had no idea that was his name when I gave him that nickname. See, the Japanese word for narcissist is narushisuto. And so on my very first day of working for him, I gave him the nickname Naru the narcissist."

Luella and Martin both laughed.

"Oh." Mai exclaimed, slapping her hand over her mouth. "I really shouldn't have told that to his parents."

"Morphines still got your tongue a little loose I see." Naru said in a low voice.

Mai noticed that he had some small dark circles under his eyes. "Naru, have you slept at all?"

He raised his eyebrows.

"You look tired. Did you sit there all the time I was sleeping? That's not good for you."

"I'm fine Mai. You on the other hand have drooping eyelids."

"I'm excused. You're not. Go take a nap."

He looked at her like 'did you just give me an order?'.

And looked right back with 'you bet I did and you better follow it'.

He sighed in resignation. "Fine. I'll be back in a few hours. Don't get into any trouble while I'm gone."

"I'll try not to." Her smile was triumphant and smug.

He got up and told them all he'd see them later, then left the room.

Mai closed her eyes and laid her head back. She really was tired too.

"So, Mai?" Luella said sitting in the chair her son had just vacated. Mai opened her eyes and looked at her. "I've been wondering about something and I want to ask you about it. But I understand that you may say something right now that you perhaps don't want to say aloud. So think about your answer before you speak. Okay?"

Mai nodded. She was a little worried now.

"What happened between you and Noll? You seem like such great friends and even confidants. I can't imagine what happened to make the two of you cut contact for more than six years."

Mai was glad for the reminder to think before she opened her mouth. There was no way she could tell Naru's mother about the fact that she had confessed her love to him, him telling her that she was in love with a dead person and then breaking her heart even further by leaving the country. She had felt so rejected that he never tried to reach out to her again. She had not wanted to contact him because she didn't think he'd want to speak with her after all that time. Besides, he didn't even leave his phone number for her to call.

She thought for a long minute before she was confident that she could speak honestly without giving too much away. "It was a misunderstanding. We talked in private, and he simply made the wrong assumption about something. I didn't get the chance to explain before he left, and I didn't have his number to call and tell him about it."

"Have you talked about it now?"

"Yes. He asked me about the subject the evening of the banquet and I took the chance to explain. So all of it is now water under the bridge."

"So there's definitely a chance that you'll come visit again? Or perhaps we could come to Japan at some point?"

"Of course. I'd be happy to see all of you again. Besides, Prof. Davis has asked me to do a lecture for his college classes, and I haven't ruled it out yet." Luella beamed at her.

"Oh that's such great news Mai." The professor exclaimed. "But dear. I think it's about time that you start calling me Martin. I think after everything and given the prospects of the future, it would be fitting."

Mai gave him a smile of her own and agreed wholeheartedly. Even if she didn't quite understand what he meant by 'prospects of the future'. But she pushed that one aside, since she was getting too tired to argue.

The others let her sleep after they noticed her eyes starting to close more frequently and told her that they would be back in a few hours. The transport to London would happen shortly after Lin, Yasu, Martin and Madoka had cleared out the Adleigh's house for equipment.

In the light of the house standing right above such a dangerous place, it was ruled unfit to live in. Mr. Adleigh contacted a lawyer and it was easy to get the government involved. The state determined that the caves, which stretched out a lot further than expected, was to be explored. The Adleighs received compensation to find a new place to live and a professional excavation team came in to search the network of tunnels. They found several holes like the one at the house, where a person could have fallen through. They found the remains of the missing people and a few others whose disappearances were never filled.

Two weeks later, Mai was sitting in the garden of the Davis' manor. Luella had insisted that she stay at least until she was completely healed. Mai was grateful since she didn't like flying at the best of times, and flying with a concussion, while technically allowed, was not a very good idea. The day of her departure was set to a week from now, and Mai was starting to miss her home very much.

She had borrowed a book from Naru about famous haunted locations in the UK. And she was actually finding it very interesting. Maybe she could come back some day and visit these sites.

She was sitting under a small gazebo surrounded by birch trees. The weather was unusually nice for this time of year and she had thought that some fresh air would do her some good. She had brought out a blanket so she wouldn't get cold and she had her feet up on a little footstool. She did need to keep her foot elevated after all, her leg was still recovering. The butler Jameson had brought her some tea. Mai had made him a cup of her own blend and he was now trying to learn how to make something similar. He wasn't bad at all. The tea he had brought out was very good.

Mai heard the crunch of gravel on the path leading to where she was and she turned her head to see Naru coming to meet her.

"Hi Naru."

"Hello, Mai. Comfortable?" He said, gesturing to her little setup.

"Very. But I'm finding it a bit dangerous."

"What?" He looked puzzled.

"I could get used to this kind of lifestyle. But I don't have that kind of money. I might just come visit you just to sit here." She laughed light-heartedly.

He considered her for a moment. "Speaking of." He sat down next to her on the bench. "How much equipment do you have?"

"Equipment?"

"For when you go on investigations."

"Oh. Umm, let's see. I have four monitors, six normal cameras, two thermal imaging cameras, two night vision cameras, a portable temperature gager and a bunch of other smaller necessities. Why?"

"Do you have insurance on it?"

"No. I had a warranty but I'm pretty sure it's past its expiration date."

"So if something breaks?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "Then it breaks and I have to consider if it's worth it buying more. I spoke with a bunch of insurance companies, but the prizes I found were not in my price range. Why are you asking?"

"I just wanted to know how much you already have before I start buying new."

"Buying new? Are you.. Offering to buy me new equipment?"

"Something like that."

"Well, I won't accept. Naru, you know I don't take charity."

"It won't be charity."

"Really? And just how did you figure that out?"

"If you accept my proposal then this will be purely business."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "What proposal?"

"I want to reopen JSPR. And I would like you to come and work with me."

She looked at him with a disbelieving face, not knowing what to say. Except.. "Your coming back to Japan? And you want me to be your assistant again?"

He smirked. "Yes and no. I am coming back to Japan, but I don't want you to be my assistant. Working with you on the Adleigh case showed me that you are far too good to be a mere assistant. I said to work with me, not for me."

"Okay. I am thoroughly confused. Explain please."

"Reopening JSPR makes me the head of the company. My father has Madoka as his right hand and lead investigator. I am going to need that too. And I would like to offer the job to you."

"Wh.. What about Lin?"

"Lin is good and has been my right hand for years. But he can't come with me permanently. He needs to stay here with Madoka. I'm not going to split those two apart."

She could see that he was sincere and the emotions coming from him spoke of anticipation and nerves. Was he perhaps worried that she wouldn't accept?

She smiled. "You really mean it. Don't you?"

He nodded. "What do you say? Will you help me make a new beginning?"

"Yes." She had to hold herself back so she wouldn't tuble over in an attempt to hug him. "I'd love to."

He smiled. She was beginning to lose count of the number of real smiles he gave her. But they still made her heart flutter. "Then I have two more things to add."

"What's that?"

"Firstly, we offer the assistant job to Yasuhara."

"Oh he would love that. He really needs to get away from that awful office job he has."

"And secondly.."

She was taken aback by the amount of nerves rolling off him. "Secondly? Naru, why are you so nervous?"

"Because the second point is the most important one."

He looked so very serious, it made her nervous herself. "What is it?"

His eyes drifted lower for a second, then they met hers again. "This." He reached up and placed his hand gently on her cheek, then he leaned closer and captured her mouth with his own. She closed her eyes and leaned in to him. She placed her hand on his chest and felt the beat of his heart underneath her fingers. It was beating fast.

He leaned back a little and they seperated. Mai's eyes fluttered open and she looked at him. She could feel her cheeks burning and her pulse was pounding in her ears.

"You kissed me." She whispered.

"Yes." He whispered back.

"Why?"

"Because I love you."

Her eyes widened and her breath caught in her throat.

"I'm sorry that it took me so long to realise. Please.. Tell me I'm not too late. I can't lose you again Mai."

It took her a second to comprehend what he was saying. 'He loves me. He really loves me.' And she could feel it too. She realised that he had been sending out the emotional wave of affection towards her for a while, but she had noticed because the feeling of his love was different than other kinds she had observed before. There was such a depth to it. Such devotion and longing.

She smiled. Her hands came up to wrap around the back of his neck. "No, Oliver. You're not too late. I never stopped loving you. You idiot."

He smiled with relief and kissed her again. For a few long moments they just sat and were content with each other. Eventually, Luella came out to check on her young guest. When she saw her son embracing the woman and the look of love and happiness in their eyes, she couldn't hold in her gasp. She apologised profusely and turned to leave them alone, but Noll called her over to tell her the good news.

She was absolutely overjoyed and hugged them both. She was a little saddened to hear that they would then both be going to Japan. But as long as Noll was happy, she wouldn't complain. She was so happy and ran off to tell Martin that their son had a girlfriend.

"I knew the two of you couldn't stay apart much longer." Yasu told them when they revealed to him, Lin and Madoka that they were together.

Madoka squealed, which hurt everyone's ears, and Lin had a very smug smile on his face.

"Oh, by the way Yasu." Mai said, and she explained all about reopening JSPR and offering the assistant job to him. With the added titel of being their head researcher, of course.

He was beyond ready to work for them and didn't hesitate for a second in saying yes. He even said he would call his employer that night and quit his job.

That reminded Mai that she needed to call Ayako and Bou-san to let them know as well. She did so that same evening.

"Congratulations Jou-chan." The monk said over the phone. "I knew the two of you were meant to be. I mean, why else would you have rejected every other guy who asked you out?"

"It really was just a matter of time I guess." Ayako said. "So is he coming here to Japan?"

"Yup. And he's asked me to be his partner in reopening JSPR." Mai said with a grin.

"Holy cow!" Bou-san said at the same time Ayako said, "That's amazing Mai!"

"Yasu and I will be coming home in about a week's time. We'll be getting the office ready and cleaned up. Can you believe that he still owns the office in Shibuya? It's in SPR's name."

"Somehow that doesn't actually surprise me." Ayako said.

"So when is Naru coming? And is Lin coming too?" Bou-san asked.

"Naru has a few things to take care of before he can come with us. Lin will be coming to help set everything up and get all the paperwork in order. But he has to get back to England after about a month. He and Madoka got married, so he has new obligations."

And on went the conversation about the future.

Both Mai and Naru each had their final visit from Gene saying his congratulations to them. Mai had cried when she woke up and since she had not left England yet, she went to Naru's room to tell him. He had just had basically the same conversation with his brother earlier that same night, so he was glad for the comfort that she gave him in return as they held each other.

Mai looked out the window into the night sky and imagined what life with Naru at her side would be like. She had a good feeling about it.

I was in the middle of writing an epilogue for this story when I thought, You know, there's been a lot of 'fluff' in this story, and my epilogue is ONLY 'fluff'. So I thought maybe you guys would be okay with ending the story here.

If you want me to finish and post the epilogue, please leave a comment.

Please leave a comment either way. I would really like to know how you liked the story. I've posted the entire thing in one go because it quite literally just flew out of my head. I wrote the whole thing in about two to three weeks.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it. Have a great day, wherever you are 3