**Finally! Sorry for the wait but being back to work and creating a kindergarten class in a school that never had one before is a lot of work! I've been so busy and probably will be for the next few months while I'm getting used to everything but I'll be sure to post a new chapter every two weeks or so. Thank you all for the wonderful reviews, I've tried to reply to as many of them as I could! It makes my day seeing how this story is keeping you so emotionally invested and how many of you are really reading into the little details I sneak into my chapters. It's so exciting seeing that a few of you are picking up on certain things, it's definitely making me feel more confident as a writer that you're able to guess some of the things I am hinting towards. If I didn't send you a message know that I really appreciate that you are taking the time to leave reviews and favorite/follow my story, it means so much!**

Chapter 24

Oliver was by the brunette's side in an instant. Wasing no time, he rolled her over gently to assess the situation and checked her body for any injuries. He pressed two fingers to her neck just below her jaw and relief filled him when he felt a healthy pulse beneath his fingertips. He scanned her from head to toe. Her elbow and knee were both bleeding from the fall but at least she was breathing.

"Mai," he called out. He reached a hand out and cupped the side of her face, tapping it to see if he could rouse the woman laying in the entryway. "Mai, do you hear me?"

Brown orbs warrily fluttered open and met his gaze. Her eyes quickly grew wide and brimmed with tears upon realizing where she was and what had happened.

In the blink of an eye she unsteadily pushed herself to her feet and ran into the building, leaving Oliver in her wake. The stunned man heard a frantic banging coming from inside and he entered the building.

"Mr. Hicks!" Mai sobbed, desperately trying to open his door. "Bertie!"

Quickly connecting the dots, Oliver knew something was wrong. He placed his hands on Mai's shoulders and moved the distraught woman to the side. He took the doorknob in his hand and closed his eyes.

Mai wiped the tears from her cheeks and watched as the man standing next to her focused on the door. Realizing he was about to use his psychokinesis, she grabbed his sleeve with pleading eyes and prayed he would be able to open the lock.

"I-I saw his wife," she shakily explained through the tears. "Elsie pulled me into a vision and said he's in the kitchen."

After only a few seconds, the sound of a deadbolt unlocking echoed through the hallway and Oliver pulled the door open.

Mai hastily made her way through the flat and into the kitchen and froze when she saw Mr. Hicks' lifeless body sprawled on the floor. Another sob escaped her and she dropped to her knees beside the man. She was about to reach out to check his pulse when a pair of strong hands began to methodically began to perform chest compressions on the older man.

She looked up at Oliver in shock. His eyes were hard and focused.

"Mai, I'm going to need you to call for an ambulance. Can you do that?" the man asked calmly. "My phone is in my pocket."

Coming to her senses, she nodded and quickly looked made her way next to him and pulled out his mobile.

She shakily dialed 999 and calmed her breathing while she waited to be connected.

"999, what's your emergency?" the sound of the dispatcher's voice reached Mai's ears.

Mai took another shaky breath, trying to remain calm. "I need an ambulance. My landlord is on the ground; I think he had a heart attack."

"What's your address?" the woman asked.

"It's xxx Baker Street. The front door is open and we're in the only flat on the bottom floor," Mai explained.

She could hear the tapping of a keyboard coming from the other end of the line. "Very good, love. The ambulance is on the way. What is your name and the name of your landlord?"

"Mai Taniyama and Bertel Hicks."

"Okay, Mai. Is anyone doing any chest compressions on him?" the woman asked calmly.

"Yes," Mai responded, looking over at her boss.

"Very good. Keep doing the compressions. Thirty compressions, two breaths, and repeat. Continue until the ambulance arrives, alright? I'll stay on the phone. They are two minutes away now."

"Okay," Mai whispered emotionally.

She watched as her boss continued the compressions. His eyes were more concentrated than she had ever seen. There was sweat beading down his face and his brows were furrowed in exhaustion but he never faltered.

"-ai? Mai?" the dispatcher called out, catching her attention. "Are you still there?"

"Sorry, yes I'm still here," she replied.

"The ambulance is pulling up now do you see them?"

Mai looked towards the window and saw the flashing lights. "Yes! They're here!"

"Okay, I'm going to hang up now. They will take good care of him."

"Thank you," Mai replied and hung up the phone.

Within seconds, the EMT's were wheeling a trolley into the flat. The next few minutes went by in a flash. Mai and Oliver stepped to the side as the paramedics circled the older man on the floor and checked his vitals.

"There's a pulse!" one of the paramedics called out as they set the man on the trolley.

Alleviation flooded Mai's body at the declaration. She was so happy she wanted to cry. She looked over at her tired boss standing next to her and felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude.

Oliver felt her eyes on him and turned to see her smiling with tears in her eyes. Before he knew what was happening the woman wrapped her arms around him and sunk her head into his chest. To say he was shocked would be an understatement.

He stood there unsure of what to do for a moment. He could feel her body shaking slightly as she tried to hold herself together and his eyes softened slightly. He slowly reached up and wrapped both arms around her petite frame. The warmth of his arms comforted the distraught woman more than words could describe. She closed her eyes and felt like she could finally begin to relax.

"Pardon me," one of the EMT's interrupted.

In a flash Oliver's arms were back by his side, his face expressionless, as if their embrace had been all in her imagination.

Mai turned towards the paramedic. "Yes?"

"Are either of you family or willing to come to hospital with the patient?"

Mai stepped forward eagerly. "I'm not family but he's like a grandfather to me. I'll come! I can also reach out to his family for you, too."

"That would be helpful. I'm also sure he would like to see a familiar face when he wakes up," the man said. "He's lucky the two of you found him and acted so quickly. A minute later and it would have been too late."

The paramedic made his way to the ambulance and Mai began to follow but she stopped suddenly. She turned around and saw Oliver watching her blankly. She strode up to him and stood on the balls of her bare feet.

Blue eyes widened slightly when a pair of feather soft lips lightly brushed against his cheek. The warmth of her lips igniting an unknown feeling in his chest.

Pulling back, she gave him a grateful smile. "Thank you, Naru. I have to go."

The man watched blankly as the small brunette quickly followed the paramedics into the ambulance and they drove off. As the flashing lights disappeared down the dimly lit road, Oliver turned and closed the landlord's door before leaving the building.

As he closed the building's door behind him, a forgotten pair of beige heels on the stoop caught his attention. He bent down and picked them up before he made his way to his car. He placed the heels on the passenger seat and stared at them for a moment, his expression unreadable.

Suddenly he dropped his head onto the steering wheel and a long sigh escaped through his nose.

Mai yawned and looked over at the clock on the wall tiredly. It was nearly four in the morning. Bertel's daughter should be arriving any moment with Phillip, she noted.

She took a seat on the cold hard wooden chair next to Bertel's hospital bed and wrapped her arms around her for both warmth and comfort.

Brown eyes stared down at her aching bare feet and groaned. In her haste to get to the ambulance, she had managed to grab her bag but had forgotten her shoes. Her feet were growing colder and dirtier by the second and they were beginning to feel raw. She made a mental note to ask for some socks to keep them from getting even more roughed up.

Looking over at the unconscious man in the hospital bed, Mai took a deep breath to keep the tears from returning. There was no reason for her to cry any more but the tears threatened nonetheless. The doctor's had praised her for their quick thinking and informed her that Mr. Hicks would be okay, however they would have to keep him for a few days to see if any other issues arose.

With her mind flooded with memories of the past night, she looked down at her phone in her hands. Half of her wanted to message a certain dark-haired man, thanking him for everything and let him know everything was okay. The more sensible side of her kept reminding her that it was much too late to be messaging her employer. Pearl white teeth worried her bottom lip at her internal struggle.

Sighing in resolve after a moment, she placed her phone back inside her bag. She would message him tomorrow.

"...Mai?" a raspy voice called out and startled her.

Her head snapped in his direction with a relieved smile spreading across her face. "Mr. Hicks! You're awake!" She was by his side in an instant, taking his warm wrinkly hand in hers.

"What happened?" he asked groggily.

"You had a heart attack," she said cautiously, not sure how he would take the news. "You gave me quite a fright."

Bertel was quiet for a moment. "A heart attack?"

Mai nodded. "The doctor says they will keep you here for a few days to do some follow-ups and decide if you need to do any therapy or rehabilitation."

"I see," Mr. Hicks nodded. There was suddenly a twinkle in his eye and a cheeky smile pulled at his lips. "Didn't I tell you I was tough? I survived the War and now I survived a heart attack. One might even say I'm invincible. Pretty impressive, eh?"

Mai stared at the elderly man incredulously before a bubble of laughter escaped her. "I'm not sure if 'impressive' is the right word," she giggled, lightly tapping the man's hand. "You have to take better care of yourself, or else. I won't be so forgiving next time," she chided.

"Fine, fine." Weathered eyes turned towards her. "How did they find me anyway? Last thing I remember, I was in the kitchen and was about to go to bed."

Mai bit her lip and picked at her nails nervously. She wasn't sure what to tell him.

She felt him squeeze her hand slightly and she looked up to see a sad smile greeting her. "Was it you who found me?"

"Yes," she admitted.

"How'd you know?" he wondered.

Her eyes fell to her lap, unsure of what to say.

"Don't worry, dear, you can tell me what happened," he said comfortingly.

Mai looked up at him with a soft smile and took a deep breath.

"Well I'll be..." Bertel said in shock.

Mai watched the man cautiously. She wasn't sure if she should have, but she had told him the truth about everything that happened that night.

"So," he began. "Elsie...She told you about what happened?"

The brunette nodded.

"Do you think...do you think she's been with me this whole time?"

She nodded again. "It wasn't the first time I've seen her," she admitted. "I'm not sure how often she is around you but I think it safe to say you have a guardian angel."

"Quite so, and the most beautiful angel, I might add." Bertel let out a soft chuckle and reached a hand up to wipe the stray tear that was trickling down his cheek. "It's odd, but I knew I could feel her around me sometimes. I would randomly get a feeling that I wasn't alone. Sometimes it would feel warm, like she was giving me a hug." He sighed in content and looked the brunette in the eye. "Thank you, Mai, dear. You don't know how much it means to hear that it wasn't all in my head."

Mai gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. "I'm glad you didn't think I was raving mad."

"Aren't we all a little mad?" the man chuckled again. "You're nothing but genuine. I'd believe you if you said you had a monkey for an uncle."

Mai rolled her eyes teasingly.

"Wait, how did you get into my flat? I could have sworn I locked the door," he recalled.

"About that," she replied hesitantly. "I was with my boss and he helped me get in. But don't worry, we didn't break the door or anything!"

"Oh, pish posh, I'm not worried about a lousy door. Although, I am rather interested in why you were with your boss so late at night. You're all dolled up, too," he smirked.

Mai felt her cheeks grow warm and she brought her hands to her lap awkwardly. "I was at a friend's concert and he gave me a lift home, that's all."

The man shrugged his shoulders gently. "Is that so? I don't know many bosses that drive their employees home quite as often as he does," he winked.

Mai opened her mouth to oppose but the sound of the door opening caught her attention. Turning, she saw Phillip walking through the door with an older woman. The woman had blond hair that reached her chin. She wore a pair of blue scrubs and a worn jacket. Her cheeks were stained with tears and her eyes were red from crying. Upon seeing the man in the hospital bed she dropped her bag on the floor and quickly threw herself on him.

"Dad," she sobbed into Mr. Hicks' chest.

Bertel reached up and gently patted his daughter's head. "There, there, Evie."

"When I got the call saying what happened I- I couldn't help but think the worst," the woman cried. "We already lost Mum. I can't lose you, too."

"I'm still here, love. I don't plan on leaving any time soon," he comforted.

Evie sat up and rubbed the tears from her face. Phillip made his way over to his grandfather and pulled the man into a hug.

"You can't go scaring us like that, Pops," Phillip muttered sadly.

"Oh, you know, I like to keep you all on your toes," the old man smirked.

Phillip leaned down and kissed the top of Bertel's head. "I'm glad you're okay."

"You should be thanking Mai. If she weren't there I wouldn't be here right now," Mr. Hicks informed the two.

Evie quickly turned towards the brunette. Tears welled up in the corner of her eyes again as she quickly jumped off the bed and pulled Mai into a tight embrace. The brunette's eyes grew wide in shock at the hug but she smiled kindly.

"Thank you so much, Mai. I can't even put it into words," the woman said, pulling back to wipe her tears. "My dad has been telling me about you. I've been wanting to meet you, I just wish we could have met under better circumstances."

"It's very nice to meet you Evie. I'm happy I was able to help," Mai replied.

Phillip came up and placed a hand on his mother's shoulder. "Pops is looking tired, did you want to talk to him about that thing before he falls asleep?" he reminded his mother.

"Oh right!" Evie gasped. "I'm sorry, Mai, but would it be alright if I had a moment with my father in private?"

"Of course, I should be heading home soon anyway," Mai smiled. She walked over to Bertel before squeezing his hand gently one last time. "I'll come visit. Make sure you listen to your doctors and don't give them any trouble."

"Yes, Mum," Bertel drawled sarcastically, his moustache pulled up in a warm smile. "Get home safe, Mai dear."

Mai bowed politely to the Hicks' and made her way out of the hospital room. She sighed tiredly and looked down at her sore feet, accepting the fact that she would have to make the journey back to her flat without any shoes. Her exhaustion was finally catching up to her. She wanted nothing more than to curl up in bed and sleep through the day.

"Mai?" a man's voice called out from behind her. She turned to see Phillip closing the door to his grandfather's room behind him.

"Yes?" she wondered.

"Thank you," he whispered.

There was a tremble in his throat and Mai noticed he looked close to tears. She reached out a hand and laid it comfortingly on his arm. "It's okay. He's okay."

Phillip quickly reached up and rubbed his eyes. "Thank you. Really. I don't know what I would have done if he wasn't able to get any help."

Mai watched the broken man sympathetically.

The blonde took a deep shaky breath before looking away. "...Nearly everyone else has given up on me, and rightly so. I have my share of issues but he loves me nonetheless and is always there for me in my darkest hours."

Mai smiled reassuringly at the man standing in front of her. "He's a wonderful man."

"He's a saint, he is. A goddamn saint." Phillip closed his eyes. "I'm not proud of the person I am sometimes...He was only looking out for me. The last things I said to him...I get sick thinking about it. I want to make him proud. I really want to be a better grandson. If he died tonight...I guess what I'm trying to say is thank you."

Brown eyes studied the man in worry. "I don't know what you are going through, but I bet your grandfather is proud of you."

Phillip's eyes dropped to the ground. "How can he when I'm not even proud of me," he whispered.

Mai opened her mouth to reply when Phillip's eyes narrowed in concern. "Your feet look like hell. Did you come all the way here without shoes?"

Biting her lip she nodded in embarrassment. "I accidentally left them behind when they asked me to go in the ambulance."

"I'm sorry your night had to end this way," he apologized. "Were you on a date?"

"No!" she objected. "It was just a friend's farewell concert."

"Well, if you look like this after what happened the past few hours, I can only imagine how beautiful you must have been at the beginning of the night," he smirked.

Mai cleared her throat, unused to such compliments. She didn't know what to say and was thankful when the door behind them opened, drawing their attention.

Evie stepped out and sighed. "He's resting. Oh, Mai, you're still here!"

The brunette nodded. "I was just about to leave."

"Do you have a way home?" the woman asked curiously.

"I was going to call for a cab," Mai shrugged.

"Nonsense! I'll drive you home. I needed to drop off Phillip there anyway so why don't you join us?" Evie smiled kindly. Her eyes widened when she looked down. "Goodness dear, where are your shoes?"

"She left them back at Pop's place when they had her come to hospital," Phillip informed his mother.

Evie gasped and quickly stepped out of her own shoes. "Here, dear. You and I look to be about the same size."

Mai waved her hands frantically in objection. "Oh no, I couldn't! You need them!"

"Pish posh," Evie countered. Mai couldn't help but notice how similar Mr. Hicks and his daughter were. "I have a spare pair in the boot of my car. Either you wear them or I'm just going to leave them here in the middle of the hall."

Mai smiled shyly and hesitantly slipped the woman's shoes on her feet. She wanted to melt as a wave of comfort and relief washed over her. Evie had been right, the shoes fit perfectly.

"Thank you," she said gratefully.

"Anything for our guardian angel!" The blonde beamed and hooked an arm around Mai's elbow, leading her towards the lift as Phillip followed behind. "Come now. Let's get the two of you home, shall we? I think we've all had enough excitement for one day."