A/N: I'm not one hundred percent in love with the stinger because Naru is soooo freaking hard to write. As the story continues and I clarify his character, I may edit it. I'm reserving the right to be imperfect. Reviews are love. I know this case/arc is familiar to many of you, but I have put a lot of effort into filling out some groundwork changes for the altered timeline. I'm also trying to flesh out the other characters a little bit, which is hard since this is a large cast. The next arc is entirely new, and a little bit light hearted, so hopefully everyone enjoys it. Also, as I live in the US, please forgive me if I word things oddly in reference for life in Japan. I wouldn't even try it in original work, but this is fanfiction, so I'm being brave. I'm researching as I go. Also, in the original work, I know Mai is characterized as being a somewhat simple personality. However, in this timeline, she spent four years learning to control psychic powers which would have exposed her to a lot of sights/memories that would have to change someone over time, IMHO. In the original material, Naru identifies her as someone requiring overprotection, for this very reason. This work will explore the possibile evolution of her character with that premise in play.

As always, not my sandbox, just my sandcastle.

Refraction

Case One: Hospital Hijinx-Part Four

"I have learned that people can stay, leave, save, or destroy you; but by far, the most dangerous thing they can ever do is come back."- Beau Taplin

They spent the rest of the afternoon moving their gear around. Naru had ordered them to move their campsite another twenty yards out from the hospital, since the ghost's range was longer than they had originally anticipated.

Even Lin was tired enough to take a short nap in the van by this point, so Mai and Bou-san watched the monitors for a while. The new equipment was quite impressive looking, though it pained her to admit that once again, she wasn't entirely sure what everything did. Hopefully she'd pick up on things quicker this time around.

Ayako had made several protective charms for the base that had so far seemed to do the trick, though Lin had mentioned that it had seemed like someone had been "toying" with his shiki the last few hours.

Any ghost brave enough to "toy" with Lin was enough to scare the crap out of Mai, but she forced herself to stay in her seat.

All over the hospital, things seemed calm. Staring at the monitors was starting to make her sleepy, however...

It had started out as a game, at first. At Madoka's suggestion.

Mai was a "Retro-Cognitive Medium", able to dream visions of the past of the location she was currently at, or of the spirits whose wavelengths she was currently interacting with.

When Mai was in her astral form, she was also able to see things happening currently on the astral plane, such as the womb cycling at the Cursed House all those years ago.

The game was meant to help sharpen her "Animal Instincts", as Naru had dubbed them.

The ability to sense trouble, danger or even the intentions of those around her.

Her own intentions and emotions often overshadowed them, which was part of the reason she was always getting herself into trouble, according to Masako. She'd gotten into the habit long ago of doing what was expected, rather than follow her instincts.

The Game was simple. Could she guess what drink the person who had just walked into the door of the Tea Shop would order? Green Tea? Milk Tea? Coffee?

It turned out that yes, she could. Quite well in fact. Sometimes before the person had even come in the door.

Eventually, the shop's regulars had started joking about the waitress being "Psychic", which Mai had laughed off. The Game was meant to help her control her own abilities so they no longer overshadowed her life.

Ghost hunting was behind her, for the most part.

Until that night six weeks ago, only a little before closing time. She'd been doing one final wipe down of the counter when her hands had started shaking, just a little.

Not fear, really.

Anticipation.

Reaching under the counter for the seldom used box of Earl Gray Tea, she placed the box on the counter with painful precision.

Deep breath.

Poured the hot water.

Watched it steep.

Just breathe.

I'm not ready...

The bell over the door jingled softly as the dark haired boy (man, now, she supposed) made his way calmly to the counter. His face was nonchalant. His gait was unhurried.

As if they hadn't parted on the awkwardest of terms.

As if he hadn't left four years ago and never looked back.

Hadn't just ignored her confession by accusing her of being in love with his dead twin brother.

Hadn't walked away from their makeshift family without so much as a pause.

She should be furious, she knew. Should hate him, with his stupid, smirking, know-it-all attitude.

Damned Narcissist.

But Mai had been forced to confront herself, flaws and all, in order to learn to control her powers, and she had come to accept some universal truths about herself over the last four years.

One of them being, she was really bad at hating people, even when they deserved it. She didn't have enough people left that she loved to give any of them up to hate, even if they didn't love her back.

But that didn't mean she was willing to welcome him back with open arms either.

So she just looked at him a little warily, and asked "What do you want, N-Naru?"

Even his name seemed like a trick question, and she stumbled over it.

Should she really still be talking to him so familiarly? Especially knowing how similar her Japanese nickname had been to Gene's English one for him?

But what then? Davis-San? Shibuya-San? Davis-Sensei?

He seemed to understand her dilemma.

"Naru's fine." He said dismissively, as if it was nothing to him one way or the other and she suddenly wanted to throw the steaming cup of tea in his expressionless face, but she forced herself to calmly (oh-so-calmly) push the cup across to him.

"Just this once." She warned him.

Stupid tea addict...

He quirked a brow at her, but said nothing for a moment, inhaling the tea's gentle fragrance.

"I want to put the SPR team back together. It seems I need your assistance."

Like He was ordering ramen, or commenting on the weather.

She mulled over his words. He needed her help?

"I take it I'm the last one you contacted, then." She murmured, taking a sip of her own green tea. It stung, more than a little, if she was being honest with herself.

Last place again. But did it mean she'd been an afterthought? Or had he been so sure she'd run back that he hadn't considered needing to put any effort into wooing her?

Then again, had he ever?

His lips tightened for a moment. "I'm having more trouble than I anticipated." He finally acknowledged.

She merely raised a brow at him, and after a momentary stare down, he elaborated, somewhat reluctantly.

"Masako's manager says she hasn't worked in months. I've left three messages at Ayako's hospital that have never been returned. I can't locate Father Brown at all. Houshou said he'd have to think about it. Yasu just said he'd come back if you did."

At that last part, he shot her a searching "Care to fill me in?"

"Not really." Mai replied, taking another sip of her own tea. She sighed, rubbing her forehead. Kami, did she want this? She didn't even want to have this conversation with him. Could she handle ghost hunting again? Could the others?

And why? Why was he back, why now? How long was he staying? What was he really searching for this time? She felt buried under the thousand questions she simply wasn't brave enough to ask, because what if he refused to answer? Or lied?

Or, more frightening, told the truth?

"Look, Naru. A lot has happened since you returned to England. We're not the same people we were years ago." She glanced up at him, taking in the minute changes in his own appearance.

Same stoic expression, same black clothing. Same aura of cold control.

But there were subtle differences. He'd lost the last little bit of childish roundness, his features just a tiny bit sharper and sleeker. His chin was a little squarer. His shoulders were broader, and she guessed he'd gained another inch or two. No client would mistake the man in front of her for a child, regardless of his age now.

Young, perhaps. But no longer a child by any measure.

But neither was she. And she didn't bother lying to herself anymore.

"I want to do it." She admitted slowly. "I loved working for SPR. It was exciting. I liked helping people. SPR was like a family for me." Idly, she traced a finger through some sugar that had spilled on the counter. Looking up, she was struck by the intensity in his eyes, a sky so dark you couldn't fathom the worlds hidden in their depths. But oh, she could already feel his gravity.

He'd always been dangerous in more ways than one.

She looked away, unable to meet his gaze as she said the next part. "But after you left, things broke down. We almost fell apart. But then we figured out how to be a family without SPR holding us together. So while I'd love to take up ghost hunting WITH you again-"

(she made sure to stress the WITH part, instead of "FOR")

"You need to understand that none of us need this anymore. We're not children. We would be your team, but that means treating us like team mates. No one was ever upset about you being in charge, Naru. But we aren't interested in being your chess pieces. We don't want to be pawns in whatever game you're playing this time."

Because how could she believe it wasn't a game again, to him anyway? But it was their lives.

He studied her intently. "Is that how you all feel?"

She shrugged. "It's how I feel. And since I'm apparently the only one willing to speak to you this time, I guess that makes it the party line."

"How long-..." she cut herself off, not sure she really wanted the answer to that question. It felt like asking him how long he was going to stick around this time would be akin to giving him some power over her.

"I need to think about it. How can I reach you?" She said, walking away from the counter to the table in the far corner of the shop.

How had she missed clearing that last table?

"I'll leave my number". Naru replied from behind her, laying a card on the counter.

Mai wasn't listening though, instead she stared down at the white mug in her hands.

It was cold.

Ice cold.

"This isn't right." She whispered.

Suddenly, there was a banging on the locked door-

"Wake up, jou-chan..."

Bou-san was shaking her shoulders gently.

Mai blinked, looking around at the base. Ironically enough, it appeared she was being haunted. Just her luck. Standing she stretched and moved out of the way as Lin took his seat back. Heading out the door with Bou-San at her side, they paused on the porch.

"Yasu should be back any time now". Bou-San said.

Mai nodded, but her mind was still on her dream. Memory, actually.

"Bou-san, did I do the right thing, helping Naru put the team back together?" She asked, turning to the man who was like her older brother.

He smiled at her. "A little late to be getting cold feet, now, isn't it?"

She shook her head. "I'm not talking about the spirit. I'm talking about us. The team. Masako's still dealing with what happened last year. John's barely talking at all. You and Ayako..." She trailed off, fighting back tears for a moment. "Did I make a mistake?"

Bou-san smiled at her sadly. "We can't be afraid to live. That's what you told me, right? When things between me and Ayako were at their worst. You said we couldn't be afraid to keep on living."

He stared out into the sunlight. "Whether or not this is a mistake, it won't be your fault, Mai. You might have started the ball rolling, but in the end, we all chose this."

Mai smiled shakily at him. "I hope you're right."

It had been two days since Naru had come to see her. His card in her pocket felt like it weighed a million pounds, but she couldn't bear to throw it out.

The shop wasn't nearly busy enough to keep her full attention, and over and over again she found herself circling back around to the same questions.

She missed ghost hunting. Missing spending so much time with her family. And there was no point in lying to herself, she had missed Naru.

But the others had doubts, for good reason. And truthfully, when things had been at their worst, when she had needed him the most, she had been left all alone. Sometimes even now, when things were so much better, she felt like she was still alone. Still that lost little girl waiting for the cavalry to rescue her.

Waiting for Naru to rescue her had nearly killed her.

It wasn't his fault, she knew that. He had no idea what all had happened in his absence. But that didn't stop her from feeling like a part of her was still frozen in that moment when she had needed him, and he hadn't come. Maybe she always would. Maybe a part of her would always be trapped in that moment.

If that was how the others felt, as well, it was no wonder Naru was having so much trouble assembling the team.

She stopped, cocking her head.

'Chamomile..." she turned, reaching up to the top shelf where they stored the herbal blends. They didn't have a lot of requests for chamomile this time of year.

The bell rang as the lone customer came in, and Mai nearly dropped the cup she was holding.

Luella Martin must have been nearing fifty, but she didn't look a day over forty. She was just as beautiful and put together as the first time Mai had seen her, when she and her husband Martin had come to take Gene's remains home.

"D-Davis Sensei…" She stuttered, bowing quickly.

Bright, shrewd eyes studied her.

"Luella, please. And if I might call you Mai?"

She nodded numbly. Luella smiled kindly, but Mai had the sense that this woman was not to be underestimated. There was a tigress lurking in this woman's eyes, Mai could feel its gaze on her.

"Have you had time to consider Oliver's offer?" Luella asked.

Mai frowned. "Are you and your husband planning on working here in Tokyo also?" If so, perhaps things would be more permanent this time…

Luella laughed. "Goodness no. Oliver doesn't even know I'm in the country."

"Oh." Mai said, feeling as stupid as she was sure she sounded. "How can I help you, then?"

"I wanted to know what it would take to induce you and the rest of Oliver's old team to come back." Luella said, not wasting time.

Mai opened her mouth.

Closed it.

Opened it again and asked "I'm sorry, but I would have thought you'd have wanted Naru to stay in England?"

Too late, she realized she had pretty much called her ex-boss a Narcissist in front of his Mother.

Luella sighed, looking down at her tea. "I'll admit, I was thrilled to finally have him home again. Losing Gene was the hardest thing I've ever experienced, and all I wanted was to have the rest of my family near. It wasn't until later that I realized that it might not have been the choice that made Oliver happiest."

"Happiest?" Mai asked, scrunching her brow. She'd seen some incredulous things while working for Naru. But she'd never seen anything from him she would have called "happiness". Did the guy even do "happy"?

Luella smiled sadly. "I know. Oliver happy looks a rather lot like Oliver bored, or Oliver with a stomach ache. But a mother can tell these things, even if it took me a while. At first I thought it was just the loss of his brother weighing him down. But the truth is, he's restless. He has been since he came back from Japan four years ago. I thought his search was over then, but it seems I was mistaken. Whatever it is that he needs, he still seems to be searching for it. "

Mai looked down at her own cup. "And you think he'll find it here in Japan?"

Despite herself, a secret thrill shot down her at Luella's words. But immediately she quashed it. That way lead to heartbreak.

Luella shrugged, raising her hands helplessly. "I honestly don't know. But at least he's trying, which is better than just treading water the way he has been these last few years."

Mai stirred her tea, trying to marshal her thoughts.

"I wish I could help. I really do". She said finally.

"Why can't you?" Luella asked. "From what I heard from Madoka, you and the others enjoyed working for SPR."

Mai nodded. "I did. A great deal. But then Naru left and I had to go back to the real world. And it took me a long time to come to terms with it. The others have had to go through tough times of their own. And who is to say Naru won't change his mind again in a year, or six months even. Three of us are in college. Ayako's a Doctor. Bou-san travels more than ever for his performances. Ghost hunting is a huge time commitment. And we don't have the independent resources Naru has."

Mai gestured around. "This place may not look like much, but I've supported myself for four years working here. Plus I have school. I'd be giving up a lot of hard earned security for what might be nothing more than one of Naru's whims. Truthfully, I'll probably be moving sooner, rather than later. I need to get an internship, preferably a paid one. I'm a tourism and hospitality management major, and I'm not interested in working for one of the local hotels. I'll be applying to several resorts along the coast. I won't even be here."

There was more to it, much more of course. But while the other risks were emotional, she simply couldn't ignore the logistics involved with taking a job that might not involve steady work. It could derail all her future employment opportunities.

Luella nodded thoughtfully. "Madoka mentioned you were an orphan. It's quite admirable the way you managed to put yourself through school."

Mai smiled crookedly. "I owe Naru a lot. The job he gave me back then paid way more than I could have made anywhere else. I managed a lot better than I would have otherwise. But after a year that job was gone, and I had to figure something else out. I'm not mad or bitter or anything. It's just..."

"Hard." Luella finished for her.

Mai nodded. "It is. It's hard. I really loved my job and my coworkers. I don't regret a moment. But Naru spent the entire time lying to us. In the end, the rug was pulled out from under us."

"I think I understand better now." Luella said thoughtfully. "Oliver is reopening the SPR Branch here in Tokyo with our full support, of course. But you are right. There is no way for you to feel secure based on how he treated you previously. What if...what if I gave you my word that if Oliver were to decide to leave Japan any time in, say, the next three years, I will personally select a new manager to replace him. No matter what, SPR will remain open for the next three years. That's three years of steady employment for yourself and any of your co-workers who choose to come back. On the condition that you never mention this conversation to Oliver, of course."

Mai arched a brow at her, mulling over her words. It wasn't that it was just about the money. But she was an adult now, and she needed to be making adult choices. And the fact that Luella didn't want her to mention this conversation to Naru made her wonder if Luella didn't know much more than she was letting on.

"Davis-Sensei, regardless of the SPR office remaining open, I won't be here. An internship at SPR isn't helpful for a tourism major." Mai shrugged.

"But, considering we have offices in Munich, as well as the main branch office in London, an internship, a well paid internship with SPR would certainly make sense for a English major." Luella smiled.

Mai gaped at her, and Luella snorted. "Forgive me, I didn't mean to ambush you. Oliver is my only remaining child, and it would be an understatement to say I'm invested in this, for his sake. I'm actually acquainted with one of your professors, the one who taught you German, in fact."

"Ahh. Ok." Mai stammered. "Well, yes. I was a languages major for my first year, before switching."

"Why?" Luella questioned softly. "Was it out of an enduring love for the hospitality industry, or necessity."

Mai stared at her, feeling more than a little rattled. "I admit, the logistics did come into play. I was advised that my best efforts in the languages department would only be considered the bare minimum in the professional world."

Luella nodded in understanding. "There was only so much you could do on your own. I understand. Every day I wonder what would have become of my boys if Martin and I hadn't found them." There was a telling pause, Luella's eyes suddenly far away, and Mai wondered what it would be like to love an orphaned child and then lose him.

Luella shook her head, focusing once again on the conversation. "But then, that just shows how good a job at SPR could be for you, Mai. You've kept up with several of your English classes. Your time at SPR could certainly count as an internship, with a prestigious, British based company, at that. In the future, we could even explore you spending some time at the Munich office, or the London branch, if you prefer. You could have the career you originally chose, while following a field you admit interests you, all the while getting to spend time with some of your favorite people. What do you say, Mai? This is a chance for you to take back everything you lost, and I personally guarantee that no one will take it from you this time."

Mai looked away, running a shaking hand through her hair. Her mind was running a thousand miles a minute, she wasn't even sure what to say to all that. The woman had boxed her in, neatly and thoroughly. Naru was far more like his mother than she had expected.

"I'll have to talk to the others." She said finally, feeling like the air had been knocked out of her.

Had Naru's mother just tried to buy her cooperation?

At a really, really good price, at that.

Luella smiled then, surprising Mai by leaning over the counter to give Mai a hug. Mai froze, and the hug was over before she figured out whether or not to try and return it. She switched from calculating to kind in a split second, and it made Mai feel even more off kilter.

"Do whatever your instincts tell you is best." She said, smiling like she knew she had already won.

Mai stared out the window for a long moment after Luella left.

What was best? What would make her happiest? What Luella had said about Naru treading water these past few years struck a chord in her.

Some days she felt that way too, no matter how busy or full her days were. She would graduate soon, and then what? Find a job, obviously.

Her new major was in tourism and hospitality management. It had been the best option to utilize the courses she had already taken in English and German, and she'd done well enough in the business classes. Even her job at the tea shop had provided experience. But school was over in less than a year. Best case scenario, she'd leave the city to get an entry level job at one of the larger resorts, hoping to move up the chain of management.. The thought didn't thrill her, no matter how beautiful the resort, she'd see Yasu and the others even less. She'd have to move away, perhaps far away.

Despite the fact that she knew she'd be good at the job, the truth was, nothing about it excited her. It was security, no more and no less. She'd enjoy the work more than, say, being an accountant stuck in a cubicle. But in the end, it would just be a job.

Ghost hunting with Naru had made her feel alive. Seeing incredible things, things other people didn't even know existed. Helping people. Feeling special, whenever she'd had something to add to the case. It had only been a few occasions that she'd felt like she'd really brought something special to an investigation, but whenever she had, she'd known it was something that only she could do.

Her, Mai Taniyama.

There weren't many other times in her life she got to singular in that way. Like someone vital, not just a member of the faceless crowd.

Working with Naru might pose a problem, or, she might realize that she had imagined most of her feelings. It was four years ago. Letting a high school crush control her future prospects was the height of stupidity, especially if Luella was backing up Naru's promises.

And maybe this could be a chance for her and Naru to establish a new relationship, something professional. Maybe even a friendship of sorts. Obviously, there would never be anything romantic between them, but surely they could find some middle ground.

And Yasu needed a better paying part time job. Law school was eating him alive, trying to keep up with coursework while supporting himself at his current job at the bookstore. No amount of brilliance could put more hours in the day.

This might be something that allowed Masako to work out of the limelight, too. A way to dip her toe back in, surrounded by the safety of the SPR family.

And John. Loathe as she was to get anyone else, even Naru involved in his business, the truth was, John needed more support than she could give. She was frightened for him. Every week when he showed up to shower and shave, she was terrified it would be the last time she saw him.

Was this the way, then? Was this how she managed to break free from the memories that held her hostage sometimes? And to have a second chance at her original major? To possibly some day work in another country? People like her didn't have chances like this just handed to them every day.

And if she could help the others…..

Perhaps the way out was through?

Opening her cell phone, she pulled out the card Naru had left with her. It was late, and she'd expected it to go to voice mail, or perhaps even to Lin. She was afraid she'd lose her nerve if she didn't make the call now, though. But it was Naru himself who answered, his voice drifting across the line as she started towards the table in the far back of the shop.

She must have forgotten to clear it earlier...

"Shibuya." He answered, his voice giving away nothing.

"I know how to find John." She said, picking up the ceramic mug from the table, the scent of blood wafting to her nose...

Mai opened her eyes with a quiet gasp, staring at the fading starlight above her.

"All good there, Mai?" John asked quietly from across the dying campfire. He had a notebook in front of him, and if she hadn't known better, she might have thought he was journaling his own dreams. It was, in fact, his sketchbook, though he couldn't possibly be drawing in the dim light. Perhaps he was merely looking through it.

"I'm fine." She whispered finally, sitting up. Bou-San, Ayako and Yasu were still asleep. She shook her head at Yasu. The guy could sleep anywhere, anytime. The team might joke that she could, but Yasu had her beat by a mile.

Naru and Lin were again missing, probably inside the base. Masako was also gone from her sleeping bag.

Slipping on her shoes, she once again trudged quietly over to the clearing Masako had chosen for her early morning practice. She sat silently, settling on the still damp grass to watch, hugging herself against the morning chill. In the hush, the world felt surreal, like she was still dreaming.

Her friend was really beautiful, she thought ruefully, watching her practice.

Even in civilian clothes, the ever present shadows under her eyes, Masako was someone who people would admire. Her complexion seemed to glow, and her eyes glittered with her inner agitation. It just made her prettier though.

Mai had long since given up hope of ever being sophisticated and sexy, like Ayako, or classically beautiful like Masako. With her jeans and hoodies, messy buns and falling-out braids, she was simply plain Mai Taniyama. Sure, she'd had her share of dates, even a boyfriend or two. But she would never be that girl in the movie the hero couldn't take her eyes off of.

She chuckled quietly at her mental pity party.

"I can't take my eyes off you for a second or you disappear." A censure-laden voice stated quietly from behind her and she started, twisting behind her to look up at her boss.

"Just enjoying the morning." She shrugged as Naru came to stand beside her. "You know, before Doctor Dreadful decides to once again grace us with his presence. And technically, she left camp first. You made the buddy rule, I'm just following it."

The night before, Yasu had filled them in on everything he had been able to learn about the old hospital. Since they weren't able to access old military records, he'd been forced to hit the streets, talking to older locals. And he'd heard some disquieting stories.

Apparently, this hospital had been known as a place where people didn't come to get better.

"You mean hospice care?" Ayako had asked, eyes narrowing. "Care for the terminally ill?" She had looked pale but determined in the fire's light. Her lips had been thin with lingering irritation for the spirit interfering in her ceremony.

"Yasu nodded. "You could say that. A lot of soldiers without family or much money ended up recuperating here. But apparently many of them never got better, if you catch my drift."

"People no one would miss..." John had said musingly. "People without any other resources."

"And people crippled by their injuries, or suffering from Battle Fatigue". Yasu added.

You mean PTSD?" Naru added. "Shell Shock?"

"That many traumatized people dying here could certainly explain the number of spirits we exercised yesterday..." Masako had murmured thoughtfully.

Mai nodded to herself. Traumatic death, or dying with a mind filled with traumatic memories was a major impediment to crossing over, leading to many becoming spirits.

"Apparently, the head doctor, Dr. Shiro, was a supposed specialist in PTSD. An early pioneer in mental health. Except his patients never really seemed to get better. Lots of suicides and accidental deaths. The bodies were usually cremated, which is why they moved on so easily during the exorcisms. No physical remains left to tie them here." Yasu finished, looking up from his notes.

"He was studying trauma patients." Ayako said, tapping her foot, deep in thought. "For what purpose though? Other than the obvious sadistic tendencies…" The last part she grumbled under her breath.

"Trauma like that would be an excellent trigger for latent PK and other abilities." Naru replied, staring into the campfire.

"He was looking for poltergeists, you mean?" Mai asked, remembering one of the first rules she had learned as a ghost hunter.

Over half of all poltergeist phenomena was caused by living, breathing humans.

Naru nodded, a glint of excitement in his eyes as he turned to her. "Back then, people wouldn't have gone to a Doctor for things like poltergeist activity. They would have been too ashamed, afraid of being driven out of their homes and communities. Children with special abilities were shipped off and never spoken of again. But an unlimited supply of shell-shocked soldiers would almost certainly have panned out at least a few latent psychics flaring up."

"He made sure of it." Masako whispered, eyes gone wide, pupils blown. Her voice took on a husky whisper. "He did things to them. Awful things, to make their abilities act up. All in the name of science." She shuddered, eyes coming back into focus.

"So, all we have to do is exercise a spirit who specializes in turning other people's abilities back on them". John said with quiet derision. "Should be loads of fun."

"Mai!" Naru's impatient voice shook Mai from her reverie.

"I'm not making you tea." She muttered defiantly, standing up and brushing off the seat of her jeans.

Naru sighed. "I asked if you thought this case would be too difficult for Masako, considering her recent experiences."

Mai frowned for a moment. She'd honestly worried about the same thing herself, but the more she thought about it, the more sure she became that sending Masako home would be the wrong thing to do. It would be like saying they no longer counted on her.

"I believe in her." She said finally, figuring Naru didn't actually care for her reasons.

He said nothing as they continued back towards camp. She could feel the weight of the silence though. It made her want to babble, to chatter, anything to break it….

'Do you still communicate with Gene?' The question hung, unspoken on her lips, nearly slipping through before she forced the words back down ruthlessly.

As much as she wanted to ask, an even bigger part of her didn't want to know. She was a coward to the end, it seemed. When it came to Naru, she'd used up her well of fearless foolishness years ago, in the woods with the lake glimmering in the moonlight.

So instead she said "I had a dream last night."

He stopped, turning to face her fully. "About the doctor?"

She shook her head uneasily. "The creep did it to me again, Naru. Normally, by this time on a case I should be dreaming of the spirit's memories. Instead, I'm dreaming my own memories while he watches them like they're home videos..." she trailed off, shuddering.

It was a distressing invasion of not just her memories, but her mind. It gave her a new appreciation for how Masako must have felt when she was being stalked by the city coroner.

"It's posing a problem." Naru agreed, with no clue to his own feelings on his face. "What memories was he watching?"

A part of her wanted to tell him it was none of his damn business, but unfortunately, it kind of was.

And it irked her to no end that she was being spiritually stalked on behalf of the Narcissist.

"The day you came to see me at the Tea Shop." She said finally. "I think you're the one he's really interested in." It was close enough to the truth, since she had had that dream, just yesterday afternoon, instead of last night.

And she'd promised not to speak of her visit with Luella. A part of her felt bad about it, but another part of her reasoned that Naru had certainly kept his share of secrets from her when he felt the need to.

"It's always memories centering on you. He must be able to sense your PK. I think he's trying to figure out how to get you to use it so he can study you next.

***********Stinger*********

Noll placed the phone back in the cradle, staring out into his dark office. It irked him to no end how relieved he was that Mai had called him.

He'd always intended to offer her a job at SPR. He'd never actually pictured the re-opened office without her, in any of his plans. He couldn't have said why. Oh, he could give a million excuses. She was loyal. The others worked well with her. Clients opened up to her.

And then there was her not insignificant psychic ability, though sometimes he cursed it as much as he counted on it. But in the end, the words "Tokyo" and "SPR" always led to the assumption that she would be there too.

But though he had expected some push back from some of his consultants, he hadn't really expected any from her.

"Liar." The voice was his, or maybe, more accurately, it was Gene's. They'd had identical voices until Gene's death, so in the end, perhaps it was both of theirs. It was certainly something Gene would have said though.

He had known, deep down, that luring Mai back onto the team might be difficult. Wasn't that the reason he'd decided at the last minute to seek out the others first?

She'd been close with the other members. He'd sensed her loneliness as teens, and knew she had treated the team as a replacement family.

In the end, perhaps orphans always know other orphans. She'd snagged his attention before her principal had even dropped the information about her family life. While her friends had fallen hook, line and sinker for his flirting, she'd merely glared at him, full of nothing but disdain for his mask.

Even then, she'd been forced to live in a reality a shade deeper than the people around her, and she'd had no patience for his pretending. The mask held no interest for her.

She'd been 'real' in a way so many people weren't, and in some ways, it had put his hackles up.

He'd felt the need to protect her, especially as her powers emerged. He'd known if he hadn't, no one else possibly would. And though she was fiercely protective of those she cared for, she seemed to lack the sense or ability to protect herself.

But he'd also felt a childish need to put her down, a series of glass walls she'd allow until something would provoke her. Then she'd come barreling through the glass, kicking and screaming and fighting. She wasn't afraid to throw herself in the fire if she thought it was the right thing. She'd had little use for his cold logic.

He'd thought her some kind of danger-attracting idiot for a while, if he was being brutally honest.

But after a while he realized that she simply hadn't felt fear like those around her. She was as frightened as anyone else, on the surface whenever faced with a new challenge. But deep down, being alone, face to face with a dangerous spirit simply wasn't as terrifying for her as it was for some people.

Because the most frightening aspect of facing a monster alone wasn't really the monster. It was facing it alone. And a part of her was always alone.

The best way to lure a lonely person was with love. His mother had said something to that effect once, and he'd ignored it until now. Love held little interest for him.

But Mai was drawn to it. He couldn't give it to her, of course. But the others could, and no doubt would, if he could assemble the old team.

Mai had been a source of guilt for him for years now. Not the lies, or turning down his confession. But the rapid closing of SPR must have left her adrift for a while, and he should have handled it better.

So he had attempted to work backwards, assuming it would be easier to bring Mai back onto the team if the others were back on board, only to realize very quickly that he had miscalculated grievously.

He'd forgotten that lonely and alone held two different meanings.

And at some point, Mai had become the protector he had glimpsed four years ago. She had accepted her aloneness. This time, she wasn't coming back because she wanted a family. He could only assume she was coming back to protect the family she had made for herself.

And god help him if she decided he was dangerous to it.