What's this? A new chapter coming out mere days after the last one? I'm shocked! Jus what is this world coming to?!

All joking aside, I'm glad I got this out so fast. Enjoy!

"Stop fidgeting, Mai. You're making me nervous."

I frowned, forcing my hands to stay still in my lap. I turned to Monk sitting next to me in the driver's seat. "Sorry. I'm just worried." I apologized. "What are we going to do about those dolls?"

Monk tapped the wheel in contemplation. "If I know Naru, he'll have us throw everything we have at it and see what sticks." He answered. "Whatever happens, we can't let them reach that hanging room."

I hunched in my chair, clutching at the bag of groceries on my lap. We'd left the site for an hour to grab a few things, and I'd spent the whole time having waking nightmares about that hanging room. If Kara hadn't promised to meet with Raiden, I would have insisted she come with us. As it was, I'd gotten Naru to promise he wouldn't take his eyes off her.

I didn't understand why the dolls had gotten violent with Kara. What did they want? Why were they trying to get to the hanging room? I'd learned over time that spirits never moved without intention. Either they had a goal, or they were being controlled by someone else with a goal.

"So…" Monk started, his tone shifting. I peaked sideways at him. "Is there something going on between you and Naru?"

I felt like I'd been doused in hot water. Heat rushed to my cheeks, my heart bursting into a sudden sprint. I looked away, trying to hide it, but his light smirk told me it wasn't working. I flashed back to the talk we had last night, and the way it felt when he put his hand on mine and brushed my hair to the side. My chest fluttered happily whenever I thought of the smile he'd given me.

"Nothing…" I stuttered. "Nothing really… you know… significant or anything…"

Ayako, who'd been sitting quietly in the back seat, burst out "What do you mean, nothing significant?! What about Kara?"

I glared back at her. "Whatever does or doesn't happen between me and Naru has nothing to do with Kara." I scolded her. "Even moving in together, that's for Kara's sake. It has nothing—"

My sentence cut off as the car jerked slightly to the side. I squealed in alarm as Monk gripped the wheel and got the car back on track.

"You're moving in together?!" Ayako exclaimed. "You didn't mention that last night!"

"I would definitely call that something significant." Monk added.

I squirmed. "But it's for Kara's sake." I repeated, mumbling the excuse I'd been repeating to myself over and over for the past few weeks. "Honestly, there hasn't been much change. We've been around each other a lot more, but Naru treats me the same way he always has." I bit my lip, looking away from Monk and hoping that he would drop it. I'd decided not to mention the few things that had changed: how he had started asking for my opinion, how we'd started reading each other without having to say anything, and of course the biggest change of all—acknowledging my feelings and apologizing for brushing them off. The more I thought about it, the more I realized just how much closer I'd gotten to Naru since adopting Kara. Had it really been only three weeks?

"I don't know, Mai," Monk answered carefully. "You've always come across as a nurturing person. Adopting a kid… that suits you. But the idea of Naru acting like a dad kind of freaks me out."

"I know, right?" Ayako agreed. "I thought I was dreaming when he offered to carry Kara up to bed the other night."

I sighed, rolling my eyes. "Naru really cares about Kara." I insisted. "He cares about all of us. He just isn't good at showing it."

"If you say so." Monk conceded, pulling into the parking lot of the museum.

The three of us gathered the groceries and headed toward the building. Ayako and I quickly dropped off our items in the girls' room while Monk stopped in the boys' room. After emptying our bags, we made our way back to base.

Only Lin, Yasu, and Naru were working at the base. Masako and John had been sent to the library in town to try and get more information. I was expecting Kara and Raiden to be playing at the table together, but the little boy wasn't there. Instead, Kara was sitting on the couch next to Naru who had his laptop open, looking intensely at whatever was on the screen.

When Kara saw me come in, her eyes lit up and she beamed. She bounced over to me and stated enthusiastically "Mommy, I figured out the problem!"

"The problem?" I asked her, my brain stalling. "What problem?"

She gave me a blank stare. "The ghost problem. The one we came here for." She stated simply.

My eyebrows shot up. I glanced at Naru, looking for confirmation, but his eyes were still glued to his screen. I looked back at Kara and said "What? What did you figure out?"

Kara grabbed my hand and pulled me over to the couch, making me sit down in the seat next to Naru. I tensed, my heart racing. The couch was not very wide and Kara had set me down just a couple inches from Naru. Before I could feel too embarrassed, however, Kara plopped herself on my lap, knocking some of the wind out of me.

"Kara," I scolded lightly, wrapping an arm around her to keep her steady. "Aren't you a little old to be sitting on someone's lap?"

"No," She answered, adjusting herself slightly. She pointed at the screen Naru was looking at and explained. "It turns out that Raiden played the Midnight Game with one of the dolls."

"The Midnight Game?" I asked, looking to Naru.

"A modern occult phenomenon." Naru answered. Gripping his hands together, he added "I'm not particularly familiar with it."

I smirked. He must hate not knowing about this.

Kara raised her hand as though she were a student answering a teacher's question. "I know!" She said. "It's also called Hide and Seek alone. You take a doll and put it in floating water. At midnight, you take something sharp, stab it three times and say 'you're it!'. Then you go and hide. The doll becomes possessed and starts looking for you. If it doesn't find you in the hour, you come out and go find it. Stab it three more times saying 'I win!' to end the game."

Freaky. Who would want to play a game like that? I asked "And what happens if the doll finds you?"

"Then it can possess you." Kara answered.

"The problem in this case is that the game never reached a conclusion." Naru explained. "Raiden left the building before ending the game. The doll was unable to follow him because of the seal surrounding the building. I imagine that it is attempting to enter the hanging room because it is the one place in the building that it hasn't been able to search."

I was floored.

Was this it? Was the answer to this problem really something so simple?

"Can't we just get Raiden to end the game, then?" I suggested.

Naru admitted. "That would be the best solution. Unfortunately, it appears as though you can only end the game at 1 in the morning."

Kara continued "Raiden would have to survive the game until 1."

My eyes widened. The spike in activity during the night was dangerous. We didn't even last that long the night before—Kara had been attacked just after 12:30. There was no way a defenseless eleven-year-old could make it to 1.

Gripping Kara a little tighter, I said "We can't make him do that. Raiden could get really hurt. At worst, he might even get possessed!" I glared at Naru, who was stubbornly not meeting my eyes. "Naru, we can't."

Naru closed his eyes for a moment. After a second, he released his hands and answered. "Ultimately, it isn't our decision. I have explained the situation to Mr. Yukito and Raiden. If they make the decision to complete the game, then that is what we will do."

I bit my lip, trying not to get mad. If Mr. Yukito decided to go through with that plan, then that was on him. There was no point in taking it out on Naru. Besides, as hard as he tries to give off an air of indifference, I knew that Naru never wants anyone to get hurt. "What's the backup plan?" I asked.

Naru gave me a quick look of surprise. I guess he'd been expecting me to get mad. He answered "I will have everyone attempt an exorcism on the doll. Although, considering the history of the doll, I don't like our chances."

I sighed. "Okay," I conceded. I looked him firmly and the eyes and added "I trust you, Naru."

I can't say it was easy. I was terrified that something might happen to Raiden, something awful that would be completely our fault. I wanted to protect him and Kara, have them shipped somewhere far away where these hauntings will be the last thing on their minds. But I knew that solving the case was the best way to protect them.

Naru will keep them safe, no matter what. I believe that. I believe in him.

An odd string of emotions passed over Naru's face. Shock, then relief, followed by a look that I didn't know, something that was both intense and soft at the same time. For some reason, it made me think of his smile last night. Almost unconsciously, I brought a hand up to my face and tucked my loose hair behind my ear, tracing the same path his fingers had taken.

The moment was broken by Ayako's loud voice.

"Are you two going to let the rest of us in on this or not?!"

A few hours later found me in the kitchen, making a round of tea and silently fuming while members of the kitchen staff gave me weird looks.

Mr. Yukito had decided to give Raiden permission to stay overnight. We would be going forward with the midnight game. This I begrudgingly accepted, until the topic of keeping Kara in on the investigation came up. I'd argued and panicked and demanded that she be kept in the hotel room until it was over, but I'd been outnumbered. Even Kara had insisted on staying with us. Eventually I was forced to relent, although it was conditional: Kara had to learn a bit of warding magic, and she would have to take a nap in the afternoon so there'd be no chance of her sleepwalking anywhere.

Unease gnawed at my stomach. I was sure that someone was going to get hurt. This was a gamble, and we didn't even know for sure if it will solve the problems here. Just because it was our best option doesn't mean I had to like it.

Unfortunately, I'd been so busy fighting to keep Kara in the hotel room that I hadn't gotten a rundown of the game plan. I knew that Kara had spent over an hour talking to Raiden about what he needed to do, and Naru had Yasu running around the museum doing something, but that was it. John, Monk and Ayako would have all their tools set up and ready. I was hoping that a cup of tea would compel Naru to tell me the details.

I put the finishing touches on Naru's tea and placed it lightly on the platter alongside the cups made for my other coworkers. I always made Naru's cup last—if it wasn't at peak freshness when he got it, his mood would be instantly affected. I lifted the platter and left the kitchen and its nervous staff behind.

I brought the platter back to the security room, peaking around the door to assess the situation before barging in. Kara and Raiden were on the couch chatting quietly with Monk and Ayako (who were hopefully teaching them warding magic). Lin was sitting in his usual spot at the monitors while Naru stood beside him, watching the monitors as the two conversed in a low tone.

I slipped into the room, closing the door behind me with my free hand. Naru glanced at me for a second, but it looked like he was the only one that noticed me enter. The others didn't realise I was there until I handed them their tea, which they thanked me for with a smile.

I brought Naru his cup last, and he took it almost reflexively, without looking away from the screen. I grimaced. This routine was so ingrained, it was practically subconscious.

I waited for him to take his first sip before asking him anything. "So," I started. "What's the game plan?"

For a moment, the corners of his mouth twitched into a smirk. "I take it you've calmed down, then." He noted.

I forced myself to keep a neutral expression.

Naru hadn't argued against including Kara, and I wasn't entirely sure why. Even though I knew Naru was much more driven by rationality than emotion, I also knew that he was very protective of Kara. He got antsy when she played out of sight in his own yard. So why was it okay to have her in a supernaturally volatile area in the middle of the night?

I know I can trust him… but I didn't understand this.

I waited for Naru to continue. After shooting me another quick glance, he did. "We're setting up hiding locations throughout the building. Raiden will begin in the dining area here." He pointed to the monitor, indicating the back of the dining hall. "Monk, John, Ayako and Lin will be patrolling. Whenever the doll gets close to his location, they will ward it off, at which point Raiden and Kara will switch hiding spots. We keep this up until 1. Then we find the doll and guide Raiden to it so he can end the game."

I grimaced. "Kara is going to be hiding with Raiden?" I clarified.

"She is his last line of defense." Naru reasoned. "Should the doll make it past the other four somehow, Kara will be able to ward her off long enough to allow Raiden to get away."

I grit my teeth, wanting desperately to chew him out for using our daughter as a shield. Was this the logic and reasoning that had won out against his desire to protect Kara?

But the angry words died in my throat as I got a good look at him.

Naru was clenching the table so hard that his knuckles were white. He was keeping a calm expression, but I could tell that beneath it, he was gritting his teeth as hard as I was. His shoulders were tensed and a dark flamed smoldered in his eyes.

He hated this, I realised. As much as he knew what the best course of action was, there was nothing he wanted to do more than to ship Kara off somewhere safe. Forcing himself to act logically was torturing him.

We were on the same page after all. He was just doing a better job at holding it in.

I decided I didn't need to chew him out.

"Kara will be fine." I whispered. His eyebrows twitched up, obviously surprised that I wasn't berating him. "The others won't let any of those ghosts get near her."

It wasn't much of a reassurance, and I doubted that my words held enough weight to make a difference. They sure as heck weren't calming me down.

That's why I was surprised when his fists slowly unclenched, some of the tension fading from his shoulders. A quiet sigh hissed past his teeth.

"You're right." He admitted grudgingly. "This is our best option. We'll have to make it work."

Lin's eyes flicked sideways for a moment at the surprising admission, a small smirk breaking his usual stoic expression.

A similarly smug smile had started to tug at my own lips, until Naru turned his full attention to me. "As for you, Mai," He said, his voice taking on a demanding tone. "You will be staying here with Yasu during that time."

I scowled. I'd been expecting that much, and I'd prepared myself with a comeback. "And where do you plan to be, Naru?"

"I'll be patrolling with Lin-"

"No, you will not."

Lin cut Naru down before he had a chance to finish his sentence. He leaned away from the monitor, turning to meet Naru's stubborn glare with one of his own. "If I am to be warding off powerful spirits, then I cannot spare any energy to protect you."

"I don't need protection."

"You know full well that you do. Stay here at the base with Mai. You will be in the best position to direct us that way."

I stayed quiet, watching the two men's clashing wills with a little fascination. For as long as I had known Naru, Lin was the only person who could talk to him like that and get away with it. On the same note, only Naru was stubborn enough to fight back when Lin used that tone.

Lin won out on this one. Naru flicked his eyes to the side and grumbled. "fine."

I pressed my lips together, trying to hide a smile.

After enjoying Naru's disgruntled expression for a few more seconds, I decided to spare him a little and switch the focus of discussion.

"I'm surprised that this turned out to be a modern occult thing." I admitted. "What were the odds that Raiden would pick a game that actually worked?"

As much as Kara insisted modern occult was genuine, I knew that a lot of it wasn't. Most kids could mess around with this stuff as much as they wanted without ever meeting a ghost.

"I wouldn't go so far as to say the game is genuine." Naru stated, crossing his arms. "Raiden only managed to accomplish something here because he chose to perform this game with a doll that was already possessed."

I blinked a few times, alarm bells ringing in my head. "But…" I voiced my doubt. "But if the game isn't genuine… then how do we know that ending the game will stop the activity?"

Naru took a moment to answer. "Whether the game is intended to work or not, it is a fact that in this case, it did. We will need to trust that the participants believe in this ritual and will follow the rules."

Translation—we don't know it will work, but we need to hope that it will because if it doesn't, we're screwed.

I wish I hadn't asked.

. . . . . . . . . .

Next time, on Hide and Seek: A game of hide and seek with volatile spirits.

I think I'm gonna have fun with that. (hehehe…)

Thanks for reading, guys! I'll see you next time for the potentially action-packed climax!