A/N: Hey! This is a day later than I wanted it to be. This week has been kinda crazy (in a good way), so I didn't have time to update. Sorry for the delay! Enjoy this next chapter!

Warning: Things will start to get a little intense in these next couple of chapters. Like I said at the beginning, I don't think it's much worse than the Blood Stained Labyrinth. But I just want you guys to know what we're getting into.

fabian1nina1 - Thank you for reading and reviewing! I'm a sucker for fluff, so they'll probably end up together...maybe. (Jk, jk, please don't kill me).

CaitHawke4Ever- Naru will always be Naru. And Lin will probably always want to kill him every now and then for something or other. It's a great relationship they have. Thank you and enjoy!

DamagedForestSpirit - Thank you so much! Here's more, but it might leave you with more questions...sorry. Enjoy!

Fangtasia21 - Thank you for reading! I'm not sure what you mean, but Lin didn't surmise Mai's identity solely from a single conversation. After months of research and observation, he came up the the theory. Masako Hara's reaction just helped to confirm what he was thinking. Again thank you for taking the time to read! I hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I do not own Ghost Hunt.

Language Key:

Regular = Japanese

Bold Italic = Chinese

Bold = English

Chapter 7:

Convincing Mai she should stay with him was easier than he expected it to be. As independent as she was, he was preparing for opposition. He was not prepared for how quickly she folded.

If he was honest, he hated it. He wanted to see her fight back. He wanted to see the life sparking in her eyes. He wanted her to be her again. He'd have to be content with just having her close for now.

When he saw her curled up in his chair last night, he knew something was wrong. Although fear and concern were his primary emotions, his heart warmed at the sight. Out of all rooms she could've run into, she chose his as her safe place. He doubted it was a conscious thought. She most likely acted on instinct. But either way, it meant she trusted him.

If he had any doubt of that, all he had to do was look to the side of his dresser. Practically everything she owned was packed into three small boxes, all stacked up. A large duffel bag lay beside it, containing her entire wardrobe. This meager pile, this huge piece of her life, was now part of his.

She probably hadn't expected him to pack up her whole house (minus the sparse furniture). She'd given him leave to start packing her clothes while she showered and readied herself for work. He asked for the keys, so he could finish after he dropped her off. She relented, but she didn't know the full scale of what she relented to.

He wasn't feeling particularly guilty about it, though. He considered it fair since he hadn't wanted her to even go to work. But that was the one point she argued for. He wasn't going to deny her that - she had agreed to so much already. He did, however, make her promise that she would never be alone while she worked. He advised her to tell someone she was being followed, but it was anyone's guess if she would actually do it.

When he first heard what happened, he wanted nothing more than to lock her up in his room until he could find the guy and kill him. Actually, a large part of him still wanted to do that. Logically, he had no idea what the guy looked like and she still had a life she had to live. Logic couldn't stop him from fantasizing about obliterating the creep, though.

He wished there was some way of finding the guy. He didn't like twiddling his thumbs while Mai was out and about with a target on her back. She was the only one who knew this guy. Whether through visions or (unfortunately) in person, only she had seen him.

While she had given Oliver an description, it wasn't super helpful. They were looking for a thirty-some year old Japanese man of average height and build. He had dark hair and dark eyes. And he may or may not have been slightly attractive. It wasn't too surprising that she couldn't give a good description. The first good look she had was the through the eyes of someone else. And the second look was through the haze of fear.

His heart clenched. She'd been so close to living out her nightmare. Had she been a second later, she would've been gone. All the while, he was right there, completely oblivious to what she going through. When she made it into the room, his shiki hadn't bothered to inform him. They were too busy trying to assess her damage and keep her calm.

He was grateful Oliver hadn't ended the video call. If he hadn't demanded her attention, she probably would've left as soon as she collected herself. There, she could've ran into the monster once again. Or best case scenario, she'd go home where she was alone and scared. And he would've been none the wiser.

Thankfully, Oliver was there. He coerced her into telling him what happened. He talked to her until she was comfortable again. Until she felt comfortable enough to fall asleep. Lin almost envied his ability to get so much information out of her. Of course, it probably helped that he could just get a reading off of her old hair bow their father had given him.

Lin hadn't fully forgiven him for withholding that little piece of information. He could've found her months ago and already had her settled in her new home. Then, this monster never would've set his sights on her. She would be safe with her family.

Of course, he might have never grown so attached to her. He wouldn't witness her hard work and determination. He never would've appreciated how easily she jumped in to help someone - even when she was the one who needed the help. He probably would've just brought her to the Davis family and then distanced himself.

But now? There was no way he could do that. He had to be involved in her life in some way. Although he had his own preference as to what he wanted to be for her, he'd take any way she'd allow. Just so long as he could be by her side.

With this thought in mind, he left his hotel room in search of her. It was almost time for her shift to be over and he'd promised he'd meet her at the restaurant. He wanted to eradicate any chances of her being alone. Especially since his hallway was the last place the creeper had seen her.

He found her just where he'd left her after eating breakfast. She stood at the counter, listening to whatever Matsuzaki was saying. Her expression was blank until she saw him. Then, she smiled. Like she was happy to see him. Like she wasn't completely forced into this situation. And she had him smiling back.

As he got closer, Matsuzaki turned around to appraise him. It wasn't like last time, where she seemed to glare at him for simply existing. She was more thoughtful this time. It was almost as if she was sizing him up to see if he was actually a threat or a possible ally. Lin wasn't really sure what she expected from him, so he ignored her.

Instead, he kept his full attention on Mai. "How'd it go today?"

"Slow and uneventful!" was Mai's chipper response. Her eyes were brighter, but her shoulders were still tight.

"Are you ready?"

He'd asked that question earlier. Then, her state was delicate. Her fears had taken hold of her and locked her in place he couldn't reach. He wanted to pull her out. He wanted to wrap his arms around her. He wanted to let her know she was safe. Instead, he settled for reaching out and touching her face. But then she leaned into his touch and looked up at him with those beautiful brown eyes. It took every ounce of self control to not pull her into his arms right then.

"Yeah, I'm ready," she smiled now, her state greatly improved.

As she moved to leave with him, Matzusaki stopped her, "Remember everything I've taught you. And know that I'm always right here."

"Thank you, Ayako!" Mai giggled, causing Lin to wonder what exactly the nurse had taught her. "I'll be okay."

Matzusaki glared at Lin for a second before her gaze softened. "Yeah, you'll be fine."

With that, she let the two of them go. They walked most of their journey in silence. Lin was preoccupied with keeping an eye out for any unusual people while also making sure she stayed in his line of sight. It wasn't until they were alone in the elevator that Mai broke the quiet.

"I'm sorry about Ayako. She's a little protective. I told her about last night and then I had to tell her about you. At first she didn't like the idea at all, but then she warmed up to it. Also, one of my bosses might be under the impression we're dating. She saw you dropping me off and made a comment, but I wasn't entirely with it enough to correct her. But don't worry, you won't get into any trouble. There's no policy on dating guests and it surprisingly happens a lot," she started rambling.

Lin could only stare as she listed different co-workers and the guests they'd hooked up with. He knew she was probably just nervous, but he wasn't about to stop her. This was the most she'd spoken to him.

Gene had a tendency to talk a lot when he was nervous. Oliver had always found it annoying. Lin never really cared one way or another. But with Mai, he was starting to find the trait rather endearing.

"So, when I first told Ayako she tried the say the culprit was the spirit that was haunting her yesterday afternoon," she continued talking as they stepped out into the hallway, walking closer to him than she had before. "I didn't tell her that was actually me, but I did return her pen. And when I was asking around to see if anyone had seen anything suspicious, no had seen anything. But they did say something interesting."

She paused to greet the elderly lady who stayed a few rooms down from his. She'd been there for longer than he had, but he didn't know her name or anything. Of course Mai knew her. She even asked about her grandchildren - by name. Which inspired a blessedly short explanation that the elderly lady was actually heading out go greet her granddaughter who was to stay with her for a few days.

Mai responded to the news with enthusiasm, but Lin caught stiffness in her form. She did caution the lady that some rough characters had been hanging around, but Lin wasn't sure she was listening for all her excitement. When the lady left, Mai fell silent. Her thoughts were louder than the words she'd been spilling throughout the journey.

Lin ushered her into his room, letting the door close before disrupting her thoughts, "What did your co-workers say that was of interest?"

She turned to him with wide eyes. He wasn't sure if she had forgotten what she said or if she was surprised he was listening. Either way, it took a moment for her to respond.

"Oh! Well, I'm not sure interesting was the right word. Scary? Disturbing?" she was mumbling to herself. "Anyway, it's rumored that two of the missing girls were last seen here at the hotel. Well, at the bar."

"So, this must be a place he frequents," he sighed, walking past her to grab the phone he'd thrown on the bed earlier.

"Yep," she agreed with an equal amount of enthusiasm.

Using the phone, he tapped out a message to the twins to let them know Mai was safe with him. They wouldn't see it until they woke up later, but they'd want to know right away. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Mai crouching down by her stuff.

"Did I forget anything?"

She rustled through the boxes quietly. Her back was to him, so he couldn't see her expression. "Did you pack my whole apartment?"

"Most of it," he admitted. "I put the bag you packed in the bathroom."

She merely hummed in response. Her mind was more focused on the things he packed, the things he'd seen. Most girls would've been worried about someone going through her underwear. Mai undoubtedly had a different worry going through her mind. The bottom box that was filled with books also held her important papers, her memories, her school name tag. And the name Taniyama was written all over these things.

He watched as she stared down the contents of that box. He wished he could see her face to know what she was thinking. He was pretty sure whatever it was, she regretted giving him her key earlier. Slowly, she closed the box up and sat the others on top.

"Can I set up my tea kettle?" she turned around to ask. Any thought she'd had a moment ago was locked away from him.

"Please do,"

"Thanks!" she smiled at him before placing her electric tea kettle next to the coffee pot on the dresser.

As she set up two cups and started the process, Lin noticed his shiki hovering around her. Yi was resting on her shoulder, where she seemed to claim as her new home. Chen had joined Yi and the two were buzzing comfortably. Ayumu and Qing were vibrating above her hands, intrigued by what she was doing. Jun floated a little distance away, keeping a watchful eye. They were all happy to have her here, content with keeping her close. And Lin couldn't agree more.

When she was done, she handed him one of the cups. He was surprised to be hit by the familiar smell of Earl Grey. The taste brought him back to his home in England. To working long hours in Oliver's study. He smiled.

"Thank you,"

"No, thank you! This is the least I could do since you've done so much for me,"

She sat on the bed with her legs crossed, putting a few feet between them. Her hands wrapped around her own cup. The smell of chamomile and lavender floated up around her. Her eyes were downcast.

Without a thought, he bridged the small distance, reaching out and taking hold of her wrist. She peered up at him then. Her curious brown eyes did something to his heart, momentarily taking his tongue with it.

"I want you here," he said after staring at her for a little too long. "I want you safe."

Her beautiful eyes widened, her lips parted slightly. Then, she blinked. A heart stopping smile spread across her face. All the fears and tension from the past few days were erased.

Something between them shifted in that moment. He knew that whatever they'd been before was gone. Whatever they were now was something new, something exciting, something he'd never felt before. It terrified him as much as it intrigued him.

A comfortable routine had formed over the next few days. Mai would wake up early. Sometimes she'd wake up facing Lin. Other times, her back would be to him. But he always had one hand on her waist.

Then, Lin would drop her off at work. She'd work until the afternoon, usually seeing him a couple times in the interim, and then he'd come pick her up. They'd kill a couple hours by working on her training. They'd work on that until dinner time, where Lin would either pick something up or have something delivered. After that, they'd go to bed and start the whole process over again.

It was surprisingly easy. She'd expected a more difficult transition. They were both two different people who'd been thrown into a small room together. They didn't even have the advantage that most people had when they moved in together. Most people knew each other better first.

But just a few weeks ago, Lin was a handsome stranger she served breakfast to. A few weeks ago, she never would've imagined they'd get so close. She never would've thought he'd be so open with her. He was far from a stranger now.

Under the cover of night, he'd tell her stories about his life back home. He told her about his parents and his sister. About how they moved from Hong Kong to England. He talked about meeting the Davis family, the professors and their twin. boys. He had her falling off the bed laughing at the trouble they'd get into.

She opened up to him a little bit in return. She told him tales of growing up with her mother. She spoke of Bou-san and Ayako and Yasu - all the people she cared about. She mentioned her father briefly, but never by name.

But it wasn't because of fear anymore. Even if (by some impossible, miraculous power) he hadn't seen her real name plastered over every inch of her stuff, she didn't care. As Yasu had reminded her a few days ago (or was it a lifetime ago?), she was still Mai. It didn't matter if she went by Taniyama or Shibuya.

Besides, she had bigger problems to worry about. Although she had grown comfortable in the bubble Lin had brought her into, she couldn't forget what lay outside of it. When she was at work, she was always looking over her shoulder. Even though it was broad daylight, she was waiting for him to jump out and grab her.

She kept scanning the news and the missing person boards. She was looking for signs of him striking again. And on the astral plane, she was searching for more victims. She and Yi had actually stumbled across one already.

Mai was forced to watch what he did to her. This one, he hadn't meant to kill. He hadn't meant to get so out of control. In a panic, he shoved her body into the backseat of an unlocked car. This poor woman was probably his first victim.

She was a stewardess who'd been staying at the hotel. She'd just returned from a night out with friends. She had her phone in her hand, excited to call her mother when she made it to her room. She never made it out of the parking garage.

Mai had given Lin a fright when she came back from that one. The whole scene had turned her into a blubbering mess. When she told him what happened, she was pretty sure he was going to scold her. But instead he just put his hand on her head and looked at her with a sad expression. She would've preferred the scolding.

At the time, she was supposed to be working with Ayumu, Lin's newest and youngest shiki. He was only a little older than her when he got into a car accident. His older sister was Madoka Mori, the Madoka that Gene and Lin had mentioned. Mai knew this because what they'd been trying to master was seeing the lives of spirits before their death. To push the visions back in time so she could get a better picture.

Ayumu was a sweet spirit, sharing his life with her all the way back into his pre-teen years. Somewhere down the rabbit hole of his past, the Mori's had met Lin and the Davis family. Mai had the misfortune to witness the beginning of a blossoming crush that Madoka held for Lin - through the eyes of Ayumu.

It was difficult to watch. She had no way of knowing if Madoka's feelings still existed or if they'd grown exponentially or if they were even reciprocated. She was pretty sure, judging by how often she contacted him, that the feelings remained. But while he hadn't given her any indication that they were exclusive, he hadn't said anything to the contrary either.

Mai knew where she stood. And that was on shakey ground. Falling deeper and deeper into the abyss that was love and uncertainty. She'd given up trying to fight it. Her heart had already been ripped from her chest and served in front of him on a silver platter.

Even though this bliss, this contentment, this little piece of heaven was only temporary. Even though he could leave and run six thousand miles away. Even though at any moment, the shoe would drop. And she'd be left alone with her heart shattered in a million pieces.

It was a small price to pay, she supposed: her heart for her life. She knew, from the moment he told her he actually wanted her here, that there was no going back. There was no way to keep her guard up when he was so close all the time. Not when he was speaking to her so softly, or looking at her so warmly, or touching her with his warm, soft hands.

Nope, her fate had already been decided. Now, all she could do was enjoy it until the inevitable heartbreak. Hopefully it'd last until this monster was caught, though. She wasn't sure she could handle a broken heart and impending doom.

But he probably wouldn't leave until afterwards. Regardless of what he may or may not have felt for her, he'd proved to be very protective. Some days, she was surprised he even let her go outside the room. He almost hadn't this morning.

Old Mrs. Nozumi had knocked on the door right before Mai left for work. The granddaughter that was visiting had left the room sometime last night to grab some ice and hadn't returned. The ice machine was right around the corner.

Mrs. Nozumi had gone to the police right afterwards. Mai knew deep in her heart that it wouldn't help. The police wouldn't find her. The others were out there somewhere and they hadn't found them. No, she wasn't coming back.

Hot, angry tears fell from Mai's eyes as she sat on the edge of Lin's bed. She was only nineteen. She had dreams of being a doctor. And she had the brains to do it. Her grandmother was always bragging about her; about her grades, about her friends, about her love for her family. The family she'd been ripped away from.

And all Mai could do was sit here and wait. Wait for the next victim to disappear. Wait for the monster to choose someone new to fill his insatiable taste for blood. She hated it! She wanted to do something, anything to get him off the streets and where he belonged. Whether that was rotting in jail or burning in hell, she really didn't care at this point. She just wanted him gone. And she didn't want another girl to fall into his hands.

But no. She could only sit, and wait, and cry. She was alone at the moment - sort of. Lin had something he needed to pick up, but was reluctant. It took a lot of convincing, but she eventually managed to get him out the door. He'd left Yi, Jun, and Ayumu with her, though.

While she watched them fuss over her, an idea came into her head. She and Yi had managed to find the spirit of the stewardess while on the astral plane. With Ayumu, she learned how to push a vision back in time. What if she used those skills to find the spirit of the girl who'd followed him willingly and then backtracked to earlier in the night?

"Yi, I want to go to the spirit realm. Will you help me?"

The bright spirit bobbed up and down, agreeable. Without another thought, Mai laid down on the bed. She cleared her mind and steadied her breathing the way Lin had taught her. She closed her eyes, focusing only on reaching that place.

Within minutes, her body felt light. She opened her eyes to find herself floating in the familiar abyss. Millions of orbs lit up the darkness. Yi floated beside her, taking her more human form. But she shone just as bright, if not brighter.

"Why are we here, Mai?" she pierced Mai with her gaze, both curious and concerned.

"I need to find one of those girls. Aiko Yamaguchi," Mai remembered her name from her missing persons poster. Yi frowned, disturbed by that answer, but nodded nonetheless.

Mai closed her eyes again. This time she focused on Aiko's spirit. She tried to channel the sights and the emotions from the vision, letting them lead her. When she opened her eyes again, only one orb stood in front of her. Mai reached out to touch it. For a second after her fingers brushed up against it, it took the form of a young woman. Of Akio.

Then, all too quickly, Mai was pulled in. She was drowning in fear. She was gasping for breath as the hands wrapped tighter around her neck. It took everything she had to remind herself that it wasn't her. That she had a job to do. She pushed back, pressing the rewind button on this vision. She didn't stop until she found herself at the hotel bar.

There, the taste of some fruity drink laced her teeth. There, an older man with dark, piercing eyes flirted with her. He paid attention to her. He made her laugh, made her feel special. The more fruity drink she drank, the more she liked him. The more she liked him, the bigger he smiled. She liked it when he smiled.

His smile is what had her following him out the door and through the busy streets. He held her hand, laughing with her when she stumbled every now and then. He led down the block and into a dilapidated warehouse. "It's better on the inside," he joked. She followed him in.

Mai recognized this warehouse. She saw it almost everyday - when she wasn't crashing at Lin's hotel room. It was an abandoned building that sat directly behind her apartment complex. Her kitchen window looked right into the broken windows at the top. That thought made her sick as her current host chased after her own demise.

Now that she was here, she couldn't leave until the vision was over. She had to wait until she saw the other girls chained up to the walls. Until she saw the table covered in blood. The table that he tried to get her on. The table she ran from.

With his success quickly turning to failure, he immediately changed. No longer was he charming and smiling. Instead, he was a monster full of rage. "How dare you try to escape me? I'm Vlad! And I won't be satisfied without your blood."

He caught her easily - fear and alcohol working against her. In his anger, in his fury, he wrapped his hands around her neck. He squeezed tighter and tighter. Taking pleasure in watching her struggle, in watching her die. And then everything went black.

Mai shot up, gasping for breath like she had so many times before. Jun and Ayumu buzzed around her, agitated by her state. She ignored them while she steadied herself. As soon as she felt well enough, she jumped off the bed to grab a pen and paper. On the complimentary notepad, she wrote the address to the warehouse. Although, she doubted she'd forget, she felt better having it for someone else to see. To add some peace of mind, she wrote "VLAD" at the top.

Then, there was a knock at the door.

Cautiously, Mai crept up to the door. Standing on her tiptoes, she looked out through the peephole. She half expected to see Vlad standing there, back for more. At best case scenario, she thought it might be Mrs. Nozumi again.

What she was not expecting was the familiar, Kimono clad medium. Her light black eyes scrutinized her surroundings. Her mouth turned down in a frown.

Everything in Mai screamed that this was wrong. Not because she couldn't imagine what Masako was doing standing outside Lin's hotel room this late in the evening. But she was here, alone, in a hallway where a predator was on the loose.

Mai threw the door open and pulled her in. Masako made noises of protest, but Mai was busy surveying the hall and slamming the door. When she turned around, Masako was staring at her with a look that was almost affronted.

"Heya, Masako!" Mai grinned sheepishly. "What brings you here?"

Masako huffed. She straightened out the fabric of her clothes. "I was here to drop off the check for Lin-san's services last week. I wasn't expecting to be assaulted in such a manner."

Mai rolled her eyes. "The hallways aren't really safe at the moment."

"Are they ever?" Masako chirped, her eyes now appraising the room. She paused when she saw Mai's duffle bag half open. "When do you guys leave?"

"What?" Mai blinked. "I'm not going anywhere that I'm aware of."

"Really?" Masako's gaze fell on her. There was something in her eyes that said she knew something Mai didn't. "I just assumed since you're here and your bags are packed. Have they not told you?"

"Told me what?" Mai's eyes narrowed.

"The people that Lin's working for, the Davis family, are the ones who've been looking for you,"

Mai froze. None of them had mentioned it. Although there had been plenty of opportunity in the past few days. What did they even want with her? It must've been something pretty big if they went through the trouble of asking Masako.

"No one's said anything," Mai shrugged, trying to play nonchalance. "Of course, there's a lot going on at the moment. Whatever they want might not be that important."

"I see," Masako clicked her tongue, disappointed. She sat an envelope on top of Lin's keyboard. "Well, I can't stay. I have a dinner appointment to get to."

"No!" Mai startled them both with her shout. "It's dangerous for you to go out there alone."

"I can't stay here," Masako argued. "My manager is waiting for me out in the car."

Mai stood in front of the door with her arms crossed. Internally, she was weighing her options. She wasn't about sit and wait while another of her friends went missing. She sighed, resigning herself to her fate.

"I'll walk you to your car,"

They stepped out into the hall together. Despite her resignation, every fiber in her being still screamed at her to turn back around. Every nerve was on edge. Her eyes darted to every corner and crevice. She jumped at every noise. Her heart hammered in her chest.

"So, uh, where is your manager parked?" Mai asked as they entered the blissfully empty elevator.

"The parking garage," Masako answered as if that was the most obvious place.

"Oh,"

The further they went, the more Mai realized this was a really bad idea. She should've tried harder to get her to stay. Or had her call her manager to come escort her back. They never should've left the safety of the hotel room.

Every bad feeling she had only intensified when they entered the parking garage. She led the way, with Masako trailing behind her. Her eyes swept their surroundings, but she couldn't see anything. That didn't give her any comfort, though. The place wasn't exactly well lit and there were far too many shadows to hide in. And the sounds of the busy traffic outside drowned out their footsteps. They were going in blind.

She was just about to abort mission. To tell Masako to forget her dinner plans if she wanted to live. Then, she heard something above the noise. A small whimper barely loud enough to be heard.

Slowly, she turned around. Panic gripped her as she moved. There, he stood. With his arm around Masako. With a knife to her neck. And he grinned.