A/N: Y'all, we're getting close the end. This is the last chapter and then I'll be posting the Epilogue later this week. I just want to say thank you to everyone who's read this and followed it and added it to your favorites. You guys are my favorites! And I want to give a big thanks to everyone who left a review: thank you so, so much! I love hearing your thoughts and feelings! Thank you and enjoy the rest of the journey!

jloveyslas - Thank you for reading! Here's a little more!

CaitHawke4Ever - I sometimes fear that it goes a little too smooth, but I can't bear to torture the characters too much (sending Urado after them just about killed me). Thank you!

Damaged Forest Spirit - Thank goodness! I'd hate to hear you got hurt! Thank you for reading! I've tried (with decent success) to keep a schedule with this particular story. It's the first one that I wrote completely before posting. I spaced out the updates to give me time to edit each chapter before I uploaded them.

Disclaimer: I do not own Ghost Hunt.

Language Key:

Regular = Japanese

Bold Italic = Chinese

Bold = English

Chapter 10:

Quiet, that's what she needed. But the stupid door was not cooperating. It beeped loudly and slammed behind her, announcing her arrival to anyone in the general vicinity. So much for sneaking back in.

She smiled sheepishly as she met Lin's gaze. His relief at seeing her quickly changed into a chastising smolder. He was sitting at the desk when she returned. His phone was to his ear, so she was saved from a well deserved lecture. For now.

She'd slipped out while he was in the bathroom, getting dressed. She'd left a note, but business had taken longer than she expected. What was supposed to take a few minutes had turned into two hours.

She probably should've taken in account that Ayako would want to examine her. However, she never would've imagined that Masako would greet her in the lobby (this time, with her manager at her side). Though, her presence wasn't unwelcome.

She'd apologized for last night, which Mai shrugged off with a smile. She comforted Mai by telling her that the spirits of the girls had moved on. Then, they discussed various things over tea. Masako spoke of her career's success. Mai told her the plans for her future.

Because in less than a month, she'd be on a plane headed for England. She and Lin had talked it over (after sleeping until almost noon). The entire Davis family wanted her to live with them. The professors, Gene and Naru's parents, were willing to take whatever legal or financial actions necessary to get her there. To bring her home.

She still couldn't fully process it. She had a family, one she'd never technically met. And they wanted her. They loved her.

They already knew so much about her, probably thanks to Naru's ability. But she knew so little about them. She was looking forward to getting to know them better, but she was nervous at the same time. What if she didn't meet their expectations?

Mai busied herself by making tea. She needed something to calm her nerves. She set up a cup for Lin, as well. Though, his was more of a peace offering.

She could feel his gaze as she worked. His phone conversation was still going through he rarely spoke. Mai could hear long stretches of a female's voice in between his monotone, one word responses. Madoka had called.

Mai was glad she'd been out of the room for the beginning of that conversation. After Naru had hung up, Lin had shut his phone off last night. He'd showed no inclination of returning the steadily growing messages at that time. He chose snuggling with her over talking with Madoka.

Mai still wasn't sure where their relationship lie - either of them. And hearing him talking to Madoka after she spent the night in his arm had her questioning things. Were the cuddles, the caresses, the butterfly inducing kisses a form of platonic affection for him? Or was it a temporary regard borne from the near death situation?

Was he already involved in an almost exclusive relationship? Was she a momentary distraction that would eventually be forgot once he set his eyes on the woman he really loved? Was she the Other Woman?

Her hands trembled as she carried his tea to the desk. She kept her eyes trained on the cup, willing it not to spill all over the place. After successfully setting it in front of him, she still avoided looking at him. She turned around, moving to walk away.

His arm shot out, snaking around her waist and holding her hostage. She had to look at him, then. He stared, studying her, with concern in his eyes. She blinked at him.

"Is everything okay?" he whispered. The voice in the phone was still taking, but his attention was on her.

She gave him a small smile. Reacting on instinct, her fingers reached out to him. They touched the side of his face that wasn't cradling a phone. He leaned into her touch, pulling her closer. She dropped her hand to his shoulder.

"Mai's back, so I have to go," he held her gaze as he spoke, his eyes burning. Her heart skipped a beat.

The voice got louder. Mai was close enough she could make out a few words. Madoka was asking about her, worried for her health. She almost sounded contrite. Lin's grip tightened.

"I'm sure you'll have plenty of opportunity later," Madoka kept talking. "If she wants," He sighed, before forcing a farewell and hanging up.

He sat his phone on the desk, giving her his full attention. His free hand now played with her hair and it took everything in her not to melt right there. She wondered if he even knew the effect he had on her.

"Is everything alright?" she asked, nervous.

"Yes. Oliver's condition wasn't too serious and he should be discharged before the day is out," His response, though a comfort, wasn't what she wanted to know. "Is everything okay with you?"

"Yep, I had no problems putting in my two-week notice. I passed Ayako's physical inspection. And I think I even patched things up with Masako," she gave him a grin that was bit more chipper than she really felt (but it was progress).

His eyes narrowed at the mention of Masako, but he didn't say anything. He blamed her, at least partially, for the incident. Although he hadn't come right out and said it, Mai could tell. He wasn't going to join a Masako Hara fan club any time soon.

"How are you feeling?" he asked instead.

Mai was feeling a lot of things as he pulled her into his lap. Her thighs were straddling his waist, her legs dangling through slats in the chair. She tried not to blush as she stared into his calm, patient eyes. One of her many thoughts was how much closer their heights were in this position. Her head was actually a little bit higher than his.

"I think I'm okay," she said as soon as she was sure she could speak. Mostly, she was just trying not to think about it - or anything else that was remotely scary. Like the future. Or where they stood. But wanting to bury her head in the sand probably meant the exact opposite of okay.

He nodded, but she doubted he believed her. She didn't. His eyes traveled down her bare arms. His fingers gingerly traced the marks the table's straps had left. His voice was heavy when he spoke again, "I'm sorry."

Her heart raced. Her mind spiraled, thinking of all the reasons he had to be sorry for. Thinking of all the things he'd have to let her down easy for. "F-for what?"

"For a lot of things," his gazed burned into hers again as he brought her hand to his lips. "I'm sorry for leaving you," he kissed the back of her hand. "I'm sorry for not telling you the truth when I found out you were the one I was looking for all along," he kissed the inside of her wrist. "And I'm sorry for not being entirely open with you concerning the extent of my feelings," he pressed his lips to her palm, closing his eyes with this final kiss.

Mai was all over the place. Her heart pounded in her chest. The butterflies in her stomach were going crazy. Her lungs struggled for air. Her brain refused to work. Her voice sounded so small. "The extent of your feelings?"

He opened his eyes, pinning her down with the intensity in them, "I've fallen in love with you."

Her lungs' access to air was now completely cut off. As was the brain's access to oxygen. Her blood, however, had perfect circulation as it rushed to her face. She had just enough thought to notice the fear on Lin's face before she squeaked out, "Pinch me."

She watched shock turned to relief. A large smile settled on his face. He dropped her hand, choosing to run his fingers through her hair again. She leaned further into him as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. He relaxed under her touch.

"I know we haven't known each other long," his words tickled her skin, their faces close. "But I know that I don't want to live a life that you're not a part of."

Part of her had a hard time believing him. Her insecurities screamed at her that this was impossible. But a larger part of her knew. She'd known from the start that he was different. That they were different. From the very beginning, she felt that he held the keys to her fate - in more ways than one. He was her future.

She let silence fall between them. Her hand traveled up his neck. She weaved her fingers into the hair at the back of his head. Her eyes flickered to his mouth. She enjoyed his sharp intake of breath as she brought her face closer. She closed the distance, pressing her lips to his.

Warmth filled her as he kissed her back. Pulling her even closer, he left no space between them. His grip was firm, even when they pulled apart. They sat there for a moment. Eyes closed, foreheads touching, breathing each other in.

"I love you," she whispered.

He responded by kissing her again.

To say she was nervous would be an understatement. She was overthinking so much she was starting to think that she'd been less nervous when she was being led through that bloody maze. That was a lie, of course. But her current emotions overshadowed the emotions of the past.

She'd made it through all the lengthy explanations, teary farewells, and promises to keep in touch (which was a feat as both Ayako and Yasu had to pull Bou-san away so they wouldn't miss their flight). She successfully gone through baggage check, a couple lay-overs, and a long flight. Her travel companion had proved to be very engaging, keeping her nerves mostly at bay. His much encouraged distractions, however, only gave her a temporary relief.

All too soon (and yet, not soon enough), the wheels of the plane landed on the runway. They were hustled out of the plane and into the airport. She was a jittery mess the whole wait to claim their luggage. Lin kept an arm around her, pressing his lips to the back of her head in an effort to console her.

"They love you already," he promised her with a smile. She tried to return the smile as she took a deep breath.

She knew they loved her. They had told her as much several times over the past month of video chats. Their actions proved it by taking all the trouble to bring her here. She knew this. Her heart knew this. Still, this little voice in the back of her head kept telling her that they'd change their mind.

This same voice was the one that reminded her that her father had left her, so why would they be any different. She'd been cute and innocent back then. Now, she was damaged and scarred. Why would anyone want her now?

She tried her best to squash that voice as they exited the airport, their luggage in hand. They'd barely stepped out when a woman rushed at them. Her hair was a blur of purple-ish hue as she enveloped Mai in a hug. Mai returned the hug as well as she could with the bags in her hands.

"I'm so happy to get to see you in person!" the woman squealed. She pulled away to get a better look. "You're a little shorter than I expected. And so much cuter."

Mai giggled, "I'm glad to see you, too, Madoka."

And she truly was. While their initial phone calls and video chats had been most awkward, they'd warmed up to each other rather quickly. She'd found Madoka was a force to be reckoned with, but she had a warm heart. Mai really liked her.

"I can see why you wanted to keep her all to yourself, Koujo," She stole half of Mai's luggage as she led them to her car. Lin rolled his eyes, but made no comment.

They loaded the luggage into the trunk (boot?) of Madoka's car. Mai slid into the back seat with Lin sliding in beside her. He slung his arm around her shoulder. His fingers fiddled with her hair as Madoka started the car.

Madoka kept a steady flow of conversation the whole hour drive. She filled Lin in on updates of various coworkers, stopping to describe who she was talking about to Mai. Lin would occasionally make a comment or an addition, but mostly let Madoka do the talking. Mai listened with rapt attention, trying to keep her mind occupied.

Finally, Madoka pulled up in front of a sizable house. Mai could only stare in awe as they got out of the car. She'd never set foot in such a grand place. Even the exquisite lawn had her scared of moving too much, lest she make a wrong step.

That fear, however, quickly dissipated when an excited young man bounded down the front steps. He ran across the lawn, trampling the flowers planted there. His cobalt eyes were shining. His grin grew the closer he came.

"Mai!" He nearly toppled them both over when he wrapped his arms around her.

"Gene!" She shrieked when he picked her up and spun her.

He was still grinning when he sat her back down. Over his shoulder, she could see Naru making his way over at a slower pace. She threw herself at him once he reached them. He returned her hug with an awkward pat, but that was enough for her.

"Welcome home," he whispered in her ear as she pulled away.

She blinked away tears as she looked at the two of them. One with a huge grin, the other with a small smile. Both her brothers, her family. She still couldn't believe it.

"Do come in, darlings," a comforting voice called out. Mai looked over to see Luella at the front door. Martin stood close to her. "I think it's bound to rain any moment."

"Boys, grab her stuff," Madoka ordered, ushering Mai towards the house.

Mai fought a grin as they grumbled, hauling her luggage regardless. Luella pulled her into a warm hug, entering the house. Her twinkling eyes were wet as she fretted over Mai.

"I'm so glad you're here," a motherly smile graced her face. "It'll be a nice change having another girl around."

"Finally!" Madoka joked.

Mai only giggled as they led her further into the house. They stopped at a sitting area where several cups of steaming tea sat on a coffee table. Luella offered her one, sitting next to her on the couch.

"I trust the trip went smoothly?" Martin sat down in a chair adjacent to them. His cup was already in his hand.

"Yes, sir," Mai smiled. "Everything worked out perfectly."

"Good, good," he mused. "I hope you've found the place to your liking."

"What's not to like? It's a beautiful country. And from what I've seen, it's filled with wonderful people," He chuckled at her response.

"All the more so, now that you're here, darling, " Luella added, placing her hand on Mai's arm.

Mai had to fight back tears again as she looked into Luella's eyes. In them, she found the love of a mother. A love that was directed towards her. A love she never thought she'd experience again. "I'm really happy to be here. Thank you so much, for everything."

"This is nothing, love. It was a small matter to bring you here, where you belong," Luella assured her. "You're family, after all."

"Which means, you're stuck with us!" Gene plopped down beside her, throwing an arm around her shoulders. "Welcome home, sis."

Mai giggled, taking in the faces she could now call family. Martin gave her a warm smile, his blue eyes sparkling. Madoka sat across from her, vibrating with excitement. Naru sat beside her, quietly assessing her well being. Beside him sat Lin, eyeing Gene's spot enviously, but he turned to smile encouragingly at her.

Finally, she was home.