Chapter 3 – Hear Me Out

Disclaimer: I do not own Ghost Hunt, if I did the series would never have ended and Mai and Naru would have little paranormal grandbabies for Martin and Luella running around by now.

Author's Note: Hopefully the next chapter won't be too boring but Naru just has to Naru. If anyone actually knows the location or name of Mai's high school, please let me know. I have looked for this information through all of my copies of the Ghost Hunt novels and manga and I am still drawing a blank and I would like to be as accurate as possible. Edited: 9/25


On the other end of the line, the Chinese onmyōji, assistant, temporary guardian and bodyguard of Dr. Oliver Davis nearly dropped the phone in his hand, when his charge relayed the news he was calling to impart. Koujo Lin had known the twins since shortly after their adoption by the Davis' and he was entirely unprepared to ever hear Oliver sound so carefree and relaxed unless Eugene was the direct cause. He certainly never expected Oliver to sound anything but pained when he discovered the location where they could recover his elder twin brother and bring him home, but instead Noll sounded almost happy... Well happy for Noll anyway. Something else he didn't quite understand was why Oliver said "they" would meet him in a couple of hours back at the office. Who was he bringing with him, and why the office and not their accommodations? Two hours would give him just enough time to finish getting some dinner, and loading the van with equipment to take to the school tomorrow, then he could spend the rest of his time looking up search and recovery, and diving companies in the area Noll told him they would find Gene.

Lin felt uneasy at the unknowns of this situation, and after sending two of his shiki to find Oliver, and finding they were blocked from pinpointing Oliver's location Lin knew he needed to get to the bottom of this quickly before trouble befell the sole surviving twin too, or Oliver's parents would never forgive him.

Several neighborhoods across from Lin's location near the Shibuya district of Tokyo the duo that weighed heavily on the onmyōji's mind were quietly waiting under the awning at the front of Mai's high school for the cab Naru ordered when the call with Lin was ended. The rain that had been plaguing the area all day was dwindling as dusk fully set in, and Mai yawned tiredly as she leaned against the side of the tall young man as they waited for the taxi to take them to her apartment so she could pack for the case. Naru had no intention of anyone staying at the derelict school house but he refused to be separated from Mai so soon after discovering her. He decided he would bring Mai to stay with him and Lin at the hotel before finding more permanent housing that would suit them all even though he had not shared this idea with the others yet, although he could feel a similar desire from Mai's sleepy mind through their fledgling telepathic link.

When the cab arrived, he got Mai settled in beside him in the back seat for the trip to her current home and began he musing what their next steps should be. Mai leaned her head on Naru's shoulder, drifting off to sleep as soon as they entered the cab for the 20 minute drive to her apartment. She could vaguely feel her companion's mind working through some problem he perceived he needed to fix by the next day, but she was too tired to care at this point and just used the opportunity to rest while she could.

The cab driver looking back at his two passengers, found himself smiling at the sight they presented; unlike the usual pick-up from an urban high school this one included an exceptionally handsome young man who gazed adoringly at the young woman at his side. The girl resting protectively in the boy's arms at first didn't appear traditionally beautiful, but then she sleepily smiled at her companion and her entire countenance transformed with an almost otherworldly loveliness. For some reason, in the driver's opinion the two passengers seemed to exude an aura of peace and contentment that would leave the cab driver to wonder for years if they were truly human or if he had been gifted a visit from a pair of gods walking on earth.

When they arrived outside Mai's apartment, Naru couldn't understand why the driver tried to refuse payment for the trip and hastily doubled the money he nearly just shoved into the driver's hand before gently pulling a sleeping Mai into his arms to carry her from the cab to her building. Getting to her door, Naru used a tiny spark of his PK to unlock the door, so he didn't have to disturb Mai just yet. Naru was surprised to find he didn't even feel a twinge of discomfort at using his powers, and made a mental note to experiment more with that later.

Once Naru entered the apartment and took Mai inside he lay her gently down on her couch before going to pack her a bag with what he knew she would need. In his jumbled memories he felt like they had already been married for several years and knew that the Mai in his future preferred him to take care of their luggage since he was more efficient and thorough at that task then she was. Mai usually took care of the provisions aspect of packing, making sure to never miss packing all of Oliver's favorite teas and imported snacks. As he almost mechanically completed packing her bag, he mused that it was very strange to have one set of memories that differed from the current time he was living through but it definitely made for an exciting mystery to study and a fun challenge to see if they could alter coming events for the better while still maintaining the established status quo that Gene had shown them.

Oliver was happier at this moment in time than he could ever remember. He had found his brother, he had discovered a depth of emotion he previously did not know existed, and he was presented with a challenge that stimulated him mentally and emotionally. As he completed packing Mai's bag he knew he wasn't sure when they would be back here, so he searched her room for the photo album from her early life that he knew would be somewhere in her bedroom until he found it. He then placed the album gently within her bag before closing it and exiting her room and deposited Mai's luggage by her front door before going to the couch to rouse her. "Mai," Naru said softly, as he gently shook her shoulder to help wake the petite ginger girl.

Awakening from a dreamless slumber, Mai blinked several times before realizing they were already inside her apartment, and she cocked her head at Naru in question, before asking him, "Made yourself at home already?"

He chuckled and said, "You needed your rest Mai, you know how much your visions always take out of you, and this time there were three of us along for the ride." He sat down beside her, hugging Mai gently and asked, "Could you make that tea now? I packed your bag for you so you could nap a little longer, but I think I am about to fall asleep. We both need real sleep, but I can take a short nap while you make tea and get rid of any perishables in the kitchen, or pack anything you think we might need…" he continued until his voice trailed off and his head fell onto the back of the couch as his eyes closed, his body readying itself for a brief rest.

Mai considered his statements, and the fact that he was speaking to her like he did when they were a couple in the future visions Gene showed them. Thinking intently, it actually made sense to her. Both of them had years of memories of them making a life together, and Mai was oddly comfortable with him seeing the private part of her life here in her apartment, even more so with him packing her bags and implicitly trusted that Naru would have thought of every single item she might need.

Her mood lightened and she had the thought that they had achieved the ultimate cheat code for a happy relationship! No more awkward firsts for them, they were already taken care of years ago in the recesses of their minds, Mai giggled to herself and went into the kitchen, first pulling out the perishable ingredients from her icebox and threw together a quick meal that she packed up for them to eat at the office. Mai next made a thermos of tea to take with them as well, while she packed away the selection of tea she had in her home, making a mental note to go purchase more when they got a break from the case tomorrow. Mai knew Oliver, and she knew he would want to compare the memories they had with the events that would occur tomorrow, and figured they would even be up late compiling data. At that thought she crept back out to the sitting area in her tiny apartment and set a steaming cup of black tea in front of Naru, the smell wafting towards him and making his face twitch as the familiar scent of Mai's tea woke him from his nap.

Mai picked the cup up, and placed it in Naru's hand as she sat next to him on her couch, leaned up and kissed him on the cheek before she said, "Drink up. We have about 30 minutes before we need to meet Lin at the office, and I used the food in the kitchen to make us some dinner to eat when we get there, and even made another thermos full of tea for you. I don't know what supplies you already have at the office, but we can sneak away tomorrow and buy anything else we need." She glanced over at him, and he was looking back at her with an almost shocked look on his face. "Wh…what's wrong?" she asked him with worry in her voice.

Naru breathed out a sigh of relief, drained his cup of tea in one go, almost like a man dying of thirst in the desert would drink water, and admitted to her, "I was afraid it was all a dream…," then he shook his head ruefully, dismissing his fears before continuing, "Come on, let's go face the firing squad. Lin is sure to be going mad with curiosity." Naru stood, pulling Mai with him and grabbing all of their bags and supplies left Mai to turn off the lights and lock her apartment up until they would return at a later date.

Luckily, Mai's apartment was only a 15 minute walk from the office in Shibuya, so rather than bother with another taxi they decided to just walk since the rain had finally completely ceased. The two walked in companionable silence, their hands clasped together, comfortable with one another in only the way that two lovers in a longstanding relationship truly know. Every so often, a stray thought from one of their minds would brush against the other's consciousness, and each teen decided they would discuss how to strengthen their telepathic bonds with one another. These thoughts kept them mentally distracted and before either realized they were standing on the sidewalk beneath the building that housed the Shibuya Psychic Research office. Mai looked up at the building, seeing it both for the first time, and as it was in her memories and she smiled brightly, thinking to herself how nice it was to finally be home.

As they started up the staircase to the office on the second floor of the building in the Dogenzaka area, Mai suddenly gripped Naru's arm and got a mischievous glint in her eyes as she leaned closer to him to whisper, "So, remember how grouchy Lin-san was the first time we met, and he slapped my hand away? I think we should make this introduction just as memorable for a different reason?"

Naru nodded slowly, "Just don't make it too drastic, I would hate to have to protect you against him if he should take your actions as an attack," he said as he paled visibly.

Mai shook her head and said, "Don't worry, it's just been a while since I've seen him, and I've missed him," she winked at Naru as she flung open the door to the SPR office bounding across the floor to where Lin was standing, his mouth agape at the intrusion of the newcomer he had never seen before she flung herself against him, wrapping him tightly in her arms before exclaiming, "Lin-san! I missed you so much! How's Madoka, is she here with you? I can't wait to see her again too!"

Koujo Lin was rarely in a position to find himself shocked; yet as he took in his current situation he was frozen in complete astonishment. As he slowly came back to his senses he noticed three things in quick succession. First, Oliver was standing next to the door of the office, burdened with several bags, and trying unsuccessfully not to laugh at Lin's predicament. Lin narrowed his eyes minutely and noticed the second thing, the young woman currently attached to him appeared in every way Japanese, and while she was currently speaking English flawlessly with a pronounced British accent, he had never laid eyes on the girl in his life. Thirdly, he noticed that instead of awakening and rushing to protect their master from a stranger intent on physically manhandling him, his shiki were bobbing playfully around the girl trying to get her attention like they used to do with Eugene when he was a child. The sheer absurdity of these three things caused the great onmyōji to relax in the strange girl's grip and she finally released him, only to smile at him fondly. Lin glared over her head at Oliver standing by the door and nearly growled, "Noll, what exactly are you playing at here? Who is this child?" At being called a child, Mai pouted and went to sit on the top of the desk outside Naru's office, crossing her arms over her chest in a slight sulk, and said, "Lin-san! I have known and worked with you for years now, how could you forget me?" Her lips start to quiver as if she is about to begin crying and Naru rushes to her side, cradling her head against his chest and playing along with her, he turns to glare at Lin.

"Lin, what game are you playing?" Naru scolds, his hand on Mai's head absentmindedly stroking her hair in a way that tells any observer of long-term familiarity. Naru speaks once more looking at Lin, "You know Mai, after all you were the best man at our wedding! We're the godparents to your and Madoka's toddler and you're going to act like you don't even know her after we had such a long day on the astral plane…," Naru notices Lin's eyes widening with each subsequent fact and decides they should quit teasing him and instead share the day's events with him instead. Naru pulls away from Mai, kissing her on the forehead and whispers to her, "Let's not break Lin any further, and just explain what is going on." Mai nodded, grabbed her bag of tea supplies and went into the kitchenette in the office space to see if she could make fresh tea, or if they were relegated to the tea cooling in the thermos that she made at her apartment.

Considering Naru is in reality a British citizen it should not have surprised Mai to find the kitchen fully stocked with tea making equipment, even if the selection of tea leaves left a lot to be desired. Mai bustled about the kitchen, nostalgia bringing a sweet smile to her face as she heard Naru begin to tell Lin about what transpired at her high school that evening. As she prepared a fresh pot of tea for two of her favorite men, she placed the thermos into the icebox to take to the school tomorrow to drink during the heat of the day instead since it would be cool. After the tray of tea was finished, she left the kitchen and placed it in front of the two men along with the two meals she had cooked at her apartment. Mai grabbed her dinner and began to nibble on it as she sat down beside Naru, resting against him as he continued to explain their trip into the astral plane to Lin.

At this point, Lin has several questions, and indicates that his ward should pause the recitation of the day's events to answer Lin's questions. Speaking in Japanese for the first time that evening, Lin turns to Mai and asks, "Taniyama-san is it true you only met Noll this afternoon?" Mai nods in the affirmative, and motions for Lin to continue, "How are your language skills, were you fully bi-lingual before today?" Mai shakes her head before replying in Japanese, "No, of course I wasn't, I only know a little bit of English even now, but from the visions of the future I do become quite fluent. I would need to be, to be Naru's research partner."

Naru pulled Mai closer, and whispered in her ear, her face becoming bright red, as he nodded smugly at her. "Mai, we have been speaking only in English since we woke up from our visit with Gene. I have a theory about this. We both remember the experiences we had during the vision Gene showed us, we both feel the emotions we grew during that time in our future. I know I feel totally at ease with you, with your physical presence, and you know from our memories that should be impossible considering we technically just met this afternoon." Naru leaned forward, taking his cup of tea in hand and sipping from it thoughtfully, before continuing, "I remember you and I dating, getting married, planning to try to have children and in my head it is all there as if it happened already. I have logical memories, like empirical evidence that our lives are intertwined, and that we are indeed married and my current conscious mind and body react exactly as it would have in our future already. I believe we returned with information and skills embedded into our minds just like the emotional memories we have, and I am positive you have an entire graduate level college education stored inside your memories, I think we both have the ability to fast track some of the events in our memories, like your education, and our eventual research partnership. Maybe our marriage, we should definitely take care of that as soon as we legally can. We are both too young right now in Japan, but maybe in England with guardian approval and your emancipated status as an orphan here in Japan..." his question trailed off suddenly as he realized both Lin and Mai were staring at him, and he looked back, shrugging as if to say, what?

Mai shook her head incredulously and spluttered, "Oliver Davis! You did not just propose to me in an exhausted rambling thought about research and education! Yes, I am aware you did it quite nicely the first time around, but that technically has not really happened yet! You really can be a serious prat, did you know that? And yes of course we'll legalize our marriage as soon as we can. I feel like I have been married to you for years now already, but you need to at least present me with a ring so I can show off my gorgeous, arrogant, narcissistic, idiot scientist fiancé who I love very much, especially when you know who shows up thinking she can blackmail you... Actually Naru! I think we need to mess with her after all she put you through serious hell the first time around. I have some ideas about what we need to do but we need to sleep. Without proper rest, our brains will not fully assimilate all the information you are positive is locked inside them. The emotions probably became the primary focus of integration since the act of discovering Gene was so very emotional…" Mai paused briefly and a horrified look came over her face and she went on, "Oh no, I literally just Narued didn't I?" Mai broke down in helpless giggles, and admitted, "Naru, you just had to be right again didn't you? I am pretty sure those little tidbits came from my undergrad degree in psychology. Oof, I think we really need to settle our plans for tomorrow then get some rest, we can finish Naruing then."

Lin noticing that the cinnamon-eyed girl appeared to be losing her battle to stay awake, he decided to ask Naru for the most pertinent information to continue with for the night, knowing they could commence with any other details after the two teenagers had gotten some rest. "Ok Noll, I already located some companies in the region you indicated we should search for Gene in. Are you sure you want me to leave you with the investigation at the school alone tomorrow to go make those arrangements?" Before Lin could finish relaying all of his thoughts to his ward, Mai had already fallen into a deep sleep, nestling closely into the protective Naru's side.

Naru nodded and spoke quietly so as not to awaken the now slumbering Mai, "In the previous version of this case within our memories, Mai accidentally caused you an injury at the school and you were unable to be there for the first several days of the investigation, and I coerced her into being my assistant at that time. This time Mai already has all the knowledge of an experienced paranormal investigator; we could even leave her behind to cover the entire bogus investigation at this school if needed, but I think that my presence will be important for the others we will meet Saturday morning. Tomorrow morning Mai and I will catalog all of our memories, and start using them to gauge the accuracy of the precognitive visions Gene and Mai produced. I will discuss her employment with us with her principal when the school opens, and ask about opportunities for her to test out of the rest of high school entirely. We do need to return her to the classroom to meet with her friends and see if the true culprit of the issues on our case will reveal themselves as they did in our vision. The Mai I know from the future, even though I always called her stupid or an idiot when we first met is highly intelligent." Naru slouched back against the couch where he and Mai were sitting across from the pensive Chinese sorcerer.

"Lin, I don't know how that bright, beautiful girl ever fell in love with me when I was so horrible in my grief over Gene, but I know none of us deserve her and I know I will fight to keep her safe and by my side for the rest of our lives," Naru states, giving Lin a tired smirk when he noticed the older mans surprised look.

Lin was truly shocked at the difference he saw in his ward since he had seen him that morning, and asked, "Noll, just how long into the future did this vision take you, and how certain are you that what you saw was not just a trick of a roaming spirit?"

"Lin, we lived through anywhere from 6 to 7 years in the future. There were many horrors we all experienced, but in the end even more blessings. Gene's spirit stayed with us and never changed into a vengeful spirit. What I believe caused the vision to end, was Gene's desire in that time to reincarnate at the same time Mai and I would be learning we were expecting a child, I can only assume his intention was to reincarnate to live a new life with us, or with another of our close companions as his parents. In the vision he called us to him in the astral plane there as well, and taught Mai a new skill where he hoped she would eventually be able to mentally transfer her visions to others. If we can get that ability to manifest for Mai outside of the vision, we can share the future we saw with you for your own edification. Lin, you have known me most of my life, trust me on this, and when you go to oversee the search and rescue divers tomorrow and they discover Eugene so we can take him home, you will have a form of proof." Naru yawned and got up to begin grabbing supplies for the next morning, so they could leave directly from their hotel to go to Mai's school once they got up.

The two men decided that Lin would drive Naru and Mai and the van full of equipment over to the school early and leave it there for Mai and Naru to set up base in the building once the rest of their business was concluded for the day.

The hotel the two men were staying at was only a few blocks away from the office, so they decided to walk, Naru once again declining to wake the lovely young woman and he carried her in his arms the entire distance. Lin opened the door to their suite and stepped aside to allow Naru to place Mai gently on his bed, Lin following him to bring Mai's luggage so she could shower and change once she woke up with no trouble. While Lin took care of Mai's belongings the young narcissist removed Mai's shoes and covered her with the coverlet on the bed before grabbing a spare blanket and pillow from the closet for himself, and some spare clothes from dresser in the room and exited the room to lay down on the couch in the main room after using Lin's shower. Oliver closed his eyes, allowing the unfamiliar feeling of happiness he was experiencing to dull his senses until he finally drifted off peacefully for his own rest.


End A/N: Yes, we are using Naru as verb now, or at least Mai is. She is also quite mischievous at times. I really cannot wait to see what happens when this Mai meets the rest of the irregulars… not to mention Yasuhara. Thanks for the reviews and follows, and from those who have offered feedback! Much love!

For those who wondered at the mysterious identity of our masked taxicab driver, it's our own reviewer gellophy - they totally admitted it! =)