Chapter Four...Happenings

(A/N. the Bold is English and the normal stuff is Japanese.)

"Just answer the question!" Gotou demanded staring the young woman down.

Haruka sighed, looking over to where Yakumo was walking, a good ten feet ahead of the rest of them. He hadn't said a word since they left the room, leaving Haruka to explain. But no one really believed anything she was saying.

"I have, I don't understand why you can't believe me," Haruka said turning on the two detectives. "I was scared to sleep by myself so I asked Yakumo if I could sleep in his room, he agreed. If some what reluctantly and that all, we went to sleep and nothing happened."

Before they could interrupt her she started again, waving her arms around her in emphasize. "But apparently that's not what you want to hear is it? Because you already have it set in your minds that we did something and—"

"Haruka..."

"What!" she snapped turning on Yakumo.

"You don't need to explain everything to them; they'll always think what they want. No matter how sound you reasoning is."

While under normal circumstances, she would have been flatter. But right now this just made her mad. How could he say nothing? When it was so obviously his fault that they were in this mess? If he had only woken up when Gotou came in...

"Haruka?" a voice asked from the bottom of the stairs. "Is that you?"

Haruka looked down at the girl and gasped, "Mai?"

"Yeah. I didn't know that you were going—"

"Mai! Get that camera in here, we need to set up!" A black haired man yelled, coming out of a side door. He was maybe Yakumo's age, with a stern face and dark unhappy eyes. Haruka wasn't sure of what to make of him, he was undoubtedly handsome, but he seemed mean.

Mai looked over at him plastering a smile across her lips. "Right away Naru."

Haruka jumped down the rest of the stair coming to stand in front of her new friend. Not noticing the questioning looks being shot at her from her three male companions.

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm working."

"No you should be working," Naru said glaring at Haruka. "Talk on your free time Mai."

"Yes, yes." Mai said waving Naru off. "I'll find you later and explain, okay?"

"Yeah, me too." Haruka waved after her as she disappeared with the unpleasant man.

"Who was that?" Gotou asked startling her. He stood at her shoulder looking after the couple of strangers.

"Mai Taniyama. She's a new freeman at my school and a good friend." Haruka said.

Yakumo stood a few feet off, watching after them after the couple with mixed emotions.

"Hmm."

Mai was furious; she had so many questions she wanted to ask Haruka. Why was she there? Who where the three guys with her? Was she a Psychic researcher too? Mai sighed setting down the last of the cameras. 'Well there's nothing I can do about it now is there?' she thought slipping into her seat next to Lin.

The base was empty expect for Lin and Naru, so Mai was left with no one to talk to. She rolled her hands over and over in her lap bored.

"Mai?" Naru was staring at her.

"Yes?"

"Can you make us some tea?" Mai was caught off guard by the question. He posed it as a question? As if he didn't know she'd do anything he asked even if she grumbled.

She smiled. "Yeah," she said getting to her feet. "I'll go find the kitchen."

"I'll go with you." Naru said getting up as well file left forgotten on the table. "Lin watch your back." He whispered as he passed.

Lin nodded.

Naru took Mai's arm lightly, and lead her out of the room and down the hall towards the front entrance. Mai was blushing horribly, even though she could barely feel his fingers in her arm, she knew they were there and it sent tingles up and down her arm.

"I could have gone by myself Naru, you didn't hav—"

"Yes I did." Naru said his grip tightening on her arm. "Your not to go anywhere on your own Mai. No one is, people have already died here, and I won't have any of my team dying."

"I understand."

"Do you? We've never been on a case like this before."

"Um, yes we have. And last time Masako was kidnapped, remember?"

"That was dif—"

"No it wasn't." Mai said cutting him off. "It was the same people were going missing and then being killed by a spirit that didn't want to die. This might be the same thing."

"I hope not." Naru said under his breath, letting out a strangely tired sigh.

"Are you alright?" Mai asked pulling him to a stop. "Do you have a fever or something?" Mai slid her hand onto his forehead. "Hmm." Mai pulled Naru down to her, placing his forehead on hers. "I think your okay."

"Mai."

"Hmm?"

"What are you doing?" Naru asked dark eyes swirling with a mix of annoyance and humor at the younger girl's actions.

Mai nearly fell over as she pushed her self away from Naru, stumbling over her apologizes as she went.

He chuckled, a deep sound that startled Mai almost as much as her overly familiar behavior. Mai had to think for a while before she released, she'd never heard him chuckle before, ever.

"I'm fine Mai." He said a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

Mai could only nod, still too shocked to say anything.

The kitchen was huge, and Mai was very glad that Naru had come with her, because most of the staff member were American and try as they might they couldn't understand Mai's English and she couldn't understand their Japanese.

Mai smiled as Naru easily translated all of her instruction for the tea, the staff even supplied them with a portable kettle and tea set.

"Thank you for all your help." Naru said bowing to the head chef, Jesse Carter an older man in his late forties. He seemed to have a soft spot for Mai, which became a parent as the girl struggled to speak English to him.

"No problem, tell Mai she can come anytime, we have some Japanese staff that are starting work later today, so it shouldn't be a problem after that."

"I will." Naru told Mai, and she smiled nodding.

"Thank you very much." Mai's accent was thick, but Carter smiled, patting her shoulder softly.

"Your welcome." He answered.

"Well, I'll have Mai come to visit again, but right now we have to get going." Naru said in his usual cold tone, nodding his thanks to the chef.

Carter waved after them sadly, but he made no move to stop them from leaving. Mai was a little disappointed, she'd hoped that she could stay with older man a while longer, but Naru was right they had work that needed to be done.

When Naru and Mai got back to the base, they found that everyone else was back from there rounds, and it sounded like Ayako and Bou-san were at it again.

"I told you he's not a boyfriend!"

"Like I care if you have a boyfriend, don't you care about being a Miko at all?" Bou-san yelled dodging a well aimed book. It flew passed him and straight into Mai stomach.

Mai doubled over. Naru caught her arms stopping her from falling. "Miss Matsuzaki, will you please watch where you're throwing things." Naru said his voice taking on a murderous edge that shocked the whole room.

"I-I-I didn't mean to—"

"We all know where you meant for it to hit," Naru looked at Hosho with a pointed look that clearly said he blamed him as well for this. "The point is you shouldn't be throwing things in the base at all. You could have hit the equipment."

Mai's face heated. So that was it? He didn't care about her? It was the equipment? She pulled away from him and turned still winded to the door. She pushed it opened and stumbled into a tall man with light hair and glasses.

"Oh, be careful." He said catching her. "Are you alright Miss?"

Mai shook her head, still trying to catch her breath. Her eyes blurred and her legs gave out. The man caught her, pulling her into a standing position before wrapped an arm under her shoulders and knees, lifting her easily into a princess hold. "Sorry could you hold on to me for a minute?" he asked smiling down at her.

Mai nodded as he kicked the door opened and walked back into the base, followed closely by another man, older with darker hair and strangely familiar face.

"Be careful with her Ishii." The other man said as the door opened.

Naru still stood near the door staring at where Mai had been a few minutes before. John was sitting in the corner on the couch, while Lin typed on his laptop ignoring the others, Ayako and Hosho where standing face to face having yet another screaming match.

"Excuse me." the man—Ishii—said trying to get everyone's attention. It didn't work.

"Hey listen up people!" the gruff older man yelled making half the room jump. Mai included.

The SPR team looked at the new comers, not sure what to make of them. Bou-san was the first to noticed Mai, still in Ishii's arms.

"Hey! What are you doing with Mai?" he barked bearing down on them.

"Mai?" Ishii asked looking down at her. "Are you Mai?"

"Yes." She said smiling. "Thank you for your help, but I think I'm okay now."

"Of course." He said setting her down, he watched her as she stood fixing her shirt and jeans. "Are you alright? You nearly fainted, back there." he added pointing towards the door.

"I'm fine. Thank you Mr?"

"Ah, Detective Yataro Ishii." He said bowing. "And this is my Senior Partner Detective Kazutoshi Gotou." The older man nodded.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Mai Taniyama." Mai said bowing to the two men.

"Oh we've heard about you Taniyama-san." Gotou looked the members of SPR over, hands shoved in his pockets. "And you mush be Kazuya Shibuya," he stated looking at Naru. "I've heard a lot about you too."

"Really..." Naru said staring the Detective down. "I hope there won't be any problems then."

"No, I don't think there will be." A cold atmosphere settled over the room, Mai and Bou-san itched to ease it but they both stay silent, not wanting to get in more trouble with Naru.

Naru and Detective Gotou continued to glare, neither willing to look away first.

Ishii opened his mouth, about to say something when the door burst opened; Haruka pushed her way into the room, grabbing a hold of Detective Gotou, using him as a shield against the man that followed her into the room.

"Haruka! Stop it, you're being ridiculous!" he said trying to get passed Ishii.

The spell on the room seemed to break then.

"Who the heck are you people?" Bou-san started.

"I can't believe how rude—"Ayako glared at Ishii who raised his hands.

"What are they doing in here Naru?" Lin asked turning from the computer.

"Just stay over there Yakumo!" Haruka yelled, while he continued to protest, trying to get closer.

Mai could hardly hear anything; everyone was yelling trying to be heard over each other, until a voice shout from the back of the room.

"Please everyone just calm down!" everyone turned too looked at John. He stood red faced by the couch his fist clenched and eyes closed. He peeked, blushed when he saw them all staring and quickly he cleared his throat before saying again in Japanese. "Please everyone just calm down. Detective was there a reason you came to see us?"

Naru nodded his approval and everyone seemed to relax a little.

"Yes I apologize Father." He said giving John a slight bow. "It's just protocol to let you know who the leading officers are, incase of an emergency."

"And," Ishii said stepping forward. "We wanted to see the competition."

"Excuse me?" Ayako asked crossing her arms. "And how are a couple of cops competition for Psychic Researchers?"

Ishii smiled. "You'll see."

"Ishii." Yakumo and Gotou said glaring at the brown haired man.

"Okay, okay." he raised his hand in surrender.

"We'll leave you to it."

The three men left the room, closing the door behind them. Haruka smiled hand on the door knob, "I'll see you later Mai?"

"Yeah." Mai said watching after her as she left.

"Well that was odd." Bou-san said rubbing his head.

"So we weren't the only ones brought in for the case?" Ayako asked sitting on the couch with John. "Figures."

Naru ignored this and went to sit next Lin. They had a sort whispered conversation, before he turned to look at Mai. "Tea."

Haruka slipped out of the room, looking around the hall, sighing in relief when she saw that the guys had already left. She turned walking right into...Yakumo.

"What are you doing? I told you no ones aloud to be alone." He said taking her hand.

"Really...I don't remember that?" Haruka couldn't stop the blush from creeping into her face; she tried hard not to move her fingers hoping to hold his hand even for a little while.

"Haruka?"

"Ah yes!"

"..." Haruka stopped walking, fingers wrapping around Yakumo's hand. She yanked him pulling him back to face her. She stared at him expectantly. "I—"

"There you two are!" Ishii said turning around the corner. "Oh...sorry." it wasn't until he disappeared around the corner again that Haruka noticed how close Yakumo was standing.

"Oh no! Ishii-san it's not what it looks like!"

His head poked around the corner. "Really? Because your holding hands to." He pointed out eyebrow raised.

Haruka pushed him away letting go of his hand, laughing nervously. "No, no nothing like you thought." She said blushing.

"You're not helping yourself Haruka." Yakumo said poking her flaming cheek.

"Stop that!" Haruka said slapping at his hand. "Nothing weird happening here." The words were barely out of her mouth when a blood curling scream prince the quite hallways.

"I think you spoke to soon." Ishii said picking up his cell phone.

(A/N... So this took way to long to write, sorry everyone! Please keep reading! I might be going over some of the chapters and fixing stuff to fit the fixed storyline. So please re-read if I post a note so that the whole thing doesn't get messed up! Thanks you! \(=3=)/