FILE 3

MOMMY AND DADDY

RECAP: "Mai, are you alright!?" he asked.

She slowly opened her eyes and found Takigawa in front of her. Tears would form in her eyes and she called him,

"D-daddy?"

Everyone gasped as they heard what Mai had called him.

"Mai, are you alright!?" he asked.

"What did you just call me?" he asked.

Mai turned her head to Ayako and ran up to her and called her,

"Mommy!"

Everyone looked in shock and could clearly heard that Mai had just called Ayako and Takigawa were her parents. Feeling the tight embrace she looked at Takigawa and then to Mai,

"Mai were not joking! Snap out of it right this instant!" she gave her usual tone and tried to suppress the great shock.

The brunette looked at her in innocence and asked,

"Mommy, did you have too much coffee?"

Ayako froze after hearing the question and Naru stated the obvious.

"It seems that she's still possessed."

"Naru," Lin called out.

Shibuya turned his head to him and he continued,

"I've called the ambulance and there on their way."

"Right," Naru gave a nod and turned to Masako.

"Hara-san, watch over John and tell him to cancel the next exorcism." he ordered.

"But Naru," she protested.

"No buts, your work here is done and do what you are told." he rejected.

Masako could feel the pain in her heart, but manage to forget it and did what she was supposed to by putting the priest shoulders into hers and head straight to the living room.

"Masako why won't I-"

"Hold it Takigawa!" Naru stopped him.

It was now Takigawa, Ayako, Mai, and Naru (except Lin, he's on the computer.) in the room and Naru crossed his arms looking at the two and Mai who was holding onto Ayako.

Feeling that they were in some boot camp, they both straighten their backs and started feeling nervous.

Mai in the other hand didn't know what was going on and looked at Naru then at the two.

"Why are you scaring mommy and daddy?" she bluntly asked.

She walked towards him and looked at him carefully.

"You don't look scary to me so what makes you so scary?" her curiosity got out of hand.

"I am their boss they should be scared." he answered in a cold solid tone, but it wasn't effective to Mai. All she did was stare at him with those innocent eyes then he gave a sigh of annoyance an took his coat.

"Naru where are you going?" Takigawa asked.

"If we can't exorcise this spirit from her body, then you two have no choice but to stay with her and I do part of my job by getting on another case." he answered.

"WHAT!" the two cried in unison.

"You expect me to stay here all alone with a ghost possessing Mai!? Are serious!?" Ayako cried.

"No, Monk-san will always keep watch over Mai while you figure out a way to let the spirit out of her by being…:"

The two thought about it and then blurt out,

"Her parents…"

"That's right, let me know if any changes have happen…I'll be in my office filing cases." he then left and shut the door letting the two think and a few more minutes they would go insane.

'You got to be kidding me! I rather stay with John or Lin, but with this guy? I'll go crazy!?' Ayako cried to her thoughts. She kept a cool composure on the outside, but inside she was thinking of pulling her hair off just to think she was staying with Takigawa until the spirit sets up and rest in peace.

'Great, then I won't hear the end of her needs and wants. Whatever I did to deserve this, I apologized.' Takigawa crossed his arms and felt irritated.

Ayako felt a tug on her shirt and looked at Mai.

"Is there something wrong?" she asked.

"Mommy I'm hungry…" she said looking all sad and cute.

The priestess sighed her stress out and remember the time when Mai was first possessed by Kenji.

"What would you like to eat?" she asked.

"Um…anything that you would be alright for you to cook." she answered.

Ayako arched an eyebrow and could tell that she wants something.

'(SIGH) I have to satisfy this spirit if it wants to leave.'

"Oh, I can tell you want something, tell mommy what you want then I am gladly to cook for you." she tried to put on a motherly act.

Mai started fidgeting from her thoughts then she smiled an answered,

"I would like sweet and sour teriyaki chicken."

"And what's the magic word?" she asked at the same tone.

"Pretty please with sugar on top!" she answered excitedly. The expression in Mai's face was adorable that a Ayako smiled from her cuteness.

'It's no wonder that monk and Naru like to pick on her, she has an adorable smile!' she squealed at herself.

Mai went up to Takigawa then took his hand and asked,

"What does daddy like to eat?"

'Daddy? Jeez, I feel like an old man. Now I know what Lin was going through' he said to himself.

As he was going to say what he wants, Ayako had already left.

"This is so not fair…" he sweat dropped and Mai gave a cheerful smile.

Lucky for them, the current owners of the mansion were staying at a hotel and left some food for them. Walking alone to the kitchen she spotted a dark place and she felt curious. She looked inside and turned the switch on, setting her foot on the carpet her mind went into a flash.

"WHY IS DADDY SO MEAN CAN'T YOU SEE MOMMY LOVES YOU EVEN IF YOU HURT HER!" a voice rang in her head and she shakes it off.

"What was that?" she asked herself as she rubs her head from what had happened.

Finally reaching to the kitchen, she took out the ingredients for Mai's wants and for dinner, although she didn't want to cook for Takigawa after what he had said to her.

"That jerk, why do I have to cook for him? He's old enough to cook for himself let alone flirting with children." she said while chopping the vegetables.

Deep down she hasn't realized that she was jealous with mixed feelings of love and hate for the ex-monk.

'Whatever, I can see he can manage on his own. Right?' she thought.

Takigawa and Mai were having fun and he was planning to tell jokes just to pass time.

"Ha, ha, ha, ok here's another. What do you call a person who acts like a stone?" he asked. Mai stopped her giggling and stayed quiet.

"Lin!" he answered.

Then the two started enjoying themselves with laughter.

"Then what do you call a 'monk' who fools around?" Ayako came inside with an apron on.

"What do you call them mommy?" Mai asked with a smile walking up to her.

Ayako patted her head with a smile and answered,

"It's easy, they call him a monkey."

Mai started laughing so hard that Ayako couldn't help but join in the laughter.

Takigawa looked at the two who were laughing and gave a sigh from making fun of him.

'I guess she cooled off, good. Least I could do is ,let her talk so that she won't get more pissed at me next time.' he talked to himself.

"Well then Mai-chan, dinner is ready so why don't we girls eat?" Ayako ignored Takigawa as Mai and herself went to go to eat dinner.

And Takigawa fell anime-style after the girls had left him.

….

"Dinner, is serve Mai-chan!" Ayako said happily said revealing a table full of food of various kinds.

"Wow! Mommy sure loves to cook," Mai commented after the sight.

Ayako laughed proudly and replied,

"I guess I haven't lost my touch after all, now why don't we wash our hands and-"

"You know pretty soon you're gonna think yourself as a mother now." Takigawa entered with a smirk.

Ayako wanted to scream and shout, but Mai stopped her by asking him excitedly,

"Hey Daddy, why won't we all wash our hands together?"

Silence came and Ayako held her fist to herself and thought,

'Damn, you got to be kidding me with this guy? I'd rather die!'

"Aw, well aren't you so adorable Mai-chan, of course anything for my little princess." Takigawa said playfully as pinches Mai's cheeks.

Takigawa didn't seem to mind at all and Mai held both there hands and headed straight to the kitchen sink.

"Hn," Ayako turned her head away from the side not wanting to look at him.

"What's your problem? I'm only doing this for Mai." he noticed her attitude.

"It would have been better in the first place if she didn't get possessed from your foolishness." she snapped.

Mai let go of their hands and watched their argument.

"Why is it that you always blame me when she's always in trouble." he retorted.

"It's because you're always watching her! So she's your responsibility.!" she said angrily.

"If this had not happen I wouldn't be here with you hearing all your crap! Besides who said I wanted to be here with you?"

Takigawa had gone so far that Ayako wanted to burst to tears, but Mai suddenly started crying. And the two turned to her.

"P-please stop fighting! Mommy, Daddy please stop!" she cried.

The two stopped as they heard what Mai asked for and she started crying so loud and in pain that in made them responsible to make her cry.

"Mai," Ayako said painfully and went to her.

"I'm sorry, it's mommy's fault. I shouldn't have started it, please don't cry Mai-chan." hugging her so tight, Takigawa heard her sigh painfully and as she shuts her eyes, he could see tears were about to fall, but she held it well.

"Damn!" Takigawa said as he turns around and heavily sigh.

'I shouldn't have shut my mouth, if only she hadn't bring this up again then I won't go crazy.' he thought.

The three were now in the dining room and Mai and Ayako were going to prepare to eat. But the monk refuse himself to eat and he excuses himself.

"Excuse me, I don't feel like eating…" he said, but Ayako grabbed him by the arm and said,

"I'm sorry for bringing that up, please stay. Just for Mai." she asked, but Takigawa felt it wasn't her normal tone so he did and sat in front of Mai, who was staring at them and then started to eat.

"Wow, this is delicious!" Mai blurt out and the two heard.

Ayako's heart started to warm up and smiled.

"Thank you, I appreciate the compliment." she answered.

Takigawa wanted to compliment her, but he felt that he might offend her again so he stayed quiet. Ayako took a glance at him and notice so she turned away.

"It's alright, I don't need any comments right now. I was just glad Mai enjoyed eating her dinner." she said not taking another glance at him.

That night, the three finished their dinner and Ayako left doing the cleaning while Takigawa watches Mai.

'What is wrong with me?' she asked herself while washing the dishes.

'I'm such an idiot for acting this way. Me and stupid pride as gone over the cliff. Now maybe the spirit would take longer if I argue with him again.'

"OUCH!" she cried in pain.

Taking her right hand out of the soapy water, her front hand is bleeding, but it wasn't deep.

Her head somehow started spinning as and image started appearing in her head and she cried in pain.

The door suddenly opened revealing Takigawa and he found her on the floor sitting in shock.

"Ayako!" he cried as he run to her.

She blinked and gasped in shock as she took sight of the man in front of her.

"Monk-san," she said.

"What happened?" he asked.

She looked at her right hand that was still bleeding smear on her white apron.

"I accidentally cut myself while washing the dishes." she stated.

He lifted her up and took out his wallet at his back pocket.

"You're fortunate that I brought a band-aid, and it was for something else. But your more important to be taken cared of." he said.

All of a sudden, Ayako started to flush.

"Is there something wrong? You look flushed." he stated looking clueless.

"It's nothing." she answered.

As she was going to dip her hands again in water, he grabbed it quickly.

"Why won't I wash the dishes and you watch over Mai." he asked with a smile.

She suddenly nodded and headed straight to the door, but suddenly stopped.

"Monk-san, thank you." she said before she left.

Walking into the hall to go to the living room, she started to talk to herself.

'Urgh! Why did I have to turn red all of a sudden and in front of him!' she slapped herself with both hands.

"I'm such a fool." she stated out loud.

Taking her hands off she remembered about that image the struck her head and the last one.

'Then again, what were those images that I had back there?' she asked herself.

Reaching her destination, she found Mai sleeping in the coach with the television on.

"She does sleep like an angel." a voice crept up her behind.

She knew who it was and reached to the television set and turned it off and answered,

"Is that why she likes you for being a good brother?"

He scratched his head then sat on loveseat and replied,

"I don't know if I am any good to her, I just wanted her to not feel lonely. She's an orphan so I guess you're right that she's my responsibility."

"Oh," he heard her say in a different tone.

"I'm sorry if I offended you and brought the argument again." she said apologetically.

'This doesn't sound the Ayako I know.' he said to himself

"Monk-san," she called him.

He looked at her and could see the sadness in her eyes.

"Please forgive my actions." she bowed.

"Um, Masuzaki-san." he called her by her last name.

"Hmm, yes?"

"I never thought you could act mother like, how did you manage to prevent Mai from stop crying?" he asked curiously.

The priestess looked at him in wide shock and he felt like he offended her.

"I-I'm sorry if I offended you, I was just curious."

A smile lifted on her rosy lips and answered,

"I'm not offended, it's the first time a someone asked me that question."

"Huh?"

"I was the same age as Mai when I started."

"You mean?" the monk started to flush and she cried,

"That's not what I meant!" she was flushed too.

She made her way to the love seat that he was in and continued.

"Someone, left a child at my master's shrine. He was just and infant and I took him in that night. Master didn't know about the child so I adopted him."

"What happened?"

"I grew attached to him and I felt as if he was my real son. I missed my daily lessons just for him, I had a part time job just for him, everything was for him." she answered.

For the first time, she started to shed tears just remembering about the past.

"Master found out, and told me I was too young to adopt him, but I didn't took his word and resigned from his shrine. And then a year later, Kyosuke, the name I given him, Kyosuke's real mother found him with me and asked for him back."

"And you refused?" the monk guessed and she nodded.

"There was no way I would give him to her. Just what would happen if she abandons him again? I can't bear to loose him, he was everything I had."

She felt hysteric as she remember it clearly, but she felt a hand on her shoulder and Takigawa said,

"It's alright, you don't have to tell me everything."

"He was everything I had monk-son! I loved him more than anything in this world!" she cried.

'I never knew she was this sad…' he said to himself. 'After all this time…'

"Ayako…" he whispered silently in a somber tone.

a/n: so yea, i suggest if those who never heard about ghost hunt should read it...its fasinating and i hope you all could kindly send me a review, ill be glad.