Sorry for the long update. I was, again, grounded. Well, now that I am back online and active, I took the time to see how many stories I have that are unfinished.

11 total.

Yeah, I know. About three of them I am going to delete, but I decided that, instead of updating whatever strikes me, I'm going to go down the list of stories and finish everything in an orderly fashion. This story is first on my list so, guess how lucky you guys are?

Lol. Yeah.

And one more thing. Please, please, PLEASE do not point out how I have spelling mistakes here and how I could make a sentence better there. I know you guys are just trying to help, but it makes me feel like I'm not doing a good enough job to please YOU when really I shouldn't HAVE to please YOU. I am writing this story because the idea just seemed to good to keep in.

Please and Thank you.

Also, as it turns out, (spoiler alert) Mai really is an orphan, for those of you who didn't get the 6th volume "Ghost Hunt". And I have MORE good news.

Ghost Hunt is an Anime on YouTube.

:O!?

:D!?

I know. I know. I screamed when I found out and you know that Joke in the manga about the way john talks? Yeah...you'll understand why it's a joke when you see the anime. XD and so now

The disclaimer: Here it is. You are reading it. Moving on.

Beating Hearts.

Almost Dead

John went back to the Base and found Naru there. Everyone else had gone off to bring back the rest of the supplies. Naru was going over th file of the situation again. John couldn't really read Naru's face, but he new something was bothering him by the way he was sitting. Naru wasn't sitting up straight. Nor did he seem stiff or strained. In fact, Naru was leaning against the back of the chair, slouching, with a hand beneath his chin. Apparently he hadn't noticed John's presence yet, so he cleared his throat, but still, Naru did not look up.

"Naru..." John said tentatively. Naru's ears twitched in recognition that he was no longer alone.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I got to talk to Mai, but it was brief and she told me to come back tomorrow. And then I spoke with Zakuro Daijojin. The report on Mai's living status doesn't do him justice. That guy is a maniac as far as I'm concerned. And..."

"And?"

"Well, I'm not exactly sure of what's going on behind closed doors, but from what I heard while standing outside the door, they were fighting, and I think it got physical." John said. Naru was already stiff, because that's just the way he was, but when he heard the claim that John had just laid on him, his back went rigid. He slowly looked up, his eyes darker than usual.

"Physical?" He repeated. John nodded.

"That's what I think. I heard Mai yelling back at this guy and then he yelled and then there was a crash and I called out to Mai but got no response. I only assumed what had happened." John said. Naru nodded.

"You know how the saying goes about assuming." Naru said quietly after a moment of silence.

"Yeah, but I honestly don't think I'm too far from the truth."

They were silent.

"So...what does this mean? If what John assumed is what really happened then we need to do something." the monk said. Everyone nodded their heads. Except Naru and Lin of course.

"We already have a case. It's why we're here. What goes on in Mai's life outside of SPR is not our concern." Naru said. John blinked. After that talk they had earlier, he'd have thought Naru would have agreed with the monk.

"How can you be so cruel? Mai needs our help! We should help her!" Ayako exclaimed. Naru didn't bat an eyelash in her direction. His face was as stoney as ever.

"We were hired to do a job, and we are going to do so. We are behind in our work since no one seems to be calming down. If you won't be able to do your job then I suggest you leave right now." he said. No one moved.

"I thought as much." he said to the room of people. With that, he turned around and left the room.

"Lin-san, do you think as much?" Takigawa asked the dark haired man sitting at the table. Lin didn't look up.

"I think that you should do what you were hired for." he said. The monk rolled his eyes and turned back to everyone.

"Well, I personally can't just let something like this happen to Mai. I mean, we can do something about it, but at the same time we can't." he said. Ayako shifted in her seat on couch by crossing her legs and leaning forward.

"Well, we can't really go against Naru. I mean, he'd have our heads. I swear that kid is the spawn of evil." She said.

"I don't think so. Naru isn't all bad. He just has a bad attitude. He's actually one of the good guys. Kind of like this Character from a movie I saw once. Naru is like Dirty Harry." John chirped. Everyone just stared at him. Having never really watched an American moving before, of course they would be dumbstruck. John took note of this and began to explain.

"Dirty Harry is a moving about a god cop with a bad attitude. He has a "no nonsense" motto and "shoot now, ask later" slogan. Naru is just like him. Minus the gun." He said. They nodded as they understood the comparison.

"Yeah sure. I guess you're right. But we still need to help Mai. She could be in terrible danger." Ayako said. "If we don't act now, me might regret it later."

"You actually said something profound for once. I'm impressed!" Takigawa teased. Ayako rolled her eyes and turned her head away from him. John looked at Masako, realizing that she was there, but hadn't spoken a word. She looked troubled.

"What's wrong?" he asked her. Masako squeezed her hands together in her lap and stared straight ahead.

"I'm sure this is just a mistake, but if I were to admit that to myself and believe it, then I would doubt myself as a psychic medium." she said. John had no idea what she was talking about.

"What do you mean? Is something wrong?" when she didn't respond, his heartbeat quickened. Something was indeed wrong.

"I'm not exactly sure if I should say something. I know I should but, it just can't be right." She said. By this time, the monk and the self proclaimed priestess were looking at her as well.

"What's going on now?" Ayako asked. John shrugged.

"It's like she's talking in riddles." he said. Takigawa examined Masako from his place next to Ayako.

"Are you feeling sick?" he asked. Masako clutched the fabric of her kimono and looked at them dead in the eye. From what they saw and of the usually stoic eyes, something was troubling her very deeply.

"I...do any of you see anything over in that corner right there?" she nodded in the direction she was speaking of. All three of them looked and saw nothing but stacked boxes that were already there when they made this room their base.

"No." John said.

"Are we supposed to?" Takigawa asked. Ayako sneered.

"Obviously not. She's seeing the spirit of a dead person." she said. Masako looked down once more.

"I was hoping that was not the case..." she said quietly. Now they all looked at her strangely.

"Do you know this spirit?" Ayako asked. Masako raised her head and looked in the direction she had mentioned earlier. Her brows furrowed into her head as she stared with intensity.

"Yes. We all do." she said. "It's Mai."

As soon as those words left her mouth, it seemed like the air had been sucked out of the room. It got deathly quiet as the three followed her gaze slowly over to the corner once more.

They couldn't see her, but Masako could. Mai was sitting quitely on top of the stacked boxes with her hands laced in her lap. She was staring directly out the window at some particular object. Then her gaze slowly turned to Masako. Masako returned the stare. Mai smiled sincerely at her and then opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out. Masako heard her perfectly in her mind.

"It's not too late."