Chapter 3: Losing Wars

Naru stared as Mai left the office. Yuki was eleven months old, plus the nine months for an average pregnancy meant Mai had been pregnant... before she had left for England.

She had hugged him, telling him she'd miss him. Did she mean it? When she'd confessed eight years ago, saying she loved him he hadn't believed her at the time but when he was in England just after laying Gene to rest he realised he had been an absolute imbecile. She'd meant everything she's said; they hadn't been trivial words for her.

Naru thought agonisingly, did she still feel that way. Even if she did, what about the baby? Mai's responsibilities lay first and foremost with her daughter; Naru would come second every time to the whims of that child.

And what of its father? He could only assume that they weren't close or together since Mai had said they'd lost contact. Who had broken it off first, Mai or this stranger? And if he came back into the picture, would Mai prefer him simply because he was the father?

Why did everything have to be so complicated just when he'd figured out his feelings? And could that damn baby not SHUT UP! Naru growled slightly as he got out from behind his desk and went through the open door. This was the last time Mai was bringing that thing to the office.

He saw Mai standing in the middle of reception, a mixture of shock and fury on her face as she stared at the strange man holding her daughter. She stared furiously at him and ignored him as he walked up to her. So she knew this man? Naru narrowed his eyes dangerously, whether she knew him or not, he wasn't welcome here!

Naru looked at him, cleanly dressed with dark brown hair in a similar fringe style to Lin's and slightly taller than himself, he wouldn't have been an eyesore if it wasn't for the sneer marked on his face. Naru hated him immediately and that was even before he found out he was the father.

"Mai, do not take your personal life into work," Naru said gruffly before turning to the man, "I'd advise you to leave,"

The man grinned slightly and headed towards the door and Mai took a step forward, "If you take a step out of this office then I'm calling the police about a kidnapping," she said crossly as she stared at the squirming child who was desperately reaching out to her with pleading arms while tears leaked from its eyes.

"It's hardly kidnapping if I'm the father Mai-chan," he said as he rocked Yuki in his arms and the child finally quietened down much to Naru's annoyed relief, he would rather have had Mai quieten the brat down than this man.

"It's Taniyama-san to you," she corrected immediately, "And you gave up the role of father when you refused to acknowledge her existence. Now give her to me!" she held her arms out expectantly but the man backed out of the doorway and bumped into a dark figure behind him.

Lin stared down at the man, Yuki in his hold, Mai's outstretched arms and Naru's furious face before he connected the dots into place, "Give the child back to Mai-san," he said in a threateningly low tone.

"Don't think I won't fight for custody rights," he growled as he handed the child to her, "And we both know who is more likely to win," Mai glared at him.

"That's what you think Takeru," she growled and while she wanted to shout and roar she held her tongue, for now she'd have to choose her bottles wisely and it wasn't time to pick a fight.

She grabbed the pink bag from the chair stiffly avoiding eye contact with everyone, "It was nice seeing you Naru, Lin. I'll come and collect the pram tomorrow but if I spend a moment longer in present company I think I'll say something I'll regret," she spoke proudly before muttering under her breath, "or maybe I won't," She strode out the door with an abrupt goodbye leaving the three men in a stare down before Takeru gave a cocky grin.

"You've got to love the feistiness in her. It's what made the relationship more… interesting," he grinned widely and winked suggestively as if expecting Lin and Naru to take his side, "If you catch my drift,"

Naru narrowed his eyes and let a sneer appear on his face, "I'm afraid I don't. Now I suggest you leave. Lin," he spoke bluntly to the Chinese man, "Where did you put the air freshener? There's an unpleasant odour coming from the doorway," he gestured at Takeru before walking into the kitchen with his fists clenched.

He honestly couldn't have stayed in that man's presence a second longer or he would have throttled him to death. Even the very aura he emmitted was… off-putting to say the least.

Lin followed Naru through a few minutes later to relay that the man had left. Naru stared thoughtfully at the blank wall opposite him before he turned to Lin and began to speak in English, disgust plain to hear in his voice.

"He was certainly a most pleasant gentleman," the irony and sarcasm voiced heavily.

Lin stared at his boss; Oliver was never one to avoid a topic bothering him unless he had good reason for it. Obviously the little problem of Mai being a mother was getting to him; otherwise he would have kept his comments to himself.

"Mai-san has a good judge of character," Lin said quietly, "He must have shown a different side to her when they met," A smirk formed at him mouth slightly, "There obviously seems to be tension between the two of them so there's one obstacle out of the way for her attention,"

Yeah and the only other one is the kid, Naru thought before he sighed and turned to look at the man who was like a brother, "For a pessimist you are quite the optimist Koujo," Naru departed the room and stared at the open door to the outside. Mai had left in a rush but to where?

Naru discarded the idea of the dinner plan, with a baby sitting between them as a constant reminder that Mai was no longer his nor ever would be he didn't think he would be able to talk to her, much less acknowledge her presence until he'd gotten his head around the situation.

Against Yuki's father, he may have won the battle, but he had certainly lost the war.

If anyone's wondering by war I meant Mai. Naru won the word battle with Takeru but lost Mai to him.

You all seem to be really interested in Yuki's father and I'm sorry that there wasn't much additional information given about him. He won't be physically appearing over the next two or three chapters, I don't think, but he'll be mentioned. Em... for those interested, there will be a case to this story like most other of my stories, and the case ties in with the whole baby thing.

Thanks for the sensei to the people who helped me with a doctor's honorific, I'll get around to fixing it... lol

One thing though, in Christianity to show that you're married we wear a gold ring on the third finger of our left hand. Ayako and Bou-san are buddist, so do they still wear rings to show they're married or is it something different for Buddists?

Oh good news, I've finally finished my mocks. Had history and Additional Maths. History was fine, first part was German, it went amazingly well, the second part on irish history... didn't go so well. I hadn't revised The Troubles too well. oops... didn't know the minor details needed to pick up the marks. And went surprisingly well considering its applied maths like Statistics or mechanics which isn't my strongest compared to pure maths. lol FREEDOM

Oh btw, LANDA you're an evil boyfriend stealing best friend, I'll never forgive you for trying to steal Jared away from me. ;) :P ojoj love you really