Chapter 4: United we stand

Mai scowled as she rushed along the pavement. Her friend Matsumoto Mikan was a lawyer and Mai was turning to her for help. If Takeru was going to attempt to get custody then she needed to get her case together and Mikan was the best help she could get.

Fortunately for Mai her friend was at home when she knocked and the door was quickly opened. There was a slight pause as the lawyer took in her two visitors before she nodded with understanding and gestured for them to come in.

She closed and locked the door before turning to Mai, "I take it that this isn't a social visit Mai-chan," she said speculatively before she took Yuki from Mai's arms and held her closely as she cooed over the child with a small grin.

"No," Mai smiled sadly, "I went to the SPR office. Takeru came in," Mai stopped as she saw the sharpness in Mikan's eyes as she turned to Mai and analysed her expressions, "He wants custody rights of Yuki," Mai finished.

"And you want me to help you," the petite lawyer stated as she bounced Yuki up and down, making her chortle as she waved her arms in circles, "Well, the case isn't going to be easy for you Mai," she said sympathetically, "For starters Takeru is going to bring up how your relationship ended and the circumstances… well Takeru has more luck th-"

"- Don't you think I don't know that!" Mai snapped harshly as she plonked into the armchair nearest her and let her face rest in her hands, "I'll be damned if I let that asshole take her away," she growled, clenching her fists but stopped before her nails could break the skin.

Mikan looked at Mai cautiously, hardly able to understand the conflicting emotions that she must be feeling before she took the chair opposite, "I understand that Mai, but we need to be realistic. Takeru comes from a very rich family, he can give Yuki whatever she needs, including an excellent education, the judge won't ignore that factor. Also you have two jobs, where is Yuki going to fit in with you trying to bring in money?" Mikan paused as she looked at the determination in Mai's face, "Even if you win the case, he will still be able to get viewing rights to see her regularly, you're going to have to adjust to that idea, Mai-chan," an uneasy silence filled the room before Mikan continued, "But you do have some advantages," the lawyer grinned, "The fact that he wasn't there throughout the pregnancy or the first six months after her birth,"

"Good evening, Toddler Crawling Minders," a cheerful voice spoke upon picking up the phone and Mai felt her mood get grumpy at the happiness from the other woman. Why was it that happy moods dug her further into her bad one?

"Yes hello, my name is Taniyama Mai, I spoke to you a number of months ago about registering my daughter with your crèche and I posted the forms to you,"

"One moment please," the woman said and Mai heard the tapping of a keyboard in her ear while she wound the cord of the phone around her finger and bit her lip impatiently.

"Ah yes, Taniyama Yuki," the woman spoke pleasantly, "I take it that you have returned from England?"

"Yes that's right. Is it alright for me to drop her off tomorrow?" Mai asked hopefully, she really couldn't afford to drop Yuki off with Lin and Naru again tomorrow. She'd said she wouldn't and besides… she had the sneaking suspicion that if the toddler cried once more around the narcissistic man he would literally throttle her.

"Sure bring her in at any time after seven thirty, just when it suits,"

Mai hung up with a sigh of relief and allowed herself a small breather before she turned to the child in its pink pyjama jumpsuit in the play pen. Lifting her carefully Mai put her in her cot in beside Mai's bed before leaving the room and plonking onto the couch.

Why couldn't things go smoothly in her life? She pondered as she leaned back in the couch and allowed herself to relax momentarily.

First it was her parents' death, then being targeted by ghosts, then Takeru's betrayal, unexpectedly finding herself a mother and then Takeru again. She groaned slightly, wanting nothing more than a nice face mask and hot chocolate with marshmallows but she was too lazy to get off the couch.

The doorbell rang and Mai contemplated ignoring it until it whoever was at the door kept ringing the damn bell insistently. With a scowl she hauled herself off the cushion and walked cautiously towards the door. She opened it slightly before widening the crack as she stared at her visitor.

"Naru?" she asked with clear disbelief, "What are you doing here?" her eyes narrowed with misgiving, she wasn't in the mood to pick up the discussion from earlier if that's what he had come for.

She stared at him curiously, his hair was longer and the circles beneath his eyes darker than she remembered. He wore a dark green shirt, she noticed but no coat, not that it was cold enough to need one, quite the opposite.

She was unaware that Naru was doing his own analysis of her before he opened his mouth, "May I come in," Mai frowned unexpectedly as she stepped aside, it was only Naru after all… but why did he sound nervous? She gestured for him to take a seat as she sat back down in her original spot. To her surprise and hidden delight he took the seat right next to her.

"Mai, you won't be able to fight for custody alone," Naru spoke slowly as he noticed the annoyed expression cross her face, "I want to help you both," he spoke gently and slowly allowing Mai's anger to disappear as she stared at him softly.

"Thank you Oliver," she laughed as Naru stared at her surprised at the use of his real name, "But why?" Mai stared at him enquiringly, "Why do you want to help me?" She noticed he was staring thoughtfully in front of him and she followed his gaze to the shelf where a picture of everyone in SPR stood.

"You're my friend," Mai jerked her gaze back to Naru's to see him kindly staring down at her, he looked like an older version of Gene. She smiled back weakly as she felt disappointment flood through her but didn't let it show. Friend? Of course, he wouldn't want anything more with someone like me already laboured down with a kid, she thought feebly, "And I-" Naru stopped and Mai felt her heart beat quicken as he leaned closely to her, his eyes staring into hers and she felt a blush darken her cheeks. She leaned towards him just as he pulled back.

She blinked in surprise and then mortification spread through her as she saw Naru calmly staring at her as if nothing had happened, maybe it hadn't. She thought desperately trying to somehow get out of her embarrassment before she noticed her mobile on the table and covered her leaning towards the man next to her as reaching for it and then flicking through her messages.

"And I promised my parents I'd look out for you," he finished his previous sentence and Mai forced a smile even though she wanted to do nothing but kick the insensitive jerk's head off.

Without thinking she hopped off the couch and headed towards the cupboard in the kitchen. She grabbed one of the many dusty bottles there and along with two wine glasses she entered back into the living room. She quickly noticed that he'd made himself more comfortable, legs stretched out and arms resting along the back of the couch on both sides of him.

He turned and noticed the bottle of wine in her hands and she watched as amusement spread across his face and he raised his eyebrow as she plonked back onto her seat and curled her legs up beneath her.

"What?" she asked exasperatedly as he continued to stare at her, "If you want to help you need to know everything and I ain't telling this story sober," she spoke quickly as she handed him a full glass and taking her own she downed it in one gulp before leaning back on the sofa. She let a small smile play on her face as she noticed he didn't move his arm back to his side but left it on the couch where she leaned her head back on it.

Yay I'm back with a new chapter and tomorrows my bday :-D, sweet sixteen, lol. awesomeness, another year and I'll be allowed loose on the roads mwahahahaha er... cough so slow chapter but it was necessary. yay not much but slight naru/mai there, ok not much, an itty witty bit? a speck? an atom? an electron of naru/mai? lol