Quick recap of the story so far! Mai finds out that 'dream Naru' is actually Naru's dead twin brother, Gene. Gene tells her about a great danger that is headed straight at her. If that's not enough to worry about, apparently she has some great powers and an impressive lineage that she wasn't even aware of. Too bad Gene decides to just drop all that on her and not give her enough information to fully make sense of any of this. More importantly, everything else aside, she found herself in quite a unique dilemma. Sleeping over at Naru's place (eep!) and wearing his PJ's no less! Oh Mai, there's never a dull moment with you is there?

Well I hope everyone will continue to support me despite my slow progress! Again, I own nothing to do with the actual Ghost Hunt story!

Mai in a deep sleep:

'Mai!'

She turns to the now familiar call of Gene to find him standing right behind her. He carefully slides his arms around her waist from behind, wraps them across her front, and gently tugs her into his warm hug.

"Gene!"

'How did it go with Naru and Lin?' he asks, his voice muffled from nuzzling his nose in her hair.

"Hmm. Well about as good as can be expected I guess. They have a lot of questions, Gene. I do as well. You really need to tell me as much as you can and as soon as you can!"

'I will in due time.' he says still wrapped around her almost like an octopus.

"Gene? Wanna let go now? We have to get down to business soon!"

'Don't wanna yet' he whines.

'Why does that idiot scientist get to have you sleep over?'

"Wait!" she turns and wriggles out of his vise.

"You can see what's happening in real time?"

He reaches out to draw her back to him face-to-face, but kept his arms around her waist loosely so she can still wriggle around a little.

'It seems that after our previous date, your mind has allowed itself to release a bit more of your sealed powers. I'm now able to essentially be by your side even when you're awake. You weren't quite able to hear me yet, but I think that will be happening soon gauging by your current spiritual growth rate.'

"Oh wow. Ok. I see. Wait! Date! Stop teasing me like this! Good grief! You and your damn narcissistic brother both like to mess with my head don't you guys?"

deep chuckle…

'But Maaaaai. You make it oh so easy!' he teasingly replies and pulls her tighter to him.

"Gaaaah! Off! Off! Off!" she swats him away in a cute feminine tiff.

"…sigh… I don't get these twin angels of mischief and menace! What has gotten into them? I turn back to look at Gene and find him standing there. Ah! There it is again. He has that soft look that makes me ache a little. Gene would be so easy to love. However, I know. I know that as much as I wish otherwise, I'm the idiot that still chooses 'Lord Naru'."

"Gene. You don't by chance have any non-sister like affection for me do you?" I ask with my eyes downcast.

"A part of me really doesn't want to know. But! But if he does, this needs to be addressed quickly and be put down to rest in other to attend to more pressing matters!"

Gene hasn't said anything in response yet. After a while Mai looks up and immediately wishes she didn't. On his face was every girl's dream look. A look that portrays all his love, longing, pain, joy, wonder, and despair. She gasps and looks away quickly.

"As much as anyone appreciates being wanted and loved. I can't do this! I can't let him feel all this when I am unable to respond. It's not fair to him! I don't want to be the cause of any of his suffering!"

"Gene, I-I'm s-sor-"

'Please don't, Mai' he quickly stops her.

He continues in a melodic voice that carries a whisper of pain, but a gentle rain of kindness and blessing.

'Mai. When I first came to Japan, I was recruited by some of the relatives in your branch families to find you. They were hounded by the ghosts of your parents and grandmother, but couldn't understand what they wanted. After I arrived, I spoke with them and was informed that they needed the rightful heir, you, to return. However, before you will be able to, you would be facing many difficult trials."

"How were you able to speak to them?" A thought occurred.

"Are you a medium like Masako?"

'Yes. However, if I may say so myself, I am infinitely stronger than she is.'

"Prideful much?"

'Well I must have some character traits to tie me to Noll besides his face don't I? he teasingly winks at that.

"Noll?"

'Ah! Whoops. Sigh…I call him Noll, which is short for Oliver. Oliver is his given name from our adoptive parents.'

"Hmm…where have I heard that name before?"

Gene sweat-drops a bit here.

'Please don't let her wise-up here and put two and two together!'

Gasp!

"Oliver Davis! I remember during the Bloody Labyrinth case we were also checking out a fake Oliver Davis as a sub-case for Madoka! Wow to think Naru and that guy has the same name! Talk about a small world in the paranormal research society!"

'Whew, she didn't put it together.'

"So Naru is THE famous Oliver Davis huh?" she drily asks.

'Uuuuh. Uh ha, ha, ha?'

"Geeeeene?"

'Heh, yeah my brother really needs to stop underestimating you.' he replies sheepishly.

'Yes. He's Oliver Davis.'

Sigh. "I suppose he has his reasons for not revealing this. Knowing him, he probably did it because he dislikes unwanted attention and like it nice and quiet."

Gene stares at the pixie-like features of the girl before him.

'You really do love him don't you?' he whispers softly, all the playfulness leaving him.

Mai looks up. The mood turns thick and weighted again.

"Yes."

Gene closes his eyes for a moment. He knows very well how she feels about Noll, every single emotion flashes across her face so revealingly.

"Gene."

He looks back at her.

"You kind of evaded that question, and don't pretend to not remember which."

'How? How does he not see how intuitive you are? You quickly pick up on all these small little details that eventually saves them all from so much. Why does he not notice these small quiet qualities about you?' he asks pleadingly. As though trying to make Mai understand him without coming out and saying anything damaging.

Mai clenches her fists and continues to wait.

"I cannot let this matter drop. This needs to be addressed now or things may get complicated in the future."

'Yes.' he whispers almost apologetically.

'I love you in the way one soul loves their other half.'

He reaches to take her fists in his hands and loosen them to intertwine with his fingers. Then he reaches with one hand to trace the features of her face lovingly. Carefully, carefully, he touches her. He's scared she would be disappointed in him and be too self-conscious to see him again.

'I know I can't. I don't have anything to offer you. I can't go on real dates with you. Be interrogated by your friends. Hold you, and protect you. I can't do anything from here! I know you love Noll, and the funny thing is I want you both to be together! He's alone. So lonely, you know? But you make him feel! He's not fully aware yet, but soon he won't be able to function properly without you. I know where we all stand, but I still love your anyway! I won't get in either or your ways, so can't I just love you and do my best to support you both from here? Is it so wrong to love? I promise I only want what's best for both of you! You both mean so much to me! I want you both to be happy! Maybe then, I can move on. I don't want to take you away from Noll. I just want to love you a little from here.'

Gene crushes Mai to him as his whole body shakes in shame and frustration.

"Gene."

Mai tries to soothe him, but he's still clutching at her like a lifeline. After a little while, Mai starts to speak to him soothingly.

"Gene? It's ok you know? I understand where you are coming from. I love Naru so much even though I believe he deserves someone much worthier. I mean I'm an orphan, a klutz, not the sharpest tool in the shed, and definitely not a beauty pageant queen. I want what's the best for him and it hurts thinking he may find Mrs. Right in the future and that she won't be me, but I love him anyways. I don't see you in a different light. I think it's very caring of you to love us both and wish us happiness even though it's not what you want for yourself. So, I guess I just want to say, 'thank you.' Thank you for understanding why I can't love you back in the way you hope for, but for loving us anyway. Thank you for your blessing. Thank you for trying to protect us and giving us help. Thank you for being you."

Gene finally calms himself and move to let her go. He turns to look at her. A new look of peace is in his startling blue eyes, and a genuine smile grace his face.

'And you wonder why I love you. So forgiving. So much capacity to bear all kinds of burdens no matter how harsh. Loyal. Slight laugh. And apparently a beauty you don't see in yourself.'

He pauses right there and tilts his head a bit to the side in concentration. It seems his attention is focused somewhere else. He smiles ruefully a little and then starts to smirk. A smirk very much like his little twin's. He turns back to Mai.

'It seems like something scandalous just happened. Make sure Lin starts on your training soon! Tell him you need to learn how to unseal your power by increments. As you get more accustomed to handling your power he needs to teach you his highest level of warding spells. The ones you learned from Takigawa and Ayako aren't enough. Oh! Learning how to make effective hitogatas are important too!'

"Wha, wha, wha! Slow down! Stuff about my power, got it. Warding spells, check. Why hitogatas? And what scandalous thing just happened? Dammit Gene! I spent so much time taking care of your sappy self that again you rush me off, leaving me with more questions than answers!"

Gene watches in amusement as Mai stomps her foot and gestures broadly during her rampage. A smirk reappears again, and seeing it just sets her off all over again.

'Mai! I can't help it if our dates are restricted to when you fall asleep.'

Off Mai goes on a scream fest, and Gene's smirk just gets broader.

'I'll fill you in on the reasons behind needing to learn how to make hitogatas later. As for the scandalous thing…as you wake up, before you open your eyes…'

Naru in deep sleep:

No! No! No! Why am I seeing this again?

Due to their telepathic connection they had since birth, images of Gene's accident turned murder starts replaying in Naru's dream.

Why? I haven't seen images this vivid and real since the actual incident. I can almost smell the unique smell of grass and rain. I can feel the biting raindrops, and can hear the squeal of the tires right before I feel the jarring impact of metal crushing me. I find myself fighting for my breath; the shock of the impact temporarily blocks the pain. I barely register the mound of metal as a car that had hit me. Someone had gotten out. I try to speak, but by now I felt the pain crush me in its vicious claws. I'm vaguely aware of the person getting back into the car and before I could work myself into a scream, I was run over again. And then…everything was silent save the rumbling of the engine, the windshield wipers, and the incessant raindrops. Those raindrops melded together and created a sad melody on each surface that they dropped on.

'Noll…'

Naru jerks awake covered in sweat and felt more trickling down his face. No. They were tears. He takes a breath and realizes he's still in bed.

Gene. You stupid medium! Where the hell are you! Why am I seeing that night all over again? Why Mai? Why can't you come to me in visions? This is torture aniki. Sigh…

He looks over to his bedside clock and realizes it's 6:32AM. Just a little bit before he would have waken up anyways, so no point in trying to go back to sleep. He gets up and starts getting ready for another day and ponders over all the things he needs to find out from Mai.

I wonder if she was able to gather any information last night.

As he starts donning his usual black garb, he remembers that Mai needs a fresh set of clothes since they didn't stop at her place to pack anything last night.

Hmm. For some unfathomable reason, the thought of her under the same roof as me is rather relaxing. Wait! Why is it relaxing? Uuuh…The tea! Right! If she stays here I can make her serve me tea all the time! Office and home! That does make practical sense. I should just make her move in with me. I mean I'm doing her a favor here! She's alone, so I can provide some form protection. She won't go back to her place with an "I'm home" only to be greeted by no one welcoming her back. Well I may not welcome her back, but it won't be quite as lonely. She also won't really have a reason to be late anymore either. Why didn't I think of this earlier? Well! Now that I've figured that all out I just need to tell her what's going to happen.

Now dressed, and pleased with his (obviously defensive and ridiculous) logic, he then proceeds to leave his room and seek out Lin. He enters the kitchen to find a note from Lin that said he went out to buy breakfast. Looking at the wall clock he notices that it is now 6:50AM. He decided he'd go wake Mai up since she'd probably take forever getting ready.

He goes down the hall to her room, knocks on the door, and calls out, but no answer.

Stupid sleep-a-holic. He thinks to himself

Sighing, he lets himself into the room and sees a dreaming Mai. He walks over and takes in her figure, clad in his PJ's and found himself smiling fondly at the sight.

She looks so small and cuddly in MY PJ's. I wonder what she normally wears to sleep?

He then realizes that he actually doesn't mind all that much that his annoying assistant is wearing his PJ's. Stopping his train of thoughts before it went any further, he notices that her sleep has become more and more fitful.

I wonder if she's with Gene. and feels a slight twinge of a burning feeling in the pit of his stomach.

I hope baka aniki isn't showing her anything too drastic. She lets herself get pulled in emotionally way too much. She's always being frightened, and always cries for others.

Naru goes and pokes her marshmallow softs cheeks a couple times in hopes of waking her. When that didn't work he found himself lightly stroking those same cheeks.

Silky soft. he thinks and shivered as he felt a streak of heat course through him. Without being aware of doing so, he found his face close to her sleeping one. He felt her soft exhales brush his face and now that heat is bouncing around his insides. Before his mind could stop his body, he licked her lips once and quickly brushed a kiss against them. He drew back suddenly when the shouting in his head finally was loud enough to gain his attention. He looks down and sees with relief that she's still slumbering away. Moving away from the odd temptation of Mai Taniyama, he was about to leave then room when he heard a soft whisper that had him come to a screeching halt.

"Why did you do that?"

He turns to see her lifting her lashes and revealing sleep-fogged cinnamon colored eyes. She turns to stare at him and shock starts registering in those eyes. For a moment he stood there absolutely still and for the first time he could remember…he blushed.

Mai did as Gene instructed:

:Flashback:

As she felt the familiar tug pull at her to lead her back to consciousness, Gene had one last thing to instruct her with.

'Mai, as you wake up, before you open your eyes, I want you to say: "Why did you do that?"'

:End Flashback:

"Why is Naru in my room? More importantly, WHY IS HE BLUSHING?"

As Mai lies there in shock, Naru is trying to figure a way out of this mess. Mai's unaware of the kiss he gave her, and Naru doesn't know that she doesn't actually know about his folly. Finding himself frustrated yet again at feeling completely clueless around his idiotic assistant, he for the second time let his emotions take the lead. He walks over to Mai, plops down beside and her gives her one of his signature cold stares.

'Not only are you a walking trouble magnet, now you have to drag me down the proverbial hole with you?'

"Wha-"

Before she can demand an explanation for his odd and unfair behavior, Naru grabs the back of her head, pulls her to him, and proceeds to kiss her till she forgot her name. As the kiss deepens, her eyes close, and he runs his fingers through her hair and angles her for a deeper kiss. If it weren't for the sound of a grocery bag full of breakfast dropping on the floor, neither of the teenagers probably would have come up for air for quite a while. They both jump apart and look over to the door to find Lin with a jaw dropping expression on his face. After a long pause that felt like eternity, Lin closes his mouth, clears his throat, and picks up the poor breakfast. Straightening he looks at the two red-faced teenagers and wonders if he needs to buy a "How to deal with Teenage Hormones for Dummies Book."

'Breakfast will be in the kitchen,' he starts to say, 'please refrain from eating anything other than what I've bought.' And pointedly looks at the both of them sternly.

As he walks down the hallway to the kitchen he can already envision the reactions he'd get from Luella and Martin, Naru's adoptive parents. Luella will squeal in delight and immediately fly over to plan Naru and Mai's wedding. Martin will probably start planning for college programs for any grandchildren.

Sigh. I really need to go to the bookstore.

Back in Mai's room.

"U-um, hmmm, Naru?"

sigh. 'Did you dream of anything informative?'

"Uh. Right. Gene told me a little about being recruited by my branch families, but mostly about training from Lin. I need to work on un-sealing my powers bit by bit, learn his hardest warding spells, and apparently how to make hitogatas."

'Hitogatas? Why would you need to know that? Did you know about having branch families? I thought you were an orphan.'

"I don't know to both questions. Gene became a little…umm yeah."

'A little what?' he asks sharply

Mai flinches a little, and looks away refusing to answer, but there was a small blush staining her cheeks. Seeing that made Naru a little suspicious and even grumpier than he already is.

'Fine. Hurry up and get ready. Lin has breakfast. We don't have time so just wear one of my shirts and pair it with your shorts.'

"A-re you sure? The others will look at us funny when they see us at the office. What do I tell them?"

'Don't worry about that, I'll deal with it later, just stay quiet. Oh, and during lunch break, we're going to go and cancel your apartment lease.'

"Oh, Ok. Wait! WHAT?"

'I've decided it makes sense for you both safety and financially wise. Of course you'll compensate me by having you taking over the cleaning duties I used to have hired help do, and let's not forget my tea will compensate me. Don't worry about the breach of contract fee; I'll take care of it. When we get to the office, make sure to schedule some movers to help pack and move you. Hai, hai, don't worry, I'll take care of the moving costs too. Ok come on, get a move on.'

He then leaves the room leaving behind a dumbfounded Mai.

'3-2-1…'

"WHAT ON EARTH WAS THAT ALL ABOUT? YOU HAVE GOT TO BE JOKING WITH ME!"

'Heh, so predictable.'

Back to a shocked Mai.

"I guess my tea really is that good? Wait, more importantly, I WAS KISSED BY NARU? Why are there so many out of character things happening these last two days?"

Chuckle…

"G-Gene?"

Yep!

"I'm not sleeping?"

Nope you sure aren't!

"Then, h-"

You're powers are growing remember? I can speak to you even while awake now. I guess it's better this way. You can act as a translator for Noll and I now.

"Great. Just great! Anything else want to happen to me?"

Well Noll can always attack you again.

Gasp…"So that's the scandalous thing you were talking about?"

Yep! Noll K-I-S-S-E-D you twice!

"Twice? What do you mean? He-" eyes widening….

"The reason you had my say that before I opened my eyes! Naru snuck a kiss on me in my sleep?"

Ding! 20 points to Mai!

"Holy…and now I'm moving in with him…"

Yeah, my little brother really likes to steam-roll people into doing what he wants. Best not to fight it. Maybe I'll be an uncle soon?

"Gene!" Mai admonishes him.

"Ar-are you really ok with this? I don't want to hurt you after…you know."

Silence…

Mai, I will always love you, but I've come to realize after seeing the way Naru has been treating you, that I'm actually quite happy. I'm glad that if it's anyone, it's him. He needs someone like you. I mean 'NEED'. So, yes, I'm a little envious, but I'll be ok. Now hurry up and make me an uncle.

"GENE!"

Belly-rolling laughter

"I don't think Naru quite likes the idea of being interested in me. He seemed quite put out about it. But all that has to wait till later. There are more pressing matters, no?

Yes, you're right. Both of you can pursue this new happiness later; once we make sure that you actual survive the upcoming trials. Mai, YOU WILL SURVIVE, do you understand me? I cannot watch my brother lose himself again, and I can't watch the woman I love missing out on her happiness before her time.

"Don't be such a daddy, Gene. You know I always find a way to stand back up."

Good, then go now. Noll is getting impatient. Since we can communicate more effectively now, we'll talk more later. Go eat breakfast before Naru twists his panties in a wad.

Giggling, Mai feels Gene cut their connection, and moves to join Naru and Lin for breakfast.

"Still too much happening, but at least more and more is being revealed. I'll figure everything out eventually. Sigh…Still, how can I live in a house with two men? Groan…Dear Father and Mother in heaven, please look over your perplexed daughter!"

Ok! Now that most of that is already set up, I promise more actual plot info will follow the next chapters! I'm sorry about dragging out the tension so much! I just really wanted to make Naru feel as awkward as possible! That, and I wanted to rattle Lin a bit too! I've set it up that faster information can now be exchanged between Gene and the rest! Please RxR! Hope you'll continue to bear with me!