Hello! Here's chapter 7.

It's been Forever! I am hoping to start updating again, having found some of my old inspiration bck, but knowing me, it's not going to last as long as I hope it will. So enjoy this until next time!

Disclaimer – I would never own Ghost Hunt. I would, of course, borrow the characters for a non-profiting fanfiction and mess around with their lives. That I can do. So enjoy the story.

Chapter 7 – So It Circles Round

"Mai-chan, you really should just let me take Shinju for a few nights."

Mai sighed. This was a really hard time for her. It had been over a year since that awful night, the anniversary of her leaving Tokyo was coming up in a few days, she was being haunted, had been having confusing 'dreams' for almost three months now along with her regular nightmares, and she has to wake up during the night to care for a baby.

"I would love to, but I don't want to burden you. Shinju is my responsibility, and I will always be a mother. Besides, you have done so much for me, even if you are volunteering, I could not allow myself to accept," Mai explained, and Megumi gave a chuckle.

"You take on so much responsibility for such a young person."

"I have to. My circumstances made me."

"But what about the vandalism!"

Mai grimaced. She explained it as vandalism to Megumi, but she knew no one had entered her small apartment during that time. No one that was alive, anyways. The spirit had shown up and destroyed her furniture and walls. She had barely gotten out of there with Shinju, just to keep them safe.

"I think it's really safe for me to go back, I lived in much worse before."

"Alright... I trust your judgment; it's been right in the past before."

"Thank you Ouraka-san."

Naru entered the office, took off his coat – it was snowing outside – and sat down in his office. He vaguely recalled that today was a year from when his assistant disappeared—

Not going there... Naru stopped his train of thought, and was surprised to hear the knocking at the main door. Usually, John had the key...

Naru walked out, and not seeing John yet, noticed a silhouette outside the front door. He opened the door, and let them in.

"Can I help you?"

"You're Kazuya Shibuya, am I correct, or did I go to the wrong place?"

"I am he, please, have a seat."

"Thank you kindly. I am Megumi Ouraka, and I have come at the request of one of my employees and dear friend."

Mai held her wailing daughter as Mai leaked a few tears herself, mostly in worry. She knew where Megumi was, asking her friends to come help.

Mai had finally caved in and came to Megumi's place to have help with the baby when they were attacked again. That same night, Megumi's home was also 'vandalized'.

"But they're targeting you, whoever they are! Why?"

"Because 'they' are a spirit. It attached itself to me after I had Shinju."

"Mai? What do you mean? There are no such things as spirits."

"Yes there are. My last job... We worked in the paranormal field of research and exorcisms. I've seen things that I never would have believed normal. My boss was Kazuya Shibuya, the best – in my opinion – psychic researcher in Tokyo, possibly Japan."

"You're... serious, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am."

Mai shook her head. That was the conversation they had last night. This morning, Megumi had offered to go to Tokyo and ask for help.

"So your employee believes they have a ghost stalking them?"

"Yes. She is positive. Her apartment has been destroyed, along with my house when she agreed to stay with me after the incident."

"And it's not vandalism?"

"She watched it happen. No one was there."

"Well, why are you here instead of her?"

"Because she was nervous," Ouraka-san explained, and Naru raised a brow. Ouraka-san went on.

"Taniyama-san declined to come because she didn't want to cause a scene."

"So we're finally on another case," Takigawa commented. Ayako nodded, watching the road pass by.

"Yeah, I guess. Naru hasn't accepted a case in months. I wonder what's so intriguing about this one and why we're going so suddenly..."

"So who's all coming?"

"So far, out of all of us, only me, you, Lin, and Naru. I guess the place is small, so they didn't want us all there."

"Are you actually guessing, or did Naru tell you that?"

"Naru did when I asked."

"Well, this should be interesting..."

"Mai-chan, you're going to wake up Shinju."

"But I'm so scared..."

Megumi lead the frantic mother over to one of the loveseats and sat her down. Shinju was in a rocking swing, quietly sleeping. The investigation team that Megumi had hired – basically, Mai's old employer and friends – was due to arrive any minute.

"Remember, they love you no matter what. Running away, having Shinju, anything Mai-chan, anything."

"Really?" Mai whispered, more to herself then to Megumi.

A small chime rang throughout the house, signaling the arrival of the investigation group. Mai let her hair fall forward as she buried her face in her hands. Megumi gave her a worried glance, and then went to answer the door.

"Hello?" Mai heard Megumi ask, and then the most beautiful voice answered back.

"Hello. Can we come in?"

"Of course, I cleared out a room for you to use as a... base?"

"Thank you. Can you show me where that is, so we can start moving equipment?"

Mai didn't look up, afraid to see him. Him. Naru... The narcissist bastard who didn't care she left. The one her heart belonged to, but was ignored. Anger flared up in Mai. How dare he? Hadn't he at least been concerned about an employee missing? Even if in his eyes that was all she was?

"Thank you, the location is good. We will be setting up cameras in all the rooms, except of course in the bathroom and toilet. We do though need to set one up in each bedroom, especially since this occurred in the entire house. I apologize if that is inconvenient, but to get the best and most accurate readings, we must."

"I think I can agree to that. I have a store to run, so I will give you a copy of the house key and of the key to the apartment above the store. There isn't an extra room to use there, so I am sorry about that if it's not convenient for you."

"We will manage, we have before."

"Then feel free to use anything or move anything in that spare room to make space. It's the least I can do."

As the voices faded, a small gurgling noise sounded. Shinju was awake, and probably needed to be changed. Mai stood up, gently scooped Shinju from her swing, and headed into the bedroom she was using. Checking, Mai did notice that she needed changing, so quickly did that, then laying down on her side, held her daughter in her arms and cried silently.

Please don't hate me...