Here's a bit of a longer chapter. Make sure to read the A/N at the end!

Disclaimer: I do not own Ghost Hunt. If I did, I would take all the credit for creating the wonderful character that is John.

"Yo, UGLY!" Monk yelled as Mr. Tanaka swung into Lin's face for the upteenth time, one hand over his bad eye. Lin silently admired his bravery, his determination, his downright foolishness. He was hurt and he knew Lin and Naru were much more powerful than him, yet he refused to let them handle the possessed man alone. "Come and get me!"

Lin suddenly knew what to do. While Naru and Monk fought Mr. Tanaka, he gave his shiki instructions. He watched from the wall as they disappeared down Mr. Tanaka's throat, one by one. The body was still human, and he began to choke.

It was awful to watch, but eventually, Mr. Tanaka passed out on the floor. Lin recalled his shiki quickly. He couldn't kill their client.

Naru produced a rope from seemingly nowhere and he and Monk bound Mr. Tanaka's arms and legs.

"So," Monk said when they were finished, standing up and admiring his handiwork. "Who wants to carry him?"

Meanwhile...

Since Mai had nothing better to do, she went with John to the room he shared with the other boys and sat on the edge of the bed while he gathered his things. She was thinking about the argument between Ayako and Naru just minutes ago. Something had not been right during that exchange of words.

"John," Mai said, feeling a little foolish. "Can I ask you something?"

John had by this time located his robe and stood up with it draped over his arm. He smiled quizzically at her, his expression open and warm as always. It reminded her of her mother. "Anything at all, mate."

Mai completely forgot her question on hearing his words, the tone of his voice. While everyone was getting angry and snapping at each other and short-tempered in general, John's warmth was always there, like a steady flame to light any other candles that might have burned out. Mai threw her arms around his neck, sure that she was going to burst with her love for him. John seemed momentarily surprised, but he hugged her back all the same.

The feeling in Mai's chest slowly receded to the usual, glowing love for John that was always there and she released him.

He didn't look at her like she was crazy, or worse, horribly awkward, but smiled his sincere smile and didn't pry, didn't even ask what her original question had been.

"Thanks, John." Mai felt better, her crankiness washed away like grime being carried down the drain. "I will never understand how you do it," she declared.

"Do what?"

Mai poked his chest. "Do you. You're always so kind and can smile for anyone and believe that the worst person on earth still has some goodness in them and you would help them reform."

John gave her a quizzical smile. "Would I?"

Mai giggled. "Of course you would." She sat back down on the bed and threw herself back so she could stare at the ceiling. "Put that on. I've got to remember my question."

It came back when John was done and arranging a small vial, a cross, and a Bible on his desk.

"John, did something seem strange to you about Ayako and Naru's argument?" Mai asked.

"In what sense?"

"They...well, um-" Mai struggled for the words to no avail. "I don't know. "

John tried to help. "Was it them, or the tone of their voice, or their words?"

"Everything. I mean, it's not like they haven't had a disagreement before. It was just that...this was worse." Mai looked at John, and he nodded slowly.

"I get what you're trying to say," he said. "Now that you mention it, it was sort of odd. It wasn't them at all."

Mai shrugged, suddenly tired of thinking of this stupid house. "Oh, well," she said, taking John's arm and putting it across her shoulders. "Guess we'll just have to wait and see."

Mai opened the door -

- and cursed in a very unladylike manner and slammed it shut.

The door had opened up to a balcony overlooking the front of the house.

"Mai?" John asked gently.

Mai covered her mouth with her hand, embarrassed. "Sorry," she said, and heaved a sigh. "It's just - ugh, we can't even walk down the hall anymore! I don't - I mean - what if we get really lost one day and never come out?"

"We will, Mai," John said quietly. "Don't lose hope. You've done it many times already. You can do it again."

"That's the problem. I feel all used up from all those walks up and down and finding the kitchen and you and Naru and opening that door." John shifted subtly at her side and Mai looked down, alarmed and ashamed. "Oh, what am I whining about, making you stand there like that? You're hurt and you haven't complained even once!" She smiled ruefully. "I'm the horrible person and you'll still help me reform."

John smiled and tried to protest, but Mai shushed him. "Don't speak. And don't open your eyes either. We have to get you back before the others do."

John did as she said.

Mai closed her eyes and concentrated on their base. It was home to her, its computers and monitors lined up neatly like Naru liked them, Naru's tea cooling on the table, Naru himself sitting at the-

Mai broke off her concentration and shook her head to clear it. Why was she thinking of home in terms of Naru? Why was he the only thing she could think of? She tried to remember Masako and Ayako sitting on the couch like she had left them.

But all she could think of was Naru - sarcastic, handsome, cold Naru. Her heart swelled and the sight of him pounded against her eyelids, driving away all sane thought. Mai enjoyed her fantasy for a moment before opening her eyes to clear them of the young man.

And he was still there.

She let out a cry as he walked right into her and struggled to keep John upright so he wouldn't have to put pressure on his twisted ankle. She half-hopped, half-stumbled backwards, certain she was going to crash into John and only cause him more pain when Naru caught her around the waist with one hand and steadied John with the other. Mai gripped his sleeve just in time. One more second and she would've been laying in the crook of his elbow.

Stupid, stupid, stupid! Mai thought. She yanked herself up by Naru's arms and promptly let go and backed away, her face burning. Don't think about that for one more second! Stop thinking!

Mai realized she was staring at his beautiful face and he was giving her a questioning look. In the darkness, her face was probably glowing red, like the embers of a dying fire.

Darkness?

There had been no darkness in John's room.

There had been no Naru in John's room.

"Mai!" Naru said in a scolding tone. "You were supposed to stay at base. What are you doing here?"

"I-" Mai saw moment behind him and stopped. "Monk?"

"Mai!" he called happily, though his face was strained and red with exertion. Lin was there, too. They were carrying something - someone? - between them.

"Is that-" Mai tried to lean around Naru's tall, lean frame, but his hand shot out and pushed her back - rudely, she thought.

"It doesn't matter who that is," he said impatiently, maybe angrily. "The point is, you snuck out of base, and you brought John with you?"

"I did not sneak out of base!" Mai retorted hotly. "I just went with John to get his stuff and then the door opened to a balcony, so I was trying to get back to base, but then -" Mai ended abruptly, hoping her face wasn't turning red just after she had managed to get it under control

"But then what?" Naru pushed, frowning.

John - sweet, wonderful, live-saving John - spoke up. "But then we ended up here all of a sudden." He glanced at Mai. "Did the house bring us here?"

"I think so," Mai lied. "Maybe it didn't want us to get back to base." She tried to look around Naru again, and this time, he let her. "Is that Mr. Tanaka?"

"Yes," Naru answered, as if that were the last thing they should be worrying about. He was looking closely at Mai. "If the house is transporting people places, it must be getting more dangerous."

Mai wondered if he could tell she had lied. Was that why he was saying that? She decided not to answer.

"Stop talking, you two!" Monk groaned. "Mr. Tanaka is really heavy."

Naru settled his gaze down the dark hallway. "Come on."

Whatever directions Gene was giving her were the same as those that Naru was following. Mai briefly wondered whether Gene was in his head, too. They went slowly, John hobbling with an arm around Mai, and Lin and Monk panting with the effort of carrying Mr. Tanaka. The group first went to the boys' room to get John's things and then went to the base.

"Mai, John!" Ayako cried, dashing to the door to help John, who looked weak and pained. His ankle was swollen to double its size and the purplish color was spreading.

"We were getting worried," Masako said, rising as well. She frowned on seeing Naru, Lin, and Monk behind them. "Why are you with them?"

"The house took us to them," Mai repeated her lie. She felt like Naru's eyes were boring holes into the back of her head, or maybe that was just her consciousness.

Masako's frown deepened even further and she opened her mouth to speak, but Naru was faster. "Lin, Monk, put Mr. Tanaka there. John, prepare yourself for the exorcism. Everyone must stay out of the way while John performs it. There's no telling what the spirit will do."

Mai felt the urge to cower behind the couch on hearing Naru's words. It he was unsure, something must be terribly wrong. He always knew what to do, and now he was at a loss.

But no one else hid behind the couch, so she didn't either. They all stood in a crowded semicircle behind John, which didn't seem like staying out of the way in the least, but Naru didn't say anything, so she guessed it had to be good enough.

John began reciting his verses, and almost immediately, the air in the room became heavy and charged. Mai's chest felt tight and her breathing became constricted, but no one else seemed to be having the same problem, and she dismissed it as fear.

Mr. Tanaka twitched for a few moments before his twitching became writhing and then thrashing. The room became cold, and Mai was glad she had put on a hoodie that morning. Mr. Tanaka opened his mouth and a guttural cry escaped from him, low and feral. Mai wished she had ignored what everyone would think of her and cowered behind the couch after all. She hid behind Monk and whispered his mantra to herself. Ayako was muttering something next to her, and Masako, Lin, and Naru were staring intently at Mr. Tanaka, though Masako didn't look so well.

"You cannot stop me."

Mr. Tanaka's lips were moving, but it wasn't his voice. It was several dark, ugly voice blended together, each louder than the last. They grated and grinded against each other, against Mai's ears, against her heart. She clutched Monk's shirt with one hand, winding it around her fingers.

John was not deterred. He continued to speak in his calm, gentle voice. It gave Mai strength.

"Stop, or it will be worse."

Holy water splashed and sizzled.

"Stop."

John's murmur continued.

"STOP!"

Mr. Tanaka's features twisted hideously as the spirit tried to stay in and John tried to force it out. Mai felt terrified for John. How could he continue so calmly?

Finally, Mr. Tanaka gagged and his mouth struggled to form his final words and the spirit left through it.

"You can never win."

The spirit seemed to jump from the body towards John, who momentarily froze. Mai didn't have time to scream, time to dash from behind Monk to jump onto John, but Naru - arrogant, cold-hearted Naru - was already there, throwing his arms out over John's shoulders and dragging him to the ground, ducking out of the way. He thrust a hand upwards and Mai turned to see part of the ceiling cracking, bursting at its seams. It looked like it was going to fall.

Mai heard Lin shout for his shiki as Monk turned, wrapped his arms protectively around her and pulling her to him, dropping to the ground. She saw Masako fall and Lin drop to one knee, and Naru shout something at John. The lights went out and Mai struggled to see but Monk only pressed her tight to his chest. Something crashed to the floor somewhere and Mai yanked away from Monk to see if it was Naru, if the ceiling really had fallen onto him, but it hadn't. It was still there.

The lights flickered once, twice, and then the tenseness in the air seemed to disperse. John was pulling Naru away from under the cracking ceiling, and as soon as they were out from under it, Naru pulled his hand back.

"Cover your eyes!" he yelled.

Mai wouldn't have covered them, couldn't have because she could barely understand Naru over the haze that the exorcism had put her in, but Monk pressed a warm hand over her eyes and there was a deafening crash. Dust flooded into her nose and mouth, and the sound of coughing filled the room.

"Naru!" Lin yelled, and Mai tore herself away from Monk for the second time, anxiety filling her for she knew what would become of her boss if he attempted a feat like that.

Naru was passed out on the floor.

So, guys, I'm currently typing out the last of this story, and I have another one planned out. The question is of whether or not I want to make it into a sequel for this story, or just its own thing. If I do make it into a sequel, Mai and Naru's relationship will continue to build up and stuff. If I don't, it'll finish and be clear by the end of this story.

What do you guys think? Let me know what you'd like to see in the reviews!

For next time: Discussions, the arrival of Yasu, and (another) possession.