Just quickly, I want to thank Ghost loves japan 77 for helping me out with my image problem (haven't decided on one yet, as you can see) and for her amazing, amazing review! It just captured every single thing I wanted this story to be and made me feel so, so, so much better about everything. Thank you so much!

And now, guys, be excited. This is one of my favorite chapters of the whole story.

BE.

EXCITED.

Let's get on with it, shall we?

Disclaimer: I do not own Ghost Hunt. If I did, I would know Naru and Gene's middle names.

Mai attempted to pull her arm away a little, but Lin only squeezed her wrist harder, and she knew for certain that it would leave a bruise.

As if he knew Mai was attempting to call his name, Naru stood and turned and took Mai's wrist and yanked it away from Lin in one fluid motion, putting himself between Lin and Mai so he faced Lin, shielding Mai and holding her hand by his side. Mai felt so weak with relief she had to resist the urge to clutch Naru's shirt and sob.

"Lin," Naru said in a slow, eerie voice. "You cannot yell at my assistant. She's already dull enough as it is and I don't want to deafen her."

Since he was protecting her so sweetly, Mai decided not to kick him in the shin. Besides, she was shaking so hard she couldn't have even if she wanted to. What was up with Lin?

Lin made a grab for Mai's wrist at Naru's side, but Naru was quicker. He swiftly put her arm behind him, holding her knuckles to his back. He backed up a little, closing the distance between him and Mai so she was sheltered between him and the wall and his heels were against her toes.

"Give her to me!" Lin yelled. "She had it coming to her for a long time!"

"Lin," said Naru in that same, scary-calm voice. "Control yourself."

"I will not!"

To Mai's horror, she discovered that she was clutching the back of Naru's shirt. Her knuckles were white and her hand was cramping and she couldn't let go.

"Lin, what is my name?" Naru asked suddenly.

Mai gasped. Was Lin possessed? Was this what Gene was talking about?

"Naru," Lin spat.

"My full name," he demanded.

Lin snarled. "Kazuya Shibuya."

"Lin, so help me I will exorcise you right here, right now if you do not say my real name!" His voice was harsh, so different from his usual, emotionless, bored-to-death one that Mai was taken aback. He tightened his grip on Mai's hand and backed up a little more so he was leaning a little on the wall.

The room became eerily quiet. Curious, Mai peeked out from around Naru.

Lin's features smoothened out to his usual, stoic expression, and when he spoke, his voice was expressionless as ever. "Oliver Jackson Davis," he said, calm as ever.

Mai rested her head against Naru's back and let out a sigh of relief.

"My brother's name?"

Lin frowned, but he didn't question. "Eugene Alexander Davis."

"Lin, can you remember what happened after Mai spilled your tea?"

Lin's frown deepened. "Of course. I told her to get tissues and clean up the mess while I changed."

"How did I end up between you two?"

"Naru-"

"Just answer the question, Lin."

"You stood up to get something."

"Then how did I end up holding her behind me against the wall?"

"Naru," said Lin, and his voice was as concerned as it would ever get, "You tripped over Mai's feet and stumbled."

"Lin, the house is playing with your mind. Try to remember what really happened."

Lin shook his head. "That is what I remember."

Naru reached behind himself and gently unclasped Mai's hand from his shirt. Her face burned and she tried to yank her wrist away, but he let it go himself and walked away from the wall. "You were yelling at Mai and shaking her by the arm and technically threatening her." Naru's voice was once again devoid of emotion. The earlier harshness had vanished.

Lin's eyebrows shot up. "Really?"

"This is not a joking matter."

"I apologize, Mai," Lin said, and Mai could hear the sincerity. It was unsettling to say the least. She didn't know if she could hear him go on, so she started talking herself, stumbling over her words.

"No-no! It's okay, really. It's not like you knew what was happening and you've never done anything like that before and with the house, I can't really blame you and -"

She caught sight of the gang's faces and turned a brilliant shade of red when she saw that they were staring at her and Naru. What had Naru been thinking, holding her behind him and shielding her protectively like that? Didn't he know they already teased her about it? Wasn't her confession enough evidence that if he did things like that, she would fall even harder for him? After Ayako and Monk were done with her, Masako was going to kill her. Then again, if Naru did that, he must think it not a big deal and maybe that meant the others wouldn't either.

Too late. Monk's face was red with trying to control his laughter and then he let it out and couldn't stop, completely cutting off the rest of what Mai was going to say to Lin. She put her hands on her hips and glared at him.

"What?" she challenged.

Monk wiped tears from his eyes. "It's just that - when I asked Naru what he would do if Lin started yelling at Mai, he said, 'That is between him and her,' and I told him he had no respect for ladies." He smirked mischievously. "But I guess he lied and I was wrong."

Mai's blush turned darker and darker until she was sure she was purple in the face. She didn't dare to turn around to look at Naru, but he spoke, and Mai knew he was having none of Monk's nonsense.

"I did not lie," he said coldly, swiftly putting distance between himself and Mai and going to stand by his desk. "If Lin had started yelling, it is indeed between them and not my business to interfere. However, this was not between Mai and Lin, it was between Mai and the house, and that is something I must insert myself into."

At that, Mai did turn to look at Naru. "The house?"

"Yes," Naru said. "I'll explain in simpler terms, for your sake."

Mai huffed and crossed her arms tightly over her chest and spun around, determined not to look at him, but he was not put off and continued.

"Last night, Mai's dream indicated that the house would play with our minds and trick us. The house got a hold of Lin's mind and body, too, and lead him to do things that he was not aware of. It is not a full-on possession - Miss Matsuzaki's charms are too powerful for that - but something altogether different, something that is rare and unheard of. When I asked him questions whose answers the house could not know, the house had to release him to allow him to answer.

"If anyone does not seem to be in their right state of mind, do not be fooled. In this case, I knew Lin was psychologically incapable of yelling at or grabbing Mai. In addition, Mai spills Lin's tea on him at an average of about once a week, and it is not something that he would get even remotely upset over, as you can see in what he thought his actions were.

"Lin, change. Mai, mop up the tea and heat up the rest. It's cold now. The rest of you, shut your mouths before flies go in and try to keep them shut while I go over these papers in silence."

With that, the ice prince sat down as if he hadn't just freed his knight and saved his princess and began shuffling papers on his desk.

So...how was it? Enough to be one of your favorite chapters of the story like it is for me? Let me know in the reviews what you think!

Also...anyone know Naru and Gene's middle names? I just made some up, but I'd like to fix them to the right ones if they have them.

For next time: A slave driver, research, and too much teasing.