(A/N): Hi everyone!...Is it safe to come out now after that traumatic chapter?

My problem was, when I first started writing the story, I didn't realise how sad that chapter would be, until I began to get closer to it and I realised, "this is going to be a tear-fest..."

I am really, really, really, really sorry that I haven't updated in so long. Unfortunately, I have just had two horrible weeks of exams, and it's been a little crazy because the people who decide when the exams are thought it would be a fantastic idea to have the majority of the papers before half term, instead of spreading them out evenly across the four weeks on either side of half term. Needless to say, it wasn't a fantastic idea and I have had no time to do much writing and no time to do updating :(

Well, I'm here now, and again, I'm sorry this chapter took so long to update.

Oh yeah, important: This is not the last chapter! Yay!

But also important: Next chapter IS the last chapter of this fanfiction... :(

I'm not sure when I will be updating/writing the next chapter (partly because I don't want to waaaaah D: ) but mainly because I still have two weeks of exams left. Ugh. In advance, I apologise if I keep you waiting long.

For this chapter, music I would recommend would be Bronte by Gotye for the first part, and for the rest, songs such as Sail by AWOLNATION, Winter Ghosts by JBM and Sinead by Within Temptation (Wolfstadt's suggestion).

Ok, review answer time:
To CatMaz: Thank you! And yeah, I don't know whether I feel happy that there has been such a positive response to John and Kazuki's relationship, or to feel sad because of the last chapter...anyway, here's the next chapter! Sorry it took so long to update!
To Lizzy: I am so, so sorry. I couldn't stop crying, either.
To 14AmyChan: Thank you, that's one of the first times someone's called my chapter beautiful :) And I'm sorry that it was so sad.
To tennison: Thank you, and I'm glad you thought it was good and sweet even if you weren't expecting it. Sorry this took so long!
To Guest: Don't worry, it's not the end just yet! And thank you!
To Shizuka Kitsune: Ha ha ha, yeah, there aren't many fanfics on here with John in a relationship/having romantic feelings to someone other than Masako or Mai, and I'm glad you support Takigawa/John (Although I really loved John/Kazuki...D: I get sad whenever I think about it now...)
To yui639: I'm so sorry for making you sad, and I'm so sorry this took so long! I hope you enjoy the new chapter (it's not as sad, so don't worry) and thank you for reading my story!
To Ananas: I'm really sorry, and thank you for your kind words :)
To Maria Rianki: Your review made me smile, and I really needed that after the previous chapter, so thank you!
To Raven's Shadow: I'm sorry the chapter was upsetting, but don't worry about your reviews being late because I know how stressful it is to have assignments and things (also I'm really late anyway!) and thank you for your reviews, they are worth the wait!
To DanceWithAGinger: I am really sorry for making you cry (or making your eyes sweat :P) and I am so glad that you were so supportive of the chapter, even though I know you ship John and Takigawa (I love both ships...but one of them is gone now...waaaahh) and I'm really sorry for the long wait!
To Ninn1218: Your review really made me happy, your kind words warmed my heart. I know that sounds a little stupid, but really, I am really grateful for your review. Thank you. (Don't worry, you're not insulting it) and it made me happy that I was compared to Yasu! Also, sorry for messing with your emotions...
To Orangefur: I'm so sorry for the wait! (When I got your review, I realised how long it had been since the last update, and I thought "Eeek I need to update!") Well, here it is!

Thank you so, so, so much for supporting this story, my wonderful readers, and I'm so sorry for the wait! Thank you to Wolfstadt, for editing and reading my chapters! Thank you for reading, favouriting, following and reviewing! I hope you enjoy it (and I hope it's not as upsetting as the last chapter...)

Chapter 42 awaits...

"They're gone."

Masako suddenly announced it, looking shocked. Everyone turned to her.

"W-What…you mean the spirits?!" Mai asked, incredulous.

Seriously, Masako nodded. "Yes. They have been cleansed. They have left."

The others comprehended this in amazement, but Sinead was not ready to celebrate over it just yet. Two things were in her mind: The colleague and John.

"Where's Agent Chosovi?" She addressed Lin.

"Around the back with the attacker."

Good. She could keep an eye out. Besides, reinforcements would be here in no time at all.

Without another word, Sinead ran inside the house, gun at the ready.

"Wait!" Behind her, she heard the footsteps of SPR following her inside. They shouldn't' really have been allowed in, but somehow, she knew it would be pointless to convince them otherwise.

"Stay behind me." She ordered instead. Thankfully, they obliged, and walked patiently behind her as she slowly stalked through the house, checking each room. The bottom floor was empty, so she began to walk upstairs.

Something was different about the house. The others seemed to sense it too – the floor boards creaked more, the air was calmer and the heavy weight that had burdened the atmosphere was gone. Now, it was not a mass grave, or the place of spirits, or a criminal site; it was simply an abandoned house.

When they reached the landing, Sinead turned her gun on the person who lay crumpled in a heap. She heard Mai gasp, Ayako mutter something in shock, and Yasuhara grimace. Takigawa murmured, "So there he is." Lin and Oliver made no sounds of shock, although when she looked back at them, she saw there was a satisfied darkness about their face, like a vengeance scheme had been fulfilled.

Cautiously, Sinead walked over to him. Yakunan Soku had been beaten bloody. His face was puffy and cut, and he did not move. She checked his pulse, though, and he was still alive.

As she rolled him over, putting on handcuffs, she heard Ayako ask, "…Who did that to him?"

"I think it was the spirits." Masako replied coolly. "I felt their anger a few minutes ago. It was very strong."

Certain that the man would not pose a threat, and would not even be able to walk around after his beating, Sinead moved on. From the corner of her eye, she saw the others give the man a very wide berth.

She stopped outside the room where the trap door was. Inside, she could hear someone crying.

Carefully, she opened the door. The room was almost empty, and the air felt warm.

In the middle, John was on the floor, his back shuddering from his sobs. From the window, a single ray of light filtered through and landed, diffracted, on his back.

She walked to him, and knelt beside him. His face was in his hands.

"John." She spoke quietly, and he barely acknowledged her. "It's Sinead. What happened?"

His cries grew louder, and now the monk knelt on the other side of him. John rested against him, still sobbing, and Takigawa put his arm around him.

Sensing his indescribable grief, Sinead put her own arm around him, too. Slowly, the others came over. Ayako placed a hand on his back, rubbing him soothingly like a mother would; Mai held his hand, her grip tight and her own eyes bright with tears at his painful, overwhelming grief; Yasuhara held it as well, his grip just as tight as Mai's; Masako rested her hand against his knee, her touch gentle. Lin came over and, carefully, put his jacket over John. Even Oliver, after a moment of hesitation, put his hand on John's shoulder.

They remained like that for a minute until John, finally able to speak, whispered,

"…H-He's gone…K-Kazuki's…gone…"

When reinforcements finally arrived, and when Yakunan Soku had been taken into custody, they found the group of them, still sitting in the room, crowded around a crying person, while the single ray of light still shone brightly from the clouds.

By the time the ambulance and the officers were ready to leave, it was late. John remained with SPR, and although Takigawa had to have his head wound checked by the ambulance, they had not left his side. Only when the officers were packing away their things did they suggest that they leave. Reluctantly, they agreed, though the monk stayed with John, and she was certain that Oliver and Lin had skulked away into the shadows, wanting to speak to Sinead.

Desolately, Sinead went to go pick up the sniper gun she had left by the front of the house when Takigawa had stumbled out of the front door. Though she moved slowly, her thoughts were filled with chaos. She recognised the sound of that grief, the grief that had consumed John, and she was afraid of what it might do to him. But, as she looked over at he and Takigawa, who was holding him again, she felt a little reassured.

Although Soku had been caught, she knew there was still suspicions among the Japanese officers. They, of course, did not understand why John and Takigawa hadn't left the house, neither did they understand how Soku had gotten so injured. The story was he fell down the stairs in a struggle, but Sinead knew they suspected otherwise.

The deranged man was still there, in front of the ambulance, ready to be taken away. The ambulance had only just returned, after being used for Takigawa briefly and then the injured attacker. Meanwhile, Soku had been strapped to a stretcher, a few scavenged pain killers dripping into him. In the end, they had caught him, but the consequences for his freedom had almost been very, very dire.

As Sinead observed him from afar, she noticed something. His body was very tense, not like someone who was unconscious. Was he awake?

Wary now, Sinead watched him as his hand slowly, slowly, reached inside his pocket. It came back out, clutching something she couldn't see, and reached towards his strap.

"Sinead." Oliver approached her, distracting her. "Can we talk?"

"Not now." She batted him away with her hand, but he persisted. "Please. It's important."

Soku had unlocked the strap. Was he planning to escape? But that was mad, in front of all these officers…

Her mobile buzzed, and she simply passed it onto Oliver, ordering "Answer it." As he did so, thrust the sniper rifle into his hands, and he held it awkwardly.

"Hello?...I'm afraid she's busy."

From this distance, and in the dark, it was hard to tell what was going on, but in the limited light, Sinead was certain that Soku had unlocked his strap, and was moving down to the next one. She might have been being paranoid; she did not want to risk it.

Carefully, moving gently, Sinead began to approach the man. Weaving in and out of the various paramedics and officers, she kept her eye on him at all times, hand sliding to the gun at her side. If he made a move, she would have to end it.

The only question was where she would shoot. Feet? Arm? Chest? Head? Which area would be most accessible? In the end, Sinead realised she would not have much of a choice; the people milling around, the poor visible conditions, and the speed and actions of Soku himself all made it impossible to tell whether she would be able to wound without killing, or would have to use lethal force.

She would only have a few seconds to decide.

It happened without warning. Soku sat up, the straps unlocked, and grabbed a pistol from an officer nearby, who was caught unaware. A medic blocked Sinead's shot – she could not fire. Before the other officer could even turn, Soku shot him. The officer fell to the ground.

Feet? Arm? Chest? Head?

Again, Sinead tried to take aim, but there was panic around the area now, and the paramedics were mobbing around too much, blocking her aim. She could not aim; the risk of hitting someone else was too high. The other officers were only just pulling out their guns, but they had been caught unaware and would be reluctant to shoot; Soku's importance to the investigation of R.M had been stressed repeatedly by their superior officers.

Soku had found his target, Sinead was sure. His eyes were bolting and wild, and a smile came to his lips. He had found his victim, sitting by the ambulance, trying to focus on the drama unfolding beyond the flashing blue and red lights. A sickening smile was still etched onto Soku's face.

"Soku." Sinead shouted, walking into his view. Even now, the other officers were floundering, unsure as to what to do, shouting various commands to put down his gun. At last, the paramedics had cleared, and Soku and Sinead were left facing each other, their guns pointed.

"Oh, hello there, Sinead Brown. How are you this fine evening?" He spoke with a calm voice and a crazed look in his eyes that made him even more disturbing.

"Put the gun down." Sinead would give him one chance. He was an important lead, but if he so much as moved his finger a millimetre, she would shoot.

He cackled. His laughter was no longer human sounding. "No. I can't do that."

"It's over. You've lost, Soku. There's nothing you can do." She edged closer, watching him as he burst into another manic fit of laughter.

"It will never be over. Not while I'm breathing. It won't be over until I'm dead." He hissed. "You can't stop me! I will punish him, I will punish you all!" He was practically screaming. An officer tried to move forwards, but he shot the ground near the officer's foot, and the group of them retreated.

"Stay away! Stay away or I'll kill you!" He was waving the gun around, and Sinead almost pulled her own trigger, when he levelled the gun on her again.

"You've done well to stop me so far." He smiled bizarrely, his tone similar to a teacher praising a student. "But your efforts are pointless. You can't kill me. You're a coward, all of your type are cowards, not afraid to say grand words but too cowardly to follow them out. In fact, I know that you can't kill me. I'm far too important for your investigations, I'm sure you were told not to kill me." He was scarily accurate – killing him would be a big blow to the investigation into R.M, Sinead knew this, and she knew what it would cost her and the team if she did kill Soku. Something on her face, maybe her anger, must have confirmed Soku's thoughts, for he laughed again.

"And you can lock me up for all I care, but not until I have killed your precious little cousin that you've tried so hard to save. He underestimated me. You all underestimated me. Now, you will pay the price."

He raised the gun, and this time it was pointed not at Sinead, but over her shoulder again, over at the ambulance where John was.

Sinead grabbed the gun from his hand. There was a moment of struggle. As Soku writhed to grab back the gun, Sinead pointed it inwards, towards his chest.

Her finger squeezed the trigger.

A gun shot, loud and clear. It echoed among the ambulances, across the grounds of the empty, lonely house.

Soku's grip on the gun loosened. It slipped from his hand, and Sinead allowed it to fall to the floor. There was a look of surprise on Soku's face, as if he could not understand what had happened. He fell forwards, colliding with Sinead. She did not move, and he leaned on her, his blood seeping onto her clothes.

Sinead bent her head towards his ear. "Let me tell you something that you forgot. I may be a liaison officer, but first, I am John's cousin. I'm not a coward, but I am selfish, because I will go to any length I need to protect him, even disobeying orders. It's not something you understand, is it? Familial love? No matter. You made a very grave mistake. You underestimated me. And now, you have paid for your mistake."

She stepped away, allowing him to fall to the floor. His hand twitched a few times. Then he was still.

There was chaos now, but it was calmly that Sinead replaced her own gun back into its holster while medics and officers floundered around the scene, some checking the felled officer, others staring at the crumpled, still body of the murderer. Making her way over to the ambulance where John was, she was stopped by Oliver. At first, he looked startled as he asked, "What happened? Is that blood?"

"Yes. But not mine." Understanding her words, Oliver looked over her shoulder to where officers and paramedics were crowding around the scene. He was silent, staring at the scene in shock. However, she noticed that shock slowly change into something more sinister – satisfaction, perhaps, or pleasure at a revenge scheme carried out.

Realising he was still holding her mobile, Sinead took the phone from his hands, already able to hear the flustered tone of the superior Japanese officer.

"What is going on?!" He shouted as she held the phone up to her ear.

"Everything is under control." She told him calmly. "It's over."

It was much later now, and Sinead was sitting down at the Shibuya Psychic Research office. It was not the place she wanted to be, and really she didn't have a real reason to be there. Neither did Conor, Chosovi, Winter, or Eliot.

"This is ridiculous." Eliot muttered under her breath. "We should be filling out reports, or standing guard over the witnesses. Why are we wasting time talking with a mere child?"

"Lukas is with two witnesses." She was referring to John and Takigawa. "Andy is with the other." That was Mai. "We can afford a few minutes. And reports can wait."

Really, Sinead understood her frustration. She wanted to be back with John, who had fallen asleep from sheer emotional exhaustion. However, this was important, and was not something that she just wanted to discuss with any old police officer.

The chief of police had been furious at her for killing Soku, but she had largely ignored his reprimands. Even now, Sinead did not regret the decision she made. John was safe, and that was all that really mattered.

Finally, Oliver Shibuya entered the office, followed closely by Lin Koujou. Eliot tutted.

"You took your time." She spoke in English to him, rather than Japanese.

"I was busy." He sat down opposite Sinead, who had been the only one to take a seat. The others, feeling rather unnerved, stood at the edge of the room.

There was a moment of rather awkward silence, before Oliver asked, "…What happened to the officer that Soku shot?"

"He is fine. It was not fatal. I was told he'll recover."

Another silence. The air was heavy with the shared tensions of what had been witnessed that night.

"…I have a question to ask." Sinead started. "…You couldn't see them."

"Who?"

"The spirits at the house."

Oliver closed his eyes, and nodded. "That is correct."

"The rule, so to speak, was that anyone who had felt a deep fear would be able to see them. And you have felt true fear. So why couldn't you see them?"

Initially, Oliver didn't answer. He took a deep breath, and was silent for a minute. Finally, he spoke up.

"…I am very good at controlling my fear."

Sinead tilted her head in confusion. "You what?"

"I have felt fear. A lot of fear. But I can close it in myself. Furthermore," he looked down at his hands, "we both know what I'm capable of. My mind is very different from the norm. And I don't mean that in a vain way. I mean it quite literally."

Sinead knew he was referring to the immense P.K powers that Oliver possessed, and the poltergeists he had made as a child before he learnt to control them. "So I am probably an exception to that rule. Now, time for my question."

He crossed his legs and interlinked his fingers together. "…Is it really over?"

Sinead looked into his eyes. They were filled with cold knowledge of the reality of the situation. She imagined that her own eyes would be the same.

"…No."

Her officers looked startled. Winter began to speak, "B-But chief…Mattaku is gone. Soku is dead, we have Osaki in custody –"

"It is true that the Mattaku operation that was run by R.M is now over. However," she stood up and faced her officers. Conor and Winter looked expectant, anxious. Eliot faced her with worry but a grim understanding. Chosovi simply looked to Sinead with calmness.

"…I have little doubt that R.M will be watching us very carefully. We have sparked their interest, and that is a very dangerous thing."

Conor grimaced. "And how have we done that? By killing Soku?"

"Oh, no. Their interest was caught long ago." Sinead returned back to Oliver. "My first encounter with them – our first encounter with them – left them wary, to say the least. Cautious." She paused for a moment. "…the incident in Ireland first captured their focus."

Oliver inhaled somewhat sharply, but his exterior did not change. "…I thought we agreed not to speak of that."

Sinead cast a glance at her officers. Eliot frowned in bemusement, staring at Sinead and Oliver. Conor cast a glance at Eliot, and seeing she was as puzzled as he, looked to Sinead, hoping she would shed some light on the matter. However, the expressions of Chosovi and Winter were very different. Both looked suddenly ashen, and their eyes became somewhat empty. Winter raised his hand to his face automatically, touching the scars, then lowered it hastily. Once more, Chosovi looked to Sinead, with something that could have been fear on her face, and swallowed slightly.

Sinead looked back to Oliver. "…You are right. But that is not what I wanted to talk about."

"Three years later, they lost interest in us. This whole incident, though, has piqued their curiosity once more. Let me tell you something strange that Soku said to John in their confrontation earlier this day." She took out a note pad, on which John's account had been written.

"He clearly stated, 'It was not my idea to let you live'."

"Wait…" Conor spoke up. "You mean, R.M wanted him to live?!"

"I don't think it was as simple as that. John told me that he found a file on me at the office in Mattaku Psychiatric Ward. They knew we were related, and that scared them."

"But why?" Winter asked.

"Eliot." She addressed the Latino woman. "Tell us what you found out."

Eliot nodded grimly, and stepped forward. "Of course. I managed to question Osaki today."

All the while, Oliver had been still and silent, but this time he changed his position. Sinead could not help but notice a malicious glint in his eye as he asked, "Oh?"

"Yes. He told us that he was ordered not to kill John. And he followed that order. At least, until John tried to escape. When we asked why, he said that it was an order from one of the higher ups in R.M. They knew that, if John died, you would come and look for him. So they tried to create a distraction and…deal with you…"

Winter scowled. "You mean the affair in Mexico and the temples…that was by them? To try kill us?"

"Yes, it would appear so." Eliot nodded. "They were the ones in charge of the drug running, and they deliberately left behind a trail so we would track them. Then they would kill us with those stone monsters, and with you out of the way, Sinead, they could kill John."

"That's an awful lot of trouble." Oliver mentioned.

"Yes, but they were favouring the Mattaku operation more and more. They already had some control over authority here, and they realised that, by using the Mattaku Psychiatric Ward, they could dispose of witnesses much safer than just outright killing them. But, they knew that if we investigated, we could easily find out what was happening. One agent had come too close to figuring out the secrets there before – Matthew Forcit – and they couldn't kill us all directly, or claim we were all mad, so they tried to get rid of us through the Mexico affair."

"But that didn't work." Lin continued, surprising everyone with an input. "And when John escaped, they asked Soku to deal with him. Correct?"

"Yes." Eliot confirmed. "Unfortunately, that was a mistake for them. Soku was far more interested in extracting revenge than getting rid of John in a way that wouldn't arouse suspicion. He did attempt to repeat the 'mentally ill' trick, then finish him off, but it obviously didn't work."

"Ok, so R.M underestimated how badly this situation would fail." Oliver summed up. "Now, the Mattaku Operation is blown. But don't they know to leave well alone?"

Sinead sighed. "For the time being, yes. But not for long.

"They won't chase after John, since they know that is just a dead end. However, they are very interested in the rest of us."

She gestured to the officers behind her. "They will be looking to us, knowing that we will be looking into their current operations and smuggling rings."

"Wait…I thought Soku ran the ring." Lin asked, with another interjection. "Shouldn't the ring be crippled right now?"

"Oh, Soku wasn't in charge of the ring." Sinead corrected him. "As was mentioned by Scutellatus in her conflict with you, Oliver, Soku actually had a superior."

"Who is that, then?" Oliver asked.

"We don't know." Sinead told him simply. "From Agent Shole and Agent Forcit's reports, though, we have figured out that R.M is made up of six major figures. Fitting, really."

"There are five main sub leaders, and one overall leader. The overall leader's identity is unknown, though we know a few of the main players."

"Soku was one of them. Together with the overall leader, he was in charge of Asian operations, though I think one of the other main players will have to take his place with his death. Olivia Scutellatus was another, and she was in charge of European operations."

"So…each sub leader is, or was, in charge of operations in a continent?"

"Yes. Unfortunately, we don't know the identities of the others. But that's off topic. R.M isn't just interested in us."

She glanced to Oliver. "They will be interested in Shibuya Psychic Research."

Oliver stiffened. "…Why?"

"…This is information we don't like to…spread around, but…R.M is no normal smuggling ring. Like my group, they are well versed in the areas of paranormal and supernatural. And now, they are very interested in what paranormal influences that you have. Not just you, but your team members as well."

There was a gleam of panic in Oliver's eyes, and Sinead knew he was thinking about Mai. "Yes. Olivia Scutellatus has an inkling that Ms Taniyama has some kind of powers. If she knows the full extent, it could be very dangerous for her. And there is yourself, too. And then there is Ms Hara and Ms Matsuzaki, too, each with their own very impressive powers. A successful medium and a priestess with powers that no one has witnessed for a very long time. You, Lin, are one of the best omniojii in your profession. The monk has darmit powers, unless I am mistaken, which can be very powerful and even dangerous. And John practises exorcisms, which he has proved to be very useful on numerous occasions."

Oliver looked to the window, troubled. "…You think they will try and…" He licked his lips, struggling to think of the right words. "…Use us?"

"Very possibly. At the very least, they are going to be investigating you thoroughly."

The room went quiet as they considered this.

"So…" Oliver finally spoke up once more. "…It really isn't over?"

Sinead shook her head.

"Far from it. In fact, I have a very bad feeling…" She took a breath.

"…That this is just the beginning."