Protector of SPR: chapter 3

AN: thanks to my reviewers! Oh and to cassiopeiaXSTAR thank you for pointing out masako's name for me I new I spelled it wrong but I didn't even bother checking.

This is great! Well in a way it is. I mean, I'm still dead. Might as well make the best of it while I can right? I was still looking at my friends look at the cup that had just been placed on the table in front of Naru. Everyone's face (and I mean everyone's) had gone a deathly white. No pun intended. I was still holding my camera in my hand when I walked over towards them. I stopped and went through the pictures until I came to one of me that john had taken of me when he had stolen the camera from me when I had just gotten the camera a month before. I hadn't taken off the pictures yet so I was really glad for my laziness at the moment. I walked up behind john knowing I would get a good reaction from him, and placed, or should I say dropped the camera into his lap so that the screen showed the picture of me smiling up at him.

The reaction I got from him was priceless. He nearly fell off the couch, as he yelled. I of course ended up doubling over in fits of giggles as I watched the faces of my friends faces go from the cup to the camera turning even whiter. If that's even possible. Of course the funniest expression was naru's. His face pale it looked like he was on deaths doorstep. His blue eyes were wide, and his mouth was slightly parted to form a tiny little 'o'. I think it was the most emotion I've seen on his face since he came back from England. It was also one of the funniest things I've ever seen in my life.

I felt so mean for doing it. but hey this could be considered pay back for all that breaking my heart crap he did a year ago. Oh and not to mention the heart attack he and lin gave me the day they and madoka decided to come back.

Flashback

I was walking from my last class ready to leave for an afternoon of relaxation with my friends. It was Friday night and my friend michiru and me were planning on going out to dinner and then to go see that new romance comedy. Well that was the plan until a certain somebody and his guardians came up behind my back when I was looking at the school. And what happened next was not pretty. Of course it was Madoka that came up behind me and practically screamed in my ear. "HEY MAI!" well that was the last this I was expecting. I had just gotten over the fact they were never coming back. But of course, once again I was wrong.

I jumped so high it wasn't even funny. And then it really didn't help when my friends came running out and I was on the ground curled up in a ball, my head between my legs, with three semi-unknown people standing around me about five feet away. "Mai what happened!" they called to me, to which I replied the most stupid answer you could have ever heard in your entire life.

"I'm hearing voices again!" I yelled. Which of course caught the attention of a group of boy's nearby and caused them to laugh and snicker at me. I blushed embarrassed that I had yelled that. I could hear lins quiet chuckle. That was it. I was going crazy. I needed to get over them. "they're gone mai stop thinking they'll ever come back. They will never come back. They don't really care. That was all just a lie to get us to help them." I mumbled to myself.

"Mai, you're not hallucinating in the least." Said madoka.

I sighed as I turned my head to look at them. Madoka was smiling her happy go lucky smile, lin was visibly tying to hide a smile and naru was smirking that smirk of his. I started at them trying to convince myself that they were actually there. then I remembered the boys laughing at me and quickly stood. Brushing off the excess dirt from my cloths.

"Uum hi…" I said with uncertainty in my voice. "I you… not…weren't back… thought coming."

"Mai you're not making any sense." Said naru.

"I THOUGHT YOU WEREN'T COMING BACK!" I yelled.

"Well we're hear now aren't we?" asked madoka as she eyed me cautiously.

I bit my lip so I wouldn't make any smart-ass comments, as I paced back and forth in front of them.

"Mai please calm down." Madoka pleaded.

"Calm down? Calm down! How on earth do you expect me to calm down. Do you know what you three put me through after you left! I had to be hospitalized! Hospitalized! Why? Because after you left I went into sever depression! I of course got over it and eventually forgot about you and my life went back to normal. And then you three decide to just show up again? Well you've got something coming to you!" After I had stop ranting long enough to breath naru decided to cut in.

"Great I'll see you in the office tomorrow at seven AM sharp. We have a case so you need to pack long enough for a week or so." And with that he turned and walked to his black car and drove off leaving me with lin and madoka who had apparently drove separately.

I stood there and glared at them. "Mai are you coming or what?" I heard michiru ask me.

"Sorry girls I apparently have to work tomorrow." I said. My glare never leaving the two adults in front of me. I heard my friends mumble something about it being ok and that they would see me when I got back, but I just ignored them and kept on glaring at the people in front of me.

We stayed there for at least five minuets, both adults looking very uncomfortable under my gaze. "So Mai? How about we go for some tea?" asked Madoka finally breaking the silence.

I just continued to glare at them. After a few moments of making them feel really uncomfortable, I turned on my heal grabbed my bag that had fallen on the ground when madoka had startled me, and turned back to them.

I sighed again and pushed back my now mid back length hair with my hand, and looked to the sky. After a few moments of contemplating I looked back to them a gentle smile on my face. "Sorry I freaked out on you guys. I just wasn't expecting you to come back. I usually don't lose my cool like that anymore but I guess that's about to change." I said. I laughed a little at the expressions on lin and madoka's face. "Any way's I would love to go for tea but I have to work tomorrow." The last part I said through gritted teeth. I bowed then started to walk off towards my house not letting them speak. But before I was to far away for them to hear me properly I turned back again and smiled. "Oh and tell naru he's a jerk for me will ya?" with that I walked off.

End flashback

Ya this could defiantly be considered payback for that day. I take it back I don't feel mean in the least. Oh well better get back down to business. I walked over to the window were Naru's folder had landed. I bent down and picked all of the papers up, organized them and put the back in their places. Once I got that done I walked back over to Naru and sat down on the arm of his chair. I placed the folder into his hands. His mouth was still gapping open so I placed my hand under his chin and gently pushed up until his mouth closed. "Are you trying to catch flies?" I asked sarcastically. Recalling all the times he had said that to me. I giggled a little as I watched everyone in the room slowly come back from the shock that I was sure I had place on them. They all started to look around the room, as if amazed I was even there.

"Mai? Is that you?" asked naru.

"No. Its your pet cat fluffy. Of course its me silly." I said ruffling his hair. I had always wanted to do that. His hair was really soft and silky. Just like I had always imagined it to be. I found my self playing with it and running my hand through it again and again. I was sure I wouldn't have stopped until I heard everyone from the group start to snicker. It was then that I realized what I was doing and immediately stopped. I was glad I was invisible; because I was sure my face would have been a new shade of red.

"Mai?" I looked over to were masako was sitting. She was looking everywere around the room.

"Can you see me masako?" I asked.

"No. were are you?" she asked looking in the general direction of were my voice was coming from.

"I'm over here." I replied.

"I can't see you."

"Hang on let me try something" I said as I pushed my energy into my spirit form. I heard gasps from all my friends. I looked up and saw the astounded faces of my family. I looked over beside me and saw naru looking at me as if I was some sort of miracle. I smiled at him and bent down so I was eye level with him. If I were still alive I would never have bin so bold. But hey I'm not anymore so why not? I moved so my lips were inches from his and looked into his eyes. His eyes held a variety of emotions but were quickly shielded after he got a hold of him self. I moved closer making the mere inches turn into centimeters. His eyes got wide again and I closed my eyes half way and made it so our lips were just about to touch. I lingered there for a moment then drew back quickly and hoped off the arm of the chair and made my way over to john. I gave him a quick hug then took the camera from his hands.

"Sorry to scare you like that john but I just couldn't help it." I laughed as I placed the camera on the table after turning it off. I walked over to monk and ayako who were sitting across from john, yasu and masako. I sat down on the table in front of them and looked at them with a gentle smile on my lips. I reached over and took ayako's hand.

"We're so sorry mai! It was our entire fault! If we hadn't just stood there like the idiots we are then you wouldn't have done that and you would still be alive! Cried ayako as she threw herself into my arms. I held her that way and looked over to monk. He looked like he was on the verge of tears but held strong.

"Ayako its not your fault! Its mine. I should have just pushed you out of the way. But hey I'm here now." I said as I tried my hardest to console her. Thankfully it worked and she was able to pull herself together. She sat back down on the couch and curled up to monk's side. I smiled at them and stood up and made my way over to the kitchen. Five minuets later I came back with tea and a plate of cookies.

"So mai when have you been so bold as to go and play with naru's hair and not to mention almost kissing naru." Inquired yasu, with his smart-ass smirk on his face. I decided at that moment not to answer the question and I quickly looked over trying to cover my blush that was evidently rising turning my cheeks a bright red that I new everyone would be able to see. That was when I remembered that I could disappear. So that was what I did. I vanished from view just to go over to the chair that was in the corner of the office. I took the pillow that was sitting there and proceeded to hit yasu with it. Everyone laughed and lin and naru even smiled a little. Naru's turned out more like a smirk but I could see he was hiding a smile under it. I threw the pillow at his face and it landed with a light thud into his lap. I laughed at his surprised expression. After the excitement died down, I made myself visible again and sat down in my usual seat at the end of the table. That was when lin decided to ask the question on everyone's mind.

"Mai?" he asked

"Yes lin?"

"Why haven't you passed on yet?"

AN: ok so I will edit this later cuz I have to go to bed and I really wanted to post this but I don't feel like editing it right at this moment.

If you have any ideas you would like to share please feel free to do so. Also as always if you feel this story is getting corny or cliché, or if you feel the story is moving to fast, please, please, please let me know and I will fix it.

Love always,

Fly Away Free Spirituality