Disclaimer: Again, I don't own Ghost Hunt. Just one or two characters from here, but that would be all. Thanks again for all of the reviews guys…or should I say girls? 0.o
Chapter 4
Mai frowned down at the tea she was making for her narcissistic boss. Of all things to dream about last night, she had to dream of what had happened a month ago. She was actually preferring that she had dreamt of something related to the case, and not about that night, which had brought her into a difficult situation in remembering it all. And making tea during that time didn't help, seeing how it only kept your hands busy and not your mind, making Mai's wander back to a month ago.
~*Flashback*~
It had been raining very hard outside of the SPR building by the time Mai was allowed to go home for the day.
Lin had left only ten minutes before Mai could even start organizing the things she would need for the next day. Just as she was going to leave, Mai saw that she was going to have a problem.
It was raining too hard for her to go walking home and there were no taxis passing by, meaning she would have to go to the other block just to catch one.
She sighed. This was turning out to be bad, but she got ready to get soaked anyways. Mai was just about to leave when her boss stopped her.
"Tell me you're not going to be foolish enough to go home with that kind of weather outside." he raised an eyebrow. She could only frown.
"Well, of course I am. How will I get home if I don't? And besides, the rain has to let up soon." She looked out the window knowing that the rain was probably going to take hours to go away or at least calm down. She huffed.
"Don't be an idiot, Mai. I'll take you home." He grabbed his coat not caring to look up at the surprised face of the brunette.
Naru was at the door now and got his keys out, ready to lock the door from outside. He didn't bother to look at Mai as he walked out.
"Are you coming or not?"Mai saw that the rain didn't deter. She walked out, too embarrassed to look at Naru in the face. They both hurried over to his car and quickly got in as the doors unlocked.
Mai slightly shook her head to get some of the water out of her hair, but stopped immediately after the look Naru gave her.
They were quiet for most of the time Naru drove, Mai giving instructions towards her home. She looked out the window trying to simmer down the heat from her cheeks and traced some of the rain drops that were running down her window.
A few minutes later, they had arrived at the building that held her apartment. She got out of the car muttering a small 'thanks' at Naru and hurried over to her apartment door. She rummaged through her purse and jean pockets looking for her house keys.
She slapped her wet forehead and remembered where she had put them. They were in a drawer in her desk at the SPR building.
"Damnit!" she muttered under her breath. She looked over to see if Naru had left yet, but by some miracle, he was still there. By that time he must've decided to leave because the engine to his car started up again.
A knock from the window to the passenger's side stopped him from pressing down on the gas pedal. He looked over to see a soaking wet brunette. She was smiling sheepishly.
"What is it?" he asked as he rolled down the window. Mai looked embarrassed and uncomfortable.
"Umm…well, I kind of left the keys to my house back at the office…", she shifted from foot to foot, "Do you think we can go back to get them?" she asked blushing.
Naru sighed and motioned for her to get in and she obediently did. Mai tried her best not to wet her seat much, but knew that her attempt was futile. She knew that her boss was annoyed at her by the way he drove.
"Hey…this isn't the way to the office. Where are we going?" Mai looked around at the unfamiliar streets around her. She heard an exasperated sigh next to her.
"We're going over to my place." Answered the bored voice next to her. Mai didn't have time to question him seeing how they had quickly arrived at his apartment or house or whatever.
He got out of the car without another word, making Mai do the same thing reluctantly. They both hurried over to the front door to his home, his key already in his hand. He unlocked it and ushered Mai inside.
Both Mai and Naru were soaked wet and she was shivering. To her surprise a towel and some ill-fitting close were thrown to her. She looked at the handsome man in front of her with a funny look.
"Hurry and take a bath. I don't want a sick person to work for me. The bathroom is right next to you." Naru said as he went in a room, presumably his. Even though she was embarrassed, she couldn't stop herself from hurrying to the bathroom that screamed out 'warm and relaxing'.
It took her no more than thirty minutes to take a shower, change her clothes, and get out. Mai looked around for her handsome yet narcissistic boss.
"Naru? " she asked out loud. A groan was heard from a room that looked like the kitchen and she quickly ran to it and saw Naru on the floor. His clothes were changed to a dry outfit. His breathing was rasped.
"Naru! Are you alright? What's wrong?" she kneeled down next to him and looked at him frantically. Mai touched his forehead only to find the temperature very high.
She didn't know how she managed to get him to his room and make him lay down, but there she was, taking his shoes off and running to his kitchen to get a cold cloth for his forehead.
As soon as she went inside his room, she put the cloth on his forehead. She didn't know what else to do. He looked uncomfortable in his clothes and found it necessary to unbutton his shirt and take it off. Mai would've blushed on a different occasion, but his current state made her push away those thoughts at the back of her brain.
She went back to the kitchen to wet the cloth again. Before she left, she opened the fridge to find the reason of his fever.
It was completely empty, aside from a carton of milk and a box of eggs. This pissed her off completely. 'No wonder he's very sick. Damn that guy!' she screamed in her head while carrying a cup of water.
She set the cup of water down on the bed-side table and put the wet cloth back on his forehead, frowning down at him. 'How could he be so reckless?' she focused her gaze on the floor. A motion of the unconscious boy made her turn her attention back to him, putting a hand to his cheek.
"Naru, are you ok? How do you feel?" she looked at him worriedly. He opened his eyes slowly and looked at her, almost glaring.
"I'm fine. Now, go away." He turned to his side, the cloth falling down beside him. Mai puffed her cheeks. After all she had done for him, he was shooing her away like a pest? Oh no! Nobody did that to Mai Taniyama. Nobody. Not even the man she had come to love with all her might.
She walked to the side of the bed that he was facing and turned him around to lie on his back other than his side.
"Like that will ever happen you narcissist." She whispered fiercely. Again he opened his eyes and looked up at how close she was, and to Mai's surprise and pleasure. He kissed her on the lips. They broke apart a minute after, gasping for air.
"Naru, what are you…?" she didn't finish her sentence, due to another kiss being planted on her lips. Little did she know that she was being pulled onto the bed with him. His kisses distracting her completely.
His lips reached her ear and whispered three words that made her resistance melt until there was nothing left.
"You're mine, Mai." He said before continuing his parade of kisses.
Never before had she felt him like this. His warm touch, the smoothness of his skin, and the closeness of his body. She moaned with delight at his careful touch. Not wanting it to end, she kissed him back with her heart in her mouth. His kisses were mixed. They went from lustful, to sweet and innocent then, to passionate, yet she loved the taste of them.
She had imagined what his kisses were like before, but never knew that his real kisses were a thousand times much better. His kisses were never ending, while she had just the same passion to her kisses as him.
Naru had gotten on top of her and proceeded on kissing her on the neck, making her moan again. Mai's hand trailed down his back, his kisses her more and more passionate than before.
Sometime later, both of the teens were sound asleep. Mai laying down on his chest, while Naru hugged her. Their bare bodies touching and warming each other up.
The rain had calmed down to a relaxing drizzle the next morning, the clouds hiding the sun from view. Naru's eyes opened slowly and looked down at the sleeping brunette. He didn't feel sick anymore, but he put a hand to his forehead just in case. It was at normal temperature. He carefully unwounded himself from Mai to avoid waking her up, putting some boxers on after getting up.
"What have I done?" he whispered to himself, running a hand through his dark, silky hair. Sure he had loved to be with her that night, but what would happen if she found out that he had done that on instinct and that his mind was in a turmoil. He sighed quietly and headed to the bathroom.
'What is this…feeling? Every time I'm with her I feel happy. And last night…I couldn't consider that as a mistake, but I don't know what I'll say to her after she wakes up. Will she be angry? Will she scream and begin to hate me? Ugh…not knowing what you feel is the worst thing in the world. Especially with a girl that won't stop shadowing you for a second. Masako Hara. What a pest' Naru thought as he washed his face and brushed his teeth. He took another second to look at himself longer in the mirror in front of him.
"Why aren't you here when I need you the most, Gene?" he whispered to the mirror and left the bathroom. A piercing scream made him run to his room.
"What's wrong?!" he asked the disturbed brunette, who was covering herself with the bed sheets.
"Did we…last night…how did…why…?" he raised an eyebrow at the unfinished questions she was spluttering out. She looked around and out of the window. To her it looked as if it was just before eight.
"Are you planning on finishing any of your questions?" he asked sounding bored. Mai was blushing very hard and she immediately put some clothes on.
"I want to go home now." Mai said, tears in her eyes. Naru couldn't stand to see her like that, so he quickly got dressed, and they both made their way to his car half an hour later.
Mai didn't say a word the whole way to the SPR building and back to her house. She got out of the car not caring to thank him and went inside her apartment hurriedly.
~*End of Flashback*~
Tear drops fell down on the counter. Mai's head was bent down low, her bangs covering her eyes. The tea kettle had started to make a high pitched sound, signaling that the water was boiling.
She quickly poured some water in a cup and got the rest of the things ready to make the tea. The way he liked it. Kazuya Shibuya. The father of her yet to be born child.
Mai made her way to the base, her mind wandering back to painful memories.
~*Flashback*~
Mai had gone back to the SPR building after a brief time of spending some time throwing up in her bathroom. Her friend had called her before she walked in and Mai was informing her of the happenings.
"Mai, tea!" she heard her boss say. She quickly apologized to her friend but didn't hang up. The front door opened but Mai ignored it.
"Yes, Amy. We did it. It was just…I don't even know what to call it. He was going to take me to my house but I forgot my keys, and you already know the rest of the story. And no, it wasn't intentional." She rolled her eyes at the wall.
Unbeknownst to her, the person that had walked in was none other than Masako, who had listened to her whole conversation. Masako's eyes watered and she rapidly walked to Naru's office.
"You and Mai…were together?!" she whispered fiercely. Naru looked up at the angry psychic.
"What are you talking about, Hara-san?" he asked her coldly even though he knew what she was talking about.
"Here's the deal. If you don't pretend that it never happened. I'll reveal your secret. Oh, and let's not forget the most important thing. You have to pretend to be my boyfriend. Understand?" she asked him, with a smug smile. Naru had his cold façade on, but on the inside he was screaming. How the hell did she find out?!
Footsteps could be heard approaching. Knowing who it was, Masako launched herself at Naru and kissed him. A resounding clash was heard, as Mai dropped the tray. Shattered cups and spilled tea were all over the floor. Mai's eyes were wide, not to mention watery at the scene in front of her.
"What…?" she ran out of the room and out of the office before she could finish her own sentence. She broke down in the middle of the street, while some cares honked at her to get out of the way.
Lin was one of them, but he got out and asked her what was wrong. She shook her head and ran away.
A few days later, Mai had found out why she got nauseated easily. She had gone to the pharmacy earlier one day and boutgh some medicine, and as an added precaution she bought a pregnancy test.
When she got home and after she did what she had to, she turned it over in her hand slowly and looked at the answer
It was positive.
Different emotions erupted inside of her. Happiness, sadness, joy, depression. They were a mix of good and bad. Good because she was going to have a baby of the man she loved. Bad because the man she loved, loved another, not to mention that he had used her. Sick or not.
This fact brought tears to her eyes. And she knew that she was going to have to keep quiet about that.
For the next weeks she avoided eye contact with him and wasn't her usual self, unless of course she suddenly forgot about her problems and smiled or laughed wholeheartedly. But in truth, that secret was killing her inside, for not being able to scream it to the world. Yet she wanted to be happy for her, but mostly for her child.
~*End of Flashback*~
She had arrived at the base and knew that her eyes were red, but risked going inside with her head bent down. She set the tray down on the small coffee table that was in the center of the room and dabbed at her eyes, trying many things to make her eyes go back to a normal white. Thinking that her eyes were back to normal, she went over to hand her boss a cup of tea. As usual he avoided his eyes and sat down, waiting for the others to save her from the forever-typing Lin and her narcissistic boss. The pain was unbearable.
"Oh, my god! Mai you have to help me out on something. It's like, super important!" said an exasperated Kagome. She sat herself down next to Mai and looked at her with a serious face.
"I planned a party to be held here in my big bro's house on Friday! And there's going to be lots of people coming! I need help with the decorations and invitations and whatnot." She said looking very tired.
Mai looked at her with an amused expression. A party? During their investigation? Naru was going to be mad. She could tell this case was annoying him and now a party right in the middle of it? This was going to make his anger go through the roof.
"But, I don't think Naru will be alright with that. I mean this might expose us to more casualties. And besides, that's going to piss him off. He never really liked publicity and a party would not make a difference." Mai said tapping her chin with her index finger.
"Oh come on, Mai! Let me handle that weird boss of yours. You just have to help me with the things I'll need for the party. Please?" she put on some puppy dog eyes. Mai had to laugh at that.
"Ok, fine. But it'll probably be a long talk before you can convince him." Kagome smirked at that. She had a mischievous gleam in her eyes, making Mai raise an eyebrow. A few minutes later, the rest of the team went inside the base reporting their discoveries and such.
"Shibuya-san, the maids you wanted to interrogate are here." Ryuuji said, waving his hand across three maids. They looked to be around their late twenties.
Naru looked at them thoroughly and motioned for them to sit. They sat down shyly, their heads bowed down.
"Can you tell us anything?" Naru asked in an uncaring tone. The maids looked up and one of them spoke.
"They were both so young. Poor Sayuri-chan. She was awaiting a child and her husband was absolutely torn after her death." Said the oldest maid.
"As well as Chiyo. She was very happy and exited for her child. It was sad that her…partner wanted no part in parenthood, yet she held her head up high." The younger maids informed, their eyes close to tears.
"Anything else?" asked Bou-san. The youngest of the three maids nodded slowly.
"They both said that they heard voices and that they saw some sort of shadow looking thing behind them when they walked down the Main Hall. They were both afraid, but they didn't want to alarm Lord Ryuuji. It was the same day that they..." She looked at her master, tears running down her cheeks.
Naru gave a significant nod to Ryuuji and he dismissed the maids. There was silence after they were gone. Mai felt sorry for the maids. She knew the feeling of being excited about having a baby. She that feeling first-hand off.
"Do you see the pattern, Lin?" Naru asked him without looking at Lin. Lin nodded. He looked slightly confused.
"He attacked almost everyone in this house, but killed only two women. Both were with child. But the question is why and how did this start. Maybe by a past experience?" he asked, typing something yet again on his laptop.
That alarmed Mai. They had pointed out something that she had failed to notice. The deceased maids were pregnant. And Mai…she was pregnant. Could it be possible that she would meet the same fate?
Worry and horror crept up her face. No. That couldn't happen to her. She couldn't die and end the life of the child that was growing within her. She would give anything, anything at all for her baby to live. But what saddened her most was that Naru didn't know about her baby, and she wouldn't be able to see what he would think of it.
"Mai are you alright?" asked a worried Kagome. Mai looked over at her and tried to compose her facial expression as best as she could and nodded.
Naru had made the team go back around the house to see what they were able to discover. Mai had been ordered to take the temperatures of each room and glad that she wasn't going to be stuck with Naru, she left.
After taking the temperatures from the rooms on the first floor, she went up to the second one. Mai went inside the little storage room and sighed as she saw where the thermometer was. On top of the highest shelf of the room.
"Couldn't Bou-san put it somewhere lower?" she asked herself. Mai started to climb some sturdy boxes and reached up to get the thermometer. The things in the storage room suddenly started to shake violently and the room temperature dropped down really fast.
Mai screamed at the dark shadow that was sauntering towards her. Her scream was high pitched and knew that someone would be able to hear it. Before she could get down from the boxes she was on, something pushed her, making her fall on the floor.
Blood started pouring down from in between her legs and she felt a sharp from her stomach and her back. Mai screamed louder, tears running down her cheeks.
The door swung open revealing Bou-san and John. They quickly did some exorcism spells and the room quieted down. They looked over in horror at the bleeding Mai. They ran to her and Bou-san grabbed her in his arms, running towards the stairs. John followed not so far behind.
"We need to get her to the hospital fast! I'll take her in my car while you inform the others of what happened." screamed the worried father-like monk. John nodded nervously and ran to the base.
In an impossible time of ten minutes, Bou-san arrived at the small town close to Ryuuji's home. He quickly parked in the hospital parking lot and ran in with the unconscious brunette. Mai had fainted in the car due to the pain, while Bou-san drove over eighty miles an hour.
The nurses quickly directed him to a room, making him lie her down on the hospital bed. A doctor and some nurses ushered him out of the room and closed the door.
Bou-san had no idea what to do. He felt so worried and scared for Mai. He walked over to the waiting room, pacing back and forth. Twenty minutes later, the doctor that had attended Mai called him over.
"How's Mai? Is she alright?" Bou-san didn't skip a beat. The doctor nodded, smiling briefly.
"You're daughter is fine, and luckily so is her baby. Good thing you brought them over quickly, if not I wouldn't know what had happened to them." Bou-san got surprised at the doctor assuming that Mai was his daughter, but what knocked him out of his sanity more, was the mention of the baby.
"Baby…you're saying that Mai is pregnant?" Bou-san asked, his mouth hanging open. The doctor nodded giving him a confused look.
"Would you like to see her? She's awake." The doctor asked the gawking monk. Bou-san could only nod. Before the doctor could go inside, a nurse called him over, leaving Bou-san alone with his daughter figure.
"What did the doctor say?" Mai asked biting her lip and looking at him as if her life depended on his answer.
"He said that you were fine…you and your baby." Mai's face relaxed at his answer, but quickly turned to one of realization.
"When were you planning on telling us that you were pregnant, Mai? After the child was born?" Bou-san asked with his tone hinting off some anger. Mai bit her lip and looked down at her hands.
"Does everyone else know?" she kept her head down. Bou-san sighed and sat next to her.
"No. They haven't gotten here yet. But Mai, why didn't you tell me or anybody else about your current condition?" his eyes were a little sad at the mistrust of the brunette. Mai sighed and looked up at him.
"I didn't mean to make you think that I don't trust you. I just didn't want you to ask those penetrating questions that I'm pretty sure you're going to ask me now." She responded slightly smiling. Bou-san hugged her.
"How long? And who's the father." He whispered softly while stroking her hair. Mai took five minutes before she answered.
"One month and the father is…" but before she could finish the doctor came in.
"Ah. How are you feeling Taniyama-san? I'm glad to inform you that you and your child are safe, but I want you to take better care of yourself. By some miracle you didn't lose your baby." He finished sternly. Mai gave him a slight smile.
"I'm fine and thank you for saving him doctor. When can I leave?" she asked him, Bou-san still hugging her.
"As soon as your father signs some papers, you can leave. Oh and some of your friends are here and are demanding to see you. Should I let them in?" Mai wanted to correct him that she didn't have a father but Bou-san put a hand over her mouth and nodded at the doctor, giving him permission to leave and bringing the rest of the team up.
"Bou-san please don't let the doctor tell them that I'm pregnant!" she begged him. Bou-san sighed at her and nodded.
"Thank you. And someone has to tell him that I'm an orphan. How can my father sign some papers if he's dead?" she tilted her head. The monk smiled at that.
"Actually, Mai. He thinks that I'm your father. So, my beautiful yet stubborn daughter, I'll be right back." He winked at her and left. Not long after, the rest of the SPR went in, even Masako, Kagome, and Ryuuji. Mai smiled nervously at them while they bombarded her with questions. She couldn't stop her eyes from glancing from time to time at Naru, whose eyes were very cold and his jaw set tight.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Can we refrain from making her deaf? She's already in the hospital and they're about to let her go. She doesn't need to stay here longer." Bou-san had come in and sat himself next to her.
"What happened to her? John just informed us that she got hurt and started bleeding, but nothing else." Ayako said as she sat on the other side of Mai. The brunette looked down at her hands by this point.
"She cut her legs when she fell. Some ghost tried to attack her, and it looked to be that 'shadow' that Kagome-san's father had seen. It was really creepy. That much I can say." He didn't hesitate at lying for her. Mai knew she loved Bou-san dearly. The doctor was right to consider him as her father. She slightly smiled.
The room got quiet and Mai couldn't believe that they actually fell for the lie. She couldn't stand the silence and looked up.
"You know, the doctor thought that Bou-san was my father." She cracked a smile. Not long after, the people in her room laughed. Bou-san sulked.
"Aww, Mai-chan. Why did you have to tell them that?" he poked her cheek and she giggled.
"Because I consider all of you to be my family. And having someone to call 'dad' after a long time, is kind of nice. And I wouldn't mind being able to call you that…" she added softly. The others in the room grew quiet. Only two people didn't understand what was going on, but knew it had to do something with Mai's parents.
Bou-san smiled softly and hugged her tightly. Stroking her hair he said, "You can call me that anytime you want, Mai." The others couldn't stop the smiles that were on their faces. The scene before them was so sweet.
An hour later they were back at the mansion, Bou-san by Mai's side all the time. It was starting to annoy Naru. 'That damn monk is getting a little too touchy with Mai for his own good' he thought venomously, while glaring at Bou-san.
Sure the monk and the brunette had just declared each to be father and daughter figures to each other, but that didn't meant that Bou-san had to be too close to her.
No matter how hard he tried, Naru couldn't resist himself from pushing the monk away and he himself helping the young brunette back inside the house. Mai blushed at him and Masako glared at her in return.
Naru had had enough of being told what to do by the female psychic and at that moment he didn't give a shit if she spilled his secret right then and there. That morning, he had decided that he was going to reveal his secret to his bubbly assistant and the rest of the team.
As soon as they went inside, they were ushered to the dining room by Kagome. They sat down, and to Mai's relief, she was seated in between Kagome and Bou-san.
They all ate comfortably, Mai made sure of that. She didn't want their lunch to be ruined by her incident. She talked and laughed at some of the jokes Ryuuji said. To her great relief, everyone was loosened up. She smiled at that. Mai never did like it when she made anybody else worry for her, and she wasn't going to start liking it now.
After lunch, they all headed back to the base. They all chatted and Mai went to the kitchen to make tea for Naru, who was getting irritated by the minute. Before she made her way to the kitchen, the doorbell rang. Not seeing any maids, she went over and opened it. She smiled and immediately hugged the person.
"Madoka, you're here!" she let go and looked at the smiling lady before her. She had some jeans on, a simple shirt, and a coat. She also had her bag with her and some folders in her hands.
"Mai-chan, I'm so glad that you're the first person I get to see. I'm hoping to get to see Lin afterwards." She winked at the smiling brunette. Mai laughed at that.
"I was just about to make some tea, but if you want me to. I'll take you to the base first." Mai tilted her head. Madoka shook hers.
"No, let me help you. That way we can give them a little surprise. What do you say to that?" she was inside now, walking with Mai towards the kitchen.
"Thanks! It won't take long I promise. Wouldn't want to keep Lin waiting." She winked at Madoka as they went in and headed over to the stove. As the water boiled, Mai and Madoka talked about random things and informed each other of new things in their lives.
They were still talking as they got to the base, Mai carrying the tray as Madoka told her of how she came to their client's home.
"Naru called me yesterday morning. He told me to do some research on this house and asked me if I could help him with this case. I know, it was strange of how he asked for help. I think there will be a snowstorm coming soon." They both laughed at that and went inside.
Madoka's presence startled the members along with the twin siblings. That moment was quickly replaced by the greetings that they exchanged to one another. Mai had handed a cup of tea to Naru and one to Madoka.
"I hope you don't mind Misaki-san, but I called in for extra help." Naru said with a I've-already-done-it-so-you-can't-do-anything-about-it tone. Kagome laughed at him while Ryuuji glared, not caring to hide it.
"No. I don't mind at all, Shibuya-san." His hands were clenched in tight fists. There was a tense moment before Madoka finally decided to break up their silent fight.
"Look here Naru, do you want to know what I found out or not. And don't you start getting an attitude with the man that hired you. You know better than that." Madoka gave him a stern look. Naru sighed, while Ryuuji smirked.
"Fine, Madoka-san. What did you find out?" he asked her coldly and everybody in the base turned their attention to the sweet, yet stern woman.
OMG! I know this chapter probably sucked, and I apologize if I didn't describe the 'love' scene correctly. I don't know what that would feel like. I haven't even had my first kiss yet!! –Blushes- ^///^
Umm…forget I said that. Anyway, if you have any suggestions on how I should continue, please tell me.
And the most important thing of all, thanks for the reviews and the courage you guys give me to continue this story!! -Bows-