I don't own Ghost Hunt. Ok so i hope you guys like this. There should be about two more chapter. Chapter 18 ends the plot and 19 is the bonus chapter/story.

Chapter 17

The returned to England after being in Japan for about a month. There had been a lot of legal matters and red tape that they had to go through. It was a cloudy day. They were all inside the church for Gene's funeral. Naru sat there not even listening to the words being spoken.

His thoughts kept going back to Mai. He always thought about her. He had no contact with her. He knew nothing and it was starting to eat away at him. How was she doing now? She must have a new guardian. Naru wondered who it was. He hoped it was someone who she could trust and depend on. She needed stability. He kept think about the days in the office..

"Mai, tea." He would say to her.

"Coming right up!" she would reply happily and smile.

"Your getting smarter everyday." He would make fun of her.

"You jerk!" she would get angry and yell.

Naru found himself smiling as he thought about those times together. When he would walk down the street he would see someone who looked like Mai. He would mistake them for her and run after them only to be disappointed. He had though about calling the other SPR members, but they were not exactly happy with him when he left.

Yasuhara had channeled all his anger at him. They were all upset about what happened to Mai and that Naru knew and didn't tell them. He had broken their trust. He had lost their respect. He was surprised by how much they all meant to him. He had always thought they were annoying and yet now he also remembered all the times together.

"So what are we going to do today? I hope you plan to horse around!" Yasuhara said. Everyone tried very hard to keep their laughter in. Of course they had learned about what had happened to Naru. Not the full details, but it wasn't hard to see that Naru had pissed off the horse and got bucked. Mai told them that he had fallen in the swamp and that he probably felt sick from that and the heat.

Naru scowled and slammed his cup back down on the table. Even though he had known this was going to happen, was not going to sit there and take it. Everyone quit laughing.

"Well today I thought we could go swimming and then I could show you the lake and the town." She told them. They got their swim suits on and went to the pool.

"Cannonball!" shouted Monk as he jumped in. He splashed them all. Ayako was laying out on a lounge chair. She shrieked and waved her fist at Monk.

"Right behind you!" Mai shouted as she jumped in after him.

"Tarzan style!" Yasuhara picked up Masako and jumped in. She screamed and then started to laugh. Naru and Lin were also sitting by the pool. Lin was reading a book and Naru reading a file.

"Hey Naru, Lin, Why don't you guys get in?" John shouted.

"I'd prefer not to." was all Naru said which was more than Lin who said nothing.

"Ok it's time for chicken fights!" Monk declared. "John you are the judge. Mai will be on my team and Yasu and Masako are the other team."

He remembered how Yasuhara and Mai danced that day in the barn and how Yasuhara would sing along. He had always refused to join in their fun and had always been so cold them, yet they still stood by him.

They mourners made their way to the cemetery. The service continued as they sat in the folding chairs. The mourners lined up and paid their final respects before heading back to the cars. Naru stayed behind his parents went off to talk with the rest of the group. Naru looked around and noticed Peter talking to a girl. She looked like Mai. Naru was doing it again.

Wait a minute he thought. He looked around and saw Monk and Ayako talking to Lin and Madoka in the distance. Masako, Yasuhara, and John joined Peter and the girl. That meant that the girl could very well be Mai. She hugged Peter and then turned to look right at Naru. Naru felt his heart quicken. It was Mai. She was walking towards him now.

"Hey, Naru." She said and smiled at him.

"Mai you're here?" Naru was surprised.

"Yup flew out two days ago. I don't know how you guys can stand the rain." She joked with him. She was still Mai.

"How are you?" he asked her. He was having trouble finding the right words.

"I'm better. Its been a little rough, but I was released into the custody of my two new guardians." She pointed to Monk and Ayako. "They told my trustee that they loved me like I was their own and that I needed them more than ever now."

"And he just let them take you?" Naru asked.

"Well no. I told him that I don't really trust as easily as I use to and that I have my full trust in them and that I did need them. He said ok and now we getting a new apartment in my building for all of us. I even got a puppy now." She pulled out her cell and showed him a picture of the little white fuzz ball.

"So how have Snook and Sparky adapted to that?" he asked.

"Hmm well Sparky likes to play with him and Snook just sits there and could care less." She laughed and Naru found himself smirking as he imagined the cats and the puppy.

"I have had a lot of time to think about everything." She said quietly. "I lost my parents when I was young. You would think that I would be angry about it, but I'm not. I miss them, but if I hadn't had lost them I wouldn't have found you guys. Maybe the bad things wouldn't have happened, but I can't imagine my life without all of you. That is what keeps me positive." She smiled at him.

"I understand now too. I will always miss my brother, but if he didn't go to Japan I don't like to think what would have happened to you." He looked at Mai she seemed to flinch a little, but quickly got over it and smiled again. "If I didn't go to look for him then I wouldn't have met everyone. I wouldn't have met you and I don't know what I would have become." He laughed "Gene told me I would become a miser. He told me I had to open up."

"If you didn't come to Japan, what would have happened to all those people from those cases? Some of them would have been dead by now. Its so strange how when you feel like you've lost a part of yourself, you gain something new, something stronger and more alive. Like pruning trees and shrubs!" she had been calm and then exclaimed that last sentence.

"Pruning?" Naru asked.

"You cut back the trees and shrubs. In the spring new growth appears and they are healthier. At least I think that's how it's supposed to work…." She thought about it and then smiled and laughed.

"Do you still see Gene?" Naru was curious. Mai got very serious.

"I actually saw him right after they recovered him body. I'll tell you what happened if you like." Naru nodded in response.

Mai's dream

She was no longer in the dark world anymore this place was beautiful. There were flowers everywhere. The sky was bright and blue. She sucked in the sweet smelling air. She spun around and stretched her arms up in the air. She heard someone laughing and she stopped to look. (think Lovely Bones and Howl's Moving Castle)

"Hello Mai." Gene smiled at her. He was in a white button shirt and dark jeans. He was smiling brightly at her.

"Gene…" Mai looked at him for a minute and then ran to him. "Gene!" she cried as she ran into his out stretched arms.

"ooff" Gene let out as Mai made contact with him. "I missed you too Mai." She was hugging him tightly.

"I'm sorry I was so mean to you!" she cried to him. "I don't hate you. It wasn't you fault. You saved me." She said everything so fast.

"Easy there Mai. None of that matters now. It's all over. Leave it in the past. We all have to more forward." He told her gently.

"Why is this place so different? It's so beautiful." She said in awe.

"This is your world Mai. It's a reflection of you. Now that my body has been found I have more power and can help you more."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm no longer bond. I'm free to move. I can come back when needed to guide you, but not always. As your powers developed and you began to enter different planes, we met in one that I could get to. I was limited. Now that you can remember, you have already begun to heal. This is evidence of that." He motioned to the world around him. "Before this it was dead, but now look."

"I don't understand."

"This is your plane. You created it. It suites your personality. See the trees there?" he pointed to the forests beyond the meadow. "If you look closely you can see the scars on this world." Mai looked around. Some of the flowers looked wilted and some of the trees looked partially dead. "Those are you injuries. They area healing and soon they will be stronger than ever. Your new growth."

"So this is my dream plane?" she asked.

"Yes, but you are not limited to just this world. You can travel outside. I can meet you here now or anywhere else that you call me to."

"So I will see you again?" she asked He smiled at her.

"Yes Mai you will." He held her hand now. "Take care little sister. You have to go back now and move forward."

"Bye Gene. You would have been a cool big brother." She turned and ran up the hill and woke up in her room.

Back to the present.

"I haven't seen him since then, but I haven't needed him yet. I'm moving forward with my life." Mai told him.

"I'm glad. Maybe someday we can have that date." Naru said.

"Maybe sooner than you think." She smiled at him. "Do you think I could meet your parents?" she asked. "I would like to pay my respects to them."

"I know that they would love to meet you. My mother keeps asking about you." He laughed. He noticed that the sky had brightened and cleared. The sun shone down and made the flowers and everything look brighter. He took her hand and led her over to his parents.

Life was could be hard. Nature was brutal at times. Gene had been right all along. He knew that once Naru found that person, he would open up and start living for real. He had lost a lot and she had she. More than anyone should ever have to go through, but they had gained so much in return. They will always remember what they have lost, but more importantly they will remember what they have gained

OK i hope you guys have enjoyed this story. I want to thank everyone for the positive reviews and for adding this to your favorites and etc. Please Review.