I do Not own the Anime/Manga Ghost Hunt, or its characters.

A/N: Sorry for not updating as quickly as ususal. I'm now helping plan a wedding - can you believe it?! - and I won't be able to updat 2 or 3 chapters a day anymore - but I will update once every two days at least.

I sat on my futon, knee tapping the ground in irritation and bordom as I sat Indian style. Monk and Ayako had enforced the room with wardings, had left me with protective wardings on paper and set up a camera in the room to keep an eye on me while they worked. We also had a walkie talkies set up, so I could ask for something. I had my holy water and bible - Mai had grabbed them after the attack - and the book I had been

But my head hurt from reading for too long and I had rummaged through my bag to find something to do.

Which was why I was now playing solitare. And losing. Growling, I swiped the deck, effectivly scattering the cards. Huffing, I wished that the medicine Monk had given me would work and get rid of this fever. The one thing I hated even worse than the cold was being sick - for exactly this reason. Because I wasn't allowed to do anything - let alone actually help with this case - I was stuck trying to entertain myself.

I put my hand on my fist, my elbow on my knee, and stared into the camera.

Eventually, I gathered the cards and started again.

-X-

I looked at the clock for the third time in the past ten minutes. Noon. Lunch time. Mai said she and Monk would visit as soon as they could, which would be in the next few minutes. Right? I mean, noon was always when Naru let everyone go for lunch. That is, if we were all awake and had a morning's worth of work under our belt.

Unless something had happened.

I looked at the hand held device they had left with me. The camera they had set up didn't have audio. I reached for it and weighed my options. If it was important, I shouldn't interrupt. But, what if...what if someone was hurt? What if they needed my help? I clicked the button, waited for the static...

Only, there wasn't any.

I shook it, held it up to my ear. Nothing. Frowning, I tried talking into it, but knew it hadn't transmitted the sound of my voice - let alone the actual words. I waved at the camera and waited a full five minutes before getting up.

I began to pace.

I needed to know what was happening, but we had no form of communication. Lin had confiscated my cell after he caught Mai relaying what they were doing every five minutes. Monk and Ayako had been fuming, yelling at me for not resting. Naru knew it wasn't safe to leave me alone, alone so he gave me a spare walkie talkie in case of emergencies.

And it wasn't working.

I grabbed my holy water and the wards they had left me with.

If they weren't answering, I was going to them. I had tried twice to communicate, and they hadn't come yet. I looked at the door, dread curling in my gut. She had dragged me up the stairs, had me thrown out a fourth story window, had tried to drown me...what else could she do?

But, deep down, I knew she wouldn't hurt me - not anymore.

With a steadying breath, I hobbled to the door. My legs were aching from the fall, as was everything else. Large bruises covered my neck and shoulders, which had taken most of the water's impact, and cuts lined were the weeds had latched onto me. My face, arm, waist, -from where she had touched me - fingers and toes no longer had a bluish tint to them, but a fever had taken residence. Already, I was shaking from exertion.

Just another reason to hate, hate, hate being sick.

I touched the door knob, only to pull back with a gasp. It was so cold, it burned. The blue on my fingertips resurfaced and they ached as they had a few hours ago, and I could feel my heart rate pick up. I knew what it meant. She was out there. Waiting.

I looked down at my hand, where the paper was wrapped around my metal container. I let them fall to the floor - Naru was gonna kill me; I was being so incredibly stupid - and pulled my black long sleeve down to cover my hand. I pushed the door open.

And there she stood.

She smiled at me, eyes glittering with tears, "Good afternoon, John."

In spite of myself, I smiled. "Good morning, Miss...?"

"Kayla." She hugged herself. Her hair was tied back into the braid, her jacket a bright shade of red - something Christmas-like. Cherry and joyful. Nausea rolled in my gut at the thought of what she endured. She looked away, "I was born in America, and my dad moved to Japan when mom died. He grew up here, and taught me the culture and language growing up."

"I'm so sorry," I murmured, looking away.

"Its okay." She choked. "You weren't the one who..."

I nodded, understanding. I felt the need to rip the wardings down. I wanted to let her in, to talk to her. But I couldn't risk Monk's safety for my piece of mind. I stpped out into the hall, looking both ways, "Where's your hell hound?"

Looking startled, she asked, "How-How'd you know?"

"I'm a priest," I said sadly. "It's what I do."

She looked down, "He's out protecting my grave. Your friends are outside and they're too close for my liking."

"Alright." I took a deep breath. "Kayla, I need you to renounce your deal. Neither side is complete, and if you'll let me, I can I take care of your debt."

"No." She hissed, eyes hard. She was staring intently, dark eyes like burning coals. "He has to pay. He's still alive, still here. Once I get to him, I can rest."

"Tell me his name," I pleaded, taking a step closer. "Tell me what happened. Tell me where you're buried. Tell me everything you can and I will see your justice done, Kayla. Please, let me help you."

The tears fell free, "I told them. I told them and told them and told them. But they wouldn't listen, wouldn't let me go to the cops, wouldn't let me leave, wouldn't let me call my dad. They wanted to keep it contained; it might ruin their image. They said I was the one lying. They protected him. Why? John, why is it they protect them but never us? Never the victims."

It's just how the world works. It doesn't matter what country you're in. My words to Monk came back to me, haunting me with its truth. I sighed; this was one of the few times that my faith wavered, that what I was taught - what I believed in - couldn't answer, couldn't explain and didn't help. My answer was miserable, "I don't know."

She hiccupped, burying her face in her hands. "I hated this! I hate it! My mom's in heaven, and I'm going to hell! My dad's all alone! They told him I ran away! He's all alone and I can't-I can't tell him..."

I took another step forward, "Kayla, look at me." She peeked through her fingers and I gave her as comforting smile, "Tell me where your buried. He'll know. Tell me what you want him to know and I'll tell him. I'll help every way I can, but you need to help yourself as well. Renounce the deal. Let me pay the debt."

She shook her head mournfully, once more crying, "Its too late to renounce it, John. Its too late. Nara is dead. It was part of the deal. She protected her son when he was a liar. And I'm not buried. My grave is water and going to be ripped down and built over and no one's gonna know." Her voice hardened, her jacket and hair shifting. Her voice grew, wind tearing down the corridor, "I'LL KILL THEM ALL!"

"John!" Lin, Monk and Mai rounded the corner that moment. The moment they saw her and she them, she locked eyes with me. She screamed in hatred, yelling in English. I staggered and hit the door frame before she vanished. My legs gave out as I realized she wouldn't let me help her. That she wanted to go to hell, to be there to help torture him throughout the decades to come.

Mai and Monk were there, seconds later. Mai put her hands on my shoulders, brown eyes wide with fear and worry, "John are you okay?!"

I could hear Lin on the phone, could see Monk's worried face out of the corner of my eye. For a moment, everything seemed distant - like there was a heavy fog - but then Monk grabbed my arm, shaking me roughly, "John, answer us, man!"

"I-I'm fine." My voice was sounded shaken to my own ears.

And then, everything clicked into place.

"Damn it! Your fever is - "

But the rest of what he was going to say was swallowed by a yelp as I got up and shoved past them, bolting down the corridor.

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