A/N: Sorry for the wait! Here is the next chapter, not too much going on...but please enjoy it anyway! I own nothing! Please let me know what you think! Thanks!

They were heading to a small resort type location that was surrounded by forest, winding roads, and many small inland lakes; one of which contained the missing body of Naru's twin brother that he has been searching for since he first arrived in Japan well over a year ago.

The case in and of itself was fairly mundane based off of the initial reports, but Lin knew that Naru's mind was anywhere other than on the case. The tenants and owners complained of strange activity in and around their inn. Some people complained of the lakes changing color, or seeing uncanny forms in or around the water. Other people complained more about the occurrences within the hotel itself; ghostly forms in the hallways, common areas, and baths or unexplainable noises during the night.

Usually a case such as this would not interest Naru much but there was more to it than the run of the mill ghosts and rapping; the fish in the ponds, the animals in the forest, and the birds in the gardens had all disappeared with out a trace. The area surrounding the resort was devoid of life; a radius of lifelessness.

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Mai made her way home slowly. She didn't want to get to her destination…she knew what was waiting for her there. She cringed at the thought. "I don't want to deal with this…"

"Taniyama-san" a male voice broke Mai from her thoughts and she realized she had already made it to her apartment. "Good afternoon."

"Good afternoon." Mai replied softly as she slid her way past him and opened her door gingerly. She paused at the entry way and gestured for him and his colleague to enter. "You can take a seat in the living room. I will be right back with tea."

The guests nodded and Mai hurried to her kitchen. She recalled the events of a few days earlier; it was strikingly similar to now. It was the same two people that had come to inform her that she was ineligible to be living the way she was. They told her then that she would have to go into foster care; they had even handed over all the documentation and information concerning the matter. It made Mai sick to her stomach.

"Sorry for the wait." Mai apologized as she placed steaming tea cups on the coffee table before them. She took a seat across from them and waited for the inevitable.

"Have you considered your options?" The older woman tried to speak sincerely but Mai could tell she probably didn't much care about the whole situation.

"I have." Mai spoke softly but confidently, though she shyly hid her hand on her lap. She wasn't ready yet to say what she knew she was going to have to.

"And?" The woman prompted a little too eagerly. "Everything is in order on our end. We just need that paper work we gave you and we will be good to go."

"That won't be necessary…" Mai met the woman's eyes and placed a manila folder upon the table…with her left hand. "I was recently married and taken into my husband's home. He and I have been dating for over a year…" She knew it was a lie, but it was a necessary one. "I explained my situation to his family and they gave us their heartfelt consent and we were wed yesterday."

"…" The woman said nothing as she examined the papers within the folder, her eyes darting critically over the words. Her eyes flickered up for a moment and examined the ring on Mai's finger with an equally critical eye. "Congratulations, Shibuya-san. Everything seems to be in order." She gestured to her secretary and he soon produced a folder of his own that he placed on the table top."

"What's this?" Mai inquired questioningly.

"If that is the case, which it appears to be, then we are going to have to ask you to leave your apartment. This here is the documentation of your lease. You were going to have to leave your apartment one way or the other; foster care or by other means." The woman finished smugly.

"Wait…" Mai started, not knowing what else to say. "Why do I have to move out of my apartment right now?" Mai could not comprehend what the two were trying to tell her.

"Well, dear…you will move in with your husband immediately since you are his wife!" She laughed complacently. "Please have all your belongings boxed and packed. The movers will be here tomorrow to pick up everything. I will inform them of the address of your new residence. They will be here later this afternoon to drop off boxes for you."

Mai stared in shock at what the woman had just said. Mai suspected that the haughty woman was so sure of herself that she already had cancelled her lease on her apartment and she needed to be out as soon as humanly possible. Mai could not have been more correct about the situation. "B-but…I am not going to be home tomorrow to let the movers in, nor will my husband be home to let them in when they get to his house…"

The older woman raised an eye brow and Mai suddenly realized the weight of her words. There was no way she could tell them that they were leaving on a case since her 'husband' was her boss and that he was a ghost hunter. They would probably drag her off kicking and screaming to some orphanage hours away. "W-we are going on a honeymoon tomorrow morning!" Mai smiled as best she could and quickly ducked into her bag and produced a brochure to the inn they were heading to. The woman scrutinized the paper. Luckily Mai had marked the leaflet with the time they were leaving and other information about what she had to remember to bring; that would help give credibility to her story, even though it was not a total lie.

"Hmmm…well dear, why don't you leave me your keys? Pack up today and lock up after you leave tomorrow. I will meet the movers here tomorrow for you, lock up after they leave, and follow them to a storage garage." She nodded her head and her straight-laced looking secretary was already on his cell phone. A few words were exchanged and he soon hung up and nodded to his boss.

"A representative will drop off keys tonight to the garage that we have rented for your use. You have three weeks to move your belongings." The man explained succinctly.

"You and your husband can pick up your things from there when you return from your honeymoon." With that they stood and bid Mai farewell. The woman took Mai's spare key and numbers in case of an emergency and like that they were gone.

Mai couldn't help but feel as if she had just been swept up in some kind of storm. The two adults had dragged her along at their hair-raising pace and practically forced her to conform to their plans. Mai decided that later she would find their agency and have a few words with their superior; a few very colorful words…

Maybe if she didn't have so much on her plate already she would have put up more of a fight, more resistance to what they were doing…but now…now Mai didn't have the energy. All she could do was sigh and comply wordlessly…resign to her fate…

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True to what they had said, the movers arrived shortly there after with the boxes. Not an hour later, a person came by with a set of keys and directions on a small square of paper to the location of the storage garage. Mai thanked him and got back to work…

She had a long night ahead of her…

A/N: Poor Mai! I guess when it rains, it pours! I got a new horse yesterday! I have been so BUSY! I will try to update soon, please review!