A/N: Moving right along! I hope you enjoy this chapter!
Mai awoke to a dimmed, quiet room. Had she fallen asleep after her bath? Color drained from her face in an instant as her mind recalled the events of the bath. She resisted the urge to scream and opted instead to duck under the covers on her bed and hide. Hide from what she didn't know, but she was beyond embarrassed.
Mai didn't know how she would ever face Naru again, the embarrassment would be too much…it would be overwhelming! He would tease and mock her…probably say her body was inadequate in some way…
'No!' Mai thought in horror. He had seen her body! 'No, its fine…I am his wife. He is supposed to be able to see me. But, he is so perfect…' her mind started to wander as she recalled the images of him in the bath. His skin was so light and his body was slender but toned…Mai started to blush all over again at the direction her thoughts were taking her.
"Mai, are you feeling better?" Mai gasped and peeked from under the covers. Naru was standing in the doorway giving her a quizzical look. "Would you like some tea?"
"You would actually make me some tea?" Mai looked skeptical.
Naru smirked, lifting his cup up for her to see. "It's already made, the maid brought it." He laughed on the inside at Mai's puffed up, angry face. "Well?"
"Yes please…" she mumbled.
Naru soon returned with a warm cup of tea and placed it gently in her waiting hands, though Mai refused to look at him in the eyes. She was not ready for that yet…she may as well die before doing that. She took a slow sip of the fragrant tea…it was delicious. She could feel herself calming down. Tea had always helped her relax…
"Thank you…" she whispered as she took another sip.
"Are you hungry?" Naru asked nonchalantly as he sipped his own tea.
Now that he mentioned it, Mai was rather hungry. She had not eaten earlier since she really didn't feel like adding food to her stomach when her mind was consumed with such horrendous thoughts…but now that she had time to relax and calm down, Mai's appetite seemed to have returned. "Yeah…" she affirmed.
"Stay here, I will bring something back." Naru turned away and headed for the exit. "You should stay here…" he turned toward her and smirked deeply, "you probably want to rest after such an entertaining show."
Naru left the room and walked down the hall toward the base room, a smirk plastered to his face the whole way. He had left Mai speechless and beat red, it was highly amusing. He was never going to let this one down…it was just too good.
-x-
"Where are the others?" Naru said as he entered the empty room.
Lin paused his typing long enough to answer. "They all are out, probably in the baths or the game room knowing a certain monk."
"I see…" Naru lazily answered.
"I just got off the phone with Madoka." Lin commented dryly.
"Oh?" Naru didn't feel like listening to this, but he knew he had to…he was rather obligated after all.
"She was disappointed that you were not the one to inform them."
"It couldn't be helped; I had other things to attend to." Naru replied as he took a seat.
"Yes, yes." Lin knew the truth but he wasn't going to fight it. It was probably better for him anyway to be the one to call…he was able to keep a cool head. "She was glad to hear that Mai and the others girls are alright. She is looking forward to the full report."
"I am sure she will be…" Naru resisted rolling his eyes. "Did she say anything else?"
"No, just to keep her updated." Lin chuckled softly, "You know how she gets when you keep her in the dark."
Naru let a small smile break through, "I know."
"How is Mai doing?" Lin stopped working and turned his attention towards Naru. The boy immediately plastered a devious grin to his face, as if he was recalling the most amusing thing ever. This made Lin very curious about what had transpired since the both of them had left the room earlier in the afternoon.
"She is doing fine as far as I can tell; she is resting in our room right now." He said ambiguously.
"Oh?" Lin questioned, "Did something happen?"
Naru debated with himself if he should tell Lin or not. It was nice having the option of getting it off his chest when he did want to talk…to someone that he could trust. "She asked if she was my wife…" Naru finally relinquished. It was true after all that she had said that.
"So, she finally asked about that." Lin looked at Naru, trying to read him. No matter how he looked at it, Naru looked happy. "And?"
"She asked if we were legally wed, and I told her we were." Naru responded un-phased. "She thought this whole time that it was pretend."
"I noticed that. What did she think when you told her the truth?" Lin was interested now. Things would be getting interesting, that much was for sure.
"She tried to change topics as quickly as she could." Naru looked downward. He was actually curious as well about what was on Mai's mind. Her affections towards him were obvious, yet he still wondered sometimes what was going on in that head of hers.
"So, you avoided the subject?" Lin repeated. "This should turn out interestingly."
"My thoughts exactly…" Naru mused.
"What are you planning to do about Gene?" Lin asked seriously. Since he had Naru to himself he might as well ask.
"Hmph…" Naru met Lin's gaze. "You are just like Mai, honestly. Don't worry about it…I will take care of it."
"Don't do this alone Noll." Lin fixed his young charge with a stern look. "You will only hurt yourself and those around you."
"I said I can handle it and I will. It's what I came here to do after all. Don't think so little of me." Naru shot back in an equally stern voice.
"I am not insinuating that you can not handle the situation. I know you can, but I am worried about you…as someone close to you. Mai came here to help you as well…let her in." Lin pleaded. Nothing was going to change if he always kept his guard up. Mai was ready and willing to be there for him, yet Naru still tried to keep her at arms length most of the time.
Naru scowled. That had hit pretty hard. Leave it to Lin to always point out what he didn't want to see. He didn't want to face this now. It was not the time…
"I will keep that in mind…" Naru said as he stood. "I am heading back to my room if you need me. I am going to stop by the kitchen and bring some food back for Mai."
"Alright, I will call you if I need you." Lin watched as Naru headed for the door.
Naru reached the door and paused, "Thank you, Lin…" he left without turning around or even waiting for a reply. It was enough that he said it.
Naru slowly made his way down the hall…it was vacant and quiet. Most guests had departed due to all the occurrences and only a few now remained. The staff was also less than normal so Naru was fairly positive no one would be coming by. With a moments pause, Naru slipped his cell phone from his pocket and efficiently dialed a number from memory. He leaned against the wall and waited for someone to pick up. It took three rings before there was an answer, and frankly Naru couldn't be happier…he was beginning to loose his patience.
"Yes, this is Shibuya Kazuya. I called earlier." Naru paused and listened to the response on the other side. He had already made all the preliminary arrangements earlier, now all he needed was confirmation. "Yes, that is correct." Naru glanced down the hall as he listened, as he expected…it was empty. "Yes, thank you. I will be in touch…goodbye."
Naru closed his phone slowly and slipped it back into his pocket before resuming his trek to the kitchen. There was much to think about, but right now Naru only had one thing on his mind and he wanted to get back to her as soon as possible. He felt most at ease when he was with her…Mai had no idea how much she actually helped him by just being there at his side…
He wanted her at his side forever…
He never wanted to let her go…
-x-
Birds chirped loudly from the court yard, and the first time in months people from the inn were awoken by their chatter. The Okami was beyond herself with happiness and the staff was delighted as well.
Data showed that there were no further reasons to stay any longer. The inn was getting back to normal and everything seemed fine; they had solved the case. They would start packing up and be home by the evening. The monk and miko already seemed to have started to pack their belongings as soon as breakfast had finished, Lin observed. It also appeared as if Mai was eagerly packing as well. She seemed to be back in high spirits and looked well. Lin was glad to see that she was not depressed…though he could not guarantee for how long. He had yet to be informed about the plans to dredge the lake for Gene's body, but he was sure that once that information came out Mai's spirits would probably take a turn for the worse.
"I told the Okami that we would be leaving in the afternoon, before dinner." John commented from behind the box he was helping carry out to the awaiting van.
"Good." Naru stated as he was taking apart the shelving. "We will leave as soon as everyone is ready."
"I can't wait to get home!" Bou-san explained as he re-entered the room. "Though, I am not really looking forward to the long drive back…"
"You probably just don't want to spend that whole time in the car with us!" Ayako shot back. "You better come up with something interesting to keep us entertained that whole way!"
"Now, now…" John coaxed, "Let's please try to get along in the car."
"Yes, do that for all our sakes…" Masako walked past them carrying her own bag. "I am going to put this in the car so I don't have to do it later."
"So, will we be staying for lunch then?" Mai asked as she was boxing up the last of the equipment.
"Yes, but then we will be leaving immediately following that." Naru said as he left the room.
Lin glanced at Mai who was following Naru's fleeting form with her eyes. It was easy to tell that she wanted to ask him about what was going to happen next but trying very hard not to. Lin could only assume that he would talk to the both of them once they were in the car heading back. Naru probably didn't want to discuss such business with the rest of the team around…since it was such a private and personal matter.
It was about time to end this…it had been so long it seemed.
It had to come to an end…
-x-
Lunch finished successfully and the team bid farewell to the staff, the Okami, and her husband. The vehicles had already been packed so it didn't them long to finish up formalities and hit the road. Naru apparently explained to Bou-san, who was driving the car with the others in it, that he would be arriving late…so not to worry about them following or not. Naru explained that he should make sure everyone gets home and that he will call them soon.
Bou-san, seemingly ignorant of the situation, easily agreed and wished Naru a safe trip home. With a laugh and a slap to the shoulder, Bou-san entered his car and was soon on the road heading for home.
Naru walked back to the van and watched the car leave for a moment before he entered the passenger side door. "Shall we leave?" Lin looked at Naru as he situated himself in his seat.
"Yes." Naru said simply. Both Lin and Mai were giving him inquisitive glances but he ignored it. They didn't have to know yet…
Lin turned the key and the van sputtered to a start. They were soon on the road heading towards a direction only Naru knew. The Lake that Gene's body was located at was on the way, but off the route by about 15 minutes. Lin had studied the map that Mai had marked for them previously, so he already knew the general direction he had to head. Mai was the only one that knew where exactly in that lake Gene was; she would have to point out where to go once they got there.
"Keep going straight here." Naru instructed suddenly from behind a reference book. He didn't need to look up to see the stunned expression on Lin's face. He knew that Lin probably already memorized the location of the lake and how to get there…
"But…" Lin started, "We need to take a left there…that is the route to the lake."
"It is no longer necessary to go to the lake, so keep heading home." Naru didn't want to explain any more than was needed. But he also knew that with that comment alone he was going to hear an ear full.
True to his prediction, Mai grasped his shoulder and looked at him with angered, pleading eyes. "What do you mean it's not necessary!? We came here to get Gene! And we are going to get him!" She shouted loudly.
"I already took care of it."
Mai was about ready to explode…or cry, so Lin decided to deal with it as calmly as he could. "Took care of it? Elaborate." He settled Mai with his free hand and she sat still staring at Naru waiting for him to answer.
"The lake was dredged early this morning. I made arrangements yesterday and the day before." Naru explained calmly, "They found his body by late morning."
"They already found him?" Lin asked. Mai was crying already but she was doing a good job at keeping quiet. What in the world was Naru thinking, doing this by himself and not letting either of them know about it?
"Yes, I am just waiting for the body to be released so that we can transport him home." Naru was still acting unaffected even with a sobbing Mai at his side. "They project that we should be able to leave by tomorrow due to the situation and the time sensitive nature of the circumstances."
"So soon…" Lin mused, yet it did make sense. Now that the body was removed from the lake, it would need to be dealt with quickly so that they could proceed with funeral plans. "Would you like me to contact home and make the arrangements?" Lin would have to contact Naru's parents and make sure they knew what was happening. Funeral plans would have to be made as well and other issues attended to. They would have to arrange flight plans to England and take care of all other transport issues. There was a lot to do.
"Yes, please…if you could…" Naru said softly as he rested a reassuring hand atop Mai's head.
"Why? Mai wept. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"I didn't want to worry you…" Naru tried to sooth. "I thought this was the best course of action, so I did it."
"How could you?" Mai whimpered out. It wasn't fair, how could he do this? She had wanted to be there for him…be there to support him as he faced a difficult time, yet he once again…went at it alone. Naru had left her out and went off and did it on his own.
"Mai…" Naru said a bit sadly. He didn't want to hurt her, he didn't intend to…but it was clear that his actions had done just that. He hated it when she cried and it made it even worse that he was the cause of it. "I didn't mean to hurt you…"
"What were you thinking?" Mai settled down long enough to ask. It was a good question; Lin wanted to know the answer as well.
"I didn't want to worry or trouble you." Naru explained, "You have had enough to worry about. I didn't want to add something else that would cause you trouble…"
Mai's tears started to dry, "but Naru…I wanted to share that trouble with you. I didn't want you to have to do it alone. I wanted to be there for you…to help you."
"It was my problem…my brother. It was my burden to bear and so I handled it myself."
"But I wanted to handle it with you! It was my burden too! I may not have known him when he was alive, but I know him now! And that means something!" Mai exclaimed emotionally. "I wanted to be with you!"
"Mai…you are here for me. Even if you are not physically by my side…you are always on my mind and always in my heart. So, I didn't feel like I was alone…in fact, it never even occurred to me that I was alone." The smallest blush graced Naru's cheeks and he turned away to look out the window at the passing surroundings.
Mai smiled even though her feelings remained mixed. She was hurt that he had not included her in something so important, but she was truly touched by the fact that in his own way, he had done it for her. He thought what he did was in her best interest…his heart was in the right place even if his thinking was a bit off.
"Sorry…" Mai whispered softly. "…I got upset. I didn't mean to cry. I understand where you're coming from, but it still bothers me a bit."
"I apologize as well…it was never my intention to make you sad." Naru still refused to look directly at her, but Mai could see that he was being sincere. It was a rare thing for Naru to apologize, and even more so that he actually meant it.
"It's okay." Mai smiled and leaned her head on his shoulder. "But Naru…can we still stop by the lake?"
Naru stiffened slightly from the question which Mai felt from where she rested on him. "Why?" he finally asked. There was nothing more to do there, everything had already been done.
"I want to see it…in person. It doesn't matter that Gene is no longer there…he was there. I knew it…saw it. I want to go there at least once. I want to see it with my own eyes…"
Naru sighed. He owed her at least that much. It was her after all that had revealed where Gene had been…it seemed so long ago now since she had gone through that. Mai had a connection with Gene that he could never understand. If she wanted to go, he really had no right to argue.
"Go to the lake, Lin." Naru said in a mild irritation. "We can spare at least enough time for a visit…"
"Thank you…" Mai sighed. She was finally going to see where Gene had been. Finally be able to see with her own eyes, not her mind's eye. Would it look the same? Different? Had it changed from that time?
Mai didn't know, but she was going to find out.
A/N: Sigh...getting into all that good stuff now! Thanks to everyone that has stuck with me through this story! You guys are amazing!