I uploaded this one earlier because I'm gone tomorrow so I won't be able to upload then.. ^^

File 6.

Filtering the Ghosts.

Mai opened the door to the car and slipped out of it, Naru followed her tracks only seconds later, Lin got out of the driver seat and walked first over to the large house, it seemed there was no-one at home, but the owner had to be home, considering the fact that they came and he knew they would.

Mai looked up at the house and swallowed "Oli... Naru.." she whispered, Lin looked at her with a smile "I know about him Taniyama-san" then his face changed into worry, Naru also turned to her with his face in a slight frown "what is it Mai?" her eyelids fell more and more before they shot open again "this place.. it's not a good one, it's.. different.." she spoke low as the doors opened and the same man they had met a day ago appeared, he didn't show any emotion before his eyes fell upon Mai and he frowned "so you came?" Naru took it as he was speaking of them all and stepped forward "the rest will arrive later today, for now it's only us!"

As they walked into the building, Mai looked up into the roof and she stumbled into Naru, who raised an eyebrow "Mai, if you don't look ahead you'll crash into something.. like the stairs!" Mai pouted at him, but did as he said and looked forward, then she blinked "there was two meanings to that wasn't there?" when her eyes searched everything before them.

"Look ahead and avoid danger?" she thought as the others rounded the corner, as she did though, they where gone.

"Naru?" she called out and when she didn't receive any answer, she lined herself closer to the wall "Lin-san?" no answer, but someone, or rather something appeared.

It flew towards her and she nearly shrieked, it went right through her and she slumped onto the floor, just then, Naru came around a corner down the hall "Mai?" he walked over to her and crouched beside her, she looked up and tried to breath calmly, but failed "appeared.." she managed to wheeze out, but Naru frowned "what Mai, what appeared?" the other two appeared as well and Mai nearly gasped when she noticed the hard look she got from Yoshimo.

"A spirit, it didn't really seem evil, but it... it warned me.." she whispered so Yoshimo couldn't hear, somehow she got the feeling he shouldn't hear it.

"Mai.." Naru said as Mai got up, then she smiled and tried to hide one of her bandages that stuck out from her t-shirt "I'm okay, you know I wont be shaken by such a thing.

Lin motioned towards a door "Naru, I'll start moving the equipment.." he looked out of a window as he finished his sentence "and I'll get Takigawa-san, Brown-san to help out!" then he walked passed them, Naru nodded and pulled Mai with him towards a room in the end of the hall.

Naru opened a door and he lead Mai into an open room, with two other separate doors "that door is a bedroom, that's where we will be staying, the others have rooms down the hall, that other door is a bathroom, the kitchen is down the hall on the fifth door on your left, remember it!" Naru pointed at the first door, then at the second as he talked, Mai raised an eyebrow and let out a huff "of course I'll remember Oliver.. but, why are we staying in that bedroom?" she pointed at the first door.

Naru looked at her "because then I can make sure you wont do anything stupid at night... and because I wanted too" his cheeks was slightly pink and he had taken Mai's hand, he kissed her cheek once before he let go and pushed his own bag onto the large double bed, Mai's face turned a nearly black-red shade as she saw the bed "w-w-w-we... we have to s-s-share a-a bed?" she suttered as Naru turned towards her "what's the difference if you stayed in another bed" Mai blushed impossible more "the difference" she thought "is that your hands wont be on me in the middle of the night!" she screamed inwardly and was rewarded by a chuckle and a pink blush.

"Y-you can heard my thoughts?" Mai asked as she looked at her feet with a newfound interest "somehow.. yes, after last night that is" Mai yelped "so.. you mean that.." "I don't know why Mai, that is all I know!" Naru said as he cupped her face and kissed her "all I know is that I love you, that's enough right!" she nodded, slightly confused to why he even brought it up.

They entered the main room they where going to use as a base and noted that non of the equipment had arrived yet.

"Where are they?" Mai asked and looked out of the window, true, they where on the first floor, but the was a small hill down to where they had parked and she could see that Bou and John was having a hard time, well, Bou for that matter, considering that Ayako was chasing him like a mad bull with only one target.

"Geezes, can't they ever stop fighting?" Mai said and let out a sigh, Naru came over and snorted at the activity outside, one thing hit them both though "where's Masako?" Mai then asked, Naru followed with taking up his phone, dialing a number and soon enough, Mai saw Bou take up his phone, freezing on the spot, Ayako crashing into him and looking just as shocked as the rest.

"Yes?" Bou replied when he finally answered, he looked up towards the building, Mai barely managed to contain her laughter as Naru glared at them from the other side of the window.

"Where is Hara-san?" Naru spoke low, almost threatening "er... I think she said something about a wedding, hey Ayako, what did she say again?" Mai watched the monk turn to Ayako for questioning, the miko answered and Bou nodded "she was invited to a relatives wedding and she probably wont arrive at all" Naru looked at the wall beside the window, seemingly, it seemed he had an inner fight, either, burn the wall or the window "okay, now stop fooling around get the equipment up here!" then he hung up on the man.

Mai began chuckling, wich then ended in a full fit laughter long before the team, carrying the equipment came.

When they did though, they saw Naru, their eyes landed on Mai, Bou and Ayako nearly dropped all the stuff where carrying when they saw the bandages and patches covering most of Mai, she turned and a bright smile appeared on her face.

"Bou, Ayako, John" she exclaimed and ran to meet them, Bou pushed a screen and a box on top of the desks that had been moved there earlier, then he somehow twisted Mai into one of his famous bear hugs "B-Bou!" Mai nearly shouted and tried to get out of the monk's strong arms, but failed somehow and Naru had to come to her rescue, of course, in a sarcastic way.

"Bou-san, please refrain from choking my assistant, since Hara-san isn't here, we have to depend on Mai!" Naru told the older man, who let go of Mai in an instant since he noticed Mai actually had a hard time breathing "Mai-san, how are you?" John asked after she had escaped Bou and the monk had left to get some more equipment, wich was just an excuse to run from Naru's glare.

"I'm great, why do you ask?" Mai stated and smiled at him, non of them noticed a jealous frown being sent in their direction.

"Well.. bandage?" John asked, smiling nervously when he saw Naru's glare.

Mai huffed "this?" she scratched her cheek, where one of the patched was "this is nothing, nothing to think about.." Ayako came over as well, like a protective sister or maybe even mother "you sure Mai, you look like someone has gone over you with sharp needles or knives!" the woman smiled up at the miko "I'm okay Ayako, well.. now anyway, um.." then Ayako turned away, she smiled at Mai and pointed at Naru with her eyes before she left with John right in her heels.

Mai turned and found out Naru had been glaring on them for quite some time now "Oliver" she stated, trying not to sound to annoyed.

"What?" he asked, sounding calm, yet very irritated.

"Oliver, you dont' have to glare at everyone when they speak to me!" she exclaimed and walked over to her, she bent down so she was almost at his level "I don't" Naru stated, Mai raised an eyebrow "oh, then why did they all leave so quick hm?" Naru looked into her eyes before he turned to his files "how should I know!" he stated and Mai held back the need to smack him one or two times "Oliver, you know they are like a family to me, wich means.. don't be mean to them!" then she turned to leave, but Naru grabbed her hand and pulled her back towards him.

"Oliver?" Mai yelped out as she was forced into his lap, then he kissed her deeply.

Mai melted more and more until she was a liquid ooze in the man's lap "Oliver?" she whispered against his lips "Mai, I won't let you go, never" he answered and she blushed "like, let go of my body or me as in my love!" Naru looked deep into her eyes "you.. both your body and your love!" Mai turned deep red as she leaned in and met his lips.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" a voice broke through and Mai broke their kiss to see who-ever had disturbed them, then she paled and blushed at the same time, making her face go into a interesting shade "B-Bou.. everyone.." she stuttered, Bou was smirking at them, Ayako too, John was just smiling and Lin looked annoyed.

"Please do this outside of work Naru!" Lin told him as he walked into the room with the last of the equipment and put it down on the desk, while Bou and Ayako continued to smirk and Naru and Mai untangled, and Mai got up, she brushed her shirt and looked at her feet with embarassement.

"Um.. tea, anyone?" Mai said, everyone agreed and she reached for the door, but Naru cut her off "Matsuzaki-san, go with her!" Ayako looked at him before she followed Mai into the hallway.

"Mai~" Ayako sang as they walked down the hall, Mai looked straight ahead as she tried not to give away the rest of her embarassement "what?" Ayako locked a hand around the younger female's neck and dragged her closer with a smirk "so, you and Naru has gotten together then!" Mai yelped and blushed hard "w-wha.." "we know, you know.. that you have been wanting to be with Naru as long as you have known him!" Ayako stated with a large grin.

Mai nodded "so?" "it's good then... isn't it?" Ayako said, her smiled fading a little and it was Mai's turn to smirk "so, how's things going with Bou then?" Ayako turned bright red before she jerked her head towards Mai "what do you mean, what's that idiot got to do with me?" Mai smiled and waved a finger "hm.. nothing" she sang as she opened the fifth door to her left and walked into the kitchen, Mai took up the bag she had with her, it contained everyone's favorites and tea-bags for almost a whole week for Naru.

As Mai made tea, she and Ayako chatted about such things as boys, the current case, boys, clothes and even Masako seemed to make her way into their chat.

"You know Mai, Masako was really shocked when she saw Naru kissing you!" Ayako exclaimed when she opened the door for Mai, who struggled with both the tray with tea and the blush "well.." Mai whispered, she had slowly begun to realise that she and Naru might have a future together as more than just an assistant and a boss.

"It was funnier than the look you made back then, even now, Bou is laughing hard because of it!" Ayako told her and Mai chuckled "oh" then she locked her eyes on the door to their base, the hall was rather long, but somehow the walk seemed longer now, like the faster she walked the longer the hall got.

"Ayako?" Mai asked and Ayako looked at her, seemingly, she didn't have the same feeling.

"There's a spirit here... right now.." she stated and Ayako stopped "wha.. how do you know?" Mai looked at her "I can't see it, but the hall, it changes somehow, it gets longer.. and twisted, noise.. like Masako told us when she came into that house.. back then.. on that case with the dolls.." Ayako nodded several times as Mai talked, suddenly the door was there and Ayako opened it, letting the younger woman through.

"Naru.. Mai saw something!" Ayako said and Naru twisted around in his chair "what?" three out of four men said.

Mai put the tray down and everyone got their tea, including Lin, who was listening, although it didn't seem like he did.

"Mai, what did you see?" Naru asked as she sat down on the couch "no spirits, but the hall stretched, like.. in a dream, when you walk towards a door before you, the faster you walk, further the exit is.. it twisted too... and I heard something.. a noise" she said, everyone was looking at her, long and hard.

"Mai.." Naru began, but the woman shook her head "it was weird, I can't feel any spirits except like in the hall, it's like they can hide and come as they want.. and they didn't make any noise when we first came here, but now I can hear them.. everywhere" she shivered and took a long sip of her tea "it might not be any meaning to it, but they all keep whispering words of hate, betrayal, grief, sadness, frustration and so on, just sad and dark words, no full sentences!" she finished and looked directly at Naru, who was returning the look with as much love as he could muster.

"Mai, what did they say then?" he asked, she looked at him "er.. ''hate you'' ''believe me'' ''don't leave me behind'' and so on.." she told him and they all looked at her and then at each other.

Naru stood up "I want to speak with Ukemi-san, can you find him Bou-san, Brown-san, go with him, Mai, there's work" Mai glared at her boyfriend "you little.." she thought, but didn't finish since she remembered that he could hear her thoughts.

"What Mai?" the voice appeared in her head and she nearly shouted in shock "O-Oliver.. what are you doing in my head!" Mai suddenly felt naked, the fact that someone could read her mind scared her more than she thought it would "making sure you think about work, not about me being something mean!" Mai blushed "mean?" "whatever you usually call me!" came the answer "oh.. like being a narcissist, sometimes a jerk and arrogant?" then she stopped herself to spin around and stared wide-eyed at Naru, who stared right back at her, his face told no one what he felt, but his eyes told Mai enough.

"Oliver, I'm sorry, I didn't mean.." she began and suddenly she felt like she had stabbed someone who thought she wouldn't do it in the back, but he shook his head at that "it doesn't matter, I guess by how I have acted around you, it's not shocking that you even called me a narcissist!" Mai nodded and Ayako looked at them, she didn't have a clue about what was happened, they where just staring at each other, making weird faces at each other too.

"Well, that's how I started calling you Naru.. although, you thought I called you Noll didn't you!" Naru's eyes moved a little up, then back to her eyes "Gene told you?" "yeah.. well, he didn't before you left though, because I didn't really realise it was him before he told me or well, I got the first hints when you told us about your dead twin!"

Mai sat down by the desk and took up the first paper to fill "but you know.. I never knew that Noll would be so close to Naru, but when I think about it, it makes sense!" Naru, who was looking into his own file so Lin or Ayako wouldn't get suspicious, answered shortly "guess so, now work Mai!"

It turned out she only got to work ten minutes, of course, Mai had gotten bored by that time though "Naru-chan, he's here!" Bou said as he entered, then Yoshimo came and John shortly behind, Mai put down her pen and looked at them, but pointedly avoided the look she got from Yoshimo.

"Good, then I'll start by asking about whatever might be the cause and such Ukemi-san!" Naru said and Yoshimo sat down on a chair before him, Naru had his files before him, like his usual art of a habit.

"Ukemi-san, did anyone perish in this house in the last years?" Naru had a very good reason for not asking if anyone died, instead using perish, he knew by looking that Yoshimo where a man with a short temper "no, my family has lived here in over twenty years and no-one has died in this house, most of them died in another house or in the hospital!" Yoshimo stated, using a worse language and tone than Naru did, wich actually surprised the rest of the team.

Mai looked right at him for seconds before something reached her ears.

"Leave.. leave this hateful place at once" the voice whispered, before several joined, speaking into each other and making the sentence sound weird "leave.. he... go.. die.. you must.. disappear.. run... him... for you.. lives.." Mai must have gotten some reaction from the rest of the team, because in the next second everyone was staring at her, but she just shook her head "it's nothing.."

Non of them believed her though.

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