I originally wrote this chapter in present tense, mostly because I actually forgot what tense I was writing in xD So if you come across a sentence that sounds rather odd, that's probably the reason. Anyway, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Ghost Hunt

Chapter 5: Giving In

Ghostly fog slithered around Mai's ankles, hugging her shoulders. The moon shone dully through the haze, just a small orb that has lost its shine. If there were any buildings or trees they were swallowed by the quickly thickening fog.

Mai turned slowly on her heels, trying to catch sight of anything around her. This disturbed the fog. It swirled menacingly around her, pressing closer than it had before. It seemed to be sucking her of something. Her life? Her power? Maybe even her memories.

Someone approached her out of the fog. Mai went still, watching their progress. The fog seemed to recoil from the person, slithery tendrils crushing in on themselves. Once the person's features came into view, Mai's face lit up with recognition. "Naru," she said with a sigh of relief.

"Hello Mai," Dream Naru said, holding out his arms for her.

She instantly barreled into them, wrapping her thin arms tightly around his waist. She knew this would never happen in real life so she drank it up. Something about his smell and the way he held her felt different than real life knowing it from the many times he'd saved her, but she shoved it away to enjoy the moment.

Several heartbeats later they finally pulled apart. One had a huge, childish grin, her eyes staying focused on the other's face. One had a grim frown pulling down the corners of his lips, his eyes darting around nervously.

Mai's grin faltered. "What's the matter?" she asked, staring intently at his expression.

His eyes flickered down to hers before glancing around once more. "We should hurry. I don't think it's safe here," he murmured, taking Mai's hand in his.

He pulled her through the mist, head always swiveling around like he was afraid something would attack them. Suddenly, he came to a jerky stop, staring at something in front of him.

"What? What's the matter?" Mai asked, glancing around him to figure out what had Dream Naru so jumpy.

What she saw made her jaw fall slack, her eyes go wide. She looked between Dream Naru and the scene wondering how this could be. How could that have been one of the ghost's memories?

Dream Naru's hand tightened around hers as they settle in to watch the memory.

Two identical boys with silky, ink black hair and sorrowful midnight blue eyes. One stood in the middle of the small room with a bored look. Things flew around him, changing direction at random. Windows and mirrors cracked or burst, shards accompanying the flying objects.

The other boy stood watching him. His eyes were hard, his mouth turned down in a frown. After a moment, he stepped forward, placing a hand on the other boy's shoulder. Instantly, everything came crashing to the ground.

Dream Naru spun around, pulling Mai back into the mist, hurrying away from the scene. Once they were far far away and the fog pressed in on her again, he stopped. He glanced nervously around again before looking down at her. "Be careful during this case," he told her, holding her hand tightly, "There are many things that can go wrong. Be careful around the twins and… me. Don't mention this dream to me. It is… not relevant." Those words were hesitant, but strong, almost demanding.

"Why?" she asked, surprised by what he was asking, "What's wrong with the twins?"

He was opening his mouth to answer when something caught his attention. "What's that?" he suddenly asked, staring at something in Mai's pocket.

Mai looked down at herself. Something inside her pocket shone with a soft, buttery glow. She wondered what she could have possibly stuck in there. Then she remembered that afternoon and a thick red blush coated her cheeks. "Uh, um, it's a um, photo of…" she stammered out.

She was saved from having to give a coherent answer because out of nowhere she was thrust out of the dream and back into reality. Just before darkness closed around her, she heard Dream Naru call her name.

…..

Mai shot up in bed, breathing hard from the sudden rejection of her dream. The room was dark leaving her blind, but she could hear both Ayako and Masako breathing evenly. Masako was snoring. How unladylike. Mai was still in her clothes from that afternoon. She remembered the photo in her pocket and pulled it out.

Moving almost silently from her bed, Mai padded over to the window. She pulled back the curtain letting in a sliver of moonlight. It was enough to illuminate the small picture Kamin and Tamaki had decided to give her because it lacked their mother.

This picture was of two identical adolescent boys of at least eleven or twelve years old. They sat on a huge rock in the middle of a golden field. One had a bored look to his eyes with only the faintest hint of a smile curling up his lips. The other boy had his arms wrapped around the first boy's neck, leaning against his back with a huge smile splitting his face.

Mai stared at them, two different types of warmth spreading all the way to the tips of her toes. They were so handsome even as young boys. Though she didn't know who the smiling boy was, she knew exactly who the sullen faced tween was.

"Naru," she almost sighed.

Hurrying over to her bed, she stripped out of yesterday's clothing and pulled on her night clothes with the photo tucked safely in her pants pocket. She padded out of the room, slipping down the corridor.

Light spilled from the cracked door of the base. Mai peeked around the edge of the door. She suppressed a giggle at the sight before her. Naru sat in front of the monitors wrestling with Kamin and Tamaki. "It's time to go to bed," he said sternly, but they refused. They giggled maniacally, jumping up and down on his lap.

He sighed in exasperation, wrapping an arm around each of their middles to keep them from toppling to the floor. "Mai, I swear…" he started to mutter under his breath, but Mai cut him off.

"You swear what?" Mai asked with a knowing smile.

Naru's head snapped around so fast that Mai was sure he'd given himself whiplash. Supporting her theory, he began rubbing the back of his neck with an audible groan.

"Onee-san!" the twins cried happily in unison, attempting, and failing, to fling themselves onto her legs.

"Are you guys giving Daddy trouble?" Mai asked, padding into the room and crouching beside Naru's chair with a teasing smile.

"No!" Tamaki and Kamin shouted just as Naru muttered a sullen, "Yes."

Mai's smile widened. "Aw, how cute. What are you supposed to be doing right now?" she asked in a curious tone, raising her eyebrows.

"Sleeping," the three said together with the same exact tone and facial expression making Mai think they could truly be his children.

She giggled behind her hand making Naru scowl and the twins smile uncontrollably. "Mai, don't get them even more riled up," Naru reprimanded with an icy glare.

"Oh come on, Daddy. You know you love it," Mai said with an innocent smile up at him, "You guys just want to spend time with Daddy, don't you?"

"That's right," they instantly agreed.

"See? No bad motives, plus they are just adorable," she complimented running a hand playfully through both of their messes of hair. They screamed playfully, swatting at her hands like a pair of kittens after a ball of yarn.

"Well, I have work to do and I can't do it with them playing on my lap," Naru interjected with an angry scowl.

Mai thought for a moment. "How about this," she purposed in her best politicians voice, holding up a finger, "Why don't you go lay down with Daddy in his bed then when you guys fall asleep, Daddy can go back to work. Sound good?"

"No! Our bed!" they shouted, kicking their feet. Tamaki's were covered by his footie pajamas while Kamin's were bare, her princess nightgown falling just past her knees. This was one of the only distinctions the pair had made between each other.

Mai grinned. "Alright, then your beds," she said.

"And you too," Tamaki said.

"But I can't, I have to sit here and watch the monitors," she told them apologetically with a shrug.

"Why doesn't Mai put you two to bed?" Naru proposed.

They shook their heads vigorously. "No, both of you," they decided.

Naru stared at Mai for a long moment, his eyes almost pleading though a deep scowl was etched into his face. Finally, he released her from his gaze. Looking down at the twins, he sighed in resignation, "Fine. If both Mai and I lay down with you guys, you have to promise to go to bed. No more playing around."

"Okay!" they shouted, happy, "Promise!" They slid from Naru's lap. Tamaki grabbed Mai's hand, Kamin grabbed Naru's, and together they dragged the reluctant pair down the hall.

They were pulled into a medium sized bedroom. The walls were a light gray with dark blue curtains hanging over the window. A queen sized bed stood in the middle of the room. The only thing indicating that children lived in the room, were the toy box on the window sill and the stuffed animals on the bed.

Tamaki and Kamin crawled into the middle of the bed, each hugging a stuffed bunny to their chest. They patted the spots beside them. With another sigh, Naru lay down next to Tamaki and Mai lay down next to Kamin. The twins snuggled together facing each other.

Mai and Naru watched each other in the dark for a long time before sleep finally won out over Mai. Her eyes slid shut and she let herself slip into oblivion, but not before she felt Naru reach over and gently take her hand.

I hope you liked it! :D I actually wrote this on my way down to Disney. Review please :D