JADE: Hi everyone! Since you asked, and I just can't contain myself, I have decided to continue with the story! ^.^

MAI: Yay! *claps hands together and smiles*

JADE: And I want to thank everyone who added me as a favorite and/or added an alert for this story! And a special thanks goes out to crazylittlecheeser, Ariana Taniyama, missyangel87, sweetymai90, heavenslilagl420, and aniAngelxx! It's because of you that I am updating so fast! I appreciate all the reviews, and keep 'em coming!

MAI: Hey Jade, didn't you have a question to answer from sweetymai90? LOVE THE NAME BTW!

JADE: *rolls eyes and smiles* Thanks Mai, almost forgot! In all honesty I don't know how much of a Naru and Mai fic this will be, though I do love those two to death! FIGURATIVELY speaking of course! I will have at least some in here, but I don't know how this will flow, so that depends on how much there is. I really don't like when the cases become all about relationships and they are suddenly solved quickly, so I am going to do my best to balance it all.

MAI: *lip jutted out in a pout with arms crossed over chest* But I like when Naru and I have our moments!

NARU: Mai, stop pouting, you aren't a child.

MAI: *Sticks tongue out and glares*

JADE: Now now, let's save that for the story, kay? And Mai, *waves girl over while Naru watches with interest* don't worry, I think I can weave some good scenes in there for you! *winks*

MAI: SWEET! *skips off, pulling a grumpy and suspicious Naru behind her*

JADE: On with the story ^.^

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Mai stared up into the tall Japanese mapel's branches, a sad smile gracing her features.

"This was here when we bought the house," Mrs. Arata commented as she walked up beside Mai.

"Wait a minute, when did you buy this place?" the teen asked. The older woman looked thoughtful as her husband and Naru joined them from the shed they had just looked at.

"About 7 years ago actually," Mr. Arata replied kindly. Mai's eyes widen a fraction as she looked back into the tree. Naru noticed her odd reaction, the fondness in her eyes as she continued to stare.

"What is it, Mai? Do you feel something?" he asked coolly. She just shook her head and turned back to the Aratas with a smile. She proceeded to bow respectfully, causing not only the older couple, but Naru to raise a brow as well.

"Do you mind, that is, with your permission I would like to climb into the tree house up there," she asked timidly, raising her head so that she could meet their eyes. A look of understanding crossed Mrs. Arata's face and she smiled genuinely at the young woman before her.

"This was yours, wasn't it? I always wondered why such a sturdy and well-cared for thing was left behind. Now I know why," she responded. Mai smiled and nodded again.

"It was something my father built just after I was born, and every year he would maintain it, cleaning it and fixing any broken boards, so that when I was old enough, I would have my own secret place. At least that's what my mother told me when I asked about it."

The couple smiled fondly at the young woman, and Naru watched with interest. He knew Mai was an emotional girl, so it didn't surprise him that she was getting a little choked up about this. He also knew her to be brash, peppy, and very friendly, so the fact that she was being shy and overly respectful of the place and clients captivated him. Not to mention her sharing things about her life. She rarely did so, with good reason he could all too clearly understand. So the fact that she was acting this way led him to let things play out.

"If that's the case, Mai, then how can I possibly refuse you? Go for it, do as you wish. When you are ready to continue, you can come back inside. We don't mind waiting." With that the Aratas smiled, bowed, and left the two young adults alone.

Mai turned to her boss, who was back to playing the silent, stoic type. "Naru, do you mind if I do this. I would appreciate it," she practically begged. His eyes went wide as she stared at him. Well this is interesting indeed. Mai Taniyama actually ASKED me if she could do something?

"Go ahead Mai, but I'm following after you. With your luck, you'll hurt yourself or get into trouble," he replied. Mai's face turned from surprise to anger in about two seconds flat. She glared at him and turned on her heel, then grabbed the first branch and swung her legs over to the trunk.

I can only hope I'm not flashing him in my skirt, she thought as she balanced herself on a branch. Slowly she climbed to the one above her and then she was at floor of the little house. She hoisted herself in and stood, dusting off her skirt. She stood in the center of the wooden house and smiled.

"It's exactly the same," she whispered as she waltzed over to the far left corner. There was a little box built into the wall. It looked like a small mail box stuck against it and the floor. The paint was chipped and rotting away with the wood, but as she bent down and looked closer she could see her name, plain as day, painted on the top of it in bright pink scribble.

"We probably shouldn't stay here too long. It looks like no one's kept up with the wood. Who knows how fragile this place really is," Naru said as he, too, stood in the middle, just as Mai had done. Mai nodded as she moved around the empty place, fingers lightly grazing the sides. She traced a carving in the side of one of the boards, and tears threatened to fall.

The carving was a small note her father left for her, and she was surprised to see it was still intact. As she read the words she felt Naru looking over her.

"To my Mai: May your days be blessed with all the light the world has to offer, and may the darkness never stray to near. May our love for you live on, always." Naru had read it aloud and was touching the note gingerly. Suddenly, Naru wasn't standing with Mai, though he was still in the tree house. He was watching a man in his mid twenties with chestnut hair, just like Mai's, wavy and thick, and a mustache to match as he hammered away at the exact spot they were in. And just as quickly as he saw the vision, he was back with Mai, looking at the note still.

It didn't take him but two seconds to realize he had seen Mai's father building this for her. He sighed a little and stepped back, allowing her more room. I wish I could control those little visions, he thought bitterly. He hated when that happened. He hated seeing things when he didn't ask for it!

He winced as Mai sobbed a little. He immediately regretted what he's done, and decided to head out. He felt she needed a moment to herself to gather her feelings and thoughts, and he could certainly understand wanting to be alone for this. He was about to climb onto the branch to get down when he felt Mai grab his wrist. He stopped and looked up to see her smiling, but once again it didn't reach her chestnut eyes.

"I'm okay, you know. I had my chance to grieve, despite what you think." Although his eyes conveyed shock, his face held the usual, passive look he always gave. I must admit that she seems so much older right now than she usually does, he thought to himself.

"Shall we go? The Aratas are waiting patiently, and I think we've spent enough time here for today," he replied, ignoring her statement. He expected retaliation, but instead she just nodded and started heading down ahead of him. He couldn't help the smirk on his face as he watched her land gracefully on the lawn below. Just when you think you know someone, they go and surprise you.

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Mai headed back outside to the van, mumbling under her breath, a very cross look on her face as she reached the door and pulled it open. Stupid jerk! How was I supposed to know that Monk would forget my bag? She yanked on said item, pulling it roughly from the car. Naru had once again insulted her intelligence, and she was beyond mad.

"Mai?" a voice asked. She froze, praying she didn't see who she knew was going to be standing to her right.

"Mai Taniyama? Is that you?" the voice asked again, this time with a little more disdain in it. Mai took a deep breath and turned, her biggest and best smile planted on her face.

"Hey, Yoko, long time no see?" she replied brightly. The other girl, with long black hair and piercing green eyes sneered at Mai.

"I thought I recognized that stringy hair, even if it is shorter. Going for the cute tomboy look, are we? Well, you definitely have the boy part right!" she laughed at her own joke and continued. "Still small as ever, too. Guess mother nature didn't see a reason to gift you with womanly curves as you got older." Her voice was very condescending, and it made Mai glare. She went from angry to plain irate, and she felt like she would pop if she didn't watch it.

"Well at least I'm still cute, Yoko. And I have a nice personality to boot, which is more than I can say for you," she replied coolly. Yoko's looked turned from disdain to hatred.

"I guess I'd be smiling all the time too, if I was constantly the center of attention. It must be so hard being on your own Mai. Living alone all the time, having to support yourself, never having time for anything but your dreary, empty life. How's that working out for you?" The girl gave her another smirk and crossed her arms, nose slightly in the air as if she had just won the argument. Neither girl noticed the small crowd gathering in the yard, watching them banter back and forth.

"Just peachy, actually. I go to school for free, have friends who care about me, and an awesome job that lets me pay my bills and have free time for things like the movies. Can't really complain much. Not to mention I get to skip school when I have to work. And what do you do, Yoko? Do mommy and daddy still pay for everything? Are they still pampering their little princess?" The petite teen smirked back at her rival, one eye cocked up, a challenge in her eyes. She knew she struck a nerve. Yoko hated being called a princess.

"Well at least I have parents to take care of me. Who do you have Mai? Who is there when you come home from work or school? That's right, no one. Unless you have a boyfriend? But I doubt that too. Who want to date someone as plain and dorky as you?" The girl watched with a smile as Mai's face fell from smug to complete hatred. She balled her fists up and stood there, rigid and angry, refusing to let the tears that formed fall. Yoko laughed and turned to walk away.

"Hey, what the hell is wrong with you? How could you speak to Mai like that? Who do you think you are?!" Mai's head turned as she saw Monk strolling up to them, shame clearly evident on her face. I hadn't even realized everyone came outside!

"I'm Yoko Takahashi, an old friend of Mai's from elementary and middle school. And who are you? Her boyfriend? Aren't you a little old for her?" The haughty teen turned and looked skeptically at the man before her. He was glaring at her profusely.

"I'm a friend and coworker of Mai's. Now I think you need to apologize for what you just said," he bit out at the young lady. She just huffed and smiled before continuing her walk away from the now gathered group.

Yoko threw a lazy hand in the air and simply said, "Catch ya around, Mai," before she disappeared around the corner. Monk stared in disgust toward that corner and shook his head before turning to Mai. The poor girl was still rooted to the spot, looking at the ground in front of her.

"Mai? Are you okay?" Ayako Matsuzaki asked as she slid next to the still shaking girl. Mai sighed and sucked in a breath before turning to the red headed priestess. Ayako stepped back a little as she noticed the look Mai held. It was one of pure hate and disgust.

"I. AM. JUST. FINE." She bit out. A crack was heard and everyone looked behind them as they saw the windshield of the van splinter, a clear break line running down the middle. Mai snatched up her bag and, without another word, stormed past everyone to the gate. She barely noticed the look Naru gave her as the gate swung open of its own accord so she could get through. The same happened with the door to the house, and before they knew it, she was out of sight.

Everyone else's jaws had dropped, minus Naru and his Chinese assistant's. Lin Koujo walked to the van to inspect the damage, then turned to his boss, eyes slightly wider than usual. Their eyes locked and Naru nodded in understanding.

"It looks as if Mai's psychic abilities are growing, Naru," the small medium, Masako Hara, stated darkly.

"It certainly does. You have to wonder what other little things she can do," Osamu Yasuhara commented. The now twenty year old pushed his glasses up onto his nose and smiled after where Mai had been.

"Yes," Naru replied, his mind racing at the fact that Mai could apparently do the same thing he could now. And judging by her reaction, this wasn't something new for her. I wonder how long she's been able to do that? I'll have to ask her soon.