The automatic doors opened and two men walked in. One was tall with dark hair, dark blue eyes, and a proud bearing who appeared as if he walked off the pages of a magazine. The other man, a couple of years younger, was almost as tall with bleach blonde hair spiked on top of his head. His gray eyes held intensity and his dress had the air of thug about him.

The pair walked past the reception desk and the youngest of the pair wore a smirk as they both heard a squeal come from the desk. "OMG, did you see who that was," squealed a nurse who happened to be by the receptionist.

"So it's a couple of guys, so what."

"So what, are you totally out of your freaking mind? That was Ryosuke Takahashi and his brother Keisuke."

The two men stepped into the elevator and Ryosuke pressed the button for floor three. The doors closed cutting off any more conversation between the pair in the reception area. "It's Interesting, how people even here in Tokyo would know who you are, bro."

"Not really, Keisuke. After all, I have driven in Gymkhana to hone my street racing skills."

The elevator dinged and the doors slid open. The pair stepped out strolling down the hall. They passed a few empty rooms before finding the one they wanted, 325. Ryosuke knocked on the door, which was closed and softly pushed the door and then he ambled into the room. The brothers were surprised to find a tall, lanky stoic man and a younger, stoic man in the room. Both sat near a brown-headed girl, who appeared to be sleeping.

Ryosuke's eyes fell upon Jessica as she lay in her bed looking bored out of her mind.

The TV was playing as it clung to the wall. Ryosuke and Keisuke approached Jessica's bed. "Jessica, you didn't tell me you were sick," Ryosuke said as worry came through his voice.

"No, not sick but a Doctor Matsuzaki said I was near the point of collapse."

Keisuke snapped, as his nostrils flared, "Haven't I made it clear that you are not to work yourself that hard? As a Redsun, I thought you would have had more sense."

A spark started a fire of anger in Jessica's eyes, which smoldered as her attention was attracted to the TV.

A special news report flashed across the screen and the music coming from the TV changed to the stations theme music, which caught the attention of everyone in the room except for one brown-headed girl.

"This morning this story came across our desk but the police asked we hold off until the perpetrators were caught. A high school girl was brutally assaulted by three of her classmates in a park near Shibuya Station. We are pleased to announce that all the perpetrators have been caught. We now return to regular programming."

The younger man growled and the older whispered a warning into his ear. "Lin, Mai doesn't need to be turned into a spectacle."

"I understand, but there's not a lot we can do about it Naru."

Eavesdropping was something that Keisuke abhorred. It was hard to do when your friend is in the same room with a news story. He pointed at the girl in the other bed, "You mean she's…"

Jessica smacked his hand. "Haven't you learned anything yet? Or are cars all you think about?" She sighed as she looked over at Naru and saw him glaring at the younger man. "I'm sorry Kazuya. I'm trying to teach him some manners but he hasn't learned yet."

Keisuke huffed, "Sorry Miss Priss, but the Jessica I knew didn't take shit from anyone."

The smoldering fire now grew to an enraged inferno. "That's because I was in my rebellious stage," Jessica growled. "My grandfather had passed away a month before my mother died. I was a fourteen-year-old kid basically alone in Japan, my father doing his Marine Corps duty and no one on either side of my parent's families wanted to give me a stable home life." She tried to stifle a sob, as a tear slipped out of her eye.

"Excuse me that I ran into you, and you took me under your wing with the bikers. Excuse me that Ryosuke got me out of the gang and taught me a few things. And most of all sorry for being me." The tears came out faster and harder as Jessica hid her face in her pillows.

Ryosuke shot his little brother an icy glare as he rubbed the woman's back trying to comfort her. "Wait in the hall," everyone in the room witnessing the events transpiring could swear his words came out of his mouth with permafrost encasing the letters.

Naru took that moment to approach the tall man. "We weren't formally introduced, I'm Kazuya Shibuya." He held out his hand.

Ryosuke took his hand and shook it. "Ryosuke Takahashi."

Naru felt he should explain since Jessica hadn't been able to, only his version of the events were abridged. "Jessica is Mai's friend, and she was going to pick Mai up this morning. Instead, she found Mai covered in stab wounds."

"Thank you," the older man bowed and then he leaned over the woman and whispered something in her ear. She nodded and the older man walked out of the room.

Jessica looked up at Naru, she snubbed as she tried to gain control of herself again. "Thank you, Naru. I didn't mean to lose control like that."

Naru nodded and took his seat next to Mai's bed again. He folded his arms over his chest and closed his eyes mulling all the new information he had gained through his mind.

Leiko paced in the hallway, "Mai, Mai, Mai, Everything is always about Mai…" She shook her transparent hand at the girl she tried to kill earlier that morning. "Why didn't you just die."

Cafeteria workers traversed up and down the halls of all the floors of the hospital with dinner trays on carts. Some of the carts were in dire need of repair with squeaky wheels. A woman stopped the cart near the door. She shivered as she felt a cold spot in the hall.

The woman carried a tray into the room, pulled a tray table across Jessica's bed, and set the tray on it. Grabbing a similar table, she pulled it over Mai's bed, returned with a second tray, and placed it on the second table.

Jessica removed the cover from the tray, as the smell of the food reached her nostrils, her stomach grumbled. She blushed hoping neither man heard it. Pulling out chopsticks, she began to eat with a flourish.

Naru, being mindful of the stab wounds shook Mai gently. "Mai wake up it's time to eat."

Her eyelids fluttered open. She looked up at Naru, "What?" her ears felt as if they were waterlogged.

"I said it's time for you to eat," he chuckled to take the sting out of his words as he held up the control pad and adjusted her bed to a slightly upright position.

Her velvet brown eyes were lit with a million golden drops of honey as she gazed at him. Her cheeks turned a slight pink, "I don't feel like eating."

Before either could say anything, a certain redheaded priestess/doctor made her appearance in the doorway. Two orderlies followed carrying a cot, and a nurse, "I thought you would say that," Ayako said. "Now you listen here Mai, you need to eat."

"Ayako…"

She placed her hands on her hips and motioned for the orderlies to set the cot up. She wagged a finger at Mai as her other hand stayed connected to the hip. "Don't Ayako me, your weak and you've lost a lot of blood. I can only do so much to help you, but you have to be willing to help yourself." She pushed a stray strand of hair behind Mai's ear and smiled down at the girl. "If you decide not to eat, I'll force feed you myself."

Mai glanced over at Naru for help. Instead, she found him smirking at her. "Fine," she blushed as a hint of anger flashed in her eyes. "I can't believe you all are ganging up on me."

"When it comes to your health…" Naru let the rest of what he was going to say fade when he caught Ayako staring at him.

"Are you sick or something, when have you ever been concerned about Mai's health. It's usually Mai Tea or Mai do this or Mai do that." Ayako reached out placing her hand on his forehead. "You don't have a fever. Why all the sudden concern about Mai's wellbeing?"

Lin decided now would be a strategic time to change the subject as he looked at his watch. "Naru…"

Naru nodded. "Very well, after you've picked her up and got her settled in the hotel you can either return or stay with her."

"Did I just miss something?"

Mai watched all three talk around her as if she wasn't there. She reached a point of no return and couldn't take it anymore. "Lin, who are you picking up at the airport?" A thought struck her like a rock as all the color drained from her face. Please don't let this woman be Naru's mother, what will I do if it is… Her heart rate increased as the beeping of the monitor sped up to stay in the race.

Mai placed her hand on her heart, it literally hurt as her throat constricted in pain. Sweat broke out on her brow, as she trembled. Her skin prickled as chills raced over her skin. She felt like she couldn't breathe as she gasped for breath. What's wrong with me? Tears dropped from her eyes uncontrollably.

All eyes turned to her as Ayako rushed to her side. "Calm down Mai, you're having a panic attack. Just calm down," Ayako murmured as she sat on the bed beside her young charge and stroked the girls hair in a motherly fashion.

The beeping of the monitor slowed to match the rate of her heart as it slowed to a reasonable pace. Naru's arms ached to hold his Mai and comfort her as Ayako was doing. He didn't dare show how he actually felt in front of Ayako. Tomorrow they would all know how he felt about his personal assistant.

"I'll return in the morning, Naru." The older man turned to Mai, "I'm picking up Madoka at the airport."

Mai nodded as her eyes began to close, exhaustion taking hold.

Jessica made a move to climb out of her bed and Ayako glanced her way. "Don't you dare get out of that bed. I'll check you over in a few minutes."

Lin's footsteps could be heard as he exited the room. As he stood in the hallway, he felt something. One of his shiki spotted it as a spirit. Silently he gave the order for two of his shiki to stay with Naru and Mai.

As Lin continued on his way, a smile tugged at his lips. Mentally he compared the differences and similarities between Madoka and Mai. Both could be gentle and sweet. Both could also be angry spitfires. He chuckled to himself. Naru, I wonder if you truly know what you've gotten yourself into my friend.

His cell phone rang and Lin pulled it out as he climbed into the SPR van. He listened to the woman on the other end of the phone. "I can't say, Mrs. Davis. Right now she's under the care of Doctor Matsuzaki, who is also a Shinto Priestess and helps out on cases with SPR."

The woman raised her voice and Lin pulled the phone away from his ear for a moment. "Calm down Mrs. Davis. No there's no reason for you to make a trip here from London." He absently nodded as he put his key into the ignition and turned the engine overhearing the motor hum.

"I have to go pick up Madoka from the airport. Although, Mrs. Davis I'm curious, what did the Taniyama's have to do with SPR in London?"

As he listened, one of his eyebrows rose. "I see, Yes I will keep you informed as to Mai's condition." He ended the call and placed the cell phone back into his jacket pocket as he backed the van out of the parking space and headed for the road to take him to the airport and a certain pinkish haired woman who held his heart.