Lin was once again Mai's savior. The man actaully slid into the room with the help of his socks.

"Taniyama-san has just returned from the hospital," Lin frowned, moving to block her from the cameras. "She needs rest, not interviews."

Simon sighed and signaled for the camera woman to stop filming.

"I only thought we could have a few words for the show," he grumbled, snatching a water bottle from a crew member. Taking a swig of water, Simon winked at Mai and mouthed, 'let's talk later,' before walking out.

Setting her tea down on the desk, Mai smiled weakly up at Lin. "Thank you."

She began to wipe her sticky hands off on her pants.

"There's no need to thank me." Lin handed her a tissue and looked at the door. "Is he...?"

"Yes."

He nodded once. "I thought so."

The man picked his laptop up from the desk, shaking his head when Mai moved to stand up from his chair. "It's fine."

He sank down onto the ground and gazed down at his keyboard.

Naru walked in a few minutes later, his eyebrows shooting up at the sight of Lin sitting on the floor. That man was being awfully gentle with Mai as of late. Hmm.

Tucking that away in the back of his mind for later scrutiny, the teen crossed his arms. "We'll be speaking with everyone in the playroom."

"Strange things have been happening for a while," Hana sighed, nervously adjusting her glasses. "But after recent...events, most of the woman that were staying here have left with their children."

One of the remaining mother's sniffled into her into her toddler's head. "It's only lately that things have gotten really bad."

Naru leaned forward. "How so?"

Another woman put a hand to her swollen stomach. "A...a woman killed herself by jumping from the second floor window," she whispered, a tear slipping down her cheek. "She was pregnant at the time...the baby didn't survive."

"Was she mentally ill?" Simon asked, tilting his head. His camera woman inched closer.

Mai scowled and looked away, digging her fingernails into her legs. Why did her ex-boyfriend have to be the host of a show about ghost hunting? Hindsight sure is a bitch.

Naru was also on edge. "You said you'd stay quiet," he hissed. Simon held his hands up in surrender.

Hana also seemed upset. "No, Sara was the happiest woman I've ever met! She was so excited to be a mother..."

"Did anything else happen?" Naru wondered, his voice almost drowned out by Lin's typing.

The three woman exchanged a look. "Well, Emily..."

Emily (the girl with scars of her wrists) looked down and planted a kiss on her toddler's cheek. "I would never hurt my son, but one night everything went fuzzy and when my vision cleared, I-" she choked. "-I had my hands wrapped around my little boy's neck."

"Mai."

The girl groaned, rolling over in her futon, pressing a hand to her stomach.

"Mai-chan..."

"Hm?" Mai peeked open an eye, her chest tightening at the sight of Simon crouched beside her. "Why are you here?"

He was grinning sweetly. "I thought it would be a good time to talk, now that your co-workers aren't breathing down my neck."

The last thing Mai wanted was to spend extra time with her ex, but...she had to tell him. He had to know.

"Okay, but only for a couple of minutes," She grumbled.

He helped her up from the ground, and they padded quietly down the stairs and to the front door. They slipped on their shoes on the way out.

"Wow, the stars are..." Mai's jaw dropped down further. "Wow."

Simon led her around the building, and they sat down amongst the wildflowers to look out at the glassy pond. The water was reflecting the sky. "I know. They're so much better here than in the city."

His hand slipped over her own. Gosh, he must have thought he was so sly. Well, it was now or never.

"Hey, Simon-san?" Her voice shook slightly.

"What, Mai?"

"I'm...pregnant."

He had been gently stroking her fingers with his thumb, but he froze at her words. Mai flinched away, afraid that he might - well, she was afraid he might do a lot of things.

But he only laughed. It was a nice laugh that made people like him instantly. He turned to her, eyes gentle and flickering with something.

"Oh Mai-chan, you don't have to lie." He smiled warmly, and moved closer. "I understand."

Mai nodded slowly, opening her mouth to speak when his words sunk in. "Wait, why would I-" her eyes widened as Simon grabbed her around the shoulders, pushing her against the ground.

Lin never really slept well. He had trained himself to be a light sleeper, always on alert in case something went wrong with Naru or lately, Mai.

How could he not worry for her? That poor girl seemed to be a magnet for trouble. On top of that, she was pregnant. Not exactly the best combination.

This was the reason he had sent one of his Shiki to watch after her in his place. His priority was still Naru and besides, he was hardly going to sleep with her.

Something brushed against his senses, and Lin's eyes snapped open to see 'Mai's Shiki' circling frantically around his head. He sat up, swiftly throwing the covers aside and stubbornly ignoring the ache in his head.

Feeling confident that he could trust Naru to the monk, Lin hurried out of the room, following his familiar with a grim look on his face.

He didn't bother to put on his shoes, but noticed nonetheless that Mai's sneakers were gone. The grass felt soft and dreamlike beneath his bare feet.

Lin heard and saw Mai at the same time. She was tangled up with the father of her child, kicking and squealing as she fought against Simon.

Everything turned blood red as Lin raced forward, fingers curling into fists. The struggle became more frenzied, Mai's head hit hard against a rock a couple of seconds later.

She fell into darkness with a soft groan of irritation.