Everyone stood in silence as the fact soaked in. The two children had somehow gotten a paper and summoned demons, which meant it was going to be impossible to save them. They were going to go down with the demons; it was the only way to perform an exorcism, the only way to save others from turning into sacrifices as well.

"There has to be another way" Mai said, frowning deeply and her small hands tightened in anger. She couldn't let them be abandoned, and she looked up at Naru with some hope but he was looking away. He didn't have an answer for there, there was no answer. She wanted to kick him, or something, she wasn't really sure. It wasn't right, they had never killed a ghost before, never sent them down with the demons. They had always saved them.

"Here, let's go make dinner Mai" Ayako said but Naru finally moved to look down at the young woman who was looking back up at him in a weak manner. He didn't look pained, he looked stern but she could see past it he was too was feeling the sorrow he was going through. He was going to have to let the children go.

"Let me talk to Mai for a moment first" He said and the two walked away, Mai glanced behind a few times at her family. They were standing there, watching the two as they rounded a corner. Naru was standing there and she squatted down to sit against the wall, arms wrapped around her knees. He sat down as well, with a bit of ease. They sat there for a moment till she turned to him, lip trembling.

"I don't want to hurt them Naru" She said, tears forming at her eyes and she covered her face, unable to hold it back any longer. He didn't move from his spot to comfort her. Naru couldn't afford to give in and show that he was questioning their job.

"You need to leave this case Mai. You have too much spiritually connection to them" He said bluntly and the edge cut right through her. She looked up at him with a frown, wiping her nose with her hand as a few more sniffles made it past her. It wasn't right; it wasn't Naru to just accept defeat.

"Why won't you try to find another way?"

"Because there is no other way, you'll leave early tomorrow morning with Lin. We'll finish up the case" He said and she shook her head no but he wouldn't have that and took her wrist in his large hand, gripping it. "I'm your boss; you have to listen to me"

"You're acting heartless!" She shouted, covering her mouth with her hand, loud enough for everyone to come rushing out of worry. They sat in silence for a moment, waiting to see if anyone would come to find out what was happening.

"I'm doing what has to be done" He growled, but she snapped her wrist from his grasp and ran around the corner, down the hall and to her shared bedroom before collapsing on the bed in sobs. She hadn't locked the door, but she knew Naru wouldn't come in, even if they had just fought. She lied there, feeling the emotions of the children building up inside of her, Mai felt like she might burst. It would hurt, so much, she couldn't stand it. She missed dinner, lying there, but it didn't matter. Truthfully she was spiritually exhausted; her connection to the two children of this house as well as the demons had made her unable to move from the spot.

"You need to go apologize to Mai this minute, she has been in there all night, it's almost midnight and she missed dinner!" Ayako shouted, waking Mai from her light sleep. The woman was on the other side of the door.

"If she can't handle this case, she needs to go back home. I explained that, I am not responsible for what she is doing right now" He said, but Mai could sense the bitterness in his voice. She tried getting up to walk to the door but ending up just falling back into the bed, and ran her fingers through her short hair. She had known Naru so much of her life and she still couldn't understand him at some points.

"At least check on her, she was hardly moving when I went in" The Miko huffed and Mai heard the doorknob begin to move, she quickly closed her eyes, and listened as the man walked in. It was dark, and he walked over to her bed sluggishly before pausing beside her. He pulled the blanket closer to her and pushed her leg back in under the covers. He sat on the edge of the bed for a while as she felt herself fade in and out of sleep, flashes of visions coming and going.

"What are you dreaming of?" She heard him say softly.

"Wait for me Hiro!" She shouted, following after the boy. He was in front of her, laughing. They were best friends, they had since they day she allowed him into her life, and her into his. She was ten, but that didn't matter. Hiro and she would get married someday, and they were going to have lots of children. He stopped in the field, waiting for and once she caught up she grabbed his hands with delight.

"You're so slow Kotone" He said but she just grinned back at him.

"Why did you want to come here today?"

"My uncle told me that your parents contacted him. They don't want me to come close to you ever again" He said and she stared at him in shock.

"I know your uncle is bad, but- you're good! You are going to a good man when you grow up" She sobbed, becoming upset from the news. He silenced his tears when he brought out a piece of paper though, and she watched curiously as he wrote down his name. "What is that?"

"It's a spiritual paper; it's supposed to make us able to live together forever. My uncle sells them and it always works. Just sign your name here, see" He said, and with naïve trust she wrote her name as well. He looked down, and checked each space before reaching into his bag and pulled out a shovel. "Now we bury it, so one can find it" Hiro said and the two started to dig, and dig, and dig till they dropped the paper down deep into the earth.

"Is that deep enough?"

"Ya, no one will find it" He said, and the two covered it back up, patting the surface.

"Now what?"

"We wait three days"

Mai was awake. She was awake now and feeling much better. The sun was just coming through the curtain, the rain seeming to have stopped during the night, and she moved to look at the window, eyes sore from her tears. Naru was going to send her home today, and she could do nothing about it. Getting up she left the bedroom where Ayako and Masako were sleeping to drink some water, glad that she had day clothes on from the night before. She started to get water from the sink when she looked up to see Naru standing outside, right at the tree line. He seemed almost like he was waiting from someone. Curious, she walked to the back door and went outside onto the front porch.

"What are you doing Naru?" She shouted out to the man, waving her hands to get his attention. He stood there for a moment before waving back.

"Come here Mai, I need to show you something" He said and walking through the tree line to the field just beyond. She stood there for a moment in confusion, but setting her glass on the porch and jumped down onto the wet grass. Sadly, she had forgotten to get her shoes, but it didn't seem for Naru there was time for that. She ran after him, through the back yard of the home and slide through the trees. He was standing there in the middle of the field, and she stood there on the edge, looking confused.

"What is going on Naru?" She asked, before eyes widening as he pulled a gun out and held it to his head. Everything was going too fast, she needed to save him but the distances. She could never make it. "Please don't kill him!" She screamed, hands over mouth as her body shook. Naru was going to die, she couldn't stop it. The demons had taken advantage of them. She couldn't do anything, and as he smiled she let out a shriek and the gun shot went off into the forest. Mai collapsed onto the ground, shaking. Naru shot himself, everything was over, it had to be, Mai placed her head to the ground as sobbed overcame her. This was her fault, she had yelled at him last night; they had targeted him because of that. This was her fault. She killed him.

"Mai"

She moved her head up from the ground quickly to see Naru standing there wide-eyed, and she stared right back. There was no blood running down his face, he was just standing there in shock like her. His hand was still at his head, as if the gun was still his hand, and he slowly lowered it. She sat there, left over tears staining her face before getting up and racing to the man who grabbed her and squeezed her body so tightly she could hardly breathe, but it didn't matter, he was alive. She moved her hands up to grip his jacket, squeezing him back, and the two slowly slid to the ground out of the pure terror that had just afflicted them. It seemed no one else had responded to the gun shot yet and they couldn't get themselves to move from the spot, legs still shaking.

"Idiot" He mumbled into her ear and she out a small laugh

"Jerk"

"Danger-magnet"

"Bully" She whispered and she felt him kiss her hair, he let out a shaky breath, as if trying to say something but couldn't form the words. By now, the two were able to get up and Naru put his jacket around her, heading back to the home. Getting past the trees they saw Monk run out of the home, one shoe on and his jacket swung over his shoulder. They stared at each other for a moment before Mai and Naru silenced walked up the house and went inside without a word.

"You should go take a bath before you leave" Naru mumbled and she nodded toes hot from the sudden heat against them. She walked up the stairs with some trouble, pausing as she heard Naru begin to speak to Monk. "Did anyone else hear the gunshot?"

"No"

"Let's leave it that way" She heard him say, and she slowly treaded up the stairs and into the shared bedroom, the two women still asleep. Mai turned on the bath, sitting on the edge as she waited for it to heat up. Once full she slid in and hissed as the warmth, her body frozen from the outside weather. Still she forced herself to sit in the water and think for a moment. Naru was still going to send her away, and the exorcism would still go on.

"Stupid Naru" The young woman said under her breath then got out of the tub and dressed herself warmly, much more comfortable now. She heard someone knock on the door and she opened it to see Lin.

"Naru sent me up to get you. I'll be taking you home" He said and Mai went back to fetch her luggage, before following after the man. Naru wasn't waiting for her outside the home and she stood by the van as Lin put her suitcase in the back. He still didn't come, he wouldn't even come to say goodbye.

"Seems both of us are being sent away" She mumbled as Lin walked back to her and she heard him sigh, leaning on the car like she was.

"I believe he'll keep trying for now Taniyama-san. He wants you out of harms way for the time being since you connect too much with the ghost"

"Like Gene"

"Like Gene" He said and the two got into the car, turning on the heat before he started to drive away. She turned around to watch the house from the van, trying to catch a glimpse of someone waving goodbye to them, but even as they rounded the bend no one was there and she slumped back into the chair. "Naru told me about your adventure in the field this morning" Lin said after a good half hour and she looked over at him, surprised. "He said that the gun flew from his hand and was thrown across the field"

"So he used his Pk" Mai asked

"No. You did"

"Oh" She said into the silence, and while she could see Lin had more to say, probably to scold her, he remained silent. They kept driving till Lin pulled to the side of the road, and pulled out his phone, called who she assumed to be Naru. He spoke for a while on the phone while she ate dinner, chewing her sandwich thoughtfully as she looked outside at the Tokyo skyline. They were on top of a mountain so it would be another two hours before she got home.

"Naru said that they successfully removed the demons from the two children and got them to move on." Lin said and she looked over quickly before putting out her hands for the phone. He looked at her for a moment before unwillingly handing it over to her.

"Naru" She said, hearing silence for a second before he responded back

"Yes?" Naru said, exhaustion evident through his voice

"When you get back I'll make you some okonomiyaki"

"I'll be waiting for that" He said, and she grinned before talking a bit longer with him. Monk had broken a rib or two and John had a black eye, but Ayako and Masako were babying them so they would be back to full health soon. Maid could hear Yasuhara shouting from the other end, and the sound of the shelves being put down.

"I'll let you go rest Naru, goodnight"

"Goodnight"

Oh p. Ageha I don't think Yasu would be worried at all, I think he would happily enjoy being eaten. That sounds creepy doesn't it?

thearistcrat . Oh I know, I'm so bad about writing...tension/anger/teasing. It's because for the most part, to my significant other I am rather mellow. We get into a fight and I just talk in a normal tone. I added in some drama just for you, though I had planned the 'shooting' for a while. Thank you for giving such a good review ^^

deadlyrose123, hahahahaha, ya I guess Naru can cook, I mean he can do everything else. And in fact...I didn't...go to the hospital. I'm just as bad as Mai aren't I? .

Oh nice to meet you WhisperToWolves, I'm glad you're enjoying my story so far! It makes me so happy to have new reviewers, it makes me think that i'm doing something right! Hehehe, it's good that i'm surprising you with the story!

Sorry if it seemed a bit rushed...I always feel like I rush the endings. I will have a hard time posting a new chapter this weekend, i'm going to military ball with my other, visiting a friend, and staying up for an...24 hour live stream from my favorite gamer. So there's that. I think i'll try to get it writen so I can just post it on Friday without much trouble.

Lets work hard on the next case! :3