Hey! Sorry about the impromptu hiatus. It's been a very busy last few months. Plus this chapter was a struggle to get right for me.

ATTN: I do NOT own Ghost Hunt or the Characters associated with it. If I did well... lets just say the story would have ended differently and Vol 12 would exist in English translation.

Anywho lets get started! NO Beta so sorry for any mistakes but focus on the story and enjoy! :)

IT WAS YOU

*RECAP*

"They didn't change over the years, I see."

She smiled, happy they hadn't. "No, this is a common occurrence. Honestly I wouldn't have them any other way. Their family, the craziness isn't just something that keeps us entertained and the team morale high during stressful situations we somehow always find ourselves in, it's part of why I love them."

CHAPTER 5:

This Case had been anything but normal. Such high level activity from the moment they stepped in the door was a bit of a surprise. The teams dealt with some pretty outlandish hauntings in the past but he hasn't had a case in Japan, let alone with them, for years now. Has it really been that long? The time since that day at the lake had become a blur to him. For years, he realized he'd been going through the motions. He hadn't forgotten though; Japan, the cases, the team. England was haunted in its own right but Japan made it look like child's play in comparison. He'd be lying if he denied that some small part of him missed it. Shifting back a step Naru took in the white board in front of him. He scanned the facts of the case, he'd just finished updating it. He needed visual representation. Including the attacks from before they arrived on property to the most recent on Mai, this was already more activity than any case he's had in the past 5 years. Sighing to himself, he ran his free hand through his hair. Though she had a track record with the hospital bills to support it, being attacked on the first day was new. He needed to talk with Mai about her earlier experiences. He had sent her with the rest of them to sleep after dinner. He prefers to keep watch with Lin on the first night, then they implement a rotation for the following nights. He'd be awake anyway. He could never sleep when there was something to solve. He had this drive to know things, to solve the hauntings. Helping the client is the main objective that BSPR promotes, while he could argue that morally the client is priority but logically the research was paramount. His dissertations and discoveries were nothing without the evidence he's gathered working in the field. Even he, Oliver Davis, could admit that the thrill of a case could sometimes consume him, but he had a feeling that wouldn't happen this case, even if he tried. Mai had an annoying habit of reminding him when he went too far. He would never tell her but it was one of the many traits he grew to admire about her. Very few people in his life have that ability, mostly because they were typically too busy kissing his ass to think for themselves. Mai had always been very bold in telling him what she thought from the beginning. She never hesitated to give him a lecture if she thought it necessary. Unlike him and his cold personality, Mai was bright and warm. She attracted people like moths to a flame. He would know he's seen it happen time and time again and if he were honest with himself he is amongst the moths, drawn to her. He's seen it on this case already and they've been here less than 24 hours. But that warmth also caused her a lot of problems. If her abilities didn't already put her in harm's way her empathy certainly did. The spirits were just as attracted as the living to the light that goes by the name Mai Taniyama.

His mood darkened as he was reminded of her tumble down the stairs. He hadn't liked the way Akio had been with Mai, He had looked at her like she was the only one there. He was aware that logically they were having a conversation and he could also understand the embrace had been a completely normal thing given the situation. What he couldn't understand was the fact that he had been illogically mad at the guy for holding Mai. He can recount numerous occasions he had been in a similar position and instinctively had pulled the girl to him in a desperate act to save her. Maybe he could understand why Akio had gotten to him. No, because if he believed it was because of something like Akio having feelings that would mean he too… No. It was just instinctual. Anyone in the situation would have done that. He's seen Monk, Lin, John, or even Yasu close with Mai but hadn't felt this way. Another thought to tuck away for later assessment. He was starting to have a long list.

"I reviewed the footage of the camera we had set up by the time Mai got upstairs."

Noll clamped down on the rise of his power riled by Lin's sudden voice. It took a lot to scare him but sometimes Lin moved like the very things they hunted. Regaining his composure Naru coolly replied, "Lets watch it." Making his way to Lin's side at the monitors he looked to Lin's laptop. It depicted the second floor hallway from the opposite end of the stairs. It was paused with Mai just at the top of the stairs. Her image was distinct on the large screen of Lin's laptop. Her dark jeans and white blouse were paired with a nice olive blazer. Her hair hung from a claw clip, her new signature hairstyle, which he had recently noticed. She had her head turned toward the open space above the first floor, her hand delicately placed on the railing. Placing the offered headphones over his ears he nodded to Lin to press play. He observed her as she began to move. Mai seemed to be taking in her surroundings, most likely for later use. As she arrived on the second floor her entire demeanor changed. He could visibly see Mai tense up on the screen as she froze and slowly looked around. She was looking for something. But what? While he couldn't see anything through the camera, she obviously sensed something. Maybe they need to put a thermal imaging camera up. The silent duo watched as Mai seemed to prepare herself for a protection chant as Oliver heard the sound of a door opening followed by a low voice. Akio, He hasn't spoken with the man yet but he knew, logically, that it was him.

"Are you alright?"

Mai's eyes snapped open as they focused on something beside the camera before she suddenly rubbed the back of her head, "Yeah! I'm fine." She moved towards Akio and the camera. "Hello, I'm Mai. I'm here with BSPR to help with your problem." Mai was almost directly in front of the camera now, he could see as she looked up at Akio and watched as her face darkened. He recognized her expression, it was one he took great pleasure in causing. That feeling was back again as he heard Akio reply.

"I'm glad you're alright. I'm Akio Turner." Okay he really did not like how Akio said that. Oliver felt a heaviness settle in his stomach. He didn't know if he wanted to watch anymore. He mentally shook himself, he was being ridiculous, of course he needed to watch this. A client and employee were injured. Now irritated with himself and the ever-growing pit, he only seemed to bristle more as the conversation played out before him.

"I'm glad I found you, Akio." What? She was what… She had to interview him.

"Can I help you with anything Mai?….."

The idiot was being flirted with and she probably had no clue. Why was he even so upset about it? It's not like it mattered, she had chosen. He may not have been very happy with it but she chose and it wasn't him. He could faintly recognize Mai interviewing Akio, at least she was working, as he went down the rabbit hole. He snapped out of it at Lin's stern warning.

"Oliver. The temperature has dropped 10 degrees since we started this. Reign it in." He scoffed at Lin, but he was right. Hearing the faint beeping from the thermometer was proof enough. He needed to get himself together or something worse than a concussion and some broken bones could happen. It had been a while since he had lost focus like that. He needed answers, he told Lin to press play again. The two had moved down the hall away from the camera and toward the stairs. He could see Akio now. The bruises visible even through the camera, that was interesting. He ignored the pit as Mai placed a hand on Akio's arm. Watching for any clues or pointers as the video continued. He checked the chart in front of them and noticed the temperature gauge hadn't been set up yet so they couldn't record that. He focused in as he saw Akio descend the stairs, Mai right behind him. He saw it. Just a glimpse.

"Lin, go back. Pause it… there." There was a distinct hand shape in the fabric of Mai's shirt. Lin had zoomed in on the frame and the indent of a slim hand was impossible to miss.

Oliver took off the headphones as Lin saved the image and started the documentation for evidence. He didn't need to finish the clip; he already saw what happened first hand. He needed to compile a list of questions for Mai. She was wracking up quite the number. He needed to ask her about when they first got here, what she felt during the stairs incident and if she bothered to follow directions and grab a charm. That didn't even include his questions that pertained to her personally. One thing in particular really bothered him ever since they ran into each other at the conference. She had an effect on him. He wasn't sure what it was exactly but when he made direct contact with her he suddenly felt light, almost weightless. He sighed as he closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. Night one and he already had a headache. There are too many questions with not enough answers. He needs to figure out what's missing, and hopefully before anyone else gets hurt. Anything else will have to wait till the case was done.

Being awoken to jarring screams and chaos hadn't been on her bucket list. But when one works with the paranormal you get used to it, well as much as anyone can anyways. Stumbling to the door after nearly face-planting out of her cot, she threw it open. Checking on her roommates, she looked over her shoulder to the other two cots in the room. Masako and Ayako were getting their bearings still, she couldn't wait for them if a client was in trouble. Looking back into the dark hall she ran towards the sound. The voices were indecipherable over the crashing sounds. As she arrived at the door she ran into the guys from base. Naru watched her approach, he was wearing his clothes from the day before. It was the middle of the night. Of course the workaholic hadn't gone to bed yet. He looked Mai over before focusing back on Lin who had his hand on the door, preparing to enter. Mai moved to Naru's side, blushing when she realized she was still wearing her pink satin shorts and matching loose top. She soon forgot her embarrassment as the door opened because the next thing she knew Naru was pulling her into him and out of the path of the door as something smacked against the wall, directly behind where she had been standing. Not allowing herself to focus on the fact that her lightly clothed body was pressed up against his, she ignored the shiver that ran down her spine as she pulled away to look at what had nearly hit her. A cute sword shaped letter opener had lodged itself in the wall. Its tiny hilt shining in the light as Lin flicked on the switch, the light flooding the hall from the open door. The activity had stopped as soon as Lin opened it. Almost in a fit the letter opener had been thrown at them as all movement and sound in the room had ceased. It was disturbingly quiet now. A stark contrast from the previous cacophony. Mai watched a few papers that were floating down and settling as they walked into the room. She took in the absolute carnage as she heard Monk cuss behind her, "Damn! That's what all the noise was. You can't really tell what was even in here, it's practically shredded." She watched as Monk, John, and Yasu picked their way through the mess into the room, the girls following their lead.

"Whatever did this isn't something to be taken lightly." John said, his brow furrowed in concern. "It's powerful, you may want to be careful with this one Mai," John supplied before his eyes widened slightly as he realized that Naru was technically the lead on this case, his gaze flicking to him, he added, "You as well Oliver. This much activity with barely any contact is concerning."

"He is right, Naru." Masako said while she wrapped her waffle pattern robe tighter, "To have two incidents on our day of arrival isn't normal. Especially with the intensity in both. One resulting with a concussion along with some broken bones and the other would have probably been deadly if one of us were in here when this happened." She gestured to the floor around her, full of scattered remnants of what it originally was.

Mai's eyes flickered to each person as they spoke, processing the information and trying to figure out the bigger problem, what could do something like this. She could feel a slight throb in her head taking in the war zone, the room had once been a beautifully decorated sitting room, a stone fireplace and hearth that looked to have once housed knick-knacks and photos along its wooden shelf was now busted and filled with debris. The former couch, chairs, and table were in splinters at their feet. This is too much for one person, so possibly more than one spirit.

"It's highly possible there is more than one spirit."

Mai flickered her wide eyes to Naru as she almost gaped in shock. The man was too smart or he could read her mind. "I was thinking the same. The female has only been known for the physical attack on Akio, one could probably presume that what he has experienced himself is the work of that female spirit as well. Plus this just feels like too much to be her alone." Her hand was playing with the end of her braid as she looked at her friends, her eyes landing on Naru last, "It's definitely not just her." Mai spoke with finality. She knew this was something else. She noted that she had no factual support other than theories and her gut feeling, but her gut hadn't failed her yet and as she held Naru's gaze she knew he was thinking the same.

"Alright, so at least two spirits that we know of. We will discuss whatever we find on the cameras from the incident tonight at the morning brief. Everyone back to bed for now."

"Finally, these stupid ghosts interrupted my beauty sleep." Ayako grumbled as she grabbed Monk, using him as her personal crutch to begin picking her way across the room to the hall and back towards the girls room. Masako started after her, talking with John who was assisting her across the broken furniture and decorations, Yasu trailed behind them like the walking dead. While she was watching, she hadn't realized Naru had stopped next to her.

"It's only 2 am. You should get some more rest, I can't afford for you to do something stupid because you didn't follow doctors orders and strained yourself." He looked down at her, a glint in his eye as he teased her. He had aged well. Any woman in the world would think he was downright beautiful. But Mai's favorite part was his eyes, always had been. She loved the colors that danced in them when he teased her, she watched as they changed from mirthful to something else. The beautiful dark blue shifting. She couldn't quite understand what it was, she hadn't seen it often, usually it was easy to tell what Naru felt because it was either teasing or irritation but this, it was different. He held her gaze with an almost tender fondness? That couldn't be right. Maybe she did need more sleep. "Really Mai, Go get some more rest. This can wait until morning." Naru placed his hand on her elbow guiding her out of the room. His hand was surprisingly warm despite his cold demeanor, it burned against her cold skin. Her head was swimming. She felt like there was something important she was missing. He wasn't helping either. Why was he so touchy now? What changed the 'No touchy' Naru they all knew and loved. Why did he hold her gaze like that? It wasn't the first time either. He had looked at her like that multiple times since they had met in England. He was looking ahead of them now, carefully helping her cross the debris. She hadn't worn her slippers. She hadn't even thought about a robe or shoes in her haste. Her face warmed as she so unhelpfully reminded herself of what happened earlier. The incident had been brief and most would have been more concerned about the life endangerment versus the close contact. However Mai had never really been what one would call normal and all she could think about was that. The shock she'd felt when his arm wrapped around her. Then she was suddenly no longer on her feet, swept away and pulled into him. Her brain betrayed her and immediately focused on all points of contact between her and Naru. She had become hyper aware of the tenseness of his muscles that had surrounded her. His arms had wound their way around her waist and up her back, one of his hands holding her head against his chest, tucking it under his chin. If she hadn't been so focused on her Bosses assets she could have saved herself some embarrassment. He did save her life, yet again, she really thought she'd gotten better about not putting herself in bad/life threatening situations. She should thank him.

Sighing to herself, she knew this was going to inflate his head, she spoke softly, "Thanks for earlier Naru. I would've had a nasty wound to add to the list." The small smile that made its way onto his face caused little butterflies to take flight in her stomach. Oh no here she goes again. She thought she had put that behind her.

"I noticed you've started calling me Naru again. I'm not complaining but you were rather adamant back in England to call me Oliver."

Mai rolled her eyes, "Monk and Yasu kept teasing me about it before we picked you all up from the airport. It was every time I called you Oliver around them." Pausing as he shifted them and stepped over some wood. She carefully followed his lead over the pile of debris with his guidance. She looked up at him through her lashes and smiled faintly. "As I'm sure you can imagine how it made planning things rather difficult and then for sanity's sake I started using it to keep them quiet and…. it stuck." It felt right anyway, Oliver made him feel so distant from her. She had been forced to think through those feelings when Monk had poked a really sore spot while teasing her. She just needed to get to know him with no secrets this time. She needed to make sure he wanted the same first. Following him out the door and into the hall she gestured behind her toward the kitchen. "Walk with me? I think some tea may help me get back to sleep." Naru paused and looked down at her. She knew they had everything in base to make tea, but this conversation needed to be private. The question was in his face. His eyes had widened slightly before slowly falling into a faint smile. There's that look again, and a smile? She was feeling a little lightheaded, maybe she wasn't feeling as good as she thought. The concussion probably doesn't heal as fast as she was hoping.

"We can't have you going alone and getting hurt," Her cheeks warmed as she realized she'd been holding his gaze during her internal meltdown. Rolling her eyes she smiled and turned around making her way to the kitchen.

"If you're nice, maybe I'll make you a cup."

Oliver smiled to himself as he watched Mai walk away. "Noll, I'm going back to base. Do you have your charm?" He looked behind him to see Lin walking out of the trashed room with a camera in hand.

"Yes, I have an extra for Mai as well. I'll be back in a bit." Turning from his friend he saw that Mai had paused just down the hall. She was waiting for him? He started towards her and couldn't help but marvel at the woman. She had a bandage still wrapped around her head, almost like a headband. Her satin pajamas definitely suited her. Clearing his throat he came to stop next to her. She was staring at a painting on the wall while absentmindedly playing with her braid. He looked over the picture. It was a painting of a traditional Japanese home surrounded by cherry blossom trees. In the bottom corner of the painting was a garden with a well. He looked at the girl still staring into space, she was zoned out. Shaking his head he called to her while placing his hand on her satin clad shoulder. "Mai." He watched as she blinked, awareness returning to her slowly. Then she was looking up at him. She looked slightly confused about where she was for a moment and held his gaze in silent question. He was taken back, memories from all the times he looked into those eyes and noted their warm chocolate color. From the first time he saw her that night in the resource room of her school, her knocking down a bookshelf not only breaking one of his cameras but Lin's leg as well. She had always been clumsy. To when she said she liked him in the woods, that day had been the second most life changing day in his life. The first had been when Gene died, the world had been ripped from underneath him then. He had been stumbling in the dark believing his only solace lied in recovering Genes' body from the watery grave it had been dumped in. So he opened SPR as a front to search every lake, pond or body of water he could. During his time working cases with SPR he slowly started to see things in his dark world, most of it dull and hardly visible, but Mai. He couldn't ignore her from day one. She had read right through his facade, unlike her friends. She came crashing into his life and hasn't stopped tearing through that darkness since. Her light makes his world brighter. It seemed to get brighter with every cup of tea she brought him.

"You wanted some tea."

He wasn't sure he wanted tea. He wanted something else, something more. He didn't quite understand what it was he wanted at this moment, he just knew it had everything to do with the woman in front of him. His chest tightened as he took a step forward and kissed her on her bandage wrapped forehead before wrapping an arm around her back to guide her towards the kitchen. Though his steps never faltered his brain had halted. What did he just do? He just kissed her like some love-sick fool. Swallowing tightly he chanced a glance down. She didn't want him like that. She was in love with Gene or… maybe not? Her face had heated to a pretty pink as she looked ahead of them not daring to meet his eyes. Maybe he wasn't as foolish as he thought. Tucking away that train of thought for later review, he ran a hand through his hair as he released Mai and opened the kitchen door, gesturing to her to go first. Mai wouldn't meet his eyes as she passed but quietly thanked him. Moving in behind her he glanced around the room as the door closed. It opened up to a large kitchen. On the far wall was the sink and cabinets, to his left was a wall filled with a large window and a bench seat beneath it. Between the window and the door sat a round table with 3 chairs. There was a camera and temperature gauge by the plant in the far corner. Then to his right was the fridge and stove with a door, most likely the pantry, he would have to check. He made a note to look over the home's blueprints, not liking how unfamiliar he was with it. He refused to repeat any past mistakes. Mai captured his attention once again as he heard the water turn on. She was moving around the room like a natural. After filling the kettle she placed it on the stove, turned on the burner, then moved to lay out two cups. He made his way to the small table in the room, taking a seat and opening his notebook. As he reviewed some of the things he wanted to ask he heard the whistle of the kettle. He watched as she began to steep it, added milk to hers and then made her way over to the table and sat a cup in front of him before sitting, her own wrapped securely in her hands. He reached for the cup and took a sip of the warm liquid, sighing in relief. He could feel the stiffness in his back relaxing. It had been a while since he enjoyed her tea and due to the fact she wasn't his assistant anymore she made much less of it since their recent reunion. Placing his cup down he began. "Do you have a charm?" The reaction Mai gave was enough to confirm his suspicions.

"I didn't grab one," Mai groaned. "I could have avoided that fall all together if I hadn't forgotten it." Naru pulled one of the charms out of his notebook and placed it in front of her.

"Here, don't lose it. You probably would have if you had actually bothered to grab one, but we can't be 100% sure that the charm would have had any effect. The case hasn't been normal so we can't assume the normal tactics will work." Mai smiled and picked the charm up tucking it into the little pocket on her shirt.

"Thanks, you know I didn't forget it on purpose. Are we giving any to the clients? Akio could probably use one."

He ignored the sharp tightening in his chest as he answered, "I had planned on it, but with the activity escalating as it has I may tell the family to stay elsewhere until we're finished."

Mai seemed to ponder over what he said before asking, "You don't think it'll follow Akio?"

"While I can't be sure just yet we did have activity here with the family gone, so I'm inclined to believe they aren't attached to Akio personally, it's something here."

"That makes sense. He did say he could take normal showers at his grandmothers. I just hate that I caused Akio to get hurt even more, the bruises were bad enough."

Naru sighed before leaning forward on his elbows, "Mai you are not at fault for what the spirit chose to do. It was clear you were pushed."

Mai's brows came together as she asked, "how do you know? I could have tripped."

He gave her a doubtful look, "Mai, do you think you were pushed? You seemed pretty surprised to be falling from where I stood."

She glared at him, "I know I was pushed Naru. I just figured you wouldn't have backed it up without evidence."

He had always believed Mai when she had said something in the past. Why would she think he'd doubt her now? "Mai, through the experience that we've had working together, have I ever not believed you?"

He watched her face fall slightly as she answered, "No, you just never told me anything."

He sighed, "You know why I couldn't tell you anything before. Besides", he smirked as he continued, "When Lin and I reviewed the footage from the upstairs hall camera we saw a distinct hand print on your shirt when you fell forward. Seems pretty self explanatory."

Mai huffed at him in annoyance, "Must you be a jerk at 2:00 in the morning."

He glanced down at his watch, "It's actually 3. You need to get back to bed if you're planning on working tomorrow." He smirked as he glanced up at her.

Her fond smile surprised him enough that he almost missed it when she quietly said, "I missed you."

He decided to take another drink of his tea as he watched her happily sip on hers. Did she not mean to say it out loud? Did she even realize she did? He wasn't ready for the answer so he decided to move on. "Mai when we first got here you experienced something. Are you able to talk about that now?" Her face fell slightly as she nodded. She took a sip of her tea before placing it on the table.

Taking a deep breath she closed her eyes, "This place is suffocating. I have to keep a tight leash on my abilities because it would be so easy to get sucked into it." He made a note to ask what she meant by 'It', that seemed to mean something more to her, she referred to the house as its own 'entity'. She took a deep breath in and out as she reopened her eyes and looked at him. Her eyes were lined with tears ready to fall at a moment's notice, "The hopelessness, the heaviness of the world with each breath, with each step its crushing. I … I believe that someone lost something very dear to them, most likely a loved one. They felt lonely, abandoned, and hopeless." He thought about her words, took in her demeanor. This seemed like more than the house.

"Is this intuition?"

She didn't break his gaze as she replied sadly and lightly shook her head, "No, this is experience." He understood then. He and Mai were not so different, orphans. He had just been lucky enough to have a brother and his adoptive parents. But he understood that loss and crushing hopelessness well from when he had lost Gene. He nodded his head in understanding. Picking up his notebook and their cups he made his way to the sink. After cleaning them and putting them away he turned back to the silent girl still at the table. She was picking at her nail as she once again stared off into space. This girl could never stay in the present. He walked over to her ready to send her to bed when she broke her silence.

"I should tell you that I haven't seen Gene since you left. I figured you would want to know." He wasn't surprised she hadn't but he didn't think she'd bring him up. Well she probably missed him and Oliver was the only other connection to him.

Not sure what to do next he attempted to console her, "I'm sure the idiot's fine. Hopefully he's moved on like he should," he got quieter as he continued, "I'm sorry you haven't seen him." He should see a doctor about this pain in his chest. He had never seen Mai's head snap up so fast to look at him.

"No, I'm sorry for confusing you two, I just… I had no idea you had a twin and… I feel bad I never even realized he was another person. H-he pretended to be you so well." He was next to her now, when had he moved? He had no clue but Mai was crying and he just wanted her to stop.

"It's alright you couldn't have known." She only seemed to cry harder. He wasn't sure what to do now. Normally she was the one he relied on to comfort those who were crying, it didn't matter that he was usually the reason behind it. He had relied on Madoka and Mother in recent years. He could only think of one thing he saw all three women do and he didn't know if it was a good idea. Throwing caution to the wind, as he apparently tends to do when Mai is involved, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her face into his chest. Here he was standing in the middle of a client's kitchen holding the sobbing woman. Unsure of what to do now he placed his hand on the back of her head, stroking her hair, and placed his cheek on her head. Everything in him seemed to settle and hum gently. Was his pk… Purring like a cat? He would have been inclined to feel betrayed if he wasn't so confused by his sudden sense of internal calm. She shifted as he started to hear her saying something into his chest.

"I'm so sorry Naru. I'm sorry."

"Shh, it's alright Mai. There isn't anything to apologize for. I'm not upset and Gene would tell you to stop crying already." Pulling away from her slightly he placed a finger under her chin and took in her tear streaked face. "Don't waste your tears on this. I didn't tell you anything about me for many reasons. Were they justified? Who knows but Mai I am sorry for lying to you. So you don't need to cry about it anymore." She looked up at him, seeming to take in his face as she softly nodded her head in acceptance. She looked beautiful even after crying. He lifted his hand, placing his fingers gently against her bandage, then he ran his fingers along it and behind her ear making sure it was still secured, before quickly and carefully removing himself from her. A red blinking light had caught his eye in those last few moments and he was quickly reminded of where they were. He reigned himself back in, praying to whatever higher being was listening that Lin hadn't seen any of that, and he escorted Mai to bed.

Some would say monitor duty was a boring job, and while that may be true at times Lin could always find ways to stay busy. Whether it was research, preparing rituals and charms, or documenting evidence and adding them to a report. But on the rare occasion he gets entertainment. Usually of the paranormal kind but tonight fell under another category. He looked down at his laptop where the incriminating screen shot of the kitchen sat. Noll and Mai were wrapped up in each other lost in their own world. It was attached to an email he was sending to Madoka. She was upset she wouldn't be able to see everyone so she had asked, more like threatened, Lin for updates. This would be one hell of an update, He just hoped she didn't show Luella. That would cause a multitude of issues for Noll. He had expressed that in the email, but Madoka could get carried away when it came to Noll, and since he wasn't of the touchy type, hugging someone let alone of the opposite gender was like finding a unicorn. He just compared Oliver to a unicorn, maybe Noll was right Madoka was rubbing off on him. Oh well, He just needed to keep Noll from seeing it. Smiling to himself he watched Oliver leave Mai in the girls room before heading his way toward base. Quickly moving back to the pictures he'd taken of the sitting room, he continued the incident report. He had no intention of discovering what Noll would do if he found out.

A click of the door to his left signaled Noll's entrance into base. He had seen a significant change in his former students' behavior. When they had returned to England the boy seemed to retreat into himself, even isolating from his parents. It tore Luella apart, burying one son and being left with the shell of another. He'd come to life slightly when he'd finished his degree and came to work with BSPR full-time. Noll seemed to have found his stride in his work, though it was different than here in Japan. Then Lin had learned about him watching Mai and Miss Hara's show. Noll had always been against the farce those shows put on for the public. Though Noll had always had a soft spot for her. Mai had turned that boy's world upside down and even though Lin hadn't been the kindest toward her she definitely made an impact on both their lives. He looked to his charge as he occupied the seat next to him, he seemed to be lost in thought. That wasn't new but based on his twisted expression Lin had a feeling it didn't have very much to do with their current case and more to do with a certain female medium.

"Did she have a charm?" Lin's question seemed to bring Oliver back to the present. Oliver pinched his brow, eyes screwing shut and sighed deeply before responding.

"No. She 'forgot'." Lin could have guessed that. Noll continued, "she is going to either get herself killed or be the death of me. Whichever comes first, or maybe she'll somehow pull off both at the same time. First case back and she already gets thrown down a flight of stairs." Noll had leaned back in the chair as he vented his frustrations to Lin.

"That has to be a record even for Mai." Noll scoffed beside him as Lin smiled.

Noll's voice got quieter as he continued, "I need to focus on this case but then she drops that on me and I can't…." Oliver let out a muffled sigh as he dragged his hand through his hair and over his face, leaning his head on the back of the chair, staring at the ceiling.

Aware of Lin still listening, he asked, "How did you know?" Lin paused in his typing and regarded his friend. He wasn't stupid he knew what Noll was asking.

"With Madoka?" Lin wanted confirmation. It wasn't often Noll discussed the topic of… feelings. Especially with the way his parents approached the topic of marriage and grandkids. Noll had banned the topic when his mother started setting him up on blind dates. He wondered what exactly had Mai dropped on him in the kitchen to put the poor man in his current state. Oliver was terrible with feelings, always had been since long before Gene died. Gene had served as his translator to the world, but that was no longer an option. Lin understood how Noll felt about Mai, while he was sure Noll had no clue. Though this very question may show he's not as unaware of his infatuation with Mai as previously thought. He thought about his fiancée. They were getting married soon and he could say that navigating their relationship to this point hadn't been easy. Especially with all the roadblocks and challenges their line of work presents, let alone his previous misconceptions. Noll was looking at him now waiting for his response.

"I can only tell you that it wasn't an easy thing to realize. I've always been extremely dedicated to my work. Madoka is the same. I've known the woman for over 10 years and only just asked her to marry me a year ago. We didn't even realize we liked each other until 2 years before that. Picking someone to stay by your side for the rest of your life isn't an easy choice to make. Madoka made the decision simple once I understood how I felt. With her little habits, her smile." Lin cleared his throat before meeting Oliver's Gaze "Noll, when there is someone who means everything to you, you'd destroy heaven and earth just to see them again. When you're with them, the weight you carry isn't so heavy. That's how I knew." He watched the young man take in the words, processing. Lin smiled to himself as he returned to the, not so, boring task of monitor duty. He may need to update that email again.

...

what do y'all think so far on this case? Some big things are coming so stay tuned!

as always a big thank you to everyone who is still reading and an even BIGGER one to those who follow it 3

Until next time *two finger salute*

(I'll try to update sooner this time)