A/N hey guys, sorry about the delay in getting this out! I'm catching up more and more with my pre written material and I've decided I want to put a case in and trying to figure out how to work that in around what I've already written led to a bit of a block!

Oliver sat down with his parents at the dining table and he levelled his mum with a scowl. 'When I asked you if you had anything to do with Mai's transfer, you said no.'

Luella met her son's gaze, twisting her wedding band nervously this way and that. 'I knew you would be upset with my meddling. I wanted to wait till she was settled here, before I told you the truth.'

'You lied to me.' Oliver's tone was flat, but it was laced with bitterness.

Luella, flustered, didn't know how to respond, she glanced at her husband.

Martin spoke up. 'Noll, if you knew the truth from the outset you would have been angry at your mum. You would have shut yourself in your room; refusing to greet or engage with Mai. I don't think lying to you was the right way to go about it, but I can see why she did it.'

'We've both been so worried about you Noll.' Tears began to form in the corner of Luella's eyes, she took a deep breath to steady herself.

Noll ignored his mum's obvious distress, his own anger overriding. 'So, you set up a scheme to get Mai to come over here? Like that would make a difference?'

'You were different in Japan, Noll.' Martin said.

Oliver turned to face his dad.

'I had reservations about you going to Japan; I didn't think you were ready. Your mum and I let you go after discussing it because it was obvious you needed it - to get closure. I'm unsure if it was because you were your own boss, finally relishing in a chance to show leadership, instead of deferring to myself or Madoka, but you seemed more yourself in Japan. When you spoke to your mum and I about your cases; your work, your research, there was an undercurrent of excitement. Of course, it was underpinned by your motivation to find Eugene, but you seemed to be enjoying your time in Japan, in spite of everything.'

Martin paused, considering his next words. 'Lin also agreed you were different in Japan. He was actually the one to first drop the hint that Mai could be the reason behind your change.'

'This is ridiculous. I'm not different with Mai.'

'You are, Noll. You might not see it yet, but both Luella and I have noticed a pronounced difference since she came to England.'

'After you came back, I really regretted forcing you to stay with us for a while.' Luella dabbed her eyes with the tissue in the sleeve of her cardigan.

Martin reached out and took his wife's hand. A look passed between the couple, and Luella squeezed his hand back.

'But I thought you'd found closure, and I wanted you to stay, it was selfish of me. I didn't like the idea of you being so far away again, you were only a teenager.'

'I'd done what I set out to accomplish, you didn't force me to stay in England.'

'Would you have considered going back to Japan, if I didn't rope you into staying and starting your degree?'

Oliver wasn't sure. He didn't answer.

'Mai spoke to you, didn't she?' Luella asked, 'Before you came up here.'

Again, Oliver didn't say anything, this provided his mum with answer enough.

'I thought she did,' Luella continued without input from her son. 'I knew you'd be upset when you found out about this, but you seem less angry than I anticipated.'

Oliver reflected on what Mai had said before they had come upstairs. 'I understand that you both have been worried about me.' He paused. 'But I don't agree that Mai's entire life had to be uprooted based on this whim that I'm different around her. Which, as a matter of fact, is completely unfounded.'

'It's a year, Noll, and she agreed to come for herself in the end. She was incredibly doubtful of any impact she was going to have. She decided to come over because she can get experience with BSPR, get a great reference, and it can help her get her foot in the door in parapsychology, should she wish it, after graduating. She's very passionate about her studies.'

'She is already helping you Noll. How often did you sit down and eat dinner with us, before she got here?' Luella reached out and placed a hand on her son's arm. 'I had to beg you to spare us one evening a week. You were barely eating. Since Mai got here, you sit with us most evenings. You tease her, you smirk at her, you have this… Rapport, this repartee, back and forth. Everyone can see it, and everyone saw it in Japan. Not just Lin, Madoka, too - she was on board with this.'

Oliver's fist had been clenched, but he relaxed it as he felt the fight leaving him. 'Mai said that in the past five years, even though she'd heard nothing from me, she still hoped I was doing well… It worried her, to hear from you that that wasn't the case.'

'She's a sweet girl, and she does care for you Noll.'

Oliver's fist clenched tight again. He felt a sudden wave of anger and fought to reign himself in. 'It's not me she cared for,' he hissed out, through gritted teeth. 'It was Gene, the better twin.'

'Noll-'

Oliver shook his head. 'I'm not entertaining this any longer.' He pulled his coat back on and walked out.

Martin and Luella exchanged glances.

A while later, Mai returned. She poked her head around the doorframe nervously.

She saw Luella and Martin still sat at the table. She sensed the atmosphere immediately. 'What's happened?'

Luella jumped up at the sight of Mai and took the younger girls' hands. She gave Mai the rundown on what transpired. 'And then he said it wasn't him you cared for, it was Gene, the better twin, and then he left.'

Mai felt her heart break for him. She shook her head. 'I loved Gene, yes, but it wasn't like that. It took me a while to sort through it all, but I found the real answer to that question a long time ago. I tried to reach out to tell him...' Mai cut herself off. 'Have you guys got a thermos?'

Luella directed her to where she could find one and Mai set about making tea. Once she was done, she straightened her coat. 'I'll go and find him, any idea where he might have gone?'

Luella shook her head. 'Make sure you have your phone; you've got my number.'

Mai patted her pockets to check and then dashed out.

After she left the house, the adrenaline and bravado had run out. She started wandering the streets and realised she didn't have Oliver's phone number. She cursed herself for not having had the foresight to ask Luella. She looked around, trying to rely on instinct and what she knew of Oliver to direct her. The main road was a no go, there were drunk students loitering around which Mai knew he'd avoid at all costs.

Just off to one side was a pathway, she felt her intuition swing like a compass. Mai put up her umbrella and took off down it.

She came to another crossroad and again turned right instinctively. It led her to a path surrounded by trees. After a little while it opened to a small clearing with a couple of benches and a small duck pond.

Mai could see a figure stood by the pond.

'Oliver!' She called out.

The figure turned, and she saw Oliver staring at her, wide-eyed. 'Mai?'

Mai dashed over and covered him with the umbrella, he was soaked through.

'How did you know I would be here?'

'I didn't.'

'Your animal instincts at work again?'

'Yeah.'

There was silence for a minute.

'Are you alright, Oliver? Your mum filled me in. I'm sorry she kept this from you. I only discovered you didn't know after I'd already landed.

Oliver sighed and pushed his wet fringe back out the way of his eyes. He looked over at her, Mai couldn't help but notice he was very good looking, even drenched through. Mai mentally shook her head to clear those thoughts, now wasn't the time.

'It's late, and it's cold, you shouldn't have come after me.'

'It didn't sit right with me, what you said.' She went to hand Oliver the thermos. 'Here.' When he didn't move, she took his hand and put the flask in it. 'Your hands are freezing! Take this.'

Oliver let her wrap both his hands around the thermos.

'Do you want to sit down?'

Oliver looked over at the bench, took off his scarf, wiped the bench dry and sat down. Mai sat next to him and watched as he poured out the tea and held the tiny cup in his hands.

They sat in silence for a while. Oliver relishing in the taste of a good cup of tea, mind running a million miles an hour.

Mai also sat there, battling with whether she had the courage to say what she wanted to. Confess what she had tried to put in an email to him so long ago. In the end, Mai decided she needed to say something. It broke her heart that he seemed to see himself as the lesser twin, that it was the wrong twin who passed that day.

'Naru,' Mai started. She hadn't called him that nickname since her high-school days, but it felt right to use it now.

Oliver turned to her, surprised to hear the old moniker. Have I missed hearing it? He wasn't sure.

'I wanted to tell you this back then,' She swung her legs under the bench and looked up at the sky through the clear umbrella.

'When you asked me that question, 'me or Gene' when I was sixteen, I didn't know what to think. It threw me for a spin, I was very confused for a while. I'll never understand why Gene led me to think he was you. For the longest time I thought I was seeing a rare, secret side of you. But after you left, and my connection to Gene was severed, I did a lot of thinking. I came to realise that I cared deeply for Gene, but it wasn't romantic. It was confusing as hell for a while, since you both have the same stupid face, but it wasn't the same. I thought initially 'if only Naru in real life would smile at me like that' but then you did smile at me, once, during that case at the church with the little boy who had passed? Do you remember?'

Oliver nodded and passed her some of the tea.

'That smile, man, my heart did summersaults. I felt so bad too! I'd been trying to apologise to you, for being out of line, and you apologised first and then that smile... It was nothing like any of the smiles Gene gave me in my dreams.'

'I came to realise after you left that what I felt for Gene, which yes, was a deep connection, wasn't romantic. It was the Naru I saw in my waking life, who taunted me, teased me, wound me up beyond belief... You always looked out for me, shouting at me for being reckless, but you were always the first one there when I was in trouble. God, I remember when I fell into that well in that school case about Kaisai-San. I was so scared; I still feel bad I didn't let go of your hand. I could have just let go and not dragged you in after me.'

'If you had of let go, you likely would have died. The rubble and metal poles, you were glad we didn't land on, I moved it, with my PK, on the way down.'

'I thought so!' Mai pumped her fist above her, giving the air of someone who had finally got one over on a long-term rival. As was the case with Mai, her mood swung back to sombre again.

'You looked so pale after we fell down the well, I was so worried about you. And the fact you collapsed, and it put you in hospital too...' Mai shook her head. She was getting sidetracked in nostalgia. 'My point is you were the one pushing me. You wound me up beyond belief sometimes, but you pushed me to do better. I took up English very seriously after you left, because I knew I didn't want you to call me a dummy if we ever met again. Working with you, I experienced a lot, I grew as a person, and I found a family through SPR. I wouldn't have discovered any of that without you, Naru.'

She looked at him then, really looked at him. 'I realised in the end it was you, and not Gene, that I had developed feelings for, back then. It took me a while, as it was complicated, but I did get there in the end. I did want to tell you, you know, to get closure.'

Oliver looked away, finding her earnest gaze too intense. He didn't know what to say. He wasn't sure he believed her. She had said 'back then,' that meant those feelings were in the past. He briefly wondered if it was all fully in the past, but then he decided the answer didn't matter.

'It seems a part of you thinks the wrong twin died that day, I just wanted you to know that there are plenty of people who love and care for you, that would never think that, not in a million years.' In her head she tacked on, me included.

They sat for a minute more before Mai jumped up. 'We should go back, I bet your parents are worried about you.' She pulled out her phone and replied to Luella's text.

'Mai, thank you.'

Mai swivelled round to see that Oliver was smiling at her, truly smiling. Mai felt her heart flip in her chest the same way it did all those years ago.

The moment didn't last long though before the smile changed to his customary smirk. 'If you get sick from running after me in the rain like an idiot, you're not getting any sympathy.'

Mai glowered and stuck her tongue out at him. 'You're the one who came out without a hood, or an umbrella, and you've been out longer! You're the one who will get sick, and even if you were to beg, I wouldn't help you!'

Mai started walking back.

'Wrong way, idiot.'

Mai huffed and turned around.

'I'm going on a case tomorrow morning.'

'Huh?'

'Are you deaf? I have a case tomorrow; I'll be away for a couple of days.'

'I'm coming!'

Naru sighed. 'You're in your first week of your second year, you can't afford to take time off, you'll fall behind.'

'Ugh, Naru!' She pouted. 'I want to come!'

'What, so you can protect me?' He smirked again. 'We'll be fine. Lin and my dad will be there.'

Mai kicked the ground with her heel as she walked, disgruntled.

'I've finished many successful cases since I came back to England.'

Mai thought of how she had no way of contacting him after he'd left the house earlier. They lived together; would it be so untoward for her to ask? She took the plunge: 'Naru, can I have your number?'

He smirked. 'Can't resist my good looks? Even after all this time?'

'Ugh, you're so full of yourself! Is it a yes, or no?'

Naru pulled out his phone. 'What's your number?'

Mai read it out to him and watched his long, slender fingers dance across the keyboard of his phone. He slipped it back into his pocket and walked on ahead of her. 'I'll text you when we're set up at location.'

'You haven't given me your number, so you're just saying I have to wait on you?!'

Naru smirked at her over his shoulder. 'It took you that long to figure it out? You've gotten slow Mai.'

She lightly hit him on the back. 'Curse you Naru, I hate you!'

'You ask me for my number, and now you're saying you hate me? Make up your mind.'

She lightly bumped him with her shoulder. 'Is it okay to call you Naru again?'

Naru chuckled lightly. 'If I wasn't alright with it, I would have said. I'm surprised it took you this long to call me 'Naru the narcissist' again.'

'Well of course you're a narcissist! Who storms out in the rain to come to a pond to stare at their reflection? A narcissist, is who!'

Naru nearly told her the real reason why he was staring at the surface of the pond water. It wasn't to admire himself, but rather it was in hopes that his stoic reflection would break into an out of character grin. He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again, thinking better of it.

A/N Thanks for reading please leave a review and let me know what you think! Thinking some kind of haunted hotel situation for the case? Let me know your thoughts, again, thank you for your patience!