ok, I know this is late but every time I try to promise a chapter soon, life intervenes. this chapter is half beta'd by 'Twilight Journey' but I couldn't wait to get this out, so please excuse any mistakes.

as usual let me know what you think.

Mai's vision zoned in on the falling body. Her left hand raised to grasp the amulet around her neck as her right reached out in desperation towards the monk. She barely noticed the power coursing through her, as it lifted her hair and ruffled her clothing. She didn't hear Lin and Naru commanding her to stop. She couldn't see John standing on the stairs staring at the scene before him in shock, nor could she see Hirotaka Takako standing in a shadowed doorway with a look of mixed disbelief, wonder, and terror.

White.

Everything was white.

It was all she could see. There was no sound, nothing in her sight but never ending white. She began to feel power swirling around her, draining from her as her mind sent it out in a desperate command. Then, as if everything were happening in slow motion, Takigawa Houshou came falling into view. Her mind filled again with the two words.

Save him.

Her power responded to her silent plea, rushing from her to cocoon the man and slow his descent. He stopped fully in midair three feet from the floor. Her surroundings slowly came back into view. With them came sound, distant at first, but coming clearer.

"Stop!"

"Stop Mai!"

"You must STOP!"

"You're using too much power Mai. You must stop or you'll kill yourself."

Some of the voices were familiar, her ancestors she realized. Then others, more familiar still.

"Mai! Stop!" Naru demanded forcefully.

"Mai, please stop. You're going to hurt yourself." John's voice was desperate.

"Mai, put me down. I'm safe now." Bou-san said calmly from where he floated in front of her. His face belied the calm in his voice as he struggled to move but found himself unable to do so.

The energy kept pouring from her no matter how much she tried to stop it. She couldn't move, could barely breathe. She tried again and again to call the power back to her, but it just wouldn't stop. She could feel her hair and clothes moving about as if in a strong wind, and it frightened her. Mai was horrified to feel something drip from her nose, even more so to realize it was blood.

"I'm sorry, Mai-san." Lin's quiet voice came from directly behind her. She wondered what he was sorry for when she felt a sharp jab to her neck. Her last sight was of the monk falling the few feet to the ground.

...OND...OND...OND...OND...OND...OND...OND...OND...OND...OND...OND...OND...OND...

Lin caught the girl as her body went slack from his hit to her carotid artery. He knew she would be alright. He'd been trained carefully in that move in case he ever had to use it on his ward. Still, he checked her over carefully to make sure nothing had gone wrong. Before he could pick her up fully the others rushed over to them to check Mai over for themselves.

"Takigawa, are you alright?" Naru asked even as his fingers sought out the girl's pulse at her wrist.

"I'm fine. How's she doing? How the hell did she do that Naru-bou? We all know about her astral projection dreams, her O B E's, and that one bit of PKST, but where the heck did she get PKLT! She's never shown signs of it before. How much power does this girl have?!" the monk was obviously panicking a little, the adrenaline from the fall and being saved in such a way catching up to him.

"Not as much as Naru, but she is powerful in her own right." Lin responded as Naru took Mai from him, picking her up before heading into the base.
John followed close behind, and the other two joined them a moment later. John had taken up Mai's normal task without being asked and was preparing tea. Naru had placed her on the couch and covered her with a blanket. He was sitting beside her, watching her intently for any sign of discomfort as the others eyed him knowingly.

Without looking away from her he addressed his assistant, "How long... How long have you known Lin?"

"I've suspected for some time. We all knew her power was increasing, even before she snapped the tea cup the other day. It has been stronger on the last several cases though. This case alone has increased her abilities exponentially. As for affecting living beings, I suspected it was her that moved you a few inches when we were setting up. Noll, you yourself have speculated in my presence that her powers were evolving. Her intuition expanding, and other powers emerging the longer she's been working with us. All this exposure to the paranormal was bound to awaken latent abilities," the Chinese man explained calmly as he checked the screens for current activity.

John handed out the tea before settling in a chair next to Bou-san where he was quietly reassured that monk wasn't hurt. He turned once more in concern to the young girl laying on the sofa.

"Will she be alright?"

"Yes, I only used a fraction of my strength. She'll either wake soon or drift from unconsciousness right into sleep. I'm inclined to believe the latter since she used up so much energy. She should sleep as long as possible though. We shouldn't wake her in the morning." Lin answered as Naru nodded and stood.

"We should get some rest. Lin did you set up the wards in the bedroom?" The young dark haired man asked as the others got up. He picked up Mai after removing the blanket and stood there waiting for an answer.

"Yes, earlier before the exorcisms." Lin replied opening the door for him.
They all trooped upstairs where Mai was placed under the covers of her bed as the others prepared for sleep. She opened her eyes once as Naru took off her belt and shoes. He unclasped her bra through her shirt and she obligingly wriggled out of it, pulling the garment through the sleeve of her shirt. She might have been a little concerned or blushing like a tomato if she had been more awake. Instead she gave him a small blissful smile and fell right back asleep. He smirked and headed for his own bed, assuming that she wouldn't even remember this in the morning.

...OND...OND...OND...OND...OND... July 3rd ...OND...OND...OND...OND...OND...OND...OND...

The next morning, Naru left Takigawa to watch over the still sleeping Mai. They had moved her to the base without waking her, and Lin had checked her over once more before the three of them left Mai alone with Takigawa. He left one of his Shiki to guard them as a precaution even though he'd also plastered the walls of the room with charms. The Onmyōji raised his visible eyebrow at the monk and glanced significantly at his sleeping co-worker.

"Yeah, I know. No matter what, I'll make sure she stays safe. I'll let you know when she wakes up. You're sure she shouldn't be in the hospital?" The blonde monk asked as he looked skeptically at Mai.

The Chinese man let out a small sigh before answering,
"If she hasn't woken up by early afternoon we'll take her in. She should just be sleeping at this point. She's probably still exhausted from not sleeping properly. She used up a lot of energy yesterday, but she doesn't have Naru's abundant strength. Control will come with practice."

Having said his piece the dark haired man walked out.

"Control will come with practice, huh? Just what is going on with you kid? You can't catch a break," Houshou muttered to himself as he gazed affectionately down at the young woman. He rested a hand on her forehead to check for a fever. After reassuring himself that her temperature was normal, he walked over and sat himself down at the monitors.

He was still studying the screens an hour later when the sound of Mai shifting around and whimpering softly made him turn. She was obviously having a nightmare, but before he moved to go to her the sound of a ringing telephone made him jump. He looked around for the source of it and spotted Mai's cellphone plugged into the wall near the couch. Just as he was getting up to answer it, the girl let out a soft groan and reached out blindly for it. Her hand connected with it after fumbling around for a moment and she disconnected the charge cable before bringing it to her ear. Her eyes never once opened and it was a sign of just how tired she was that she didn't check the ID before answering.

"Moshi, moshi?" Mai muttered sleepily into the phone. Her subconscious registered that there was someone else in the room with her, but she instinctively knew it was one of the team and so ignored them.

"Mai, did I wake you little sister?" Her brothers voice came through the earpiece causing her to wake up a little more.

"Ryo? No, I'm awake. How are you? Are you ok? I was having the worst dream just now about someone trying to shoot you."

Remembering the panic of the dream she finally opened her eyes and looked around. She was back in the base with the long haired monk sitting at the wall of monitors pretending not to listen. Mai absently wondered how much time she'd lost this time. The events leading up to her blackout were momentarily forgotten as her mind was still half asleep.

"I'm fine Mai. I was just calling to tell you Happy Birthday."

"Thanks big brother. Really though the dream was so realistic. Are you sure there's nothing I should know about." Mai was coming more awake as the conversation continued.

"You know it kind of creeps me out how you know these kinds of things. Yes I was shot at, -but-"

"You were shot?! Was it him?" Mai screeched, interrupting her brother as she sat bolt upright ignoring the dizziness the sudden move brought. She didn't notice Takigawa radioing the rest of the team to come back to the base.

"It barely grazed my thigh, I'm fine. It wasn't him Mai, it was a hired gunman. The American FBI took the sniper out before he could get a clear shot. Apparently they've been after him for some time. I was just the latest in people he was paid to take out. Kurosawa was behind this, I'm sure of it. Mai I need to change locations and I'm going to use cash this time for less of a paper trail. I haven't decided where to go yet, but I'll let you know before I leave. I don't think they're going to catch the bastard anytime soon. Are you sure you're safe there?" Her brothers voice was starting to show just how worried and angry he was feeling.

"I'm glad you're ok. I'll be ok here. The ghosts are a little over the top, but I'm safe here. Naru and the others won't let anything happen to me. How do you think he found you?" her voice wavered at the last question as her fears came bubbling to the surface and she began to shake. Mai looked up in surprise when someone sat down on the couch behind her and a pair of strong arms wrapped around her. Seeing that it was her favourite monk she leaned back into his comforting embrace as the rest of the team entered the room. The look her boss gave the blonde man could have frozen hell but the bassist ignored it and squeezed her close for a second.

"They figured he took a hit out on me, and the sniper found me as part of the deal. The feds tell me it's part of his package. He finds the target for the buyer as well as taking them out. Look, this isn't how I pictured this conversation going. I really was just phoning to tell you happy birthday Mai. I wish I was there to celebrate it with you. I really am fine little sister, I didn't even need stitches. The authorities are calling me back in to talk some more. I'll call you later when I figure out where I'm headed, and then we'll see about you joining me. I love you, Mai," with those final words he hung up the phone.

Mai knew it was because he was getting emotional. If he'd heard her say it back to him just then it might have sounded like a final goodbye. She made sure the call was disconnected and allowed herself to be held, her eyes shut tight, for a moment more before moving to get up. Someone in the room protested even as she became overwhelmingly lightheaded from the move. Hands on her shoulders helped guide her to lay back down on the now unoccupied couch. When her eyes cleared she could see Lin's concerned face hovering over her as he took her pulse at her wrist. Naru was just behind him, closer to her head, his expression stony.

"What's happened now Mai?" he asked curtly, earning himself a glare from the monk.

"Someone took a shot at Ryo. He's alright, but he needs to find somewhere else to hide. He was found too easily. Kurosawa is behind this, we're sure of it." Mai replied a little fuzzily. Her mind was trying to remind her of something, but she was still having trouble remembering.

Naru turned and walked to the other side of the room, pulling out his own phone as he went and dialling. He began muttering quietly to someone on the line.

"What time is it?" Mai asked absently as she rubbed her temples, "And just what happened to make me so tired... BOU-SAN are you alright?!" she searched him frantically with her eyes as memories from the night before came flooding back.

"I'm fine Mai. You saved me. About that though, we need to talk," the monk was cut off abruptly as Naru finished his call and stepped in front of him.

"We need to talk Mai. Privately." he added with a meaningful backward glance at the others. After some slight protests from Houshou and John the three men left Naru and Mai alone.

"Mai, I take it you remember what happened last night?" he asked stiffly.

"Yes." she replied as she sat up slowly and kept her eyes trained on her lap. She knew she wasn't going to like this conversation, and she was rather sure that saying her dead ancestors told her not to tell wouldn't sit well with him. She heard a sigh from above her head and peeked up through her lashes. Naru stood there pinching the bridge of his nose with his eyes closed.

"What were you thinking?!" His voice cut into her like a knife, causing her to flinch.

"I... I don't... Naru I couldn't just let him fall. He could have died."

"That's not what I meant. Why didn't you tell us what was going on Mai? Using PK abilities in such an extreme way without training them first, could kill you!"

"Don't you think I know that! " She sobbed back at him. Mai sat there with her eyes closed tight, shivering slightly. Her left hand strayed up to grip her pendant as her breath came in ragged gasps. She was trying not to cry.

His fingers gently pulled her hand away from the locket, causing her eyes to open in surprise. They simply stared at one another for a moment.

"Did you think I wouldn't understand what you're going through? After everything you've learned about my own abilities, about my past, why would you keep this from me?" he asked quietly, turning his back on her.

The small amount of hurt he let slip into his question startled a bit of truth out of her,

"I was scared."

His eyes opened as he turned back to her and glared slightly at her in confusion, waiting for her to continue.

"I've always had those dreams about the past, and sometimes about the future. Always, even before I met you though it was only after, that I realized their significance. After you tested me and proclaimed I had latent abilities, it was kind of like I was accepted by all of you. Like I was supposed to be there on the busts with you. Like I belonged," she paused, trying to work out how to explain what she'd been feeling recently.

"When I had that OBE and handed Masako my parents' key, I started feeling like maybe I was useful. Then there was that case, the one with the false shrine god, and Bou-san yelled at me about misusing the nine cuts... that it was a good thing I wasn't powerful enough to cause lasting damage to a human... and then you used your abilities, and nearly died..." she was choking up again. It was becoming more difficult to find words for what she'd felt. This had been building for some time. More so this year as her powers began to expand and change. She had to make him understand though. At least, she had to try.

"I started to fear what having those kind of powers could do. If I could do damage being that weak... After you left for England, I didn't use my powers at all. I tried to ignore my dreams, I even ignored what my intuition told me. I didn't trust myself."

"Is that why it took you three months after we were back to talk about your dreams? I thought you were just angry at me for leaving." he said almost absently as he handed her some tissues to dry the tears threatening to overflow from her eyes. He pulled up a chair and sat down next to the couch. After she'd collected herself somewhat he motioned for her to continue.

"Things got back to normal after you demanded to know what I'd been dreaming at the base that day. After you berated me for not telling you, and Lin said that you'd both learned better than to ignore my dreams, things got back to normal. But that fear of what psychic abilities could do was always in the back of my mind."

Naru stilled in his seat, going over what she'd said so far in his mind. Slowly he came to realize that the team had made a few mistakes where she was concerned. Perhaps he or Lin should have made the offer to train her sooner, or at least helped her to understand her talents a bit better. She'd always just seemed so sure of her intuition that he hadn't seen the point in exploring it. He also hadn't helped her understand her potential as a medium.
'Damn, Lin was right when he said hindsight was 20/20.' His thoughts were interrupted as Mai continued speaking.

"It started a couple months ago. My brother and I were talking about some of the cases I've been on with you. We got to the one where the ghost killed those other psychics. I was remembering how scared I was when the ghosts nearly caught up to us, and suddenly the vase on the table next to me shattered. Ryo shrugged it off as a flaw in the glass and probably some vibration from a vehicle passing in the street outside the house. I wanted to believe him, but in the back of my mind I knew that wasn't it. Things started happening more and more around me when I was emotional, and every time they did I became more frightened. About a month ago Ryo sneaked up behind me and made me jump as a joke. The clock on the wall behind him flew across the room and hit him in the shoulder.

"Naru I didn't know what to do, what to say to him after that. Before then he always tried to find a scientific explanation, but the day after that happened he asked me if I thought there was a ghost haunting the house. I didn't know how to tell him that I was the problem. I was so worried that I was going to hurt him again that I stopped sleeping properly. Then this horrible feeling that something even worse was going to happen started. I thought it was going to be my fault, that I would do something to hurt someone."

"The premonition wasn't about you doing something Mai. It was about Kurosawa, remember? I know you Mai, I can read you like a book. You would never hurt someone intentionally." Naru said trying to sound comforting. This wasn't an emotion he portrayed easily, and he was afraid he wasn't doing a very good job. He hoped Mai knew him well enough to understand what he was trying to say. She smiled shakily, making him believe she'd taken his words as they were meant, before carrying on.

"Ever since Ryo gave me this locket I've been getting training from my female ancestors. They helped me put shields around you after you called me back from the shadow. Before that they helped me call the locket to me when I was stuck in the attic and that thing was attached to my leg. They told me not to let anyone know yet. When I saw that thing push Bou-san, I just reacted. I couldn't let him fall. I just couldn't let Bou-san be hurt." Mai finally lost her control and just let the tears come. She buried her face in her hands and loud sobs shook her body.

Naru stayed where he was for a moment before placing a hand on her shoulder. After a moment, with no sign that her tears were slowing, he decided she needed something more. Throwing caution to the wind, he pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her.