Disclaimer: I do not own Ghost Hunt, or any of the characters from the show/manga. If I did, I wouldn't have to imagine how cool it would be to own it…

WARNING Contains Spoilers.

A/N: If you haven't read 'Sweet Dreams', I would recommend reading that story first before reading this one, as it is a sequel. Don't say I didn't warn you!

Chapter 1: Face in a Crowd

The third-year president of Ryokuryou High School's student council stood at five foot, ten inches, with hair the colour of charcoal and deceptively jovial brown eyes that hid behind steel-rimmed glasses. Osamu Yasuhara's fellow students often referred to him as 'old man' due to his air of maturity and the ever-calm, kind smile that disarmed the unaware, but those who encountered him learnt quickly of his sharp wit. Very little evaded the young man's notice, which was why his jaw didn't drop at the suggestive undertone the director of SPR's (Shibuya Psychic Research) request for tea carried, expressly for the benefit of a certain Mai Taniyama. The auburn haired, cinnamon eyed, open-hearted female seemed in every way her boss's opposite, but it had only been a matter of time before the brooding seventeen year old Kazuya Shibuya (or as Mai had nicknamed him, 'Naru') revealed an interest in his part-time assistant; Yasuhara just hadn't known how or when.

What had surprised S.P.R.'s latest visitor and occasional crew member was the lack of reaction from the monk, miko and catholic priest which often worked in conjunction with the paranormal researchers, who had also decided to drop by. It was fair enough that Lin, Naru's right hand man, remained unresponsive as he tended to mind his own business, but Takigawa (commonly known as 'Bou-san') and Ayako Matsuzaki were another matter altogether. The tawny blonde monk viewed Mai like a younger sister, and despite the occasional barbs the two women threw at each other, Ayako had a tendency to act the mother hen where the part-timer was concerned. Under normal circumstances, there was no way either of them would let such an interesting development between their comrades slide. So far, the awkward expression on the exorcist's face was the only typical reaction he had witnessed, as Lin seemed to be holding back a smirk and the often bickering monk and miko not only left Mai and Naru to their own devices, but kept shooting tender glances at each other, rather than insults.

Well, I suppose that development isn't really a surprise either, but just what happened while I was preparing for the school's festival?

He looked at John, currently trying to avoid eye contact with the majority of his teammates, and pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose, a calculating grin forming as his target came into range. The Australian priest blinked warily back at him for a moment, having come to know that look all too well.

"So," Yasuhara declared as he cornered his latest victim, "What have I missed?"

-x-

"Are you going to tell them?" Mai asked quietly, setting down the tea he had requested on the desktop. Although he could not see her face clearly in the reflection, Naru knew she was surprised to see him staring out of the window, rather than sitting at his desk with his 'nose stuck in their latest case file', as she so elegantly put it.

"Tell them what?" Naru smirked; indicating towards the chatter coming from S.P.R.'s lounge as he laced his fingers with Mai's and pulled the spirited female into his grasp before she had time to reprimand him, "I think they've already come to their own conclusions about our relationship…"

Mai flushed, fully aware that he was goading her.

"That's not what I meant, and you know it." She dismissed, pushing her point.

"Even if you don't tell the others who you are, at least ask them for help looking for your brother." Her eyes softened as she spoke, and Naru sighed before returning his gaze back to the window. It wasn't that easy. What was he supposed to tell them? 'Hi guys, my twin was dumped in a lake somewhere and I'm searching for his body. Oh, and I've been lying to you since we met - my real name's Oliver Davis - you know, that famous professor Takigawa admires so much?' Ridiculous.

For the time being, the black-clad teen pushed his current set of worries aside, choosing instead to focus on the problem that had been dogging him for the last two years. No matter what, he must find Gene's body. Mai's ability to contact his brother through her dreams was unpredictable, but it was the best lead he and Lin had discovered since they left England. Gradually examining every lake in Japan had accomplished little so far, save the mere process of elimination.

"Have you had any more dreams?"

The auburn-haired girl shook her head, her involuntary shudder causing Naru to frown worriedly as both recalled her recent vision. His brother's death was not the kind of memory he preferred they share, and seeing Mai's lively form racked with sobs as she woke all but ripped his heart out.

Thank God she wasn't alone at the time…

"Not since I was sick, no. I've been talking to Lin about it, and he's suggested I stay the night to see if my proximity to you is the key."

Naru nodded, trying to steer his thoughts away from the helplessness he had felt when Mai choked out what she had seen against his chest; the same vision he had witnessed as his hands grasped the material of a shirt he had planned to borrow in Gene's absence. If Mai tried to contact his brother again, would she be confronted with more brutal images? Feel the tires of the car back over her once more to ensure that she was dead, her fragile body tossed carelessly into the boot of the vehicle as the assailant searched frantically for a place to hide their fears?

He had inflicted such horrors on her without thought, yet she still fought to help him; the least he could do was be there when she woke up, and the young man couldn't help but wonder if that was part of the reason Lin had asked her to stay. Of course, the theory behind the invitation was sound; Mai tended to experience supernatural dreams whenever S.P.R. took on a new case and their closer sleeping arrangements could not be ruled out as a factor, especially after her last vision had occurred at the apartment he and the Chinese mage shared. The other major factor however, was danger, but he'd be dammed if he used Mai as bait - it was hard enough to keep her safe as it was. Although Naru wished his brother had been able to move on, a part of him almost felt relived that Gene had been looking out for his troublesome assistant.

"I'll get the spare bed set up for you again. Do you need to go home first?" The dark youth felt a grin pull at the corners of his lips at Mai's reply, taking in her flushed features with a possessive sense of pleasure. She was his. She loved him; not Lin, not his kinder, gentler brother (never mind that he was a ghost), or anyone else for that matter.

Mine…

"Uh, no…I think I left a change of clothes behind after our 'little trip' out in the rain." Her cinnamon eyes danced with glee as she added, "Who could've guessed that Lin-san would make such a good nurse…"

"Speak for yourself. I think he just has a soft spot for you."

It wouldn't have mattered if his Chinese guardian hadn't still been moderately peeved with him for upsetting Mai to the point that she had run out into a brewing storm without so much as a jacket; there was no way Lin would have pampered him to the extent that Mai had been. For a guy who held such a firm grudge against the Japanese, there were times when the older man certainly didn't show it.

In his own defence, Naru argued to himself that he had gone out to rescue the fleeing school girl, earning him an equal share in the cold Mai had caught as a result. That had to count for something, right?

Letting his gaze linger on the smiling face of the young woman still caught in his grasp, Naru quickly came to the conclusion that his actions certainly had counted for a little more than 'something'. In fact, he didn't think he deserved the magnitude of his reward in the slightest, but that wasn't going to stop him from fully enjoying his good fortune. Tilting Mai's face up to meet his, Naru gently pressed his lips against hers, savouring the softness of her skin as she allowed her body to relax against his own. The tender moment was interrupted however, by the rumbling of his assistant's stomach.

"Hungry?" He smirked down at her before glancing at the clock. It was about time they ate lunch, and he had been meaning to pick up a book that had finally arrived for him in the bookshop a few blocks over.

May as well kill two birds with one stone…

Offering little explanation, Naru disentangled himself from the young woman and grabbed his coat before motioning for Mai to follow him. Curiosity prompted her to do as asked, not altogether surprised when her boss announced to Lin that they would be going out for a while, but she shot an apologetic glance at S.P.R.'s guests just the same. A round of understanding smiles replied her, and Mai hurried after the man she loved without guilt.

Naru was not under any circumstances what one might call talkative, but as they walked the cheerful teen somehow managed to coax conversation out of him anyway. He wouldn't tell her anything about their destination (other than the fact that they served 'good tea'), but when they had paused at the bookstore, a quirked eyebrow was followed by a brief explanation of his purchase's subject.

"…It's a study on the merits of memories believed to be born from reincarnation." Naru offered, "I respect the author's scientific approach to the subject, even if some of my own conclusions differ from his…"

A muffled giggle escaped Mai's lips, earning her a trivial glare from his dark blue eyes, the message held within them clear.

You did ask.

"I'm sorry," she amended, smile unfazed by her boss's somewhat put out expression, "But something like that is what you'd consider 'light reading', isn't it? It's the same way my friends from school would normally feel about reading a romance novel."

He grimaced at the thought, causing Mai to clutch her sides in laughter at the mental imagery of him completely wrapped up in a shoujo manga or sappy paperback. Noting how awkward he looked, she added cheekily, "Relax, if I wanted my life to be normal, I never would have gotten involved with you in the first place."

He supposed that her teasing could be perceived as a backhanded complement, and considering all the times he had done the same to her (and worse), it was probably about time the auburn-haired girl got some of her own back. Not that Naru planned on letting Mai get the better of him – he'd been about to retort when a peculiar feeling of being watched caused his witty remark to die on his lips. Navy eyes briefly surveying the crowd, his attention was drawn to a woman in her early thirties, a wild, panicked expression on her face degenerating into something akin to horror as their gazes locked.

The bottle blonde looked eerily familiar for some reason, and from her reaction to his glare, Naru briefly wondered if she had been one of the clients he had managed to scare away last week. Due to his self-enforced lack of sleep and moodiness at the time, his memories of those few days were somewhat of a blur, and Lin had informed him once he had regained some form of sanity that if he pulled such a stunt again, his previous mentor Madoka would be shown a certain photograph of a certain sleeping narcissist curled up rather suggestively with a similarly snoozing Mai. If the woman got a hold of the picture, he was guaranteed several inquisitive phone calls from his parents at the very least, if not an impromptu visit from both them and his teacher, never mind the fact that they lived in Britain. An ocean in between your relatives might normally be considered a safe distance, but Naru knew better. The couple would be thrilled to bits that their adopted son's cool attitude might have thawed, even to the slightest extent – nothing on the planet would stop them from interfering with his personal life once given the chance. Naru supposed it was a reality he was going to have to face sooner or later, but at this particular moment in time he was content to wait until 'later'.

Realising that the staring woman had disappeared from sight, Naru shook his head in dismissal and continued down the street to catch up with Mai, who had begun shooting him worried looks.

"Since you're the one leading the way, what am I supposed to do when you suddenly stop in the middle of the sidewalk?"

"Wait for me." Naru replied logically, hiding a grin as she fumed silently. He would most likely pay for it later, but she was just so cute when she was mad.

-x-

It wasn't the first time she had seen him, the woman admitted silently. She had seen his dark form pass by her many times in crowds, each time convincing herself that it was merely her own fears creating his pale image. Perhaps it had merely been a man dressed like him – many kids these days seemed to like the gothic look – in fact, if it weren't for the way he had turned to meet her gaze, Cho might have been able to dismiss what she had seen once again.

It just wasn't possible, she repeated in her mind over and over again as she stared at the stark figure standing perfectly still, unfazed amongst a sea of shoppers.

I'm either going mad or…

The second alternative that occurred to the woman terrified her far more than the first. Madness could almost been seen as a blessing in disguise, but this..? He had come to make her pay, just as she had always feared he would.

Willing her numb body to move, Cho fled for her life.

-x-

Omake:

"Uh, no…I think I left a change of clothes behind after our 'little trip' out in the rain." Her cinnamon eyes danced with glee as she added, "Who would've thought you'd make such a good nurse?"

"It was only because of the fever, I assure you." Naru countered firmly, refusing to see what the giggling girl found so funny, "I'm never wearing that outfit again."

Lost in convulsions of laughter, Mai barely managed to catch her boss add one further compliant under his breath.

"…So uncomfortable…"

A/N: I realise that the summary for this story may not entirely make sense yet, but it should by the end of the second chapter. Also, just wanted to apologise for not replying to all my reviews for the last chapter of 'Sweet Dreams'. I got a little depressed and by the time I pulled myself together I figured most people would've forgotten what they'd said anyway.

The answer to the chapter title challenge was supposed to be 'Nine-Tenths of the Law', because I'd taken the name from a saying rather than a movie, TV show or song title, but I found out later that there was a movie made in 1918 with the same name. This being the case, 'Crawling in My Skin' becomes the only odd one out, because it was taken from a line in the song, not simply it's title. If you guessed either, congrats! Sorry for the mix up.