Mai woke to the sounds of snoring and two mischievous girls giggling as they snuck around the room stopping by monk's pallet on the floor and filling his hand with some shaving cream. "Etsu," she heard Cho whisper. "This is what you do at a sleepover with friends. The first one to fall asleep is the first one to get the shaving cream. And when he wakes up he'll smear it all over his face."

Etsu giggled trying to be quiet.

What neither girl noticed was the one eye of the sleeping monk was slightly opened and watching the pair. Ever since the first case with SPR he had become a light sleeper to keep his ears open for when Mai had a disturbing dream.

He reached out, grabbed Cho by the arm, "You mean like this?" and sat up smashing the shaving cream in his hand in her face.

She screamed, Etsu squealed, and others groaned.

"What the hell is going on?" Shino bellowed. Apparently he could turn into a bear when woke from a sound sleep.

"Just paying your daughter back for trying the shaving cream in the hand trick and teaching it to Etsu," Monk chuckled as he released the older girl.

"Cho, I thought I taught you better, and now you're trying to corrupt your little sister." Izanami couldn't help but laugh at the face of her oldest daughter now covered in shaving cream. "I guess it's better than toothpaste."

"Don't give her any more ideas mom," Haruko teased. "She's got a prank streak a mile wide."

"What was that I heard about pranks?" Yasuhara peeked around the corner of his little makeshift private room he was sharing with Masako.

Everyone heard the medium's whimsical voice. "No pranks" and a tiny arm reached out from behind him and yanked him back behind the makeshift wall.

"Looks like Yasu and Masako are getting along," Ayako smiled with a devious gleam in her brown eyes.

Takigawa chuckled as he eyed another couple in a quiet conversation. "Same can be said for Naru and Mai."

"Naru, I had another dream last night," Mai glanced down as she fought to keep the images at the back of her mind of the man who had brought this on the Shiga family. Her body shuddered as she trembled.

He drew her over and placed her petite body into his lap and wrapped his arms around her, and gently held her tight as her head rested on his chest.

"Lin," as if the older man had read, the younger man's mind, he brought his laptop over to the pair getting ready to type down everything the seventeen-year-old girl had to tell them. He nodded, letting the couple know he was prepared.

"Last night Gene pulled me into the astral plane. He said he knew who was at the core of the black shadow. The man's name was Seiichi Tanaka, and he and Izanami had a relationship. He was angry and seemed crazy with hate saying that Izanami had dumped him years ago and married Shino.

"He read an article on the society page of the newspaper that set him off. It was about how influential the Shiga's were, and what was expected of their four children. He performed some kind of ritual, which brought the shadow into our world, and he told it to get Izanami and her children. It said no, and that it needed a sacrifice." She sniffed trying hard to fight back the tears that were coming. "It ripped Seiichi to shreds, but Gene wanted me to see it so I could tell you, Naru, how dangerous this thing really is." Mai couldn't hold back the tears anymore and cried as she clung to his shirt for dear life.

Naru held her tightly as he rocked her back and forth like a mother would do to her infant to calm its crying. "Lin what do think it is?" the younger man asked.

"It's a demon that's become obsessed because of the spell that was cast."

"Agreed," Naru's eyes narrowed. "… and now it's after Mai too." He ground his teeth and he clenched his jaw. His throat was trying to close up as the tightness in his chest increased. He would not lose no matter what it took to eradicate the demon from this house. He took a deep breath as he took a quick glance around the room as people began to move about getting ready for the day's investigation. "Father Brown, I need your opinion for a moment."

"Sure, Kazuya," the blond Aussie moved over to where Naru sat holding Mai.

"Please read what Lin recorded about Mai's dream and tell me what you think."

John sat down next to the Chinese man and read what was on the laptop screen. His eyes grew to the size of saucers. Comprehension as to what he read sunk in as he leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes for a couple of seconds. He opened them and felt a headache coming on as he looked into the younger man's eyes. "It's a demon," as he crossed himself.

"That's the conclusion we came to also. We'll need to perform an exorcism on the house to get rid of it."

John nodded as he sat back forming his hands into a steeple, almost as if he were praying. He instantly went through a mental checklist of everything he would need. "I'll need help. I'll call Father Tojo to see if he can assist."

Naru's blood pulsed at his temples as he nodded towards the priest. Another headache was coming on as he plunged into deep contemplation. "Yasuhara," he summoned in a commanding tone.

"Yeah, boss?"

"Go to the local library and look for anything that pertains to a Seiichi Tanaka."

"No problem, boss." He scratched the back of his head. "Would you mind if I took Masako with me?"

"That's fine. Just make sure you find that information."

Mai glanced up at Naru as she drew in a slow breath and her face flushed. "You don't believe me."

"I do believe you. You've never steered us wrong during a case. I just need to confirm it."

Mai reached up, brushed his bangs away from his eyes, and smiled up at him. Her heartbeat quickened as a blush flushed her cheeks.

"Now let's get down to business shall we?"

She smiled and jumped up too fast and wobbled as dots danced before her eyes. Naru reached out to steady her and in a raspy voice, he whispered into her ear, "stop getting up so fast, dummy."

"Naru," she clenched her jaw as she clenched her fists, and her flushed face took on a darker shade.

Naru leaned in and kissed her on her nose. Mai squeaked and blushed forgetting she was angry with him.

John returned. "Father Tojo will be here later today. He has to get one of the junior priests at his parish to take over his duties for the day."

Yasuhara and Masako returned several hours later. His usual healthy complexion had a sickly green tinge. "I have the information you wanted, boss." He yanked some papers from his backpack as he shook his head and swallowed hard. "Seiichi Tanaka was found dead in his apartment last year by a neighbor who noticed a foul stench coming from it. According to the coroner's report, the man's skin was flayed and shredded from his body, with the muscle tissue still connected to his bones. How no one had heard the screams, the man must have made not even the police could solve it. It also says one end of his intestines were pulled from his body and used as a garrote since part of it was wrapped around his neck." He wished he could be somewhere else instead of here as he fought the urge to go throw up.

Masako didn't look much better either, as she passed over pictures that they were given. "We had to pay the coroner a visit. He was helpful when he learned that I was working the case associated with this murder."

Mai caught a glance of the pictures, brought the images she fought from coming to the forefront again. She gagged and ran out of the room and down the hallway to the restroom on the first floor. Lifting the seat up, she managed to make it in time as her breakfast came up refusing to stay in her stomach any longer. As her body ejected the food, she felt a hand pull her hair back from her face and another hand rub her back.

Finished Mai flushed the toilet and wiped any spittle from her mouth with the back of her hand as she twisted the knob on the basin and turned on the water, washing her face, hands, and rinsing out her mouth.

"Feeling better, now?" The familiar voice stated as she crooked her head to find John had followed her.

"Yes, thank you, John."

He smiled down at her, and she smiled in return as the pair strode back towards the library. They saw Naru walking towards them at a fast pace. Worry was clearly plastered on his face. However, before they could reach each other wild growling reached their ears as if it came from a rabid dog.

Naru groaned in pain as invisible jaws clamped down on his ankle. He reached out trying to grab ahold of anything to stop him from being drug down the hallway.

"Naru…" Mai screamed as John ran after him shouting a prayer to Saint Michael and sprayed holy water on Naru. The jaws released him.

Naru tried to stand but found to his wounded pride that he couldn't because of his injured ankle. "Dammit," he muttered. How would he be able to protect Mai if he couldn't even stand on his own two feet?

Mai and John both came to his side. She lifted the pants leg to see the sock torn and the ankle bleeding. "We need to get you back to base."

John reached down and shouldered much of Naru's weight as Mai drew his other arm around her shoulder. His heart thudded dully in his chest as he tried to wave them off. He acquiesced as Mai shot him a look of both anger and sorrow.

Arriving at the base, they moved Naru over to the couch. Mai took his shoe off as carefully as she could to try to avoid causing him extra pain but she still caught the wince he tried to hide.

Without saying a word to anyone, Ayako appeared next to Mai. "What happened?"

"We couldn't see it but it sounded like a rabid dog grabbed him by the ankle and dragged him down the hallway. John was able to get it to release him." Mai's hands trembled as her mouth went dry reliving the fear of losing him. Her eyes glazed with tears as she fought an internal war to keep from crying at a time like this.

Ayako cut the sock off, examined the wound, and prodded the ankle extensively. "Good news, nothing is broken that I can tell. The bad news is you have a bad sprain." Reaching into her medical bag, she withdrew some peroxide and cleaned the bites. "I think I have a splint in here I can put on your ankle that will provide you with some mobility but for the rest of today, I need you to stay off the foot."

Rummaging through the contents of the bag, she removed a splint, which in other circles was an air cast. She adjusted it for his foot, pressed it tightly around the leg, and connected the straps to the Velcro. She pulled out a small bottle of aspirin and handed it to Mai. "Make sure he takes two every 4 to 6 hours for pain."

"Okay, I will," Mai nodded as Lin appeared next to Naru with a glass of water. She shook out two of the white pills and placed them into Naru's hand while Lin gave him the glass of water.

Naru swallowed down the pills and crossed his arms in a huff. He glared at everyone in the room and dared anyone to make a comment about his predicament.

"Mai, take Jessica with you and bring me back some tea. Although, it might be a good idea to bring back a carafe of tea so you won't have to make more than one trip to the kitchen."

"Sure Naru," she leaned over and pressed a light kiss to his lips.

Mai's brooding silence worried him. Was she still upset over what happened in the corridor or did her dream bother her? He wished his twin would make contact with him again, but Gene was unusually quiet. Maybe even his deceased twin was hiding from his bad mood.

Mai and Jessica strode the hall to the kitchen. Her feet felt like lead. "Mai, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing," she replied as she placed the water-filled kettle on the stove.

"You're worried. I can see it clearly on your face."

Mai bowed her head and looked down at her feet. She sighed as her chest constricted and felt as though her heart were ripped out of her chest. "I couldn't do a thing to help Naru earlier. I mean I'm not a doctor. I'm not that great of an exorcist. Let's face it, other than me being his girlfriend, I'm just a burden." Tears slid down her face as the depression she felt grew. "Maybe he should find someone who's better than me, for that matter maybe Masako's right. Maybe she should be the one who's with him and not me."

"Mai stop talking like that and put your defeatist attitude away. Remember if it weren't for your dream we wouldn't know what is really going on in this house."

"I guess you're right," Mai glanced up and smiled appreciatively at the older woman. "I just worry about him so much. I mean he lost his brother, and now…."

"Now you worry that he might be taken from you like Gene was taken from him." Jessica leaned back in the chair and smiled at the girl who poured the hot water into the carafe. "Things are going to happen that are going to be beyond our control, instead of worrying and making him worry about you try to live every day like it's your last. Then the fear will stop."

Mai looked over at the older woman. "How did you get so smart Jessica?"

Jessica looked at her and then snorted followed by a massive release of laughter. "Me? Smart, oh boy, are you barking up the wrong tree there."

Mai raised her eyebrows at Jessica's response.

"It's nothing. Let's get back to base before Naru sends Lin or worse Takigawa to find us."

Mai giggled as she picked up the tray laden with the carafe and teacups and both women exited the kitchen.

Lin taped the conversation between Mai and Jessica and handed the tape to Naru so he could listen to it.

The younger man listened to the recording. Hearing Mai talk about how she was a burden hurt his heart. He closed his eyes, but at Jessica's words, he smiled slightly to himself. He had to admit that the older woman had some good advice for the love of his life. When she walked into the room, he wanted to run over to her, give her a hug, and kiss the daylights out of her. However, Ayako would have made him lie back down and rest his ankle.

She poured him a cup of tea and brought it over to him. Then she tugged a small table over so he could use it to set the cup down on it.

He reached out, pulled her down next to him, and encircled her waist with an arm. Taking a sip of his tea, he placed the cup down on the table. "I love you, Mai," he whispered into her ear.

Mai felt his hot breath on her ear that sent shivers down her spine while she visibly shuddered.

Nau's eyes flickered with amusement. "If I knew I could get that kind of reaction out of you, I'd do it more often."

Mai slapped his arm playfully. "Naru, behave." She rolled her eyes at him and gave him a small bashful smile.

Naru pointed to himself, "Me? Misbehave? You must be joking."

"Jerk," Mai playfully smacked him again.

Father Tojo arrived at the house. A tall man with hair sprinkled with silver over what remained of his black hair. He was still as Mai remembered him, friendly and jovial. She bowed to him. "Welcome, Father."

"Thank you, Miss Taniyama. I hope you're doing well," he gave her a gentle smile.

"Yes, I am. I'll take you to the base where you and John can discuss the exorcism with Naru."

The priest followed her and chuckled at the nickname she had given her boss. For some reason, he couldn't fathom why the older boy still allowed her to call him that.

She led the priest over to where John sat on a chair with Naru still lying on the couch with his foot propped up. Mai poured the three men a cup of tea from the carafe. She busied herself by inspecting Lin's wards to make sure they were holding up against the demon.

"Anything wrong, Mai," she heard Lin over her shoulder.

She jumped not realizing he'd moved over to her. "No, I was just trying to stay out of their way." Even though he was tall, the man moved with a catlike grace.

Lin looked down at the younger girl and smiled gently. "Let's talk as we go over the data recorded from last night."

"Okay," Mai smiled up at him as they went over to the monitors.

"I remember when we were at the case of the cursed house before we found Gene's body. Takigawa said something to you that intrigued me. He said you were destined for greatness with your powers, and I believe he is right. Would you allow me to assist you in helping to train your abilities further?"

"That would be great Lin," she smiled as her face lit up with excitement.

He reached into his satchel and pulled out a book. "This Gene used at one time when he and Naru were training their powers. I had it translated into Japanese for you while we were still in England."

"Thank you, Lin." She felt his body tense as she hugged him, but after a minute, he relaxed. Mai's hands trembled as she took the book holding it reverently. Gene used this at one time, as she looked at the simple cover.

"I will have to call Madoka and have her get several books from my room in England and have them translated from the original Chinese to Japanese. However, please remember if you have, any questions about anything don't be afraid to ask. It's the fool who doesn't ask a question when the wise man always asks."

"My teacher always says it backward."

Lin smirked as he typed some information down into his laptop. "Then your teacher is the fool."

Mai giggled and glanced around hoping no one heard or glanced their way. She liked Lin like this when he was open and allowing some emotion to come through. She leaned back and opened the book and began to read, finding herself absorbed by the topic of clairvoyance and telepathy.

Naru in a bad mood, boy was that an understatement. He seemed to be taking the fact that he was a little careless in becoming a victim to this demon out on everyone in sight. Everyone was walking on eggshells around him afraid that he would bite their head off at any moment.

After conversing with both John Brown and Father Tojo, the two clergymen left to prepare for the upcoming battle that lay ahead of them.

Naru had Lin going over the data again to find the demons hiding place. Mai, Ayako, and Monk were gone searching around the house to try to draw the demon out of hiding.

"Naru, I believe I found the demon. It's hiding in the den."

"It's time to deal with it now, Thank you, Miss Hara."

Naru with the help of Mai limped into the den. He directed her to stand by the wall with him positioned beside and slightly in front of her to protect her in case something did happen.

Once Naru was satisfied with the arrangements, he nodded towards John and Father Tojo to start the blessing.

John in a strong, but gentle and clear voice began. "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil, for thou art with me," as he sprinkled holy water around the room.

A chorus of cries came from the Shiga's as Izanami collapsed to the floor in a heap. A second later, she rose as her face contorted into an expression of pure evil, anger, and hate. She smiled at everyone but her smile was more like that of a shark circling its prey. "Where is your God now? He hides like a coward," she turned her head towards John without moving. Everyone flinched at the sound of the vertebrate cracking as her head swiveled around.

"Izanami, what's wrong with you?" Shino asked for an answer he could digest.

She growled at Shino as if she were a wild animal. When she spoke, her voice was cracked and hideous. "You never deserved the children or me."

"Takigawa, Lin, grab her and put her in a chair. Don't let go for anything, she's been possessed." John warned. "We need to perform an exorcism to force the demon out." A foul odor oozed from her body, like a combination of extreme ozone and sulfur.

The two men grabbed the woman and forced her into the chair. She looked up at Lin and spat at him, but he avoided the spittle. "Noli me tangere," she shouted at them.

"They will touch you if we commend them to," Father Tojo spoke up for the first time.

She threw her head back and a maniacal laugh came from her throat. "Ad undas."

"Your place is already ordained with Satan. So you should go to hell first, unclean spirit." John surprised everyone.

He splashed her with holy water. She screamed as if her skin was on fire where the holy water touched her. She glared at the priest. "Asinus ad lyram et asinus asinum fricat."

"What is she saying?" Mai was very confused as to the language she was speaking.

"It's Latin."

"Oh."

"I hate to tell you this unclean spirit but neither of us lie, and we are not jackasses either. The only liar here is you, and I command you to leave this woman and her family alone."

She snaked her head out and snapped in the direction of both priests. Her neck seemed to have done the unthinkable as it stretched and elongated as the vertebrae snapped and popped. "I will not leave here."

John nodded and opened his Bible as Father Tojo held a cross near her. She visibly flinched at the symbol of Christ. Both John and Father Tojo begin to recite, "Saint Michael the Archangel protect us in our day of battle. Be our safeguard from the wickedness trying to ensnare us. May God defeat him we humbly pray, cast out Satan and all the evil spirits by the power of God. Amen."

"What makes you think your god is so powerful," she laughed and spit at Father Tojo. She turned her gaze to Etsu.

The girl collapsed to the ground and Jessica ran to her aid. "Continue the exorcism. I've got her."

John nodded as he began another prayer.

Jessica put her hands on the girl's body and in her native language, she chanted a prayer. "Great Spirit I come to you as one of your many children. I am small and weak and humbly ask you to lend me your strength to save one of your many children." Her hands began to glow and she placed them on Etsu's head, and chest.

She exhaled the breath that she found she was holding and leaned back when Etsu began to breathe again and opened her eyes. There was a collective sigh of relief as Shino grabbed his daughter and held her close.

Jessica glared back at Izanami as John and Father Tojo's prayers gained in intensity and Izanami's threats and curses increased. Jessica added her own prayers to the others. "Great Spirit, protect this house, protect this family. Rid this house of evil. Keep these people safe…" she doubled over in pain as if someone had stabbed her.

Ayako moved over to Jessica, Mai couldn't move for she was supporting Naru's weight.

The demon cackled again as the chair sitting behind the desk levitated and flew through the air aiming for the priests. Everyone in the way ducked and it smashed into a wall.

John commanded the demon to tell him its name. It replies with "Hos tis humanigeneris."

"Then tell us your name, self-proclaimed enemy of the human race."

"In the name of Jesus Christ, I command you to leave, demon."

She snarled like an animal and gnashed her teeth together as vicious sounds of fighting erupted throughout the house. They increased in intensity as if two great armies slammed into each other and noise of at least a thousand wails reached everyone's ears.

Izanami scanned over the faces. In a voice close to normal, she practically cooed. "Mai, oh Mai, I have a gift for you."

Naru throws an arm in front of her. "Don't listen it's a trick. All demons are liars."

"Trying to spoil my fun little man," Izanami snarled as her jaws snapped and a breeze hit both Mai and Naru with enough force to knock them both off their feet.

Mai didn't know where it came from but a named popped into her head and she knows that is what the demons name is. Mai looks up at John, "The demons name is Alastor."

"None other," It cackles again with even more humor in its voice. It turned its head to Mai. "Was it you little girl or your dead friend who supplied you with my name? It doesn't matter. None of you can stop me."

"Actually, I believe we can." John splashed her with more holy water and placed the cross against her forehead. "Alastor, executioner of hell, in the name of Jesus Christ I command you to leave and never return to bother this family ever again!"

Everyone in the room heard a loud clap and then Izanami glanced around as confusion adorned her face. "Why am I in this chair? What happened?" She points at the desk. It's broken in the middle like someone took a saw to it."

Shino strode over and knelt down in front of her taking her hand in his. "You were possessed and Father Tojo and Father Brown performed an exorcism on you. The demon that had you also tried to kill Etsu but that young lady over there somehow saved her." He pointed at Jessica.

Father Tojo took the Shiga's off to another portion of the house. He needed to schedule with them follow-up visits to keep track of how they are doing.

John watched the Shiga's stride out of the room. "Even though they are free of the demon it doesn't mean it can't return."

Naru nodded as he gave the order. "Time to pack up the equipment, our job here is finished." He glanced over at Mai. "Oh and Mai," he paused knowing what her reaction would be, "Tea."

Mai's face went beat red, "Why you…"

Once the van had been unloaded, everyone went his or her separate ways. Only three people didn't. Lin drove the van into the driveway of the condominium he and Naru shared with Mai. The whole trip he had watched the pair as they quietly couldn't keep their hands off each other.

"Get a room," Lin smirked at the pair of young lover's reaction to his statement.

Mai helped Naru out of his clothes and helped him to climb into the bed. She started to take her own clothes off and felt hands on her as he grabbed her by the arms and pulled her into the bed. She screamed and then erupted into bubbly laughter.

"Naru… come on Naru let me go."

"No, now I've got you all to myself."

A dark shadow hid in the shadows watching the pair. Slowly it crept over towards the bed and there standing over them was the smiling image of Naru's brother who laughed and bellowed loudly for even Lin to hear. "Now ask her to marry you, Noll."

Naru groaned, "Even though he's dead I still can't get away from him."

"Be nice little brother," Gene smiled brightly at the pair.

Mai giggled and smiled brightly at Naru, "Kiss me, you idiot scientist."

The End