Mai had only made to the end of the street when she heard Oliver yelling after her. She broke into a run but found her clothes pulling her backwards. That damn cheat.

"Let go of me!" she yelled.

The street was almost deserted, so no one paid her any notice. He did not bother to answer until he caught up with her.

"I'm taking you back," he muttered.

"No, you're not!"

"It's that or the police station," he hissed. "Your choice."

"It's not your choice to send me anywhere!" Mai retorted. "Now let me go or I'll burn the clothes you're wearing!"

"You wouldn't do that," Oliver said. "Not in public, not to me."

"Why not? There are no emotions involved here, are there?"

Oliver looked for a moment as though she had slapped him. Mai went on.

"You said it was all an act, so the person I liked doesn't exist, right?"

Oliver opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.

"So tell me why I shouldn't fight back?"

She felt her clothes relax. He had released her.

"I lied."

Oliver had spoken so quietly, Mai almost missed his words.

"What?"

"I lied. It started that way but…"

"And why should I believe you now?" Mai spat.

"Why did you come to the hospital?"

"I told you… I thought you might be in trouble. I like— Liked you. I didn't want you to be hurt."

Oliver noted her correction.

"I'll let you go."

"You don't let me do anything."

Mai turned on her heel and stormed away.

Oliver frowned after her, she had misunderstood the intent of his words, but no matter. THey would not meet again. He too turned around, to return to the office. But Gene was pelting towards him.

"What are you doing?" Gene panted. "Go after her!"

"We're letting her go," Oliver stated.

"Screw that, you can't let her go!" Gene gasped for breath. "You love her, Noll!"

"Don't be—"

"Don't lie to me!"

"She hates me."

"Yeah, because you acted like a prat. Now go and apologise."

"It's not enough."

"No," Gene agreed, "It's not. But it's a start. If you don't, she's going to skip town."

"But why—"

"Why would she stay, Noll?"

Oliver walked past Gene towards the office.

"You're being an idiot."

"Idiot scientist," Oliver agreed.

When Mai finally made it back to her apartment, she broke in. She had lost her keys somewhere along the line. But that didn't matter. She would have to leave now.

Well, maybe that night.

As she began packing things into a suitcase, she heard a knock at the door. With a ball of flame engulfing one hand, she opened it an inch with the other.

It was Masako.

"Mai! Where have you been? I've been worried sick about you!"

Mai deflated and let her friend in.

"I lost my phone, and was ill," Mai lied quickly. Masako was too busy bustling into the flat to notice the blatant lie.

"What's been going on?" Masako asked.

"I lost my phone and was ill," Mai repeated, taking a seat and gesturing to Masako to do the same.

"You should have sent me a message on facebook or something," Masako said. "I would have come and looked after you!"

"I'm fine now," Mai insisted.

Masako frowned at her friend.

"Mai?"

"Yes?"

"What's really going on?"

Mai's mouth fell open at the sincere look on her friend's face.

"I'm leaving," Mai blurted.

"What? Why?"

And Mai told all. She saw no reason in holding it all in. So she told Masako everything. Who she was, what she had done, and something about recent events.

"Damn…"

"Is that all you have to say?" Mai wanted to laugh.

"Well it explains a lot," Masako whispered. "What are you going to do?"

"Move out of the country, I'm not going to say where… I don't want certain people coming after me."

"Like Oliver?" Masako asked.

Mai laughed.

"He won't."

"Why not?"

"He hates me."

"No he doesn't," Masako argued. "He likes you!"

Mai rolled her eyes.

"He might have done, before…"

Masako pulled her phone out of her pocket and dialled. Mai frowned.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm phoning him."

"How do you have his number?"

"I stole it off your phone," Masako muttered, turning the phone to speakerphone.

Mai listened to the dialling.

"He won't pick—"

"Hello?" Oliver's voice said. "Who is this?"

"It's Masako, I'm—"

"Mai's friend, why are you calling?"

Masako forced a pathetic sob and Mai cocked her head to one side.

"I've worried about Mai, she's been missing for days and I just found her apartment open and her stuff is gone and I don't know where she's is and—"

"I'm on my way."

He hung up.

Masako smiled.

Mai swore.

"What the hell was that?" Mai demanded. "I'm not ready to leave yet! You can't do this!"

She jumped up and hurried into her room. She reckoned she had five minutes, maybe ten, to pack and get out before Oliver could—

"He wouldn't be coming if he didn't care about you."

"I don't want him here! I want to leave!"

"Really?" Masako asked. "You want to leave? You never want to see me again?"

"Masako, that's not what I—"

"That's what you just said," Masako spat. "But fine."

Masako turned on her heel and stormed out.

"Masako…"

Mai hung her head in shame, took a deep breath, then grabbed a few more things to throw into her suitcase. Three minutes. She closed the suitcase and glanced around. What else did she need?

Her brain had stalled.

"This will have to do."

She picked up the suitcase and headed for the front door, pocketing her purse as she did so. Mai opened the front door and—

"You're still here."

Mai staggered backwards. How had he gotten here to quickly?

"Get out of my way," she demanded. "I have to—"

"Don't leave."

"Get out of my—"

"Please don't leave…"

Mai blinked and looked up into Oliver's eyes.

"Why?"

"Because I like you. I want you to stay."

"Yeah, because that's what you said earlier," Mai spat. "Get out of my—"

"I'm an idiot, Mai. I do not deal with these sorts of things well."

"I don't care."

"Yes you do. That's your problem, Mai, you care too much. You're just better at showing it than I am," Oliver stated. "Please, stay. The kids at your HTC club need you. Masako will miss you."

"Masako hates me."

"And I need you."

Mai felt her body deflate.

"You can't do this…" she whispered. "You can't come in here and be all…"

"Gene told me I should just kiss you," Oliver mumbled. "Is that tactless?"

Mai let tears escape her eyes.

"Maybe," Mai said. "Are you going to do it?"

"Do you want me to?"

Mai dropped her back and leant forwards into Oliver's chest. He put an arm around her and pressed his lips to the top of his head.

"Come home with me," Oliver said. "We have spare rooms, you're still weak from the other day and Mum will want to fuss over you a bit more…"

Mai nodded into his chest.

"Is there tea there?"

"I'll make you it myself," Oliver said. "It's going to be okay."

It was not okay. Not at first. It took a while for things to settle. Mai phoned Masako and apologised. Masako had not really been mad, just worried. They met up and sorted things out.

Oliver and Mai's relationship was another issue entirely. Mai knew that Oliver loved her. But she also knew that he struggled with what she had done. She saw him sitting quietly at times, trying to puzzle it out. Murder bad. Saving babies good.

"I don't want you to get involved in any of the vigilante crap," Oliver said finally. If she could not get involved, she could not do anything else confusing, right?

"Screw that," Mai replied. "If you or any of my friends are in danger I will come and rescue you." Because of course she had become friends with Gene and Madoka and the rest.

"But—"

"But nothing, Oliver. I'm not losing any of you. Deal with it."

This had resulted in several more nights of puzzled brooding. Oliver came around in the end. He settled it in his mind that as long as she was protecting people, then it was okay. This made their relationship a lot easier.

And so in the end, they lived happily ever after.

Author's note: So I'm still not happy with this but it's my best shot at it for the moment... One day I'll improve at writing endings - but it is not this day! (lotr ref anyone?) please review :)