This is my second Ghost Hunt one-shot, the first of which I will post when I get a chance to revise it! Well, hope you guys like it!

A Ghost Hunt fanfic by Lleidane

"What's up with all the scary mansions?" Mai complained to herself, dragging the case containing the last of the company's many expensive cameras behind her as she made her way towards the looming building. "Why can't our cases ever be on Happy Bunny Lane or Rainbow Sunnyside?"

"Because then the cases would not be worth taking." Naru's impassive voice made the girl jump and she quickly jerked the case from the ground, hoping he hadn't noticed her mistreatment. Apparently he had. "In the meantime, please refrain from treating my equipment like luggage."

As he passed her, Mai's cheeks blushed pink and she grumbled to herself, trying to take her time, not quite ready to enter the latest ultra-scary, supernatural infested house. Just looking at it gave her the shivers. Shutters hanging from their hinges, windows cracked in their panes, paint chipping from the exterior walls. Not to mention the totally ominous story the client had fed to them.

According to the owner, who had just bought the place and was planning on turning it into a summer home, several other people had turned the place down, claiming to get bad feelings anytime they even stepped into the yard. The owner had done a little research and had discovered the house had previously belonged to a war veteran who died almost twenty years ago. It was rumored that the veteran, driven crazy by the war and mad by his wife's cheating, had gone off, killing his wife and then himself.

Mai was used to these kinds of stories by now, of course, but after all the things that had happened on their previous cases—especially their last one, when Mai had experienced a horrific dream-death—she was becoming a little more cautious and reluctant to be included in active cases like this one.

Mai rejoined the others in the vacant foyer of the old house, where Ayako and Takigawa were already bickering. John and Masako, both away working on another case, would not be joining them. Lin stood to the side, awaiting Naru's instructions and Naru himself was checking over the equipment.

He turned and straightened when Mai arrived with the last of it. "Monk-san, help Lin set up the cameras. Ayako-san, inspect the downstairs rooms, all of them, and report back in fifteen minutes. Mai and I will be upstairs checking temperatures."

With that short closing he turned and started up the stairs, without waiting for any confirmation of his orders or for his assistant, who was currently rubbing her aching back after traveling to and from the house three times carrying heavy cases. At having heard his orders, Mai looked up in surprise. Naru rarely—if ever—paired himself with Mai when it could be helped.

The other two looked as surprised as she was. Takigawa nodded and smiled encouragingly, having picked up on Mai's feelings for Naru a while back. Meanwhile, Naru was getting further and further up the stairs and Mai, not wanting to be left behind, hurried after him, accepting the clipboard and paper Ayako pushed into her hands as she passed.

Once upstairs, Naru led her down the hall, stopping at each room and waiting for her to take the temperature of each one. Mai, feeling absurdly nervous to be alone with her boss, stayed silent as she worked, conscious of every move she made.

The upper level of the house consisted only of bedrooms, five of them, all dreary and dead looking. Cobwebs hung from the ceiling and dust layered the walls, floor and furniture. Mai sneezed.

"Let's finished up here, the others will be waiting," Naru said, putting the special thermometer back into his pocket. "Did you record it all?"

Mai looked annoyed. "What do you think? That is my job after all."

Naru looked satisfied and he led her back downstairs and into the Base, which was the parlor of the mansion. It consisted of three old fashioned couches, ones that the owner had brought in for the group's convenience, several tables, and a dusty, out of use fireplace. Lin sat at one of the tables, in front of one of the monitors, watching Ayako and Takigawa as they, in separate rooms, set up the cameras.

Naru nodded approvingly. "Call them in here, let's review the case."

Once everyone was present, Mai handed out folders consisting of the files she'd put together from the client's statements, and took her place in the chair next to Naru's.

"It's simple then," Ayako said after Naru had relayed the owner's story. "An exorcism should do the trick."

Takigawa laughed. "I seem to remember your exorcisms failing miserably in the past, miko-san!"
Ayako let out an affronted screech and let loose a volley of blows on the man's upper arms. Naru ignored their squabble and turned to Lin. "We'll spend the night here to observe the happenings. The owner has been so kind as to supply us with bedding and plumbing, so we should be comfortable enough."

Mai froze. "We're staying the night?"

Naru raised an eyebrow. "Of course. While it is not my ideal shelter, it will suffice for the time being. Besides, we're on a case Mai, it's our job, is it not?"

Mai, for the second time that day, flushed. "I-I know, it's just…" She trailed off. "This place is so dirty!" she burst, hiding the real truth; her nervousness of being back on the job.

Ayako agreed. "She's right! This place is practically falling apart!"

Naru looked annoyed. "Very well then. You, miko-san, are allowed to leave now that we have set up. Be back at six in the morning."

Ayako, struggling to hide her surprise, hesitated. "You sure?"

"Wait, if Ayako gets to leave, I should be able to too! This place is way too gloomy for me!" Takigawa broke in.

Before Mai could jump at the opportunity, Naru said, "You as well, then Bou-san. But Mai—you are my assistant; you will be needed later tonight. You will stay with Lin and me."

Mai deflated. "Okay," she said miserably.

"Aw, tough luck, kid!" Takigawa laughed, tousling Mai's hair, much to her chagrin.

When the monk and miko were gone, the base fell silent as Lin and Naru bent over their work, Naru reviewing the case file yet again and Lin keeping close watch on the monitors. Mai watched the shadows in the room lengthen as the afternoon went on. She grew drowsy as the time past, but feared falling asleep lest her dreams show her something she did not want to see.

"Naru," Lin's quiet voice broke the silence.

"What is it?" Naru asked, barely glancing up from his reading.

"Ayako and Takigawa set up the wrong cameras. No night vision."

That caught the young boss's attention. "What?" he asked sharply.

Lin moved his chair so that his frame was not obscuring the monitors. Naru moved to stand beside him, cursing beneath his breath when he saw what the older man said was true.

"Mai," Naru said harshly. "You packed the wrong cameras?"

Mai snapped to attention. "Huh?"

"The cameras," Naru said impatiently. "We have no night or thermal vision."

"Bou-san packed the equipment, not me. I was helping you compose the case file with the owner, remember?"

Lin stood up, fishing for the keys to the SPR van. "Help me to pack these up and I'll go back to the office for the real ones."

And so, after helping the Chinaman repack the cameras, Mai and Naru were left alone. Naru, much to Mai's misfortune, was in a pretty bad mood after having the case set back by a silly mistake. Mai tried to make herself as unnoticeable as possible. Darkness was falling and Naru flipped on the various lamps around the room, ignoring his assistant thoroughly, not that she particularly minded.

Several minutes after Lin had left, Naru finally acknowledged her presence. "Mai, I need you to try and sleep."

Mai was horrified. "What?" she asked, suppressing her panic.

"Without the cameras, we have very little options. We need to observe the spirits' activities and the only way to do that is if you can dream," the raven-haired youth started patiently.

"B-but," Mai sputtered, refusing to look at him. "Lin will be back soon, won't he? Can't we just wait for him?"

And then Naru did something she had only seen in her dreams. His face softened and he touched her shoulder lightly. "I know you're scared, Mai. But they're just dreams; they can't hurt you."

The warmth from his hand seeped through her cotton sleeve and spread over her shoulder and his closeness made her blush. But she shook her head. "I can't," she said, almost pleadingly. She could still vividly remember the overwhelming fear of being dragged to her death, the cool blade of the knife as it slid across her throat…

Naru dropped his hand. "Very well," he said, voice once again cold. "We shall wait for Lin."

Fury ignited in Mai's chest once she realized he had only been kind to her in an attempt to get her to give in. She turned her back on him, embarrassed but adamant. They fell into silence once again.

It was some time later that the noises started. At first it was just a slight shuffling sound, like slippers on a carpet, then to a fast walking sound, and finally to an all-out mad dash. Mai, feeling jumpy, huddled in an armchair, curling her limbs in close. Naru, impassive as always, regarded her coolly once the noises had died down.

"Lin will be back soon," was all he said before turning back to his readings. Mai wondered if he was trying to comfort her and didn't know how.

Not long after the noises had stopped, Mai had made her decision. Naru was right, of course. Without the others, who would undoubtedly be able to deal with a silly spirit, they were sitting ducks. "Naru," she said quietly, steeling herself. He glanced up. "I'll do it."

Naru nodded after a moment, just once. Then he stood, walking over to one of the couches. "Lie down here," he ordered and Mai did as she was told. She rested her head against the armrest that was furthest from the decrepit fireplace.

She shifted to make herself comfortable and tried to ignore Naru as he hovered over her.

"Don't be nervous," Naru said, with just a smite more emotion than normal. "I'll wake you as soon as I see any sign of discomfort."

Mai nodded miserably, trusting him despite her fear. She sniffed and closed her eyes, turning on her side and hiding her face in the back of the couch, its rough material lightly scratching her face. Closing her eyes, she willed herself to ignore the fact that Naru was just a little ways away, and that he was watching her.

Something landed softly on her, covering her upper body. Mai opened her eyes to see that Naru had taken off his regular black jacket, revealing a white dress shirt that was un-tucked from his belt. He had his back to her, returning to his reading, but she smiled nonetheless and pulled his jacket a little tighter around her.

Mai stood in the middle of the Base, except now it looked newer, brighter, but with the same sense of dread. Sunlight drifted in from the window and a woman could be heard from the yard, humming happily as she hung the clean white sheets. Mai watched her from behind the curtain, watched as a man wearing a mailperson's uniform entered the yard, addressing the woman politely.

The woman cast a quick glance around, almost spotting Mai at the window, but the girl shrunk back. The woman grinned at the man and suddenly she grabbed his wrists, pulling him in among the sheets, pressing herself close to his chest and giggling softly.

Mai's stomach twisted and rage filled her chest. Her hands began to shake in her fury and she jerked the curtain from its rod, backing away from the window, her suspicions confirmed.

Naru watched Mai in her sleep, alert for any disturbances. She twitched every now and then, her brow furrowed. At one point her breath became ragged, as if she were angry, and her fists clenched at her sides. Naru, wondering if he should wake her, decided against it, hardly daring to believe she had gotten the information they might need. And so, he let her sleep on.

Time jumped and it was the next night. Mai felt drunk and look at the bottle in her and the many that littered the floor at her feet, she thought she probably was. She stared blankly at the wall as she took another swig of whiskey, not blinking when the woman from the yard entered through the front door, smiling happily to herself until she spotted Mai in the living room. Her smile quickly turned to a meant to be hidden scowl and she turned away quickly, shedding her coat.

Mai, mind filled with the images of the woman and man in the yard, exploded into rage. How dare she turn her back? She threw an empty bottle as hard as she could at the woman; it struck true, landing a blow on her shoulder and causing her to stumble. Suddenly Mai was on her feet, dragging the woman by her hair and screaming incomprehensively at her, ignoring the woman's desperate cries as she was pulled up the stairs.

Mai, filled with rage, jerked the woman to her feet and slapped her, repeatedly calling her a whore with each blow. The woman pleaded, tears streaking her face, causing her makeup to run. Mai ignored her, threw her away from her person, and marched to the last door in the hall. Reaching in, she pulled out a shotgun.

The woman began screaming, clawing at the wall in an attempt to pull herself up, to crawl away. But Mai landed at crashing blow to her skull and she fell back, dazed. Mai hit her again and again, arms, legs, chest, stomach, thighs, anywhere she could reach, until the woman was bleeding and bruised. And then she raised the shotgun, and fired.

Mai woke up screaming. Feeling hands on her shoulders she thrashed, trying to push them away.

"Mai!" Naru's voice reached her befuddled mind. "Mai!"

Mai snapped out of it and quit her thrashing. She began trembling and held her head in her hands, breath coming in shaky gasps. Naru gripped her shoulders, trying to get her to look at him.

"No, no," she moaned in a whispered, words coming out choked.

"Mai," Naru said firmly, forcing her to look up. When her eyes met his and held his gaze, he said soothingly, "You're awake, you're fine."

Tears leaked from Mai's eyes and she pulled away, turning her back and hugging her legs. "You didn't wake me," she accused half-heartedly, voice choked with unshed tears.

A slight pang of guilt made Naru almost flinch, not that she could see. "I am sorry. Mai, I need you to tell me what happened." He paused. "Did you die?" he asked tentatively.

Mai sniffed and wiped her eyes. "No," she said dully. She suddenly caught sight of her hands, now that her eyes were clear. She let out a small shriek and began rubbing them fiercely on her shirt. "Ugh, Naru, get it off, please get it off!" she pleaded continuing her frenzied scrubbing. "Please!" she implored, turning her eyes to him desperately.

He caught hold of her wrists. "What is it Mai? What do you see?" he asked, turning her hands this way and that.

Mai seemed to calm down: reclaiming her hands, she inspected them again. "Blood. There was blood," she said quietly, sheepish.

"What happened?" Naru asked again, softly so as not to spook her.

Mai refused to look at him. "I killed her."

Though he could guess, he had to ask. "Killed who?'

"The veteran's wife. I was the veteran." She shuddered. "I-I beat her and then blew her head off. There was blood all over me, my hands especially. It was driving me mad."

Naru took in her words. "Are you all right?" he asked after a moment, his voice regaining some of its indifference.

She nodded. "Hai." She was in a cold sweat, but her heart was calming and her breathing had gone back to normal.

"Mai…" Naru started uncertainly, watching how she shivered, but the door suddenly opening interrupted him. Lin entered then, pulling a small wagon behind him that carried at least five cases.

Naru rose. "What took you so long?" he asked irritably.

Lin shrugged. "Damn traffic. I left at rush hour." His eyes fell on Mai's huddled figure still draped in Naru's jacket. "Everything all right?"

"Yes," Naru snapped, walking to the wagon and taking out the proper cameras. "Mai, when you feel up to it, make tea. I've brought an instant brewer in my luggage." He instructed her without turning to address her but Mai did not have the energy to feel peeved at his sudden change of attitude.

An hour later, the cameras were set up once again and the group had proper recordings to observe. Mai made tea, but Naru filled her cup first, ignoring Lin's inquiring gaze, and set to work watching the monitors.

Around midnight, Mai was dozing off again, but she wouldn't let herself fall asleep. Not after what she had just seen. Naru too seemed a bit tired. Lin noticed.

"Get some rest, both of you. I'll watch the monitors."

Mai almost protested, but she didn't feel up to it. Naru, as if realizing his assistant would refuse if he did, consented to Lin. They would have to make do with the couches; because of the lack of group members, Mai would be left alone if they slept in separate rooms, something neither of them wanted. And so, the two teens set up their beds on the rather unsuitable couches, but neither complained. Naru, both of them knew, would not allow himself to sleep and Mai, despite her fear, could not stay awake.

She fought sleep, for a long time. To keep herself awake, she said, "The owner's story was right. The vet killed his wife because she was cheating. But it was what he did that drove him mad, not the war. He killed himself simply because he couldn't live with the knowledge knowing he had killed her."

Naru, legs covered with a blue blanket and a book on his lap, glanced at her. "We'll take care of it in the morning." He did not tell her to get some sleep, guilty that he had not stuck by his word and awakened her like he had promised.

When Mai woke up, she was relieved; there had been no murder crazy dream. She yawned, sitting up to see Lin and Naru, both bent over the monitors that showed the upstairs rooms. Both were quite tense.

"What is it?" Mai asked, immediately going to them. She leaned next to Naru, peering over his shoulder.

He glanced briefly at her. "There is some activity in the upper floor hall."

Mai stared at the screen, her stomach knotted. "That's where I killed her," she whispered fearfully.

Lin looked at her curiously, but said nothing. Naru's eyes were glued to the screen. A ghostly blur of white hovered in front of the camera, its edges tinged with red. Mai looked away, the redness reminding her of the blind rage she'd felt when the veteran had killed his wife.

"I'm going to need you to relay everything that happened in your dream, Mai," Naru said coolly, stepping away from the monitor. "After we learn the story, Bou-san and Ayako-sama can exorcize it and the case will be closed."

"Why do we have to know the story?" Mai mumbled unwillingly, adverting her gaze.

Naru regarded her patiently. "We don't. But I would like to take some precautions. A background check will inform me of how violent the spirit is, the level of its abilities—"

"How will a background check do that?" Mai broke in.

For the first time, Naru showed some annoyance. "If a spirit died whilst angry or grieving, for instance, it will be a malevolent being with higher abilities."

Mai nodded. "But we already know the veteran murdered his wife because she was cheating, so obviously he was angry. I mean, come on, wouldn't you be?"

Naru sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Mai, you're giving me a headache. Bear with me, won't you? You must make use of your abilities in a job such as this, so I suggest you do so."

Mai, if she were not so nervous, would have been furious at his evident arrogance. Instead, she sighed with defeat. "All right. What do you want to know?"

"Lin, record this," Naru said over his shoulder, ushering Mai to the couch she had previous occupied and pulling an armchair to sit in front of her. "Start from the beginning of your dream and go on to the end of it. That should be easiest."

Mai nodded, swallowing. And then she began. She recalled the hateful anger she'd felt within the veteran when he'd spied his wife with the messenger among the clean sheets, the miserableness he tried to drown in the many bottles of whiskey. When she got to the part of the wife's arrival, she faltered but forced herself to go on. But by the time she relayed the brutal beating, she could barely get the words out.

Mai sobbed, a dark cloud hovering over her heart. She felt as though she were once again in the veteran's position, but now all she felt was shame, shame at what she had done. It overwhelmed her, eating at her soul. "I-he s-shot her," she finished with a tremendous shiver.

Naru was sorry that she had to go through with this. He wanted to stop her, but his intelligent side, the one that had a thirst to be right, to solve the problem, overpowered his want to ease her pain. He reached out a hand and instead of rubbing her shoulder, he touched her knee as he looked at Lin. "Did you get all that?"

Lin nodded, not looking up. "We've done all we can for tonight," he said, looking pointedly at Mai. "We need rest. Ayako and Takigawa can finish the rest in the morning."

Naru agreed. "Mai," he said gently, removing his hand. "Calm down, all is well. You don't have to do any more."

Mai sniffed and nodded. She wiped her face and smiled ruefully. "I guess I'm more trouble than help, huh?"

"We shall find that out in the morning," Naru said. Mai wondered if he was attempting to joke. "Lin, do we have blankets?"

Mai settled down once again on the old couch, trying to clear her mind. She snuggled under the blanket Lin had brought in and tried not to dwell on her dream. Naru sat close by, legs covered once again with the blue blanket and sitting in the armchair. Lin stayed by the monitors, watching over the two teens until daybreak.

Just as arranged, Takigawa and Ayako arrived at 6 a.m., ready for the exorcism.

"Morning Mai-san!" Ayako called, waving cheerfully as she and the monk walked up the porch steps. When she saw the bags under the girl's eyes, she stopped. "Rough night?"

Mai smiled tiredly. "You could say that."

The miko shot a glare at Naru: she held him responsible for Mai when she and Takigawa were not there to look after her. Takigawa ruffled Mai's hair as he went past her, not looking quite awake.

"So, what's the story?"

"A simple exorcism should work," Naru said, motioning towards the stairs. "Finish quickly. I'm quite famished."

Ayako arched her brow. "And what will you be doing?"

"Lin, Mai, and I will be watching from the monitors," was all he said before leaving them to it, heading back into the Base.

Ayako mumbled beneath her breath as she and Takigawa went upstairs. Mai followed Naru and sat with him and Lin, eyes glued to the screens.

She was feeling nervous, for some reason. Monk and miko appeared, Ayako obviously praying as Takigawa lit incense. Naru felt Mai tense and he subconsciously leaned closer to her, their shoulders brushing. Mai glanced at him, not missing this movement, and feelin gratified. She returned her attention to the screen.

It flickered and the ghostly apparition appeared again, the same as last night, but there was something different about it. There was, instead of a red one, a blue aura surrounding it.

"He really is sorry. He regrets it," she murmured, smiling slightly; it felt as if a large weight—the whole world—had been lifted off her chest and the sun suddenly cleared away the dark cloud hovering over her heart. Naru glanced at her.

On the screen, Ayako looked at the camera, shrugging to let them know it was over.

The cameras were packed into their proper cases by 8:30. Mai coiled the cords into neat rings before taking three cases and moving towards the door with them.

Her burden was eased before she got one foot on the porch. Naru stood before her, taking the cases.

"Naru," Mai started, surprised, "I wasn't going to drop them. I'm sorry about yesterday, I didn't mean to drag the equipment like that—"

"Mai."

She shut up. Naru was actually smiling. And she was awake.

"You've done enough," was all he said before moving on.

Mai flushed, her heart beating quickly. Ayako, straining under her own burden, had witnessed it all and she smiled.

Once they'd gotten back to the office, Naru sent Mai home. "Sleep. Properly," he instructed her and she happily obliged.

The next day she turned up for work as usual. Lin was not there, but Naru was, waiting in his office for her to report in.

"'Morning, Naru!" she said brightly, peeping around the door.

"Good morning, Mai," he answered back, surprising her. Normally he simply ignored her. And what was more, he did not have any work on his desk; no, it seemed as though he was actually waiting for her.

"Mai," he said after a moment, beckoning her in. Perplexed, she entered and took a seat across from him. "I wanted to apologize."

Her brow furrowed. "For what?"

"For the other night. I promised that I would wake you, and I did not. And I continued to press you even when it was obvious you were reaching your limit. I'm sorry."

Mai was dumbstruck. Naru, apologizing? "T-that's okay, Naru. I mean, that's why I'm here, isn't it? To use my abilities, like you said."

"Perhaps," he relented. "But it was unfair of me to push you so hard when you were still recovering from the previous case."

Mai, still not quite believing Naru was apologizing to her, did not know what to say. "Don't worry about it," she murmured.

Naru paused, regarding her closely. "I will not ask it of you again. That is not how a gift such as yours should be learned, having it forced on you such as I have done."

"Really, Naru, i-it's nothing."

They fell into silence. Then Naru nodded. "Regardless. Well, now that we have settled this, I would like some tea."

Mai blinked. Was he serious? Just like that, they were back to normal? She sighed. Of course; this was Naru. "Sure," she said, standing. She left and went to the kitchen, putting the kettle on. When the tea was finished she delivered a cup to Naru. As she turned to leave again, he stopped her.

"Oh, and Mai." He waited until she turned to face him. "Keep the jacket."

Mai was confused for a moment, and then she remembered. Naru had given her his jacket the night of the case. She smiled, feeling the blush rising up her cheeks.

"I planned on it."

Well, there you have it! I apologize for any OOC-ness, so if you have any complaints, compliments, flames--anything--just review!