Chibi-Kari: What? Another chapter? How? When? Why? Obviously I don't own otherwise I would have been dropped by my editor years ago. Also, this chapter is a bit lighthearted because things will get a lot darker.

Alive

Part 3 Chapter 3

It will work because it has to. Lin sighed at his own hubris. Why he had thought it would be so easy was beyond him. In fact, this entire thing was beyond him. The entire thing was giving him a headache, not to mention the frequent calls from his father. While Lin had filed the official paperwork to ensure his father couldn't poach his student, the man was still relentless in wanting to talk about her. The last two months had been both fruitless and unbearable on all fronts.

His phone buzzed angrily on his desk. He knew it would be his father again without even looking. "Obstinate old man." Lin mumbled as he picked up the phone. "Yes, father?"

The man on the other end sighed. "You could be more respectful."

"You could stop calling me for updates when I've told you I would give you one as soon as I had one." Lin snapped back. His father had a sharp tongue and had taught him well.

"Honestly, what did I do to deserve a son like you?" His father lamented playfully.

Lin felt an immediate affection burst through him. "Married mother." He did love his family, even when he and his father butted heads. They were a good family. His parents were honest to a fault but loving. To do magic well, you had to have kindness in your heart.

"Ah, yes. My mistake." His father chuckled from the other end of the phone.

Lin glanced at the clock trying to calculate the time difference. It was around lunch time in the UK and he was getting hungry. "Did you and mum have dinner yet?" Sometimes they ate rather late, so he wouldn't be surprised if she was mediating with his grandmother still. And it wasn't completely unheard of to have dinner at 10PM in Hong Kong.

"Ah, yes." Lin could hear the annoyance in his father's voice. "She made me to go a cha chaan teng by the station."

"I take it that it was crowded."

"More than crowded. And the restaurant had televisions so that the old men could watch the races." His father complained ignoring the fact that he was now one of those old men himself. "I don't know why we couldn't go to Little Korea."

"Probably because she didn't want to go to the 'dark side'." Lin smiled. His mother hated going from the Island to Kowloon and frequently referred to it as the dark side…of course she wasn't the only one that referred to it as such.

"That's true. She does hate Kowloon, although your sister is talking about moving to Whampoa."

Lin nodded absently into the phone. He knew all this, and he knew his father knew that. But he did appreciate the semblance of small talk before the man asked more about Mai. "Well at least mum could take the ferry and avoid the MTR."

His father laughed loudly. "That's cute that you think she would take the ferry." The older man paused, and Lin held in his sigh. "So, how is your student?" He didn't attempt casual at all.

"Fine, father. No major fluctuations in her powers, although they are still unreliable and growing unsteadily. Nothing new."

"You said you believed her father practiced some form of magic?"

Lin felt his frustration rising. He had this same conversation with his father at least once a week. "Yes, but I can't be sure about her family's power until we receive her father's journals."

"Your mother thought they would arrive today." It was said simply. Perfunctorily.

"She felt it?" Lin asked surprised. While his mother was not precognitive, she was quite sensitive, and he would never bet against her. In all his years, she had never been wrong once.

"No. She calculated the time it takes for you to get packages from us. Almost 2 months to the day. She thought it would be the same for Japan."

Lin groaned. He had actually gotten his hopes up. "Father-" The doorbell buzzing through the house cut Lin off. "Hold on. Someone's at the door."

He held his phone between his shoulder and face as he unlocked the front door. Standing on the other side was a small man who looked quite put upon. "Where do you want them? There's another one in the boot."

Lin blinked before setting the phone down on his entryway table and grabbing the box from the man. "You can just put the other right inside the door; and I'll get it from there." The weight of the box was almost overwhelming in his hands. Of course, it was the maximum 25kg that Matsuzaki could send in each box. The other should only be slightly lighter.

He brought it into his main sitting area before setting it on the floor gleefully. He quickly walked down the hallway to lock the door and retrieve the other. Placing them side-by-side, he glanced at them momentarily trying to decide which to open first. As he was about to open the heavier box, when a low rumble from the hallway caught his attention. He sprinted back down the hallway and picked up his phone. "Sorry, father. I forgot you were still on the line."

"I could tell with how loud I had to yell to get your attention. The boxes came?"

"Yes. They're here." Lin affirmed.

"Put me on speaker then and I'll help you with the boxes." Lin couldn't argue with his father. The man was well versed in magic. Much better than himself and would certainly be an asset.

"How about I get my computer and facetime you from it. It may be easier if I have to show you anything." Lin didn't wait for a response before he disconnected the call. His father wouldn't be impressed by that move but was certainly used to it by now.

He pulled a table over and set the computer on it, ringing his father before he finally attacked the larger box.

"I wish you would give me time to respond before you do that." His father groused.

Lin hmmed absently in response as he started pulling out journals and flipping through them.

Mai leaned back over her bed. Her upper back and head hanging off limply. It was nearing 3AM and what had started off as not a bad day devolved into something horrendous in the evening. They had all been trying to go back to normal. Treating everything as fine until Lin said otherwise, but everyone was walking on eggshells around her. Besides Oliver and Gene who were too busy glaring at each other angrily to walk on eggshells. She wasn't sure what their latest fight was about, but she could surmise it was about her. So, things were fine but awkward until after dinner. That's when she got the phone call.

Lin had ripped into her. It was the fury that she had only heard tales of. And the first moment she heard his voice, she knew he had gotten the journals. She had made it through his tirade without breaking down into sobs, but as soon as he hung up on her—stating he would see her the next day—she found herself ugly crying on the bed. She knew he wasn't actually angry but terrified. Of course, that didn't help how she felt. The only solace she had was that no one had heard her and that she had already gone up for the night.

Mai started as her door swung open slowly. She half expected it to be Luella looking in on her but was surprised to see it was Noll. "Uhh." She started to sit up but relaxed back when he held up his hand to stop her.

He turned to close the door softly before padding over to sit on the floor against her bed. They were centimeters apart but both staring firmly at the wall in front of them. It was silent for what felt like a minutes before Noll broke it. "I heard the phone call. I didn't mean to, but I was going to ask you if you wanted tea and Lin was so loud, I could hear his voice through the door."

Mai stiffened. How much had he heard?

Noll shook his head. "I couldn't hear what he was saying, just his voice. I thought you would be upset, so I came to check on you. When I saw the light under the door-" Noll cut himself off when he realized he was rambling. He didn't ramble.

Mai relaxed and shook her head slightly. She couldn't stop the small smile on her face. He was much more awkward than when she knew him in Japan—in that other life. Somehow, she felt that she could read him like a book. "Did it sound as bad from outside the door as it did from here?"

Noll glanced at her from the corner of his eye. He could tell she was upset but that she didn't want to show it. Or somehow thought she deserved it. And she didn't. "Probably not quite as bad. It certainly was more than anything you could have done deserved."

Mai sighed shaking her head. "He wasn't so angry as he was scared, I think. And I do understand it. I understand why he was so angry."

"Mai." Noll turned to her. "You don't deserve it. You gave me my brother back. You don't deserve any of the bad that's happening to you. If we hadn't have taken that hospital case then—".

"Don't say none of this would have happened. It would have been something else. And you don't know what I deserve or don't deserve, Noll. You barely know me—"

What Noll did to shut her up had been only semi-planned. He had originally thought he would do it out in the garden after thanking her for his brother—although he didn't exactly feel thankful the past few weeks—but he decided this worked as well.

His mouth moved gently a moment before pulling away. He looked her squarely in the eyes. "You say I barely know you, but that isn't true. We've lived together for months. And yes, I don't have the memories the others have, but I can feel those memories of you. Years. I know that I loved you back then. It's as familiar to me as breathing." Noll smirked. "And I know you love me."

Mai's mouth opened and closed for a few moments while she tried to gather some form of coherent thought. "Did you just—"

"I've always been more of an action taker than Gene. Actions speak louder than words." Noll shook his head, leaning his back against the bed again, and looking forward. "I know what's true, Mai. I can't wax poetic for you. But you brought my brother back to me. It doesn't matter how. What matters is why. You did it because you love me. And while I can't give you a romance story, I will repay you for everything you've given me."

"I don't want you to be with me because you feel you owe me something." She responded softly; her eyes closed tightly. Steeling herself for the denial of affection she deserved.

She felt him take her hand in his larger one. "Are you ignoring the fact that I told you I love you. Let's not ignore facts, Mai."

It was simple and straightforward. And somehow it was everything she wanted. But she knew she couldn't take it. Of course, she wasn't being given much of a choice. It had always been Noll's way or the highway. That hadn't changed even with Gene around. And she guessed he had grown tired of being patient. But she wasn't so sure he could stand by his words if he ever found out what she had done. And she found that thought terrified her more than anything.