This is the end! *crying in a corner*

Disclaimer: I do not own Ghost Hunt

Chapter 17: Birth and Death

"I don't understand. Why the lake, Masako?" John asked, sitting beside Masako in the small row boat they'd been able to borrow from the Tsukiyomi's. Turned out, the Tsukiyomi's had multiple boats and barely ever used them because the last time they had, Emma had almost ended up drowning when she fell over the side only a month ago.

Masako stared down into the depths of the water, trying to see something through the murk. "May said to check the lake. She said she thought the body might be here," she explained quickly, not turning towards him, "Do you have that piece of equipment that Lin said would help?"

John sighed. He wasn't even going to try to change her mind. She wouldn't listen to him. Mai and Masako thought they were so different, and they might have been, but they were equally stubborn. "Yeah, it's right here," he said, hefting a sonar device into his lap. It beeped softly. A cord trailed from the machine into the water. One the screen, everything in the lake was visible. "I don't see anything yet."

There was a splash. John looked up quickly, fear spiking through him, only to see Masako sitting back holding a sopping wet rag in her hand. She glanced towards him, motioning for him to continue. He watched her for a moment as she held up the scrap of cloth to the light before looking back at the machine.

"Oh, there's something here, Masako. I can't tell what it is though," he said, tracing the silhouette of something floating through the water. There was a louder splash. "Masako-" John started, but his words cut off. She was gone. The seat across from him was completely empty.

"Masako!" Dropping the device down on the seat beside him, John rushed over to his side of the boat. He looked over the edge, searching the water for any sign of the woman's colorful kimono, but there was no sign of her. He rushed back to the sonar.

The silhouette was moving away. With it was something that emitted heat, or more it was Masako. They were moving away from the boat quickly.

Stripping off his jacket, shoes, and socks, John dove into the icy water. He swam forward, forcing his eyes open. He couldn't see anything. It was too dark under the water. Not even the light of the rising sun could cut through the water. Just when he was ready to go back up for another breath of air, there was a flash of red in the corner of his eye. He turned towards the flash and started to swim.

…..

Masako couldn't see a thing. She didn't know if it was because her eyes were closed or if it was because there was no light under the water. All that she knew was that it was dark. Her lung burned, screaming for oxygen. Her limbs were heavy with the soaking fabric of her kimono.

Something was pulling her along. Icy fingers were wrapped around her wrist, jerking her deeper in the lake. It felt like an eternity before she stopped moving. Someone tapped her on the shoulder.

Masako cracked her eyes open. She jerked in surprise. Fumiko Chi was staring at her, her eyes dead and flat. She turned, trying to see what Fumiko was pointing at. She lost what little oxygen she had left to a shriek of terror.

Floating beside her was the corpse of a young woman. Her hair floated around her in a black fan. Her eyes were open, staring with milky pupils straight at Masako. Lower below her were more floating corpses, tied down with chains and cement blocks.

It was too much for Masako. Black splotches appeared in her vision. Before she fainted though, she saw Fumiko grin wickedly and disappear in smoky vapors.

…..

John emerged from the lake, coughing and sputtering. The woman in his arms was silent and pale, limp in his arms. "No. No, no, no. Masako, you have to be alright. Don't leave me," John murmured, hoisting Masako into the boat before pulling himself in beside her. His teeth were chatter and his lungs burned, but he couldn't rest.

He kneeled beside her. Taking a deep breath, he whispered a prayer. He opened the top layer of her kimono, tossing the heavy fabric to either side of her. "CPR, I need to do CPR," John told himself, placing the heel of his hand with his other hand on top of it keeping his fingers interlocked, in the middle of her chest on her sternum like he'd been taught. He compressed her chest thirty times before tilting her chin back and giving her two breaths before returning to compression.

John continued this cycle for what felt like hours before water spilled from Masako's mouth. She turned over coughing up the leftover water in her lungs.

"Thank you," John whispered, staring up at the blue sky.

"John?" Masako rasped, staring around blurrily, "I thought… I thought I was…" She trailed off, tears forming in her eyes.

Relief washing through him, John pulled Masako into him. "Thank God you're alive. What happened?" He pulled away, glancing over her. The only thing that he could see was from with her was the dark bruise forming around her wrist. He knew that there would be a huge bruise already forming across her chest, but he felt it would be worth it.

"Chi-san, she pulled me into the lake. She showed be that all of the girls, all of the women Ikki killed, they're all down there. So many dead." Masako's voice broke. She dropped her face into her hands sobbing hard. "I thought I was going to die and end up like one of them."

John pulled her into his body, hugging her tightly. "You're alright. You're alive," he said, kissing the top of her head, "I'm just glad you're alive."

…..

"Naru, what do you want us to do about that bodies?" Lin asked, watching John fuss over Masako and watching Emma fuss over the pair. She was slowly getting angrier, only just barely keeping herself from yelling at the young blonde man.

"Just sit down and let me do this! You're in the way!" she finally shrieked at him, spinning to glare at him.

"Um, hey, John, let's get you changed," Yasu suggested, wrapping his arms around John's shoulders and stirring him towards the door. "After that, we can grab a couple of blankets and make some tea and coffee for everyone. What do you say?" They disappeared out the door, John still staring over his shoulder at Masako.

"Jesus H. Christ, can't get a break around here," Emma muttered under her breath, smoothing a hot patch gently over Masako's wrist. "Now, I'm going to need you to show me the bruise on your chest because I know there's going to be one." She glanced over her shoulder at the tall Chinese man. "Lin, you need to leave right now. Go get Masako some dry clothes or check on Ikki and Monk, or something." Monk had come back from the hospital per Ayako's and Naru's order to help with babysitting.

Lin sighed and nodded, leaving the room before he could get yelled at by the teenager again.

"Call the police. Make up a story. Don't tell them what we're really doing there. I don't need up getting caught up in the media," Naru said quickly, his voice losing the calm it usually possessed as Mai screamed in pain in the background, "I have to go. I won't be able to help with the case until Mai's through labor."

"Don't worry, Naru. We've got everything under control. I think we can finish it on our own now," Monk said, snatching the phone from Lin's fingers as Lin stepped into the room where they had corralled Ikki, "You get back to that girl of ours."

"Monk, Lin, stop distracting Naru and get back to work!" Ayako screamed into the phone making all three occupants jump in surprise.

Monk rolled his eyes. "Alright, alright, we're gone." The line had already gone dead by the time he was finished talking. "She hung up," he said, annoyed, handing the phone back to Lin.

"How's it going here?" Lin asked, looking over at Ikki who was madly scribbling across a piece of paper. He had a chip back open neck to him. Crumbs and empty cans of soda littered the desk top, pencils scattered with them.

"I think he was high or something. He's been drawing these weird pictures this whole time and eating," Monk said, standing beside the taller man with his hands on his hips, "So what are we going to do now?"

"Call the police, get the bodies from the lake, and try to exorcise Fumiko Chi," Lin said, pressing his phone back to his ear.

…..

The group stood on the porch, watching the police dive in and out of the lake from afar. There were police officers standing around the house, waiting for orders. Kyoko and Haru were talking to one of the officers. Haru had started yelling at the poor man about ten minutes ago, and the man had had zero luck in calming him down.

"I'd rather be watching Mai give birth than listening to his screeching at the moment," Yasu said, wrapping his arms around Emma and staring out over the forest, "He sounds like a banshee on her period."

Emma giggled. "You would really rather watch Mai writhe in pain and scream curses at everyone instead of just having to sit here and listen to my father?"

"No, I'd rather watch Naru get killed because Mai is writhing in pain," Yasu corrected, grinning down at Emma.

"I'm sure everyone would prefer that to this," Monk said with a laugh. He crossed his arms over his chest, leaning against the house.

Lin sighed, annoyed. "If you guys are going to complain then go check on Ikki why don't you," he said, sound scarily like Naru.

"Okay," Emma and Yasu said, jumping at the chance to be warm again.

An officer walked up once they had disappeared through the door, a grim look on his face. "So far, we have found five bodies of females and the divers are still pulling up bodies," he said, crossing his arms over his chest, "It looks like these girls were killed in similar fashions to the other three females we've had to come here to get."

Lin and Monk exchanged a look. "That is very odd," Lin finally said, looking back at the officer.

The officer narrowed his eyes at them. "What did you say that your relation to the Tsukiyomi's was again?"

"We're family friends. We were just here for vacation," Monk lied smoothly, smiling reassuringly at the man. They'd been lucky enough to disassemble all of the equipment and pack it in the back of the van before the police came.

The officer was opening his mouth to respond when an earsplitting screech, obviously Emma's, ripped through the air. It was long and high, only cutting off after all the air had gone from the person's lungs.

"Emma," Lin and Monk said together, sprinting into the house followed closely by the officer, Masako and John. The officer was yelling at them to go back outside, but they just ignored him. They reached the room Ikki was being held in in record time.

Emma was clinging to Yasu, sobbing into his shirt. She stared wide-eyed at a figure across the room and a form lying crumpled on the desk. The police officer rushed into the room, and pulled his gun. "Hands up!" he shouted.

Fumiko turned towards the police officer. She smiled wickedly.

"H-hands behind your head! Get down on your knees!" the officer shouted.

Once again, Fumiko just stood there smiling at him. He took a tentative step forward. She burst into light and was gone. The officer took a step back, dropping his arms to the side. "What the hell just happened?" he stuttered.

"Honestly, you don't want to know," Monk said, pressing fingers to Ikki's neck. "He's dead. I'm sorry, Emma." Emma didn't say anything, but she shook her head. Yasu lead her out of the room. "I guess it's over."

…..

"Mai! How are you doing?" Monk shouted the next day as the entire group burst through the door.

Naru and Ayako glared at the noisy bunch of people from their spots beside Mai. She was sleeping soundly, her head resting on Naru's shoulder. "If you can't be quiet, you're going to have to leave," he said, his tone promising many wounds if they woke Mai.

"Sorry," Monk said, tiptoeing to the end of her bed, "Why is she still sleeping? It's like six at night."

"You go through thirty hours of labor with nine devoted to pushing and then tell me she'd not allowed to sleep as long as she wants," Ayako shot at him, glaring daggers at the men. They cringed at the thought of thirty hours, and then Monk and Yasu shrugged at the nine hours. Lin gave then brain dusters so that Ayako didn't have to. John grimaced through the whole thing. He'd seen women give birth before.

Masako's and Emma's mouths dropped open. "N-nine hours? Oh my… dear lord!" Masako said.

"This is the most sleep she's gotten since she got pregnant," Naru said thoughtfully, looking down at her. He moved hair was of her face, tucking it behind her ear. He glanced back up at the group. "What happened at the end of the case?"

Before the others could start in with anything dramatic, John stepped forward and explained what had happened. He held tightly onto Masako's hand like he was afraid she'd end up back in that lake if he let go. Masako had a pleased smiled on her lips that she didn't even try to cover up with her sleeve.

"So Ikki's dead," Naru murmured, looking over at Mai. Everyone knew what he was thinking, but only Ayako was brave enough to say it.

"Good reddens. Now he can never hurt Mai or another woman ever again," she said proudly, nodding.

"No shame," Masako murmured under her breath.

Ayako was getting ready to shout a retort at her, but Mai let out a yawn and slowly sat up. She rubbed sleep from her eyes, staring around at the group around her. "Hey guys, what are you doing here?"

"We came to see how our favorite girl is doing," Monk said, smiling widely. He leaned forward, resting his folded arms on the edge of her bed.

"Oh really? Thanks. What time is it?" she asked, looking over at Naru.

"It's only six in the afternoon," he told her.

She groaned, falling back against her pillows. "I was hoping it was already the next day so I can go home with our baby," she whined, dropping her head back on Naru's shoulder, "Meh, this kind of sucks."

"That's what you get for refusing an epidural," Naru said, flicking her gently in the forehead, "But the doctor said you could go home in another hour or two if you wanted. Though the birth was long, she said it wasn't complicated, and you're apparently very knowledgeable for a first time mother." He said the last part like it was a complete lie.

Mai hit him weakly. "Don't be a jerk. I just gave birth." She didn't get to say anything else because the nurse came in with a little blue bundle. A smile split across her face, lighting up her features.

The nurse handed her the bundle, smiling. "The doctor says you can go home whenever you're ready. I'm going to find you some clothes-"

"Oh, we've got clothes for her right here," Emma said, holding up a paper bag they'd brought.

"Alright, let me go get you the paperwork then," the nurse said.

"I'll be doing the paperwork," Lin said, following her out.

Mai smiled down at the baby in her arms, grinning wider when he clutched her finger. "I told you he'd be a boy," she gloated, grinning at Naru.

"I know, you've been telling me since they told you his gender," Naru said, looking over her shoulder. He reached around her, holding out his hand, and the baby immediately latched onto his finger as well as Mai's.

"This is so surreal," Yasu muttered, watching the pair, "Naru actually looks like a normal person. What's up with that?"

"It's called being a parent," Ayako said, glaring at him.

"What did you name him, Mai?" Monk asked, cutting Yasu off before he could manage to make a retort.

Mai looked up and grinned. "Sora Taniyama."

…..

"Sora! It's time to go!" Mai called. She stood by the door in her black dress, waiting until her now sixteen-year-old son decided to make an appearance. She shifted from foot to foot impatiently.

Sora came out of his bedroom spick and spam in his crisp black suite. Beside him, the doe that he always kept around trotted forward. She was full grown now, and much more graceful than she had been as a fawn, but she still tripped over her own hooves on occasion. Daisuke stood at Mai's side with Hikaru riding shotgun on his back. It was Naru's form of watching her when he wasn't aroud.

"Come one, Mom. We've been to his grave every year since I was two. Plus, there's no specific time we have to be there," he whined, unbuttoning the top button of his shirt and letting it open, "Plus, I don't see why Dad, Sasha-kun and Riko-chan never come with us."

Mai smiled, adjusting his collar. She ruffled his hair making him yell in protest. "Mom!" he shouted.

"I explained this to you when you were twelve. They don't come along because you father didn't like your biological father, he's not Alexander's or Riko's biological father. They didn't even know him seeing as they're younger than you. Plus, I don't see why you call Alexander Sasha, it makes no sense," Mai told him.

Sora groaned, rolling his eyes. "Mom, I've told you this a million times. Sasha is the Russian nickname for Alexander."

"Which is why it doesn't make sense! You're not Russian, not even a smidge," Mai said, shaking her head, "Come on or we're going to miss John, Masako, and Sarah. I know how you like her." Mai waggled her eyebrows at him.

Sora blushed deeply, glaring over her head. "Mom," he groaned, "Why do you got to do that? I-I don't like her! She's been my best friends since we were kids!"

Mai rolled her eyes, still grinning. "Whatever you say, Sora," she said, turning, "Come on, let's get going."

"That's another thing, why do Uncle John and Aunt Masako always come with us?" he asked, grabbing the flowers that were on the table by the door.

Mai shrugged. "They've always said its moral support. I don't see why they need it. They never ever liked your biological father."

Sora sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "I guess the question I've actually wanted to ask is: why do you visit his grave after what he did to you? I… I found out what he did to you. I found out why and how he died. I know how I was conceived. Why do you go to his grave every year? Why did you keep me?" His voice broke and he rubbed at his eyes.

Mai frowned. "I'm going to kill every last one of them," she muttered under her breath. Sighing, she looked up at her son. "I kept you because I knew it'd be wrong not to give you a chance to live, that you'd never be like him. Not with Naru and me as your parents. We go because I want to remember how grateful I am to have this life and to thank him for giving me you. I take you because I don't want you to not know who your father is. Don't ever think that you were ever unwanted," Mai told him, patting him on the cheek. She pulled him into a tight hug.

When Sora pulled away, he was composed again. Naru had taught him well. "Okay, let's go," he said, picking up the flowers and holding the door open for Mai.

THE END

Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and that it wasn't too crappy. I actually enjoyed writing this chapter a lot, especially the last part. Anyway, it's been fun writing this trilogy with you, but it's time to put the pencil down on this one. Look forward to seeing the sequels for both "Ill Fated Reunion" and "Hidden". I'm hoping to work on both at the same time. Review for the sake of the last word on this and for hopefully speedy sequels to "Ill Fated Reunion" and "Hidden" :D