Case 1 – Day 2 (6pm, just finished supper)

Making supper for everyone had calmed Mai's nerves a bit. She of course understood that it took time to set up for a séance. It was the wait that always put her on edge. Gene and Monk were currently setting up the dining room to prepare for the séance the following day. Mai had tried to get them to finish by tonight but it was a no go.

Part of Gene's reasoning made perfect sense to her though. Gene had said he wanted to make sure that while the Hisakawa couple may have not been currently staying in the house that they would be at least be aware of the planned séance. He had also mentioned that either of the couple might want to take part in said séance. Mai wasn't an empath like Atsuko but she knew the couple wouldn't want to have any part of the séance. It was too close to her due date, and the time they spent together would be precious to them.

Mai stared out at the twilight sky casting the courtyard in shadow. The same courtyard her dream took place in. The same courtyard that Sayuri had been attacked in. Mai was still convinced that the man who attacked her did not intend to kill her. He had only wanted to frighten her. Mai never voiced it, but when she became someone else in her dreams she would sometimes sense their feelings. While Sayuri was scared of the man she wasn't terrified of him. She didn't think he would hurt her. In fact there was a longing there coming from Sayuri's emotions. Mai knew that the longing wasn't one of love, at least not the romantic kind. The trouble was she couldn't put her finger on what exactly this longing meant. There wasn't much point in bringing this up to the others when she couldn't decipher the meaning herself.

She felt his presence before she saw his reflection in the window. Since Yasu had the day off at the paper he helped out with general readings the remainder of the day. It was nice to have most of the old team together. Mai felt overwhelmed with the encompassing nostalgia. Yasu put his had on her shoulder. The warmth crept down her arm. It was too bad his touch didn't scorch or electrify her like Naru's did.

Mai inwardly sighed. She knew it was only in comfort but she also knew that Yasu hadn't quite given up on his feelings. This fact always played over in her mind and she couldn't help but feel guilty. Truthfully, she never shared with Yasu the reason she couldn't be with him. She did tell him that she was getting over feelings she had for someone else. It was who she was getting over she never had voiced. She thought it would be obvious but it was possible that Yasu couldn't see past his own feelings for her. Mai felt cowardly but she kind of hoped that Yasu might see how she looked at Naru and figure it out on his own.

"You do know that worrying over things is unhealthy right?" Yasu asked.

"Are we going to have a serious conversation for once?" Mai asked Yasu's reflection. He was normally so light-hearted and care free. She kind of needed to see his silly side right now. It would get her out of her doldrums.

"I'm all grown up." His glasses started sliding down the slope of his nose so he pushed them back to their original perch. "The seriousness of being a grown up is replicating cells in my veins like a disease."

Mai giggled softly.

"No, seriously." He reached out and touched her shoulder again. Instead of conversing with his reflection, Mai turned her body his direction and looked up into his eyes. "I don't want you to make yourself sick with worry."

"Wouldn't be the first time." Mai half grinned at him.

She felt Naru's stare from across the room. She looked up into the frosty gaze coming from his cold dark eyes. He looked angry, and she couldn't fathom what it was that caused him to currently look at her that way. She felt the grin fall from her face. Naru turned and walked down the hallway. Mai felt compelled to chase after him. It was like her feet were made of lead. She bit her lip in frustration but couldn't get herself to follow him.

Yasu touched her arm, once again drawing her attention back to his face. He looked at her and then the empty hallway. "We could always continue making him jealous." He waggled his eyebrows at Mai.

Jealous? Naru's not jealous. Mai sighed. She somehow knew that Yasu was both trying to be funny and serious. "I like you too much to put you through that. I also think you like me too much for that to be enough for you. Besides, I doubt Oliver Davis has a jealous bone in his body."

"You did see that look on his face just now, right?"

Mai just shook her head. She wasn't confirming whether she saw the look on his face or not. She was simply convinced that Yasu had misinterpreted the expression he saw on Naru's face.

She sighed her heart suddenly feeling heavy. "I'm sorry."

"Whatever for?" The change in topic had Yasu confused.

"I should have told you the reason I couldn't form romantic feelings for you. I mean you are a great guy. I wish I did feel that way, but..."

"Honestly, I always kind of wondered if you had more then boss/assistant feelings for him. You became pretty gloomy when he left. I didn't even know you could have such sad feelings. You are usually either a bubble of happiness or a firecracker of anger."

Mai grinned at Yasu again.

Noll couldn't get his emotions to temper down. The lack of control was impeding his ability to draw back the mask he wore that veiled such emotions. Currently anger was overfilling his pores. Taking deep breaths wasn't seeming to help. He admitted to himself that he wanted to be the one to console her. The way Yasu comforted her annoyed him. Yasu was permitted to touch her like that, and Noll was denied. It was almost like he was a child and dessert was taken away from him. He also felt like he would throw a childish temper tantrum at any moment. He was extremely thankful he learned how to control his PK otherwise breakables would be shattering against the walls right now.

Gene had finished with the preparations and arrived at base to find his brother seething. He already knew how he was feeling. The twin link gave him that insight. But he still waited for Noll to say something.

Lin per normal was typing away at the keyboard. Surprisingly, he hadn't reacted in any form when Noll entered. Nor did he react when Noll took in a deep breaths in an attempt to diffuse his frustration.

"Be careful, Noll, your jealousy is showing."

It was this announcement that had Lin's fingers freeze momentarily then immediately relax. He swiveled in his computer chair to face the situation. It was this eye opening comment that made Lin curious.

"I'm not jealous."

"You do know you can't lie to me. I feel everything you are feeling."

"And per normal it is not welcoming to know that."

"It's only the more stronger emotions." Gene shrugged nonchalantly.

"Yeah well, there are certain things I wish we didn't share."

Gene sighed. "We don't share romantic feelings for Mai! I have already told you that countless times!"

Noll still couldn't believe that. I mean if he felt the strongest of his emotions wouldn't that mean he would also feel his feelings for Mai? Those were the strongest feelings Noll ever felt after all. In a way it would be sharing wouldn't it? He wanted to throw something as a result of his confusion.

"Wow, the idiot scientist is confused? I never thought I would see the day!"

"You say you don't share romantic feelings for her. Yet you feel everything I feel. I just don't comprehend how that works."

"It's strange, Noll. But those feelings are the only ones that seem diluted to me. I mean I know your feelings for her are strong. But they come across low on my emotional radar. Which, trust me, I am very thankful for! I can't even begin to imagine both of us having to deal with arousal for the same girl!"

Gene of course made light of it. But in reality it would be quite uncomfortable for them both to have those kind of reactions toward the same girl. It would give sibling rivalry a whole new meaning.