Mai should be openly glaring at Naru right now. She wasn't, but she probably would be if she weren't having so much trouble just keeping her eyes open. She tried to rub away the grogginess once again and beam her annoyance at him through her subpar glare. Grr. It was his bright idea to drive all the way to Aomori prefecture, which was an eight hour trip. He was choosing an automobile instead of the more logical choice, in her opinion, taking a plane. This, unfortunately, meant that they had to leave in the middle of the night to get there at a proper time. Granted he did have a point regarding the security of their equipment, but once again an eight hour trip seemed overly excessive.

On the good side, she somehow had gotten out of doing any of the heavy lifting. (At least for the moment, it wouldn't surprise her if Naru instantaneously changed his mind regarding this current decision.) She was standing on the sidelines, just a few feet from Luella, watching others as they loaded up the two vans. The elder woman turned and smiled at her, and Mai found it quite easy to return the smile. The past few days, the two women hadn't per say been inseparable, but they definitely had spent quite a bit of time together. Their fond relationship had started with that first meal that they had shared together. At least the eve of their meeting had turned out better than the morning meeting itself.

Mai had her arms crossed, and she was subconsciously rubbing at a bare spot on her right arm where the cuff of her jacket slipped. She had a dawning realization earlier that she had never been to Naru's place before. Between the location, the well manicured lawns, the size of the building, and the modern architecture itself Mai could tell immediately how lavishly the twin brothers must live, both here in Tokyo and probably even more so in England. Somehow, it wasn't something that had really occurred to her before this moment, but now that she was seeing where they lived, while in Tokyo, with her own eyes she realized that the Davis family at the very least were financially well off, and, at the most, they were moderately wealthy. She found herself swallowing deeply as an excessive amount of nervousness began to overwhelm her.

It was only when she nearly stumbled while climbing up the small set of stairs which led to the porch that Naru noticed how she was suddenly on edge and a tad skittish. "Mai, what's wrong?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "I guess I just didn't realize that you lived..." She twinged as the nerves began to take residence in the muscles of her back. "That your family was..."

Naru glanced up at the door and attempted to assimilate the way she was perceiving the surroundings. "You never realized that my family had money? Hm. I guess that never came up. Did it?"

"I think I might have had an inkling, but it was never something I really focused on before." She was regretting not making that connection now. She felt severely out of place and underdressed.

Naru turned to her. He spun her on her heel toward him and looked down at her with a reassuring hopeful glance. "My family may have money, but we put value in people not the amount of funds they have in their bank accounts, not the vehicles they drive, and not the clothing they wear. I realize I do tease you, but have I ever made you feel less because of where you came from?"

Mai didn't have to even think about it. She quickly shook her head no. "I'm sorry. I just felt overwhelmed." She paused and stared at the door, biting her lip before continuing. "Do you really think your mother will like me?"

Naru practically snorted. "Madoka and my mother are almost like two sides of the same coin. Since you get along so well with Madoka I have no doubt that your relationship with my mother will be similar."

The minute she walked through the door Luella turned to her with a welcoming smile. She wrapped her arms around Mai and held her like part of the family. It had Mai almost choking up. It had been ages since the last time she felt a motherly figure wrap her up in nothing but unconditional love. Ayako was the closest, but it was sisterly more than motherly. There simply wasn't a comparison. "I can't tell you how glad I am to know you are in Noll's life. He needs someone that can get him to act humane once and awhile."

Naru glared. "Mother." His tone warning but his eyes still held loving affection. It was that warmth that Naru was missing from his fake smiles. It was the same warmth that, while rare, she loved to see bloom in his dark eyes.

"Oh, you don't agree with your mother? I mean, I think I get what she is saying." Mai smirked his direction.

Naru put on his own smirk, and Mai was sure he would verbally retaliate so she changed tactics. "What is that delicious smell?"

"Oh yes, supper is almost ready. Noll, can you get your brother and Atsuko? Let them know supper will be ready shortly. I think they are in the living room."

A marigold colored dutch oven is placed on a trivet in the center of an oblong dining table. Not one of those dining tables that seems overly ostentatious, where people would only use it for a gallant dinner party. No, it is made of a golden maple oak and simply screams 'home cooked meals served here'. The aroma coming from the dish in the center is mouthwatering.

Mai is about to ask what the dish is as Luella goes on to explain herself as she lifts the lid. "If I had used lamb instead of beef this could be referred to as a lancashire hotpot. There is also sliced sweet onion, celery, parsnips, and topped with thinly sliced potatoes. " She turns around to bring another serving platter to the table. This one is filled with a garlic roasted asparagus. "I included the asparagus for additional nutritional value, but please make sure to leave room for dessert."

The meal was exceptionally easy going. The conversation light between bites, and heaps of praise being directed at Luella. "I don't cook often, honestly." She must have noticed that Naru is going to interrupt her because she quickly clarifies her statement. "Let me rephrase. I tend to cook smaller meals and only take time when it comes to Sunday brunch."

Only a few moments later she brings out dessert and regardless of how full she felt Mai finds her mouth watering all over again. "It's a lemon pudding with treacle sauce and topped with fresh blackberries." She smiles at her two boys. "This recipe was one I modified in consideration to my two boys. One of them loves lemons while the other loves blackberries."

Mai was sure she had Naru pinned to be the lemon lover. She was shocked to discover that she was wrong. "While I do love this dessert, and I do like lemons, it's Gene who has the weakness for lemon sweets." This turned into a joke revolved around the more playful twin preferring the sour citrus.

The days that followed had found Mai and Atsuko tagging along with Luella on a whirlwind shopping spree. The two young women were more than happy to simply browse, but that didn't stop Luella from insisting on buying the girls each at least one thing to remember her by.

Mai challenges his pseudo glare with one of her own. "Yes, well, that wouldn't be the case if you hadn't had us wake up well before dawn for this excursion." As if to emphasize her point she glances to the west where the sky is only just now changing colors. The nearly ebony sky fading into more of a midnight blue shade. She stomps her foot before she actually heads to the passenger side door like he suggested.

Luella grabs Noll before he heads over to supervise the other van they are loading. "If you do anything to mess up this relationship I won't make your favorite dessert for a decade."

The threat was a nearly parallel comparison to a parent saying they will disown their offspring. That would be an empty threat for Luella though, and she didn't believe in voicing empty threats. Luckily he already had the perfect retort to her warning. "No worries, mother. If for some reason I end up wrecking our relationship I plan on grovelling until we can work things out again."

"Good, because I do hope to have grandchildren sometime in the near future." Noll would have choked on his own saliva if the daydream of the future hadn't already occurred to him.