SPR: Is This Normal - CH 67

AmyNChan: Okay, so I got a few who asked me to continue, but I really do think this story has petered out on me a bit. XD

Mai: Are you leaving the Ghost Hunt fandom?

AmyNChan: Mai—

Naru: Are you going to stop writing cases?

AmyNChan: Oi! I have another story, you know! I have a few cases up my sleeve yet, but the personal specifics of this storyline has come to a close. I may eventually write a sequel, but for now, this is gonna get shut. XD

Naru: If this is how you end a story, then I am grateful you don't own Ghost Hunt.

AmyNChan: Why, I outta...

The first thing she could hear was a heart monitor. It went at a steady pace and she was actually quite glad to hear it, if not confused as to why she needed to hear it. Still, she was glad to hear signs of life. The second thing she heard was something equally rhythmic, yet somehow far more calming. It was a set of deep breathing. She found herself easily being relaxed by it, despite the confusion and panic that desperately wanted to overtake her in her half-conscious state. There were so many questions she wanted to ask, so many things she wanted to know right now, but that breathing was keeping her in a state of calm. That, and one more thing that she felt.

Something lightly touching her face. Light, yet warm. Almost ghosting over her with a great amount of care and love. It reassured her in ways that she could not express, but was grateful for. She had to know what this object, caressing her face so tenderly, was.

She battled valiantly with the crust that had come over her eyes and—for once—was not terribly blinded by the ghastly hospital lights that generally came with awakening to the sound of a heart monitor. All was dark, yet not black. She could make out the typical furniture of a hospital room, could feel a needle sticking in her left arm, could feel something twitch to her right. With great curiosity, yet somehow already knowing what was going to lay before her eyes, she turned to the direction where the comfort was coming from.

There sat her pale boyfriend, asleep in a chair by her bedside. It was his hand that gave her a sense of warmth and security, and she smiled into it. With great amounts of effort, she moved her right hand to cover his, paying little heed to the oxygen mask on her face.

Warm... she thought happily, content for now with her surroundings. More than anything, she was happy that she had not been left alone, and that Naru had remained by her side.

With that, Mai Taniyama eased back into the state of unconsciousness.

"...awake?"

...Who's that...? the girl thought, her thoughts bleary and tired. For some reason, her hand was up at her head, and it was unnaturally cold. Her fingers twitched, seeking warmth.

"...shouldn't be long..."

Naru... that's Naru... she realized, recognizing the second voice. Even if she were just waking up, she would know that voice anywhere. She wanted to see him…

"Naru, say something again," the first voice ordered. The sound was getting clearer with every second that passed. "She's responding."

"Ay...ko?" she croaked, her throat instantly demanding hydration. As she grappled with the soreness of her throat, she heard the sound of fading footsteps before a faucet being turned and rushing water. That sound quickly diminished into the return of footsteps.

"You have to open your eyes if you don't want to spill water all over yourself," a very familiar voice stated. To anyone else, it would have sounded bored. To most people, he probably did. But Mai knew better. He was messing with her, and she knew it.

Still, she complied with his not so polite request and forced her eyes open. It was not as difficult a task as it normally was, and for this Mai was grateful. Before she could attempt to push herself off of the hospital bed, Bou-san—who stood to the left of Ayako, left to retrieve a nurse.

Or possibly gather the rest of SPR. Mai hoped it was the former first, though. She really wanted this itchy needle out of her skin. Naru helped her up to take a few healthy sips of water before laying her back down on the bed once more. It was at that point a nurse entered the room.

"It's good to see you awake, dear," the nurse chattered happily as she removed the needle. Mai winced slightly—she always hated it when they had to pull them out—before smiling in return. "It's not very often that we see miracles around here, and your entire family never wanted to leave your side. Least of all your boyfriend. Oh, he gave the doctors such a fright when they tried to have him leave."

The brunette attempted to wave off the nurse's spot-on assessment, but did not yet have her voice back. She looked towards Naru for help, only to see him sigh in…was that defeat?

"Are you uncomfortable at all, dear?" the nurse asked, pulling Mai's attention on her once more. The brunette shook her head. "No dizziness, no loss of feeling, no stomach pains?"

Again, Mai shook her head as an answer. Other than being sleepy, she felt completely fine. As a matter of fact, she really had no idea why she was here in the first place. She knew that she had been possessed, but not really what had happened. She could not see any bodily harm and nor did she have the same feeling she did when she had almost drowned in the Bonnie Case. Also, the nurse had said something about a "miracle".

What did that spirit do to me...? she wondered, though her thoughts were cut short when something weaved itself in her hand. Slightly shocked, she turned to her boyfriend, who was holding her hand and—by the slight pressure he was applying—had no intentions of letting it drop.

Ayako, his parents, Madoka, and Lin were all still in the room.

"N-Naru, what—?" she asked, only to be cut off by a giggle at the side of the room. She turned to see Luella with a warm smile and Madoka off to her side, giggling about something or another. Mai's face erupted in flames.

Please don't bring up wedding talk, please don't bring up wedding talk, please don't—

"I'm not going to bite your head off, there's no need to act so scared," Luella reassured with a smile, not leaving her husband's side. "Especially if you just might be my daughter-in-law in the future!"

"Mother!" Naru hissed. Mai wanted to shrink into the bed she was in. Hide hers and Naru's relationship from Naru's mom. Sure. No problem. What had she been thinking?

"Lu, just because you and Madoka figured it out doesn't give you the right to harass her. Oliver already told you why you weren't the first to know," Martin chided his wife, thankfully in Japanese. Mai looked hesitantly to the woman whom they had been hiding from. Her cheeks were puffed—comically—with air as she grumbled about how she could not believe that her own son would hide something this important from her.

"Mother, you have been asking about grandchildren since we hit puberty," Naru stated. He continued to hold Mai's hand, the latter of which felt so very confused. "What other ideas would you think I would assume when—"

"I'm lost," the girl blurted, looking from her boyfriend to his mother to his mentor then back to her boyfriend again. "Not that I'm not grateful to not be hiding anymore, but what happened while I was out? How long was I out? What about the case? And—"

"Mai, slow down. It's not good for your brain cell to ask so many questions at once," Naru chided, causing Mai to frown at him. She was confused! And his girlfriend! Was it not his job to treat her a bit more kindly? Mai chuckled at that last thought. If he did, he would not be quite her Naru.

"I still want answers," she told him. It was after a slight staring match between the two—Mai silently applauded herself for not backing down—that Naru finally conceded.

"The case has been resolved and you will be let out after the doctors ascertain your health," he said. Mai narrowed her eyes, but decided to let the case go—for now. She began to rub her thumb over Naru's hand, which was still holding her own.

"And this?" she asked, not ceasing in her movements. Naru shifted his eyes towards Madoka, who took that as her cue to begin explaining.

"Lin, Bou-san, and I all figured it out after you had been unconscious for a day and a half," she stated, actually quite pleased with their findings. Their behaviors had suddenly made sense, Naru's undivided attention on Mai's condition was clarified, and Mai's newfound ability to remain in Naru's bubble and not blush or send a victorious grin to Masako was logical. "Though it took Luella's help to figure out why you wouldn't tell anyone. Honestly, if Lin and I hadn't stopped him, Bou-san was going to march straight in here and order a restraining order for Naru!"

Mai blanched. Naru frowned, though anyone could tell that even he was a little pale at the monk's threat.

"Why is it that everyone seems to think we're doing something we shouldn't be?" Mai questioned, her voice still hoarse. Madoka tsked in their general direction.

"Maybe if you didn't sneak around because of it, no one would think such things," the pinkette returned, as though that were the reason for the perverse thinking of the team. While the couple thought on that, Luella took that as a chance to speak. Her calm, bright blue eyes shone with only happiness. And perhaps a bit of suspicion.

"Mai, when we met in America I could tell that you were important to my son. That the entire team was, actually. It made me thrilled as a mother that he could find such a close group of friends when others have tried and failed so often in the past," she admitted. Mai could feel her face heat as she heard that, knowing she and Naru had only started dating at the end of that case. For Luella to have known at that point…

"I can tell that you care for my son, and I know that he'll do everything in his power to care for you in return because you are so important to him," the woman continued with a smile. "I can't wait to have you as a daughter-in-law—"

"Mother!" Naru groaned, pinching his forehead with the hand he was not holding Mai's with. As her boyfriend attempted to deal with the human emotion of embarrassment, the brunette girl kept staring at Luella Davis. The elder woman winked in Mai's direction, and that was when she knew.

Luella Davis would not push them anywhere, and was only joking.

That revelation lightened an incredible burden off of Mai's shoulders, and she began to laugh. She was happy. She did not have to hide to be with Naru anymore. Everyone on the team knew—John and Masako had found out, Bou-san, Lin, and Madoka had figured it out, Ayako was in the room with them, and Yasu would probably figure out soon enough. Mai looked to Naru, and for the first time since he had held it, she squeezed his hand lightly. When he looked in her direction, she could only smile brightly for him.

And was floored when he softly smiled back. It was only for a second, and she had been the only one to see it, but she had seen it. She had seen Oliver Davis smile for her.

Her own grin widened a touch.

Mai sat in the hospital bed. The doctors had wanted to make sure the toxin was completely gone before sending her home, so she had stayed one more night. Naru had—for some reason—been able to secure a spot next to her in the hospital and remained there when everyone had left. Now, he was asleep in the chair beside Mai's bed and she could not help but look at his face, so peaceful and sere—

"Are you going to make a habit of watching me sleep?" he asked, his eyes seemingly closed. Mai's face flushed red as she realized she had been caught red handed. Err, red-eyed... Supposedly... "On the case and just now, I'm starting to think you actually enjoy it."

"S-shut up, narcissist," Mai stuttered, casting her eyes everywhere except for his face, now obviously awake. Why is his hair so frigging perfect?! she groaned in her head, trying not to make a huge show that she was eyeing his soft hair that looked completely wild at that moment. She was thankful once more that he could not read her thoughts verbatim anymore. While it had been a short time that he could, she was glad it was no longer in effect.

"I can't be a narcissist if I'm in love, can I?" the man pressed, his voice completely even and cool. Mai blushed further as she decided to glare at him. Frigging logic…

However, Mai could not hold her glare for long. Not against him when she was not angry. Not really. She smiled and leaned forward, drawing him in. He was only too happy to oblige in her silent request.

As she kissed him, she could not help but be thankful. Thankful that whatever horrible thing had happened to her—she had been told that she had been poisoned, but nothing beyond that detail—had not killed her. Thankful to be given a second chance to keep loving this man. Thankful to remain with her family, and to not have left Naru. She did not want to leave him. Not now, not ever.

"Thank you," she breathed as they separated. Not too far, of course. Their foreheads remained together, and her hands rested on his chest, feeling the beating of his heart. She smiled at this. "For saving me..."

"Is lack of oxygen getting to your brain?" Naru asked, at once confused and a little more than slightly angered by his inability to save her "If anyone saved you this time, it was Matsuzaki-san and John. They managed to keep you around and call the ambulance. Your instincts also forced you to eject the poison before it became far too much."

"Naru, do you even realize you've been protecting me on my Astral Plane this case?" Mai asked, which caused her boyfriend's eyes to narrow.

"I thought Gene crossed—"

"Well, not you in body. You can't go outside of your body or Astral walk, but you started doing something subconsciously, and I think it's because you have excess PK that you use when you're not thinking about it, and—"

"You're not talking about Animal Familiars, are you?" Naru interrupted, his eyebrow raised. Mai's mouth dropped open and then snapped itself shut in irritation.

"How is it that it takes us forever to make a theory as to what's going on, but you just pop off with—"

"Martin wrote a select few of the leading theories on Animal Familiars. I read them in the orphanage and tested them on my own time," Naru explained. Mai pouted as he continued. "He published his final thesis on the subject when I was ten, and switched over to PK so he could better help me with controlling mine. Simply creating an animal familiar simply took too little PK to be an effective siphon and did not follow specific commands. It only general emotions, which I do not have a good grasp of in any event."

"So...it doesn't hurt you?" Mai asked, her voice somewhat hopeful. Naru's deep stare into her eyes was answer enough. He was unaffected by the creation of an animal familiar. Another question burst into Mai's head.

"Wait, so if you made an animal familiar when you were ten, why didn't you use it before?" Mai asked.

"I told you that it only follows general emotions," the young man pointed out, his face stating quite clearly that this information was obviously self-evident. Mai frowned. Excuse her for not being a genius. "Repressing your emotions so they cannot interfere with your concentration is one of the main pillars of qigong, and that was far more effective in controlling my abilities. Now that qigong is second-nature to me, it appears as though my familiar will appear whenever I feel strongly about something... Interesting..."

Naru thought on this for a few moments, a serious look overtaking his face. As Mai watched, this, she could not help but smile.

This was the man that she loved, and she knew more surprises were going to await them in the future. Some of them supernatural, some of them a part of normal lives. Some of them would be pleasant, and others not so much. However, as Mai looked into the face of the man she loved, she knew one thing for sure. She would be able to face any surprise so long as this man remained by her side, and she by his.

She gave him a kiss on the nose, unable to resist. He frowned at her for breaking his concentration, but it soon gave away to a smirk. Mai giggled as he drew her in for another kiss.

Somehow, along the way, this had become her normal. And she was perfectly content with that.

AmyNChan: Well, the question has been answered. SPR: Is This Normal? Well, it's become the norm, somehow along the way. XD

Naru: You gave me a power and then left it?

AmyNChan: It's an idea that others can use if they wish. Just so long as they let me read what they do with it. XD

Mai: *turns to readers and bows deeply* Thank you for following this story and letting AmyChan share her mind with all of you.

AmyNChan: Yes, thank you all so much! Without all of you guys, this would have petered off a few cases ago, but you guys encouraged me to make more cases and to keep going! I'm grateful for all of the follows this got, for everyone who keeps helping me improve my writing, for all the reviews, and for everyone who pretty much puts up with me! XDD

Naru: Chan-san does have another story if you choose to check it out, and wishes to shout out to YumeNoAnata, who originally came up with the line about narcissists in love.

AmyNChan: ehe.. It just fit... But honestly, if you haven't, go check out her stories! They're super awesome~! *^_^*

Thank you all so much for reading, for reviewing, and for getting me to this point.

Adieu, and I can't wait to see you on the next story.