1. Chapter 1 (1/2)

a penny for my thoughts

mai saw today as a normal day, just sitting in the waiting room of shibuya psychic research. all her friends, her adoptive family, sat around her. they watched her with a sort of odd gleam in their eyes, like they were proud of her. they'd just completed another case, and now were basking in the glory of a job well done.

mai was, anyway. she'd had a close call with a fallen mirror and didn't quite remember how she'd managed to get out of the mess alive. but now that she was back at their office, she felt something had changed inside of her. if she had died, she had so many things she would have regretted never telling them.

so that was why she had seated them all and asked them to listen to what she was about to say.

"so after the… mirror incident, i realized how dangerous we have it," mai started, causing everyone's expressions to twist to remorse. she didn't remember much of it, if she was being honest. there was just so much blood and blinding pain and screaming that she was pretty sure she didn't want to remember it. "so if anything were ever to happen, there are things i want you all to know. i just want to make sure you hear them."

mai felt a bit under the spotlight when they all sat up at rapt attention. even lin had managed his way out his office to hear what she had to say. although naru would never make it known to her, if she turned around, she'd see him standing at his door, listening.

"john, i guess i'll start with you," mai said, feeling it fitting, "because you were the first one who really made me feel welcome here. you were always patient with us when we were angry at each other and would always offer anyone a smile who needed it. and you haven't changed. you're an angel, john, if you pardon the irony."

john's blush deepened further, and mai noticed his eyes were a little teary.

"thank you, mai-chan."

her gaze traveled to yasuhara sitting next to the blonde priest. the glare on his glasses hit them just right so that she couldn't see his eyes. she started addressing him anyway, figuring he was watching her already.

"yasuhara, your humor is the thing i love most about you. you can make any of us laugh. even your laugh is contagious. we always need that, seeing how dark and gruesome our cases get."

yasuhara's glasses flashed and she could see his sparkling grey eyes. he grinned that easy grin, taking away the room's heightened anxiety.

"you're too kind, mai-chan. i only say what's on my mind. i feel like i need to offer something more than just my fabulous researching skills."

mai giggled again, just shaking her head. that was yasuhara in a nutshell. behind those flashing glasses, there was a mind steadily at work to make him seem as innocent as possible. but she knew the truth.

"takigawa-san, ayako, you're both like my surrogate parents. i know i'm always safe around you. i'll never be alone."

ayako's eyes welled up, and she gave mai a watery smile.

"oh, mai-chan, you…" tears spilled down ayako's cheeks, but she

ushed them away quickly with a tissue. she just shook her head, speechless.

"you'll always have us, jou-chan," takigawa finished for her with that classic grin of his, clasping a hand over mai's and ayako's. both women smiled.

"and masako…" mai looked around, her voice fading out. smiles around the circle seemed to fade. "oh. that's right. masako isn't here, is she?"

it took a while for john to answer, "no, she couldn't be here today."

"that's all right," mai said, smiling still. "i just wanted to tell her that i'd probably regret not being better friends with her. if we made an effort… we probably could get along really well. like sisters, almost."

mai felt a wave of sadness reach her throat unexpectedly, but she swallowed it back. today wasn't a day for tears. today was day to tell everyone how much she loved them, and how much she wouldn't be able to live without a single one of them.

"we'll make sure to tell her, mai," john said, blue eyes meeting her