Disclaimer: I do not own Ghost Hunt in any way shape or form. But I do owe all my reader's an apology. See author's note at bottom for said apology.

Mai felt her stomach flop as light flooded her eyes. Her first thought was the pain. The all-consuming pain that caused her stomach to rebel violently and the back of her head to throb rhythmically. Mai barely sat up before her stomach expelled all of its contents on the floor.

"Stop moving." Yasuhara's voice muttered with distain.

Mai blinked up at her fellow apprentice. The young man was covered in a good bit of blood and dirt, and Mai honestly had never seen him look so disheveled in the few weeks that she had known him. His appearance was enough to cause a faint giggle to bubble up in her, but the sharp pain shooting up from her side quickly silenced her amusement. Mai inhaled sharply as the pain began to ease back into a duller ache. Mai already knew she wasn't looking forward to this recovery. Of course she had experienced injuries before, but she had never been stabbed before. It was definitely not an experience she wanted to repeat anytime soon.

Mai carefully adjusted herself so she could sit up and examine the unfamiliar room, but her examination was cut short when she noticed Yasuhara.

Yasuhara stared at Mai with intensity and cool calculation that would have made a stone feel uncomfortable. Grey eyes twinkled with inquisitiveness and something else Mai couldn't quite put her finger on. Mai had seen him give the same look to various other things; especially, when the young apprentice wanted to learn how something ticked.

Mai shifted uncomfortably, although she didn't know if it was from her injuries or the intensity of Yasuhara's stare. It's like he wants to dissect me. The feeling of uneasiness spurred Mai into scanning the room, seeking out the safety that Takigawa or John would provide. Startled, Mai realized that she was alone with Yasuhara. She could try calling, but there was no guarantee that either of her safety nets were close enough to hear. Mai shifted her head down her side, looking for the familiar blade that never left her side, but that safety net was also missing.

She drew a soft breath, and willed the panic that was steadily building to dissipate. He can't kill me. Takigawa wouldn't allow it. At least, she hoped her mentor wouldn't allow it.

Yasuhara moved to stand by her bed. "If I wanted you dead you would be. I could have left you bleeding under that tree."

Mai tensed. She could have sworn it was Lord Davis that found her, but Yasuhara had no motive to lie. At least none that she knew of.

Mai's hand wandered to her neck, seeking out the weight of a necklace she no longer wore. Noticing her mistake, she immediately relaxed her hand and pretended to wipe of sweat from her neck. "I suppose I owe you a thank you."

Yasuhara's head tilted. "You're a female."

Mai willed herself not to react. The only answer she gave Yasuhara was a sharp nod since there was no use trying to deceive him in this situation. Yasuhara had made a statement; he had gathered all the evidence he needed.

"I protected your secret." Yasuhara sniped. "I'm the only one that knows."

Mai couldn't help the suspicion that bubbled up inside of her. Yasuhara didn't strike her as the type that helped someone out of the kindness of his heart. There had to be something tied to his assistance.

Unfortunately, Mai's suspicions would not be confirmed since Takigawa picked that exact moment to walk in. His demeanor seemed calm to anyone with an untrained eye, but Mai's father had taught her from a young age the value of reading another's body language. Takigawa was better than most at hiding his emotions, but the fire building in his eyes gave away the rage he felt.

Mai instantly felt guilty. She had gone against direct orders to avoid conflict. If she just paid attention to her surroundings instead of mentally complaining about her role she would have seen the man approaching eons before he had seen her. She would have been able to quietly slip away and alert Lord Davis.

"The hit?" Mai asked tentatively.

"Went according to plan." Yasuhara replied.

"Gray." Takigawa snarled. "What were you thinking? You had one order. Avoid conflict!"

Mai winced at her mentor's voice. Mai knew she made a careless mistake, but the situation was rectified. The man was dispatched before he could alert anyone else. Mai felt the beginnings of her own temper flair. She had done what any well-trained assassin would. She had protected the hit from going south.

Mai tossed her hands up in exasperation. "I didn't go looking for conflict. Conflict threw me off a roof," Mai winced in pain, "besides, I won."

Amusement sparkled in the other apprentice's eyes, "You call this winning?"

"You should see the other guy." Mai sniped.

Yasuhara snorted.

"You're being suspended." Takigawa announced.

"What?" Mai blanched. "Why?"

"Because you can't follow simple orders." Takigawa hissed. "You could have died. You could have jeopardized the entire hit."

Seriously? "But I didn't!" Mai replied in bewilderment. "Did you miss the part where I got thrown off of a roof? I didn't have time to follow orders."

Clearly done with the conversation Takigawa turned on his heel and left the room. Mai stared in disbelief at the closed door before ripping her the blankets off of her and swinging her legs to the side of the bed, only to feel firm arms push her back down. The ache in her side rebelled at her sudden movement and being manhandled back into place.

Mai casted an annoyed scowl at Yasuhara, but he remained unfazed. "Sit down. I'm not spending another hour stitching you back up."

Mai glanced back at the door and contemplated darting out, but the ever-present ache in her side kept her rooted in bed. Takigawa clearly wasn't in a reasonable mood, and going after him would likely cause more harm. Mai resigned herself to a day confined to the bed. Perhaps, she could sleep most of the day away.

A/N: A short chapter, and I do apologize for that.

It is totally okay to hate me. At this point I am a proven liar. I know I said I would update once a month, but college has consumed all of my free time. But I am almost done with the next chapter, so at the very least you will get two updates pretty close together. Next chapter will (for sure!) be posted in a week. I am going to try and get this story completed before I start my internship in May. Please continue to leave reviews! I love reading them all. And we will be spending more time with a certain narcissist next chapter! Next chapter is also fairly long and has a lot of plot progression. Your patience is always appreciated!