A/N: Finally, the last chapter. Thank you all for the time, patience and support. *bows*

Disclaimer: Ghost Hunt does not belong to me.

Italics denote thoughts.

oOo

Silently, he regarded the gradually lightening sky. A quick glance at his watch showed that he had been standing there for the past one and a half hours.

It certainly hadn't felt that long.

Yellow rays parted the deep purple clouds gently to touch the earth, painting them red, orange and pink in the process. Slowly, the first light of the day appeared from behind a hill in the distance. The small patches of light blue in the sky grew larger as the clouds dispersed and the giant yellow ball emerged fully.

It was quite a nice display; Mai would have liked it. She had always loved watching the sun rise. Something to do with the colors or the serenity of dawn, he couldn't remember. He preferred to watch Mai watching the sunrise instead.

Mai.

He was suddenly very aware of the empty space beside him where she would always be. Today, the empty spot felt emptier than usual. Not for the first time since the accident, he found himself longing for Mai.

What he wouldn't give to have Mai back again safe, sound and whole.

If it was possible, he would like to turn back Time itself.

To return to the time when she was cramming for her finals while exclaiming that he was being a distraction even though all he did was just sit quietly beside her reading a book.

To return to the time when he had ended work early just to go watch the setting sun with her from atop a Ferris wheel. Mai did not hide the fact that she thought he had gone mad when he suggested it.

To return to the time when he had kissed her in the middle of a busy street, surprising her (as well as himself and the nosy people in SPR who were unfortunately his colleagues) greatly. He still remembered the bright red blush on her face after that.

To return to the time when -

"Ahh … Beautiful morning, isn't it?"

Naru masked his surprise well when he turned to face the person to whom the voice that interrupted his musings belonged to. A few paces away from him stood a man on what was previously only an empty space save for the grass on the ground.

"Hn," replied Naru as he silently appraised the much older man. Why did I not hear him approaching?

The man looked about 65, with graying hair and deep set wrinkles lining his face. He stood there, in a white shirt with dark blue checks and a pair of khaki colored slacks. In his right hand was a walking stick.

"Ahh … I was late today. Wanted to catch the sunrise but I guess with arthritic knees like mine, you just can't walk as fast anymore. Did you manage to catch it, young man?"

"Hn."

"It must have been quite a sight."

"It is."

The old man sighed and smiled to himself saying quietly, "The old woman would have loved it."

Out of the corner of his eye, Naru watched as the old man looked towards the horizon wistfully.

"We used to come here several times a week when we were younger, about your age, just to watch the sunrise. Then when the kids came along and there were more and more things to do, we couldn't come as often. We're lucky if we could come once a month."

"I'd always thought that we'd go back to doing what we used to do now that we're both retired and have got all the time in the world. Too bad it just wasn't possible."

If Naru wondered why, he never asked it out loud.

However, as if he'd read his mind, the old man said, "It was Alzheimer's. She was diagnosed with it almost ten years ago and her condition only worsened with time. Now, I'm just another man who lives in the same retirement home to her."

They fell silent, each lost in his own thoughts. Around them, the world slowly stirred awake to the new day. In a way, Naru felt that he could relate to the old man.

To Mai, he was just Kazuya-kun, a friend who also happens to be her employer. Will the day that Mai recognizes him as Naru never come?

Resignedly, he let out a soft sigh and lowered his eyes to the city below. Somewhere in the distance, a crow cawed followed by another in the distance. A bad omen? Immediately, his thoughts flew to Mai, the brown-haired girl who just got re-admitted into the hospital.

Naru wrinkled his brows slightly at his train of thoughts. He was never one to believe in unfounded superstitions.

"It's too lovely a day to be wearing such an expression, young man. Whatever is it that's troubling you, I'm sure it'll turn out alright in the end."

It sounded like something Mai, the overly optimistic and cheerful girl, would spout off on occasion.

"Well, I should go now. Have never missed breakfast with the old woman and wouldn't like to start now," said the old man in a light tone before turning to head downhill slowly.

"Why?" The question had left his lips before it even occurred to him that he had said something.

"Hm?"

The old man half turned at the unexpected question, light brown eyes looking at Naru from beneath bushy eyebrows.

Naru surreptitiously cleared his throat as he organized his thoughts.

"Why do you still insist on spending time with her even though your wife does not remember you anymore?"

The old man smiled at the question. For once, Naru felt that his extensive knowledge was not so extensive after all.

"Love, young man, love."

Love?

"It doesn't matter if she cannot remember me because I can remember for the both of us. 40 years, we've been together for 40 years. Just knowing the fact that we've made memories together, experienced the world together and loved each other so deeply before, is already enough for me."

Naru had no idea how best to respond to something like that, hence had opted to keep quiet.

Amused at Naru's response, or rather, a lack of it, the old man smiled and said, "Or perhaps, I'm just a sentimental old fool."

With that, he made his way down the slope, the cane in his right hand making a soft, rhythmic tapping against the gravel.

Love, thought Naru as he watched the old man turn a bend and disappear from his view.

oOo

With closed eyes, Mai turned her face up towards the light blue sky overhead and inhaled deeply before exhaling as slowly as possible.

A smile lit up her face. Fresh air and warm sunshine. Being out of the hospital certainly felt good.

When Lin was done with the necessary paperwork, which should be anytime now, she'd be out of this place and on the way home. Hopefully, the next trip to the hospital will never, ever materialize. She's had enough of hospitals to last her well into the next lifetime.

I wonder what will Ayako be cooking, thought Mai to herself. The self-proclaimed miko was never known to willingly make anything for anyone.

When the doctor had given Mai the OK to go home about half an hour ago, Ayako had dragged a rather unwilling Takigawa with her out the door because to quote Ayako, "Mai needs to have fresh, wholesome food after being hooked up to the IV drip the whole night."

Mai couldn't help the giggle that escaped her when she remembered the incredulous look on the monk's face the minute it dawned on him that he had to go grocery shopping with the miko. From what she had overheard, they were going to the supermarket to get food before going to Lin and Naru's apartment where Ayako will be cooking everyone lunch.

It was just too bad that Masako and John couldn't join them for lunch. They had both left before the doctor came in as Masako had to be at the studio for a recording. The medium had given John, who was headed to an old folks' home, a lift as it was on the way.

"Mai."

That voice. Her eyes flew open immediately and met with a pair of dark blue ones.

There he stood, the one man who regularly appeared in her dreams, thoughts and hazy memories as a faceless but overwhelmingly familiar entity. The black clothes, the slightly messy hair, the aura of unwavering self-confidence; it was all as she remembered.

For a minute, Mai was quite sure she had forgotten how to breathe.

"Naru …" she whispered.

His eyes widened minutely.

Before his mind registered it, he had closed the gap between them. Wrapping his arms around her petite frame, he was only afraid that if he did not hold on tight, she would disappear.

"Mai," he whispered, relief flooding his usually unemotional voice. How many times had he dreamed of hearing those two syllables from her lips again? He could probably count on one hand the number of nights he did not dream of her uttering that name again.

Mai closed her eyes and smiled a contented smile. It was as if she had finally discovered an important piece of the puzzle she had been working on for the past six months.

She burrowed her face into his chest, taking in the warmth and security that he offered.

I missed you, Naru …

"Welcome back, Mai."

I missed you too, Mai.

oOo