Disclamer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho.

CHAPTER 1

Hiei stood in the doorway of Botan's apartment, frozen in shock at what he saw. At his feet, books, papers, soil from the potted palm tree, and broken glass littered the floor. It got worse when he raised his eyes. Torn curtains, the couch shredded as if giant cat claws had been run across it, the cusions burst open with their stuffing showing. Even the walls looked bad. Claw marks and something red adorned the walls. Wait! Something red? He stepped closer to the wall. Blood. He looked away from it and stepped farther into the room. He saw the bedroom door swaying back and forth slightly, on one hinge, and headed toward that room. He pushed the door open all the way and it let out a long, low creek as it did so. He wasn't prepared for what he saw in there. The walls, were covered in the more redness and claw marks, the bed was stripped of both blankets and pillows, these things lay shredded in a corner. Botan's dresser had been torn to match sticks and her figurienes, all her little mystical figures, lay shattered on the floor. He stood staring at this mess for the longest time. Not exactly sure what he was seeing. What had happened here?

"Hello?" he called, his blood red eyes scanning the room for any sign of Botan. "Onna? Are you here?"

His only responce came in a low moan. He looked toward the sound and spotted a figure, clothed in a white night dress and bloody, lying on the floor near the broken bed. "Botan!" he exclaimed, running over to her and kneeling down beside her. He gently lifted her head into his arms and shook her lightly. "Onna," he said. "Wake up!"

She moaned and opened her eyes halfway. "Hiei," she slurred when she recognized him.

"Botan," he said, not bothering to call her by her nickname anymore. "What happened here? Who did this?"

She was silent for the longest time as she stared at his face. Finally she grabbed his arm as her eyes widened at the memory. "It was..," she gasped. "It was YOU!" then she fainted dead away.

His own eyes widened in horror. Him? When had he done this? He didn't remember doing this. When he'd left her house around midnight he'd gone straight to the town park to do some training before he went to sleep. He'd never came back. In fact this is what woke him up so early. He'd just fallen asleep when he'd sensed she was in trouble. There was no way he could have done this.

He spotted something on her neck and let her go. He backed away from her, his eyes locked on the mark on the lower part of her neck. Teeth marks. Recognition made his body tremble whether he wanted it to or not. "My... I... No..." he stammered staring at the marks in denial. "This... this.." Those are my teeth marks! How did this happen? What is going on? I... I didn't... He sat there for the longest time, his body frozen in shock and disbelief. There was no way this was real. It had to be a dream. A nightmare he'd wake up from soon.

He heard footsteps pounding into the living room of the apartment and someone shout out. "What the hell? Botan! BOTAN!" Running feet. He knew they were coming toward the bedroom but he didn't move. Didn't try to leave. What was the point? Besides; his body wouldn't let him.

A moment later Yusuke and Kurama entered the room and froze a few steps in. They took in the blood, claw marks, and ruined furniture before they looked down at the floor where they spotted Hiei sitting against the wall, his face unreadable and Botan lying bloody on the floor a foot away. They came to their own conclusions.

"Hiei," Kurama began, seeing but not wanting to believe.

What could he say? What words could he use? What words would they believe? No words came to mind. He looked away. He knew they wouldn't believe anything he said. It wasn't me!

"What did you do?" Yusuke demanded, glaring at Hiei. "What have you done to Botan?"

It wasn't me!

"Hiei," Kurama said again, still not moving.

"What did you do to Botan?" Yusuke shouted, grabbing Hiei by the front of his cloak and pulling him to his feet.

IT WASN'T ME! he refused to meet the youth's eyes.

Yusuke shook him in anger. "What did you do to Botan?" he demanded again, as he shook the Koorime roughly.

"Stop it, Yusuke!" Kurama ordered, grabbing the raven haired half demon and forcing him to let Hiei go. Hiei fell back against the wall and slumped to the floor like an old rag doll. "There's another way," Kurama told Yusuke.

Yusuke nodded as he forced himself to calm down. "Okay," he said, more to himself than Kurama. "You're right. I'm sorry." he looked back at Hiei who was still slumped against the wall. "He's your best friend. You ask him."

"Okay," Kurama said nodding. He looked down at Hiei and asked. "What happened here? What did you do to Botan?"

Nothing... Hiei's eyes slowly met Kurama's. What could he tell Kurama? That he'd viciously attacked the onna because she wouldn't sleep with him? That he'd tried to rape her? That hed' tried to kill her because she was pregnant? He couldn't say anything like that. It hadn't been him. He'd never hurt Botan like that. He couldn't. He loved her. She was his baka ferry onna and she was the only one who knew. They'd never told anyone else. They weren't going to until the right time. They wouldn't understand and now... thanks to this, they'd never believe them anyway.

He took a deep breath to try to explain how he'd found her. "I-" he began but Yusuke punched him in the face. "Don't you say anything!" Yusuke shouted, as Kurama held him back. "I don't want to hear your lies!"

"Enough Yusuke!" the red haired fox demon commanded, turning him around and punching him in the face. "How do you plan on getting anything out of him if you won't let him talk?"

"I don't want to hear a single word from his lying mouth," Yusuke shot back, holding his cheek where Kurama had hit him. "He has no right to speek after what he's done to her."

"How do you know he was the one who did it?" Kurama demanded. "He could have found everything like this."

"I don't think so," Yusuke snapped. "This looks like something he'd do."

Hiei felt a pinch of anger at that comment. Is this what Yusuke really thought of him? That he'd tear up the baka onna's apartment and assult her like that? He opened his mouth to say something then shut it. Anything he said would just be used against him.

Kurama was still trying to reason with Yusuke. "If you want him to pay for what he did call Koemna and ask him to get over here. He'll know what to do."

Yusuek thought that over and nodded. "Okay," he said, then looked at Hiei and down at Botan. "What about Botan? What about him?"

Kurama looked at Hiei and Botan. "I'll call an ambulence to take Botan to the hospital," he said. His eyes locked with Hiei's for a moment. "I don't know about Hiei."

"Well we can't let him out of our sight," Yusuke said. "He might run away."

Hiei glared at the raven haired half demon. He wasn't a coward. He wouldn't run away. He knew if he did he'd just look guilty.

"I don't know," Kurama said, looking his friend over. "Maybe you could tie him up or something."

Hiei stared at the fox in disbelief. Did those words just come from Kurama's mouth? Didn't he trust the koorime either? Kurama... what are you thinking?

Yusuke seemed to be thinking that over. Finally he said. "I'll call Koemna and you do something about Hiei. I'll be right back," he left the bedroom to make the call, closing the door behind him.

When he was gone Kurama leaned over and gently lifted Botan off the floor and set her down on the mattress, all the time keeping a sharp eye on his friend. Then he turned to Hiei and didn't do anything. He just stood there staring, his eyes trying to make sense out of the whole situation. Hiei wasn't the type of person do go around hurting defenseless women, especially Botan who had never done a thing to hurt him. In fact Hiei hadn't even shown any of his violent side in a long time. Lately he seemed calmer and a little more open. He'd even cracked a smile that wasn't cocky the other day. He'd actually been amused by a joke someone had told him. This act of violence was a complete surprise.

"Hiei," he said slowly.

"It wasn't me," Hiei interrupted.

"I would like to believe you," Kurama began.

"You'd like to believe me?" Hiei demanded, getting up and facing his friend. "What is that suppost to mean? Don't you believe me? You're my best friend and you don't believe me!?" he looked hurt as he glanced over at Botan. "Why would I want to hurt her?"

"I don't know," Kurama said, still looking unsure. "But I do know the claw marks on the wall and that bite mark on Botan's neck belong to you. I've seen how you get when you let your other side take over. Maybe that's what happened here."

"I wasn't even at her apartment when this happened," Hiei protested. "I was in the city park, training!"

"Did anyone see you there?"

Hiei looked away. It had been past one in the morning and nobody had walked through the park at that time. "No," he said reluctantly. "It was too late for anyone to see me."

Kurama shook his head. Things were getting worse and worse every second.

"But I wasn't here," Hiei insisted, looking back at Botan. "I wouldn't do something like this. Not to someone who could do me no harm. Especially not a harmless female. I'm not that low."

Kurama said nothing but he noticed Hiei was looking at Botan with an expression he'd never seen before. Hiei's eyes had a strange look to them. They didn't seem to be reflecting much light and his face was shadowed partway. He didn't know what that face ment but he had a feeling it wasn't good. Unexpectantly he grabbed Hiei's arm and shoved him face first into the wall.

"Ow!" the koorime grunted feeling plaster smoosh against his skull. He managed to look over his shoulder at Kurama. "What are you doing?" he asked, sounding surprised.

Kurama held him there as he replied. "I don't think you should touch her."

"Why not?" Hiei growled, struggling against Kurama's hold. "I didn't do anything to her!"

Kurama shook his head. He felt Hiei was lying. He couldn't let his friend hurt another person. Even if it ment losing his and Hiei's friendship.

"Let me go, fox!" Hiei yelled at him, wiggling around like a worm on a hook. "Let me go or-"
Kurama had to use both hands to hold him still. He realized he couldn't hold his friend for much longer. He also thought Hiei might attack him if and when he did let go. That wouldn't help either one of them. I guess I have no other choice. the fox thought. I can't have him trying to escape and I can't have him trying to attack Botan again.

Hiei suddenly felt something creeping around his wrists, locking them together. He scowled, realizing what Kurama was doing. Damn fox! He's using Botan's potted plants against me. He shoved himself backwards and almost broke away from Kurama's hold but the fox just held on and roughly shoved his friend's face even harder into the wall. This time Hiei's face hit the plaster so hard he saw stars for a moment before he forced himself to focus again. By then it was too late. Kurama had successfuly used Botan's vine plant to tie his friends wrists securily behind his back.

The fox let his friend go and he fell to his knees onto the floor. He looked over his shoulder and glared at his red haired friend, his eyes clearly readable. Traitor!

Kurama shook his head regretfully. "I'm sorry," he said, turning from his friend. "I am so sorry. But else could I do?."

Believed me! "Hn!" Hiei looked away, too angry and hurt to say anything more. I doubt you're really sorry! You're not sorry! You wanted to do this! You don't know me as well as I thought you did. If you did, you'd never think I would do something like that to Botan... Suddenly he was depressed. Botan... he looked up at the ferry girl lying on the bed, bloodly and beaten. How could anyone do this to her? Why would someone want to make it seem like I did it to her? Who would do this? Who would want Yusuke and Kurama and the others to think I would hurt the one person I love as much as my little sister?

Since Hiei couldn't hurt Botan now even if he tried, Kurama called for an ambulence and, as he waited for it, he decided to see if Yusuke had any luck getting ahold of Koemna. He stepped out of Botan's room and as he closed the door behind him. He turned around and saw Yusuke scowling at his phone.

"Did you get ahold of him?" the fox asked.

Yusuke shook his head. "No," he said. "He's on his honeymoon."

"Oh yeah," Kurama said, remembering. 'I'd forgotten he got married yesterday. He won't be back until next week."

"Great!" Yusuke groaned. "What are we going to do with him until them?" he ment Hiei not Koemna.

Kurama shook his head. "I don't know," he replied, helplessly. "I ...Yusuke..." his friend looked him in the eye. "Do you really think Hiei would do something like this?"

Yusuke frowned as he shook his head. "I don't know," he said. "It doesn't seem like something he would do but what else can I think? He was right in her bedroom looking guilty as sin when we found him. And that fact that he had a bruise on his face and seemed to be having some kind of attack didn't help."

"Hiei said he was training in the park last night," Kurama pointed out. "Maybe he got the bruise then?"

Yusuke glared at him. "Don't tell me you believe him!" he exclaimed.

Kurama shook his head. "Honestly, I don't know what to believe," he said, looking at the bedroom door for a moment. "He could have, everything seems to point to him, but... it seems way too easy..."

Too easy, Kurama thought, glancing back at the closed bedroom door. Way too easy...

A/N

I'm a big dork aren't I? I've been in a very weird mood lately and this fic idea keeps on penatrating my brain. It's almost like I'm being forced to write it because it just won't leave my mind! No matter what I do to forget it, it comes back. Ever have that happen to you? Probably not. Anyway. Anything unexplained will most likely be explained later. The person who hurt her might or might not be Hiei. I can't tell you yet, though it's most likely not going to be Hiei. And yes this fic is HieixBotan incase you might not know. Guess that's it. Please ignore my dorkyness.

Hey if you read this chapter all the way through would you give me some feedback please? It would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.