Yeah I know, short chapter before, I am a NOOB! Back off.

"Hikaru!"

She starts to run to him.

"No wait! Don't run! You'll--"

"Whoa!"

Rini slips on the snow and lands on her behind. He runs down to her.

"How come you didn't fall?" she asks.

Pulling her up he says,

"Because I'm wearing boots."

"Now I'm wet. This stinks."

"Come on, we're heading for the temple."

"Shrine. It's called the Hikawa Shrine," she corrects.

"Alright, Shrine. Jeez Chibi-Usa."

"Ch-"

"Chan! Chan okay. I forgot."

"Hey Hikaru-kun? Can I sit on your shoulders? Please?"

Hikaru's quick pace slows, finally coming to a stop.

"You're almost eight, Chibi-Usa-chan. You're getting too old."

He continues walking.

"Come on. Please?"

He stops yet again. Looking at her, she puts on an innocent face. Trying not to lose his tough façade, he finally says,

"Rini… I was totally kidding. Come on up."

She squeals and climbs onto a kneeled Hikaru.

"Hold on really tight now. I don't want you to fall."

He stands up and Rini laughs. He starts his pace once more.

"Are you okay up there, Chibi-Usa-chan?"

"Yeah. Hey, I can see the Hikawa Shrine!"

"Good," he says, breathing a sigh of relief,

"we're almost there."

Rini suddenly gasps loudly. Hikaru stops quickly, almost falling, but regains his balance.

"What? Are you okay?"

"It's Hotaru," Rini exclaims, looking across the street.

Hikaru grunts and responds,

"Hotaru had better be something dangerous."

Hotaru crosses the street in front of them.

"Hotaru!" Rini yells. Hikaru looks up and his heart starts to pound violently.

She not stable. She's rocking… Why does my heart pound so? Is it..?

Hikaru's mind forms the words,

"She's beautiful…"

"What?" Rini asks

"Nothing!"

He continues to gaze. Hotaru suddenly collapses in the crosswalk. Rini jumps off his shoulders and they both run down to her. He picks her up and gasps.

She's freezing! Her clothes are soaked with water.

"Rini! Hurry down here!"

Rini is soon at his side.

"Take my cell and the girls. Tell them to get a bath ready. Make it a HOT one."

Rini nods and flips the phone open.

Hikaru removes his hoodie and throws it onto Hotaru. He proceeds to yell,

"Transform!"

His body is covered from head to toe in charcoal gray fur. He transforms fully into a were-wolf and puts her on his back.

"Yo! Rini let's go!"

"Okay, we're on our way," she says, continuing to talk on the phone.

"Chibi-Usa-chan! Come ON!"

Hikaru runs full speed down the sidewalk. As he turns the corner he sees Lita and Rei.

"Rei-chan! Mako-chan!"

He reaches them, breathing heavily.

"The others are upstairs in the bathhouse. Hurry," Lita says.

He turns to the stone stairs.

He grunts and starts up the steps.

"I can't make it up on just two legs," he says quietly.

"Hotaru, if you can hear me please mend your fingers together." She follows his request and wraps her hands around his neck.

"Grip tighter!"

She does so.

Her temperature is still lowering.

He runs up on all fours and reaches the top.

"Minako-chan!"

Running through the back rooms, he continues to call.

"Hikaru-kun!"

He sees Mina's head poking out from a doorway.

"Here! Her temperature is lowering so get her in there now!"

Mina nods and pulls the hoodie off of her. He turns away as they start to strip her of her clothing. He closes the door.

"Now that that's over with…"

Hikaru proceeds to shake the remaining snow from his fur.

"Crap. I'm f-freezing."

He changes into a wolf and scratches at the door.

"Usagi-chan! Ami-chan!" he whispers.

The door opens and Serena appears.

"Is she okay?" he asks.

"Ami-chan took her temperature and it was like ninety-point something. She was entering hypo-hippo--"

"Hypothermia!"

"Thank you Ami-chan," Hikaru says, "anyway, will she live?"

"Yeah," Serena answers, "her clothes were soaked from the rain before the snow. That also added to the hypothermia."

"Good job Serena."

"Thanks."

"Can I come in?"

Serena nods, but stops him, crouching by him.

"You're shivering Karu-kun."

He glares at her.

"Don't c-call m-me t-that."

He nudges the bathroom door open with his nose and enters. His being embraces the warmth and humidity.

"Ohh yeah. Feel nice."

He curls up in front of the tub where Hotaru sits.

I wonder how she's doing.

He climbs onto the side of the slippery tub.

"The color's coming back into her face," he whispers.

He sneezes. Hotaru shifts in the tub, making the water ripple. She chuckles softly.

"Ah-choo!"

He sniffs and rubs his nose with his damp paw. Continuing to sneeze, Hotaru slowly awakens and giggles at him. She looks down at him and pulls her hand from the water. Placing the hand on his head, she pets him and says weakly,

"Thank you, boy."

"Hikaru! Hey!"

Rei walks into the bathroom. Hikaru wakes up and scratches behind his ear with his hind foot.

"What?"

"You fell asleep. We moved Hotaru into the study room."

"How come I didn't hear you?"

"Don't worry about that."

He grabs a towel with his teeth as he walks out. Transforming into a were-wolf he rubs himself off. He sniffles and sneezes. Rei stifles laughter.

"It's not funny. It's just a small consequence for saving such a… pretty girl."

"What was that?"

"Nothing… Rei-chan."

"You like her!"

"Nani? W-what…"

She looks him in the eyes.

"Okay! But she's beautiful! When I saw her, this feeling inside me just grew."

He regresses to his human form and blushes.

"That's so cute!"

"Just don't tell anyone, especially Usagi-chan and Chibi-Usa-chan."

They'll turn into match-makers, he thinks, chuckling.

"Is it okay if I can… stay with her?"

"No problem. Go on in."

Transforming yet again, he nudges the door with his nose and climbs onto the bed carefully.

"Hotaru-chan."

Curling up he sneezes.

"Heh. Poor thing."

His ears perk up to her voice.

'She's awake.'

"I'm sorry. You have a cold because of me."

He shakes his head then coughs. She giggles. He walks up the bed and lies next to her.

"Ah-choo," Hotaru sneezes.

He whines like a laugh.

"Hey, don't laugh at me."

Waging his tail he lays across the bed, putting his head on Hotaru's lap. She pets him, smiling.