Disclaimer: I don't own YYH or the characters. Just my many OCs whose names I will NOT write again until much later as a reminder. I also don't own the song "Perhaps Love." All credit to that goes to John Denver

Hiei was not in a good mood. Yoshezame hung around the flower shop and kept Hiei on edge. They weren't very busy that day, so Kurama suggested Hiei go on break. Hiei gave him an "are you insane" look because he knew that wherever he was planning on going, Yoshezame would follow.

And he was right. She did follow him until he sat down on a bench at the park. She sat down next to him.

"What do you want?" he asked keeping his voice under control despite wanting to rip this woman's face off.

"I want to make things right for them," Yoshezame explained.

He gave her an incredulous look. "You are fourteen years too late for that," Hiei replied. "Kiyoshi wanted to get to know you, but you wanted nothing to do with him. Emiko wanted to know her brother and came back with us."

"They are my children," she said calmly, but desperately.

"Really?" Hiei asked loudly. "Because as far as I'm concerned, they are MY children and YOU gave them up! You said YOUR SON should have died and that YOUR DAUGHTER was a traitor to YOUR race! I raised Kiyoshi for almost eighteen years and Emiko for fourteen. They go to school, but you probably could have guessed that since it's so obvious here. But do you know their hobbies, friends, where they want to go to college, what they want to study? No! So who do you think you are that you can just show up here after fourteen years and demand to see them?"

Yoshezame looked away. She knew she didn't deserve the kids but she had been miserable without them. Kiyoshi's words did reach her, but she waited so long to do something about it.

"Please, Hiei, let me talk to them," she begged.

"No." That was it, short and simple.

How could she think it'd be that easy? he asked himself.

"Please," she begged quietly. She was losing her resolve. Hiei knew she was about to cry; and being around humans, he didn't need that kind of attention.

"How can I let you near them when Kiyoshi is fighting with depression because of your hateful words? He doesn't even understand what he's feeling. How would you feel if your mother said she wanted you dead and then showed up more than a decade later?"

"I know it won't be easy," she said, "but I have to try. I want to be a part of their lives. I won't leave here until I do."

She was determined and Hiei knew she would go behind his back if he didn't agree. If he wanted to be involved in this, he would have to give her permission to see his children. If not, the woman would force her way into their lives and the kids would be worse off. At least this way he could mediate everything.

"I will be there when you meet; you will not talk to them unless I am around; and you will keep in mind that they are my kids and not yours. Do not get any ideas, understand me?"

Yoshezame nodded. She knew she was lucky for this chance. Now she had to make the most of it.

"Hey, Uncle Kurama," Emiko and Kiyoshi greeted.

"Hello, you two. How was your first day?" Kurama asked.

"Great!" Emiko exclaimed. "My friends and I are going to join the prom committee. I'm so excited."

Kiyoshi playfully rolled his eyes at his sister who answered by sticking her tongue out. Kurama laughed and asked Kiyoshi what he did.

"Makoto and I decided to join the biology club. Haruki is being lazy this year and quitting the karate team and well, every other team he was in."

"That's too bad," Kurama said, "but it's his loss."

"I worry about Haruki," Emiko said. "Over the summer he started hanging out with some shady guys. I hope Mel will be okay."

"I'm sure there's nothing to worry about, but be careful, okay?"

They agreed.

"So, where's our dad?" Kiyoshi asked.

Kurama tensed, but kept his face calm. Hiei had come back asking for the rest of the day off. He planned on letting everyone know what was going on so they would distract Kiyoshi and Emiko while he figured out how to go about the "situation" as he put it.

"He's probably at home," Kurama said. "He wanted to get an early start on dinner for you today to celebrate the first day back."

"Well, that was sweet of him," Emiko said. She tuned to Kiyoshi. "Maybe we should head home."

"Actually," Kurama interjected, "I was wondering if you two would be willing to watch Hana for about an hour until I get off shift. Julia has an appointment and Ayame is getting ready to go to class."

"Okay," Kiyoshi said. "We'll head over now. See you later."

"Thank you," Kurama called out to them.

"No problem," the twins said in unison.

Hiei was pacing back and forth. He had already prepared Kiyoshi's and Emiko's favorites and had ice cream, or "sweet snow" as they called it, in the freezer.

"Nervous?" Hiei heard Dana ask making him jump in his place.

"What?" Hiei asked snappishly.

"It's okay, Hiei," Dana said. "We all understand. After everything she said and did…I'd be wary too."

"She would have gone to them, with no one present to be their anchor," Hiei explained feeling the need to defend himself. To him, he was committing some horrible offense. "I couldn't let that happen."

"I know," she said putting her hand on his shoulder. "They are going to need you now more than ever."

Hiei looked down and nodded. Dana helped him set the table and get the food ready.

"So where is she?" Dana asked.

"In the guest room, sleeping I guess. Frankly, I don't care."

"Charming attitude," Dana teased trying to lighten the mood.

"Hn. Where's Kenta?"

"We had a lot of leftover food. I would have brought it over here, but you had already started cooking so I told him to send it over to Yukina's. I also had him take some to your father and then Yusuke and Keiko."

"Thanks for thinking of us," Hiei said smiling. "Means a lot." He looked over to the stairs and Dana frowned.

"I'm sure it does. You know that no matter what, we're a family, right?" she asked giving him a hug.

"Yes, I know that," Hiei answered while awkwardly returning her hug. "Now you should probably get home now. The kids should be back soon and I wanted to talk to them first."

"Of course," Dana said. "Good luck and let us know how everything turns out."

Hiei nodded as she left. Now all he had to do was wait for the kids to get back.

By the time they got home, Yoshezame was already waiting in the kitchen with Hiei shooting her a heated glare.

"Hey, dad," Kiyoshi greeted as he and Emiko ran into the apartment. "We're home."

"Something smells really good," Emiko commented as the two walked into the kitchen.

Their happy expressions changed really quickly to a mixture of surprise, hurt, anger, and confusion. Emiko's expression softened after a while, but Kiyoshi had the opposite reaction. He glared bitterly at the woman and left the kitchen running up the stairs. They assumed he went to his room when they heard a door slam.

"D-Daddy?" Emiko questioned.

"It's okay, Emiko. I'll go talk to him." He looked over to Yoshezame. "Say nothing until I get back."

Hiei found Kiyoshi hugging tightly to his pillow while trying to fight his tears from falling.

"Kiyoshi," Hiei whispered.

Kiyoshi looked over to him letting a few tears escape him. "Hey, dad," he whispered back.

"You okay?" He knew the answer, but he wanted Kiyoshi to talk to him.

Kiyoshi didn't answer. He just looked up to the ceiling. "Why is she here?"

Hiei decided to sit next to him on the bed. Kiyoshi scooted over and Hiei held him the way he did when he was younger. "She says she wants to make things right."

"Heh," Kiyoshi scoffed. "Too little, too late."

"I know, but she was planning of showing herself to you and your sister whether or not I was present, so I chose to be present."

"When is she leaving?"

"I don't know."

The two sat in silence for a moment before Kiyoshi asked, "Do I have to go back down there?"

"Well, I did make your favorite and you wouldn't want to leave Emiko down there alone with her too long, would you?"

He shook his head and with that the two of them ended up at the kitchen table. The dinner consisted of Emiko and Kiyoshi telling Hiei about their day while ignoring any questions their mother asked them, if she asked any.

This is going to be a long year, Hiei said to himself as everyone finished eating and went to their rooms for the night.

A/N: So not the first reaction Yoshezame was hoping for but can you blame them? It's probably torture for Hiei to not bite her head off. I know the scene in the park was really OOC for him, but he's been living with the humans for eighteen years, so he has picked up on some form or social conduct. And did anyone see the epic foreshadowing in this chapter? Yes? No? Maybe? So, anyway, let me know what you think. I love hearing from you guys. Thanks a lot for reading.