Authoress' note- Sorry I know I KNOW I have been taking forever to update lately… its just this thing with my sister and getting this new job (( working sucks by the way)) ehh anyways make my day and review would ya

-Chapter 9-

Hiei zoomed through the trees as he became closer to his destination – Kurama's house- he couldn't seem to get Aneko off his mind, no matter how hard he tried the raven haired girl seemed to find her way into his thoughts.

He made it

He now stood on the tree outside Kurama's bedroom, the lights were off which most likely meant the fox was sleeping or out – Hiei peered through the window, usually the kitsune left it unlocked, but today was different for some reason.

He knocked loudly, hoping to get the red head's attention but only received the throwing of a shoe at the window

Hiei growled

Either Kurama had a really bad day or the kitsune had forgotten who came to his bedroom window!!

He knocked again

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Teri felt the warm covers around her as she buried herself deeper into their depths; it was so nice to be able to sleep in something that wasn't the equivalent of a wooden board.

She closed her eyes

Kurama's scent grasped her thoughts as she smelled the scent of roses all around her, but what did she expect she was in his bed.

Her eyes snapped open at the sound of heavy knocking on what seemed to be the window.

Teri growled and searched the floor for something to throw at it.

A shoe

She flung her size 8 shoe at the window, only praying she didn't break it in return.

Agitated knocking continued

Teri growled and sat up slowly, who the hell would be knocking on his window? She climbed out of his blue comforter and peered out only to see red eyes staring back at hers.

It was that demon her sister was interested in

…great…

Teri sighed and flung the window open, letting the cold air in and a fire demon in the process.

Hiei stared at her as if she were a protruding zit.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he stated looking at the hanyou with utter confusion, and then realized she was bruise ridden.

"Hn, why do you care?" she stated coolly as she shut the window.

"Because this is the kitsune's room, Hn you fool" Teri glared at him in return for his comment and pointed to the door.

"Well you want to go find him be my guest, last time I saw him it was about 2 hours ago" Teri stated coldly as she plopped back on the bed and became a bundle of sheets once more.

"Hn, onna unlike you obviously I don't go trespassing people's property" Hiei stated getting a sour hard 'hah' from the bed.

"What do you call coming through someone's window fool?" Hiei felt his hand reaching for his katana at this comment, who was this girl questioning his motives!

"Tell him I was here" Hiei stated as he went back to the window sill, he turned before leaving.

"I don't care about your reason for being here, I could care less about you In general, but make sure he knows I was here onna" Teri rolled her eyes at his statement and then heard the cracking of wood as Hiei was about to jump from Kurama's window sill to the tree.

"Hey Hiei right?" Hiei stopped

"Don't hurt my sister baka, I would hate to have to get involved with that, but I trust her decision… she doesn't know much about the demon world or about… hardships in general, so don't tell her about my obvious condition got it? I'd rather she not worry about such petty things" Teri stated only getting a stare from the fire demon and then a reassuring 'Hn' as he left.

Teri sighed as she felt the window shut… this 'Hiei' dweeb was something else coming in here and bitching at her and then making her sister fall in love with him. All she knew was that he better not fuck up.

She heard the door crack as a stream of light emitted the room.

"I'm awake if that's what you're wondering" Teri stated as Kurama entered flicking the lights on.

"Was Hiei just here?" he asked, wondering why the fire demon's ki seemed to be leaving his property.

"Yah… told me to tell you he was here" Teri stated covering her eyes from the light as she swung her feet over the bed. Her hand had stopped throbbing, but her face was now decorated by a purplish-blue bruise.

Kurama stared at her for a minute until he found her searching for her shoes.

"Would you like to stay for dinner, my mother wanted-" Teri looked up at him, her mauves eyes staring holes into his soul.

"No thank you Kurama, I really should be going," and with that she found the other duck tapped shoe and slipped it on.

"But…"

"No buts Kurama… I really have to get going, trust me wherever I go, trouble follows and personally I don't want anything to happen… to you or your mother when you had nothing to do with it" she stated as she threw her hair into a very small pony tail, her lavender waves now pinned up out of her face.

"I'm sure that, nothing will happen if you just stay for…" But Kurama's plea was suddenly stopped by the stern look he received in return.

"You… don't understand fox - you have no idea what you're getting yourself involved in by even being associated with me" Teri stated as she grabbed her guitar case.

"What do you mean?" Kurama asked a bit confused by Teri's sudden accusation.

"Forget it…" she stated a bit annoyed by Kurama's insistence on staying, she went for the door but was stopped by the fox accompanying her.

"Explain" he stated sternly, Teri sighed and looked down her eyes closed slowly as she inhaled again.

"Don't worry about it, its stupid really… I just have a… stupid past is all" Teri stated as she tried to reach for the door knob, Kurama stopped her grabbing her protruding hand in return.

"Everyone has a past Teri… don't run from it" Teri's eyes became alight with fury as she glared a Kurama harshly.

"E.Excuse me, YOU of all people have no right to … to I am NOT running, and its NONE of your business!!! So what if I have an ex that's a jerk, it happens all the time in this world Kurama – I AM NOT RUNNING FROM MY PAST!" Teri growled harshly, Kurama stared at her a bit shocked by her reaction.

"I was just saying…"

"I know what you were saying fox, and screw you and your damn pity – you know nothing about the situation" and with that she flung herself at the now not guarded door and stormed out.

Kurama sighed, he had done it, said something without thinking – he had always warned himself not to do such a thing… so this was what it felt like to be a heel.

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Kurama excused himself from the dinner table early as he went to his room; to think over is previous actions.

Hiei awaited for his return and looked up once the kitsune entered the room.

"Fox" Is all the fire demon had to say to announce his presence.

"Hello Hiei" Kurama stated, as he flopped into the desk chair.

"What was that weird onna doing in your room?" Hiei had no reason to beat around the bush; the truth was that the situation bugged him ever since earlier.

"Just… resting why do you ask?" Kurama asked, daring Hiei to pry himself into his business, Hiei shrugged.

"Just wondering… not like I care" Hiei stated now leaning against the window pane with his eyes closed.

"Are you here for something?" Kurama was not in his usual polite mood, he wanted to know why the fire demon was in his room and he wanted to know NOW.

"Aneko wanted me to tell you that she wants to have a get together or something this weekend… Hn if you ask me she's bored stiff of life in general – stupid ningen life" Kurama nodded in return to Hiei's explanation.

"Yes I suppose I can come, when is it?" Hiei grunted at Kurama's question and then pulled out what seemed to be a piece of paper and threw it on the bed.

"Its all In there… Hn, later" and with that Hiei was gone into the night, Kurama grabbed the piece of paper and stuffed it in his bag, and flopped onto the bed.

Teri's scent suddenly caught his attention, he closed his eyes and concentrated on the scent allowing it to clam his nerves… he had never smelt something so… addicting… and yet he didn't know why this was.

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Teri felt her blood boil as she entered the school. Her whole life was becoming a mess… she kept trying to force herself not to think about the bad things, but they haunted her thoughts.

Teri stepped into class, she had covered up the bruise from the other night, and had her normal baggy jeans and raggedy shoes… a homely top and her hair was down brushing the base of her neck, her lavender waves only made her face look more insipid.

She dropped her guitar case beside her desk as she flopped down into the hard plastic chair. She was the first person in English class for once… she needed to get out of that hell hole of a home and find somewhere to think.

She growled as she clenched her bandaged hand, Kent had broken her hand during their encounter. Teri felt a shot of pain rise through her body as she thought about Kurama's interpretation of her past.

'Maybe he was right…' Teri looked through her bag as she tried to drain out the memories of her horrid past, and took out a notebook; opening it to a new page she tapped her black fingernails against the pasty page.

'buttoned up, tightened and coiled into lost memories
bury these dark wrenched felling away from the forgive less heart
smell nothing
nothing, but the stale decomposing emotions
which have been thrashed and torn into nothingness
nothingness, in which the world depends on
nothingness in which the world puréed IT into mixed and jagged feelings

digging up these feelings once more
can only prove to be tragic
loses like these, seem only to be tolerable by the young
by those who can forget the painful grim
in which these emotions are encoded with
the can look past the cracked and grimy cover
and can see inside for what they desire

a chance to love
a chance to create THEIR own hole
in which they can fill it up
with their own emotions and dreadful ends of past romances
why must everyone feel destined to be this way?

for only heartaches can be brought alone
with these twisted feelings
these twisted feelings of destined love
in which failure is a necessity
and heartache must be endured

to find that one special tarnished and worn mirage
to find your destiny in a sea of demise
to find life's meaning
to make it through life's rugged, twisted terrain
in the emotion filled caverns below.'

(I wrote this so don't steal it!!!)

Teri closed the notebook once she heard the heavy footsteps of someone coming, for some reason she felt her heart jumping into her throat, then they entered.

Kurama stepped into the classroom, with Yusuke and Aneko, they had seemed to not realize Teri was even in the room… as she hid in the shadows In the back of the room.

"So you can come?" Aneko asked, Kurama nodded and laughed lightly as the girl did a cute little dance to show her excitement, Yusuke crossed his arms and smirked as well.

'Maybe if I'm really quiet they won't notice I'm here… heh that shouldn't be too hard for me to do' Teri watched as the three chatted amongst each other, Kurama looked up once he heard the teacher come in, her high heels clicked throughout the room as she quickly went to her desk grabbed something then scurried away.

There was still plenty of time before class started.

Then he noticed her, Teri hiding in the back of the room in her normal desk, her eyes caught his and he smiled.

Maybe he could apologize to her; he stepped closer to where she was but only felt Aneko grab him by the arm to ask him something.

He muttered something to her and then pulled away from the group, Yusuke and Aneko didn't notice as Kuwabara entered the room along with Hiei, who had decided to check up on Aneko before school started.

Kurama walked causally up to the desk as he noticed Teri now doodling on her previously written poem, he scanned her face and noticed she had covered up her bruise.

She didn't look up.

Kurama sighed and felt himself grabbing a chair and sitting adjacent to her, Teri sideway glanced him as she felt the red head come closer.

"Am I that interesting?" she asked plainly as she closed her notebook and slipped it into her bag.

Kurama stared at her for a moment and then sighed inwardly; he knew he had to apologize somehow.

"Don't even bother" she stated before he could even open his mouth, she looked at him her mauve eyes staring intently at him.

"Don't apologize… you were right… I am running away from it ok…" Kurama blinked as he watched her form those words and then drop her down to study her shoes.

"N. no I should apologize… I shouldn't have budded in like that-" Teri shrugged at this.

"At… least you cared enough to noticed," Teri felt her cheeks begin to flush at the thought, but stopped herself before it became noticeable.

"Teri… really… what he did to you… it isn't… normal you know" Teri looked up at the red head statement and then looked down once again as she saw her sister approaching.

"Just drop it ok, it was in the past" and with she watched as a piece of paper landed on her desk, she looked up to see her sister smiling at her.

"I want you to come to this part thing I'm having PLLLLEASEEE!!!" Teri blinked and then let those words register, a party… her at a party HAH that would be a site.

She grabbed the piece of paper and flipped it open… tomorrow night… she looked up and stared into the same eyes she bared, only these where full of joy instead of pain.

She sighed and folded the piece of paper.

"We'll see Aneko" Aneko giggled at this and grabbed Teri into a tight bear hug.

"OHH I knew you would agree!!!" Teri struggled to breath out the words she had not meant that she WOULD, but the bell stopped her from doing so.

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Teri snapped her guitar case shut, School was over and she had done her practicing for the night.

She slipped her bag onto her bag and made her way outside… slipping out of the school doors, she saw him waiting for her.

Teri blinked at the site, what was fox boy doing here? She stepped forward towards him, but he turned and smiled at her… stopping her in her tracks.

"What… are…. You" Teri blinked as she stepped angrily towards him.

"Don't tell me you're escorting me around now? You baka I can very well take care of myself!!" Kurama only smiled at her reaction and then shook his fiery locks.

"I was hoping I would catch you… I was wondering if you wanted to go to get some coffee… it's the least I can do for being a jerk earlier" Teri stared at him for a second then felt her grip upon her guitar case loosen.

"Uh… no… that's alright you don't have to-"

"But I insist, please Teri… I would feel better if I knew I had apologized formally" Teri sighed at his statement and then looked down at the floor.

No one ever apologized to her… she was always the one to do it.

"… Alright I suppose, but JUST coffee that's it," Kurama smiled at this and grabbed her case from her loose grip before she could react.

"What did I say about-"

"Its part of my apology" Kurama interrupted as he walked to his car and unlocked it putting the guitar case into the back, Teri threw her stuff in the back as well.

And they were off.

Once they arrived at the coffee shop and were seated with their drinks, Teri felt her cheeks burning as she remembered the fact that Kurama had actually insisted on paying.

Teri looked down at her drink and sipped it slowly, she looked up.

"So tell me… how DID you know I was in trouble that night?" Teri asked, Kurama felt all thoughts being drained out of his mind as he tried to think of a plausible answer.

"Because of your energy went skyrocketing once he approached you… I thought you might have been in need of assistance so I came to help…"

Teri stared at him, her eyes reading right through his dishonesty

"Liar"

"E.Excuse me?" he asked, Teri took another long sip of her Chia tea and then set it down.

"That's a flat out lie and you know it, I know for a fact you were there before then just waiting for me to go home… Hmm I should have known you would have gotten noisy after that scratch on my neck… you do know the saying Kurama, curiosity killed the cat" Kurama sweatdropped at this.

"I… didn't… that wasn't just a scratch Teri" Teri waved his excuse away with.

"That's beside the point, you WERE watching for me, don't try to deny it," Kurama blushed at this, she had caught him red handed.

Damnit.

Teri sighed as she leaned back into the booth.

"I suppose… I should be grateful… never had anyone actually look out for me…" she looked up thoughtfully, Kuram was taken a back

"What about your parents?" Teri looked at him leaned forward in her seat.

"My mother was too ill to even realize she had more than one child… and my father well… he wasn't exactly the picture of… a caring parent," Teri stated as she grabbed her tea and took a long swig.

Flashback

Teri was on her knees scrubbing the floor, her long waves of lavender curls were pinned back out of her face as she dunked the brush back into the grimy water.

She fragile childlike body, leaned forward as she tried to get a better look at the spot she had been trying to get out of the floor.

Blood

Then she felt her face collide with the ground, and a low chuckle emerge from above her, she looked up to see her father hovering over her, a paper bag in his hand as two gray wolf ears popped out of his shabby looking black hair and a gray wolf tail swished behind him.

"WHAT DO YOU CALL THIS GIRL?" he screamed, his voice slurring as Teri looked up her eyes full of terror as she felt her father's hand come down forcefully slapping her across the face.

Teri's eyes filled up with eyes as she tried to keep from herself from crying out in pain.

"I... I'm cleaning up this mess... sir" Teri stated as she refused to look up into her father's eyes, he smirked and stepped over her.

"Damn right, it's your blood you clean if up, and after that get out of my site runt," Teri felt her body shake as she forced herself to stare back down at the spot upon the floor… her blood… and he had caused it.

End of Flashback

Teri squeezed her eyes shut as she thought about just one of the terrible memories she had stored years ago, Kurama looked at her, watching as her eyes turned from docile orbs to pure terror.

She shook it off

Teri looked up and smiled.

"That's in the past now… he's gone… and so is my mother, didn't know her much - she was… ill ever since I can remember… she was human you know, she became ill with something after my birth – she did smell like lilies though, I can remember that," Teri looked out the window as a small smile graced her lips… her mother – she shouldn't have been the one to die.

Teri snapped herself out of her day dream once she realized it was getting late, she looked at the clock and then stood.

"Come on… I suppose I have kept you out long enough, "Teri grabbed her now empty cup and threw it into the trash.

"We can stay longer if you want…" Teri shook her head.

"No I know you have better places to be…" Kurama shook his head in protest, but Teri grabbed him by the arm and dragged him out the door.

"Come on, you have a family to get to, can't mess with that," and before he knew what was happening he was at the driver side of his car, he sighed and unlocked it for the girl on the other side.

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Kurama turned the engine off as he made it into the 'group home' parking lot, Teri stared out the window, but snapped herself out of her thoughts and grabbed her things placing them into her lap.

"Are you going to Aneko's… party?" Kurama asked, Teri looked over at him and sighed.

"I suppose so… It wouldn't hurt – not really my thing, but if it makes her happy"

Kurama smiled, she was so much like Hiei, caring so much for her sister, and yet not expecting anything in return.

Teri looked over at him in puzzlement.

"What?" she asked confused by the smile upon his features.

"Nothing" he mumbled, Teri raised a brow, but brushed it off – she opened the car door, but before stepping out she leaned over and pecked Kurama upon the cheeked.

And at this simple interaction the kitsune blushed.

"Thanks… for caring; I suppose I forgot that not everyone is corrupt out there…" Teri smiled once she realized the tint upon his cheeks.

"Goodnight" and with that she slipped out of the car and shut the door.

Why couldn't women be simple?

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Vihnanime- yah I updated, sorry it took so long for me to do so '

KuramasGirl123 - hehe you're going to have to wait for a little while longer… the past will be revealed in good time.

Hiei'scutegirl- YAH I UPDATED!!!!

Rahenne- hehe thank you -

Kohaku Piers- hmmm Kurama might turn into Youko… and there's a good chance Teri will do so as well… hehe I'm not sure why I let that Kent guy beat the crap out of her… probably because she was afraid or something… Hmm you'll just have to wait to find out:-P

Bowserjr- yah he kind creeps me out too… heh and I created him which creeps me out even more