Psychicfiredemoness: (jamming out)
Yusuke: What's wrong with her this time?
Alex: Who the hell knows.
Psychic: I own nothing, so please enjoy the story. Oh! And to Celedeen Takarona, lectaelf, Black Wolf Jaganshi Lover, and Hikari-Kayko; thank you so much for the reviews!
Alex: Hey wait a second…No this chapter makes me sad damn you!
Chapter 10 Bruised Egos and Broken Hearts
Seven. It had nearly been seven months since that'd damned Dragon had taken up residence with the Spirit Detectives at Genkai's. It was becoming more and more grating a task to watch her and keep her safe; or at least it was for one of the detectives.
Alex sighed for what seemed the hundredth time in an hour as she stalked behind the Dragon. "Couldn't you have picked a nicer day to take a walk?" she asked trudging on through the forest on a slightly beaten path. She stared at the sky for a moment; it looked like rain would come soon.
"If you don't like it then leave," Ryuko stopped and smirked at her knowing full well what would happen if the blonde left.
Alex scowled at her. "I'd rather not cause another near breakup between Sapphire and Kurama," she said coldly.
"Ah, that's a shame, he could do so much better too," Ryuko said, "Him being a full blood, even if he's a human's body he could do better than a hanyou."
"That hanyou is my best friend, don't disrespect her," Alex growled taking a threatening step towards her.
"You shouldn't be threatening me, slave," she bit back.
Alex froze in her spot and twitched a little glaring on at the hated demon. She knew she couldn't attack this girl, not without great price to her job, herself and her already fragile relationship with Hiei. He seemed to prefer the Dragon's company much more than her own now.
"Ah? All out of rage now? Good, let's go back to the temple, it's getting cold," she mocked and walked past Alex.
The Jaganshi glared at the back of her head and stalked behind her in anger vowing to give her some rather vivid nightmares as soon as she thought of something fitting for the Dragon.
"About time you two got back," Yusuke said from the porch, he was just lazing there reading a manga. "Alex go make dinner," he said.
"Aren't I supposed to be watching her?" Alex asked nodding towards the girl. Frankly she'd have loved to make dinner but she didn't want to be reamed by Kurama again.
"Yeah about that, Ryuko Hiei's looking for you, I think he wants to train you again," the boy yawned turning a page and still hadn't looked up at either of them.
"Oh where is he?" Ryuko asked brightening suddenly.
"I think he's in the living room…or in his room…or maybe the kitchen," Yusuke replied.
"You don't have even the faintest clue do you?" asked the Dragon casting him a dry look.
"Nope," he said.
Alex sighed. "Come on let's go find him," she grumbled and followed the girl up the porch.
"Find who?" they looked up to see Kurama rounding the corner with Sapphire. They must have been strolling around the temple; this of course meant Kurama was waiting for it to start raining, because as soon as it did Sapphire would try to run out in it and dance in happiness no matter the magnitude of the storm brewing above.
"Hiei," they both answered and they twitched slightly in unison for having done so.
"Er, I'll take you, I know where he is," Sapphire said motioning for the Dragon to come over. She sounded like she had been lying.
"Alright now that that's taken care of what are you reading that you can't even look at your friends for?" Alex asked looking over Yusuke's shoulder. The image she saw would scar her for the rest of her life, or until she forgot the image possibly due to her own Jagan. "You are such a pervert Yusuke!" She screamed grabbing the comic and throwing into the trees.
"Alex what the hell!?" he jumped up and yelled at her.
"You have a girlfriend! You shouldn't be looking at that garbage!" she reprimanded him, "And you're supposed to have more class than that! You're friends with Kurama for god's sake!"
"What's that got to do with anything?!" he fumed trying to intimidate her by sheer size.
"You think some of his good manner would have rubbed off on you by now that's what!" she screamed back at him. The two stopped their yelling to glare at each other.
"You are so dead Fire-girl!" he declared and grabbed her round the neck before rubbing her skull with his knuckles.
"Ow, ow, ow!" she yelped kicking at him to no avail.
"Yusuke stop," Kurama said in a slightly commanding tone.
"But she threw my comic into the woods!" he countered stopping his noogies for the moment. He started in again after about a second.
"It was a dirty manga you pervert!" she yelled still trying to kick him.
"Both of you," the fox said, "Stop it."
"Fine whatever," Yusuke dropped the girl on the porch where she hastily redid her ponytail.
"Jackass; thanks Kurama," she said gratefully glaring at the human boy as he wandered into the woods to find his dirty book.
"Alex," Kurama called back the girl's attention, "Walk with me for a bit would you?"
"Yeah sure," she said following after him around the other side of the porch. "So why are we walking?"
"I'd like to talk to you about some things," he said.
"You get her a 24 karat, you being a thief and all I think it's the least you could do," she huffed crossing her arms.
"That wasn't what I wanted to talk to you about," he said with an amused yet somehow exasperated smile. His face turned more serious. "How are you doing?"
"I'm fine," she replied. Did they really have to take a walk just for him to ask such a mundane thing?
"Hm," he sounded doubtful of her words. "You don't seem it," he said, "You've seemed on edge since the mission began, more so for the past few months."
"That's because if I screw up again I'm just afraid you and Sapph will break up," she remarked, "I said I was fine Kurama, even if I wasn't I can take care of my own problems on my own."
He did something she hadn't expected in such a serious conversation wrought with lies and concern. He chuckled slightly. "You two are so alike, it really is laughable sometimes," he stopped walking and looked out at the darkening sky; it started to drizzle.
"You two meaning me and who else?" she asked blandly already knowing the answer and not really wanting him to say it.
"I won't bother you with things you already know. I'll ask Hiei to watch Ryuko for the rest of the evening," Kurama said.
"Oh yeah I'm sure he'll object to that," she spat acidly feeling the bothersome pain in her chest once again. It was becoming more and more annoying each time it happened to the point she was getting ready to stab herself in the aching area just to monetarily subside the pain with another.
"You don't understand projection very well do you Alex?" he asked shaking his head lightly, "Please rest, you aren't looking well." He left her alone on the porch, probably to find Hiei to watch Ryuko.
"Whatever," she sighed heading back to see if Yusuke had found his dirty book. When she arrived she saw him pouting near the steps glaring out at the trees where she'd thrown the thing. She quietly snuck past the boy and ducked inside the temple and helped Yukina set the table as dinner was already made courtesy of both Koorime and light hanyou.
"Wow," Jewel had entered and flopped down at her usual seat with a yawn as Alex set down silverware, "You're not watching Ryuko and you've already gone into servitude for someone else." She joked lightly.
Alex bristled in rage at the comment. "Shut up Jewel," she growled harshly as the others filed in.
"Did…did I do something wrong?" she asked now fully alert and aware she was in trouble.
"I…it doesn't matter; just don't make that kind of comment, it's rude," she said.
"You owe me money," Yusuke stated bluntly as he sat down.
"I did the world a favor by ridding you of hentai, especially with Yukina around, what if her pure innocent mind had seen that tripe? And better yet what if Hiei found out she'd seen it?" Alex smirked darkly. Yusuke froze and looked terrified for a brief second.
"Good point," he said swallowing the knot in his throat after a moment trying to regain composure.
"Oh," Yukina entered the room to start serving everyone, "Is Hiei not eating?"
"He probably doesn't know it's time to eat," Kayori said following the shorter girl into the room with a platter of food.
"I'll go tell him then," Alex got up completely forgetting that the demon was supposed to be watching the girl she so dearly detested. She quickly wandered the maze of halls, intent on eating before Yusuke and Kuwabara crammed their faces full of all the food.
She finally reached the room and slid the door open. "…" she opened her mouth but nothing came out as she peered in on something that both destroyed her appetite and broke something inside of her.
Ryuko and Hiei. Hiei and Ryuko. Kissing in the darkness of his room. The Dragon's arms wrapped round his neck affectionately. She felt bile rising in her and she ran away from the scene that somehow had distorted the world.
Next thing she knew her face was buried in the porcelain throne down the hall from Hiei's room. She wretched into the bowl and flushed hurriedly as her eyes began to burn. She fell back shuddering in a defeated sitting position and buried her face in her knees, quite aware that she'd began such a weak motion as to cry, just because she loved him and that she wouldn't be his, and never before had she wanted someone dead so badly before that moment.
Later
"I'm sick of this waiting," came her growl. She was shaking from her fury, her humiliation.
"So you'll have us do it tonight?" came a rough male voice.
They were speaking hidden from view, just outside the temple where there were no prying eyes.
"Yes tonight!" she snapped impatiently, "I can't take this, I need her dead! She needs to die!"
"Clam down, calm down," He tried to sooth her, "Alright, it's done."
"Then you'll kill her?" Her voice lightened considerably as though hope had returned for the first brief moment in a long while.
"Yes, we'll make sure the heiress dies," he chuckled, "But what of the others?"
"Leave them be!" she commanded quickly.
"No need to snip, we'll leave the others, alive at least," he said, "Just give a few hours." He disappeared into the night.
She nearly fell back to the ground in bliss. She was going to die, she would die, after all this torture and pain she would die! It was almost enough to make her cry in euphoria, but her eyes were already red enough from wasted tears.
End Chapter
Psychic: Bad Alex! Bad! How could you send an assassin!? (hitting her)
Alex: Ow, ow, ow! Stop that and I'll explain!
Psychic: No! You are evil! Evil and impure to attack Ryuko like that!
Alex: you are a stupid whore sometimes damnit!
Psychic: I don't care! Please review everyone! I would pretty please like three! (continues to beat Alex with a rolled up newspaper)