Disclaimer: I don't own YYH or the characters…if I did, I wouldn't be writing fanfiction *nods*

Sorry for taking forever to update, but the end of the semester was nuts and I can't remember if I said that I injured myself. *shrugs* Oh well. I have no regrets because as I wait for one more grade, I have one B in physics and the rest A's, so I'm happy. Now that it's summer, and I will be getting knee surgery, that means more updates for you :)

Things were going really well for me after my father told me he knew. I didn't have to sneak around. Sometimes he even drove us so we didn't have to take a train. The semester was winding down, as well, which was good because if I had to read anymore from a textbook, I think I'd want to rip my eyes out. Although, I was very testy as I studied for my finals. Hiei didn't really understand why, but he accepted my behavior when I told him that the only thing stopping me from being a volunteer to officially making this my job was a degree. After that, he dropped it and even tried to help me study.

"I don't understand this stuff," Hiei told her while looking at the organic chemistry book.

"Join the club," I muttered. "I just want a B at least in this class. I'm telling you it's made up."

Hiei chuckled. "Hn. Humans make everything more complicated."

"Tell me about it," I replied. "I mean seriously. I'm taking this class because it's required, but it has nothing to do with my degree." I shook my head. Don't get me wrong, I liked chemistry, but organic is seriously just a bunch of made up equations we had to memorize. How was that gonna help protect sea creatures?

"So, when is all of this over?" Hiei asked. He wanted the summer to come just as much as I did. Then we could train more and spend more time together with my brother and his sister, although Sorin still had a few more weeks of school after me.

"Next Thursday is my last final, thank goodness," I explained. I smirked and leaned against him. "Then I'm all yours."

He returned my smirk. "Oh really?" Then he did something that surprised me. He licked my neck.

I had no idea what was going on so I pushed him away. "What the heck was that?" I asked nervously.

Hiei looked a little confused and hurt and then looked away from me. "Hn," he muttered, which I took as an "I'm sorry."

My facial expression softened a bit. "Just tell me why you licked me," I pleaded.

"I forget sometimes that you are not a demon," he admitted. I took that as a complement since that meant he didn't think I was weak. "It's nothing."

"If you don't tell me I'll either force my way into you mind or ask Kurama," I said giving him an ultimatum. "Your call."

"Fine!" he snapped. "I was asking you to be my mate!" With that, Hiei stormed off.

I sighed. If I had known, I wouldn't have been so freaked out. In fact, I would have returned his gesture. We were both in love with each other and I couldn't imagine being with anyone else, even if they weren't a bipolar fire demon.

I finished my studying over the next few hours and then got into bed, hoping Hiei would come back. I didn't even do anything to chase him off this time. Seriously, I couldn't win with him at times.

I was already asleep when he came back, but I'm sure he noticed that I cried myself to sleep that night. I was pretty sure that he hated me now for accidently rejecting him. I didn't even wake up when he got into bed.

"Abby," he whispered. My eyes twitched, but I didn't respond. "Abby, get up," he said a little louder.

My eyes snapped opened and I shot up, gasping for air. I had just had a terrible nightmare, one that I wouldn't be sharing for a long time. I turned to face him and forced myself to choke back tears of joy. I latched onto him and laughed, trying to hide the fact that I was crying, but he knew. I felt his hand in my hair, gently stroking in attempts to calm me down.

I looked up into his eyes with my tearstained ones as he returned my stare with his slightly confused and apologetic gaze. I wanted him to know that I wanted to accept his request to be mates, so I took him by surprise when I licked his neck. I stared at his face to gage his reaction. He was shocked, stunned into silence, but then relaxed as he repeated his earlier action, much slower than before. I had to bite my lip to avoid sighing in contentment as his repetitively kissed my neck. He stopped though and I glared at him. I knew why he was stopping, though.

"Get some sleep, onna," he said with a small smile plastered on his face. "You have a test early in the morning."

"Don't remind me," I said bitterly making him shake with silent laughter. I smiled as he put his arms around me and pulled me close to him. I fell asleep to the gentle breathing of my future mate.

"Abby, Hiei, get up!" Sorin said jumping on us in the morning. I was thankful for my little alarm clock.

"We're up," Hiei breathed out as he woke up. I noticed that ever since most of our problems had been resolved, he slept more, or at least became more relaxed. It was a change from when I first met him. Maybe he never slept for long periods of time before he met me. Maybe he just didn't trust anyone before me. Either way, I was incredibly happy with the change.

The final was challenging, but I knew I aced it by the time I was done and then I left the building and grabbed my bike.

"Abeline, wait up!" I turned to see Tsuki headed my way.

"Yeah?" I asked monotonously. Yeah, he apologized, but that didn't mean we had to become best friends or anything.

He sighed. "I just wanted to let you know that I'm having an end of the year party this weekend and you're welcome to come. It's a pool party at my house."

I thought about it for a moment, but I decided that I'd rather go train at Genkai's and celebrate with my friends and family. "Sorry, but I'm already doing something this weekend with mine and Hiei's friends and family. Another time."

"You could all come to the pool party," he said with a genuine smile. "What do you think?"

"I guess I'll think about it," I told him. "I'll let you know."

He smiled and ran off, waving back as he left. It was interesting seeing as we hated each other a few months ago for many, many years. I figured I would tell Hiei, but also say that I really didn't want to go. Like I said, I'd rather be with a family and that's what we all were, a family.

I got home and found my father and Hiei doing some yard work. When my father saw me, he nodded over to Hiei, I'm guessing that he could take a break, and my firebug came over to me and motioned for us to go inside.

I made some lunch for myself since he had already eaten with dad. I didn't even need to bring up the pool party as Hiei had already read my thoughts.

"We should all go," he said resulting in me nearly choking on my food.

"Repeat that," I said with a hoarse voice, still coughing from my lungs being irritated by food.

"We should go," he repeated. "All of us."

"Why the hell would you ever want to go to a human pool party? I mean humans, water…aren't those like your two least favorite things?"

Hiei moved behind me and started nuzzling against my neck in the spot where he licked me the previous night. I gasped when I felt him because it felt more sensitive. I knew I would have to ask him about that later. "I fell in love with a human," he reminded me, "and she just happens to love the water. I think I can put up with humans and water for another night, don't you?"

"Mm-hm," I sighed as he started kissing my neck. This time I stopped him. "Let me go put my bag upstairs."

Hiei growled, but when I looked at him, he looked amused. I smirked and winked at him before high-tailing it from the kitchen.

I started getting my textbooks together to sell back since finals were over and got lost in thought while doing so. It was still strange that Hiei would want to go to Tsuki's party after everything he knew about the guy. I had told him before how he used to hit on me and how he and his father gave me problems. Maybe Hiei wanted to "talk to" Tsuki, which wouldn't surprise me. But then that made me think…why would Tsuki want to invite me to his party? We were on speaking terms, yeah, but we were far from friends. And to allow Hiei and our friends who he didn't know to come…what was his game?

Well, I got my answer when my eyes caught a glance at my tabletop calendar. I nearly fainted when I saw what this weekend was…Mother's Day. I doubled over and grasped onto my desk chair. With all the studying and finals, I had completely forgotten. That was why everyone was trying to distract me, maybe by forcing me to have fun. I wouldn't even have known. I mean, it's not like I had seen commercials for it since I had been studying, training, and spending time with Hiei and Sorin.

Now I just wanted to run, as far away from the house as possible. I'd be back, but I just needed to be alone for the moment…something Hiei never liked me to be ever since that night I nearly fell.

I took a move from his book and decided to climb out my window, grab my bike, and go as far as my legs would take me.

I decided to stop by the rescue hospital and saw that it was closed up for the day. I knew how to get in, though, and saw that it wasn't completely devoid of life. The dolphin I had helped rescue was in trouble, and the fishermen that worked for Tsuki's father were the cause.

"What the hell are you doing?" I shouted angrily. "Get the hell away from that dolphin!"

"Oh look, it's the little bitch that made our boss go soft," one of the men taunted. He sounded drunk and stupid. Why am I not surprised?

"I won't tell you again," I said in a dark whisper. "Leave her alone!"

The men surrounded me and I noticed how outnumbered I was, not like I wasn't usually. There were three guys that all smelled of alcohol. Then I thought to what they said about Tsuki's father. He went soft? Did that mean he finally started treating the creatures of the sea with the kindness and respect they deserved? I smiled at the thought and didn't see the predatory glances I was getting from the men. I dodged when one tried to grab me, but another caught me.

All I remember before blacking out was calling out for Hiei verbally and mentally.

Hiei was worried. He had gone up to check on Abeline when she hadn't come down. The room was empty and the only way she could have gotten around him was by going out the window and concealing her energy. The only hint he had that she was upset was the textbooks on the floor and the calendar page next to the textbooks. Hiei now knew that she knew.

It had been her father's idea to keep the whole "holiday" away from her. Sorin didn't have a choice since he was surrounded by children making cards for their mothers. Abby was so busy, though, that there was no way she would have remembered, and with all the problems she had had, her father wanted to keep it that way.

Hiei so desperately wanted to remind her because he knew she would have to face it sooner or later, and, when she did, he would be there to support her. Now she was upset and who knew where, not thinking and most likely getting herself into more trouble. Hiei didn't wait. Abby may have covered her energy, but her scent was still fresh around him. Maybe he'd be able to track her that way.

He had been right outside the hospital when he heard the desperate shout of his name.

I couldn't remember a time where I was more relieved and happy to see Hiei other than when I returned home from America. When I opened my eyes, the other guys were unconscious and Hiei was holding my head in his lap.

"Hey, firebug," I whispered with a smile on my face.

"What were you thinking, onna?" he asked me gently, and I could hear in his voice how worried he was.

I felt his hands brush my bangs away from my forehead as he traced comforting circles atop my head.

"We need to call the cops," I told him. He nodded. He watched me weakly reach for my cell phone before picking it up himself and dialing my contact at the police department.

"Officer Lynn," I heard off the phone. Hiei at first said nothing. "Abby?"

"Get to the rescue center now," Hiei demanded before hanging up the phone. I chuckled at his antics. I definitely needed to work on his people skills before the party.

When Officer Lynn got there, she almost thought that Hiei was the one who broke in and attacked, but when I refused to let go of him, she knew he was my rescuer. She ended up arresting the other three as they woke up and then asked if I needed any medical attention.

"No," I replied honestly. "I just passed out from stress, I'm sure. I just want to go home." Odd since I wanted so much to get away an hour ago.

I officially introduced her to Hiei and told her that he was my boyfriend and had gotten me away from the fishermen. I also told her that Tsuki's dad wasn't responsible for the attack and that they were actually mad at him. She made a note of it and left Hiei and me alone to check on damages and lock up.

I went over to the dolphin and pet her head. She chirped at me, letting me know that she was alright.

"Are you alright?" Hiei asked, though he wasn't asking about the three thugs that attacked the hospital.

"Why didn't anyone tell me?" I asked him. "I mean, I would at least expect you to say something."

"I wanted to," Hiei admitted, hugging me from behind. "Your father didn't want to bring this weekend to your attention. He thought it would be worse for you."

"As opposed to me finding it out on my own looking at a calendar?" I sighed. "I…I still miss her."

"I know," Hiei said against my neck. "I should have warned you. Do you still want to go to the party?"

I shook my head. "Not really, but I guess I should. I don't know."

Hiei spun me around to face him. He smirked at my surprise before pulling me in for a kiss. It felt different from our other kisses. It was relaxed but firm, passionate but playful; it was full of love and comfort. I instantly felt better. Then out of nowhere, the two of us were splashed by the dolphin in the pool.

Hiei glared at the dolphin. "That thing is lucky you care about it so much."

I laughed and kissed his cheek. "You know, maybe we'll skip the pool party and do something special with the others."

"What do you have in mind?" Hiei asked.

"Genkai lives near a beach, right?" Hiei nodded. "Let's have a beach party. It's a private beach, so we won't have to deal with crowds. It'll be perfect."

Hiei nodded in agreement and smirked at me. "Whatever you want, onna. I'll let the others know."

"Did I ever tell you how wonderful you are?" I sighed dreamily.

Hiei smiled, but didn't say anything. Instead he started leading me out of the hospital, locking it up. He came over to me on the sidewalk and took my hand in his, lacing our fingers together. I looked from our entwined hands to his loving gaze. For that short moment, I didn't even remember what I was so upset about in the first place.

A/N: I wasn't even planning the Mother's Day thing until, well today. Anyway, I hope the chapter ended on enough of a happy note…wouldn't want to depress everyone unlike the TV shows and movies on tonight…I mean really -_-