Disclaimer: I don't own YYH or the characters

Thank you everyone who read and reviewed last chapter, and thank you for the birthday wishes. I had a great birthday :D

I was going to wait to post this for like about a week so it wasn't so many updates close together so I didn't give the impression that I'm uploading every couple of days, but I finished it, next chapter is planned out, I had a job interview today that went well (pray for me), and I'm just overall happy and energetic. So, here's another chapter. Nice and long XD And stuff happens (not that stuff hasn't already been happening).


Agitated was a kind word for describing how Hiei felt after his last encounter with Botan. Once again, he had drawn back, not able to face her after their shared closeness. Hiei remembered waking up on the floor feeling like he had slept in the best conditions for a week, the sweet smell of coconuts reaching his sensitive nose. He shivered as the memory returned to him. Botan had been sleeping against him, looking so innocent and relaxed as if she hadn't entered the lion's den. That would be the best comparison. She had no idea just how much his blood boiled upon feeling her curves pressed up against him, the soft, breathy snores music to his desires. He had almost acted upon it, too. And worse, it took everything he had to pull away, because now he knew that the ferry girl wanted it too.

His eyes shot open, alarmed as he pushed himself towards the tree, yelling out his frustrations as he began his vicious assault. Two voices interrupted his session.

"See, I told you. Every time I see him, he's destroying trees."

"Yes, I see. Whatever could be the matter, Hiei?"

He turned to see the two most meddlesome redhead he ever had the displeasure of knowing. "Fox. Oaf. What do you want?"

"Considering you're having another hissy fit, I think the answer's obvious," Kuwabara stated. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Talking…again? He was in this situation because of talking already. His conversation with the oaf, and then with the woman…Hiei was done talking! "Just leave," the fire demon growled. "That's your only warning."

"Now, Hiei," Kurama chided, "it's all right. We're all friends here."

"Fox, I swear I'll-"

"How about this question. How are you doing?" Hiei scoffed and hardly gave a committal answer to them.

Kuwabara sensed something different about Hiei. He was still highly agitated, but he didn't sense the same level of hatred and bitterness he had detected from the fire demon last time. In fact, something about him felt settled, as if he was coming to terms with his situation with Botan. Even his angered expression looked heatless. To be honest, it appeared that fire demon was pouting and trying to hide an uneasy feeling. Kuwabara was no fool, especially when it came to his spirit sense and matters of the heart. "Did something happen with Botan?" he blurted out, questioning more forcefully. He observed Hiei intensely knowing that any detail would help him decipher his teammate. When the apparition's crimson eyes widened, and an exasperated sneer graced his features, both Kuwabara and Kurama knew the human psychic had hit the nail on the head.

"Go to-"

"Hiei," Kurama interrupted before the fire demon could tell the human off. "Did something happen between you and Botan?"

He was not going to answer. He didn't care how the fox saw the ferry girl. There was no way he was going to tell the sneakiest, nosiest member of their team anything. If he was feeling less agitated, maybe, but he was not indulging the curiosity. He crossed his arms and turned away slightly.

Testing the waters, Kuwabara asked, "How is Botan?"

Again, Hiei's eyes widened. The idiot was not intending to give up this interrogation, was he? His lips tightened and his body tensed. He eventually growled out a "fine" through gritted teeth.

With that knowledge, his two comrades decided not to pry any further. Kuwabara actually felt relief. Something good happened between the two, and most likely Hiei couldn't handle it being his emotionally stunted self. If that cost them a couple of trees, then it was a price well paid. Hiei would adjust soon enough. Besides neither of them wanted to push their luck.

"In any case, this probably isn't the best area for training," Kurama warned. "Many humans frequent this park. I could show you another close to where I live. I frequent that one."

"No thanks," Hiei grunted, though he gave no reason. The truth was this was the closest park to the apartment, and he was certain the redhead knew that. Still, he would not give the smirking fox the satisfaction of proving whatever he was thinking right. "I'll be careful."

"See that you are. Need I remind you of Spirit World and now Demon World law?"

"Hey, give him a break," Kuwabara suggested amicably, smiling. "Hiei never goes back on his word, right? So we don't have to worry."

"Fair enough," Kurama stated. "And with that out of the way, how would you like to join us for lunch, Hiei. We're going somewhere nearby."

"Can't," Hiei remarked. Actually, he was planning on heading back to the apartment, his training having done little to remove thoughts of the ferry girl.

"Oh?" Kurama crooned before smiling knowingly. "You have somewhere to be."

"Meddlesome fox." With that phrase uttered, Hiei was gone from their sight.

Kuwabara looked towards his friend. "I guess we didn't have to worry much after all."

"Agreed. Hiei is certainly full of surprises."

"You can say that again."


"Say it again."

"I love you."

Botan sighed as she turned off the television, the drama she was watching doing little to quell the nerves that flared up out of nowhere. She didn't know why she was feeling this way and attributed it to the mood swings. Keeping productive was what she needed to do. That would get rid of those pesky jitters.

She looked around the apartment and noticed how messy it had gotten. Well, she really hadn't felt up to cleaning the last few weeks, but she really needed to take care of this. Her mind went to the book. There had been a list on how to clean and what not to do when pregnant. She needed to check.

Well, this is no good… she thought as she read the list. She really needed to dust the place, yet she couldn't use anything with chemicals, and that included those dust wipes or the actual spray. She understood it could be toxic, but how was she to get the work done.

The sound of the door opening caught her attention, and Botan beamed at the fire demon. His eyes met hers, his body freezing for a fraction of a second before he entered completely and closed the door. "I'm happy you're here," she told him. The fire demon didn't react, but she was sure he wanted an explanation. "I could really use your help cleaning."

"Why?" Hiei asked. Botan didn't take offense. He probably wanted to understand more for her appeared genuinely curious.

"Well, I can't touch or breathe in any harsh chemicals, and the rooms could use a good dusting," she started to explain. "I haven't even looked into making my own safe cleaning solutions yet. I know I need to get on that. I need to get those cleaning gloves, too. I could run to the store to get those. Oh, let me open the windows first if we're going to clean."

"Woman, I didn't say I would be assisting," Hiei stated, and Botan's countenance fell.

"Hiei," Botan breathed out before frowning. "I'm sorry, but this stuff needs to get done and I can't do this on my own. The book says there's a lot I can't do. I can't even clean out the shower. There's not much, but there's a tiny bit of mold in the corner. I'm not even supposed to go near that. Please, just this once. I'll look into hiring someone if you want, but I just wasn't thinking these last couple of weeks. Also, please take your shoes off over by the door. We're not supposed to wear them."

"Is there anything that stupid human book says you're allowed to do?" Hiei retorted bitterly. "It's pathetic that you follow that thing so religiously. It hardly applies to everything you're dealing with."

"Are you calling me pathetic?" Botan asked, appalled. She narrowed her eyes at the fire demon before she let her anger take over. "You don't want to help, fine! Live in a mess for all I care."

Botan walked away and headed towards her room slamming the door behind her. Hiei cringed at the loud, obnoxious sound before he let out a frustrated breath and shook his head. That little tiff was not something he had planned upon his arrival. For the first time, he actually wanted to just see the woman. He hadn't seen her since the morning after she had fallen asleep against him. Yes, he had been avoiding her, but he figured seeing her couldn't hurt. He hadn't expected for his comment to ignite her wrath. Maybe it was those mood swings again.

What he didn't realize was that he had actually offended her deeply. How could he call her pathetic? It wasn't really her fault that the baby could soak up anything she touched or breathed in. Cleaning wasn't safe for the baby, and she really had forgotten to make the natural cleaners the book suggested. She didn't even have all she needed for that. It was completely insensitive for Hiei to make her feel worse over something she couldn't control.

Well, she'd show him. The next time she was faced with an obstacle this "human book" warned her against, she would show Hiei she wasn't pathetic. She would do the opposite. What was one time?


Her opportunity came later. Botan really wasn't feeling up to cooking anything that evening, dizzy spells coming over her so many times. She suggested to the fire demon that they go out to eat. Hiei was less than enthused about going anywhere where he'd need to interact with the humans, so Botan suggested Yusuke's food cart. At least Yusuke he could tolerate, so Hiei agreed to going with her.

When they exited the apartment, Hiei made his way towards the elevator for he always saw Botan taking the contraption. He looked back to see the woman cautiously stepping down each step. His eyes narrowed. "What are you doing?"

His voice broke her concentration, she nearly stumbled and clutched onto the railing. Her eyes pinned him with a glare, and Hiei was struck by the anger and irritation. "I'm proving I'm still capable of doing things," she said defiantly. "I'm not 'pathetic.' I've only been listening to the book because of the baby, because this is new for me, so I've been following it to a T for him or her. But I won't let you talk down to me just because you don't care."

Hiei was surprised that she was still thinking of his slipup from earlier. Either way, it was none of his business if she wanted to prove herself. She was being too cautious in Hiei's opinion. These books did little to prepare them for anything she had been experiencing so far. Besides, she was acting like a petulant child, trying to make herself feel better thinking that by breaking one rule she was a rebel. She was right. He didn't care. "Whatever. Just know that if your clumsy self falls, I'm not going to help you."

"I didn't ask you to," Botan hissed before she took a few more slow steps down. She could do this, she believed. She at least had a rail, not like at Genkai's. She wasn't running. There weren't even as many stairs. They had a couple flights but that was it, and she was almost down the first flight. She looked back to see Hiei looking away, his arms crossed as he forced himself not to look at her. That was fine by her. If he wanted to act like this, that was his problem, but she would show him. She wasn't as useless as he believed her to be right now.

Then, something changed. Out of nowhere, Botan felt faint, the pressure in her head killing her, and the staircase around her started spinning. Oh no… she thought. She hadn't even considered that a dizzy spell would strike while she was on the stairs. This was bad.

She knew she needed to do something, but her only option would feel she was just being ridiculous. Still, what was more important: her baby or her pride? "H-Hi…Hiei…" her voice sounded too quiet for her. Did the fire demon hear her? She hoped so, for the next thing she knew, she blacked out.

Hiei had heard her and looked over just in time for the woman to close her eyes and fall. Panic took over, and he had hardly any time to consider the implications as he heard her body bounce off the stairs and fall to the ground below. He rushed over to her, the woman unconscious, and he knew that that hadn't come from the fall. She had already passed out. Damn it.

Someone else must have heard for they came to offer assistance. Hiei distrustfully glanced at the old, human male. The man had offered something about calling an ambulance for his girlfriend. Hiei didn't have the strength to correct him. He could only nod and he regarded Botan's face troubled and contorted in pain. Worst of all, he could accept that this was his fault.


Hiei waited outside in the waiting room of the emergency room. He had never felt so lowly, not as he did in that moment. Not only had he insulted the ferry girl which led her to do something incredibly stupid to prove herself, but he just stood and watched her be defiant. He could have called her an idiot and stop her from doing it, but the selfish part of him had actually wanted to see her fail so he could rub it in her face that she really was just that pathetic. He had no idea her body was going to react that way, but it didn't change the fact that he had known it was a possibility. Botan had been complaining about being dizzy all day, kept having to sit down to station herself. He should have paid more attention instead of just writing her off. Now, it was possible that she or the baby could be hurt. He was supposed to protect them from other demons, apparently himself included, and he had failed.

"Hiei." The fire demon's head shot up when he heard the voice of Botan's obstetrician, the one who had told Botan to kick him to the curb. The ferry girl hadn't listened to the woman, but now he was thinking maybe she should have. Then this wouldn't have happened. The woman, Hanako he believed, walked over to her, and she was actually wearing an empathetic smile on her face. "Botan is awake, now. She's ready to see you."

Though his pride wanted him to stay silent, his mouth didn't give a damn. "Is she all right? What about the child?"

"She wasn't that high up on the stairs from what the ER doctor said," she explained, "so it wasn't a bad fall. Sometimes these things happen. She may be a little sore for a while, maybe have a couple bruises wherever she hit, but she's doing just fine. The baby is okay, too. I did a quick ultrasound to show her the baby was all right. She was so frantic." Hiei nodded, but he did not move. Hanako noticed his change in demeanor and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Are you sure she even wants to see me?"

Hanako offered him a sad smile. "Yes, Botan told me about the disagreement you had and why she did what she did. In truth, she feels just as bad about it as you do. Just come inside, and you two can talk things out. I don't think she'll stop crying until she sees you."

That did him in. Once again, the woman was crying, wasting her energy and tears, over him. "It's better if I just leave," he decided.

"I thought that, too, in the beginning," Hanako admitted, "but I've seen the change in Botan. She was very happy when someone told her that her 'boyfriend' was waiting for her. I know that this has all been very complicated for you. It's not often that a demon and a human have a child together."

Hiei's eyes widened in shock, and he looked to the woman in horror. His glare intensified, and he was ready to murder the woman right then and there. "There's absolutely no way she told you that, you witch. Who or what are you, and what do you want from us?" Hanako couldn't help but chuckle. "What?"

"Relax, Hiei," she attempted to pacify. "I'm simply a psychic with an ability to read energies, and I feel and take up the emotions and experience of others. I decided to put that to good use, to help other men and women handle one of the most, if not the most, stressful times in their lives."

"So that's your ability," Hiei growled, not liking that this woman had been lying to them and keeping them in the dark. He was reminded that Kurama had found her interesting. "And what of the fox? Does he know?"

Hanako simply chuckled. "No, he doesn't, and I'm not ready to tell him yet. I could sense a lot about him when our hands touched in the café, so much so that I could peg his mood for the day after one two minute conversation. He's still trying to figure me out, and I'm having quite a bit of fun making him think it's way more than simply being psychic. I trust you won't tell him. I know it would entertain you far too much."

She was certainly right about that. It actually felt good to know something about this woman that the fox did not. After the many times he stuck his nose into Hiei's affairs, the fire demon thought this was just payback. "I won't say a word, but if you know as much as you're letting on, then you should know that Botan isn't exactly human." Hanako seemed taken by surprise for once. "She's a ferry girl from Spirit World who was given a human body."

Hanako's eyes flickered with understanding. "Oh, so that's the weird sense I had gotten from her. I just assumed she was another psychic. In any case, you two aren't the first demon/human pair I've been faced with. It's been happening more and more frequently."

"Whatever," the fire demon scoffed while crossing his arms. He didn't really care about the other couples or what they experienced.


Botan breathed out a sigh of relief. Hanako had been wonderful, reassuring her even when she admitted that she had been the stupid one to take the stairs to prove a point. Her doctor didn't scold or berate her or tell her she was an awful, horrible monster. She probably thought it. What kind of person risked the safety of their child for the sake of an argument? Botan was pretty sure she wasn't ready to be a mother after that point if she was still so childish. Hiei had probably left her after that moment.

Thankfully, she hadn't been higher up. She had been a little passed halfway on the flight when the dizzy spell took over. According to the men who found her and brought her in the ambulance had said that she had fallen on her back which made it even better. Before the ultrasound, Hanako had been assuring Botan that the baby was fine. After all, pregnancy falls happened all the time, and they would be more common in her third trimester when she was larger and her joints were looser. Even though Botan was in pain, her baby was cushioned by so much inside her. The baby was fine, and that made the ferry girl feel a thousand times better.

When the doctor to Hanako that Botan's boyfriend was waiting out there for information, Botan felt her heart skip a beat. Hiei was there? He had stayed with her and was actually waiting to find out if she was okay. Wait, now Hanako would know Hiei had never left! Botan warily looked to her doctor who smiled. That's when Botan had really come clean about the fight and what had made her consider taking the stairs. Tears filled Botan's eyes as the depth of her stupidity hit her full force. Instead of getting mad, Hanako offered to go get him. That did little to calm Botan down. She was certain the fire demon would be angry with her, too.

Footsteps called Botan's attention. She gasped and looked up to see Hiei standing in the doorway, Hanako standing behind him. He didn't look pleased, but that was his normal expression. He went to take a seat next to Botan's bed, refusing to make eye contact with the woman. "So, I explained the situation to Botan, so now let me go into detail with you here," Hanako stated. "As I said, pregnancy falls can happen. In the third trimester, it could happen more often than not. During that time, she'll be much bigger and her center of gravity will shift, not to mention that her joints will be very loose so she won't necessarily be stable. Now, that doesn't mean that we want her to have accidental falls, so Botan, that means no trying to look tough for others. If there's an elevator, take it, and if you have no choice but to take stairs, ask for help."

"Believe me, this will not be happening again," Hiei stated. Botan could hear the underlying tinge of anger and shivered. He was mad at her, most definitely. "Botan will not be trying that again. I'll make sure of it."

"Very good," Hanako responded. "Now, Botan, I'll be seeing you again in my office for a visit in a couple of weeks. At that point, you'll have entered your second trimester. You can read up on it or we can go into detail then. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to call. For the next few days, just take it easy. You'll still probably be a little sore from the fall you took."

"I understand," Botan whispered, looking down in shame. She still felt unbelievably guilty.

Hanako left Hiei and Botan alone, the fire demon still saying nothing to the woman. "H-Hiei…"

"Not here," he curtly stated, Botan's eyes filling with tears once again. He sighed in frustration. "We will talk back at the apartment."

"Okay," Botan accepted, her voice sounding so empty. She figured this was what she deserved for the stunt she pulled. If Hiei decided to leave that night to avoid dealing with her foolishness, then she would understand. He didn't sign on for this.


Back at the apartment, once the door was closed, Hiei really let her have it. "You idiot!" he snapped. "You'd been having dizzy spells all day! What were you thinking?"

Botan shrank into the couch as Hiei stood before her, reprimanding her for her folly. Still, at the same time, he didn't seem truly irate. If anything, he was more concerned than anything else, but that couldn't be right. He made it clear that she and the child meant nothing to him, even if he had admitted that he had desires for her. Her expression softened when he started pacing back and forth in front of the couch. He was clearly agitated. "Hiei, I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking."

His attention shot back to her. "What if I hadn't been there? What if no one else had come out to help? What if that man hadn't called the hospital? What, Botan?" She didn't have an answer, at least not one that he wanted to hear. He turned away, his back facing her, and Botan took that as her opening.

Hiei froze when he felt Botan hug him from behind. She leaned her head against his shoulder, her body pushed up against him. His eyes widened as all rational thought left him. He had been so upset and rattled by her fall that he was tightly wound, and this wasn't helping. Still, he didn't pull away. He just heaved a heavy sigh as she once again whispered an apology. His head dropped down in defeat, and he finally pulled away. He turned to face her, removing her arms from him gently before he started to walk away.

"Get some rest," he ordered when he reached the hall. "You had a big ordeal." With that, he left a very stunned ferry girl. Botan had been surprised by the uncharacteristic concern.

Hiei reached his room and closed the door hard behind him, leaning against the wood. The back of his head hit the door lightly, the realization that his actions and words actually affected Botan and this baby making itself known once again. He should have learned after the last time, his words and avoidance leading the ferry girl into a spiraling depression. Botan had been so sick then, the baby at risk. Now, it had happened again, and it was his fault. He could have said he had better things to do or just walked out of the room, but he had gone and called her pathetic, told her she was listening to a book too much when actually that was probably what she should have done. And now, she felt guilty, and Hiei had made it worse yelling at her. He was just so infuriated with himself for putting them in danger with his callousness.

Swallowing his pride, he made a decision. Things had to change. It was his choice to stay during the course of the pregnancy for protection, not hers. She didn't ask anything of him except for this day when she needed help cleaning. He knew he'd be stepping far out of his comfort zone, but at this point he didn't care. Even though he wouldn't be around after the birth, he needed to be kinder towards her. When he saw her fall, he had worried over the woman and the baby, his core frantic. That had to mean something, whether he stuck around or not.

He was going to take this more seriously.


The days following the fall, Botan really had listened to her doctor and took it easy. There was one problem with that. Her depression had returned full fold. Hiei had come out of the room a bit more, surprisingly bringing Botan snacks and water during the day. At night, he'd sit with her until she decided to go to bed. There was nothing but silence between them, but his presence eased the coil wrapping around her heart.

Hiei didn't know how to handle Botan's change in mood. He had seen her depressed before, and he knew she had fallen in again. He had no idea how to get her out of her slump given the fact that he too felt a heaviness settle in his chest. He was still immensely angry with himself, and he didn't see that changing any time soon. Still, Botan didn't deserve to be in a funk. He needed to figure out how to pull her out of it before she fell back into old patterns.

While she slept on the couch in the middle of the afternoon, Hiei made his way to her room. His book had been useless in terms of telling him what was going on with the woman. All it ever mentioned was how he needed to behave and being mindful of the woman while trying to engage in sex. Was that all human males thought about? If Kuwabara was any indication, maybe not fully.

No, he decided to go for the guide Botan was reading. She had been given clues by the book before and had pulled herself out of depression all on her own. Maybe her book gave more solutions and advice on how to handle things. Upon his first reading, he found he was right on the money. Not only did the book give advice on how to handle depression while pregnant, but it actually gave information on how to handle the side-effects also. It was also very descriptive as to what was happening to her and how the baby was growing. Hiei swallowed thickly, uncomfortably. She was really willing to go through this hell just to birth their child? All the times he believed she was pathetic and weak and lazy and she was actually using all her energy to stay strong enough for the child? He truly was a vile being.

He learned more about human anatomy by reading the book, far more than he ever wanted to know, but he was strangely proud of Botan for getting this far on her own with minimal help. He was thankful towards his sister for all the times she took on the majority of the work around the temple just to let Botan rest and how she made sure the woman was eating.

She needed to know. He needed to tell her what he thought. Maybe that would help her. This depression thing…apparently it was common, even if it was in just a small percentage of the pregnant women. Maybe if she had had a better partner through this, she wouldn't feel so alone. When he read that the depression could be severe and lead to the woman feeling so hopeless that she would have trouble taking care of herself and the baby, Hiei realized that they had already been there at the beginning of his time with her in this.

He read everything on this "prenatal depression," trying to figure out the best way to handle it. It was possible this was a hormonal shift and that the woman would pull out of it again soon, but he had a feeling it had more to her stressful ordeal of falling. The book gave fighting with her partner as an example. Knowing the ferry girl, she also probably felt like she was unfit after that whole experience. Hiei certainly felt that way about himself. His thoughts were actually accurate.

He made a mental note of the symptoms of depression, both minor and major, so he would be able to recognize it in the future with ease. This wasn't the first time, so he knew it wouldn't be the last. He also looked at the solutions and found that talking would definitely be the better option for the ferry girl. Her emotional state was far more important than his at this point. It had only taken him three months to accept that, three months since he had started the affair however drunk he was. He never thought about how she must have felt, never considered she'd end up pregnant. He never even thought she deserved a second glance.

Everything was different now as Hiei read these lifestyle changes that could also help with her mood. This guide suggested some easy fixes like the woman getting plenty of rest or spending time outdoors. It also suggested putting chores on hold, and Hiei was reminded of his own guide that suggested two weeks back taking some of the load off of the woman. She had done what the book suggested by asking him for assistance, and Hiei's brow furrowed. He really had been an asshole.

But that was about to change for the both of them. He was going to help her out of this. The book encouraged exercise to help improve mood, fine. Eating better, well she already was, but he would make sure to enforce it. Spending time with friends and family…that one he might need to work on before he could dive right into that. Right now, he would start with getting the woman to discuss her feelings. Clearly, she hardly did anymore.

He flinched as a thought struck him. If only Mukuro could see him now.


When he exited his room, he found Botan still asleep on the couch, the food he left her untouched. His brows furrowed in concern. Was she really that tired, or was she avoiding his offering to her? Either way, it was time for her to get up.

"Woman," he huffed, his voice only a tad gentler than normal. Botan stirred in her sleep and looked to the fire demon with bleary eyes. "You need to eat."

"Oh," Botan murmured, forcing herself to sit up. She noticed the food on the coffee table and frowned. "You didn't have to…"

"I know," he told her. Deep down, though, he really believed he had needed to leave it for her. He picked up the plate and handed it to her. "Eat."

Botan nodded and picked up the chopsticks, slowly eating her meal. Her skeptical eyes never left Hiei, but his eyes never stopped watching her. He intended to make sure she ate every last bit of food. She finished eating as quickly as she could, mainly to get away from Hiei. She got up to put the plate in the sink, an overwhelming sensation of dizziness taking over. Gripping the front of the sink, she moaned, and Hiei was at her side a second later, catching her before she stumbled. "H-Hiei?"

"Just relax," he ordered. "You're fine. I'm here."

He really was there, one-hundred percent, though Botan probably didn't understand the magnitude of his statement like he did. He had finally surrendered to this, and he wouldn't go back on his mental promise. Regardless of what he thought of her or the child, he was getting them both through this. The child would be born. There was no going back.

He picked her up in his arms, Botan yelping in surprise, and he carried her back to the couch, setting her down. Botan had her arms wrapped around his neck. Their eyes stayed fixated on each other's before he released her and unwrapped her arms from around his neck by gently grabbing her wrists. Botan felt her heart racing as he touched her so tenderly, the pounding getting worse as she watched him walk away to return to the sink. She nearly fell off the couch when she saw him washing the dishes.

When he finished, he returned to her and knelt down in front of her. His eyes were so intense, Botan had to resist the urge to swallow. "What needs to be done around the apartment?" he questioned forcefully.

Botan was too shocked to form coherent words. "Huh…wha…w-what's happening?"

"I'm going to start pulling my own weight," he told her. "I realize that I have been skating by a lot during this whole ordeal. You need help. You've been doing fine on your own, but that doesn't mean you don't need assistance. Tell me what you need me to do and I'll do it."

"Hiei, you don't have to do anythi-"

"If you don't tell me what needs to be done around here, then I'm going to get angry," he warned. "You mentioned dusting. Anything else?" Botan shook her head. "You're sure," he stated for confirmation.

"I'm not even supposed to be around the dusting chemicals," she admitted. "I'm supposed to make some safe cleaners for myself."

"Tell me what you need, and I will go get the supplies tomorrow with Kurama."

Botan was stunned. "Hiei…why?"

"I already told you," he stated, getting up and walking away. "You've been doing fine on your own, but even a strong and stubborn mule such as yourself needs assistance. Rest. I'll be out to check on you in a bit. Drink the water."

Hiei left her, and Botan stared at the empty space where he had been standing. She was in a complete daze. She couldn't believe Hiei had actually offered to help her. If he hadn't complimented her with an insult at the end, she would have thought him to be a different person.

"What just happened…?"


It was the last week of her first trimester, and things had already gotten better. It was wonderful to know her baby was safe and growing. Botan read that the baby's intestines and vocal cords were already developing. That and bones were beginning to form in his or her arms and legs. It was pretty cool. Her little one was on the way to becoming a tiny person inside of her.

Her body was starting to feel pretty good, the fatigue finally leaving her. She still had the occasional dizzy spell, but they started to taper off the last week. She still felt bloated and constipated at time, but she made sure to eat plenty of fruit and drink plenty of juice and that helped ease those symptoms. Of course, there would be other unpleasant symptoms she was sure to face, but, all in all, she was doing much better, and that wasn't even the best part.

She and Hiei had actually found a rhythm.

The first time Hiei started doting on her, things had been tense between the two. Botan had no idea what to expect or what was going on inside the fire demon's head. At the end of the previous week, Botan finally had the courage to ask him. Hiei had taken a seat beside her, refusing to make eye contact, and she learned that he felt just as responsible for her little stunt as she did, if not more so. Botan assured him that she was perfectly capable of making the choice to use the elevator even though he said what he had. Hiei nodded in agreement, but he took back when he said. He had told her she was the furthest thing from pathetic and that he decided to take a page from her book. He confronted her on the depression, and Botan admitted that she believed herself to be too immature to have fallen for a taunt and that she had risked her child's life. Hiei pointed out that they both did that. She didn't know if he heard himself or not, but he had ended that conversation with, "The brat's stuck with us." Since then, Botan had been far too elated to fall back into depression. Hers and Hiei's friendship was back on track.

Of course, that didn't help with that other symptom she was trying to avoid. Since all of the worse side-effects left her, Botan found herself feeling particularly frisky, and she did not want to have a repeat conversation with Hiei about it. She knew it was perfectly normal for her, thanks to the hormones, to want to jump into bed with the baby's father, but they were finally starting to find so peace between them. She didn't want to rock the boat any more than she had already.

At times, though, she noticed him eyeing her chest, and at other times he had found her abdomen to be quite entrancing. She was showing much more, so that was probably all that fascinated him. Either way, it was not the time or place. She didn't think it ever would be even in the future. She and Hiei were from two different worlds, and he had already given up so much to help her this once. No, she wouldn't be what held him back in the future. She was just thankful to have him there now. That was enough.

Apparently, it wasn't enough for Hiei.

After spending the week actively engaged with Botan, Hiei found that a strange calm had settled into his core. It infected him in a way he hadn't anticipated, and he didn't know what to do about it. Being around the woman who was clearly pregnant with his child did something to him, and the more time he spent in her presence assisting her with such menial tasks, the more he actually wanted to do those things. He didn't know if some disease had come over him, but he actually started enjoying her company. They hardly spoke. She didn't go out of her way to make idle chitchat. It just felt natural. If he thought back to all the times they ended up around each other at their friends' gatherings, he'd say it felt like that. But even then he hadn't really cared one way or another if he never saw the woman again. Now, he couldn't get her out of his head. It was different. It was frightening.

His book offered little comfort. Though the woman's book was about her bodily changes, his was written to a man who didn't exist, someone who was planning a life with their significant other and apparently really sexually active with the soon-to-be mother. It wasn't to the one who accidentally sired a child and didn't plan to be involved in its rearing. It wasn't to a man who kept thinking of a woman he couldn't be with.

The only sound advice it gave for the week was getting more involved. Hiei knew it was foolish. He needed to steer clear of the woman and the baby. She hardly ever spoke to him about the baby now, simply settling for their comfortable silences or asking him about his training. Wait, why had she even asked him about that? Well, at least it hadn't let to empty conversation. Somehow, they actually did get to reminiscing about past cases and events. It had been strangely pleasant.

The book made it sound like it was the woman who was leaving him out of all the pregnancy talk and all, but Hiei had been the one to tell her that he wasn't interested. The part where it said that she may be hesitant to speak of it was probably more accurate, though not for the topic "burning out" but leading to something equally fiery. She probably thought she'd anger or upset him, but for the first time he actually wanted to see things through. He had made a mental pledge, after all, to not let her deal with this alone.

The two had been sitting in the living room one night when he made desires known. "When is your next appointment?"

Hiei had spoken the question out of nowhere. Actually, he had come to sit with her after she had another fleeting dizzy spell. She froze when the question was asked, nearly falling over in shock before she met his impassive eyes. "Why?"

His answer took her breath away. His face remained stoic as he informed her, "I would like to go." The perplexed look followed by a warm smile on the woman's face gave him his answer. He recognized that he was making the right decision.


A/N: So, as always, one step forward, a couple back, more forward, then back and forth on resolve. That sounds like our favorite fire demon XD Anyway, hope you enjoyed! I'll try to get started on the next chapter soon, but I make no promises. The next couple weeks are busy, but if I find time, then yay!