Disclaimer: I don't own YYH

Why Not

Chapter Fourteen: Change of heart

X -x-x-x-x- X

It wasn't possible. It just wasn't possible. There was no way she was that fast. There was no way she could have jumped in front of his blade. No way.

But it was.

One minute he was charging at the boy and the next - she was in front of him.

His rage had blocked his sight for those few seconds, and before he realized it his blade had run into her. Straight into her stomach and out her back. His eyes widened in shock and horror and he gasped. "B-Botan..." His voice was a whisper.

"Don't," she choked. "Don't...kill him. It won't change anything." Hiei could only stand there breathing hard. She smiled weakly and grabbed the hilt of his sword. She tugged on it and both of them knew what had to be done.

He gripped it tight and pulled it out slowly making her gasp and cry in pain. When it was out she grabbed his shoulders in order not to fall. He dropped the sword and held her up by her arms.

"Hiei - I..." She gasped. Her eyes went murky and they rolled back as her body fell limp.

It was at that moment Hiei found his voice. "Botan! No, stay awake! Wake up! BOTAN!"

Ikio gasped at what he saw. Hiei was yelling and cursing as he lowered her to the ground.

He looked at Ikio and his eyes were full of panic. "You! Go get some help!"

"What?"

"Help her, damn it!"

Ikio's eyes widened. This - this is what he wanted. To make him suffer. To see him in pain. He wanted to enjoy this. He should enjoy this. But no matter how hard he tried he-couldn't. This woman was kind and gentle and had done nothing to him. In fact she sacrificed herself to save him.

He just stood there with a dumbfounded look on his face. Like a deer in headlights.

"Did you not hear me?! HELP HER!"

"I-I...Oh - OKAY!" He ran out of the room like a panicked child shouting for help.

Hiei turned back to the ferry girl in his arms. "Why did you do that?" He whispered to her. "Why?"

"Is this it?" Yusuke asked.

"Yes, this is where I sensed Hiei's energy. He definitely shot the dragon," Kurama said.

Yusuke was having trouble walking so Kurama was helping him up. Kuwabara had a sprained ankle but he said Urameshi needed the help more so he limped along.

They looked at the huge mansion and Kuwabara had a feeling something was wrong. "Hey guys? I think we should hurry up."

"I can't find anybody! Did you kill them all?!" Ikio shouted.

Hiei's face fell. Well, not all of them. Surely there was someone here who could heal her. "You liar! You want her to die!"

Ikio just stared.

Hiei roared in rage and left Botan on the floor. He charged the boy with his bare claws, black energy of the dragon surrounding him.

Ikio just stood there. He felt no anger. Where was it? Where was the darkness he relied upon?

Hiei grabbed his collar and raised his claws to remove his face when -

A strange sound came into the room. It was like electricity sparking. Hiei looked around and in the far corner a black void was forming.

"What the hell?"

The void pulsated and red energy exploded out of it. A form stepped out and Ikio instantly know who it was.

"REN!"

She looked up and gasped. What luck to arrive here! Her happiness was squashed at what she saw. It was him with Ikio's collar in his hand. His other hand was raised at his face and his energy was erratic. Her eyes burned and she stood up. "LET HIM GO!" She screamed. She ran to him with her fists glowing red.

Hiei's eyes widened and he dropped the boy. He was ready to fight her when he felt it. "Oh, God. Not now." His eyesight got blurry and his knees began to knock.

She got close to the weakening jaganshi and gasped when she got in front of him. "What are you doing?!"

Ikio was standing in front of Hiei with his hands out. "Stop! She needs your help!" He pointed to Botan and Ren looked shocked.

"Ikio?"

"Help her! Please Ren? Please?" She hadn't heard that in years.

She blinked and smiled. "Alright." She went to Botan and looked over her injury.

It wasn't that bad. She herself had seen worse. She smirked. Just what had happened when she was gone?

Her hands glowed a gentle red instead of the murderous color from before. She brought it up to her stomach and the energy pulsed as it entered the ferry girl's body healing her.

"Why?" Hiei asked.

"Because she saved me."

"I see. You're even."

"No, Hiei. I will never be even." He turned and looked at him. His eyes were not dark and evil but somber and sad. "I will never forgive you." He turned back around and watched Ren heal this woman.

"I know."

"How many fucking halls do you need?!" Yusuke gasped as he ran, which was getting increasingly painful.

"And they're all tacky!" Kuwabara joined.

Kurama sniffed and gasped. Blood. Female blood mixed with Botan's scent. "This way!" His tone was panicked and Yusuke gasped as Kurama yanked him along, no longer supporting him.

"I'm gonna split!" He whined as Kuwabara groaned and panted behind him. They reached the main hall and they all gasped. Hiei was kneeling at Botan's side as-Ren? - healed her. "Didn't we kill you?!" Yusuke shouted in shock.

"No, you sent me to another dimension." Her energy pulsated and died. "I'm done. She'll be alright now." Her eyes locked with Hiei's. This was the one who did it. This was the man who killed Ikio's family. And yet, Ikio protected him. Why? Why after all this time, after hearing him so many nights pledge Hiei's death, would he just give up and let him live? Was it this woman?

"Tha - "

"Finish that and I'll gut you. I only did it for Ikio. You are scum."

Hiei nodded as she rose and walked back to her master/son.

"Uh, what's going on?" Yusuke asked clearly confused.

Ikio looked at the famous group and snickered. "You really did a number on them, huh, Ren?"

Ren shrugged and looked at her tattered and torn clothing. "No more than they did me."

"Hello? Someone wanna tell us what the hell is going on?"

"The woman was injured and I healed her," Ren said with no emotion.

"But aren't you the bad guys?"

"No," Hiei said as he rose holding Botan bridal style. "They have every right to hate me. But I do ask that you not attack my fiends anymore. If you want me then you have me." He said turning to Ren and Ikio.

"Friends?" Yusuke asked.

"Shut up."

Ikio and Hiei just stared at each other for a while. "No. I won't hurt anybody anymore. I thought hurting you would take away the pain, but it won't. It just brings more. No. I won't be like you." He turned and began to walk out, a little bit of plaster falling behind him. "Get out and don't ever come back." He walked out with Ren behind him.

When they were gone, all exchanged looks.

"Again. What the hell just happened?"

"What the hell just happened?" Ren asked in a hushed tone.

"That woman saved me. She jumped in front of his blade to save me. Someone who threatened her and promised her friend's death. It was in that moment that I knew. I knew killing wasn't going to change anything. If he killed me it wouldn't take away what he had done, and if I killed him it wouldn't bring my family back. Sure I wanted him to suffer and he did. But...an innocent shouldn't die because of me...I - God what was I thinking?"

"Oh, Ikio." She grabbed him from behind and hugged him tightly. "I am so proud of you."

"Thanks...Mom..."

Pink eyes opened and blinked furiously. "Mmm..." She moaned.

She felt something move beside her and she turned to focus on it.

She gasped lightly as she stared into his crimson orbs.

"Hiei..." She whispered.

"How do you feel?"

She took in a breath and sat up. "Pretty good!" She chirped. "What happened?"

His eyes lowered. "I - hurt you..."

"Hiei..."

"I hurt you, Botan. Not just physically, but emotionally. I - I'm sorry..."

Her eyes became saucers. Not only did he just say her name, but he was apologizing. "Oh, Hiei. I forgive you."

He looked back up at her and her eyes were shining.

"You - forgive me?"

"Of course I do. The fact that you came to rescue me proves you care. I just don't know why you would..."

"Botan. It - It's hard to explain." She looked at him begging for the truth. "I wish I could tell you it wasn't me. It was. Keno Fuugiya betrayed the family and hired us all to do the job. He hired me only to kill the family. He was the one who left the window unlocked to his sister's room." He stopped with a deep loathing in his eyes.

"Go on."

"I killed her in her sleep. I slit her throat. Immediately I felt sick. I went to see Keno and we - had an argument. I told him I wouldn't do his bidding. Hard to believe killing a simple child would have that effect on me, huh? He - said some things to make me angry and I charged him to kill him. He injected me with a drug called Sepi which draws out the darkness in one's soul. I blacked out. When I woke up I found them all mutilated. The good news is Keno got his as well. Even though it was a drug and I blacked out it was still me. It drew out the blackness and hate within my heart, so for all intents and purposes it was me. The real me..."

"Hiei...It wasn't." He looked confused. And she smiled. "I've heard of Sepi and Reikai has files on it. It doesn't draw out evil from your soul. No drug can affect your soul. Sepi instead makes you do insane barbaric things. It takes chemicals in your brain and turns you into a monster. It has nothing to do with evil. Sepi would do the same thing even to me." Her voice was reassuring and Hiei said nothing.

All these years he thought it was him. But if Sepi was merely a mind altering drug then...

"It doesn't matter. I still killed the girl of my own free will."

"Then can you make up for that." She squeezed his hand and smiled.

He smirked and sighed. "Why are you always so optimistic?"

"Hmm? I just am. It's better than being moody!" She said with a laugh.

"Why did I make them save you?" He said with a chuckle.

"Oh? Well, then Hieim you can just leave!" She said with fake anger crossing her arms and looking away.

"I'm not going anywhere." She looked at him and blushed. "I will never leave you again." He lifted his hand and brushed back a strand of her hair from her face.

Her arms uncrossed and she blushed harder as his hand traced her face. She brought her hand up to his and held it tightly.

That's when he leaned in.

~TBC