Disclaimer: I don't own YYH, the characters, the plot...really anything related to the series. I only own my OCs

A month had gone by since Shuichi told her about the upcoming tournament. Kaili was getting used to covering for him while he was training with Kuwabara and Hiei. Keiko and Kaili hung out a lot since Yusuke had gone somewhere in the mountains to train with someone Kaili didn't know. She made sure not to mention anything to Keiko because Shuichi warned her that Yusuke wasn't planning on telling the girl yet.

Shiori had recently gotten Kaili a cell phone so that she could get in contact with either her or Shuichi while she was out. Shiori didn't really know why her son wasn't spending time with Kaili when a month ago they had been inseparable, but Kaili never seemed to have a problem with it and even offered to take up a few of Shuichi's daily chores.

Kaili was happy about the new cell phone. She called her mom a few more times a week; however, things were no better at home. The anger management classes hadn't helped Chris one bit, her father wasn't any better than when he had first gotten there, and her mother was starting to give up on him. Kaili supported whatever her mother wanted to do. She was almost thankful that she never asked Shuichi to go meet him somewhere with her. It seemed like he really was just as bad as she thought him to be.

"What do you think about this top?" Keiko asked.

"I think Yusuke would be drooling on you," Kaili answered with a laugh. "Are you sure that's what you want?" The two girls chortled together. It was nice to get out every once in a while to just shop and kick back with a friend.

"You're right," Keiko said. "I should probably go with something a little more conservative."

"So, have you heard from Yusuke?" Kaili questioned. She had to keep up the guise that she had no idea where he was.

"His mother got a letter from him." Kaili gave Keiko a disbelieving look. "Yeah, that's what I said too. Anyway, he says that summer camp is fun. I honestly think he's on another mission with the crazy detective agency."

Botan had told Kaili the story she told Keiko, so Kaili knew what she was talking about. "I'm sure it's fine, Keiko."

"Yeah, I know," she said. "I just wish he would tell me what was going on like he tells the guys. He can trust me."

Kaili put her hand to Keiko's shoulder. "He does trust you, Keiko. He's just a boy. They're all dense."

Keiko smiled. "You're talking about Shuichi now, aren't you?"

"I seriously don't get how after so much time, he still doesn't realize I have feelings for him…but I guess I can understand. I don't know if he has feelings for me. I also don't know if I'm ready to take the step past friends or not. The only relationship I have to go by is my mom's and dad's and that one isn't going anywhere."

"So I take it your brother is still a problem?" Keiko asked with concern.

Kaili nodded solemnly. "Yeah, and I can't even go home because of it. But I don't even see it as my home anymore. I haven't told my mom that, though. She'd probably be so upset."

"What happened to the military school thing?" Keiko asked.

"I left to prevent that from happening. He would have hated me more if he had been forced there."

Keiko put her hand on Kaili's. "Don't worry, Kaili. We've all got back on this one."

"Thanks."

Kaili decided to take a walk at the park. She hadn't felt off all day, like she had recently been feeling. She walked as far as Shuichi had taken her that one time. Turning around she heard some rustling of leaves and looked behind her. No one was there. Kaili started to get that feeling again, but different. When she turned back around she saw Hiei.

"Oh, hi Hiei," she said visibly relaxing.

"Hn. What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Just walking," she answered. This was probably the first conversation she was having with this guy. "I'm about to go back, so I'll leave you to your training."

"What are you planning to do?" he asked.

Kaili looked at him, confused as all hell. "I just said I was leaving."

"Not that!" Hiei snapped. "I know you know about me and Yukina. What are you planning to do?"

"Absolutely nothing," Kaili answered honestly. "It's not my place to tell her. Besides, I don't know if I'll ever see her again so when do you think I would tell her?"

"Hn. Whatever." And with that, Hiei left.

"He is such a strange guy," Kaili whispered as she began walking back to the park entrance.

Kurama had been training with Kuwabara all day, and the human was making subtle improvements, but more needed to be done. It was a good thing that they had two more months to go.

"So, Kurama," Kuwabara called to his friend.

"Yes, Kuwabara?"

"How's it going with that girl, Kaili?" he asked. "Before Urameshi left he kept making all of those jokes about you two. Anything happening there?"

"Not at the moment," Kurama said. I'd really like to change that, though.

"Bummer. She seems really nice." A different idea struck the redhead then. "Hey, do you think there's a way to make my Spirit Sword longer without getting dizzy?"

Kurama smiled at his new student. "When there's a will, there's a way."

Kaili walked down the street to Shuichi's house. She noticed that Shiori's car wasn't there.

She must be out getting groceries, Kaili thought as she searched for her key. Shuichi still had another hour of training to go with Kuwabara. It meant she'd be left to her own devices for a little while.

Kaili finally found her key; but the moment she did, she felt off again. She thought that she felt someone standing directly behind her, so she turned only to find her brother.

"Chris," she choked out. Kaili didn't really like being afraid of her brother. They had always been close until he started getting angry all the time.

"Finally, you come home," he spat. "It was getting so tiresome following you around."

He was stalking me? Oh, that's it!

"Stalking your sister, Chris? That's an all-time low, even for you."

"Shut up!" Chris yelled. Kaili winced at the sound of his voice. "How dare you stay away from home this long? You've worried mom, upset dad, and pissed me off. What gives you the right to cause so much trouble?"

Kaili nearly started crying, but she had worked hard to get her attitude back and she wasn't backing down now. Blinking back her tears, she was determined to stand her ground. "No, what gives you the right to treat me the way that you did, the way that you are now? I have a restraining order against you. What are you even doing here? Do you want to go to jail? Then you don't have to worry about mom and dad or where the hell I am. Just leave me alone!"

Kaili realized she shouldn't have said that much when her brother threw a punch at her.

Kurama was walking home from his and Kuwabara's training. They had gotten done an hour early, mostly because Kuwabara could barely stand when they were done with their spar. Kurama had warned him that he wasn't going to go easy on him.

He stopped at the corner of the street when he heard Kaili's voice say, "Leave me alone!" His eyes widened as he ran around the corner. He arrived right at the moment Chris's fist met Kaili's face.

Kaili saw Shuichi run up and tackle her brother down, somewhat surprising since her brother was a football player, but she knew Shuichi was much stronger. Chris was yelling at Shuichi to get off of him, but Shuichi didn't budge. Instead he punched Chris in his face.

"How dare you-?"

Shuichi cut him off. "No, how dare you hit your sister? She's never done anything to you!"

Kaili knew Shiori would be home soon, so she did her best to get Shuichi away from her brother.

"Shuichi, come on. He's not worth it."

He heard her and reluctantly got off her brother, but not without kicking him in the side first. "Get off our property," Kurama said darkly, glaring down at the teenager. "And don't even think about coming back. If you do, believe me, I will not be afraid to kill you." Kaili shivered. She knew he was serious when he got like that.

"I can't wait to report you for this," Chris said.

Kaili glared at him. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," she said bitterly. "You would have to admit that you broke the restrictions of the restraining order. I'd be questioned and I'd explain that Shuichi was defending me."

"You'd turn in your own brother?" he asked angrily.

"Just like you'd punch your own sister. I think it's pretty safe to say that you're not my brother…not the one I remember."

Chris glared at the two before muttering something they couldn't hear and leaving. Kaili unlocked the door and she and Shuichi went in. Her face really hurt from Chris's punch and before she could say anything, Shuichi handed her an ice pack, some pain killers, and a glass of water.

"Thanks," Kaili said softly.

"It's nothing," Kurama said, his voice still just as deadly as it was towards Chris. He wasn't kidding when he said that sometimes after he battled, he retained some of his aggressiveness.

Kaili went to sit down on the couch and Shuichi followed her. He sat down next to her and seemed to be very close to her.

Kaili chuckled lightheartedly and said, "Shuichi, you don't have to be all protective over me. Chris is gone and I'm fine."

"I know," he told her, "but it shouldn't have happened and I'm not going to let it happen again."

"Don't do anything rash," Kaili pleaded. "I don't want him dead or anything."

"I won't kill him unless he harms you again in any way," the fox responded.

Kaili put the ice pack to her face and leaned closer to Shuichi. She kissed his cheek and he instantly went out of killer mode. He put his hand to his cheek and looked at Kaili who had her eyes closed.

"What was that for?" he asked.

"For saving me, again."

Kurama watched her as she fell asleep and wondered what he was going to tell his mother. She wouldn't be happy knowing that Kaili's brother caused her physical harm. Hell, he wasn't happy about it. He gently stroked her arm and tried not to think about what would have happened if he hadn't been done with his and Kuwabara's training.

Then he thought about what she said before she fell asleep. Saving her again? He didn't even remember saving her a first time. Yes, he stepped in a few times before when Chris verbally harassed her, but he never considered that as "saving her."

What could she possibly mean by that? he wondered as he heard his mother pull into the driveway. Boy, did he have some explaining to do.