Unpredictable

"Talking"

Thoughts

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho!

Chapter 14: Identity Revealed

--

"Yusuke, I think I'm going to do it," Botan said as she wrung her hands nervously and looked to Hiei's office door.

"Do what?" He mumbled through a mouthful of bagel as he turned on his computer, not really paying attention to the distraught assistant in front of him.

"I'm going to thank Hiei properly for standing up for me yesterday."

He made a choked noise and quickly swallowed, attention fully gained. "You what?" With a mind as perverted as Yusuke's and with the obscurity of Botan's statement, it was no wonder why the black-haired man was suddenly spluttering. Add to that the fact that Botan actually looked anxious over it and Yusuke began to panic. How exactly did she plan on showing her gratitude?

"You heard me; I'm going to give him a proper thanks," she reiterated.

Yusuke grabbed her shoulders tightly, his brown eyes boring into her own intensely. "Please tell me you're not about to do what I think you're going to do."

"I'm just going to thank him. And…" Botan trailed off nervously.

"And?" Yusuke insisted impatiently.

"I'm thinking of telling him how I really feel about him," the assistant revealed, her gaze avoiding his.

"Oh thank god. I thought you were about to-" Yusuke stopped suddenly. "You're going to what, now?"

"It's just…" Botan sighed. "Lately, I've been having this really awful feeling, like something bad is about to happen."

Yusuke raised an eyebrow. "Newsflash: the company is in shambles. How much worse could it get?"

"I don't know, but I feel like if I don't tell him soon… I won't ever get the chance to." Botan looked down, her bangs covering her eyes slightly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Yusuke asked.

"I really don't know," she answered sullenly. "But if I tell him, maybe I'll stop feeling this way."

"And what if he doesn't exactly feel the same?" Yusuke questioned seriously. "What will you do then?"

Botan smiled slowly. "Then I'll just take Shizuru's advice."

"You're not going to kill him are you?" He quickly glanced at her hands to see if she was holding a letter-opener or any other sharp object, and breathed easy when he realized her hands were empty. "Because, even though he acts like a bastard, we kinda need him to run this company…"

Botan giggled at his ludicrous conclusions. "No silly! I'll just move on. It'll be for the best, right?"

"If you say so," Yusuke nodded. "Good luck, you're gonna need it."

"Thanks," she said with a smile as she held her head up high and walked towards Hiei's door.

"Botan," Kurama's mellow voice cut through her concentration. "Kuwabara and Shizuru are already on some errands, would it trouble you to…"

The blue-haired assistant had already tuned him out with a small pout. Was this going to be just like the time she tried to confront Hiei about his mother? Just about everyone pulled her away from the task at hand and it took her forever to get it out with already.

"I'll do it, Kurama," Yusuke said as he walked up to Kurama and Botan. They looked at him incredulously and he put his hands up defensively. "Hey, don't give me that look. Things have been hectic lately, and even I'm willing to put in my fair share of work."

"That's considerate of you, but I suggest you finish your own assignments before adding more to your already sizeable plate," Kurama advised as he looked over to Yusuke's messy desk.

"That's nothing, it'll be done in no time," Yusuke lied in a strained voice, while looking over to his desk reluctantly. He then proceeded to take the folder from Kurama's hand with a grin. "I got this."

Kurama simply nodded and returned to his office, not having enough time in his day to ponder the enigma surrounding Yusuke and his antics.

"Yusuke you-" Botan began with a smile of gratitude and put a hand up, effectively silencing her.

"Yeah, I know, I'm awesome!" He smirked. "But when you're done with your little 'assignment,' don't forget: I've got a whole stack of papers with your name on it."

--

Luckily enough for her, Hiei's office was open. She entered and quickly closed the door, not wanting anyone else to listen in on the conversation that was about to ensue.

"Hiei…"

He looked up to find her slowly walking up to his desk, her eyes glancing around the room nervously. "Onna."

"I have something really important to tell you and I'd really appreciate it if you would listen."

"I'm busy," he said flatly. That was a bit of an understatement, but it would do for now. Work was the only thing he was doing lately. If he seemed to find one solution, a new problem would pop up in its place.

"Hiei, please!" She pleaded. "Just do me this one favor."

He removed his attention from the computer screen and looked at her, more intently this time. She was serious and it was obvious that something was bothering her. There was a look of urgency in her amethyst eyes and her tone was a bit distraught. Had Yomi done something to upset her? Or perhaps it was Mukuro this time? Whatever it was she needed his attention now, and that meant he would have to put off his work for a few moments.

"Did Yomi contact you?" He asked before getting up from his desk and making his way over to his nervous assistant.

"What?" She looked at him confusedly and then quickly shook her head with wide eyes. "No, it's nothing like that!"

He was relieved when he heard her answer, but his impatience still remained. "Quickly state your business and leave. I don't have all day."

"Well, first off, I just wanted to thank you again for standing up for me," Botan began. "I don't know why I let Yomi affect me so. First Kurama had to help me out and now you. I won't let him scare me anymore."

"Next time, don't give him the satisfaction of seeing you afraid," Hiei advised. "He's a sick bastard who lives off of the fear of others."

"I won't, I'll be stronger from now on!" She said determinedly. "I'll be like you!"

Hiei raised a brow. "Like me?"

"Bingo! You aren't afraid of anything!" Botan clapped her hands together. "Next time I see them I'll be just as fearless as you."

"Hn." Hiei smirked, secretly pleased that she was standing there praising him, before crossing his arms and becoming serious once more. "Don't concern yourself with Yomi or Mukuro, Kurama and I will handle them."

She shot him a questioning look and her lips curved downward.

"They aren't your problem, they are mine alone. I don't want you getting involved with them."

"But why can't-"

"They're dangerous, you fool. You don't understand what they're capable of."

"Why do you always do that?" Botan blurted out finally, her pink lips twisted into a full pout.

Hiei stared at her questioningly, not understanding what she was getting at. "Why do I always do what, onna?"

"Why do you always try to handle everything yourself? You have people on your side, you know," Botan admonished. "Can't you see that we all just want to help you?"

"I fail to see why you would even concern yourself with my affairs," Hiei replied bluntly. He briefly wondered why her cheeks became tinted and her eyes avoided his own at all costs.

"Isn't it obvious?" She said softly, her eyes glued to the floor.

It was fairly obvious to him. It was because she cared too much about everyone and everything. It was because she had a compassionate heart and wanted to help others whenever she could. It was because of her selfless nature. It was because she was Botan, nothing more and nothing less.

"It's because I…" Botan breathed in slowly, gaining confidence. "It's because I like you, Hiei."

His face fell upon her confession and he just stared back at her wordlessly.

"At this point, I'm sure of my own feelings… the only thing I can't figure out is you." Botan looked up at him pleadingly. "One minute you're so kind and the next you revert back into your normal countenance. I don't understand why you keep stringing me along, Hiei."

Hiei opened his mouth to speak but Botan continued before he could say anything. "You might not have even realized you were doing it, but it's been affecting me greatly, and all you're doing is giving me false hope and making me believe there might be small chance that you could have feelings for me too. I don't expect you to give me an answer now, not when things are so hectic. I just… want you to think hard about your own feelings."

Without warning, Kurama entered the room. He excused himself but Botan quickly shook her head.

"It's okay, I was just leaving." Botan turned her attentions back at Hiei, her bright eyes shinning. "Well, that's all I had to say, I guess I should get back to my work now!"

She walked out of the room with a smile on her face and her head held high and Kurama watched her a bit confused. He knew she was a naturally cheery person, but for some reason her happiness seemed to be directed towards whatever just transpired in the room.

Hiei on the other hand just stared back at the spot where she was previously standing. He briefly wondered if he had imagined the whole thing and his growing feelings for her were playing sick tricks on his mind. No, he was sure he wasn't imagining things. She came into his office, thanked him for helping her, and then boldly declared her feelings for him.

The question was… what would he tell her now? Should he tell her the truth, that he actually felt something for her? Or should he just ignore both Botan and his feelings, and hopefully the whole situation would disappear completely. He was Hiei Jaganshi. He was the owner of Jaganshi Corp. He was never tied down to one woman. He didn't fall in love. Those were the facts, so why did she have to come around and obscure reality?

He sat back down at his desk and groaned. It would be hard for him to continue working with the recent events fresh in his mind, but he couldn't let it distract him. Botan said she would give him time, which meant he could go on as if she never said anything in the first place. Perhaps in time, she too, would realize her feelings were nothing more than a fleeting lapse in judgment.

"Is something the matter, Hiei?"

Hiei looked up from his work, almost startled by Kurama's voice. He glared at the redhead who seemed to be amused for some reason.

"What do you want?"

"You didn't even notice I entered, did you?"

"Of course I did," Hiei claimed indignantly as he wracked his brain, trying to figure out exactly when Kurama let himself in, hoping he hadn't heard any part of Botan's confession. Damn fox…

--

Botan was sitting at her desk, humming to herself as she sorted through some papers. She felt as though a huge weight was lifted off of her chest and she could breathe easy. The burden of holding her feelings in and being confused were no longer a problem. It was all clear to her now. She liked Hiei and there was no need to feel ashamed or embarrassed because of it. She poured out her honest feelings towards him and the fact that she was brave enough to do it only boosted her mood.

"So how'd it go?" Yusuke asked impatiently as he leaned against the wall of her cubicle.

She gave him thumbs up and smiled.

"Everything's okay between you two?"

"Bingo!"

"So, Hiei said he feels the same?"

"Not exactly!" Botan said sheepishly. "I don't expect him to tell me anything right now. He's got enough things to sort through right now. I gave him time to think about his answer first."

"Damn," Yusuke crossed his arms. "And here I thought you were sitting there making wedding plans."

Botan's eyes widened and she began to blush. "Yusuke!"

He smirked. "Calm down, it was just a joke."

"Hn!"

"You're starting to sound like Hiei," Yusuke commented.

Botan brought a hand to her mouth. He was right! Hiei was the only one who made that sound. She giggled nervously and brushed him off, claiming she was just clearing her throat.

"Say, where are Kuwabara and Shizuru? They've been out for an awfully long time." Botan noted as she looked over to their empty seats. It was clear they had been in the building earlier, the screensaver on Kuwabara's computer was displayed, and on Shizuru's desk were random items strewn about, including her beloved pack of cigarettes.

"They're out at a meeting, somewhere. Kurama sent them in hopes of salvaging the situation back here."

"Oh."

"Botan may I speak with you for a moment?" Kurama's voice cut through their conversation and both heads turned to him.

"Sure!" She stood up immediately, having a good clue of what exactly the redhead wanted to talk to her about. The same thing had been on her mind as of late, as well. Kurama advised Yusuke to finish up his own work and Yusuke's shoulders sagged as he made his way back to his own desk, dragging his feet slowly in a lame attempt to waste more time. Botan followed Kurama into his office and he closed the door.

"Is everything alright?" Kurama questioned first.

"Yes, why do you ask?"

"I'm troubled by the fact that Yomi knows who you are," he admitted. "It wouldn't be beneath him to somehow use this to his advantage."

Botan nodded. "I'm a bit worried, too."

"In any case, I think it would be best if you revealed to the others what happened in your past. It would be best for you to tell them on your own terms, rather than have Yomi divulge the information."

She pouted, reminding Kurama of a child somewhat. "Somehow, I knew you would say that!"

He smiled. "I'm merely looking out for your best interests."

"I know that, it's just… I don't make it a habit of telling people about my past. It hurts when I remember and quite frankly, I'd rather forget."

"I understand," Kurama began. "But perhaps it's time you reopened your old wounds and let them heal."

Botan contemplated his words for a second. Kurama always seemed to know what was best, and she doubted he would lead her astray. She already confessed one of her secrets for the day and she felt great about it. Would it be the same if she finally told them about her identity and history?

She looked up to him, unsure of what to do. "I don't know…"

"You're always so quick to help others when they need it, but you neglect yourself in the process," Kurama stated. "As your friend, I'm urging you to bare the contents of your past. You know they won't think any differently of you."

At this Botan's eyes widened. He was right. Shizuru was always on her side, no matter what. Yusuke and Kuwabara, although they had roundabout ways of showing it, could be mature and understanding as well. And Hiei… she only hoped he wouldn't look at her differently after this.

"As soon as Shizuru and Kuwabara return," Botan paused. "I'll tell them everything."

Kurama put a hand on her shoulder warmly. "It's for the best."

"Right, it's for the best." Botan echoed firmly, forcing a smile onto her face.

--

Shizuru and Kuwabara had arrived around lunch time. They were both tired and fed up, Shizuru muttering about the clients' incompetence and Kuwabara grumbling about their lack of manners.

"I take it things didn't go well?" Botan asked, looking up from her computer to greet the frustrated siblings.

"That's an understatement," Kuwabara replied as he loosened his tie. "Man, I'm beat!"

"Don't worry, there's always tomorrow!" She reminded cheerfully.

"Yeah, I guess…" Shizuru muttered with a sigh as she put her bag and a few files down on her desk.

Great, now that they had returned she could spill her guts. But wait… someone was missing. "Where's Yusuke?"

Kurama stepped out of his office and joined them. "He stepped out a little while ago; I can only assume he will return soon."

Botan huffed. She was ready to tell them now, not in the near future. The wait only caused anticipation to build up within her already nervous heart. "Well, I hope he comes back soon!"

Shizuru and Kuwabara entered Kurama's office to report the outcome of their meeting while Botan continued to work on her own assignments. Ten minutes later, as the Kuwabara siblings were exiting Kurama's office, Yusuke came running down the halls like a mad man.

"Make way people!" He cautioned to any employees who might have been in the way of his wild rampage. "We're in some deep shit!"

"Urameshi! What's-" Kuwabara began as Yusuke whizzed past him and ran straight into Hiei's office. "…wrong?" They all looked at each other confusedly, before following suit and rushing into Hiei's office.

"What the hell is going on?" Hiei ordered as they all entered without as much as a warning.

"Don't look at us, Urameshi's the crazy one!" Kuwabara exclaimed as he looked over to Yusuke.

"I didn't realize one of us was so famous," Yusuke said as he walked over to the windows of Hiei's office and pointed. "They've even got their own entourage."

They looked out of the window to see hordes of reporters, journalists, newscasters, and cameramen standing outside of the entrance, hoping to get inside of the building. Hiei clenched his fists, Kuwabara and Botan gasped, Shizuru remained silent, and Kurama watched the scene through narrowing eyes.

"What do they want?" Hiei asked as he turned his attention away from the window and towards his group of employees.

"Botan," Yusuke revealed gravely.

She blinked and pointed to herself in disbelief. "Me?"

"Yeah, I figured they were here for either Kurama or Hiei, but they kept asking questions about you!"

Botan and Kurama exchanged looks of understanding that didn't go unnoticed by the rest of them.

"I suppose it's time," Kurama offered.

"Yes, you're right," Botan answered with a nod.

"Someone mind explaining to the rest of us what's going on?" Shizuru asked, impatience leaking through her normally calm countenance. She voiced the feelings of everyone in the room, sans the two in question. The furtive glances that Botan and Kurama had sent each other didn't bode well with the others, if something was going on, they all deserved to know.

"I haven't been completely honest about myself up until now, but I'm ready to tell you guys everything. This is hard for me, so please just hear me out."

Shizuru's features softened upon hearing the girl speak. "It's alright, you can tell us."

"Yeah, we won't get mad," Kuwabara urged.

Botan smiled. "Thanks, guys. Well I should just get on with it." She cleared her throat and took a deep breath. "My name is Botan Takai."

Hiei's eyes widened and she continued. "My father was the sole owner of Takai Industries. My mother died when I was a baby, but my father remarried soon enough. He wasn't around as often as he liked because of business, and my step-mother wasn't exactly a picture-perfect role model. I assume she just married my father for the benefits and wealth that came with the name, all I could remember concerning her was the smell of wine and expensive perfume."

"One night my father arrived home earlier than expected from one of his business trips. The reason for his early arrival was simple: his next trip would last longer and he would end up missing my birthday. He only wanted to spend time with me while I wouldn't even listen to his explanations and had a fit. I remember feeling so upset that I refused to talk to him for the rest of the day. It seemed to me like he was always going off somewhere and leaving me alone, but I was never truly alone. I always had the presence of the helpers around the house to fill up the void." Her eyes softened at the mention of this and she continued. "Anyway, my father tried to console me, but I wouldn't listen. Later on in the night I went out to play with the butler, Satoshi, and yes Hiei, he's the same man who we met in Tokyo."

Hiei nodded upon hearing this, the missing blanks filling in one by one.

"By the time I had calmed down from my childish temper tantrum and returned home, all I could see were flames. The house was burnt down and everyone inside had died in that terrible fire. Suddenly, in that one night, everyone I knew was gone. Everyone except Satoshi. He left me in the care of Koenma's family and I grew up with them. A few days later the authorities revealed the truth behind the origins of the fire. It was no accident, the Vice President and his brother had orchestrated a whole plot to murder me. They figured if my father didn't have an heir, once he was gone the company would be theirs. They didn't realize that my father had come home early from a trip and that I wasn't in the house for the majority of that night, and that is why I still stand here today. The Toguro brothers, that's what everyone called them back then, were quickly caught and sentenced to life in prison."

"The media was never alerted to my whereabouts for protective reasons, and tabloids came up with all sorts of ridiculous stories surrounding what became of me. I wasn't allowed to display my full name in public, but even so, I would have never done it. Everyone I knew had been murdered because of me. I was their target and yet I'm still alive. It was my fault that everyone had died. Ever since that I night I felt like I didn't deserve anything of my father's. His wealth, his assets, not even his name. I was such a fool and I'll never be worthy enough to deserve all that he's left for me. If I could do one thing over, it would be that night. I said such horrible things to him and yet he just smiled back and said 'I love you.'"

"I tried to erase the past and forget everything because it was just too painful. I lost everyone I cared about in that one night and I was completely alone for the first time in my life. I thought I knew what loneliness was whenever my father was gone on his business trips, but at least then he would always come back to me. This time, he wouldn't return, and nothing would ever be the same. The pain of losing everyone along with the regret of not telling my father how I truly felt was too much for someone as weak as me. Completely ignoring my birthright and fortune seemed like small price in return for letting go of the pain."

Botan wiped away a stray tear that she didn't even realize had fallen. "I'm sorry I never told you all the truth. I didn't want you to look at me differently, especially not when I couldn't even look at myself knowing what I had done."

Silence filled the room for a few moments and Botan began to feel nervous. Were they disgusted with her? Ashamed, even? Appalled to be in the same presence of a woman who caused so many to die?

"As far as I'm concerned, your identity changes nothing," Hiei began, breaking the silence and filling her heart with relief. "And no matter what the circumstances, it was not your fault that everyone died that night."

"But I-"

"Hiei's right, you know," Kurama cut in. "The fault lies on the Toguro brothers, not you. They were the ones who committed such a horrible crime and they are the reason your friends and family are no longer here. There is no reason to call yourself unworthy of being your father's daughter."

"But I said such cruel things to my father on the night of his death, I'm not worthy of anything!"

"You were young, Botan. You didn't know any better," Shizuru said as she took her in her arms and hugged her, and Botan felt that familiar comforting presence, the same warmth she imagined a mother's embrace to contain. "I guarantee your father knew how you felt about him. He was your father, after all. He knows you better than anyone else." Shizuru rubbed Botan's back soothingly as the shorter girl began to sob. The brunette just stood there with a pained expression on her face, letting Botan release all the emotional baggage she bottled up over the years. It was long overdue.

It wasn't her intention to get so emotional, the tears just spilled out without fail. Even if she wanted to, she couldn't stop. This was all the pain she had been holding in since that terrible night occurred so long ago. She made no effort to cease her crying and just let it all out. The rest of them just stood there in silence, wrapped up in their own thoughts about the whole situation.

After a few minutes of crying, her quivering shoulders and her sobs died down. Was it really not her fault? Something deep inside of her was urging her that her father thought the same. An image of his smiling face popped into her mind. He was so strong, brave, and kind. He truly did love her and he would never want anything to happen to her. Maybe, just maybe, this is what he would have wanted. Botan released Shizuru and nodded with a determined look on her face. "You're all absolutely right," Botan admitted slowly. "It's time I stopped letting the past haunt me."

Shizuru's gaze softened and she rested a comforting hand on her shoulder. "That a girl."

Yusuke, who had remained quiet during this whole encounter, suddenly snapped his fingers. "Wait a minute, so you were the little girl everyone was talking about all those years ago?"

Botan nodded slowly as Yusuke continued. "I didn't know I was friends with a celebrity!"

"C-celebrity?" Botan stuttered.

"Yeah!" Kuwabara agreed. "I remember hearing stuff on the news about you all the time!"

"That's right. Baby bro used to watch the news every night when we were younger, declaring he would find you," Shizuru revealed. "You were his first crush. He used to go on and on about saving the Takai heiress. I can't believe I forgot about that."

Botan's shocked face suddenly melted into one of amusement as she teased him. "My hero!"

"Sis, did you really have to say all that?" Kuwabara turned to Botan as he scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "It was nothin' really…"

"Hn, so even back then you were still a fool. I'm not surprised," Hiei scoffed as he crossed his arms.

"Hey!" Kuwabara's eyes narrowed. "At least I cared. I bet you didn't even feel anything when you watched the news."

"I grew up in a piss poor orphanage," Hiei retorted indifferently. "We didn't exactly have a television."

Hiei's words hindered any of Kuwabara's counter-arguments. Although Hiei's past hadn't been news to them, they found out about it over the many years of working with him, it still didn't mean it was any less tragic.

"Way to ruin the mood, Hiei!" Yusuke commented after a long moment of silence and Hiei just shrugged his shoulders, apathetically. "Anyway, shouldn't we be more focused on the bigger picture here?" Yusuke pointed to the window and then crossed his arms.

"What are we going to do?" Shizuru asked as she took a peek outside of the window. "These leeches look like they'll do anything to get a good story."

Hiei frowned as he turned to Botan. "I thought you said your whereabouts were kept secret from the media, how were they able to locate you?"

"All of this must have been orchestrated by Yomi," Kurama mentioned grimly.

"Yomi?" Kuwabara bellowed.

"He figured out who I was a while ago," Botan explained. "Kurama warned that something like this would happen and urged me to tell you all. I guess I should've said something sooner. I'm really sorry guys."

"Don't sweat it." Yusuke waved her off. "I can partly understand where you're comin' from, Botan. This is why I don't go around introducing myself as Raizen's heir."

"You're still the same person on the inside, it's not like you've changed because of this," Kuwabara added.

"You guys are right. Now I feel a bit silly for making such a big deal about it," she giggled.

"I imagine it feels good to let all the secrets you've been holding in for so long out," Kurama commented with a small smile playing on his lips.

Botan quickly looked at Hiei and averted her eyes, remembering she had told him another secret earlier. "Y-yes, it does!"

Hiei just looked away, avoiding any double meanings the statement Kurama just said had. Sometimes he wondered how his partner always managed to say the most relevant things at the most ideal times.

"Is something going on between the two of you?" Kuwabara asked as he looked back and forth between the pair. Hiei continued to look in the opposite direction of the group, indifferently. It was none of their business and although he was doing everything he could to appear nonchalant, he could feel Kurama's eyes on him. Yusuke began to cough into his hand, trying to divert everyone's attentions off of the pair and Shizuru looked at him confusedly.

"No, don't be silly!" Botan laughed nervously, finally speaking up. "The real matter at hand is those reporters!"

"Just ignore them for now, they cannot get in. We'll worry about them when the time comes," Hiei advised with his arms crossed. "We should all get back to work."

--

Hiei sat in his office, not really paying attention to the screen in front of him. He knew Botan had been hiding something from her past, but he never fathomed it would of this magnitude. Even he, as an orphan had heard of the Toguro Brothers and the Takai Heiress, but he shrugged it off as something that didn't concern him. He never imagined somewhere along the line he would actually have her working right under his nose.

It was unthinkable, to say the least, but it didn't change the way he felt about her. She was still his annoying and bothersome assistant, no matter what her last name was or past entailed. She was still the same woman who was always so bright when everyone else was down and despite her ditzy nature, was quite intuitive. She was the same woman who came to know so much about him in such a short amount of time, and didn't think of him differently, instead she pushed him to do things he normally wouldn't do.

The fact that Yomi would resort to using an innocent bystander in his schemes infuriated Hiei, but he wasn't surprised. This was the same man who had used his own son as a tool to implant falsified reports into the Jaganshi Corp. information system. Using Botan's identity as leverage was exactly what Hiei would have expected the man to do. If Yomi had known about her, as Kurama and Botan claimed, and took no action, then Hiei would be both surprised and thoroughly confused.

The only question left was; what would he do now? In the past her whereabouts were kept a secret to ensure her protection, but the threat was long gone now. The brothers who had orchestrated the fire were locked up and there was no way they could escape their dismal fate. If her security wasn't an issue he could use to thwart any reports from being issued, he would just have to find other ways to distract the media. He was Hiei Jaganshi, after all, one of the most powerful and prominent tycoons in the industry. If he wanted he could pull a few strings and all would be back to normal.

Hiei looked out of the window and noticed the sun had already begun to set; casting an orange glow on the city. There wasn't enough time to fend off the disturbingly large crowd of reporters, seeing as the day's end was drawing near, meaning he would just have to properly deal with them tomorrow. He figured he could at least get Botan home safely and in the morning this whole mess would be cleared up. She would have absolutely nothing to worry about and her identity would not be broadcasted to the world. She was his employee and it was his duty to protect her from whatever Yomi had up his sleeve. He would prevent her from reliving the past and experiencing the pain she felt today.

He would make sure of it.

--

The rest of the day breezed by, and as much as Botan dreaded it, it was time to go home. She didn't want to face all those reporters just yet. She could almost see the flashes of lights and hear all the questions that they would bombard her with now.

Hiei had told her to alert him when she was ready to leave, so she gathered her things and quickly made her way over to his office. Before she could knock, the door opened and Hiei was standing there.

"Let's go," he said as he walked down the hall and she followed him.

"Hiei, how are we going to avoid all those reporters?" She questioned nervously. "We can't exactly just walk right out of the main entrance, can we?"

"That's exactly what we're going to do," he replied with a smirk. Botan's brow crinkled in confusion but she remained silent as they made their way towards the exit.

"What?" She yelped. "Are you mad? We can't possibly do that!"

Suddenly, the communication device rang and Hiei picked it up.

"We're ready when you are," Kuwabara's gravely voice said through the device.

"Go now," Hiei ordered and he continued to walk towards the doors.

Botan watched as he continued to walk to the door, fully well knowing all the reporters were just beyond it, and abruptly stopped unsure of what exactly he was planning. Was he trying to get her devoured by those story-hungry beasts? She suddenly felt very afraid, afraid of all their questions, afraid of the blinding lights, afraid of the world discovering who she was. When he noticed the sound of her footsteps had ceased altogether Hiei turned around to see her standing there, with a nervous look on her face.

He walked back to her, grabbing her hand and looking straight into her eyes, intent on dragging her out of the building if she insisted on remaining in the lobby any longer, but she just stood there paralyzed, staring at the exit with wide eyes. The look of raw fear contained within her amethyst orbs caused Hiei's eyes to soften somewhat and his grip on her hand to tightened reassuringly.

"Don't be afraid."

His voice seemed to soothe her fears somewhat and she held onto his hand more firmly, nodding slowly.

"I won't let them harm you," Hiei promised resolutely, and after hearing this she broke out of the stupor she was previously in, deciding to trust Hiei and believe his words wholeheartedly.

"I'm ready." She followed him as he guided her out of the building and as soon as they both stepped outside, they heard Yusuke's voice holler.

"I found Botan; she's at the back entrance!"

"Let's get her before she leaves, hurry!" Kuwabara wailed.

Soon enough all the reporters and cameramen turned their attention to the back of the building and began to dash over to where they believed their hottest story was, the sound of their shuffling footsteps rushing towards the back entrance. The commotion escalated and the shutters of cameras along with a barrage of questions were heard.

Botan breathed out a sigh of relief, putting a hand to her chest. "That was close."

"Yomi neglected to inform the reporters of your appearance," Hiei said simply. "They are searching for you blindly; they don't even know how you look."

"So, even he has some sort of moral standard," Botan mentioned but Hiei shook his head at this.

"Knowing him, this was just a warning. There will be more to come."

"Well that certainly can't be good." She frowned, her heart heavy once more. "I never meant to cause any problems for you. I'm sorry. If I wasn't-"

"Are you apologizing for being your father's daughter?"

Botan shook her head. "No, that's not what I meant at all!"

"Then stop apologizing for what you do not have control over. The blame isn't yours to take," Hiei said sternly. "This is a direct result of the media's fascination with obscurity and the lengths Yomi will go to feed his insatiable hunger for money; not your identity. Don't ever apologize for who you are."

Botan nodded her head in agreement. "In any case, I wanted to thank you."

Hiei just stood there, not understand what she was getting at.

"Thank you for not treating me differently after learning about my past. I was always afraid that once people knew who I was, they would act different around me. I'm glad that you aren't upset with me."

"We all have dark secrets that we would rather keep hidden," he began as he turned away from her, crossing his arms. He thought back to his own past and how he went to great lengths to protect his own secrets from the media. "The only thing I regret is that I let Yomi use you. I'm," Hiei paused, clenching his fists as he remembered the sight of her of her crying in his office earlier. "I'm sorry."

Botan's heart swelled upon hearing his statement, too shocked to say anything in return. He had absolutely no reason to apologize to her, how could he have possibly known that this would happen when he had no clue of her true identity?

She stood behind him, staring at his back in admiration. The image of him standing tall before her was etched firmly in her mind. His black hair, which contrasted greatly against the orange sun peering through the city buildings, pointed upwards and spiked in various directions, his piercing ruby eyes stared out fearlessly into the world ahead of him, and his arms crossed defiantly. He was so strong and he was never afraid. He knew what he wanted and went after it, never letting doubts hinder his ambitions. He had such unwavering power and pride, and sheer will drove him to become what he is now. If only she was half as determined as him, then maybe she would be better use to him at such a trying time. If she was stronger, maybe she could have prevented all of this from happening and he wouldn't be standing in front of her apologizing for something that wasn't his fault.

The truth of the matter was, she could only amount to so much. All she could do was faithfully remain one step behind him, much like right now, and continue to watch out for his well-being as best as she could. All she could do was be there for him and aid him in any and all ways possible. She resolved to make sure he would get through whatever hurdles Yomi through his way in the future, just as he had helped her today.

When she realized he still hadn't turned around and they were both standing on the sidewalk without saying a word, she finally opened her mouth to speak, eager to say just about anything to end the quiet that had enveloped them both. Before any sound came out of her mouth, however, the familiar sound of tires and the low rumble of the engine indicated that Hiei's car pulled up to the curb and stopped in front of them.

"By tomorrow all of this will be cleared up," Hiei informed, breaking the silence as he turned around to meet her. "My driver will take you home tonight."

Botan nodded. "Thank you, Hiei."

She opened the door and seated herself inside the spacious vehicle. He closed the door behind her with a nod and as the car drove off, she waved with a cheerful smile that seemed to light up her bright eyes. Hiei merely watched as the car got smaller and smaller and the distance between them increased with a rather proud look in his eyes. He couldn't believe such a carefree and optimistic woman had grown up surrounded by such pain. How she was able to smile so brightly was beyond him.

--

I'm coping much better with the loss now and writing this helped a lot. Thanks for your reviews and comforting words, they meant so much to me.

Originally this chapter was much longer, but I cut it into two parts. I will probably post the next chapter up soon since this and the next one were intended to be one whole chapter. I just didn't wanna overwhelm you guys with too much text, so here is part one!

I hope it didn't disappoint anyone! Next chapter is the second to last one, look forward to it!