Hello everyone! I'm sorry that this update took so long. Work and a freelance gig have been kicking my ass, and I haven't had as much time for writing. To make up for it, I'll post a couple of chapters today. I hope you all are staying healthy and safe, and that you enjoy reading this.

Jin and the others heard a stream of angry outbursts coming from the bedroom. What had Hiei done to scram the lass so? Jin had been pacing for the last minute, irritated that the damn thief was getting such intimate alone time with the girl as he dressed her wounds.

It wasn't fair. Jin wanted to fuss over the lass too! He put his hands behind his head and openly pouted. He bet he could help without pissin' her off too. From the sounds of it, the lass was winning this battle with the fire apparition.

Jin couldn't stop his smirk. Fiery spirit and a sharp tongue, she had.

Toya was watching him, an eyebrow raised. Before he could say anything, the front door opened, and a tired-looking Kurama entered, followed by an even more exhausted-looking woman. Jin recognized the spirit guide, Botan.

Kuwabara and Yukina were on the couch, Yukina dozing against Kuwabara's shoulder. The big oaf was frozen stiff, worried about waking her with any movement. Kuwabara's sister, what was her name? She sat on Kuwabara's other side. Urameshi still sat on the loveseat, his doll Keiko perched on the arm. The Detective was being unusually silent. He knew he had messed up. He was sure to be banjacked later, the way that Kurama was glaring at the Detective's sweating head.

"Argh, after all these damages, Koenma is going to kill me…" Botan wailed, Streams of tears bursting from the sides of her eyes. "Ugh, why did those jerks have to be so destructiveeeee!" Keiko got up and comforted her with a gentle pat on the back.

Hiei appeared just then, flashing from the bedroom, a thunderous look on his face. He had the beginnings of a minor black eye.

Jin couldn't stifle a chuckle. Ooh, it looked like the lass got him good. Jin wondered what he had done to deserve it. Jin was tempted to ask, but Kuwabara took the plunge for him.

"What happened to your eye, shorty? You grab Hikari in the wrong spot?" Kuwabara wiggled his eyebrows, though he shrieked like a woman a second later as Hiei's sword flashed by him and stuck in the wall behind his head. Hiei was glaring at him with a look that possibly COULD kill.

Botan gave another wail of despair. Yukina sighed softly in her sleep, but she didn't wake.

Sighing in irritation, the fire apparition retrieved his sword and leaned against the wall, crossing his arms.

"Well, I suppose since I've returned, it's time to fill in some gaps about what happened today," Kurama said, instantly commanding attention. His eyes fell on Yusuke, and a glint of anger entered them. "And I do mean everything that happened."

Kuwabara began with the explosive attack on the inn, and the chase after the girl. Jin was surprised to hear that the fire apparition had taken a blast for the young ice maiden. Perhaps he had some sort of heart after all? Curious…

Yusuke interjected in the story as they got to the part where Jin heroically saved the girl and the big 'un. He couldn't help but puff out his chest a bit.

Then Yusuke ashamedly admitted to running off to buy a book he wanted, trusting Jin and Toya to get Hikari and Kuwabara back to the inn safely.

Hiei didn't mention their odd little staredown, but then neither did Jin. Kuwabara picked up on his arrival back at the inn, and Yusuke looked down in shame as he recalled that the enemy the Detective had been fighting had only been down, not out.

"I'm sorry, guys… It was a rookie mistake. I should have made sure he was out of commission."

"Yes, you should have," Hiei growled, glaring even more harshly than usual.

Kuwabara stuck his nose up, half sarcastic and half righteously angry.

"Just don't let it happen again, punk, or I'll take your number one spot!" Jin had no idea what that meant, but Urameshi just nodded solemnly.

Kurama sighed. "It can't be helped now, but we will discuss this later, Yusuke…"

"Urk." Yusuke gulped, sweat running down his head.

"Go on, Kuwabara." Kurama prodded the human to continue from the point the story left off.

"Well, like I said, that asshole with the gun that Urameshi totally failed at putting down-" Yusuke glared, pouting. "jumped out of the snow and grabbed Hikari! He was about to shoot Yukina and me, but then…" Kuwabara hesitated.

"The flames?"

Kuwabara nodded. "Yeah, Hikari screamed, and the next thing we know, the guy holding her was nothing but ash."

"The flames remained longer this time?"

Hiei grunted a confirmation. "She was conscious during the surge this time as well." Hiei took over, recounting how the flames had whirled into Hikari's chest before disappearing, and how they seemed to be causing her pain.

Och, poor lass! Hurt by her own power... Jin had been so awed at the incredible display he hadn't even noticed. How odd, to lack control at her level of power… Plus, why did Hiei feel the need to clarify that she was conscious? Was her energy even more overwhelming when she was out?

Kurama looked thoughtful.

"I wonder why she was suddenly able to summon her power at that moment, instead of when she was being carried away? Or about to be blown up?"

Everyone murmured in agreement, and Yusuke voiced confusion about how the white flames had incinerated the would-be assassin but didn't mark Yukina or Kuwabara, who was standing almost as close.

"Uh, guys, I actually have a theory about that…" Kuwabara spoke up, and the others looked at him in surprise. 'twasn't no secret he was a big doofus, so whatever insight he claimed to have would be entertaining at the very least.

"Now, I could be totally wrong, so don't take me too seriously." Kuwabara waved his arms in embarrassment, and Yukina murmured softly in her sleep at his movement. He immediately froze. Then he coughed and composed himself before continuing on.

"Hikari figured out that those guys that tried to take her wanted her alive. From what I understand, when that guy was throwing a bomb at me, she jumped IN FRONT of me, instead of trying to push me out of the way. I don't think that at the moment, she thought that either she or I would actually die. It was a wrong assumption, but she might have thought he could recall or at least deactivate the bomb."

The others were silent, waiting for him to continue.

"But when that guy was getting ready to shoot at Yukina and me, well at that range we were sure to be goners. I think that in that moment, Hikari knew that we really were going to die. I mean, she did scream 'no' right before her energy pulsed out. It might have been the desire to prevent our deaths that allowed her to release the flames…"

They all stared at Kuwabara, who slowly began to get redder under everyone's attention.

"I suppose it's possible…" Kurama murmured, a hand over his mouth. "Her first question after we told her about her powers was asking if she had hurt us… She might have a strong instinct to protect others."

"Wait," Jin interrupted, startled, "The lass didn't know about her powers?"

"Oh, right, you didn't know." It was Yusuke who answered him. "Truth is, she has amnesia. We have no idea where she came from or how she got here. Hiei found her out in the snow a few days ago, frostbitten and bleeding. He brought her back here, and Kurama and Yukina were able to fix her up."

Jin tilted his head, a bead of sweat on his temple.

"Her name probably isn't even Hikari. We came up with that to call her in the meantime."

Ah, that explained how the name suited the lass so fine.

Jin placed his arms behind his head with slight apprehension. Hiei continued on to tell the others how their hard-earned prisoner had used the opportunity to poison himself. After Hiei finished, there was a moment of silence.

Jin met eyes with Toya, who nervously nodded.

"Well, ter be 'onest, we might 'ave an idea about WHERE de lass came from…"