"You still can't stop smiling, can you?" Yusuke asked me, hours later as we're all settled at Genkai's winding down with tea. Banriyu and Nike make themselves comfortable on my shoulders while Hydra has wrapped his arms around my waist while he rests his head in my lap. "Damn, I didn't know you were like this."

Everything felt strange now, looked strange. Brighter. Even though Chu and the rest had left, and the time was counting down to when I'd have to let go of Hydra, I felt pretty good. Botan had worked it out so that I could have him for the night, but first thing in the morning, we'd have to part.

I wasn't looking forward to that. I was interested in seeing the group of them interrogate that woman, whoever she was. I couldn't remember her name for the life of me. Did she say it?

I guess we'll find out.

"Well, I haven't really had the opportunity." I say with a shrug, still reminiscing. "Since we've met, I haven't had the chance to do me. You know? Having Hydra back is like being renewed. I feel weightless. My life up until this moment has been reset. You cannot understand how awesome that feels."

"You really care for him, don't you?" Keiko asks sweetly, she sits beside me, glancing down at Hydra.

I slipped my fingers through his hair. Shizuru had generously cut it for me and he looked as he had always, like a child. Cute and small. Mine. "It would be the same if I had lost Banriyu or Nike. It's like having a piece of you stolen. I don't know how to live without them. That's why I was so adamant about him being alive, you see?"

Kurama's eyes float to me in question.

I continue with a sly smile, "I didn't actually know for certain. I just wouldn't accept anything else. I couldn't. I won't. Ever. Anyway, enough about me—"

"No, wait, the conversation was just getting interesting. Why are you smiling like a drug addict?" Shizuru asks with a wicked grin.

I clear my throat, looking down at the table. "I…I wouldn't say I'm smiling like a drug addict."

Kuwabara leaned across the table and nodded his head in affirmation, "Yeah, you kinda are. It's like you just got a hit or something—"

I start sniffling uncomfortably, "Okay, I think that's going a little—"

"No, I'd say it's a little different." Keiko leans into my face, "She almost looks…like a predator."

"Damn Keiko," Yusuke laughs but hardily agrees, "But, hell, you're right."

Without looking at him, I flip Yusuke the bird.

"Hey! Keiko's the one who said it, I just agreed."

I roll my eyes, "You know I couldn't be mad at Keiko, she's my girl. Duh."

"Tch. Women and your cults."

Botan hopped onto her knees, "I know! Let's take a picture of her face so she can see how smitten she looks."

"Great idea, Botan." Yukina tells her with a sweet smile, her hands clasped in front of her. "You're really full of them."

Unsurprisingly, I look up to a flash in my face and I'm temporarily blinded. "Jesus!"

"Here," Shizuru says, "I'll pass it around. Take a long look at it."

My cheeks are burning, but I'm laughing too. I don't mind it, being picked on like this. I like the feeling. I can tell where it's coming from. They care about me.

"You should have taken a picture of that Azriel," Nike told me smartly, "No words could possibly come close to describing his magnificence. A true specimen—a credit to his kind."

Kuwabara fell over.

Damn, Nike, but yeah…she's right. But I don't vocally agree, not sure if its ethically okay to agree to that sort of statement.

"Yeah?" Shizuru wags her eyebrows at me. "Tell us more."

I take a cursory look around the group in front of me, all of them giggling with anticipation. Kurama is off on my right at an angle, but I can't read him. His face is blank. Hiei is near the railing, sleep? I guess.

"Fine. But…you should know a little background about me first." I start and then tilt my head to the right. "You know how some people are addicted to stealing, drugs, sex, pain, thrills and all that crazy stuff? Yeah, mine isn't that bad. And it's not a real addiction…I like to think of it as more of a preference or a habit…"

Shizuru looked nonplused. "So…an addiction?"

"No!" I almost want to shake my finger at her but I didn't want to disturb Hydra. Starting again I take a breath, "It's kinda like how you habitually smoke a cigarette. It's completely normal."

"The nicotine in cigarettes is what makes it addictive." She told me plainly, but I paid her no mind.

"It's not like that, but anyway. I just like guys. Super normal stuff. And when I see that person…" I trail off, looking toward the ceiling, "It's like everything just stops and I know that I don't want them like a best friend. I know that every moment has led to this—a fall out a crescendo. I know within seconds of meeting them. I don't know what's going to happen, or how we'll get there, but I know…they're mine and if don't put my foot down and stop myself…." I nod my head appreciatively, "I'm going to get us in trouble…."

I closed my eyes with a sigh, opening them slowly, "That's it really. It's not that complicated."

"And this happens…often?" Kurama had finally decided to speak, the curiosity clear in his voice.

I shrug, not looking at him for whatever reason, "It usually happens around the same time. Nike and Banriyu make it into a big deal when it's not."

"Well, you did date the leader of a demon gang." Banriyu huffed and then directed his voice to the others, "At the time, she was unaware, of course, that he was in fact a demon, but she knew he was a gang leader."

"I knew he was in a group—the guy had friends." I say, defending myself. "How was I supposed to know? He spoke fifteen different languages and I met him in a library, Banriyu. Libraries don't exactly scream: Gang Leaders Welcome."

"Wait, what?" Yusuke blinked at me. "What? And this guy was demon?"

"He controlled one of the most notorious demon gangs in the northeast—not to mention, he was much too old for her—"

"He was not! He was nineteen and then he turned twenty. He was only three years older."

"Yes, but he was a known murderer and thief." Banriyu says without a look in my direction, arms crossed.

"He didn't murder people, Banriyu, he killed people who tried to kill him."

"The people who tried to kill him were the people he stole from, Princess."

"He had expensive tastes!" I fold my arms, shrugging him off, "Besides, you didn't say anything when he was buying me all those gifts. In fact, I remember you going out of your way to have long conversations with him about your life and death and the afterlife and all that. Remember?"

"He was eager to learn!" Banriyu shouted, "Who am I to deny an eager mind? Especially a well read one at that."

"You said he was worthy of me, remember?"

"That was before I saw him murder that friend of his for flirting with you. He decapitated that woman for not liking you. Remember him killing that other one for licking his lips at the sight of your figure—wait, no he deserved that one, I agree. But still, why are you defending him?"

"Because you are making him into this big bad guy when Raven was just a confused little boy who needed—" I stopped, replayed my words in my head and decided to let the argument drop. I sounded ridiculous. "Anyway, I did break up with him."

"Oh, yes, I remember. Poor thing, it was like you told him the sun wouldn't be shining for the rest of his life." Banriyu shook his head, "And so…we ran after that."

"Yeah, it was a good thing MJ and her friends showed up. He was fast, wasn't he?" I laughed, tears pricking my eyes. "I didn't know until that moment that he was so possessive…and unhinged." I shook my head, "you think you know people."

I paused, and then shouted, "Oh, and apparently…he was B-Class demon! Can you believe that? He could have killed me no problem, instead he wanted to make me his Queen of Thieves. He called me his Sun." I squeezed my shoulders together. "his light."

"You seemed to really like this guy." Kuwabara commented like he was seeing me for the first time. "even if he sounds like a complete psychopath."

"I did. He spoke fifteen different languages, Kuwabara. What else am I supposed to do? Not to mention, he was so efficient at killing people. You could tell it was done with zero malice too." I then paused, "but…I'm pretty sure he enjoyed it. Still, he was never angry or anything."

"Except when he killed his own friends." Banriyu added in snidely.

"Right. Super bizarre that." I admitted and then sighed, "What were we talking about?"

I took a cursory glance around the room.

"It almost makes sense now," Keiko said quietly.

"What makes sense?" Yusuke asked, then not so discreetly looked in Hiei's direction which caused Keiko to slap him onto the floor.

"What the hell, Keiko?" Yusuke complained, rubbing his cheek.

She winced and reached over to assuage his pain, "Sorry, Yusuke. That was a reflex."

Botan, who was staring very hard at me, decided to point out, "Do you mean Raven Viperess?"

I raised my eyebrows, "You actually know him?"

Botan brightened and crossed her arms with glee, "Of course! He works for Prince Koenma now. Very handsome and intelligent. His eyes resemble the night sky exactly. It's not hard to believe why you'd go for him, Aurora. He's very suave, oh so, debonair. It's like if you take all of Kurama's good looks and intelligence, Kuwabara's chivalry, Hiei's strength and resolve and Yusuke's hair cut—"

"Is that all I get?" Yusuke demanded petulantly, but Botan ignored him. "A damn haircut? I'm pretty great too, you know?"

Botan clasped her hands together, "You'd get Raven! He's just so considerate too! Every time I see him, he asks me how my day is going. No one else even bothers!"

"Thank you, Botan!" I look pointedly at Banriyu who has his face turned up, "That is what I've been trying to say. I don't just book the first pretty flight I see. I have excellent judge of character—even with my minor lapses in judgement—" I gestured toward the Judas that is Kurama.

Kurama gives me an exhausted look, "Aurora."

I recoil with a laugh, not wanting his wrath to strike me down. "That was a joke, chill. You know you're my best friend."

I quickly turned my attention back to Botan who pursed her lips in thought, "It's truly hard to believe some of the horrible things he's done. When you take that into account, then you have to add in Karasu's malicious temperament, Yomi's cold and calculated cunning, and, of course, Mukuro's blood thirsty—"

"OKAY, OKAY." For a second I thought the girl was helping me out. Traitor. " moving on. What was I saying? Oh, yes. I have a small guy problem."

"I think we get that now." Shizuru commented dryly.

"In summary…" I try to sound professionally as I go on. Surprisingly not a even a little bit embarrassed about what I'm going to say to these guys. "every 'relationship' I've ever had has been a reaction to my karma. And before you ask Nike or Banriyu, it really hasn't been that many. Normal high school and college stuff."

"What do you mean by that?" Kuwabara asked.

"Well, I've only officially dated like," I pause, do the count, and hold out my fingers, "four to five guys."

"What does four to five mean?" Botan asked with a grin. She was enjoying this too much. It was a miracle I hadn't said anything before, but I'm sure I'd alluded to it a million times.

"Well," I look at Kurama, "You remember when you asked me on that date, but it was a fake date, but I didn't know it at the time?"

Earning himself a few snickers from the gang, Kurama solemnly nodded, but he seemed to be enjoying this. So I continued, "You remember what I said about why you shouldn't, under any circumstances, have a crush on me?"

"Yes." His smiled brightened and I am forced to put my attention in Keiko's direction.

"Well, here's my excuse, before you judge me. I was homeschooled until ninth grade. I didn't get to meet many…guys. So…when I first started out, I wasn't the best person in the world." I cleared my throat. "You may or may not have noticed, but…I can be a bit egocentric."

"We noticed." Everyone seemed to answer in sync which threw me off a little.

"Damn. Thanks guys." I roll my eyes before continuing. "As a fresh faced ninth grader, I had two mottos—which I grew out of quickly, okay? Very quickly."

"What were they?" Yukina asked, surprising me.

I paused, staring down at Hydra's hair.

Banriyu shook his head before he covered his ears. Nike perked up, "Can I tell them?" she asked with an eager smile. She addressed the group, "I thought they were very adorable. And endorsed them gladly."

"This is gonna be good." Yusuke snickered.

I cleared my throat, "My first was: I see'em, I like'em, I want'em, I got'em."

Yusuke and Kuwabara fell over. Keiko looked at me like she'd never known me. Yukina seemed to gladly accept this with a nod, like she'd known all along. I closed my eyes as I heard Botan shriek.

"Everyone thought like that at fifteen. I mean, come on." I say waving my hand around once they'd pulled themselves together. I gesture to Kurama, "I bet you were a regular Casanova, right?"

Sweetly, Kurama looked me straight in the eyes, "Not really, no."

"What were you guys doing?" I asked wildly.

"Saving the world,"Kuwabara told me with a smirk.

That's fair. I pinched the bridge of my nose, "Shizuru?"

She nodded in affirmation, "Don't worry, I'm on your side on this."

I sighed in relief, "I knew I loved you."

"So, the other one?" Shizuru asked.

I gave Nike the honors, because I couldn't bring myself to say it aloud. She gave me a kiss before proclaiming, "Friends don't bring your boyfriend to meet me, baby don't bring your friends to eat. Please believe me unless your game is tight and you trust him…don't bring him around me 'cause I'm a flirt—"

"NIKE!"

She pinched my cheek with a laugh, "Forgive me, love. Small joke. That was actually taken from one of Aurora's favorite songs. Very amusing."

"Not funny, Nike." I complain, but she just kisses me, unapologetic.

"Truthfully, it went like this: If I could take him, he wasn't yours to begin with." Nike fanned herself, feeling impressed with her knowledge. "It was actually I who inspired the motto. I still believe in it very strongly. At its core, it is a very good message."

Banriyu huffed, having decided to listen in, apparently, "You ought to be ashamed of yourself. Filling our little Aurora's head with your deprivations—"

"Guys?" I started as Nike climbed onto my shoulder to get a better look at Banriyu.

"Deprivations?" Nike mocked, "How am I deprived? Because I enjoy life and take what's rightfully mine? Meanwhile, you would have her live in a nunnery—"

I sighed, "Guys we are not at home."

"I would have her away from five hundred-year-olds like Iman, 'dark and tortured' souls like Hector, and possessive megalomaniacs like Raven! Men you endorsed; may I remind you!"

I try to come between them, going ignored. "This is not the presidential candidacy—"

"Oh, like your choices were any better! Can we talk about Shun? Can we talk about the oh, so prudish and sensible, arrogant, long haired—"

"I like his hair." I said quietly.

"—methodical and intense—"

"He was careful!" Banriyu recalled, "And he took very great care of his hair and looked after Aurora's best interest!"

"They argued every moment of every day because he was an insufferable bore—"

Banriyu gave her a look of scathing disbelief, "At least Shun, wasn't a psychopathic—"

"Shun was a jealous, conceited child who thought he knew best—"

"He was a scholar who was in her age and could provide—"

"Shun was obsessed with her for years. Do you know how unsettling that sounds?"

"Shun wasn't fleeting with his passions. He was steadfast and true. A very good trait for a husb—"

"WOW! So you weren't the one encouraging her to break up with him after he asked her to marry him? That wasn't you, Mortal?"

"I could tell she wasn't ready for such a commitment. At least I told her to cut things off instead of encouraging her to IGNORE HIM FOR MONTHS!"

"Oh, please, I just told her to do whatever she thought best." Nike insisted, "You know, Aurora. You know how she gets! She couldn't bring herself to hurt him, even if he deserved it for assuming she'd ever want to be tied down to such a reticent, daddy issue having—"

"No, you'd rather her live with the guilt and develop a COMPLEX!"

Nike seethed her next words, "Be honest for once in your miserable life, Mortal. The only reason you prefer that boring boy was because unlike the others, Shun was only half-demon. Admit it."

My pleas, joined by the others, quieted to silence.

Banriyu paused as well, stunned, "Are you…calling me a bigot?"

"It makes sense," she explained with a smile, "I mean, just think. All of them, even conflicted little Hector…were all full bloodied demons, men you despise, but…somehow, against all odds, Aurora finds herself a half-human boyfriend and suddenly you're his champion? What other explanation is there, Banriyu?"

Banriyu almost growled out his response, making Keiko jump, "Perhaps, it was the fact that Minerva had known him for years. Perhaps it was the fact that he would be going to University as well. Perhaps it was the fact that they could actually have a life together without our Aurora bearing the burden of supporting him or worrying about him being arrested by her own sister—"

"Excuses!"

"Even if that were true, which you know damn well it isn't, look who's talking. You barely tolerate humans. You believe they are all weak and fragile creatures—"

"And I have good reason," she pointed to him, "Exhibit A."

Banriyu drew his sword, "YOU EVIL WITCH."

Nike sneered, energy gathering in one hand. "YOU CONDESCENDING, ASININE—"

"ENOUGH!" I finally managed to make them hear me after their screaming match and thrust my beads out for them to see, my necklace I held out to Nike. "come on."

Banriyu flinched back, putting his sword away and falling to his knees, "Princess, I—"

I shook the bracelet.

Nike started, "Aurora, be—"

"Please." I say, my eyes suddenly stinging. "I just got Hydra back and I don't want to do this right now. And I don't want any apologies either…please."

Wordlessly, they sunk into the jewelry. I closed my eyes for a second to breathe. They often had this fight, but, it wasn't usually in front of a crowd. They'd become comfortable at the very least.

I felt a hand on the small of my back and jumped a little, as Kurama put more pressure there. I relaxed into his touch, and he moved a few stray strands of hair behind my ear. "Thanks," I say.

He smiles at me, I see a hint of mischief in his eye and I frown at him. "You think this is funny, don't you?"

Kurama lulled his head to the side, "I think it was very…enlightening."

"Great." I mutter.

"Hey, Aurora, you have a thing for demons. No one's judging you. But, you have to admit, I called it." Yusuke assured me.

I flipped the bird to him. "I do not look for these guys. They find me."

Shizuru deadpanned, "Which sounds creepy…"

"I agree," Keiko commented. "It doesn't sound great when you put it like that."

"Kurama found me," I turn to him, and raise my eyebrow. "Didn't you? Because Tohru told me that you asked to be my guide. The first day."

I see a spark in his eyes then, that familiar glow of gold in his warming gaze. My lips betrayed me by smiling.

"How long have you known?" He asked slowly, denying nothing. You do have to give it to Kurama, when he is caught, he admits it.

Feeling like a sleuth, I say, "Since Tohru and I became friends so…two days after we met."

A strangely satisfied grin appeared on Kurama's pretty lips. "You never let on."

"I thought we established this, Kurama…I do all kinds of things for little to no reason at all." To keep myself focused, I pay close attention to the hand on my back, the shape of his long fingers. "Besides, I think it's pretty obvious why I didn't mind you stalking me like a creeper."

Kurama threw me off by lowering his voice, "Oh?"

And for the first time in a while, I got that flight or fight response, but I didn't panic. I waited, breathed in and said, "Yeah, I'm used to demons stalking me. It's my spirit energy…right? You can't help it. You're drawn to it."

Kurama took one last look at me before he chuckled. "Interesting theory."

I raised my left eyebrow, tempted to cross my arms, "You have a better one?"

In his usual, Kurama fashion, he insisted, "To use your words, I think it's fairly obvious."

"Not what I said."

He admitted, "The idea is there."

"Well, it's ruined now."

"How so?"

"Because I said so."

Kurama responded lightly, "And your word is somehow paramount?"

I pulled back, "Oh. Are you getting sassy with me?" And he was!

Kurama laughed.

"I hate you." I give him a shove.

He keeps laughing, removing his hand to grab at his sides.

"Kurama, keep laughing and I will burn this place down!" I pinch his arm, but he pays me no mind. Admittedly, I liked seeming him like that. He looked young, without a worry in the world, a lot less like the father he was always trying to be. Free. "You are…the worst."

Author's Note: I had so much fun writing this. I love Nike and Banriyu, especially together. It's easy to understand why sometimes, Aurora will forgive Hydra over those two. They are an extra set of parents with very different styles of parenting. No one they almost always come to blows.

Also, it's nice to let the others know how she thinks. Now they know what's happening behind that little grin of hers.

I will be sad when it ends, but I'm not completely sure if I'll end it immediately especially since I've left so many questions unanswered. That would be poor of me. So, I'll have to take that into account. So, the next chapter will officially end the Hydra Retrieval Arc. I'll post it and then decide if I want to move forward.