"Aurora."

MJ leaned into the doorway of my borrowed bedroom; her brow drawn together. She'd pulled her hair out of that crazy ponytail and let it hang over her shoulder in one smooth waterfall. I could tell by the way her lips pinched at the corners that she didn't want to leave me yet.

The feeling was mutual.

So I opened my arms wide, and let them hang in the air. With a petulant glance around, she pretended she didn't see my outstretched limbs, but once I grinned, she relented. Moving toward me with a burst of speed, she threw herself into my grasp, resting her head against my shoulder.

"It's so boring now that you don't have a boyfriend for me to arrest." She murmured, "What's up with you? Off schedule?"

Okay MJ. I do not have a schedule. It's all coincidental, okay?

I press my lips into the crown of her head, with a slight smile. "About that…"

She stilled. "Yeah?"

"Promise you won't trip?"

"I don't like where this is going."

Ten minutes later.

I hid my face with my hands, peeking through the gaps as she glared hotly at me.

"That little weasel. Who the hell does he think he is?" She asked, leaning toward me for some reason like I was the one who had offended her. "He's eleven inches tall."

I rubbed my fingers against my chin, inspecting my nails. "Well…I wouldn't say that—"

She dug her fist into the palm of her hand. "Should I kill him?"

I laughed, "Definitely not. I'm not even mad." I say, "It still feels awkward, but…he's just acting like I would have."

She shrugged at that, her muscles relaxing. "True."

Thanks, Fam. Love the support. I roll my eyes. "Besides…we'd be awful together."

Again, she threw me under the bus. "I agree."

"No, I mean…I liked arguing with him, it felt good. And that is not good, you know what I mean? It was purely physical and when I kissed him, it was a physical response rather than an emotional one."

MJ raised an eyebrow at me, completely nonjudgmental. "So, I'm guessing he's probably cut the way you like."

I bit my lip. "Yep."

She rolled her eyes. "You disgust me."

"Don't act like this is new to you."

Another eyeroll. "So, what? You saw him shirtless and thought 'man, I gotta get me some a that'."

"I do not talk like that."

Ironically enough, seeing him shirtless did make me think about him a little more…coincidence? Insert shrug here.

A lazy shrug from her. "That's what I always hear."

"You're crazy." I said and then continued, "He did us a favor. Because you know, I don't care. I would have ridden the train until it was about to crash and then jumped out of the window. I wouldn't have checked for survivors either. I would have called you to come and get me."

"Truer words have never been spoken."

Amen. "So…you still mad?"

"I guess not." She crossed her arms, "You seem almost…too cool with this. Is there a reason?"

"No." I say, "Maybe I'm just super mature."

She scoffed, her disbelief palpable. "If you're mature, then I'm mature."

I had to give her that. "Touché."

"So," she started, her eyes jumping up to meet mine with a hint of mischief. "What happened with you and the Fox?"

I sighed, "Why do people always ask me this? Nothing. We're just close. He's my confidant—"

"And you're his what?"

"His friend, of course."

"…yeah. Okay."

"Really."

"Uh-huh."

"No. I'm serious."

"Yeah, I know."

I slapped my hand over my face. "You know…I can have guy friends too, you know?"

"Does Kuwabara and Yusuke whisper in your ear and guide you by putting their hands on your lower back? Do they pull the hair in your face behind your ear so they can have a better view? Do they stay in your vicinity even when they could literally be anywhere else in the room? Do they look at you like you're a delicacy while giving you the 'come hither' eyes?"

"No." I say, throwing a hand up, I swallowed hard. "Because that would be weird."

"Right." MJ agreed, "But it's not weird when Prince Charming does it?"

"He likes to touch people. It's his thing." I insist, for no other reason than for my own sanity. I vividly remember what happened the last time I let people boost my head up. Vividly. I still have the flashbacks.

"Is it?"

"Sure. I've seen him touch…" I pause, thinking it over, "I've seen him touch…" I narrowed my eyes as I looked up at the ceiling. "his mom. They hug and she kisses him on the temple, it's cute."

"Right."

I nodded along. "They're close too."

She just stared at me. "So you haven't noticed how good he looks?" So you admit again! He's so attractive even you have to point it out!

"Oh, I have." I take notes every day. Documentation squad where you at?

She fell back with a laugh, "And you still say that you're friends?"

"Best friends."

She pressed her lips together, shaking her head. "I give you until…February. So, you have the rest of this month, December, January and then…February. You'll be together by then. I promise you that. If you're not, I'll cut my hair."

"You love your hair."

"I know." She closed her eyes as she laid her head against my pillows. I rolled my eyes, not arguing, just placing my head beside hers. Little sisters, am I right?

()()()

"Kill her." MJ flippantly insisted. "She's a weakling. I doubt she knows anything."

"We can't just off people we don't like, MJ." Yusuke calmly told her, "We don't work like that."

"You should." MJ muttered, stalking toward the insurgent in question, arms crossed. "It's more efficient that way."

Yusuke's look of disbelief was almost comical to Kurama. What's even more funny, was the fact that Kurama actually agreed with MJ in this case. He'd already extracted his information. Kurama found no other use for her. Moreover, she gave Kurama very little resistance when he questioned her. She was practically an open book. That fact alone was a recipe for destruction.

This woman knew too much about them as it was, not to mention, if Aurora were to spend too long in her company, she may pity the woman. Aurora would turn her into another Hydra. Kurama had no doubt about it. In fact, he was certain of this, he saw it flash in her eyes the moment Aurora released her from her beads and excused herself from the room. She knew it too. If she had stayed, she would have come to the woman's defense. It was a dangerous habit of hers, coming to the aid of the broken and lonely.

Yes. It would be best if they get rid of her now, wipe the possibility away before it has fully bloomed. The outcome would not be in their favor otherwise. The demon's loyalty would be tenuous at best. Disastrous at worse. Kurama did not like those odds.

"What would you do, I wonder?" MJ stood before the restrained demon indifferently, but there was a certain heat to her words as she said them. "If the situation were reversed, everyone in this room would have been dead yesterday."

"She isn't wrong." Hiei spoke up from his corner, catching Kurama's calculating gaze.

She has to die. Hiei spoke in Kurama's mind, as was his usual tactic. Both of them knew, Yusuke could be persuaded, but more often than not, his kindness won out. There's no point discussing it.

I agree, Kurama returned, but I sense Yusuke does not. And, if we turn this into a scene, I know Aurora would come to her aid.

Hiei rolled his eyes. Then convince her. she'll listen to you.

Why are you so certain?

There was a pause and then, Don't play dumb Kurama. You know why.

"Let's get this over with," MJ flickered her wrist and it buzzed with energy just as the doors burst open.

Kurama closed his eyes with a sigh.

"Wait!" Aurora, as if she could hear their conversation, looked around the room furiously, her hair flying around in a wave. Her eyes landed on her sister, before finding Kurama, standing with his arms crossed. Her gaze softened, turning, imploring. Kurama very much wished MJ had acted sooner.

Aurora bit her lip before she strode right for Kurama, as he knew she would. Yusuke seemed to perk up at her entrance, knowing he would no longer be alone in his objection. Hiei scoffed. Don't let your affections cloud your judgement, Kurama. You know as well as I do that she would forgive you if given the slightest reason.

Kurama cut his eyes over to his fire demon friend, the look carried with it a word of warning that ushered the demon from his mind. He didn't appreciate the implication.

Aurora glanced over her shoulder at the restrained demon before she turned her pleading gaze on Kurama. He had to admit, the look had no problem grabbing hold of him. He hated seeing her like this: small, uncertain. It only made him want to pull her closer, protect her from any and everything.

"Please," Aurora stepped closer to him, so close, Kurama could make out the individual hairs in her dark brows. "Don't kill her. Hydra was telling me that she never actually hurt him. She fed him, actually, what little she could."

Mindful of his position, and the pair of amber eyes on him, Kurama measured his words carefully. "Unfortunately—"

"And somehow that resolves her of guilt?" MJ snorted with laughter, her eyes rolling with incredulity. "Try again."

Aurora cut her eyes at her sister.

"What?" MJ asked, still fully prepared to decapitate the quivering demon. "Am I wrong to assume that she wasn't conspiring to kill you? Am I wrong to assume that she aided in your 'little boy's' capture? Did she not spend years capturing innocent demons and selling them into slavery?"

Aurora winced. Kurama, unable to stop himself, immediately pulled her closer to himself. He placed his hands gently on her shoulders. He agreed with every word MJ spoke, and was thankful she was the one speaking.

MJ walked away from the demon, "You're not keeping her. She's not some project for you to rehabilitate. You know as well as I do how well that has worked out for you so far. Shall I go down the line, Sister? Shall I call Raven and ask him how's doing? Hector? Iman? Should I keep going or are you good?"

At that, Aurora pulled away and faced her sister down, "Yes. Naming some names will make taking this woman's life make much more sense. Why are you so black and white? It's not that simple. Nothing is ever that simple, okay? Chill. This is not a monarchy and you are not the goddamn Queen."

"Because you are?"

"No. It's a democracy, and in a democracy, we vote." Aurora turned around, looking at Yusuke, Hiei and back to Kurama. Her eyes stayed on him. "Right?"

Kurama closed his eyes. My involvement is now imminent. "That would be a fair way to decide."

MJ laughed, "Oh? Is that what we're doing? Newsflash, Sunshine. Your friends agree with me. I said let's off her, they said yes."

Aurora took a look around the room, "Is that right? Then let's vote. Its should be no problem then."

MJ lost her smile. "That's not fair."

Aurora laughed darkly, "How is 'voting' not fair? Majority rules."

"No, no. I see what you're doing, Aurora. And it is not fair." MJ reiterated. "You knew you won the moment you came through those doors. You know damn well what's going to happen, and you're either going to get me or Kurama to come to your side. You may be reckless, but you're not stupid. That is why it isn't fair."

"See that's my point. It's exactly that, we needed a discussion. Discussion is fair."

"We had a discussion. We agreed death was easier."

"Is it easier to kill people off? Yes. But we could also just have Spirit World take her, right?" Aurora threw her hands up, "I'm not trying to take her under my wing or set her free."

"You'd rather she sat in bondage."

Aurora recoiled, her voice suddenly icy. "It's called tact, MJ. Don't use that rhetoric with me. I am not in the mood."

"Fine, that's fair, but the only reason you want to save this woman is because you made eye contact with her. Am I wrong? Had you not looked this woman in the eyes, you wouldn't even be here!" MJ reasoned, "You are selectively compassionate."

"Okay. Never said I wasn't. I'm a hypocrite too. Doesn't mean I'm not right. Which, by the way," Aurora gestured wildly with her hands, unaffected. "I am."

"Do you two want to step outside?" Hiei asked, a hint annoyance in his voice.

Both of them, ignored him.

"Just because you love Hydra doesn't mean you can go around helping out misguided demons without any repercussions. You know why you haven't had any repercussions? Because I am the repercussions."

"I know, and you're the best." Aurora smoothly walked toward her sister and started dusting off her sister's clothes, straightening out her shirt. Aurora paused, combing her fingers through her sister's black hair before she kissed her cheek. "You're the strongest. The prettiest. The fastest. You're just amazing at what you do. I don't know what I'd do, if I didn't have you. I'm lucky, I know that. If a contract was signed, you are the addendum."

"Did you just quote Nicki Minaj?"

"Yes. I did that for you."

"But I don't even like her."

"But, you like that song…"

MJ shrugged.

Aurora squeezed her shoulders, "Let's take a vote. All in favor of sending her to Spirit World?"

Kurama watched as Yusuke raised his hand, along with Aurora and then MJ.

Of course.

Hiei just shot him a look. Kurama had no response. He wasn't the one at fault here. Yusuke just grinned, high fiving Aurora. "That's what I'm talking about."

"All opposed?" Aurora looked back at Hiei who didn't bother to raise his hand. Then to Kurama, who, despite not wanting to be on opposites sides, raised his hand anyway. He'd just had a very, mischievous thought. Despite his loss here, he was certain he could use it to his advantage.

She smiled at him; her victory assured. "The 'I's' have it. She lives."

()()()

It was midnight when they finally left. It was later than that when Kurama and I got into his car and made the drive back.

"You can be quite persuasive when you put your mind to it." Kurama commented offhandedly, his eyes on the road.

"Not really, MJ just…I know her. She just wants to protect me. I know what to say to reassure her and make her give into me. She's sort of how I am with Hydra," I remark, staring out into the night, the shiny lamps. "I give in because of how I see him—small, fragile. She sees me the same way. She can't help it. It's sweet but also…it can be a little draining."

"Still, despite, her arguments you were victorious."

I laugh, "I couldn't persuade you."

"You didn't try." Kurama lightly reminded me.

"I figured it wouldn't work."

Kurama's gaze flickered over to me, "You don't give yourself enough credit. If you had wanted it badly enough, you could have had me."

I scoffed in disbelief, "Yes, because you are so 'undone' by me?" I threw his words back at him, it seemed strange that I could remember them now so vividly. I could almost hear the pouring of the rain too, the way his eyes bled into the rainy sky.

Unflinchingly, he replied, "Exactly."

I lose the ability to form sentences, pulling my eyes into my lap. In my peripherals, I see Kurama smirk like he'd just said something 'clever'. The jerk.

This whole interaction felt layered, doubled in meaning. 'If you had wanted it badly enough,' he said, you could have had me.'

Wait. Pause. Did that…did I hear correctly?

…you could have had me…you could have had me…you could have had me…

I could've had—NO! we are not doing this today. Uh-huh. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt. We are not getting on this train. I just got kicked off my last train, no thanks. I'm not getting on another train until…

…February?

No! Damnit, MJ. No trains. We are walking.

Still, I got that feeling again. That flight or fight, response? It made my heart rush, my breaths quicken. No.

Did he…? No. If Kurama, brave, conceited, Kurama wanted me, he wouldn't have let me go around trying to kiss his best friend. That would be insane. He would have said something. He would have saidit. He would have—Urgh!

"Why are you always ruining my life?"

"What?" Kurama asked.

"What?" I jumped, pushing myself into the corner of my seat. "Nothing…just…thinking."

"About?"

I pressed my face into my seat belt, "My life getting all ruined, you know, the usual."

Author's Note: Aurora knows how to work certain people, but…Kurama knows how to work everyone, Aurora included. This whole thing will unfold at his pace.

I'm excited to finish this story off so I can focus on my other ongoing stories. I wanted to a few more scenes with MJ because we won't be seeing her for a while. The next chapters won't be so short either.

Here's the final arc of this fic: The Countdown to the Once and Future.