Disclaimer: I don't own YYH or the characters

Prompt: City

The city was a loud and crowded place. Skyscrapers towered above. Hiei knew most of its streets by heart. Some were even places he lived when he was a homeless youth. Hands in his pockets, he took advantage of his day off from Tarukane's services. The drug lord was out of town for a while, most likely picking of a shipment of 'fresh blood'. Hiei sneered as he thought of the implications. At least he knew, this time, that his sister was not among them. Thankfully, neither was his neighbor.

His harsh words almost seemed to do the trick. Botan avoided him for a while. This week, though, she began her altruistic measures once again. This time, she didn't knock on his door, though. She simply left Hiei trays of food. Other than that, their paths did not cross.

A part of Hiei felt guilty towards his actions, but this was for the best. Botan was an innocent woman who couldn't get wrapped up in his own schemes. Already, Hiei put work into taking Tarukane down. Measures were in place for the future. His responsibilities assigned by Zeru were ever growing. Hiei was earning the bastard's full trust. His mission would not fail.

Hiei stopped in front of a large, highly secured, gated building. He typed in a code which caused the gates to unlock. Then, he walked in as if he owned the place. The doorman who watched the security cameras at the front counter noticed him and stood. "Mr. Jaganshi," he greeted.

The quiet man only offered a single nod back as a greeting. He had no use for small talk. When Hiei crossed the room, he pressed a button to call an elevator. Once inside, he took out his burner phone. I'm home for the day, he texted.

The response read, See you in ten!

Hiei scoffed and rolled his eyes as he pocketed the phone. That didn't give him much time to clean up. His vagabond look was only good for his other life. Mentally, he surrendered. He knew his contact didn't care much about his wardrobe. Still, it was the principle and pride of the matter.

He exited the elevator on the eighth floor and unlocked the door of an apartment. It was a completely different place than the scummy place he resided in on the other side. Although he truly was a minimalist, his sister felt the place needed more. Inside, there was a luxurious sofa. Against the wall was a large desk next to some filing cabinets. A laptop set atop the table with no speck of dust from disuse. It seemed Yukina must have visited recently to do some upkeep. She even watered the small ficus by the front door, gifted to him by his plant-loving friend, Kurama.

Quickly, Hiei entered his bedroom and shed his grungy clothing. He rummaged his closet for a black dress shirt and a pair of slacks. Once dressed, he sat on his queen-sized bed and sighed as he laid back against it. It was a ridiculous purchase, this bed, but his sister insisted on his comfort. Now, it seemed like a small reprieve from the old, hard mattress at the other apartment.

A knock on the door alerted him to his guest. He pushed himself off of the bed, headed back into his living room, and went to answer the front door. On the other side stood a youthful man with slicked-back, black hair. He wore a green jacket that donned his police badge. He grinned like a deviant as he took in his friend's appearance. "Dude, did you get all dressed up for me? I'm touched."

"Detective," Hiei greeted with a huff as he let the man in.

The detective looked around the apartment and smiled softly. "Looks like Yukina's been keeping the place spotless while you're away. How ya doing, buddy?"

"Fine," Hiei replied. "Did you get the body, Yusuke?"

"Yeah," Yusuke replied gravely. "Ura Urashima was retrieved the night you texted. Kuwabara autopsied him and logged tons of opioids in his system, as expected, and Zeru's bullet was retrieved and logged into evidence. How are things one your end? You went radio silent shortly after the murder."

Hiei's eyes darkened as he thought about the past month. Ever since the night of the murder, Hiei felt like an empty shell. He knew it had more to do with his treatment of Botan and less to do with the murder that occurred. He'd seen his fair share of hell during his childhood, before he was recognized by Kurama. Somehow, he knew who Hiei was and told him that his mother, Shiori, was supposed to be his caretaker as a child. At first, Hiei didn't believe the redhead, but he told a fantastical story that was proven only when Yukina came into Hiei's life.

Before Hiei could get lost in thought, he shook his head and answered Yusuke's wondering. After his interaction with Botan, Hiei threw himself into the assignment and focused solely on his mission. "I've been working overtime to prove my worth and win Zeru's trust. Oversaw a few drug deals as the dealers' protection. Picked up some payments and delivered the funds to Zeru. Tarukane is out of town right now assessing the new 'shipment', and their other 'clients' are paying, so there should be no late-night meetings for a while."

Yusuke sighed and sat down on the couch, shoulders hunched. "Those poor women," the detective solemnly said in regard to the 'shipment'. "As for his clients, it's terrible that they're on drugs or visiting the underground sex dens, but it would be nice to not have to log in more murders and give their loved ones the bad news for a while."

Hiei didn't show it, but he felt what Yusuke meant. This world was horrible, vicious, and not for the faint of heart. It was why Hiei took this assignment. Tarukane's reign had brought nothing but pain, heartache, and fear to the city. He needed to be stopped, ended.

"What did the ex-wife have to say?" Hiei questioned.

Yusuke fidgeted awkwardly. "Um, well she wasn't surprised," the officer admitted. "Apparently, Ura confessed everything to her when she told him she wanted a divorce. She tried to come off as a person who cared so much and said that's why she cleaned him out of as much money as possible, so he had less to spend on drugs. Of course, you know how Kurama gets the truth out of people. He asked why she didn't turn him in to the police or try to get him into rehab. She didn't have an answer at first, but that stare of his got her to admit she was just greedy and married Ura because he used to have money. She was willing to give a statement that he was on drugs and admitted he bought them from Tarukane's peons, but aside from that she wants nothing to do with this. Koenma told her she'd be charged with aiding and abetting. Usually, she'd receive the same sentence as the perp, but since Urashima is dead, she's just being charged a hefty fine that she'll have to pay off with all the alimony Ura paid her."

"Hn, poetic justice," Hiei mused.

After a moment of silence, Hiei sensed Yusuke's agitation. His brow rose as he met the concerned gave of his comrade. "What is it?"

"So…what else has been happening?" Yusuke inquired, his voice full of hesitation.

Hiei's eyes narrowed, and he crossed his arms defensively over his chest. "I don't know what you mean."

Yusuke huffed and released a heavy sigh. "Alright, fine. I'll be direct. George says you met someone interesting…"

The way Yusuke spoke was strange, and the look in his eyes was one of recognition and care. Hiei cursed under his breath. "I take it you know her too." The detective nodded. "Who is she all to you?"

"Botan…she's a friend of all of us. Me, Keiko, Kuwabara, Kurama, and Koenma all grew up with her. She was one of Shiori's cases."

Hiei's demeanor grew dark and rigid once more. Shiori was a social worker, and if Botan was one of her cases, it could only mean one thing. "She's a foster kid?"

Yusuke nodded again, and this time it was more of a weak nod. "Yeah, she grew up in the system. Was never adopted, but she did come to live with me and my mom back when we were in high school. Botan was always independent, and mom thought it would be good for her to have a home and a room to herself and feel like she could have some normalcy in her life. After graduation, Botan went off on her own. Keiko tried to convince Botan to go to college with her, but Botan couldn't afford it and she honestly already knew her passion."

"Cooking," Hiei answered knowingly.

Yusuke's lip curved into a half-smile. "Yeah. Cooking. She and I would always work together cooking dinner. We joked about starting a food cart before I became a detective." His brow then furrowed as anger filled him. "I had no idea she moved into Tarukane's territory. Koenma did, though, which is why he sent George undercover at the coffee shop. Kurama also convinced her to go to his shop regularly, especially because we all know she does her shopping at night."

Hiei shook his head. "She doesn't take anyone's advice. And other then you few, she had no connections, right?" Yusuke didn't answer, but they both knew the truth. "She's painting the picture of Tarukane's perfect target."

"But she's not," Yusuke angrily returned. "She's just…free-spirited. None of us have the heart to tell her what's going on or else she'd be living in fear, and she doesn't deserve that either." Hiei snorted in derision, but he understood that sentiment. If Yukina hadn't experienced Tarukane's evil, he would have shielded her from it forever, if he could. "Anyway, Hiei, I know you took this assignment for revenge for your mother and sister, but…Botan, she's like my little sister. If there's any way you can look out for her during all this…"

"I need my wits about me," Hiei challenged. "Besides, she's better off if I keep her at a distance. I never know when and if I'm being tailed or not."

"Then why are you back here?" Yusuke practically shouted. "If that's a risk, we can keep communicating through the burner."

Hiei shook his head. "Mukuro wants an update."

Yusuke threw himself back on the couch and rested his arms on the back. "You feds. Always have to have these risky, clandestine meetings." He tilted his head to meet Hiei's gaze. "You do realize that if one of Tarukane's lackeys saw you here, you'd be sunk, right?"

"If they find me, I can say I was doing a favor for an old acquaintance I owed. With Tarukane gone, this is the best time."

"Well, if that's the case, go see your sister. She's been asking about you a lot lately and worried that we hadn't heard anything from you."

Hiei sighed. It wasn't as if he were surprised that was the case. When he took this undercover assignment, approved by his boss at the federal bureau, she made him promise to keep in communication with their friends constantly. After the way Hiei left things with his neighbor, it just didn't sit right with him. He was not in the mindset to converse or even check in. As Hiei said, he needed to keep his wits about him.

"I will call her," Hiei agreed, "but seeing her right now is not the best idea."

Yusuke's demeanor softened. "Hiei…it's almost you birth—"

"I can't think about that day right now," Hiei cut him off. The day of his and Yukina's birth, the anniversary of their mother's death, was by far the worst day of Hiei's life, even if he couldn't remember it. That day triggered all the misfortune that ever befell Hiei and his sister, his whole family. If Hiei went down that rabbit hole now, the mission would be doomed.

"I understand," Yusuke surrendered. "Will you be okay?"

Stern eyes devoid of emotion met concerned chocolate when Hiei turned his head. "When Tarukane is brought to justice, we all will be."

Later in the day, Hiei was once again on the rough city streets. Now that his meeting with Mukuro was complete and he spoke with his sister, it was time to return to his undercover life. Hiei thought back to days on the street, his life of petty crime and survival. He hated the local precinct back then. Officers always showed up at the most inopportune times and were useless in actually making life better. They arrested Hiei several times with charges that couldn't stick because he was a minor and he kept damages at a minimum. The people just kept sending him back to foster care, and he continued to escape.

Back then, Hiei believed that his parents abandoned him, that they were just horrible, lazy people who just didn't want him. It was Kurama Minamino, son of Shiori Minamino, who seemed drawn to Hiei. At first, Hiei thought Kurama was a fellow street kid and thief. Kurama was like a professional. It turned out Kurama's stepfather was an officer and Kurama just liked to rebel, or so he told Hiei at the time.

Hiei remembered the day Kurama told him—seemingly randomly—that his mother had a best friend who died several years prior. The woman, Hina, was kidnapped as a teenager. Shiori and Hina's other friend, Rui, tried to find her, but the police lost track of her. In as huge a city as they lived in, it was next to impossible, but the friends never gave up hope.

It turned out that Hina's kidnapper was a deranged criminal who captured young women and sold their "services" to weak-willed men. One of the men's henchmen took a fancy to Hina to the point where they fell in love, as unlikely as that sounded. The man wanted to get Hina away from his boss, especially when she turned up pregnant with his children, twins. The two planned an escape and arranged for the two babies to be separated, given to her friends, and Hina and her lover would go into hiding until they could return and be reunited with the twins.

"The guy managed to get his daughter to Hina's friend, Rui, before Tarukane gunned him down in the street," Kurama explained.

Hiei glared at his friend. His form was tense from the random anxiety that spiked within him. Those emotions confused Hiei, just as much as the story did. "Why are you telling me this?"

Kurama took out a photograph, a mugshot of the man. He handed it to Hiei and watched as crimson eyes widened. The teenager looked at the photo; a virtual clone of himself stared back at him.

"Hina took her son, and he was meant to be brought to my mother, but Hina never made it. Apparently Tarukane sent his enforcers to reclaim the woman and her child. When her body turned up at the station, everyone assumed Tarukane found her and took the baby. Now that I found him, I can only assume Hina hid him somewhere to keep him away from that monster."

Hiei saw red that day. He attacked his friend, even though it was unwarranted. Pain filled the teenager, and he called Kurama a liar.

"My parents abandoned me," he snarled. "There's no way I'd believe anything different. You don't know anything."

Kurama avoided Hiei's sloppy blows easily and took out another photograph. "Look at this before you shoot the idea down."

When Hiei saw his sister's picture, he knew, just from looking into his eyes. His attacks ceased; he appeared crestfallen. Hiei turned to Kurama, slack jawed as he tried to form a question.

"Hina wasn't the only one who suffered by Tarukane's hand," Kurama told Hiei. "Yukina was also one of his victims, but we all pulled together and rescued her."

"We…?"

"Hiei, I'm an officer," Kurama admitted. "Undercover."

Hiei didn't even bother to scoff at how the police task force decided to use a child to help them catch perps. He felt too betrayed for humor. "I was your case?" he hissed.

"No," Kurama revealed. "I just found you while working a case. I'm here as your friend, and I want to help you. Your sister…I told her about you. She wants to meet you."

That was the turning point for Hiei. He nearly rejected the opportunity to meet the girl because he was certain she'd be disappointed by the fact that her brother was a felon on his way to being convicted. Kurama assured Hiei that Yukina wouldn't care just so long as she had her family. When Hiei met Yukina, his life changed for the better. The two, for legalities sake, went to have a DNA test that proved their siblingship, even though they had a strong connection as first meeting.

Knowing that he was not just an abandoned, unwanted creature helped Hiei's self-esteem. Shiori and Rui both helped Hiei get identification an enrolled in school. Hiei had a lot of catch up to do. He taught himself to read as a child, but that was as far as his education went before school. Given what he lived through, school was pitifully simple, and he caught up quickly despite his huge disadvantage. He enrolled in college and decided to study crime. Criminal justice seemed like such an ironic degree for someone who grew up on the street and broke every law they had to in order to survive. It served to make Hiei want to bring down the real criminals, the ones who screwed over innocents like him and his sister, his parents too.

Hiei returned to the apartment building late and saw Botan outside. She must have been returning from work. She was just about to open the door when she caught sight of Hiei. They both froze as they stared each other down. Botan looked like a deer caught in a headlight. Hiei could hardly blame her. He was careless with her feelings, callous and cold, and now Botan was timid around him.

Now that he knew who Botan was to his closest colleagues in the local law syndicate, he couldn't bring himself to keep the façade of hating her. "I owe you dinner," he blurted out. As the words passed through his lips, Hiei blushed awkwardly over how that must have sounded.

Botan seemed bewildered for a moment, but then she remembered all the food she'd left for Hiei—she still continued even after his cold words—and what he said at the coffee shop. "I told you; you don't owe me anything for the food."

The woman was about to enter the building. Hiei said, "I don't owe you for the food, but I do owe you an apology. Come upstairs. We can order in."

His words must have had their original desired effect because, as always, Botan wore her heart on her sleeve and appeared completely floored by his apology. Hiei's olive branch seemed to lift her spirits considerably a moment later. The woman was so expressive. Hiei felt his insides twist in a pleasant way, and the tension left his shoulders.

Hiei didn't want to put Botan in danger. He made this point to Yusuke and himself. His presence in her world could only bring her danger, especially if the thugs he worked for ever caught wind of his deception or even saw her with him. Still, he had an underlying sense of duty. His friends and employer got him off the streets, helped him clean up his act, and gave him a sense of purpose in his life. Knowing Botan was a part of the ragtag group, even if he'd never met her before his assignment, made it all the more important to honor their requests. That was the reason he wanted to stay in for the night, so that he wouldn't put her in harm's way. All he had to do was keep her out of Tarukane's line of sight.

Review Responses

Crystal Koneko: Yup, Botan has a way like that :)

jtdarkman: Thanks so much, and no problem ^_^