They had all gotten back to the house and were discussing anything that they had found. However, Hiei and Rogue had yet to return. Without them around, there seemed to be an odd sense of anticipation floating in the room. Actually, they were beginning to get worried. Kurama and Wanda knew well that the two of them were short tempered and dealt with their anger violently.

                Three hours past and it was already eight 'o clock. Yusuke and the others refused to leave until Hiei and Rogue got back. Who would've thought that they would've had to wait for that long? Yusuke, and Kuwabara had had to call their parents to tell them some excuse as to why they weren't home yet. Truth be told, Kuwabara's sister Shizuru couldn't care less and Yusuke's mother couldn't be reached.

                "Must be out drinking again," he muttered.

                Another hour past, and just as Wanda was standing up from the dinner table to go and look for them, the door opened with a slam and Rogue quickly flew passed up into her room. The sound of the running water in the shower came from upstairs. Not even three minutes later, Hiei burst in as well. Sitting down beside Kurama in a huff, Tabitha, a little nervous around the angry demon, set out a plate of macaroni and cheese in front of him (no one really knew how to cook anything other then that).

                The hot water felt good against the skin from flying around in the cold evening air.

                That jerk! She couldn't believe that he had the nerve to run around in her thoughts and to bring up something that she would've liked to forget. Even for a demon that was low. Besides, Cody wasn't in a coma anymore…he died about seven months ago. The doctors said that in such a weakened state, he had succumbed to the flu that had been spreading that winter.

                Hot tears began to well in her eyes and Rogue sat pitifully on the bottom of the tub, curling herself into a tiny ball. Resting her forehead on her knees, she let a few of the tears run down her cheek. Her body shook a little with every sob she unsuccessfully held back.

                Ugh, that girl made him so angry he was surprised at his own self-restraint. As he stabbed at his "food" he could just picture Rogue being there instead of the cheese-covered noodles.

                "Just what, may I ask, did you do Hiei?" Kurama asked sternly. Hiei looked up from his plate to glare at him.

                "I did nothing!" he hissed.

                "Oh yeah, you're the perfect one ain't ya? Ya ain't never in the wrong, that's Hiei for ya!" Rogue snapped.

                "Why don't you keep your mouth shut, worthless mutant!"

                "Take that back!" Wanda shrieked, and the furniture beginning to shake. A hand fell to her shoulder. And she could feel someone's breath against her ear, and sense of calm came over her.

                "Please, Wanda, not here," Kurama whispered. "We shouldn't interfere, this is between them."

                "I know all about how you threw that boy into a coma when you kissed him!"

                "Then ya should know that Ah didn't mean to hurt him! Ah'd like to see ya deal with that kind o' guilt!"

                "Don't lecture me!"

                "Dammit! Just shut up! Fine, rub it in, Ah don't care anymore, and while your at it, rub it in that he's dead now too! Yes, Ah'm a murderer, is that what you wanted to hear? Is it, Hiei?!"

                He looked at her, stunned into silence. She kept him trapped in a cold stare, her green eyes piercing his red ones. They were actually very beautiful. The edges were a little red, from when she had been crying. And her body was still soaking wet from her shower, droplets of water occasionally dripping from the white strands of her hair.     

"Cody's dead and it's all mah fault! There, now ya know! Just leave me alone!"

                "Fine! Leave then, go back to the mansion you live at! Your power isn't needed here!"

                "Gawd, that's all ya care about ain't it? Mah power. You and the others are using us for our powers, just like everyone else! You're no better then mah mother! Ya know somethin'? Ya ain't any better then the humans!"

                "How dare you…!"

                "Both of you shut it!" Yusuke yelled. Everyone turned to look at him, a little surprised by the sudden out burst. But their attention soon went to the stairs, as Rogue stood and ran off back to her bedroom.

***

                Yukio had come in earlier, with a "CD" she remembered him calling it, of opera music. While Meibatsu lay on her bed, it was rather soothing to listen to. Still, she had to smile, thinking to herself that she could sing much better then that, and do millions of dollars in damage at the same time. 

                Though she really didn't care that much, Meibatsu wondered where Yukio had gone. After being locked in that tower for so long, being alone scared her a little. Her partner never minded when she would cling to him when she was younger. But that was a long time ago.

                Jeez, she really needed to get over him, she scolded herself. Still, despite everything that had happened to her, she still could feel her heart racing as she thought about him, about the past. He was stoic and was probably the most cutthroat demon she had never met. Everything that she had learned about the world and how to survive in it, she learned from him. She owed him everything, and anything. While they were still partners, he had often compared her to the Japanese samurai, telling her often that he was proud of her loyalty to the entire group and him. In happy reply, she would smile and blush, glad to be complimented by him.

                But that was over now. It hurt her heart badly to know that for the sake of her honor and severely wounded pride she had to kill him, or die herself in attempt to take him down. Somewhere, deep in her mind, she still wished him happiness and peace that their lives did not provide but the hatred and loathing she held within would quickly smother that.

                Just sitting here was doing no good.

                This was it; she couldn't allow her open wounds to bleed anymore. Yukio wanted the death of the boy Urameshi and her former partner done quickly. And she would do it quickly.

***

                Kurama and the others sat in silence. None of them had ever seen Rogue so angry. Occasionally, Wanda's own anger would flare up and the lights would begin to flicker, Hiei's "worthless mutant" comment still fresh in her mind. 

                "How could you Hiei?" Kurama scolded. "You should've known that that was a painful subject!"

                Hiei kept quiet, feeling a little bit guilty, for one of the first times in his life, about hurting her that way.

                "Hm. I'm afraid that we may have over-stayed our welcome," Kurama said. Standing up, he, followed by Yusuke, Hiei, and Kuwabara, headed to the door, none of them speaking.

                "Hiei!" Tabitha called out. "You can spend the night here if you want. The couch in the living room is pretty comfortable and we have a lot of extra blankets,"

                "Uh…thanks," he said a little unenthusiastically. He would've liked to stay elsewhere but who could refuse a free place to stay. Kurama turned and look back at him harshly.

                "I would like you to at least consider using this time to apologize to Rogue."

                "Hn."

***

                Even though it was becoming increasingly late, Koenma and everyone else were still keeping busy, doing what they can to find any information on Meibatsu. So far, they were having the same luck as Yusuke, Tabitha, and Kuwabara. However, being able to read the text that the books were written in made it a little easier to find what bits and pieces of information they could find.

                Criminal records, personal profiles, everything was gone. That was what was strange. Despite Koenma's lack of attention when it came to organizing, even he had enough sense to save records like those. It was as if someone had come in and stolen them without their knowing.

***

                The tower. Yukio looked upon it, smiling wickedly. As one of his agents promised, there sat the envelope. He picked it up and torn it open. Stapled together inside, stacks of papers and computer disks of information about Meibatsu sat there. He had no intention of reading the files, it was just better that Spirit World forget anything, and everything about her.

***

                Gawd, what was he worried about? All he had to do was go in, apologize and leave. It wasn't that hard to do! Sighing, he knocked on the door, turned the knob and walked in, quickly wishing that he could find the light-switch as his foot hit Tabitha's bedside table.

                Rogue lay in bed, curled up beneath the covers facing the door. Her face was shadowed, since it was turned away from the window. Even through the darkness he could see her glaring at him. Oh yeah, she was still angry.

                "Rogue, I'm here to—"

                "Apologize? Save it, Ah don't wanna hear it. Ah'm sick of everyone's excuses,"

                He could feel himself growing angry again but that would have to be set aside for the moment. Kurama said to apologize and judging by Wanda's outburst about his mutant comment, she'd slit his throat if he didn't. Not really knowing what to do, he walked over and sat on the side of the bed, his back turned to her.

                Speaking of his back, it still stung from when she had slammed him into that tree. It seemed that it wasn't just him who needed to apologize.

                "I'm sorry Rogue," he said quietly. Though he waited, he didn't get a reply from her. Just as he was about to open his mouth to say something, he heard Rogue moving a little. Looking over his shoulder, he almost laughed as she very un-gracefully rolled around to look at him. His gaze soon went back out the window and he watched as Yusuke and the others disappeared around the corner. His body tensed when he felt Rogue gently starting to massage circles on his back with one of her hands.

                "About earlier," she began, "when Ah slammed ya into that tree, Ah didn't hurt ya too badly did Ah?"

                "No."

                "Good. Then we're even…Ah s'pose," 

                They sat there in silence for a few moments more then Hiei stood up and headed toward the door. As his hand rested on the door-knob, she spoke up. 

                "Hiei!" He turned around to look at her; she was smirking. "For an insensitive jerk ya ain't so bad."

                "…Shut up."

Author's Note: Well…I think you all can figure out who's going with who by now right? RIGHT?! My gosh you people are slow! See you next chapter!