Okay, everyone. Sorry for the long time between updates, but real life actually grabbed me and throttled me. School sssssuuuuuuuuuucccccccccccccckkkkkkkkkkkkssssssss! Especially real school. I would give anything to attend Internet school, like a few of my friends. cry, sob, wail 'doom' Why me? Why do my guardians hate me so?!

Oh, well, no use crying over spilt whiskey. (No, it's just a phrase. I don't drink. Personally, I think it a nasty, horrid habit.)

Ivy Raine

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Me: Well, everyone, I'm finally back.

Kurama: Where have you been?

Me: Since Febuary 28th, Stay With Me has been quite accidentally ignored, along with several other stories, such as Brink (YYH), Her Secrets (LOTR), and Sarah (Mercedes Lackey). My apologies everyone. I hope you know that it was an unfortunate incident which I plan on correcting like yesterday.

Kurama: ??

Me: It means something along the lines of ASAP.

Kurama Oh.

Me: Where'd Hiei and Tracey get off to?

Hiei: sounding far away Ta-su-ke-te!!!

Me: ??

Kurama: He just yelled, 'HELP ME!' in Japanese.

Me: Oh. Why would we help him?

Kurama: Because, while you were out, Tracey went on a chibi rampage and has chibi-fied Hiei to the point he is currently living in your favorite Barbie dollhouse.

Me: I don't have a Barbie dollhouse!

Kurama: Well, you do now.

Me: TRACEY!!! KONO BUREI-MONO! GET YOUR ASS HERE RIGHT NOW!!

Kurama: musingly I thought 'you insolent fool' was teme burei-mono.

Stay With Me:

Hiei, for some odd reason, sensed two powerful youkai headed towards the temple. One, he recognized as Kurama. The other, though, was new. Unknown.

Who... what... Who could this other person be?!

He ran past Jennis' room before sliding to a stop and opening the door. She was in a chair, reaching for a book, and the hem of her nightshirt was dangerously high.

What if...

He cleared his throat, making her tumble backwards and land awkwardly on the floor.

"Goddammit! Who the hell- Oh, Hiei." She semi-glared before laughing. "I must have looked stupid, stretching to get that book."

Actually, he thought, slightly embarrassed, and unfortunately, 'stupid' was one of the last thoughts to cross my mind.

Annoyed, he snapped, "Falling off of stationary items now, are we? You really are as stupid as Kuwabara. Here. You'll probably hurt yourself if I don't help you," uncomfortable with his thoughts. She refused his hand. He grabbed her's anyway, and pulled her up.

"Kuwabara!!!! Were you in my room again?!"

They glanced at each other, smiled, and raised an eyebrow.

"No, Botan. Yuusuke's lying. Serious!"

"I'll kill the both of you if I ever catch you near my room when I'm about to shower, got it?!"

"I think you're being a little paranoid, Botan. Neither of us really are that desperate. Maybe in ten years or so, when we're all old and ugly, but now? Not if you paid me, sweetheart," Yuusuke taunted.

"Are you quite done?!" Botan shrieked.

Jennis looked down the hall and saw an angry, insulted Botan and two fleeing boys. She laughed, falling down again, and watched, through her tears, as Botan chased Yuusuke and Kuwabara down the hallway, screaming obscenities. Even Hiei had to admit that it was slightly funny, seeing the normally serene azure-haired girl running after the two delinquents in nothing but a towel.

Suddenly, Teisha appeared and looked at the floor. "What the hell happened here?"

For some inexplicit reason, he was disappointed.

"I fell, Teisha."

Teisha raised a disbelieving eyebrow. "C'mon. You don't expect me to believe that, now do you?"

"Yes. 'Cause it's the truth."

"I was talking, mainly, about Yuusuke, Kuwabara, and Botan. However, you can tell me what the hell you're doing, lying on the floor in nothing but a T-shirt with Hiei in here? I thought you didn't like him."

Jennis knew that Teisha was trying to provoke an argument. And she was damned close to succeeding. "Shut up, my friend, if you value your life."

Kurama walked in and an arm snaked around Teisha's waist. Obviously, the other girl didn't notice or was actually pleased, for she said nothing when she usually pounded other guys into the ground for even thinking of touching her.

"C'mon, Jennis. We're all buds here. What were you and Hiei about to do?" Hiei punched Teisha, who immediately went flying. When she landed, she sat up and touched her jaw. "You need a better right hook, shorty. Anyway, I was just coming for a book. Jennis, do you have my copy of Life Amongst The Dead or Shutterbox?"

"Shutterbox is currently at Margrette's and Life Amongst The Dead is in the clearing."

"Damn. Oh well, thanks anyway."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Kurama heard a gentle knock on his door around midnight. He was up, studying for his AP Chemistry test. "Enter."

A head of black-hair popped in. "Umm... I hate this, but can I stay with you? I had a nightmare."

He blinked and nodded. "Sure, Teisha. I guess sleeping in a new place can be discomforting." She smiled shyly and entered the room, sliding the door almost closed, but not quite.

"Arigato, Kurama. What're you studying?"

"AP Chem." She winced. "Yeah. I agree. What was your nightmare?" She shook her head firmly. "It helps to talk sometimes," he coaxed. She bowed her head and nodded.

"Alright," she sighed. "You really need to finish studying and I should be in my room anyway." She sat on the floor, a graceful, if absentminded, motion. "Here's how it goes..."

She inched closer to the girl who was sitting in a corner, crystalline blue eyes shining with unshed tears. "She's gone. I told them not to trust him, but they did, and he killed them."

"Who killed whom?" She was looking directly into the blue eyes, though she knew that she was standing on her feet, not kneeling. The blue eyes reflected her image. She saw gold eyes, fox ears, and tails. She was gorgeous, in an odd fashion.

"He killed them."

"Little one, come with me. I'll protect you. I know of Youko Kurama. Rumor has it that he takes in abandoned demons like us sometimes. Come with me, please. I can't make the journey alone. Not all the way to the other side of the Makai. Let's take a chance."

"What's your name?"

"I'm Teishai Karasaki. Who're you?"

"Jenisha Takamura."

She stiffened, sensing another demon besides Jenisha and herself. One that was inheritly evil. "We must go! NOW!"

Youko Kurama? he thought. Two tiny demons... Both girls... One obviously a kitsune and the other-

The memory he wanted came to him.

Two tiny demonesses had been found at the edge of his clearing. He picked them up gingerly, one in either arm. One was a miniature kitsune and the other an unknown. The little fox awoke and looked at him with sleepy, trusting eyes.

"Are you Youko Kurama?" she queried, voice a soft, weary attempt at sound. Her immediate trust touched him.

"I am."

"Then, we are safe," the little one sighed, closing her eyes again and burying her face in his chest.

He took them into the den and looked at them. The little fox demoness startled him with her black hair and silver ears. She was sleeping peacefully until he tried to place her on a pallet. Her body stiffened and he felt her fear. Sighing, he placed both himself and the little girl on his pallet. She smiled in her sleep, snuggled closer, and her tiny first held onto his tunic.

Morning came and he awoke to both of the girls being awake and having already fixed a meal. He noted that they had left some for him and that there were sounds indicating that they were playing outside. Finally, he exited the den and found the two demonesses playing a game in the clearing.

"Good morning, girls," he greeted. "

Good morning, Youko-sama!" they chorused. Then, they fell down giggling. The little kitsune stood first and tugged on her friend's arm.

"C'mon Jenisha! You gotta stand up!" she said, pulling a little harder. "We can't play Ring-'round-Rosie sitting!"

"Okay, Teishai! I'm standing! I'm standing!" Jenisha cried.

He made a mental note of the girls names and which was which. "May I play?" he queried.

Teisha looked at him in slight disdain. Immediately, his guard was up. "You are a boy. Boys don't play."

At her comment, he realized what he had been expecting. Not something so simple as a little girl's immediate rejection of anything male, but something more sinister and harming.

I'm jaded.

Jenisha poked Teishai in the ribs, hard. "I guess we can make a 'ception. This time." He smiled at them.

"Thank you." Teishai blushed before holing out her childish, tiny hand to him.

He dragged himself back to the present to find her asleep on the floor, hands under her cheek. He smiled and picked her up to lay her in his bed. She grabbed his shirt and snuggled close.

Welcome back, my dear Teishai. It's been twenty years too long.