Blacklight52 is back on the airwaves people!

Okay, sorry to nitpick, but we got 2 issues that need to be straightened out.

1 - I'M A GUY! Let's get this straight, I am of the male population, and I am NOT a cross-dresser or of the homosexual persuasion. I have a girlfriend, for cheese's sake!I am a 100 straight male American teenager. I realize that most people who thought I was a girl realized their mistake, and I don't mind that. I just want to make sure it never happens again. It's frickin embarrassing.

2 - I'm sort of miffed 'cause all you people are making such a big deal that I'm a guy. Honestly, do you have to be a girl to like this pairing? I mean, come on, it's the only pairing worth looking at in the whole show.

THANK YOU for your time, and I'd like to give a special thanks to all my reviewers, especially too:

Phoenix Fire Spirit (check previous chapter's dedication)

Hooray! Fanficcie writing friend! Would ya believe she goes to the same school as me?

Hiei's Ice Maiden (I'm doing my best)

Thank you for reviewing all the chapters so far. I actually got a review from her! I've read ALL your work and I'm honored to be reviewed by a fanfiction aficionado of your status.

Runaway Kogoro (according to Twilight Phoenix, this is an honor, so thanks for the review)

I really appreciate the review. I was being sarcastic about the mediocrity, and I will update.

H/B Goddess Kat (an anonymous reviewer, thanks and I hope ya got my email)

Thanks for the reviews, thanks for realizing I'm not a girl, and thanks for the invitation to join your..... club?

And most specially of all (drum roll please): Twilight Phoenix! (great review, remember to keep your promise!)

I read your work too (the YuYu ones anyway) and thanks for the best, longest, funniest, most touching reviews I've ever gotten. I'm still working on those donuts, and please keep those awesome reviews coming! (also, you are so much like me, judging by your review, that it is almost creepy. It's like I found my female double or something.)

Okay, enough of my blabbing, ranting, and psychosis. Here's the chapter you've been waiting for (for all of 22 hours):

Hiei laughed inwardly, he had Botan right where he wanted her, cornered and unable to run away.

"I.... ummmm... thanks, I guess." Botan had no idea what he was talking about.

"You should be thanking me, annoying ferry onna."

There went all of Botan's confusion, replaced by a blinding rage. "You never stop, do you? Your selfish, rude, nasty, unsociable, pitiful excuse for a fire koorime! I can't believe you call yourself a fighter, you can't even communicate with decent people! All you know how

to do is beat up creatures weaker than you, and annoy the hell out of whoever happens to be within 10 feet of you!"

This torrent of insults completely exhausted Botan's fury. "Ha! Lets see how he reacts to that!" She thought triumphantly.

Hiei was silent for a moment. Botan was growing uneasy, only now realizing the implications of such an outburst. She would either be injured, dead, or cowering under the Hiei's verbal retaliation by the time this little incident was over.

When Hiei finally spoke, the response was something the Diety of Death would never have predicted.

A smirk appeared on his face, and he said, "I don't think you should insult me like that, considering how I assisted you back there."

"What are you talking about? Botan was getting angry. "You break into my house, fall asleep in front of my door, and then you demand an apology from me!"

Hiei's smirk grew. Oh really? He questioned.

Botan sensed something different in his voice, something, teasing, playful. "Yes, really!"

The reply came back, "And what do you remember of last night?"

Botan had to think about that one. "I... ummmm... I came in the front door." She stammered.

"Go on" Hiei's smirk had grown again.

"And then I... was... falling." She finished lamely, frustrated she couldn't remember what had occurred.

"Do you remember the part when you cried so hard you passed out standing up?" Hiei was more serious now. "Or perhaps the part when you fell and would have cracked you're skull had I not caught you. Do you remember that?"

Botan was surprised, this was all news to her. She also wondered how Hiei had caught her, was he spying on her? She would wait to ask this question until the matter at hand was cleared up.

"Apparently not" Hiei reached over to her head. "I'll help you then"

Botan backed away quickly, bumping against the side of her bed.

(Remember she's still hiding behind her bed)

"Hey, what are you doing?"

Hiei sighed. "I'm activating your memories through my Jagan."

"Oh...... okay then."

Hiei touched her forehead with his hand. "His hand is so warm" was Botan's final thought before she was plunged into blackness.

Botan was floating near the ceiling of her apartment. The funny thing was, she wasn't on her oar.

"AAAAAAHHHH!" She screamed, grasping for a handhold of some sort.

Then she remembered Hiei's activation of her latent memories.

"Oh yeah, silly me."

She also saw that Hiei wasn't next to her. "Where did he... Oh, I guess he can't come in to my mind. Good, I don't think I'd want a grumpy fire demon inside my head. Although, inside some part of her, Botan didn't think Hiei's prescience would be so bad, even if it were inside her mind....

She quickly extinguished such thoughts and paid attention to the scene unfolding below her.

Botan saw herself run through the apartment door, bawling her eyes out. She remembered how close a call that had been. She had almost broken down in front of the whole team after the mission, which involved Yusuke getting angry over Keiko being threatened, yadayadayada, the day is saved thanks to the love they share.

This had gotten Botan on the whole subject of romance and someone to be with...which led up to this.

She saw herself fall, completely wiped out from the drama, and then...

A black flash, and Hiei was holding her. He picked her up and gently set her down on the bed.

The real Botan zoomed down for a closer look. She looked in Hiei's eyes. They were so tender, he looked genuinely worried for her. She was disappointed when he shook off the tenderness and began to mutter to himself about her being a "baka" and not getting enough sleep.

As Hiei set himself down in front of the door, Botan puzzled over this turn of events. She had seen real care in his eyes. She couldn't deny it, and she couldn't deny that she wanted to see more of that behavior from him.

Then she was pulled out of her little dreamworld and was sitting back in front of Hiei.

"So?" Hiei wanted to know why she had been crying.

Botan knew this, but she wasn't about to tell him. All she asked was one question:

"Why?"

"Because," Hiei got that softened look again. "The team cares for you. They sent me to look after you when you ran off. They knew something was wrong."

The softened look went away again.

"And so I got stuck looking after you. Don't ever run out again. I didn't enjoy babysitting you." He said icily.

Hiei stood and walked off, opening the window and flitting away. But he stole one last glance when he thought Botan wasn't looking. Then he was gone.

But Botan noticed. She noticed that and a lot more, and one icy statement wasn't going to put her off. She could see through his mask, just as he could hers. She knew a lot more than Hiei would prefer she know.

She went off to find Keiko, to puzzle over this new and confusing behavior of Hiei's.

Something was up with the mysterious fire demon, and Botan was gonna find out.

And there we go! That's all folks, hope ya'll had a good time, and I'll be updating again somewhere in the next 5 days (my promise to Hiei's Ice Maiden)

Wait for it.... Wait for it....

Byeness!