Random: Okay friends, fiends, and all around readers! This is a new chappie!! YAYNESS!

Kai: Finally. it took you forever you lazy slacker.

Random: I am not a slacker, I am a procrastinator!

Kai: (sweatdrop) Is there a difference?

Random: Oooo, I dunno..................

Last Time:

The only answer to her anguished cries was her own echo coming back to her. Hiei... was ...gone into the now fading day.

"Hiiieeeiiiiiiiiiii!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Chap.9

"Mariko, c'mon, we have to get you back to the house," said Yukina, trying to pull Mariko away from the forest.

"NO! I have to go to him! I have to explain!" sobbed Mariko, pulling away.

"No," said Kurama sternly, turning her away from the now-dark woods, "You need rest. Hiei will be fine. He can take care of himself."

Kurama sighed, realizing that Mariko was still straining to get away. Yukina stared into the forest sadly. Kurama looked behind him. Everyone else had headed back into the house. Groaning inwardly, he heaved Mariko over his shoulder and walked off. Yukina smiled, shook her head good-naturedly, and followed him. Mariko kicked and screamed, seeming very child-like as she pounded her small fists on Kurama's back.

As they entered the house, she was simply crying, all efforts of escape gone. Kurama set her down gently on her feet. Yukina led her to the couch and kindly forced her down onto it. Mariko curled down, lying on her legs sobbing. Yukina softly stroked her hair as Kurama rubbed her back. Mariko took a deep, shuddering breath.

"We're here to listen, if you are ready to talk," offered Yukina, looking at Kurama for support.

"I do not know everything about you and Hiei. But I do know that Hiei does not wear his heart on his sleeve," agreed the kitsune, "He is very closed off. Keiko explained that to you, did she not?"

"Y-yes…"

"I am trying to understand what has happened," said Yukina, "What does my brother have to do with you and this Taru?"

"Your brother? Hiei's your brother?" choked out Mariko, shooting straight up.

"Yes, that he is," came the careful reply.

"I must have missed that somewhere along the way. So I am talking to his sister and his best friend. The odds of you believing what I am about to tell you are slim."

"We will listen first, and then judge," replied Kurama sternly, continuing to rub her back comfortingly.

"O-okay…I guess it started with Hiei rescuing me. I remember red eyes right before I passed out. Then he stopped me from going after my attackers alone. Kurama made him go shopping with Botan and I and I fully expected him to refuse to come or disappear on us when we got there. But he stayed with us. And whenever I fell, he was there to catch me. Then the truth or dare episode happened. I know I fell asleep still clinging to him. I'm fairly sure that he was the one who left the bouquet of bleeding heart flowers on the end of the couch for me. He also convinced me to drink that awful medicine. Kurama, no offense, but that stuff was so beastly disgusting!"

"None taken," said Kurama as a hint of a smile played across his tired face.

"Yeah. I told Hiei that I loved him that morning in the cave. He didn't answer and then ran off. But then he saved me from the ambush when Kurama couldn't reach me in time when I went after him. I was getting mixed signals from him and it was getting really confusing," she paused, taking a deep breath, "then when I came through the portal, Hiei caught me and we ended up making out. Kurama tried to read my mind, but Hiei blocked for me. Then we ended up making out right before we came out before dinner, but Keiko and Kurama kinda walked in on us."

Yukina threw a glance at Kurama, who reddened and shrugged one shoulder in a gesture of defenselessness. Mariko smiled as she caught the small exchange.

"Oh, Yukina, you cannot be mad at him. We, um, well…we kinda… Hiei and I…we threatened them. I mean, what if the two idiots found out! They'd never let us live it down. Anyway, I guess when Hiei heard Taru calling me his fiancée, he just…just…" Mariko burst into tears again.

"He got mad," finished Yukina, hugging the stricken girl, "But he wasn't mad at you. Shocked, maybe. Hurt, most definitely. But never mad at you. He was angry with Taru and especially angry with himself. He felt that h had left himself too open and that he had been betrayed. He's hurt in the heart, which is new to him. I have never met anyone who could make my brother open up as much as you did."

"B-but Taru was lying!" wailed Mariko, "I don't even know who he is! I love Hiei, only Hiei! I'm gonna…gonna…I'm gonna kill Taru!!!!"

"I think I understand," said Kurama, startling both girls because he had been quiet for so long, "Taru must be from your past life as Kalachi."

Mariko and Yukina nodded in unison, looked at each other in surprise, and laughed. Mariko wiped her eyes and pulled Yukina and Kurama into a three way hug.

"Thanks guys," she whisper-cried.

"Whoa," commented Yusuke as he slid down the stair rail, "There is way too much love down here!"

He grinned teasingly and feigned a heart attack. Mariko smiled weakly at him and shook her head. Botan and Keiko came striding into the room. They grabbed Yukina and Mariko and pulled them off the couch.

"We've got it!" they cried out, hugging them and jumping up and down.

"Got what?" gasped Yukina, confused.

"We are going to have an all-girl sleepover tonight. Up in Botan's room!" squealed Keiko, clapping her hands excitedly, "It's the biggest."

"Oh, I dunno, girls," said Mariko, edging away, " I am not the most sociable person in the world, ya know. I don't think it's a …"

She was cut short as all three girls turned to her with puppy dog eyes. She opened her mouth and closed it again. Shaking her head stubbornly, she crossed her arms over her chest and glared daggers at the others.

"No way am I falling for that again. It is not going to work. No way," she proclaimed, but a small smile tugged at her lips.

"Please, please, please," the girls begged.

"Alright! I give up!" Mariko finally exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air.

"We don't know what is going on with you, but we are gonna have the best sleepover ever!" trilled Botan, hugging Mariko all over again.

Mariko stood awkwardly for a moment and then hugged her back. As the girls headed upstairs chattering happily, Kuwabara, Yusuke, and (reluctantly) Kurama began to form a plan of their own.

Later That Night

"Ok, girls, I have the pizza and the pop!" sang Botan as she entered the bedroom.

All the girls were sitting on Botan's bed in her room, seeing how it was most definitely the biggest one. All of them were wearing their PJ's. Mariko sported black satin pants and tank top. Yukina wore an ice-blue tee and short set with dark blue roses doting across it. Keiko simply wore a long, spaghetti strapped, crimson nightgown. Botan was simply wearing white tye-dye peace frogs shorts and one of the oldest t-shirts on the planet. Mariko raised an eyebrow at her.

"Nice shirt," she teased.

"Hey, not only is it comfortable, it's fashionable!" Botan teased back, strutting around like a fashion model.

"Aw, sit down," said Keiko, grabbing the tail of Botan's shirt and pulling her down onto the bed.

"Roses, Yukina?" said Botan, raising her eyebrow in turn, "Not crushing on Kurama, are you?"

"NO!" Yukina squealed, blushing and then grinning mischievously, "Going out with him, actually!"

"No way!" they all squealed.

"Way! What about you, Mariko? Aren't you gonna fill them in?"

"Weeelllll…I suppose…"

"Oh, c'mon! Spill!" shrieked Botan and Keiko, who were still in the dark about the whole thing between Hiei and Mariko.

"Okay. I'mgoingoutwithHiei."

"What?"

"I'm going out with Hiei…"

"OMG!! No way!"

"Well, yeah. Except that Taru jerk comes along saying that I am his fiancée or whatever and screws everything over. I don't know where I am at with Hiei right now."

"Oh, how horrible! Well, at least Taru is gone now. But let's not think about any of that right now. Hey, how about playing Sevensies?" said Botan.

"Sevensies? What the hell is that?" asked Mariko warily.

"Seven questions about, well, 'something' that everyone writes down and we read them out loud. It's a kicker. C'mon, let's try it," begged Botan.

"Yeah...alright…"

In the Closet in Botan's Room

"I cannot believe you two talked me into this," sighed Kurama.

"Well, ya are. So shut up!" hissed Yusuke, "I don't even want to think about what would happen if the girls found us."

Yusuke, Kurama, and Kuwabara were all jammed into Botan's closet. Kuwabara and Yusuke were peering through cracks in the door while Kurama sat in a corner wondering how they talked him into this. The other two boys pushed and shoved each other, each trying to get a better view.

"What are they saying?" sighed Kurama, reluctantly letting his curiosity get the better of him.

"They're talking about who they are, um, 'crushing' on. Whoa, Yukina is wearing pajamas with roses on 'em. Oh, now they're all squealing. Yukina said something like 'Going out with him actually.' Hey… is she talking about you, Kurama?"

"Ah, well…um… see it's like… yeah…"

"Nice! Gotten far with her yet?"

"Yusuke!" Kurama practically yelped, appalled.

"Ow!" Yusuke grouched as Kurama hit him over the head, "Hey, their gonna play a game! Sevensies? What's that got to do with us? What is it?"

"Ooooooohhh, nooooooooooooo…" murmured Kurama, know precisely what was going on.

With the Girls

"Ok, first question. What do Yusuke's boxers look like?" said Botan said.

"Botan!" shrieked Keiko, mortified.

"Shush! Question two: what do Kurama's boxers look like? Three: Hiei's boxers? Four: Kuwabara's? Five: who, out of those four boys, would you be most likely to marry and have kids with? Six: on a scale from 1-10, how hot are Hiei and Kurama? Seven: and what about Yusuke?"

"Oh. My. God!" hissed Yusuke from the closet, "Do all girls do this?" (A/N: I used to! Man it was fun! Hee hee!)

"Shut up!" growled Kurama, putting his hand over Yusuke's big mouth.

"Okay! I will pick one girl to read her answer to the first question and so on," said Botan sportingly.

"Sounds too much like school for me..." mumbled Mariko behind her soda.

"Aw, shaddup! Yukina, you start," was her only reply.

"Oh, well," whispered Yukina, " I thought they were, um, well, purple with pinl flamingos on them."

"No way!" cried out Keiko, "they are green with pink flamingos."

"And you know that how?" grinned Mariko.

"Uh, well…I saw…um… shut up!" gasped out Keiko, mortified all over again.

"Anyway…Mariko! Question two!"

"Um, I said they were pink like his uniform with roses."

"Hey, don't look at me. I don't know!" said Yukina defensively as all three girls turned to her expectantly.

"Uh-huh! Riiigghhtttt…I'll guess Hiei's. I thought his were black satin with a silver dragon on 'em."

Everyone turned to look at Mariko, but she had turned to stare sadly out the window at the mention of Hiei. Yukina gently laid a hand on her shoulder. Mariko looked up at her and then stood. She wiped her shirttail across her face and smiled weakly.

"My brother may not be the most understanding person, but he gets over things in his own way. By running, he tries not to think about the past. He may be gone right now, but I am sure that he does care for you. He'll be back," Yukina said, hugging her grief-stricken friend, "Now let's get our minds offa it and play!"

"Well, Keiko," said Botan, taking the cue, "I guess that leaves Kuwa up to you!"

"Oh, that's easy! He has got to have Hello Kitty boxers!" (A/N: Don't own)

"OMG! That's what I said!" shrieked the others in unison.

"Well, that's not much of a shocker, is it? 'K, everyone's got to answer number five," instructed Botan.

"Who would I marry? Yusuke!" said Keiko automatically

"Kurama!" said Yukina.

"Hiei…I hope…" said Mariko, staring at the ceiling.

"Hmm…oh, Kurama's the cutest, I guess," said Botan, throwing a playful glance at Yukina.

"Uh-uh, girl, he is so mine!" said Yukina mock-seriously, shaking a finger in Botan's direction, "I'll open a thousand year old can of whoop ass on your pretty head!"

"Where in the seven hells did you learn that?" shrieked Botan, clapping her hands in shocked delight, "I could never imagine you saying anything like that! Ever!"

"Oh," shrugged Yukina, "Television…and Hiei, of course!"

All four girls cracked up. Keiko laughed so hard she fell backwards off the bed, nearly knocking into the closet. Yusuke and Kuwa shuffled to the back, dragging Kurama with them, who was still in a small state of shock from what Yukina had said. Terrified someone would open the closet; they clustered together, wishing they were chameleons.

"Okay," Botan finally managed to gasp out, "Question six. Everyone will take turns. How hot are Hiei and Kurama?"

"Hiei: 7, Kurama: 6," said Keiko.

"Well, Kurama: 8 and Hiei… he's my brother! How can I rate him!?"

"Oh, tell us what you thought before you knew all about that," said Botan coyly.

"Well, I really, really liked him before! I mean, I didn't know! So I thought he was a 7, almost an 8."

"Your turn, Mariko."

"Yeah, yeah. Um, Kurama: &, Hiei: 9"

"Oh, you just loooooovvvvvvveeee him," teased Botan, earning herself a smack over the head, "Ok, my turn. Kurama: 8 and Hiei: 8. Ya know, I thought about dating Hiei at one point. It didn't work our though."

"Good," grinned Mariko evilly.

"Yeah, yeah. Next question! What about Yusuke? Keiko, you start."

"9" she blushed.

"6" stated Yukina softly.

"7" said Botan devilishly.

"3" sniffed Mariko.

All the girls fell into a fit of giggles again. Keiko gave Mariko a good-natured shove.

Mariko made a face and pantomimed smearing gel all over her head. Keiko turned and tackled her, tickling her until she couldn't breathe.

"Hey..." giggle-gasped Mariko, "I never told anyone I was ticklish!"

Yusuke, on the other hand, was furious. Not realizing what he was doing, he tumbled out of the closet. The girls stopped and stared. Kuwabara stumbled out as the girls screaming filled the room.

"Well, damn," said Kurama as he stepped out behind Kuwa.

Mariko stood, glowering at the boys. She looked over her shoulder at Keiko, Botan, and Yukina, one eyebrow cocked. Grinning wickedly at the cowering boys, Botan picked up a roll of duct-tape as the four girls advanced on them.

Random: Please review!

Kai: and tell us if there is a difference between procrastinating and being a slacker! We needto know!

Random: And people, seriously, NEVER EAT A GREEN KUMQUAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!