Well, here it is. The latest chapter to Remembering the Summer's Promise. Whew! Did this take awhile! I had to keep changing it because Hiei seemed so out of character, too nice… and he still does! I don't know if I'll ever get this writing thing write… I mean! Right….

:still grumbling whilst hiding behind Kurama:

:Kurama shakes his head:

KURAMA:You do know you will eventually have to face him. He'll find a way to get to you.

ANNEMARIEH: :Growling: Gee, nice comforting words Kurama! I appreciate you making me feel even more scared!

KURAMA: Sorry, but it's the truth. I can not tell a lie.

:George Washington suddenly appears and comes storming up to us:

GEORGE: Now you listen here, lad! Don't go stealing other people's sayings!

:Kurama looks like he's about to have a heart attack:

:He quickly regains his composure however:

KURAMA: 00; Excuse me, sir? I have done nothing wrong, what do you-….

GEORGE: Don't play dumb with me, young man! You need to learn respect for other people and their boundaries. Why, back in my day we…. :he keeps going on and on:

:Little do I know, Hiei took this as the 'opportune moment'….:

:He comes up and places a hand over my mouth while pulling me away:

HIEI: Hn, did you really think you were going to get away unscathed, onna? Let me correct that misunderstanding…

:Sometime later Kurama and George Washington settle their argument. Kurama looks around:

KURAMA: Hey, where did Annemarieh go?

Oh boy. He has really lost it. Kurama, do you really think you can fool me? I may be young, but I'm not stupid. I know when a guy is interested and when he isn't. And Hiei has already made it very clear to me that he is NOT interested in me. He never will be. He hates me…

I sighed and shifted on my feet, playing with a piece of my hair. "Kurama, if Hiei hates me, how can he possibly like me? That makes no sense." I stated, and Kurama smiled benignly. "Ah, but it makes perfect sense, Akira. You see, when he likes someone or admires them, he will act the opposite. Believe me, I don't know how to explain it fully, but that's just how he deals with things. And if he can't deal with it, he then assumes it's just easier to kill it…" Kurama stopped and noticed my expression. He grinned "But don't worry! He won't do that to you! Besides, we've all noticed how rather… off, he's been acting lately…"

I was quiet now. I had no idea that Hiei was the leading freak here. I thought it was that Koenma guy. Oh well.

" … You see, when you first met Hiei, you had disrupted him in his training. Normally, if anyone did such a thing they would pay with their life. He is very serious about training. Secondly, when you two 'touched', something happened to you-…" Kurama was about to say more but I cut him off. He knew about that incident and what had happened to me. I wanted to know, too… no, I NEEDED to know…

"Wait. Something did happen to me out there. I don't know what it was, but he did something to me! I know it!" I said, frowning slightly at the memory. It was still fresh in my mind, "What happened?" Kurama continued where he left off. "Well, you see, you aren't a full human… you have demon blood in you, which you more than likely received from your father." Upon hearing the mentioning of my father, I flinched and looked away. Damn, I should've known he was going to be brought up in this. Why me… why me…

"But that demon blood of yours has been dormant for many years, Aki, until Hiei touched you. It still is rather odd how he could have helped awaken your demon half, but maybe it is because Hiei is a full demon. Either way, we still are not entirely certain. But let me get back to the main subject here. After you and Hiei touched, you fainted. Now, had you been a regular human, he would have just left you out there in the rain, but he didn't. He gave you his jacket and carried you to the Temple, standing by your bed while Yukina healed you. Now this act of his surprised us all. Hiei would never go out of his way for a human. It was so unlike him."

Kurama had my full attention by now. Even though he was going a little too fast for me to truly understand, I was able to process and comprehend some of what he was saying. The rest of it… what the hell… But as he told me this, my heart began to whisper things to me, hopeful things. Maybe, there was a chance that Hiei was interested in me after all. I don't know why that would excite me so much, but it just did. Maybe he did care, and I just had yet to see it. It was still too early for me to be presumptuous.

I nodded, assuming Kurama was finished talking. All this information was starting to give me a BIG headache! I might have to go to sleep again! Kurama noticed my expression and smiled slightly. "Ah, I see you are still tired. Why don't you get some rest now, Akira, and I'll have Yukina bring you something to eat in a little while, okay?" he said, and I shrugged. I wasn't really listening to him. There was something disturbing about that tree right outside my window…..

Kurama and the old lady turned to leave the room, when a sudden thought popped into my head. I quickly grabbed Kurama's sleeve before he could walk out. He looked down at me in surprise. "Yes Aki?" he inquired, and I looked down. Damn my fear of males! It wasn't like he was going to attack me. Kurama didn't seem to be that type. Of all things, I should be afraid of Hiei! Which I was…

"Um, about my demon side…. Do you know, what type of demon I am?" I mumbled. Kurama shrugged. "Not really. Koenma is still figuring that out. There are many different types and breeds of demon, not to mention hanyous. But, so far, everyone thinks you might be a fire demon like Hiei." I groaned inwardly when he said that. What! You mean to tell me I was related to that guy? No way! I was seriously beginning to think Fate was not on my side.

Kurama patted my shoulder before steering me back to the bed. "It's quite amazing, really. You see, fire demons are a VERY rare breed. They're so picky about who they'll mate with that their race is very thin. The only fire demons that we actually knew of were Hiei and his father, and now you…. But, I've talked enough. You need your rest Akira, if you're going to be able to meet Hiei's expectations in training." The redhead said, and I sighed. Please, someone, let this day of madness end already. I don't know how much more of it I can take…

Kurama turned off the lights and slid the door shut quietly. I listened to the sound of his footsteps retreating done the hall before sighing again and turning over on my side. My eyes fell on the tree outside, its many branches swaying heavily with rich leaves. The shadows from it danced around my room, casting eerie shapes upon the walls. I shivered. If I kept this up, I was going to scare myself!

Then I noticed it… the human-like shadow that did not dance or sway. Just remained nestled in one spot while the others swirled around it. And I knew in that moment, that it was none other than Hiei. He was watching me again, hidden within the shadows so only he could see me, and I could not gaze back. Why was he doing this to me? Did he feel obliged to haunt me, waiting to confirm I was the weak fool he said me to be? I glared hard at his shadow.

"What do you want, Hiei?" I said, knowing full well he could hear me. Silence. Silence. Silence….. He wasn't going to answer me. I growled and turned on my side away from him. Fine then! If he wasn't going to answer me why, then I just wasn't going to give him the satisfaction that he could anger me. I could be better than him! He'll see! He'll see! I lay there quietly, doing my best to ignore the feeling of his eyes on my back. He wasn't going to get to me. He wasn't. I won't let him…

After some time, my mind gave into my body's wishes, and I closed my eyes, falling into a fitful sleep with the dark demon as my angel….

Well, I know it's been awhile, but I hoped you enjoyed this chapter well enough. I'm gonna start trying to post chapters up sooner. Really, I'll try. Just have faith in me guys. I don't wanna lose you!

: Hiei shakes me roughly:

HIEI: Shut up onna! I'm tired of listening to you!

ANNEMARIEH: Okay…

HIEI: Hn, now, where was I?

ANNEMARIEH: Letting me go?

HIEI::thinking: Ah yes! Using you as target practice! Hold still, onna, and I promise you this won't hurt…. :says this while I'm once again tied to a tree, an apple on my head:

:What he means is, it won't hurt him, it'll hurt me:

ANNEMARIEH::Sigh: Why is it I always like the sadistic ones?

HIEI: I SAID SHUT UP!