Sorry it took me longer then I originally planned, but I made up for it by extending the chapter slightly. I am not sure when the next part will be out because I am still working on it and I have to start new classes at school starting tuesday.

Enjoy!

Silence was thick in the air as everyone sat in Koenma'soffice. The said king (in teen form still) sat at his desk with Botan impatiently standing behind him. There were two couches where Yusuke, Kayko, Kazuma, Yukina, Shiro, Kurama, Shuichi, and Shizuru sat in the respected order. Leaning against the wall, as always, was Hiei. A grunt escaped his lips.

"Can we get this over already?" he asked, irritated.

Koenma looked up at the two sitting in chairs before him. Sakura sat with Zuki in her lap, who was getting uncomfortable with the silence around her. Squirming, she started to whine and Sakura's mothely insticts kicked in. Waving her hand in the air, she magicly made a pacifier appear. Placing it in the child's mouth, she looked over at her father who was sitting beside her.

"Sakura?"

Turning away, she looked up at the pacifier king.

"Yes Lord Koenma?"

"You do understand what I am going to ask?"

"Of course. Who do you wish to take away first?"

Everyone looked at her oddly.

"Your father respectfully. You now have a child to take care of therefore I can't placeyou in Reikai Prison."

Yakumo looked up at the king with murderous eyes. He was pulled out of it when his daughter placed her hand on his.

"I understand Sakura. I am very sorry."

Standing up, he placed his hands before him and Koenma clicked on energy restraint cuffs. As he lead the tyrant king away, Sakura rushed over to her father with Zuki in her arms and hugged him. Everyone was suprised when the homosidal, Meikai king lifted his arms, placed them around his daughter, and returned the hug.

"I forgive you father."

He kissed her lightly on the top of her head and drew away. Ogres took him away to dungeons below. Sakura met the burning, crimson eyes of Hiei.

'What do you mean by you forgive him, onna?' he asked telepathicly.

She simply smiled, telling him she will explain it another time.

"Are we allowed to leave yet?" Yusuke asked, stretching.

"Yes, I suppose. It is kind of late." Said Koenma, looking out the window.

Waving his hand, a portal appereared that would take them to a park close to all their houses. Everyone went through, save Kurama, Shiro, Sakura, Zuki, and Hiei.

"Hiei?"

"Hn?"

Sakura walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I have a couch up for grabs. Besides, it is more comfortable then a tree limb and you get a place to clean up."

He smirked at her and she smiled back. Little Zuki gazed up at the kajihenge and started to grab for him. This made everyone, including Hiei, chuckle.

"No, no Zuki, We need to go home."

Sakura took Hiei's wrist and pulled him through the portal. Kurama and Shiro watched amused.

"He didn't even struggle." Kurama proclaimed.

"Of course not. I can see it, everyone can. He cares for her. She is his friend, but when I watch him watch her, he looks at her with a loving gaze. He was torn apart when she died. He disappeared and fought constantly, with others...and himself. I've seen the scars and it is sad to say...some were self-inflicted. He cares for her, maybe even loves her, but he could never admit it, not even to himself."

"Let's return, my perceptive angel."

He held out his armm, which she gladly accepted, and walked through the portal.

Hiei stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. His now longer hair that didn't defy gravity anymore(1) fell onto his shoulders. He didn't have any clothes to put on because Sakura forced him to give them to her to throw away, claiming they were caked in dirt and even bugs. Wrapping a new, clean bandana around his Jagan, he stepped out of the bathroom, convinently locted in Sakura's bedroom, he found her sitting on the floor next to Zuki's new crib which Sakura magicly summoned. She looked up at him and gestured towards the bed where a long-sleeved, button-up brown shirt and jeans awaited him.

"Where are MY clothes?" he asked.

"They were so disgusting and 'holey' that I tossed them out. When the girls and I go shopping tomorrow for Zuki, we will make sure to take you with us." She stated, smiling.

"I don't want to go to some ningen shopping place."

"Too bad, baka-kun. You are."

"Don't call me that."

She made a pout and looked up at him with puppy eyes. Not being able to help himself, he smiled at her pathetic attempt to make him smile at her pout. Wait, he was smiling. Mission Accomplished! He shook his head, grabbed the clothes, and went back into the bathroom to change. After a minute, he walked out to find Zuki asleep and Sakura not there. Walking out of her room, he saw her standing on the balcony, looking up at the sky.

"So beautiful." he found himself whispering as he stood by her side."

"Who? Me?" she giggled.

"No, I mean the stars."

"Yes, they...hey! You are very mean baka-kun."

"Don't call me that, onna."

"Then do not call me onna. I have a name and it is Sakura."

She crossed her arms and faced away from him, still looking up at the stars.

"What did you mean earlier? When you were talking to your father?"

She looked over at him.

"Not now. I will tell you another time. It still hurts inside whenever I relive the memories from long ago.

"Emotions are for the weak."

"Not true, Hiei. Those who express or have no emotions are weak.We need them to survive and live. Without them, we are nothing. Each person needs happiness and anger, Yin and Yang to the Chinese. Most important..." She looked at him. "We need love. Without it we are not truely alive."

"But with love and happiness comes hurt and anger. That is why I chose to be devoid of emotions."

"Each person has emotions within them whether they want them or not. Every person has love, love for a particular someone and love for friends and family. It is that one emotion that makes us complete."

"I don't love anyone and nobody loves me."

"That is a lie in itself. You love Yukina. She is your only family. You care for her and will protect her with your life. If she were to die, a part of you would die with her. Your friends love you. They would hate for something terrible to happen to you. " She took his hand. "I would hate for something terrible to happen to you. We have been friends for so long."

"Friends?"

"Yes Hiei, friends. The gang, you, and me. We are friends. We stand by and protect each other. We hold the other up when they are weak. We comfort when one is sad. We embrace in affection. That is what a friend is. That is what we are. Hiei, we are friends."

They stared into each others eyes. A smile spread across her face as she kept holding his hand.

"I've never had...friends before. I was and assassin and a thief. I never had time for it."

"Well, you do now. Come, it is getting late. We should be turning in."

She turned around and went back inside, fetched a pillow and blanket for Hiei, and set it on her couch.

"Sleep well, Hiei-kun."

She stroaked his cheek and turned away. Placing his hand where her's was, he thought to himself.

'I feel so warm when she touches me. How does she do this? How does she make me feel this way? Her eyes glitter when she smiles and her cheeks gain a pink hue. The moon light reflects off her silver hair. Why me? I am not worthy of such a beautiful creature. Who would want someone like me?'

He laid down on the couch with a hand behind his head and nodded off to sleep.

'I sat next to a rose bush. My kitsune tail wrapped around my smal body as I watched my mother tend to her flowers. A kitsune boy walked up to her, took a rose from her basket, and came to me. He placed the now thornless rose behind my ear and sat next to me.

"Ani-kun, where is father?" I asked in my still childlike voice even though I was almost 12. My brother was mature at the ripe 'old' age of 16.

"He is out hunting. Fear not, he will return soon."

As if on cue, I could see a shadowed figure emerge from the line of trees surrounding our village. I stood and began to run to him but faltered when I saw the wound. Blood seaped through his clothes from a wound in his chest. Another figure, much smaller in size, walked from behind him. A bloodied blade was in his grip. Tears sprang into my eyes as I recognized him. He had spiky white hair, similar to mine, and cold grey eyes. A devilish smirk grazed his cold features. I heard my brother and my best friend step up behind me, each placing a hand on my shoulder. I looked up at my brother. His ears were pinned back and a growl escaped his lips. My friend lightly pushed me behind him, his familiar eyes never leaving the boy in front of us. I watched my stepfather fall to the ground and I knew instantly that he was dead. The grey eyed boy came towards us. I felt my mother walk up bahind us. "It seems as though I have finally found you Sakura."

"Zyjion, why?"

He grinned at me and ran towards us. A flash of silver and white was seen and a spray of red hit the three of us. I watched in horror as my mother fell to the ground. She had thrown herself in front of the blade. Zyjion smirked at this and picked my mother up by her hair. With a clean swipe, he sliced her head off. I shriked in horror as my mother's limp body collapsed.

"This is what i'll do to everyone you love, Sakura. Every last one."

He threw his blade up and brought it down, aiming for my friend. Pulling him back, I threw myself before the sword and screamed in pain as it made a long wound from my right shoulder blade to my lower-left back.

"Zyjion, my brother...why?"'

Sakura sat up drenched in sweat. Labored breathing was all she could hear. The door to her room flew open and Hiei rushed in.

"What happened?" he asked in a hushed tone for Zuki was still sleeping.

He saw Sakura sitting up in bed holding her head and breathing deeply. She wouldn't respond.

"Onna?"

No response."

"ONNA?"

She gazed up at him with tears in her eyes. A look of fear lingered but she shook her head. Wiping the tears from her eyes, she crawled out of bed wordlessly and went to the bathroom, immediatly throwing cold water on her face. Hiei walked over to her.

"Onna, what happened?"

She walked passed him, brushing him lightly, and grabbed a towel. He growled and turned around, taking her by her arms and slamming her against the wall.

"What happened?"

He gazed into her eyes and she looked down at the ground.

"A memory." she mummbled.

"About?"

"My mother and stepfather."

"May I see?"

She looked up at him, fear appering in her eyes, but nodded slowly. He placed a hand on her forehead and was pulled into her dream, seeing it from an outside point of view. He watched it repeat itself and just as he heard Sakura mutter the words, he was s thrown out and into darkness. The present day Sakura stood before him. Crimson liquid fell to the floor behind her. Moving her around, he gazed at her back. The cut looked fresh. As he ran his hand along it, it disappeared.

"What happened after that? Who was the boy you protected? Why did you call Zyjion brother?"

"Too many question Hiei-kun. Another time, I promise."

He was thrown from her mind and stumbled a little as he tried to focus. Zuki began to stir for it was 7am. Sakura tried to wiggle out of his grip but he still held her firmly.

"NO!"

"Hiei...Zuki is waking. I must.."

"Not yet."

His crimsn eyes locked with her lavender one as her moved closer to her.

"Zyjion, your own brother, though I don't know how, has been chasing you for a long time."

"Yes. Longer then you know."

"I won't let him hurt you."

She looked up at him wide-eyed.

"Hiei?"

"I will protect you an Zuki. I know he is after her but I am not sure why. You said we were friends. Friends help and protect each other. I will protect you. I promise."

She smiled at him, blushing slightly.

"Thank you Hiei-kun."

He nodded at her and started to turn away, but she gave him a small kiss on the corner of his mouth. A blush appeared on both their faces and he left the room in a hurry.

'What was that? Why? I know i'll keep my word, but what provoked me into saying all of that. What has come over me? Could I...be falling in love with her?'

Questioning himself, he left Sakura's apartment, pausing just outside the door to pick off a piece of popcorn that he stepped on.

Note:

1 - Hiei's hair doesn't stick up anymore. It did before Hina died but it doesn't now. I always thought he would look good with it down anyway, especially with his white starburst as his bangs, hiding his crimson eyes. So...COOL! Err...sorry.

-UtsukushiiCho