Authoress: You people are funny when you want a specific couple…. I'm waiting for bribes.
Hiei: Don't bet on it.
Kurama: slips Authoress a fifty
Hiei: HEY! BAD FOX, BAD!
Kurama: runs off crying
Authoress: He was your partner once, right?
Hiei: No comment…

Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN SHORT PEOPLE, RED-HEADS, OR ANYTHING YYH DOES!

Chapter 6
Thieves and Things
(Part 2)

'I didn't know I even could faint,' Botan thought as she opened her eyes slowly. She winced as light flooded her vision suddenly. "Ow, bad idea, dilation!" she muttered to herself. When she tried to sit up a gently hand was placed on her shoulder.

"Careful, Botan, you just lost consciousness, you shouldn't be moving too much," said a kind voice.

"I wouldn't have passed out if you hadn't showed up, ever so nicely," the blunette replied curtly and waved his hand away. She didn't want to snap at the fox, but her headache wasn't putting her in a 'Hi, nice to see you!' mood.

"Gomen, Botan-chan, I meant to show up tomorrow, but you seemed to have a pest problem with the thief," he said apologetically and slumped down in the leather chaise across from the couch she lay on. Botan then took in the thought that she was in her hotel room of the dimension.

"There's the pot calling the kettle black," the deity muttered. "Thieves, I'll never understand them," she added.

"Did you forget I had two partners?" he asked in defense.

"One's dead and one could be dead for all I know… and for all he keeps in touch," Botan said. God, was she having a type of PMS? She was really reaming the poor red-head. "And distributing blame doesn't really work for the 'good' image thing," she commented. He winced a bit.

"Would you like something to drink?" he asked quietly. Botan took in his appearance. He was not in the fox-form she saw on the roof. On his person was a black dress-shirt and jeans, his hair tied back sensibly.

"God, I'm sorry Kurama. I didn't mean to take out all that pent up frustration on you. Kami knows you are the cause of least of it," she said quickly. "I should be offering you a drink," Botan said and stood; another bad idea. Her vision swam and she teetered a bit.

"Botan, you shouldn't be up after a fall like that," Kurama said and steadied her. How did he get over to her so fast? Oh well. Botan sat back down.

"No, I'm alright, I'm alright. I just want to know what you are doing here?" she asked him. "I mean in this dimension."

"Koenma had us follow you," he mumbled.

"WHAT!" she shot up, her dizziness forgotten.

"It was for your own protection and after what you have done for us all these years, we agreed," Kurama explained, taking a step back
in case she decided to lash out too.

"No! Not that! Who! WHO WAS SENT!" she yelled. Kurama winced a bit at the high pitch of her voice.

"Just me and Hiei," he answered hastily, even the inner demon not wanting to upset the deity.

"ARGH!" she exclaimed and fell back on her couch. Kurama blinked and took a step closer.

"Are you mad?" he asked, as a child would when they got in trouble.

"No, I'm not mad, just…. Thoroughly pissed off," she said carefully.

"If I'm correct, that means a higher state of mad," he said sensibly.

"Oh, go read a textbook!" she waved, then thought for a moment. "Hey, aren't you supposed to be in college? Koenma didn't pull you out of your classes did he? That jerk!"

"No, no, calm down Botan. I was finished with my first session and I have a while off," he told her reassuringly.

"Your family?"

"Vacation in Kyoto."

"Kuwabara?"

"Trying to pluck up the courage to ask Yukina out."

"I knew it! Yusuke and Keiko?"

"Keiko's pregnant, two months and going."

"Aw, crap, I may miss the birth."

"I don't think you want to be there. Yusuke is half-demon and he's even running away from her every time she gets hungry."

"Kurama, he was running away from her when she was just threatening him with a book-bag," she laughed.

"Well, I don't know what you females put in those things," he said defensively.

"You know, you are sounding more and more like Yoko, I mean that in the way you talk, and act," she commented after a moment of silence.

"How so?" he asked curiously. She had hoped he wouldn't get offended by the comment in general.

"Well, you don't usually call girls 'females', and you seem less tense when you talk of demons and the like," she pointed out.

"I guess you could you say as I get older, I'm learning to live with my demon blood, and not fight… him," Kurama said. Botan smiled and nodded. Then she frowned.

"Hey, what about Hiei, where is he?" Kurama gave a nervous smile. "What?"

"He, um, he and I got separated, but Feshi said we would meet up again and not to worry," he said quickly.

"Feshi?" she asked curiously, but she had an idea who he was talking about. From beneath his collar he brought out a mirrored pendant, much like Botan's, except on his was a pulsing 'K' instead of a 'B'.

'FESHI!' she heard Penny exclaim happily.

"It sounds like they know each other," Botan said with a smile. "So Kurama, do you plan on staying, or going searching for Hiei?" she asked him.

'I've already located the dimension he is in, we can go there after this one,' Kurama's pendant quipped.

'That's Feshi, the smart one!' Penny said proudly. Botan rolled her eyes.

"I actually am here as your body guard when you show off your heirloom," Kurama said and grinned. Botan blinked.

"Really?" she asked, quite surprised.

"Yeah, there's a ball tomorrow night, and I believe you are the main attraction. Well, you and your pendant," he told her.

"Oh," was all that Botan could utter. "That's…. interesting."

"Do you not want to go?" he asked.

"Yes, but I hope that stupid thief boy doesn't show up again," the blunette said with a sigh. Kurama took on a grin that reminded her of a mischievous fox.

"Don't worry, I can take care of him."

"That's what I'm afraid of, Yoko," she said with a laugh and headed to bed after the goodnights were exchanged.

"Which dress?" Botan asked for what seemed the one hundredth time and Kurama groaned.

"I don't know, the black one," he said randomly, leaning back in his chiar, sighing.

"It wont make me look too slutty?" she asked bluntly. Kurama's cheeks flamed red and he had to look away. The mental images his demon form was giving him were not the cleanest things. "Kurama?"

"It's fine, Botan," he answered hurriedly and she nodded, bouncing back into her room to change.

The fox took those few moments to recollect himself and push his little devil side back down. The mental argument with himself lasted only a minute or two.

His resolve, that had taken a bit to build up, crumbled to rubble when Botan stepped out of her room. Her cheeks were tinged pink a little, but it was nothing compared to the color on Kurama's cheeks and some of his neck.

The deity was standing outside her bedroom door in a long black form-fitting gown that sparkled when she moved in the light. The top was halter-like and showed off her creamy pale back and shoulder blades. Slits ran up the skirt part to her mid-thigh and showed off the smooth skin of her legs too. It showed off her curves and accented the light complexion of her neck, arms, and upper back. Laced stiletto's adorned her feet and small garnet gems hung from her ears and neck. Botan's pale blue hair was up on her head in curls that tumbled down a little.

Kurama went speechless. There was a goddess standing in front of him and Yoko and he were the only to see… at the moment anyway.

"Shall we go?" she asked him politely.

He scrambled to pick up what was left of his sanity, dignity, and pride and held out his arm like a gentlemen. He wore a black tuxedo with silk highlights on the collar and his hair was in a fashionable pony-tail.

To say the least, when they walked into the modest ballroom, even the orchestra stopped to stare. Beauty had reached an unearthly level and even jealousy didn't reach that. If being that gorgeous was a crime the fox and the deity would be kept in jail for quite a long time.
They danced and talked with everyone that allowed them no free air. Botan's nerves were on end a bit because of the thief from yesterday.

Of course, she was worried for a very good reason. Near the end of the party the lights went out. Botan swore she had a curse on her being. A prayer started like a mantra in her mind.

"It's Dark," Kurama whispered in her ear as he took her hand. It sent a shiver down her spine. She blamed it on the excitement of danger and adventure. Then again, Botan really didn't feel like dealing with two thieves, a very tight black dress, and the dark.

"Kurama, I've got an idea. Hold on to my hand," she told him.

'Forever,' Kurama thought and then shook his head in confusion. Why had he thought that?

'Penny! GET US OUTTA HERE!' she told the pendant. There was a "whoosh" sound and Botan's hand covered over the pendant and light exploded over the two beings from another dimension.

Dark, the legendary thief, was left with nothing but air and a small note in his gloved hand. When he was once again hidden in the shadow's he opened the small note.

Sorry, had to dash, it was fun!
Love,
Botan.

He had been bested for the only time in his career.

Authoress: u-u Sorry for the delay!

Hiei: TOOK YOU LONG ENOUGH!

Kurama: (grinning stupidly) I got to dance and hold hands with Botan.

Hiei: (growl)

Authoress: HOLD YOUR HORSES BOYS! VOTES FIRST, BEATINGS LATER!

Botan/Hiei- 6
Botan/Kurama- 5
Botan/Sesshoumaru- 4
Botan/Harry Potter- 1

Kurama and Hiei: (Staring at Sesshoumaru)

Seeshoumaru: What? I'm catching up! (shrugs)

Authoress: Poor Potty

Harry: T-T

Hint for next Chappy: WHO WANTS TO SEE BOTAN-CHAN AS A DEMON?