A/N: Just to let everyone know, I am not dead but as each day goes by we all know we are closer to our inevitable death anyway. Since I haven't updated in forever, this chapter would be extra long. I would try –key word: try- and update more often. To Trust Again is a bust and would be removed soon for a new story. SO if you're going to review it, review it. No flamers, already have two.

I own nothing but the love of Jesus.

oOo

There was a slight sneeze and his head slide up from making contact with the floor. He blinked his crimson eyes a few times, yawned and stretched quite lazily. He looked around at his surrounds, piecing together things like a puzzle, his mind a little blurry. He rubbed his forehead, clearing his thoughts.

This happened every morning for the past week… at least he was not waking up in a cold sweat, katana unsheathed at the slightest sound anymore. Tonight, he would go back to sleeping outside. He didn't like confined areas too much even if it is to protect. The open air was enough for him.

He stood up stretching once again, feeling his muscles tense then relax with each motion. He mumbled something underneath his breath as he made his way to the kitchen, grabbing a clean shirt from the laundry basket on the couch and pulling it on. He scratched his head nonchalantly and pressed a button on a nearby appliance.

He sat back in the nearby stool watching as the dark liquid seeped from the machine and into the blue mug, his eyes slightly closed with sleepiness. The rich smell of chestnuts filled his nostrils and he sighed rolling his neck.

He yawned widely.

He gathered the mug in his hand. He didn't bother to let it cool. He downed it in a few swallows. He placed the mug in the sink and walked out more alert now then he was a few moments ago.

Hiei walked down the hall, an office to his left and a full bathroom on his right, entering a room without even knocking. He headed straight towards the bed that seemed occupied at the moment and roughly pulled the sheets off the bed.

The body grumbled and shifted curling into a ball. It tightened more when the room instantly lit up into sunlight.

A pink eye poked its way from its blue curtain. She sat up straight rubbing her eyes tiredly, trying to rid the sleep from them, her gown slightly a mess. She slipped her feet to the side of the bed letting them daggle for a moment before sliding into a pair of hot pink bedroom slippers.

There was the briefest of eye contact between the two as she made her way towards the connecting bathroom, locking herself in. Hiei stood there for a moment until he heard the sound of running water and felt steam billowing from beneath the door. There was an odd sound similar to what one makes when vomiting; it was ignored.

He walked out the room without a second glance back and through the back door anxious for his morning training.

oOo

She looked up hesitantly at the building then down at her shaking hands which held the desired article. She wanted to cry. Cry real hard and crawl into the nearest dark corner away from him.

She swallowed hard debating if she should really pull this through or just turn around, head home, and pretend that she received a call from her mother needing help. Wait…the later would not work, she didn't have a cell phone –that's why she wanted a job, but her mother wouldn't hear of it- but would he still believe her?

She sucked at lying.

"Excuse me, Miss? Are you alright?" She gasped slightly, the desired item tumbling in her hand until it was finally caught and grasped to her chest.

Was it him? Did Ryoki finally give up on waiting for her and just decided to come looking for her? What if he did? What would happen to her? What would he make her do? She shivered slightly as she remembered how he stole her first kiss…and in a subway!

But, she realized in startlement, spending these rare moments alone with him and seeing him smile, truly smile, made her heart thump and mind go fuzzy.

Damn him.

"Miss?" She paused for a moment listening to the voice. It was more relaxed and slightly –how to put this- fairer than Ryoki's. She gave a relived sigh. Gathering what little pride she had left, which was very small right now, she turned, barely bumping into the voice.

"Sorry. Uh, yeah," she said slowly as she craned her neck up. She took a step back slightly and blinked. This…was a guy…right? If it was, then she never seen a more feminine drag before, but if it wasn't then she should relax.

He chuckled slightly at her expression, his forest eyes twinkling. "And, yes, to answer that question, I am a man." Hatsumi blushed bowing in apology at her rudeness and her careless thoughts.

"I'm s-sorry. I didn't mean anything by it. You looked so gorgeous I thought you were a drag. I mean, I thought you were a model, uh, girl, I mean," she rambled trying to cover each verbal mistake with the next.

He only smiled calmly, tilting his head to the side slightly as if he was a child trying to understand the big adult. "It's alright. Are you feeling okay, Miss?" Hatsumi quickly fumbled with her item placing it into her purse, saying she was okay.

They spoke for a little bit. She laughed once or twice and he chuckled, making small hand gestures while he spoke. He was polite, not rude like him. His speech was calm and fluid, not loud and obnoxious like him. She could feel her cheeks heating up slightly. He reminded her of Azusa in a way, her childhood friend, before this mess of who was cheating with whom and whose fault it was. She saddened slightly thinking of him and the problem at hand.

He looked at his watched as it beeped and quickly excused himself. He bowed and smiled before turning around and walking away. As if reading her mind she heard him faintly say, Minamino Shuuichi. She thought on it a minute and stared at his retreating back. She thought about their little chat and how nice he was. She suddenly began to wish that Ryoki was like that towards her. Kind and sensitive-like almost…

Ryoki!

She had almost forgotten completely about him. She groaned slightly to herself as she turned and ran through the automatic doors of the building, her gray skirt floating slightly up with the greeting of warm air circulation.

Hopefully, she thought running through the halls, Botan could wait a little longer for her.

oOo

Botan floated through the sky, the cool winter air stinging her face slightly, determined to find work. This will not keep me down. I will do everything I can to stay alert and work. Hiei won't always be there for me, I know that for certain. No matter how much I want him to be. He has a life of his own and I can't depend on him for everything. I can't unload my burdens on him. I'm a grown woman for goodness sake.

She stuck her tongue out in thoughtful habit. So, I need to find a job in this world that won't involve Hiei seeking for blood. Koenma won't let me go back until this thing has died down some. "Ow!" She stuck her tongue back in, feeling the soreness from the bite.

Note to self: another habit to kill.

She knew she couldn't spend the rest of her days in that house, despite how nice it looked. It had no soul. It held no comfort for her. It was just a place, a building stripped of warmth and comfort. It needed life and laughter. It needed a new scent. She couldn't place it but a new scent was what it needed too. The home smelt like a hospital, too much sterilization from her constant scrubbing.

She floated behind a convenience store, shifting her mass to a more solid form as she touched the ground. Willing her oar away, she made her way through the back door of the store. She had done this often. There was hardly anyone around in this store and the door was near the woman's bathroom. So even if someone did see her come in, they would automatically figure that she had walked through the wrong door.

She nodded her head with a gentle greeting to those she passed and went out the store. She shivered slightly looking into the misty sky. Everything was so different from down here. The feeling was different too. Up there, in the sky, there was not a care in the world minus the wind factor, but down here gravity acted on you, people are not what they seem, every sound can send an emotion through your body.

She shook her head as she untied her jacket from around her waist and placed it on. Knocking the tip of her tennis shoes on the ground quickly, she maneuvered her way into the growing crowd.

After about ten minutes she entered a movie store and purchased a newspaper. Receiving her change, she quickly flipped to the employment section and sat on a nearby bench. Using the purple pen from her pink blouse pocket she circled all the ads that caught her attention in bold then went back to read them over carefully.

She read one out loud to herself. "'Help needed. Seeking female assistance in nursing. No training required.'" She thought on it then crossed that out. She had enough time nursing Koemna and his little ruler fits. Next one…she crossed that one out also. She was not into working for a pervert train. Who the heck came up with that anyway?

She scrolled down the list, crossing out one by one as time wore on. She groaned frustrated balling the paper and tossing it into the trashcan beside her. That was a waste of fifty yen. Clipping her pen back into its original place in her shirt pocket she continued her daily walk.

Okay, so she couldn't find a suitable job that didn't involve her going crazy, Koenma going hysterical, or Hiei shedding blood. She needed some standards, she figured. (1) It needed to be close to the house so Hiei doesn't have to look too for far her if something goes wrong; (2) it needed to be appropriate and something she'd enjoy; (3) it needed to pay well and (4) it needed to be in morning hours. Since Hiei was gone most of the mornings training or whatever, she was usually at home alone or walking the streets like now. If she had a job she could keep herself occupied. She could then be home around six or six thirty in the evening around the same time the sun sets and Hiei is generally back. She could have dinner ready in half an hour, shower and be in bed without having to dwell on anything unpleasant.

She felt giddy upon reaching her resolution. This was great. She couldn't wait until she got home and told Hiei.

She stopped at the corner, pressed the button on the poll and waited patiently for the street light to change to cross.

They should go out and celebrate with the gang. Oh, and invite Yukina, Keiko and Shiziru along also. Where should they go? Maybe they could go out for some ice cream or to the park for a picnic or maybe a movie. There was a new James Bond movie out. That sounded good.

So many thoughts were floating through her head that she didn't even notice the woman standing beside her. She didn't notice the expensive clothing she wore or the eerie smile. She didn't notice how the woman simply stared at her and moved a hand to the side of her back. She didn't notice the speeding vehicle as it came down the street.

She didn't notice anything but felt, heard, saw and screamed. She felt the gush of air escape her as she was suddenly pushed forward. She heard the screams of the crowd, the honking of the horn and the screeching of wheels as breaks were pressed at full force. The lights were so bright. Her body was frozen in place like a frightened deer.

Another gush of air escaped her as she was once again shoved forward, her name faintly heard followed by a "Look out!" Her body turned on instinct to protect her face and land on her side. She saw the image of a young brown haired girl wearing a gray skirt with an orange shirt being tumbled on the ground then stop when the front end of the car made contact with her fragile body. No movement was evident from the figure.

Botan screamed, "Hatsumi!"

The girl did not hear her. Botan could only stare in horror as her lower body made sharp contact with the ground soon followed by her body. She laid there motionless, her body in pain and her mind whirling with the last few seconds, eyes fixated on the ground, the sounds of the gathering crowd a mere murmur. She felt her body shift, losing mass and solidarity, and silently prayed, "Not now, please, not now."

Gravity seemed to lessen on her body as the ground moved slowly from her. Everything seemed slightly slower like a movie clip gone bad. She sat up, her clothing now a pink kimono and a white obi, her classical reaper attire. She glided through the bodies trying her best to ignore the whispers and cries.

Spirit world was calling her. It had a mind of its own. King Yama and his son Koenma, if they thought they had some power in the world, they were sadly mistaken. They had stripped her of her reaper profession and rank. Her record was clean. She was no longer the best. She was just Botan. A girl whose life was in danger; if this is what you would call a life. There was a higher power than Koenma, than his father. It was the world itself.

Her eyes drifted to the body and all she could do was stare and wonder why? Why didn't Hatsumi just let fate run its course? The sound of the ambulance and other vehicles all seem to disappear into the far corners of her mind. The white shirts that passed through her seemed like ghosts of restless spirits who have not yet crossed over.

Her oar appeared in front of her without being summoned. Another will of a higher power. It was worn and aged by reckless usage over the centuries and it has yet to fail her. If this last duty the world had for her to do would be its last then she would make it count. The air was once again crisp and not suffocating.

Botan climbed onto her transportation, both legs on one side and hands in front gripped in anticipation, and ascended into the sky. She did not look back at the lifeless body that was being lifted into the white vehicle or to the man who was apologizing. She did not look back to see whom it was that had pushed her, an idea that had escaped her mind. Everything seem to had frozen when she had made contact with the ground and saw whose body it was being thrown on the ground instead of hers.

She sped forward in the sky, hands gripping the oar willing it to go faster, placing as much energy as she could spare into it. Her body was pressed as close as possible to reduce friction with the wind as her hair whipped wildly behind her.

There was a pocket of air that instantly went cold as she neared it, knowing it to be a sign of a portal. The air around her changed again, becoming warm and suffocating. Numerous colors swirled around her until the gray sky came into view once more. She had a new target to search for. Something about the girl's death did not feel right. Where was the soul? Where were the brief glimpses of past memories? Botan needed and wanted to find out. She needed help. She needed someone who would be able to find such a fragile energy signal. Spirit world, with all its technology, did not have anything sophisticated enough to sense soul energy.

Another fact that disturbed her, she realized dodging a flying demon, that when she looked into her little black book of deaths, Hatsumi's name did not register. Not only that but the time, place and the manner of death wasn't listed at all either.

Something was going on and she planned on figuring out what it was.

Botan quickly covered her mouth as the bitter flavor of bile was tasted at the back of her throat. After this she would go see a doctor to see what was going on with her body.

The sky darkened for the upcoming storm.

oOo

He was there but didn't know why. Instincts told him to be quick and effective; he never went against his instincts. It was what held him together, kept him intact and at the top of his game. But there were times when his instincts got the better of him, made him lose control.

He gripped his bandaged arm. He had punished his body to ensure it won't happen again in the near future or ever.

Hiei jumped on a nearby branch leaning back till he felt the rough bark of the trunk and examined his surroundings more closely. There were bodies of different shapes and sizes tossed and torn covering the ground, blood of different colors oozing from the wounds and attracting small creatures to savage off of.

He jumped back down once he knew the area was cleared and set to work in piling the bodies. He was quick in completing the job and soon had the pile ignited and burning away any traces of his encounter with him.

It was not only instincts that brought him here but that damn woman he was forced to protect. There were leads that also brought him this far in Menkai that informed him of the group after her known as Snake Raiders. He did not understand the name and did not want to at the moment.

He only understood one thing: if he destroyed the base and the followers, including the boss then he would be free from protecting the woman. He would be free from this wicked punishment. He would be free of the constant whining and nagging.

Hiei do this…

Hiei do that…

Hiei…Hiei…

He continued to stare into the flames as if they had the answer to his dilemma. The scent of burning flesh would finish mask off his own that he was not able to hid wile lowering his youkai.

How did the female do it? There were times when suicide crossed his mind. Other times killing the woman deemed more reliable. Hide the body where it could never be found or simply burn it to ashes and let them be carried away in the breeze. Then again, the thought of spending his entire life in Spirit World's prison was not on his top list of priorities.

He continued his journey. The road covered by weeds and other forest growth due to lack of usage. The path was narrow and dangerously rocky. There was not enough room to leap into the foliage above and use that as a means of transportation. A minor demon crossed his way once every hour or so. Some skittered away frightened, others stopped their activities to watch him pass as if curiosity over took them to wonder who was his desired target and if there would be a possibility of dinner.

The path soon opened to a clearing. It looked as if it was cleared just recently. The trees and surrounding foliage was bent in a circular arch, their tops bending towards the center. In the middle of the clearing was a woman, dressed in expensive lawyer attire, an equally luxurious briefcase at her feet.

She kicked it over and sat on top of it.

Hiei's eyes traveled around the area then closed them opening his third eye. The power slowly seeped out as it opened halfway traveling over and around obstacles. Nothing came up after a few moments. It was clear, only the woman was there, looking at her nails and sitting in a very provoking way.

He stepped out from his hiding slowly, cautious of the woman. Years in Menkai had taught him not to underestimate his opponents based on sex, appeal and the situation at hand. He began to calculate different ways that would give him the upper hand if a fight came into play if push came to shove.

The woman did not look up to acknowledge him as he came closer, keeping a far distance between them. Her nails were the top priority at the minute, everything else was on hold. She held no fear and her face was hard to decipher. Her lucid movements brought by her hands gave nothing away about her intentions or why she called him here.

Her blue eyes where lowered in a dreamy yet conniving gaze and she finally looked up at him with a smile. Their eyes meet in a match of dominance, Hiei the first to blink in frustration.

He let out a growl of warning.

She laughed loudly her voice carrying far as her head was thrown back, blond hair in a majestic sweep, hand pressed on her chest in mocked affection as if they had been long lost lovers. She stopped suddenly and looked back at Hiei eyes now burning with desire.

Another growl of warning as his hand met the handle of his weapon.

She chuckled as said something very softly. He listened. His eyes narrowed as the woman stood up. She went by the name of Petal; her job was to threaten and negotiate. She had informed him of what had just recently occurred in Ningekai and now was proposing a compromise: give up the girl, her safety was insured. The girl he had to protect had something that her boss wanted. And what her boss wanted he got, no questions asked.

He wanted the girl. She had become strong, will power wise, and had been feeling sick lately to Petal's assumptions. She resumed her sitting position as she leaned back, crossed her legs and slanted her head to the side. Her boss could fix that. He had the money and the power to do so.

Hiei did not respond to the proposal or acknowledge that he had heard it.

"Boss doesn't want to make it anymore difficult that it already is," she spoke. Her voice was controlled and well polished. Each word was pronounce and punctuated. It was the voice of seduction.

The hand on the sword lessened its grip.

"I have no business with your boss unless he wishes to die." His head was feeling slightly flustered as he continued to stare at the figure before him, his eyes on their own accord skimming her body in a lecherous way. "This is my only warning for you to take back: stay away from the woman."

Petal tossed the warning aside as she stood up and walked closer, keeping a keen eye on Hiei's weapon. Her mind buzzed with calculations as to how she would dispose of him or if her boss would allow her a new toy. He raised his head to look into her eyes drawn by the power that seemed to overwhelm him slowly.

She chuckled as she felt his spirit fight against her own. Her hands touched his cheek and his eyes widened as she breathed into his face, a mist escaping her parted lips and entering his nostrils.

His eyes blanked, becoming primal ridden. Hands came up to grip Petal's shoulders to force her down into a fiery kiss.

Teeth clashed as Hiei's body became numb to the rational side of his brain drawn only by desire. How long as he been without a female? Clothing was being torn and the sound of his katana hitting the ground died out as Petal moaned into his mouth.

Their bodies meet against each other, both still partially clothed. Her top was bare to him as his was to hers and they attacked each other in nibbles, licks and bites. Moans and groans filled the area as they laid on the ground with Petal on top and Hiei on the bottom.

His hand ran up her thigh to the rim of her skirt then under, seeking a new target then his mouth to her lips.

It was faint but he could swear he heard someone call him name. In the corner of his mind the voice seemed to register only to be ignored when he felt something rub against the tightness of his pants.

Damn it. Why did there have to be so much clothing?

It was louder this time and his hand stopped its movement and he brought his head back. With his head turned he looked into the distance, color returning to his eyes while the kisses ran from his neck low to his chest. His eyes closed halfway, both in pleasure and in concentration, trying to pinpoint where he had heard that voice.

"Hiei!"

Petal jumped back nearly missing the swipe of his claws in close proximity to her throat, skirt showing her undergarments. She hissed in fury, fangs presented, watching as Hiei got up and shook his head briefly before trying his best to concentrate on his opponent.

His body wasn't responding to him and he felt trapped. Everyone knew their limitations. They knew when a fight could not be won. Retreat was not in his vocabulary. Only postpone until the day has arrived when he knew he could win. This was one those situations. The best he could do was get to a kneeling position, and even that left him in a bind. His weapon was a good few yards away from him, out of reach even with his speed.

"It seems our little party has to be postponed for a little while." Petal stood not even trying to cover herself. Her hand held the briefcase and with a small smile, she disappeared.

There was a patter of feet as he leaned forward to his hands. A soft touch sent waves of electricity shooting through his body, forcing him to the ground with a groan. He couldn't hear the words that followed. He could faintly remember the smell of salt water hitting his nose before he welcomed the darkness that he had grown accustomed to.

Botan didn't know what had happened as she pressed her hands against her protector's back, willing her power into her hands. What had happened while they were apart?

She had left Ningenkai in hopes at finding Hiei at his usual training grounds near where the three borders crossed. He wasn't there. She had believed that he would be able to help her to find a young girl's soul. She knew the heart had stopped beating while she was there and while she was traveling at break neck speed. A call from one of the other ferry girls had confirmed it.

Hatsumi's soul was no where to be found. There were cases of something similar to this happening, something called a near death experience. Very Rare, these experiences, and yet they cause the most damage. Papers have to be refilled, spaces in the other realm have to be cancelled, trials are postponed and ferry girls go on a war path.

Worse case scenario: somebody got it before them.

Her head turned to examine the area as she sniffed, getting a control on her tears. Clothes were torn and thrown carelessly aside. A bra caught her attention before she slowly returned her gaze to Hiei's backside. Her stare traveled over his back, deep cuts as if a knife had made a clean slit without piercing anything vital could be seen all over. Tiny holes like a mouse gnawing on cardboard dotted his shoulders. Red bruises that looked very close to…

She gasped mouth open in surprise pressing harder until a groan forced her to relax a bit. "Hickies?" Even her voice sounded odd to her as the word left her mouth. What was going on? How the hell could Hiei get a hicky, let alone a whole swarm of them? And these cuts…

She looked at her glowing hands and at her nails. They look like they could be from her nails. The holes in his flesh looked more and more like teeth marks.

"Woman, get off of me." The hoarse command startled her out of her renderings and she fell back on her butt slightly dazed.

His fingers were the first to move followed by the hands and then the arms. The arms moved around to settle to the side of each shoulder, palm flat on the ground. With effort his chest lifted about three inches off of the ground before falling to meet it. Botan shuffled quickly to her hands and knees, crawling over to her fallen companion.

With effort, and a lot of arguing, she was able to wrap his arm around her shoulder and aid him to his feet. His chin laid against his chest and his eyes refused to open despite Botan's effort to do so. She wrapped her right arm around his waist as her left hand gripped his left wrist that was over her shoulder.

Okay, now what? He was surprisingly heavier than she expected from his petite frame. Walking to the closest portal was not an option. She knew she had to get clear of this area soon as the smell of blood would bring unwelcoming attention.

"Okay," she spoke to herself. "I need to find a spot where we won't be found and could rest for a bit." She blew out an air of frustration as it also removed her bangs from her eyes.

The nearest portal was about a day's walk away she calculated.

She bit her lip in habit then quickly remembered her earlier flight with her tongue. Habits die hard. It was so easy to cave in during a situation like this.

She blinked momentarily. Cave in? She lifted her head to the sky that seemed to grow grayer and darker with each passing moment.

Cave…cave…why does it ring a bell? She shifted Hiei's weight on her shoulder.

She could not use her oar to carry him that far, it needed a tune up soon. The amount of energy she had placed in it almost fried it.

Cave…cave…damn it!

"There is one almost half a day's walk from here to the east," Hiei said trying to get his bearings on his legs. The weight lessened somewhat on her shoulders.

"One what?" Botan inquired momentarily forgetting her train of thought.

Hiei was able to turn his head slightly towards her and force his eyes open to send a more or less terrifying glare. "Oh, right, cave." She took a deep breath and slowly let it out. She cleared all thoughts and began to count silently.

Deep breathing to clear the system and calm the mind.

Botan looked around, feeling the wind pick up slightly. Her only option was to use her oar. She was not walking for sure. What would happen if they got ambushed? Hiei was in no condition to fight and she was certainly not a fighter. Okay, so she had a couple of hours of Tae Bo but that did not mean she had a black belt.

Her obi was white.

Releasing her grip on Hiei's wrist, she lifted her left hand into the air willing her oar to appear. Feeling the weight on her hand she placed some energy into it. The oar floated in place at waist level ready to perform its duty, she had a sense it may be its last.

Her arm slowly moved from Hiei's back to his side. "Hiei, can you stand on your own?"

He grumbled something and lifted his head halfway as he removed his arm from around her shoulder. She looked at him curiously before getting onto her oar. Hiei soon followed suit, ignoring the pain and dizziness that swayed within his head. Botan choked back a startled yelp when she felt his arms wrap around her waist tightly and pull her body close to his as his head rest at the nape of her neck.

Taking another deep breath, face slightly flustered, the oar lifted in to the dreary sky and towards their desired destination where she would bandage Hiei and wait for a rescue crew to come for them. Until then, she would figure out a way to interrogate him without being burnt to a crisp.

Maybe she should keep quiet about having a job until Hiei was well again.

God, she felt like crap.

oOo

Author's note: Chapter six is now complete and hell it was…hell. Longest chapter yet. I'm going to go over the other chapters and alter some content and such. Another chapter should be up soon. If you're still a little confused at how Hatsumi ended up there and on the ground.