The next day was Saturday and Kurama was glad this week was finally coming to an end. He choose to see life, especially his considerably long life, as a series of beginnings and ends. No matter how desperate a situation he was always comforted by the fact that it would inevitably end and he would have a new beginning and another chance.

His improved mood was aided by last nights conversation with Hiei. While it had certainly not been the outcome he desired Hiei had listened to him and not rejected him as strongly. That gave him hope that eventually his little fire demon could admit that he returned Kurama's love.

While he suspected this was a while off, it was a beginning, and for that he was grateful. He was finishing the last of the breakfast dishes when his mother called for him from the other room to tell him he had a phone call.

"Hello?"

"That you Kurama?"

"Yes, what is it?" He recognized Yusuke's voice on the line.

"Hey, sorry to bug ya on the weekend like this, but duty calls."

"I understand, what's going on?"

"Jr. wants us in his office, get Hiei to come too okay?"

"When do we have to be there?" Kurama asked, a small bit of worry developing in the pit of his stomach.

"Hour tops, I gotta go, I gotta run down town and find what alley Kuwabara's hanging out in."

"Okay Yusuke, we'll be there."

"Great, later man."

Kurama hung up the phone and sighed. He had neglected to mention to Yusuke that he had absolutely no idea where to find Hiei. They had been rather preoccupied last night with other matters. Deciding that the best course of action was to take action Kurama quickly informed his mother that he had to go out for a bit to meet some friends. Not a complete lie so he felt okay with it.

He pulled a light jacket on and took off for the park. Really he had no idea where Hiei hides out all day, he had often wondered, but Hiei was so secretive about everything that he hadn't wanted to push the issue with him before. He was going to the park because he knew of his small friends tendency to sleep in trees and being as there were an abundance of trees at the park it seemed as good a place as any to begin his search.

Kurama quickly realized the flaw in his idea when he arrived and found himself surrounded by kids and families running and playing all through the area. He felt certain Hiei would be wherever people weren't. Just to be sure he acted as if he was jogging and ran around a bit glancing up the trunks of several bigger tress and stopping every so often to see if he could sense any of Hiei's spirit energy.

Frowning he checked his watch, it had been about twenty minutes since he had talked to Yusuke. He had to hurry, it would look very bad for them both if the day after their talk with Koenma they were found to be violating the new restriction on their sentence.

Deciding not to waste time standing around where he knew his friend was not, Kurama quickly ran south to where the warehouses stood on the edge of town. Hiei had used one of them once when he had taken Keiko prisoner. That seemed so long ago, he wondered if maybe Hiei was still using them to hide out. Darting from building to building Kurama strained to sense any sign that the youkai was nearby, but to no avail.

Glancing at his watch again his heart sank, it had now been forty-six minutes since Yusuke called. He would need to head to the meeting place soon if he didn't want to be late. But, what was the point of being on time if he didn't have Hiei with him?

Kurama took off running to the wooded area on the other side of town where he and Hiei and the other demon they had stolen the underworld treasures with had designated as their rendezvous point back before this had all started. Back before he had developed feelings for the little fire demon.

'He has to be there, there is nowhere else he would go,' Kurama thought to himself, the words repeating over and over, the only thing keeping him from being in a blind panic.

His watch gave a quick beep, his hour was gone. Kurama kept running, he had to find Hiei, he couldn't go back without him. As he neared the forest a feeling of dread overcame him. He couldn't feel Hiei anywhere. He drove himself deeper into the trees, convincing himself that maybe he needed to get further in, even as his sharp fox mind taunted him with the knowledge that with Hiei's considerable spirit energy he would be able to sense him already if he were close.

When he reached the small clearing he collapsed. He was panting from running so long and so hard, but he fell purely from frustration rather than exhaustion. Koenma was not going to like this.

After taking some time to catch his breath and collect himself, Kurama had no choice but to head to the meeting place. He was late and he was alone. His mind was working overtime trying to think up believable excuses. Something that would convince Koenma not to take Hiei into custody.

It hardly seemed fair, Hiei had reported in as instructed, but Kurama had pushed him to an uncomfortable place and never gotten around to the information that had seemed so pointless a few hours ago. If only he hadn't forced Hiei to talk to him about his feelings perhaps he would know where to find him now. Based on this information Kurama had no choice, but to blame himself.

'If anything happens to Hiei because of my carelessness I shall never forgive myself,' he thought bitterly. Being angry at himself served no purpose at this point, but it kept him from crying at the thought of losing his loved one just when he had been granted a chance to hope for more.

When he finally arrived Yusuke and Kuwabara were nowhere to be seen. Kurama shifted uncomfortably glancing around. He had no way to contact Botan to ask her to let him through the portal and as such had to wait for her or one of the others to come to him. As it turns out he didn't have to wait too long.

"Kurama where have you been?" Botan's voice scolded as she appeared behind him.

"I apologize for my lateness," Kurama said with a short nod to the ferry girl. He moved to enter the portal.

"Where is Hiei?" Botan raised an eyebrow as she blocked the kitsune's path.

"I'm afraid he's not coming."

"And I'm afraid this meeting isn't optional."

"May I please pass?" Kurama asked. Botan sighed and looked back over her shoulder into the portal to see who was around.

"Look Kurama, you really don't want to go in there without him, Lord Koenma is in an especially foul mood already. It's one thing if he's late, but if Hiei doesn't bother to show up he's going to be punished severely."

"I assure you he's not trying to cause trouble."

"Come on Kurama it's no secret that he's mad about having to check in, but for him to dodge meetings is inexcusable. Just go back and get him and I'll make some excuse about the portal malfunctioning so I couldn't let you through for awhile okay?"

Kurama was overcome with a mix of emotions. He couldn't believe that Botan was willing to lie to keep them out of trouble. This certainly wasn't the first time he had felt that he underestimated her and it made him realize that he needed someone he could trust if he wanted to keep Hiei and himself out of trouble.

"Botan I need your help."

"Why where is he?" Botan stepped out of the portal letting it close behind her.

"I don't know."

"He didn't even bother to tell you on the first night?"

"He came by my house, but we had some other issues to work out at the time. I honestly didn't think Koenma would need us so soon so I didn't ask where he would be and now I can't find him anywhere."

"What were you talking about that was so important?"

"It was... personal."

"So he's not just ditching the meeting to stir up trouble?"

"No, he has no idea he's supposed to be here. That's why I was so late, I was searching everywhere for him."

"Are you sure you looked everywhere?"

"The park, the warehouses, the forest, any place I could think he'd be. Please Botan if Koenma has him imprisoned it will be my fault." He gazed at her with pleading eyes.

"Actually it will be my fault," she said looking down.

"What? How?" Kurama was confused. Botan looked back up at him sheepishly.

"I'm sorry Kurama, but he was behaving so erratically this past week I was afraid he might be planning something so I went to Koenma. You must understand we can't afford for a demon with Hiei's powers to turn on us so Lord Koenma decided to keep him under tighter watch. He thought that since you know Hiei better than anyone that if he was in fact planning something you would put a stop to it," She eyed him nervously, "Of course with the way he had been avoiding the team and disappearing the only way Koenma could force him to be around you was by having him check in."

Kurama frowned deeply, "How could you turn him in like that? He wasn't planning anything."

"I had no way of knowing what he wasn't planning all I knew is that he suddenly was hiding out and refusing orders."

"When did he refuse orders?"

"I had to call in ogres to bring him to the last mission, he said he wouldn't come."

"He was upset!" Kurama said his voice growing louder.

"Since when does Hiei get upset?" Botan shouted back at him. Kurama blushed and turned away, but not fast enough.

"What is going on with you two?"

"It's complicated."

"Well it's about to get you both in a lot of trouble."

"It already has." The voice came from behind and below Botan. They both glanced back to see the Prince of the Underworld starring back at them. Yusuke and Kuwabara pushed through the portal behind them.

"Sir what are you doing out here?" Botan chirped glancing around in panic.

"Someone reported a portal being open abnormally long at this location. Since I sent you to wait for Kurama and Hiei to arrive I assumed there was a problem getting them through," Koenma said from behind his pacifier, "It would seem I was correct."

"Hiei is blameless, his absence is my fault," Kurama said quickly pushing past Botan.

"Kurama what's going on? Where's the shrimp run off to now?" Kuwabara asked. Apparently he and Yusuke hadn't heard any of the conversation Kurama and Botan had been having before Koenma interrupted.

"Don't tell me he's a no show again," Yusuke balked.

"Botan take the spirit energy tracer and check Hiei's usual hideouts. I'll send some ogres to help you look. I want him brought in to my office," Koenma ordered.

"Yes sir, right on it," the ferry girl pulled her oar and took flight.

"Yusuke, Kuwabara I want you two to use Kuwabara's spirit awareness and see if you can locate him also."

"Wait why are we tracking down Hiei, isn't he on our side?" Yusuke looked angry. His loyalty to his friends conflicting with his duty.

"We'll know that when we find him," Koenma replied.

"Sir I assure you this is unnecessary, this is all a misunderstanding," Kurama said forcefully.

"Kurama, I want you in my office."

"Yes sir," Kurama scowled.

Koenma stepped back into the portal. Kurama moved to follow him when Yusuke clapped his hand on the red-haired boys shoulder.

"Kurama what is going on?"

"Botan thought Hiei might be a threat, but it's all a misunderstanding."

"Where is he?"

"I wish I knew." Kurama meant those words with all his heart. If only he knew where Hiei was he could get to him, protect him. "You have to find him Yusuke, he might overreact if he sees Botan and a team of ogres coming for him."

"Now that you mention it the little jerk has been acting kinda funny," Kuwabara mused, "You really think he might gone bad, uh, again?"

"Don't be stupid Kuwabara," Yusuke exclaimed before Kurama could move to strike the boy, "Hiei wouldn't do anything like that, lets go find him and get this cleared up."

"Thank you Yusuke," Kurama breathed.

"Hey don't mention it, I'd rather be out here looking for him then in there with diaper butt."

"I'd better go, please find him," Kurama said stepping through the portal. It sealed shut again behind him as if exhausted from having to wait so long again. Kurama forced himself to walk to Lord Koenma's office, but the whole time his mind was on Hiei and what the little fire demon would do when he found out how much trouble Kurama had caused him.

Koenma looked completely irritated as Kurama entered and took a seat in front of the huge paper laden desk.

"I honestly cannot express to you what horrible timing this is," Koenma said at last.

"Sir please, Hiei came to report in last night, but I forgot where he said he would be. He had no idea he was supposed to be here today. I know he will turn up later, you must call off this search," Kurama rambled.

"I wish I could Kurama, but since you were so late getting here you have no idea what's been going on," the toddler sighed heavily revealing his many years, "spirit world is in a complete uproar."

"Over Hiei?" Kurama frowned.

"No, of course not. Another demon, a powerful one has escaped into the human world. We just discovered this today of course, but it seems he's been there for several days."

"I understand the urgency of the meeting then, and I apologize for not being here sooner, but what does that have to do with Hiei?"

"Botan reported Hiei acting abnormally about the time we determined the demon must have escaped. It is possible Hiei aided this monster in entering the human world."

"He wouldn't do that Sir."

"How can you be sure Kurama?"

"Hiei hates most other demons, even more than humans, there is no way he'd assist one in coming here where he'd have to deal with it."

"I wish I could believe you Kurama, but this isn't Hiei's first instance of teaming up with other demons whom he shared a common goal with, after all thats what brought you here."

Kurama was silenced. He knew in his heart that Hiei was innocent and furthermore that his strange behavior that everyone considered a clue to his turn to the dark side was in fact Kurama's own fault.

'I should have never told him,' He cursed himself, 'all that's come of it has been pain and trouble.'

He had honestly believed that living with the secret in his heart was the worse thing that he could endure, but he had been so stupid and so wrong.

"Koenma, Hiei is innocent, he was only acting oddly because of an argument we had. That doesn't make him a conspirator."

"What kind of argument could you have possibly had that would lead to him behaving as he did?"

Kurama was quiet trying to figure out what to say when the door to the office suddenly swung open revealing a large green ogre with wild frantic eyes.

"Lord Koenma Sir, it happened so quickly we didn't even see him," the ogre blurted out.

"Cade, I'm in the middle of something right now, can't you knock?"

"But Lord Koenma Sir, It's Botan, she's been injured."

"What!" Kurama and Koenma both shouted. Kurama jumped up and rushed out the door down the hall two more ogres were carrying a blood stained Botan.

"We found a camp north of the woods in a cave, Botan sent us to scout the area then she yelled, by the time we got back she was like this," Cade explained frantically.

"I need a healer!" hollered one of the ogres carrying Botan's lifeless body.

Kurama ran to her and examined the gash in her side where the blood was seeping out. It was undoubtedly a katana swipe.

'No, he wouldn't have,' Kurama stepped back horrified. Was it even possible? Had he pushed Hiei so far that the youkai would do such a thing? Kurama looked back at Botan who was being healed by a team of sprites. Her eyes fluttered open.

"Botan what happened?" Koenma demanded.

"I was looking for Hiei, then I got attacked," she replied, her voice soft and shallow.

"Did you see who did it?" Koenma asked.

"No," she murmured her eyes falling shut again.

"She needs to rest," one of the healing sprites explained.

"Koenma, you can't think Hiei is responsible," Kurama said frantically.

"Until we find him Kurama I'm not sure what to think," Koenma said sadly as Botan was carried away to the infirmary.

"He would never hurt a member of his own team," Kurama said definitely.

"Unless he no longer considered himself part of the team," Koenma pointed out walking to his office and shutting the door.

"Hiei," Kurama whispered tears stinging the corner of his glowing emerald eyes, "What have I done to you?"