J.J. - Merry Christmas everyone! I come bearing a gift in the form of an update. Oh, and to everyone that agreed. (-passes out salmon-) Feel free to smack away.

Karasu: (-whimpers-)


Chapter Ten

Moonlight Banquet - Part Two

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"Three... four... five..." Kurama set his little metal ship down and sighed while glowering at the Monopoly board. "I don't believe it..."

"Yes!" Shizuru crowed with delight. "I can't believe you landed on Park Place again! That'll be 2,500 dollars please."

Kurama grumbled under his breath as he leafed out the fake money bills and slapped them into Shizuru's eagerly awaiting hand. "There. You happy? Now I'm bankrupt."

"Join the club," Kuwabara mumbled to the side of him, having already lost all of his money. He glared sullenly at his sister.

"You're just all sore losers," Shizuru chuckled happily, gathering her money in neat little piles that she could gloat over easier.

Keiko glanced in dismay at the beaten Kurama, a frustrated look crinkling her eyebrows. "Great... now who will bail me out of prison?"

"I will, Keiko," Yukina supplied pleasantly from the other side of the table. She was the only one that had enough money left to make a decent pile with. "It's my turn anyway..." She picked up the dice, juggling them in one hand before tossing them daintily across the board. Seeing the number, she picked up her tiny, silver shoe and moved it seven places. She set it on the final space and looked up to give Keiko an apologetic look. "Well, maybe not..."

Shizuru grinned like a power-crazy tycoon. "Hm, two players in jail and little rich and powerful me. How will this game fair?"

Keiko rolled her eyes, tossing her single bill onto the board. "I'm out. I don't have any chance of getting out of prison on my income... unless..."

She gave Shizuru a sweet look. The brunette looked up from counting her bills and snorted. "Dream on."

"Fine." Keiko rolled her eyes. She slumped down and placed her chin in her palm. "I miss Yusuke. I can at least beat him."

"I suppose I'll give up to you, as well," Yukina admitted with a soft smile.

"I can't believe you won again!" Kuwabara groaned. "This really bites."

"What bites is the fact that Botan is at a soiree with a millionaire bachelor and I'm stuck here playing Monopoly with you guys."

A loud crash came from the front hall, signaling that someone had just burst through the door. "Kuwabara!" It was Yusuke's voice, filled with frustration and panic. Kuwabara rose to his feet just as Yusuke pushed open the door to the small kitchen.

"Urameshi?" Kuwabara inquired uncertainly. It was nearly 2 o'clock in the morning.

"Kuwabara," Yusuke panted again. Keiko rose to her feet in worry, but Yusuke waved her off. "Kurama– I need your help."

Sensing his alarm, Kurama sucked in an uneasy breath, slowly coming to his feet. "Yusuke, where's Hiei and Botan?"

The severity in the troubled brown eyes said it all.


(Six hours earlier)

Hiei felt a fine rage threaten to incinerate the entire room as he watched Karasu lead Botan away. He couldn't understand why she would do this. But then again, she didn't know any better. He had of course thought to warn his chauffeur of the Toguro's presence at the banquet, but like a fool he had failed to mention it to his maid. Taking a struggling breath, he tried to force some amount of logic into his mind. Karasu was cruel and malicious, but he wouldn't hurt Botan. He was using the blue-haired woman as a pawn against him, but he wouldn't purposely cause her harm.

But if he does...

Hiei knew he wouldn't hesitate a moment to kill him, no regrets, no guilt. The thought of watching the light leave the crow's eyes gave him a soul-deep satisfaction. And he knew Karasu would feel no qualms about killing him either.

How quickly old lusts are resurfaced... he thought in amusement. After taking over the company, he had made a firm decision to keep his insatiable bloodlust under submission, never to let the true demon inside him come forth again. He had slaughtered many a human, and demon, in his younger days. The days when a few hundred dollars a month was living high. That uncivilized side of him hadn't raised it's head again until... until Botan had come.

His hands shook as he remembered the strength it took not to strike Karasu then and there when he had showed even the slightest interest in her. What was she doing to him? She was merely dancing with someone, and he suddenly had the urge to kill again.

"What's this?" the elder Toguro brother's voice penetrated his red-hazed mind. "You seem rather upset, Hiei. I didn't think it possible for you to find a woman to stir such passionate feeling."

Neither did I.

He snapped his glare onto the two brothers, his expression cold and indifferent as always. He ignored their comment. "Why are you here?"

"The same reason as you. We're here to keep an eye on things."

Hiei smirked. "I hope you're not foolish enough to try another attack on the full moon."

"Oh no," Toguro Ani gave a sly grin. "We're far beyond any forceful attacks. But don't think you can let your guard down. We have other, more complicated means, of bringing you down." His gaze flitted, ever so briefly, towards Karasu and Botan.

Hiei felt his anger jump to the surface again, and he narrowed his eyes maliciously"If you touch her, I will kill—"

"Temper, temper, Mr. Jaganshi." He gave a huff of indifference. "Whoever said we wanted to use your maid. What good would she be to us?"

Hiei slowly clenched and unclenched his fist, letting his anger and frustration roll into more manageable levels. Not trusting himself to speak, he glared suspiciously at the careless look upon his enemy's face. He had been so careful and precise in making sure Botan was kept oblivious to the down-sized war that occurred beneath the mansion walls. She didn't need to be involved in it. Originally, he suspected his concern was because she would only cause problems, and he didn't know her well enough to trust her. But now it was a matter of her safety. And that left a more permanent stamp in his mind.

"She would be useless."

"Exactly." Both Toguro brothers gave him a coy smile. Somehow, it only increased his distress.


"So how did you and Hiei meet?"

Botan gave a strained smile. She wasn't exactly fond of the idea of admitting she actually worked for him. "Oh, well, you know... like normal..."

"I see."

Gratefully, Karasu didn't look like he wanted to press her about the issue. He twirled her gracefully, bringing her next to him again with exaggerated flourish. She blushed uneasily, glancing away. His actions were nothing short of a pure gentlemen, but something that she couldn't quite put her finger on made her nervous. He had done nothing outright to warrant fear in her, but she still had the urge to run into Hiei's arms and never leave, far away from this suave man. Then again, she was getting that urge a lot lately anyway...

"You're an excellent dancer," the black-haired man complimented softly. "Hiei is surely a fool to deny you."

Or surely not interested.

"Thank you," she said politely.

"Are you two close?"

She stared up at him in surprise. "Close? Er... well, I suppose..." Close wasn't exactly a word she would use to describe their relationship. But she didn't say that to Karasu out of fear that she might have to also say that the only reason Hiei had invited her was so she could work off missed hours.

"That's nice," he said with a placid smile. "And how do you take his Jagan eye? I'm guessing it's not a serious issue between you two."

"Jagan eye?" She frowned slightly.

"You know, his third eye?"

His what? Her first natural reaction was to think that Karasu had gone insane, or was flat out lying. It was stupid to believe someone could have a third eye. But then she remembered all that she had learned about demons and all too quickly her dreams rose to haunt her mind again. She felt the blood rush to her head and she suddenly found it very difficult to dance properly. If Hiei really had a third eye, there was no getting around it... He was a demon.

"Oh no." She glanced up to see Karasu's 'concerned' expression. "You didn't know, did you?" He didn't sound particularly sorry or surprised.

She shook her head slightly before speaking. She failed horribly and ended up croaking instead. She cleared her throat with a small blush before trying again. "How... how do you know?" She attempted to laugh, a hollow, dead sound. "I mean... heh, I don't see any third eye..."

He snorted derisively as if talking to a small, naive child. She felt like a small, naive child. "Well naturally he can't walk around the office with a purple eye in the middle of his forehead. Why do you think he always wears that bandanna? Fashion statement?"

Bandanna? She silently conjured up an image of Hiei in her mind. Desperately, she tried to remember his forehead. His dark hair falling across it in stark contrast to... to the white. He was always wearing a bandanna! She was just so used to it, that it was just a part of his image. Was it possible that he hid a third eye beneath it?

She wanted to leave. She would leave. She would walk outside and have Yusuke take her home. Now if only Karasu would let go of her...


Focus. That would be something he definitely needed to concentrate on right now. Well, perhaps more specifically what he was focusing on. He was having no problem focusing on Karasu's hand that rested steadily on Botan's lower back.

A growl slipped through involuntarily, the napkin in his hand getting crushed. The Toguro brother's had long since stopped paying much attention to him, addressing other patrons that had come to call and discuss 'business'. But he knew they were having him watched. Every step that he took tonight, they would know. He couldn't leave. If only he could contact Yusuke somehow–

And did he have to lean in close to her face every time they switched directions?

Focus. You need to focus on the important matter at hand.

But they had already danced through three numbers already! How long did Karasu intend to dance with her? He wanted nothing more than to have her back at his side, but to do that he would have to get rid of Karasu. And that was near impossible since there was nothing wrong with dancing. Nothing wrong at all.

Unless... of course... he danced with her himself. The thought sent a bitter twisting through his stomach. He despised dancing and thought it was pointless, for the hopeless romantics of the world. A group that didn't, and would never, include himself.

And then Karasu ran his hand across Botan's face and down her neck.

He was at his feet in an instant, storming across the dance floor. The Toguro brothers looked up with bewildered expressions, signaling their men to make sure he didn't leave. But he surprised them both by stepping right into the path of Karasu and Botan's tango.

They both stopped short in their efforts, Botan stumbling slightly with the sudden change of pace. Annoyance was across Karasu's face, surprise across Botan's.

"Excuse me," Karasu sneered. "The lady and I were trying to dance."

"You were trying." Hiei smirked. "She was succeeding."

Karasu rolled his eyes, opening his mouth to speak, but Hiei cut him off before he could. "Toguro would like a word," he lied easily.

Karasu gave the fire demon a deadly look, but stalked off. After he left, Hiei turned to look at Botan again. He was surprised to see the soft blush that entered her cheeks when they locked eyes, but more surprised when he felt his own face getting warm. He held out his hand to her. "The tango, was it?"

She blinked before hesitantly placing her hand into his own. He wanted to dance with her now? It seemed her plan had worked. The second their hands touched, he pulled her to him roughly, his other hand drawing possessively around her waist. She had to smother the gasp that threatened to escape as her body pressed to his. Did they need to be this close?

As they began to move, she had to wonder why he had said he didn't dance. Every step he took was like all of his other movements, powerful and graceful. He had such control and poise.

"Actually," she said curtly. "We were doing a spanish mix of the flamenco and the bolero."

"Of course." She thought she felt his grip on her waist tighten. His voiced shifted slightly in mock advertisement. "Flamenco dancing is intense, passionate, and exotic, with an exuberant and lively pace. How perfect for the both of you."

She looked at him suspiciously, saying nothing. Did he sound... jealous?

It sure seemed like it. His eyes were filled with a silent rage, his jaw rock hard. His grip on her was so strong it was almost painful. They began to waltz, her stepping backwards, and he stepping towards her. Appropriate, since it made her feel like the prey she always was in their confrontations.

But she was feeling rather bold this go around. Perhaps it was the fiery music, perhaps she wanted to know if he was really jealous-- if he was really feeling that pang of hurt that she had when she had first seen Yukina. But whatever it was, it was what made her say, "You know, Karasu actually is a fine dancer. We were flowing together pretty well before you came."

It worked, she had provoked him. Ruby eyes sparked angrily and in the next instant she pressed to him so tightly she couldn't breathe without her breasts pressing to his chest in mock intimacy, his arm like a bar across her back. He smirked. "That is only because you have nothing to compare with. Allow me to give you a free lesson in real Spanish dancing."

He released her, holding on to her right hand, before spinning her quickly away from him. Her next conscious thought was that he had dipped her low to the ground, leveling her with a hand tightly wound with her own and another splayed across her back. She could see the floor only a few inches from her head. He spoke near her face, "Spanish dancing is the vertical expression of a horizontal wish."

He drew her up slowly as she absorbed his words. They gazed at each other for a moment before continuing into a few more ballads of spirited steps. She was fast losing her breath trying to keep up with him, but she supposed this was his plan. He spun her towards him, catching her back against the firmness of his chest. Her heart began racing as he slid one hand from her lower stomach to her left hip, leaving a burning trail where he touched. His other hand held onto her neck with a gentle severity. His breath was warm and directly against her. When he next spoke, she felt the almost imperceptible movement of his lips against her ear:

"You have to hold her," his hands moved across her shoulder and leg, "as if her skin is your reason for living."

Her pulse took up it's race with new determination. Her eyes fluttered close and she bit her lip to keep from making any sound of response, though she desperately wanted to. And then all too suddenly whatever music had been playing seemed to shift into the music she had heard him play that one, fateful night. It had stoked the same feelings in her as now. She had been frightened of even imagining her feelings before, and now she knew why. When Hiei touched her she couldn't think, couldn't move beyond the passion he was creating in her.

But why? Why would she be cursed with such feelings for the one man she knew was impossible for her to obtain? He turned her back towards him and she saw that same, dark look in his eyes she had seen times before.

"Let her go, like your heart's being ripped from your chest," he murmured huskily before practically throwing her to his right side. The only thing that stopped her from hurtling ungracefully onto her face was his own powerful grip. She looked at him, seemingly so far away. Well, it had her feeling like her heart was being ripped from her chest. But amidst the longing for him to hold her again, she realized that this had to stop. She was out of control...

But then he brought her back and once she was near him again, she caught whiff of his scent and she lost her train of thought. "Throw her back, like you're going to have your way with her right here on the dance floor." His lips parted slightly with soft pants, matched only by her own. She rose her gaze from his mouth to tell him this had to end before she completely lost her mind and allowed him to have his way with her, but she didn't...

Those damn beautiful eyes.

They began to move again, rumbaing through the steps, but their close proximity remained. Comprehensible thought was now impossible since she could vividly feel every shift of movement directly against her. The music was slowing, fading, as was their dancing speed. They drew to a stop, one of her hands wrapped nimbly against his neck, the other intertwined with his own strong hand.

He lifted the hand at her waist and trailed one finger from her temple down to her lips. "And then finish," Her eyes fluttered as his thumb swept across her bottom lip. She felt, rather then saw, him lean towards her. He was going to kiss her and she traitorously felt her eyes slide slowly closed and her lips soften.

When his lips were but a bare touch away from hers, and she found herself wondering what she would do if he made to take her right there on the dance floor, he drew back. "As if she's ruined you for life."

The way he said it, she almost felt guilty for ruining him. But she quickly caught herself... He wasn't talking about them personally...

Was he?

She quickly felt another emotion rise to the surface. Frustration. Did he realize his taunting? Knowing him, he probably did. She felt the back of her throat sting. She had long ago figured out that he felt nothing that she felt for him... but was he aware of her feelings? And merely mocking her for them? Was she just another game of amusement to him? She'd been on the receiving end of that scenario before.

"You see," he said in his usual, cutting voice. He released her and took a step back. "That is the proper way to dance." He smirked as if he'd just won a prize. A prize... to a game.

She inhaled sharply before spinning abruptly on her heel and jetting towards the stairs. She couldn't take this torment anymore. What was he doing to her? She was such a fool...

"Botan, wait!"

Surprising. He was actually coming after her. As if he cared...

She glanced behind her and saw him easily picking his way through the crowd. She debated for a moment on letting him catch up to her. But then she remembered he was the source of her riotous state of mind. Yes, talking to him would definitely not help anything. She needed to get away. She broke into a run, her pace slow and awkward because of her heels.

She raced up the stairs towards the door. Hiei would have caught her in an instant, but as he reached the stairs, he was apprehended by three, big looking men. They looked rather mean too, but she didn't let her worry stop her right now. She flew out the door, into the night atmosphere. She slowed, coming to an uneasy halt as she glanced around and tried to catch her breath. How was she supposed to find their limo? There were at least thirty parked in various lines across the extensive driveway.

"Botan?"

Someone up there had to be looking out for her.

"Yusuke!" she breathed, turning towards him.

"What's wrong?" he asked in concern.

"Where's the limo?" she asked quickly, eyes darting around.

"Why?"

She wanted to scream, don't ask why, just do it! But she managed to restrain herself. She needed to make this believable if she was to effectively get away before Hiei got back out here. "Hiei told me to tell you to take me home without him, and then come back for him."

To her great relief, Yusuke needed no further explanation. In fact, his face had grown so serious, she wondered if her words might have triggered something more grave than she had intended. "Let's go." He led her to a limo only a few feet away from the entrance and opened the door for her. She obediently followed and climbed in, waiting only a moment before they pulled out into the city streets.

To her relief, the divider window was already up, and she had no intention of putting it down. She sighed and slumped down in her seat, bringing a hand up to massage her aching temple. Her eyes had already begun to blink rapidly with the first warning sign of one of her migraines. Perfect.


Hiei watched as Yusuke pulled away from the banquet in his limo. That little wench! Why was she running from him? He could have caught her earlier, but Toguro's thugs had cut him off. It had only taken him a minute to rid himself of that problem, but it had still delayed him enough for her to get away. He began to tug at his jacket, shrugging out of the fashioned shoulders. If she thought that climbing into that limo gave her immunity from him the rest of the night, she was sadly mistaken. He loosened his tie and tossed it off of his neck. He glanced around to make sure that no one was around to witness his soon to be unnatural feat, before taking off in a sprint across the grass.

As he ran, he unbuttoned his unreasonably tight shirt at the neck and arms, rolling up his sleeves in relief. He spotted the limo ahead and raced onto the highway. Many different cars blew their horns at him, but his demonic speed ensured that he wasn't decapitated by the swerving wheels. It was Main Street, so cars were only going about 30-35, due to the many stop lights. As Yusuke pulled to a stop in front of a red light, Hiei finally caught up to them. Angrily, he pounded on the passenger's window. He only had to wait a moment before it rolled down, revealing a curious, and slightly annoyed Botan. Her expression soon changed to shocked horror.

"H-Hiei?"

He growled. "What the hell is your problem?"

She didn't answer. He tried to open the door, but she had wisely thought to lock it. The glare he sent her was words enough to let her know she was to let him in.

She raised an eyebrow before lifting a finger to press a button on the door. She was rolling up the window. Of all the frustrating–

"Hey!"

But at that exact moment, the light turned green and Yusuke began driving again. And Hiei had to, annoyingly enough, begin running again. As he ran, he knocked irritably on the closing window. "Stop the car!"

The window paused, and began rolling down again. Botan's eyes were wide with surprise. "Hiei! What are you doing? You can't chase the car!"

"Not for long anyway, let me in or I'm jumping in the window!"

She glared. "You'll be panting a different tune when he reach the highway and you have to run 70 miles per hour!" She rolled the window up again, but Hiei hadn't missed the underlying concern in her voice.

With a frustrated growl, he picked up his pace until he was sprinting along side the driver's window. It only took Yusuke a moment to absently glance to the side and see his employer. His eyes flew wide with shock. He immediately rolled down the window.

"Hiei! What are you doing!"

"Stop the limo, Yusuke!"

"No, keep driving, Yusuke!" Botan had let down the divider window, and her angry face could be seen leaning over.

Poor Yusuke could only look confused. "Yusuke," Hiei hissed as he ran, soft enough that only his chauffeur could hear. "This is a human car I am a demon! You know I can keep up with you all night if I have to!"

"Well what do you want me to do?" Yusuke snapped in response. "This is the middle of Main Street! I can't just pull over!"

"Ha!" Botan's triumphant voice came. "See? Give it up and leave me alone!"

"What did you do, anyway?" Yusuke raised an eyebrow.

Hiei ignored him with an irritated snarl. "Can you open the sunroof from up here?"

"Yes..." He didn't like the tone of his boss's voice.

"Open it."

Yusuke looked at him as if he'd just turned green. "Whatever you say." He sighed and reached over, pressing the small 'open' button. It began to slide open, silently enough that Botan hadn't noticed yet. Hiei smirked, pulling back to where he was more level with the sun roof, Yusuke muttering something about not getting paid enough for stunts like this...

Hiei waited until it had opened enough to allow enough room for his body to slip through. He heard Botan's cry of surprise as she realized the sunroof had been opened. "Oh no you don't!" The sun roof began sliding closed again... and then sliding open... then closed... and so forth.

It was now or never. He took a deep breath, honing into his demon senses to accurately judge when the right time to jump would be. In the next instant, he jumped expertly on top of the limo. Unfortunately, his calculations were a little off and he landed behind it. The wind knocked out of his lungs as his chest collided with the roof, Botan shrieking with surprise at the sound of impact. He somehow managed to grab a hold of the inside of the sunroof and pull himself towards it, despite the protesting groan his body produced.

"What are you doing!" Botan cried as he stuck his head in.

He didn't have enough will of brain to answer and instead flopped ungracefully into the limo. He tumbled into the interior, his bottom half ending up on the seats, his top half on the floor. His upside down vision included a furious-looking maid looking down at him. He hardly had time to think before she unceremoniously kicked his head. Not hard enough to do any damage, but it was still an unpleasant experience after having to jump inside the top of a limo.

"What were you thinking!"

Already feeling a throbbing bump starting on his head, he frowned up at her. There were so many things he wanted to snap at her with his temper bubbling dangerously close to the surface. (Chasing after a limo could have that effect on you.) But the risk of getting conked on the head stopped him. That and perhaps the worry shining somewhere inside her eyes... Indecisiveness paralyzed his vocal chords, and of all things, he shrugged.

That was obviously not the right decision either because her face darkened and she growled dangerously in response. "You–" She shrieked, knocked off balance as something rammed into the side of the limo. She crashed into the seat beside where Hiei had landed. The Koorime struggled to his knees, pushing himself upright.

"Yusuke! What was that?" he called. The intensity in the look Yusuke gave him through the rearview mirror was enough to send his nerves on end.

His chauffeur made a jerky motion to his left with his head, teeth ground and knuckles white as he gripped the steering wheel. "Toguro."

Hiei whipped his gaze towards the window, fearing what he would see. Sure enough, two black cars, infused with what he was sure was hard-plated steel, were speeding along side them. He turned to the right. Two more expensive looking cars were on the other side as well.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

He crouched down next to Botan, where she was groaning and rubbing her head. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Botan, get up. Put your seat belt on."

She gazed up at him blearily. "W-What?"

He didn't give her time to process what was going on. He placed on hand on her waist, and the other on her arm, hoisting her upwards. "Come on." He guided her towards the leather seat. She gripped his shirt, and they had almost made it, when one of the flashy cars hit the side of the car again.

"Hold on!" Yusuke yelled, but it wasn't necessary. They had both already crashed to the floor in an unceremonious heap. Botan was still clinging to Hiei's chest, eyes clenched shut tightly.

Fear pulsed through her throat. "Hiei... what's going on?" She struggled to untangle herself from him.

Two arms shot up and crushed her to him again, the impact hard enough to temporarily wind her. "No– stay down."

"Why?"

She was answered as a round of bullets went off above them, shattering the windows. Botan's scream was drowned out by the deafening noise. It stopped after a moment, the rush of traffic now heard through the nonexistent windows. "Yusuke?" Hiei croaked beneath Botan's trembling form.

"I'm alive."

"We have to lose them–"

"Working on it!"

No sooner had he said the words then the limo lurched to the side as Yusuke performed an impressive U-turn. Hiei gripped the seat for leverage as gravity threatened to pull them both to the other side of the floor in a series of somersaults, placing a hand to the side of Botan's head, still pressed dutifully to his shoulder. Horns and the sound of screeching tires clarified that Yusuke's driving maneuver hadn't been legal.

"We're back in the city," Yusuke clarified once they were moving straight again. Sirens were heard in the background. "I can... ditch the limo, but..."

Hiei knew what Yusuke was thinking, the reluctance in the human's voice annoyingly obvious. If it had just been the two of them, they would have crashed the limo, both escaping fairly easily, fighting off any other possible offenders. But with Botan, such a plan wasn't an option. His maid was still trembling slightly, clinging to him like a terrified koala. "You ditch the limo," he said, "drop me and Botan off."

"But–"

"I can lose them."

"They'll see you," Yusuke argued vehemently. "They're not stupid and they're only a few blocks behind me now."

Hiei frowned, carefully pulling Botan's arms off of him. She didn't resist as he carefully placed her upright, her back leaning against the seat, but her eyes had a frightened, glazed look to them. She was still in shock apparently, and he wondered if he was going to have pay for a therapist for her after this was all over.

He stood to his feet, although crouched, peering out the windows, searching for an appropriate place to lose their offenders. He spotted his option up ahead, like an answer to his prayers. "Don't stop then."

Yusuke glared. "Have you lost your mind?

Hiei smirked, his eyes drifting briefly towards his goal. "Perhaps."

Yusuke raised an eyebrow, following Hiei's gaze. His eyes threatened to shoot out of his head when he saw the intended target. "What? Hiei, no! You have Botan with you!"

"I won't let anything happen to her," Hiei argued with enough conviction to temporarily silence Yusuke.

His chauffeur looked like he'd like to argue further, but didn't, instead setting a grave look back on the road. "I guess there's no other way." He reached a hand up to open the sunroof, but brought it back down upon realizing it was already open. "You better hurry then, it's coming up."

Hiei knelt next to Botan. She was staring at the floor, her expression pained, a hand rubbing her temple absently. "Botan," he said softly, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"I have a headache," she murmured thickly.

"I know," he replied uncertainly, wondering how traumatized she truly was. "But you have to come with me right now, okay?" She paused before nodding. Hiei attempted a comforting smile before picking her up and setting her on her feet. He faced away from her. "I need you to get on my back." Botan complied, using his shoulders for leverage as she awkwardly climbed onto his back.

Yusuke watched as his boss displayed a very unique sort of compassion towards the girl, something usually reserved strictly for Yukina. The two were bent low because of the small space of the limo, but Hiei was coaxing her into a safe position upon his back.

"Hiei, we're almost there," he warned.

Hiei nodded at him. "Hold on to my neck, tight," he told Botan. She wrapped her arms around his neck. "Don't let go." She nodded nervously. He took a deep breath before pulling himself through the sunroof. It was not the pleasant experience it had been before. This time Yusuke was driving fast, very fast, and the wind was a harsh sting against their faces.

It also seemed to snap Botan back to reality. Her head spun with renewed fear, her shoulders shaking. Whether from the cold or her own dread, it was hard to say. She tightened her grip on Hiei as he positioned himself carefully on top of the roof, grace and agility only saving them from sliding right off. "Hiei, what are you doing?" she called over the roar of the wind, glad for his solid form to hold on to.

His head shifted towards her very slightly, black hair racing around his face. "You just worry about holding on."

She felt as if she couldn't possibly get more confused. She looked forward, eyes squinted against the harsh blow of the wind. They were approaching one of the city's bridges– very quickly. It wasn't large, not even high enough for boats to pass through underneath, although the river wasn't that deep below it anyway.

She looked at Hiei's face just as they entered the bridge. He was entirely focused on said river, and she could literally feel his muscles poised beneath her. Her eyes widened as realization caught.

She didn't even have time to mutter an 'oh no', before they jumped.


J.J. - I stole a quote from a very amusing movie. Free Hiei plushie to anyone who knows which one it is before I tell you in the next update.

Next Chapter - The Contact