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Chapter 11:

"Botan," I urged, "we need to get there fast!"

"No worries," she said then pulled me out into the parking lot where it was dark, "you must promise top never tell anyone what we are about to do."

"Promise," I agreed quickly.

"Get on," she said.

"Get on what? There's nothing there?" I asked; she appeared to be holding something, but what?

"I'm, not supposed to show any human this," she told me, and held my hand tightly, suddenly an electric shock went through me, and an oar suddenly became visible.

"Holy crap!" I exclaimed, "Where did that come from?"

"Shut-up," she said covering my mouth, "you have to stay quiet, or I might have to kill you."

I didn't know whether or not she was joking, but it seemed she was serious.

"Okay," I said quieter, "let's go."

"One more thing," she said, "if we go, you have to let me do the talking."

"Just take me to him," I said, and we mounted the oar and flew towards the hospital.

0o0

"I'm sorry," the lady at the desk said smiling, "But no visitors between the hours of eight PM, and ten AM."

"I don't care!" I shouted, "It is seven fifty-nine, it is before eight o' clock!"

"I'm sorry ma'am," she shrugged, "but the atomic clock here says that it's eight o'clock right now."

I heaved a sigh dripping with irritation, and grabbed a seat in the hallway, just out of her sight.

"What'd she say?" Botan asked from next to me.

"That I couldn't see him," I replied crossly.

"C'mon," she said extending her hand, "I have some more tricks up my sleeve."

I took at and we were suddenly transparent.

"Holy-"

"They can still here you," she told me, "so you must be quiet."

I squeezed her hand in agreement and we floated through the ceiling onto the floor Hiei was on. My heart felt like it would burst if it could beat any harder. These halls were the same, familiar in a sort of odd way. Then it hit me: this was where my father had died.

That night had been cold and gloomy as we headed up to the hospital, my mother and I, dreading the news that we were about to hear. It had happened on the job thy said, he'd been working with the heavy machinery when the chains holding the steel pipes gave way, and my father got caught on it, and was thrown into a wall, snapping his neck and instantly killing him. Tears began to fill me eyes as I thought of my own mother lying on her bedroom floor, sobbing uncontrollably, as she lay curled in a ball.

Botan searched the charts and found his room. Slowly she opened the door, and I entered.

He was standing on crutches, in a white hospital gown, staring at the TV screen when he suddenly turned and looked right at me. His eyes were clouded, and I couldn't seem to strip him down to his core like I used to be able to…

"Yuriko," he said evenly, "why are you here?"

I faltered; he really could see me! Botan let go of my hand, and there I was, standing there in a hospital, looking at the boy I thought I'd lost forever, tearstains on my cheeks and red eyes.

"I… I miss you." I said, staring at the floor, "I was… you were hurt and…"

He just looked at me.

"Hiei… if you don't love me anymore, just tell me…" I said closing my eyes and waiting for the awful truth, for him to just tell me, to just say something.

"I thought you had hurt me the most," he said, and he traced my heart with his finger, "but it seems I gave you a hurt that I shouldn't have…"

"Hiei…" I said as he came closer, "I'm so sorry… I shouldn't have done that to you."

"Yuriko," he said closer than ever, so close that he whispered into my ear, "you did nothing."

He dropped his crutches and held me, "I love you. Nothing will ever change that and I-"

But he didn't get to finish, because now it was my turn to lean into him and cry.

He just slid his arms around me and rubbed my back as I cried and cried, until I could cry no more.

Then he put me at arm's length and looked at me, "Stop it."

"Huh?" I asked wiping my eyes.

"Stop crying." He said.

"Why?"

"Because wasn't there something you used to say about me? That I changed your day? That I made it worth-while?"

"Y-yes." I said shakily.

"Then let's change night into day." he said kissing me.

I felt it all the way to my toes and to the top of my head. It set a fire aglow in me, in a place that had been very cold and lonely. I felt just right, like we hadn't missed a beat, like things had never changed.

We pulled away.

"Hiei…"

"Don't even say that you're sorry about that." He said flashing me one of his rare smiles.

"No," I said smiling back, "but I would like to say that that was one great kiss."

"Then what about this?" he asked pulling me close and we kissed again.

"YAY!" Botan cried, "They're back together again!"

He steadied himself on me as he picked up his crutches, and smiled at me. I smiled right on back as Botan went around the entire hospital screaming our names together, not like I cared. I had Hiei back, and I wasn't giving him up again, not until death do us part.

Epilogue

Yuriko and Hiei did indeed get married and had two kids. Through all the chaos and confusion Megumi and Kurama hooked up (much to Yusuke's dismay) and they too were married, had three girls and one boy, and Kuwabara and Yukina dated for a short period of time before she got tired of his perverted ness and dumped him. Sira however, ended up working in a strip club, often visited by Yusuke who took a liking to her immediately, and they ended up getting married after she found out she was pregnant, much to everyone else's dismay. Botan was severely spanked, and all was at peace.