Shi: Yay! I got this done in one night!
Aki: Wow, you're getting faster at this!
Kit: Wow is right... It took me a while to get my chapter done, but she just suddenly finishes her chapter in one night!
Shi: I know. XD I'm just awesome like that, lol.
Kit: Anyway, once again...
Aki: We don't own Yu Yu Hakusho.
Shi: Or?
Aki: -grits teeth- Or Sesshoumaru...
Kit: Woah, she actually admitted it without complaint this time!
Shi: Yeah, thanks, Aki!
Aki: Yeah yeah yeah, now get on with it already!
Shi: Gotcha!

Takara was really stressed with Shuku that next day, and she kept biting people's heads off. Kurama kept trying to talk to her, but she just scowled at him and walked off, shushing the child.

Mizuki sighed as she drug herself into the kitchen that morning. She had woken up a few times to Shuku's crying, but Takara hurried to quiet the child. "Here, Takara, let me take care of Shuku for awhile, and you go get some rest," the wolf stated, worried about the heavy bags under her sister's eyes.

"I'm fine," Takara snapped and checked the milk in the bottle to see if it was cooled down enough for Shuku, who was cooing up at her from her right arm, which she was cradled in to.

"Are you sure?" Mizuki inquired and stepped toward the hanyou before her.

"Yes, I am sure," Takara snarled, baring her fangs at Mizuki, who stopped short in surprise. At seeing Mizuki's face, the hanyou sighed as she began to feed Shuku. "I'm sorry, Mizuki... I, I shouldn't have snapped, but really it's fine... Besides," she paused with a small sigh as Jamie ran into the room and launched himself into Mizuki's arms, "you have Jamie to take care of."

"Well, let Kurama take care of her for a little while then," Mizuki frowned and hugged Jamie to her, and the little blond looked curiously between Mizuki and Takara. "You need some rest."

"Nah, don't worry about me," Takara yawned as she rocked and bounced Shuku some in her arms, "I'm just fine..."

"I can watch her, really. I can get Hiei to watch Jamie for a while, or I'm sure Jamie would behave and could help me watch her," Mizuki kept on, and it was annoying Takara.

"NO!" Takara growled then sighed, "I mean it, Mizuki... I'm fine, I promise... Listen, I'm supposed to help out in the store today, but could you take my place? You'll be working with Kurama. If you really want to help me, you can do that, alright?"

Mizuki conceded defeat and dropped the subject. She started to prepare her and Jamie some breakfast. "Just don't wear yourself too thin," the wolf warned Takara over her shoulder as the hanyou made to exit the kitchen.

Takara smiled over at Mizuki and promised, "Right, I won't. Just chill, Mom." She and Mizuki shared a quick laugh at that, then they went their separate ways.

Aki came in to snatch a banana from the basket on the counter. She nodded to Mizuki, but her eyes narrowed when she spotted Jamie, who exclaimed, "Hi, Mutt!"

Mizuki noticed this and sighed. "Hey, Aki, I'm sorry..."

The dog demoness cast a curious, confused look at the wolf in question.

"I haven't really acted like a parent since Jamie came to live with us... And I'm sorry..." Mizuki muttered then turned to face Jamie, who quirked his head to the sight slightly in confusion. "Jamie, you need to quit calling Aki Mutt, alright? That's mean. Call her by her name, okay?"

"Why?" he asked cluelessly, "Hiei does it all the time, too," he added with a sniffle, afraid he'd made Zuki mad. If he was going to get in trouble, Hiei should, too.

Mizuki laughed and walked over to kneel beside the chair the young boy sat in. She wrapped her arms around him and said, "Silly, I'm not mad or anything, and I know Hiei has been calling Aki Mutt as well. I'll talk to him about it. I didn't know you would look up to and idolize Hiei so much," she giggled and ruffled the human's hair.

"Hiei's so cool, though," Jamie said in his defense, a small grin on his face.

Aki and Mizuki laughed at that, just as Hiei waltzed into the room. He looked at the three and asked, "What?"

"Aw, Hiei, you're Jamie's hewo!" Aki cooed then burst into a fit of giggles.

Hiei glared at the dog demoness. "What in the world are you talking about, Mutt?" That got Aki to stop her laughing and she gave an indignant yelp at such name-calling.

"See? See, Zuki? He said it! He said it," Jamie exclaimed pointing to Hiei with one of his small fingers.

"What is going on?" Hiei demanded moodily. He hated being out of the loop on things like this...

"Hiei, you need to stop setting bad examples for Jamie," Mizuki scolded lightly, a small grin on her face as she spoke.

"What for? I, wait," he paused, remembering what Aki had said when he'd first entered the room, "what? I am NOT that kid's hero! What kind of lies are you spewing in here?" he asked scowling.

"No lies, just the honest truth," Aki sneered, leaning casually against the counter.

"Hiei!" Jamie said and wriggled out of Mizuki's arms to run over to Hiei and latch onto the fire demon's leg. "You're not supposed to call Aki Mutt anymore... It makes Zuki mad," he explained in a childlike manner.

"Oh really," was all Hiei said for a moment, and there was silence.

Jamie made a face up at Hiei, with his lower lip puckering out and his sparkling blue eyes clouding up with tears. He wanted Hiei to pick him up and hold him.

Hiei glared down at the human boy in an attempt to scare him off, but when the boy didn't run off to Mizuki in tears, he looked at Mizuki with begging eyes. He looked to her desperately, wanting her to come over and pick the brat up, but the wolf just shook her head grinning and motioned for him to pick little Jamie up. "Go away, brat," Hiei told the boy in another attempt to get Jamie off of him, but the human looked up at him with those large, puppy dog eyes, pleading with him. With a defeated sigh, Hiei bent over and picked Jamie up, uncomfortably situating Jamie in his arms.

Jamie smiled and hugged Hiei's neck, and Hiei blushed when he heard Mizuki and Aki chorus, "Aw..." Then, Mizuki pulled a camera out of nowhere and snapped a picture of the sight. "Onna," Hiei said in warning, eyes narrowed to dangerous slits.

Mizuki laughed and said, "Sorry, Hiei, it was just so perfect!" Then she turned to a serious note and said, "Now, no more calling Aki Mutt, either of you.. got it?" she asked addressing Hiei and Jamie. When the two nodded, Mizuki said, "I expect you to at least try and set better examples for Jamie, Hiei, seeing as he looks up to you and all."

Hiei groaned and glared down at the blond in his arms, but his glare withered slightly when he saw Jamie yawn some and snuggle into Hiei's shirt. "Aw, he's ready for a nap," Mizuki cooed, "Hiei, why don't you go tuck him into bed. And would you mind watching him later today? I told Takara I would take her shift in the store today..."

"Hn," Hiei nodded and spun on his heel, heading upstairs to put Jamie to bed for a midmorning nap.

"Well, I guess I better get going. We open in just a few minutes," Mizuki said and bid farewell to Aki as she left the kitchen.

Kurama was just opening up the store when Mizuki arrived. "Hello, Mizuki," Kurama greeted her with a smile.

"Hey," Mizuki chirped back in reply. They worked in the shop all day until closing time. Aki had decided to bring them something to eat at lunchtime, so they were good. When Mizuki entered into the living room, she saw Hiei sitting on the couch with Jamie asleep and leaning against the nearly asleep fire demon as the ending credits of a movie scrolled over the screen of the television. She grinned and tiptoed over to sneak up on Hiei, then she sat down on his other side and kissed him on the cheek before snuggling into his side.

"Hn," he smirked and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"Thanks for watching Jamie for me," Mizuki whispered.

"No problem... I think the little brat's actually starting to grow on me," Hiei chuckled quietly after he spoke. He leaned down to kiss the wolf on the top of her head then shifted around some so that he was laying on his back with Jamie snuggled into his side and Mizuki laying on top of him. With his free arm, he picked up the remote to the television and clicked it off. He set the remote down and wrapped that free arm around Jamie, his other arm still secured around Mizuki.

Mizuki giggled and rose up enough to peck Hiei on the lips, then she snuggled as close to him as she could and whispered, "I don't think anyone will mind if we sleep here tonight... Besides, if we moved Jamie upstairs, he'd just wake up... So, night."

"Good night, Wolf," Hiei whispered back softly and grinned as he and Mizuki fell asleep together...

Aki: Arg! The fluff!! -hides in her mushroom chair-
Kit: o.O?
Shi: -rolls eyes- Drama Queen...
Aki: AM NOT! -huffs and pouts-
Kit: -laughs-
Aki: ANYWAY, my turn now!! YAY!
Shi: See you guys next chapter!!