CHAPTER 5

Meanwhile, back at the lodge, Keiko was sitting at the window seat in the girl's room casting worried glances outside. Botan had been gone for four hours and the storm had gotten much worse since then. The brown haired girl couldn't see more than a few feet ahead as she stared at the falling flakes of frozen water.

This is bad, she thought, watching the snow fall. Where is Botan? Did she get stuck in this? Is she lost out there? Is she frozen?

"Keiko," said a voice behind the girl.

The brunnette turned her attention away from the storm. She looked over her shoulder. She saw Shizuru standing a few feet away, holding a plate with a sandwich on it. She looked just as worried as Keiko felt.

"Sitting there like that isn't going to do any good," the older girl said, walking up to her friend and handing her the sandwich.

"I know," Keiko said, taking the plate and setting it on her lap. She wasn't very hungry. "But I can't help but worry. Botan's our friend. Aren't you woried?"

Shizuru nodded. "Yes," she replied. "I am very worried but getting all worked up about it isn't going to make her get back here faster."

"I know," Keiko said, looking away. "But I can'rt help it." she looked back out at the storm. "What if something horrible happened to her?"

"I don't think anything did," the older girl assured her. "I'm sure she'll be fine."

"I hope so."

"I hope so too."

Just then Yusuke, Kurama, and Kuwabara burst into the girl's room. The two girls looked up at the three boys. They all had the same weird expression on thweir faces.

"What?" Shizuru asked.

"Have either of you two seen Hiei?" Yusuke asked.

The two girls looked at each other and shook their heads. "No," they said. "Why? What's wrong with him?"

"Nothing," Kurama replied. "We just can't find him."

The two girls looked at each other again. "Do you think he might have-?" Keiko started.

"Might have what?" Yusuke asked.

"Do you think he might be caught in the storm too?" Keiko asked.

"What do you mean too?"

"Botan's not here either."

"Oh no!" Yusuke exclaimed. "What now? Two people are lost in that storm?"

"I think so," Keiko said, her worry going up a notch. "I just hope they're okay."

"I hope so too," Shizuru said. "Maybe they're together and had to find shelter."

"If they are together do you think...?" Yusuke began.

"Don't think like that!" Kuwabara shouted, punching Yusuke to the floor. "Besides; it wouldn't be like Hiei to try anything anyway..."

Kurama shhok is head. "What a thing to worry about when your friend is lost in a blizzard," he sad. "Yusuke, you should be more worried about if they'll live through this stom then what they'll do if they find shelter."

"Sorry," Yusuke said, standing up rubbing his head. "I am worried about them. Really."

The storm had gotten so bad that Hiei and Botan were forced to find shelter in a cave near a frozen lake. Once inside and discovered the place to be dry, Hiei started a fire then the two sat near it and watched the snow. This break gave Botan a chnace to ask Hiei something important that had been bugging her for quite some time.

"Hiei," she said slowly.

He didn't look at her but did go, "Hn," so she guessed he was waiting for her to continue.

"What were you doing on the ski slopes?" she asked.

"Watching you," he replied directly.

"Watching me?" she asked, startled at his answer. "Why?"

"I was making sure you didn't get hurt," he replied. "Since you were so stupid as to want to ski in the middle of a blizzard I decided it would be a good idea to keep an eye on you and make sure you didn't get hurt."

"Oh," she said, a little surprised that he'd wanted to keep an eye on her without being forced to. That's so nice... Maybe I was right about him being an okay person after all.

Then there was a silence. Hiei and Botan watched the storm outside. The only sounds that could be heard was the blizzard and the crackle of the fire. Botan started to get nervous. She hated long silences.

"Hiei," she finally said after ten minutes.

"Hn?" he asked, not looking at her.

"Why did you come with us on this vacation?" she asaked, not knowing the whole story. "I know it wasn't because you like skiing and ice skating."

"So?" he asked, not really wanting to tell her anything.

"Why did you come?" she asked again.

"To keep an eye on Yukina," he replied, still not looking at her.

"What for?" she wanted to know, not exactly sure how that could be a trick. He always kept an eye on his sister.

"Yusuke told me Yukina and that idiot Kuwabara might..." he didn't finish. He didn't want to say that part. It got under his skin too much. Why didn't you fall inlove with Kurama?!

"Oh," she said when he glared at her, the answer clearly written on his face. "I see."

"But knowing Kuwabara, that's not likely to happen," Hiei growled, his red eyes piercing. "Yusuke knew that but I didn't figure it out until we got here. Now I'm stuck here." he looked away from her as she noticed his face turning red. "Stuck here for five more days."

Botan suddenly felt bad for him. It must be horrible to be tricked so easily, she thought. But why's he acting like it's the worst thing in the world? It's just a vacation! Everyone needs a vacation sometime, right? I wonder if he's stressed? "I'm sorry," she said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I didn't know this would upset you so much. If I had I wouldn't have asked you."

He didn't shrug her hand off. "There's no need for you to be apoligizing, onna," he informed her, not looking at her. "It's not your fault Yusuke's a dumb ass."

"Yusuke's not an ass," she stood up for the raven haired half demon. "He's just a little weird that's all."

"Hn," he said glancing at her out of the corner of his eye.

Hmmm. She took her hand off his shoulder and sat back. "You know, if you were so worried about Kuwabara trying something and didn't really want to come you could have asked Kurama to keep an eye on them for you." she uggested. "Then you wouldn't have had to come and she'd still have someone to keep an eye on her."

"I prefer keeping an eye on my sister myself, onna," he informed her. "I'm her brother not Kurama. She's my responcibility."

"Oh." Well he knew how to be a good brother. That thought made her smile. Hiei was kinda nice when he opened up to people, she decided. She just wondered why he was doing this now. He'd never opened up to her before. He usually kept everything inside. She looked out at the storm. "So, do you think this will let up by tomarrow?" she asked.

He shrugged. She saw he too was eyeing the snow and didn't look happy. He must really hate snow, she decided. Or he's stressed. Yeah it was probably stress, she figured. He had had a lot of stress the past few days, everyone knew that. It's not healthy to be so stressed, she thought. Maybe I can help him relax a little.

She moved behind him and cautiously put her hands on his shoulders. She felt him stiffen at her touch. She froze. She half expected him to tell her not to touch him. She waited for him to turn around and say something to her. "Touch me and I break your wrist!" she remembered him saying a long time ago. She waited for him to say something along those lines.

To her great surprise he said and did noticing. She felt him loosen up and saw him put his hand on her's. She relaxed. He didn't mind her touching him. She sighed in relef. That was good. But how would he react if she tried something else? To test it out she began to slowly massage his shoulders. She heard him sigh but the threat she was expecting to come didn't. He remained silent.

This isn't like him, she thought, feeling confused. Usually he won't let me touch him. Usually he threatens me to make me stop. Why won't he say anything? What's he planning? Please say something!

She felt him let her hand go. "Hiei?" she said, cautiously.

"I hate snow," she heard him mutter.

"What?"

When he spoke again in a louder voice there was something praculiar about it. "They say certain situations make people act irrationally, make them do and say things they wouldn't naturally bother to attempt." he turned his whole body around to face her. "Make them seem... compliant. Submissive."

She stared at him. "Um.. what do you mean?" she asked, nervously.

He leaned toward her. His face was only inches from her own. She leaned back slightly, not liking his closeness. "Like for instance when ones body goes through some changes," he replied.

Botan's eyes went wide. What?! What's he saying? Whose body? His body? Why's he telling me this? What's going on? She stared at his face then glanced over his shoulder at the blizzard. Is snow making him act weird?

She didn't have time to consider it. The next instant he fell on top of her.

A/N

Actually no Botan you're wrong about that. Snow's not making him act weird. He already hinted why he's acting so strange. Well once again there was some OOCness I think. I am so sorry. Please don't stop reading! I am trying my best! No, he's not gong to rape her or anything like that! Ewww!

Umm yeah. Please stay with me. I promise the story will get better. DON'T GO AWAY! Well whether you leave or not I'm going to keep updating anyway. Hope some of you stay faithful. Umm thanks for the reviews I've recieved so far. They keep me going and keep my depression down.