Author's Note: Golly, it feels like ages since I last updated!

Standard Disclaimers apply here!

Chapter 10 Down Memory Lane

Yusuke replaced the receiver in its cradle, his whole body shaking from the news he had just heard. The conversation went on without him uttering any sensible word for only a string of curses were able to make its way out of his mouth. It took a handful of reassuring words from the man on the other line for Yusuke to calm down, even just for a bit. Still, his thoughts were plagued with different scenarios that could happen after hearing the news.

Finally remembering to breathe, with his shoulders drooping, Yusuke sank down his chair. He mentally counted one to ten, a technique he learned from his fiancée, to release all the stress he was being subject to at the moment.

He reached for his wallet on the back pocket of his pants. Picking on the secret pocket, he took out a worn-out picture, its sides already turned yellow by time. But even in its pitiful condition, the colorful image still remained – the image of the kids staring straight at the camera, wearing innocent smiles, oblivious to the terrible things that were about to come their way and change their lives entirely.

His eyes looked at the young version of himself on the right. He was merely nine years old when the picture was taken. His face was dirtied with mud coupled with bruises here and there, while his shirt was torn in different places, yet a huge smile was plastered on his face while he gave out a peace sign. On the left, stood another boy with dark blue tresses, who was older than him by three years or so. He, too, had similar accessories on his face, namely dirt and mud, but he still managed to give a kind smile. They both looked like they had gone to an archeological dig.

On the middle, a young girl with light blue tresses was clutching a worn out bear. Unlike her two companions, she was the only one who looked clean, except for a little dirt that managed to make its way on her cute pink skirt. She was the perfect image of innocence as her periwinkle orbs bashfully gazed on the camera. Her timid smile made her seem more adorable.

'Those were the times,' he thought, a small smile made its way on his face as he leaned further in his chair. He closed his eyes, clearing his mind from any negative thoughts, concentrating on the good memories of his childhood.

"Come back here, you brat!" Yusuke heard their neighbor holler as he ran as fast as he could away from his property. It was a Saturday and, once again, he was on a very mischievous mood, playing pranks on random houses. This time, Yusuke messed with their neighbor's garbage, scattering it all-over their front lawn.

He turned left on the corner, letting his feet drag him to who knows where. No longer hearing the mad shouts of his neighbor, he slowed down his gait, taking deep breathes from exhaustion. Now walking, his eyes scanned his surroundings, looking for anything that would catch his attention. Finding nothing, he headed to the park nearby.

There, he saw kids of different ages playing on various parts of the park. Three were on the sand-box, building sand castles, four were on the slides doing different stunts as they slid down, six were playing kick ball, running here and there, three were hanging by the jungle gym, and four were playing Frisbee. Nothing looked out of place, unless you look on to the swings. A lone girl of seven years old sat on one of the swings, hugging a small bear tightly.

"Hey, Botan-chan!" Yusuke called as he approached her, "Wacha' doing here alone?" As soon as he reached her, he went on the swing next to her and stood its seat. Standing, he swayed his swing, waiting for Botan to answer.

"I wanted to make new friends, but it seems they don't like me at all," she said, her head bowed while she hugged her bear tighter.

With that, he looked at her puzzled. "Why do want to look for other friends? You have me as a friend, doncha?"

"That's precisely the point," she looked up to him, sarcasm obvious on her tone. He jumped off the swing and attacked her with tickles, "Why you little–." Botan stood up as soon as she saw Yusuke make his way towards her, his eyes full of mischief. Being an only child in the family, Yusuke had this longing for any brother or sister contact. As soon as the young Botan was introduced to him by his mother, he found that younger sister figure in her.

He chased after her, igniting a squeal of happiness from her. Yusuke smiled at this, seeing the normal bubbly Botan come back to life. However, she was not only bubbly; she can be very clumsy at times. Without looking in front of her, Botan run blindly and she bumped against one of the older boys playing kick ball. Both stumbled from the impact. Recovering first, Botan stood up and immediately begged for forgiveness, but it seems like the other boys were now giving the younger girl dirty looks.

Standing up, the fallen boy glared at her when he saw the dirt on his clothes, "You're gonna pay for this–," he was about to slap her when Yusuke in between them, his arms shielding her from the other boy.

"Don't you think it's a bit wimpy hitting a girl, and she's even younger than you, ne, Miyamoto?" he asked, his eyes blazing with anger. He really was a jerk, picking on weaker kids just to prove his power. But Yusuke was one of the few kids Miyamoto was unable to beat.

"Ah, Urameshi, I really don't understand why you choose to stand by that freak!" he spat, disgust evident in his voice as he gave her another glare. Botan lowered her gaze on the ground, ashamed for being called a freak. He was the one who initiated the name since she had a very different hair color, and he ruled that anyone who made friends with her will suffer.

"Because I prefer her company, you jerk," Yusuke answered back, "At least she doesn't reek with body odor like you." Miyamoto's minions tried to stifle their chuckles from Yusuke's remark as soon as their leader gave them a threatening look.

"You are really testing my patience, Urameshi!" he roared as his fist made its way to Yusuke's face. Seeing this, he was able to duck. His right foot kicked the older boy's right leg when he crouched to avoid the blow. As a result, he stumbled once again. "Still too slow," Yusuke commented as he stood up, brushing away the dirt in his pants. Turning around, Yusuke walked towards Botan.

"Yusuke, watch out!" Botan screamed as she saw Miyamoto stand up once again, his fist once again ready for another attack. Instead of avoiding it, he faced his attack, for he knew if he were to stand aside, his punch would definitely hit Botan. Satisfied that he was finally able to hit Yusuke, Miyamoto gave a victorious smirk.

"That's it? An ant's sting definitely hurts more than that!" he said as he rushed forward, giving the older boy a punch on the stomach. Staggering backwards, Miyamoto fell down for the third time, taking deep breathes as he went down. By this time, the other kids on the park left, fearing that they will be involved with the fight.

After a while, he was able to recover and he ordered his minions to attack, "What are you standing there for? Get him!" he roared. Five other boys attacked Yusuke, but he was able to fight with them on equal footing even though he was out-numbered.

Miyamoto was stunned with the fighting prowess Yusuke displayed. Apparently, he wasn't the only one who was amazed. He saw Botan on the sideline; she was now slumped on the ground. Taking this as an opportunity to take revenge on her, he stood up slowly, making sure he remained unnoticed by Yusuke and Botan. Making his way to her, an evil smirk appeared on his face as his arms raised, ready to start another onslaught.

Yusuke, seeing this, momentarily stopped, letting his guard down. "Botan-chan! Behind you!" he shouted before punches and kicks rained all over his body. Botan hearing this, turned her head and saw Miyamoto's hand about to hit her. Not knowing what to do, she merely raised her arms in attempt to shield her fragile body. Amazingly, she never felt the impact. She raised her head to find out what happened. Then she saw the back of a tall figure standing over her.

"Onii-chan!" she called out in surprise. She felt relieved seeing his older brother appear on the scene.

"I know you're pissed off about not being able to beat me," he said in a monotonous voice, "But if you have any problems with me, do not involve my sister in any of this!" Indeed, everyone knew that the twelve year old Ryo Fukuyama, like Yusuke Urameshi, beat the fourteen year old Aota Miyamoto in every challenge he hurled at him. And knowing this aggravated him, and released all his pent up anger on the younger Fukuyama.

With a single punch, the behemoth that was Miyamoto fell to the ground one last time. Ryo walked towards Yusuke, who was currently in need of help. One by one, he beat up all of Miyamoto's underlings. When they managed to stand up, even with aching bones, they carried their leader, who was currently out cold, and left the scene.

"What took you so long?" Yusuke asked, wiping the sweat under his chin. If Botan was his sister, Yusuke looked up to the older Fukuyama as a brother. He had total respect for the guy since the day Ryo saved him from a group of thugs who tried to beat him up, just like what happened today. He placed high reverence on him because he was the man he wanted to be when he grows up.

"Well, you know me," he said good-naturedly as if nothing happened, "I had to run some errands for Oka-san." Ryo extended a hand to the fallen Yusuke and helped him up. "You're such a goody two shoes, y'know that?" Yusuke said as he stood up.

"I expected that you would be able to fight them all. But it seems like you need more practice, you're getting soft, Yusuke," Ryo teased.

"What are you talking about? I could have fought all those losers, but I left some for you to practice on," Yusuke replied with the same tone. With that, they both laughed. Even if they were not related by blood, they really considered each other as brothers. However, their pleasant moment was destroyed when they heard sniffles on the background. When Ryo looked behind him, he saw his younger sister curled up on the gravel.

"Hey, Bo-chan, don't cry. It's all over," he said as he bent down beside her, caressing her pony-tailed locks, "Oni-chan won't let them come near you again."

"Yeah, those losers won't be able to mess with you. We made sure of that, ne, Ryo 'nii-san?" Yusuke added as he reached for the dirtied bear on the ground and gave it to the crying kid.

"It's not that," Botan said in between sobs, "You're all dirtied and bruised because I wasn't able to protect myself – sniff. If I were strong like you, – sniff – this would not have happened." With Botan's revelation, Ryo and Yusuke looked at each other, worried.

"These wounds are nothing, Bo-chan. It was our pleasure to protect you. Don't you remember? You're onii-chan's princess," Ryo said, patting Botan on the head.

"But I want to protect you, too," Botan's tears burst as she exclaimed, "I don't want you hurt or sad because of me."

"Then smile for us, Bo-chan," the older brother gave her a reassuring look, "That simple smile of yours is enough to chase away all the painful feelings we have right now."

With teary eyes, Botan gave a smile.

That afternoon, they went home hand in hand, their bond stronger than ever. Yusuke reminisced that they all agreed on a believable excuse which included a mad dog chasing after Botan and the older boys wrestling the dog. Just thinking about it made him smile a bit. He remembered Mrs. Fukuyama and her worried features when she saw them, but as soon as they explained the situation, her very positive nature came back, thinking it as another Kodak moment. She went back inside their house and took a camera; she had them make a cute pose, thus the result of the yellowed picture in his hands.

Since then, they had been inseparable. Even if they were in different school levels, they remained close, especially Yusuke's bond with the siblings. Ryo and he were partners in crime, and together, they protected those in need, especially Botan.

Over the years, she grew to become a beautiful young lady and attracted the male species here and there. Being he protective brothers that they were, Ryo and Yusuke threatened any boy who glanced her way. Definitely, they had to pass their standards even before those boys would have a chance with her.

But all things come to an end. After three years, tragedy struck the Fukuyama siblings when their parents died in a car crash. The three of them grieved for weeks, and an unspoken fear of being separated clouded their thoughts. Yusuke even remembered pleading his mother, Atsuko, to adopt the Fukuyamas. Even if she wanted to, she cannot do anything because she had no legal claim on Ryo and Botan. If she were to adopt them, Atsuko must wait until their relatives waive such right.

Months passed, and none of their relatives seemed to want to claim the siblings. This gave the three the hope that they would become siblings, this time for real. Each night, each one prayed that no one would appear on their front door assuming the right of claim.

When the time of claiming almost reached its end, the three rejoiced. But it was short lived since a distant relative from Paris arrived to take Ryo and Botan away. The before the two's departure, Yusuke was unable to sleep, not wanting tomorrow to come. But it was inevitable.

The next day, the three said their good-byes. He remembered Botan crying her eyes out and Ryo giving him brotherly advices and other reminders. Yusuke just stood there, silent, still unable to accept this reality. Only when the two stepped inside the cab that would bring them to the airport was Yusuke able to wake up from his dream. He felt tears slide down his cheeks as he saw the vehicle fade away on the horizon.

Day by day, he would visit the old Fukuyama house, hopeful that they would return. For months, he would skip school and remain on the abandoned house and would come back to their home when afternoon came.

After a few more months, Yusuke woke up to the noise next door. Excited, he dressed up quickly, running as fast as he could to the house that once belonged to his best friends. He saw a moving truck in front of their lawn and different personnel transported furniture and fixtures inside the house. But still, his friends with blue tresses were no in sight. Dejected, he started walking back to his house.

But it seems like fate had other plans for Yusuke.

Before he made it home, a young girl with brown pig-tailed locks and hazel eyes came into view. 'Hi! My family and I just moved in today. My name is Keiko Yukimura, what's yours?' Yusuke remembered the first time he met Keiko.

But that was another story.

It was almost ten o'clock when Kurama arrived home. His mother has not woken up when he left the hospital. He decided to stay by her side for the night, but his step father insisted that he go home and rest since it had been a tough day for him. He merely advised him to go back the next day.

Getting out of the car, he grabbed his briefcase and some envelopes and headed to the front door of his house. Snatching his keys from his pockets, he opened the front door and entered.

'It sure seems quiet in here,' Kurama thought, 'I wonder where Botan is.' He walked to the spacious kitchen and set his things on the center table. He headed for the fridge and searched for something to eat. He forgot to eat lunch after all those reminders Botan gave him early that morning. Finally settling with a carton of milk, he marched to the pantry and snatched a loaf of wheat bread.

Sitting himself on the dining area, he slowly nibbled on a piece of bread, his thoughts focused on his mother's predicament. He truly was worried, since he remembered what her doctor said in her last check-up a month ago that she should not subject herself to stress and other negative emotions since it can be bad for her heart. He was scared, no doubt about it, but being Kurama, he chose not to show any weakness.

"You're home!" a cheery voice that belonged to no other than Botan brought Kurama to reality. She sat herself in front of him, a big smile displayed on her face. "So, how was your day?" she inquired.

"Fine. I was able to make a successful deal today. Father was truly impressed," he said in a nonchalant manner, not wanting to show his true feelings even to this girl. But nothing gets past Botan, especially when Kurama was involved.

Frowning, she leaned forward, giving her companion a scrutinizing look. "W-what?" Kurama asked, a little nervous with the close proximity between their faces. "You don't look fine to me," she said, leaning back to her seat, crossing her arms, "Something bad must have happened."

Waiting for Kurama to speak, she just stared at him, features contorted with different emotions. "Well?" she asked.

"Botan…," he trailed off, pleading her not to make things difficult for him. Seeing this, she stood up from where she was seated and gave a loud sigh before walking away, "I know when I'm not wanted. I just thought that all those things that we've been through were enough for you to trust me," she paused, slowing her recede, "Because for me, they were more than enough." With that, she disappeared.

Seeing her fade away like that, Kurama felt pang of guilt eat his insides. Her words haunted him as if he had done the most evil of sins. It ran through his head like a broken record, taunting him.

The truth is, he trusted her. But there is something inside of him, forced habit maybe, that forced him to clam up and never really showing the truth about his feelings. He didn't want to bother those people around him, especially those that meant so much to him, with his seemingly insignificant feelings. Always, Kurama had to put up this strong façade, not letting anyone, not even his mother, in.

He thought he can fool them, but really, he was fooling himself.

Instead of protecting them from pain and sadness, he was actually becoming the source of – a painful realization. He forced himself to become numb to such feelings, but he was human after all. Even if he told himself a thousand of times that he needed to be strong, he can feel himself falling further to what he had been avoiding from the beginning – frailty.

In times like these, when he kept all the negative emotions he had, he can recall his mother and friends give him a look that says they want to reach out to him. But sadly, his true self had a long time ago been submerged deep within the murky waters of melancholy; even he himself can no longer reach that point.

But since Botan came into his life, he felt those waters slowly start turning shallow. She gave that person deep inside him courage to swim forward and reach for the light, not to be afraid of what others might think of him.

Her tender smiles seemed to melt the ice surrounding his heart, making him unafraid to feel. Her positive outlook despite drastic times made him want to dream with her, that tomorrow will be a brand new day, to hope for the better. Even her most simple gestures were enough for him to overflow with such indescribable sensations only she is capable of initiating.

She gave him the reason to aspire to become someone better.

Botan is this kind person who is unafraid to extend her hand to whoever needed her. And this is exactly what she was offering him right now, a helping hand. An unerring promise that she will never let go if only he takes her hand, to take one huge step. Her eyes urging him to trust her. To have faith in her.

And that was what he should be doing right now.

Placing his clenched fist down the table, he used these as leverage to stand up. God knows how afraid he felt at the moment. But he needed to stop running, hiding. Slowly, he ascended to the one place he Botan would be staying in times she needed to think – the balcony.

Unmistakably, there she was, sitting once again on the railings, obviously undaunted by the height. Walking towards her, he readied himself with the words he was about to tell her. Seeing her back just a few meters in front of him, he composed himself and settled beside her, leaning against the railings as well.

"It's my mother," he started, not really looking at her direction and instead towards the skies above. He took her silence as a sign to continue. With this, he went on to narrate what happened that day, including the heavy emotions he felt when he heard of the news. She did not speak, yet he had a feeling she was encouraging him.

When he finished, Kurama turned his eyes to her, only to see her smiling brightly at him. Instead of repulsion, he found something akin to satisfaction linger in those purple orbs. "Now, that wasn't so bad, ne?" she finally said. Thinking over her words, he realized that a huge amount of emotional baggage he had been carrying was lifted from his battered shoulders. Finally, he can breathe again.

"Don't worry," she continued, "I know she'll make it. Like you, Kurama-kun, she's strong. Your mother won't be beaten by this. Just have faith her, and everything will be alright."

"Thank you," Kurama said, grateful for her kind words.

"No, thank you for trusting me enough for you to share your thoughts," Botan paused for a second, thinking of the right words to say. "Life is hard, really. We can't go on living with merely our strengths. Even if you were the strongest person in the world, you'll still need someone to rely on in times when you feel everyone is against you. That is why we need to trust others with our weaknesses so that when the world goes crashing down, that someone will be able to pull us up," she said, her eyes containing vast knowledge about life itself. About him. It was a wonder how she knew so much about him given the short amount of time they had spent together.

Even with the numerous trials and tribulations that he was currently facing, Kurama found a reason to smile, thanks to Botan. Right now, he can start living.

And it hit him – it felt good to rely on others.

That night, Yusuke found himself in front of the impressive building of Tokyo Hospital. He entered and passed by the information counter. Almost all of the nurses knew him, not only because of his ruggedly good looks but also because he was a frequent visitor. The nurse stationed in the information counter did not even ask him questions as to what prompted his visit. By now, she was already used to his presence especially during that certain time in the night.

Yusuke walked up to the sixth floor, his eyes searching for a certain Room 621, which can be found on the end of the hallway. Now standing in front of the correct door, he stared at the sign in its right which contained the name of the patient confined – Daioh Sakura. Without knocking, he entered the room.

He was welcomed by the prostate form of a very familiar light-blue haired young woman. He searched the room and found an older woman sleeping on a couch, a comfortable blanket wrapped around her. The man who was currently watching-over the patient looked up to him, but he remained seated next to her. Yusuke closed the door behind him, making sure it was locked.

"I didn't expect you until later," Koenma said, regarding Yusuke's presence.

"Well, you know me. I can be a devil on wheels," he said, sitting on the corner of the patient's bed.

"How is she?" Yusuke asked, "Did the doctors say anything?"

With his question, Koenma sighed, "Still the same. No significant improvements since last week. But the doctors say it's normal for a person in comatose. We really can't predict when she'll wake up." Their hushed conversation continued, discussing other information about the young woman's condition, trying their best not to touch any topic that had any connection with the bastard that put her in such predicament.

But it was inevitable.

"What shall we do?" Koenma asked, burying his face on both hands, "With sources like his, it will only be a matter of days until he discovers the truth."

"Don't worry; I'm collecting as much evidence I can against that bastard," Yusuke replied, his fist clenched tightly that it turned white, "I won't let him kill Botan like he did to Ryo." Undoubtedly, he still felt guilty for allowing that son of a jackal murder his brother.

He could still remember the night he went to his apartment and told him about Sanada's illegal dealings. But he did not believe him. Like the others, he was blinded by the positive image he showed the public. Seeing that there was no use forcing Yusuke to believe him, Ryo left his apartment with no hard feelings.

'Take care of Botan for me,' the last words he heard from him.

That night was the last time he saw Ryo.

The next thing he heard about him was the news of his untimely death.

He was the head of the investigating team that found his murdered body on the outskirts of town two years ago. He could remember mourning right then and there on the crime scene, unable to do his work properly that he left the rest of the work to his men. For weeks, he had been inconsolable, drowning all his sorrow with liquor.

Yusuke will forever regret having taken that path. He should have not doubted his words. And because of him, Ryo died.

'I killed him.'

He destroyed his future.

And he refused to be the one to destroy Botan's future as well.

Seeing Yusuke's troubled features, Koenma said, "You should not feel guilty about this, Yusuke. Knowing Ryo, he doesn't hold any sour feelings against you."

Yusuke remained silent, wallowing himself in his self induced guilt.

"When we were in Paris," he continued, feeling a sense of nostalgia in the air, "He talked about you with such pride. His first years there were difficult, especially with foster parents like them." Koenma was pertaining to Ryo and Botan's distant relatives who sought the legal to claim them. They were harsh and abusive, making them work even at their tender age.

"But he said he couldn't give up knowing that you would definitely call him a wimp or something if he did," Koenma said, chuckling with the memory.

"I failed him," Yusuke finally said, "I betrayed his trust."

"If you did, he wouldn't have entrusted Botan to you." Koenma said, standing up and walking towards the window, staring at the night sky through the blinds, "You're only human, Yusuke. You can't control circumstances such as these."

"See this as an opportunity to redeem yourself."

Yusuke fell silent once again, but this time, a determined look washed over his features as he looked down on the sleeping Botan.

'I'll protect her,' Yusuke let out a solemn promise, 'And I'll have my revenge, Sanada.'

Back in his spacious office, Sanada sneezed. 'I must be coming down with a cold,' he thought while reading the documents on his table. But thinking about it, he had never been sick since he was six years old. He gave an arrogant smirk, 'Ah, must be one of my many admirers fantasizing about me.' Well, who could blame them? With looks like his, one is bound to remember it forever.

Speaking of looks, he met someone that day that could possibly rival his own. And he could not simply let down such challenge. He also proved to be an intellect. That man gained his respect just by that.

But most importantly, he might know something that he didn't.

Something that might be the key to all mysteries surrounding his long sought for prize.

'Botan,' he thought evilly. Looking up, the vision of a woman's portrait that hung above his wall welcomed him. No matter what happens, he simply can't let go of it. A constant reminder that she was his. Almost, that is.

After a while, he picked up his phone and dialed random numbers. Placing the receiver to his ear, he heard a steady ringing tone. Within seconds, a gruff voice answered, "Who's the hell is this?"

"It's me," Sanada simply said. If he was ever insulted by the tone of the other man's voice, he never showed it. He was already used to these kinds of people; they can really be barbaric at times and don't have the manners at all.

"Sir!" the other man said, startled, "I'm sorry about that, boss." Obviously, he was aware of the disrespect he exhibited a while ago, and he better make amends as soon as possible or suffer the consequences later.

"How's the progress regarding your search, Sato," he inquired, keeping his voice cold. He never did like bad news, and from the way Sato's breath hitched up with his question, he knew then and there that he won't be hearing any good news that night.

"Um," he paused, thinking of the right words that could save him from his employer's wrath, "I have stationed my men in different hospitals all over the city. They have exhausted all their available sources, but there's still no trace of her."

When Sanada did not reply, Sato panicked. Somehow, he had to give his boss an assurance that everything is going according to plan. "Don't worry, sir. I have instructed them to expand their search to nearby cities," Sato said in a tone that even he himself was not convinced.

"I have another job for you," Sanada said as if he had not heard what his underling just said a while ago. With this, the poor man sighed in relief. At least, his life was spared even for another day. "I need you to get information about a certain person," he said, sitting himself comfortably on his chair.

"Anything you say, boss."

"Minamino," he paused, his eyes blazing, "Shuichi Minamino."

A/N: More revalations in this chapter, doncha think? Honestly, I'm not so sure what will happen next, I don't know how to fill the gap between this chapter and the later part of the story (I already pictured how this would end...). Oh well, this will constitute another big problem for me.

I extend my deepest and warmest gratitude to those who reviewed the previous chapter, namely, foxykurama0555, MiaHime, Kitsune of Darkness, sam, kakasakuluver, sweetcanines, starchocol8, and Scarlet Amaranth. Sorry, I'll not be able to give individual responses, I have to meet the deadline for our thesis paper, (I'm so dead, by the way!).

Please review! Its the only thing that keeps me sane in this sad and cruel world full of terror professors and groupmates who are part human, part parasites.