Ah, loyal, lovely readers! It fills me with happiness to bring you this next installment of Thief!

            Especially since I don't know exactly how long it will be until the next chapter is out. It's not that I'm running out of ideas (on the contrary, I'm chalk full of 'em!), or that I'm tired of the story (are you kidding? It's just getting good!), or even that I don't have the time (I have no life). You see, the thing is, I'm… Well, it's kind of embarrassing… I'm grounded from the Internet. Yup. As the people who read the last chapter of Captive already know, updating from here on out may be somewhat sporadic. But I'll do my best!

            Anyway, enough with the idle blather, enjoy the chapter!

            ~*~

Kurama sighed as he downed the last of his coffee, setting the mug on the counter and running his hand through his unruly 'just got out of bed' hair. Saturday morning. Lovely. He'd had a long week: learning about a new thief in Maikai- who, let us not forget, was stealing his claim to fame as the greatest thief ever, meeting Botan- who he hadn't been able to stop thinking about for the last few days, Youko's sudden awakening- how had that happened? Actually running into the aforementioned thief and being unable to capture her, Youko's complete takeover of Shuichi's body and mind.

            So… Yeah. Long week. And considering all this, one would think that the powers would have mercy on him for one day. After all, he'd earned it. He'd dealt with more in the last few days than most people did in months. A little downtime wasn't too much to ask for, then, was it?

Apparently, it was.

He'd been awakened early this morning by the unwelcome ring of his communicator.

Kurama had opened his bleary eyes, checked his watch, saw that it was five, groaned, pulled the covers over his head, and rolled over.

Still, the bugger hadn't stopped ringing. He let it go on for a few moments more, hoping that whoever was on the other end would get the message and give up. But they were persistent.

Eventually, Kurama managed to pull himself out of bed and stagger over to his desk, where the communicator sat, humming away. Frowning murderously, he'd picked it up and flipped it open, staring at the stern visage of Koenma.

"Kurama, you didn't give me your report last night."

Kurama glared. Koenma felt himself wither slightly under his ferocious expression. When at last Kurama spoke, his voice was deceptively calm and soft, a complete contradiction to the look on his face.

"I know. It was too late to go back to Reikai last night. I was going to come this morning. If you had been patient, I would have been there in a few more hours."

Koenma looked at him uncertainly.

"Oh… Well… I was just, um… Calling to remind you."

Kurama's voice became quiet and deadly.

"Do you have… Any idea what time it is here, Koenma-sama?"

Koenma glanced around nervously. He then looked back at Kurama, a sheepish expression on his face.

"Um… No."

Kurama closed his eyes in frustration.

"Five in the morning. Do you know how many people my age get up at five a.m. on Saturday mornings?"

Koenma was beginning to feel extremely uncomfortable.

"Well… No."

Kurama narrowed his eyes.

"Not many. I don't appreciate being woken up this early, any time. Let alone on a Saturday morning."

"Oh… I'm… um… Sorry. Feel free to come in when you like. You may just… go back to sleep now."

"Oh, no. Forget it. Once I'm up, I'm up. I'll be there in about half an hour to give you your 'report'."

Without waiting for Koenma to finish speaking, Kurama shut the communicator with a snap.

After that, the first thing he'd done was go to the kitchen and down three cups of strong black coffee, in succession. Now he was feeling slightly more awake, less irritable, and more like himself.

He showered, and went to his closet, pulling on a pair of dark jeans, a white wife beater, and some tennis shoes. He quickly dried his hair, brushed it, and pulled it back.

On his way out the door, he grabbed a light jacket to protect himself from the cool morning air.

Kurama smirked to himself. Time to decide what to tell Koenma in his 'report'.

~*~

Botan stretched, catlike and lazy, on her bed, relishing the feeling of the warm sunlight on her smooth skin. She smiled wearily as she rose and gazed languidly out the window.

Why did she feel as though she hadn't seen the sunlight in days? Did it take terror and complete exhaustion to make one appreciate the little things like sunny days and a night of deep sleep?

Apparently.

Botan made her way into the kitchen and brewed herself a pot of strong black tea. She poured herself a cup and doctored it up with milk and sugar.

Today was going to be a good day. For two reasons: No school, and no Karasu. The absence of one of these elements was enough to make Botan smile, but with both of them gone… Botan couldn't express the happiness she felt. The complete… freedom.

She wanted to get out of the house. She wanted to go shopping, or to the park, or… anywhere really- it didn't matter, as long as she wasn't cooped up indoors.

But before she left, she had to call someone. Botan opened the phone book, found the number and picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Mrs. Minamino? This is Botan."

"Oh! Botan! How are you dear?"

Shiori sounded very happy to hear from her, Botan blushed guiltily.

"I'm fine. I wanted to apologize to you and Shuichi about not being able to make it yesterday. My job has some weird hours, and I never know when my boss is going to call me in."

"Don't worry about it, Botan! I understand. Shuichi said something about rescheduling. Oh! I suppose you'd like to talk to him, hmmm? I'm really sorry, but he came home very late last night, and he left early this morning."

Botan was surprised at the feeling of disappointment that settled in her stomach.

"Oh. Well, that's okay! I'm sure he's busy too."

"He certainly has been very busy lately. Well, I'd love to chat with you, dear, but I have to take little Shuichi to his martial arts class. I'll have my big Shuichi call you when he gets home, alright?"

Botan blushed scarlet on the other end of the line.

"Oh, no! Don't worry about it! It's fine! I'll just… talk to him at school on Monday!"

Awkwardly, she said goodbye and hung up the phone.

So, she wouldn't be able to invite Shuichi to do anything today after all. No big deal.

She rummaged through her closet, looking for some nice street clothes. She fished out a nice, fluid, purple skirt that reached just below her knees, a white halter-top, and some comfortable leather sandals. She pulled her hair back, low on her neck, and yawned as she picked up her purse.

Even nine hours of sleep hadn't been enough to wipe the exhaustion from her system. Oh well, soon the tea's caffeine would kick in and she'd be fine. She slipped her purse over her shoulder and walked out the door.

~*~

"So, what did you see?" Koenma asked eagerly, getting over his evident reluctance to speak when a still glowering Kurama walked into his office earlier that morning.

Kurama sat back in his chair. He had made up his mind about what he was going to tell Koenma, but now he was having second thoughts. Did he really have any right to withhold information from Koenma?

…Yes.

Did he? Was it really okay to lie to the prince of the dead?

Not lie. Equivocate.

As if that were any better. Maybe… He should tell Koenma everything.

But then Koenma might decide that he didn't need him anymore and take him off the job. Can't let that happen.

Why not?

We have a personal interest.

One that we must protect.

Exactly.

"Nothing."

Koenma was surprised by Kurama's answer. He'd been expecting… Well, he hadn't been sure what to expect, something at least.

"… Nothing?"

"No."

Koenma began to feel panicked.

"You mean… You have nothing for me? No information at all? You didn't find out anything?"

Kurama smiled to himself.

"Did I say that? I believe you asked me what I saw. I didn't see anything. But I felt enough. I have some information for you." After all, he had to tell Koenma something. He didn't want to seem inadequate.

Koenma brightened once more.

"Great! Let's hear it!"

Kurama considered for a moment.

"This thief knows how to break certain wards. They broke several that had surrounded the Taiyoukai lord's estate."

Koenma stared blankly at him.

"Okay… But what does that signify?"

Kurama heaved a sigh of the long suffering.

"It means that this thief is very well trained. Not many people know how to even detect wards, let alone break them. Also, the item they stole- it was an ankh of jade, an ancient amulet with certain healing powers, worth at least several thousand gold pieces- more on the black market."

"So they have expensive taste, we already knew that."

Kurama shook his head.

"But they also stole a ring of 'certain powers', which, as far as I know, no one has yet been able to determine."

Koenma shrugged.

"I don't see how that means anything."

"It's contradictive. Why would the thief steal something that's powers are widely known, and then steal that ring, with powers that they know nothing about."

"Maybe they did know about the ring."

"How could they? Even the Tiayoukai Lord himself doesn't know about the powers of that ring, and it's been in his family for thousands of years."

Koenma leaned against his desk and regarded Kurama intently.

"What's your point?"

"My point? Look at that- the ankh and the ring! Then look at the other heists. They're sporadic. They have no predictability." He hesitated. Kurama frowned to himself. He may have said too much. "I'm not sure but… I don't think this thief is working alone."

"What brings you to that conclusion? And I thought that thieves were supposed to be random, it gives them a better chance of not getting caught doesn't it?"

"Yes, but look at all the things that the thief has stolen so far. One does not come across rare items like those on every random raid. I think the thief has an informer that tells them where and what to steal. They've all been well known in the scholarly field, mystical items, each worth a great deal. Except for the ring. The pattern is barely discernable, but the theft of the ring breaks it. It shows that the thief isn't truly aware of the value of what they are stealing. That's what makes me think that this thief is working indirectly with another person."

Koenma sucked thoughtfully on his pacifier.

"That's an interesting theory. I'll discuss it with Riku. Alright, go home Kurama. I'll call on you if and when the thief strikes again."

Kurama rose to his feet and headed out the door.

~*~

Botan wandered aimlessly down the walk in the middle of the open market. It was wonderful to be outside. She smiled happily to herself, pausing before a booth to examine the fresh fruit that was on display.

~*~

            Once Kurama was back in Ningenkai, he realized that he really didn't want to go home just yet. By now, it was early afternoon, and the air had become much warmer. He felt uncomfortable in his light jacket, so he took it off, laying it over his arm as he made his way down the sidewalk.

             He remembered then, that he had promised his mother sometime yesterday afternoon to do a few errands for her. He had gotten back to late last night, but now would be a good time to pick a few things up.

     ~*~

             Kurama moved leisurely through the crowded open market, waiving every now and again to people he knew from school. It was a beautiful day.

            Kurama yawned and pretended not to notice when a group of girls from his school saw him and began to follow him through the crowd. He was used to it. He didn't mind, as long as they kept their distance.

            Of course, today had to be different. He saw it coming suddenly, and tried to slip away, but the crowd was to thick, and before he knew it, the girls had him cornered in front of a fish and chips stand.

            "Hi, Shuichi-kun!" Hikari moved to the front of the blushing group. Kurama could feel the caffeine from his earlier coffee splurge wearing off, and with it- his good humor.

            "Hello, Hikari-san. Is there something I can do for you?" He asked with a sigh. She beamed.

            "Oh, nothing in particular! How about you walk with me around the market? There was this really cool stand I wanted to show you! It's this guy selling spider plants! I know you're into botany- I saw you reading a book on it a few months ago, I thought you'd like to see it."

            Kurama, though mildly interested, knew she just wanted to be seen walking with him. But he didn't have time for her; especially when- a sudden flash of blue caught his eye, causing him to look up.

            Especially when Botan was standing five feet away. Oh, happy day.

            Kurama pushed through the girls, hardly taking the time to mutter a quick, "Excuse me", to Hikari as he stepped around her. The girls watched him go in confusion.

            ~*~

            Botan picked up an orange and looked at closely. It didn't look quite ripe yet. In fact, none of this fruit looked like it was ready to be eaten.

            "Not a very good selection, is there?"

            Botan whirled around, startled. A pair of bottle green eyes stared down at her. She grinned.

            "Hi, Shuichi-san! I called your house earlier, to apologize for yesterday. Your mom said you were out."

            Kurama nodded and plucked the orange from her hand and examined it before putting back in the bucket next to stand.

            "I had some errands to do."

            Botan nodded sympathetically. "I know what you mean. I have to run a few myself. I was looking for some oranges but," She gestured hopelessly to the fruit stand, "like you said, not a very good selection."

            Kurama looked thoughtfully at her. "I know the place that has the best fruit."

            "Really?"

            Kurama smiled softly. "Yes. And I'll take you there if you'd like."

            Botan grinned enthusiastically. "Could you? That would be great!"

            Kurama leaned toward her in a conspiring manner. "But first…" He gestured toward the fish and chips stand, "Let me buy you lunch."

            Botan looked toward the stand, then back at Kurama, a hesitant expression on her face. Kurama sighed and straitened up, the sharp feeling of disappointment was almost choking. But he wasn't going to force Botan into spending time with him.

            "Okay." Botan consented. She smiled at him.

            Kurama masked his surprise. So, she was going to give in after all? Well… Great! He smiled happily down at her, offering his arm in a gentlemanly manner. After she took it, he led her over to the stand, trying to control the joy he suddenly felt at being so close to her.

            Botan smiled too, then blushed and looked at the ground. Well… This was going to be fun.

~*~

            AN: Well, on the plus side… I do have time to answer my reviews! Oh joy!

            Many thanks to:

Lady Nightshade: Aw! I can't answer that question! I don't want to give anything away… ::Smirk::

fluffyluver4eva: Ah Karasu… Well, he is a problem, but he may not be the reason that Oliver is coming to visit Botan…

Eunjung: Patience my dear, patience! There's a matter of plot to attend to! The romance will blossom in due course. And there will be a lot of Botan/Kurama interaction in the next chapter if that makes you feel any better.

inuyashafan98: I'm sorry you were sick! I hope you feel better.

Amber Myst:  Aw, thanks, but I love answering reviews! I feel more connected to you guys that way. And I'm flattered that you think this fic is so good. ::Blushes:: Well, here's the next chapter, I hope you liked it!

Tiineiji Rin:  I'm curious, what is it that you think Oliver has to tell Botan?

AnimeBunny: Thank you!

Foxfiregurl1002: Wow, thanks! I love how Youko and Shuichi are in conflict myself, and don't worry, I'm getting to the romantic parts!

The New Girl: Thank you!

JD Fielding: Poor Botan, she just doesn't do very well when it comes to interpreting the actions of others. Ah well, you are right, that can only lead to trouble. And poor Shuichi, being squelched like that. Poor Youko for that matter, always being kept in check by Shuichi. Anyway, I know what Oliver is going to tell Botan, but do you have any guesses? I'm curious! Thanks for the praise!

Miyako14: Thank you, I shall try!

Botan-Rocks721: Chill baby girl! Don't freak out, this story is not going to fall into the chasm of the unfinished! I've just been grounded, that's all! I still am, actually, but I'm sneaky and finding a way to finally get this up and out. Don't be scared if the updates are erratic, I have to be careful when the 'rents are home.

allin656: Thanks! So what do you think Oliver's story is?

Yume Ookami: Oh, if Karasu gets any more aggressive… Wait… No… That could actually be a good idea…

Kagome: Okay, here's another chapter!

Shiroi Hikari: Thanks!

Broken_Hope: Thank you, person who speaks like Kenshin! We miss you dear, when will you be updating your fabulous works, eh?

Frith: Yay, I saw the wave, but even better? I felt it. In my heart. Yes I did. Okay, already! I updated! When are you going to update your new fic? I'm exited!

PassionateAngel: I so totally feel your pain! Know that I am suffering with you, but at least I'm sneaky enough to find a way on!

DarkAnimeChick: Thank you!

Junyortrakr: Nope, not too much longer!

RSMB: I'm glad you like it, here's and update!

Kuramas Kitsune: ::Blushes:: Thank you thank you. Hope you had a good nap!

Disturbedvixen: Ah, Frith gives me too much credit. Her stuff is way better than mine! I'm glad you like it though!

NoneOfYourBwax: What do you think Oliver wants to tell Botan? Ah, here is your next chapter. I'll keep an eye out for your fic, okay?

LivEviL: ::Blushes:: Thanks!

Amy: Thanks! I love getting new readers! I'm glad you liked it!

Kari no Miko: ::Giggles:: You're review cracked me up! Don't be to hard on Karasu, he loves Botan in his own way. And yes, that greedy, naughty Youko. We shall punish him… ::Grins::

SweetKaori: Thank you! I hope your mood has improved by now.

Kawai Lara-Chan: Hey, no problem chica! It's a great fic. I'm flattered that you like mine, ::Blushes:: I'm so undeserving!

devil's 99'th angel: I like H/B's too! But I'm a K/B girl at heart… Ah, well! Anyway, glad you like it, and thanks for the review!

Cheap Libertad: Ah, that's okay. I still love you! And I want more of your stuff!

kawaii-sakura12: Thanks! Ah, well, I don't know exactly how Botan feels about Karasu. He makes her kind of nervous. Anyway, I'm flattered you read my fic over studying. But don't let your grades drop on my account!

Sarah: Yeah, I forgot to send you an email last time I updated! ::Sweatdrops:: Oh, well, hope you are still liking it all!

            Okay, I have a challenge! Whoever can guess, or come closest to guessing (correctly, mind you) what Oliver has to tell Botan shall win a prize! So tell me what you think guys! As you review, of course!