A.N. this one is longer than the other chapters. It was written during my Organismic Biology Lecture, but wasn't finished until tonight, so the message at the end was posted on the love. Givesmehope. Com website around 1 pm EST on march 7th. Enjoy!

The vixen giggled as she and her boyfriend watched his parents interact.

"They're so funny together. When did they meet? Did they both adopt you?"

Shippo shook his head and smiled as his mom tried to squirt Hiei with the water hose she was watering her flowers with. "Naw, Mom found me when she was fifteen. She didn't meet Hiei until she was seventeen…"

~~~That strange energy appeared again. It was starting to get on Hiei's nerves. It was irregular. Sometimes it would appear a few days apart, sometimes it would be as much as a month. He'd tried to investigate it multiple times, finally tracking it to the Sunset Shrine on the west side of town. Whenever he was able to get in the shrine grounds – for sometimes there was a barrier around it, which puzzled him – there was nothing unusual there. But he was curious, nearly as much as that damn fox was…

Hiei smirked. The barrier wasn't there this time. He had noticed that the barrier alternated with the power surges. It should be in place now, but it wasn't. Maybe he would finally get answers.

Instead, the scent of blood and demons hit his nose. He took to the trees, hiding his presence carefully.

The door to the small building he had thought was a shed opened. A silver-haired demon with dog ears perched on the top of his head stepped out. In his arms was a young woman covered in blood. Hiei noticed that she was very attractive. Long eyelashes rested against her smeared cheeks and wavy blue-black hair fell around the demon's arm. Her legs were bare from mid-thigh down, where a dark green skirt ended.

Hiei sniffed again. The blood was fresh. It was from several humans and more demons. The demon's claws also seemed to have been dipped in blood.

Hiei continued watching them with his Jagan as the demon carried her into the house. An older woman exclaimed as she saw the two and ran up stairs to start a bath. She washed off her daughter as the demon waited anxiously outside the bathroom.

He told the girl's mother that a group of demons had ambushed their group. Everyone had survived, but "Kagome" had needed to use her healing powers, which had tired her out. The demon was worried about her and couldn't tell if she was injured or not.

The mother reassured him that she was fine, just dirty and tired. She wrapped the girl in a towel and the demon carried her to bed. He told the mother that he would be back later to make sure Kagome was okay.

Hiei watched the dog leave enter the shed and felt the strange energy flare. The demon's yoki disappeared. Frowning, Hiei entered the shed. All that it contained was an old well.

He had more questions than answers now. He smirked. But Koenma had released him from his service for the moment. He had plenty of time to investigate.

Hiei followed her for weeks as she went to school, walking with her friends and that human boy that seemed to follow her like a dog. The demon had only reappeared once, argued with the girl, then disappeared again. Hiei didn't mind. It was easier to avoid her notice than his. At least, he thought so.

It was only two weeks into his vigil that she called out to him. "Demon, if you want to know something, come down here and at least walk with me. It's so weird knowing you're there and just having you follow me."

Hiei left then.

It wasn't long before he came back. The young woman was interesting. Her energy was like nothing he had sensed before. And this time, he walked with her. Her human friends seemed to instinctively know to stay away from him. When they saw him, they made their excuses and left.

Kagome told him about herself and of her adventures in the Sengoku Jidai. He listened, quietly amazed by what the young woman had accomplished in so short a life. He learned that her strange energy was pure energy, explaining why he had never seen it during his life in the Makai. Anything with that kind of power would have been devoured long before it could become a threat.

But it wasn't until the third week after he had found her that Hiei witnessed it for himself. He had run into a few demons near Kurama's home and dispatched them to keep them away from his friend's family. He was a few minutes late meeting Kagome after school. When he arrived, he could sense her in the park near her school. And there were several demons with her.

In a flash, Hiei was there, but he was not needed. In a flash of pink light, he witnessed the death of three lower-level demons.

"Hello, Hiei. You're late today. I was getting worried about you."

"Hn. Idiot."

She smiled at him. "I have to go back to the Sengoku Jidai soon. I'm going to leave tomorrow after school. They need me to help find the shards."

The walk to the shrine was mostly quiet. Hiei mulled over everything Kagome had told him about the past and the spectacle he had witnessed earlier. He left as soon as she was inside her home.

Kagome didn't pay very much attention in school the next day. She had grown attached to her little demon shadow. She didn't want to leave him behind. Her friends asked her about him, noticing she was distracted.

"He looks so mean!"

"This is a different guy, isn't it?"

"Those eyes are red!"

"Will you go on a date with me?"

Kagome just rolled her eyes and smiled. "Can I walk home alone today? I think Hiei might meet me and I want to talk to him."

"Suuuuuure, Kagome. Talk."

The miko blushed and turned away from her friends. When they were out of sight, Hiei appeared at her side.

"How long are you going to stay?"

Kagome looked at him. He appeared unfazed. "I'm not sure. There aren't many shards left, which makes them harder to track down. If we don't have a lead in a week, I'll come back. But it would be pointless if we do get one to get halfway there then turn back."

"Hn."

They were back at the shrine. "Would you like to come in for a while, Hiei?"

He followed her inside. Kagome's things already waited by the bottom of the stairs. She took her school bag up to her room, then served herself and Hiei some tea.

The fire apparition seemed to watch her even more carefully than normal. When she stood and mentioned that she had better get going, he immediately grabbed her things for her.

They walked to the well house together. He dropped her bag into the dry well for her.

"Well, I guess I'll see you when I get back." Kagome threw one leg over the lip of the well. Hiei stopped her with a hand on her chin.

"You will be my mate." Kagome blinked at him, shocked. He pressed his lips against hers, his cheeks slightly red.

Kagome also turned red.

"You will be my mate," Hiei repeated. "Come back safely."

She nodded and dropped into the well, fingers placed over warm, smiling lips.~~~

"… so Hiei-papa got stuck with me."

The two kitsune continued to watch as Shippo's adoptive parents got soaked. Finally, Hiei glanced around and stole a kiss from his mate. She smiled and leaned against him, both unaware of the "awwwwww" they had drawn from Shippo's girlfriend.

"She was the pretty, popular girl who everyone loved
He was the nerdy stick boy who ran cross country. He walked her home and asked for a good night kiss, after the kiss he looked at her and told her that he loved her and would one day Marry her, they weren't even dating. 7 years later they got married. My parents are still married and will always…"