Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho. Never have, never will.

"Suck it, Shyle," Yusuke gloated, grabbing the cards he had won from the dining room table and dragging them to his side. We were playing war, which I had decided was possibly the most childish and easy card game ever invented. That Yusuke was excited over winning a hand was utterly pathetic.

"I'd rather not," I answered, flipping the top card on my deck over. He rolled his eyes, but played his next card.

"Damn," he growled, as I took my winnings.

"I can't believe you two are playing war," Kuwabara said, glancing at us from the spot on the couch.

"I can't believe Keiko is beating your ass at video games," Yusuke retorted. I decided not to voice the fact that I couldn't believe that Keiko was playing video games in the first place. I had the feeling that it would hurt Keiko's feelings.

"You know what, Urameshi?"

"Don't say that you're going to beat me up, because you and I both know that you wouldn't be able to."

Kuwabara glared at Yusuke for a long time, his mouth opening and closing as he tried to think of a comeback. Grinning, I said, "It's pointless to argue with Yusuke, Kuwabara. The more you argue, the ruder he'll get. I suggest just letting it go."

"I suggest focusing on our game," Keiko snapped. "If you pay attention, you will at least have a chance of winning."

"Speaking of focusing," I said, returning my gaze to Yusuke. "It would be wonderful if you would play a card, so that I can get back to beating you."

He turned over his card and smirked when he won the hand. "Suck it, Shy."

"I believe I already told you no. Just because you have a secret crush on me doesn't mean the feeling is mutual." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Hiei's head jerk up. He was seated on the window seat and I had thought he was asleep, but, considering the way he was now watching me intently, I would say I was wrong.

We continued playing the next few minutes in silence. Yusuke was watching the cards intensely, leaning forward over his winnings protectively. Hiei's watchful stare was providing an unwanted distraction and I had to make a conscious effort not to look at him. Why he was staring I wasn't entirely sure, but it was making me incredibly uncomfortable.

"Are you winning yet, Shy?" Kuwabara asked.

"I have three aces, so, as of right now, yeah I'm winning," I answered. "You?"

Yusuke snorted. "Yeah right. Keiko could beat him with her eyes closed."

"Actually," Keiko said, "Kuwabara won the last round."

Yusuke's hand froze in midair and he turned his head slowly to glare at his girlfriend. "You let him win?"

"I didn't let him," Keiko defended herself. "It just happened."

"Jeeze, Keiko, way to make us the weaker couple," Yusuke snapped.

"Couple? Are you trying to suggest that Kuwabara and I are a couple? I have a feeling Yukina would have an issue with that," I said.

"You're the one that said you were trying to steal Kuwabara from Yukina." If it was even possible, Hiei's stare seemed to intensify.

Keiko sighed. "Please, tell me you're joking, Yusuke. You didn't really believe Shy, did you? She was kidding."

"Of course I knew she was kidding. I'm not an idiot."

"I beg to differ," I muttered.

"Excuse me?" Yusuke asked.

"You heard me."

"I beg to differ," he snapped, though his grin made it clear he was kidding.

I laughed. "Shut up and play a card."

"Fine!" He threw down a card and I burst out laughing when I saw that it was a two. "Damn it! This game sucks. I quit."

He scattered his cards across the table and stood up. Storming toward the bedroom hallway, he snapped over his shoulder, "I'm going to take a shower."

"Good for you," I called after him. I gathered up the cards and slid them into the box. Glancing around the room, I caught Hiei's gaze. Blushing, I turned myself forcibly away and headed for the kitchen door. "Does anyone need anything while I'm in the kitchen?"

"Nah, I'm good," Kuwabara answered.

"I'm alright, thanks," Keiko added.

I looked toward the window, only to find that Hiei had already abandoned his seat and had disappeared. Shrugging, I slipped into the kitchen and set about making myself lunch.

It was nearing noontime and so far the day had been insanely boring. After my embarrassing talk with Hiei, I had been braced for an equally humiliating day, but so far it had been shockingly uneventful. Genkai, Kurama, and Yukina had gone outside hours ago to garden and the rest of us had stayed inside, doing whatever we could to stay occupied.

I sank into a seat at the table, trying to think of a way to convince the others that we should all get out of the temple. How the hell did Yusuke expect me to last stranded out here in the middle of nowhere for much longer? I was going to go crazy with boredom.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, I stabbed my fork into my bowl of salad. If the guys could just find Mecca and kill him, this would all be over and I could go home. But at this rate it was looking more like Mecca was going to need to find us.

Hearing the kitchen door open, I glanced up and raised a surprised eyebrow when I saw that it was Hiei who had entered. He moved straight to the fridge without so much as looking at me and I felt myself frown. Despite how willing to talk he was during the morning, he always ignored me when the others were around. It was as though he didn't want anyone to think we might be friends.

Were we friends?

I looked away from him, directing my attention back to my salad. Of course we were friends. What else could we possibly be? We talked way too much to only be considered acquaintances, but he spent so much time ignoring me that I couldn't truly be sure.

The sound of a chair being pulled back cut through the silence in the room and my head jerked up. Hiei had taken a seat at the table and was watching me, a tub of ice cream set in front of him.

He opened his mouth as though he was about to say something, but he never got to speak. A loud knocking sounded on the front door and he closed his mouth immediately, glancing down at his ice cream.

I stood up, leaving behind my lunch for the time being. "I'll get it," I called, heading toward the door. I pulled the door open to reveal Botan, who was bouncing up and down excitedly.

"Hi, Shyle. It's so nice to see you again. Everyone's here, right?"

"Uh, yeah. Come on in." The invitation was unnecessary, seeing as Botan had pushed past me before I'd even finished speaking. Frowning, I followed her back into the kitchen.

"Hello, Hiei," she said, beaming at him. He stared back, but didn't greet her. Shrugging, she opened the door to the living room and left the kitchen.

"She has such a strong personality," I groaned, dropping back into my seat.

Hiei snorted and I glanced at him through my eyelashes. "I would call it annoying."

I couldn't stop myself from laughing. "That's not nice, Hiei."

"It wasn't meant to be."

Further conversation was cut off when Botan stuck her head back into the kitchen. "Sorry to interrupt, but could you two come into the living room? I want to talk to all of you."

"Sure," I answered, standing up and grabbing my salad. Hiei returned his ice cream to the freezer and followed me. I took a seat on the loveseat beside Keiko. She and Kuwabara had paused their game and were both watching Botan, waiting for her to say whatever it was she had come here for. Yusuke had returned from his shower and was sitting cross-legged on the floor. His hair, which had yet to dry, wasn't slicked back with its customary gel and strands hung forward into his eyes.

The three that had been out gardening had also come back in. Genkai had stated that she wasn't interested in whatever we would be discussing and had disappeared into the kitchen, but Kurama and Yukina had both taken seats.

Botan waited until Hiei had taken a seat in the empty armchair before beginning to speak. "I'm partially here for business purposes," she said, taking a seat on the couch. "Yusuke, you had asked Koenma to look into Mecca's background and his aides were finally able to locate Mecca's records."

"It's about freaking time," Yusuke muttered.

Chuckling, Kurama said, "Actually, Botan, we've been able to find out a few things on our own, which is no doubt why Yusuke is frustrated."

"Don't speak for me, fox boy!"

Kurama shook his head at the hanyou and returned his attention to Botan. He quickly outlined the small amount of information about Mecca we currently had, explaining that he led a pride of raions and a slave trafficking ring. Kurama also mentioned what we knew of Mecca's physical abilities and ended with our lingering questions about whether or not the raion had a superior.

Smiling brightly, Botan said, "Well, that certainly cuts down on what I have to tell you all, but don't worry, Koenma did discover a few other things."

"Such as?" Yusuke asked when it became apparent that Botan was not going to continue on her own.

"Well, for one thing, we know for sure that Mecca is working for someone. He was a mercenary years ago, which was what first got him in trouble with Reikai officials. In the years since, he has faded into relative obscurity and other than his trafficking ring has done nothing illegal. Obviously, breaching security protocol and coming to the Ningenkai without permission has changed that."

"Why does being an ex-mercenary mean that he has a commander?"

"Considering how little trouble he has caused recently, it seems unlikely that he would have changed his behavior without proper motivation. I'm sure you would agree that money and power, which are in all likelihood what he is being offered, are great motivators," Botan said.

No one made any move to protest and she took that as a sign to continue. "Unfortunately we don't know who it is that is employing Mecca's services, but Koenma wanted me to tell you that he is continuing to look into it. He hopes to discover who it is in the next few days.

"Koenma was also able to learn who Mecca's second in command is. She's a female raion by the name of Disma. Her powers are extensive and troublesome. She possesses the same strength and agility of all female raions with the addition of powerful energy reserves. She is able to manipulate matter and space, which allows her to create portals and wield a wide range of attacks."

"The last bit of information we have is about Mecca's current whereabouts. He has returned to the main camp of his slave ring, but he has shut down all of the ring's current operations. Again, we aren't entirely sure of his motives, but we have every intention of finding out what they are."

"Any questions?" she asked. When no one spoke up right away, she clapped her hands together. "Good, now we can get down to why I'm really here." She leaned forward in her seat, excitement showing clearly on her face. "What would you all say to a trip into the city?"

I straightened instantaneously, thrilled at the suggestion. Botan saw me and giggled. "I take it you're in, Shy?"

"Heck yeah, I am. I'm going crazy sitting around here all day."

"Anybody else?" Botan asked the group. Everyone, even Hiei, answered that they would be willing to go. "Wonderful," Botan said. "I was thinking that we could go in for dinner and then stay the night at one of your apartments."

The planning began without ado, though the guys each made excuses and left the living room, leaving us girls to plan out the evening. In the end, it was agreed that we would go to a restaurant near my apartment that Keiko and I both agreed was very good and then the group of us would stay at my place.

Botan stood up, grinning enthusiastically. "I'll go find the guys and tell them that we're leaving at three."

"Remind them to pack things for the night," Keiko instructed.

"Of course," Botan answered, disappearing down the hallway to the bedrooms.

I plopped into the seat beside Keiko and watched as the rest of our group settled in. Yusuke shoved the bag containing his and Keiko's belongings into the overhead carrier and sat down beside Kuwabara, who had done the same with his and Yukina's bag only seconds earlier. Kurama and Hiei joined the two young men in their booth after each putting their bags in the overhead carrier.

Our group had monopolized two whole booths on the train, the girls in one booth and the guys seated across the aisle in the other.

I nudged Keiko in the side with my elbow and muttered, "You know I like the window seat. Why did you stick me with the aisle?"

"Because I boarded the train first, Shy," Keiko answered.

"Jeeze, it's Kurama stealing my parking spot all over again." I sank down in my seat and crossed my arms over my chest, pretending to be angry.

"Sit up," Keiko said, laughing slightly. "You'll wrinkle your shirt slouching like that."

Rolling my eyes, I sat up straight and tapped my fingers impatiently on our booth's table. I wanted the train to get moving, the sooner we got to the city, the better.

The restaurant we had decided on was somewhat fancy and we had all dressed nicely. Keiko and I had coerced all the guys into wearing decent clothing, but it had taken far more nagging than I would have liked and now we were running late. As for myself, Keiko had convinced me to put some actual effort into getting ready, reminding me of the handsome waiter who had served us the last time we ate at the restaurant.

My hair was always wavy and with a little work I'd been able to get it to tumble around my shoulders in loose curls. I'd stayed away from makeup for the most part, only using a little eyeliner and mascara. If a guy didn't like me without makeup, he certainly wouldn't like me after a run or when I had just woken up. I'd donned a skirt and blouse for the night, and Yusuke had commented as soon as he saw me, just as he had the night I went to my parents.

I'd told him he was an ass.

"Shy, are you still with us?" Yusuke had leaned across the aisle and was waving his hand in front of my face obnoxiously.

"Yes, now knock it off," I snapped, slapping his hand away from me.

He cradled it to his chest dramatically and glared at me. "We were just trying to figure out the best way to get to the restaurant, but you weren't paying attention."

Sighing, I apologized to the group. "I zoned out."

"Don't worry about it," Kuwabara said, punching Yusuke on the arm. "Urameshi is just being childish."

"What did you just call me?" Yusuke demanded.

"Childish."

Before Yusuke could respond, Keiko reached across me and whacked Yusuke on the head. "Enough, both of you."

There was a momentary silence and I finally asked, "Well, how are we getting to the restaurant?"

"Three of our four cars are at the ramen shop, so I think it would be wisest to head there," Kurama answered. "We can take two cars to the restaurant and then park at your apartment for the night. In the morning we can return them to the diner and take the train back to Genkai's."

"That makes sense," Keiko said. "The train station is close to the diner, so that will make things easy."

"What will the two groups be?" I asked.

"Botan, you're getting some clothes that you left at Keiko's, right?"

"Yeah, I need them for tonight."

"Alright, so why don't you go with Yusuke and Keiko. The rest of us will take Kuwabara's car and head straight to the restaurant. That way we can hopefully get a table by the time you guys arrive," Kurama said.

"Sounds good," Kuwabara responded.

I glared at my hands and fought a blush as Hiei slid into the seat beside me, closing the car door behind him. It had only made sense that Yukina would ride in the front passenger seat, but I still wasn't thrilled about sitting in the middle of the backseat. Especially considering how little room there was for three people.

Hiei's leg touched mine and I was painfully aware of his increased body heat. Why the hell did he have to be a fire demon?

My arm brushed against Kurama's, but it didn't bother me the way touching Hiei did. I shifted uncomfortably and prayed that this ride would be a quick one.

Was Hiei as on edge as I was? I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye. He was looking out the window, his body turned away from me slightly, and it seemed like he wasn't even aware of my presence.

Yukina was seated quietly in the front and we were only waiting for Kuwabara, who was locked in an argument with Yusuke. Why couldn't he stop bickering and get in the freaking car? At last, he turned his back on Yusuke and headed for the car. Climbing into his seat, Kuwabara glanced back at us, "You guys comfy?"

I didn't answer him, choosing to express my discomfort without words. Sadly, I'm not sure he understood the glare I was sending him. Confusion clear on his face, he turned around and started the car. As he backed out of his spot, he reached over and opened the glove compartment, pulling out a stack of CD cases.

He shoved them back at me. "Pick one."

I accepted them eagerly, glad for the distraction. I knew which CDs he had, as I should seeing as I'd given him most of them, which made it easy to find the one I was looking for. I opened the case and passed the disc up to Kuwabara.

He slid it in and hit play. "Nice choice."

"I try," I said, grinning. I leaned forward in my seat. "There's a slight problem."

Stopping at a red light, he twisted around in his seat to look at me. "What?"

"I can hear myself think," I answered.

"Ah, good point." Turning back around, he turned the volume up considerably.

Hiei stiffened beside me. I glanced at him to find that he had turned away from the window and was glaring at the speakers. I nudged him with my elbow. "This is a good song," I informed him.

"Hn, I doubt it."

Shrugging, I sank back into my seat. "Whatever you say."

AN: I apologize if you don't know how to play war. I tried to pick the easiest card game I could think of.

So, this chapter was kind of a filler chapter, but the next one should be interesting.

I vision the song playing at the end to be "Weightless" by All Time Low. That being said, that is not the only reason I titled the chapter Weightless. I've decided to explain all the chapter titles in the last chapter, which is still really far away. So if you want to understand the reasons behind each chapter name, you will have to wait till then.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Reviews make my day.

Miss-Dreev: Shyle has been at Genkai's roughly a week and a half. Shy has been running since high school, which is why it may feel like it has been going on for a lot longer. She is referring to experiences she's had for many years. Anyway, thanks for reviewing; your reviews are always awesome.