Hello my lovely fans. I apologize for not updating last weekend. I am trying to update at least once a week but last weekend was the Mock Trial competition. We lost, if you wondered, but it’s okay. We went to State last year and it would have meant another month of work, so to be honest I’m kind of glad we’re done now. Anyway, that’s enough about me. Hurray, chapter 12. I love when I get to the twelfth chapter. It’s my favorite number. I’m just a dork like that. So here it is: chapter 12. ON WITH THE FIC!

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The fire demon looked down at his boots and clenched his fists. “What do we do?”

“The only thing we can do right now,” Kurama answered quietly, his voice wavering with emotion. “We go say good-bye.” Hiei’s form stiffened further. After a moment he shook his head.

“I can’t” he said quietly, and then louder, “I can’t do that.”

“Hiei,” Kurama began, somewhat concerned. “Koenma is right. There is a good chance Oki will be returned to us, but we will still be separated for at least a few days.”

“And seeing her now will only make it worse,” the hi-youkai whispered. A hard lump had formed in his throat and it was becoming difficult to speak. He swallowed thickly, trying to dislodge it as Kurama stood up. The redhead grasped his mate firmly by the shoulders but the fire demon still refused to look at him.

“Hiei, think about what you are saying,” Kurama said sternly. “This is the last chance you will have to see each other for who knows how long.”

“I can watch her through the Jagan as I used to watch Yukina,” Hiei replied with more confidence than he felt. He could never be satisfied with watching from a distance and he knew it.

“What about Oki?” Kurama countered. “Hiei, look at me.” The half-Koorime slowly raised his gaze from the floor. “She is scared and confused and she has never been separated from us like this before. She is your daughter and she needs you.” Hiei stared into his mate’s brilliant viridian eyes for a long moment before finally nodding. Slowly he wrapped his arms around the fox and closed his eyes as he listened to Kurama’s heartbeat. Usually the slow, steady beats calmed him but for the first time they had no effect.

Koenma, standing quietly in the center of the room, finally realized he was intruding on a very private moment. Silently he opened a portal and left the demons alone in the office.

(xxx)

“Just in here,” Dr. Kinomoto said as she led the demons to their daughter’s room. Kurama eyed the old woman who was seated outside in the hall warily, wondering if she was the social worker they had to blame for all of this. His suspicions were confirmed when she returned his unfriendly gaze.

“Oki, dear,” Dr. Kinomoto called as she opened the door. “You have some visitors.” She held the door opened for the two demons, sharing a glare with Mrs. Fujiama.

“Papa! Daddy!” Oki’s cried in sheer delight the moment she saw who her visitors were. Kurama practically ran to the bed and enveloped his daughter in a tight hug. Hiei followed more slowly, Dr. Kinomoto closing the door behind him.

“My little ember,” Kurama crooned, overjoyed to finally have his little girl in his arms again. “I am so glad you are alright.”

“I’m glad you’re okay too,” Oki returned affectionately. She smiled up at him but it soon turned to a look of confusion. “Daddy, you’re hair is diff’rent. You feel diff’rent too,” she said as she observed Kurama’s new silver streaks. “What happened?” He smiled reassuringly.

“It’s nothing to worry about,” he said. “You’re right, I am a little different now, but not that much.” She frowned and he laughed. “I’ll explain everything later, I promise.”

“Alright,” she nodded, “but don’t forget you promised.”

“Have I ever forgotten a promise to you?” Kurama asked. She shook her head. “Well, I won’t start now, and I won’t forget. Okay?” Oki nodded enthusiastically and hugged him again. When she pulled back she turned to see Hiei standing awkwardly at the foot of the bed. He had been watching them but as soon as she looked he shifted his gaze to stare at his feet. The half-Koorime wanted so badly to hug his daughter as well, but some part of him held him back. Oki looked down at the starched covers sadly.

“Papa, are you mad at me?” she asked quietly. The fire demon’s head shot up.

“No! Of course I’m not mad. Why would you think that?” Oki’s small fists clenched around the bed sheets and her shoulders began to shake.

“Well, ‘cause you’re all the way over there…and you didn’t come to hug me like Daddy…and…and…” A single emerald teargem bounced on the bed. Before it had time to bounce again Hiei had gathered his daughter into his arms.

“Oki…”Hiei sighed, tightening his hold a bit. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you think I’m mad. I’m not.” More teargems covered the snow white sheets.

“B-but you should be. I h-hurt people,” Oki protested, sniffling as she looked up at him. Hiei ran a callused hand through her hair.

“That was not your fault,” he said simply. Oki turned when she felt Kurama begin to rub her back soothingly.

“We don’t blame you for anything that happened,” Kurama said quietly. Oki looked between her parents and saw the sincerity in their eyes. After a moment she nodded and dried her tears on the backs of her hands.

“Okay,” she said resolutely, her voice still a bit shaky. “If you don’t think it’s my fault, then I won’t think so either.” Both demons beamed at her and she managed to smile in return. Now silence descended on the room. The demons watched as Oki busied herself with gathering all the teargems she had shed into a pile. When she was satisfied that the task had been adequately completed she look up at them and asked, “When can we go home?” The demons shared a glance which Hiei quickly broke to stare at the opposite wall.

“Ember,” Kurama began. He paused and bit his lip, not sure how to continue.

“What is it Daddy?” Oki asked innocently. Kurama felt as though his heart was shattering as she looked up at him curiously but he forced himself to continue.

“Sometimes people do things to protect other people, things that…not everyone always enjoys,” he tried to explain awkwardly.

“What do you mean?”

“Oki,” Kurama sighed. It took every ounce of willpower he had to keep his eyes dry at the next sentence. He had to stay strong for her sake. “There are some people who believe that you would be safer if you went with them for a little while.” Oki’s smile faded.

“What do you mean?” she repeated, fear replacing the curiosity in her voice. “Papa?” she asked, turning to the fire demon. “What does he mean?” Hiei felt as though he had just been stabbed in the chest. He turned to his daughter and found water pooling in her eyes once more.

“Oki, don’t cry,” he said weakly.

“But—,” she started.

“Don’t you understand you can’t?” Hiei asked, a little harsher than he meant to. She squeaked in surprise and hiccupped as a few drops slid down her flushed cheeks, solidifying into more teargems.

“Oki,” Kurama redirected her attention as Hiei turned away guiltily. He knew his mate was just frustrated. “What I meant is that…you can’t come home with us.”

“Why not?” Oki cried. “Is it ‘cause I hurt people? I’m sorry!”

“Oki, no—,” Kurama tried to cut in.

“I’m sorry!” she repeated. Her voice suddenly became a desperate plea, “I’m really really sorry! Don’t make me go away! I don’t wanna go away! I wanna stay with you!” On impulse Kurama pulled her into a hug and she immediately buried her head in his chest, still sobbing and begging to stay.

“Shh,” he shushed her, rocking her slightly. “Oki, it is not because of that. We already told you we don’t blame you.”

“Then why?” she managed to whisper after a moment.

“It’s not our decision,” Hiei muttered sourly.

“Whose decision is it?” Oki asked.

“At the moment, it is the decision of that old woman sitting outside,” Kurama said. Oki looked horrified and ready to cry again.

“I have to go with her?” she cried. “But I hate her. She’s mean and she smells weird.”

“We don’t want you to go either, Ember,” Kurama said, “but we don’t have a choice.”

“How long do I have to stay with her?” Oki asked quietly. Kurama struggled to answer and finally settled with the truth.

“I don’t know”

Two more tears fell and the redhead wiped them away before they could solidify. “Papa’s right,” Kurama said quietly, “you have to try and be strong and not cry from now on.”

“How’s come?” Oki sniffed.

“You will be living with humans so you have to act like one of them,” Kurama explained. “It would be bad if they found out you are different from them.” Oki nodded and rubbed at her face. She always tried her best to do anything her parents asked of her.

“Okay,” she said, looking down at her pile of teargems. “I won’t cry anymore. Even if I want to really really bad, I won’t.”

“Alright,” Kurama said, feeling that he was about to cry, “now…give me a hug good-bye.” Oki threw herself at him and he hugged her tightly. Emerald eyes slipped closed as he cemented this moment into his memory.

“I’ll miss you Daddy,” she said into his chest. Her voice cracked but she stayed true to her resolution not to cry.

“I’ll miss you too my dear, sweet little ember,” Kurama whispered brokenly, loosing his battle against tears as one slipped down his face. Reluctantly he let go of her and she attached herself to Hiei.

“I’ll miss you too, Papa.” Hiei opened his mouth but found the lump was back. Unable to say anything he finally nodded and kissed her forehead. Kurama scooped up the pile of teargems and dropped them into his jacket pocket.

“Bye,” Oki whispered, biting her lip hard to keep from crying. Hiei only nodded again.

“Be a good girl,” Kurama said as he kissed her on the cheek. Slowly the two demons rose and headed for the door, Oki staring forlornly after them.

(xxx)

Dr. Kinomoto was waiting for them in the hall.

“Mrs. Fujiama went to call her supervisor. She told me to inform you that there will be a hearing to determine what happens next tomorrow at ten o’clock. We’ll be keeping her here overnight for observation,” she said.

“Thank you,” Kurama nodded tiredly, brushing his fingers over his eyes to be sure there were no tears left. “And thank you for all your help, Sensei.” She nodded sadly and watched them continue down the hall, wishing there was something more she could do.

(xxx)

The moment they were outside the hospital Hiei disappeared. Kurama didn’t feel he had the energy to follow and knew the half-Koorime was burning off some of his anger and despair at the situation. Sighing he resigned himself to the long walk home. Not long after he started it began to rain.

Nearly an hour later he turned the key in the lock and opened the front door. It was dark now but he didn’t bother to turn on the lights. He didn’t want to see the house in the light. Every room, every piece of furniture held a memory of his daughter.

The fox was thoroughly soaked but couldn’t bring himself to care. He toed off his ruined shoes and hung his dripping jacket on the closet doorknob. He was glad to be finally rid of the jacket. The entire walk home he had felt the weight of the teargems in the pocket bang against his leg with every step, another dagger twisting in his sore heart.

Lightning flashed and lit up the room for an instant and was followed by a deafening clap of thunder. The spots before his eyes from the flash blurred as he thought of how Oki would react, alone in that unfamiliar hospital room. The tears blazed burning trails across his skin as he sank down the wall to the floor.

He wasn’t sure how much time passed before the tears finally stopped and he felt he could stand again. Without even feeling for his energy signal the redhead knew where to find Hiei. Climbing the stairs to the second floor he stopped at the doorway to Oki’s room.

Emerald eyes, now well adjusted to the dark, just barely made out the small form crouched beside the bed. Kurama crossed the room slowly and dropped to his knees beside Hiei. The half-Koorime had his knees drawn up with Oki’s pillow crushed against him, his face buried in it so he could breathe in her scent.

“Why did this happen?” The strong baritone was muffle by the pillow. Kurama didn’t answer and eventually Hiei raised his head to look at him. “It’s not supposed to be like this. She’s supposed to be here with us.” Kurama nodded.

“This isn’t right,” the fire demon continued. “They shouldn’t be allowed to do this; to just…just take her away!” In a blur of movement he threw the pillow with enough force to shatter a lamp on the opposite side of the room.

“You’re right,” Kurama agreed as he slipped his arms around his mate. “They shouldn’t. But it doesn’t matter because we will get her back soon.” Hiei turned in Kurama’s embrace and the fox only barely heard the muffled reply.

“Not nearly soon enough.”