Hiei ignored the way his eyes burned as he glared at the enlarged picture on his screen.

Ani Toguro.

Weeks of investigating, days of fruitless searching, hours upon hours of grueling legwork, and the identity behind their stalker was practically handed to him on a silver platter from the most unexpected source.

Now that the mystery was unveiled, Hiei felt as though he should have put the pieces together sooner. It was all so obvious in hindsight, staring him right in the face.

Two months ago, Yusuke pulled a major victory for the precinct by busting up the underground fighting ring infamously known as The Dark Tournament. It was a vicious circuit, funded by black market players with sadistic tendencies and a taste for violence. On the morning of its dissolution, Botan, along with Koenma and the rest of their division swarmed the area with the intent to arrest everyone on the scene. The elder Toguro brother was among the small group of cretins that managed to escape and remain hidden from the law's eyes. The bastard must have taken notice of Botan then and there, amidst the chaos and the scuffle. It made sense that she started receiving tokens of affection right after the case was closed.

Furthermore, the Toguros were notorious for their sketchy and checkered ties to the Black Black Club. It would've been all too easy for Ani Toguro to access finances and resources from the deceased members and use them for his own nefarious purposes.

Hiei minimized the screen, sitting back in his chair as he reflected on the past few days. After meeting with Mitari, Hiei and Haru continued the searched for their culprit. They weren't surprised in the slightest when they discovered that his last known address was abandoned. There were no traces of him on the surveillance cameras surrounding the area, nor were there any sightings by his neighbors, so it was safe to conclude that he relocated elsewhere. They visited to the younger brother's holding cell, but he remained nothing more than an empty, hollow shell with nothing useful left for them.

Still, Hiei wasn't deterred. Toguro would slip up eventually and they would find him.

It was only a matter of time.

His thoughts drifted to Botan. He was supposed to accompany her to some stuffy art exhibit tonight, but he couldn't leave the station. Not when they were so close to making a breakthrough. Perhaps Kurama or Kaisei and Fubuki would fill in for him instead. He glanced down at the time displayed on the right corner of the computer screen and frowned. Botan should've been home by now, but she had yet to send him an obligatory text.

Grabbing his phone, he pulled up her contact name and hit the call button.

"Hiei?" she answered. Judging by the howling wind and the sound of cars, she was outside. "Are you nearby?"

The detective's brows furrowed.

"I'm at the precinct," he replied. Her ensuing silence only served to unnerve him further, so he continued. "You never messaged to say you made it back."

"I'm home. And I'm waiting outside for you, just as you asked."

Hiei's features pinched into a deeper frown. "What?"

"You told me to meet you outside. In your text message?"

"Botan," he began lowly. "I never sent you any message."

"What?"

"You need to go back inside," he ordered, gripping his cellphone tighter. "Now."

"But-"

Her reply was cut off by the clear sounds of a struggle and the distinct clatter of her phone hitting the pavement. He called her name once, twice, three times; his voice roughened with worry and alarm as static distorted the line. He heard footsteps against gravel and a chilling voice murmuring words he couldn't make out.

And then the call ended.

Hiei cursed loudly and slammed a fist down on the desk.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Haru appeared to his left with takeout for two in his hands.

"It's Botan," he answered. "I think she was taken."

"She what?" Haru nearly dropped their dinner in all of his shock. He set the food down unceremoniously before he shooting off questions a mile a minute. "Toguro got her? Are you sure? Did you-"

Hiei ignored his partner as he opened up the GPS application on his phone. Crimson eyes narrowed down at the useless map as he let out another curse under his breath. The blasted tracker failed to pick up on her position. Toguro must have disabled it.

"Where was her last known location?" Haru asked as he tugged his arm through his jacket sleeve. He had already collected his gun and badge. "We'll go there and search for clues, CCTV… anything."

"There's no time for that," Hiei gritted, far too wound up to temper his tone. "If we waste time following his tracks, Toguro will be long gone with Botan in tow."

"Okay, then we just have to determine where he's headed," Haru soothed evenly. He folded his arms over his chest, features pulled into a look of contemplation. "Didn't Ueno tell us something about the siphoned funds from the Black Black Club?"

"They were funneled into abandoned properties in-"

"Tsukishima and Asakusa!" Haru cut in with a snap of his fingers, green eyes alight with hope. "Which means we've got two plausible locations. They're pretty far away from each other, so we don't have the liberty of checking them both out. We can't just go in blindly and I don't think it's a good idea to split up, either…"

Hiei glanced down at the open file on his desk as Haru continued to mutter to himself. Images of Botan were scattered everywhere, along with the disturbing message placards from Toguro. He scanned the evidence until his gaze honed in on the note closest to him:

'I'll bury you in the ocean floor, where they'll never hear a scream.'

Crimson eyes widened. The last message wasn't just a statement. It was a promise. And only one out of the two properties Haru mentioned were near a body of water.

"We're going to Tsukishima," Hiei declared. "Send another team to Asakusa for good measure."

"You're sure?"

"Positive," Hiei said, grabbing his gun and holstering it. "We don't have any time to waste."

They piled into Haru's car after his partner alerted the rest of the force. Haru's knuckles turned white as he gripped the steering wheel and tore down the road. Hiei was no better: posture taut and tense. Just barely managing to hold onto the fragments of his composure under the crushing weights of anger and regret. He could practically feel his heart thumping in his ears, pumping blood and adrenaline through his system.

"How did this even happen?" Haru finally asked. "We were so careful. Fujita dropped her home. She's been checking in. What went wrong?"

Hiei's hands were balled into tight fists as he spoke, "She insisted she received a text from me. But I never sent her anything."

"I heard about those shady apps," Haru admitted. "It can mask your caller ID with any name of your choosing. Throws the receiver off guard and tricks them into accepting the call or message. Really creepy stuff."

Hiei gritted his teeth.

This was all his fault. If he weren't so dead set on avoiding Botan, he would've been there. She would have never gone looking for him outside. She would have never gotten caught. And she wouldn't be in the position she was in now.

He cursed his incompetence. The only reason he was assigned to this case was because he was able to separate his emotions and attachments while upholding the duties of a detective. He was supposed to be able to think clearly when it came to Botan, but he'd failed spectacularly. Months of living together, weeks of getting to know her and days upon days of interaction had done something irrevocable to him. Botan wasn't just his friend or the woman he desired. She was so much more than that. In such a short amount of time, she managed to weave her way into his heart. She was embedded so deeply in his soul that he didn't realize just how central she was to him until she was gone.

He didn't know much about emotions, but he knew that this attraction was anything but ordinary. This ache in his chest, this endless yearning.

It couldn't be anything other than love.

He glanced out the window, the cityscape blurring as they sped down the road.

He thought of Botan in her entirety, with her warm smiles, bright eyes and bubbly laughter. She was so full of life. There was still so much in store for her. He couldn't let her flame be snuffed out. He wouldn't allow it. Not while he still had breath in his lungs and a heart that echoed her name.

He ran his thumb over the yin charm attached to his phone and his resolve grew exponentially.

Be strong, Botan. I'm coming.


Botan awoke slowly, her head pounding and limbs heavy. She tried to move, but found her hands and feet tied together with rope. Panic set in as the memories flooded back to her.

The stalker; he found her. She didn't even have the chance to fight back because whatever he injected her with was potent enough to render her immobile.

Botan glanced around warily. It was dark, the ground cold and unforgiving beneath her. She could smell hints of salt in the air, the sounds of the sea echoing over her thundering heart. She was in some sort of warehouse, but it was old and unused, if the musty scent was anything to go by.

The bluette struggled to free herself from her restraints, but it was to no avail. The rope was fastened tight, biting into her skin. She couldn't escape like this. There was no way she could physically get away. Terror welled up in her chest as she yelled for help, hoping that someone might be around even as fear choked her voice and burned her throat raw.

Cackling laughter echoed around the enclosed space, interrupting her desperate pleas. She stiffened as a figure approached her from the left. His voice was high in pitch and sharp in tone, like little needles piercing all over her skin.

"While I do enjoy the screams of my victims, I'm afraid to tell you that it's all in vain. There's no one else here."

Botan swallowed thickly. "W-who are you?"

"Don't you recognize me?" he asked, stepping closer into her view.

She eyed him carefully. The man was slight in stature and donned in a blue dress shirt and matching slacks. His skin was pale and cold, gold eyes nearly glowing in the darkness above his sharp nose and thin lips. His long hair was dark grey, wavy and parted down the middle. She couldn't recognize him at all, although she felt as though she should have.

"Well, I did skulk in the shadows most of the time," he reasoned, pushing his hands into his pockets after shrugging. "And I did manage to slip away while that rowdy officer, Yusuke Urameshi, was busy arresting my brother. So, it makes sense that you don't remember."

Suddenly, it all clicked. Flashes of The Dark Tournament case returned to her with a starting clarity.

"Toguro?" she breathed out quietly.

"Bingo," he mocked. "You win the prize."

A chill ran up Botan's spine as the harsh reality settled in all around her. This was the same man who had been stalking her, following her, watching her every move. He broke into her apartment. He sent all those threatening messages. Fear gripped her heart and held it tight, but she couldn't afford to let it show. She took a grounding breath and released it, hardening her expression as she met his unfeeling gaze.

"What do you want from me?" she asked.

"Nothing," he said, pulling a knife out from his pocket and crouching down to view her. "Nothing but the pleasure of seeing you draw your last breath."

Botan tried to shirk away as he ran the flat side of the blade along her cheek and down her neck. He licked his lips and leered at her.

"Maybe I should have fun with you first," he considered, breathing in her scent.

Botan shuddered, anger overtaking the horror as she pulled away from him. "You're sick!" she yelled. "You're a depraved, disgusting man and you won't get away with this!"

"Oh, but I will. I always do."

Botan glared at him. "So, you really did murder those other women..."

He only smiled evilly.

"Why?" she questioned angrily. "What possible motive could you have for ending their lives and causing their families so much hurt and heartache?"

"It's simple really. This world is filled with evil. Murky people, murky thoughts and murky hearts," he said. "But not everyone is like that. Sometimes, there are those filled with so much light that they shine. And the world becomes a little less dark. A little less grey. It fascinates me. And even more than that, it angers me. I want to break those souls. Watch those beautiful smiles twist and writhe in agony."

"You're a horrible bastard," Botan spat.

"Yes, I know," he agreed.

"And you will pay for your crimes," she continued. "Hiei will find you and stop you."

"It's a shame, Botan," Toguro said. "I really did like you. But it seems your heart is somewhere else."

"..."

"Tell me, are you in love with the detective?"

She pressed her lips into a line, refusing to answer. Toguro's smile widened as his eyes fell from her face to her chest.

"Did he give this to you?" he asked, clutching the pendant. "It's new, isn't it?"

It sickened her - just how much he knew about her without her permission or knowledge. But she couldn't have him paying special attention tracking device. It was her only chance at salvation.

"No," she answered evenly. "Hiei isn't the type to give gifts."

Toguro chuckled darkly and in the next instant, he tugged the necklace straight off her neck. "You're an abysmal liar. All you good-hearted types are."

Botan bit back a whimper as she glanced at the gps.

"I think I'll hold onto this. Maybe I'll send it back to your little detective when this is all over. A memento for him to always remember you by."

Botan glared at him silently. Keeping the necklace was a grave mistake. The tracker would lead Hiei here and Toguro would get what he deserved. It would all be over soon; she just had to hold out until then.

"Don't look so smug," Toguro chided. "I disabled the device long ago. Jaganshi might be a step above the rest, but he's out of his league with me. Even if he's on our trail, he will arrive too late. You'll be gone and so will I."

She inhaled a shaky breath and shook her head. Hiei would make in time. She was sure of it. There wasn't a single shred of doubt in her heart. "You're wrong."

"We'll see." He smiled cruelly. "But I suppose that's enough talking for now. It's time for action."

Her eyes widened as he twirled the blade in his fingers.

"Let's start slowly, shall we?"

He cut into the tender flesh of her forearm and Botan bit back a scream.


The sun had long since set by the time they made it to Tsukishima. Hiei and Haru stood in front of several warehouses, lined up neatly and stretched out over the plot. Each was as unassuming as the last, prompting Haru to glance around in both directions, squinting in the darkness.

"I'll start on the west side, you take the east?" he tried.

"No." Hiei shook his head, instinct pushing him forward determinedly. "Follow me."

Hiei had no concrete evidence backing his decision, but instinct never led him astray before and he would be remiss to think it would suddenly fail him now. They ran down the east side of the wharf until the sound of an agonized scream pierced their ears. Hiei's blood ran cold; it was undoubtedly the sound of Botan's voice. The bastard was hurting her and Hiei would never forgive himself for the way she was suffering now. Steeling himself, he followed the source of those anguished cries to the second to last warehouse. Haru's expression was grim, but focused as he held his gun at the ready and gave Hiei the signal to advance.

The detective wasted no time kicking through the rusted lock and ripping the door open. The first thing he saw was Toguro looming over Botan, bloodied knife in hand. The second was the crimson liquid spilling from Botan's pale skin.

Toguro didn't have the chance to react as Hiei threw procedure to the wind and tackled him down to the ground. The knife fell from Toguro's grip and slid a few feet away.

Toguro's gaze narrowed into a sharp glare. "How did you-"

There was a sickening crack as Hiei punched his jaw. Toguro groaned and spit some blood out, prompting Hiei to continue until his knuckles were burning and raw. Behind him, he could faintly hear Haru reassuring Botan as he freed her from the rope and tended to her injuries. She was alive. She was safe. With Toguro apprehended, the nightmare was over. But none of these facts stopped the rage from swelling and building as Hiei continued to enact his own brand of punishment. Toguro only smiled throughout the assault, yellow eyes gleaming and bloodied lips quirking upwards. As satisfying as it was to partake in physical retribution, Hiei knew that it was time to end this. Pulling out his gun, he pressed it to the psychotic man's temple.

"Are you going to kill me?" Toguro laughed riotously. "Surely that isn't upholding the law."

"You don't deserve to live," Hiei said, finger curled over the trigger. "This is where you meet your end, you bastard."

"Hiei!" Haru warned.

"Hiei, please!" Botan shouted. "Don't do this!"

The detective paused, murderous gaze trained on Toguro, but ears honed in on Botan's voice.

"He deserves to pay for what he's done," she urged. "Death would be too merciful. Think about the other victims. They deserve justice too."

Hiei's shoulders lowered from their squared position. Botan was right. She always was. He took a deep breath, glaring down at Toguro.

"You will suffer," Hiei promised. "Tenfold for what you did to those women and for what you did to her. I'll make sure you never see the light of day again."

A wild and desperate sort of anger flashed in Toguro's eyes now. Something close to fear pinched his features as he thrashed beneath Hiei's hold. The prospect of losing his freedoms and wasting away in a prison cell finally cracked through that unaffected and unhinged guard. He was finally beginning to understand what was in store for him.

"No," Toguro snarled, continuing to squirm and struggle uselessly. "You won't-"

Hiei pistol-whipped the slighter man, watching with a sick sort of satisfaction as he slipped into unconsciousness. After re-holstering his gun, Hiei made short work of roughly turning Toguro over and cuffing his wrists behind his back. He kicked the knife further away, before moving towards Botan and Haru.

"I'll watch over Toguro until the others arrive," Haru offered.

Hiei nodded, taking Botan in his arms. Her face lacked its usual healthy color, the exhaustion clear in the droop of her features. There were a few shallow slashes on her arms and neck, along with small blotches of blood staining her white blouse. He didn't know what she had been through, but there was relief in her eyes and a million things left unsaid on his lips as she sagged against him. She felt so thin and small in his arms. So fragile as she shook and sobbed.

"It's going to be okay," he reassured.

"I know it will be," she said through the tears. Her breathing was labored as she struggled to speak. "Because-because you're here now."

"Botan-"

And then she went limp in his arms.


Botan awoke in an unfamiliar setting for the second time in the span of a few conscious hours. White walls surrounded her while harsh lights beat down on her drowsy eyes. The mattress beneath her was stiff, but the pillows behind her were soft. She was wrapped in pale blue sheets, bandages over her arms and neck. It was stark difference from the darkness of the warehouse and the restraining ropes keeping her bound.

"Hey." Koenma stood up from the chair he'd been perched in.

"Koenma," she breathed out, glad to see a familiar face. She winced as she brought herself up into a seated position and finally noticed the IV hooked up to the back of her hand.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, handing her a glass of water.

She took a few sips, grateful for the cool relief washing down her scratchy throat.

"Tired, but all in all, I'm okay."

"You had better be," Yusuke said, making himself known and moving to hug her tightly. "You nearly gave me a heart attack when I heard you were in the hospital. Shaved a few years off my lifespan, for sure."

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "I didn't mean to make you worry."

"Hey, it's fine," Yusuke began.

"It isn't." Botan shook her head, bangs shielding her eyes as she lowered her gaze. The covers were bunched up in her fists, anger and shame twisting her expression. "I shouldn't have been so careless. I saw the message and just assumed it was from Hiei. But he would never… he wouldn't have called me out like that. He would have come inside first and walked me out. He was so careful for so long, and I ruined it all in one careless moment."

"Don't be stupid," Yusuke berated.

Botan's gaze snapped up to meet his. There was an unyielding resolution in his brown eyes.

"Yusuke-" Koenma tried.

"No, I'm not gonna sit here and listen to her blame herself for that sick fuck's actions," he continued. "You didn't do anything wrong and I'm willing to bet everything on the fact that Hiei agrees, too. The person who is responsible for all of this is in custody. And you're safe. That's what's important here."

It was hard not to take some responsibility for her part in all of this, but the strength of Yusuke's conviction and the truth in his words were undeniable. If the roles were reversed, she would never think of blaming the victim for what happened today. Perhaps she really should be a little easier on herself.

"You're right," she conceded.

"Aren't I always?" he chuckled.

"When it really counts: you are."

He smiled at her for a long while, before remembering something important.

"Oh yeah, Keiko and the others are in the waiting room. They're all itching to get in here, but we didn't want to all bombard you at once."

"Don't be silly, I'd love to see everyone."

"Your wish is my command," he winked, leaving the room to round up their friends.

Koenma took a seat on the bed, staring into her eyes searchingly.

"Are you really okay?"

She nodded. And she really and truly meant it. The looming presence in the shadows, that dreadful weight that she'd been living with for the past two months, was finally dissipating. Toguro was no longer free to invade her life anymore, locked away in police custody. He was in the law's hands now and would be tried for all his crimes accordingly. She didn't want to allow him to occupy her mind any longer than he already had. Not when her life was finally her own again.

"Would you mind filling me in?" she asked. "The last thing I remember was being in the warehouse with Hiei."

"Hiei brought you here after you fainted. Haru stayed behind with the perp," Koenma informed. "The doctors said you lost a lot of blood and your body shut down once the adrenaline was gone."

"I see."

"They're keeping you for a few days - just until they can be sure that the drugs Toguro injected you with and are out of your system and won't cause any adverse effects," Koenma added. "But you're stable and your vitals are strong, so we all suspect a full recovery."

"That's a relief," she breathed out.

"I'm really glad you're okay," Koenma said, pulling her into a hug and holding her close.

She felt the tears prick her eyes, but refused to let them fall.

"Me too," she whispered into his shoulder. He was warm and familiar; as unchanging as ever and she felt like a little girl in her friend's arms again.

"Don't hog her," Shizuru teased.

Botan pulled away to see Shizuru, Kurama, Kuwabara, Keiko and Yukina filtering into the room. As happy as she was to have them all here, she couldn't help but notice that Hiei was missing. Her heart sunk selfishly in her chest, even as she forced a bright smile on her face. She didn't mean to be ungrateful. Not when she had so much to be thankful for. Shizuru pulled her into a warm embrace and she felt her disappointment ebbing and flowing away. There was no room for displeasure when she was safe and sound and surrounded by her dearest friends. The smile on her face grew as they all took turns greeting her.

This was good, Botan decided.

Here, in this moment, she was truly happy.

.

.

.

After many heartfelt words, encouragements and shared laughs, they were eventually ushered out by a nurse. Visiting hours ended long ago and it was only due to Koenma's connections that they were all able to bend the rules remain for as long as they did.

Botan had enough strength to take a quick shower. Once her bandages were redressed, she was left to settle back into the starchy covers. She never spent the night in a hospital before, but she supposed it wasn't so bad. The room was decently sized and all her own, thanks to Koenma's influence. There was a television hanging from the wall opposite her bed and a large window that afforded her a view of the river. Shizuru even sprayed a bit of her perfume to mask the awful sterile scent that lingered everywhere.

She glanced at the bright flowers resting on the nightstand from Kurama. Next to it was the array of snacks that Kuwabara smuggled in and her cell phone. Yusuke had taken the liberty of returning it to her, after finding it just outside the apartment complex. The pink device held a few new scratches, but it still worked just fine. The yang charm remained firmly attached, too.

Her fingers itched to reach out for the device and call Hiei. She wished he were here. Even if just for a moment.

As if on cue, her phone rang. Hope sprang in her chest as she stretched towards the table to reach it. Hiei's name flashed across the lock-screen, the angry-faced emoji attached to his contact name reassuring her that it was actually him and not an imposter this time.

"Hiei?" she couldn't hide the excitement from her voice any more than she could stop the smile from overtaking her face.

"Shouldn't you be asleep?" he asked.

"What if I was and you just woke me up?"

"I know you better than that, woman."

She could hear Haru humming in the background, along with the telltale shuffle of papers as they were moved to and fro.

"You're still at the station?" she realized, features pulled into a discouraging frown.

"There's much to be done."

"Yes and you can worry about all of that tomorrow."

"You should worry more about yourself, Himura." He diverted. "You need to rest."

"I'm not the one planning on pulling an all-nighter right now," she accused.

He grunted, neither confirming nor denying her suspicions.

"I mean it, Hiei. Even mister super detective needs a break sometimes."

"I'll take one when this is all over."

He was being stubborn, as usual, but she sensed more than mere obstinacy hidden away in his words. He was determined to see the case through to its conclusion, for her sake, more than his own. And she certainly couldn't fault him for that.

"Alright, you win," Botan relented knowingly. It was quiet, save the low humming of machines and the steady padding of footsteps as a nurse made his way down the hall. In the steady silence of the night, she found herself yearning for the detective's presence once more. "Will you stay on the line? Just until I fall asleep?"

"I can do that."

He didn't hesitate, nor did he fault her for such a silly request. He simply gave her what she needed. He always did. Her heart warmed with affection as she settled into a more comfortable position. It wasn't long before the exhaustion crept in. Her body felt heavy, like a stone, but her heart was as light as a feather.

"Goodnight Hiei."

"Sleep well, Botan."


The nightmare is over, but our story still has a few more chapters to go!

As always - thanks for sticking around this far. See ya in the next installment!