Disclaimer: The Yu Yu Hakusho world does not, in any way, belong to me. It's the great Yoshihiro Togashi's.

Click

by four-eyed 0-0

Epilogue: On Christmas

That she was leaving.

He heard it perfectly well, and she was leaving for good. He would not say it was any surprise that she decided to go away and try to forget everything that had transpired in so short a time. The fox told him so while they took a night stroll along the quiet streets of the city and his friend had suggested that they see her off. Knowing that he was only trying to elicit a reaction from him, he dismissed it as a very stupid notion, deciding to attack the redhead with an insult, that he couldn't understand why he would be dense enough to suggest a thing. Besides, she wouldn't want to see anyone for sure, and this thought he kept to himself, choosing to keep it in wraps, an idea he would rather not be voiced out.

She was leaving. Big deal. Or at least he told himself.

Hiei knew Kurama was aware of what he was actually thinking, and the fire demon opted not to speak anymore, instead focusing his attention on the pavement. He was silently grateful for the consideration his friend gave, and as usual he didn't voice this out.

Suddenly the image of her sobbing over her friend's dead body flitted against the dark pavement, and he clenched his fists, concealed from anyone's view by the fabric of his jacket. As miffed as he was at the devotion she showed to such a person, he lamented for not being able to prevent that death. He had done enough damage when he told her the truth about her involvement with their little group, and with the death of her friend she would have been numb by now.

The truth was that he was afraid of facing her again. After he put her to sleep, her head falling against her friend's chest that no longer rose and fell, he had ordered Kuwabara to carry her, while Yusuke took care of the dead boy. Upon their arrival at Genkai's he excused himself and refused to see her. All because he was afraid of facing her again.

Kurama had filled him in on her state when they rendezvoused that late into the evening, and he decided not to do anything.

It was rather stupid, and he didn't quite understand why he was getting so worked up over a human girl who didn't have much spine as she claimed, and a weak human girl who always made it a note to cry over most things.

He had kissed her because he thought she might actually be good for him, and because he thought he wanted to court her. It was a risk he took, and now everything spiraled down to nothing. Partially he blamed it on allowing himself to make a rash decision of starting a relationship while in the middle of a case, and partially he blamed it on her for allowing it. He had not meant to hurt her when he admitted the reason to her involvement, but at the time he thought it was the best way to keep her away. He was gravely mistaken, and he had been none the wiser.

When finally they reached Kurama's home, the fox bade him goodnight and he himself disappeared into the night, thinking a return to the Makai was necessary. Perhaps it would clear his thoughts if he went farther from the girl.

©—©

Kuwabara lay on his bed, his arms cushioning the back of his head as he tried to sort out his thoughts while he stared blankly at the ceiling. The silent hum of the television in the living room where his sister was watching provided some white noise that prevented him from nodding off.

It had been almost a week since their most recent case had been closed. He couldn't say he wasn't relieved. He was, in a way, relieved, only that Emi had been the most devastated of them all. She wasn't able to speak to them for three days and chose to lock herself in her room, only allowing Genkai and the girls to talk and attend to her needs. He couldn't blame her the least bit. She lost the only family she had and she thought everyone betrayed her for keeping her in the dark for far too long. She was right, they were wrong for keeping something as important as their knowing that she would be involved in Kaede's plans and deciding to pretend to be spontaneously becoming her friends to secretly protect her. He found himself bitterly concluding that they'd failed miserably.

That was why he was beyond surprised when she finally emerged from her room with an apologetic smile on her face to finally allow them to talk to her. It'd gone well, and he thought highly of her for trying to speak to them calmly. She'd arranged for Ryoko's funeral after they'd said their apologies, and they'd helped her through. He still remembered how she'd smiled on her best friend's grave, not shedding a single tear. It struck him as a possibility that her heart had finally turned to stone, but when he heard her whisper to Ryoko that she'd be stronger and she'd continue their dreams of becoming the best photographers in the world, he was glad. She'd even joked that her tear ducts wouldn't allow any more tears, and they both laughed softly.

He thought Ryoko was happy to hear her laugh, even if it was not exactly a happy laugh. At least she was trying.

Earlier Emi had dropped by to give him a parcel and instructed him to take care of it for her and never to open it, saying she'd come back for it. When he asked when exactly that was, she only smiled at him and planted a kiss on his cheek, saying she'd like to see his boxers in a twist. Although he found this a very lame improvisation, he tried to disguise his unease with a very toothy grin.

When she'd pulled back from hugging him for the longest time her smiled hadn't reached her eyes, he recalled.

Sighing, he closed his eyes and decided it best to trust his friend. He only wished it'd meant she'd definitely come back to them. Not soon, but definitely, at least.

The thought should've somehow allowed some peace to dawn on him, but as he was about to drift across the thin line between wakefulness and asleep, he recalled the shrimp's absence since they'd defeated Kaede. Suddenly angry at the pathetic midget's unconcern toward Emi's state, he wasn't able to sleep until after midnight.

~©—©~

His girlfriend had just managed to burst his eardrum from her yelling when the bell by the door tinkled to admit a new customer into their diner. Keiko easily changed her bearing to welcome the guest, only to stutter in the middle of saying her customary, "Irasshaimase."

Curious, he looked up from his cooking to see someone he wasn't expecting.

She chuckled, taking off her beanie and winter coat, saluting the two of them. "Yo! How are you?"

"Emi?"

She winked at him as she sat herself on the counter and cupped her cheek with her hand, still smiling. "Yes, the one and only. No need to act so surprised."

Keiko smiled, immediately taking a steaming cup of tea for their friend. The two girls reached across the counter to give each other a proper hug, and Yusuke shuddered at the display. "You should've told us you were coming. When did you arrive?" Keiko asked.

He watched as she shrugged Keiko's worry and took off her gloves to wrap her hands around the cup, "Nah, Keiko-chan, I'm a big girl." She took a sip of the warm liquid before continuing, "Just this morning. Hmm, I expected it would be amazingly cold around here, but I wasn't expecting this sort of cold."

Yusuke returned to his cooking and prepared a bowl of the soba for her. "That's what you get for staying in the tropics for too long. It hasn't snowed just yet, though." He joined the two females on the counter and placed the dish in front of her. By now the diner had only three patrons, including their newly-arrived guest, as it was in the middle of the afternoon. Taking a good look at the flushed face of their friend, he commented, "Hey, that's a nice tan. You should've burnt more."

"Shut up, Yusuke," she spat, patting her cheek. "It's bad enough as it is. I had to endure the flaking off for over a week."

Keiko shook her head, smiling. "How was it there in Africa?"

"Did any lions chase you?" Yusuke added, a mischievous grin in place. Emi had taken the path of a wildlife photographer, and from the three years that she spent in Africa she never failed to send all of them postcards of her shots, often informing them of getting included in some magazine named National Geographic ("It's not just some magazine, Yusuke!" he remembered Keiko chewing his ear off after he dismissed it as unimportant. Of course he was only trying to rile her up, but she proceeded with her lecture anyway.). Keiko had made a scrapbook out of the postcards, and even made it a point to purchase the issues that featured their friend's photos if Emi failed to send them copies. By now his girlfriend had grown increasingly fond of giraffes and it irked him to no end, wondering how she could be taken with them when she never had one as a pet. Kuwabara had once said he thought the baby cheetahs were "adorable," showing off the postcard he received. Apparently Emi had known of the boy's extreme love for felines.

"Well yeah, they did," Emi replied snidely, wolfing down her noodles with much gusto. "This is actually very good, Yusuke. I'll have to say I was very surprised when you mailed me saying you're on the business two years ago." Yusuke only flashed a grin. After taking another gulp of tea, she added, "Geez, I missed Japanese food. It was hard adjusting to the diet there."

"You don't look like you had to suffer any, though. You actually seem to have gotten bigger than the last time I saw you. And by bigger I mean horizontally," Yusuke said, feigning boredom, and he received a painful whack across the top of his head from Keiko.

"What a rude thing to say, Yusuke," she snapped as Yusuke nursed the sore spot. When she turned back to Emi, she only said, "Not true at all, Emi. I'd say you look fantastic."

Emi could only smile over her noodles. Yusuke went back to his cooking and after her meal, Emi told them, "Hey, I was thinking if we could have a Christmas party."

"That's a wonderful idea," Keiko seconded, clapping her hand excitedly. Yusuke grinned. "Where would you want to have it?"

"I'm thinking my new apartment needs some warming up," Emi replied. "I'll contact the others as soon as I get home."

"You haven't seen them yet?" asked the detective, coming to the counter.

"No, I had to unpack and visit Ryoko," she said, putting on her gloves. "The poor guy sure missed me and I had to abandon two, three boxes so I could drop by to give him flowers and then grab some late lunch here." She smiled at the couple, and Yusuke was glad to see that she didn't look sad at all. She sure had moved on pretty well, and he inwardly sighed in relief before guilt could eat him up again.

When no one appeared to have anything else to say, she stood up and put on her coat and beanie. "I'll call you for the details, okay?" she said, reaching for her purse.

"Hold it," said Yusuke, waving a hand. "You don't have to," he whispered, so only the three of them could hear.

Emi smiled. "That's very nice of you," she said. "I guess I'll get going now. See you soon."

"Take care on your way home," said Keiko, reaching to give her another hug.

"I will." Emi saluted again and turned her back to them, heading for the door.

Yusuke wasn't able to stop himself. "Hey, Emi," he called, a hand rubbing at the back of his neck. When she looked over her shoulder to raise her eyebrows at him, he said, "It's good to have you back."

The girl's smile reached her eyes. "Yeah, it's good to be back." Waving a hand, she disappeared through the door, the bell tinkling overhead.

He felt a chaste kiss on his cheek, and he look down to see Keiko smiling at him. He smiled back.

©—©

Kurama had just deposited his briefcase on the bed and was in the process of removing his tie when the telephone from his kitchen went off. Continuing his task at hand as he walked to that part of the house, he studied the caller ID to find an unfamiliar number. He checked the wall clock, which read nine in the evening, wondering who would call him at this time. When finally his tie had been undone, he took the receiver and pressed it against his ear.

"Hello, this is Minamino speaking. How may I help you?" he spoke to the mouthpiece.

"Hiya, Kurama-kun! Aren't you very formal?"

The redhead registered the laugh in the voice of the speaker and his eyes widened in realization. "Emi?"

"Uh-huh, the one and only. Hey, sorry for calling you at such a time. You must be tired from work."

He could guess she was smiling apologetically at the other end of the line. Smiling to himself, he said, "Don't be. When did you come back?" She really saw to it that they didn't know she'd be returning and he had to admit that he was caught off guard.

"Why, thanks. I came home this morning," she answered cheerily, clearly not at all tired. "Anyway, I called to tell you I'm hosting a Christmas party at my place. Would you come? The others would."

Kurama chuckled in spite of himself, amused at her apparent pushing. "That's wonderful. We need some catching up to do."

"Nice. So, I'll see you Sunday night?"

"Yes," he said, wondering what he forgot to ask, "What should I bring?"

"Hmm, for the exchange gift, I had them choose a number and since you're the last I was able to call, yours is six, which means you get to give Keiko's present." She laughed, and continued, "You could also bring some food if you'd like."

He stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Anything you'd like in particular?"

"Nope, surprise us. I'm pretty sure we'll eat it anyway."

He chuckled, agreeing. "Very well, I'll see you and the others."

There was a pause on her end. "Oh, do you have a pen and paper there? You've got to jot down this address. I don't want you getting lost."

Recalling that she had abandoned her old apartment when she had flown to Africa three years ago, he reached for the notepad and pen he always kept on the counter for instances such as this one and signaled her to continue. He read it aloud for her to confirm it.

"All right, I'll see you, Kurama-kun! Bye-bye!"

"It's wonderful to have you back. Goodnight, Emi, I'll see you too."

When he heard the beeping that told him she had hung up, he replaced the receiver back and brought the notepad piece he had written on with him to his bedroom, sticking it on the small square for the twenty-fourth of December on his desk calendar. As he entered the bathroom to take a warm shower, he suddenly stopped, remembering what had been bothering him the instant Emi had ended the call.

He didn't know if she had invited Hiei. Somehow something told him that she didn't, and that she wasn't planning to. That night three years ago when he met up with his friend to inform him of Emi's decision to pursue a career abroad he was sure the two of them hadn't spoken, and judging by the more pronounced aloofness of the fire demon upon hearing the news, Kurama knew he hadn't planned on doing anything to see Emi before she went. His assumptions were confirmed when he heard from Yomi two nights later that Hiei had come back to the Makai.

For three years Hiei hadn't asked anything about Emi's whereabouts or preoccupation. He continued being in the special squad rescuing humans who happened to wander into the Makai and did so excellently. From what Kurama knew, the others had been receiving Emi's postcards and letters as well, but he had little doubt she hadn't given anything to Hiei. The pictures had always been exquisite, and he couldn't be happier for their friend's success. Sometimes when he went to the Makai he would bring some of the mail and leave them at Hiei's quarters in Mukuro's lair. When he came back for them he wasn't very confident on assuming whether he had seen and taken care to arrange them back as he had left them, or he had ignored them altogether.

As he stepped into the shower and let the warm water soak up his hair while relaxing his tired and stiff muscles, he thought he'd have to notify his friend of the situation.

The question remained, however. Were they ever going to reconcile?

©—©

At half past five in the afternoon the whole gang was already present in Emi's apartment. She had been busy with her spaghetti in the kitchen when the first of them came, and Kuwabara and Yukina had helped her out with last minute preparations. She was just placing the cake in the fridge when Yusuke with Keiko and Botan were on her door, brandishing some pizza, and soon Kurama arrived with pudding and wine. Yusuke had commented that he should've brought some beer. Emi dismissed his worries immediately and told him she had three bottles of whiskey in her cupboard.

With the presents stowed under the small Christmas tree Emi had set up on Friday, they decided to play a card game while chatting in the living room, seated around the coffee table.

"Say, Emi," Kuwabara started, scrutinizing his hand. "Are you back for good?"

The others paused at whatever they were doing and turned their undivided attention to her, clearly curious themselves. Knowing full well how they would react, she smiled sheepishly. "Can't say, I love it there, despite the heat. My superiors want me to continue working with them and I wouldn't say no to that."

"Meaning?" Yusuke prodded, raising his eyebrows testily.

Emi pressed her lips together and rearranged her cards. "I'll stay here and do some freelance job, but whenever a project interests me I'll disappear for months."

They didn't bother hiding their relief and soon the room was buzzing with joy at her news.

"So, do you know some African, Emi-chan?" Botan asked excitedly, determined to keep the conversation running.

"The language? Aside from stuff I have to say to gain rapport, na-da."

"Really? Could you give a sample?" the ferry girl said.

Before she could answer, the doorbell chimed and everyone fell silent.

"Are you expecting anyone else?" asked Kuwabara.

"No," Emi replied, her forehead wrinkled in confusion. She hadn't invited anyone else in their little party and suddenly she was afraid it was some dangerous person.

Kurama calmly stood up, saying, "I'll get it." He went straight for the door, slipped on his shoes, and peeped through the eyehole. His back stiffened, Emi noticed.

"Who is it?" she asked.

The redhead didn't answer and instead took care of the chained bolt before turning the doorknob and stepping wordlessly aside to show them whoever the unexpected guest was.

Emi dropped her cards and immediately rose from her seat, her heart settling in her throat.

"What are you doing here?" asked Kuwabara, standing up as well.

Everyone had risen, trying to size up the situation. Emi's hands clenched and unclenched at her sides, and then she was saying to Kuwabara, "Kuwa-chan, you have the parcel I gave you, right?"

"What?" he asked, confused, as was everyone. When Emi only looked at him he shuffled and reached for the rectangular package sitting on the couch and handed it to Emi.

"Thanks," she said, receiving the package. She hadn't expected this surprise and she was just as jittery as all of them. Gathering her resolve, she walked toward the door without looking at the newcomer, and said to Kurama, "I can take it from here."

He nodded and left the two of them standing by the door, joining the others. Still refusing to look at him, she muttered, "Let's talk outside."

When he stepped aside, she pulled the door behind her closed and proceeded to stand by the railing of the outdoor hallway, walking past him. She stood looking at the night view of the city, and reached up to hug herself with her free hand when the chilly December air blew on her. Mentally cursing herself for being too jittery to forget her jacket, she let out an audible sigh, watching her breath come out in a cloud. She honestly did not know what to do, what to say.

There was a whisper of fabric and the sound of footsteps that broke the silence between them. Soon she was wrapped in the black fabric that she had dubbed the cloak-thingy, and instinctively her head snapped up to look at him who stood a foot away from her, noting that he wore nothing but his sleeveless shirt now. He wasn't looking at her but ahead, his arms folded along his chest.

"Aren't you cold?" she asked stiffly.

"No," he replied, equally stiffly.

"I don't really need it," she said, shrugging her shoulders to indicate what she meant.

"You don't have to lie."

Convinced that he meant it, she consented. "What brings you here?" she asked.

He glanced at her sideways. "I heard you came back."

"I'm assuming Kurama told you."

"That doesn't concern either of us."

"Right," she said, miffed. "Why did you come when you heard I'm back?"

He grunted. "I wanted to see you."

Keeping her voice steady, she asked, "Why is that?"

"I need to talk to you."

"Oh? About what?"

"Could you stop affecting nonchalance?"

Closing her eyes, she heaved a sigh and turned to him. She wasn't expecting that her demeanor would get to him. "I was asking a question."

He looked at her, his eyes set hard. "I need you to clear up some things for me."

This caught her off guard, and she narrowed her eyes at him, trying to calm her racing heart. "What things?"

"Do you despise me?" he asked seriously.

Again, this surprised her, but knowing the answer, she said, "No."

"Do you hate me?"

"No."

"Have you forgiven me?"

She blinked at him. She had, three years ago. She figured it was futile and pointless to hold a grudge against anyone and she had sworn to Ryoko that she would fulfill their dreams with a stronger heart. "Did you ever say you're sorry?"

His eye twitched, and he hesitated. "If I apologize now, will you forgive me?" he asked, and she heard something in his voice that she couldn't place.

"I don't know, maybe," she lied.

He turned away from her, his fists clenching and his knuckles white. At length, he said, "I'm sorry."

A smile tugged at her lips and she presented him the parcel wrapped in brown paper. "Open it," she said.

He eyed the box suspiciously and received it, tearing the wrapper and opening the box. There, on top of the pile of a dozen others, was a picture of him, sleeping peacefully on the train. The sunlight that had penetrated the window cast a glow on his face, and Emi's eyes watered at the memory. He picked up the picture and turned it over, reading what had been written at the back.

She had gathered all the pictures and written the note the night before she departed for Uganda. She could still remember what she wrote:

To you, Hiei,

I have a lot of regrets right now and I'll be lying if I tell you that I never liked you. To say that I was angry and that I hated you for being the most inconsiderate person I've ever known would be understating it. I despised you, I cursed you, and I wanted to put all the blame on you.

The fact still remains that Ryoko had died, and that I had failed to save him. You and they and I had failed to save him. I don't know who to blame, and after much mulling over what happened, I settled for no one. Ryoko wouldn't like it. I wouldn't like it.

I'd like you to know that I'm going away with a grudge-empty but stronger heart. I wanted to make sure that I leave everything behind me before I go, and I'm sorry I must leave you here, too.

Even so, I want you to know that I don't hate you. I've forgiven you and I've forgiven myself. I guess for now it's the best choice. Forgiving. I hope you'd forgive me for not listening to you, for not believing in you.

I'll see you someday, I don't know when, but I'm sure by then you'll be reading this with me by your side and I'm back. What happens then will depend on you.

For now I wish you get to sleep as peacefully as you have in this picture.

See you,

Emi

When he finished reading, he turned to her and said, "I've forgiven you, too."

She smiled, letting a cold tear drop from her eye.

"Are you dating anyone?"

Her smile turned to a grin. "No, I'm not," she said, laughing.

Smirking, he said confidently, "Then, would you mind if I take a chance on us again?"

"No, I wouldn't."

They looked at each other, smiling and smirking, and Emi closed the gap between them to embrace him. He granted her a kiss, and the door opened to break them apart.

"Hey, the spaghetti and pizza are going to get cold," said Yusuke, Kuwabara fidgeting behind him.

Chuckling, she took Hiei's hand and guided him through the door.

It was a happy Christmas.

Finally I'm letting this story go. I apologize if you expected a very heated confrontation between Hiei and Emi, but after giving it much thought, I decided to go with my original plan. I thought it would be better for them to heal first, especially Emi. I'm tired of angst-ridden chapters and I took this path to show how Emi had to grow in such a short time. There are many ways a person can move on, and I decided that Emi would choose to do it fast without doing any more damage than she'd already done. I also wanted to write an epilogue that would let the readers see what the other characters are thinking, and, having been inside Emi's head for too long, I think I owed it to you.

I thank everyone who'd been with me through the end, those who always reviewed and those who added this story to their favorites and alert lists. I apologize for the hiatus and I sincerely hope such would never happen again.

For the last time, could you leave me a review? I would really want to know how you found this chapter (and story). I have a question, though. How does my writing in a first person point of view compare to my writing in an omniscient third person point of view? Thank you very much! :)))

See you next time, it's been a happy ride!

~four-eyed 0-0

UPDATE August 1, 2014:

I've started with a new YYH fic entitled, The Science of the Inexplicable. It's a mystery/romance fic and will be featuring the gang with special (but not extensive) focus on Kurama and an OC who will, of course, be a catalyst for the story to take shape. I hope that after enjoying Click, you'd check it out! The first four chappies are already up and waiting to get some lovin' from all of you (the first two are really for setting up things between the main narrators and characters of the story). Don't worry! This I guarantee will see completion. And I am very excited for the major plot points I've planned out! I hope you'd give it a chance.

Summary: Eight years since the first Makai Tournament, a new case opens with peculiar mutants swarming both the Human and Demon World. As it happens, Kurama has other issues to deal with, as his mother raises a very significant point regarding the future. With an acerbic, resolute professor thrown into the picture, the friends find themselves in a new ride. Read and review!

Again, thank you for your unending support. :) I hope to see you in my new and future stories!