Disclaimer: I do NOT own Yu Yu Hakusho or any of it's characters.

A word. One word. And with one word, many follow. That's usually how it works. But I couldn't choke another one out. This was the first thing I'd said in years, and it seemed fitting, for after all this time, I just stay quiet. Very quiet. For my scream had brought blood to my lips, and fear to my heart.

"Alice?" Hiei nearly whispered, crouching before me. I hadn't noticed that I was on the floor until that moment.

I shook my head.

"Can you say anything else?"

I shook my head again.

"Come on, Alice," His voice was very stern.

I shook my head once more.

"Fine," He said, and stood up. He walked away, and I absorbed the room around me. I was in the depiction of a squatter's perfect home. It was shoddy; a building falling down from the inside out. That wasn't the worst part. Needles were lining it, also, and I began to fear for the sterilization of my wounds. And the craftsmanship. Wires had been taken out of my skin, what did I look like now?

I watched Hiei stride across the room, and open a shabby door. He walked through it, closing it behind him. I heard a lock click, then voices, loud voices.

'Damn,' I thought, running a hand through my hair, and ignoring my burning mouth, 'I pissed him off.'

I got up, slowly, bringing my body to a standstill on the blanket I'd been laying on. Standing up, the room looked even worse, and I saw the blood that had been hurriedly cleaned up soaked into the fibers of the blanket.

I groaned, then carefully picked my way out from the bed and needles and little tools that surrounded it. Then I went up to the door and pressed my ear against it. To my dismay, two familiar voices bombarded my hearing.

"They're out." The first voice said, deeply and with a voice laced with malice. "What's the purpose?"

The other voice answered, "I did it always for her protection. Ok, and for my own. But my Father has found her, Hiei, and I don't know what to do with the little imp, but let her fend for herself."

This voice was my brother's.

"Hn," was Hiei's answer, before continuing; "You put her into silence to cover up a drug ring. You're nothing more then a selfish waste of life, which happened to temporarily save his sister's life. It's true; her ability to speak is a valuable piece of her abilities, but you didn't know that when you did this to her. You hurt her selfishly, for only your gain."

That was more then I'd ever heard Hiei speak, and I held my breath. My voice helped my abilities? How so? I didn't have time to contemplate it for the lock on the door clicked, and I backed quickly away as Hiei entered.

"You were listening," he stated, not as a question in the slightest.

I nodded.

"Come see your brother."

I followed him, hesitantly until I saw my brother before me.

"Braydon," I whispered, reaching for him. He reached back, and we embraced, an awkward, painful thing.

"Explain." I commanded, and Hiei's eyes flashed with humor.

"Fine," my brother shot back, then sighed and did just that, "I wired your mouth to keep you quiet about my world. But it just so happened, your gift was also arriving around that time. I figured you to have what I have, the ability to freeze whatever I feel. That gift, our gift, for Hiei has relayed to me that you also harbor it, is centered at the mouth. Why the mouth? I know not. But I believe it has to do with voice. I can use my powers with just thought; screaming profanity in my head, and it will do considerable damage. But if I so happen to let the words outside my head, the power is magnified near ten fold, little sister. And I believe, it's also easier to detect. I helped you, I honestly did."

I shrugged, taking in the information with quiet thought. Then I turned to Hiei.

"Can we leave?" I asked, and held my breath as he studied me.

"Yes." He replied, and looked at my brother threateningly.

"Stay away," He threatened, and led me outside.

I climbed into his car, taking the seat beside him and pulling down the mirror. I let him start the car and get on the road before I looked into it.

"Wow," I whispered, touching my mangled mouth. I could still see my lips, but scars cut through them. It looked as if an animal had raked it's claws clear across the expanse of my mouth, and ripped it. The damaged wasn't nearly as bad as I had assumed, though, and I accredited that to the way the wires had been inserted. Each one above my lips, just a little, leaving angry, red, circular scars for me to see.

In fact, It was actually an improvement from the past look. Duh.

I sat up straight, reveling in my newly found ability to form words, and smiled big.

Then I shut my mouth.

My teeth. I hadn't thought about the fact that for years they'd been covered up. They were rotten, black, nearly, and I was even missing some.

I gagged.

Hiei looked over.

And a car hit us head on.