Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from the Yu Yu Hakusho series. I only own the story line and the original characters within the story. Now... the storm has passed... but the effects have not. What will happen when all the dirty secrets of the past start to reveal themselves in the worst possible ways? And how will everyone react when they find out that Kiara was keeping the worst one of them all? Find out as you read Chapter Seventeen: Dirty Laundry.

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Two days after the flood in the main tunnel hall, Kiara stood with her hands on her hips. She shook her head and seen the devastated state of the once great hall that many of her people had worked so hard to uphold. The tensions were rising with her people and she knew that they had to get out of the tunnels, and out of the halls before they began to kill each other. She took several steps into the hall, finding that the water hadn't receded like they had hoped that it would. It still came half way up her calves and the mud and rubble was everywhere. She sighed lightly as she heard several of the demons were coming into the hall behind her. She shook her head again, knowing that it was going to take some time before everything completely dried out. Ramon stood beside her and shook his head with her. "Look at this mess."

Kiara nodded and looked up at him. "It could have been worse. We could have all drowned."

He nodded and shrugged his shoulders as he seen Vince stand beside him. "True. But I think it could have been a lot worse than that."

Kiara shook her head. "We might as well head to the surface and stretch our legs before the real work begins."

The two men nodded and headed out in search for a safe passage to the surface. Kiara turned back to see that her people were coming down the tunnels, depressed by the sight of the disaster that was the hall. She ushered them all out and instructed them to all go out of the tunnels. Youko stood next to her for a moment, proud that she had been able to save EVERY one of their people. She looked up and him and shook her head.

"I fear that the effects of the storm have only just begun, papa," she said lightly as she continued to usher her people through the muddy waters to the exits that Ramon and Vince had found.

"I hate to say it, but I agree," Youko said once Hiei finally joined him. "Foxes do love the underground... but I hate to know what has been brewing among them for the last two days. Tensions were starting to get pretty thick back there."

Kiara nodded and frowned. "I know. I am just hoping that the fresh air and open space can cool them before the tension boils over into something a lot worse."

Youko nodded. "Agreed."

Kiara stretched with a strangled groan as her feet finally stood on solid, dry ground. She looked around and found that most of her people were doing the same. They seemed to be happy at the moment. She smiled lightly at the sight, the foxes being relieved of entrapment from the tunnels and the storm. She shook her head and joined them, talking among them.

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Two more days later, Youko sighed heavily as he and Hiei had finally gotten their own place cleaned up from the storm. Since they had been on higher ground, their house wasn't flooded too badly, but the clutter was enough to make a huge mess inside and out. Hiei sat on a raise root and sat his newly discarded shirt on the limb beside him, sighing heavily. He shook his head, noting that there were logs littering the grounds that surrounded the little house. He seen Youko come out of the house with an armful of sticks that had barged into the house through the broken window over his shoulder. Youko sat them in the pile that was building as they had cleaned up. Youko dusted his hands on his pants and sat next to his mate. "Almost done."

Hiei scoffed at the cheerfulness in his tone. "How you can be so calm with your people having such a hard time of their own, is beyond me."

Youko looked at him and smiled. "They have survived a horde of Wild Hyenas tearing through their homes, rebuilt and then survived a war between the foxes and the wolves. They can handle the storm that has passed."

"I wasn't talking about the storm that already passed, Youko," Hiei said seriously as he looked at him. "You could have cut the tensions between them all with a knife. And Kiara was getting tense among them too. I don't know if the most deadly of the storms has even come to pass, fox. You don't either, I can tell."

Youko sighed lightly. "Yeah... but I am not the leader anymore. I cannot deal with the troubles the way that Kiara can. And she is strong enough to handle them all. If they were going to overthrow her, they would have done it already."

Hiei shook his head. "I don't know. They seemed like things weren't getting any better when we left yesterday. I could hear Ramon and Vince bickering back and forth, and Kiara couldn't even get them to stop. She got frustrated with them and walked away, telling them to hash it out between them. I am hoping that we did not leave too soon."

But before the Youko could respond, Youko frowned as he looked to the trees around them. They were blowing in a non existing wind. It was a message to him, but he couldn't make it out. He shook his head and stood up. Hiei stood beside him and frowned, hearing the bushes crunching to his side.

"Grandpa!" Calliegh called out to him, still yet to clear the bushes at the edge of the tiny clearing.

"Calliegh... what happened?" he asked as she finally came into view.

Calliegh swallowed lightly. "You and mama were right... the tensions are starting to boil over. The foxes from the eastern tunnels came... they didn't help at all! They just added to the tensions that were already building. Grandpa... you have to come quick. I couldn't find mama."

Youko looked at Hiei and the three of them headed for the tunnels. Youko growled lightly as the fighting between the foxes had already began to pour out of the tunnels. He raised his hand, two vines wrapping around the two foxes that were fighting. The vines immobilized them as the trio headed into the tunnels. Hiei frowned to hear the shouting and the screaming that was inside the main halls. When they came to the entrance of the hall, Youko frowned at the sight before him. The entire tribe was shouting at one another, half holding the other half back from fighting, and Kiara was in the middle of them.

But as soon as he arrived in the halls, she shook her head and balled up her fists. Her hands glowed green, and Youko stepped back, shielding Hiei with his arms.

"Enough!" Kiara shouted, her voice echoing off the walls a dozen times, as a rush of energy filled the hall, shoving all the demons back from where she stood at the center of it all. "This is bullshit! Get a grip on yourselves!"

Crag was standing there and shook his head. "You know better than us all the devastation that the storm caused. We warned you long ago that the tunnels needed to be connected together in order for our systems to keep strong!"

Kiara growled as she turned to him. "Connecting over sixty tunnels together was going to weaken the forest floors and you know it, Crag. I have told you before, I will not risk the safety of the forest so that you are able to freely walk around the systems as you please!"

Crag growled back at her. "I told you that it was only so that we can keep our people safe!"

Kiara balled up her fists again and Crag took a step back. "I am warning you, Crag. I am not in the mood to deal with your shit. Back off!"

Youko took a step into the tunnel but he seen Ramon step forward. "I wouldn't, Youko. She is defending herself against everyone including us."

Youko shrugged his shoulders and looked at Ramon. "I can handle my daughter, Ramon."

Ramon stepped back and let the fox pass. As Youko came to the center of the room, Kiara had managed to convince the tribe to back off and she turned to him, her frown enough to sour any living plant around. She shook her head and walked to the platform that was raised. She sat on the platform and sighed heavily watching as her people continued their minor bickering back and forth.

Youko joined her and looked out over the people. "Massive storm you got here."

Kiara scoffed and shook her head. "It's like they want to kill each other. And I am fed up with it. I'm about to walk out and let them have at it."

Youko frowned and shook his head. "You won't do that. You care about our people too much to do something so rash."

Kiara looked at him and frowned. "I would do that. If this shit doesn't come to an end soon, then I am gonna have no choice. I can't handle this."

One of the foxes that was standing nearby growled at her and stepped up to her. "Then why fight to bring us all back together?"

Kiara frowned as she looked at the woman standing there. The woman's shrill voice had captured the attention of most of the tribe and Kiara looked around and seen that she had a very captive audience as the woman went on.

"If you are so willing to give up... why bring us together in the first place? Huh? Do you care so little for us?" the woman snapped.

Kiara stood up and walked up to the woman, many tribesmen stepping away... but not the woman. "I am just simply tired of hearing EVERY single one of you bicker about the tiniest things!"

She jumped up onto the platform. "You have survived worse that a simple fucking flood! How the hell are we supposed to rebuild our lives if everywhere we turn there is another group of our people bickering about the mess around us?! We won't be able to! Not if we do not work together. If we fall apart now... we are sure to tear apart, and that is not what I have worked so hard to build. I brought our people back together because I could not... I WOULD NOT sit back and watch them be bullied by wolves... by bears... and I will be damned if I sit here and watch us fall apart now."

"You brought us back together because we were all that you had left after your father died," one of the foxes called out to her. "Now that he is back, why don't you just give up? Take your family and go!"

The group cheered at the fox's words and Kiara frowned. "Because it was MY birthright to claim leadership. I fought to bring you back together because I wasn't going to sit back and watch my GRANDFATHER'S legacy go down in smoke and flames! I wasn't willing to sit back and watch MY people be hurt, be tortured and killed just because of what we are! I brought us back together to protect us all!"

"The hell you did, Kiara. You did it just so that you wouldn't be alone in this life!" another fox spat up at her. "Do us all a favor and back down."

Kiara frowned and growled lightly. "Then claim the right of challenge and try to take me down! I will not back down... not as long as I am breathing!"

Youko's eyes widened as he seen four foxes step through the crowd. Hiei joined him by his side and so had Calliegh, Ramon and Vince. The five of them stood up and stood around the platform around Kiara. But Kiara put her hands on Youko and Ramon's shoulders. She hopped down and faced the four standing there. She pulled a sword from Vince's belt and took several steps to her right. She dragged the sword's edge along the dirt and ended before the other foxes in front of her. She held out the sword, and Vince took it from her.

"Take your side," she growled at them. "Should you claim the right of challenge... you must have the support of at least three of the elders."

The crowd parted and only one of the elders stood beside them. The other five elders came and stood beside her. The five older foxes stood there and crossed their arms. "You four have lost the sight of our kind. You are blinded by your hatred, and that is not the way of our people." One of them said to the four demons.

Kiara smirked, seeing that all four of them folded their ears as the response to the elders. Kiara watched them, sure that they were going to make a move, but was surprised when all but one of them stepped back. The last stood there with his arms crossed, a deadly smirk on his face. He was looking at the group of younger foxes there, mainly Kiara, Vince and Ramon.

"You know... it's funny as hell that you claim that everything you do is for the people, Kiara..." the fox said coldly. "But it seems to me that the only thing that you have done for our people is deny them the FULL truth about your precious family."

Kiara's eyes widened as her ears flattened against her skull. Vince winced at the man's words, and Youko seen this. He frowned but Kiara's growl was the only thing that he could really focus on.

"Tell them the truth... leader of ours," the fox taunted.

"I have told them nothing but the truth," she growled. "Now back off, before you say something that you regret."

The fox snickered lightly as he crossed his arms. "So they know that you NEVER went off for a drunken weekend and came back pregnant?"

The crowd instantly began to murmur and Kiara's growls intensified. Vince shifted uncomfortably and Calliegh frowned as she looked at her mother. "What is he talking about?"

"Oh... so that is something that you HAVEN'T told them. It seems that EVERYONE here knows who Calliegh's real father is," the fox turned to the crowd as he had said this. He turned back to the teenager that stood there. "Everyone that is... except you. But then again... you DO know WHO he is. Just not that he was your father."

Kiara frowned as she seen the crowd's expressions change from bored listening to a shocked and awwed expression. She shook her head. "You are about to cross the line, Alastair. I am warning you."

The fox smirked as he squared his shoulders. "Go on... tell the tribe that VINCE was the one that really got you pregnant."

The crowd gasped, Youko included, and the entire crowd turned to Vince, who sighed heavily, avoiding one pair of eyes in particular. Calliegh shook her head, feeling the tears sting the corner of her eyes. "Is it true?"

He looked down, and before he could answer her, Ramon stepped forward and between Kiara and the obnoxious fox there. "You need to back off, Alastair. You are making a scene."

"Cute that you are the one that defends the entire situation, Ramon," the man said to the fox before him. "Considering that she conceived Calliegh when the TWO of YOU were together!"

Youko frowned, the situation had gone from bad, to worse and it didn't seem like it was going to get any better any time soon. Alastair was on a roll, and he was just getting warmed up. He turned to Calliegh... Youko frowned as he put his arm around his granddaughter.

"And you... YOU blamed my son for the fire that destroyed half the forest! When all along... it was your candle that had started it!" he snapped.

The entire crowd went into an uproar. Kiara glanced at her daughter sideways... but only for a moment. For when she turned to face him again, he smirked lightly. "You say that all that you do is for the tribe. Explain why you would willingly go to the Tigers and make a secret truce with them? To turn them into an ally?"

Youko frowned as he looked at her, knowing that she couldn't have done that. A Tiger demon was the reason that her mother had died. And that same Alpha was still the Alpha of the tribe. Kiara growled as Alastair turned to the tribe.

"Sounds like our dear leader has kept one lie after another from us," he said to the tribe. "How can any of us look that over?"

The elders beside her shook their heads, Kiara frowned seeing the actions of each of them. She swallowed lightly as she seen the mutiny that was about to start... but it never came for Crag came and put a hand on Alistair's shoulder. "Enough, brother. You have made your points."

Kiara blinked as Crag turned his brother from the smaller group standing there. He turned to the elders and nodded lightly to them. Kiara turned and looked at the six elders, but only found four. She turned as she heard the two clear their throats above them on the platform.

"It seems that this storm has aired many dirty secrets," one said, his hoarse, raspy voice echoing farther threw the hall than many would have thought. "But keep in mind... each lie was kept to protect those around her. The lie about her and Vince... she kept to protect Ramon, and everyone else. The lie about Calliegh's true parentage... another testament to that protection. She valued the opinion of those around her and her friends to keep the truth from them all. Especially her own daughter. You must look at what it had to take out of her to keep the secrets.

As to the treaty with the Tiger demons... that had nothing to do with her. She was against it from the beginning, considering the man was the one who had murdered her mother. But I was the one that pushed it, for the wolves have multiplied and are threatening both of our borders. The treaty means only one thing... the two tribes will come together against the wolves should they attack either tribe. That is the only thing to the treaty.

And as to Calliegh's involvement in the fire... that has already been discussed between the elders and her. She had to regrow the forest herself... and SHE HAS! If you even considered the fact that she had done it on purpose... think again. We had to see it for ourselves, and it was indeed an accident. And Alistair... she protected your son from us. It was him that had brought the candles... she took the blame when she faced us."

Kiara looked at her daughter and seen her look down, avoiding eye contact with her mother. But Kiara knew that the rest of the dirty laundry that had been exposed was going to have repercussions of their own. The tribesmen went about what they were doing... as if nothing had happened. But Kiara frowned as she looked over at Ramon. He was frowning at Vince and Vince was trying his hardest to gather the courage to look up at him. Youko seen the danger in those glowing golden eyes and pulled Calliegh away from Ramon's side. She frowned as she looked up at him, he simply shook his head at her.

"Ramon..." Vince said lightly, finally daring to look up.

But the moment that he did, Ramon struck... slapping Vince with such a force that the sound made Kiara's own cheek hurt. She flinched at the strike. Vince held his cheek, looking at the ground... but Ramon shook his head and walked away, not looking back. Vince sighed heavily as he looked up, tears clearly streaking down his reddening cheek. Kiara frowned... she did this. She put a hand on Vince's shoulder, stopping him from following and took off after him. She had to be the one to fix this. Ramon turned to her when he heard her approach in the tunnels.

"Please... Ramon, do not take your anger out on Vince... I vowed him to secrecy... It was all me," she said to him, pleading with him to forgive his mate. "After everything that the three of us have been through... I would hate to see you two separate."

Ramon shook his head and looked at her. "I'm not angry, Kiara... I am hurt... I have told him what happened the last time I took a mate... she was a cheating little tramp... and he swore that he wasn't like that."

Kiara shook her head. "I'm sorry, Ramon. You must understand... you were away... and the other females were starting to pick on him because he fell into heat..."

Ramon looked at her. "He took you in heat?"

She shook her head. "No... when the women left him alone... I took him back to your home. He seemed fine... but the next morning... he came to me, begging me to help him. He was missing you so much. He was still in heat, and I tried to relieve him... but after a while... there was only one way that seemed would help him. I never meant to get pregnant, Ramon... I swear!"

Ramon looked at her and shook his head. "He went to you... to help him?"

She nodded. "Only to help with the heat. It only subsided momentarily... enough to convince the women to leave him alone. He came to me when it spiked again. He told me that he felt like he was betraying you to let the others play with him like they do. You must see that I only wanted to help him."

Ramon nodded and looked down at his hand, which was just as red as Vince's cheek was. He shook his head. "I... I overreacted..."

"No... you didn't,"

Kiara turned and seen Vince standing there. She stepped away as Vince took her place before him. She smiled lightly as she turned and walked out of the tunnel with a simple sigh. She shook her head, thankful that one situation had been defused. When she entered the hall, she seen Calliegh talking to the elders and to Youko. She frowned as she felt a hand on her arm. She turned and seen Hiei standing there with his arms crossed. She sighed lightly.

"I guess I owe you and my father an apology," she said lightly as she leaned against the wall beside him, watching the exchange between the elders, Calliegh and Youko.

"For what?" Hiei asked as he looked at her.

Kiara looked at him and frowned. "You two specifically asked me about who was her father... and I lied to you both."

Hiei smirked lightly. "She has a lot of Vince's traits. I have to thank you for helping me win a bet with your father. He thought that she belonged to Ramon. But hey... it wasn't our business anyways."

Kiara chuckled lightly. "How did either of you know?"

Hiei shrugged. "You never mentioned anything about her father... which gave us both reason to believe that we both knew who he was to begin with. And it seems that Calliegh had a bit of a suspicion as well, considering that she seems to have taken to him more than any other of the foxes around here."

Kiara smirked. "Well... I surely did not raise a fool. And to think... I would have taken that to my grave. Letting her go her entire life without letting her know the truth."

"She would have been better off knowing from the start," Hiei said to her. "It would have made things a lot easier for you to keep the lie a secret so long."

Kiara shrugged her shoulders and sighed heavily. "Yeah... well we all make mistakes in life. And I am glad that all the secrets have come out. I feel lighter now... now that all that secrecy is over. It would serve you some good, too, if you open up to him, you know."

Hiei frowned at her as she walked away, disappearing into the crowd. He shook his head. There was no way that she knew his own dirty little secret. He shook his head, there was NO WAY that she knew. Youko smiled as he leaned against the wall beside him. "What are you thinking about?"

Hiei shook his head. "Nothing."

"Something that you want to tell me?" Youko said looking at him.

Hiei sighed, that little bitch! She told him that Hiei was hiding something. He shook his head and crossed his arms tighter around him. "I said it was nothing."

Youko frowned as he put a hand on his shoulder. "I think I know what it is anyways, Hiei."

Hiei blinked, looking up at the fox. "I highly doubt it."

Youko smiled lightly as he looked down at his mate. "You knew that I was Youko Kurama all along. You targeted me because of that one time we met when you were younger. You just were not expecting to fall in love with me so easily."

Hiei frowned and shook his head. "I hate you and your family."

Youko smirked and kissed his cheek. "We love you too, my little devious, fire imp."

Hiei glanced at him before he walked away. He couldn't help but smile, for the fox was right. He had known who Kurama was all along. That energy was hard to miss and when he felt it, he had to do everything in his powers to get to him. He was the reason that he was the only one that applied for the job in the Human World... he was the one that positioned himself in the park to run into him. Hiei smiled as he looked back, grinning at the thought that EVERYTHING that he had planned, the meeting, the togetherness, the love, the sex... EVERYTHING had gone according to his plan.

Hiei looked out over the crowd of fox demons, seeing his mate looking up at him with a devious smile on his face. He had planned everything so carefully, but the one thing that he hadn't planned on... was falling in love... not only with his mate... but the family that he has and the people that surrounded them all in the great hall in front of him. He smiled, even if his sister had chosen to stay in the Human World and build a life for herself there... he had one right here in front of him. And he highly doubted, as he pushed himself off the wall and walked into the crowd... he highly doubted that he would change a thing. He smiled as he walked up to Kiara and Calliegh who smiled at him and then hugged him. They knew that the truth was out, and they all knew as they hugged... that no more dirty little secrets were going to stand in the way of their happiness.

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THE END. Alrighty then... I hope you enjoyed the story, for I am very glad at how the end turned out to be. I am happy to hear any and all comments that you may have. I look forward to your comments, reviews and requests for later stories. So please leave a comment and I will get back to you as soon as I can. Until later, my viewers... I leave you with a happy good night, and then a ta ta for now.