Risty: You like me! You really like me!

Kurama: I think Hiei's coming.

Risty: Oops. He's still mad, huh?

Yusuke: That's an understatement.

Hiei/runs into room/

Risty: Gotta go/runs away/

Hiei/runs after/

NarratorDude/sigh/ Here's Chapter 4.

I think I'm weird. –Anu

Chapter 4: So, What's Their Deal?

Last Time:

"Who are you anyway?" Yusuke yelled.

"OH! Where are my manners?" The girl on the Volvo crossed one leg over the other, held her arms straight out, and bent at the waist in a rather comical attempt at a bow. "I am Risty Ryokin, and I would like to welcome you to the Home."

This Time:

"The "home" of what?" Yusuke asked.

"You mean the home for what." The pigtailed girl corrected.

"It's the Home for Abandoned and Abused Demons and Psychics." Risty answered. "You can understand the need to shorten it."

"Discretion is very important in this kind of situation." Maddie added.

"Uh." Kuwabara started scratching his head. "So, you're all psychics?"

"Or demons!" The pigtailed girl interjected.

"Or half-bloods." Risty whispered. "Hey!" Her head shot up as a blast from the hose hit her.

"Stop feeling sorry for yourself!" The girl yelled. "We've all got problems and this isn't a time for you to throw a pity party!"

"Yes." Kurama added. "Don't you have cars to wash?" The hose was aimed at him.

"Don't you me we, Kurama?"

"Uh... Actually..."

"We should just be happy he didn't blow us off to study for the finals." Risty said sharply, jumping down from the car. "For that we'd like to leave you with a special parting gift! Rogue! Show him what he's won!" She added in a game show host tone.

"Alright." A girl about Risty's height, with black hair and blue bangs picked up the bucket of soapy water and dumped it over Kurama's head.

"Hey!"

"Well, we couldn't let you leave dry." Rogue then went over to the hose to rinse out the bucket.

"That isn't a good reason."

"Get over it cry baby."

"Rogue! Be nice!" Risty scolded. "At least we finally know why he's been running off lately."

"Hey! In my defense I didn't get a choice!"

"Have we been completely forgotten?" Kuwabara asked.

Kurama sighed deeply and walked toward the two boys. "Come on. We'd better go before they come up with another brilliant plan."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Risty yelled after them. "'We'd better go before they come up with another brilliant plan.' My plans are brilliant." She muttered.

"We know Ris." The girl with pigtails said, jumping down from the truck.

"Thanks Li. Now let's get this cleaned up. It's Memorial Day weekend for Pete's sake! I know I don't wanna get grounded again."

"Not with your sister's temper." Li-Li started rinsing the last of the soap off the truck.

"RISTY!" A voice suddenly yelled from the house.

"Too late." Li-Li finished.

Meanwhile with Kurama, Yusuke, and Kuwabara.

"So what was that about?" Yusuke asked.

"Risty and Rogue are old friends of mine. The others sort of showed up looking for a place to stay."

"Is Risty single?" Kuwabara grinned.

"One, she would kill you if you asked, and two, what about Yukina?"

"You're right! I am completely committed to Yukina, no matter how hot your friends are." Yusuke just shook his head.

"So, what's with the Home?"

"Risty convinced her sister to turn the house into a sort of orphanage for demons and psychics whose families throw them out or abuse them." He chuckled slightly. "They've even got a vampire."

"Vampire?" Yusuke asked skeptically, "Like, 'I want to suck your blood' vampire?"

"Yeah, except Ris sort of found a way to get him off of biting people." He laughed again. "They break him into a blood bank once a month."

"A vampire in a blood bank." Yusuke shook his head. "What will they think of next?"

"It works pretty well, he gets a bag or two to last him through the month, and no one ever notices the blood goes missing."

"Next you're gonna tell me he goes to school."

"Yeah."

"Anything else you'd like to share?"

"It's a little complicated."

"Please. Go on." Yusuke said sarcastically.

"No! Please don't, my head's spinning already." Kuwabara objected.

Kurama began chuckling again. "Most people feel that way at first. If you get to know them you sort of get used to weird things."

"What do you mean?"

"Psychics, demons, half-bloods, a vampire, overprotective brothers, short tempers, animals that shouldn't even be in this realm, and a computer system with a personality. Mix all that together and you've got the basic construction of Home." Kurama then turned to head for his house.

"Wait." Yusuke called. Kurama stopped and looked at him expectantly. After exchanging words with Kuwabara Yusuke asked. "Any way we could become a part of this little family?"

"Family." Kurama laughed. "That's the perfect word to describe this. The bonds of family." He started laughing again. "Of course. I'll call them tonight and see if we meet somewhere this weekend." With that he walked into his apartment, and the other two headed to their houses.

Yusuke and Kuwabara split up farther down the street and each headed toward their respective house. Yusuke stopped in front of his house and then continued on to the arcade. It was the Friday before a three day weekend, he knew his mother wouldn't be home, and even if she was, she would probably be too drunk to know he was even home.

"Why cant' she be a little more mother-like?" He wondered aloud. "Just once, I'd

like to go home and hear 'Hi Yusuke, how was your day?' That would be awesome."

Kuwabara walked into his apartment and his sister wasn't there.

"Figures." He fed Eikichi, changed his clothes, and left to find something else to do for the day.

NarratorDude: Hiei is still trying to kill Risty, and the boys are making bets on whether or not she'll live. So I'll just finish this. 'What'll happen when the boys get to know the others better?' I don't know. Never mind that stuff. Come back later for the next exciting installment in Home: The Bonds of Family to find out if it gets better.

Risty/runs panting into room/ Hey! It's good now! The next couple chapters get a little more, um, unusual.

Hiei: Give me that picture/runs into room/

Risty: If you don't like the story, please feel free to flame me. Just make it productive please. Later/runs away/

Hiei: Hn. /follows/

NarratorDude: Review please. Good-bye.