Disclaimer: I don't like writing these things, but for some reason, I can't manage to write a chapter without writing one of these.

Notes: So, this wasn't requested or anything, but I decided it had been long enough since I updated, and I left you all at such a horrible place.

Which is why I left you at an even worse place this time.

-o-o-o-o-

Game of Death

Chapter 3

-o-o-o-o-

"Keiko didn't kill anyone!" Yusuke screamed out, slamming his fist down on the desk. Keiko, standing beside him jumped slightly at his anger and Koenma flinched, being on the receiving end of that hostility.

"Please, Yusuke," he began calmly, trying to reason with his detective. "We are not accusing her yet. However, her fingerprints were found on a knife covered in Yukina's blood, as were here clothes!"

"Fingerprints?" Yusuke echoed, his voice possibly even more ferocious than before. "Let me see that damn knife! There aren't any fingerprints on it because Keiko didn't kill Yukina!"

"Yusuke, please!" Koenma barked out this time, his tone a tad fierce as his patience wore thin. "I can assure you that the knife is in the vaults being analyzed as we speak. I can also tell you right now that Keiko's fingerprints were found on the murder weapon!"

"That's impossible!" Yusuke screamed, leaning forward to grab his boss by the collar, but a gentle hand stopped him, coming between those hands and their target.

"Yusuke, please relax and calm down. I am sure Keiko has done nothing wrong," Kurama spoke softly, his voice comforting and tranquil. Yusuke found himself wanting to believe those words, wanting to do as they said and he retracted his arms, though his hands fisted in the uncontained rage.

Koenma gave his calmest spirit detective a grateful smile before turning serious eyes back to Yusuke. Keiko stood beside her husband, her head bowed ever so slightly in a more sorrowful appearance than a guilty one.

"Now listen, Yusuke. We have proof by weaponry, blood, and fingerprint identification that may possibly link your wife to the crime. That makes her a suspect, Yusuke, not a killer," Koenma began to explain calmly, but it was obvious that he was doing so to avoid any more antagonistic reactions from his best tentai.

"However," he continued, approaching the subject extremely cautiously, "because she is a suspect, we must keep her in the Reikai until we can prove her innocence or…"

"She's innocent." The growl was menacing and Kurama had to put another hand on Yusuke's shoulder in hopes of both calming him as well as comforting his friend and ally.

"We know she is, Yusuke," he said softly. Hiei stood beside him, so close that he looked, in a manner, like a young child clinging to a parent's leg in fear or safety. He had not spoken a word since Kurama had held him at the temple, having slept until woken at the news of a potential suspect.

But even Hiei could not bring himself to believe that Keiko was Yukina's killer.

He was barely aware of himself through his grief, but he could think through the anatomy and the physics of the crime. Keiko simply didn't have the motivation, the mental ability, or the physical or anatomical strength it would take to stab a knife into such a sweet girl and rip it up into her shoulder.

It was plain as that.

"Koenma, surely we do not have to treat Keiko as a hardened criminal," Kurama began once more, his voice the diplomatic entrepreneur that could talk itself out of any situation. "As a suspect, she should be watched, but she does not need to be imprisoned. Please allow us to guard her at the temple. We will hold her for three days in which you have to prove her innocent or…guilty."

The junior prince of Reikai looked to Kurama and observed his oldest member for some time. The room grew awfully silent as Koenma's amber eyes stared the fox up and down, locking on his eyes for the longest amount of minutes.

Yusuke stood by, focused on nothing more than keeping his hands fisted and off of the neck of his boss.

Keiko stood by, unable to do anything but fear for the fact that her clothes were found covered in blood and she was being charged with murder.

Kuwabara sat on the side of the Reikai office, his head held between his hands, bent over in the chair and staring at the floor between his knees. He had not spoken since the he had woken from a restless sleep, screaming out his love's name.

Like Hiei, he was barely in his right mind. But unlike the fire demon, he could not discern between possible and impossible. All he knew was that standing four feet from him was the most likely suspect in his only true love's murder case.

And he was hanging onto every inch of sanity that he could just to stop himself from ripping her heart out.

Hiei seemed to be the only one in the room who stood, glaring at the lord before them for his daring observational stare of the fox. Through all his anger and his sorrow that drove him near his own limit, the sight still lit a flame of jealousy.

Which was, in the end, completely unjustified as Koenma just nodded. "You are our smartest member, Kurama," he said but his voice did not contain any hint of flattery. It was simply logical to follow Kurama's word. "If you think she will be safe from herself and from others there, then I will allow it."

The fox gave a small bow to the lord and quietly led Yusuke, who was escorting his wife, to the door. Hiei followed his lover close, sending one more glare to Koenma for a seemingly pointless reason. However, he paused at the door when Kuwabara had not even moved from his spot on the chair.

Hiei glanced from the fox, who was still escorting the married couple out of the Junior Reikai, back to Kuwabara and slowly turned back around. Walking over, he put one arm on Kuwabara's forearm, another on his shoulder, and literally heaved him out of the chair.

It was unlike Hiei to care that much, and Koenma watched in interest as Kuwabara shoved him roughly away, but the fire demon wouldn't take it. Two hands grabbed the orange-haired detective roughly by the shirt and began hauling him out of the office.

But the movement was unnecessary, for the most part. After his initial refusal to move, it seemed that Kuwabara had no more strength to argue, letting the fire demon lead him out of the toddler's office and out of the Reikai completely.

They left behind a curiously frowning Koenma.

-o-o-o-

"Go through it again."

"Yusuke, please-"

"Just do it, Keiko!" Yusuke growled, balling his fists in frustration as he paced their bedroom above her parent's Ramen shop. "I- I have to find the proof that'll get us out of this."

Keiko watched her husband with fearful eyes. She didn't know what was going to happen to her, and she was terrified that they wouldn't be able to prove her innocence. She'd watched crime and law shows on TV several times and they all said the same thing: "the evidence will tell us your story."

But what if they didn't find all the evidence? Or what if they misread something, or ignored it, or took something that was planted as the truth?

What would happen if they didn't tell her story. What if they told a completely different story that would have her imprisoned in the Reikai for the next one hundred years?

Keiko shivered, biting her lip to keep back tears. Unconsciously she began fiddling with the ends of her long brown hair, pulled back into a ponytail that fell over her shoulder. Yusuke stopped his pacing as this movement caught his attention out of the corner of his eye.

He knew his wife well, and fidgeting with her hair meant she was nervous. He gave a soft sigh and moved over, kneeling before her where she sat on the bed. The detective reached out and gently took either of her hands in his, holding them in comfort.

"I'll get you out of this, Keiko," he whispered as he looked deep into her eyes. "I know you didn't do this, and I'll make Koenma see it. I'll prove it to everyone."

Keiko watched her husband with tears in her eyes, glancing away as the fear overwhelmed her. She didn't want to doubt her lover, but there was always that thought of what would happen if he couldn't. Yusuke gently lifted her chin and leaned down, pressing his lips to hers in a gentle whisper of love.

"I promise you, Keiko," he whispered against her soft, supple lips. "I won't let you get hurt.

The brunette just nodded, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist and pulling him close, flushing their bodies together. She buried her head against his chest, trying to stop the small sobs that wracked her body or the tears that flowed forth from her eyes, wetting her husband's shirt.

And Yusuke just held her – he would hold her for as long as it took, forever if need be.

But he had to pull away when a buzzing came between them and both looked down to Yusuke's pocket where he had slipped Botan's communicator before leaving the Reikai office. He glanced at Keiko, who only gave a nod and gently pulled away, wiping the residuals of tears that had ceased only minutes ago.

As he opened the blue communicator which looked far too alike to a compact, he saw his wife turn around and quietly leave the room, fearful of what news would be received through the small communication device. Yusuke flipped it open.

"Hey," came the small voice from the other end, not as cheerful or happy as it had always been. It was a rather empty sound because Botan should never be sad. There shouldn't be anything horrible enough to make her sad.

It was an awful sound to here.

Yusuke swallowed heavily as he nodded into the compact. "Hey, Botan," he said, his voice cracking but he cleared his throat to make sure it wouldn't happen again. "Is there any…news?"

Botan nodded and, by the way she didn't seem to be bursting into tears, Yusuke took it as neutral news, considering she wasn't jumping for jow and smiling like the giddy school girl she acted like. The detective took a deep breath, steeling himself for the information.

But it never came.

Instead, the blue haired assistant instructed, "Koenma wants to see you in his office. He doesn't want it said over the communicator, in case it isn't reliable…he-he said that he doesn't want to get your…your hopes up, Yusuke."

The raven-haired man was silent for a long time before he nodded, closing his eyes to keep the emotion out of his face. "I understand, I'll be there soon."

Botan nodded and shut her communicator, ending Yusuke's view in static blackness. He slowly closed the blue device and slid it back into his pocket. Looking towards the door to the ramen shop where Keiko had exited, he sighed and grabbed his jacket, heading for it.

Keiko was behind the bar of the ramen shop, mindlessly chopping various vegetables to ready for the next day's sales. She didn't turn as Yusuke came in and he slowly approached her from behind. Reaching out, he gently laid his hand on hers, pausing her movement with the knife.

He pulled the sharp object from her grasp, laying it down on the counter before her, next to the half chopped onions. The man gently pulled her into his chest, wrapping his arms around her waist. Laying his head on her shoulder, Yusuke just held her, breathing in her sent.

"Koenma wants me back in the Reikai," he whispered softly after the silence turned into an unspoken question on Keiko's part. The brunette nodded, though her hands were shaking as she gripping Yusuke's arms that surrounded her. "I won't be long, I promise."

Keiko nodded once more, turning in his arms to look at him, look deep into his chocolate eyes and tangle of raven hair. She studied his face, as if this was the last time she'd see it. The look in her eyes, the look that told Yusuke she feared him leaving, feared not seeing him again, sent a deep frown over his face and he cupped her cheek.

"There's nothing to fear, Keiko," he said softly, but when that look did not falter, he frowned again and began rethinking his own thoughts. Perhaps he shouldn't leave Keiko alone. Biting his lip, he moved over to the phone, releasing his wife. "I want you to go over to Kurama's."

The brunette blinked at her husband, not understanding the sudden words and her brow furled in confusion. "What? Wh-Why, Yusuke?"

Yusuke shrugged, picking up the phone as he began dialing the fox's telephone number. "I just don't want you alone. If I can't be here to protect you, I'll get someone else who can." He put the phone to his ear.

"Hello?"

"Fox-boy?" his voice cracked again and he cursed himself.

"Yusuke?" The fox sounded surprised and his voice became clearer, rather than the slightly muffled answer he had given. "Yusuke, is something wrong? What is it?"

The worry in Kurama's voice was a relief to Yusuke's ears and he managed a smile as he glanced to Keiko. "Nothing's wrong, K'rama, but Koenma wants me to return to the Reikai. Some sort of new…new information on the c-case."

The response was immediate and Yusuke thanked the fox for always knowing what was on his mind. "I'll come stay with Keiko while you're gone."

"Thanks, Fox-boy," he responded and knew the relief in his voice would convey his true worry. He could practically see Kurama's reassuring smile.

"I'll walk over there right now."

Yusuke hung up the phone and turned to his wife, who was biting her lip gently. He gave a more reassuring smile, one with more confidence than he had earlier held. "It'll be alright, Keiko. I just don't want you alone right now."

He swept her up into a hug once more, running his hand through her hair as she leaned against him. He kissed the top of her head. "Kurama will be here soon."

His pocket buzzed again and Keiko gently pulled away as Yusuke cursed the damn machine with its horrible timing. Keiko smiled softly at him, the first positive look he had seen since they had found the bloodied knife last night.

It was enough to bring a grin to his face.

"Go ahead, Yusuke," she said softly as she leaned up and kissed his cheek. "I'll be fine waiting for Kurama. Go to Koenma."

The detective caught her chin as she began pulling away and pressed his lips to her in a passionate, albeit mandatory kiss. When he pulled away, grinning as his normal self, he gave her a quick thumbs up before heading out the door.

Keiko's smile faded as the door closed behind him, leaving her in the empty ramen shop.

-o-o-o-

Kurama buried his hands deeper into the pockets of his jacket, causing the cloth to hug tighter to his thin frame. Hiei had been telling him he needed to eat more before this whole mess started, and he almost laughed at how pointless it all seemed now- how trivial earlier facts of life had become.

He shivered in the cold breeze that blew past and stung his unprotected face and ears. The temperature had dropped in the last two days to an almost record low. The chances that snow would soon fall on Tokyo's ground were almost undeniable. Kurama wrapped his jacket even tighter.

The suburban streets he walked, near the outer edges of Tokyo city, were nearly void of any life. It was nearing the darker hours of the night and the only light were dim street lamps that lit the sidewalks and streets as much as the moon high above did.

The fox bent his head down to keep the next blast of merciless wind away from his face as much as possible, sending his hair whipping around him. He forced his way down the street against the wind, heading for Yusuke's ramen shop.

He had left a nearly sleeping Hiei back at his apartment, waking the fire demon long enough to tell him where he was going. The hiyoukai had been far too drousy to object, just nodding and drifting back to sleep.

Kurama figured it was a good thing. Hiei, while gruff and rude on the exterior was actually a ridiculously protective mate when it came down to it. No doubt, had the fire demon been more awake and not so intoxicated on the sake Kurama had reluctantly allowed him to have, he would have refused letting him go out alone when a killer was on the loose.

The fox smiled gently at the thought of his overprotective lover, but it was tainted with the sorrows of Hiei's depression for his sister. The next few months would be hard, getting both the fire demon and Kuwabara to rise above their loss. It would take pain, tears, and dedication from the rest of them, but he knew that they would be able to get past it and live with Yukina's memory of life, not the memory of her death.

As Kurama rounded the corner, coming onto the street of Yusuke and Keiko's shop, he stopped dead at the sudden feeling of dread that flowed into his body. He looked ahead at the empty street, greeted only by the whipping wind and he shivered, but not from the cold.

Something was wrong.

Kurama broke into a run, ignoring the freezing wind that protested his movements and the cold pavement which was soon to grow icy with the coming frost. His burst of speed took him to the ramen shop in seconds and he skidded to a stop, grabbing the handle of the door and yanking it open.

He could not stop the scream that ripped at his throat as he beheld the sight beyond that door.

-o-o-o-

Yeah, yeah, I know, I'm awful. Just wait, the cliffhangers get as bad as the plot does.

Well, that's one chapter of a story down. I hope you all enjoyed it. I've got another chapter planned out, but it's not written fully. Hopefully it won't take too long.

So, what does everyone think Kurama saw? It's not too hard to guess the initial: Something's happened to someone, obviously. But what and by WHO?

And is Kurama next?

-EVIL grin-

Please review your opinions and your critiques on my writing performance of late. Have a good one, everyone!

P.S. To those of you who loooove to beat me with the baseball bat in the name of grammar...I'm sorry. I proof read, but I was sort of in a daze, like when you read a text book and find yourself having to read the same paragraph ten times before you realize you're not taking in any of it at all. So I apologize greatly, I'm sure there are many mistakes that I missed.