Untold History: The Good Ole' Days

Disclaimer: I don't own anything Yu Yu Hakusho, I own Avaria, that is all.

AN: So what do you get when your 86 year old grandmother refuses hospice care, your Aunt is in Long Term Care at one convalescence home and your uncle, the baby of grandma's little brood can't and also doesn't want to take care of himself and keeps getting pneumonia from the other convalescent home, which in turn means your parents have to spend half the week up in a rural farm town with crap ass medical care and the only real sign of cavillation is two fast food restaurants and a frigging Wal-Mart? While you are getting back into working after a year of medical issues yourself, taking care of the house and dogs while they're up there and basically having to totally distance yourself from the idiocy of your mother's family before they drag you down with them?

You get the last few months of m y life. I'm so sorry my updates are taking so long.

Chapter 7: On Why We Can't Have Nice Things Part 2

Kurama set the little kitten on her feet near a thorny thicket full of green leaves and ripe berries. Thankfully they were nowhere near the valley where the Hemlock grew or Kurama may have even tried to put her on a leash for all the good it would do him. (No good, it would do them no good. They had tried ONCE on a trip to the market…Avaria sat on the ground, gave them the flattest look a child could give and refused to move until the little harness had been removed from her.) He pulled a small bag out of a pocket and handed it to her, which she took without question.

"Can you tell me what those are?" He pointed to the thicket, it was practically overflowing with the deep purple berries, though the white tips of thorns were clearly visible between bunches. Unlike it's human-world counterpart, these bushes had thorns that were two to three inches long and the tips were barbed like porcupine quills. The berries were also about two or three times the size of the human world cousin too, but that's beside the point.

The fruit was totally worth it.

"Um…" Avaria eyed them, took a sniff then grinned. "Blackberries!"

"Correct…what is this plants defense mechanism?" Kurama was never one to pass up the chance to quiz her.

Avaria replied without hesitation. "Large barbed thorns that hide in the bunches. You can only see the white tips so they look harmless, but they'll stick and break off if they get in the skin!"

"Very good. Go and get the berries and be careful." Kurama smiled at her, patting the top of her head affectionally. "And don't' eat them all either you little glutton."

"Kay!" Avaria threw him one of her I'm-so-Innocent looks which was a complete lie and rushed over to the thicket.

Kurama turned away from her, focusing on a far more dangerous plant across the clearing. It was a type of sorrel, technically. It thrived in the shade under the thick canopy of these old tree's, forming what looked like a thick, soft, luscious green carpet of clover-like leaves. The leaves looked velvety and inviting especially when covered in scant drops of morning dew or rain drops.

Kurama knew better.

He watched in morbid fascination as a small, furry forest creature scurried into the thick leaves. The resounding panicked squeaks, the sounds of tiny bones snapping, tiny joints popping, made him wince. He waited patiently for the plant to finish it's meal before pulling out some dried fish and luring several vines away from their safe mass. He sacrificed some blood and flesh for it but these leaves now weakly snapping in their own bag would make a beautiful pastel-like green.

And a formidable weapon should he choose to breed more.

Which he most definitely would.

"Avaria?" He turned back towards the thicket, realizing her giggling had gone decidedly quiet and facepalmed. Her face, her hands and even part of her top were covered in purple stains from the berries. Her bag was on the ground beside her, clearly a lot closer to being empty than full. "Avaria!"

She squeaked at his sharp tone and froze, ears pressing flat against her skull. She'd been caught and she knew it. She tried hastily to lick the evidence off her fingers and rub it off her face but she only made it worse. Blackberry juice stains everything it touches, and little girls are no exception. Quickly she stood and preceded to start quickly but carefully grabbing other bunches and stuff them into the bag.

"I didn't do it!" She was very focused on filling her bag suddenly as her big brother stood at her back staring down at her. She could feel his gaze on her back but refused to look up even as her little shoulders hunched like she was bracing for impact.

"What didn't you do, hm?" He drawled, curious as to how she'd play this one since he hadn't accused her of anything. Yet.

"It."

"And IT would be?"

"Whatever you think I did, I did not."

Kurama had a hard time not chuckling at that one. That was pure Kuronue right there, what she had just said, word for word. The bat often used that exact sentence on him, on marks, on a bed-mate or two, even on a random market vendor once. He smiled to himself and made a noise like he was thinking it over.

"Well…I think you were snacking instead of working."

"Was not."

"Then turn around and show me your face kit." He almost grinned watching her little back stiffen, her tail droop. She had a total of two choices here: turn around and admit it which would be more than obvious from the stains or she could refuse to turn around which would paint her guilty just as much.

Or…options number 3.

"Ack!" It was a brave sacrifice really, and Kurama couldn't help but admire her for it. Instead of refusing or admitting to a damn thing she started to turn towards him and dropped the open, now full bag "on accident". As berries spilled on the ground around her she stepped on her own tail, yelped like there was no tomorrow, and faceplanted right into them. The resulting mess of blackberry mud covered her arms, hands, chest, face, it was even in her hair!

Kurama was too stunned to be mad. Too stunned and far too proud.

This girl was going to make an EXCELLENT thief some day!

"You're getting a bath later."

"…Damn it…"

***Later in one of Kurama's many little laboratories***

"Avaria…Avaria no!" The fox sighed as he watched the little mutt run around the room, all energy and no focus. He blamed the berries, sugar or something…had to be it. It could also have been excitement of having her bath over and done with. Either way she really needed to stop ziping around the room like that."Give me the jar Avaria, your gong to-!"

And there it went.

White paint splattered all over the floor, shards of the clay jar it was in amidst the wreckage. Avaria froze, looking away and attempting to whistle. (A skill she had not yet mastered, it was like a bird going through puberty.) Kurama sighed, carding a hand through his hair before picking her up and stepping around the mess and out the door easily with his long stride.

"Sorry ni-san…" Her little voice was quiet and sincere, a pout on her face. She was sorry yes but she also knew this meant getting kicked out of the lab for the day which sucked.

"I'm sure you are. Well…if you've got so much energy lets go burn it off." Kurama acknowledged the apology and took her outdoors, setting her loose on the nearest grassy patch. It didn't take long really, soon a butterfly the size of her head flitted past and she took off after it, chasing it around the meadow-like area. It would have been heartwarming if she hadn't actually managed to catch the electric blue and black thing. "Avaria don't you dare!"

Too late...

"Urp..." She giggled, burping and spitting antennae out.

"Was that really necessary?" Kurama sighed, wiping bits of wing dust and pollen off her face.

"Yes." She shrugged, uncaring. She knew which bugs were and were not poisonous by now.

"Avaria...we do not eat insects unless we are in a survival situation. Clear?"

"Fiiiiiine..."

Kurama considered his solutions to this issue for a moment then stood and smirked. If she was so keen on chasing and biting things he'd put the skill to good use. Standing and taking her hand in his he tugged her towards the woods again. "Let's see how good you are at hunting."

They had rabbit stew for dinner.

**** A hop, skip and a few days later****

Kuronue was on his own with the kit. He'd been taking advantage of Kurama's new habit of actually giving a shit about her but tonight Kurama was going out. Because of this whole taking advantage of having a newly willing babysitter thing, Kuronue couldn't actually complain and he knew it. Avaria was excited to spend time with him too and that...that was just impossible to reject.

Letting the kitten have access to the paints that the fox was still in the process of making seemed simple enough. He didn't let her IN the lab, he got the jars himself and set them out for her in her room. He got her a jar of water and various brushes and set a makeshift drop cloth on the floor. Then he left her to her own devices to grab snacks. He wasn't gone more than a few moments, five at most, maybe ten.

He'd swear it later while being stared down by his partner.

Ten minutes, he was only gone for ten minutes. She was only unsupervised for ten minutes.

But ten minutes was more than enough time for little Avaria.

*****Oooooh Cliffhanger! ****

Oh, I know where it's going...I just feel like this is a good area to end the chapter. Also, kind of tired. Also stressed out. Reviews appreciated! Thank you for reading!