Yay! Finals are over so I can come back on and update! You guys should all be cheering too, hopefully. Anyway, here's the next chapter. Don't forget to review! Thank you.

Chapter 10: The Past Comes to Life

"So what should we do?" Yusuke asked curiously.

Kurama sat there, considering the pros and cons of each action that could be taken. "I think we should let him figure it out," he finally decided, "I cannot see him doing anything too drastic, despite his volatile nature. Plus, if he does try to exact revenge, I am sure the three of us can stop him."

"There's something else, isn't there?" Yusuke asked. "You want something out of this, don't you?"

"I will admit that I am curious as to the details of their relationship, but that is not the sole reason. Hiei deserves to know about the connection he holds with Kuraiko," Kurama answered, "Because Kuraiko could, and most probably will, receive the death penalty; and if Hiei reacted this badly this time and she…he might…" Kurama trained off as a dark cloud of worry settled in the room.

"He wouldn't…" Kuwabara began. "He wouldn't die, would he?" he managed with a pale face. "I mean, he can have a pretty bad attitude, but…"

The look Kurama gave him shut him up.

Hiei could possibly die.

"If he knows, though, he might stand a better chance," Kurama said as optimistically as he could force himself to.

"So we let him figure it out on his own and hope he doesn't go on a rampage?" Yusuke asked with a tone of finality.

"That is exactly what we do," Kurama replied grimly.

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He reached his hand out and grabbed onto the heavy cotton curtain.

Something on the other side was calling to him, telling him to open the curtain. And he did.

With a flourish he whipped the curtain back and saw-

Hiei's eyes slammed open.

He was not sure what had awoken him at first, but then another pulse of pain ran up his right arm from the scar. He clenched and flexed his hand a couple times until the white hot pain subsided.

The doctor and nurses were not around.

That was the first thing Hiei noticed about his surroundings.

That and the fact that the curtain was still shut.

He smirked.

Now was his chance to finally satisfy the starving curiosity that had been gnawing at the back of his mind since he first saw the closed drapes.

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Kurama, Yusuke, Kuwabara, the doctor, and the two nurses stood behind a one-way window watching carefully as Hiei began his trek across the hospital floor.

"She is barely showing signs of consciousness," the doctor pleaded, "She is not yet ready for this."

"It must be done," Kurama replied calmly but firmly as he kept his eyes on the scene playing out in front of him. The doctor said no more.

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Hiei gave the infirmary a once-over, his eyes lingering on the door as if expecting someone to barge in and once again keep him from solving the mystery that plagued him.

But no one came.

His hand was shaking as he grasped the edge of the curtain. For some reason he felt a sense of fear and anxiety course through his veins, but he brushed it off because he would finally see what lay within.

He pulled back the curtain and saw something that he never expected nor wanted to see.

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The other three spirit detectives exchanged nervous glances as Hiei pulled back the curtain.

How would Hiei react?

At first it seemed he was taking the surprise well, but it must have just been the shock of the sight in front of him which wore off as an angry burst of youki emanated from the fire demon.

Kurama and Yusuke exchanged another glance as Kuwabara stared in awe at the explosive, black aura swirling around Hiei.

Each of the three had people they cared for. They could not imagine if they were in Hiei's position and found their loved one lying in a hospital bed as weak and wasted away as Kuraiko was.

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Hiei felt an anger more powerful than any he had ever felt before as he stared down at his mate's unhealthy form.

No one was allowed to touch his mate in any way, especially this way. A surge of possessiveness flooded over him and he released an irate snarl as he released his hold on his aura.

He turned around, ready to stalk off and murder every prison guard – because in his mind they were all guilty – when he heard her call out to him.

"Hiei," her voice was weak and barely audible, but surprise and joy were apparent in her tone, "You're back."

Hiei kept a distance from the bed, but turned back around with a confused expression.

He did not understand why she was so glad to see him when their past two meetings had been filled with unforgiveness and loathing, but then he saw her glazed expression and understood.

He stepped up to the bed and placed the back of his hand against her forehead.

"You have a fever," he stated as he removed it.

"I'll be fine," she waved her predicament off, "But I have something to tell you." Her sickly pale face seemed to gain a healthy glow as she smiled.

"I'm pregnant, Hiei."

Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Kurama gave each other shocked and worried looks before the doctor cut in.

"She is not," he reassured the three, "It would have shown in a test by now. She is either lying or hallucinating – the latter of which being the most likely."

Hiei haltingly placed his shaking hand on her abdomen and sighed in relief when he sensed no life. He had not been sure how to react to that statement at first, because if she was pregnant there was no possibility of it being his. Now he just looked at her and nodded with a soft smirk, almost resembling a smile, on his face. He remembered that she had had that same glowing look before he had left for the job with Kurama and Goku. She had said she had something for him when he returned; this must have been it.

Her high fever must be making her delusional, Hiei finally decided, and she had thought he was just returning from the job. The idea of returning to the past brought a soft look to Hiei's eyes and he gently brushed some loose strands of hair out of his mate's face. She smiled up at him weakly.

"Aishiteru, Hiei," she whispered softly as she fell back into a healing sleep.

Hiei was frozen in place, eyes wide in shock and fear. Questions raced through his mind. Doubts, lies, past experiences all told him it was impossible, he could not be loved; but now this woman, his woman, had just said that she did. How? Why? When? No answer. But one question stood out in Hiei's mind more than any other: Did he love her back?

Kurama watched with bated breath as Hiei pulled his hand back from Kuraiko's face and kept it clenched as his side. When Hiei walked out of the room, Kurama followed, leaving both Yusuke and Kuwabara with their jaws on the floor.

He followed the fire demon out onto the Reikai palace grounds, staying in hiding the entire time. Hiei was still weak and Kurama wanted to make sure his friend did not do anything stupid based on the newfound information.