Author's Note: Here it is! Finally! Another chapter! I hope you enjoy it. Please review kindly.
Ch. 11- It Comes Down To This
They all stood there in silence for a moment. Finally with several glares put on him Yomi spoke up.
"The base was over run." he admitted.
"What?" snapped Kurama in disbelief. The glares continued till Yomi broke again.
"We went on a raid in your absence." he continued. "We got away with the treasure, but we were tracked back to the base. They were overwhelmingly strong." He stood there waiting for Kurama to be mad, but Kurama did something unexpected. He threw his hands in the air.
"I can't deal with this right now!" he snapped as emotions churned inside of him. He on the surface remained calm for the most part. He turned and was about to walk away.
"So this is what you choose?" yelled Yomi. "You choose that wench and your bastard child!" Kurama froze for a moment. Then suddenly he whipped around. He grasped Yomi by the throat and slammed him into the wall. Keto tried to rush over to help his lover, but was blocked by Senju and Maha.
"I could've had it all!" Kurama bellowed. "You were the one who ruined everything!" he flung Yomi aside. He looked down as Yomi was catching his breath. "Get out of my sight, Yomi, and take your bitch, Keto, with you!" Yomi stumbled up.
"You'll never make it without me!" he yelled hoarsely. "You're becoming weak! Soon you will be nothing!"
"Maybe, but for sure without me, soon you will be dead!" Kurama retorted. "Now get out or I will kill you right here and now!" Yomi huffed up. He and Kurama had conflicts before, but never one this bad. There was nothing he could do, but leave and hope that Kurama would be there when he needed him.
"Fine!" Yomi snapped. "If any of you wish, come with me!" he called to the group. Only Keto came to him. They all stood with Kurama. He turned back to look at them one more time as he left. "Then die with that weak leader!" he yelled. Regina now came towards him.
"Get out of my house!" she snapped. The rage searing from her could put the fear of God in anyone. With it she chased the two out of her house and cursed them if they ever came back. The followers that had chosen to stay seemed bemused by the little woman's ways. Maha looked to Kurama.
"I think I get why Kuronue fell in love with her." he snickered. He thought he'd see at lest a smirk from Kurama, but there was nothing. Kurama just walked away. He left them.
He went into the kitchen to find Ceala rocking Mials gently. He extended his arms, wordlessly asking her to return his newborn to him. She obliged. With that he went back to the bedroom. It was just Aleira left to attend to Arwen, who was still asleep.
"She's exhausted." she said to Kurama. "She didn't even get to see her baby before she fell asleep."
"Your baby." Kurama corrected.
"What?" she asked confused and surprised.
"He should be with you." said Kurama. "Arwen was right. We can't do this. We have no home to raise him in. We have no money to buy anything. It will take me so much time to regain what has been lost due to one idiot who wanted to be in charge."
"Oh, that Yomi character messed things up, did he?"
"Yes, so I need you to take him for us, please." he said almost beggingly.
"No." said Aleira bluntly. "I refuse to now. I believe you and Arwen will work this out so stop wallowing and come with me." She got up from Arwen's side and lead him back to the sitting room where everyone, but Regina was. "Now show off your son and be a proud father for a moment. You will all stay here till this situation is resolved."
"What?" yelled Regina running in. "Absolutely not!" Aleira came over to her and slapped her across the face to silence her.
"Regina Brandywine Amata! Your mother and father didn't raise you to be such a mean spirited person! Now if you can't be nice, go to your room!"
"This is my house!" snapped Regina.
"Don't be raising your voice to me young lady or I'll flog your hide!" With that Regna took off up the stairs. "I swear, that Regina is getting worst tempered everyday." sighed Aleira. They all just stared in disbelief, but Kurama suddenly realized where all the Amata girls got there tempers from. It ran in the family!
"We thank you for the offer, Aleira." said Kurama breaking the scary silence. Kurama looked to his men. Only five left. Actually four. He didn't want to count Dr. Melchid as anything, but the doctor. He was old. Kurama still never understood what would make him stay. Maybe it was the fact that Kurama had saved him from certain death almost a hundred years ago. He certainly wasn't under any contract or blood oath like most of the others. During his last hundred years with the gang Dr. Melchid seemed to regain some of his strength and definitely gained a little weight. Dr. Melchid looked as if he wouldn't have survived another year, but now he was a lively old demon again.
Kurama now looked at Maha. The young cat demon that sure took him by surprise. When the two first met 10 years again, he was a scrappy, unruly, little twerp. Kurama caught him raiding his men's food supplies one night. If it had someone else to find him he could have been killed, but Kurama, who has build a reputation on being a cold, calculating thief, couldn't kill the poor thing. As he neared, Maha growled and shuffled away clutching the bag of food.
'Do you know who I am?' he asked Maha. The young demon just looked up at him in surprise.
Suddenly he snapped, 'What does it matter? Aren't you just going to kill me?'
'No.' replied Kurama. 'I don't think I am.' Kurama came closer and snatched the bag of food out of Maha's arms. 'I will feed you, young one, but don't think it comes freely. Nothing in this world or any other world is free.'
'What do you want from me?' asked Maha still in great amazement of Kurama's benevolence.
'I am Yoko Kurama.' he said. 'I am in need of more men for my group. Seeing as stealing is not beneath you, if you come and make a deal with me you will be greatly rewarded.'
Maha's eyes widened in excitement.
'Really?' he asked in disbelief. 'I would be most honored!' He stood up with a grin.
Kurama looked to Senju. It was Kuronue who had met Senju. He brought him to their camp one night. The two were chatting away. Yomi seemed almost outraged.
'Kurama,' Kuronue finally said breaking their conversation, 'this is Senju. He's an old friend of mine and he's looking for something to do. I told him we needed more to our company. Without hesitation he said he wanted to talk with you.'
'We do not just bring these people around Master Kurama like this Kuronue!' snapped Yomi standing up.
'Sit down and shut up, Yomi.' Kurama said sternly. When Yomi sat down, Kurama stood up. 'I will talk to this Senju alone.' Shock scrolled across Yomi's face. Kurama began to walk away from the camp with Senju.
'What's wrong, Yomi?' asked Kuronue. 'Getting jealous.' Kurama amusement almost over came him, but he kept it together long enough to get a feel of Senju. He liked him from the get go. He was smart and strong. Guys like this didn't last long around him. They were either killed or ran for it. The root of that problem… was Yomi!
'I want to warn you about that idiot back at camp.' he said as they began to head back.
'He seems a little over protective of you.' said Senju. 'Are you two… together?' Kurama snapped striking Senju right in the face. He sat on the ground looking up at Kurama. 'I'm sorry. That's none of my concern.'
'The answer is no.' said Kurama as he looked away. 'It is none of your business, but I have a mate in mind. I have spoken with her father, a great Domini demon, and he has promised her to me.' With that Kurama walked away.
Now his gaze fell on Sangan and Gryphon. He couldn't remember how he'd come to know them, they just always seemed to be there. Sangan was a short orange demon with three eyes and Gryphon was a tall, bulky grey demon with goat-like hooves on his feet and horns on his head. He had a snout too and to top it off his hair was a white and mane like.
Now seeing what was left of his group he came to appreciated them even more. They had basically been filed down to this. He looked to Aleira.
"I am a proud father, Aleira." he said to her. "Don't get me wrong, but look at what is left of my group. I will need to leave with them and rebuild what Yomi destroyed before I could think of bringing my child into demon world." He looked back to his men. "I thank you all for staying. I hope it means your discretion. I want to make it clear now that all of you are to never reveal or admit to anyone my son, Mials. He must be protected."
"What about Arwen?" asked Senju.
"She is just one of us." he replied. "That's what you are to admit. There is nothing special about her. Is that clear?"
"Yes, sir." they all replied. Aleira looked at him sadly, but understood that he was only protecting his family.
"Now I must go wake Arwen." he said looking at Aleira.
"Won't you even stay the night?" Aleira asked. Kurama thought for a moment looking at his weary men.
"Just one night." then he walked back to Arwen's room carrying his sleeping son.
When he entered he placed Mials in the basinet next to the bed.
"You'll just sleep through anything, won't you?" he asked the baby softly as he looked down at him. "Well, enjoy these years, my son. Someday rest will be something you yearn for." With that he turned and looked at Arwen who was still sleeping. He laid down in the bed with her. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her on her forehead. 'My beautiful Arwen,' he thought, 'for years before we meant I was planning for you. We struggled with each other for three years only making me want you, this, more. I'm sorry for what I'm about to do to you. I think…' he thought closing his eyes. 'I think I will write everything in a letter before I leave tomorrow, but for now I will hold you like this is not tomorrow.'
In a couple of hours, Kurama heard soft whimpering. He opened his eyes quick, but found Arwen already picking up their son. In the soft moonlight he could see them clearly. She sat down on the bed next to him. He was almost turned on when she loosened the top of her dress. He watched as she nursed their baby.
"Well, this is certainly a way to get to know you, child." she said softly. "Momma was exhausted from bringing you into this world, yeah." The golden eyes closed slowly as she spoke and he nursed. "I bet you and your father had a grand old time though without your mom around. I bet he's already teaching loads of things." She looked to Kurama feeling his eyes on them. She smiled softly. Suddenly Kurama felt the crushing weight of his choice.
"You know I love you, right, Arwen?" he asked. She had a foreboding feeling now. "And you know I love our son, right?"
"Yes." she said after a moment. "I know."
"You know I would do anything for you and for Mials, right?"
"Yes, Kurama, I know." she replied. "Why are you asking?"
"I'll tell you tomorrow." he said rolling over and pretending he was going to sleep.
"Don't worry about that little guy." she said softly to Mials. "Your father is kind of strange like that. You know it took him three years to tell Mom he loves me? Yeah, I think you kind of made him admit it. I know he loves us, and we love him, don't we?" A soft coo sounded. Arwen giggled. A tear rolled down Kurama's cheek.
