Disclaimer: I don't own YYH or the characters. I also don't own the advice given from the What to Expect website.


Hiei woke up in a cold sweat, breathing heavily as he pulled himself out of a nightmare.

It took the fire demon a moment to remember where he was, but less time than usual. Actually, it had been a while since he had any dreams at all. The last was when his and Botan's child reached out to them. Nightmares took a back seat as of late, but tonight his mind was making a comeback.

In this dream, Botan had come to him in Demon World, her eyes full of fear. He could still hear himself asking her what was wrong. "Please, please don't kill me," she had begged.

"Why would I kill you?"

"B-Because," the ferry girl stammered, "I'm pregnant."

Even in the dream, Hiei was shocked. He could see himself reaching out to her, attempting to approach her to reassure her. The demon tried to remind her that he already knew she was pregnant and that there was no sense in worrying about it now. Tears welled up in Botan's eyes, the woman crying and looking to him fearfully. She held her hands out, begging for her life with a simple, "Please!"

Her screams had awoken him. After a few gasps of air, Hiei threw himself back on the mattress and wiped the sweat from his brow. He glanced over at the sleeping woman beside him, relieved he hadn't woken her. Botan was snoozing peacefully for once, curled up at his side. Her soft smile caught his attention. She looked much different from the image in his nightmare.

Gently, the fire demon caressed her face, entwining his finger around a strand of her hair. Botan sleepily cooed out words, mumbling quietly, "I love you."

Hiei breathed out a thankful sigh, feeling only a tinge calmer. The woman's tranquil expression contrasted the horrified manner in which he had just seen her. Unfortunately, Hiei found himself feeding into the nightmare despite himself. He wondered if Botan had ever thought the way she seemed to in his nightmare, but then he remembered her eagerness to tell him from the very start. He knew that the woman never feared him like her illusionary counterpart, well not about the baby at least. Their past was a different story. This…he was able to chalk this up to just being a nonsensical, bad dream.

Still, it left him feeling unsettled, so he carefully disentangled himself from Botan and left the room. He headed to the kitchen and grabbed a beer.

Everyone had been over for dinner earlier in the week. Yusuke and Keiko had prepared the meal at the apartment, and Kuwabara had brought a case of that good beer he had given Hiei at their impromptu, unspoken visit.

Hiei took a large gulp and allowed the combination of sweet and heat to wash over his tongue. The effects of downing a bottle on an empty stomach caused the buzz he needed. He grabbed another knowing that no matter how much he drank, he wouldn't get wasted. It was only human alcohol, after all.

As soon as the thought hit, Hiei remembered that it was Human World alcohol that had landed him in his current situation, and his expression soured. Of course, he had long since accepted his new lot in life. He just didn't know what would happen, and the uncertainty that crept into his core left him as unsettled as the horrid dream he'd just experienced.

Hiei downed the second bottle anyway, hoping to silence any reflective thoughts from taking root in his mind. He couldn't allow himself to go back. He had come much to far…though deep down he feared regressing in some way, the feeling of running slipping past his guard.

Growling at himself, Hiei went for a third bottle, hoping the third one would silence his treacherous thoughts.


Botan couldn't hide the grin on her face as she and Hiei were reading the contents of her book. As it turned out, she had something in common with her baby. "Your baby may begin to smile this week, especially during sleep."

As if on cue, little taps in a usual rhythm distracted her. As she rubbed her tummy in attempts to settle her baby, Hiei's brow furrowed. "Hiccups again?" he asked, seemingly perturbed by the notion.

Botan blinked at her demon lover before smiling, silently wondering if demons even got hiccups. Spirits certainly didn't, but humans did. The ferry girl still remembered the first time she had hiccups ever, and she could also remember the first time she had them around Hiei. She had been embarrassed, but Hiei had been worried. He thought she was yelping in pain. It was kind of surreal to see how much the normally stoic fire demon seemed to worry for her safety. Botan had never felt this safe before in her entire life.

"It's just a thing," Botan reminded him. "To be honest, it feels like he's tapping. He'll settle down once they stop."

Hiei's expression darkened, as his eyes moved down to her large swell. Botan seemed completely oblivious to the slight elevation in energy that accompanied these hiccup spells. He worried the heat would be enough to make the woman sick like in the very beginning, but she was right that the boy normally settled when the weird contractions ended. Hiei had tried to do more research on this hiccup thing, getting used to using the infernal, human contraption of a laptop. It seemed that no one knew what caused them or how to stop them. They were supposedly just mild discomforts, but still…Hiei would be angered if there was something that happened to his own body that he didn't understand.

Dealing with puberty alone had been a bitch.

A light laugh cut through his bitter thoughts of the past. Peering over to the woman, Hiei's eyes settled on the book. His eyes roved the contents, not seeing anything at all humorous on the page. The book told them that their child was growing, "plumping up" as they called it, and becoming close to what his full size would be when he was born.

"It's funny that this book just knows," Botan pondered, giggling. "His hard kicks really are starting to feel more like jabs and pokes. I think this little guy will be ready to train before we know it."

It wasn't the first time Botan made a comment like that, but Hiei certainly still felt a twang inside of him. His gaze fell on the woman, stoic as ever, but there was a flurry of emotion happening beneath the surface. "And you'd be fine with that," he stated, though they both knew it was more of a question.

"Of course I would be," Botan reassured, a bright, yet teasing grin on her face. "It might actually convince you to take more breaks!"

"Hn," Hiei scoffed, though there was hardly any heat behind his gruffness. He leaned back and looked at the pages, reading all the information about how big the child was getting, the baby fat he was accumulating, the wrinkles lessening, and even how often the boy would be kicking. It was just two months until his birth, and their son was becoming stronger and more active. The book suggested doing a kick count twice a day…just to make sure he was okay. Although the comment was geared towards the ferry girl, Hiei made a mental note of it, but he knew he'd be counting more kicks than ten in an hour. The woman was right. Their son was active, always vying for attention.

Hiei grimaced. Was the boy already trying to take his focus knowing he wouldn't always have it in the future? Was he already inadequate as a father?

"Mm," Botan groaned quietly, her eyes clenched shut. Hiei quickly shut down what he was thinking of and help her.

"What's wrong?"

Botan opened her eyes and weakly smiled. "Nothing exactly," she tried to appease. "Just in a little bit of pain. I've been getting random migraines today."

Hiei's expression remained solemn as he took the book and flipped to the symptoms sections. Lo and behold, migraines were something the woman would be experiencing along with constipation, hemorrhoids, heartburn, all partnered with "pregnancy brain," an ongoing side-effect that made it next to impossible to think or remember her train of thought.

He put the book down and moved to take Botan's hand. She looked to his extended hand questioningly before meeting his eyes with her baffled gaze. "Come on," he impatiently huffed. "It said you should be lying down in a dark room."

Botan blushed a rosy shade as she took Hiei's hand. The fire demon noticed, wondering why the woman was acting so timid out of nowhere. His answer came when Botan took pulled him by his hand, towards her, and kissed him. It was a random, sporadic moment that the fire demon had not expected. His widened eyes said as much, but the ferry girl wouldn't have seen with her eyes closed, putting all of her energy into the kiss.

And then, it ended, and she pulled away, looking fully embarrassed. "Um…I'll go lie down now."

Hiei blinked, reluctant to let the woman go as she pulled her hand away from him. "Botan…"

The ferry girl just turned and smiled sheepishly. He saw a glint in her eyes, the one she usually said when she made her declarations of her feelings. This time was no different, her voice filled with conviction. "We love you."

Then, she disappeared into the hall, leaving Hiei alone with even more strange and overwhelming thoughts. But he couldn't focus on that now. He knew the day had a different version of hellish events he'd have to endure.

When the woman felt better, that was when it would begin.


"Why did we come all the way out to Genkai's today?" Botan asked as Hiei helped her up the stairs. The woman was huffing, trying to catch her breath when they reached the top. "Not that I don't love visiting, but this is starting to become difficult."

Hiei didn't respond. There wasn't much he could say right now. Honestly, he wondered the same thing. "Yukina invited us for lunch," he settled on for an answer.

Botan's discomfort seemed completely forgotten as the biggest grin appeared on her face. "Oh, isn't that sweet of her. When did you talk to her, though? I didn't think you ever answered the phone when she called."

Impassivity was a demeanor Hiei was thankful he possessed. If not for that, this endeavor would be fruitless. Still, he didn't know why he just couldn't be direct, why the others insisted on secrecy.

The two walked up to the temple together, Hiei falling back as Botan went inside. As expected, no one was there, and as usual, Botan went out back to see if Yukina was working in the garden. Botan was floored by what she actually saw.

"Surprise!"

Tears immediately filled Botan's eyes, her hand covering her mouth. Hiei grew alarmed only until the ferry girl laughed and wiped those drops away. "You guys," she murmured fondly under her breath. She looked to them all, her eyes closed in a smile. "Did you really do all of this for us?"

"You know it, reaper," Yusuke chimed, moving to hug his friend first. "We've been planning for a while, but the full credit goes to Yukina. She suggested a lot."

Botan smiled and went to her baby's aunt, giving her a tight hug. "Thank you," she whispered to the maiden.

"Of course," Yukina laughed lightly before lowly saying, "He's my nephew, after all." The women exchanged conspiring glances, still keeping the baby's gender a secret from everyone else.

Kurama walked up, gently tapping Botan on the shoulder and stealing the ferry girl's attention. He smiled apologetically for distracting her before handing her a large basket of items for the baby including story books, blankets, and clothes. "This is all from my family and from Hanako as well," he told her. "Hanako sends her apologies for not being able to attend, but she was needed in delivery."

"I understand. This is so unbelievably sweet of all of you," Botan replied, taking the gift, but nearly dropping it, not having expected her baby bump to get in the way. "Goodness."

Hiei managed to grab onto the basket before nearly slamming it down onto a table beside them. "Hn, fox," he muttered a greeting.

Kurama looked towards his friend, an amused and knowing glint alighting his eyes as per usual. "Why, hello, Hiei. I'm glad you were able to make an appearance as well."

"Whatever," Hiei scoffed, crossing his arms. He looked away, though regarded Botan with an expression Kurama couldn't quite place. It was full of impatience, but seemed like he was silent requesting something.

Botan answered that look, her amethyst eyes filled with gratitude. "I really had no idea," Botan murmured fondly. "Thank you for the wonderful surprise."

"I didn't plan it," Hiei replied curtly.

"But you went along with it, and I appreciate it," Botan remarked. "Why don't you go take some food and relax? You've already done plenty."

Hiei's eyes widened for a moment before his impassive mask returned. Kurama could tell the fire demon was completely caught off-guard by Botan's thankfulness and praise. He said nothing, leaving the two on the porch as he went to quickly say something to his sister before flitting away and out of sight for the time being.

Botan's gaze lingered on Hiei until he disappeared, a contented sigh escaping her before her gaze returned to Kurama. He was seemingly studying her, and Botan nearly stumbled back having momentarily forgotten that he was there. "What?"

"It's nothing," Kurama assured her, the warmth in his emerald orbs only growing. "It's just nice to see the two of you like this."

Baffled, Botan replied, "Like what?"

Kuwabara stepped up and joined them, giving the ferry girl a sidelong hug. "Like a couple," the redhead expressed softly. "We know things have been up in the air with you both, but seeing you guys behaving like that…" He didn't have to even say that he meant like they were the only two in the world for Botan to get the picture. "It's a good thing."

Botan turned many shades of red, sputtering to form coherent words at being called out like that. "W-We aren't," she stammered. "I-I-I mean h-he's not. What are you talking about? We aren't a couple." She looked to Kurama, only feeling slightly betrayed, wondering if he had said anything to Kuwabara about their talk a while back.

"Maybe not," Kuwabara answered, "but we've noticed something developing for a while."

"Y-You…?" Botan looked between the two of them feeling a bit perturbed by the notion that she had been so transparent. There was no way they could have determined what she felt for the fire demon. The woman turned pale, wondering if they had mentioned it to Hiei. She doubted it, but maybe that's why he was acting off recently? Of course, there was no way for her to know that the fire demon had been seeking council from Kuwabara or admitting his draw to her to Kurama. No, to her, this was completely mortifying. She was about to plead with them not to say anything to Hiei, afraid she'd somehow chase him off again when another voice interjected in their conversation.

"Hey, boys, stop hogging her!" Shizuru called out, breaking Botan free from the scrutiny of the over-observant and oversensitive members of their group. "We have a party to get under way."

"Coming, Shizuru!" Botan chimed, her voice a bit frazzled as she excused herself from the boys.

Kuwabara and Kurama watched as Botan joined the girls, exchanging a silent, passing glance. Yusuke joined them, the three men watching the girls taking out a bunch of sheets they could only guess at.

"Alright, let's play some games," Keiko suggested happily, the girls going out into the courtyard to sit at the table while the guys chuckled and watched the merriment.

Hiei, though going off on his own, took his place in a tree above. As much as this day was for him, Botan, and the child, it did sound tedious from the detective's description. He was more comfortable keeping to himself and keeping away from his meddlesome former teammates. It didn't mean he wasn't taking part in some way. The whole time, he kept watch over the woman, watching the way her expression lit up even over the most ridiculous and nonsensical things. The games were pointless, and even once she opened the presents for the child she gushed over the unneeded, little, bear stuffed animal. Still, he found peace in her contentment, leaning back against the bark as he occasionally cast his crimson gaze in her direction. At least she was enjoying herself. In the end, that was really all that mattered to him.


Yusuke was surprised that Hiei was actually taking part in all of this. When he brought up the possibility of a surprise baby shower, he had offered to pick up Botan so that Hiei could do whatever. Despite explain how boring and frivolous it would most likely seem to the fire demon, Hiei managed to render the detective speechless by saying Yusuke's offer was unneeded. In fact, he had already known about the shower from Yukina and was taking Botan. Hiei left the stupefied detective standing outside the apartment building. That had been just a few days ago.

Now, Kurama, Kuwabara, and Yusuke were over on the temple deck looking over the festivities. The girls were handing Botan their gifts while Hiei kept watch in background. His attention would shift to Botan when he thought no one was watching, but he had no inkling that he had the attention of his closest friends on him.

"I believe this is a telling sign as to how our bet will end," Kurama stated knowingly, he and Kuwabara looking to the detective of their group.

"Alright, Urameshi," Kuwabara smugly spoke, "do you want to pay up now?"

"Hey, come on. Just because he's here doesn't mean they're official or anything. I've still got time."

Both Kuwabara and Kurama chuckled at the answer because they already knew more than Yusuke did. Of course, Yusuke wasn't blind. He was just playing off his desire to see his friends happy. Come on, Hiei. Make me eat my words.

Deep down, Yusuke was actually hoping to lose. If he did, that would mean that two hearts would remain intact and a little baby would grow up with both of his parents. Still, the former bad-boy had an image to keep. No one else needed to know his thoughts or the fact that he was carrying the full amount of cash in his wallet, waiting for the moment to give it up.


The shower really had been a tedious endeavor, and Hiei was thankful that it was all over. Since they had all of the big ticket items, their friends had gifted a whole bunch of clothes that the women gushed over and toys that Hiei found pointless. Still, the woman had enjoyed herself. For the second time today, Hiei realized that Botan's cheerfulness was really all that concerned him. It was always a relief to see her in good spirits after seeing her down so many times during the course of this pregnancy.

Botan was in the shower, and Hiei kept his senses stretched out to make sure she was doing fine and not succumbing to another dizzy spell. That left Hiei alone, again, with his own thoughts, and his mind was racing with plenty of them. Now that the antics of the day were over, Hiei couldn't help but think back to earlier when Botan had crossed some boundary that presently had Hiei overthinking once again.

It's not like they hadn't kissed before. They had done far more than that, very often now if Hiei was being honest, and where he had fallen into a complacent and routine rhythm with the woman, her even more innocent action that morning should have had no effect on him.

Hiei shook his head, trying to rid himself of these thoughts. His eyes wandered around his room, landing on his own guide book, that annoying garbage that had more recently turned gift given by the fox. Back in the past, Hiei despised these human resources, never believing they could hold any insight. Of course, the guide for expecting fathers was more perverse than Hiei could have ever imagined…until he found himself in the midst of an actual relationship. This wasn't like his casual encounters in Demon World. As he was learning, he couldn't simply focus on just his aspirations and plans for the future.

He flipped the through the pages, reading his advice for the week. There was really nothing else to do to kill time until the woman finished her ungodly, long shower.

"Have you been staying up all night thinking about all the things you and your partner won't be able to do once the baby arrives (seeing the world, taking up exotic hobbies, or even just going out at night whenever the urge hits)? At twenty-nine weeks pregnant, instead of thinking of what you won't have in your life anymore, start thinking of what you will have: A very special little person to share it with. Will your life be different (your favorite hobby becoming blowing raspberries on that chubby little belly; your late nights involve rocking instead of dancing)? Absolutely. Will it be better? Immeasurably."

Hiei contemplated the little blurb, especially the part where it said that he and Botan wouldn't be able to go out. No…they still would, just with the child, unless only one of them could be with the child at the time. It didn't matter, even if his stomach curled at the idea that it wouldn't just be the two of them. It was never just the two of them to start. This child was what brought them together. It was all they had between them.

But that wasn't true. In the past, he had been around Botan often, and if Hiei could recall that was what began their unlikely relationship. Having this child forced them together, but it was possible that Hiei would have eventually gotten his head out of his ass and made a move. He doubted it.

Still, wasn't that exactly how they landed themselves in this situation? She may have imposed the drinking challenge, but he hadn't had to agree. He could remember clearly that he made the first move, choosing Botan to spend the night with. The fire demon could have gone anywhere else – there were plenty of demons to choose from at the detective's wedding – but he had wanted her.

Crimson eyes widened as the truth came crashing down upon him. Did he actually want a relationship with the ferry girl?

The woman entered the room, sighing as she slipped into bed beside him. Hiei started to feel claustrophobic the moment she curled up against him, panicking inside as his thoughts raced quicker then his beating core. All this time, he wanted something with the woman and had fought against it, despite normally fighting tooth and nail for whatever it was he wanted. He didn't even know how to be in a relationship. He was selfish and unfeeling…but he had been going out of his way to care for her, and he proved that he did feel other emotions even if he couldn't understand them or put a name to them.

Quickly, he turned the pages back, back to the section that he ignored at the very beginning of all of this that gave suggestions on how to nurture their relationship. Mentally, Hiei berated himself for being so pathetic, looking to a useless book for advice. Still, the more he had adjusted to the pregnancy and became a part of it, the more useful this guide became.

"You may be thinking 'We're not even parents yet, but all we talk about is the baby. This pregnancy has taken over our lives, and I'm afraid it'll hurt our relationship. How do we keep the romance alive and strengthen our relationship during pregnancy?' Many couples face this, but ponder this. What's the single, most significant relationship you'll have in your new life as a parent? It's not only the one you'll share with your beautiful baby you'll be bringing home. It's the one you share – and will continue to share – with your partner, a fact baby-crazed pregnancy couples can be quick to forget.

"After all, eventually babies grow into older children, who grow up more and move out of the house (it happens a lot faster that you can even imagine). But your partner or spouse is with you into old age, with a little luck and a lot of hard work. So it's extra important (and challenging) to keep the love alive and maintain a strong relationship during pregnancy.

"That being said, there are sure to be some changes in the dynamics of your twosome once the baby makes three. These shifts and potential strains on a couple's relationship during a pregnancy are inevitable – because in spite of how little they are, babies tend to make a huge impact on their parents' lives! But if you play your cards right from the start, they can actually be changes for the better."

Hiei's expression grew grave as he read the last part. He hadn't been in this from the beginning. Honestly, the fact that the woman had forgiven him for his misdeeds still baffled him. The fire demon hadn't wanted a child, hadn't wanted to give into these pesky feelings he clearly had for the ferry girl. Had he read this from the beginning, maybe things would have been different, but the Hiei who existed now and the Hiei who behave so reprehensibly back then were two different people. Had he read this at the time, he probably would have scoffed and burned the book. Instead he had just avoided it.

Still, all hope wasn't lost. The book did say it was a challenge, and Hiei was never one to back down from a challenge. He continued reading, hoping for some more incite on how to, as the book put it, keep the "romance" alive.

"The first thing you guys will need to do is start thinking of yourself as a couple again." Well, that part would be difficult. He and Botan had never actually been a couple. "Of course, you'll want to focus plenty of attention on your pregnancy and on your baby – and you should, as long as you remember to keep your relationship front-and-center rather than on the back burner. Your baby doesn't have to come between you (though her growing belly definitely will!)."

Bitterness filled Hiei when he acknowledged that his son never came between them. If anything, Hiei had a sneaking suspicion that the boy was trying to play matchmaker in utero. Not even born and the child was already as meddlesome as his mother. If anything had come between him and the ferry girl, it was his own ego and rage towards the situation. That hadn't been a factor in a long while.

Hiei flipped through the pages with Botan nestled against him, her eyes closed. For that, he was thankful. Not only was she resting, but she wasn't privy to his embarrassment, turning to a book to figure out what exactly he wanted and what he needed to do to achieve it.

Of course, there was plenty about sex and positions that Hiei quickly avoided. He'd be damned if he was going to read that again. Besides, he and Botan weren't having any trouble with that aspect of whatever it was that was going on between them. There was also something about a "babymoon." What the hell did that even mean?

Finally, it started getting into what he needed, and, to his credit, Hiei managed to fight down his disgust and displeasure with what he would have once deemed useless frivolities. Never did Hiei ever think that connections were important. He was always a loner, abandoned, and he could only depend on himself. His crimson eyes glanced towards the blue-haired woman, one who seemed to be a constant in his life. She had always just been there, never someone to be considered in his mind. It wasn't until the two of them crossed paths after all the trials their group had faced that she started to stand out.

Back to the book, the suggestions were simple. Scheduling a weekly "date night" was something that could be done, but Hiei didn't know the first thing about what to do with the woman. Their days consisted of him training and Botan spending time in his company. Sometimes they'd have a picnic lunch or go out. They only did it out of necessity. There was something in there about having date nights at home once the baby was born. What did people do on date nights anyway?

"Be spontaneous. As often as you can, for absolutely no reason at all, surprise your partner with an affectionate touch of kiss, a flirty compliment, or an impromptu jump into bed. Feel free to get frisky and adventurous. Just make sure you keep pregnancy sex safe and fun."

Hiei was flabbergasted. Looking past the last part, his mind went to Botan's behavior as of late, her gentle touches or fleeting, surprising kisses. She, of course, never had seen his book. The ferry girl was just acting on her own accord. This made the fire demon wonder if this notion of spontaneity was the reason for Botan's innocent gestures, the times she'd run her hands through his hair or the times she'd give him a hug in her excitement. As he thought of the pleasant moments, Hiei found his eyes closing a moment, soaking in them, before he snapped back to reality and the task at hand.

They had already been taking time after baby business chores and appointments to grab dinner together. The book directed that it was important to mix relationship pleasure into their lives, to not forget their importance to each other. At least they were doing okay on that front.

Other suggestions included "being naughty." Hiei closed his eyes and took a deep breath as Botan sighed and nuzzled his, her eyes still closed and the ferry girl still unaware as to what the demon was reading. In this blurb, the advice giver suggested leaving random, suggestive messages to one another.

The demon shook his head. No, this bit would just not happen. He didn't think Botan would ever be that way. The woman was much too shy. He didn't even know if he could act this way towards her. She wasn't just a casual hookup like some of the random demons with whom he'd acquainted himself. This woman, as loathe as Hiei was to admit it, was different. He was too focused on trying to hold himself together and not wreck their already shaky relationship. His usual cocky, taunting nature wouldn't help him here, least of all in the bedroom.

As always with these two guidebooks, the biggest note was talking. Not necessarily about the baby, but communicating their feelings for each other, how happy they are to see and be with one another. It seemed simple enough, but Hiei had a harder time swallowing that than by the idea of blatantly flirting with the woman.

"Be sure to talk through the changes instead of just letting them happen. And keep the lines of communication open even once the baby's on the scene, when talking uninterrupted will be more challenging but also more crucial than ever."

And, lastly, the advice that Hiei would have taken the wrong way if the suggestions beneath weren't given was to get away while they still could, while he still could. He felt anxiety throughout his body, his form tensing and the feeling of breathing becoming much harder. Of course the guide meant more as in a romantic get away, but the fire demon was thinking he was biting off way more than he could chew. Maybe escape should be an option, but he just couldn't bring himself to flee…not anymore.

Oblivious to Hiei's conniption, Botan finally opened her eyes and smiled when she saw Hiei reading ever so diligently from his baby guide. He was so dedicated to this and to their son, and that made her happy, although nothing could compare to the happiness she felt when he had actually surprised her by bringing her to the baby shower, something she would have never expected from him, ever. It was an experience Botan never thought she would get, and she was thankful. She was glad that they were both winding down for the night. She was exhausted, and she was sure Hiei was as well.

"So what did you think about all we got from our friends for the baby?" she asked, not noticing the fire demon tense beneath her. "I think we're just about set with everything, even clothes now."

"I don't want to talk about the baby," Hiei blurted out, almost a bit too harshly. He noticed his tone, his lips pursing into a straight line as his expression seemed to remain neutral. Inside, though, he felt nothing but chaos. He silently prayed that Botan wouldn't get upset by his callousness.

The ferry girl was surprised, but she could tell that something was agitating Hiei. He almost looked like he was about to explode, so she decided to go along with what he wanted without taking offence. "Alright, then," she murmured kindly, her tone soft and patient. "What do you want to talk about?"

Hiei swallowed, unsure of what topic to even broach. All he knew was that his guidebook was directing him not to talk about the child all the time. If he really wanted a relationship with the ferry girl, then he needed to put in some effort into it. If not, things could go wrong, and Hiei had come too far to let that happen. Something struck him, an idea from his book in the past, one where it instructed to talk about past memories, their memories.

He blurted out, "Memories," confusing the woman. She merely blinked at him in response, and he again had to swallow down his nerves. "Yours."

Botan couldn't help the smile that formed on her lips. She had no idea why Hiei was acting so strangely, but then when he finally said what he wanted, Botan realized that he was asking to know more about her. She already knew quite a bit about him, but she had always been curious. The fire demon never once expressed this kind of interest in her, and so a bubbling warmth filled her.

So, she decided to humor him, telling Hiei random stories about her past. She told him of her time as a ferry girl and how she became Koenma's chief ferry girl. While doing so, she told him all about her friends and coworkers, eventually shifting to the part of her past she was most fond of, namely the part where she met Yusuke and, by extension, all of them.

Knowing that Hiei knew the majority of it, she decided to talk about the more lighthearted memories, ones that held special places in her heart. The entire time, Hiei stared at her like she was the most foreign thing in the world, completely baffled and mildly annoyed.

"You're crazy," Hiei told her, thinking she had to be if she could find anything positive in those horrible cases. "I was your enemy. I hurt you. You were nearly killed by deranged humans. We had the displeasure of dealing with that bastard, Tarukane, and then Toguro forced us into that hellish tournament. There was nothing even remotely redeemable about the Sensui case. Only death. How could you possibly find peace in any of it?"

The woman flashed him a sad smile, tucking a strand of her blue hair behind her ear. "You're only looking at one side," she explained. "You may have been our enemy then, but it was the day we met you and that you unwittingly because a part of the team. You may have hurt me then, but look at us now. With the Saint Beasts…it was the first case you boys accomplished together. I know Tarukane was probably all of our least favorite person, and honestly he deserved what he got, but we found your sister and got her away from him, together."

She met his crimson eyes, his expression softer but still guarded. At least the angry look in his eyes was gone, but his gaze was still firm with a hint of bewilderment in those irises. "As many horrible memories we had from the Dark Tournament, there were good ones," she continued, taking his right hand in hers, her finger tapping above his wrist. "You mastering the Dragon of Darkness Flame, though that was a little scary." He grunted, and she giggled. "Kurama getting to revert to Youko for a time. Kuwabara finally coming into his own, and Yusuke…well, not only did he defeat Toguro, but we can't ever forget about Puu."

Hiei released a disparaging chuckle, pitying Yusuke for a moment. "You're ridiculous." Still, he cracked half a grin in spite of himself, arms crossed as he started to lean back against the pillows.

This new posture didn't go unnoticed by Botan, and she once again lied down against her demon lover. She smiled up at him and waited until he looked to her again. When he did, she added softly, "And where the case against Sensui was the worst of it, it led to so much good. Yusuke found out about Raizen, and his transformation and presence in Demon World led to all the changes now. He wouldn't have been in the position to make the change if he hadn't. None of you would have…" Botan froze, her eyes growing saddened as she thought about it, but she managed to keep it down. "Besides, it was also the time when you proved you'd always be there for us, even if you didn't necessarily want to be."

Hiei's eyes softened completely now as he took in her words. "You really do always see the good in everything…" he marveled, awed.

"I do," Botan replied, her eyes holding a bit of uncharacteristic seriousness in them, "but it doesn't mean that I ignore all the other parts. They happened. We can't change them. All we can do is try to move forward from them." Her hands moved to her to her rounded belly, his hand with the most dangerous weapon the Makai possessed placed against it. He felt his son kick, gazing at the spot before meeting Botan's brightened visage. "We have to keep doing out part to make these changes so that this little guy will live in a safer time and won't have to."

Though Hiei would never admit it aloud, the woman's words resonated deeply within him. He agreed with her. In a way, they both played big parts in keeping the three worlds balanced. Where Botan did it out of genuine goodness, Hiei did it out of begrudging loyalty to both Mukuro and the detective. The woman in his arms truly desired to help, and because of it the worlds were already moving in a more positive direction despite the pests of rebels that were out there.

Still, now that he thought about it, they were actually doing it for someone. The fact that he sired a child with a ferry girl was unexpected, but now that child would be born into the fray. It made it all the more important, this fight for unity. If they played their cards right, their son would be raised in an incredibly more favorable environment than either of them.

He squeezed Botan's hand before splaying his fingers out, gently grazing her stomach and causing the woman to gasp and shudder. His open palm rested against her, their little boy kicking them both. The parents-to-be couldn't hide their smiles. Hiei quickly shut the light and allowed the ferry girl to nestle comfortably against him, his hand still in contact with their son. Unbeknownst to Botan, Hiei began a "kick count," checking on their son.

One…two…three…


A/N: I'm back! Okay, sorry for the far too long delay. The fast version of the story is I was having hectic life issues with friends, a new job in my field which consumes a lot of my time, I'll be moving again soon and there's a whole lot of craziness with that. Plus, on top of that, I have some family members who have/have had health concerns. It's just a lot, and I've had significantly less time to write. However, I hope this chapter made up for the long break. Let me know what you think!