Summary:

Demon-Human tensions increase, culminating in the birth of another mazoku. Hiei and Yarika's family grows and Kenryuu and Yuko Urameshi experience belligerent sexual tension.

Notes:

Warning: Sexual content, Medical gore (complicated pregnancy and childbirth) and alcohol use. Flashbacks to genocide (the ice maidens getting snuffed out)

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

It had been a while since Hiei and Yarika had an argument this intense. They had been long used to and accepting of each others' faults but there were limits.

In this case Yarika's vanity irked Hiei a bit too much to bear. She had recently come down with one of the few illnesses that her kind easily caught – a virulent and painful fungal infection, probably from spores Hiei picked up on his clothing while rounding up stray humans from some far-flung area of Demon World. Disfiguring rashes broke out over Yarika's body and she had to seek out Riku the plant demon specialist for treatment.

After treatment the sores were no longer contagious but the discolored rough patches greatly distressed Yarika. Hiei had taken it seriously enough at first but as she was no longer in danger, her wearing of baggy hooded sweatshirts and constant forlorn looks at her reflection and her avoidance of him greatly irritated him. Usually she was on him like white on rice several times a week minimum, and even after she was no longer contagious, she was still avoiding him. Hiei felt rejected.

Hiei finally had enough and confronted her. "Will you stop moping?" he growled. "Riku said it will completely heal in time. And for fuck's sake, why are you avoiding me?"

Yarika seemed to shrink into her hoodie. "I don't want you to see me like this..."

Hiei snorted. "Woman, I don't give two shits how you look."

She whirled to face him so fast the hood of her sweatshirt fell back, showing an angry patch on her neck. She was in a bad mood and her anxiety over her appearance had made her snappy and irrational. "So you're saying you don't find me attractive then?"

Hiei's anger exploded. "That's not what I'm saying, you vain, bitchy houseplant!" While Hiei hadn't threatened to harm her since he was an angsty teenager, he sometimes let a few insults fly when riled.

Those were fighting words. "What did you call me?"

"You heard me. A vain, bitchy houseplant that can't see why anyone would value her beyond her looks."

Yarika pulled off the hoodie and the shirt underneath to let him see the full extent of the sores. It was in large patches over her body, and it was obvious how much pain the fungus had caused her. "Are you saying you'd be willing to fuck this disgusting mess of a body?"

Hiei snickered at her attempt to repulse him. "You think that bothers me? I've seen Mukuro naked, those scabs of yours are nothing by comparison."

Yarika huffed and turned away, stalking off.

Hiei had enough. He'd teach her a lesson and remind her that he had meant his promise to never run away from her again regardless of whatever trouble there was. "You asked for it, you stubborn weed," growled Hiei. He quickly closed the gap between them and seized her, tossing her over his shoulder and carrying her to their bedroom as she squawked in indignation, her face magenta.

Those squawks soon turned to embarrassed moans of pleasure. Hiei didn't bother holding back like he normally did, angry sex was on the menu tonight. Hiei wouldn't let her cover herself up as he had his way with her, this was the lesson he was teaching her for rejecting him over her stupid assumption that her looks were what was most attractive to him. He punished her for her overblown vanity by exposing her as much as possible as he pounded into her at an optimal angle for viewing. To his credit, if she had told him to stop, he would; Hiei had standards and she could kill him through sex if she wanted to.

Hiei didn't let her get out of bed for hours, he only relented when Kenryuu came home. Kenryuu was a young adult now so he was often gone. He was apprenticed to Hiei's favorite weapon-smith, he came home when he wasn't lodging at his master's or training in a remote area. The smith had taken him on as a favor to Hiei since Hiei was a powerful and respected demon and wise demons kept on his good side. Kenryuu proved to be a diligent apprentice; he had a keen interest in making weapons since he was a child and had chosen to learn it as a trade instead of going on to higher education like Yona. Yona had become a teacher. Her sisterly personality and ability to get troublemakers to submit to her served her well on that career path. Their parents were proud of them both; Hiei especially did not want his children to take to banditry like he had done.

Kenryuu, now in his 20s, was much the same as he was as a child albeit calmer and less impulsive. He was still rather aloof with strangers but with the people he was close with, he liked to joke in his dry, biting way. "Ugh, I should have just stayed at Master's. Why don't you two just take a cold shower when you know I'm coming home? Thank goodness for birth control, or I'd have dozens of sisters by now."

Hiei opted not to retort, he was in a very good mood after getting some for the first time in weeks. He had cheerfully repaired the bed frame before going downstairs to greet his son. Yarika was likewise in a better mood, Hiei had proved that he still found her attractive, it had been a balm to her wounded pride over her looks. She no longer was angry about the "bitchy houseplant" and "stubborn weed" comments. She'd lobbed "arrogant asshole" and "hothead jackass" at him on many occasions, so she wasn't one to talk. They were one of those couples who used fights as foreplay, much to the embarrassment of their children.

"Just be happy your parents are still happy together. Some couples don't even make it ten years before they had enough of each other," said Yarika. Arguments kept their household happy as resentment had an outlet before it could fester and take root.

Kenryuu shrugged and brought out one of the swords he had made to show them. "Master says my technique is getting better but I still have years to go before reaching the level of master. They're still only good for training purposes."

He was frustrated that he still had a long time left under his apprenticeship but he knew better than to do something reckless to hasten his progress. The skills he would learn under his master would set him up for life. Demon World still appreciated craftspeople unlike the excessively consumerist humans who had automated and mass produced nearly everything to their detriment. Demon World may have adopted advanced technology but they still held fast to many of their traditions and still had much work for those who made goods by hand. Demons preferred traditional weapons over firearms in general, feeling that it was more honorable to fall to a blade than to a bullet.

"I'm no sword expert but the color looks better than the last one you brought home," said Yarika.

Hiei examined the sword. "The steel looks less brittle than the last one you made. Your refinement technique is better."

"That's what Master said," said Kenryuu, glowing with pleasure.

"You're doing a good job." Yarika ruffled his hair affectionately. She was happy that her children knew what they wanted in life and went for it, despite being raised in a culture that over stressed education she knew a skilled trade remained valuable and respected in Demon World.

"So when are you moving out? I was getting used to storing things in your room." said Hiei. This was his idea of a joke. Kenryuu was technically still living at home but he was working outside the home and not leeching off his parents, he was away enough to give them plenty of privacy for their sexcapades. Many demons lived in tribes or extended family setups like they did in parts of the human world or in found family groups like the bandit tribe Hiei had been adopted by as a baby. Yona didn't currently live at home, she was usually shacked up with a lover and came home at intervals but could move back any time. This was the reason Hiei had taken pains to have a spacious house built for Yarika, there was room for family to stay with them and not be crowded in, Yukina and her offspring included. The bedrooms were all large enough to sleep several and the attic was spacious, so there wasn't much danger of running out of room.

Kenryuu scowled. "Anything you put in my room I'm going to use as material for weapons."

Yarika rolled her eyes and went to start dinner, leaving the two to trade barbs. They were far too alike and enjoyed their petty arguments.

Yusuke came to visit. "Your king has arrived!"

"Oh joy," said Kenryuu, his voice dripping with the sarcasm he inherited from Hiei.

Yusuke was again the current monarch, so he had been too busy of late to annoy them much. He sat down at the table and grabbed a plate. He started loading up his plate.

"Don't you have a castle to live in and servants instead of crashing our humble abode and mooching our food?" hissed Hiei, dishing meat off the serving platter with lightning speed so Yusuke couldn't take the best cuts. He gave his family the good pieces, smirking at Yusuke's disappointment over being left with the crusty end bits. Hiei was a family man now but his overall personality was intact.

"Servants are tiresome," said Yusuke. "Not a substitute for family. I wanted a family dinner for once, it's been too long. This place is homey with a relaxed atmosphere."

Hiei softened a bit. He now had the one thing he had craved since he was a child, a loving family. Yusuke no longer had one, unless you counted his human descendants and Raizens's monks. Yusuke had a more opulent lifestyle with servants and Raizen's old castle, and Hiei had a large house with his family in it, the only outsiders being there long term were his groupies who helped guard the outskirts of his land in exchange for his protection and some sparring. The house itself was only for family and friends, Hiei and Yarika preferred it that way, they liked a country house with family more than alone anywhere else. They were sorry for Yusuke for being alone, so they didn't kick Yusuke out when he came by to bug them. Kurama was mostly solitary but came by periodically. After Shiori's death he trained and tended his plants, including a vineyard which netted him a tidy living. The wine from Kurama's grapes was always on hand in Hiei and Yarika's cellar.

"So, Kenryuu," said Yusuke while heaping potatoes onto his plate, "I hear you're all set on being a sword-smith." Kenryuu answered in the affirmative. "Any hotties you're seeing?"

Kenryuu grunted. He wasn't in a particular hurry on that front, nor was a libido on overdrive like his mother and sister pushing him to find a lover. He wasn't totally uninterested like his cousin Yuuhi but he was content being single for the time being. "Master hinted that he wouldn't mind if I picked one of his grandchildren," he said at last. "None of them are particularly interested in being a smith and he'd like to keep the workshop and store in the family when he retires. I don't really know any of them all that well, so I don't know about that."

"Take your time," said Yarika. "Choosing a mate is something that you don't do lightly."

Yusuke nodded in approval. Hiei and Yarika's kids were both intelligent and well raised. One never would have thought Hiei's kids would turn out so well. "Any more kids planned?" he asked them.

"I wanted two to begin with, one of each," said Yarika. "No plans for more. I do hope I get grandchildren some day. I won't break my heart over what could be, so no pressure."

Hiei nodded in agreement. He was content with the two they had, if Yarika wanted more they'd discuss it first.

It turned out that they didn't need to discuss it. About three months later, Yarika became ill again. Hiei grew worried, since most demons had robust immune systems and Yarika was immune to many ailments he could catch and most toxins.

"Dammit woman, what's wrong with you now?" His harsh words masked the worry he felt over seeing her vomit profusely.

"The last time I felt like this, I was pregnant," she said, sweaty and green.

"You've been using contraceptive medication for years, it hasn't failed yet," he said.

"Nothing's perfect, the medication I took for the fungal infection could have interacted with it," she replied, bending over the sink again.

"Then go see a doctor and find out," he said.

She did. When Hiei next got home from patrol, he found her clutching some papers.

"What did the doctor say?" he asked.

"I was right," she said.

Hiei groaned. They had just gotten the house mostly to themselves again. "Is it healthy at least?" he asked. He wasn't enthused to have more children but since one was coming, he would do his duty by it. A man with honor looked after his offspring regardless of how they came to be.

"They appear to be. It's twins."

Hiei's mouth hung open for a long moment. He wasn't expecting that. "Twins..."

"Identical twins, not fraternal like you and Yukina."

"They can tell that this early?"

She handed him the ultrasound printout. "Look at the ultrasound here. They have a single placenta, that only happens with identical twins. The doctor is a bit worried and will have to monitor them to make sure one twin isn't stealing the other's blood supply."

It worried Hiei too but he would make sure Yarika had good medical care so the babies would come safely. "What will happen if that occurs?"

"The doctor said there are treatments to restore the balance but there is still a possibility of losing one, or having other complications with both. He said the chance is unlikely but still something to watch out for." She looked up at him anxiously. "I know they weren't planned but I still want them. I don't want to lose even one."

Hiei's face softened and he put an arm around her. "I know." He was relieved that Yarika very much wanted their unplanned children. He hadn't always made the best decisions in life but he'd at least ended up accidentally knocking up someone who wanted and dearly loved all her children. He would have been deeply hurt if she'd rejected any of them, since they were part of him too. "You won't have to do it alone this time." He deeply regretted not being there for Yona as a baby but he had made up for it as best he could and Yona had always been his favorite. Although Hiei loved Kenryuu just as much, Kenryuu was closer to his mother while Yona was closer to Hiei.

"Don't expect me to change any diapers," snarked Kenryuu when he found out. "I wasn't the one who knocked up Mom, that's YOUR punishment for being so horny all the time. If I have kids I'll do it but not before." He didn't resent his upcoming sisters as he was his mother's only baby boy and was the only planned child. Still, he did not want to deal with smelly diapers.

"It's not that bad, I changed yours," Yona reminded him.

"Don't remind me."

Yukina was happy for them when she found out and pledged to help them if needed, as twins were a handful. Hers certainly had been. Kazuki had gone to join Kazuma in the afterlife but she had his descendants to keep tabs on. She still had Yuuhi and would naturally produce another daughter within years. Yuuhi did not want children at all, and was seeking sterilization surgery before she turned 100. She missed Kazuki and would look after any new sibling to try to fill the void from losing her twin. She refused to give birth herself, as she was uninterested in kids or making them with others.

The rest of the ice maidens had long been killed off, and the new generations would not have to live segregated like Yukina and Rui had had to. As long as they didn't return to the old frozen and misandrist ways, Yukina would allow the new tribe of ice maidens to survive. She also approved of Hiei and Yarika's willingness to care for their unplanned offspring. It was also triggering for Yukina when a child was rejected for simply existing.

"Twins are such a blessing," she said.

For the next two months or so, everything seemed to go okay. Hiei tried to stay close to home, since a pregnant mate was vulnerable in many ways; but he was needed now more than ever, mainly to keep unauthorized humans out of their realm. These were not lost humans.

This time, human industry leaders and politicians were coveting Demon World's vast untapped resources, the finite resources in the human world were dwindling. Instead of adapting to new materials and sources of power or paying what demons asked for their exports, humans wanted to get crews across the barrier to extract them themselves. It was impractical to do so; humans needed to either have high spirit power to resist the miasma or they needed special suits that fed them human world air but they were growing desperate. Hiei increasingly had to escort unauthorized humans in hazmat suits and spiritually aware humans without suits back to their world. Humans were only allowed in if they got royal permission, this was for their safety and for demon safety. The Kuwabara and Urameshi bloodlines were exempt from this policy, as they were kin to powerful demons that could guarantee their good behavior and safety.

Yusuke was in talks with Spirit World about the possibility of creating another barrier, this time to protect demons. Spirit World and Demon World were now on pretty good terms, opening the barrier and fostering peace succeeded better than Koenma had hoped. Most demons did not bother humans and had integrated well in their world as tourists or immigrants. Artificial human meat was now widely available so all but the most hardcore human-eaters had ceased eating them.

However, peace does not last without bilateral effort. Tensions were rising and Demon World wished to preserve their land from human exploitation. Still, they did not want a barrier unless the humans refused to back off. Yusuke deeply missed Keiko but he had found reasons to live beyond her, he had to keep things stable and did his best as king. He also kept a close watch on his family line because a new mazoku would likely be born at some point and they needed guidance as a newly born demon.

Speaking of newly born demons, Hiei and the older kids did what they could to help Yarika, who was feeling very out of sorts. Her pregnancy was not an easy one, she often felt tired and ill and needed to rest. Hiei took the doctor's advice to heart and took pains to be gentle with her and made sure not to pick fights, too much stress was not good for the babies and he would not allow harm to his own children. Yukina came to stay with them to help, just like she had helped when Yarika was pregnant for the first time. Hiei was too busy to be there all the time and their adult children had their jobs.

One night that Hiei managed to be home, Yarika started to gasp and clutch her belly. "Something is wrong. It hurts!" Hiei felt a sick fear wash over him. He was a man of action, so he did not remain frozen for more than a beat. As carefully as he could, he scooped up Yarika and raced at top speed to the nearest hospital. The small city their home was nearest to had one, with modern equipment and staff, it had grown in the decades after Hiei and his family had moved in nearby and kept the territory free of riffraff.

The medical staff rushed Yarika into treatment, leaving Hiei to pace while he waited for news. He knew better than to get in their way but he did use his jagan to make sure they were doing everything they could and not just leaving her to writhe in pain and fear. They tended to Yarika diligently, injecting her with this and that.

Eventually someone came out to speak with him. "Yarika is all right for now. We successfully stopped her labor. She's having complications and will need to be on strict bed rest until the babies are born. They may be premature despite best efforts but we will do everything we can to ensure they make it."

"I see…" Hiei was cautiously relieved. He was thankful that he'd been there for her when she needed him most this time. He would have never forgiven himself if she'd been in peril without him. The doctors and nurses were doing what they could so he declined to threaten them. He was finally allowed to see Yarika, who had been moved into a bed in a private room on a quiet ward. She got the full VIP treatment as Yarika was their favorite local celebrity and Hiei would literally kill to protect her and all knew it.

"This is home for the next few months," she said wanly. "I'm going to be bored out of my skull."

"Far better than the alternative," said Hiei in a Captain Obvious tone. He was so relieved that he forgot to be sarcastic.

He settled into the chair next to her like he had done for Kenji many years before after his heart attack, to keep vigil until he felt that it was safe to leave. Hiei wished his father-in-law could still give him sage advice. Yarika being this ill and weak and his twins possibly being born too early brought back the emotions he had felt when Yona had been in peril and Yarika had been gravely injured. Both crises had taught him how much Yarika and his offspring meant to him, that he could not bear to lose them. It would mean a wound to the soul as great as being torn from his mother had given him. The love he had received had partially healed that wound, with raw places left here and there that would never heal. Even those tender places didn't hurt as much now, they would fester if he was alone again.

Kenryuu and Yukina arrived with Yarika's belongings to make her stay more comfortable. Yukina was acting lady of the house, she assured Yarika that it would be kept spotlessly clean and the meals served regularly. Hiei and Kenryuu could make their own meals just fine but their house cleaning skills were mediocre. Yona was far better but she was living with her current lover nearer to her school, she called and pledged to come by when vacation began.

"Here's your tablet, I thought you'd want some entertainment," said Kenryuu, handing it to her. Demon World was largely connected to their own internet much like the human world, despite its vastness. Human communications technology looked like dial up internet by comparison, all but the deepest, most isolated parts of Demon World now had good coverage often at better speeds than most humans enjoyed.

"You're so thoughtful, dear," said Yarika.

"The squirts should be more thoughtful," he grumbled. "Not even born yet and giving you grief. You two better behave and stay put til you're ready to come out," he said in the direction of his sisters.

Yukina put her things away, while Yarika looked through her tablet, "I had all our home movies converted to digital to preserve them some time ago, I can access them here. The ones from when my parents were still alive. Care to watch them with me?"

Kenryuu hadn't seen them since he was little, when Yarika was teaching him about his human heritage and what his grandparents were like, in their original formats. The family had a working Betamax, Videodisc, VCR, DVD, and Blu-ray players for the old media Yarika had brought with her from the human world and she used them when feeling nostalgic for her life before she permanently moved to Demon World. "Sure, Mom. I can stay for a while, Master understands that I'm needed at home for now. He sends his well wishes."

She selected one from when she was a tiny child.

Toddler Yarika danced in front of the camera wearing a tutu, she spun around and around until she became dizzy and knocked over a vase on an end table. The water and loose flowers splashed over the startled toddler. The vase rolled off and smashed on the floor close by but the pieces missed her. Yarika gasped and started to cry.

Cue a shapely set of legs in a skirt hurrying into frame. Hinoki's upper half appeared as she scooped up the crying child to soothe her.

"She just got wet, dear," said Kenji. The camera crept up Hinoki's legs up her torso to her face, where Yarika was dripping wet and clinging to her mother's neck.

"She could have been hit with the vase, you need to be more careful!" scolded Hinoki, her face fierce. "Now shut that off and get a broom!" It was easy to see where Yarika had gotten her ferocity and her maternal instincts.

"Yes dear," said Kenji meekly, the screen going dark.

Kenryuu chuckled. "Grandma had him whipped, didn't she? He's as whipped as Dad."

"Damn straight she did. Your father likes to pretend he's still in charge even when I make him walk the line, though. Dad was all humility and yes dear, whatever you want, dear."

She selected the next video. Yarika, around age eight or so, was dancing around using a hairbrush as a microphone.

"I had a yen for showbiz even then," said Yarika.

Kenji walked into the frame in drag holding his own brush and began imitating his daughter while Hinoki busted a gut behind the camera.

"You look ravishing, honey," she laughed.

"DAD!" cried child Yarika, dismayed, as Kenji sang the pop songs in falsetto. The camera shook as Hinoki lost it.

"Dad always did his best to make Mom laugh," giggled Yarika.

"Dad makes you laugh."

"Not in quite the same way. He's always had that snarky side. When your uncle Kazuma was alive they used to have this banter going, your father loved insulting him and Kazuma just hit them right back. He never said so but by the end I know your father saw him as his brother. He misses him almost as much as Yusuke does. I am sorry you never got to meet him, he was a good guy. He loved your aunt Yukina every bit as much as Dad loved Mom. He's in some of these."

She played one from when Yona was a baby. Kenji was peacocking around with the baby, proud as anyone ever was to be a grandpa. In turn their friends got to hold her. Kuwabara grinned at the baby when he got a turn. "She's an adorable lil' demon, yes she is! Every bit as cute as Yukina!" Kuwabara proceeded to make an idiot of himself like he did around cats or Yukina. Yukina herself blushed delicately and smiled sweetly. "She is such a sweet baby," she said.

"He didn't know just yet that Yukina was really Yona's aunt or that Hiei was her father," said Yarika. "Almost everyone but him knew, poor guy. Yukina figured it out herself. Your father was still in that mindset where he couldn't confess he was Yukina's brother and thought he would just bring grief to people he cared about, so he ran away to Demon World on a suicide mission to be an S-class demon general under Mukuro. Yona was probably conceived at her fortress."

Kenryuu had heard that Hiei hadn't met Yona until she was three, which was only partly his fault. But not that his parents had gotten busy at Mukuro's. He had feared her since he was a baby, so this made him shiver a bit at the thought. He was far too used to his parents and their bed breaking habits to really be disgusted at the rest.

"Was Grandpa like that with you?"

Yarika chuckled. "See for yourself." She played a video from late March, 1977.

Kenji, looking quite young, had a grin that stretched from ear to ear as he cuddled a tiny baby with a tuft of red hair next to a tired-looking Hinoki. "I'm the luckiest daddy that there ever will be. My little girl is an angel and just as beautiful as her mother."

Hinoki smiled brightly despite the exhaustion from labor. "Of course she is beautiful. But she might just be a little demon with an angel face, I hope you know."

Kenji laughed at their private little joke, the camera-person was oblivious to it. "I love her just the same. I'll love you always, my little Yarika."

"Mom, you're crying," said Kenryuu, a little alarmed. "It's not good for you to get stressed out."

"I know. I just miss my parents so much." She smiled a little, wiping her eyes. "I can't be too sad, I have my husband and my babies, I'm not alone." She ruffled her son's hair, hair that looked just like his father's. Kenryuu wasn't a total clone of Hiei, he lacked the tattoo and third eye and he was a bit taller owing to having been well cared for all his childhood and had gotten somewhat softer features and his eye color from her.

Kenryuu smiled as she ruffled his hair. He had to give up being the baby of the family and would do so gladly for his sisters but he was happy as the only boy in the family.

Home life without Yarika was too quiet, and Hiei couldn't pick a fight with Yukina to liven things up like he could with Yarika. He'd never stayed alone in the house long with Yukina before, and the awkwardness of his teen years came back with him not really knowing what to say. Yukina understood and quietly went about doing housework. Yukina had stayed with them for a time after she had been widowed, after her children and her grandchildren had helped her through the worst of it, needing to get away from the humans that reminded her of her loss for a while. Hiei had worried that it would break her but Yukina was strong and soon was mostly her usual self, with something in her eyes that said she was content to stay true to the mate she lost and never take another. Like Hiei, she had become quite attached to a lover who had shown her genuine love and devotion. Unlike him she wouldn't go to pieces to lose them. She had known that her Kazuma would live a human lifespan but she had made the most out of it and thus had no regrets.

Every day the two prayed side by side in front of the Fujimiya family altar, imported from Kenji's house in the human world. It featured new pictures, Kenji's photo and a drawing that Rukia had done of Hina, which Rui had gifted to Hiei. Hiei had had to go off by himself for a while after that to be emotional and then collect himself, when he returned he put it among the family portraits on the altar so she could be honored in the cultural practice he had assimilated from his adoptive family. Kenji had been alive at the time and had gladly allowed Hina to join his wife's photo, Yarika prayed for Hina daily as she did for her mother. Part of the reason Hiei had warmed up so much to Yarika is the respect she had always shown for Hina, her willingness to pay respects to her grave was what had gotten him to accept Yarika as his steady girlfriend and later wife.

Hiei wasn't idle in his wife's absence. When he was home and not visiting Yarika he did the work Yarika couldn't do: setting up their bedroom to sleep newborn twins and setting up a bedroom as theirs for when they got older, following Yarika's instructions to the letter. He also did the baby-proofing, thankfully not needing to move all flammable objects out of reach of a crawling baby this time. He silently prayed to no one in particular that both twins survived, he hoped that setting up for twins would somehow give them an incentive to be born and come home safely. Yarika was like Hina in that she was deeply attached to and fearful for her unborn twins and possibly would take the loss of one or both just as hard. He had to prevent it if he could.

Yarika was being taken good care of at the hospital, the family did their best to keep her occupied to keep her from growing too fearful. Her belly was now getting quite large and Hiei had been hesitant to feel them kick, partly from fear he'd hurt them, and partly because he had never felt a pregnant woman's belly before. He was a little weirded out seeing it move like that on its own. He had declined to touch Yukina's when she was pregnant but that had been understandable.

Eventually she persuaded him to and he put a hand on her belly like he'd touch something made of delicate material. She put her hand over his, pressing down a little bit more firmly. His eyes widened, feeling the babies move.

"See? They're doing okay so far. Next week I will be in my last month and far enough along that they'll have a very good chance to survive outside of me but the doctor wants to keep them there until as close as possible to my due date." Hiei felt thankful for that. He used his Jagan to send the babies telepathic messages to hang in there as long as possible. They seemed less aware than Kenryuu but he felt their life forces strongly enough to be assured that he had reached them.

Next week came far too soon. Hiei felt one of the life forces falter, he raced off to the hospital before they could even call him. A nurse was certainly surprised, as she'd just called their house to tell him he needed to come immediately.

"Tell me what is going on," he demanded. "Something is wrong with the twins, I can sense it."

"One of them is in distress, we need to deliver them right now."

"Take me to Yarika," he demanded in a tone that could not be disobeyed without shed blood.

Once garbed in the proper sanitary gear, he was brought to Yarika's bedside. She was understandably frightened but she calmed a little when he took her hand.

Hiei held his breath as they pulled out the twins. They were so small, small like Kenryuu had been in his tank a month before being extracted. The first one started crying immediately but her cries were rather weak. The second twin was silent and still. Hiei could sense Yarika's terror, he was frightened, this was not a situation he could fight or threaten his way out of. All he could think of to do while the doctor worked to revive the silent twin was to send her a telepathic message.

"Come on, BREATHE!" he told the child directly in her mind.

He didn't know if it was his words or the doctor's intervention, the child gasped and started crying, her cries matching her sister's in tone and in strength. Both Hiei and Yarika sighed in relief. The tiny babies were brought to them, as they were breathing without assistance so far. Very, very carefully, they were placed on Yarika's chest for a few minutes. Their little chests rose and fell as they did their best to breathe on their own, and soon they were taken and put in their incubator together.

"Are they going to be all right?" Hiei demanded in a hushed tone, glaring at the doctor after he had finished up closing the incision.

"Likely so. They will have to stay here a little while at least. Premature babies born late term may need some help breathing and most do need time to learn to feed. When they've gained enough weight and can breathe without help and regulate their own body temperatures, we will discharge them. You are encouraged to come see them and touch them daily."

Hiei did so. Yarika remained in the hospital to heal and be near her babies, spending time with them like she had done Kenryuu in his gestation tank. Hiei came every single day without fail, often accompanied by a family member. He was not working at the time, he had told Yusuke that he could deal with trespassers without him for the time being, that his family needed him more. Hiei and Yarika named the babies Sara and Risa, after no one in particular. Hiei was by this time accustomed to handling infants, he took extra care with the twins as he was afraid of hurting their frail little bodies. It was amazing that hands that had killed so many could be so gentle with such tiny, fragile babies. He didn't think too much about the irony, he just wanted the babies to get strong quickly so they could go home as soon as possible.

Hiei should have been a little less hasty on that. The twins went home after a few weeks of growing stronger and growing plump and producing some wispy pink hair. They cried many times all through the night and day. Hiei hadn't been around for Yona's infancy but had heard she was generally content and rarely fussed and her crying was quickly soothed. Kenryuu had fussed a lot but didn't cry all that much unless he had grown too hungry or was wet or in pain. When fed, he quickly went to sleep. The twins did not take after their siblings, they took months to be able to sleep most of the night and were hard to soothe.

"I think I'm ready to be a grandma after this, so we can give them back to their parents instead of losing sleep," said Yarika, rocking and feeding Risa while Hiei was trying to soothe Sara. Both parents had dark circles under their eyes. Yukina did what she could so they could get some rest, she had raised loud, fussy twins and was a great help.

Hiei's absence from patrol duty made the human invasion situation hard to control but Yusuke didn't fault him for needing to be with his family. Hiei had patrolled for many years; although he could have been exempt from human patrol if he'd had a regular job to go to, he never got one. It was something he felt needed for as his search and rescue capabilities were the best in the realm. Hiei had only taken time off for family related matters like he was doing now in the decades he had been patrolling.

Unfortunately, Hiei not being there had meant Yusuke had called upon his descendants to help keep humans out of Demon World, with disastrous results. His college age great-granddaughter Yuko had tried to prevent humans from driving a large rig with drilling equipment through a large portal and despite her efforts, the truck had struck and killed her. Yuko had revived as a demon shortly after, and in her anger had grabbed and tossed the truck back out of the portal, badly injuring the humans inside. Naturally this was a huge PR disaster on both sides, as humans had invaded Demon World and they had been injured when forcefully ejected.

Yusuke had to make the hard choice to close the barrier. Until human leaders respected Demon World sovereignty, they would not be allowed in at all, he and Koenma would at minimum keep the barrier closed for the next five years. This caused the Kuwabaras and Urameshis great distress, same for the demons currently living and working in the human world. Yukina was sad that she would not be seeing her great-grandchildren for so long, at least telecommunications between worlds was still active and she could call them. Yusuke gave all the demons affected time to get packed if they wished to migrate back and he insisted that Yuko come and live with him to get a handle on her demon powers.

Yusuke brought Yuko to have dinner at Hiei's shortly after the barrier went back up. By then the twins had gotten a bit bigger and just as Hiei had had it with them and their noise, they both smiled at him and began to sleep through the night. He managed to keep his composure but having two tiny, identical cute girls beaming at him disarmed him completely. He managed to make spending time with them appear like he was doing it merely out of duty, although those close to him were not fooled.

"Another mooching Urameshi in my house," growled Hiei from the chair where he was holding his small daughters while Yarika and Yukina handled dinner prep. The twins, not one bit frightened of him, were covering him with drool and cooing. "I will have to train you girls to keep them out soon. Kenryuu is useless for that now." The girls shot gummy smiles up at him.

Kenryuu scowled from another chair where he was polishing a sword. "It's your house, toss them out yourself." The complaining was a bluff, Hiei didn't mind Yusuke coming by as much as he claimed to.

Yarika, having had some good sleep and totally healed from childbirth, was chipper and welcomed Yuko warmly into her home. "I'm so glad that Yusuke has some family with him now. You look a lot like Keiko, she and I were friends back in the day."

Yuko was understandably sulky and resentful after dying and being revived as a demon. A human life was out of reach now as she would outlive every single human she knew, it was a hard thing to process. Yusuke was sad at the barrier being up again but he seemed like a new man as he looked forward to raising Yuko to be a powerful demon like him. Raizen's blood had yet to grow thin, she had the potential.

"Just shut up! I don't want to hear it, you hag," snapped Yuko.

Kenryuu rose from his chair, holding the sword. "Don't talk to my mother that way," he growled, looking almost exactly like Hiei when he was angry.

"What are you gonna do about it, momma's boy?"

"I'll kill you right now," hissed Kenryuu.

"Go for it," spat Yuko.

Yusuke laughed. "That's my girl!" he understood how Yuko felt and hoped to get her out of her angry funk soon. He would work her hard to train for the next tournament.

Kenryuu lunged but Yarika was quick. She seized an ear from both young adults, causing cries of pain. "I will put you both over my knee if you fight in my house," she said. Both knew she meant it. As a rule she didn't do corporal discipline but these were young adults who knew better, the threat alone was effective as long as she meant it.

Hiei was feeling nostalgic. He had threatened Yarika much like that the first time he'd met her and she had sassed him like Yuko sassed Kenryuu. He hoped Kenryuu wouldn't fall for Yuko, otherwise Yusuke would probably never leave.

"Fight her at the tournament, son. Make her eat dirt," said Hiei. Kenryuu nodded, reflecting that it would be a better idea as his mother's house would be intact.

"Yuko will win," taunted Yusuke.

"In your dreams," sneered Hiei. "Kenryuu is a veteran of the tournament. Yuko will be a greenhorn."

Kurama showed up unexpectedly with a crate of bottles and several bags of grapes. "Is this bad time?" he asked. "I wanted you to taste-test some new products for me." Since Yarika was immune to getting blitzed, he often asked her to taste test new wines.

"Oh, we're just fighting. We can do that any time," said Yarika. "Come in, we might as well have it with dinner."

Hiei sighed. At least Kurama usually brought his products, seeds, and produce when he came by, so he allowed the intrusion. Kurama had also helped Yarika with her ornamental plants and her vegetables and fruits that she grew on their property, they owed him a lot for getting their gardens flourishing. Kurama still had the potential to be very dangerous but it was undeniable that accepting his help and his goodies and letting him come by when he wished without complaint kept them all in his good graces.

"You really shouldn't be encouraging so much alcohol consumption," said Yusuke. He wasn't much of a drinker anymore. Having grown up with an alcoholic mother, he had largely stopped when he grew up and married, not wanting to be like her as a parent. After losing Keiko, he had to resist the urge to drink heavily in grief, the result being he consciously kept from overdoing it Chu-style to this day.

"Luckily for you, I now have a line of sparkling non-alcoholic grape juices. I brought some. I thought the twins might like it when they're a little older," said Kurama pleasantly.

Kenryuu was old enough to drink but like his father he imbibed moderately if at all. "Sounds good, I'll have some."

Yuko stared at a bottle of actual wine. She read the brand name. "Shiori… Another momma's boy?" she had heard Kurama was happily single, so she deduced it was his mother's name. She uncorked it and took a drink. "This is great stuff!" Yusuke reached over and snatched the bottle from her. "Sorry, Kurama. I WILL deal with this later." He smacked Yuko across the head like Atsuko used to do to him when he acted like a stupid thug and smoked or drank.

Kurama's eyes narrowed. If Yusuke hadn't pledged to deal with it, he would have taken offense to what had just transpired. He would give Yusuke time to correct the problem.

Yuko squawked and called Yusuke a stupid old man. "You took my cigarettes before we got here, why do you have to take my booze?"

"It's Hiei and Yarika's booze. And you can't smoke where there are babies."

"Thank you, Yusuke," said Yarika. "The twins had a rough start but they're healthy now. I don't want them to get sick from smoky air." Hiei was silently appreciative of this also. He was as protective of the twins as he had been of the others. If Yuko had lit up in the house he would have immediately thrown her off the property like a noisy javelin.

"Supper," said Yukina.

Dinner table conversation went toward the next tournament.

"Is Yuuhi fighting again?" asked Yarika. Yukina confirmed this.

"My cousin will put you in an iceberg if you fight her," said Kenryuu to Yuko. "Yuuhi is as strong as Touya and a hell of a lot meaner." he smirked.

"Yuuhi is ruthless in battle, Kenryuu is far more merciful. Pray you fight him instead," said Hiei.

"Yes, we are all very proud of Yuuhi," said Yukina. "Yuuhi is the strongest ice maiden that was ever born."

"She lives up to her namesake," said Kurama. Yuuhi was what everyone would have expected Hiei's child to be like, not Yukina's, so Yuuhi was perfectly named.

"I'll pound Yuuhi and I'll pound you and your sister," said Yuko, glaring at Kenryuu. She stuck up a glowing middle finger.

"Bring it on, bitch," Kenryuu shot back, lighting up his fist with fire and raising his own finger.

Yusuke chuckled. Having Yuko around made things lively. She looked a lot like Keiko but her personality was all him. "You'll need to go through training aka Hell first, Yuko."

Yusuke put Yuko through hell as promised. He pulled out all the stops, he used many of Genkai's torturous training methods to whip Yuko into shape. His loyal monks also put Yuko through their own training. Gradually, much of the anger had gone out of Yuko, although she was still full of piss and vinegar. Mourning what had been lost of her humanity and celebrating what humanity she had retained as well what she gained a demon was a long process but Yusuke guided her through it as best he could. He had gone through the same after all. Yuko eventually apologized to Yarika although she still insulted Kenryuu every time she saw him, mocking him as a momma's boy and a pretty-boy. She was a little scared of Yona when she met her, as Yona was used to dealing with belligerent brats and could put them in their place quickly. One look was all it took.

"Kenryuu and Yuko need to screw and get it over with," observed Yona. "The sexual tension is increasing every time she comes over." Yarika agreed out loud and Hiei agreed privately. Yona's long-term lover Kaito, who had come with, also nodded. "Indeed," they said. Kaito appeared female on first glance but it seemed more complicated than that. As long as Yona was happy and satisfied, they saw no reason to pry into it. There were many odd demons, some truly gender-less and some literally hermaphroditic, as well as your usual binary bodied demons. This was a family with asexually reproducing ice demons and plant people with human blood, so they didn't judge.

Kenryuu trained hard when he was not working, usually with Hiei or sometimes with both Hiei and Yona. Now that Hiei was not shooing out humans from Demon World, he had much time to devote to his family and training. The twins grew fast and as soon as they began walking, Hiei had to often break up their squabbles and make the repairs to the house that the Tasmanian devil-like twins had necessitated. Hiei hated having strangers in his home so he had learned to do most home repairs over the years, only calling in specialists if there were wiring problems or structural problems that needed addressing.

By the time the twins turned two, they sometimes hurt themselves in their squabbles. "Sara! Risa!" shouted Hiei, abandoning training to rescue them from being sliced to ribbons by a plate-glass window they were fighting next to. Yukina had gone shopping and Yarika had been doing the household accounts, the twins had used the opportunity to escape their playpen and run off and have a rough-and-tumble fight in the next room. "You need to stop this squabbling and play quietly where your mother can see you. You shouldn't have run away."

They pointed accusing fingers at each other.

"Risa did," said Sara.

"Sara did," said Risa.

"You both did," said Hiei, picking them both up, one under each arm. Both twins took exception and shrieked in their shrill little voices, flailing. "I really should look into a vasectomy," grumbled Hiei under his breath. He put one twin in one corner and the other in another. "Time out." As violent as he had once been and sometimes still was, Hiei refused to strike any of his children unless it was for training. The books on parenting Yarika had once made him read for Yona's sake had taught him that other forms of discipline took longer but produced better results without trauma. He had once spanked Yuuhi but that was in place of the beating Yuuhi was asking for after injuring Yarika. Yukina had told him Yuuhi had deserved it, she would have done so herself if Hiei had not.

After the twins had stayed there the required time, he sat down to speak with them. "You could have been hurt badly. I want you to say "sorry" to each other and make up."

"Sorry," said the twins in unison. They hugged each other.

"Good girls," said Hiei, patting their heads. "You're too little to be hurting each other. When you're bigger I'll teach you to fight properly." The twins hugged his neck, each giving him a wet smack of a kiss on either side. Hiei had a hard time looking stern under this assault.

Yarika had watched this by peeping around the door. Hiei was a good father. He was self-aware enough to know he had been messed up by his upbringing and should not harm or traumatize his own children and that they needed to be raised better than he was. He cared enough to try. Yona and Kenryuu were proof that he could do it. The twins sorely tested Hiei's patience but he could still keep calm enough to discipline them without giving in to anger. The now-dead ice maidens never believed the cursed child could be gentle and loving and kind to his family. Their prejudice had gotten them killed by his "good" female twin and her child, not him.

Yuuhi had done much of the work in exterminating their kind, she was more powerful than any of the other ice maidens. Yuuhi quickly and mercifully snuffed out the young and middle aged ice maidens, subduing and leaving the elders to Yukina. Yukina had told the elders, especially the one that had ordered Hiei's death and forced Rui to drop him to the world below, that her dear brother was now happily married to the hanabito woman and she was happily married to a MAN and had a SON by him, much to their horror. Then she herself pushed the elders off the same spot Hiei had been dropped from one by one to punish them for doing it to Hiei and causing Hina to die of grief.

Having committed all the murders she had intended for a lifetime, Yukina went back to caring for her family like she had merely been gone on a sightseeing trip with Yuuhi. Kazuma had never been told, he was happy believing Yukina was all sweetness and light and she never challenged that assumption. Her gift to him was to always let him think the best of her as long as he lived and never show him her cold, vengeful side. Yarika and Hiei and Rui knew of this side but no one else ever did.

Soon the tournament was in full swing. Yarika and Yukina took the twins to a private box in the stands, with a great view of the jumbo screens showing the announcers and pictures of the regulars and the hopeful newcomers. Footage of the various arenas would be shown as soon as things officially begin. This year's special feature was a spot on Yuko Urameshi, announced to be Yusuke's great-granddaughter newly turned demon, who the other hopefuls loudly proclaimed they would slaughter.

Kenryuu gave them all murderous looks. "She is mine," he growled. "I owe her." Some of the hopeful fodder demons shut up. If Kenryuu wanted to turn her into a crispy critter they'd best back off lest he make them crispy too.

Yuko was definitely Raizen's descendant, she survived her initial rounds. Kenryuu got his wish to fight her.

"Begin!" cried the announcer.

Kenryuu advanced on her, a sadistic smile on his face. From the stands, Yarika reflected just how much he looked like Hiei at that moment, a bloodthirsty, teenage Hiei.

Yuko shot at him with the Spirit Gun. The technique had been passed down the Urameshi line for generations and Yuko was no slouch at using it. Unfortunately for her, Kenryuu had Hiei's speed, much like his sister.

Kenryuu zipped around at lightning speed stirring up miniature cyclones, adding his flames to them to go after Yuko. He wasn't quite as strong as Hiei and still unable to use darkness flame techniques but he too had gone through hellish training and was currently the strongest mortal flame user. He had a wide array of attacks based on mortal flames and he made Zeru look like a kid playing with matches.

Yuko had to give everything she had to dodge those fiery funnels dancing around her. He had her trapped. "You're less pathetic than you seem on first glance," she said.

"Likewise. You're out of ammo but you still seem to be able to fight."

Yuko smirked. She had Yusuke's smirk on Keiko's face. She was starting to admire him. "C'mon, let's dance."

They lunged at each other, trading blows at rapid pace for several minutes. Just when Kenryuu went for the KO, she shot at him at point blank range. His fist made contact with her face the moment the spirit blast did.

"You had one in reserve, you tricky bitch!" he gasped.

"You just assumed I was out!" said Yuko just before she blacked out.

Kenryuu staggered a few steps. He was the last one standing, just barely. She had gotten him good. He was turned on even when he was bleeding.

"The winner, Kenryuu!"

"I win," he said, collapsing.

Thankfully the medics were there to patch them up, using their healing arts to get them both in decent working order by the final round. As he could not fight the next round, Yuuhi didn't have to fight him. This was good for Yuuhi, as she was still weak against such a strong fire user. Yuuhi went on to fight Jin, who was so used to fighting Touya that he easily beat her. Yona won her rematch against Touya but was beaten soundly by Kurama, who was beaten by Mukuro, who lost to Hiei. Hiei was again declared the winner after an extremely tough fight against her. Not that Mukuro minded, she knew her heyday was done and was in it for a good fight.

As was custom, the winner got a ceremony in their honor, surrounded by family if they'd attended the tournament. Yarika, Yona, Yukina, Yuuhi, and the twins were up on the platform with him but Kenryuu was nowhere to be found.

"He was on his feet when I left him, he said he had to give Yuko something," muttered Yarika as they went through the pomp and circumstance. "Where could he have gone?"

Hiei grunted. "Who knows?" As long as Kenryuu was fine, he didn't care much. Kenryuu did win against Yusuke's little protege, so Hiei was looking forward to lording it over Yusuke.

After the winner's ceremony, the crowd started to make their way out, ending with the finalists. The twins were asleep in their stroller and made no fuss. Several demons were staring at a door to a supply room in the stadium. "What's going on?" asked Hiei irritably, they were blocking the hallway and their way out.

"Some chick is getting plowed," said one. "Sounds like she's getting it good, too."

"Wait a minute," said Yusuke. The female voice sounded familiar. As did the male voice. Yusuke frantically shooed the crowd away.

Not long after the grand finale the door opened, with both Kenryuu and Yuko straightening their clothes as they walked out. Kenryuu had that smugness that couldn't even be slapped off. He did say earlier he had to give Yuko something, that something being carnal. That fight had gotten them so worked up and horny they had to find a place with a lockable door as soon as possible.

"What?" asked Yuko, seeing Yusuke's horrified expression. He looked upon Yuko as his daughter and this was not how he'd pictured her debut as a demon. Hiei delighted in Yusuke's horror. Yarika shook her head, hiding a smile. Her son had turned out to be like her in the oddest way.

"You go, cuz," said Yuuhi.

"Told you they just needed to screw," said Yona, laughing.

If there was something about Team Urameshi and their loved ones and descendants both human and demon, it was that they had forged bonds that transcended death. Some of their descendants had even forged bonds with each other. What the future would bring for all three worlds was up in the air but all of the currently living were thoroughly enjoying living in the moment with each other. Hiei and Yarika in particular enjoyed an unbreakable bond forged in adversity and love and their children and many eventual grandchildren and great grandchildren would all find their own way to thrive.

Any world can be harsh but it is just as often beautiful. One must find beauty wherever it is, together with those one cares about. This family, both blood and found, had discovered it in a world known for its harshness.

THE END

Notes:

Demons aren't being communist here or anything. The have modern comforts and domestic industry, they just take pride in having a more simplistic less consumerist way of life than modern humans and they still appreciate the old ways of doing things. They have a good balance.

Kurama expanding into sparkling grape juice for teetotalers was Coco's idea.

Yuko is just like Yusuke was in the manga, she smokes and drinks. The anime censored this out.

The scene where Yusuke uses Genkai's cigarette as a beacon originally had Yusuke using his own cigarette.

I like Hiei x Yusuke, so I had their descendants bone.

This is it! Fic is done! I hope you enjoyed it! I do have a fan soundtrack that I'm working on and the AO3 version is gonna get more pictures in it soon.