Chapter Two-At the Café Celicka

Kurama stood in front of his boyfriend, Hiei, as if he wasn't seeing him. It'd been too long that he'd been gone. "Hey…."

Hiei smiled. "Hey. It's been a long time." He led him into the main headquarters. "We were beginning to think you weren't going to show up."

"Well…I had other matters of importance to tend to before I was able to get away."

"Oh?" Hiei didn't question him any farther though. He knew Kurama would explain when he was ready. "Wait until you see your assignment. Koenma has you paired with Yusuke this time."

Kurama groaned. "Aww man. Just my luck. I thought he was going to give me a different partner. "

Hiei laughed,and hugged him gently. "I told Koenma you would react like this."

"Well,all I have to say is Yusuke better stay out of my way, if he doesn't wanna get hit like he did last time." Kurama muttered as they walked into the control room. "Hey guys!" He smiled brightly at everyone.

"Hey,Kurama. You don't look any worse for wear with all the leadership you've had to produce." Botan smiled at him. "So,I hear you're going out on the streets with Yusuke. Thrilling, eh?"

"Oh, I'm so excited." Kurama retorted sarcastically. "Where is the kid anyway?"

"Out with Kuwabara. " Koenma replied from his favorite chair by the bay window. "Your mission isn't until tonight." He tossed the file across the desk to Kurama. "It's a nightclub. Café Celicka. A hotbed for spiritual vampires. Two nasty ones have been released. Sherva and Jolie. They're brother and sister. They're quite a vile pair."

Kurama nodded, as he read over the file. "How are we supposed to catch them?"

"That's what you and Yusuke have to find out. Don't capture them tonight. Just observe them. " Koenma advised.

Kurama nodded in dismay. "Listen….I can't stay gone too long this time, Koenma."

"How come? I thought you wanted to get off of the island?" Hiei asked, staring at his mate curiously.

"Well…I do..did…but I can't stay long, because…because of my goddaughter."

"Your what?!" They all stared at him.

"Marcella. My baby goddaughter." Kurama repeated quietly. "She was the daughter of my friend Kuri. He died two years ago. I've been raising her ever since."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Hiei looked hurt. He would've helped Kurama with the baby if he'd told him.

"I didn't want to add to your work load, Hiei. I'm sorry…" Kurama smiled at him. "She knows about you though."

"Does she?" Hiei smiled slightly. "Well, we'll try not to keep you away from her too long then. If you'd told us, we wouldn't have given you the assignment we did last time. You could've died." He frowned now. "Why didn't you bring her with you?"

"She doesn't know this world. She's half-human, but she's been raised a kitsune from the very beginning. I just didn't think it would be safe for her." Kurama answered softly. "She's developing slowly for a child with kitsune blood. Most kitsune cubs her age have control over their shape shifting by now."

"Well, you said she was half-human. Maybe that's the explanation." Hiei pointed out, as he got up to get a drink. " Want a drink?" He looked at Kurama.

"Got any iced tea?" The red-head asked. He had become quite fond of the cold beverage.

"We restocked, just for you. " Botan grinned.

"Then, yes, I think I will. Then I'm going to the training room for a while, until Yusuke comes back. " Kurama nodded to himself. Yes, he could do with a little practice with the rose whip. It's been too long,Kurama…you really should see about staying on for a while. He thought to himself. Yes,his sensible side argued, but I can't count on Zuri for that long. She's getting too old to tag along after Marcella. He sighed. Maybe he should've brought her. He suddenly had a very bad feeling. There was nothing to do about it now.

Later on, as Kurama was wrapping up his practice, Yusuke showed up, looking a little frazzled. When Kurama asked what was wrong, the boy replied that he'd run into the Spiritual Vampires. "Man those suckers were ugly!"

"Are they unbeatable?" Kurama asked him.

"Well, my spirit guns didn't do any damage, that's for sure. We've got a long night ahead of us."

Kurama let out a long sigh. He'd been hoping that Yusuke would say he'd destroyed them already, so he could go home. The uneasy feeling he'd had about the island was growing. "Well, Koenma gave me the name of their hideout. It's a nightclub. You ready to go party?"

"I suppose I'd better be." Yusuke looked, and sounded exhausted. "Do you think you could take Hiei with you instead, Kurama? I'm just so tired right now."

Kurama had been hoping for that, even though he wished it was under natural circumstances. "Sure." He went to get his partner, with a smile. "Oh Hiei! We're going to a party!"

"Cool! I'll be right there, Baby." Hiei came out a minute later, ready to go to work. "Come on. We've gotta get them tonight. To hell with what Koenma said. You gotta get home to your baby."

That's why I love him. Kurama reminded himself. Hiei always thinks about me first. He wasn't like that with everyone. "Alright." He tucked whip and the wheel inside his belt loops, and they headed out.

The night sky was clear, with a few stars beginning to peek out, when the two got to the club. The Café Celicka stood on a large city hill, and was already jumping with activity. It was a large, plain looking building on the outside, and Kurama hoped it would be a little more exciting on the inside.

"Certianly looks like a normal nightclub, doesn't it, Kurama?" Hiei asked him.

"Yes,but I learned a long time ago, Looks can be deceiving. We must stay on our guard. "

"Of course." Hiei tugged him close, holding him. "You be careful in here. Last thing you need is to get hurt, when you've got a baby waiting for you at home,and one that'll worry himself into a stew." The second person he meant, was, of course, himself. Hiei worried about Kurama lately.

"Don't worry about me, Sweetheart. We'll have these uglies down before they know what's coming. " Kurama kissed Hiei, before they made their way into the club. "Let's each take a level for a while. We'll meet back in an hour, if we don't find anything."

Before Hiei could object, the kitsune was disappearing on the dance floor. Hiei watched Kurama, before he went to the bar,and got himself a Corona. "He's trying to prove himself again. I told him not to do that shit." Hiei muttered to himself.

A brunette girl in her twenties looked over at him. "Is that your brother? He's hot."

Hiei felt a tinge of jealousy over that comment. He answered her question coldly. "He's my boyfriend." The girl gave him an indignant snort, before returning to her margarita.

Hiei went back to scanning the crowds. So far, no vampires to be seen. He was just beginning to get into the music, when something caught his attention, from the corner of his eye. He turned his head quickly, as two children dashed out of his line of sight. "What the hell…. Didn't the bouncer see them?" He muttered, as he got up. He first looked to find out where Kurama was. He had a feeling about those children. He went to where he'd last seen them, and stopped. They seemed to have vanished into the wall, but Hiei's third eye knew better. There was a hidden staircase. He could feel it. He felt other things too, as he looked around. The bouncer had tried to stop them, but had been rendered useless. These children were the vampires!