I smiled as I remembered what happened after dinner. Ryou and Kenji gave each other a knowing glance. There was no need to tell them what happened next. They were old enough and knew us well enough to guess. Kenji grinned mischievously. "I take it Dad liked what he saw." He teased. "I've found him difficult to resist, whether youko or human." Hiei said as he entered the room. "His female form proved no different." "Yes, and that's what lead to our next surprise." I teased. Hiei laughed softly as sat down in a nearby chair. "I don't think either of us was prepared for that." He said. "Prepared for what?" Ryou asked. I just smiled and continued the tale . . .
A month passed and still there was no clue as to how I had acquired my new form or how to reverse the change. Even Koemna had pitched in to help, but still no luck. Thankfully Hiei had taken to my new form rather well and I loved him all the more for it. So when I became ill, I didn't want to worry him. Unfortunately with our bond, there was no way I could hide my sickness from him. He awoke late one morning to find me bent over the toilet offering up my breakfast to the porcelain god. "I should get Yukina." He said. I shook my head. "It's just my stomach fire baby, nothing to worry her over." I said. Hiei frowned. "Alright but if it gets worse I'm bringing her here to take a look at you." He insisted. I nodded in agreement. When two more days passed and I was getting no better Hiei brought Yukina to check on me.
The ice maiden greeted me pleasantly as usual while Hiei went to wait in the living room. I described to her the symptoms I'd been having and a small smile tugged at her lips. "I think I know what's going on, but let me check to be sure." She said as her spirit energy washed over me. When she was done I looked at her expectantly. "You'll be fine Kurama." She assured me. "I'll go tell Hiei the good news so he can stop worrying." I nodded and watched as she headed into the living room. I too had an idea of what was causing my illness, but this was the only way I could be sure. "Kurama is going to kill me." Hiei murmured as he plopped down on the couch. "Why would I do that?" I asked as I emerged from the bedroom. "I'm the reason you're sick." He said sofly. "You're pregnant Kurama." Yukina said, confirming what I had suspected. Slowly I approached Hiei, a mixture of joy and apprehension resounding within me. He had never actually said that he wanted children and now I was carrying his child. Yukina headed into the kitchen to give us some privacy. I sat down beside my mate and timidly took his hand in mine. He turned to me and our eyes met. "Do you want this child Hiei?" I asked softly, my heart was beating rapidly in my chest. "Yes." He whispered. "Don't you?" I smiled and nodded. "You know I do." I said softly. Inwardly I was sighing with relief. I had no idea what I was going to do if he didn't want the baby. "It looks like you got your wish Fox." He said softly as he kissed me. My eyes widened as a thought came to me. My mate looked at me in confusion. "What is it?" he asked. "What if this is how that wish was granted?" I responded. He looked thoughtful for a moment. "Anything's possible Fox." He said. "If this change is permanent we're going to need to take a few precautions from now on or we'll have a whole litter of kits before we know it." I said. Hiei smirked, obviously amused at my statement.
"Your mother will be excited at the news." He said. "Yeah, she's always wanted a grandchild." I agreed. "It's a good thing we told her about my change weeks ago." Hiei nodded. "I don't think much we do will surprise her anymore." He said. I chuckled at his statement. "I say we tell her first then gather everyone else together and tell them at the same time." Hiei suggested. "Yes, that's a good idea." I agreed. "Where shall we have them meet us?" "Genkai's." he responded. "Tomorrow afternoon." I nodded in agreement. "I'll ask Yukina to gather everyone." I leaned my head against his shoulder. "Do you think we'll be good parents Kurama?" he asked as he stroked my hair. "After all neither of us knows much about kids." "I'm sure we'll do fine love." I replied. "We have plenty of help around us when we need it."
Yukina entered a moment later with tea and some snacks. Hiei asked her to gather everyone the next afternoon so we could announce our new arrival. The ice maiden agreed. We set up a schedule for follow up visits so she could keep tabs on my health and that of my unborn child. During the eighth and ninth months she would stay with us so that she could deliver the baby. The more we talked the more excited we became. "So what are you hoping for Hiei?" Yukina asked. " . . . a boy or a girl?" "I don't care which we get." He answered. "My only concern is that the baby's healthy." "No matter which we have I'm sure we're going to have our work cut out with suitors once our child is of age." I said. "Especially if the child gets your looks." He responded.
Once we announced the upcoming birth of our child Yusuke and Kuwabara insisted on helping Hiei build an addition on to the house, and once he told Mukuro she told him he was on leave the moment the baby was born and he was not to come back to work until we found a nanny or I could handle the care while he was at work. Sata and my mother insisted on throwing me a baby shower. With all the preparation going on for our new child the months went by fast. All too soon I was beginning to show and the baby was becoming active. Hiei got to experience that one night. I was lying against him, with his arms resting on my now large abdomen when the baby kicked. Hiei's eyes grew wide. "Fox?" he whispered. "Hmm?" I replied, raising my eyes to his as the baby kicked again. I took in his confused expression and smiled. "You felt the baby kick?" I asked. He nodded slowly. "You know we still haven't decided upon a name." I reminded him. He closed his eyes for a moment, seemingly deep in thought. The baby kicked again his eyes flew open. He stared at me bewilderedly for a moment then smiled. "Kenji." He said softly. I chuckled remembering the time I'd jokingly used that name. "What made you think of that name?" I asked curiously. "I thought about the time you said that name as a joke." He said. " . . . and the baby kicked." I raised my eyebrows. "If we have a son then Kenji is what we'll name him." I agreed. " . . . and if the baby's a girl?" Hiei asked. "We'd better get the name book, we borrowed from Keiko." I suggested.
Before we knew it I was eight months along and to this day I still wonder how Hiei was able to deal with my mood swings, cravings and all the other things that came with being a pregnant female. Becoming his mate had defiatly been one of the smartest decisions I'd made in life. It was at that point,Yukina came to stay with us until the baby was born. The addition the house was finished and the baby's room was full of all the gifts from our friends and family. By the time I was nine months along Sata had decided to stay with us as well. It was two weeks after she came that I went into labor. I was awakened in the middle of the night by a rather strong pain. Not sure if it was another false labor I decided not to wake my sleeping mate. I cried out as a second, more painful one hit, waking Hiei. I realized this was the real thing. "Get Yukina." I told him. In a flash he was out of the bedroom. Moments later Yukina and Sata rushed in with Hiei right on their heals. Yuknia said something to Sata and Hiei, but I didn't pay it any attention.
For a long while after that time seemed to stand still, but now all I remember was Hiei standing beside me, coaching me with my breathing and me trying to concentrate on my breathing as the pain intensified. Yukina did all she could to ease the pain. I "pushed " as often as I was asked, and by the time Sata saw the baby's head I was exhausted. "Once more Fox." Hiei encouraged. I gathered what little strength I had left and pushed as hard as I could. "It's a boy!" Sata cried gleefully. Suddenly she gasped and her eyes went wide. "Yukina, I see another head!" "What!" Hiei and Yukina cried in unison. Yuknia gasped at the sudden revelation. "Kurama I need you to start pushing again." She said. "You mean . . .?" "Twins Kura." Sata cried. "You're having twins." I had no time to be bewildered. Hiei was encouraging me to push again. I felt as though I was completely spent, still I managed to push hard once more. "That's it." Yukina encouraged. "Another boy!" she cried out joyfully. Hiei held me, kissing my cheeks. "You did it Fox." He said. I smiled weakly at him and closed my eyes. I was too tired to keep them open, all I wanted was sleep.
When I awoke sometime later Hiei was sitting beside the bed in the rocking chair. In each arm he held a small bundle. He smiled at me. "Sleep well?" he asked. I nodded. "How do you feel?" he asked as he cautiously got out of the chair. "Tired and achy." I answered. "Feel up to meeting your sons?" he asked. Carefully I took one of the small bundles from his arms. Two tiny white fox ears poked out from the blanket, surrounded by dark hair. "They both have your ears and your tail." He said. ". . . but our firstborn has my hair." I smiled. "Have they been given their names?" I asked. He shook his head. "I thought we should do that together." He said. "Shall we call the firstborn Kenji?" I suggested. He nodded. "What about Ryou for our second?" he suggested. I nodded in agreement. . . .
Ryou and Kenji were silent for a moment. "Did you ever find out how you were made female in the first place." Ryou asked. " . . . and how did you change back?" Kenji asked. I nodded. "Sometimes when one makes a wish from the heart, it is granted." I answered. "It wasn't until three months after you were born that I learned the cause of my change." . . .
I hummed softly as I rocked back and forth in the rocking chair trying to lull Ryou to sleep. The silver haired kit soon stopped fussing and began to drift off to sleep. Hiei entered the room with Kenji in his arms. He smiled at me as he placed his son in his crib and tucked him in for the night. He then stood and watched me for a while, then gazed down at his silver haired son. The kit had fallen asleep and was peacefully dozing in my arms. I slowed my rocking to a stop and stood carefully. "Go on to bed." I whispered to my mate. "I'll join you shortly." He nodded, then kissed me and gently kissed Ryou's forehead, careful not to wake him. He padded out of the room as silently as he'd come in. I laid the baby down next to his brother and tucked him in, then gave them each a gentle kiss on the cheek. As I stepped away from the crib I felt an unfamiliar presence in the room. I whirled around raising my hand to my hair fully intent on punishing whoever dared to intrude upon our home. A white fox sat in front of the window. "There is no need to fear me child." the fox said telepathically. "I have not come to bring harm to you or your kits. I have come only to deliver a message." I lowered my hands and nodded for the fox to continue. "The desire of your heart was granted just as you suspected." It said. " . . . yet you are still confused." I nodded. "Why was my wish granted?" I whispered. The fox seemed to smile. "Have you not earned it?" it replied. "You have shown your loyalty to your mate, your friends and family." "Have you not kept the vows you made since your rebirth?" it asked. I nodded. "Then it matters not why it was granted, just look back upon this time and remember that you were blessed." It said. "Once your kits have been weaned you will return to your rightful form." "Go and rest now Kurama, be assured that you are being watched over always." When I blinked the fox was gone. I stood there for a moment bewildered. "If I was confused before I am even more so now." I murmured softly. A soft smile began to spread across my lips. Surely I had been visited by one of Inari's messengers. I said a silent prayer of thanks to Inari for granting me this one wish...
A small smile spread across my lips at the memory. "Your father was right." I said. "About what?" Hiei asked. I locked my gaze upon his. "Do you remember what you said to me the night before all of that happened?" I asked. He thought for a moment then laughed. "Be careful what you wish for Fox." He said. ". . . you just might get it." Kenji and Ryou laughed. My smile grew at the sound of my family's laughter. I was glad that my wish had been granted; I was also grateful. Kenji gently touched my arm. "If you could have another child would you?" he asked. I nodded. "If your father was the one to bear it." I answered with a grin."I for one would not like to go though that experience again." Hiei looked at me wide eyed, making Kenji, Ryou and I laugh at the expression on his face. "Papa, what did the white fox sound like?" Ryou asked. "The voice was neither male or female, but warm and gentle." I answered. Ryou yawned calling my attention to the late hour. "Get to bed, both of you." I instructed. "It's late and you both have lessons tomorrow." "Good night Papa." Ryou said as he rose from the couch. "Sleep well Ryou." I responded. "'Night Papa." Kenji said then kissed my cheek. "Sweet dreams Kenji." I said. The twins bid their father good night and retired to their rooms leaving me alone with my mate.
Hiei rose from his chair and sat beside me on the couch. He looked down at the photograph of me holding our then newborn sons. "You were a beautiful female." Hiei said. "A shame I never saw you this way in your true form." I raised my eyebrow. "It really wouldn't have mattered to you if I remained female would it?" I asked. "Like I said, It matters not to me what form you take. You are still the same within." He answered. I smiled and closed the album. I chuckled. "Yes, I realize that now. Human or youko, male or female you couldn't keep your hands off me." I smirked. "If I'd remained female we'd have a lot more children than just the twins." Hiei shrugged. "What can I say? I find you irresistible." He murmured as he leaned in for a kiss. ". . . and I you." I murmured huskily as I leaned in for a second kiss. "I think we should go to bed as well." I said as I stood. "Yes, that sounds like a good idea." He agreed.
To: Koritsune Dragonrider I just finished reading Identity Crisis 2. I bow to your birth scene it was soooo much better than mine.
Thanks for reading this chapter everyone, stay tuned for the next.Thank you everyone who reviewed! Stay tuned for a short side fic to this story.
- Yami Yue