"Obligation and Duty"

Chapter 15

.oO{I own all the characters in this story! Bwa-ha-ha!... okay, maybe not all of them. Just Rei, her baby... oh yeah, i also own this story.}

#Tamahome pops up# Why do we keep 'popping up'? Anyways .oO{She needs better descriptive verbs} If you steal Author's story, she'll sue... and that means more money for me! #Tamahome laughs evilly and fades into the background#

*****

Botan had spent the night that night, and she and Rei had sat up almost the whole night talking.

"Oh my gawd... did you see the way Yusuke looked at you?" Botan asked. Rei blushed, "C'mon, Botan, of course I saw."

Botan waved the comment away, "He looked like he was about ready to jump on you and get down to business!"

"Botan! That is sick!" Rei laughed. She shook her head, and her braided hair slapped against her cheeks. Botan rolled another roller into her blue hair as she said, "I'm so serious! I think he really likes you."

"I would hope he did! I'm having his freakin' baby!" Rei exclaimed. There was a knock at her door. Rei pulled her blanket around her tank-top as Kurama opened the door slightly.

"You girls are going to have to quiet down if I'm supposed to sleep," he sighed. He wasn't mad, just really tired. Rei and Botan blushed, "Aw, c'mon, Kurama. Why don't you stay in here with us?" Rei volunteered. Kurama was the one to blush now, but he shook his head.

"No thanks. You're all too hyper for me," he said and he closed the door. Botan started laughing and said, "You are so lucky! He's so nice!"

Rei raised her eyebrow, "Do you like him?"

Botan seriously shook her head; her face instantly losing it's glow of laughter, "No. I like someone else."

"Who?" Rei asked, remembering that Botan hadn't told her yet who she wanted to lay.

"Not telling," Botan mumbled as she rolled in another curler. Rei's mind searched all the possible people, but she couldn't find one that Botan would like.

"Did you know that you can still have sex when you're pregnant?" Botan asked suddenly.

Rei nodded, "Yeah, but I don't think I want to. I don't want to hurt the baby."

"I doubt it would hurt the baby. Now, tell me the truth, if you had to choose, who is your favorite? Yusuke, Hiei or Kurama?" Botan asked, her hair now up in curlers.

Rei thought for a moment. "I can't choose. I like them all. Or are you asking sex-wise?"

"Even Hiei!" Botan asked, almost becoming too loud. "Hiei is such a jerk, why do you like him? And it can be both, if you want," she whispered.

"Because. He's cute, and... I dunno, really. I just like him," Rei whispered back.

Botan gave her a look that told her to answer the other part of the question. Rei blushed, "Well, I'm not sure. I've only slept with Hiei and Yusuke."

"I know... but which one did you like better?"

Blushing again, Rei answered, "Uhmm... Hiei."

Botan looked like she was going to have a heart attack, "HIEI!" she practically screamed. "Why Hiei?" she asked, getting control again, and whispering.

"Gracious, Botan, you certainly know how to ask the most embarrassing questions. Because... Hiei was, uhm... well... 'bigger'."

Botan burst out laughing. "Oh good Kami, that is hilarious! So THAT'S where all his growth went to."

Rei couldn't help but laugh with her. "That was mean! He's barely any shorter than me."

"Did you ever find out why he raped you?" Botan asked. Rei nodded, "Yes, because he didn't want Kokai to get my power."

Botan raised a sceptical eyebrow and whispered, "And what did you say to it?"

Rei shrugged, "I made it sound like it was no big deal. I was in a hyper mood that night." Botan shook her head and said, "I don't understand you."

"And I don't understand you even more. Can I go to sleep now?" Rei asked. Botan nodded and since Rei got the bed, she turned out the light.

***

The next morning, Botan was awake before Rei even thought about getting out of bed. The guys were already awake and when Rei woke up, Botan was dressed and talking to the guys.

Nodding her morning salutations, Rei made her way to the fridge.

"I think I might just get lucky today and not throw up!" Rei mumbled to herself. She was right and she was able to enjoy an orange without any interruptions this time.

Kurama came into the room and said, "We have to leave."

"What?" Rei asked, her orange almost falling from her hands.

"We have to help Yusuke with another mission."

Rei glared at Botan who had just entered the room.

"Botan, please tell me that Koenma hasn't sent Yusuke on another mission. He just got back!"

Botan sighed, "Sorry, Rei. I could just kill Koenma-sama sometimes, but he wouldn't listen. 'Fraid this time it's not just Yusuke that's leaving."

Kurama nodded, "Hiei and I are going as well."

"Shit..." Rei sighed. "Oh well, I guess I don't have a say anyways..."

Kurama smiled at her and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "We'll be back soon."

"You better, and keep Yusuke safe!" she called as Kurama walked out the door. Catching Hiei's eye, Rei waved goodbye to him. He nodded and ran off to follow Kurama.

"Well, I better get going and go tell Yusuke. Are you going to be alright?" Botan asked, coming up next to Rei.

Rei nodded, "Yeah, I'm used to it now, I guess."

Botan placed a sypathetic hand on Rei's shoulder and walked out the door.

"Oh yeah! I'm going to be in my human form for a long while, so can I stay here?" Botan asked, almost near the shrine steps.

Rei nodded again, "You know you're always welcome."

Botan smiled and waved as she ran off.

"Well, empty house once again," Rei said and went back to the kitchen.

***

Botan roamed the streets in search of Yusuke and finally found him at the theatres with Keiko and Kuwabara. She decided she better not bother him when he was around Keiko; the poor girl still didn't know that Botan and Yusuke were NOT a couple.

.oO{I just wonder what she'll do when she finds out about Rei,} Botan thought. She pressed against the building she was hiding behind when Yusuke started walking that way with Kuwabara in tow.

"Yusuke! How come I can't go!?" Keiko called after him.

"It's guy business! Just hold a few seats for us, okay?" Yusuke called back. Kuwabara didn't seem to have the slightest clue of what was happening and when they walked right past Botan. Only then did she notice the five, suspicious characters following them. Yusuke pulled Kuwabara into a dark alley and the five boys followed. Kuwabara started boasting that he and Yusuke could beat them and a few more up in no time.

.oO{Ack... that idiot...} Botan thought as she moved closer to see the action. Sure enough, Yusuke and Kuwabara beat them all up in record time, but Botan noticed a sixth boy come out of the darkness. She pulled out her bat that she had been carefully hiding. Swinging it, she whacked the guy upside the head and he fell down; unconscious.

"Woah, Botan. Where did you come from?" Yusuke asked, noticing her for the first time.

"Botan!" Kuwabara almost squealed. Botan winced, .oO{This is not going to be fun.}

She quickly explained to Yusuke his mission, but totally forgot Kuwabara was there.

"So, these bug-things could take over Tokyo?" Kuwabara asked, finally reminding Botan that he was standing there. Searching her mind for billions of excuses, she used a few, but he stopped her.

"I'm not stupid, I know what I see. I'm going to help Yusuke," Kuwabara announced. Botan silently nodded and led them to an old storage facility. Lifting one of the floor plates, she showed them a 'black-hole'.

"This leads to another world?" Yusuke asked.

"Bingo," she used her trademark answer, and turning to Kuwabara she said, "You don't have to do this, you know."

He shook his head, "I'm somewhat of a Spirit Detective. Heck, I have more Spirit Awareness than Yusuke does; I'm going to help." With that he jumped through the 'black-hole' and Botan made Yusuke follow.

"Well, I better go explain to Keiko where Yusuke has gone."

***

Rei was getting quite lonely, now that it was back to only herself in the house. She always atleast had Kurama around, or knew when he was coming back.

"Dang..." she sighed, using her old word. Dropping her head onto her folded arms on the table she sighed again. Just then her front door opened.

"Rei-chan! I'm back!" Botan called.

"I'm in the kitchen," Rei called back. Botan walked in and noticed her bored state.

"Well, I think we need to find something to do."

Rei shook her head, "I'm too tired to do anything."

"Well, can I atleast talk to you?" Botan asked, remembering that she had forgotten to warn Rei.

Rei lifted her head, "Go ahead."

"Do you want me to tell you about Yusuke's mission?"

Rei nodded and Botan went on.

"He has to go and destroy the Saint Beasts. The leader of the beasts has unleashed a swarm of bugs on the Earth, and if Yusuke does not destroy the whistle that controls them, then all hope is lost."

"We're going to have bug-possessed people walking around, then?" Rei asked. Botan nodded, "Bingo."

"Okay, I think that's enough info for me. I'm going to bed now," Rei sighed and walked to her room.

"But, Rei! Doesn't that scare you any?" Botan called after her. Rei shook her head, "I've had too many surprises that I've started to expect them."

Botan shrugged as Rei closed the door. Moving towards the couch, Botan figured she had better make herself a bed for the night.

***

Two days passed, and more often than not, Botan and Rei were roaming the city, looking for any 'bugs'. Botan had her trusty baseball bat by her side and Rei just used her fists.

"This is actually kinda fun," Rei said, as she punched the bug-infested guy they had found. He was knocked unconscious and the bug crawled from his mouth.

"You're just too violent," Botan tried not to laugh as she sprayed the bug with bug-killer. Rei shook her hand out, "I can't help it."

Botan stood up after she had killed the bug. "We're going to have to be careful. More and more of these guys are popping up all over the place."

"Yeah, but I'm still having fun! It's been a while since I was able to punch someone," Rei thought, trying to remember the last time.

Botan laughed this time and they started walking to the other end of town. Botan had recruited Rei as an official 'Bug Smasher'- as she had been calling herself.

"You know how Yusuke and them are doing?" Rei asked, as they walked.

"Yes, actually. They've beaten their first two Saint beasts and are moving steadily along."

Rei nodded, wishing they were all back here with her, but she was being selfish.

Botan looked at her watch. "Oh gosh! It's almost 5:30! I told Koenma I'd give him a lowdown on what's been happening around here at 6:00!!" Botan whipped her oar out of thin air and sat down. "Stay out of trouble. I'll be back by 9:00."

Rei nodded and waved goodbye to Botan as she flew away.

Rei walked to where they had been going just as it started to rain. Lifting her face to the sky, she didn't notice the bug-infected man come up to her.

"This is for all the others you've destroyed," he hissed and drove his fist into Rei's tummy. Eyes widening, she dropped to the ground, holding her stomach in pain. She saw the bug-infested jerk fall to the ground and the bug crawl from his mouth. In the few seconds she was still conscious, she felt herself being picked up and looking up into the face of her savior, she saw the most beautiful blue-green eyes.

***

Stopping dead in his tracks on the steps, Yusuke looked around frantically.

"Did anyone else feel that?" he asked. Kurama and Hiei nodded.

"I wonder what it could be?" Kurama asked.

"It felt like Rei calling me," Yusuke whispered.

Kuwabara spoke up, "Come on, guys, we need to get going."

Nodding, Yusuke started moving again. Kurama looked at Hiei, who was still standing there with his eyes closed. Opening them quickly, Hiei gave a look to Kurama that only Kurama could understand...