Second to last chapter Tying up a few things between the living and the dead. You're welcome, as always, to share your thoughts.

"Kuwabara! That's an awful thing to say!"

"I'm telling you, it's the truth! He hates me!"

"You're horrible!" Keiko retorted. "He's just a baby!"

"Who else does he pee on, hm?" Kuwabara demanded. "No one, that's who. You think it's a coincidence that I'm the only person Shorty's kid pees on?"

"This has got to be one of the stupidest conversations I've ever listened to," Shizuru grumbled.

"Did he and Hiei not get along so well?" Shiori asked.

Shizuru made a so-so motion with her hand. "Let's just say that theirs was a friendship based off a lot of fighting and insults."

"Come on, most boy babies pee on someone at some point!" Keiko argued. "If you can't handle that, I feel sorry for any kids you ever have."

"It's not the peeing; it's the look in his eyes when he does it! It's the same evil glare Hiei had. I'm telling you, he enjoys it!"

Something Kuwabara said confused Suichi. "Hiei peed on you?"

The carrot-top grew dead silent, and then began to sputter while everyone else laughed.

"I seriously doubt that Hiei is using the child as a vessel by which to release his unfinished wrath upon you from the afterlife," Genkai stated. "Perhaps, instead of standing there making a fool of yourself, you should go clean yourself up." Kuwabara sputtered even more but disappeared to the bathroom.

"Aww…" Keiko cradled Takashi in her arms and bounced him a little. "You're not evil, are you?"

"Hey, don't get any ideas," Yusuke warned. "I don't want one of those things in our place for at least a few years."

"I was just playing with him," she said defensively.

"Let's keep it that way." Yusuke suddenly cracked a smile. "Hey, maybe we should take Kuwabara with us on the honeymoon. It's nice to see you yell at someone else besides me for a change."

Shiori smiled at the sight of the bride and groom. It'd been a nice wedding. They'd had it outside, earlier that day. Keiko had worn a lacy, creamy white dress, a blue choker Shizuru had loaned her, and pearl earrings Yusuke had somehow afforded as a wedding present. That combined with her hair swept back into a bun made her actually look her age, rather than the child she no longer was. "Where are you going?" she asked.

"Tokyo for the weekend," Yusuke answered. Oh gods, he was so thankful it was all over. When Keiko had come down the aisle he felt like he was going to faint, he was so damn nervous. The actual ceremony was just a blur to him; he'd been too caught up in staring at Keiko to actually comprehend what Genkai was saying. When it was time for the kiss, the psychic actually had to 'snap' him out of his daze- none too gently either. Yusuke was really glad it was all over.

Keiko tried to surrender Takashi to Shiori, only to find that he wouldn't let go of her dress. "Uhm…" She tried to pry his little hands off of her, but he maintained a firm grip on the fabric covering her chest.

Her new husband snickered. "Barely a month old, and he's already a little horn dog," he declared. "You know, it's funny. Neither Hiei or Kurama ever struck me as being like that; I wonder where he got it from?"

"I think they'd kind of have to be, seeing as how these two popped out," Shizuru said. "Or maybe Takashi just picked up on your perversions while he was in the womb."

"Hey!" Yusuke said defensively. "Kuwabara was around Kurama more than I was while he was pregnant. He must have picked it up from him."

"Um, I think he's just trying to get my earrings," Keiko said, trying to keep her head out of the baby's reach.

Shizuru and Yusuke both shrugged. "That makes more sense," Yusuke said. Shiori smiled and managed to detangle her grandson from Keiko. Takashi thrashed about in her arms and arched his back, looking to be on the verge of a crying fit. She sighed. Both he and Rikou had been extremely fussy ever since they'd brought them home.

Luckily, Yukina had volunteered to watch the babies while Shiori and Kazuya worked and Suichi was at school. Originally, she and Kazuya had intended to take turns working from home, but had jumped at the offer- especially upon learning that she was in fact Rikou and Takashi's aunt by blood. They thought it'd be good for the twins to have a member of their father's family around, and Yukina was so sweet to begin with.

Nightfall was approaching; Shiori decided it best to leave the wedding celebration and take her family home. "Watch out for that one," Kuwabara told her, eying Takashi warily.

"He's kind of weird," Suichi said on the drive home.

"Yes," Shiori agreed. "They all sort of are. I think that's why your brother liked them so much." She pulled into the driveway and the two of them retrieved the children from the back. It took several minutes of juggling, but they managed to tow the babies and baby accessories up to the nursery without losing anyone or anything. "What do you want for dinner?" she asked once they'd laid Rikou and Takashi down. It would be just the two of them; Kazuya was away on a business trip that, unfortunately, he was unable to reschedule so he may have attended the wedding also.

"I could make dinner," Suichi offered. Shiori was about to argue when the sound of wailing emitted from the nursery.

"Fine," she said resignedly. He gave a triumphant smile and ran off to the kitchen. Shiori had noticed that over the past few weeks Suichi's schoolwork had been scoring considerably higher than normal and he was helping out more around the house. She and Kazuya came to the conclusion that he was trying to somehow make up for Kurama's absence.

Kurama. A wave of sadness washed over Shiori at the thought of her elder son. It'd been barely a month and the redhead's presence was sorely missed by everyone. There was a period of time after the funeral that the twins had spent a great portion of their waking hours doing what appeared to be looking for their mother. Fortunately, it seemed that since he had never appeared, the children had settled down and were apparently comfortable with the rest of the family. Shiori doubted they'd even remember her son when they were older. It was kind of sad, but she was unable to prevent it.

She checked on the babies. Rikou was lying quietly in her crib, dozing it appeared. But Takashi was kicking and punching the air; screaming his head off. Shiori picked him up and took him to the hallway. Takashi, everyone had realized, didn't like being in one location for long; even when he was asleep they would see him roll over of otherwise shift position every few minutes. They did their best to keep him happy- if he continued too long Rikou would join in, and then there'd be a mess of stones to clean up. So far their gathering stock of miniature Hiruseki stones were most likely enough to put both twins and Suichi through school and even any college of their choice.

Takashi began to calm down. Shiori continued to pace the hallway for a little bit, then carried Takashi into Kurama's room.

He immediately grew quiet, red eyes shifting about the room. She'd never seen children this young behave so advanced before. Perhaps they had inherited her son's intelligence.

Visits to this room always had this affect on the children when they were irritable. Shiori wondered if they unconsciously remembered anything that had transpired while they were in the womb. In a way she envied the children; they'd been with Kurama constantly for nine months- during that same amount of time she'd managed to shed some light on her son's true identity, but many things remained shadowy even now.

After he'd died they'd forced themselves to go through Kurama's room and look at all his possessions. Shiori had raided the closet and disposed of a certain bag and its contents before anyone else could find it. She didn't feel like explaining to her husband and step-son why her son had possessed such a thing.

They'd found countless containers of seeds, each one with a colored label depicting the species' name. In addition, they'd also found corresponding colored notebooks that listed every plant's name and uses. Kurama had been determined not to leave his family clueless; Shiori felt slightly sick when she thought of it.

"I promise, you'll read it soon, when the time is right"- he'd once told her that when she asked to read what he was writing. Even while he socialized with his friends and family and pretended to be on the way to making a new life for himself, he was preparing to die. She couldn't even imagine how it must have felt, to return to this room at the close of each day, writing for his children notebooks of information he wouldn't be able to personally pass onto them himself- consequently reminding himself how his life was drawing to its own close. She didn't want to envision it.

In addition to the notebooks, they'd found three letters. Two were identical and addressed to the children, in which Kurama described their heritage and told them that their parents loved them very much even though they couldn't be there. The other was to Shiori.

Dear Mother, it said. I find it difficult to put my exact thoughts about this matter onto paper, but I will try my best. By now you must know the price I have paid by carrying the children Hiei and I created, and by now I may have already left. But I hope that you will not dwell on my passing, for what sort of life is that for you? I do not want you to forget me; at the same time, I want you to let go and live your life as happily as possible.

Mother, to say that I will die without regret would be a lie. I have told you enough lies to last you a lifetime. I regret many things. One of my deepest regrets is that the majority of my life I spent lying to you. I did not trust you to understand. But these past months I have seen that I misjudged you. I mourn the happiness we may have had had we led a more honest relationship, and it sickens me that even now I still keep the truth from you, until I am nearly gone.

Hiei once told me that they who do not bear scars on their heart are indeed shallow souls. I now join him (I pray it so) with a very deep soul. There were many aspects of my life where you were involved that I would change if I could. I regret, Mother, that I myself have cut my life short before I could redeem all the pain I have caused you. I know I could have been a better son, yet the only gratitude I offer you are a series of lies I was too cowardly to unearth to you, a child to bury, and two orphaned grandchildren to care for. For this, I also offer my deepest apologies. But life if full of regret; therefore, I suppose I may validly claim that I have truly lived.

Care for my children, Mother. I can think of no other guardian better suited to raise them. If you show them the same love that you did toward me, making me the being who writes these words today, I trust they will grow up to be the best specimens kindness may offer Earth, save you.

Growing up, you sacrificed yourself for my sake- which is why I hope you'll understand why I did what I did. My heart is heavy, knowing all the pain I have brought upon you. Please shed no tears for me- Kurama was so incisive where Shiori was concerned; by now she was always crying- though I am gone for now, you have not lost me. You loved me with all you had- far more than I deserved- and for your selflessness I love you more than I have ever shown you, than I will ever be able to show you. I am gone now, but I am still in your memories- I hope they may console you for now. You are one of the few I ever came to love- and the bond we shared as mother and son was so strong, I firmly believe that our essences will find each other in the metaphysical womb. Please, take comfort in that, if nothing else.

My feelings for you, Mother, shall always exist in memory, where time cannot touch them. Do not mourn me; I am here with you always. I love you.

-Suichi

Shiori would treasure the letter until the day she died. Even should she by some tragedy lose the letter itself, it would remain in her mind as fresh as the day she'd found it. Kurama had written it as an attempt to offer her consolation. He succeeded.

Takashi reached up and pulled her hair. She smiled and freed herself from his grasp. Part Kurama, part Hiei; these children were indeed something special. Shiori would be sure to honor the memories she held of her son, and raise the ones he died for to be as decent people like he was.

She carried Takashi back to his crib and laid him down. "I won't let it all be in vain," she cooed to the two children. Perhaps Kurama had unknowingly given her a second chance, to have a parent-child relationship without any lies- a bond like the one he wished they could have shared. Neither child was Kurama, but maybe, if she was lucky, she could fulfill his wishes for the two who now lay sleeping in the cribs. Maybe that would bring him peace, wherever he was now.

Death was one event not contained within Time. Shiori took comfort in the possibility that, when her own time ran out, their essences may find each other in the, as Kurama had put it, "metaphysical womb." She hoped that if that philosophy were true, he had found Hiei.

"Dinner's ready!" Shiori smiled. At least Suichi wasn't trying too hard to replace Kurama. She did a final check, then turned off the lights and left. After dinner she would return to check again on her grandchildren, her second chances.