Alright, alright, enough self-pity for Kurama. :P Quite a few people said that and I agree. It's time to get fox-boy back in the game here. Things will get better from here, for a while anyway. Now I'm gonna bend the rules for a moment and address something that Forbiddensoul562 brought up in a review. (Shh, don't tell that I'm answering a review) I'm gonna do a couple flashback type scenes in upcoming chapters, but let's get Hiei all nice and saved first, okay? Alright.

xxx is a flashback

(xxx) is a scene change

NOW ON WITH THE FIC!

(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)

The first early rays of dawn reached their fingers tentatively through the window. She sat on the floor, holding her son and stoking his hair gently with her long fingers. Somewhere during the course of the night he had fallen asleep and now lay against her, loosing himself in the warmth and protection that only a mother can offer. She gazed down at him lovingly, her eyes becoming slightly unfocused as her mind drifted over all that he had told her last night.

xxx

Silence filled the room as he finished his extraordinary tale. She could feel his frame trembling in her arms as he awaited her reaction. The story seemed incredulous. He was a demon, a thief no less, and had taken over the life of her unborn child to save himself. It was like something from a rather imaginative manga. And yet, he had no reason to lie to her. Why would he make up a story like this?

"Kurama," she tested the name, trying to decide what she thought of it. It was different from 'Shuichi.' It rolled off the tongue more easily. It seemed elegant, graceful, and yet something else as well, something she couldn't pinpoint. Dangerous? She smiled softly. It seemed…right. More right, perhaps, than 'Shuichi.'

"Kurama," she repeated louder. At the second mention of his name he managed to gather the courage to look up. He was genuinely shocked at the gentle look on her face. "It suits you." He didn't know what to say, if it was safe to be relieved yet or not. He had deceived her, used her. Why wasn't she angry?

She sensed his confusion and lingering fear and frowned.

"What are you so scared of?" she asked quietly, brushing crimson bangs from his eyes. "I'm not mad or anything."

"Yes, but why aren't you?" he replied, equally soft.

"Excuse me?" now she was confused.

"I lied to you, not once but numerous times. My whole life, in fact, is a lie. Doesn't that upset you? You should hate me. Why don't you?"

She shook her head, smiling warmly at him.

"Musuko-chan, I could never hate you. You are my son, and you will always be my son no matter what. I understand why you did everything you did and I understand why you kept it from me. There's nothing I can do about it now anyway, so why get upset?" She kissed his forehead. "I love you and I always will."

His eyes danced with unshed tears, light sparking in the emerald depths like it used to.

"I love you too, Kaasan," he whispered, leaning up and returning the kiss to her forehead.

Silence fell again, but it was more comfortable then before. They held each other and simply took comfort in each other's presence. Eventually Kurama knew he'd have to break the silence. The truth of his life had gone over well enough. He could only pray that the truth about him and Hiei would get the same reaction.

"Kaasan?" he began hesitantly.

"Hmm?" she hummed a reply, the soft smile still present on her face. He sighed, fear stealing into his being once more.

"There's something else you need to know as well."

"Oh?" she asked, lowering her gaze to look him in the eye. He dropped his eyes and stared at the floor, unable to hold her gaze.

"You've met Hiei…" he started slowly.

"Yes," she confirmed. She had met him on several occasions, though never actually had a conversation with him and so was really barely acquainted with the boy. She knew him by sight alone.

"He…he is a demon as well…though quite unlike me," Kurama wasn't sure where to start. Perhaps Hiei's origins would be best. Shiori wasn't too surprised to learn that Hiei was a demon. She accepted this new information wordlessly and waited for her son to continue.

"He was born to an ice maiden, a Koorime. The Koorime live separately from the rest of the Makai, high in the sky on a floating island of ice and snow. They are well hidden and like to keep it that way. Hiei's mother, however, broke their laws and snuck out of the Koorime homeland. She met a fire demon, Hiei's father. Hiei inherited his father's traits and was cast out of the Koorime society."

"When you say cast out…?"

Kurama took a deep breath before continuing. "Yukina, Hiei's sister, inherited Koorime traits and was allowed to stay in their society. But Hiei wasn't so lucky. They thought he was evil because he was different, that he would destroy their way of life. He wasn't even a day old…they took him to the edge of their world and…dropped him."

Shiori gasped. "How could they be so cruel?" she whispered, completely horrified. Kurama shook his head to indicate he didn't have an answer.

"Hiei was raised by a group of bandits after that," he continued, "but even they turned their backs on him eventually." Tears filled his eyes as he thought of the pain his lover must have experienced. "He's been alone all his life. And if he wasn't alone, he was just waiting for those around him to decide he wasn't worth their time anymore. Needless to say, he's not quick to trust people."

Shiori didn't miss the tender, almost fond way her son was talking about his friend. Speculation was beginning to form in the back of her mind but she said nothing, waiting to see what he would say next.

"Our relationship…has been a strange one," Kurama said thoughtfully. "At first we were only partners, barely even that. I betrayed him to Yusuke…I'm surprised he even talked to me again after that. But he doesn't hold a grudge over that, has never brought it up again. Over time we grew to trust each other more and became true fighting partners. I fully expected that to be the extent of what Hiei would allow me to be to him, but it wasn't. Somehow, as time went on, we became friends…and more."

He stopped and looked up, meeting his mother's gaze. There was a certain look of determination in his emerald depths.

"I love him, Kaasan."

Shiori didn't make any obvious reaction and that perhaps was worse then if she had shouted. His blood ran cold with fear, but he held her gaze. She thought about the words he had just spoken. They hadn't surprised her, not really. She tried to decide if it bothered her, if she was disgusted or repulsed at the thought that her son was 'gay.' There was no immediate repulsion, but there was no immediate acceptance either. Looking into his eyes, however, she could tell that he needed her support now.

"Well," she started, somewhat awkwardly, "he sounds fully deserving of someone's love." Kurama wasn't sure what this statement implied but decided to believe for the moment that his mother was supportive of their love.

"There is something else," he added softly, dropping his eyes once more. Shiori wondered if she really wanted to know any more.

"Koorime's…er…reproduce asexually," he explained quietly. "Because of certain Koorime traits…Hiei is…peculiar in that area."

"Are you saying he can bare a child?" Shiori asked quietly. She could only guess as to why her son was telling her this. She had a theory, but wasn't sure if it was an idea she wanted to indulge or not.

"Um…yes. He can…in fact…" Emerald orbs searched the bare wall to the right and crimson dusted his cheeks and the bridge of his nose. He realized what had to happen to have a child and didn't really want his mother to know that much about his sex life, but she was going to find out sooner or later. Might as well be sooner.

"Hiei is pregnant."

Three simple words.

The silence was suffocating.

"W-with…your child?" Shiori asked hesitantly. She felt as though she was stating the obvious but wanted to hear it directly from him.

"Yes."

xxx

She had fallen silent and said nothing more after that. She merely listened as her son related to her the details of his current predicament. Of Hiei's capture by the Koorime who had forsaken him and the shadow's ridiculous demands in exchange for taking Kurama to the Koorime homeland. Shortly thereafter he had fallen asleep.

In all honesty she wasn't sure what to think. Not only was her son in love with another man, but they were…er…expecting. 'Well,' the more sarcastic side of her mind reasoned, 'think of it this way. You're probably one of the few mothers of a gay son that can say that will have grandchildren blood related to them.'

Whatever she thought, however, it was painfully obvious that her son loved his lover and child very much and that was what mattered now. She could afford to push her feelings aside and sort through them later, but he couldn't. She couldn't reject him now. In his present state it would kill him.

She was brought out of her thoughts as the boy in her arms stirred. He blinked against the harsh light coming through the window and yawned widely.

"Kaasan?" he asked groggily, taking a moment to remember all that had transpired last night.

"Yes, I'm here," she whispered, gracing his forehead with a kiss. She smoothed his hair for a moment before coming to a decision. Standing, she extended her hand down to him. He looked up at her questioningly.

"Come on," she said, "let's go."

"Go where?" he asked, taking her hand.

"To see that friend of yours, Koenma was it? It's high time we got this Koorime business straitened out." Kurama's eyes widened slightly and he opened his mouth to protest but she laid a finger against his lips, silencing him.

"Just trust me," she said softly, smiling and moving her hand to cup one side of his face. He stared into her eyes for a long moment before nodding. Taking her hand in his he kissed her palm.

"Alright."