They mounted the stone steps to Genkai's temple in silence. Both were dressed in black, though this was hardly anything out of the ordinary for the shorter of the two. The taller one, the redhead, cradled a six-month-old baby girl in his arms. Emerald orbs stared somberly ahead, fixed on their destination at the top of the stairs. A feeling of foreboding weighed heavily on the redhead's heart.

It wasn't the wake itself that he was dreading, it was facing Him. Just a few days ago he had been his usual carefree and fun-loving self, but that person was gone now. That person had died when she was placed in that coffin. Maybe it wasn't as permanent as all that, but then again maybe it was.

The one with the green eyes sighed as he remembered the visit the young man had paid them at their new house just one week ago.

xxx

"Wow, she's really grown," the boyish young man remarked, entering the kitchen. The six-month-old baby giggled and extended her arms to him in greeting. He smiled as he sat at the table next to her highchair, taking one small fist and shaking it. Looking at the table, he noticed the jars of baby food.

"It's weaning season, eh?" he smiled at the redhead. Kurama smiled as he took a seat on the other side of his daughter.

"Yes, so it seems," he nodded. "Though any time before six months is probably premature, it's best for a demon to start eating solid foods as soon as possible. Of course, we won't wean her completely for probably another year or so."

"Speaking of which," Yusuke smirked almost evilly, "where is Hiei?" Kurama smiled and shook his head, thanking Inari that Hiei hadn't been around to hear that comment.

"Hiei is out on a run. He still enjoys a bit of time to himself you know," the fox explained.

"Antisocial to the end," the former spirit detective remarked. He picked up a jar of baby food, examining it. Then he nodded at the redhead, "May I?"

"If you dare," Kurama answered, supplying Yusuke with a spoon. Oki was proving to be every bit as stubborn as her half-Koorime father and so far any attempts to feed her the mushy baby food had failed.

Yusuke opened the jar in his hands, peas, and mixed it a bit before withdrawing a spoonful. The child wasn't smiling anymore and was watching the raven haired man's movements almost wearily.

"Might as well practice, right?" he smiled at Kurama, trying to remember some of those silly sayings to get a child to eat. Open up for…insert object here.

"I nearly forgot," Kurama donned a look of sudden remembrance, "when is Keiko due?"

"Next week," Yusuke smiled brightly, proudly. Turning back to the child he began to move the spoon back and forth, crimson and golden orbs following its every move.

"Um…Here comes the airplane," he tried. If anything the child clamped her mouth shut tighter. Kurama couldn't help but smile.

"No planes, huh?" Yusuke sighed, "Alright, how about a train? A boat?" Crimson and amber narrowed at him. Yusuke suddenly shuttered, drawing back.

"Oh gods, she has Hiei's glare," he muttered. Kurama bust into laughter, earning him a reproachful look from his guest.

"That's hardly funny," Yusuke muttered. He turned back to the baby, staring at her for a moment.

"Look, I'm not the kinda guy who would make you eat it if it didn't taste good. You'll love it, I promise," he proclaimed. He could have sworn the child gave him a skeptical look. "Fine, I'll prove it." Yusuke put the spoon in his mouth.

"Yusuke!" Kurama tried to stop his friend too late. Yusuke quickly removed the spoon, sputtering and shooting to the sink to rinse his mouth out.

"YUCK! Man! That was nasty!" Yusuke coughed, tongue hanging out of his mouth in disgust. He turned to see father and daughter lost in a fit of giggles, the girl clapping her hands as though applauding.

"Oh," he approached the highchair, "you think that's funny, huh?" The child only continued to laugh, smiling up at him. He glared halfheartedly at her before shrugging and slumping into his chair.

"Well, a promise is a promise. You win I guess," he sighed. Then he began to laugh as well.

xxx

They reached the top of the stairs and the fox shifted the wait of the girl to his other arm. She was groggily taking in the surroundings, bored and falling asleep. Silently, they approached the temple. Kurama paused just outside the room where Keiko's body lay. Hiei stopped as well, glancing at his mate questioningly.

Kurama swallowed, remembering the night of the incident. It was three days ago now, just three days since they had been awoken in the middle of the night by a phone call.

xxx

Hiei grumbled at the shrill whining that split the air. How he hated those damned ningen talking machines. He rolled over, pulling the pillow from under his head and smothering his ear, trying to block out the sound. Then the sound was accompanied by a second wail, this one from no machine.

Growling, he pushed himself up. Beside him, Kurama groggily rubbed his eyes as he sat up. Kurama was instantly awake at the enraged look on his mate's face. He smiled nervously.

"Perhaps you should tend to Oki while I answer the phone," he suggested. Hiei regarded him for a full minute before finally getting up and making to leave the room. He paused in the doorway.

"Whoever that is, kill them," he fixed the redhead with a dark glare before leaving for his daughter's room. Kurama almost sighed before leaning over to pick up the receiver.

"Moshi moshi," he greeted around a yawn.

"Kurama?" Kuwabara's agitated voice flowed through the speaker, trying and failing to sound calm. "Oh, good, I was hoping it wouldn't be Hiei."

"Um…yes, well…" Kurama glanced up as Hiei reentered the room, Oki fussing and rubbing her eyes in his arms.

"Is something wrong, Kuwabara?" Kurama asked. Hiei, who had sat on the edge of the bed, glared death at the mention of the ningen's name.

"Er…yeah…see…I'm at Genkai's and…ah…" Kuwabara paused and Kurama heard him whispering to someone though he couldn't make out the words.

"Kuwabara?" Kurama asked, unsure if the carrot top was still there.

"This had damn well better be good," Hiei grunted. Kurama shot him a look and waved his hand at the fire demon, both for him to be quiet and to remind him not to swear in front of their daughter.

"Keiko…Keiko had the baby. We would have called you sooner but…things got so hectic and…" Kuwabara's voice trailed off again.

"Did something happen?" Kurama was sitting up straighter now. Hiei blinked at the sudden shift in his mate's behavior.

"The baby's fine but she…she…," there was a painfully long pause and then, "she died, Kurama."

"Oh…" Kurama breathed. He slumped against the headboard, heart pounding. Old fear rose in his chest. He had come so close to the very same disaster. "I'm sorry."

"Listen," Kuwabara said quietly after a moment. "Urameshi's a mess. He won't talk to anyone, won't even look at his own kid. Could you maybe…?"

"Yes," Kurama agreed before the question was even finished. "Yes, of course. We'll be there as soon as we can."

"Thanks man," Kuwabara sighed. Then the line went dead. Kurama held the buzzing receiver. Slowly, mechanically, he placed it back in the cradle and turned to Hiei. He could feel his body trembling, tears brimming as he stared at his mate. Long forgotten pain and fear clenched his heart as he remembered how Hiei had very nearly met the same fate.

"Kurama?" the fire demon asked uncertainly. His mate had gone pale and his body was shaking. Emerald orbs shimmered with moisture and his usually beautiful face was twisted in a mixture of terror and shock.

"Fox?" Hiei tried again, inching closer to his mate. Oki had gone quiet, having fallen asleep once more. Kurama looked up at him as though seeing him there for the first time.

"Hiei…" The redhead gave a broken whisper, reaching out to take his mate in his arms. Careful not to jostle Oki he pulled Hiei to him, burying his nose in raven spikes. Hiei didn't ask. He just let it happen. Whatever had upset Kurama so much it was clear that the fox didn't need words to ease him, just his mate and his child.

xxx

"Kurama?" Hiei asked quietly, laying a hand on his mate's arm. Kurama looked up quickly, a few droplets of water sliding down his cheeks. Hiei reached up and wiped them away. Even after they were gone, Kurama ran his sleeve over his eyes.

"I'm alright," he assured his mate, trying unsuccessfully to smile. Hiei stared at him for a moment before accepting the answer and sliding the door opened. They stepped into the room, awkwardly aware that all eyes were on them.

"Oniisan," Yukina greeted, throwing her arms around her brother. He returned the hug, feeling slightly uneasy with being pressed so closely to her swollen abdomen. He wondered if she had felt this strange hugging him when he was pregnant.

"How is he?" Kurama asked as the Koorime's husband joined them. Kuwabara shrugged.

"Botan's upset that he's still acting so cold towards Yuso. She thinks he's blaming his son for…well…you know."

Kurama nodded solemnly. He'd been afraid of this. He had tried to console Yusuke three nights ago and received no response from the normally flamboyant man whatsoever. He turned to seek out Yusuke and was met with a sea of blue instead.

"Thank goodness you're here," Botan exclaimed. Her voice was hoarse and her eyes red from crying. "He won't listen to any of us. I know you tried before, but please, Kurama you have to talk to him."

Kurama looked at Hiei who immediately understood the unspoken request and took his daughter from the redhead. Kurama looked around at the anxious faces surrounding him. His gaze lifted over them for an instant to the coffin in the far corner of the room. His chest constricted painfully and he quickly moved his gaze back to the ferry girl before him.

"Alright, I'll try. Where is he?"

Botan lead him back out of the room and around the temple. Yusuke was sitting with his back to the wall, staring at the sunset over the trees. His fingers played idly with the wedding band on his left hand. Kurama stood for a long moment, contemplating the best course of action. Finally he looked back at Botan.

"Can you get Yuso for me?" he asked in a whisper. She blinked but nodded and turning disappeared back into the temple. Turning back to Yusuke the redhead approached him slowly.

"Yusuke?" he asked quietly. Yusuke looked up for a second before returning his gaze to the sunset.

"Hey Kurama," his voice was lifeless, void of any and all emotion.

"Yusuke," Kurama began, sitting on the wooden floorboards next to the troubled man, "I know it hurts."

"Do you?" Yusuke asked quietly, still not looking at the fox. "You told me the other night that you almost lost Hiei like this. But almost isn't he same as the real deal, Kurama. Not even close."

"True," Kurama acknowledged, "but that doesn't mean there haven't been others…" Emotion swelled within him and he forced it away again along with the thoughts of the long ago partner. There was silence between the two for a few moments. Then Yusuke began to mumble to himself. It was almost too quiet for Kurama to hear at first but it quickly rose in volume.

"The doctor said there was a risk. He said she might not be strong enough. I let her go through with it. I should have stopped it. She didn't want to, but I should have forced her to have it done. I should have killed it. I should have saved her and killed it!"

Yusuke fell hard on his side as a fist connected with his cheek. It felt so much like one of Keiko's slaps that for a moment he almost broke down in sobs. When he regained himself he looked up to find Kurama staring down at him, trembling with tears in his eyes. Botan stood a few paces behind him, eyes wide with shock.

"Don't ever say that again!" Kurama growled his tone equal to a shout from anyone else. "That 'it' you're talking about is your son, Yusuke! She sacrificed her life for his and wishing he was dead is an insult to her memory!" He closed his eyes, taking a moment to get a hold of himself. When emerald orbs opened again they were sympathetic, apologetic. Turning, he retrieved the bundle Botan held in her arms and sat beside Yusuke once more.

Yusuke peered over his friend's shoulder at his infant son. The previously sleeping baby blinked up at them drowsily. Yusuke's chocolate eyes and Keiko's brown hair draped about his head.

"Don't you see, Yusuke?" Kurama asked quietly, turning to look at the man next to him. "She lives on in him. You've suffered a great loss, yes, but you've also been given a great gift in return. Keiko is dead, but she isn't completely gone from this world."

Chocolate stared into emerald before shifting back to the baby. Carefully, Yusuke took his son from the redhead's arms. For a long moment he did nothing but stare at the baby. Then he slumped back against the wall and began to bawl.

Kurama stood silently, nodding to Botan as he returned to the front of the temple, his spirits lifting when he saw his mate waiting for him. He felt better, lighter now. Smiling, he shared a brief kiss with his mate before taking Oki in his arms, bouncing her lightly. She giggled happily and he couldn't help but laugh in return.

Yusuke would hurt, and he would hurt for a long time as well. But eventually, the pain would dull and fade. Time continues to flow and all beings are helpless flotsam in its swift currents. Sometimes a piece is lost to the waves and though it is gone those who traveled around it will always have something to remind them of it. In this way, nothing is truly lost or forgotten, but only misplaced for a while. For once the rapids are cleared and the pieces drift on the surface of the unmoving lake they are together again for eternity.

"Are you going to be alright?" Hiei asked quietly, remembering the tears from earlier. Kurama smiled, holding his daughter to his chest with one arm and taking Hiei's hand in his own.

"Yes, Quickfire, I think we'll all be fine, at least for a little while."

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

Kind of a sad note to end on, I know, but it felt like the best way to wrap things up nicely. I've sort of neglected Yusuke and the others (always conveniently sending them away somewhere) so this was really just to tie up loose ends with them. I don't hate Keiko and that's not why I killed her. It's more for Yuso's future character development then anything else. Like I've said before, they can't just be happy.

Now for some fun production notes:

When I first stated this fic, I really had no plot. (I have a bad habit of doing that.) I knew it would be an mpreg, and that was basically it. Eventually I decided there had to be a bad guy and I was kind of sick of those Karasu comes back/Yomi's after Kurama fics. Then I remembered the Koorime elders and how they had been afraid that Hiei would destroy their world. I started thinking "Boy, if they only knew how strong he was now they'd be really scared." And that's why they were the bad guys.

Anei was never really meant to be a permanent character either. Originally, Kurama was going to kill him back in chapter 10 when they confronted each other, but as I wrote that chapter I realized, "Oh crud, how is Kurama going to get to the Koorime Island anyway?" After that, Anei was no longer expendable. I had fun making him the very incarnation of evil. The fake-Koenma-head scene was one of my favorite to write with him and just wait until you see what he's got planed for his revenge.

I torture Hiei so much but those of you who have read Crystal Heart know that I try to give him some personal growth amidst the pain. That was the inspiration for the Shiori/Yukina family scenes. Way back in my CYOA days three years ago I wrote a nightmare for Hiei where Yukina rejected him and I tried to really think what her true reaction would be when she was told. Ultimately I decided that she would never reject him and that she would love him no matter what he did, and that's what happened. Shiori was…tough. I tried to make her realistic but understanding as well. You can see where I went back and forth in chapter 15 when she's deciding if she's okay with her son being gay. I've read fics where she is and some where she isn't. I hate to say it, but it was easier to just make her okay with it. I do believe, however, that even if she did reject the idea at first she would eventually grow to embrace and except it.

In the end, I want to thank all of you who have reviewed and made me feel so loved. I especially love reading those reviews that say things like "I don't even like yaoi or mpregs but I love this!" It makes me feel special. Thank you all so much. The sequel to this fic will be called Eyewash (as in the second definition: misleading or deceptive statements, actions, or procedures) and it will be up soon, I promise. Ja ne and thanks so much for all you're support!