Title: Blood's Calling

Author: Bradybunch4529

Disclaimers: Not mine in anyway. I'm simply borrowing the Yu Yu Hakusho gang

Rating: PG-13 to R in later chapters

Summary: AU OOC Future fic: A young vampire is pushed over the edge with a single act. The world has been paying for the mistake for almost 1000 years. Is there hope to be found in the rebirth of a girl.

Pairings: Keiko/Yusuke

Chapter 6: Blurred lines

Yusuke Urameshi stared out into the darkness of the night. His light hazel eyes were shadowed as he contemplated the starry sky. He could sense the sentries on duty and the servants that cleaned at night. He leaned against the balcony door oblivious to the warm night breeze.

Once again he couldn't sleep. A wry grimace twisted his mouth, the light in his hazel eyes mocking as he considered when the last time he had slept was. Had it been before Keiko's death? Or shortly after that? Possibly the last drinking binge he went on after killing the entire council for Keiko's death.

Either way, he didn't remember anymore. Yusuke wasn't even sure he would know what to do if he did manage to sleep through the night. So instead he did what he did every night, contemplate what had happened during the day. Or any problems that had cropped up.

Right now he was wondering about Botan's strange behavior during dinner. She had been a little too bright and bubbly. Yusuke knew that she was hiding something from him. He just didn't know what. And then there was the fact that Kurama was acting strangely. His green eyes had held a light that Yusuke hadn't seen since Keiko's death. Add in Yusuke's growing sense of foreboding and he knew that something was wrong. But how does he found out what?

He couldn't spy on them. Being King had it's definite drawbacks. There were no servants that he could trust. Kuwabara was too wrapped up in his wedding. Hiei would never betray Kurama and Genkai would just give him that look. Perhaps he should ask Koenma what he thinks. After all next to Kurama Koenma was the best at gathering information.

"Ah Keiko, what should I do?" Yusuke whispered out loud. His eyes sad as he contemplated the moon. His voice tormented as he prayed for an answer. There was none. And hadn't been in years. Yusuke used to imagine Keiko standing in front of him, advising him and telling him that everything would be okay. But lately Yusuke hadn't been able to do that. It was as if his mind had started to let go though his heart refused to.

A watery chuckle broke free of his throat. Moisture shimmered in those empty hazel eyes. "I can't give you up," Yusuke whispered into the night sky. Tears began to slowly track down his cheeks and sobs finally racked his frame. "Come back to me soon, Keiko. I don't know how much longer I can last."

Botan listened to Yusuke cry. Guilt wrenched her insides as she hid in the shadows. Her blue eyes were dark with apprehension as she considered what Yusuke would do when he found out what she had done. But at the same time Botan couldn't bring herself to admit that she had seen Keiko.

Not after waiting for 1,000 years for Yusuke to give up on Keiko. To finally accept the love that Botan had always felt for him. Perhaps that was why she had betrayed him all those years ago. She had wanted him so desperately and had known the moment that they had started to make love that Yusuke wasn't seeing her. It wasn't her that he was with.

A sad smile touched her lips as she remembered that he had even whispered Keiko's name. And so she had made sure that Gohei knew where to find them. Botan had been insane with jealousy, wanting nothing more than for Yusuke to turn towards her in his time of need.

Instead he had turned away and became a man that Botan didn't know anymore. The cocky attitude had died with Keiko, leaving behind a shell of what he once was. There were times that Botan really believed that the possibility of Keiko's rebirth was the only thing that made him get out of bed in the morning. And yet she waited. Waited for him to realize that she was standing in front of him.

But he never did. Was it time to give? Should she just back off and let him be happy? But if she did what did that leave her with? Kurama wouldn't even speak to her anymore. His love for her gone. Botan would be alone if Yusuke and Keiko were reunited.

Of course Yusuke didn't know that Keiko was reborn. And Keiko didn't seem to have any memory of Yusuke. So perhaps Botan could arrange an accident to befall Keiko. Or maybe she should let Yusuke catch Keiko with that young man. A smile slowly spread across Botan's face as she planned.

She wasn't about to give up. She would win Yusuke Urameshi's heart if it was the last thing she would ever do.

Keiko shifted restlessly in bed. Her red gem pulsed with light against her skin. The sheet was twisted around her legs, hair coming loose from the braid that held it. Sweat slicked her skin, a frown on her face as her head tossed on her pillow. Tears leaked out from between her lids, clumping her eyelashes together. Her hands fisted in the sheet, knuckles white as she fought against the demons in her mind.

Keiko was on her way home after her tutoring session with Michael and Katie. Their parents were determined that they would keep up with school during the summer. And Keiko was more than willing to help them with math, reading and writing. A smile touched her face as she remembered how both children had at first fought against doing homework during the summer. They had only agreed after Keiko had promised them Spanish lessons. So now after normal tutoring was done Keiko taught them Spanish.

The full moon shone down on her brightly, lighting her path. The sounds of the night were familiar to Keiko and she paid them no mind as she continued on her way. Hand shifting her book bag higher on her shoulder, fingers wrapping around the strap as she continued down the dirt path. Her light brown hair shown with caramel highlights as the moon caressed her. Unfortunately her mind was too preoccupied to enjoy the lovely night. Instead she found herself considering James' proposal.

She did love him. But not like that. She, James and Tohru had been friends since they were in diapers. James being turned into a vampire hadn't changed anything at all. Except now he seemed to believe that she belonged to him. Keiko had tried to explain to him that she didn't feel that way about him.

James hadn't listened. Angry beyond belief that she had turned him down. He had threatened to kill everyone that she cared about. Of course Keiko didn't believe him. James had always had a nasty temper but he would never actually hurt anyone. Keiko conveniently ignored the fact that he was a vampire now.

A beam of light shown ahead of her and Keiko felt a smile spread across her face. Mom had left the light on for her again. Keiko delighted in the feeling of warmth and security that came with that thought. She loved her family more than anything else. She quickened her pace, knowing that her mother would be sitting in the kitchen waiting on her. There would be a snack and a cup of hot cocoa.

Her sneakered feet thumped on the wooden stairs as she hurried across the porch. Her hand grasping the banister as she went. As she neared the door Keiko realized that the door was slightly ajar. But Keiko shrugged off the misgivings and hurried into the house. She blinked at the sudden brightness of the house.

Lights were blazing in each of the rooms and Keiko could just hear the sounds of the television playing in the living room. She smiled and decided that her dad had probably fallen asleep in front of the television again. She slipped her book bag off of her shoulder and placed it on the wooden floor next to everyone's shoes.

She continued down the hallway, peeking into the living room and seeing her dad's head resting back against the chair. Definitely asleep Keiko decided and quietly moved away. She walked further down the hall and into the kitchen.

"Hey mom," she called as she walked into the cheery room. She didn't respond as Keiko entered the kitchen and Keiko's eyes searched the darkened room for her. The light over the stove was on and Keiko could see the huge wooden table. A plate of apple slices and strawberries sat in the middle of the table. A mug of hot cocoa steamed next to them.

Keiko frowned slightly suddenly uneasy as she contemplated the empty room in front of her. The main light was off, throwing shadows in the room. Her sneakers squeaked on the gray tiled floor. Keiko moved deeper into the room hands automatically reaching for the light switch next to the door.

When the light snapped on Keiko felt everything in her still. Red streaked the walls and ceiling. Slumped against the counter was her mother, eyes wide open and staring at nothing. Her hands hung limply at her sides, legs stretched out on the floor.

"No," Keiko whispered as she dropped to her knees beside her mother. Tears slowly streaking down her face as she raised a trembling hand to touch her mothers' cheek. A sob broke free as she realized that her mom was cold to the touch.

Blood soaked into her clothes as he gathered her mom to her and began to rock. It took long minutes for Keiko to remember her father. She carefully propped her mother up and rushed to the living room. She left streaks of blood on the walls as she rounded the corner into the living room.

The television still blared. "Dad?" Keiko whispered, hoping against hope that her father was fine. But he didn't stir and Keiko slowly advanced into the room. For once the bright colors didn't bring a smile to her face as she made her way to her father's chair.

Keiko could feel her heart pounding in her chest as she forced herself to continue on. It was almost too much. She almost ran screaming from the room. Instead forcing herself to put one foot in front of the other. Her hand reached out and grasped the back of the chair, something she had done so many times before, and used that to steady herself.

She moved around the chair and bit back a scream. Blood streaked the front of his shirt, coating his collar. His throat was slit from ear to ear and Keiko could feel herself slowly losing control. His hands were resting limply on the arms of the chair, glasses hanging from one hand.

A thump on her porch had Keiko whirling around. Her hand wrapped around her throat as she moved towards the door. Tears were streaming down her face and sob shook her body as she stumbled forward. She didn't want to open the door. Didn't want to see what was going to happen.

But her hand wrapped around the knob and pulled it open without her bidding. Tohru stood slumped against the doorframe. His pale green eyes dazed and shadowed as he stared at her. Keiko reached for him blindly, hands grasping his shirt to steady him. But Tohru was already falling forward against her, taking her to the floor with him.

Keiko braced his body against her, struggling to cushion his fall as much as she could. Hands slipping on the blood soaked clothing and skin. Her muscles protested as she slowed their descent to the floor, unable to keep them upright. Finally settling on the floor with him, pulling him closer to her as her lips brushed across his head. His blood slowly spilling across her and coating her clothes. Her hands tried to staunch the flow of blood from his shoulder wound. But blood poured around her fingers and dripped onto the floor. Keiko's dark eyes were anguished as she met his agonized green eyes.

"Tohru," she whispered as she pressed her head to his. "Don't leave me."

"Run," he whispered to her as she cradled him against her chest. His hand rose, bloody fingers brushing her cheek. "Run Keiko," he panted out again. Trying to shove her away. But Keiko shook her head and hugged him tighter.

"No," Keiko whispered. "I won't leave you."

"How touching."

Keiko suddenly jerked awake, still remembering the terror that pounded through her at the sound of that voice. But more than anything all she could feel was the pure hate that still tainted her. That night had changed everything. Everyone that she had cared about had died. And their blood still coated her hands. Keiko had started to wonder if anything would ever wash it away.

She sighed, her dark eyes pensive as she rolled from bed. It took a minute for her to untangle herself and the sweat that covered her body was beginning to dry. Her tank top and boxers were sticking to her skin and the cool night air caused her to shiver. Keiko tossed the sheets away from her, ignoring the tousled remains of her bed. Her bare feet sank into the throw rug beside her bed as she made her way through the darkened room.

Her door was open just slightly, a pale sliver of light peeking through as she opened her door. She stepped out into the silent hallway, the brilliant moonlight shining through the window throwing shadows around her. A snore from Tohru's room made Keiko smile slightly as she tip toed past. There was no reason for Tohru to be awake too. These were her own private demons.

She navigated her way around the couch and the chairs before entering the kitchen. Even here she didn't turn on the light, preferring the comfort of the dark. Keiko opened the refrigerator, blinking at the bright light, and grabbed a bottle of water before closing the door again. As she twisted the cap off a wry grimace crossed her face as she contemplated the fact that she always went for the water. After everything she had been through she would have thought that she was have turned into an alcoholic.

Instead she found comfort in a water bottle and the silent night. She settled into a kitchen chair, a leg curling up under her as she sipped the water. It flowed down her throat and Keiko's eyes slipped to half-mast as she stared around her kitchen. The dark could hide a multiple of sins Keiko decided. Her kitchen actually looked mysterious in the moonlight. Slowly the events of the past couple of weeks began to trickle through her mind.

Keiko couldn't ignore it anymore. Events were beginning to take shape around her that she couldn't control anymore. As Tohru had pointed out it was way too much of a coincidence that suddenly the King's advisors were popping up in place around her. From Kuwabara and Hiei eating at her place of employment to slamming into Botan on the street. The only ones missing were Genkai, Kurama and Koenma.

Keiko had done some research into the King and his advisors. While the events that were behind the overthrow of the old Vampire government were hidden in shadow the vampires that had done it weren't. And Keiko had found out a very unusual thing about Kurama. And how he could change into the Fox demon form. Which meant that her stalker was actually a trusted advisor to the King. But what did all of this have to do with her? And that was the one thing that Keiko hadn't been able to figure out.

There was nothing that jumped out at her. It didn't seem like they knew anything about James. And everything that Tohru had managed to pick up in the underground seemed to point to a personal interest in her. Which left her where?

Alone in a kitchen.

"Keiko?" Tohru's sleep husky voice broke in on her thoughts.

"Tohru what are you doing up?" Keiko asked as she watched him walk into the kitchen. The moonlight traced his bare chest and made his blond hair glow whitely.

"Heard you get up," Tohru told her as he settled in the chair across from her. He took the water bottle from her hand and took a drink, making a face at its warmth. "That's nasty," Tohru told her. "You really need to start drinking alcohol."

"I'll stick with my water thank you very much," Keiko told him easily. A slight smile twitching her lips at the warmth their familiar argument caused. "Beside if you don't like it, stop drinking it." She reached over and grabbed the bottle from his hand and took a sip.

"Sitting in the dark huh?" Tohru asked after several minutes of silence.

"Helps me think."

"About?"

"Losing control," Keiko admitted. She looked down at the bottle in her hand, fingers peeling the label.

"Nobody can control everything," Tohru reminded her gently. His pale green eyes watching her carefully. Eyes filled with understand and warmth as he continued, "we both learned that the hard way."

"I know," Keiko agreed with a sigh. Her brown eyes raising to his, their depths anguished and confused. "I don't think I could stand it happening again."

"You won't have to," Tohru told her as he reached out to cover her hand with his. "You're stuck with me remember?"

"Do you ever regret agreeing to it?" Keiko asked.

"Never," Tohru told her firmly. "I would do it over again in a heart beat."

"I love you Tohru," Keiko whispered.

"I love you too."

A/N: Sorry about this guys. This was supposed to go up last week and while told me that it was a successful upload I guess it didn't go. So I apologize profusely. Let me know what you think.