Disclaimer- Some really rich/cool/smart Japanese guy owns YYH. And me... Well. I'm not even a guy. o.O
A/N- Well. I know this chapter's short; Emmy said so herself. I tried to add on more, but it just didn't work. I love Yusuke and all, but I really just needed to get him an' Keiko into motion, and that's what this chapter's for. Sorry!
SPECIAL THANKS TO: Emmy and Naraku for being my one and only reviewers. Luff ya! (Not in that way, of course.)
Pairings- Yusuke/Keiko, Kurama/Shizuru, Hiei/Mukuro, Kuwabara/Yukina, Koenma/Botan
Please Note- I know the kids are mentioned and this fic, and I can assure you they won't be in this one. The sequel, however... Well. That's another story. Literally. :D
Names-
Yuki- Snow or luck.
Michio- Man with strength of 3,000
Toshi- Mirror Image
Time and Time Again: Chapter Three
Yusuke yawned, staring unseeing at his cup of steaming coffee. He blinked, raising his hands to rub his eyes. His hair lay as an unkept mess on top of his head, and his clothes were wrinkled. "Tell me again, why are we up this early?" he asked, glancing blearily over at his wife.
"Because the children have to get up soon, and we need to set a good example," Keiko replied, mixing sugar into her coffee as she joined her husband at the table.
"Why do they have to get up early, then?" Yusuke whined, taking a sip of his drink.
"School, Yusuke. School. That thing you never went to," Kieko replied shortly, taking a sip. "But I expect you to set a good example. These are our children! They're not going to become Sp-er-well, something else and have an excuse like saving the world. We discussed this."
"Yeah, yeah, I know," Yusuke said with a slight sigh. He went back to staring at his cup. Though his face was blank, Keiko knew he was remembering. It really didn't seem like all that long ago they had been running around on the beach, having a splash fight, and picking on Kuwabara. But in reality it had been nearly twenty years...
"Something wrong?" Keiko asked softly, placing a comforting hand on his arm, a concerned look in her eyes.
"No, I'm fine...," he said, shaking his head as he lifted his cup to take a drink of coffee. Keiko watched him a bit longer, before standing up.
"I'm going to wake up the kids," she said, running a hand through his hair, kissing him on the cheek, and walking off for the childrens' rooms. He watched her walk away, staring down the hall several minutes after she had disappeared.
"No, nothing's wrong," he said quietly to himself. "Sometimes it's just hard to forget..."
"Forget wh-wh-what?" Yusuke turned to see his son, Michio, attempting to stifle a yawn and failing miserably as he stood in the doorway.
"Nothing," Yusuke grinned, shaking his head. "You ready for your first day of school?"
"No," Michio grumbled, sliding into a chair beside his father, making a grab for the sugary cereal. "I can't stand the place." Atten years of age, he would be going intofourth grade.Toshi, Yusuke and Keiko's daughter, was nine, and enteringthird grade. She soon appeared at the entrance of the hall, pulling a brush through her long, bown hair.
"What about you, Toshi?" Yusuke asked, taking another sip of his coffe, wishing briefly for a steaming cup of Yukina's hot chocolate. "You fired up for the first day back?"
"Of course," Toshi replied swiftly, her speech and mannerisms very sophisticated despite her young age,taking the box of cheerios and pouring herself a bowl. "School is important to me, after all. Unlike some people." She shot a pointed look at Michio who, munching his Fruit Loops, ignored it. Toshi poured a small bit of milk in her bowl, picked up a spoon, and munched away. She reminded Yusuke a lot of Keiko, not only in looks, but in personality as well. Mishio, on the other hand, was more like Yusuke.
"I don't get why school had to start so early," Mishio grumbled, still half-asleep as he suffered yet another yawn attack. "It's not like anyone pays attention anyway. Why make us suffer even more?" Toshi 'hmphed', glaring at her brother across the table. "What?" Soemtimes Yusuke was reminded too much of himself.
"Just eat your cereal, dear," Keiko said, coming back from the hall, several cups and plates in her hands. "And what have I told you about eating in your rooms?"
"Sorry mom," came the chorus from Toshi and Mishio. The doorbell rang and Yusuke glanced curiously towards the second hall that led from the kitchen. Who would make visits at this horu? When he didn't move, Keiko sighed.
"Don't all get up at once," she muttered, standing and marching off for the door. She had just disappeared from view when Keiko's startled cry rang through the house. Yusuke jumped to his feet with speed the children had rarely seen before, and made a mad dash for the door. Several quiet minutes passed, filled with nothing but the quiet crunch of cereal and the low voices emitting from the hallway. Just when the children had all but decided to see what was going on, Yusuke and Keiko returned, accompanied by a rather tall man with orange hair they didn't recognize.
"Go get ready for school," Keiko said, ushering the two down the hall. Knowing better than to disobey their mother, the kids hopped from the table, leaving their bowls of unfinished cereal behind. Once the children had left she rounded on the men, a smile planted on her face. "Wonderful seeing you again, Kuwabara. How's Yukina doing? Rumor has it she's due soon, now?"
"You too, Keiko," Kuwabara replied, the three of them taking up seats at the table. Toshi and Mishiso hid in the hallway, straining to hear every word. "And yeah, the baby's coming in a few months. We're really excited."
"Ah, congratulations!" Keiko said happily. "Tell her I said hi, will you?" Kuwabara nodded, and they fell silent. Yusuke mused over the thought that Hiei still hadn't revealed to Yukina that he was her brother. The koorime hadn't given up her search, entrusting several of the former Reikai Tantei and friends with the deed. Of course, none of them really bothered to search. Except, of course, Kuwabara.
"What's up?" Yusuke asked suddenly. "As much as I'd like it, you don't come visit us for no reason, expecially at five in the morning." The kids exchanged glances; obviously, their father had met this man before. It was almost as if they had once been friends or something.
"It's Koenma," Kuwabara said with a sigh. "Someone kidnapped him. Botan says they're gonna kill 'em."
"Kidnapped?" Yusuke exclaimed, practically shouting as he stared at Kuwabara with an incredulous look. "You're telling me the toddler went and got himself kidnapped?" Kuwabara nodded.
"She's real shaken up, Botan, so Kurama sent my sister and Yukina with her to Genkai's place," he said gravely. "Then he told me to get you before he headed off to find Hiei. We told the neighbors it was an emergancy, and they said they'd take care ofYuki and left right away.
"What are we waiting for?" Yusuke asked, jumping to his feet. "Let's get going!" It had been years since his last real fight. If Koenma had been kidnapped, then who ever did it must have been strong. The perfect opportunity had just come knocking; literally.
"I'm coming too!" Keiko said suddenly, rising as Kuwabara did.
"But the kids-" Yusuke began.
"-Can get ready by themselves," Keiko finished. Yusuke must have looked skeptical. "Or at least Toshi can, and she'll get Misio to school even if she has to drag him there. Besides, it's only for today..."
"All right, but hurry," Yusuke said at last. "You know how long it takes to get to Genkai's, and I just hate to be late." Keiko headed for the hall, the children scrambling for their rooms as to not get caught. Yusuke turned to Kuwabara, a dark and troubling expression on his face. "That bad, huh?" Kuwabara sighed.
"I think it's a lot worse."
