Chapter Six- Aftermath

Yusuke was soon well enough to be allowed to head back to Human World with the others. It was suggested that Yusuke stay at Genkai's until she was male again and Yusuke readily agreed; she couldn't see herself going home and trying to explain why her mother was going to have a temporary daughter. She probably wouldn't believe me anyway since I don't really look anything like my guy self.

They arrived at a small hill above Genkai's home and headed down toward it with Yusuke trailing behind. Some of her injuries were still there, mostly scabs and a few scars and she hoped Yukina would be able to take care of them. She was also a little nervous and embarrassed about showing herself to Genkai and Yukina. There would be questions and the answers were going to be hard to say as well as difficult to hear. It has to be done so that they understand and can help.

The door to the inside was pushed open and the team filed in. "Genkai? Yukina? We need to talk," Kurama called. His call brought their friends to them. Yukina had a warm smile until she saw Yusuke and then she wore a curious expression. Who was this girl, an ice apparition like herself?

Genkai was likewise curious. She could immediately tell that she was a demon. Her features looked similar to Hiei; the girl could pass for his twin sister, more so than Yukina. "We're here, Kurama. What's wrong?"

"It started with an arrest mission, but a rescue aspect was soon added."

"A rescue," Genkai repeated. That explains the girl. "And where is Yusuke? I figured he would have been in on this."

"Yusuke was the one we had to rescue and that's her." Kurama gestured to the girl.

Genkai's eyes widened as she stepped up to her apprentice. "Yusuke? How did this happen?"

"I was supposed to arrest a demon, just me. I needed a disguise to get near enough to arrest him because he would be looking for someone from Spirit World to come after him. Koenma took a sample of my human blood before sticking me with a syringe of ice apparition blood. Hiei was sent as my backup." She nodded at him.

"She got the demon, Colaban's attention, but he abducted her before I realized what had happened. I went back to Spirit World to get the others and tell them what happened."

"Meanwhile, Colaban was raping and torturing me the three days he held me, even after he learned who I really was. He drugged me on two occasions. One was just to paralyze me. The other was making me agree to what he wanted. The others got me out and while Botan was taking care of me, I was told that I'm pregnant."

"Oh!" Yukina suddenly understood why Yusuke was still a girl.

"Yeah," Yusuke said, correctly interpreting Yukina's comment. "Koenma still has my human blood sample as I have to let the pregnancy proceed."

"And why is that?" Genkai asked.

"Because an ice apparition's body will do what is necessary to protect the baby," Yukina answered. "If Yusuke wants to be male again, she needs to have the baby and then a few hours after birth would be the first opportunity to change her back."

There was silence for a couple of minutes as awkwardness descended on the group. It was broken when Yusuke gave a small gasp and put a hand on a pant leg. "Urameshi?" Kuwabara asked.

"Sorry, one of my bruises throbbed," she said apologetically.

"I thought you said they were gone."

"I said most were gone, plus I still have some scars and scabs."

"Yukina, take Yusuke to a spare room and tend to…her," Genkai said. "The rest of you can go home." The ice maiden nodded before leading the detective to another room. Genkai's suggestion made it clear that Yusuke was staying there for her entire pregnancy and she was grateful that she didn't have to ask for a room and have to explain why.

Yusuke sat in front of Yukina as she worked to heal some of the scars and bruises that Botan couldn't do anything to heal them. She was thoughtfully silent as her injuries were being tended to until she said, "Yukina, as I said before, I was told that I'm pregnant. I want to know if you could confirm this and how long it will last."

"Of course I can," she replied. She moved her glowing hands over Yusuke's abdomen. The hands stopped glowing as she pulled them back and nodded. "Yes, you are definitely pregnant. I know you didn't want this, but you have no choice but to carry it and give birth. The entire thing will take three months."

"Three months," she repeated. "Okay, so I'll be a girl for three more months. Well, that's better than the nine months humans have."

"There is something you need to know about the birth process," Yukina said. "At the moment you give birth, you'll shed a single tear that'll be different from the other tears you've already shed."

Yusuke inwardly groaned at the thought of crying again, but merely nodded and said, "Thanks for telling me."

There was a knock at her bedroom door at Genkai's home the next day and she winced slightly as she sat up. "Come in." The door slid opened and Hiei entered, sliding the door closed behind him. She smiled slightly. "Hey, Hiei."

Hiei looked at her for a moment before lowering his gaze. Her words and tone were typical Yusuke, but the voice wasn't. She probably didn't blame him for anything that happened, but he sure did. If he hadn't agreed to donate his blood, Yusuke wouldn't be female, pregnant, and tortured. The image of her lying in the cell, naked and battered, was burned in his mind.

"Hiei?" Yusuke prompted.

Hiei clenched his fists and closed his eyes. "Yusuke, I'm sorry," he said evenly. "This is all my fault."

"You didn't make Colaban kidnap me or do all those awful things to me."

"Yusuke, if I hadn't agreed to the plan, none of it would have happened."

"Actually," Yusuke said softly. "Even if I was male, he still would have raped and tortured me. He probably would have killed me long before any of you got there."

"He confessed that he had planned to kill you the next day if we hadn't shown up hours after your recent rape and torture."

Yusuke paled. "He was?"

"Yes. You must have ticked him off for him to plan that, even though he's committed murder before."

"Yeah. I was trying to freeze him solid so that I could escape. Obviously, it didn't work. Anyway, everything I went through is not your fault, Hiei."

"I suppose."

"Trust me, you're clear. All I want to deal with are my injuries and the baby. I just hope the baby doesn't look like him."

"I hope so, too. But, you might have twins. Ice apparitions can have daughters without needing a man. My mother met a man and you know the rest."

"Twins!? Like one's not enough?"

"It could be just one. I'm just telling you so you're prepared."

"Hiei, you can determine that with your Jagan, right?"

Hiei smirked. "I know what you're saying." He closed his eyes and Yusuke saw a glow under the bandana and then it faded. Hiei opened his eyes and nodded. "Okay, I sense only one baby. You can relax."

"Thanks, Hiei"

"Hn. Get some rest, detective."

Yusuke closed her eyes, but her mind was dwelling on the baby. If it's a girl, I think I'll call her Hina. I think Hiei would like that and it might lessen whatever guilt he's still feeling.