DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the original Yu Yu Hakusho characters, or Evelyn Hunter. The latter is the sole property of Gina Leone, and the former belonging to Yoshihiro Togashi. Also, Kumiko Yenma belongs to Nicole Summers...Thanks for reading!

Chapter Five:

"She's the blade and you're just paper."

No one seemed very talkative on the way out of Koenma's office. Fuko, of course, was oblivious to this ominous mood as she broke out singing the first verse of Sugarcult's "She's The Blade".

"Don't you make a move tonight,
You can only stagger!
Once she's got you in her sight,
You're the one she's after!"

They blinked.

"Do you always have a song stuck in your head?" Kuwabara asked. Fuko shrugged.

"Eeh, most of the time. Other times I'm thinking too much or there's absolute silence. I don't like the silence." She replied. They blinked at this odd, though sensible response.

"What's the time?" She asked.

"Um…it's about six right now…should we grab a bite?" Yusuke asked.

"I think I might just head to my room and-" Fuko said.

"Aww come on! Give us a chance! Kurama's cooking is the best!" Kuwabara said, putting an arm around her shoulders with a silly grin. Fuko scowled.

"Take it off before I break it off." She hissed. He obliged. She looked at all of them. They seemed…to want her to have dinner with them. She chewed her lip. Well technically she still had an hour to meet him…. She sighed.

"Fine. I'll have dinner with you guys." The four of them smiled, grinned, or scowled (the one scowling, I am sure you can guess), and they made their way back to the den.

◊†◊

Kuwabara had invited Kumi to come to dinner too, so she sat next to Fuko on a big comfy couch…and no, not the same one that is used by a deranged clowngirl and a colorful assortment of puppets. Yusuke, Kuwabara, sat on another couch and Hiei walked over to a window and sat on the sill, casting a broody gaze out of it into the world of the night. Kurama was in the kitchen, cooking. Fuko paused and sniffed the air. She could smell teriyaki. She did everything she could to stop herself from drooling. Steak teriyaki was her favorite food. She mentally prayed with all her being it was steak. Her thoughts were jarred when Kumi turned to her.

"So, you're name is really Fuko, Miss Urameshi?" She asked. Fuko looked her over with wary eyes. She didn't seem so bad….

"Yeah. It's short for a European name….derived from Guenevere, but whatever. Call me Fuko, PLEASE…. And you're Kumi?" Fuko replied. Kumi smiled and nodded.

"It was funny…how you were getting at Koenma and the others." She said with a giggle. Yusuke and Kuwabara scowled.

"Yeah, REAL FUNNY." Yusuke spat, twitching. Fuko grinned.

"I always like to know that my humor is appreciated. So why were you in Koenma's office? Are you his secretary?" She asked. Kumi sighed.

"I might as well be. I do all the paperwork and I write what he says, but in reality I fix all of his mess-ups. I suppose I don't mind it though, I mean, he is family and what-not." She explained. Fuko blinked.

"Family? Like he's your cousin?" She inquired. Kumi shook her head.

"He's my little brother." Kumi elucidated. Fuko blinked.

"No kidding." She stated. Kumi looked as though she was about to ask something but the door suddenly busted open and a girl stepped in. She had long blue hair and wore jeans and a light pink tank top.

"Hello team!" She said in a cheerful tone. Fuko blinked and scowled; trying to size up the vibe she got from her. She liked the friendliness, but didn't like the happiness… The girl's pink eyes rested on Fuko. All at once, her expression lit up (even more, if possible). She ran over.

"I must say, it's an honor to meet you Miss Urameshi!" She gushed excitedly. Fuko sighed.

"Please don't call me Miss Urameshi…." Fuko entreated, pushing a lock of dark hair behind an ear.

"Oh, my apologies! Urameshi-chan then! You can call me Botan!" She said perkily. Fuko twitched. Urameshi-chan would have to do.

"Um…nice to meet you Botan." She said politely. She didn't really intend on calling anyone with formalities….it wasn't something she really liked to do.

"You staying for dinner Botan?" Kuwabara asked. Botan nodded joyfully.

"If you'll let me!" She added.

"There's going to be more than enough Botan, don't worry." Kurama replied, sticking his head out of the kitchen entrance before going back in.

"Thank you Kurama." She said, settling herself in one of the plush armchairs.

"So…Yusuke is your older brother?" Kumi inquired.

"Well actually he's my twin." Fuko said nonchalantly. Everyone blinked in surprise, including Hiei who tore himself away from his window for a moment.

"No kidding!" Kuwabara exclaimed. Fuko shrugged.

"We're fraternal." She said.

"You're what?" Kuwabara asked.

"It means they don't look alike." Hiei stated, rolling his eyes at Kuwabara's ignorance. His gaze fell on Fuko again almost curiously.

"Yeah, that's why we look nothing alike." Fuko explained.

"How interesting. Hiei's a twin too you know." Kurama piped from the kitchen. Hiei shot a death-glare at him, and Fuko was quite certain he was shouting full-volume in Kurama's head.

"Good to know I'm not alone." Fuko said with a grin.

"But I'm the older one." Yusuke said with a smirk. Fuko groaned.

"Here we go…by FIFTEEN SECONDS!!!"

"And I'm gonna hold those fifteen seconds above your head for the rest of our natural lives." Yusuke teased. Fuko pouted.

"Baka."

"Then how is it you're part fox?" Kurama asked, walking out from the kitchen, wiping his hands with a blue-and- white-checkered towel. Fuko shrugged.

"I'm really not sure, truth be told. The same person who taught me my powers told me I was one. I don't know for sure if I am one…." She explained, flicking her hair behind her shoulder.

"Who was that?" Kurama pressed.

"It doesn't matter. They're dead now." Fuko said with a smile. The others exchanged looks.

"Well, dinner is ready." Kurama said after a moment's silence.

†◊†

Fuko almost dropped to her knees and praised the heavens when they got to the table. IT WAS STEAK TERIYAKI!!!! Kurama noted her response with a laugh.

"I take it you like steak teriyaki Urameshi-chan?"

"Put it this way, you're a man after my own heart Yoko Kurama." Fuko replied, sitting. Kurama, who was reaching for the sake bottle stopped.

"What did you just say?" He asked.

"I said you're a man after my own heart?"

"After that."

"Yoko Kurama…?" Fuko looked around at everyone's strange looks.

"What did I do now?" Fuko groaned.

"How did you know my full name? I don't believe anyone ever told you." Kurama questioned, eyes slightly narrowed.

"I don't know how I knew. I just did." Fuko said in a blasé manner as she fiddled with her rings.

"Weird. Maybe you knew him in a past life Fuko….!" Botan suggested. Fuko shrugged.

"Mayhaps." She replied. There was yet another awkward silence.

"Can we eat now?" She begged, looking at her teriyaki with big eyes.

"Oh, yeah." Kurama said with a laugh. Everyone dug in. Everything was delicious, and much to Fuko's liking. They wouldn't let her have sake though, which was irksome. But she didn't' even like it that much so she contented herself with a Coke. The whole meal was thoroughly enjoyable with a warm friendly air about it. But through the whole thing, Fuko couldn't shake the feeling that someone was looking at her, and whenever she looked u, she saw Kurama, gazing at her with mistrusting eyes. She gave a smile and narrowed her eyes. A challenge. His eyes darkened as his expression remained cool and poker-faced. He accepted. Fuko turned to Kumi and began to chat idly, but she couldn't help but feel a bit nervous. She had made Kurama her enemy…and that was something she got the vibe she was going to regret.

◊†◊

After dinner, Fuko excused herself before desert and retreated to her room. She scowled.

"That jerk better appreciate my punctuality. I'm missing green tea ice cream for this." She muttered.

"She's the blade, and you're just paper…!
You're afraid cause she's got closer!
You're back-steppin, and she's back-stabbing everything in your life…!"

She sang softly as she walked down the hallway. She stopped, opened the door, and entered the Phoenix Room. The window was ajar. Fuko bit her lip.

"Is he already here?" She wondered. She shut the door and surveyed the room.

"It doesn't seem like it…." Her thoughts were interrupted as she held in shriek; someone had reached out and put and ran their fingers through her hair behind her.

"You know, it really is a shame you don't care for your hair properly…it's lovely, but it's full of split-ends." Came an icy voice. Fuko sighed.

"Karasu." She turned around. He stood there, surely enough, looming in the shadows.

"You know, you weren't supposed to get caught." He reproved. Fuko shrugged.

"Well this makes things a bit easier don't you think?" She defended.

"I suppose it does…I noticed your slip-up at dinner, revealing that you knew of Kurama's real name." Karasu hissed. Fuko sighed again.

"I know. But don't worry, I'll still fulfill my mission."

"Of course you will. Be careful though…Kurama isn't someone you want as your enemy."

"A bit late for that I'm afraid." Karasu narrowed his eyes to slits.

"You know your mission. Destroy Team Urameshi…."

"…Except Kurama, because you want him." Fuko finished.

"Good girl."

"I know the drill Karasu. I won't harm your pet."

"Good. I intend to torture him after what he did during the dark tournament."

"The whole killing you thing? Yeah, I might be a bit miffed too if I was in your shoes.'" Karasu shot her a glare.

"Watch how you speak to me slave." He said, raising a hand. Fuko fell to her knees, choking. A mark on her upper-arm glowed purple, concealed by her t-shirt. Karasu dropped the hand and Fuko gasped, now able to breathe. She looked up at Karasu, who only seemed to get angrier.

"Stop looking at me like that." He hissed, kicking her hard in the nose. Fuko repressed a shriek as blood streamed down her face in rivulets. She cursed softly and focused on nursing it.

"You look at me with those defiant eyes…those same damn eyes as him……Anyway, you know your mission. I expect it carried out." He bent down and took hold of her nose. There was a "CRACK!" as he snapped it back into place, while Fuko bit her lip to stop from crying out.

"Don't hate me for this…you know I'm doing it for the best." He whispered in almost a tender tone. He got up, leapt out the window, and was gone. Fuko walked into her bathroom and washed the remaining blood of her face. She looked up at the mirror-medicine cabinet. She hated what she saw. She saw a coward and a traitor. She didn't want to see her reflection anymore. She hated it. She HATED it! It was probably this hate that drove her to send her fist flying at full force toward the mirror. There was a loud crash as glass imbedded itself in her fist and flew through the air in almost a whimsical way. It glittered and glistened, reflecting the luminosity of the bathroom light as it fell to the ground making small "chink" sounds. Fuko took the shards out of her fist and reached into the medicine cabinet, taking out a roll of bandages. She wrapped it tightly around her fist as she felt hot tears prick the corner of her eyes. She swept the glass into a trash bin numbly as she focused all of her attention on not crying….She didn't want to let the tears fall…she couldn't…. She could hear someone coming from down the hall. She sank down on the bathroom floor, hugging her knees, tears now spilling out of her eyes. She felt horrid. She wanted to die. Her door was thrown open as Kurama came in.

"What are you up to…." He began with a fiery look in his eyes. He looked in the bathroom and the fire faded upon the sight of her. He walked over.

"…Are you alright?" He asked. Fuko shook her head, still sobbing. He paused for a moment, then put an arm around her.

"It's okay…" He tried to comfort her, not without awkwardness. Fuko put her head against her knees and leaned against him….Him, her current arch-foe. Kurama could just make out the words she whispered.

"She's the blade and you're just paper…!
You're afraid cause she's got closer!
Your back-steppin and she's out wrecking everything in your life….!"

†◊†