Part Fourteen: Helpful Sisters, Argumentative Friends, and A Demon Goes into Labor!

Kuwabara finds it hard to leave Ani's side but he also knows that if he starts skipping school Yusuke will definitely throw a fit. "Ani," he whispers gently shaking him. Ani's golden eyes slowly flutter open.

"Y-you stayed?" the demon murmurs sleepily looking surprised and rather…adorable.

"Yeah, you wouldn't let go of me so I decided that it would be better to just stay put. I would like nothing more then to stay here all warm and comfortable but unfortunately, I have to get to school, which is why I woke you up," Kuwabara answers. Ani yawns and reluctantly lets go of him.

"Will you come back?" he inquires.

"Of course, right after school. You need to take it easy, okay?"

"All right."

Kuwabara attributes Ani's agreement on the fact that the demon was almost asleep again. Smiling, he gets up and tucks the blankets around him. Before leaving, he gives into a temptation and kisses the smaller demon on the forehead. He quietly shuts the door and heads downstairs. "Leaving for school?" Oto inquires.

"As much as I would rather be cuddled by Ani, I don't want Yusuke marching down here and demanding to know why I spent the night. I promised Ani to be back after school so I'll return. Keep a close eye on him. I don't want him kidnapped again…or worse," Kuwabara answers. The burly demon merely nods his head, and Kuwabara leaves the house for the Ningenkai.

He gets back in time to get dressed, eat, and be questioned by Shizuru. "Where were you last night, Kazuma?" she demands finding him finishing breakfast.

"I was out," he answers shortly.

"Where?"

"The Makai."

"Are you seeing a demon?"

"Not really."

"Not really? Kazuma, what have you been doing?"

Her tone broaches no argument and Kuwabara decides to be honest. "I was with Ani, okay? I spent the night because he wouldn't let me leave."

"Ani as in Elder Toguro? Why wouldn't he let you leave?"

"He's pregnant with triplets and was just kidnapped by demons hired by Koenma who wanted him dead. I don't think he wanted to be alone."

"How the hell does a male get pregnant?"

"The same way a female does, through sex."

"How do YOU know this?"

"I was the one who got him pregnant."

"WHAT?"

"You remember the conversation we had about me having to have sex with Ani Toguro? Well, it seems that he got pregnant from that. I am taking responsibility for it and heaven forbid it, but I'm also getting fond of the midget demon. I am going back this afternoon."

"Whoa, wait a minute, baby-brother. YOU got Ani pregnant?"

"Yes."

"Oh…wow. I'm going to be the aunt of the next generation of Toguros?"

"It seems so…you're not going to kick me out now are you?"

"No. Can I come with you after school? I remember how mom was when she was pregnant with you. Maybe I can help Ani out."

Kuwabara looks at her in shock. "Y-you want to help him? This doesn't include poisoning or trying to strangle him does it?"

"No, nothing like that. I'm willing to put aside grudges to help him if it means that much to you, baby-brother."

"Thanks, sis."

"You're welcome, now get going or you'll be late for school."

Kuwabara grins before grabbing his bag. Obviously, his sister had finally accepted what happened. 'I can't believe she's agreed to help him. Is she drunk?' he wonders but then decides it doesn't matter.

Shizuru might know how to keep Ani relatively comfortable since Kazuma had NO idea what to do. A grin appears on his face and he finds himself in a wonderful mood…until Yusuke catches up to him. "What the hell were you thinking?" Yusuke demands storming towards him.

Kuwabara inwardly sighs. Of course, something HAD to go wrong today didn't it?

"Yusuke, he had just been kidnapped and his life had been threatened. I didn't want to cause him anymore grief," he says calmly.

"Of course not, you just have to be the most forgiving person on the whole team. Kuwabara, wake up! This is Ani Toguro we're dealing with. Have you forgotten what he did to you?" Yusuke snaps.

"No, Yusuke, no I haven't. I just don't see what good hating him will do when he's vulnerable and needs to be protected. He's having triplets…my triplets. I don't want any harm to come to them…or him, okay?" Kuwabara tells him. He realizes that he's obviously said something wrong as Yusuke's brown eyes narrow.

"You don't want anything to happen to him? Did I hear you right? Are you actually worried about the health and well-being of a demon who cares for no one but himself?" Yusuke snarls.

"Look, I am not defending myself or Ani to YOU. You need to realize that this is MY life and I have to make my own decisions. Whether or not I hate Ani happens to be none of your concern and I would like it if you would stay out of my business," Kuwabara fires back. Yusuke looks stunned as if he had never thought Kuwabara would take this sort of step.

"Kuwabara, listen to me, he's a demon… a very nasty demon. You and I have both met and faced him before. There is nothing remotely human left within him. You will get hurt if you let yourself get too fond of him. After the children are born…if they are born, he is going to go right back to hating you. I don't want to see you hurt. Please, don't make a huge mistake by believing some good still exists because it doesn't. He's been stripped of all humanity for a long time and I don't think he's ever getting it back," Yusuke pleads.

"I hear you, Yusuke and I know that you are only trying to protect me, but I think you're wrong. I don't think that all the humanity has been taken from Ani. He still retains a lot of very human qualities. Yes, hormones have brought on most of his emotions but I still believe that he isn't beyond redemption. Let me make my own mistakes, Yusuke. I need to know whether or not he's capable of being decent. I won't blame anyone else but me if I get hurt because I would hate myself if I misjudged him," Kuwabara responds. Yusuke replies by glaring at him and storming off. Kuwabara only hopes that his friend calms down and thinks about this rationally. 'I know you hate him, Yusuke. I just wish you could put that aside…for now,' he thinks mournfully. He heads for school realizing that this might be one of the longest days of his life.

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Kurama, for the first time in his life, does two things he never thought he'd do on the same day; he lies to his mother and he skips school. He only hopes that this doesn't come back to haunt him but Kuronue's safety was more important than playing the role of dedicated son and student. Even though Koenma had promised to stay out of the Makai, he fears that the deity's father might get involved and that would be really, really bad. He had to get Kuronue somewhere safe before all hell broke lose and he doubts the Rekai is the right place for the pregnant winged-demon. He transforms into Yoko before entering the portal. He plans to tell Kuronue about his human form as soon as he can but doubts that it prudent at the moment. He finds his mate lying asleep in the room Koenma had left for him. Slowly he walks over to him and just observes him. His eyes alight on his stomach and he realizes that close up, it was obviously round. Cautiously, he moves closer and gently moves the blanket without awakening his sleeping mate. How had he not noticed this before? Kuronue was very advanced into his pregnancy Yoko realizes as he pulls the shirt up over his mate. He needed to get Kuronue checked out to see just HOW far along the bat demon was. As he pulls the garment down, Kuronue's lovely blue-eyes open. "Oh, hi," he murmurs weakly.

"Hello. I was merely…inspecting your stomach. Do you know how far along you are?" Yoko asks.

"I'm not sure…seven or eight months I think."

Yoko stares at him. "Seven or eight months? That isn't possible if you are carrying triplets!"

Kuronue chuckles. "You taught me how to do some illusions, remember?"

Yoko stares at him in shock. Kuronue used an illusion to keep him from realizing the truth? "Take it off, Kuronue."

"Very well, it's getting too hard to hold up, anyway," the youkai murmurs. In a moment, his appearance changes and Yoko begins to believe that he is indeed THAT far along.

"We need to get you checked out," Yoko says staring at his stomach a bit awed.

"Okay, I'm not about to argue with you." Yoko smiles and gently helps him onto his feet. He had to admit that there was something erotic about Kuronue looking so blissfully pregnant. He gives a soft smile.

"You're gorgeous, you know that right?"

"Well, you've told me that on occasion."

Yoko grins. "Well, you are beautiful and I love you."

"I have missed hearing that."

"You won't ever again, I promise. Let's go and figure out how much time is left until you have our children." Kuronue nods and the two former thieves head into the Makai and the same place Ani had gone. It didn't matter that the two demons were employed by Koenma as he had promised to leave them alone on threat of being killed by a pissed-off A-class fox-demon. They walk in and are told that the doctors would be out in a moment to see them. Yoko gets Kuronue situation and the winged-youkai settles back against the chair and closes his eyes.

Only twenty minutes pass before a sharp pain hits Kuronue. He jerks and lets out a sharp cry before clutching his abdomen. Yoko is up in an instant and before him. Kuronue?" he whispers. When he sees the stain, his eyes grow wide. "N-nurse!" he almost yells. The demon turns in his direction looking like she was about to give him a piece of her mind until she sees Kuronue. Her eyes widen.

"He's gone into labor," she says hurrying to him.

"He's what?" Yoko asks.

"He's gone into labor, we'll have to get him to a room but I don't have a stretcher available. Can you carry him?" Yoko responds by scooping up his almost screaming mate. "Sir, I know this hurts but you have to breathe, okay?"

"Breathe? Lady, I feel like someone is squeezing my damn insides," Kuronue grits out before another pain-filled cry escapes him. Yoko hopes that nothing bad happens. 'He was over eight months pregnant when Koenma had him killed?' he thinks, 'Only two days more and he would have given birth. What a bastard!'

The nurse leads him into an empty operating room. "Keep him breathing and undress him. I will go get the doctors right away," the woman says.

Yoko nods and starts to gently pull his mate's clothing off.

"I am going to kill you for this!" Kuronue grits out, "I swear, Yoko, this is entirely your fault!"

"Just keep breathing. It'll be over soon, I promise," Yoko murmurs realizing full well that he has no way of knowing that. 'Please, let this go correctly. Don't let me lose him again,' he begs, 'please, I can't lose him!'