Summary: The gang is slowly falling apart. Yusuke is beginning to feel his "heritage" take over, while Kuwabara is losing his powers all together. Kurama's body is being ailed by a strange but serious disease while Hiei is going blind as a side affect of the Jagan. Some of Demon World's apparitions have decided to take advantage of this, and Spirit World is now in a bind. Who will save the world, and who will save them?

Gritting his teeth, he prepared himself for the escape. Waited. If he didn't make his move now, there would be no escape. It was now or never…the fate of everything depended on it!

Yusuke glanced to his left, to his right, and then behind him. There was his escape! A door not too far off…if only he could…

His right foot slipped behind him, ready to take off the moment he had the chance. Not now…there's one on the left…now there's two….wait, they moved….okay….Here it was….

NOW!!!

Yusuke turned on his foot and prepared to fling himself out the door and into the merciful freedom filled streets of the town. Suddenly, a cold voice laden with agitation called out after him.

"Yusuke! You're not thinking about ditching me again, are you?"

'Damn,' he thought to himself, his thumb pressed against the side of his nose. Why did these places always reek of twenty different flavors of perfume?

Oh well.

"What!?" He whirled back around, hands raised in his own defense. "Never! I just thought—"

"You thought you'd get away this time, is that it?"

Keiko's face was now inches away from his own. It was painful how near she was, and yet at the same time…his heart felt…what? Somehow he couldn't be deterred by that glare of hers…even when she was angry she was adorable…the twitching vein in her temple and all.

"Not at all!"

She fell back on her heels, the glare never subsiding. Yusuke couldn't help but grin at how her lips were bunched up, frowning at him the way she always had. Her pointed chin moving back and forth as she clicked her teeth…and that vein was still there too…

"Honestly, Yusuke, what am I supposed to do with you? You don't want to go to restaurants, you don't want to go out to the shopping district…"

Oh, crap. Here it was: the guilt. This was where she asked him if they should even continue going out together. He sighed. Why did she always have to do this? She couldn't NOT know by now that none of this stuff was his deal. Shopping? Fancy restaurants? What out of ANY of these things had "Yusuke Urameshi" written anywhere on it?

But, at the same time, it wasn't like he could take Keiko "bar-room-brawling" either…

…maybe this really was a waste of their time?

"YUSUKE!?!"

"WHAT?!?"

"You're not even listening to me!"

"I…what?"

There it was: that last sigh where she was tacitly declaring that she was finished with him for the day. Her energy was wasted once again. Another day, another lost cause…that was how Yusuke felt whenever she got that look….made that noise with a simple exhaling of her breath. It was like a knife through his heart, or a knee to the groin…no…it was somehow more painful then that…and he would know.

"Just take me home, Yusuke."

"Aw, c'mon Keiko! I'm sorry. Please?"

He really had changed. A year ago he would have just started walking. At least now he made some effort to be….what was it? Sentimental? No…well whatever. It was something, right?

She shook her head. Not a word. That was when Yusuke knew he was defeated. Sighing, he shoved his hands in his pockets and headed for the door. Keiko put down whatever it was that she had been looking at and followed him.

He held the door for her.

She didn't say anything.

This wasn't uncommon. No matter how old they had been together, Yusuke had always walked her home. Keiko never asked why, and Yusuke was never really sure himself. It just seemed like the thing to do. After all, people who got mixed up with him usually ended up in their fair share of trouble because of it, and Keiko had already proven to be no exception. The least he could do was walk her home.

Of course the long walk brought things to his mind. Things he wanted to say…mostly things he wanted to apologize for. Truthfully, Yusuke really wasn't classic boyfriend material, and he'd be the first to admit it. He didn't like doing anything if it didn't include bruising his knuckles, and was pretty good at keeping to just that. But he was loyal, and he did care. There wasn't another girl in the world he'd rather be getting yelled at…or feeling guilty about…or walking home.

A chill wind blew through the streets. It was nearing winter, and the late night meant colder winds. He didn't need eyes to know that Keiko was probably shivering beneath her plaid high school skirt and button blouse.

Thoughtlessly he undid his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders.

It was during a moment like this where Keiko would expect Yusuke to let his hands wander into certain territories, but he had grown up, and although was still quite brash and rude, was more of a gentlemen when it came to women. The only place his hands landed were on her far shoulder and her elbow near his ribs. His grip was strong, but always gentle. It astounded her at times that these hands had beaten numberless men…and apparitions, into a pulp…and some even beyond that. Now here they were, wrapped around her body, protecting her from the elements…

…she smiled. Despite their moral stains, there were no other hands she'd rather have guiding her through a dark, cold night.

Although it was cold, the walk couldn't have been long enough. Both stayed, wrapped in each other's embrace for a moment, before finally pulling away. Keiko gave Yusuke back his jacket before going inside. Yusuke waited until she was inside with the door closed, and then headed down the street himself, the article of clothing now sliding back over his own arms and shoulders.

It smelled like her now. The flowery shampoo; the cream scented soap...

…the perfume…

….he'd have to wash it when he got home.

Despite the scent, Yusuke was happy to have his jacket with him. For some reason the cold had really picked up.

He was happy to have gotten Keiko home when he did.

The freezing air gave way to an otherwise silent evening. The chirping of insects did not give rise to their melodies tonight. Most were probably either frozen or smart enough to have known not to leave the security of their nests.

Yusuke wished he had had half that sense, because he could have been home right now.

Maybe he should have stayed at Keiko's house?

That thought brought a touch of warmth to his heart.

He'd never actually stayed there before, not since they were little, back when it was perfectly okay for little boys and little girls who were friends to sleep in the same room together.

Things might have been different now, and truth be told, they were, but a bed on a couch was better then freezing to death…

…and of course anywhere next to Keiko was warmer still.

He smiled and closed his eyes. She seemed so very near to him now. He could almost hear her voice.

Perhaps it was the scent of her on his coat. It made the memories of her stronger.

...maybe he wouldn't wash it.

There were still trace remnants of her warmth as well that lingered inside the coat. He wrapped it tighter around himself just to have a better sense. He could smell her, feel her…even though she wasn't there.

…maybe they weren't wasting their time after all?

A sharp breeze picked up suddenly, and it whipped around Yusuke in a violent torrent. With it went all feelings of warmth, and for a second he was surprised that he could not feel his face.

It didn't last long, but his cheeks were now stinging from the aftereffects.

"Damn," he said in surprise. At this rate, there would be snow on the ground by morning!

It took Yusuke longer than he would have liked to finally reach home. When he finally got to the door, he pushed in violently and slammed it behind him.

"I'm home!" He yelled, not really expecting a response.

He didn't get one.

Stretching, Yusuke yawned and was prepared to crash early that night, but when he slid open the door to his bedroom he was met with a shock, and a rather unwelcome guest.

"What is it?" he half whined, plopping down on his bed. He crossed his legs across his sheets with his hands placed behind his head.

"Oh Yusuke, your greetings are always so cheery!"

Botan.

"That's because you always have such wonderful news. What does Koenma want? I thought I wasn't doing this Spirit Detective gig anymore."

"Oh, don't worry…this is nothing like that!" She raised her hands, waving them frantically in her own defense. "How are you? You certainly don't look very cheery…or is this your everyday face? It's been so long since we've talked!" Her hands clapped together.

It should not be allowable for someone who deals with the dead all day to be so damn happy.

"Can it, Botan. What is it?"

The young woman sighed. Her pink eyes danced around the room for a while, and Yusuke knew that this action meant one of two things. She was either beating around the bush, or she wasn't sure how to say what she came here to tell him.

Either way, it wasn't good.

"Just spill it, Botan."

Her index fingers meant, poking into each other habitually. Her eyes were still darting around, and she began to look oddly nervous.

"Have you talked to Kuwabara at all?"

Yusuke raised an eyebrow. His lower lip jutted out in confusion, and he could not help but cock his head at the unforeseen question.

"Not much lately. What does he have to do with this?"

Botan sighed.

"What about Kurama?"

"No."

"I see."

She sat uninvited down on his bed. Yusuke pulled his feet away. Something about her being here made him nervous. This wasn't a run of the mill assignment…he wasn't even supposed to be getting assignments anymore…and the fact that Botan was asking about the others made his stomach slightly queasy. He hadn't seen the gang in a while. Their last get together had been at a festival some months back. They hadn't spent very long together, so Yusuke had spent the rest of the day with Keiko.

Truth be told, Yusuke was spending pretty much all of his time with Keiko these days. Kuwabara and Kurama were almost strangers to him now, and no one ever heard from Hiei anymore.

Being in an alternate dimension did that to relationships after all.

"Damn it Botan, you're pissing me off. What's going on?"

She didn't hesitate to throw him a very bitter glare. He pretended to not be phased.

"Well, Yusuke!" Botan stood in a huff. She placed her hands on her hips in a very motherly fashion. Yusuke knew it was going to be another one of those lectures, though nothing could have prepared him for what Botan said next.

"We thought it may interest you to know that your friends are dying!"