The policewoman asked a bunch of questions to both Kurama and Yusuke before she left. Unbeknownst to them, their answers had been recorded.

At first it gave him pleasure to hear Kurama's voice, choked with tears, describing the months of abuse. The fox worked backwards, starting with Karasu's most recent offense. The raven's eyes glowed as Kurama described how Karasu had forced him to abuse Yusuke. But it didn't take long for Karasu to realize there was a part of him that felt guilty. He lounged in the small holding cell in the police station, able to hear every word of the recorded interview.

He heard one of the officers say that there was clearly no reason for Karasu to be formally tried. He'd been caught in the act; all that was left was to determine his punishment. The raven smirked. Do your worst, humans. I'll just stick around for a while just to amuse myself, and then take my leave to take my fox away from your silly laws. He smirked as he heard Kurama repeat his own sentiments.

"Prison? Hardly," the voice scoffed. "He'll just break out and come after me again…"

----

They let Kurama out of the hospital the next evening, but the fox flatly refused to be confined to a wheelchair. Something in his eyes must've convinced the doctor, because he let it drop. Kurama found himself leaning heavily on Yusuke's shoulder as they walked back to the detective's apartment.

Kurama did not say a word the entire walk and Yusuke could tell the fox was still struggling with the enormity of everything. Once Yusuke's apartment door had safely shut behind them, Kurama sank onto the sofa.

"Hey…Kurama? You don't look too good…" Yusuke said, sitting down next to him.

Kurama leaned back and closed his eyes. "I'm—I'm not well, Yusuke. I feel so horrible for hurting you; I—"

"For the last time, Kurama, it wasn't your fault! Stop blaming yourself for something that Karasu forced you to do!" Yusuke interrupted. They'd had this conversation at least three times.

Kurama raised his miserable eyes to his friend's face. "I know, Yusuke, I know! Please! It's not that; it's—I…Yusuke, I was enjoying it! I was taking pleasure from—from—" he buried his face in his hands once more.

Yusuke stared at him. "Is that what's bothering you!?" he said incredulously. "Kurama, wasn't that sort of the point!? Karasu doesn't give a rat's ass what happens to me; he was making you do all that stuff to hurt you! Part of that was fixin' it so that you like somethin' that you're not supposed to!"

Kurama opened an eye. "Since when do you know everything?" he hiccupped.

Yusuke caught that eye and merely held Kurama's gaze for a moment. What's with him? That look…it's such a wild, panicked look! And…is he trembling? "Kurama…what's wrong? OK, that's a stupid question…but—whoa! Hey!" Yusuke blinked as the fox suddenly collapsed onto him, falling unconscious. "Uh…Kurama? Hey, Kurama! Earth to Fox-Boy…" Yusuke gave up. Holy crap! His energy's goin' haywire! What the hell—"Kurama!" He had to lay the redhead down on the sofa and take a step back to avoid being fried by his friend's rampaging energy.

After the haze of energy receded, Kurama was gone. Yusuke's eyes slowly traveled up the white leg until his eyes met the cold golden ones. He blinked.

"Uh…is this your little transformation trick, or…?" Yusuke was pretty sure he already knew the answer to his own question.

"No," Yoko purred, "I assure you, I'm the real thing, Yusuke." Gracefully the silver fox slipped off the back of the sofa and resettled himself in his former seat.

"Th-Thought so," Yusuke said. "But…can I ask, why? And how?"

Yoko's cold, almost mocking glare softened. "Suichi has become too adept at concealing his emotions: so adept, in fact, that it can be malevolent to his mental health. He's a lot more shaken up about Karasu than it would appear. The human mind cannot handle the amount of trauma Karasu heaped upon him."

Yusuke stared at him. "S-So you mean, he's gone? Kurama as I know him is gone?"

"I wasn't through, Yusuke," Yoko growled. "No, he's not 'gone,' Yusuke. If Suichi were left in control for much longer he would do something silly, like try and kill himself. Once his little mental breakdown is over I'll concede." He sighed. "As for how, I'm not entirely sure. My theory is that it's a defense mechanism: Once some part of him and some part of me realize that there is an unbalance, the reins are handed to me until further notice."

"So in other words," Yusuke clarified, "Karasu drove Kura—er, whatever—off a sort of mental cliff and you're here to catch him before he hits the rocks, right?"

"Something like that, yes…" Yoko confirmed, chuckling. He looked up as his cell phone squalled at them from the overnight bag he'd had at the hospital. "Perhaps you'd better pick it up, Yusuke. They won't recognize my voice…"

Yusuke grabbed the phone and spoke to the police chief on the other line for a moment. He hung up and looked back over at Yoko. "Hearing's on the twelfth," he said. "That's what? Five days from now?" The detective scowled. "Why do we gotta have a damn hearing anyway?" he whined. "We know he's guilty; throw him in jail!"

"But for how long? Does he go to a regular prison or a maximum security one? There are many decisions involved other than guilt and innocence, Yusuke. That's why it's a hearing, and not a full trial."

"Yeah, yeah, shut up, I know…" Yusuke grumbled. He flicked on the television and plopped gracelessly down next to the silver fox.

----

"Damnit, leave me alone, Kurama!"

Yoko grabbed Yusuke by the shirt collar and lifted him out of bed. "No, Yusuke. You are going."

"Awright, awright, just put me down, damnit!"

Yoko let him go and turned his back so Yusuke could drag his school uniform on. The fox half-yanked the resisting detective out the door and down the street before releasing him.

"You're going to school, Yusuke Urameshi, and you're going to stay there—in your classes, not on the roof or the field—until the final bell rings."

"You sound like Keiko," Yusuke snapped.

"I'll know if you skip, detective." The fox ignored him. "What's more, I'll double-check with Keiko."

----

Yoko leaned in the arch of the gate of Yusuke's school, waiting for the bell. He still had a couple of minutes. The fox ignored the suspicious stare of the security guard. He wasn't doing anything wrong.

Finally, the bell rang. Naturally, Keiko was out first. She let out a small cry of alarm when Yoko walked up to her.

"Oh…Kurama…you scared me…"

Yoko ignored her friends' fawning stares and asked, "Did Yusuke remain in class, Keiko?"Keiko regained her composure swiftly. "Yeah, he did…" She was pulled away by one of her various friends at that point, and Yoko was left alone.

"Atractin' all the girls, Kurama?" Yusuke smirked.

Kurama glanced at him. "Hardly, Yusuke. I'm glad to hear you listened to me and actually stayed in school."

Yusuke wasn't going to admit it, but Yoko was rather intimidating. He shrugged and started walking home. "Any idea when Kura—Sui—whatever—is gonna come back?" Yusuke glanced up to find Yoko glaring at him. "Not that I'm trying to get rid of you or anything…"

The fox's mouth twitched in what could have been a smile. "If not by tonight, then certainly by tomorrow morning."

"Why the hell'dya make me go to school, anyway?" Yusuke suddenly demanded.

Yoko glanced at him again and lifted one shoulder in an elegant shrug. "Because I could," he responded vaguely.

The detective sighed. Getting a straight answer out of Yoko was like pulling teeth. He stopped as Yoko turned.

"I wasn't expecting to find you here, Kurama. I take it the human broke under the pressure?" Hiei had to physically look up to glare into Yoko's face.

Again, the fox half-smiled. "You're much quicker on the uptake than our detective here. I had to explain it to him for about ten minutes before he finally understood."

Yusuke contemplated kicking him, but decided against it. "Whaddya want, Hiei?"

Hiei snorted, but Yoko could read it as, "I just wanted to make sure you were all right."

Yoko did not push his luck by trying to make Yusuke do his homework. He let the boy be, content to let him watch television until his brains oozed out his ears. Yusuke would have if the thunderstorm had not cut off his satellite reception. With a curse he shut it off.

"Now what?" he grumbled. Yoko could think of lots of things they could do, but he kept his ideas to himself. The fox closed his eyes and leaned back against the sofa. Suddenly Yusuke spoke again. "Kurama…there's—there's something I've been wanting to ask you."

"Yes?"

"H-How does Suichi-Kurama—I mean, does he…?" Yusuke looked a little flustered.

Yoko knew what he was trying to ask, and he nodded. "Of course he loves you, Yusuke. It just about broke his heart to have to cause you pain." The fox hesitated only a moment. "In fact, that's one thing we both share…"

Yusuke didn't meet the fox's eyes. "R-Really?" He stared at the far wall. "But—I mean, I hardly know you, Yoko…I mean, I've watched you fight and stuff but…"

Yoko smiled thinly. "I could hardly expect more than that, Yusuke. Don't worry about it." He yawned suddenly. "I believe I'll turn in for now."

Yusuke blinked. But…it's only 7:30… With a shrug, he let the fox stretch out on the sofa and rose to retreat to his own room.

He was in the process of dozing off himself when Kurama knocked on his door a few hours later. The redhead was back, and looked slightly puzzled.

"Hey, K'rama. Did you have a good nap?" Yusuke asked, smiling.

"I wasn't asleep, Yusuke. How come you left me alone…?"

It took the detective a moment to realize Kurama didn't remember anything. He sat up. "Apparently you had a mental breakdown, Kurama. Yoko took over for you so you wouldn't jump in front of a train or something."

Kurama sighed. "He—He didn't do anything…detrimental, did he?" When Yusuke nodded, his eyes widened. "W-What…?"

The boy scowled darkly. "He made me go to school and stay there," he grumbled.

Kurama stared at him. "Yusuke!" he cried as Yusuke laughed. "For crying out—seriously, did he—"

"No, he behaved himself," the detective reassured him. "D'you really not remember anything?"

The fox shook his head. "I don't." After a moment, he shyly met Yusuke's eyes. "Th-Thank you, Yusuke. For everything. I know I've been such a burden and I've caused you so much trouble… you're so much stronger than me…it's just I—thank you, Yusuke."

Yusuke blinked in the awkward silence that followed. He fidgeted under the fox's piercingly sad eyes before Kurama broke eye contact. Yusuke felt like he should say something, but words failed him as the redhead turned and headed back into the living room.