Okay, so I couldn't give the story that kind of ending, so I wrote an epilogue. It's not one of my best pieces, but it's also not one of my worst. I think anyway. I can't know for sure, since no one REVIEWS. I'm not really asking for much am I? Please, readers, this is the last part of this story. PLEASE REVIEW and tell me how I did. I cannot improve otherwise.

Anyway, enjoy the final installment of the story.

There is No Love in Death

Epilogue: Godsend

Fourteen months later, the four Spirit Detectives sat in Kurama's backyard.

"Ah, it sure is nice to relax during summer break," Yusuke stated with a sigh as he took a sip of chilled Oolong tea from the glass Shiori had offered him the last time she came out to check on the boys five minutes previous.

"Yup, you bet it is," agreed Kuwabara as he sprawled out on the grass, pushing his sunglasses into place and preparing to snooze the afternoon away.

Kurama wore a sunhat to protect his skin from the afternoon's rays as he pruned the rose bushes along the house with his mother's shears, working his own plant magic every so often on the more wilted shoots.

Hiei relaxed in the tree, escaping from the heat and reveling in the cool shade.

It was true; Spirit World had left the quartet of fighters alone for the past two weeks and they all thoroughly enjoyed the break.

Yusuke sighed in utter relaxation again as he took another sip from the cold glass of tea. "If Koenma or anyone from Spirit World shows up right now, I'm not promising they'll live," he continued, "Or maybe they will, because I sure don't feel like doing anything but sitting here and relaxing."

"Careful what you say, Yusuke," Kurama called out in warning; "You just might jinx yourself."

"Yeah, yeah," Yusuke waved off as he stood up and stretched a bit before letting sarcasm leak through as he continued, "Like I can stretch out my hand right now and have Spirit World drop the next case into my hand."

And at that very moment, a basket plopped into his open arms.

"Whoa! Urameshi! How'd you do that?" Kuwabara called out as he sat straight up, his glasses slipping down to the tip of his nose.

Yusuke looked at the basket in his arms in pure amazement, fear, and distaste.

Kurama sighed as he dropped the shears, pulled off the gloves and hat, and joined the two boys in the middle of the yard.

"Hey, wait!" Yusuke called out as he placed the basket on the ground and picked an envelope off the top of it, "This is for Hiei!"

Said fire apparition immediately dropped from the branches and moved to join the group, looking to Yusuke in curiosity as he handed over the envelope.

"It's for you," Yusuke replied, "so you get to open it."

Hiei nodded once before ripping it open and slipping the letter out, folding it open and skimming through it, his eyes widening in shock as he worked his way down the paper. He let it and the envelope drop to the ground as he moved to the basket, snatching it out of the curious Kuwabara's hands right before he could lift the lid.

"Whoa, shrimp! Calm down, okay?" the boy cried as he backed away from the growling Hiei.

"What is it, Hiei?" Kurama asked from a safe distance of two yards. He had noticed the strange possessiveness the fire demon was showing and had immediately distanced himself to a safe distance.

The demon gave him a quick glance before turning away from everyone and peaking under the lid before shutting it firmly, the muscles along his back and shoulders tensing.

"Hiei-?" Kurama questioned again, but the fire demon reached out and pulled him away from the two humans before he could finish his question.

"What do I do with this?" Hiei asked ferociously as he lifted the lid to show Kurama the basket's contents.

"It's…it's a baby," Kurama stuttered in surprise as he looked at the sleeping infant.

"I know what it is, stupid fox," Hiei growled, "What am I supposed to do with it?"

"Well, what did the letter say?" Kurama asked in utter fascination as he watched the five month old squinch his face for a moment before falling into a deeper sleep.

"That I'm supposed to raise it," Hiei replied in cool anger.

"Then that's what you do," Kurama replied as his gaze returned to his friend, "Of course, don't be afraid to turn to us for help."

Hiei placed the basket on the ground and pulled the lid completely off the basket as he stared at the tiny being in confusion and annoyance.

Yusuke and Kuwabara came running up to the two demons, waving the letter and envelope in the air, "Hey, Hiei, you…dropped…this…" They had seen the child.

Hiei viciously grabbed the two pieces of paper from the awestruck teens and hid them in his cloak.

"Stupid humans, close your mouths," Hiei growled, "Your catching bugs."

The two hastily did as told, but stayed staring at the infant in the basket.

"Is it…is…is…is it…yours…Hiei?" Yusuke asked in shock.

"So I have been told," the man grimaced as he knelt down in front of the basket. He cocked his head to the side as he watched the sleeping baby before reaching out with one clawed hand and gently poking it in the stomach, only to wake it and cause it to start crying.

"Great going, Hiei, you turned it on!" Yusuke groaned as he lifted his hands to his ears to block out the noise.

"How am I supposed to know what it'll do, idiot detective?" the short apparition cried out in frustration, "Fox, what do I do to stop it?"

"I'd suggest picking it up," the redhead supplied as he began toward the basket.

A shot of black reached past him and picked up the bawling infant, holding it tightly. Hiei growled and glared threateningly at Kurama until he backed out to the safe distance of 2 yards.

"Whoa, Hiei, calm down," Yusuke called as he removed his hands from his ears. The child had quieted.

Hiei let out one last growl before turning curious attention to the being in his arms. He reached one of his hands toward the child's face only to have it reach out with both hands, grab his index finger tightly, and smile wide as he released a sound that could have easily been a giggle.

"Demons can be very possessive of their children, it's an instinct," Kurama began to explain to the two humans, "Those of fire can be especially volatile if they feel they or their children are threatened. Keep your distance for the time being."

Yusuke and Kuwabara dumbly nodded their agreement.

Hiei looked to his three teammates and nodded once before speaking, "I…will be back soon."

He disappeared then, unknowingly letting the letter and envelope slip from his cloak and flutter to the ground where he had been standing. Kurama picked both up.

"Hiei," he read out:

I have been keeping an eye on you and decided that now is a good time to give this to you.

I know I said I could not give you love or compassion, but I must admit that I was partially wrong because inside the basket is my gift to you: something that can offer only love and devotion. Of course, the gift itself needs love, compassion, and attention.

This is your son, Hiei – our son. Please take care of him, as I cannot even offer him the most basic of necessities. His name is Hiroshi. You can guess the reason yourself.

Note that the blood of a deity flows through his veins and he will take at least one century to fully mature enough to live on his own. I better not see either of you before then.

Machiko

P.S.: I have returned something of yours that I believed should stay with the child. Give it to him if you think best

Kurama gulped as he shook the envelope and a round gem that looked a lot like a ruby fell into his cupped palm.

The jewel caught the sun and shined brilliantly as the three remaining detectives started in wonder.

"What is it?" Kuwabara asked.

"I believe," Kurama responded in awe, "That this is Hiei's tear gem."

They gazed once more at the place the fire apparition had been standing and noticed a glimmering red in the finely manicured lawn. Yusuke bent down and picked up another tear gem.

The gem Hiei created when his own son reached out and held onto him in complete joy and trust, acceptance and love.

Epilogue Notes

Hiroshi: generous – refers to how generous a child is with love for its parent, as well as how generous Machiko is being with life. She tells him in the letter that he must live for at least the next 100 years to raise their son.