Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters used in this story, with the exceptions of a few minor characters, Sage being included in that list. This story is rated M for violence, language, and graphic boy on boy action.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN: DOWN WILL COME BABY

For a fraction of a second, Kurama panicked at seeing the stroller empty and devoid of his child. His logic shut down and tears threatened to stream down his cheek. A ragged breath escaped his lips before his instincts took over and waited for his mind to catch up. He grabbed his cell phone and began walking through the park, scanning the area and ordering all his nearby plants to watch for the baby as well.

Hiei answered on the third ring. "I told you not to go to the park across town," Hiei scolded. "The bridge is still flooded from last week's big thunderstorm. If I have to have you towed out of the mud-"

"Shut up," Kurama snapped. "We went to the park by the bookstore. Sage is gone."

"What?!"

"Sage is gone," Kurama repeated, the panic and fear starting to overwhelm him again. "I left the stroller on the sidewalk not a foot away from me and opened the trunk. It blocked my view of him. When I shut the trunk, he was gone. Now stop asking questions and get your ass in gear." Kurama hung up the phone and began to search in a faster state.

Moments later, Hiei fell in to step beside him. "There's no trace of demonic energy here besides yours."

Kurama whirled around and glared at his lover. "It's been five minutes since he was taken! Of course there's no trace. A trail of energy would have dissipated by now!"

"Have you taken in to thought that the baby might have slipped from the stroller and crawled away?"

"Hiei, he's just over a week old! He can't crawl!"

"Is there a portal nearby?"

"Yes, across the street behind the bookstore. It's hidden and it requires a certain level in order to even expose it." Kurama flinched. "Which means we must be dealing with a very powerful demon."

"Or a very stupid human." Hiei grabbed Kurama's hand. "Calm down, love. Everything will be fine."

Kurama fixed Hiei with a deadly glare. "Tell me that when I have our child back in my arms. I don't know how you can be so calm."

"I'm not." The growl that rumbled through his chest at the thought of his child being in danger was proof enough. "I'm going to check by the portal. I want you to scan the forest and the surrounding area. I'll also scan the nearby area. We'll find him." Hiei planted a strong kiss on Kurama's lips. "Be careful."

"You too." Kurama pulled away and turned, streaking off towards the forest with a speed that made Hiei smile. Hiei began to drift through the streets, intent on finding any trace of demonic energy or his child.

Kurama snaked through the forest and paused when he felt something. A shiver ran down his spine, an energy that wasn't familiar. Kurama went towards the feeling more slowly, cautiously, than he normally would have allowed considering the circumstances. As he neared the dark depths of the forest, the sound of a child wailing could be heard. His child. Kurama broke from his slow stride and ran towards the sound. His cell phone slipped from his pocket and was left in the green moss of the forest floor, forgotten.

Kurama stopped at the edge of the clearing and his eyes narrowed. He didn't recognize the demon before him. All he knew was that the woman was holding his child in her arms and leering at him with a twisted smirk. Hiei came up behind his lover, his stiff back blocking the sight before him.

"We're dealing with a cunning enemy," Hiei said and then stopped when he reached Kurama's side.

"I know," Kurama stated back. He sauntered forward, his eyes nowhere except the woman who held his child hostage. The gentle summer breeze blew his hair in every direction as he approached the woman. He motioned for Hiei to stay back as he focused on the woman. "A demon does not kidnap a child without the intention of using the defenseless infant in order to get a much greater reward? What is it that you want?"

The woman glared at him bitterly as her lips curled up in to a snarl. Her eyes were bright yellow and her hair was in matted clumps around her shoulders. "Revenge… for the death of somewhere very dear to me."

Kurama shook his head, his red hair billowing out around him as the wind whipped at him and the clouds above grew a darker gray. "I don't know who you're speaking of. Either way, my son has done nothing to wrong you."

"Neither have you." She raised her eyes from Sage to Kurama. "I'll trade. The baby for you."

"Done," Kurama stated before Hiei could protest. He moved forward, securing the child in his arms. As soon as her hand was free, she raised a dagger to Kurama's throat.

Her voice became a hiss in his ear. "Don't even think of escaping, fox."

"I wasn't." Kurama threw Sage to Hiei, who caught him with ease and set him in a bed of moss. With a flare of energy, Kurama forced the moss to change at his command, creating a nest for Sage to lie in but shielding the defenseless child at the same time.

Hiei forced his crimson gaze on to the wild eyes of the woman who held Kurama in her grasp. The fox didn't struggle, didn't kick or scream. That meant the damn fox was up to something and not telling Hiei.

Kurama rolled his eyes at the oblivion of his lover. "What is it that you have against me?"

"I have nothing against you," the woman hissed. "I have everything against him." She pointed a chipped nail at Hiei.

"I exiled your people," Hiei growled, finally (thank the heavens) catching on to the subtle hints Kurama's body language was trying to tell him. "I killed your leader and I exiled your tribe for their unwillingness-"

"Our unwillingness to follow the forbidden child in to oblivion." The woman cackled a bit. "We wouldn't obey you so you executed our leader."

"He tried to take my life. Of course I killed him."

The breeze brought the tense air to life once again and this time, the silken petals of a cherry blossom tree filled the air. Hiei and the woman both looked at the sakura tree that stood at the edge of the clearing, a tree that hadn't been there thirty seconds ago. The wind continued to blow, but the petals no longer moved. Kurama flared his energy as the dagger sank in to his side. The petals, poised, darted at the woman. They blinded both of her eyes and she let Kurama go, kicking him away from her with deadly precision. It drew the embedded dagger deeper in.

Before Kurama could scramble away (the dagger and the kick had taken the element of surprise from him), the woman reached down and grabbed him by the hair, pulling him back up and cradling him against her body with a psychotic laugh. "Bad foxy… Now you have to be punished." She licked her lips. "You see, that dagger is coated in poison. I'm sure you can feel it burning through your veins by now."

"Hiei!" Kurama finally called. "Now!"

Hiei lunged forward, his sword drawn, meaning for a frontal strike. Kurama had twisted his body and begun squirming so that the woman's abdomen was exposed at regular intervals. It gave his lover the perfect opening. The woman wrenched Kurama in front of her as a shield at the last second.

The fox let a cry of pain pass his lips as the sword sank deep in to his stomach. It wouldn't be the first time, it was an injury he'd learned that he could survive. Hiei stopped and Kurama gazed at him. He kicked Hiei away from the blade and plunged it all the way through, striking the woman in the middle of her chest before she knew it was coming.

Kurama worked his hand around to the dagger in his side as his vision became blurry. He ripped the blade from him, then the sword. When he turned sharply to face the thing that had threatened his child, he brought up the dagger. And slit the woman's throat with her own weapon.

Hiei cupped Kurama's cheek when the fox fell to his knees. "Kurama, are you-"

"Baby first, questions later," Kurama whispered.

"You're injured."

"I said, get my son!" Kurama screamed.

With a sigh and a curse about fox's and their overprotective nature, Hiei went and retrieved Sage, who was screaming and clutching at the air with tiny fists. "I'm going to put Sage in the car and I'll come back for you."

"No, don't let him out of your sight," Kurama muttered. "Take him to Yusuke or the temple and then come back for me. I've had worse at the edge of your blade Hiei."

"Kurama-"

"Not another word. We'll talk about additional punishments and apologies for stabbing me later on." Kurama raised his eyes to crimson and lied for the first time he could remember when it came to Hiei. "I'll be fine. The wound from her was just a dagger, nothing special and I've survived a similar wound from you in the past. Now please, get Sage to safety and then you can come back for me and tend to my wounds."

Hiei just nodded, knowing the fox would not budge an inch once his mind had reached a decision. He left Kurama in the clearing.

Kurama let go of the tight control he'd placed around most of his vital functions when Hiei was still present. His breath came in short gasps and his heart raced, pumping the blood out of the gaping wounds faster. His vision became blurry and his limbs felt heavy. Kurama closed his eyes and fell among the silk petals of the sakura tree with death knocking at his door. The only thing he could do was clutch at the petals, and say he was sorry before his eyes slipped closed and he fell to the depths.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Yes, I've decided that I do, indeed, love torturing you with evil chapter endings like this. So yay. Sorry you all didn't get an update yesterday and I'm afraid I won't be making up for it. I'm too lazy to write two chapters today. Besides, I want you all to bite your nails until tomorrow.