Set over ten years after the end of the show. Everyone has settled into a new phase in their lives. Yusuke and Keiko are married and just found out they are expecting their first child. Yukina tends to Genkai's temple since the old psychic died a few years previously. Hiei is the only one unaccounted for, it is assumed that he returned to Makai but even Koenma hasn't been able to locate him. The only way the group knows the fire demon is still alive is through an occasional note or small gift left for Yukina at the temple.

Yukina sat on the worn wood of the temple porch and gazed out at the forest as the evening began to fall. She had been feeling strangely uneasy all day though she couldn't put her finger on a cause. Kuwabara was due to pick her up any minute to escort her to Yusuke and Keiko's ramen shop. She had been informed that the brunette was expecting and the young couple had asked her to keep an eye on the mother and child since humans often had trouble carrying children with demon blood. The gentle demoness was thrilled to be involved.

Yukina found herself thinking and as they often did, her thoughts drifted to one of two topics, her lost brother or Hiei and she had long ago come to suspect those two topics might actually be one and the same. Her last message from the fire demon had been over a year ago.

When Hiei had first left, she had been saddened but he soon made it clear that no matter how angry he might be with everyone else, he wasn't upset with her. Small gifts would appear on her porch bearing the unmistakeable scent of Makai and notes penned in his abrupt sharplined handwriting. It was the continued contact that first caused her to think he might be her brother though he hadn't since given her any chance to confront him about her suspicion.

Yusuke dropped the thug he had just finished gently pummeling into unconsciousness and raised his arms in a classic victory pose as the weaselly man that ran the underground fights announced him as the winner. The ex-tantei grinned and hurried to collect his winnings before washing his face and pulling his green t-shirt back on to head home. Yukina was supposed to be checking on Keiko tonight and he didn't want to miss that. Besides, if his lovely wife found out where he had spent his afternoon he'd be in hot water. He ran a hand over his gel free hair and sighed. Keiko might not like it but they needed the extra income. Koenma turned a blind eye to such a small breach of the rules against demons (even half demons) harming humans. He was careful to pull his punches and it wasn't like he ever got hurt. Human fighters didn't stand a chance against him.

The man, or at least it looked like a man, watched the small shop and it's single occupant from the alley across the street. He was thrilled for the opportunity to observe his target for once without any of her usual protectors hovering nearby. He considered grabbing her right then but those weren't his orders so he settled further into the shadows instead as he felt one of those protectors approaching. He clamped down on his energy signature hastily. The young man wasn't known for his observant nature but it wouldn't do to draw attention before they were ready.

OOC: I'll leave it to you to say what your characters are up to in their normal lives and where they currently are...though I guess I did sort of rope Kuwabara into going to Yukina's...not that I think he'd mind. lol ^_^'

After returning to Human World, Kuwabara got serious about his studies and graduated college with a well-earned teaching degree. He currently works as a physical education instructor at a local high school. Kurama completed his doctorate and has already made somewhat of a name for himself for his discoveries in the field of botany.

---

Kuwabara trekked up the many stairs of the temple staircase. Huffing and puffing the orange haired man dragged himself up the last few steps then stopped to catch his breath. "Gettin'...kinda...outa...shape...Kuwabara..." he muttered to himself. "Must Yukina's good cooking!," he said to no one in particular. "Still, I can't go getting soft..." he told himself, "I gotta look good for my girl!" Puffing his chest out, Kuwabara slicked back the sides of his hair and a goofy grin plastered itself across his face as he approached the temple door. "Yuuukiiinaaa... he called out singingly as he practically skipped up to the temple door.

---

Keiko sighed and set down the book she was reading. It was a manual for expecting mothers that she had picked up at the local book store but she found herself wondering if it was really worth reading. From what she had gathered, Yusuke's parentage would quite possibly make the next few month quite different and a great deal more difficult than they would be for the average expecting mother.

The mother-to-be had learned about Yusuke's demon blood years prior but somehow it had never occurred to her that it might make having children a dangerous venture. Asuko had never had any problems after all and Yusuke had turned out just fine... 'Though that's sometimes debatable...' she thought with a smile. Her smile quickly vanished however as she was reminded that her husband was currently missing.

Keiko had laid down for a nap earlier that afternoon and had woken a few hours later to an empty house and a note in Yusuke's crappy handwriting that simply read: "Gone out, be back later." Sighing again, the brunette looked out the window. Evening was settling over the city and Yukina would soon arrive to explain some things about what to expect with half-demon pregnancies, for which the young mother was very thankful. Kuwabara's girlfriend was honestly a godsend.

((Hehe! I'm sure he doesn't... I'm thinking in this version maybe he hasn't proposed yet? That would give us something interesting to do with them later. What do you think?))

OOC: lol, Keiko thinks of Yukina as Kuwabara's girlfriend...I'm not sure Yukina would agree...or understand. lol. ^_^' That's cool about him proposing. Maybe we can work on their romance as a side plot. ^_^

Yukina stood and smiled sweetly at the towering orange haired human, smoothing out imaginary wrinkles from her pale blue kimono. She had changed very little in her years in the human realm, while Kazuma had grown up from the gangly youth she had first met in Tarukane's mansion. The little demoness knew the young man harbored strong feelings for her, though that had taken years and several conversations with various friends to help her figure it out. She still wasn't sure whether she was capable of returning those feelings. She was...fond of Kazuma, that much she knew, but she was fond of all her friends and she wasn't sure how to tell the difference between that sort of affection and the romantic love that she knew the human wanted from her. So she held back, waiting for some definitive sign. She felt it would be far worse to try and return Kazuma's love and find she wasn't capable of that depth of emotion. It was safer to allow things to remain as they were.

"Good evening, Kazuma-kun." She offered along with her smile, pushing such complicated thoughts to the back of her mind to be dealt with later, or possibly never.

Yusuke stretched and watched the narrow strip of sky overhead as he walked towards home. The wad of bills in his pocket would go a long way towards paying this month's bills since business in the restaurant had been slow. He grinned, pondering what sort of gift he should buy Keiko to get him out of the trouble he was certain to be in when she figured out where he'd been all afternoon. 'Flowers? Nah...maybe a necklace...something special...' He found himself grinning at the idea. but his smile faltered as he neared his home and something flickered at the edge of his consciousness. He cast out his rarely used spiritual senses but whatever he'd felt seemed to have vanished. 'Huh...guess it ran away.' He decided uneasily, but his steps quickened until he reached his door and slipped into the small apartment above the ramen shop, which was closed for the evening so they could have Yukina over in peace.

"Tadaima! Keiko, I'm home!" He called out cheerfully, all thoughts of phantom threats pushed aside. It wasn't like anyone was stupid enough to mess with him anyway. Humans were no threat and most demons knew who he was even in his human form and thus knew better than to mess with him.

OOC: Yukina and Hiei have more in common than their eyes, lol. "Hmm...I think I felt an emotion....AAUGH!!! Run away!!! Squash it quick before it hurts me!!!" ^_^'

"Hey Yukina!" Kuwabara said as the ice demonness stood, goofy grin still plastered on his face. Seeing Yukina always made his heart beat faster and thinking about her never failed to bring a smile to his face. He was head over heels in love with her but Yukina had yet to really return his advances. Still, that didn't stop him from trying and Kuwabara still dreamed that one day they would get married and have kids together' 'Dammit! Yusuke always beats me in everything...'

"Are you ready to go?" Kuwabara asked, still standing int he doorway, unsure of whether or not he should take his shoes off and enter or leave them on so they could head straight over to Yusuke's. The orange-haired man had only recently heard the news but to be honest he hadn't been terribly surprised. Kuwabara had a feeling that it would happen sooner or later and he was sure Yusuke would make a good dad.

---

Keiko was startled out of her reverie as the door slammed and Yusuke appeared. "Okaeri," she responded as she stood and approached her husband. The brunette slipped her arms around him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. She was happy to see her husband returned safely home. Though his detective days were over she still worried sometimes that he might get caught up with something and disappear again. Still, something seemed off and the scent of his clothes gave her a hint that she wouldn't be happy to know where he had been. "So how was your outing?" she asked casually, the true meaning of her question masked behind an innocent smile.

((Hehe! Probably not... ^^; Aw... *Huggles them both*))

Yukina nodded. "I was just waiting for you, Kazuma-kun." She said sweetly, smiling up at the tall human happily. She really did enjoy Kazuma's company. His frequent visits made life at the temple less lonely after Genkai passed away. The ice demoness began walking towards the steps that would take them down to the street at a sedate pace. She didn't like to rush, the human realm had so many interesting things to see and things changed so quickly around the short lived ningens. She felt it would be a shame to miss something.

Yusuke grinned, looking only slightly like a guilty six year old about to be caught stealing cookies. He never had been much good at lying. That was always Kurama's forte. "Yeah, it was fine." He said cautiously, his senses and his familiarity with his wife warning him frantically of the unsteady ground he was treading. 'She knows.' He fought back the urge to gulp. "It was...um...really productive." He tried again, hoping that would satisfy the brewing dark clouds he could practically see forming in his wife's eyes.

“Alright, let’s go!” Kuwabara said with his usual enthusiasm. Yukina’s beautiful smiles melted his insides and he found himself blushing, though he did his best to hide it as they walked. The pace Yukina set was very sedate. Normally Kuwabara would have felt constricted walking at such a slow speed, but with the love of his life beside him, he didn’t mind it. In fact he found himself savoring the extra time the two of them could spend together because of it. ”It’s great of you to help Keiko out like this,” he said, awkwardly breaking the silence as they began to descend the giant staircase he had just finished climbing. ”I’m sure with you helping everything will be just fine!” Being with Yukina always made him feel upbeat and optimistic.

---

”Productive huh?” Keiko repeated skeptically, her tone hinting at her displeasure. Still, whatever he had been up to probably was more productive than sleeping most of the day and Keiko decided to let him off easy. ”I missed you,” she said, laying her head on Yusuke’s chest. It wasn’t often that she spent the day sitting around without accomplishing anything. Even when she was sick, Yusuke often had to fight with her to get her to stay in bed and rest. Her afternoon had almost felt lonesome without having Yusuke around to tease her.

((Just to let you know, I'll be at Comic Con this Thursday through Sunday so chances of me posting any of those days are extremely thin...))

Yukina smiled. "I hope so." She agreed serenely. Her mind turned to the many complications that could arise for a human female bearing a child with youkai blood. The list was long but the little Koorime was able to dismiss many of the possible problems as unlikely due to Yusuke's youkai nature. If he were an elemental (like herself or Hiei) or an animal spirit (like Kurama), things might be much more complex.

The thought of Kurama caused the ice maiden to wonder whether the redhaired fox might have any ideas about plants to help Keiko through the pregnancy. She hadn't seen him in over a month, as he was very busy with his work, and she wondered if he even knew the human woman was expecting. "Have you seen Kurama-san recently?" She asked slowly, her mind still half wrapped up in planning for possible issues Keiko might have.

Yusuke sweatdropped at his wife's tone, only to be caught off guard as she unexpectedly let the matter slide and leaned against him. He wrapped his arms around her almost immediately, the embrace feeling as natural as breathing after years of practice. "Yeah, I missed you too." He mumbled sheepishly, snuggling her close and resting his cheek against the top of her head.

OOC: That's cool. Lucky you! Have extra fun for me, ne? ^_^

"Aw, don't' sell yourself short Yukina!" Kuwabara pleaded, though the ice demonness seemed to be paying little attention to him at the moment. She had that same faraway look on her face that Hiei often had back when they were a team. Kuwabara hoped that she wouldn't pass the entirety of their journey brooding and tried to come up with something better to talk about. Yukina beat him to it however when she suddenly spoke up to ask about Kurama.

"You know, now that you mention it, I haven't..." Kuwabara replied thoughtfully. He often sparred with the redhead on the weekends but they hadn't spoken recently. "I bet he's working on some big project..." the orange-haired man mused. "I should text him sometime..." Kuwabara couldn't help but wonder if Kurama had heard the news. It would be nice to not be the last one to know something for a change...

---

Keiko snuggled into her husband's embrace and reveled in the feelings of warmth and safety that he inspired for a few moments before pulling away. "We should probably make dinner before they arrive..." Keiko remarked. She had waited for her husband to return so they could have dinner together. "Did you eat?" she asked as she lead the way to the kitchen. If he had already eaten she would just make something quick and easy for herself.

((Yeah, fortunately we got the tickets way in advance. I'll be thinking of you!))

Yukina nodded thoughtfully. It was possible that the redhead was simply wrapped up in his work. That wouldn't be out of character for the perfectionist fox. Still, she worried when her friends went too long without contacting her. She'd lost her mother, her people, Genkai, her brother, and Hiei (if she counted those last two separately); she really didn't have many people left in her life.

'Hiei isn't lost.' Her mind supplied with a quick burst of denial. 'Those flowers on my birthday last year were definitely from Makai...and Kurama said he hadn't sent them.' The thought melted just a little of the ice that had been forming in her heart at the thought of being alone again. 'And I'm not alone now.' She reminded herself, looking up at Kazuma with a smile.

"I'm sure that's all it is." She said pleasantly. "Kurama-san....Eep!" The little koorime squeaked in mild alarm as the hem of her kimono caught on a rough patch on the stairs and nearly sent her headlong down the hundred steps they had left to go. She hastily corrected her balance with a small hop, landing nearly a dozen steps lower on the towering stairs. Her movements so quick she'd have been merely a blue and teal blur to the average human. 'Phew...glad I've been training.' She thought to herself, eying the long way down to the nearest level ground. Relieved to have avoided a nasty fall, she brushed her skirt smooth again and peered back at Kuwabara with a sheepish smile. "How clumsy of me." She laughed lightly. "I guess I should watch where I'm going."

OOC: I'm going to assume Kuwa-kun still doesn't know Yukina and Hiei are brother and sister. It makes it more fun to mess with him.

Yusuke shook his head. "Nah. Not since lunch." He said easily, the thought honestly having not occurred to him until his more practical half, aka Keiko, pointed it out. As if the mention of food had stirred a great beast to life, his stomach let out a rather resounding growl and he laughed, scratching the back of his neck. "Guess maybe that was a mistake." He admitted ruefully.

Kuwabara’s stomach lurched uncomfortably at the tiny squeak Yukina made as she tripped. His arm immediately shot out to grab her back but his hand met nothing but air as the demonness blurred away. Kuwabara blinked and opened his eyes in time to catch sight of Yukina as she alighted a few steps further down. The orange-haired man ran down the dozen steps between them, a look of alarm on his face. ”You need to be careful!” he said a little too forcefully, ’Gosh, I nearly had a heart attack!’ he thought, his heart pounding in his chest at the terrible vision that had popped into mind in his brief moment of panic. Realizing how harshly he had spoken, Kuwabara sighed, ”Sorry, I was just really worried you know?” Kuwabara blushed and looked away for a moment before turning back to the koormine. ”Here, let me hold your hand,” he said, reaching out to take her pale hand in his own, ”It’ll be safer that way.”

---

Keiko could hear Yusuke’s growling stomach halfway to the kitchen and sighed knowingly, ”Oh Yusuke,” she said with a knowing smile as she shook her head. Yusuke tended to get so caught up in whatever he was doing that he would forget about everything else. The young woman peeked into the refrigerator to check what leftovers there were. ”Hm…” she mumbled. ”Do you want leftover dumplings…or beef teriyaki? she called out to her husband from inside the refrigerator.

((Yeah, that's what I assumed as well.))

Yukina blinked at the harsh tone but it didn't bother her too much. She knew Kazuma was only worried for her. "I'm sorry for frightening you, Kazuma-kun." She offered contritely. She allowed him the take her hand for his peace of mind more than her own safety and the pair continued down the long stairs to the ground.

Yusuke thought over the question for a moment. "Teriyaki." He decided with a grin as he followed his wife into the kitchen and sidled up behind her to wrap his arms around her waist and nuzzle her neck.

OOC: Yay! We get to play "How thick is Kuwabara's skull?!" One of my favorite games. lol

Kuwabara and Yukina descended the stairs hand in hand. Deep thoughts crossed the young man's mind as he lightly held Yukina's hand in his own. 'It's so soft...' he thought to himself, blushing profusely though he tried his best to hide it. 'It's for her safety,' he chastised himself, forcing his thoughts away from fantasizing about things like dinner dates and first kisses. Next, his mind turned back to Yukina's feat on the stairs moments ago. He was quite surprised by her dexterity and agility. Her healing powers were well-known to him, having experienced them for himself many a time, but he realized he had been underestimating her many other skills (cooking aside). 'She moves almost as fast as the Shrimp!' he thought, both awed by her speed and dismayed that he would be hard-pressed to match it.

Kuwabara was so deep in thought that he didn't realize he had lapsed into silence until they reached the bottom of the long staircase. "Whew!" he said, just to break the silence. He had never been so relieved to be back on solid ground. Though the danger of Yukina taking a tumble had passed, Kuwabara continued to grip her hand lightly in his own. I wouldn't want her to trip on some tree roots,' he thought, obviously searching for any reason for their physical connection to last a bit longer...

---

Keiko sighed fondly as Yusuke wrapped his arms around her middle. His body warmed her back and neck while the cool air of the open refrigerator chilled her face. Grabbing the plastic container of beef teriyaki off of the middle shelf, she gently pushed her husband away so she could close the appliance door and set their dinner down on the counter. Giving him a proper hug she mumbled into his chest, "If we keep this up we'll never finish dinner before they get here..." Her tone was almost regretful. After spending the day all alone she wanted to do nothing more than snuggle up next to her husband for some together time. She wondered if her hormonal changes were making her more clingy than usual or if it was just the feeling of special closeness that came to mind when she thought about their baby developing in her womb.

Yukina wasn't dismayed by the silence as they walked down the stairs. She chuckled happily at Kazuma's exclamation as they reached the level ground at last but didn't protest him continuing to hold her hand. She was always amazed at how warm humans were and Kazuma was one of the few she had regular contact with. She hummed a small tune as they walked along.

Yusuke grinned at her words. "That's okay with me too." He pointed out lightly. His stomach chose that moment to protest that assertion rather vocally. "Well...at least with most of me." The ex-detective laughed and scratched his head.

OOC: I'm thinking Keiko will get taken once they go to sleep...sound okay?

Kuwabara blushed at the happy chuckle that escaped from Yukina's lips following his exclamation but said nothing in response as they started down the path in the woods. Normally he was very talkative, and he often felt the urge to talk even more than usual around Yukina, but tonight he didn't feel like chatting so much for some reason. The forest surrounding the temple was calm and quiet and the evening was cool but not uncomfortably so. With Yukina by his side and her wonderfully soft hand in his own, Kuwabara was the happiest man in the world. Yukina's soft humming broke the relative silence and Kuwabara sighed contently.

---

Keiko smiled at Yusuke's suggestion that they do just that--ignore dinner and spend their remaining alone time snuggling until Yukina and Kuwabara arrived. His thoughtful invitation was punctuated by a very loud complaint by his stomach however and Keiko laughed lightly. "Why don't we eat? I'm sure the baby is hungry as well..." she said, fondly rubbing her stomach. "We'll have time to cuddle later," she reassured him as she set to reheating the leftovers Yusuke had chosen for dinner.

((Sounds good!))

Yukina was always a bit awed by the bustle of the city. Humans were so...busy, though she supposed that had to be since their lifespans were so short. She watched the traffic increase as she and her escort moved into the city proper and peered up at the towering buildings all around them, wondering what sort of people lived and worked in them. Makai was impressive in it's own way but youkai often had centuries to build up their strongholds and somehow the fact that humans accomplished such grandeur in a fraction of that time was much more impressive to the gentle koorime.

At last the small shop and apartment came into view ahead. As she looked at the building, Yukina was struck by a strange sense of unease but she couldn't pin down any sort of cause for it so she pushed it to the back of her mind. Perhaps the area had been infested with some sort of low level youkai. She resolved to look into it later if the feeling persisted, but just as she was deciding that the feeling vanished completely.

Yusuke grinned and moved to help, grabbing plates and chopsticks. Between the two of them, the young couple soon had the leftovers ready and they sat down to eat. Yusuke inhaled his food, hungrier than he had realized. He forgotten how much a bit of fighting helped him work up an appetite.

Kuwabara walked silently beside Yukina as they made their way down the wooded path and approached the outskirts of the city. Yukina’s humming faded away beneath the bustle of the busy streets as they joined the throngs of people walking home from work.

As they turned onto Yusuke’s block, Kuwabara felt something twinge at his senses and involuntarily gripped Yukina’s hand a little tighter. A closer inspection of the street revealed it to be nothing however and Kuwabara decided that he must have been imagining things. Still, he couldn’t quite shake the feeling that something was off and picked up the pace as they approached the shop front. The orange-hared man rapped sharply against the wood and waited for his friend to answer the door.

---

Keiko set the steaming beef and rice down on the table next to the plates her husband had set and sat down in her usual seat. Yusuke quickly devoured his heaping pile of food and was finished well before Keiko had eaten even half of her meal. ”You sure were hungry,” she commented with a smile. The young woman continued to eat her meal at a more sedate pace than her husband and had nearly cleaned her plate when a knock sounded on the door downstairs.

Yusuke grinned sheepishly at his wife's words. "Yeah." He took his plate to the sink (years of picking up after his mother had actually left the man with little tolerance for slovenliness even before he'd married Keiko) and washed it quickly. He put water on for tea so they'd be ready for their guests and was about to go sit back down when the knock on the door interrupted him.

The ex-spirit detective changed course smoothly and walked to the door instead of the table. He pulled the door open with a grin. "Hey, Yukina. Thanks for coming." His grin became more of a smirk as he cut his eyes to his old rival. "Kuwabara, long time no pummel." He said cheerfully.

Yukina smiled sweetly. "It's no trouble, Yusuke-kun." She said politely bowing.

"Well, come in."

As Yusuke took care of his plate and put the kettle on for tea, Keiko finished what she could of her dinner. Her insides squirmed a bit out of nervousness, making it difficult to eat. Yusuke had been the first to notice the tiny spark of life forming inside of her. While that would normally have been cause for celebration, Keiko soon realized that carrying Yusuke’s child also came with its share of risks, not only for the fetus, but also for herself. For the past few days, feelings about her pregnancy had often alternated between excitement and joy, to anticipation and fear. She hoped that Yukina could help clarify the best way to proceed and calm some of her nerves. From what she understood, the gentle demonness had already helped other women in her situation.

When Kuwabara’s knock sounded against their door, her plate was mostly empty. Wiping her mouth with a napkin, Keiko disposed of the last remnants of her meal and set the plate in the sink. While Yusuke greeted their guests, the young woman busied herself with setting out cups for tea and when Kuwabara and Yukina entered the kitchen, Keiko bowed politely to them. ”Thank you for coming,” she said as she straightened up.

---

Kuwabara frowned at Yusuke's rebuke. "I'll take you at the temple any weekend," he challenged before stepping closer and lowering his voice. "You might want to take me up on that offer sooner rather than later," he suggested, "Pretty soon you're going to have your hands full... The orange-haired man smiled and patted his friend on the shoulder before walking through the door and into the kitchen where Keiko was waiting for them.

Yukina brushed easily past the two men and headed for the kitchen. She spotted Keiko and smiled pleasantly, hoping to set the woman at ease. "Keiko-san. You are looking well." She offered politely. "It's no trouble at all."

She moved forward and bowed slightly. "May I check on the baby now?" The demoness asked calmly. "I'll have to touch you but it won't hurt." Yukina smiled at the brown haired female. Some other humans had been very nervous about her healing powers so she was quick to try and reassure those she treated.

Yusuke grinned as his taunt got just the reaction he was hoping for from his long time friend and punching bag, but nodded at the suggestion that soon he might not have time for such things for a while. "Yeah, maybe this Saturday. So how have you been man?" He asked as he closed the door.

Keiko smiled, "Of course!" she said, indicating that the other woman could check on the baby. She wasn't quite sure what to expect so she appreciated that Yukina specified what she would need to do. Willing her body and mind to relax, Keiko awaited the verdict of Yukina's examination...

---

Kuwabara grinned and nodded, "You got it," he said. He was looking forward to sparing with Yusuke. It had been far too long since they had squared off. "Been doing okay," he answered generically at first. "I'm going to start the kids on cricket next week so I've been busy brushing up on the rules," he added.

Glancing past his friend, Kuwabara smiled as he saw the two women talking together. "You must be pretty excited, eh?" he asked, a twinkle in his eye. "You better name me the godfather," he added, playfully punching Yusuke in the shoulder.

Yukina's hands glowed pale blue as she gently brushed them over Keiko's abdomen. The exam took only a couple of minutes before the ice maiden stepped back with a smile. "The baby is doing very well, Keiko-san. I think you'll be okay for at least another month before we have to start taking any extra precautions, as long as you try not to strain yourself and be sure to rest whenever you feel tired." She explained calmly. "Have you had any unusual symptoms at all? Any concerns?"

Yusuke grinned at the sight of his wife talking with the gentle koorime and turned his focus back to his old friend. He took Kuwabara's playful punch without flinching and smirked at the orange haired man who had been his best friend and rival since middle school. "Heh, yeah right. Like I'd want my kid to grow up into a goofy, kitten loving, sap." He chuckled before his expression turned thoughtful. "Then again, my only other choice is Kurama..." He trailed off as that idea sank in. He quickly forced a grin again. Kurama's double life was hardly conducive to raising a kid. Not to mention his aloof personality and his past as a thief made Keiko's approval of the redhead for godfather dubious at best, even though she did genuinely like the fox. So, Yusuke had never really considered anyone else for his child's godfather, but Kuwabara didn't have to know that.

Keiko watched as Yukina's glowing hands moved over her stomach. The pale woman's face remained stoic, giving Keiko no indication of what the demonness was sensing throughout the examination until the other woman pulled her hands away and smiled. "That's such a relief..." Keiko said with a smile as some of her worry melted away.

"I felt a little tired today," she admitted in response to Yukina's first question, "Though from what I read that seems normal." The second question was a bit trickier however. Keiko had all sorts of concerns ranging from tiny things like gender, hair, or eye color, to scarier things like whether or not the baby would be born safely and if she would be around to watch her child greow.

Keiko poured tea into two of the cups she had set out on the table and indicated that they should sit. Once they were both comfortably seated, she sighed. "I just feel so uncertain about everything," she confessed. "I've been trying to read a bit about what to expect and what to do, but I don't know how much of what I read will actually pertain to my case." Keiko smiled shyly and took a sip of her tea. "I know it isn't good for the baby but I can't help but worry a bit about how everything will turn out..."

---

Kuwabara's face scrunched up at Yusuke's comment, a comeback already forming itself on his tongue out of habit. He held back however and nodded knowingly at the second comment. Though Kurama seemed more in tune with his human side than ever these days, there was no doubt that a predator still lurked behind those striking green eyes. "Aw, come on Yusuke, kids love kittens! And when you take a look at the alternative..." Kuwabara left the statement hang unfinished in the air.

Yukina nodded reassuringly at Keiko's words about feeling tired and sat down polity to accept her tea. Keiko's next words required a bit more careful handling. Still the ice maiden smiled. "Feeling uncertain with your first pregnancy is perfectly normal. As for how typical your case will be, it is hard to know at such an early stage but Atsuko-san had Yusuke without any trouble at all. That is very encouraging."

Yusuke put on his best considering look just to mess with his old friend. "Hmm...well yeah...I guess you'll do."

Keiko nodded, "That's what I keep telling myself. If Atsuko got through it okay, then hopefully we can too..." Keiko smiled and gently rubbed her stomach. Though she knew the baby inside was barely formed, the action calmed her.

---

Kuwabara shifted his weight from one foot to the other as Yusuke scrutinized him. He wasn't seriously considering Kurama was he? Just as he was really beginning to worry, his friend caved in. "Yeah!" he said, pumping his fist in light of his victory. "I won't let you down Yusuke," Kuwabara added more maturely afterwards.

Yukina smiled in an encouraging way. "I am sure you'll both be just fine as long as you're careful. As for the stress, perhaps Kurama might be able to make you a nice calming tea. He did that for another woman I was helping once. I'm certain he won't mind." The ice maiden didn't mention that that particular pregnancy had gone rather spectacularly wrong when the fetus began growing its horns in utero. Keiko hardly needed to know such things.

Yusuke grinned at his friend's enthusiasm. "Yeah well I'll definitely know who to kick the crap out of if the kid comes home begging me for a stupid cat." He snorted at the thought before a sly look came over his face. "So...any luck with starting your own family?" He asked; with a meaningful look at the Koorime who was thoroughly engrossed in her conversation with Keiko.