^_^ Well, that's my schpeal so on with the fic!

 Kurama walked down the darkened street. The few lamps which were lit sent shadows out across the sidewalk. Those shadows were his only company. He wanted them to leave as well. The tournament had ended, they had all returned to Ningenkai. That was it. End of the story. The red head felt his heart fall. No. He didn't want an end to it. An end to the tournament meant an end to his time with Hiei. And the little Youkai had come to mean so much to Kurama.

 Now he will go off with Mukuro to Makai and I will never see him again. An un- noticed tear fell to the pavement. Why are you going to leave me Hiei?

 A breeze whipped through the youko/ningen's hair and he leaned into it. Imagining that it was two small hands. He remembered all of the times he had tended to his wounds, all of the love and tender care he had put into making sure the Koorime didn't feel unnecessary pain. He remembered their talks. The Koorime would sit on the window sill and wait until his ningen work was done, then they would talk. . . or mostly, he would talk, Hiei would listen.

 I love him so much! Why can't he see it? Everybody sees it but him! I love his soft hair, his deep red eyes, his pale skin and tiny fangs. . .   "Hiei."

 "Nani?"

 Kurama's eyes shot open.  I was dreaming. . . oh God did I say it out loud?! "What?"

 "You called me."

 The ningen boy stood up from where he had been reclining under the tree, "I did?"

 "Hn, kitsune no baka."

 "Must have been dreaming." He said softly.

 Hiei slid from the tree to stand in front of the ningen, "Hn. You dream loud."

 He smiled.

 Hiei sat beside him for a moment in silence before turning to face the fox, his mouth opened, but he seemed to have lost his words.

 "Hiei?"

 "Fox I. . ."

 "What is it Hiei?" He asked concerned.

 "I wanted to tell you. . . . . I. . . I don't hate you."

 Kurama smiled, "I know Hiei. You wouldn't keep coming back if you hated me."

 "Hn." Hiei flashed a little fang at Kurama and moved a little closer to him.

 "Kissy kissy!" Duo chanted in front of the two. Anja caught him by the braid and wrestled him to the ground.

 "Anja!" Hiei jumped, "You'll hurt the baby!"

 "Na." She smiled, "It's kicking right along with me."

 Kurama rolled his eyes and stood, pulling the very pregnant girl off of her braided American friend.

 "This is getting old, no da Kurama?" She growled, looking anything but intimidating hanging a foot off of the ground held by her collar.

 "Then stop making me do this." He said setting her down. "Go smooch on WuFei."

 Anja's eyes lit up and she trotted over to her lover.

 "You know, she looks almost Youko when she does that." Hiei grinned.

 Duo snickered and Hiei glared at him, "Go glomp onto Heero."

 The braided American was off almost before the sentence was through.

 "You know what Hiei." Kurama asked and drew the Koorime closer to him.

 "Hn?"

 "You are the perfect size for cuddling."

 Hiei looked shocked but the moment was broken when Anja's head popped up from the tall grass and she smiled, "Believe me Kurama they're better bigger!"

 Her brother gave a strangled sound when WuFei reached a hand above the grass to pull her back down and Hiei hid a grin behind his hand.

 "Those two. . ." Kurama started.

 "Hn." He got a very un-Hiei like glint in his eye, "Have the right idea."

 Kurama fell back with a surprised grunt and gasped as Hiei tore the top few buttons from his shirt then started to kiss down his slender neck to his taunt, muscled chest , ". . . Um, Hiei?"

 "Mmm, not now fox."

 "Hiei." He said more sternly.

 "Hn."

 "Hiei!"

 The Koorime looked up in annoyance, "Wh~at!?"

 "We're in the park, and our sister is only twenty feet away from us."

 That snapped him out of it, "Oh. . ." Not for long though, "Let's go back home."

 "Home?"

 "Your dorm room."

 Kurama laughed and held Hiei close, "Home?"

 "Hn."

 Kurama looked down into wide garnet eyes and nodded, "Let's go home."

 "Anja!" Hiei called.

 "Hm?" Her voice came from the grass.

 "Hiei and I are going home." Kurama called.

 "Uh huh, ‘k." She said sleepily before a few rustling noises told them she was laying back down with WuFei.

 As they walked home Hiei looked up, "Fox?"

 "Hm?"

 "Will you. . . no, nothing."

 "Hiei?"

 "It was nothing." The Koorime muttered softly, "Nothing."

 Kurama frowned, "Must be a big nothing."

 Hiei shook his head and put his arm around his fox as they walked, an odd gesture for Hiei to be sure. He even leaned his head on Kurama's waist.

 The red head hugged him tight, "I love you Hiei."

 The little fire Youkai purred deep in his chest and kept walking in silence.

 "Do you know how beautiful you are?"

       "Hn, I'm not beautiful, I am a man." Hiei grunted.

 Kurama laughed, "You are a beautiful man." He insisted.

 "Do you like that?" Hiei asked.

 "I love it."

 "Fine then, I'm beautiful."

 Kurama chuckled, "Anything to please your fox huh?"

 "Hn. Kitsune no baka." Hiei said as he tightened his hold on his fox.

 "Only for you." Kurama smiled softly.
 
 

 Yukina was tending to her gardens when Anja ran up the steps and sprung a quick
cartwheel at the top. "Ohayo ‘Kina!" She grinned.

 "Anja-kun!" The dainty Koorime laughed, "You will make the baby airsick!"

 Anja just grinned.

 Yukina smiled up at her hyper friend from where she knelt in the soil. "You and Duo have been eating candy together again haven't you."

 "Uhuh, ‘s good! Can I help?" Anja sat beside her.

 "Of course Anja-kun."

 As they tended the ice maiden's delicate plants, Anja's sugar high wore low.  Yukina looked at the now slightly normal American in question. "What?" The she asked.

 "What is it like?"

 "Huh?"

 "To have Hiei for a brother."

 Anja smiled, "He's ruff and he tries to hide his feelings but when we're alone, he's so kind and caring. He always worries about the baby just like you do, and he is always watching over me. Protecting me. It's like being wrapped in pure unadulterated love when he's around, you can feel it wrap around you, and it's so thick it radiates off of him with his ki." She sighed and looked back at the plants, her eyes a little more dull. "He reminds me of my first brothers. Ivane and Granite."

 Yukina felt a tear gem fall in her lap, "I know what it is like to lose a brother." She sighed, "Because of my twin who was taken from me a long time ago."

 Anja looked at her carefully, "Do you sometimes wonder who he is? What he's like?"

 "I wish he was like Hiei. He is so strong and he is so caring. He acts like you say, always watching and protecting me. I try not to show him that I know he's there but I can't help but sense his nearness."

 The American nodded and her necklaces bounced.

 Yukina's gaze was drawn to the little bat the Hiei had given her. "Where did you
get this?"

 "Hiei-niisan gave it to me. He made it out of his tear."

 "It is a tear gem."

 "Hai."

 "Only Koorime cry tear gems."

 "But the Koorime are all women."

 "Except for. . ."

 "Your brother!" Anja felt her world spin for a moment then settle, "That means
Hiei is your twin!?!"

 "Hai! I have found him!" Yukina hugged Anja and laughed, tear gems gathering
on the ground around them. "I have finally found him!"

 "And that means we are sisters!"

 "I have a sister?!"

 "And soon a nephew!"

 Yukina looked dizzy with joy, then her face fell. "But why did he not tell me who
he was?"

 "Maybe he was afraid." Anja suggested, "That you might not like him for a
brother. You two are very different you know."

 "Hai." Yukina nibbled her lip, "How will I tell him that I know?"

 "Wait, wait until you feel like it's the perfect time and then just tell him." She told her simply. "You'll know when it's right."

 Yukina nodded and hugged her friend again then they got back to work, talking about their brother and future and past.
 

 The two of them were hard at work when Genkai stepped out of the temple. "Ohayo Anja, I didn't know you were here. How's the baby?"

 Anja smiled and pressed a hand to her abdomen, "Beautiful."

 Yukina giggled, "How can you know that? You've never seen him!"

 "No but I can feel him, and he is beautiful, just like his Da."

 Genkai smiled and nodded, "Come inside for tea. It's getting late."

 "Hai Genkai-sama." Yukina nodded.

 Anja stood too, "Ok Jiji."

 Yukina giggled.

 "Anja, how many time must I tell you not to call me that."

 "You let Yuusuke."

 Genkai rolled her eyes but she was smiling.

 Kuwabara barreled in with Yuusuke while they were taking tea. "Oi Yukina!" The two boys set with them.

 "Ohayo Kuwabara." The maiden blushed.

 Anja grinned and nudged her closer to the boy.

 Kuwabara looked startled but happily so, and Yukina was in a pleasant state of shock.

 Anja stood. "I have to be going, Bye Genkai-sama, Yuusuke, Kuwabara, Yukina."

 "Good bye." Two of them answered, the other two were still speechless.
 
 

 When Anja finally got back to her apartment she quickly slid out of her jeans and T-shirt and pulled on her baggy and worn pjs and crawled into the odd, sunk in bed. It was the end of summer and very hot yet, so she slept with the windows open, curled up under a silk sheet and on top of the nest she had formed from feather comforters. Her coppery hair fanned out around her and she sighed in contentment.

 Her dreams though, would not let her be.

 Warm, firm hands ran over her slightly bulging womb, "My baby." A hot, moist mouth with firm lips kissed the skin. "My baby."

 Anja arched into the contact, "Kuronue. Hai Kuronue, your baby. I will have your baby."

 "I wont be able to speak to him." The sad voice answered.

 "You will. In his dreams, like you're speaking to me now."

 "I can't help but want more." He sighed.

 "I know." She stroked the face half cloaked in shadow, "I know Kuro, I want more too. I want you. When will you come home?"

 "I'm trying Anja. I'm trying."

 She nodded and kissed his lips, "I'm waiting for you. I'll always be here."

 He nodded and hugged her tight, "I know, I know. Is WuFei treating you right?"

 "Hai, he is very kind and loving," She frowned, "and proper."

 The spirit laughed, "Ha, you'll cure him of that soon enough."

 She grinned, "You know me too well." The she sighed and frowned again, "I miss my best friend."

 "I miss you too. But you will see, We will be together again."

 "Promise."

 "Cross my heart."

 "Hope to cry?" She asked teasingly.

 "Hope to cry."

 A tear slipped over Anja's cheek as she kissed the fading spirit image of her beloved. When she awoke she felt him near her. Beside her, holding her, but he was only a spirit, insubstantial. She felt so alone, even though she knew his spirit was beside her. "I know you're still here Kuro." She whispered, "Thank you for being here. I. . . I still can't believe you're really dead."

 A whisper answered in her mind in the place between dreaming and waking, ‘I'll be on the spirit side when you come, we will find our new lives together.'

 Anja smiled and ran a hand over the baby growing inside her, "Hai Kuro. You and me and WuFei. . ."

 ‘And Shura.'

 She gave a broken sigh, "H. . . hai. And Shura."

 A knocking came to the door and the spirit was gone.

 "Nani?"

 "Anja, it's me."

 "Hiei!?" She jumped out of bed and opened the door and a very bedraggled Hiei almost fell into her arms! "Hiei!"

 "I'm ok."

 "Oh sure, you look just peachy." She said sarcastically. "Why aren't you with Kurama?"

 The Koorime looked at her darkly, "He wont let me sleep."

 "He wont. . ." Anja choked on her laughter, "Oh Hiei!"

 "Hn!"

 "I'm sorry Hiei I just. . ." She couldn't stop laughing.

 "I need a place to sleep."

 Anja nodded and pulled him inside before she shut the door again. "You can sleep in my bed with me."

 "What if I bump you in the night?" He placed a hand over her abdomen.

 "You wont hurt him Hiei." She smiled pulling the little fire demon's shirt off and slipping a long T-shirt over his head. "You can sleep in this." She smiled and pulled his trousers off, throwing them and the old shirt in her laundry hamper.

 "Arigato Imouto."

 She smiled and nodded then they both went back to lay in bed. Anja cuddled up to her brother and they fell sound asleep surrounded by the rich aroma of the night air and a feeling of peace and love.
 
 
 
 

 A knock sounded at the door startling brother and sister from their slumber. Anja padded over to the door and opened it, "Nani?"

 Before she could see who it was the door swung open hard sending her crashing against the wall. She threw her arms around her stretched belly to protect the child inside of her. Her mind shot to Hiei then. . .  "Hiei get out!" She screamed and a black gloved hand covered her mouth. She dug her teeth into the mans fingers and he yelled at her loudly. She kicked out behind her and turned, sliding underneath her attacker with his arms. A quick kick to his rear knocked him over and onto his back. Anja was at his throat instantly, "Who sent you! Kisama! Who sent you!"

 Hiei of course didn't obey her, but when he entered the living room, Anja already had it under control. Her tiny hand and long slim fingers were wrapped around the intruders throat and she smiled as Hiei entered, "Toss me my blade would you?"
 

 "Sure." Hiei launched the amazon blade across the room and Anja caught it quickly brining it down against the man's skin above her hand.

 The Youkai in man's clothing grinned.

 She pressed the metal nearer and the creature hissed as it broke the skin. "Well?"

 It self destructed, dissolving into thin air until all that was left were it's clothes.

 Hiei looked down at the bundle in disgust then kicked the cloth around, "Basic assassin. A puppet. No mind."

 Anja   frowned, "Hiei look at this. . ." she pulled up the collar and a symbol sat there, ‘OZ' "Aren't they the bad guys from WuFei's time?!"

 The Koorime frowned but nodded.

 "Then someone knows how to go back and forth through time." Her heart felt hollow, "And the others can leave soon."

 Hiei gave his sister a tender look that he saved only for her and hugged her close, "Don't worry about that now."

 She sighed and nodded, "You're right, first I have to find out who sent this guy."

 Hiei searched the pockets and brought up a glowing message sphere with a slight frown.

 "What is it?"

 "For you."

 She smashed it on the wall and Shura's face appeared. "Anja, I knew he would be no match for you, that is why I sent him. Have you found the name on his Uniform yet? If you have you will know he is from OZ. From the future. I've solved the riddle. His name used to be Treize. Ask your beloved WuFei about him. They knew each other well. Oh and Anja, I hope it hurts to see him leave, he will leave you know. I hope it rips you apart inside, and I hope you feel every bit as lost as I do now. I love you, but I have to hate you. My father must be avenged."

 Anja starred at the wall as the image evaporated and then slid to the ground, her hand clasped over her mouth and kaleidoscope eyes wide in pain. "Shura."

 Hiei frowned and picked up the thing she called a telephone. "Get Kurama over here. Get all of them."

 She nodded and dialed, "Kura?"

 "Anja? Anja what's wrong?"

 "It. . . it's Shura. I need you guys over here now. The Gundam boys too."

 "Hai Anja, We're on our way."

part 2/5

 "So there's a way to go back." Quatre looked up at Trowa, "We can go home."

 "Who was he?" Duo asked.

 Wufei stood holding the metal disk that had been holding the cape. His eyes were blank but his fingers were shaking as he traced the circle with them. "Treize."

 "Treize!? Wu are you sure?" Duo asked.

 He nodded.

 Anja glanced up a Wufei, something was wrong. He wasn't telling her everything. "Fei?
What was he to you?"

 Wufei looked up at her and for a moment pain flashed in his eyes. "I killed him."

 The American didn't say anything else, but she knew there was more to the story than
Wufei was telling her.

 Kurama turned to Yuusuke, "So what do we do now? If Shura is out to get us, we can't
fight back very well now. Anja is pregnant almost to full term."

 "I can still move around fine." Anja argued.

 "I will not let you go into battle like that!" Kurama hissed.

 Anja glared at her brother and Hiei stepped between them, "Stop."

 "If we can stall him for a month or so. . . ?" Kuwabara asked.

 Yuusuke nodded, "Then Anja's baby would be born, and she'd be normal again."

 "How do you stall a S class demon war lord?" Anja asked skeptically.

 "Well. . ." Yuusuke thought.

 "You just gave us the answer Anja." Kuwabara smiled.

 "Huh?"

 "He's S class. S class can't open a portal between worlds, We'll just have to put up with
his little A class flunkies until we choose to go their."

 "What if one of his A class Youkai opens a door for him?" Anja shot down his idea.

 "I don't think Shura will leave his land so soon after Yomi's death. It's too unstable,
someone might try to invade. He is sending Youkai as invitations to you. Waiting for you to
come to him." Kurama explained.

 "So one month." Anja thought aloud.

 Kurama nodded, "Can you hold out that long?"

 She grinned, "I think I can manage."

 "Hiei?"

 "Hn, no choice."

 "Ok then, it's settled." Yuusuke announced, "In a month, Shura is going down."

 Anja turned from the group and frowned, why didn't she feel happy about this? It was
good right? Wasn't it? Shura.

 WuFei came up behind her and gave her a hug, "Are you ok?"

 She nodded slightly, "Just tired."

 "I don't want to have to kill him either Anja."

 That snapped her resolve and she broke down into tears, "Why Fei? Why did things have
to go so wrong?"

 "Life has a way of doing that to people."

 Anja nodded and got her tears under control. "I need to sleep this mood off."

 Wufei smiled and kissed her forehead, "Sleep sweet."

 She smiled and hugged him. "I'll see you later ok?"

 "Hai."

 After he had left she lay in bed and cried herself to sleep.  That always helped get the
tension out of her, so she could wear her happy smile when she woke up, even if it was just
because she was out of tears to cry.
 
 

 That afternoon Anja woke, put on her smiling face, and sought out WuFei, he was sitting all alone, frowning in deep memory of something, or someone.

 "Wu-chan?" Anja asked the beautiful Chinese boy who sat beside the river. "What is it Wu? What's wrong?"

 He shook his head sadly and looked away.

 "Please koi. Tell me." Her wide eyes pleaded and he finally gave in with a sigh.

 "Treize Kushrenada was. . . I did kill him, but before that he. . . he was my lover."

 Anja's face registered hurt and surprise.

 "I knew it would hurt you so I never said anything but he and I. . . for I while I thought
that I loved him. A long while. . ."

 She didn't dare to say anything to interrupt his meditation.

 "I realized it was nothing more than a crush when it came to the final battle of the war. I killed him. I didn't even hesitate. His death meant that I and my team and countless others would live. I never even thought about our relationship. It wasn't love. He was much older and more experienced and I had never felt love. . ."

 "You were married." She said softly.

 "It was a marriage of convenience." He told her truly, "Nataku and I were children. We
fought constantly even though we were friends. After we married she was no more to me. That is
why we had no child. When she died I grieved that I couldn't save her and I knew it was my
fault. I hadn't been there when she needed me most and I had not even given her love. The guilt
was my scaffold. The war was the noose. But I promised myself I would not hang. I would make
it through."

 "And you did."

 "Yes." He took her hand in his and put his arm around her shoulders, "And for that I
found you."

 "Well. . ." Anja smiled impishly, "It is only justice. . ."

 Wufei chuckled and tickled her and she squirmed and laughed until he had to stop to let
her breath properly.

 Tear's of mirth flowed from her eyes and she turned her grin on him, "Oh I'm gonna
make you pay for that!"

 "Name your price."

 Anja's grin widened and she pounced on him.

 "Anja?" Someone called, "Anja where are you?"

 Anja and Wufei both groaned. "Here!" She answered and climbed off of him to leap back
into the tree they had been under.

 "Oh Anja! So glad I found you!" Yukina cried bursting through into the clearing. She
froze when she saw Wufei sprawled back on his elbows, "I thought. . ."

 "Up here Yukina-chan!" Anja smiled and slid from her perch.

 "You and Hiei and trees." The ice demon made a face. "You are pregnant! Climb down
from there. I needed to speak to you in private."

 "Of course." She smiled, "Wufei, I am going back to the temple with ‘Kina ok?"

 He nodded and Anja took her sister's hand and walked away.

 "Now," She smiled when they were out of hearing range, "What did you want to tell
me?"

 "I did some research and there is a way that human's can become Youkai."

 "Without being damned?"

 "Hai. The God of the  clan you want to join must give you permission and then you go
through a ritual and you will turn. You will still have your human form too, of course."

 "Wonderful!"

 "There is another way."

 "Hai?"

 "A roaming Youkai spirit can merge with a human. It will be like Kurama and Shuuichi,
two people who share their forms, mind and soul."

 Anja stopped walking and stared, it was more than she could have hoped! Could I and
Kuronue. . ."

 "I suppose so. It has been done before."
 

 "Kuronue could be with me again. . ." Anja shook her head, "But that isn't why I needed
this information. Thank you ‘Kina. You have helped fix two problems at once!" Anja hugged her
sister close, "Maybe three."

 "Imouto I still don't understand why. . ."

 "Shh, It's a surprise." She smiled, "Trust me."
 
 

 Her next stop was Kuwabara's house. "Ohayo, is Kuwa-chan here?" She asked his sister.

 "Hai, upstairs. Go on up."

 Anja smiled and ran up to the war zone Kuwabara called his bedroom, "Kuwa-chan!" She
burst inside.

 "Huh?" He glanced up from the model he was building and promptly super glued his
fingers together, "Kuso!"

 Anja giggled and sat down on his bed watching the poor carrot top struggle.

 "It is not funny." He pouted, peeling at the glue on his skin.

 "Not from where you sit." She grinned.

 "What did you want?"

 "I figured it out."

 "Nani?"

 "You want to have a life span like ‘Kina's right? So you can marry her?"

 "Hai." He perked up at the mention of Yukina.

 "She's been doing some research for me and she found a way ningen can become
Youkai."

 "Nani?!"

 "You can become Youkai and marry Yukina."

 "How?"

 "You need to choose what kind of Youkai you wish to be, then go get approved by their
god. You go through a ritual and poof, you are Youkai. You even get to keep your human form as
well, like Kurama does."

 "I could marry Yukina." He breathed.

 Anja snickered, "Um. . . yeah, but first you might want to unglue your hand from your
leg."

 "Wha. . ." He looked down at his leg where the glue had spilt out and his hand he had
rested in it. "Shimatta!"

 "I'll go get Shizuru."

 "No wait!" He stood and fell over because of his awkward position, "Anja!"
 
 

 Yuusuke heard Kuwabara's wailing and ran into the house just as Anja was leaving,
"Anja what happened?"

 She started to laugh, "Baka glued his hand to his leg when I gave him the news."

 "What news?"

 "Ask him, it's not my place to tell."

 He looked after the grinning girl in askance then shrugged and ran up to Kuwabara's
room to help his sister unglue him. Shizuru was close to using up her store of swear words. "Hi
Kazuma."

 "Urameshi!" Kuwabara blushed and tried again to yank his hand free.

 "How did you. . . ?"

 "I was distracted." He grinned, "I can become a Youkai!"

 "Huh? Why would you want that?"

 "To marry Yukina of course!"

 "Is that the news Anja told you?"

 "Hai."

 "So as she was talking you glued yourself to your pants." He snickered.

 "I was distracted!" He insisted as Yuusuke's snickers turned to full blown hoots of
laughter.
 
 

 Anja lay in bed that night and closed her eyes, dreaming. He could come to her when she was sleeping. She could hear him then.  "Kuronue?" She called him in her dreams, careful not to call with her necromancer heart, she didn't want him to be trapped dead but not dead. She called with her dream soul, and as always, he answered.

 "Anja."

 She felt him with her and smiled in her sleep, "Kuronue, I found a way you can come back home!"

 "How?"

 "You can share this body with me. Yukina found it in Genkai-sama's books."

 "What?!"

 "If you share my body you should be able to go Youko form and be yourself, two separate
beings in one body, like Kurama and Shuu-chan."

 "Honto ne?"

 "Hai!"

 "Do you really want this Anja?"

 "More than I can express."

 "We might drive each other crazy. . ."

 "So?"

 "Good point" She could feel his smile, "When?"

 "After the baby is born"

 "Very soon then."

 "Hai, then you will be able to see your son."

 "It could get really confusing for the kid."

 "So would a da who visits only in his dreams."

 "Point taken."

 Anja smiled and slipped into a deeper sleep. Soon they would be together again. Soon.
 
 

 Fate had other ideas though and even as Kuwabara got approved of by Enma to become
an oni (Why he wanted *that* form, only he knows), Koenma stamped the approval for Kuronue's spirit to be reborn and he was pulled kicking and screaming away from Anja and their child.
 

 "Kuro?" Anja jumped. Something was wrong! "Kuronue?! Kuronue speak to me!"

 "He is gone Anja." Botan said softly from the window.

 "Botan? Botan where is he, I can't feel him anymore!"

 "He was reborn."

 "But we were, just a day or so more and. . ."

 "I flew his soul out myself." The ferry girl lowed her eyes, "I am sorry."

 "S. . . sorry?" Anja choked back tears, "Get out."

 "What?"

 "GET THE FUCK OUT!"

 She flitted away quickly leaving Anja alone. Her labor began that night.

 <Tbc?>
Tell me what you think!