"What the hell does that mean?" Hiei demanded.

"You know exactly what that means," Koenma answered. "Kurama has subjected his body to much abuse over the years. He's using most of his demon energy up to keep himself alive. If his demon energy taps out and he is still not stable then yes, he will die Hiei."

"Can't you do something?" he demanded.

Meanwhile, Kohai and Kanoli had sneaked to the top of the stairs to listen, but it was no use. Koenma had put a muffling charm on the door so they couldn't hear anything. And they were scared to use energy to try to listen because then Hiei would detect them and that wouldn't go over well.

From downstairs, Gina moaned in her sleep. The hurried back downstairs to check on her. She was mumbling, and a single tear rolled down her cheek.

"You think Kurama will be alright?" Kanoli asked Kohai.

"I…I don't know," he said unsteadily. He was trying to hold it together, like Hiei asked him too. He had to keep cool for Gina, and his dad. His father had just lost the woman he loved, and now he had a second chance and that was about to be snatched away. And almost a year to the day after Gina had lost her mother she was going to lose her father as well? It just wasn't fair!

"Kohai?" Kanoli had stepped in front of him. He then realized that he had been pacing frantically back and forth across the living room. "Come and sit down," she said soothingly, and steered him towards a chair.

"Look, I know what you're-"

"How would you know?" Kohai demanded. "You've never lost a parent. You don't know what it's like!" He blurted out angrily.

"You're right Kohai. I don't," Kanoli conceded.

"I'm sorry Kanoli. That wasn't fair to you."

"No, it's ok. Look, we're all family. I lost two aunties this year, the only women I've really been able to talk to. Now who am I supposed to ask about all this girl stuff? Gina doesn't know, she's younger than I am. I'm supposed to be telling her." Kanoli stopped. "I'm sorry Kohai, this isn't about me."

"You're right Kanoli. This isn't about you. It's about all of us." Then they hugged tightly, something they hadn't done since Keiko's funeral. "We have to be strong Kanoli. We have to be strong for Gina." Each of them were fighting back tears.

"Look Hiei," Koenma patiently explained. "You may think that I can bring people back from the dead anytime I want, but it doesn't work like that. I've bent the rules so many times for you all in the past and would gladly do it again but I cannot. Whatever happens will happen."

Hiei was in a rage. First his sister in law, then Keiko and now his best friend; all within a year? What the hell was going on? He was angry, and just like with Keiko and Shizuru, he felt powerless to stop what was happening to his friend. He wanted to blast a hole in the side of his house to make himself feel better, but he had to remain calm, for his family.

Yes, Hiei the loner, the reject, the throwaway Koorime. The demon who had left demon plane, his home after he worked so hard to get back. He had walked away from his inheritance, an entire territory; all for Kuwabara. He had no regrets, but the life that he and Kuwabara had spent over twenty years building was now unravelling, and he couldn't let that happen.

At the hospital, Yusuke was inconsolable. He wasn't the angry hothead that Kuwabara was used to. He sat in a chair, hunched over and stared off into space. His aura was a deep blue, almost black with despair. Even though he had reconciled with Kurama last night, he was now only understanding how deep their connection was. Their destiny. He knew all about destiny. He and Hiei were destined to be together, and so were Yusuke and Kurama.

"He's gonna die Kuwabara." Yusuke had finally spoken, startling Kuwabara out of his thoughts.

"Urameshi, no! You can't think like that!"

"C'mon Kuwabara, you saw him! He was all shredded up on his right side! There was blood all over the place!"

"I know, but Kurama's strong! His energy-"

"That's just it! His energy's fading, I feel it! I know you do too Kuwabara. He going to…to…" Yusuke broke off, unable to finish.

Kuwabara wrapped his arm around Yusuke. He too felt Kurama's fading energy. There was nothing they could do for him. Unless…

"Hey, Urameshi?"

"Yeah?"

"You remember that time were fighting those Saint Beasts and you…I don't know…died or something."

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Well you remember I gave you some of my energy so you could live. Maybe if you gave Kurama some of yours he could live."

"Kuwabara, you're a fucking genius!" Of course that was it! How many times had he died and been brought back from his friends' sacrifices?

Yusuke had decided. He closed his eyes and focused.

In the operating room, surgeons were debating whether to declare a fiery haired man whose right side had been crushed in a car accident dead.

"Look he's already flatlined three times. He also lost almost four pints of blood. I'm calling it," the head surgeon said.

"Hold on!" younger surgeon insisted. "We can bring him back!"

"Look, I'm in charge in here, not you. Unhook the life support. If he can't make it on his on, I'm calling it."

Kurama heard all of this, and was resigned to his fate. The last bit of his demon energy had drained away, and he felt his human life slipping as well. He had never felt so defeated.

He was leaving his daughter an orphan. He knew that she would be well cared for, but still. Gina was delicate, and still mourning her mother. Now she would have to bury her father a year later. But Kuwabara, Hiei, and Yusuke would take care of her.

Yusuke.

Finally, finally, after twenty five years he and Yusuke had their chance to be together and now it was over. He suddenly thought of a quote on fate he had read: Fate is never fair. You are caught in a current much stronger than you are; struggle against it and you'll drown not just yourself but those who try to save you. Swim with it and you'll survive.

He was resigned to his fate. His life was over.

"Well that's a defeatist attitude fox."

Yusuke?

Hello all! Yes, yes it's been a year, but I'm determined to finish this story! I'm already working on the next chapter, which will probably be the conclusion. I have the sequel already planned out.

The quote on fate is from the book City of Ashes, by Cassandra Clare.

Please review!