Title: Family Problems
Chapter: 0

Explanation: A main question someone might have upon looking at this is: Why? The simple answer: There are lots of fics that have the characters in a certain situation. For example, there are many that start off with Kagome being related to one of the YYH gang. Usually Yusuke. I obviously wasn't going to use Yusuke, but I did decide to use the cousin concept.

Warning: At least two relationships in this will end very suddenly and two more start just as suddenly. In fact, lots of things happen very suddenly and there are probably lots of plotholes in this. Bah.

Canon warnings: Umm....Yes. Let's see, one of the YYH gang gets a cousin, and things start happening differently during the Dark Tournament. For Inuyasha, the basic facts that there was a quest, there was Naraku, and such as that. I made up my own ending for it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho or Inuyasha.

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Prologue

The blue-eyed teen watched with interest the fights going on below. There was also some worry in her soul as she saw her redhead cousins damaged form, but she squashed that. It was just blood calling towards blood. She couldn't actually feel anything for someone she hadn't seen for ten years. Then again, Shippo had waited 500 years to see her again.

This 'vacation' had been his idea. Or, it had turned into a vacation after he had given her a project to find out about her cousin. He had found it amusing at the time, especially when she realized her cousin was in fact Youko Kurama. Or, rather, he held the soul of Youko Kurama within him. From what she'd gathered, the others simply called him Kurama most of the time.

Not that he, or any of his team mates knew she was there. His friends didn't even know he had a cousin. On his mother's side of course, but while the sisters had been close in childhood, they had grown apart, as many siblings do. The last time Kagome remembered seeing "Shuichi" was when she was turning six. He'd been an oddly smart, and an overly arrogant child of six at the time. She'd never known exactly how odd he'd been.

By what she'd seen of earlier matches, he had softened up. At least, he was softer for his mother. For his opponents he was not. Kagome approved that. Family came before anything else.

It was their leader that had Kagome fascinated, besides her own cousin. She admitted she had a case of a school girl crush from the first smirk when he'd lept up to face Chu. That didn't keep her from observing how he fought. Of course, her observations usually turned into admiring looks. He had a girlfriend, or that's what she thought that girl was. He didn't even know the girl was there yet. Still, a girlfriend was no reason why you couldn't look. It just mean you couldn't touch.

She enjoyed his fights against the wind master, but that was more because both had a strong fighting spirit, and they had fun fighting. Neither of them were killers, but they could if they had to. Mostly, they both liked to fight. She found herself grinning, remembering others who had liked to do the same. She quickly cut herself off from that line of thought and waited for Shippo to come back.

He only came in for the tail end of the fight, watching the last team mate swoon over an ice apparition. The kitsune beside her chuckled. "She's pretty, but shouldn't he be paying more attention to the fight? "

"Probably," she answered with a quick smile, and before they knew it, the fight fight was over.

"Come on, time to introduce yourself to your cousin." Kagome looked alarmed at the prospect, then horrified as Shippo dragged her off.

"Shippo, no! Give me a few hours at least. And them, they're all injured you know." Kagome grinned as that worked, and she pranced of to their rooms to attempt to find a way to put this off even longer. She'd put off meeting him again for all of the fights so far.

She never expected for them to show up at her door five hours later, a frown on Kurama's face as he stared at her. It didn't help that she could feel the fire apparition attempting to get into her mind. He hissed suddenly and glared at her as automatically her defenses went up.

At the suddenly hostile faces she sighed and opened the door. "Right. Come on in. Just stay out of my mind please."

She turned her back and sat in a chair, watching as they all stood, facing her, everyone except Kurama regarding her with suspicion. He was regarding her with realization and horror. "We sensed a miko. You."

She nodded slightly at the fire apparition, and smothered a grin as Kurama went pale. "Poor Shuichi. That your cousin's a miko can't be good for your health."

There was a pause as everyone gaped at Kurama. He gaped at her. "Kagome? Kagome Higurashi? The little girl who used to play in trees?"

"Really? That explains why you're always climbing out your window with the one beside your house. Practice makes perfect I guess," Shippo said as he walked in, boredly staring at the spirit detectives before rummaging through the bags they'd brought. "Where's the ramen Mama?"

"Mama?" Three incredulous voices broke in. Shippo paused, winced, then sighed. "Oops. Sorry, I always forget when we're around people. How's your cousin taking it?"

"The ramen's over there. He looks kind of pale. Hey, Shuichi, snap out of it. It's not like I'm going to eat you. Or I suppose purify would be better in this case." Kagome sighed as all four of them tensed. This wasn't going well. And the cute one's aura was flaring up. As was the fire apparitions. They just saw threats everywhere.

"Males. They always take things the wrong way," Kagome muttered. Shippo stood with ramen cups in hand and quirked an eyebrow at her. "You don't count to me Shippo."

Shippo's eyes narrowed and she grinned at him. He shook his head and went to make the ramen. She turned back to the standing boys. She rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Can you four sit? It would be more comfortable for us all."

Kurama sank down onto the couch and stared blankly at her. "My cousin's a miko."

Kagome eyed the wounds that had been inflicted upon him earlier and felt compassion run through her. She got up and crouched in front of him, peering into his shocked eyes. "Um, you are going to be all right, aren't you?"

"Physically he'll be fine, but I think finding out his cousin is something meant to exterminate him might allow him a little room to be shocked," Yusuke said dryly, on edge as the miko girl stayed so close to his friend.

"Yeah, well how do you think I felt when I ws told I was the reincarnation of a this perfect miko woman who could do no wrong? Yeah, that was fun! Damn jewel," Kagome said with a rather demon-like growl. Shippo sighed and shook his head. She ws so over emotional about that. Then again, even today, he'd probably attempt to rip Inuyasha to shreds for what he'd done to her.

"Reincarnation?" Kurama asked curiously, allowing himself to be drawn out of his shell by curiosity. And the hurt in her voice, that as well. Kitsunes were protective of their families, even if they hadn't seen them in awhile. Someone had hurt her emotionally.

Kagome eyed him then gently placed a hand on each shoulder, her hands glowing pink. With curses all three of Kurama's friends jumped for her, and she found herself against the wall with a sword at her neck. Kurama quickly got up. "Hiei, stop, she wasn't trying to purify me!"

Hiei let her drop, not seeing her glowing hand drop back to the floor. He did see when one of the ramen cups exploded. Shippo scowled and gazed with irritation at Kagome. "Mama! Couldn't you have found some other way to vent your powers?"

There were wide-eyed looks at that as Kagome stood against the wall, eyes still closed and the glow on her hands slowly wearing off. Kurama watched her and felt a pang of sympathy. "You are untrained?"

"Mostly. I've trained myself a bit, and had some help, but Kaede doesn't exactly live in this time period to help me." At the blank expressions she waved them off and shrugged her shoulders.

"She was healing me Hiei," Kurama stated as Kagome said nothing more about her strange statement. Kuwabara puffed up. "I bet Yukina could do a better job."

"Everybody else does, I don't see why she couldn't," Kagome said sharply. The self-pity and hurt was clear in her voice, and Shippo looked up sharply. "No moping! No depression, no random burst of miko energy as you curse him or her, be happy! That's what this vacation is for!"

"Only you would think to bring me to a demon tournament for vacation, Shippo." Shippo grinned at her statement, and the cute one cleared his throat.

"Why'd he call you Mama?" he asked. For an instant, Kagome attempted to remember his name, then shrugged it off and attempted ot answer. "Because I adopted him when he was a kit."

There were a few stares and Kagome frowned. Obviously they knew that wasn't possible by normal means. Kurama offered the one explanation that would make her furious. "You said you were the reincarnation of someone, did they perhaps adopt him, you mean?"

Shippo immediately jumped to the other side of the room as Kagome's aura flared up and her whole body was incased in pink. "No! Me, not her! Never her! Shippo won't even go near Kikyou! I don't have her memories, all I have is similar powers and her soul! He is my kit, not hers!"

To say the spirit detectives were stunned would be an understatement. Kurama glared at his brown-eyed friend. "This is your fault, Yusuke."

No one noticed that Kagome suddenly stopped glowing at the name. Now she remembered, it was Yusuke! Her cousin was already proving useful. Yusuke glared at Kurama. "My fault? I'm not the one who asked her the question that made her blow up!"

"Time travel. There was a well that took me back 500 years to when he was a kit. Now it's closed so he had to find me as an adult," Kagome explained suddenly. Four stares were now directed at her and Hiei snorted. "Your cousin is insane, fox."

"She would have to be. There's no such thing as time travel," Yusuke scoffed. Kagome shrugged. She didn't care if they believed her. She and Shippo knew the truth.

"Sure. I'm crazy, insane. Now, what exactly are you all doing in our room?" Kagome raised an eyebrow as the boys exchanged glances.

"Mikos aren't exactly know to be peaceful around demons. We were wondering what kind of insanity the miko had to place herself in the middle of thousands of demons. Obviously now we know. You really should go home, cousin." Kurama's looked uneasy with the thought of her being there. Kagome eyed him, studying her redheaded cousin. She smiled slightly. He was much nicer now than he had been as a child.

Her face did fall with the last words, and she turned around, idly taking one of the ramen cups and beginning to eat while facing away from them. Shippo's head jerked up when he smelled the salty tears. She whispered to herself, but Shippo and Kurama heard her. "My true home is gone."

Shippo's golden tail swished behind him in aggravation. Damn these spirit detectives. She'd wanted her to meet her cousin, and only him. He had been a bit worried when he found out it was Youko Kurama in there, but he figured he might give the silver kitsune a chance.

At the lack of answers they heard, Kuwabara spoke up. "I don't know how your family would allow a girl like you to come here anyway, by yourself. Well, with the kitsune, but how much protection is he?"

Shippo and Kagome exchanged glances and then they both burst into gales of laughter. When Kagome calmed down, the tears in her eyes were no longer from heartbreak. Then a glint appeared in her eyes. "More than you think apparently. He's strong, he just doesn't throw it about, so no one knows."

Kagome saw Shippo's face change into one of slight horror. She stifled a grin. he glared at her. She was deliberately baiting them. He tilted his head. Did she want to get into a fight? Strong they may be, but there were four to their two. Did she want to die?

Shippo's head jerked back as Kagome forced her gaze away at the last question she'd read in his body language. His eyes narrowed and his chest rumbled into a full out angry growl. All four stared at the pair as the both turned their gazes out the window. Shippo snarled. "Damn him. This is his fault your like this."

Yusuke glanced at Kurama questioningly. Kurama shook his head, he didn't think it was them they were talking about. Kagome sighed and shook her head. "He chose the path that he thought would make everyone happy, including himself. I would go back to my time anyway, right? He did what he thought was best."

"Without consulting any of us! Damn it, at least he could have sent me with you! For that matter, you almost lost the jewel, and who knows where the world would be now if you hadn't managed to grab it when he held it out. I grew up without the girl I had learned to call Mama! That bastard didn't care a whit about anyone's happiness but his own!" Shippo's eyes had a tint of red in them and with a sudden rush one hand flew into the wall, blue fire running up it. Kurama gasped as he realized who this kitsune was.

"You! You're the one who grew up with the strange taiyoukai, Sesshoumaru. You claimed to have a human mother from the future. Everyone just thought Sesshoumaru was getting soft, taking in a human and an insane kitsune child." Kurama's breath was a bit quick. This was a bit much to take in. He needed time to take this all in.

His cousin was a miko. She apparently traveled back and forth through time, or she had. There was, by all sounds of it, a boy who had hurt her. Wait, stop, rewind. Someone had hurt his cousin? His? Never mind that he hadn't seen her in almost 10 years. She was still his family. No one hurt his family. That, too, now included the older kitsune, because he was apparently her adopted son. His family too.

"Who hurt you?" Was now the only question Kurama asked after Shippo had confirmed his statement. Kagome blinked rapidly for a few moments. It was confusing to keep up with Kurama's changes. Shippo nudged her and she understood. Kitsune protectiveness. Or, rather, demon protectiveness of anything they saw as "theirs".

"Who says someone did?" Kagome asked, knowing immediately that was the wrong thing to say as Yusuke snorted.

"The whole heartbroken look and his outburst might have been the first clue," Yusuke suggested scathingly. Kagome scowled at him, but inside her little crush was happily going forth onto new lengths. He was blunt, sarcastic, and not treating her like gentle glass. She sort of liked it. She tried to scold herself for liking a boy who not only probably would never be interested, but had a girlfriend. It didn't stop a part of her mind from swooning. Her scowl deepened.

Shippo snickered, seeing the internal struggle in her eyes. It was nice of her to get a crush, even is she didn't think so. "You know, you show absolutely everything going on in your head through your eyes. It's sort of funny."

He was smirking at her. Kagome glared at him. What was it with arrogant males and that particular smirk? Though, this one was more playful, and didn't send the absolute thrills through her than Inuyasha's sometimes had. His smiles had done more than the smirks though. She herd Shippo growl warningly and blinked, realizing there were tears gathering in her eyes. She immediately got angry at herself.

Fortunately, she was saved from having to face the four boys by four girls appearing at the door. A blue-haired girl poked her head through. "So this is where you boys are, we've been looking...for...you?"

The instant Kagome had turned her head, she knew it was a mistake. She cursed herself inwardly. The girl was a spirit guide, and her face was very white right now. Kagome sighed and pulled the shielded jewel out from underneath her shirt. "Don't worry, I'm its Guardian."

"What are you doing here in the middle of thousands of demons? A miko alone would be in trouble, but the Guardian of the jewel? Are you insane?" The other three girls looked on wide-eyed as Botan walked over to the other girl and stared with the most frightened look on her face at the jewel.

"I sometimes wonder," Was all Kagome said as the other three girls walked into the room.

"Gee, why don't you just come in and make yourselves at home," Kagome muttered as they sat at different places around the room. The ice apparition was staring at her, and took a place next to Botan. Hesitantly, she raised one hand and laid it on the mikos cheek. They both jerked back and the ice apparition peered at her with sorrow filled eyes.

"So much pain. How can you stand it?" she asked quietly. The boys and remaining girls watched in fascination as Kagome shook slightly as she stared into the innocent eyes of Hiei's sister.

"Because I have no other choice. My name is Kagome Higurashi." She extended her hand towards the ice apparition. The other girl took it warmly. "I am Yukina."

Yukina smiled at Kagome, and Kagome found herself smiling back at the red-eyed girl. Botan cleared her throat and both girls looked at her questioningly, the walls Kagome had put up down more, and instead of a neutral uncaring face, her smile was warm and friendly. Botan hid her startlement at the change in the girl at just one friendly gesture. "Um, Why are you here?"

"Vacation," Shippo quickly answered when Kagome's face clouded over. Yukina peered into the miko's eyes and her smile turned down.

"Do you need to talk about it?" Yukina asked gently. Kagome looked stunned. This girl was trying to help after just meeting her. Who did that sort of thing? Well, she had once, but that was then. Kagome's warm smile returned, and she shook her head at her new friend. "Maybe eventually. But not yet ok. It's enough that I could if I wanted to."

Yukina instantly brightened up and was one again smiling warmly. "All right. What are the boys doing here in your room?"

Botan looked over her shoulder and narrowed her eyes as the boys stared back. "A good question. Bothering people who haven't done anything to you again?"

Kurama cleared his throat and smiled politely at Botan. "That's not it Botan. We were simply wondering what a miko was doing here. And then I found out that it was not any ordinary miko, but my cousin who I didn't even realize was one. We were, after that, simply getting acquainted with my family."

"Oh! You're Kurama's cousin? How rude of me. I'm Botan, I'm a-"

"Spirit Guide. Of course you are, how else would you be able to sense it through the shields?" Kagome, despite her seemingly harsh words, was smiling. Shippo was smiling happily as he saw his mother finally begin to be a bit like her old self.

"I knew this would be a good trip," Shippo remarked smugly, a bit too loudly.

Surprisingly, a sweet sound entered the air at the statement, soon joined by another. Yukina and Kagome were both giggling. Botan soon joined in at the smug look on Shippo's face.

"How he can call a bunch of people I just met, many of them demons, knowing that I'm a miko good, I'll never know," Kagome said through their laughter. Yukina smiled warmly.

"When new friends are in the deal, isn't it always good?" Kagome's smile brightened and her giggles stopped as she glanced at both of the girls who she had said only a handful of words to, but already felt that they were her friends. She aimed another warm smile towards them both. "It is good. He has the right to be proud."

"I think I'm missing something. Wasn't she miss snarky and drowning in self-pity minutes ago? Is your cousin weird or what, Kurama?" Yusuke asked, all the while staring at the girl. Kurama turned his head and narrowed his eyes when he saw his friend's eyes moving up and down his cousin's body.

"Weird perhaps, but she also isn't food," Kurama stated. Keiko turned her head, tuning the other girls out as she focused on Yusuke and Kurama.

"C'mon Kurama, I was just enjoying the view! It's not like I'd do anything with her." Yusuke stated, his eyes still on the miko girl as she chatted with her new friends. Shippo was pretending to be listening to the girls conversation while intently listening to Yusuke and Kurama.

"True. I have nothing to fear for my cousin with someone already taken and whipped." Kurama briefly wondered at his own stupidity when Yusuke's eyes flared with challenge. He couldn't see any reason why he was baiting the detective. While, actually, he could, but it wouldn't do to even think that was why he was doing this. Not that Yusuke would be bad with his cousin, she just couldn't deal with more heartache, and he wouldn't wish to impose that on Keiko either, even if he wished he could be the one to comfort her because of such a thing.

"Whipped huh?" Yusuke's eyes were narrowed, but his gaze was off of his slightly younger cousin. Which, both made Kurama relieved and nervous. His anxiety intensified when Kagome's head turned slightly to look at Yusuke, her expressive blue orbs filling with what could only be called a crush. She knew it, and she fought it. It wasn't helping.

Kurama's head was still spinning as he glanced back at his friend, and found him studying Kagome with an intent look as she talked to Yukina and Botan. Keiko was now joining the conversation, not liking the one that had been going on with Kurama and Yusuke. Shizuru was lounging on the couch beside the girls. Shippo shifted quietly, annoyed at this turn of events.

He turned to see the four spirit detectives in conversation. They kept glancing at the girls, then glancing back. They seemed to come to a decision and turned to face the girls. "We have places to be. Since you girls seems so comfortable, why don't you just talk for a bit or something. We're going."

Kurama scowled at Yusuke's blunt tactics and smiled towards his cousin. And maybe a bit towards Keiko. "We will talk later, cousin. You seem to have led almost as interesting life as I."

Then they left and Kagome raised an eyebrow. "I change my opinion. His arrogance hasn't changed. 'Almost' he says. Almost my ass."

The other four girls and Shippo raised an eyebrow and she blushed, sending Botan into giggles. Kagome continued hotly, "My life is much more interesting! Time travel is much better!"

Now they were staring at her and Kagome winced then, looking into he confused, but accepting looks of her new friends, she smiled. "You want a story?"

It was Keiko who inched forward and smiled at the girl, putting all matters having to do with boys out of her mind. "I'd love one. I always did like the idea of time travel."

And so Kagome told them about it. She spoke in clipped, calm tones the first day, a brief summary. The next day, despite the fighting, they met again, talked for a little while, even began laughing and telling jokes. And then the girls asked for more. Details, things about Inuyasha, why she had completely closed off when telling the story.

She gave it to them. Keiko was absent for most of it later, and sometimes she went to their room instead of them going to hers, but eventually they got the whole story right before the final match. When Botan was already mourning and the girls were all on edge, Kagome told them everything about the last battle, and what had happened. Finally, Shippo heard her cry. Not angry, brief tears, but a heartfelt sobbing that he thought would tear his mother's body apart. He was glad they had kicked him out for there girl chats, he would have been panicking by then.

When the tournament ended, the girls were all parting with sad goodbyes, knowing this had only been a short friendship. They had there own dangerous lives, or lack thereof, and as much as Shizuru and Keiko liked Kagome, they had enough problems trying to deal with the boys. Botan and Yukina hesitated, and then looked at Kagome after the other two left.

"We have an invitation for you," Yukina said quietly. Kagome's head tilted in confusion. Botan was scanning the crowds and Kagome smiled, realizing what they were looking for. "Shippo will meet me in a few minutes."

"Good. We wanted this to be a girl thing. An invitation, Yukina says. An address, I say. A place to spend time with us, and get away from any problems your having. We talked it over with Genkai and she says she doesn't mind as long as we keep out of her way and don't monopolize Yukina." Botan looked up hopefully, and Kagome realized with a start Botan wasn't just doing this for her, or Yukina, but because, despite her being a miko, despite her being the Guardian, she honestly liked her. She was like a true friend. Kagome held out her hand.

"Let's see that address. I think I'm definitely going to need it." The girls handed it to her, and she quickly stuffed it in her pocket when she was her two kitsune relatives approaching. She understood this was something between just them. So they left with quiet smiles, promises in their eyes what they'd see each other soon.

"Nice girls, I was glad to see you make some friends while we were here," Shippo said as they approached. Then Kurama slipped a piece of paper into her hand.

"So we don't lose track of each other this time, Kagome. You're rather easy to get attached to. Have your mother call too. I'm sure Mother would love hearing from her," Kurama said with a soft smile, still not close to her, but he was willing to bet that he would be soon if they continued talking and spending time with each other. He really didn't mind. It would be nice to have a friend outside of the group, and who better than his miko cousin?

Kagome smile ruefully, and slipped his paper into the same pocket as the address, while taking out a slip of paper from her other pocket. "Apparently we already think alike Shuichi. I wrote mine down too."

Kurama's eyes danced with laughter. "Good. That means when you don't call because your back into that grand depression Shippo keep talking to me about, I can call you up and get you out of it."

Kagome winced, then made a mocking shocked look. "Me? Depressed? Shippo, how could you say something like that."

"It might have to do with the crying fest you girls had before the final match," Yusuke said coolly as he walked up with the other three team members.

Kagome eyes narrowed. "I see now why the girls left before you. Traitors. Keiko, right?"

"Surprisingly, it was Yukina. She seemed worried for your health. Botan and Keiko tried to shush her. She seems to understand now that you don't say those things," Yusuke said.

Kagome winced as her accusation was proved wrong. It would figure, she was wrong about a lot of things. Kagome's eyes narrowed and she pulled herself out of those thoughts with a bright and entirely fake smile. "Well, anyways, congratulations on your wins. Bye!"

Kagome swiftly tried to retreat. Tried because Shippo rolled his eyes and spun her back around to face them. Kurama smiled in thanks and held up a hand for his cousin to be quiet. He did the same to Yusuke with an annoyed glance when the Spirit Detective opened his mouth. "Thank you, Kagome. I will see you later."

Kagome rolled her eyes at Kurama's forceful tone, then sighed when Kurama scowled. He almost never scowled. She sighed and hesitated after taking a step towards him. Then she shook herself off and practically jumped into her cousins arms. "You will. I promise. Stay healthy and and don't die."

Kurama blinked at the sudden embrace but moved his arms around her in a friendly embrace. "You too cousin. If I get a call saying you've died I'll make sure Botan's the one who gets to escort your soul. She'd be very angry."

"Understatement of the year, Kurama." At his quizzical look she smiled. "I figure I'd better get used to using both. Shuichi around family and in public. Kurama around the other family."

Kurama's eyes flickered, but he didn't disagree with her "other family" statement. They were, and she was a part of both. They stepped back and Kagome gave an honest smile. "Bye Kurama."

Then she, followed by her adult kitsune son, left the hotel. Soon after they left the island, but Kagome's heart was much lighter than when she had come. Shippo's idea had been a good one.

She fingered the slips of paper in her pocket. A very good idea it had been, and he wouldn't let her forget it. She didn't want him to either. She certainly wouldn't.