A/N: This is the first in a series of one-shot side-stories for my "A Thief in One Life, A Thief in the Next" universe just before "Ice Maiden's Mulberry Tree." Unless stated otherwise, they will be in chronological order. Hope you like them.
When Agent Minamino swore the labs to secrecy, Une had started to grow suspicious. When he began spending large amounts of time with the scientists that came from L2, a colony she now knew to have connections to the Makai, she grew even more suspicious. When said scientists delivered a large, sealed envelope to Minamino's hands directly, one of them addressing him as 'uncle,' she started to worry. By the time his sister-in-law showed up in the office and locked herself in with her kin as well as the other pilots, Une was tempted to call the bomb squad and work her way up from there. They were up to something, and she was sure she wouldn't look it.
Duo was cackling. Not laughing, snickering, giggling, or chortling, but cackling. That alone served as a good warning that something… odd was about to happen. Odd coupled with a happy Duo and an amused Kurama generally did not equate to good things.
"What did you need to tell us that required all of us to be present?" Wufei asked, a little cross that he'd been interrupted during his lunch break.
The two youkai brothers had identical smiles, and it made the human pilots nervous. Well, not Heero, but he'd been in on whatever his mate had been up to. That fact hadn't been kept secret.
"Well," Duo said, drawing out the world. "We don't actually need all of you to be here, just Trowa. But Yukina thought it'd be nice to invite Quatre, since they're married and all, and it'd be rude to not invite just one of the pilots. So you're all here! Oh yeah, and Catherine Bloom should be here any minute."
They couldn't get the Youko Clan members to reveal anything more until the mentioned curly-haired woman entered the office, accompanied by her wife.
"Okay, what did you want us here for, Maxwell?" Dorothy said, raising a forked eyebrow.
Seeing that all of his intended audience was present, Duo leapt up from the desk he'd been sitting on. "Alright, who here knows about Koenma's pet project?"
Only Hiei, Kurama and Heero raised their hands, clearly humoring the chimera, who grinned in satisfaction. Hiei snorted. "Just get on with it, baka chimera."
"Don't rush me, little brother," Duo said, sticking his tongue out at the hikoorime. "Anyway, part of the project included searching the data-bases for the descendants of one Kuwabara Hina."
Yukina's eyes widened. "You- you found my grandchildren?"
"We found two, a pair of siblings," Kurama said, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "And it will be amazingly easy to contact them."
"Maxwell, if this is one of your pranks…" Trowa trailed off, locking green eyes with violet. It was clear who the former thieves were referring to.
"Ah, don't be so mean, Tro," Duo said. He winked. "You know that I'm going to be your favorite uncle."
"So, you're my many time great grandmother?" Catherine asked Yukina cautiously, her wife holding her hand tightly for support.
The koorime's eyes were damp, and she caught the two tears that fell. "I guess so. Hina's grandchildren… I never would have thought that I'd see you." She pressed one of the blue gems into the woman's hand. "You should have been given one of these at the time of your birth. Welcome to the family."
Catherine swept her ancestor into a hug before fixing Duo with a look. "I am not calling your uncle."
When they left the room it was to find Une and Sally sitting on the floor in shock, both pale. Une held a glass limply in one hand while the doctor's stethoscope still hung from her ears.
"You really shouldn't eavesdrop, Lady Une," Heero scolded with a smirk. "Though we'll be needing to update the records for Trowa's family."
"I never should have allowed you within fifty miles of the Preventors," she said, glowering up at the pilots. "My life was steadier during the war when we were enemies."
When word had spread, most agents found themselves agreeing with her.