InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ This Mess We're In ❯ Don't Ever Change, part 2 ( Chapter 7 )

This Mess We're In

Chapter 6B: Don't Ever Change - Part 2

Disclaimers: I own exclusive rights to my kindergarten finger paintings, and little else.

Rating: For now, it's all still PG13. Eventually there will be some adult stuff. I will continue to cut a PG13 or R version for ff.net. NC17 material will be reserved for MediaMiner.org posts, and will be eventually posted at the address in my profile.

Summary: Kagome has gone back where she belongs, but so has someone else. What exactly happened? Sesshou and Kagome don't know yet, but the past is about to collide with the present. Kag/Sess.

Chapter Summary: Things lighten up; candy is involved. The miko from the South appears on the scene. Kagome has an epiphany. Sesshoumaru fears for the virtue of Kagome's bike. Kagome makes a strange discovery. (Edited Jul7/03)

Soundtrack (available at my website): Pete Yorn - "On Your Side"

*****

---Sengoku Jidai---

Shortly before sunset, Sesshoumaru and company returned to the well to wait for Kagome's return. They had left after seeing that the girl had, indeed, disappeared from the well's depths that morning.

Sesshoumaru had had little desire to stay in an area where he might have another irritating encounter with his half-brother.

Back at his home, they had found warmer clothing for Rin and ordered the fur cleaned. Jaken continued to grumble and moan about the indignity of it all. It had become rather tedious, and Sesshoumaru had considered shutting him up with threats and/or violence. However, Rin had found a way to keep Jaken otherwise occupied. At the moment, she was chasing the retainer around the clearing with mischief in her mind.

Sesshoumaru had been sitting silently against a tree at the edge of the forest, keeping an eye on Rin's antics. Then, his ears pricked up slightly, and he rose to his feet at the unmistakable sound of movement inside the well, and Kagome's scent.

He expected the girl to emerge, but was greeted instead with the strange, two wheeled machine that he'd seen her with in the past. Muffled curses drifted through the evening air as the contraption was awkwardly shoved over the well's wooden lip.

After some scuffling noises, Kagome followed.

Sesshoumaru was a little surprised at the sight of her. He could smell tears, but the fragile look that had haunted her eyes since he'd found her in the woods had vanished, and was replaced with firm resolve. It seemed that she had found a reserve of strength on the other side of the well. Determination wasn't the only thing she had brought with her; she carried a strange bag on her back, and had changed her clothes. Instead of the miniscule clothing she had worn before, she was attired in dark, form-fitting garments made of an unfamiliar textile that seemed to stretch when she moved.

He felt a bit of curiosity about Kagome's origins. What kind of world existed in the future? It was uncommon in this age for a female to embark on such a hazardous journey, especially at a young age. He had been certain that Kagome's family would be reluctant to allow her to go, but it seemed that she had been supplied with provisions. Was she descended of a warrior line? He could think of no other explanation.

Rin approached the girl as soon as she spotted her, abandoning a harried Jaken.

"Hi, Rin," Kagome greeted cheerfully. She handed the girl a piece of candy. "I brought you a lollipop. It's candy from my time." Rin accepted the gift, eyes wide with curiosity.

Silently, Sesshoumaru held his hand out, and Rin obediently handed the object over for inspection. He sniffed it suspiciously. Though he was certain that Kagome bore no ill will against the child, he had found in his lifetime that it never hurt to make sure. This - lollipop - didn't smell harmful, but it was unfamiliar and should be treated with caution. Sesshoumaru tasted it tentatively.

Kagome watched in amusement as the Lord of the West licked the candy as though it might suddenly come to life and bite him. If someone had told her that she'd see Sesshoumaru try a lollipop in the near future, she'd have laughed.

The humor of the sight faded when she thought about it some more. She looked again. Instead of seeing a usually decorous youkai uncertainly trying a piece of candy, she saw someone who couldn't accept a gift without suspecting a covert threat. She felt a twinge of pity at the realization.

Sesshoumaru was rather enjoying the lollipop, though he would never admit to such a thing. Having approved it for consumption, he handed it to an ecstatic Rin, and then turned to see a look of sadness flicker over Kagome's face. He frowned at his flash of concern for the girl, but quickly suppressed it and summoned the dragon.

It was time to leave this place.

**********

"What do you mean she was here? Why didn't you say something right away?! When the hell did this happen!?!"

Ignoring the shouting, Kaede sat calmly by the fire, stirring her stew-kettle. She'd become inured to Inuyasha's verbal outbursts, and found it best to ignore them until he calmed down a bit.

The disheartened group had arrived at the village about fifteen minutes earlier, tired from the search. Miroku had asked Kaede once again if she had heard any information about Kagome's whereabouts, but there had been little hope in his voice. After a week with no sign of her, it had seemed that they were unlikely to find her alive. It seemed like she had just disappeared.

After she had vanished, it had become all too clear that she was the glue that kept them all together. Without Kagome's perpetual cheer, the atmosphere of the group had become grim. Miroku's lecherous behavior had been dampened significantly after Sango had learned of her brother's final death. Then, the worry that Kagome was injured and alone, or worse, had further curbed his compulsion to grope. It was hard to think about such things when everyone around you was in pain.

Even Inuyasha was subdued these days, and Miroku suspected that he regretted what he'd said to Kagome, at least a little.

Sango was very quiet, as was the little fox she seemed to hold in her arms constantly these days. He supposed that they comforted each other. Shippou hadn't been able to eat or sleep well since Kagome had disappeared.

But now. . .

"Kaede," Miroku asked, thinking he may have heard wrong. "Kagome was here? Today?"

Kaede nodded, prompting a haggard Shippou to burst into a fit of cathartic tears. Sango patted his head comfortingly, feeling a wave of relief for her friend. Kirara purred at her side, nuzzling the kit comfortingly.

"Where did she go?" the taijiya inquired, perplexed. "She didn't stay with you?"

Kaede continued to look into the fire, and started to speak before Inuyasha interrupted her once again.

"You let her leave? Rrghhhh! And where the hell was she this whole fucking time?!" he raged. He'd been beside himself with guilt. Now, relieved to hear that she was alive and well, he was more than a little pissed to discover that she'd been blithely prancing around while he'd been treated to a cavalcade of glares and mournful looks.

Inuyasha began to harbor a faint suspicion. He sniffed the air, berating himself for not having noticed Kagome's recent presence sooner, masked though it was with the scent of the cook-fire. And what was that other smell? It was barely noticeable, but. . .

The old woman's reply came in a calm voice. "Kagome is fine. She left because she had things to do, about which I will tell you in a moment. As for where she was. . ." she paused.

All eyes turned to her.

"She was staying with Sesshoumaru," Kaede continued. A brief moment of shocked silence followed, and then everyone covered their ears.

Then, all the birds in the vicinity flew up from the trees to find quieter perches when the evening stillness was shattered by a hanyou's ear-splitting cry.

"WHAAAAAAAAT!?!?!?"

**********

When Ah-Un alighted in the clearing, full darkness had fallen. Sesshoumaru landed lightly on the ground, and Kagome looked around in curiosity as she unloaded her bike and hefted her pack to her shoulders once more.

The moonlight fell in silvery streaks, shedding its faint light on the marsh behind them and the forest before them. They would cross the rest of the way on foot. Sesshoumaru was not quite sure where the miko would be found.

Rin and Jaken were not as quick to dismount. The little girl's movements were clumsy with fatigue, and her eyes seemed in constant danger of drifting shut.

"Rin," Sesshoumaru ordered, noting her sleepiness, "you will bid farewell to Kagome here. Jaken, bring her back to the fortress. I will follow later."

Jaken blinked. "Sesshoumaru-sama!" he croaked. "I will come with you!" He did not like the idea of leaving his master with the human wench. There was something strange about the way Sesshoumaru-sama watched the girl. Not, of course, that Jaken would ever presume to question his lord's judgment, but. . .

"Are you suggesting that Rin fly back without your protection?" Sesshoumaru asked in a tone that made Jaken wince.

Rin interrupted, much to the retainer's relief. "I'm not tired!" she exclaimed. Then, her tone turned wheedling. "I want to go with Kagome and Sesshoumaru-sama!" The little girl's statement was drastically undermined by the large yawn that immediately followed.

Kagome bent down to the child, who grabbed her hand as if to detain her. "You've had a long day, Rin. You should go home and get some rest." Rin's expression became mutinous. Kagome sighed and continued, "I'll see you again, okay? This isn't really goodbye." The little girl's face brightened, but her grip on Kagome's hand remained as tight as ever.

Sesshoumaru exhaled in irritation. "I will bring you to see Kagome in a few weeks, Rin. However, if you don't go home now, I will have to reconsider my decision."

Kagome smiled. Sesshoumaru was being - well, he was being such a dad, she thought to herself. A little voice in her head announced, `and the award for weirdest single-parent of the year goes to. . .'

Her thoughts were interrupted when Rin released her arm and launched herself at the young woman for a fierce hug.

"Bye, Kagome," she said reluctantly.

"Bye, Rin. I'll miss you," Kagome replied. She continued in a conspiratorial whisper, "Maybe Jaken will be more fun if you are as nice to him as you are to me."

The young woman bit back a grin when Rin got a speculative gleam in her eye. "I'll see you soon, okay?" Rin nodded.

Jaken felt a glimmer of worry at the odd way the little girl turned her gaze towards him. Gods, he thought, what now? These human females were a menace, always colluding against him.

"Goodbye, Rin," Sesshoumaru stated firmly.

He and Kagome watched as the two small figures clambered back onto the dragon, and slowly disappeared into the night sky.

Then, they were alone.

**********

Disgruntled, Kagome followed Sesshoumaru through the dense foliage, reflecting on the thoughts she'd had earlier that morning.

She had been so sure she would be starting a new life.

Now, she was being dragged at an ungodly pace through a dark forest by a bossy dog-demon who lacked even the barest of people-skills.

Her new life was surprisingly similar to her old one, she grumped silently. Just switch the brother, replace the forest, and presto: a whole new annoying life. . .

"Quiet," Sesshoumaru said in that maddeningly calm tone that she had grown to dislike intensely. "Do you wish to alert every beast in the area to our presence?"

Kagome bristled. She was making as little noise as she could, but, to him, she probably sounded like a lumbering elephant. It didn't help that she had to pull her bike along with her. Or, she thought darkly, that he was going way too fast for her to keep up with while watching her step.

Then, she heard a small springing sound. Kagome looked down at her feet to see that she had tripped some kind of cord. She shut her eyes, expecting to fall into a trap, or be hauled up into a net a là Robin Hood, but nothing happened. When she blinked them open once more, Sesshoumaru stood inches away from her, looking at her with accusing gold irises.

Kagome drew herself up defensively. "I didn't see that," she retorted in response to his unspoken censure. "Not all of us are youkai with super senses, you know," she mumbled guiltily.

"Any sense at all would be welcome at this point," he said in a chilly tone. "Do not think that your stupidity will go unpunished." Kagome gasped in affront. Stupidity? Her fists clenched at her sides.

"Youkai live in these woods, and the miko is known for her many kills," he continued. "It is doubtful that she will see us as anything other than a threat at first glance, and I'm in no mood for a fight." His eyes seemed to burn her.

Neither of them spotted the twin gleams that appeared in the bushes nearby, or the pleased grin that materialized beneath them at the mention of the miko's fearsome reputation.

Kagome glared right back up at him. Sesshoumaru had a sinking feeling as his blood began to warm in response. Damn it, he thought. Not this again!

Maybe sending Rin and Jaken home hadn't been a good idea after all.

"Really?" she drawled insolently, spine stiffening. "Because it sure seems to me that you're always in the mood."

She caught herself, and flushed slightly when he raised a questioning eyebrow.

"For a fight," she stammered, before she regained her bearings.

"You go out of your way to get a rise out of me." For a split second, Sesshoumaru looked taken aback, before his impassive mask returned. Kagome took advantage and stepped closer, continuing. The youkai lord had become occupied with trying not to stare at her mouth. When he was engulfed by the almost dizzying sensation of her closeness, he decided it was time to put a halt to this insanity.

"Stop that, wench," Sesshoumaru bit out, trying to back away without her noticing.

He sighed inwardly when he heard what had come out of his mouth. He had managed to say the precise thing that seemed to set her off.

Kagome quivered. Wench? Oh boy, was he in for it now. She advanced, brows drawn into an angry frown.

"You're always out to provoke me, and I'd like to know why. I haven't done anything to you!" She stopped for a beat. "Well, besides shooting arrows at you from time to time, and I think we can agree that it was purely in defense of either myself or my friends." Her arms crossed over her chest as she became more and more engaged with her subject matter. She nodded firmly.

Indeed, he had almost killed her on numerous occasions, he acknowledged to himself. The awareness that only luck and resourcefulness had prevented her death at his hands sent an unfamiliar sensation through him. If he'd succeeded, he would never have met her, had any of these maddening arguments with her, or felt this strange immediacy that told him that he was fully alive. . .

"Be silent, Kagome," he said quietly. She noticed that he sounded kind of funny, but forged on regardless.

"You can't deny it!" Kagome went on. "You're the one who would show up with some kind of plan to kill one or more of us!" She scowled at the memory, but was distracted by the look on Sesshoumaru's face.

She tilted her head slightly, and noticed that his eyes had gone that weird pale color again. She blinked, and suddenly she couldn't look away from him.

Gah, she thought to herself, shivering anticipatorily as she remembered the last time she'd seen him like this. This was bad. She stared into those golden irises, and felt herself flush. This was very, very bad. Kagome felt like her limbs were turning to jelly.

Bad, bad Kagome, she scolded. It wasn't working very well. Why did he have to be so gorgeous? She tried to cling to her indignation. It just wasn't fair! Bad thoughts! She thought for a moment of the way he'd kissed her, so hot and sweet. Her first real kiss, and she'd had no idea it could be like that. . .

Bad thoughts!

She steeled herself and inched backwards, allowing her bicycle with her attached pack to topple away from her. His gaze flicked down at the fallen bike before he looked back up into her eyes and stepped over it, followed her.

"I'm normally a very even-tempered person, you know," she said breathlessly, trying to resume her train of thought with rather poor results. The grating sensation of tree bark at her back brought her to a stumbling halt. "Just ask anyone! I usually don't get angry this often," she faltered.

His approach was inexorable. When he reached her, Sesshoumaru bent so they were nose to nose, and then they both went utterly still, seemingly transfixed. His hand moved to rest on her hip, and squeezed gently. Kagome shivered, glancing at where he touched her before blinking up at him in arrested confusion. She swallowed.

His eyes drifted closed and he leaned down, inhaling deeply from where her neck met her shoulder, pressing closer until their bodies came into scalding contact.

Sesshoumaru momentarily regretted the armor that separated them.

Bad, bad, bad, Kagome repeated weakly as her resolve rapidly eroded. One hand settled on his shoulder, burying itself in the soft fur he wore, and the other alighted on the back of his neck. Her eyelids slowly lowered and she attempted unconsciously to move closer to him, tingling all over. He was so warm, and gods, he was starting to make the most amazing rumbly sound in his throat as he nuzzled her neck. . .

Then, a clear, young voice caused them to leap violently away from one another. Unfortunately for them both, Sesshoumaru's hand remained firmly affixed to Kagome's hip, and the sudden jerk on her center of gravity caused Kagome to topple awkwardly into his arms. They both exhaled sharply. Kagome reddened like a tomato at being flung against him once more, and quickly righted herself.

"Sorry to interrupt," a young girl's voice interjected with a glaring lack of apology, "but you two were bickering so loudly, and then you started to stumble all over each other." The voice continued from the darkness. "You are careless. I am embarrassed that I did not hear you from a mile away."

Sesshoumaru shot a smug `I told you so' look towards the young woman next to him. She was still flushed, he thought with a smirk of satisfaction.

Then, his eyes searched the bushes, perplexed. He hadn't smelled anyone nearby, and cursed the fact that his distraction had caused his senses to fail him. He sniffed the air. Yes, there was a scent from that direction, but it was exceedingly faint. He might not have caught it under normal circumstances, if he wasn't downwind.

He sniffed again. There was something strange about the scent, slight though it was.

"This smells unusual," he said almost inaudibly, sending Kagome a sidelong glance. He felt renewed annoyance at their sudden interruption. Her lips were soft and parted, and the new clothing she wore did little to disguise the firm curves of her body. . .

He quickly cut his thoughts off. "Be ready," he ordered tersely.

Kagome's eyes narrowed. She pulled one of her two remaining arrows from her quiver, just in case.

Then, what he'd said set the wheels of her mind turning. She'd forgotten about his keen sense of smell. A chill of anxiety passed over her.

Her deodorant was supposed to work all day, and be strong enough for weightlifters but gentle enough for tiny girls with pink bows in their hair. However, today had been long and stressful.

Was she smelly?

Overcome with self-consciousness, she raised her bow, surreptitiously turned her head, and sniffed.

Sesshoumaru eyed Kagome in disbelief. What on earth was wrong with her?

Understanding slowly dawned. "You smell fine," he said, momentarily ignoring the presence in the bushes. "For a human wench," he added as an afterthought.

Kagome sent him an annoyed look that made him feel a bit tingly.

He scowled.

She glowered back at him.

The voice piped up again, saturated with incredulity and a hint of frustration. "Stop! Unless you two want to kill me by irritating me to death, I think I can assume that you do not intend to fight. What exactly are a human and a youkai doing wandering through these woods?" A pair of eyes twinkled slyly in the dark, making it clear that she had some idea of what they had been up to.

The source of the voice stepped out into the moonlight. Kagome's embarrassment faded, and she looked at her in shock. She was tiny, and stood at least a head shorter than Kagome, with plain features and eyes that seemed alive with inquisitiveness. The girl couldn't have been more than sixteen. She wore her hair in a short bob, and was armed to the teeth, her clothes dusty and obviously well-worn.

Then, Kagome's senses twitched, and they seemed to be telling her. . .

"Are you the miko?" Kagome asked curiously. She hadn't expected her to be so young. The girl looked back at her in assessment.

Just then, all three of them simultaneously tensed. Sesshoumaru turned towards the approaching threat. Kagome could feel that familiar sensation that could only mean one thing: `shards ahoy!'

The small girl facing them groaned, before turning as well. "Shit," she muttered. "It's always after dinner, when I feel bloated and want a cup of tea-"

She was cut off by a snarl. A massive, crazed mantis youkai charged through the trees towards the group. It yelled a generic battle-cry of "Grrraaaghghgh! I will feast on the marrow of your bones, miko! I will crush your flesh into pulp and roll around in your bloody remains! Grraaaghhhghh!"

Sesshoumaru looked like he was one step away from falling asleep. He raised a hand, extended a lash of energy, and neatly cut through the monster's armor-like exoskeleton with one flashing stroke. Still, in two disgustingly gory pieces, it clambered clumsily towards them.

"It has a Shikon shard," Kagome stated, sending a glowing purifying arrow towards the monster's lower half. Its scrabbling legs burned away into dust as the arrow melted through its flesh.

The young girl drew two short swords, seemed to ignite with pale green fire, and then launched herself towards the youkai. With economical, workmanlike movements, she ripped the creature's torso into shreds with speed and ferocity. Nothing but a steaming pile of remains was left behind.

Kagome's eyes grew round. Then, she shook herself, walked over to where the monster's head used to be, and secreted the shard in the pocket of her vest.

The young girl dusted herself off before she hopped to her feet. She resheathed her kodachi and made an uncomfortable face, patting her stomach with a dismayed noise. Then, she sent Sesshoumaru and Kagome a probing look.

"I'm Aya. And yes, I'm a miko." She paused, adding the qualification, "Well, sort of."

Then, she scowled. "So, if you are not going to attack, then who the hell are you and why are you here?"

Sesshoumaru answered. "This is Kagome. She wishes to train with you."

Aya waited for him to introduce himself, but he obviously had no intention of doing so, though she could detect no threat.

She examined him narrowly. An inuyoukai, she thought to herself, with stripe markings, and a crescent on his forehead.

Something told Aya that she was missing something important, but nothing was springing to mind as she wracked her brain.

He was powerful, but did not intend to do her any harm. The girl with him seemed pleasant enough.

"Hm," Aya replied decisively, hoping she would not regret this. "Follow me. I need tea."

**********

A little while later, a modest but comfortable-looking hut came into sight. Sesshoumaru noted that it was on the outskirts of the forest, a fair distance away from the nearest village. If his information was correct, the miko probably chose to live far enough to avoid damage to the village from the youkai that hunted her, but near enough for her to arrive quickly if the villagers needed her help.

Kagome stiffened and came to a halt. "Shards," she explained at Sesshoumaru's questioning look. She turned to Aya. "You have some Shikon shards."

Aya nodded, looking at Kagome strangely. "About a week ago, youkai started popping up all over the place, attacking the village, and trying to kill me as usual. The difference was that they were stronger, and a lot harder to kill. I found some shards of crystal in the corpses of the fallen." She shrugged. "You can have them. They seem to attract trouble, and I have no shortage of it."

Kagome nodded. "Yeah," she agreed gloomily. "The shards do tend to make a person into a walking youkai target. I'll be collecting them from now on, so my life expectancy has been greatly reduced."

Sesshoumaru sent a covert look towards Kagome and frowned slightly. His reaction did not escape Aya's notice. It was the first time she'd seen him with a facial expression.

She addressed him next. "So what is your interest in all of this?" she asked curiously. She had assumed that they were a couple after what she'd seen in the forest, but after that, they had kept her between them at all times. They avoided each other's eyes, but she could see them shoot intent glances towards one when the other wasn't looking.

Sesshoumaru remained silent.

**********

Kagome leaned her bike against the outside of the hut before the three of them entered. Aya removed the majority of her weapons with practiced movements, and laid them aside as she introduced her family.

"Hayashi Kazuo," she said affectionately, as a middle-aged man with graying hair and a gentle face nodded from his seat on the ground. Must be her father, Kagome thought. "And Hayashi Seiji." A smiling young man of about nineteen waved from where he had just entered the room. "This is Kagome, and this is. . ." Aya's voice trailed off.

"Sesshoumaru," Kagome supplied when he didn't. She shot him a pointed look. How rude of him. Sesshoumaru stared back at her.

As the men of her family smiled at the newcomers in welcome, Aya hid her sudden comprehension. An inuyoukai, with those markings, named Sesshoumaru. She briefly regretted allowing these two into her home.

What exactly was the merciless Lord of the West doing here?

Why was he helping this human girl? It didn't mesh with anything she had heard about him. The girl argued with him, and made him angry. In fact, he had been acting quite juvenile.

From what she knew, this youkai was reputedly as cold as one could be without being petrified, and couldn't care less about humans. However, it had definitely looked like he and Kagome would have gotten up to trouble had she not interrupted them earlier.

Aya could feel a headache coming on.

"Seiji," she said in the voice of a general. "Some of your noise traps were set off by these two, so you might want to look at them in the morning."

Sesshoumaru was slightly affronted at being implicated in the crime, and glanced at the boy. Then, he couldn't help but notice the admiring way the whelp was watching Kagome.

Perhaps, he thought, she should go elsewhere to train; somewhere where she would not be staying in the home of someone who was so obviously a lecher. He sent a murderous look in the boy's direction, but it went unnoticed by all but the miko.

She would have to warn Seiji to refrain from even looking at Kagome for the time being, Aya thought wryly. Sesshoumaru's features showed very clearly that he was infuriated, which did not bode well for him.

The boy in question nodded towards Aya. "I'll go and check them now." She grinned and stood on her toes to ruffle his hair affectionately before he exited the hut. Moments later, they all heard an excited shout.

"What is this machine?" Seiji could be heard exclaiming. Kagome rose to her feet and followed him out the door, to see him examining her bike with all the excitement one might expect of someone who had won the lottery.

"It's a bicycle," she replied. "I'll show you how it works." She got up onto the seat and rode it around in a small circle. "See?"

"What artisan made this?" he inquired with wide gray eyes after she got off it again. "The work is so fine, and I do not recognize the materials. It is a fascinating mechanism." He peered at the chain, and then prodded the seat. "Where did you acquire it?"

Inside the hut, Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes in irritation. Obviously, the human brat was trying to gain Kagome's affections by questioning her about her strange carriage. He would have to warn her about that.

He frowned.

Really, there was no good reason for him to put up with this nonsense. He was the ruler of the Western Lands, after all.

Sesshoumaru rose to his feet, and walked out the door. Once he had stalked over to the talking pair, he grabbed Kagome around the waist, and dragged her back inside where he could keep an eye on her.

"I'm okay!" she called to the rapidly receding young man in a way she hoped was reassuring. "Feel free to try it out; I'll see you when you get back!"

Seiji stared, dumbfounded, at her disappearing form. "Kagome?"

Sesshoumaru had seated himself once more, disregarding the stunned look he was receiving from Aya.

Kagome glared at the youkai who had seated her beside him and held her arm in a firm grip. He looked at her warningly when she tried to move away. Aya continued to stare at the two of them in shock, while Kazuo remained completely unruffled.

"I can't believe you are being so rude! What exactly is your problem?" Kagome hissed at Sesshoumaru, whose hand still anchored her to his side.

Kazuo, steady as a rock, seemed to remember something. He stood and retired to another room, telling Aya that he'd forgotten about the tea. She immediately followed. Gods, she thought to herself. Clearly, those two were crazed. Perhaps it had been an error of judgment to invite them into her home, but it was too late now, she thought with a beleaguered sigh.

Sesshoumaru just glared at Kagome in response to her mutinous expression. If she lacked the discernment to see that the boy was a degenerate on her own, then he certainly was not going to tell her.

Kagome was fuming. What on earth was wrong with him?

"What is the matter with talking to Seiji? He seems perfectly nice, and he's friendly."

Nice? Friendly? These were supposed to be good qualities? The youkai stiffened with anger.

The woman beside him continued, oblivious to his incipient fulmination.

"I like him. He seems like a good guy." Sesshoumaru's glower only intensified as Kagome continued to speak. "And hasn't it occurred to you that I'm asking these people for a massive favor? It wouldn't kill you to be polite. Aya doesn't have to help me, you know. If she doesn't, I'll be stuck, and Naraku will probably kill me without even putting in a tiny bit of effort, and mmmmnrph-"

The long speech that Kagome had planned on the value of good manners was greatly impeded by the fact that Sesshoumaru had suddenly hauled her into his lap and kissed her. The firm, hungry pressure of his mouth, and the way his hands were caressing her sides caused her brain to take a brief vacation and her body to take over the reins. He parted her lips with his, and slowly stroked his tongue into her mouth as her hands fisted in his hair. When she started to reciprocate, he pulled away and replaced her on the floor next to him with a thud.

Kagome looked up at him in confusion, only to see a smug glint in his amber eyes. He looked like he'd just proved some kind of point.

Her eyes widened. Why, of all the childish. . .

"Oh gods," she whispered in shock, "you're jealous!"

"I have no idea what you are speaking of," he replied in a tone that would be better suited to ordering office supplies over the phone. She felt a surge of irritation. "Why would I be jealous of a weak human pup?" he continued coolly.

Kagome's brow crinkled. She'd expected him to say something more along the lines of `jealous over a useless wench like you, unthinkable blah blah.'

But he hadn't.

"You are! You're jealous!" Kagome was stunned, and suddenly very angry. When had everything become so bizarre? She was actually pissed that he'd kissed her to prove some point, Neanderthal-style, instead of just kissing her because he wanted to.

She chose not to examine her reaction any further. That way, she was convinced, lay madness.

Sesshoumaru scowled. "As I have already said, you are mistaken."

Her brown eyes sparked at him, and his hands itched to drag her back into his lap for more point-proving.

Kagome's mouth fell open as his eyes lightened and he leaned towards her, despite the death-glare she was currently sending his way. She came to another epiphany.

"Gods! I can't believe you!" she continued in a low, angry voice. "You actually get turned on when I argue with you? You are completely and utterly insane!"

He gave in to the urge and pulled her against him again, tempted beyond bearing by her scent. "You do not seem to object," he pointed out as he settled her arms around his neck and tugged her close, aching to feel her body against his. He wished he didn't wear armor. It seemed as if anything even halfway pointed broke it anyway, and he was constantly replacing it. Right now, it was an almost unbearable obstruction.

She looked off to the side, guiltily. He was right, she didn't object, because this was. . . she didn't know what it was, but it didn't seem like she could stop herself.

He ran the pads of his fingers slowly over the pale skin of her face, studying her. She looked troubled for a moment, and then her eyes met his with equal desire. Her eyelids drifted down to lie like dark feathers on her cheek as she turned and pressed a kiss in his palm. Then, Kagome seemed to lose patience and leaned in for a kiss. Her tongue flicked hesitantly over his lips before he sucked it into the heat of his mouth with a low groan.

Kagome's hand pressed against the side of his neck, and she found that she loved the feel of his pulse against her fingers.

Sneaking under the hem of her knit shirt, his thumbs made slow circles on the silky skin of her stomach. An inarticulate sound escaped him when she ran her hands through his hair, and rubbed that spot behind his ear that made him melt. He was gratified to feel her shivering against him.

The bulky armor between them annoyed Kagome. She wanted to feel the warmth of his chest against her. Her lips pulled away from his and she made a quiet sound of irritation, shifting her weight on his thighs.

He quietly gasped as she pressed her lips to the side of his throat and lightly caressed the skin there with the tip of her tongue.

Damned armor, he thought again as she rubbed up against him, teeth raking against the base of his neck. Gods, he thought dimly through a red haze, she was right. He truly had gone insane, but the smell of her. . .

Aya, noticing the abrupt lull in the argument, made a big production of stomping loudly before entering the room. When she and Kazuo finally came in, after some noisy and unnecessary throat-clearing, their two guests were sitting six feet away from one another and looking with fascination at the walls of the hut.

Kagome appeared a little dazed.

The reputedly cruel and ruthless Lord of the Western Lands looked considerably less intimidating with part of his hair sticking up.

Kazuo smiled faintly as he sat down, holding a tray. "Tea, anyone?"

"I know I could use some," Aya piped up, gamely ignoring the sexual tension that permeated the room.

Sesshoumaru watched as a pink-cheeked Kagome gratefully accepted one of the cups and drained it in one gulp, completely disregarding its temperature.

It scalded her all the way down.

**********

After a few cups of tea and a few awkward silences, the atmosphere in the room returned to something resembling normalcy.

"I am still confused about why the Lord of the West would just decide to show up, unannounced, with Kagome in tow. Why did you not send word in advance?" Aya asked. "Would it not have been easier to ask before coming?"

Sesshoumaru exhaled. It had occurred to him to do so, but he'd been in such a rush to get rid of Kagome that it had seemed better to just bring her here and end her disruptive influence over his life. He had obviously been right to, in light of more recent events. "Time was of the essence," he replied expressionlessly.

Nervous, Kagome bit her lip.

"I know it's a lot to ask with no advance notice," she added tentatively, "but I need all the help I can get at this point. Getting the shards from the youkai that are no doubt partying it up with them will be hard enough. There is also this really horrible guy named Naraku who is tracking the shards down as we speak, and probably has a big grudge against me," she continued.

Aya bent her head thoughtfully. "Naraku?" she asked. "From what I have heard, he is not exactly well-liked."

"Tell me about it," Kagome grumbled. "He's got half of Japan out to kill him for various things he's done to them. Unfortunately for us, the bastard is smart, manipulative, and almost impossible to pin down."

Sesshoumaru entered the conversation again, addressing Aya. "I would think that it would be in your best interests to train another miko to fight. While she is here, she could help you. The girl has power; I have seen it myself."

Kagome was surprised that Sesshoumaru was saying something nice about her, and grinned at him in thanks. He looked away hastily.

Kazuo and Aya shared a speculative look. What exactly was up with these two? The girl and the youkai couldn't seem to decide whether to avoid each other entirely, or stare at one another in a way that made others want to vacate the room.

Sesshoumaru was torn. On one hand, he was almost twitching to get out of this house. On the other hand, the boy was really getting on his nerves, and he didn't really want to leave Kagome in this place with him. Seiji had returned from resetting his traps, and was currently watching Kagome with a moony look on his face. Disgusting, the youkai thought huffily.

His sinister thoughts were interrupted by Aya's voice. "What kind of training have you had, Kagome?" the young woman asked in a professional tone.

Kagome looked a little sheepish. "Pretty much none," she answered honestly.

"But he says you have powers?" the miko persisted.

Kazuo refilled everyone's teacups, and continued with his reading. He looked like he had become accustomed to pretty much anything, which was likely, since he lived with Aya. Doubtless, she attracted trouble like a magnet.

"Well, yeah," Kagome continued. "When I shoot arrows from my bow, they end up purifying youkai, like you saw. Also, when I first arrived in this era, I met a centipede youkai, and made a bunch of its arms fall off just by touching it. I had no idea what was happening, but I guess that was the miko abilities."

Aya looked at Kagome in confusion. When she arrived in this era? What on earth was the girl talking about?

Kagome blinked, before comprehension dawned.

"Oh, I'm not from this time. I'm from the future. I was sent back here, and the Shikon no Tama was in my body before it was taken out and shattered."

There was a moment of silence. Even Kazuo looked up from his book with an expression of surprise in his gray eyes. Seiji looked perplexed, and then Kagome could see the questions filling his head as he put two and two together and realized that her bicycle was from the future. He'd just die when he found out about cars, she thought wryly.

"I see," Aya said slowly. She had wondered where Kagome had gotten such strange clothing, and felt a pang of regret that she would not be able to find such apparel. It looked very appropriate for her lifestyle.

She nodded slightly. "You sound like myself when I was younger. Well, aside from your origins, of course. I was just trained as a fighter, you see. I had no miko training. My father was raised in a taijiya village." Both Sesshoumaru and Kagome shot Kazuo a dubious look. He seemed to radiate a Buddha-like peace, as he perused the scroll. It was difficult to picture him committing violence of any kind. "I had no idea that I had any miko powers. For years, I studied fighting techniques, until one day I was battling a spider youkai and losing badly. The next thing I knew, I was glowing, and bits of spider youkai were raining around me."

Aya shuddered before continuing. "It is not the cleanest style of fighting. Be prepared for many close encounters with innards. Luckily, you can create purifying arrows, which will come in very handy from a distance. However, you may have noticed that most youkai will try to grab you, or sink their teeth into you, especially if you carry those shards. My type of fighting will be better suited for that kind of situation."

Kagome was beside herself with curiosity. "So what exactly do you do? What kind of training did you have?"

"I had to learn to control my power on my own, and it took quite some time. I believe that, since I was not trained to control it from a very young age, it is stronger but correspondingly difficult to harness. I tried to learn from a miko, but it was useless. Basically, I channel the energy to make myself physically stronger and faster. I also focus it around whatever weapons I use to increase their effectiveness. It is a combination of physical and spiritual effort."

Sesshoumaru listened with disguised interest. Apparently, it was effective, if she was seen as a threat by the youkai in the area.

Kagome nodded in understanding. As far as she could tell, Kikyou had relied mostly on purifying arrows to protect the village and the Shikon no Tama. It had worked well because she could hide in strategic positions and pick the youkai off as they approached the shrine where it was safeguarded. However, Kagome would be carrying shards around with her, which meant the youkai would head straight for her.

She'd have to learn Aya's way.

Kagome felt more cheerful. It sounded like the miko had already accepted the idea of training her.

"I will help, but it will be hard work," Aya stated in confirmation. She looked Kagome over critically. "We will begin with your physical endurance and strength. Be ready for a long day tomorrow."

Kagome grinned.

The whelp grinned as well, Sesshoumaru noted with distaste.

"We will prepare a room for you," Aya said as she rose to her feet and walked into the back of the house. Seiji and Kazuo followed. She stuck her head back into the room and sternly said, "You should probably get to bed early. We will be up at dawn," before disappearing once more.

**********

A half-moon shone down on the two of them as they stood side by side in the cool night air outside the hut.

Kagome shivered slightly from the breeze. The awkward silence persisted. She wasn't quite sure what to say. What did people say to someone they alternately fought and made out with? There should be instruction books for this, she thought in her embarrassment. She'd buy one.

"Thanks," she began stiltedly, staring straight ahead into the darkness. "Thanks for letting me stay with you, and for bringing me here. I'd probably be dead if it wasn't for your help."

She saw Sesshoumaru nod slightly out of the corner of her eye. He said nothing.

At that moment, he was ambivalent about leaving. He had been so sure he would be glad to see the last of her, but life back at the fortress seemed to loom before him in endless monotony.

At least Rin was there to alleviate the tedium. . .

Rin. The thought of the little girl brought him to a standstill. He'd told her that he would take her to see Kagome. He hid his relief.

"Rin will come to visit you in one month's time," he said quietly.

He seemed to be saying something else altogether.

Kagome blinked. Rin. She remembered the bargain he had struck with the little girl, and smiled faintly. Rin would come in a month, and he'd have to bring her here.

She would see him again.

"I'll kind of miss. . . Rin," she stammered, before cringing inwardly at the lameness of it all.

Sesshoumaru remained silent for a minute. "I think that Rin will miss your presence as well," he said. She shot him a sidelong look. He smirked faintly as he continued, "though she finds you argumentative, and generally insufferable."

Kagome bridled. Her chin rose and she put her hands on her hips as she met his eyes. "Is that so?" she asked icily.

"Definitely, wench."

"Rin isn't always the easiest to get along with, either," she retorted speedily. "She's arrogant, rude, and incredibly provoking. She'd test anyone's patience. Perhaps you should do something about that."

Sesshoumaru shrugged noncommittally. "She does as she pleases."

"Anyway," Kagome said quietly before she paused. She reached into her pocket, took something out, and placed it in his hand before she could think better of it. His fingers closed over it. "This is for. . . Rin," she concluded.

There was a crinkling sound, and Sesshoumaru opened his palm to find a lollipop. He looked at her strangely.

"I could tell that. . . Rin liked it, earlier today, and I thought that maybe she should have one of her own." Kagome glanced sheepishly at the ground as the seconds ticked by.

The youkai was stunned, and didn't know what to say. He couldn't remember the last time anyone besides his ward had given him a gift without expecting a favor in return.

Kagome fidgeted as the silence went on unabated. She couldn't take the discomfiture any longer.

"Goodbye," she blurted in a rush.

She turned back to the house and started walking.

She had barely taken two steps before she felt Sesshoumaru's hand on her arm. Apprehensively, she turned to face him.

"I will return in one month," he said quietly before he pulled her into his embrace. He pressed a chaste kiss on her lips, and then sent her back towards the hut with a gentle push.

When Kagome looked over her shoulder, Sesshoumaru was gone.

**********

After settling in for the night, Kagome found that sleep eluded her.

She lay on the futon that Aya and Kazuo had graciously brought in for her, and blinked into the darkness, wide awake.

No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn't explain what was going on with her and Sesshoumaru. It was such a strange situation.

Before, with Inuyasha, Kagome had had fantasies. She'd been utterly infatuated, and wondered what being with him physically would be like. For some reason, she'd entertained the juvenile notion that one day, after romantically declaring themselves, they would get carried away on a frothy pink cloud of hearts and flowers. Thoughts of what came after had been pleasant and arousing, though vague due to her naiveté.

She'd been attracted to Inuyasha, but not in this hungry, intense way that seemed to overrule her reason again and again.

Kagome rolled to her side with a sigh.

When it came to Sesshoumaru, her feelings seemed so volatile. It seemed that they were constantly arguing with, or trying to ignore the other. There was no logical progression from that to kissing, but it seemed to happen with amazing frequency. She wasn't sure how she felt towards him, and couldn't figure out how he felt towards her. However, when she found herself pressed against him, with his touch and the taste of his mouth flooding her senses, all of that seemed to melt away.

It was like an ache, she thought to herself, and it didn't seem like it was going to go away. Each time she touched him, it became stronger.

She thought back to their goodbyes, unconsciously bringing her fingers to her lips.

Then she flung the covers back.

She wasn't going to be able to sleep for a while, so she thought she might as well go outside for a breath of fresh air.

**********

Kagome had been sitting outside the door of the hut looking up at the stars, when she heard a noise from within the hut. She hoped fervently that she hadn't woken anyone up. When she looked up, Seiji was coming outside.

"Hi," she greeted him. "Sorry if I woke you."

He shrugged and sat down next to her. "I wasn't sleeping." He smiled, looking abashed. "I wanted to look at your bicycle again."

Kagome grinned. "Go ahead," she offered, gesturing towards it. He stooped to take a closer look at the tires and spokes.

"Are there many such machines in your time?" he asked.

"Yes, lots more. That is actually one of the simpler ones. It doesn't have an engine." Seiji looked confused. "There are other machines that move without human power. By burning fuel, the engine makes the wheels turn."

Seiji looked at the bike in wonder, absently spinning one of the wheels. "It's ingenious," he said softly. "I have made many noise traps in the woods, to give us advance warning of intruders and their location. Compared to this, though, they are nothing."

Kagome shrugged. "It's completely different, isn't it? The traps serve their purpose. They worked on me, and pissed Sesshoumaru off " she added dryly. "Plus," she continued, "they help to protect your family. A bicycle can't do that."

Unnoticed by Kagome, the young man's face fell slightly at the mention of Sesshoumaru's name. "I suppose it is something."

He looked up into the night sky. "You should go to bed," he advised Kagome with a grin. "The slave-driver will want to start as early as possible, and she would be irritated if you were half-asleep."

"I wish my brother worried as much about my wishes as you do about Aya's," Kagome replied cheerfully as she got up to go back inside. "But I guess she's the baby and only girl of the household, so she must get her way with you and your dad."

She smiled at Seiji, only to see that he was blinking at her in confusion.

"Baby of the household?" His brow furrowed, and then Kagome saw surprise slowly spread across his face.

"You really did not do any research about my family before coming here, did you?" he asked in an admonishing tone.

Kagome shook her head.

He laughed quietly, before continuing with a sparkle in his gray eyes.

"Aya is my mother."

**********

Author's Note:

What a mammoth chapter in two parts. Don't worry, more Kagome and Sesshou in the present will be coming up in the next chapter. I just have a lot to get through in the feudal era.

Thank you reviewers! I couldn't have done it without you. Your reviews are great motivational tools. You have no idea.

In response to someone's comment about Sesshoumaru's furry thing: in my opinion, it's not his tail. When he transforms, it remains on his shoulder and is distinct from his dog tail.

I now have a notify list for this story, so if you want to be emailed in case of updates, hit the webpage link in my profile.

My updates might not be as frequent now, since:

-the going is getting very tough for me. Sometimes, I can't stand this story, let alone the thought of writing more of it.

-the chapters seem to want to challenge War and Peace to a duel. Tolstoy will, of course, prevail, but still. . .

-my plot is running away from me and seeking shelter in opium-dens. The idea of pink bunnies hopping in and killing Naraku with hugs and cuteness? Let's just say, sometimes it doesn't seem that farfetched.

I'm still determined to finish, though.

Again, super special thanks to CX-chan for her help with canon stuff.