InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Waiting on a Wish ❯ Chapter 9

Disclaimer: These things are important, because if I don’t tell all of you that InuYasha isn’t actually mine, I could get in trouble. So be a pal, and tell everyone you know that I don’t own him. I just like to play with him…rough and tumble style.

CHAPTER 9

The first thing he noticed was the stale quality of that damned wolf’s scent. The clinic still milled with people, but the stench of wolf had faded from the air, telling him that Kouga and his cronies had already gone. He fought a growl, unsure whether to be thrilled that the idiot was away from Kagome, or pissed as all hell that he’d left her unprotected. Either way, the wolf was dead.

He did a quick, anxious search of the windows from the outside, certain she wouldn’t be happy with him if he went storming through the building, calling her name. He finally spotted her through the ground-floor window of an examination room at the back of the building. She was cheerfully telling a horrible joke to a five-year-old boy, trying to distract him from the pain as she stitched up a large gash in the side of his head. She was fine. With his quiet sigh of relief, his body relaxed, and he realized just how anxious he’d become in the short time since he’d left her.

He stood outside the clinic, watching her for a few minutes, transfixed by the smooth efficiency of her movements, curious about her chosen profession. He could see how much she loved it. She had something in her manner, something generous and caring that managed to put everyone around her at ease, no matter the situation. She genuinely liked her patients, and loved healing them; her pleasure shone through in her work, and glowed on her face.

She turned suddenly to stare out the window, and he hid himself in the nearest tree. Her brow crinkled as her eyes searched through the open slats of the blinds. His gaze narrowed slightly, and he wondered if she could sense him. Eventually, she just shrugged and turned away, chatting genially with the little boy’s mother as they walked out of sight.

He dropped to the ground, a thoughtful frown wrinkling his brow.

Her spiritual powers seemed so raw. She didn’t know how to use them. According to the old woman, she didn’t even believe she had them. He could sense them in her, but it felt weak, wrong--as if something was off. It didn’t make any sense. He was certain she should be able to use them. At the very least, she should be acknowledging that they existed; she should be at least mildly capable of defending herself against a youkai enemy.

But according to the old woman, she couldn’t. Not yet, anyway. He crossed his arms and glared at the clinic. So…why couldn’t she use them? What the hell would it take so that she could? Better yet--should he be worried about it? If her powers emerged, would that put her in more danger, or less?

Just something else that he didn’t understand. Just something else that could go wrong.

He glanced at the afternoon sky and muttered a curse. He needed to go if he expected to be back in time for the end of her shift, but he was very uneasy with leaving her without protection. It frustrated him that he couldn’t just stay and watch over her to make sure she kept out of trouble.

But this Naraku person…another chill ran through his body, putting his back up. He needed information. He knew only one person who was even better at getting this type of information than Miroku. But it meant going out of the city, far enough that he couldn’t get back very quickly if she was threatened by any kind of danger.

He inhaled deeply, taking in the scents of the city surrounding the clinic, sorting everything in his mind. Youkai everywhere, but…not even the slightest hint of jyaki. No malice in the air. Nothing to rile his instincts.

He looked at the clinic. Miroku had said it himself. Kagome had never been in any kind of trouble before, and there was nothing to indicate that she was in any now. Just because the damn rogues had been searching for something, didn’t mean they had been searching for her.

He would feel better if the word had been given that the rogues had all been caught, but…

He turned away, decision made. Rush hour was starting, and he wanted to move fast. Driving was out.

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Thwack! Thump.

His ears twitched, his attention caught by the somewhat familiar sounds, and he slid to a stop on the nearest tree branch, scenting the air cautiously. Wild youkai roamed the forested area outside of the city, and it was always smart to be guarded.

Thwack! Thump.

A tiny smirk quirked his lips. Oh yes, he knew this sound. He changed directions, heading away from the cliffs, following the sounds and his memories to a small clearing located a little ways from the building edging the cliff. He halted just before the trees broke, looking into the clearing before he stepped out.

Thwack! Thump.

In the middle of the clearing, Bunzo swung the heavy axe again, and yet another log split in two and fell to the ground with a dull thud. He bent over, threw the pieces onto his growing pile, and placed another on the stump, preparing to swing again. His shirt was off, thrown to the side, showing the dark tone of his skin, and the heavy layers of muscle that rippled as he hefted, then swung again.

Thwack! Thump.

Bunzo paused, tossed his long braid over his shoulder, and flung the chunks of wood to join the others. “You might as well come out and say what you’re going to say, pup. You never could sneak up on me.” He didn’t raise his voice, and his concentration didn’t move from his task as he spoke. He just placed another piece of wood on the stump.

With a slight roll of his eyes and an irritated ‘tsk’, InuYasha stepped through the bushes and into the clearing. “Keh. I wasn’t trying to sneak up on you. You’re the one I’m here to see.” He shook his head, staring at the large pile of wood. “Still cutting your own wood, old man? Fina hasn’t demanded a decent heater by now?”

“Fina has assured me on more than one occasion over the years that she enjoys the smell of wood and smoke. And it heats the building just fine.” Bunzo grunted as he swung the axe again.

Thwack! Thump. Two more pieces for the already huge pile. InuYasha eyed the cut wood, visually measuring how many trips it would take Bunzo to haul it all back to the cliff. His brow quirked skeptically. “That’ll take you a while, you know. You always overdo it.”

Another grunt as the badger flipped the axe, allowing the considerable bulk of the head to sink into the ground as he propped it against the stump. “If you’re so concerned, you can help me carry it.” He tossed the remaining halves with the others and turned to face InuYasha. One absent fist patted against his shoulder as his dark eyes skimmed over the hanyou’s alert pose, taking in the red haori, and pausing to hover briefly on the sword at his side. Then he glanced around the clearing. “So? You didn’t bring your Kagome this time? Fina will be disappointed.”

He shifted uneasily. “She’s working.”

Bunzo paused, his unfathomable dark eyes almost amused. “She’s interesting, your woman. You are luckier than what you deserve that she’s a doctor who knows how to heal youkai.” Another pause, this one considering. “Although, I didn’t expect her to be a miko. That could make your life difficult.”

InuYasha’s expression darkened. “Stop pretending like you know everything. I never thought it would be easy, ok?”

Dark brows lifted in slow appraisal. “No,” he murmured finally, his deep tone as quiet as one of his size could get. “I suppose you wouldn’t have.”

Bunzo turned away, snagging up his shirt and walking over to the impressive pile, gathering wood chunks into a sling he formed with the cloth. “So? What are you doing here? You’re not here simply to talk, since if you wanted to talk, you could have done so at any time in the last ten years.” Dark badger eyes slid over him briefly, then back to the woodpile developing in his shirt. “Tell me what you want…and while you’re at it, tell my why I should help a spoiled pup who made my mate cry when he disappeared with barely a word of farewell.” He tied off the edges of his sleeve and slung the heavy pile around his shoulder with a deep grunt.

InuYasha barely suppressed a flinch at the censure in the older youkai’s tone, but otherwise ignored the reference. “The Council closed the gates today.” He said it quietly, his voice grim.

Bunzo, already half-way across the clearing, stopped. He half-turned with yet another measuring look. “Yes, so I hear. Several hours ago, after questioning their hunters about the rogues’ attack on the city last night. What of it?”

The back of his teeth ground slightly. “Don’t play stupid, old man. You hear about everything that goes on with the hunters in the city. Do you know why they closed the gates?”

Bunzo took in the hanyou’s tense stance and sighed. Instead of answering, he waved to the large pile of wood. “Make yourself useful and help me with this wood.”

InuYasha glanced over at the pile, glaring for a second. Then, with a resigned sigh of his own, he walked the few steps across the clearing. Shrugging off his haori, he stripped off the kimono underneath and used the cream material in the same manner that Bunzo had, stacking up a pile of his own before swinging it over his shoulder.

He didn’t mind, not really--this was familiar. Things always worked this way with Bunzo. He required some kind of labor for some kind of return. A trade. It had been like this from the first day, when Bunzo had found him wandering in the forest, to the last day…when he’d finally felt strong enough to leave. He hadn’t objected then, when it had saved his pride to be able to work for his keep, and he wouldn’t object now, when he felt he owed them.

Snatching up his haori with his free hand, he moved to join Bunzo.

Bunzo waited only until he was sure he was close behind him before he started back towards his home. InuYasha followed, impatient for whatever information Bunzo had, but smart enough not to push him for it.

It didn’t take him long. Bunzo had never been one to waste words or time. “The only reason the Council has ever closed the gates to the compound was if they felt the Alliance was in danger. That they’ve closed the gates now means the Council has decided a threat has arisen--a challenge to the Alliance’s purpose or existence.”

InuYasha scowled, his uneasy gaze falling to the ground as they made their way through the closely grown trees. The threat was to the Alliance--not the Council, not the city--but the Alliance itself. Sango had it on the first guess. He shook his head. “You got any idea what they’re so afraid of?”

“The only talk going through my place is speculation on the rise of rogue youkai plaguing the city. No one knows if anyone is even behind it, much less who or why. At least, not that I’ve heard.” The trees broke again and they found themselves by the little shed used to store wood, hidden off to the side of the much larger building. “Yet.”

Bunzo threw open the doors and pulled the load of wood from his shoulder, moving to step inside. InuYasha did the same, setting his bundle on the ground, brows drawing together as he framed the most pertinent question on his mind. “You ever heard of someone called Naraku, old man?”

Bunzo’s step paused halfway through the door, and for a moment, the larger youkai just stood frozen. When he did move, it was to turn sharp brown eyes on the younger male. “Where did you hear that name?”

Amber eyes narrowed. Bunzo rarely let surprise of any kind show on his face. “It was one of the questions the Council asked.”

Now Bunzo was frowning. The load of wood hung suspended from one hand, forgotten for the moment. “Who asked it?”

His features twisted at the odd question. “Akadansha. What does that have to do with anything?”

Bunzo gave great sigh, then turned to set the wood down, removing it from his shirt and adding it to the small collection already inside the shed. “If he’s back, it means trouble. No wonder she closed the gates.”

An impatient frown. “What the hell are you talking about?”

In response, Bunzo gestured behind him at the remaining cloth-wrapped collection on the ground, not bothering to look at him. With an exasperated roll of his eyes, InuYasha handed over the wood.

Bunzo continued restacking. “That name is not known in very many places, pup. Naraku is the name of a youkai who has been around for some time. He is dangerous, elusive, and very cunning. The few who have heard of him say that his great passion is power, and that he is always seeking more.” A pause. “The first I ever heard of him was during Ryukotsusei’s first rebellion against the Alliance.”

A part of him went cold and still. The first rebellion. The one that led to his parent’s death. His left ear flicked in agitation, his gaze turning wary, but he remained silent.

“A select few say Naraku was the one who convinced Ryukotsusei to go against the Council, but it was never proven, because no one could find a trace of any such youkai after your father sealed Ryukotsusei away.” Bunzo turned to face him, his eyes grave. “The second time Naraku emerged was ten years ago, when your father’s seal was broken, and Ryukotsusei once again went after the Council.”

Yellow eyes widened.

“That time we knew for certain, because he mentioned the one who unsealed him before he was destroyed.”

He stared at the ground, unmoving, jaw locked, arms crossed across his chest; long-dead laughter echoed mockingly through his thoughts. Half-breed brat. The one who freed me couldn’t defeat me; what makes you think you can?

He closed his eyes, then shook his head to clear the sudden memory, pale hair swishing against his back. “Naraku freed Ryukotsusei?”

Bunzo finished stacking the last piece, then stepped out of the shed, shaking out his shirt, and tossing InuYasha’s back to him. “Indeed. And after you killed him, Naraku simply vanished again.”

InuYasha automatically grasped at it, scowling at the dirt and sap clinging to the material. “And now he’s back. You think he’s the reason they closed the gates?”

“If Akadansha mentioned his name, then they must suspect that he has emerged again. This Naraku’s been behind two attacks to the Alliance itself, and both have nearly succeeded. If he’s decided on a different course of action, and the Council got wind of it, it may have been threat enough to warrant the action.”

An inaudible growl vibrated through his chest as he quickly shrugged back into his clothes. “If he’s such a threat, why doesn’t the Council just have a hunter track him down?”

Bunzo raised an eyebrow. “You think they haven’t tried? After both attacks, and numerous times after, the Alliance has contracted with hunters to track and destroy Naraku. Each attempt has either failed…or the hunter is never heard from again.”

InuYasha paused in the act of knotting off his haori. “They can’t find him?” His tone was sharp, if somewhat disbelieving.

Bunzo gave a rather impatient sigh and reached back into the shed to gather a much smaller stack of wood. “Naraku is very secretive. Few know his name, and we have no description of him because no has ever seen him and lived. He is a collector of power, content to stay quiet and hidden until an opportunity arises for him to steal more. He has been nearly impossible to find.” He tossed the pieces at InuYasha’s feet and closed the door, the click of the latch sounding loudly as it fell into place.

InuYasha glared down at the chunks. “Do you have any leads on him at all?”

Thick arms crossed. “Huh. You think to hunt him, pup?”

The glare transferred to the older youkai towering over him. “Of course I’m going to hunt him. He’s threatening the city, isn’t it he?”

Once again, Bunzo gave eyebrow gave an irritating lift. “He’s threatening the Alliance, pup.” A pause. “Or did you mean your Kagome?”

He gritted his teeth. “If he’s behind the rogue attacks, then he’s threatening the city--and that threatens Kagome. Are you going to help me or not?”

Bunzo’s knowing stare lasted a minute longer before he relented. “Well,” he frowned out into the surrounding trees. “I may know someone who possibly will be able to tell me something useful. Perhaps.” He nodded at the wood he’d thrown at InuYasha’s feet. “Take those into the kitchen and stay with Fina until I return.”

“Stay? But…” Surprised, he darted a glance at the sun. “I can’t stay.”

“He lives not too far from here. I’ll be back soon.” His glower deepened ominously. “Or did you really think I’d let you leave without seeing my mate?”

InuYasha knew better than to protest, or he might not get whatever information Bunzo came up with. “Damn.” He snatched up the few pieces and started for the back deck, snapping behind him without bothering to turn around. “Just hurry up, will ya?”

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The kitchen was the second largest room in the place, with a variety of appliances for cooking and storing food, and plenty of light from a series of windows facing out over the cliffs. A set of swinging doors led from the kitchen out into the main dining hall and bar, where the customers who frequented the establishment ate whatever meal Fina had decided to cook for the day. Information passed through there like a sieve, exchanged over sake and various other forms of alcohol.

When he stepped in through the back entrance, Fina was alone in the kitchen, looking the same as she always had, red hair tied up, apron shielding her clothes. She flitted energetically around her generous workspace, expertly keeping track of the various pots on the stove, and whatever was on her cutting board by the sink, humming some song under her breath.

She didn’t notice him right away, so he just stood by the entrance, waiting for her to turn his way. When she started singing, a small grin tipped his mouth. As far as he knew, Fina had three great loves--singing, cooking, and Bunzo. While he’d stayed here, one of his many tasks had been helping her in the kitchen while she cooked, and she’d sung all the time then, too. Mostly children’s and love songs, although the only reason he knew that is because she told him--all of her songs were in French.

She finally turned towards the refrigerator and stopped in shock, her green eyes widening. “InuYasha.” The wooden spoon in her hand fell to the floor, and she blinked down at it, then bent to pick it up. When she straightened, a smile had replaced her surprise. “It’s good to see you, little one. And so soon after your last visit.” She looked him over, noting the wood in his arms with some surprise, before her eyes went to the door behind him. “You didn’t bring your Kagome with you?”

He rolled his eyes at the disappointment she didn’t even try to hide. “My Kagome has other stuff to do than come all the way out here.”

“Oh.” Her gaze fell distractedly. “That’s right; she’s a doctor, isn’t she? What a shame. I was truly hoping to speak with her.”

“Feh.” His own gaze drifted around the kitchen uncomfortably, not at all sure he liked the thought of Fina discussing anything with Kagome. “You gonna tell me where to put these, Fina?”

“Hmm?” Fina’s eyes jumped back to his before focusing on the wood. The dimple in her chin reappeared with her smile. “Have you been gone so long that you’ve forgotten, little one? We don’t keep the wood in the kitchen.”

Oh, yeah. Fighting an embarrassed blush, he retraced his steps out the door, irritated that he’d failed to notice the woodbin sitting against the wall just outside. Shaking his head, he went back inside.

Fina had rinsed off her spoon and returned to her pots, but he could tell her attention was on him as he leaned back against the door. “And where is Bunzo? He was the one I sent out for firewood.”

“He’s,” he hesitated, “visiting someone. I’ll be around until he gets back.”

Fina nodded. “He didn’t give you a choice, did he?” She picked up another spoon, and dipped it into the pot she was stirring.

He snorted, refusing to answer.

She was facing away from him, so he couldn’t see her face, but her voice held her smile. “Well, I am pleased to see you. It’s been a very long time.”

Golden eyes swept across the room. “This place is the still the same.”

“Yes, but you are not.” After sipping at the spoon, Fina set it aside, and reached for a small container of herbs. “You have come quite a long way from here. A hunter for the Alliance. You are much stronger. And now you have your Kagome. Are you content yet?”

He didn’t look at her, and still he refused to answer.

She gave him a startled look. “She…is the girl, isn’t she?” His expression turned mulish, and hers turned stern. The wooden spoon came out of the pot, dripping with liquid as she brandished it at him like a weapon. “Don’t start with me, little one. I knew your mother quite well, InuYasha. You know very well that I heard all about everything. I cannot tell you how concerned she was about those dreams of yours. This Kagome…she is the girl, yes?”

For a moment, he stared in disbelief at the wooden spoon pointed so threateningly at him. Then, with an aggravated huff, his glanced at the ceiling. “Would I have brought her here if she wasn’t?”

Fina’s features softened immediately into a slight smile. She turned back to her pots and replaced her spoon. “No, you wouldn’t have. I just wanted to hear you admit it.”

“Keh.”

“She is very beautiful, and seems very gentle. I think your mother would have liked her very much.”

He lapsed back into a brooding silence, and she started humming again. It was a game they’d often played over the years. She would force brief spurts of conversation from him, and then seemed content to stand in silence. Or sent him off to do chores.

He shifted uncomfortably. “You got something for me to do, or am I just gonna stand here the whole time?”

“Hmm.” A finger rested on her chin. “The fire in the dining area is looking weak. You could take some of that firewood out and stoke it.”

“What?” Rolling his eyes, he turned for the door again, grumbling. “You couldn’t have told me this before I put it outside?”

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“…for two thousand yen. By the end of this week.”

Kagome was surprised to hear Miroku’s voice drifting back from the reception desk as she finally got her dinner break at around eight-thirty. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously and her steps slowed as she made her way down the back hallway. Two thousand yen?

“Wow. You have that much confidence in him?” That was…Miso?

“No. I’ve got that much confidence in her. Letting other creatures suffer isn’t in her nature.”

“Hmm. I never thought of it that way…I just don’t think she can resist. You should have seen them this morning. He didn’t look like he was suffering.” She sounded shrewd…and flirty. Kagome couldn’t prevent the momentary roll of her eyes. If she wasn’t absolutely certain of Miroku’s devotion to Sango, she’d walk right out and slap him for her. She might anyway. Miroku had never been completely immune to the attentions of a pretty…wait a minute. Two thousand yen for what?

“Believe me,” Miroku’s voice held complete confidence. “He’s suffering.”

They couldn’t be talking about…this time, the red in her face came more from fury than from embarrassment. She marched out of the hallway to find Miroku casually leaning against the raised counter of the front desk, where Miso sat in front of her computer screen, taking advantage of the small lull in emergencies. A thick pile of cash sat next to her, to which Miso was happily adding several more bills.

Kagome propped both hands on her hips, incensed. It was one thing to be the subject of a betting pool at work. It was quite another for one of her closest friends to join in. Besides…He’s betting against me?… it was kind of depressing, too. “Ahem.”

Miroku looked up in surprise while Miso just angled her head around with a grin. “Kagome! You’ll be happy to hear that the odds are now twelve-to-two in your favor. I’m guessing not very many people saw you two outside today.” She wriggled her eyebrows, a favorite habit of hers. “I have the feeling I’m going to make a lot of money off of you.”

Sighing, she decided to ignore Miso in favor of grilling Miroku. She started with a glare. “Just what do you think you’re doing?”

“Come now, Kagome. It’s just a friendly little bet.” He held up his hands in a placating gesture, his gaze flitting nervously to the pile of cash. “You can’t really expect me to pass up such a sure thing, can you?” When her glower only got worse, he sighed and dropped his hands. “Never mind. I’m here to take you to dinner.”

“Dinner?” Surprised again, she glanced at the giant wall clock in the--mostly deserted--lobby. “Uhh…” She was supposed to get two breaks and a lunch every shift; but when, and even whether, she actually took them was entirely dependant on the patient flow of the day. Thanks to the rogue incident last night, today had been especially busy, and with all the broken bones and stitches, she hadn’t even gotten a break yet. He could not possibly have known it would slow down now. “How long have you been waiting here?”

Miroku‘s head tipped as he glanced around for the clock. “About an hour. It’s not really a bad thing. For a private clinic, you certainly get some strange types in here. Not too long ago, there was a large bull youkai taking up three chairs, and carrying his horns in his hands.” He gave a perplexed frown, and an ‘oh well’ shrug. “He said they’d gotten torn off while he was fishing. I’ve actually been quite entertained.”

Kagome rolled her eyes. “Uh-huh. It’s been a madhouse all day. But that still doesn’t explain why you’re here.”

He gave her his easy-going smile. “I told you, I’m here to take you to dinner. Sango sends her regards. She wanted to come herself, but she’s locked up in a family meeting.”

“Oh.” Somehow, she’d been expecting him to say…something else. “Sango sent you?”

His dark eyes flashed with laughter. “Well, Sango and a certain mutual friend of ours. Seems they’re both worried about you.”

She blinked. Mutual…“InuYasha?”

Miroku grinned again and reached down to snag the phone from his belt. “He messaged me a little while ago. He’s elsewhere at the moment, and wanted me to make sure you’re ok.” He waved the phone at her, his tone sheepish. “You know, he uses these things so rarely, sometimes I forget that he actually knows how. He always manages to catch me by surprise with it.”

She blinked again, the disappointment in the back of her brain vanished. InuYasha is worried… “Oh.”

Miroku shared an amused glance with Miso. “I see what you mean. Maybe I should have made that three thousand.”

She grinned back amiably. “Feel free to increase your amount.”

Cheeks heated, Kagome resumed her glare, this time at Miso. “How about he doesn’t?”

“How about we go to dinner now? There’s a place that serves some excellent sweet-and-sour pork just a few blocks away. My treat.”

Kagome bit her lip, then glanced at Miso. “Well….” She was hungry, but she didn’t want to leave if she might be needed.

The younger nurse just waved her hand carelessly. “Oh, go ahead. We haven’t had anything even resembling an emergency in hours, and there are four other doctors on shift. You should be good for at least an hour.”

She gave one last glance over the lobby, then turned to Miroku.
“Let me get my purse.”

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The restaurant was very small and intimate, with soft lighting, short tables and cushions for chairs. Kagome sighed as she set her shoes aside and sank down onto the nearest one, leaning her arms against the table. The sounds and smells of cooking and frying drifted out from the back, teasing up the ache in her stomach, reminding her that she hadn’t eaten anything but half a cup of ramen earlier in the day. She glanced around as Miroku ordered for both of them, happy to note that the small number of customers promised a quick return on their food.

As soon as the server left, Kagome focused on Miroku, noting that he was in his normal street clothes instead of the robes that he normally wore at the Alliance. “I’m a little surprised to see you, considering you sounded so urgent over the phone. Did everything go all right?”

“As right as can be expected, considering the circumstances. InuYasha was his usual self, and the Council was the same as always. The entire day has been…somewhat unusual.” Miroku gave a casual shrug. “It reflects badly on the Alliance when the rogues slip through, and last night was a pretty serious event. It just caused a lot of work and hassle.” He glanced around ruefully, rubbing at the back of his neck. “This is the first time I’ve actually stopped to eat all day.”

Kagome nodded. “For me, too. We dealt with a lot of victims from last night’s attack today. The rogues cause problems for everyone, don’t they?” She propped her chin in her hand. “I guess it’s a good thing the Alliance is here to take care of them.”

His dark eyebrows rose slightly, and he looked surprised. “You guess?”

She blushed at his tone. “Well…I never gave it much thought before. The Alliance has just always been around--like the regular government, only less pertinent, because normal citizens don’t affect it at all. I don’t know that much about it, and I never paid much attention. Until recently, it was just a job you and Sango worked at.”

Miroku’s surprise relaxed into a smile of concurrence. “A lot of people think that way. They don’t know anything about the Alliance other than that it protects against the rogues--very few know enough to understand the Alliance and what it’s here for.”

Kagome nodded absently, her finger tracing lines into the polished wood of the table. “InuYasha was telling me some about it earlier--stuff about the rules for the hunters and the other things the Alliance has jurisdiction over in the city. It sounds pretty dangerous.” She stopped abruptly, exasperated heat washing over her feature as she realized she was tracing his name into the wood. Mortified, she buried her face in her palm, curling her errant fingers into a fist. Tracing his name?! Get a grip, Kagome!

Miroku noted the action, but his only response was another indifferent shrug. “Really? The way he acts sometimes, I’m surprised he even knows some of the rules.”

His comment recalled a question that had been stewing in her mind for a while, and she looked up with a frown. “Say, Miroku….” She faltered, chewing on her lip, afraid she might be about to tread somewhere she shouldn’t.

He remained silent, dark eyes patient.

Finally, she sighed. “Well, about InuYasha…he doesn’t really seem to like the Alliance very much.” Actively disliked, was probably a better way to put it. “I don’t understand….”

“Why he works for them?”

She nodded.

A frown wrinkled his brows. “InuYasha’s father, the Inu no Taisho, firmly supported the Alliance and its principle. He was one of the strongest and oldest members of the Council, and he was convinced that, despite whatever flaws it may have, the Alliance was the best way to maintain peace between human and youkai society. For InuYasha, that’s at least part of it. There’s another reason, but…I think you might want to ask him about that.”

She stared at her hands for a moment before raising her eyes to his. “Then…why does he dislike them so much?”

He gave her a strange, probing look. “Kagome…do you know how I met InuYasha?”

She frowned again, and gave a slow shake of her head. What does that have to do with anything? The server returned with their food, surprising them both, and Kagome waited silently while Miroku thanked her for the food, picked up his chopsticks, and poked at the steaming sweet-and-sour pork that he had raved about.

“We were pretty young. InuYasha used to get pushed around regularly by some human boys at the Alliance. He was still small, so he would growl and swipe, but since they were bigger in number and size, they had the advantage. The Alliance has a strict prohibition against fighting within the walls of the compound, and I remember thinking that it was unfair that some of the adults wouldn’t stop it when they saw it.

“I stumbled on them by accident one day. The whole group of them had InuYasha pinned to the ground, and no adults around. The leader, Jin, had a knife out…and he was threatening to cut some of the skin off his cheek to add to his collection of hanyou teeth.”

Kagome almost choked on her first mouthful of rice. She coughed, then looked up, horrified. “What?!”

“Yeah. Apparently they’d made a game of it, hunting him around the grounds like they might a rogue youkai.” He was staring down at his bowl, toying with his food. “InuYasha fought back--he always does--and he managed to hurt Jin, and I got a hold of the knife. I suggested they take their fun elsewhere. That was a problem for them, because, while they didn’t mind hurting InuYasha, damaging my person would have brought most of the Alliance down on their heads.” He shook his head, disgusted. “After that, as long as I was around, they didn’t come near him.”

Kagome shook her head in disbelief. “What about his parents?”

“Izayoi and the Taisho were both important members of the Alliance. If they were on the Alliance grounds, Alliance business kept them busy, so the boys usually caught him alone. And if he did end up with a wound that hadn’t healed by the time his parents saw him, he just blamed it on an accident. Without an accusation, they were helpless to confront anyone about it.”

Her hand fisted again, this time in rage. “That’s…unforgivable.” She seethed her words out quietly, wishing she could get her hands on the boys who had been so cruel. Somewhere deep inside, she felt a stirring of warmth and pressure, expanding outward in a brief flare--so faint, only a small part of her brain even acknowledged it. At the moment, she was too angry too wonder or care.

Miroku looked up sharply. His dark eyes swept her profile carefully, but she didn’t even look at him. She just sat quietly fuming, glaring down at her food.

After a few minutes of silence, he sighed. “You have to understand, Kagome, attitudes are different in the Alliance. Respect is necessary for cooperation, but by virtue of their money and history, elitism is rampant among the families. Youkai and humans may work together as allies, but mixing blood is still considered taboo--not by all of us, but by enough. Whatever intolerance you’ve seen out here is nothing compared to what some in the Alliance had to say about the former Taisho’s decision to mate and marry a human…and InuYasha is the only hanyou ever to be born of the Alliance families.”

Kagome made a vicious stab at the pork in her bowl. “No, I don’t have to understand. And I hope I never do. Does he still face that kind of prejudice? If he does, I don’t blame him for staying away.” She popped the steaming piece in her mouth, then checked, surprised to find it as good as Miroku said it would be.

Miroku looked thoughtful. “Sometimes. It’s not as bad as it used to be, and not everyone looked down on him when we were kids. There were those who stopped the bullies if they saw something, and these days, since InuYasha has come back as one of the top hunters in the city, no one bothers him.” His mouth tightened slightly, and his voice dropped to disgruntled mumble. “Too much…although sometimes they push it.”

She stabbed at another piece, more gently this time. The meat really was very good. “Well, while you’re telling me this, is there anything else I should know? Anything else that might make me want to kick everyone at the Alliance in the shins?”

She expected him to smile at her question, but instead he was quiet again. Her eyes drifted up to find his gaze considering her seriously. “I think you should be asking InuYasha these questions, Kagome. The story that I just told you…well, it’s my story as well as his. It’s not something he’d ever tell you himself. If there’s anything else…you should get it out of him.”

She nodded, looking repentant. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry. I’m just…curious.” Her eyes fell to her bowl. “He seems very…determined. And worried.” She glanced up. “Has he always been so paranoid?”

Something flickered briefly in his eyes, and the beginnings of a smile turned the corners of his mouth. “He does seem rather obsessive these days, doesn’t he? Ever since he met you, hmm?” His smile widened into a grin and he resumed his enjoyment of his food. “I wouldn’t worry about it too much, Kagome. I think that this is probably as normal as you can expect him to be, under the circumstances.”

She frowned, more suspicious of his grin than his words. “Circumstances? Are you…do you mean me?”

His mouth was full, and he took a moment to chew thoughtfully. “You know, for a while when we were little, InuYasha would occasionally tell me about…” He trailed off for a moment, staring at her. Then he shrugged. “Well, he’s always been very tenacious. I’ve never seen him stop once he sets his mind on something. And I guess, since he’s set his mind on you, he feels it’s now his job to…” his smile widened again, “protect you.”

She almost rolled her eyes. Ok, now she just felt like she was missing something obvious. “Is this little talk of ours supposed to reassure me or send me running?”

Miroku dropped his grin for a play at sham innocence. “Now, Kagome. We both know if you wanted to get away, you would have already asked Sango to run interference for you.” His voice dropped to a low murmur. “Not that that helped any.” He stuck a rather large piece of pork in his mouth.

“What was that?”

Raising his eyebrows, Miroku just gestured innocently to his mouth with the chopsticks and shrugged.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~

After Miroku walked her safely back to the clinic, and left her with a cheerful goodnight, the rest of the night seemed to drag by. Kagome checked on several overnight patients, then treated some minor late-night cases, but overall, she was happy to sign out at exactly eleven.

She stopped by the supply room on her way out to pick up her medical bag. Miso--also at the end of her shift--was already there, looking for a coat she swore she’d left in there earlier in the day.

The bubbly nurse grinned and waved as Kagome stepped into the room. “Odds are still in your favor, Kagome, now five-to-fifteen.” She shrugged, then stuck her head in between two heavy cardboard boxes marked ‘bedpans’. “I guess the night shift has even less confidence in your patient-turned-seducer than the day shift does.” She muttered a muted curse, then pulled her head out, glancing at Kagome before she bent over and stuck her head under the metal table where Kagome kept her bag. “Your friend Miroku put another two thousand yen in the pot, though.”

Kagome sighed, and shook her head, resisting the urge to mumble something unflattering about her best friend’s fiancé. She unzipped the large bag, carefully checking her supplies, then shoving her much smaller purse inside. She zipped it back up and shouldered the heavy bag as she headed for the door.

“Oh, Kagome…did you want this?”

She turned to see Miso climbing to her feet, a small, folded square of paper held in her hand. She frowned at it. “What is it?”

Miso extended her hand. “It fell out of your bag.”

“Oh.” Carelessly, she reached out and took it, unfolding it as she bowed her thanks. “Thank you.” She paused, straightening as she read the scribble of ink.

Scrawled in scratchy characters across the slip, were the words ‘Takegawa InuYasha’, and a set of numbers…cell phone numbers? Her eyes widened and her lips parted in another ‘oh’ of surprise as she recalled their argument just that morning. His private phone number…and his family name? A tiny, shocked thrill tightened the muscles in her chest, giving her gooseflesh. Her fingers came up to brush across her open mouth. Had he really…

“It’s from him, isn’t it?”

Her hand quickly fisted around the note at Miso’s question, and the faint flush that had already started grew deep. Her mouth snapped shut, then opened. “It’s…nothing. Just some, uh, information that I needed from a…a patient of mine.”

“Uh-huh.” Miso’s look went from eager to sly. “So that silly blush and grin you sprouted the second you read that thing has…nothing to do with him?”

“No, no.” She hesitated. “No.”

“No it doesn’t have nothing, or no it does?”

“What?” She shook her head, frowning, her thoughts too fragmented to focus on making sense of the question. This wasn’t helping at all. She drew a deep breath, and let it out slowly. “Never mind. Whatever’s in this has nothing to do with you, and I’m leaving now. Good luck finding your coat.”

Miso shrugged, and gave another wave. “Ok. See you soon. Enjoy your day off.” She turned away, mumbling to herself as Kagome pushed out the door. “Now I’m wondering if I shouldn’t change my bet.”

Out in the hallway, she leaned against the wall, pressing her disobedient lips together to keep them from tugging up, one hand going to a cheek that was hotter than it should be. Her pulse was a little high, too. Another deep breath, another deep exhale. She certainly hadn’t expected that. She looked down at the paper still crushed in her hand, then smoothed it out and looked again.

Scratchy, short, impatient strokes. His name. His number. When on earth did he…? She blinked. Her shower this morning. Both he and the bag had been by the door when she came out of her room.

She gave in to compulsion, and a tiny, delighted grin curved her mouth.

Folding the paper over, she tucked it safely into one of the front pockets of her medical bag. A loud ‘aha!’ from the supply room had her hurrying out of the hallway before Miso emerged to grill her some more.

A quick sweep of the area told her he wasn’t in the lobby. She waved a goodnight to the nurse currently manning the reception desk, and headed for the parking lot, her teeth worrying at her bottom lip. She had said she’d be working late, and he’d made her promise not to leave without him. She might be stuck here waiting for him. She pushed open the glass doors, noting he wasn’t lurking behind them, and walked into the well-lit courtyard.

She didn’t notice him at first because he was wearing regular clothes again--jeans, a t-shirt, a jacket--and was sitting on one of the benches. But then he stood, and the silver hair and perky ears drew her eyes like a magnet.…

And just like that, the silly little smile was twisting her lips.

He crossed the short distance between them and stopped in front of her, glancing around the area. “You done already? I thought you were going to work late?”

She shook her head. “Turns out I didn’t have to.” She hesitated. “Miroku was here earlier. He said you asked him to check on me?”

He scowled at the entrance doors. “Yeah. I was out of town and I wasn’t sure I’d make it back in time. But he was supposed to stay with you until I got here.”

She tried to mute her smile as it widened. “He said you’d say that. He also said to remind you of a few things.” She held up a finger and started ticking off the points. “One: he has a life outside of you, including and especially a beautiful fiancée who needs ‘looking after’; two: the rogue scare has been called off as of this evening, so I’m probably not in any imminent danger; and three: that you should be thanking him for even coming all the way out here, not to mention feeding me, so he doesn’t want to hear any complaining about not waiting around for you.”

He didn’t look impressed. “Oh, I’ll thank him all right.” He hesitated. “He fed you, huh?” His gaze went over her features. He took a step forward, his hand reaching for her face. “You look tired.”

Behind them, the door to the clinic flew open. “Kagome, are you going to introduce me to your friend?”

Kagome’s eyes closed briefly. She’d forgotten about Miso. With a tiny sigh, she turned as Miso walked up to join them. “Miso, this is…” she peeked at him from the corner of her eyes, “Takegawa InuYasha.” He gave her a surprised look.

Miso noted the exchange, and a grin played with her features. “It’s very nice to meet you, Takegawa InuYasha.”

He gave a slight wince, and shifted uncomfortably. “InuYasha. I don’t use the surname.” He directed his comment to the nurse; his gaze, however, never left Kagome.

Miso’s gaze slipped between them, and she nodded. “InuYasha. You look even better up close than you did far away.” She bowed. “If you’ll both excuse me, I have things to do tonight. I hope you two have a pleasant evening.” She winked at InuYasha. “Don’t let me down. I have five thousand yen riding on you. Ja ne.” With a bounce of her curls and a wave, she was gone.

“What?” InuYasha stared after her, perplexed.

Kagome rolled her eyes. “That was Miso. She’s one of my co-workers, a nurse here. We generally work the same shift. She, uh, saw you when you dropped me off this morning.”

He blinked, then looked at her skeptically. “Miso?”

She gave an involuntary half-grin. “She’s only half Japanese. Her mother was American and thought the word sounded pretty as a name.” Her grin faded, and she bit her lip. “InuYasha? I found…the note you left in my bag.”

His eyes widened and he shrugged, then awkwardly shoved his hands into the pockets of his brown leather jacket. “Yeah, well, no big deal. All you had to do was ask.” He hesitated. “Takegawa was my mother’s name. My father didn’t have a surname, so I got hers when I was born. I don’t really use it, so I didn’t think about it before.”

She nodded, a tiny frown forming between her brows. His mother? Miroku’s parting advice from earlier in the evening rang through her head. Get him to tell you about his mother. Listen to what he says. Well, he’d definitely just talked about his mother, but for the life of her she couldn’t discern any hidden meaning. What had Miroku meant by that, anyway?

He frowned at her frown, head bending forward to look her in the eye. “What’s the matter?”

She focused on his eyes, and her face cleared as her mind filed the bit of information away for later analysis. Instead, she smiled and shook her head. “Mm-mm. It’s just…” Impulsively, she stood on tiptoe and brushed her mouth against his in a soft, butterfly kiss. The same electricity that any skin-to-skin contact seemed to garner passed between them, but she ignored it and drew back quickly, unwilling to let him make it anything more. She was immensely satisfied to see she’d surprised him twice in one day--his left ear had cocked at a funny, downward angle as he stared at her. “Thank you.”

He didn’t say a word as she shifted her bag over her shoulder. She could literally feel his gaze on her face, and she cleared her throat as her pulse gave another uneven jump. “It’s late. We should go.” She started to turn away.

His hand, darting out to wrap around her upper arm, stopped her in her tracks. Gently, the pressure of his fingers and palm tugged her back around to face him. His eyes, focused so intently on her, seemed less human in the yellow cast of the parking lot, and her lips parted slightly to help draw breath into suddenly tight lungs.

He didn’t move a muscle. “Kagome…are you sure the orphanage is where you want to go tonight?”

The deeper than normal rasp of his voice hit her like a punch in the stomach, and it took her a minute to realize what he was asking. Then she sucked in another breath.

She surprised herself. No blush. No stutter. Just a sincere, direct gaze, and a gentle nod. “They’re sick, InuYasha. I need to be there.” Her expression was calm, but her eyes were cautious and pleading. Not yet. I’m not ready yet.

After a few seconds more of that intense stare of his, his hand loosened its grip and slid up over her shoulder, slipping under the strap of her bag and sliding it away from her arm. She watched him quietly as he slung the bag securely over his own shoulder. Then he looked at her, simply waiting.

She sighed, both relieved and disappointed by the easy capitulation.

On another impulse, she reached out and softly grasped his hand. “Come on. I really need some tea tonight, and I’d like to at least check on the children before I get some.”

His eyes focused on their hands, on her warm palm clasped around his, then rose to meet hers. His mouth curved upward in a tiny smile that thrilled her down to her toes. His fingers curled around hers. She gave a smile in return, and a tug, and they started the short walk to the orphanage a few blocks away.

To fill the silence--not because it was uncomfortable, but because she could--she started telling him about her day. The whole way, she never once let go of his hand. He didn’t seem to mind.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, Kagome was beginning to agree with Miso. Maybe it was time she thought about making a bet of her own.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: Hello, everybody. Quill is very tired right now. Why? Because she lives life in spurts of boredom and excitement, during which the ‘dreaded RL’ only leaves time to write when normal, sane people are sleeping. Good thing Quill isn’t quite sane. (Ask around--anyone will tell you so.)

And, before I forget, three cheers for blackberry! Thanks for catching my flubs (bowl sounds so much better than bowel O.o), and you’re right, message works much better than text. What would I do without you? :D

Ah well, here it goes: Chapter 9, up for your reading enjoyment. I hope you like. Let me know if you have any questions or comments. *crashes onto her bed, unconscious*

Cheers and blessings, ~Quill