InuYasha Fan Fiction / Crossover Fan Fiction / Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Mors Mortis Miko ❯ Something New ( Chapter 16 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

She awoke with the sun in her eyes and heat on her neck. Her smile had been awake far longer but she didn't care. She was happy; and sane. Somewhat.

Easing out of the bed, Kagome stood tall and stretched until her bones popped and she felt more alive. Sighing contently, she grabbed her discarded robe and slipped it onto her bare body. Looking out of her window wall, she felt the view needed to be better appreciated. A caress of fresh air greeted her as she opened the balcony doors. She would have told the city good morning, if she remembered the name of it.

Seven months in one location, not hunting for Shippo, not getting hunted by Shippo; Kagome had taken a vacation. After running here, the child demon had hidden in the depths of the city and had been relatively quiet. She didn't mind the reprieve. It gave her time to have fun that didn't involve blood, gore, or danger. She got to enjoy the benefits of city life and a semi social life. Her eyes raked the city in fondness, until her eyes landed on the build board. It still threw her off every time she saw it. Every time she saw any advertisement with her face on it; with her eyes on it. She still couldn't believe she was modeling.

She was modeling; her. All she had been doing was running through traffic. She wasn't quite sure why she had been running. She couldn't even remember what she had been doing before she had darted into traffic. That day seemed to start in the middle of traffic and then she had merely landed on his hood. He said she had given him the fiercest, most hauntingly beautiful stare he could imagine. Later, he unnecessarily told her he peed on himself when they made eye contact. But after she looked at him, and the subsequent urination, he had scooped her off his car and into the world of professional modeling; and all before the cops showed up. After that, her life was a blur, flying across the world, modeling in ridiculous clothing, on ridiculous sets, for amazingly beautiful results. At first she loved it, what girl didn't dream of the grandeur of modeling at least once. She loved it; the flying, the traveling, the fan base. But despite it all, she got bored with it all and always returned to the city. Returned to the city where Shippo hid. Returned to the place where danger awaited. Returned to her bed warmer.

Turning to stare back into the room; back at the sleeping man in her bed, she smiled fondly at him. If it hadn't been for modeling, she was sure she never would have met him. They had been on sight in the park, covered in bronze coloring. They were suppose to be statues come to life. She still didn't understand why; but she had been sitting atop a horse; as the statue of a warrior woman. She guessed. She was never sure on the whole concept, but there she sat, posing like she was ready to decapitate her enemy and parade around with his head on a stick. Suddenly her horse freaked out, frightened by the sudden appearance of the caveman in modern clothes with the bag lady nails. He roared at her, but she didn't flinch. That was how her reputation went as a model. The fearless diva, the model who would go the extra mile to get the picture; do anything, and everything the photographer wanted without blinking an eye. Her fellow models either hated or feared her recklessness, because agencies were more likely to hire her. Besides, she had a gimmick. Her eyes could stop traffic, and then to divert themselves away from the horror plastered everywhere, they would then see the product she advertised.

As the caveman roared, her fellow models, and the crew cowered, but when the other one arrived, the hairy one she called him, they scattered. While the first caveman smelled of violence, rage, and depravity, his brother, she assumed, smelled of violence, rage, and dignity.

"I got to go! Go fetch!"

Surprised by how well the first caveman could speak, Kagome had no time to react before he had smacked her horse on the flank and sent her riding on in a reckless manner. Of course, the hairy caveman that would soon become her lover ran to her rescue instead of chasing his original prey. The horse wasn't stupid enough to stop just because the man pulled on his reigns, he smelled like a straight up predator. The horse freaked out even more, bucking and kicking, both trying to dislodge the insanity from his back and escape the danger at his side.

"Stupid animal!" he had growled savagely, his feet sliding across the grass as the beast ran for it's life.

She sat quietly atop the horse, watching and wondering what the man was going to do; then he did it. The man's vertical leap was amazing. She could only stare in wide eyed amazement as he jumped into the air like…hell, she didn't know what he was jumping into the air like, it was just fantastic. The power, the grace, the accuracy. His jump took him up and over her head, yet he managed to snatch her from her seat and on the downward descent, he flipped so that he landed on the bottom.

After this initial meeting, where they didn't really speak, Kagome's interest was piqued. It wasn't until a week later that things really got set off. She had been standing outside, with the other models, waiting on the limo to take them home. She had been standing apart from the other girls when a figure on a motorcycle sped it's way around traffic. She paid it no mind until the slipstream attacked her. Bringing with it, the scent of a predator.

She took after him then, ignoring the calls of her associates, the honking of horns, and the squealing of tires as she ran off into traffic. She kept on running, using her nose and traffic to track him down. She wasn't sure how long she had been following his trail, but once she found the parked bike outside of a bar, it was night and her feet ached. The rest played out like a classic movie. She walked into the bar and all was silent as every eye turned her way. She let a small smile grace her face as she adjusted her designer sunglasses. She scanned around the room through a haze of smoke, drunks, and people trying to forget, and then she saw him. He sat in a booth all of his own, his head down as he tried to drown himself in his liquor. She sauntered over to him, her eyes on his prone figure. As she sat down across from him, he looked up in surprise. Who would dare bother him; invade on his personal space? She smiled at him and introduced herself. 'Hi, my name is Kagome.' she told him. 'And you better be as good as you smell.' And the rest was one for the books.

With a wide smile on her face and humming softly, Kagome left the balcony and entered the bedroom again. But instead of stopping and risking waking up her friend, she walked straight into the bathroom and filled up a cup with water. Going back over to the bed, she hovered over him for a second before dumping the water onto his neck.

He woke up wildly, swinging his arms and growling. After a moment he realized he was wet and that she was standing over him. He stared at her with sleep filled eyes then groaned as he put his head in the pillow.

"I thought I smelled bitch." he said gruffly as he rubbed his face.

She got a start every time he cursed, and this time was no different. She gave a little jump and widened her smile. "Why are you still here? Didn't we already have a talk about you out staying your welcome?"

He groaned in annoyance, practically growling as he sat up to stare at her. "Do we have to go through your psychosis every time I stay over?"

She ignored him and shook her head. "I don't even know why I let you in. Must be a combination of pity and ignorance."

At this, he stood to his full height, towering over her, and stepped his naked body into her personal space. The grin he gave her was a reminder of 'why' she did always let him in.

"You know damn well why you let me in." He told her, his voice low and husky as he placed a hand on her hip.

Grinning back at him, Kagome glanced down at his why, which wasn't far seeing as how her head just came up to his chest, and back into his face and shrugged with an aloofness that lacked devotion.

Turning from his touches, she walked towards the bedroom door. "I guess now, I'll have to call security and tell them that there is a seriously delusional man in my apartment." as she left the room, she heard him curse and growl at her. Walking down the hall and trying not to laugh aloud, a sudden commotion had her turning around. Still naked, he came storming down the hall to catch up with her. Passing her up, she watched as he first went into the kitchen and then into the living room.

Just as she was about to ask him what he was looking for, he confronted her. "Where he hell are my clothes?"

"Let's think; I don't want you in my apartment, you're unwelcome in my home, yet again..."

"Where are my clothes?" he growled.

Not bothering to open her mouth, Kagome pointed to the door; that lead out. Shoving pass her, he opened the door and looked around for his clothes. Spotting them a little ways down the hall he went after them, but as he tried to get back inside, he found Kagome standing in the door frame.

"Why do you keep doing this?" he asked her, his voice curious.

"How else do you expect me to get you out of my hair?"

"I think you just like to watch me walk around naked in your place."

Kagome backed up and shrugged. "Could be." she answered truthfully, and as he made to enter the apartment, she slammed the door in his face.

Hearing him cursing and growling on the other side, she finally let herself giggle at him. The man was so fun to tease. After the cursing died down, she turned around to find that Miroku had decided to show himself.

"Are we to go search for Shippo today?" he asked her calmly.

"Not yet." she told him, and that was it. He didn't push it, he didn't show disapproval, and he didn't really do much of anything these days.

As of lately, Miroku had gradually shut down. He stopped eating, sleeping, and breathing. He didn't laugh anymore and seldom smiled. He grew stoic and distant, and only spoke when asked a question, or when he felt it would be beneficial. He had become a living statue, he was handsome, cold, and immovable. He had become an angel. Yet what he lost in personality and liveliness, he made up for with power and neat little tricks. Like the ability to disappear and reappear at will. When he was present, the holy power that radiated from him was enough to have demons and other dark beings scurrying from his presence like roaches when you switched the light on.

"Do you need anything of me?" he asked, as he watched her walk away from the door stand before him.

"Yes, look at this." with a snap of fabric, Kagome had snatched open her robe and flashed her angelic friend.

His eyes raked her body, but there was no perverse grin, no lecherous glint in his eyes, and his hands didn't get involved in the examination. He didn't even flinch at the sudden assault to his eyes. "Yes, you seem fine. No bruising despite your friend's roughness."

Kagome deflated slightly. She wanted her lecherous guardian angel, not this perfect statue of gentleness. She stepped up and wrapped her arms around him while lying her head on his chest. No heartbeat, no hug in return; only a cold, warm shell.

Logan took this time to open her door. "Did you steal my belt?" he asked, but after seeing her half dressed and standing in the middle of the hall, he grinned a predatory look at her. "Did you miss me already?"

Kagome was silent as she stared at him, squelching her distress at the state of the now departed Miroku. Cocking her head to the side, she looked at the muscular, wild haired man in confusion. "Do I know you?"

"Forget it!" he growled, slamming the door and leaving her alone to her thoughts.

~____~

Kagome was dumbfounded.

Sitting in the front cave entrance, she could only stare as her son ran around, up and down, and back and forth. He couldn't walk, talk, or even stop to use the bathroom. Yet he could run around on all fours and knock his head on the cave walls without batting a tearful eyelash.

The front cave was used as a sort of leisure room. Where the other demons and wolves could lounge, nap, or socialize with the safety of the cave and with access to sunshine. She was just glad Atreyu had others children and pups to play with. She loved her son and mate, but with the two combined, she was wiped out. When Kouga wasn't trying to extend the immediate family, Atreyu was up and restless. She had come to appreciate playtime with the others pups. This meant for a tired out Atreyu at night and more rest for mommy. When daddy wasn't making himself known.

Knowing that the other mothers were watching the children, and Kouga was out terrorizing the country side; Kagome tried for one of the new in between, mommy naps she had discovered. They were wonderful and she deserved them. Sensing easy prey, the little ones advanced. They crept, and crawled, and stealthily stalked her, but once she began to stir, they flipped out and attacked. Barking, yipping, and giggling; Kagome disappeared amongst an avalanche of fur and tanned skin.

None of the other mothers wanted to immediately deal with their hyper-active pups and sacrificed their alpha to the mercy of the litter now nipping, biting, and licking at her. It wasn't until an older wolf entered the cave and growled at them did they finally retreat. Kagome lay where she had fallen, too tired and wounded to move, but as the wolf loomed over her and growled a few choice growls, she sat up and smiled. It would seem she had company coming.

Since having the human Kagome come to live with them, the wolves had 'acquired' certain items to make her feel more at home. She was sure by 'acquiring' they were actually pillaging and ransacking travellers, but by the time they came back, it was too late and she did need some of the treasures they brought back. It was one of these gains that she sent for as she stood up to greet her guest. Brushing dirt from her furs, Kagome tried to make herself look presentable before heading to the mouth of the cave. She didn't get far before someone realised mommy was moving and ran to intercept her. Swooping the little prince up, Kagome tried to wipe his face clean, only to get growled at and made to struggle with a wiggling child. Once there was some resemblance of a child in her arms, she stopped and waited patiently.

After a few minutes, of which Atreyu was becoming restless, the little prince stuck his nose in the air and sniffed before bouncing happily and spewing Gerber baby talk. A few seconds later, Kagome's nose told her what her son already knew, and then smiled as her friends came in sight.

Trudging up the mountainside, they paused at the sight of her. As smiles erupted on to their faces, they quickened their steps and called out to her. Inuyasha and Kikyo kept trudging, though there was a small smile gracing his lips.

Shippo was the first to reach them, and he practically bowled her over as he hugged her. She heard him grunt slightly as he tried to lift her. She said nothing about his attempt. Having grown taller and stronger, Shippo had been attempting to prove himself a great and powerful demon. Be that by showing off his strength or attempting to fight the other boys, ahem, men, he came across.. Bending over, she placed a kissed on his head and hugged him back fiercely. She had missed the little man.

Gurgling in her ear and an earthquake in her arms brought her attention to the child in her arms who was trying to get to his older friend.

"Well I'm sorry." Kagome said as she handed the child over.

"Hey, Trey!" Shippo greeted loudly as he held the small boy and tried not to get bitten.

In moments the whole gang had arrived and Kagome had hugged and greeted everyone. They retreated into the cave and sat near one of the smaller hearths where the contraband tea kettle and cups awaited. As they got comfortable and began to talk, Kagome asked Shippo help her tire out her little man by playing with him until he passed out. The grown ups talked and talked. Telling of each others latest doings, passing Kagome the newly acquired shards that needed purifying and just enjoying each others company. As the sun traveled farther away, Kagome even broke out the Ol' Ma's special tea, which had them all laughing and smiling, Sango even forgot to cringe when a pregnant demon had come to speak with Kagome briefly. Being used to the tea, Kagome's head was clearer and smiled at the memory of discovering Sango's fear of childbirth.

As she was present when Kagome went into labor, the strong, resilient warrior had crumbled and dissolved within the first couple of contractions. It made Kagome laugh til this day to remember how Sango had screamed louder than she. Whenever the time presented itself, Kagome would tease her until she couldn't stand it anymore.

With the birth of her son, Kagome found it much easier to be around Inuyasha and Kikyo, and didn't even mind that they were cuddling. She'd also tease them, but Kikyo's lack of humor and Inuyasha being Inuyasha, made her focus most of that part of friendship on Sango and Miroku.

When she voiced to Sango about Atreyu needing another child his age to play with and suggesting that she solve that problem for her. Sango had sobered up and turned slightly green while Miroku, well, she wasn't sure what Miroku's expression said, but it was soon covered by a lecherous glint that had his hand creeping. With a quick slap and another chug of tea, Sango was once again apart of the party.

"Sexy and beautiful mate, alpha to my pack, and mother of my esteemed child and future pups, I have re...oh."

"Kouga's home." Kagome told her friends unnecessarily as they burst into laughter. Having returned from pillaging, harassing, and hunting across the countryside, Kouga arrived to find his wife drinking the Ol' Mas poison and having a good time, with the dog.

Kouga smiled at Kagome's laughter, but as always when Inuyasha was around his mate, Kouga had to constrain his urge to growl, gloat, and just be an ass, as Kagome had previously told him. As the two faced off silently, with Inuyasha on his feet, clutching Kikyo to him tightly, Kouga's upper lip curled up. Dropping the dead ox from his shoulders and onto the collapsing shoulders of a subordinate, he marched to Kagome's side. Swooping down and lifting his woman into his embrace with one arm, Kouga stole Kagome's breath, and what seemed to be her tongue, as he kissed her deeply and passionately.

The kiss was broken by a yelp and a growl as Atreyu decided to chew his father's ankle. Looking down at his, soon-to-be-bloody ankle, Kouga swooped the young prince up with one hand, the boy practically dangling, and held him at eye level. Seeing his son growling and snarling at him, Kouga growled back, and with a bark, shut his son up.

With the arrival of Atreyu, Shippo also returned, looking worn out and down. Leaning against, Kagome's leg he tried to catch his breath while looking up at battling father and son.

With one more defiant growl, Atreyu seemed to go through some type of psychosis and was happily greeting his father as if he had never tried to take him out. Kouga seemed to be on the same mind set of his son and was happily greeting him back.

"My boy will make a great alpha! Look at him, already trying to dominate!"

"If that's what you want to call it." Kagome muttered from her position plastered at Kouga's side as she looked up at her family. "I sometimes wonder about you two, and I flinch."

"Come on!" Inuyasha snapped, glaring at his old rival. "We've got to go set up camp!"

"Oh." Kagome sighed, disappointed that they were ready to leave. "You can stay here for the night. We have spare room. And Kouga doesn't mind."

"Kouga who?" her mate started to say but was quieted by a jolt to the stomach.

With the thought of staying in Kouga's domicile and with pregos walking around, the group declined. Yet, she felt Shippo clutch at her unwittingly. Placing an arm around him, Kagome pleaded for Shippo to stay as the group went to visit Kaede and that they could pick him up again when they headed back out. With only a minor harrumph, Inuyasha agreed and Shippo was hers once again.

"I don't know where he's sleeping, because you know what's going to happen tonight." As the group walked out of sight, Kouga turned to leave after his troop, tossing his son on his head, where the little boy was eager to be, screaming enthusiastically as he clutched his father's hair.

"Calm down, you wolf." she reprimanded him with a smile. "And stop wearing my son on your head like a hat!"

"He likes it!" Kouga yelled back as he disappeared into the back tunnels.

"He's going to jump off, I know it." Kagome told Shippo. "And Kouga won't catch him because he won't be expecting it. It's happened twice already."

Noticing that though Shippo had looked excited at first about staying, he was now fidgeting and looking nervous.

"What's the matter?"

Shippo shook his head.

"Don't lie to me, Shippo. My nose has gotten better, you're nervous about something. What is it?"

"Nothing. It's just...what if the other wolves don't like me?"

"Like you? Who wouldn't like you, you're the coolest kid in the world."

He still looked nervous, so she hugged him. "Besides, wolves and foxes are close cousins. Not exactly chummy, but family all the same. Besides..." here she forced him to look up at her. "they all know you're Atreyu's older brother."

Shippo went rigid, and Kagome thought maybe she had said something wrong. After a moment's awkward silence, Kagome realized that the other wolves were now disappearing into the back and the smell of food was beginning to waft into the air. "I'm hungry, are you hungry?"

Without waiting for a reply, she gently nudged him til he began walking. She began leading him into the back tunnels that lead into the interior of their mountain keep. They hadn't gone far before Shippo finally spoke.

"What did you mean?"

She made a questioning noise.

"What did you mean that I was Trey's brother?"

"Well I had always thought of myself of a surrogate mother to you. I know you might have thought of me as a sister, but I always thought of you as my son. My cute, little, adopted, demon son, but a son nonetheless."
Shippo was silent as they continued to walk.

"I know I could never replace your real mother, but I had hoped that, one day, you might think of me as a substitute."

"You're too young to be my mother." he told her, striking her in the heart as he did.

"My mother died a little while after I was born. Daddy raised me by himself until he was killed." He stopped and Kagome stopped with him. Turning to face her, he sniffed and rubbed his nose before launching himself into her stomach for a ferocious hug. "You're the only mother I know."

~______~

She hadn't realized she'd been crying until the breeze made the tracks cold on her face. Sighing, she refocused her gaze onto the city and wiped the tears away. She had come out to sit on her balcony to rest from her tiring day of being feared and admired. She had come to realise, that besides Logan, she had no connections to this world. No friends. No random group of strangers to harass and drive crazy, yet build an unwanted bond with.

She realized that with her other acquaintances, she had attracted the group of misfits. Powerful. They all were strong and powerful. Warriors with effusive pasts and backgrounds. There were others like that in this world. She knew because the wind would send a waft of their souls filtering past her nose. They were out there, and just waiting for her to find them. So she could screw up their lives some way. But she didn't go look for them. Hell, she never went looking for them, but they would always cross paths. Not this time. No, this time she would be good. She would leave them alone. Except for Logan. He fit the souls she was attracted to. Yet, she hadn't tried to figure him out or what made his smell so intoxicating. She wasn't sure what he did outside her bed. She didn't know where he lived or where he spent most of his time. She didn't even know how old he was. By not prying, she kept herself at an emotional distance. She guessed Death approved of her recluse because she hadn't felt his tell tale shiver down her back.

She wanted to go dancing.

A sudden presence made her look to the right, where she found a little red haired boy perched on her balcony and grinning at her. The smile would have been cute if his eyes weren't demonically black, if his skin had a healthier glow, if his veins hadn't been bulging and wiggling under his skin like worms, and if his teeth hadn't been as sharp as knives. Who was she kidding? That smile was still cute. She grinned back at him.

"Hey, Kiddo." she called out.

"Hey, Kagome!" he yelled back in delight as he landed on the terrace and began looking around eagerly. "You're really high up."

"What you been up to?" she asked him.

"I've been watching TV!" he replied enthusiastically, hopping up and down as he told her of all the fantastic shows he had discovered. She watched him talk animatedly about which ones were his favorite and which ones he hated. She smiled at him and laughed once he got onto the topic of every child's delight. Cartoons. Giggling, Kagome forgot about killing Shippo. Forgot that Shippo had caused the death and destruction of many families, and forgot that when he wanted, he could torment her to the brink of breaking. For a moment, she could see the little boy who had been her first child. Her adopted son.

The sound of breaking glass broke her happiness and brought her back into reality. In a fit of sudden rage, Shippo had broken one of her windows. Grabbing a large shard, he pounced onto her chair and loomed over her with the shard mere centimeters from her eye.

"Don't you look at me!" he yelled angrily. He raked the shard across her face, and if she hadn't had jerked back, he would have cut across her eye.

"Who the hell are you?" he made another swipe at her face, but she blocked the shard with her hand and kept it from her face.

"Those aren't Kagome's eyes!"

"Oh." Realizing what had set him off, Kagome reached out with her free hand to the table beside her. She knew what had happen. It happened a lot when she had been under his control. Shippo hated her eyes.

"Is that better?" She asked, producing her designer sunglasses and slipping them over the monstrosity that had garnered her fame. Once the offensive organs were hidden behind dark glasses Shippo stilled. Only a slight tremble of his upper link showed the anger and rage that had stricken him. But as her eyes were covered, he calmed and finally perked up as if nothing had happened.

Kagome waited until he was happy and back onto the topic of cartoons, before she wiped the blood from her face and hand onto her sundress. If Shippo was going to act like nothing happened, she too would do the same. Why disrupt him and his happiness?

They continued to talk, or Shippo continued to talk, about cartoons and she agreed with anything he said. She loved him.

"Hey, Kagome?" he suddenly called out, looking at her with a steely look.

Though he couldn't see, Kagome turned an eye to him.

"Do you want to fly with me?"

"Fly?"

"Yeah!" he said excitedly as he grabbed her hand and pulled her to the edge of the balcony.

Hopping up onto the rail, he tugged on her hand. Closer to the edge, with Shippo egging her on, her beloved city view seemed to scream at her, seemed to try to draw her over the edge. The noises seemed to intensify and her building seemed to tilt over. Yet, she climbed on to the rail, along side him. She had taken off her heels when reclining in the chair, and was glad she had. She was nearly sane, but not enough not to have tried to climb onto the rail in her heels.

"Ready?" he asked her with glee.

"Always." she told him before he began to countdown.

"1."

She had her qualms about this.

"2."

Whatever. She had always wanted to fly.

"3."

She jumped, hand in hand with Shippo, but as her feet left the rail, there was a buzzing from her apartment. She had a visitor.

As she began to make her descent, she hurriedly grabbed the lip of the terrace and kept herself from falling. What the hell was she thinking? She would have survived, but that shit would have hurt. Delighted laughter brought her attention upward where she saw a pink balloon floating happily over her head.

"It was almost like Wile E. Coyote." he laughed happily. "All you needed to do was flap your arms."

Kagome didn't laugh as she struggled to pull herself up.

"By, Kagome!"

"Where you going?" she asked as she finally crawled over to the safer side of the balcony, ignoring the buzzing over her concern for Shippo.

"I'm going to find another house to watch cartoons in."

"Oh." she muttered as she put her strappy heels back on.

"Don't worry." he told her as he began to drift off. "I'll see you again soon."

Kagome said nothing as she watched him float away. As she watched him, her eyes caught sight of her billboard figure and with a jolt, she rushed into the apartment, over the broken glass, and to the intercom.

"Who's there?" she asked.

"Who else?" she heard a gruff voice call out.

"Oh I don't know." she teased. All thoughts of Shippo being replaced by thoughts of a hungry predator at her door. "I have so many admirers. Which one might you be?"

"The one that makes you..." and anything else he was going to say was replaced with a feral growl, and she shivered. She buzzed him in and she knew that he would be there in less that five minutes.

Smiling, she looked at the blood on her dress and remembered the broken glass in her bedroom. Choices, choices and so little time. By the time Logan made it to her apartment, he opened her unlocked door to find her waiting for him in nothing but bra, panties, and some sexy, strappy heels.

"Was I the one you were expecting?" he asked, tossing his jacket onto a chair in the living room as he approached her.

"No." She answered, pulling him close an walking him backwards into the living room. "But you'll do." and with that said, she pushed him down onto the floor, and kept his mind off going to the bedroom.