InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Beside You in Time ❯ 1780: New York City ( Chapter 10 )

Beside You in Time

She stood on the top of the stairs as the guests arrived. The children fidgeted beside her, their fingers grasping at the banister as they watched the men in their red coats and the ladies in their imported silk dresses float down the hallway towards the parlor. The hum of voices filled the house as the candlelight flickered against the dark wood of the walls.

Kagome felt the squeeze of her plain, muslin dress around her ribcage. "Jacob," she murmured, touching the little boy's shoulder. "A gentleman never leans." She saw his sister's snicker and added, "A lady never takes delight in the errors of others, Helena."

The girl set her jaw, but lowered her eyes to the floor. "Yes, Miss Hawkins," she said, her voice stiff with contempt. She was still angry at her governess.

Kagome studied Helena's bent head. Her dark curls fell to her waist and were tied back by a single, red ribbon. She hadn't been permitted to pile those curls on top of her head in the newest styles for the party - it had been the first time she had wanted to join in on the celebrations, but Major Oliver DeLancey had forbidden the mere idea of his twelve-year-old daughter mingling with his military cohorts before her official introduction into society. It had been left up to Kagome to relay the news, however. As usual. It hadn't gone over well with the young girl.

"Jacob, I was serious," the miko said as the boy continued to put his weight on the banister.

The eight-year-old stood straight, but pitched forward again when the front door opened to admit more guests. "Lena!" he whispered.

Helena turned a reproachful eye to her little brother. "What?"

"Major André is here! Look!"

Kagome and Helena both snapped their heads up to see the young officer appear the doorway, already attracting his customary gaggle of women. Helena sighed, and Kagome frowned. "Disgraceful," she muttered, looking between the young girl and the major. "Lena, do not pine after men like John André. They only care for the attention, not for the woman that gives it to them."

"Mama says that ignoring a handsome, rich man is like ignoring a shilling in the street," the girl replied.

"You have to stoop down to pick up even the most brilliant of shillings, Lena," Kagome said, putting a hand on each child's shoulder and pulling them back again.

Helena scowled. "Well, even Papa says that Major André works hard for General Clinton."

The older woman raised an eyebrow, not voicing her doubts about that particular interpretation of Major DeLancey's words. "Major André is thirty years old, Lena. You are twelve."

"Thirteen in a month," protested her young charge.

"Ah. Yes, you are most certainly entering your teenage years," sighed Kagome.

Mrs. DeLancey appeared at the bottom step in a silk gown dyed cornflower blue. "Miss Hawkins, take the children to bed," she murmured, wilting a bit with the effort of her request.

"But we haven't seen the General yet!" protested Helena.

"Well," wavered her mother, her hand floating up to her crown of wispy, blond hair. Her eyes were flickering towards the increasingly popular John André, deciding if entering a dispute with her children was worth the time she lost to join the cluster of women around the major.

"I'll take them to bed immediately, ma'am," Kagome said, drawing both children to her side with a small frown. "I wouldn't want them to disturb the party, and it is getting very late."

"Oh. Yes, I suppose you're right," Mrs. DeLancey said. She waved a white-gloved hand at them. "Goodnight, darlings."

"Goodnight, Mother," Jacob replied as Helena slipped into a deeper sulk. "Will you tell us everything the General says in the morning?"

Mrs. DeLancey's large, watery blue eyes flickered towards Kagome for a moment. "Well, I..." She paused and looked back at the guests filtering through to the parlor. "Well, once Miss Hawkins has you both tucked into bed, she'll join us downstairs. She'll tell you everything you want to know."

Kagome suppressed the urge to stare at her mistress and curtsied instead. "Thank you, ma'am. I will be down shortly," she replied, but her mistress had already fluttered back to her guests and, in particular, Major André.

Guiding the children down the dark hallway, Kagome opened the doors to the nursery and to the bedroom she shared with Helena. Millie had already lit the lamps for the children, and fires burned in the hearths, although it was an unusually warm and sticky September. "Will you tell us a story?" Jacob asked as Kagome searched for his nightgown in the bureau drawer of the nursery. At eight, he had long outgrown the need for a proper nursery, but there was always a possibility of more children, and the name stuck.

"Change for bed and wash your face, and we will discuss it," Kagome replied.

"Will you finish your story from this morning?" the eight-year-old asked, once the children were both ready for bed and sitting on the bench at the end of Jacob's crib. "About Julius Caesar?"

"That was a history lesson, Jacob," Kagome pointed out as she plaited Helena's hair so that it would not get matted during the night. "And you already know the ending. We discussed that when we read Shakespeare's play."

"Better than learning French," Helena muttered. "Dunno why we have to learn that. Papa says..."

"The king speaks French," Kagome interrupted, knowing very well what the major said to his children about the French when he thought she was not listening. "It is a fine language, and one that will come of great value when your brother goes to Eton in a few years. And do not say 'dunno'. That is not a proper word for a lady."

She paused and watched the children twitch. "Your mother has asked that I attend that party so that you may hear about General Clinton and all the great things that he will say tonight," she continued. "Tomorrow, we can continue our story of Julius Caesar and the man that he should not have trusted. Do you remember his name?"

"Brutus!" Jacob said.

Kagome nodded. "Very good. And soon, we will talk of Brutus and discover his evil plot." She tied off Helena's braid and stood. "Would you like that story tonight? Or two stories tomorrow about Julius Caesar and General Clinton?"

Jacob struggled for a moment, but Helena shook her head immediately. "We'll have two stories tomorrow, Miss Hawkins," she replied, the bitterness ebbing away from her features. There was a reason that the major preferred his daughter - even at Jacob's age, Helena would not have hesitated to take advantage of what little the situation would give to her.

"Then, go to bed, and tomorrow will come that much sooner," Kagome said, tucking Jacob in and then leading Helena back into their room. Closing the door between the nursery and the small bedroom, she added, "And try not to stay up too late to listen to the party on the stair landing, Lena."

The girl blushed but managed to turn wide, innocent eyes up to her governess. "What do you mean, Miss Hawkins?"

"I'm not your nursemaid," Kagome said, turning away and opening a window for some circulation. "It is my responsibility to educate you, Lena, not to make sure that you have had the proper amount of sleep. However, if you fall asleep in lessons tomorrow, expect to do twice the number of lines as usual for your punishment. That will be the price of paying more attention to the silk dresses of the ladies than to your ancient history lesson."

Helena watched her from beneath her long, dark lashes. "But I can watch from the top of the stairs, as long as I'm not seen?"

"I'm only telling you what will happen if I find that you've spent your time spying instead of sleeping. What your father might do if he discovers you sneaking about, I don't know," Kagome replied.

"I want to go to the parties," Helena murmured, kneeling at the end of her bed.

"You are too old to be the darling child brought out for show," Kagome said, "and you are too young to join polite society. But it will happen sooner than you think."

"Papa will make me wait as long as possible," sighed the girl. "And he scares the young men away. I will never get married!"

"You're a bit young to worry about such things," Kagome replied.

Helena pouted. "I will be twenty-three and an old maid."

The governess raised an eyebrow. "Twenty-three? Is that the point where single women become old maids?"

"That's what Mama says," Helena muttered, picking at her quilt. She paused and looked up at Kagome. "How old are you, Miss Hawkins?"

"Either eternally young or the oldest old maid the world has ever seen," muttered Kagome, earning an odd look from Helena. She shook her head. "I have lived more than twenty-three years, Lena."

The girl chewed on her lower lip. "Are you afraid that you will never get a husband?"

Kagome approached the bed and turned back the covers, waiting until Helena climbed underneath before drawing them up to the girl's chin. "No," she answered at last.

"Why not?"

"Because a strong woman does not need a man to define her," she said. She received another bewildered stare and took pity. "Because, right now, I have more important things to worry about," Kagome amended. "Like you and your brother."

Helena finally gave a faint smile of understanding and leaned back against her pillow. "You will tell us everything about the party, right?" She wasn't letting go.

"Yes, Lena." She went to the door. "It's time for me to join the party and for you to pretend that you are asleep until I've gone downstairs."

Helena sat up again. "You're not cross with me?"

Kagome shook her head. She knew that the young girl sought her approval, as Mrs. DeLancey's was worth so little, even to her children. "I'm not cross with anyone," she replied. "I don't have the energy for that anymore. Now, close your eyes, Lena. Then, I may tell your father that you were nestled into your bed when I left you."

As soon as the girl obeyed, the governess closed the door behind her and descended to the first floor. The guests were pressed in close to the doorway of the front parlor, craning their necks and whispering to one another. She was not the only one that could not hear the measured words of the man who was speaking in the velvet-encrusted parlor - it was probably General Clinton, Commander-in-Chief for North America. He always spoke too softly. But unlike the guests, Kagome did not have an interest in the speech. They were all the same anyway, and even the most senior British officer lost some of his shine when she knew all of his promises of victory would soon be broken.

A spatter of applause followed her as she turned and headed towards the back of the house. Millie, waiting under the stairs in the doorway to the kitchen, found her almost immediately. "I've been waiting ages, Miss," the maid said.

"You should have taken a rest," Kagome replied, her eyes falling to Millie's rounded front. "It's a wonder you haven't fainted yet."

"You get used to it," she muttered.

Kagome pressed her lips together to stop herself from once again protesting Millie's entire situation. The fact was that she was entirely fortunate in her circumstances - a pregnant servant was usually dismissed without a kind word or good reference. But Millie had not always been a servant - she had been married to the milliner down the street. He had gone and died in the war at almost the same instant that she had discovered her pregnancy. It had been Kagome that engineered Millie's placement in the DeLancey home, but she had been unwitting of the restrictions that would be placed on the maid. She was safe from starvation but not shame.

"Come on. Let's move quickly," Kagome murmured, taking Millie's hand and leading her across the hall to the library. "I'm assuming you have it, of course," she added, as soon as the door was closed behind her again.

The maid took her eyes off the pair of children's desks that stood in the middle of the room - quills and bottles of ink were neatly lined up next to small piles of fresh, gray paper. Books lined the walls, stacked two and three deep on the shelves, and the room smelled of their leather bindings. This was Kagome's sphere of influence, where a chamber maid did not tread.  

Millie could not read very well - the prayer book she had received as a wedding present had been memorized from front to back, giving the illusion of skill. The fact that Kagome could read every one of the books in the library, together with the governess's tenacity in gaining her a place in the house, had inspired the maid's fervent admiration. The governess was the only one that knew Millie's husband had died serving in the rebel militia, not in the loyalist regiment as everyone had been led to believe. "Yes, Miss," she said, producing a small, brass key from the pocket of her apron. "Are you sure you want to do this, Miss?"

"We're not much use if I don't," said Kagome, taking the key without hesitation. "And everyone is distracted at the moment."

"No one was in the garden a few minutes ago. But shouldn't you be upstairs with the children, Miss?" Millie asked as she followed the other woman to the door that led out onto the back porch.

"Mrs. DeLancey invited me to join the party so that I might tell the children all about it," murmured Kagome. Millie's eyebrow arched, and the governess nodded. "I know. A bit of a nuisance. I could have made some other excuse for coming down, but I suppose if I find something, I'll be able to pass it along tonight. Keep watch for me. Whistle or something."

Millie nodded, and Kagome slipped out onto the porch. With her full skirts hampering any attempt at stealth, she could only hope that a guest had not decided to take a nighttime stroll in the garden - she was lit from behind by the light coming from the major's study. She knew she would remain on display for the entire time she remained inside the room, as the major's desk stood right behind the French doors.

With a glance back to make sure the maid was waiting and watching, Kagome eased open one of the doors and entered Major DeLancey's study. She had only been in the large room once before, on the day she had been hired. The major had drilled her on arithmetic, history and French as he walked from corner to corner of the room, drawing attention to the luxurious details of his study, such as the velvet cushions and the marble fireplace. It was a monument to the man's pomposity.

The key Millie had given to her turned in the lock of the top, left drawer of his oak desk, and she pulled out the sheaf of papers. She bent over the desk, flipped through the papers with practiced speed and immediately saw that all of the risk might have been for nothing.

"Logs. Accounts. Schedules," she murmured to herself, rifling through the stack. Useful, but it wasn't what she had been looking for, and nothing worth what she was putting in jeopardy.

Just as the thought of being discovered and facing the entire New York officer corps crossed her mind, the door to the main hallway jiggled in its frame. "Ah, sorry, General. I lock it during parties," came Major DeLancey's voice.

Kagome stuffed the papers back into the desk, locking it again with a painful, hurried twist of her wrist. The key in the door turned just as she escaped to the porch once again. Millie was gesturing wildly from her place in the library doorway, but Kagome stopped, pressing herself against the brick wall next to the French doors.

"Miss!" whispered Millie, beckoning to the governess.

Kagome shook her head and pointed towards the tall windows between her and the library door. She would be seen by the occupants of the study - Major DeLancey and at least two other men - if she attempted to move. Instead, she crouched down and turned back towards the French doors, pressing her ear as close the crack between the door and the jamb as possible.

"This is becoming tiresome, André."

"But surely it's worth it, General?" Major DeLancey asked.

Kagome peeked around to see General Clinton pacing in front of the major's desk, as both DeLancey and André stood watching him. André seemed at ease, despite his commander's restlessness. The smirk he wore, together with his strong jaw and aquiline nose, spoke of how often he had been told he was charming and how many women had fallen under his spell for that reason. There was no reason he shouldn't have all the confidence in the world. Handsome, a womanizer and, as head of British intelligence, a spy to boot, he was the war's James Bond.

Beside him, Major DeLancey appeared plain, although he actually had stern good looks when not compared to André's boyish smile. He looked as if he was aware of this disparity - stern had become sulky while Clinton muttered to himself. DeLancey looked remarkably like his daughter at the moment.

"I am not so certain anymore," the General said at last. He thrust the paper he held at André. "Twenty-thousand pounds! As if this obnoxious rebellion isn't costing our king and country enough!"

André roused himself out of his calm and looked down at the message. "But if we manage it, it is worth it," he said, glancing at DeLancey. The smirk almost immediately reappeared after looking away again. "I can talk to him, General."

"Well, I certainly hope so. The arrogant bastard needs to have some sense knocked into him. He's giving us a single fort, not the colonies themselves."

"General," said DeLancey, "it's possible that with this fort, we will be able to cut off Washington from the rest of the colonies. Bisected, the rebellion will fail."

André shook his head. "I can talk to him," he said again.

"Talk to him all you wish, Major," replied Clinton. "I will never trust him."

"But," began André.

"Would you trust a traitor?" cut in the general. "Even one that has decided to side with you?"

DeLancey frowned down at his shoes. "Then you want to refuse the message? To deny his price?"

General Clinton turned his back on his two officers, leaning forward against the desk and showing Kagome the deep frown on his face. "No," he gritted out. "We must accept."

André and DeLancey shot each other a venomous glance. "What about Camden?" DeLancey prompted again, interrupting the other major before he could open his mouth. "Another success like Camden, and we will win this war."

"Camden," muttered Clinton, still keeping his back to the two other men. "No matter what I say out there, to those guests, Camden was an aberration, gentlemen. General Horatio Gates is more of a moron than this one," he said, turning back around and jabbing a finger towards the message again. "But not by much. Gates went toe-to-toe with our best men, including Tarleton's cavalry, with nothing. With untested militia that ran at the first shot! No sane man would ever attempt that again. Certainly not Washington. We know that he's already looking for a replacement for Gates. He would be a fool not to forcibly retire that buffoon.

"No, gentlemen," he continued, "we cannot afford to put aside this offer. We can't forget that this is not just a war against the rebels, but against the other thrones of Europe. I would write off the colonies if I could, but I will not turn down the chance to defeat France, especially on what is rightfully our own soil."

"Of course not. So, what do you want me to do?" asked André.

DeLancey stiffened his spine at his exclusion, but Clinton took no notice. He nodded at his younger major and said, "Go to the fort and agree to the sum. But no higher! And don't leave without a concrete plan of what will happen and when. I leave the details to you, but make certain the fort will change hands soon. The northern army will not be cut off from the middle colonies if we wait too long."
 
"Yes, General. I will ride immediately."

Clinton raised a hand, making André pause. "The bastard has us by the hairs of our chins, André. I know you don't find him as contemptible as I do, but try not to let him see that we're aware of the position we're in and how much power he has."

"Of course, General," André replied, looking serious for a moment.

"Arnold might have the key to our success, not just here, but in Europe as well. Twenty-thousand pounds is nothing in comparison, but I will give up the Almighty himself to avoid listening to his complaints about not getting enough recognition in this army or with the rebels! I don't give a damn about his name or how he will be remembered." He leaned back against the desk. "If you ask me, he will always be remembered as a traitor."

"Really, sir?" DeLancey asked, shifting his weight a bit. He was American-born and Eton-educated - the quintessential traitor in the eyes of the rebel faction.

Clinton nodded and didn't see his officer's discomfort, although André's smirk grew wider. "By some, certainly." He crossed his arms. "Some people will never let go of the ideals of the rebels, even if they do lose."

"Surely you mean when the rebels lose, sir?"

The general studied DeLancey's face for a moment. "Of course." He straightened his back. "André, you have your orders. Until you return, DeLancey will assume your responsibilities. You're dismissed, gentlemen. Let's return to the party, shall we?"

Kagome waited until the three men had left the study and the key turned in the lock once again before she stood up again. Millie was crouched in the doorway of the library, with her knuckles turning white on the doorjamb, when she got back to the dark room. "What was it?" the maid whispered. "I couldn't hear."

"No one could, unless they were next to the door," replied Kagome softly. She padded across the library and crouched down, checking to make sure no shadows fell across the strip of light under the door back to the main hallway.

"Did you find what you needed?"

"No," replied the governess. She frowned. "I heard it."

Millie's eyes widened. "They just came in and said the traitor's name?" she whispered, struggling to keep her voice low.

"Clinton, of all people, slipped. He said it just once, but that was enough." The frown deepened, and she pressed an ear to the door. "We need to get back. They're going to sit down to dinner very soon. Get the key back into place, Millie." Kagome pressed the useless, brass key into the maid's hand and went out into the hallway before she had to speak the name of the traitor. It could not be said - it was almost too much to bear, especially on top of everything else.

She joined the small crowd of people slowly heading to the dining room and found her target immediately. "Mr. Townsend, you saved me a trip by coming tonight," she said, approaching a short, hawk-nosed man who seemed rather out of his element in his plain, gray clothes. He was one of the few men in the room who were not officers in the British Army, but he was a respected merchant and so was forgiven.

"Ah, Miss Hawkins. It's always a pleasure. What was the purpose of this trip?" he asked in a tone that was easy but with sharp eyes.

"Helena adored the hair ribbons you suggested last week. I wanted to thank you for your help," she replied.

"You're very welcome," replied Townsend. "And how are the children in your care doing in their studies?"

Kagome tried to smile, but it came out as a grimace. "You would be very interested, Mr. Townsend. Tomorrow, we will be talking about the betrayal of Julius Caesar, for instance."

A tremor that only the governess noticed went through the man's body. "I see. And do the children know the betrayer? It is a heart-breaking story, after all."

"I'm afraid there are no hearts to be spared," Kagome replied. "They already know Brutus. Just tonight, as I put them to bed, they spoke his name."

They stood in the hallway together, lingering just outside of the dining room as the other guests found their places and had their glasses filled. They had a few more moments, but Townsend seemed reluctant. "Perhaps you can tell me about it later," he said, glancing at the number of people around them. They were attracting too much attention - a governess was above a servant but below a proper lady, and it was surprising to see Kagome's drab dress at the party. Adding the fact that she was a single woman and he was a unmarried male with a small fortune, the glances in their direction were becoming too frequent for either one's taste.

Kagome shook her head. "I'm afraid not. The children are so eager, you see. They know the story. They're so far ahead of me. For them, the betrayal of Brutus might as well have already happened."

"So soon?" Townsend asked.

"I'm afraid I waited too long. They've almost gone ahead without me, and Brutus may have made his deal already, but I hope to catch up." She eyed the gathering guests and decided that she could not linger any longer. "You know, the children prefer the histories and tragedies, but I prefer the comedies, actually. I believe wisdom comes from comedy just as well as tragedy. As Benedict said, 'Friendship is constant in all other things, save in the office and affairs of love.' Those are wise words to live by, don't you think?"

"True, Miss Hawkins, but I believe it was Claudio that said those words."

"Was it?" Kagome raised an eyebrow and gave Townsend a flat look. "It seems much more fitting to attribute that to Benedict instead, but I'm afraid remembering line and word was never my forte."

The merchant paled for only a moment before bowing. "It seems you are quite gifted in communication, Miss Hawkins. Thank you. Shall we sit down?" he asked, gesturing towards the dining room. "I'm quite hungry, and it seems that I will be leaving early to attend to some matters of great urgency."

Kagome took her place at the far end of the table and did not look at her fellow spy again during the meal. The secret had been passed on - soon, the rebels would know that General Benedict Arnold, commander of the fort at West Point, New York, planned to betray them all.

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She didn't say anything when they arrived almost a month later. The sound of boots pounding down the length of the hallway was enough to tell her what had happened - she put aside the arithmetic book, told her two students how proud she was of them, and waited for the soldiers in front of her desk as the children looked on in shock. Mrs. DeLancey had sobbed, mostly wondering how having a spy as a governess would affect her own social standing. Major DeLancey had tried to scream at her, but it had died in his throat, and in the end, he watched in pale silence as they tied a rope around her wrists and took her out of the red brick house that had been her home for three years.

She knew why. It wasn't common knowledge yet, but Benedict Arnold's betrayal of the fort had been foiled. Major John André had been caught crossing rebel lines with detailed plans on how to take the fort and had been hanged as a spy. Arnold had fled and would soon be reviled by the rebels - his name would become synonymous with 'traitor', just as Clinton had predicted.

It wasn't until reached the jail several blocks away from the DeLancey's home that Kagome spoke. "Agent Three-Fifty-Five," she said when asked for her name.

"Is Katherine Hawkins your real name?" the sergeant growled again. He looked up at her. "And what are you? It looks like your father took one of those savages to his bed. You're not dark enough not to have some civilized blood in you."

"I am Agent Three-Fifty-Five," she said again, trying to tamp down the urge to deck the idiot.

The redcoat shook his head and scratched the numbers down in his ledger with his brown quill. "Put her in cell four," he told her guards.

The iron door was unlocked, and she was taken into the cell block, which smelled of human waste and stagnant water. But she hardly noticed the stench - it was the surprise of sensing a demon that overwhelmed her first. Kagome did not particularly relish the idea of being in the same building as the dark and swirling aura, and she was alarmed to see that she would be placed into the same cell as its source. Only then did she struggle. "No. Put me somewhere else!"

"Here or the Jersey," grunted one of her guards, wrapping his large hands around her upper arms as his partner unlocked the door.

"The Jersey any day," replied Kagome, pressing back and planting her feet. She could defend herself from a demon but not without showing exactly what she was to the other prisoners - somehow she imagined that being jailed as a spy would turn out far better than if she started frying creatures with magic.

Her comment startled the guards, but the one holding her shrugged it off and shoved her into the cell. "You'll get there soon enough," he said, locking the door again behind her. "The commander wants to speak with you first."

The cell had no light, save for a tiny window near the ceiling that pointed towards an alley, and three or four figures moved in the dark corners. They stilled when she came in, but one broke apart and advanced towards her - he was a mass of hair and sweat and rags, and he was snarling at her. "Money!" he shouted. "They'll let me out! Just one more coin!"

"Get away from me, demon!" she cried, holding up her hands and preparing to incinerate him.

"Whoa! Leave her alone!" A strong arm broke the air between them and pushed the hairy prisoner back to his corner. "She doesn't have any money for you!"

Kagome took a breath and looked at the newcomer to thank him, when she stopped. "But it's you, not him."

A white grin flashed at her in the darkness. "Ah. You do sense it. I should have known you weren't calling him a demon in the metaphorical sense." The smile widened. "Kagome."

She fell back, clutching at her chest. Not recognizing the face of this demon, there was only one conclusion - this was a shape-shifter. "I won't be so easy to kill as you think!" she cried.

The demon's hands went up, palms facing towards her. "Kagome! I'm not one of them," he protested. "I'm sorry. I forgot, but I was only joking a bit." He shrugged, his smile returning slowly. "I was just happy to see you," he added, suddenly switching to Japanese.

"Who..." She frowned and studied the sparkling, green eyes of the demon. "Shippo?"

The grin reappeared in full force. "Hi, Kagome."

The miko launched herself forward, wrapping her arms around the fox demon. "Shippo! I should have known!" She felt his return embrace and smiled against his chest. "You look so different. I'm sorry!"

"Don't be," he said, shaking his head as he pulled away. "I got stuck like this. When I was captured, I was in disguise. I thought it would be a bit too shocking to see me change back to my normal form in front of everyone. At least, the tail would be too much."

Kagome took him by the arm and angled him towards the small square of light coming in through the window. The blue jacket he wore was dirty and frayed, but recognizable - far more recognizable than the fox demon she had known since his childhood. He towered over her, and his normally red hair had turned black with his fox magic. Only the green eyes still belonged to the little boy she once knew. "French?" she asked, addressing the most surprising feature. "If you were really in disguise, you should have lost the uniform. The British aren't your friends, in case you hadn't heard."

Shippo smiled and switched to the language of his uniform. "I wasn't caught in the act, of course. I'm far too good for that. A fox demon is uniquely qualified for the life of a spy, don't you think?" He straightened his collar. "You didn't think that I would be fighting for the English, did you? You taught me well, Kagome. I know oppression when I see it."

"I'm glad," she replied, "but, Shippo, why aren't you in Japan?" She gave a start and pulled away sharply. "Did Sesshoumaru send you here? To watch over me?"

"From inside a jail cell?" he asked, going back to Japanese. His brow creased deeply. "No. I was about to ask why he wasn't with you."

Kagome shifted and turned her eyes down to the floor. "Oh. Well, I haven't seen him in more than sixty years."

"Sixty?" His green eyes widened. "I thought it physically hurt you to be apart for so long."

"I said I hadn't seen him, not that he hasn't been around. Every ten years or so, I sense him," she said. "He gets close enough to ease the discomfort. He hangs around for a few days, and then, he leaves again. But we haven't spoken. He also sends a number of his lackeys around to check up on me. Those guys are annoying. I've almost fried one or two. I just thought he might have realized you would be much more welcome than the others."

"No, I guess not," he replied. "I was wondering where you were last time I saw him. I didn't have the opportunity to ask, but I guess he's been keeping his own watch on you."

"You saw Sesshoumaru?" she asked quickly. "When?"

Shippo shook his head. "It's been almost forty years for me, I think. I forget. It was right before I left Japan." His expression darkened. "What did he do to you?"

The way he asked the question set off alarms in Kagome's head. "He was Sesshoumaru being Sesshoumaru. Perhaps it was something that I should have expected all along," she answered slowly. "But now, I'm starting to wonder what he did to you, Shippo."

The fox demon moved back, out of the light. A heavy sigh filled the small cell. "Nothing," he murmured. "He saved my life, I guess."

"And that's a bad thing?"

"I'm still deciding that," he replied flatly.

"Shippo," she began.

"He exiled me," he cut in, his tone turning harsh. The aura that she had first felt - the dark and swirling anger that had scared her - flared up again. "I can never return to the Western Lands, on pain of death. And I was strongly advised to stay out of Japan entirely. Sesshoumaru can't really control what his subjects do outside of his borders."

Kagome felt a sharp pain in her heart - blind rage against Sesshoumaru had been such an easy habit to fall into after Tortuga. Now, the once familiar ire flooded her chest, and she had to force it back down before she could speak. "What happened?"

He sighed again, and Kagome glanced around. Her eyes had adjusted to the dark cell and saw why the other end of the space had all of the other occupants - a lone cot was pushed up against the wall. "Let's sit," she said, grabbing his wrist and pulling him over to the small corner of the cot that was bare. The other prisoners sat still and silent, as if Shippo's defense of Kagome had stunned them all. She knew that speaking in Japanese would only heighten their fear, but she could not bring herself to care, although they were probably fellow rebels.

"It's filthy," muttered Shippo, settling down beside her.

"I can't bring myself to care about that," Kagome replied, although she did not let her fingers touch the stained cot. Instead, she took his hand in her own.

"I feel like a child again, running to you about what Inuyasha has done."

Kagome let a small smile touch her lips. "You're not a child anymore, Shippo. You can tell an old friend about it, can't you? What went wrong?"

Shippo's smile looked cynical even in the low light. "Everything went right, actually," he murmured. "I trained with Suoh. Did you ever meet him?"

"Sesshoumaru never invited me to his castle," she replied.

"He's captain of the guard. Or he was, last I saw of him. He was a good teacher," the kitsune continued. "I did well, and I was promoted quickly. It's been what? Two hundred years since I saw you last? I suppose promotion wasn't that quick. But, in general, the lowest ranking guards walk the perimeter of the city, and as you advance, you move deeper into the city and towards Sesshoumaru's castle. The highest ranking officers guard specific people, and when I got to the castle, I was assigned to guard Rin. Everyone thought it would work out well, since we'd been friends as children. You remember."

Kagome nodded. "Of course. But you didn't get along with her?" She watched as Shippo worried at his lower lip and turned his face away. Her heart jumped into her throat. "Or you got along with her a little too well?" she asked, her voice rising.

"It wasn't like that!" he protested, his eyes flashing. "She loved me! And I loved her. Suoh never paid attention to her. She had no one."

"And so you stepped in?" She couldn't help but stare. "Shippo, I never would encourage an affair, but in this case, it's her life! The reason she is still alive is because she's mated to Suoh. She shares his life. You can't tear that bond apart, no matter how hard you try."

"I know that," he growled, pulling his hand away from her. "Do you know how painful it was? I loved her, but I could never have her."

"Something tells me you weren't exiled for flirting, Shippo," Kagome muttered.

His cheeks flushed red. "No. I guess not."

"I'm surprised Suoh didn't kill you!" she said. "Or Sesshoumaru, for that matter. Loyalty is everything to him. Rin is everything to him."

Shippo nodded. "I know. And as bad of a mate as Suoh was to Rin, he loved her too. At least, that's the only way I figure that she convinced him that Sesshoumaru would want to deal with me himself. I think he expected Sesshoumaru to kill me when he got back, and I know that he didn't mind the idea of me rotting in the dungeons for a few decades or centuries."

The flutter of her heart was slowing down now. "But Sesshoumaru didn't kill you."

He ran a hand through his short hair. "It was the first time I had been brought out of the dungeon in about four years. Sesshoumaru spoke to me in front of the entire court. That's why I couldn't ask about you. Although, truthfully, I probably wouldn't have noticed if you were there or not. I was expecting to die at last." He took a breath and pushed it out of his lungs with some effort. "But instead, he said that I had brought shame to his house and the city guard. And then..."

"What?" prompted Kagome as Shippo trailed off.

"Then, he said that he owed a debt, and he would pay it in part by sparing my life. He pronounced my banishment, and I was taken to the border of his lands and left there." He looked at her. "So, perhaps I should thank you for saving my life, Kagome. I can't think of who else it could have been for. It wasn't for Inuyasha or Kikyo."

"Were they there?"

Shippo nodded. "They came as soon as they heard Sesshoumaru was back. I wasn't there when Inuyasha asked him to let me go." He paused and looked at her. "I wonder if he asked about you."

"They didn't go with you to the border?" she asked.

"No. They've been raising orphans together. Kikyo can't have kids, of course. I guess Inuyasha finally felt ready to do something about making her happier, but it doesn't let him travel around much." He suddenly groaned and put his head into his hands. "Are you angry?"

Kagome put an arm over his shoulders and rested her cheek against him. "Oh, Shippo." She closed her eyes for a moment. "I told you that you're not a child anymore. I can't scold you like you stole Inuyasha's ramen. Anyway, I'm surprised, but I'm not angry. As much trouble as it caused, I don't think anyone should judge you for loving someone. Do you still love her?"

"I don't even know if she's still alive," murmured the kitsune. "But yes, I still love her. For years after I left, I looked for some way to undo the bond she has with Suoh. A way that wouldn't kill her, I mean, but I don't think it exists. I think she's stuck with him."

"Perhaps that's for the best."

He gave her a sharp glance out of the corner of his eye. "Weren't you listening? Suoh doesn't give her the time of day! Rin deserves more than that!"

"I was listening. I also heard you say that Rin convinced Suoh to spare your life, despite that fact that you had touched his mate in a way that he believed she allowed only him to do. Being as old as I am, I should know more about men, but it seems that a male demon would be perfectly within his rights to have killed you. He sacrificed something by not taking revenge, and it was for her. Not to mention, it's been forty years. It's entirely possible that Suoh has realized his errors and committed himself to making her happy again. Wasn't she happy when she first took him as her mate?"

"Yes, but it's just as likely that he's continued to ignore her. Or, worse, he could be punishing her every day for what we did!"

Kagome nodded. "That's possible. I'm not saying you're wrong, Shippo. I'm just saying that perhaps you and I shouldn't be deciding on what's best for Rin. She can make that decision on her own, and I'm sure that if she wants to be with you, she will find you again." She gave a small smile. "Rin might not be Sesshoumaru's daughter by blood, but she seems to have inherited his lack of fear. And if nothing else, you know that Sesshoumaru would never let anyone mistreat her. Even if you are angry with him, you have to admit that."

Shippo paused for a moment before nodding once. "I suppose." He gave another heavy sigh and looked at her. "But I still want to know what happened between you and Sesshoumaru that made him let me live. I'm ready for your sad story. I'm sick of talking about myself."

"Who said it was sad?"

He arched an eyebrow. "Are you saying it isn't? I wouldn't believe you."

Kagome rolled her eyes up to the ceiling, tipping her head back to examine it. "Yeah, okay. Well, how about I work into the depressing part? I don't know if you've guessed, but I'm here because I'm a spy like you." She shot him a grin. "You don't have to have fox magic to be able to pick a lock, you know. Governess of a prominent British officer's children is a very good place to be for information."

"I'll keep that in mind," he replied, tugging at his black locks. "Although I'm worried about where this is going if getting caught as a spy by the British is the highlight of the time since I saw you last."

"Even if I'm thrown onto the HMS Jersey with the thousands of other prisoners, I'll be fine. Execution and imprisonment lose their urgency when you're an immortal." She shrugged. "I came to the colonies because I was being drawn back east. I wandered up and down the Mississippi and through the west for almost fifty years. In the end, it seemed like I had to come back. I had to see people again. I had to rejoin society."

Shippo nodded. "I wandered around a lot after I left Japan. When I finally got to France, I decided that even though all my military training had led to the worst moment of my life, it had also led to some of the best moments. It hurt to use all my skills again, but I felt better at the same time."

"It breathed some life into me," she agreed.

"So what killed you for fifty years?" he asked.

"Similar story, actually." She paused. "Well, not really. Sex and betrayal pretty much sums it up though."

Shippo blinked. "You mean, you and Sesshoumaru?"

"Oh! No, not at all. Quite the opposite." Kagome gave him a quick smile. "Didn't mean to scare you."

"Well, I wouldn't have been that surprised. You were together for so long. I know he says that he hates humans, but there was Rin. I'm sure it crossed his mind more than a few times."

"It's Sesshoumaru," the miko pointed out.

Shippo nodded. "I know. But he's still male, no matter how much he pretends he's above all that." He snorted and grinned at her. "It certainly occurred to Inuyasha. I don't think I ever mentioned you and Sesshoumaru together without him shuddering at the thought."

Kagome couldn't help but share the smile. "Well, at least Inuyasha hasn't forgotten me." She quickly sobered. "But it is still Sesshoumaru we're talking about. You would be surprised at how little two people can share, even if they spend a hundred years together. He really hasn't changed."

"He let me go," said the fox demon. "He didn't put a hole through Inuyasha's gut that I saw. And he did do one thing that had everyone talking. The rumor even reached me in the dungeons."

"What was that?" she asked, brushing off the front of her skirt.

"He ordered that all of the females in his city receive mandatory combat training, just like the males."

Kagome's hands froze mid-sweep. "He did what?"

"Yeah, I know. Surprising, huh? Even Rin started taking regular classes." He thought for a moment. "I think they were all required to learn how to handle a sword and hand-to-hand combat. He said it was for the safety of the city, which I heard didn't sit too well with Suoh. He thought the city guard was doing just find on its own, although I can't say I felt sorry for him."

The miko looked down at her lap. For sixty years, she had imagined what she would say to Sesshoumaru when he finally decided to speak to her again. She had imagined his apologies and his promises to amend for his actions a million times. A few times, despite the denial just a few minutes ago that anything could happen, Kagome had even imagined the way he might take her into his arms and press healing kisses to her brow. But never had she even entertained the possibility that true guilt had run through him to the point that he would do anything sincere and away from her immediate observation.

She suddenly wanted to seek him out. 

"Kagome?"

"Yeah?" She blinked and looked at the kitsune.

He gave her an uncertain smile. "I lost you for a second there. I was just asking if you knew why he issued that order."

"Sorry," she murmured. She shook her head. "I'm not going to presume that I know what's going on in Sesshoumaru's head."

Shippo nodded. "Okay. It just occurred to me that perhaps you being angry with him and this little stunt of his might be connected. You know, maybe he didn't protect you once. Maybe he realized you need to protect yourself."

Kagome gave him a sidelong glance. "That's just a bit freaky."

"He's not actually that hard to figure out, once you know both sides." His look was sympathetic, although his knuckles were white as they tightened around the edge of the cot. "So, what did he do exactly?"

She shrugged. "You guessed it. He wasn't there when I needed him." She took a quick breath and smiled bright and false. "But I can protect myself now."

"You always could," Shippo replied. "What did you do? Practice your purification powers?"

"Actually, that part has only gotten weaker. It nearly got me killed when we last fought the shape-shifters." She studied her hands. "That's why he sent me away at first. He said that I would never win as long as I was slower than them. I figured that I could never be as fast as a demon, but that eventually, bullets will be."

"You know how to shoot?"

Kagome smiled. "I said that I wandered around for fifty years. I didn't say that I wasted that time. I'm probably the best shot in the colonies," she said, lifting her chin a bit. "Are you surprised?"

"And impressed," admitted the fox demon. "Although, I never thought you would willingly do something so potentially violent."

"I had to do something," she said. "Like I said, my miko powers aren't getting any stronger."

He shook his head. "That's not true. I can tell you're just as powerful as you were against Naraku. Maybe more so. I can sense it."

"I tried to fry one of those shape-shifters, and he was barely singed. Sesshoumaru had to come and save my life."

Shippo gave a small shrug. "So? That just means they've gotten more powerful too. All demons do that as they get older. We don't become weak and frail like humans until very late. Look at Totosai. Or Myoga, for that matter. They're far older than Sesshoumaru, but they're probably just approaching the peak of their power. Remember when Inuyasha found Tetsusaiga? You told me that you were all inside his father's skeleton. He wasn't always that enormous, I'm sure, even in his true form." He took one of her hands. "They just got stronger faster than you did. Were you practicing?"

"No, I suppose not as much as I should have." She frowned. "But, if you're right, why didn't Sesshoumaru realize that?"

"Well, it wasn't about him, so why would he notice?" Shippo replied with a scowl.

Kagome wanted to scold him about his rudeness, but the door at the end of the hall banged open first. Shippo stood, his hand slipping away from hers, and the other prisoners shuffled around in the far corner. "We didn't exactly discuss an escape plan," the fox demon murmured.

"Maybe we should have covered that first," she replied. "But you can get out of here if you wanted to, right?"

"Of course. But it would kind of give up what I really am."

Kagome glanced at the other prisoners. "They won't be believed. I wouldn't worry about that."

The door their cell opened, and a British Army captain stood just over the threshold. Dark-haired and with a low brow, he beckoned to her. "I have some questions for you, girl."

"I won't answer any of them," she replied. "You've already decided I'm a traitor. Leave me alone."

"Ah, that incident with Arnold, you mean?" asked the captain. He crossed his hands behind his back and smiled. "Actually, some ninny of a pregnant girl admitted to passing along that information early this morning. You're a bit too late for that confession."

"Millie?" Kagome's eyes went wide. "Let her go! She's done nothing! It was all me!"

The guards standing at either side of the captain lifted their rifles, pointing them at her heart as she advanced two steps. The British officer continued to smile as Shippo grasped her elbow. "The girl has confessed. She was seen taking the key to her master's desk drawer, you see, and is already on her way to the Jersey. The other inmates will make her comfortable, I'm sure." He chuckled. "No, my girl, I have different matters to attend to with you. We've been watching you for some time, you see."

Kagome frowned. Major DeLancey was part of British intelligence, but he was no actor - he had not faked the look of abject horror on his face when she had been arrested earlier that day. She doubted that the captain spoke of anything in official channels. "What exactly do you want to discuss?"

"Do you have more than two secrets?" the captain asked in mock surprise. "Other than spying, what else is there besides your remarkable longevity?" His glance moved smoothly over to Shippo. "Considering your present company, I think that you know precisely what I mean to discuss, Miss Hawkins."

"The Order," breathed Shippo.

"Yes, I gathered that," she murmured in return. It was the first time Kagome had ever heard him speak of them, and she wondered, for a brief moment, if the Order had reached Japan too.

"Enough of that," said the captain, gesturing between the two of them. "Come with me, girl."

"I think it's time to go, Shippo," she said in Japanese.

"I agree," the fox replied in kind.

The captain stepped over the threshold of the cell. "Cease your tongues! Guards, remove the girl!"

"Fox fire!" cried Shippo, opening his palm towards the door. Instead of the small globes of fire that he had produced as a child, a wall of blue flame erupted in the middle of the room and swept towards the captain and the guards. One of them screamed and dropped his rifle - the report of the gunshot squealed in the small space as the bullet ricocheted off the stone walls.

Shippo turned and blasted another, more concentrated burst of fire towards the small window of the cell, shattering half of the wall. Kagome had to steel herself to not cower away from the heat produced by the flame. The other prisoners wailed and took cover in the small pocket of safe space between the two infernos. "Come on, Kagome!" the kitsune cried, putting an arm around her waist and bounding out of the cell and into the alley outside.

The captain had not been a complete fool. "Assassins!" Kagome cried, seeing men at each end of the alley. Smoke was rising and obscuring their forms, but she recognized the agile shadows that Sesshoumaru had so often spoke about in Germany. "Go up!"

The small alley filled with the sounds of rifles firing as Shippo pressed against the ground and drew her up into the air with him. Something stung her thigh as they landed on the roof of the jail, but Shippo's training did not fail him - his nose twitched at the smell of blood, but he did not stop. He leapt from roof to roof, scooping Kagome up into his arms. "Shippo, we have to stop," she finally told him, clutching around his neck to keep hold during his quick progress. He had surpassed Inuyasha's speed through the trees of Japan. "The blood, Shippo! It's dripping everywhere, and it'll lead them right to us."

The kitsune nodded and dropped down between two buildings, into another alley. "I'm so sorry, Kagome," he said, staring down at her blood-soaked skirts. It had turned chilly in the month since the party, but Kagome's brow was beaded with sweat.

"Don't be. I'd rather it happen to me than to you," she said, leaning against him with her good leg. "I just need to get the bullet out and bandage it. If I leave it, the wound will heal too fast and seal it into my leg."

He led her to an empty crate that had been tossed away, and she sat down on one hip, drawing up her skirts with her free hand. Blood was everywhere, and Kagome guessed that it had nicked an artery. "It doesn't hurt very much," she told Shippo as he paled. She tore away strips of her petticoat, pausing to pat him on the shoulder. "I thought you were supposed to be big and strong about stuff like blood and guts."

"It's not the blood. It's you, Kagome. You got shot under my protection!"

"So low on the 'bad crap that's happened to me' list, you wouldn't even imagine," Kagome murmured. "Here, I'll dig out the bullet. You tie the bandages."

They worked quickly. The small lead ball was quickly located - after going through her massive skirts, the bullet hadn't gone into her leg very deeply. Shippo daubed away the excess blood and wrapped her leg in a thick layer of semi-white, semi-clean bits of cloth. "You'll need new clothes," he said.

"We need to move, is what we need to do," said the miko. The sweat was drying. She hadn't been entirely truthful with Shippo - a bullet was a bullet, and this one had hurt like hell. But it was temporary, and she wouldn't cry over it.

"I crossed half of the city," Shippo replied. "Take a break, and we'll leave when you're feeling alright again. How long do your wounds take to heal?"

She shrugged. "Depends. This one won't take long. It wasn't that serious." She leaned back against the wall, and her eyes fluttered closed. "I have to say that I feel a bit dizzy though. Must be the blood loss. I think that takes awhile longer for me to do, but I'm not sure. I've never been shot before."

"Years with Sesshoumaru, and you never get shot until you spend ten minutes with me," he muttered.

"Stop it," she insisted. "Take your own advice and relax."

Shippo took a breath and stood up straight again. His outline shimmered, and in a moment, his hair was once again flame red and long. The fox-like, pointed features of his face had reasserted themselves, and three, ruddy colored tails began to swish around his ankles. "I'll hide the tails before we leave again," he said, tying back his hair.

Kagome smiled. "You have three of them."

"I'm just over three centuries old. It's what happens to kitsune until we reach nine."

"I know, but it's been so long. Last time I saw you, you still had just one." She studied his form and the way he had filled out - he looked sturdy and broad, more like Inuyasha than Sesshoumaru. "You're grown up," she added, her lips pulling down into a sad frown. "And I missed it all."

Shippo knelt down beside her. "Kagome, I'll stay with you from now on." He gave a half-hearted smile. "I don't have anywhere else to go."

She plucked at his coat sleeve. "You have the army."

"I'm not letting you be alone again, Kagome." He caught her look and amended, "I mean, I would rather not let you be alone again. But it's up to you."

"I'm really fine on my own, Shippo. You don't have to take care of me."

The fox demon bent his head over her lap. "You're the closest thing I've ever had to a mother, Kagome. I want to protect you. You're all that I have left to protect," he said. He looked up at her. "The fact that Sesshoumaru left you and that you got hurt because of him..."

"Stop," she interrupted. "I've blamed him enough. Don't pick up where I left off with that."

"But you said..."

"He did hurt me by leaving and by not giving me any means with which to protect myself. But I didn't exactly do anything to help matters. I should have learned the things that I blamed him for not teaching to me of his own volition. I should have demanded that he teach me what I needed to know, and if he didn't do it, I should have learned from someone else. Yes, he's at fault. Sometimes, I still feel so angry about it that I can hardly think about it. But I have to accept that it's my fault too. More than that, it's someone else's fault that I was hurt. That man is dead, because Sesshoumaru took revenge for me." She sighed and rubbed at her eyes, which were wet with gathering tears. "Don't think that you have to take care of me, Shippo, because I chose not to have Sesshoumaru's protection. He wanted me to come with him again, and I refused that second chance."

The fox demon leaned back on his heels. "He felt guilty."

"I'd hope it wasn't just guilt. I hope he understands what went wrong," she replied.

"You seemed so angry with him in the cell."

"Because I thought he had hurt you," Kagome said. She shrugged. "And it's still a habit I'm trying to break. Let me say that it took me a long time to realize that holding onto that anger wasn't doing me any good."

He sighed. "You still seem sad."

"I am," she murmured. She leaned forward, straightening out the leg that had been wounded, and embraced him. "But now, I have you. That makes me happier."

Shippo lifted her into his arms without breaking the hug, letting her settle against his shoulder. "We need to go," he said. "You need new clothes, and then, we can leave the city."

"Wait." Kagome glanced up at him. "We have to do one thing before we leave."

"Is it important? I can change what I look like, but you can't. Everyone will be looking for you, Kagome."

"Trust me. It's something we need to do."

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"This is insanity," he grumped, pulling back on the oars. "I'm sure she's fine."

"On the Jersey? Yeah, I'm sure that's the perfect place to keep a pregnant woman," Kagome whispered, keeping her eyes on the dark silhouettes of the prison ships in the middle of Wallabout Bay. Only a waning crescent hung in the sky to show them the way. "There aren't many lights, but I think that one is it." She pointed to the largest ship to the port side.

"Probably. It's the one that stinks the most," he muttered. He adjusted the path of the rowboat with a flip of the wrist and then continued. "How's your leg?" he asked, watching as she rubbed at her thigh.

She shook her head. "Oh, fine. It's just a little stiff. It'll be gone by tomorrow or the next day. I'm more worried about this," she said, lifting one hand to the close cropped hair on her head. It was a hack job, as if Freddie Krueger had gone straight and decided to become a hairdresser for a living. She had expected one, clean cut, but instead, the woman had chopped and snipped, getting the longest pieces of her locks as possible.

"You said it would grow back very fast."

"I said I think it will grow fast."

"Well, it looks..." He stopped and frowned. "It'll grow."

"Thanks," she muttered. She put her hands back into her lap and smoothed the skirt of the red dress that she had received in exchange for her hair. Not a lot of people had money anymore - they either gave it to the British in taxes or gave it to the colonists in donations. She had to take what she could get, but after years in the matronly dresses of a governess, she felt naked in the silk confection. It was poorly made - nothing like the fine gowns that the officers' wives wore to the last party she had attended - and she suspected that the wig-maker that had bartered with her had taken the dress from a prostitute. Black hair bought very little - it required the most powder to turn to the fashionable shade of gray - but at least he had thrown in a decent shawl.

A wild scream tore across the surface of the bay. Like wolves, other prisoners joined in with the first one, screaming their suffering to the sky. Shippo paused in his rowing and the water lapped against the sides of the boat. Lanterns moved across the deck of the ship with the offending prisoner, and guards shouted to each other in rough, Cockney accents. Soon, the screaming stopped, and the bay fell quiet again.

"I think we should hurry," Kagome said.

Shippo picked up the oars again and made his strokes longer so that they were shooting through the water. "You'll stay here. I'll get Millie."

"You don't know what she looks like."

"How many pregnant woman with your scent on them are on this ship?" he asked flatly.

Kagome frowned. "I hope just the one," she said with a sigh. "Maybe I shouldn't have come back. It's my fault that she's in this awful place."

"She took the blame, Kagome."

"For something I did!" she hissed.

Shippo scowled. "She probably thought she was protecting you. I would do the same."

"Shippo, there's the distinct difference that you're not pregnant. And she's human. She's suffering in the place of someone that wouldn't suffer at all," the miko replied with a firm shake of her head. "Maybe I shouldn't come with you after this, Shippo. I tend to attract miserable situations, and I don't want that to happen to you. And France, of all places and times, is probably not the best option right now. That's just asking for it."

The fox demon rolled his eyes. "You're not hiding again!" he whispered.

"I'm remembering why I hid in the first place!"

He looked like he wanted to say more, but they were drawing close to the mammoth that was the Jersey. Shippo had been right - the ship reeked of mildew and rotting meat. Those were among the more pleasant of aromas that Kagome caught before she held her sleeve over her nose. Although the scents must have been overwhelming to the kitsune, he calmly put the oars into the boat and stood up. "Stay here," he whispered, raising one index finger as a gentle warning.

Kagome nodded and watched as the fox demon jumped up to one of the hatches that had once covered the muzzles of the valuable cannons from the elements of the sea. Now they were nailed shut to prevent escape, with the added benefit of denying the prisoners inside any light or fresh air. Shippo ripped it neatly from its hinges with a quiet groan of the wood and nails.

The rowboat bobbed next to the frigate for many minutes after Shippo disappeared into the hold. Kagome had expected another swell of cries and a rush towards the apparent freedom that Shippo's vandalism had created, but everything remained quiet. She had heard about what the prison ships did to their prisoners - strong men went in, and skeletons with soulless, hollow eyes came out. It was the worst form of transformation to starve at the hands of vicious guards who resented the need to keep the prisoners alive. She knew that the British did not kill them for fear of giving the rebels a new basis for their complaints, but it was hard to imagine that the cruelty - or worse, the indifference - that created these floating hells was any better. She hoped that a day had not scarred Millie too deeply.

She wondered what Sesshoumaru would say if he had been with her. She wondered if he would have even let her come this far, with this amount of risk to their own lives with the Order wandering about, to save one girl.

He would, she decided. Two days ago, that question would have hovered in her mind without a clear answer, but now, she knew that the taiyoukai felt something akin to guilt over what had happened to her. Another young woman alone on a ship full of starving men - starving for both food and company - would strike him as too familiar. He wouldn't have protested. Only when her fingers itched to free the other prisoners, as they did now, would he have spoken and reminded her that they could not change her history.

In the deathly quiet, she could hear an unfamiliar man's deep tones and the sound of a woman's soft cry from the top deck. Footsteps skittered across the length of the ship, and more voices joined in as Millie's cries grew louder. Shippo's lighter voice, sounding more distressed than usual, rode right over the first man's speech. "Now, listen!" was all that Kagome could hear him say.

She craned her neck upwards in search of the kitsune's familiar face, but she didn't dare call out for him. Just as she was about to curse him for not taking her along, he was launching over the side of the ship, carrying Millie in his arms. "She's in labor!" he murmured, before his feet even touched the boat again.

Millie groaned, her arm tightening around her middle as she curled up like a pill bug. Shippo laid her down carefully at Kagome's feet and then took the oars. "I had to give the bastards everything I had to get her out. She couldn't get through the hatch. We had to go above deck," he muttered, wheeling the rowboat around.

Kagome was already ripping up the petticoats that she had just bought with her long tresses. "Lean back against Shippo's legs," she instructed, turning the servant so that she was resting lengthwise along the boat's bottom.

"Miss, I don't know..." Millie broke off and began to cry.

"How long has this been going on?" Kagome asked, looking between her and the kitsune.

"Since yesterday, she said," Shippo murmured. "As soon as she got down into that disgusting place, I would imagine."

Kagome nodded and laid a cleanish bit of petticoat at the bottom of the rowboat. She dipped her hands into the bay. "I don't suppose you have any liquor on you so that I can clean my hands."

"That was part of the ransom price," he muttered. He stopped rowing for a minute and shed his coat. "It's not completely clean..."

"Good enough," she replied, shucking off her own shawl. "Get to shore as soon as possible. We can't move her onto the beach, but I'd prefer being still." She lifted Millie's skirts and saw that she had taken off her undergarments already - probably when her water had broken.

"Have you ever done this before?" Shippo asked, frowning as his muscles strained.

Kagome nodded. "A number of times, actually. I wasn't in total seclusion out west. I stayed with several native tribes, and they were willing to teach me what they knew." She looked at him. "I'm guessing you haven't done this."

"Never a part of my job," he muttered.

She was quickly learning to recognize the look he had in his eyes as the look he had when he thought of Rin. Turning her eyes away to leave him to his thoughts, she reassured Millie, "Everything's going fine. You're safe now, and I can handle this. You can handle this."

"I'm not nine months gone yet," Millie fretted, tears leaking out of her squinted eyes. "I was so afraid, Miss! They said they'd hang me, and I had to tell them who it was that I helped. I'm so sorry, Miss!"

"It's fine. We're all alright now," she soothed, rubbing at the maid's ankles. "That's not what you have to be thinking about now, anyway."

"How soon is this going to happen?" Shippo asked. His shirt was beginning to stick to him as his muscles strained.

Millie let out a pained cry, and Kagome looked up at him. "Very soon."

Shippo got them to shore before the baby began to crown, and it all happened so fast after that. Kagome handled the small newborn with practiced care - it was a boy, and Millie cried when she saw the likeness of her deceased husband. He was called Frederick after his father, and soon, he was resting on his mother's stomach as they both fell asleep in the cradle of the boat. Kagome sat on the beach with Shippo, both of them drenched in sweat despite the cool air.

"One day with you," the fox demon began. He smiled. "Well, I guess I'm forgetting how lively those early days were."

"Not this lively." She leaned forward, resting her cheek against her knees. "I need another dress."

"That would require money. I gave the little that I saved from the guards at the jail to the guards on the Jersey."

She nodded. "Looks like I'm going to work again."

"Maybe this time you should stay out of the spy business," he replied.

"Yeah," she sighed. "Maybe that was a bit much."

"Are you still sorry you came back then? To society and civilization?" Shippo asked. "You did stop Arnold."

Kagome smiled sleepily at him. "That's the least of what I did recently," she replied, glancing at Millie and the baby. She paused for a moment and let Shippo give her a small nod of approval. "So what do we do next?"

"We?" he echoed.

"Yeah. All of us."

Shippo gestured towards the boat. "Is she coming with us?"

"She has a baby, and she just got fired from her job because of me," Kagome murmured. "She'll be coming with us as long as she needs us. She once mentioned that she had some family in Philadelphia. She couldn't get there before, but perhaps it's time that we tried."

The fox demon nodded. "And if we manage to get her somewhere safe and earn some money for ourselves, what do we do then? You said you didn't want to go back to France."

"I said that it wasn't the best time to go there," she corrected. "And yet, I feel like that's where I need to go."

"So Sesshoumaru's there?"

"I can't know that until I'm closer," Kagome said.

Shippo sighed. "But you're hoping he is."

She smiled softly and gave him a half-hearted shrug. "I can't know that until I'm closer," she said again.

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