InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Corporate Deception: Fate of Her Land ❯ Take Me Somewhere ( Chapter 4 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Corporate Deception: Fate of Her Land
Chapter 4: Take Me Somewhere
By: TruSuprise

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all affiliated characters belong to Takahashi Rumiko. The views expressed herein are solely those of TruSuprise.


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The young girl turned the chocolate syrup bottle upside down and proceeded to squeeze the brown liquid onto her spoon. "Do you understand, Sesshomaru-papa? Just keep showing her how much you care for her and she'll come around." Rin said plainly.

Sesshomaru looked at the determined young woman in front of him, her ice cream sundae bowl sitting empty before her. She was a wonderful daughter and she wanted only the best for her father, and for not knowing a thing about youkai mating, she was right on the money.

The fact of the matter was that he had known since the day he had first laid eyes on Kagura that they were meant to be together. Call it soul-mates, call it life-mates, call it whatever you wanted, but the youkai referred to the one you were fated to be with as a 'chosen'. Even Sesshomaru hadn't believed in any of it until he had met Kagura.

He had been drawn to her immediately, and once he had persuaded her to date him, their relationship had advanced quickly and passionately. Nothing could keep him from her, and for the past year since she had been marked by another and had turned down Sesshomaru's advances, the lack of that woman in his life was slowly killing him.

"I know she loves you the way you love her." Rin said, scraping the bottom of the ceramic bowl with her spoon.

Sesshomaru smiled. Two years ago, when he and Kagura had started dating, he had introduced his prospective mate to his family and Rin had instantly attached herself to the wind youkai. Obviously, everyone knew he and Kagura were meant to be together except for Kagura herself. Even his fourteen year old human daughter could see it.

Noticing the clock on the oven, Sesshomaru did a double take. "It's past your bedtime, young lady, and I'm sure Shippou is still awake too."

"Oh…come on, it's only midnight, let me stay up a little longer! And I don't want to hear about how Shippou needs less sleep than me since he's a youkai again. That's not fair!" The girl whined.

"No one said life is fair." Her father told her harshly before caving in and smiling gently to his daughter. "Fine then, if you and Shippou don't go to sleep in fifteen minutes, I won't let either of you wake up your uncle tomorrow morning. Don't forget, tomorrow will be his last day with us for awhile since he'll be staying in Tokyo for the latest proposal he's working on."

Rin's eyes widened. She loved waking up her stubborn uncle for breakfast on Sunday mornings, it was her favorite treat of the week, and if it meant she had to go to bed at what was already way past her bedtime, so be it. She gave her father a tight hug and a kiss on the cheek before running from the kitchen, the Lord of the Western Lands listening to her footsteps as she pounded up the stairs.


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Kagome blearily walked the shrine grounds. The three or four random visitors they'd had this morning had already said their prayers and gone on their way. No one had left any donations, but at least one person had bought a wooden charm from the gift shop, not that it had really counted for much. It wasn't even noon yet and she felt it should be bedtime already.

Her new friends had stayed until late last night. After cleaning up the evidence of a day spent painting, they had ordered pizzas and sat around the kitchen until midnight. She had learned so much about the Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, and Kouga that they were beginning to feel like old friends.

She was a little disappointed that she wouldn't be seeing the four of them today, but it pleased her when she remembered that they would be starting work at her shine beginning tomorrow. Kagome chuckled. Already, in her mind's eye, she could see Miroku trying to cop a feel on poor Sango and Inuyasha, being the regular ray of sunshine he is, walking around and grumbling about nothing.

Of course, Kouga hadn't offered his assistance to the shrine. Apparently, he wasn't quite as gullible as the others. A smile pulled at her lip, she knew she had not seen the last of the Ookami-Youkai. He had promised to stop by and pay her a visit soon, and she was counting on hearing yet another argument between him and Inuyasha.

She had all but given up trying to figure out those two. They had obviously never been friendly in the past, and they seemed to argue incessantly over her. Whether they chose to argue over her because she was the only common thread in their lives, or because they were fighting over her affections, she didn't know. Inuyasha had repeatedly made it a point to make it known to everyone that he was not jealous, but Kagome couldn't help but wonder.

Her fingers trailed up to her lips as she remembered the near kiss she and Inuyasha had shared in her car. She was sure she hadn't imagined it. Part of her questioned herself that she would be so willing to kiss a person she had basically just met, but another part of her felt that it couldn't be more right, and she couldn't figure out why she felt that way.

Her friendship with Inuyasha was eccentric to say the least and definitely one for extremes. When they were being friendly, they were like childhood buddies, but when they were fighting, they were more like sworn enemies. Every way in which they communicated with each other was nothing short of passionate.

As her mind wandered down that road, she wondered what he would be like in bed. She caught herself and shook her head. 'Higurashi Kagome, that is no way to be thinking of someone you just met, and of all people, that moody jerk, Inuyasha.'

She bowed to a young couple that had just arrived at the top of the steps, slightly out of breath from the long ascent. They made their way to the fortune bell, both bowed and said a prayer, and together they grasped the braided rope and rung the bell.

As the sound of the bell reverberated across the shrine grounds, Kagome imagined that they had wished for everlasting love.


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"Inuyasha oji-chan… Inuyasha oji-chan…"

Something soft and fluffy brushed lightly against Inuyasha's nose and it twitched in his sleep. Two giggling voices tried their hardest to keep quiet, sending motions and hand gestures to each other to communicate their actions.

Inuyasha was known to be a heavy sleeper when in his own bed, and being in as good of a dream as he was, there was no way he was waking up. He shifted on his back slightly as he mumbled something so softly, Rin couldn't hear it.

She looked at Shippou questioningly, hoping his kitsune ears had picked up on it. "Someone's name." He mouthed. "Kagome?" He whispered, shrugging.

Rin tried to suppress her giggles, her eyes widening. Had her grumpy uncle finally found a new girlfriend? She slowly pulled Inuyasha's right arm out from underneath the thick, feather down comforter. Raising a hand out to Shippou, he slid a can of shaving cream into her palm.

Knowing from experience that this was the hardest part of the delicate operation, Rin held her breath as she readied to press the noisy nozzle of the aerosol can. She nodded to Shippou, who suddenly transformed into a bird using his fox magic with a quiet pop.

Shippou made chirping bird noises near the large open windows of Inuyasha's room to cover up the sound of the aerosol can. "Chirp chirp, chirp, bock."

Rin looked up at him crossly, a bird doesn't bock, a chicken bocks. She made a mental note to remind him of that later as she filled Inuyasha's hand with shaving cream. She gave Shippou the thumbs up, and he popped back into his kitsune form.

Crawling up onto the bed next to Inuyasha's head, Shippou again grabbed his tail and dangled the soft, fluffy appendage right above his adopted father's nose as Rin leaned back on the edge of the bed.

Before you could say 'owned'… Inuyasha had smacked himself in the face with a palm full of shaving cream.

"What the fu--!" He yelled, the obscenity trailing off, his vision blurred by a foamy, white substance. Shippou and Rin broke into gasping laughter as his arms began flailing about.

Realizing he had been duped into yet another one of Rin and Shippou's pranks for the thirty-fourth Sunday morning in a row, he reached out for them using his nose to pinpoint their locations. He grabbed Shippou by the tail and Rin around the waist and pulled them to his face, crushing them into him with his strong arms as he wiped the shaving cream off on their clothes.

"Inuyasha oji-chan, that's not nice!" Rin wailed.

Inuyasha smiled proudly and knocked Shippou on the forehead and ruffled Rin's hair. "What's not nice is you two waking me up every Sunday morning with your dumb pranks!"

"Dumb? But these are all pranks you pulled on Sesshomaru-papa when you two were little pups." Rin noted.

"Keh!" Inuyasha responded, caught red handed and annoyed that his own deeds had turned full circle on him. This was a monster of his own making.

"Yeah, and this'll be our last chance since you'll be staying in Tokyo for awhile, Inuyasha!" Shippou whined.

A soft smile drifted across the hanyou's face as he remembered that all though he'd be separated from his family for a while, he'd be seeing Kagome on a daily basis. Then his brow crinkled as he realized just how much he liked that idea.

He bonked Shippou on the head a second time. "Stop whining, brat, and call me something more respectable than just my first name, that's a bad habit. I am your father after all."

"Keh." Shippou grumbled.

"And stop stealing my lines, too." Inuyasha said smugly.

"So, who's Kagome?" Rin asked dubiously.

Inuyasha eyed Rin curiously. "Why? Did your dad tell you about her?"

"No." Rin said simply, "You said her name."

Inuyasha's brows knitted in surprise. "I did not."

"Did too." Rin retorted.

"Did not!" Inuyasha barked.

"Did too! You said it in your sleep!" Rin stated confidently.

Inuyasha's jaw hung open. No way in hell had he dreamt about that woman. He had only known her for two days! "You were imagining things." He insisted as he hopped out of bed, clad in flannel pants and a thin t-shirt. Storming down the hall, the two children followed close behind, chattering about their success as the hanyou led them to the grand dining room where his brother already waited for them.

"What are you looking at me like that for?" Inuyasha asked moodily as the children hopped into their seats and began fighting over a tall stack of pancakes.

"I heard you say you were dreaming about the Higurashi girl." Sesshomaru answered casually.

Inuyasha silently damned his brother's full-blooded Inu hearing capabilities. "She's not a girl, she's a woman, and goddamn it, I never said that!"

Letting Sesshomaru know he was not up to discussing the matter, the hanyou speared the pancake pile with his fork, taking the entire stack and dropping it on his plate while Shippou and Rin were busy fighting over it.

The Lord of the Western Lands looked at his irate half brother evenly. For as vehemently as he denied it, his true feelings were written all over his face. With more than a little shock, he realized that Inuyasha was the spitting image he himself was ever since he had fallen for Kagura. He almost felt sorry for this poor Higurashi girl.

Sesshomaru noted that this was nothing like the way Inuyasha had acted with Kikyou, even when he had been ready to propose to the aloof woman. The Western Lord figured that Inuyasha was probably too busy denying his feelings to realize the truth. He had all the symptoms for which there was only one cure.

Kagome.

He realized that perhaps he'd have to meet this woman to eventually meet the one that had so easily captured his brother.


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"Miroku, can you grab my hiraikotsu?" Sango called out to her friend.

Seeing a window of opportunity, the houshi ran down the hallway of Kagome's home, snatched the heavy bone boomerang from its perch by the front door and stood outside the door to the bathroom were she was changing into her taiji-ya garb. Barely able to contain his excitement, he quickly slid the door open and stepped inside.

Sango's shriek echoed around the shrine grounds.

Inuyasha and Kagome looked up at each other from their positions at either end of the low table in the shrine office. The hanyou didn't even so much as take his fingers off the laptop keyboard. "Just Miroku violating Sango in some way, shape, or form."

Kagome's concerned expression slipped from her face, instantly replaced with one of recognition.

After five days of assistance from Inu Properties and Preservation, there had already been a significant rise in tourism thanks to Sango's demonstrations and Miroku's historical teachings. The perverted monk was also great at leading tours in place of Kagome when she needed help.

Every day, the three coworkers wandered in around noon and they shared lunch together with Kagome before going about their designated duties. Inuyasha had made a scene every time he was asked to do any kind of manual labor, but already, he was getting rather skilled with a broom and a mop. Kagome smiled at the picture in her mind's eye.

Sango, Miroku and Inuyasha had even taken to hanging around the Higurashi house at the end of the day. Ever since Inuyasha had lost a match in a video game against Souta, he had sat in front of the tv with Kagome's little brother every night in an attempt to 'put him in his place' as he so called it.

Sango and Kagome had even gone clothes shopping one evening. It surprised Kagome to realize that this quiet, somewhat tomboyish woman had an excellent taste in fashion. She definitely enjoyed Sango's company, and from the looks of things, the feeling was mutual. One night, the four of them had even gone out to catch a movie together.

Kagome was pleased to find that they had all bonded very quickly and that they all shared a lot in common, but what intrigued her the most was her relationship with Inuyasha. Not to say that the two couldn't get along, because, when no one was around, they got along perfectly, but she found that they could they argue with the best of them. In fact, every little thing one could use to insult or argue with the other, they took the opportunity to capitalize on it.

But despite all that, she reluctantly realized she still wanted him in the worst way. For even with as much as they argued, they had become almost inseparable, even if work was supposed to be their number one priority.

Of late, Kagome and Inuyasha had been concentrating on a publicity campaign, working to publish ads in magazines and flyers in the local newspapers to attract visitors.

Examining some of Inuyasha's ideas, she had been surprised at his skill in advertising. He certainly did know how to sell a product when it made her eager to go to her own shrine. The example before her was taken from a photograph captured some time ago. It showcased rows of the shrine's cherry trees at their peak bloom, the text drawing the reader to realize that the Higurashi Shrine was the perfect place for hanami and history. With the cherry blossom's peak bloom period only days away, a prime time for revenue was also blossoming.

This sudden interest in her shrine and its property from the three youkai, Onigumo Naraku, Taisho Inuyasha, and Ookami Kouga, was also proving to be beneficial. She was just glad that she hadn't taken Naraku's offer when he had approached her, as tempting as it still was. With the offer from Inu Properties and Investments, though she would have no where near the amount of money the eerily smooth man had offered her, at least she would be able to keep the property in her family and in its original state.

She turned the flier upside down and set it on the table to look at it from a different perspective. Really, she was just bored and looking for conversation. Beginning to leaf through a pile of Inuyasha's papers on the table, she came across an architectural plan folded over at the bottom of the pile. Opening it up to look at it, she found the detail amazing. "What's this?" She asked him.

Inuyasha sighed at the nosy and persistently talkative woman, looking away from his laptop to see what she had gotten into this time. It was a building plan by some new youkai company they had recently contracted with that he had planned to use on one of the other proposals he had been working on prior to Sesshomaru asking him to take this job instead. "Just a plan for some commercial property in Kyoto."

"Oh." She said simply, looking at the proposed businesses that were vying to get space in the building and the apartments above the offices. She had never seen a technical schematic before and found it very interesting. For as close-minded and simple as Inuyasha sometimes came across, he was really very smart and talented.

Kagome nodded her approval at the flier and pushed it towards Inuyasha, her mind began to wander once again. "Anyway, I still think it's funny that you, a descendent of the Inu clan happened to be the one to help out our shrine."

Taking a moment to ponder a thought that was on the edge of her mind, her eyes widened at the revelation. "What a coincidence, not just the Inu and Higurashi, but also Naraku's descendents. It's just like in that old legend!"

"Keh!" Inuyasha exclaimed, typing louder on the keys, clearly avoiding the subject.

"Wasn't there some kind of spiritual jewel involved that everyone was after?" Kagome asked as she concentrated on trying to fully remember the legend.

Inuyasha froze, his breath catching in his throat.

"Something no tama, wasn't it? I know my grandfather told me the myth over and over, but I can't quite remember." She turned her head to look Inuyasha in the eyes. "Have you ever heard of it?"

"Uh…" Inuyasha began, floundering for an answer.

Should he lie about it or come clean? What was he going to tell her? 'Hey Kagome, three of the most powerful youkai Lords are after your land because of the jewel who's name you can't even remember? That a power struggle between all of Japan's youkai and eventually even humans could lie in the balance? Oh, and by the way, I dated your cousin for three years and Naraku and I are the reasons why she left the shrine and made you become it's caretaker and give up your dreams of being a teacher?'

Inuyasha winced and forced the words from his mouth. "Don't think I've heard of it."

A pouty expression marred Kagome's pretty face as the legend eluded her. She was sure she had heard her grandfather mention it plenty of times, but then, she rarely ever did pay attention to the sweet old man's historical ramblings.

The sound of a crowd gathering outside gave Inuyasha an excuse to change the subject. "Sounds like Sango is getting ready to perform."

"Oooh, let's go watch!" Kagome exclaimed. Watching Sango perform her unique martial skills was always the highlight of her day. She admired how strong and athletic she was, yet how feminine she could still be. Hopping up and smoothing out unseen wrinkles in her hakama, she went around the table and extended her hand out to Inuyasha.

He mumbled a "Keh!" and stood up by himself, but followed her out the door nonetheless.


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For the past two weeks, Kagome had grown accustomed to the same familiar routine. Every morning, Sango, Miroku, and Inuyasha arrived around noon. Sango and Miroku always toting bags on their backs stuffed with the outfits they wore while at the shrine, Sango with her youkai exterminator garb, and Miroku with his effects of the Buddhist priest. Otherwise, while not effectively at work, they all chose to wear casual clothes, each of them centering their wardrobe on colors that suited them.

Miroku, for instance, walked through her front door that morning in a pair of dark jeans and a dark purple v-neck shirt while Sango wore a long, soft pastel colored skirt and a light sweater. It was a morning unlike no other, with the exception of it being minus one generally irritated hanyou. She kept looking at the door, waiting for Inuyasha to walk through wearing his trademark outfit of loosely fitting jeans and a red shirt. Kagome wouldn't have thought much about Inuyasha's absence had the monk and the demon exterminator not been so avoidant of telling her why he wasn't going to make it in today.

Truth be told, something had been a little fishy their avoidance, and really, she was just worried for Inuyasha. She knew he seemed to be the type that didn't want anyone to fuss over him, so she reasoned he was probably sick or suffering a hangover perhaps. Even with as much as they argued with each other, she really was worried about him.

He was a nice enough guy, if you could get around the harsh air of indifference he held about himself. Kagome knew there was a kinder, gentler hanyou lurking beneath the depths of his rude exterior, as he had unconsciously let her see glimpses of it in the past two weeks of knowing him. In fact, she would go so far as to call him a friend, and she wouldn't let a friend suffer if there was something she could do to help. And so that evening, before Sango and Miroku had left the shrine for the day, Kagome had excused herself, stating she had errands to run.

The sun had slipped behind the clouds only moments before she had quietly knocked on Inuyasha's apartment door. Thankful of the fact that he had left some of his paperwork, along with his laptop in her office the day before, she had found a bill displaying his address while cleaning the desk. Really, if you don't want someone to find you, you'd be more aware of those kinds of things, she reasoned.

She hefted her backpack over her shoulder as she waited for an answer to her knock. She had decided to bring a care package to the hanyou, just in case he was sick. The makings of okayu, a hearty rice porridge, and a couple of movies shifted in her laden bag.

When no answer came to her quiet call, she knocked again, only louder this time. She knew he was there. Sango and Miroku had told her at least that much. Several moments passed and a young couple walked by her in the hallway, hand in hand, trying not to feel sorry for what appeared to be a woman being stood up on a date.

Kagome seethed as she tried again, hoping the third time to be the charm. "Delivery?" She called loudly, hoping that would get the hanyou's attention.

A scrambling was heard from behind the door, and suddenly, Kagome tensed, wondering if it really was a good idea to come uninvited. After all, for all she knew, he could have a woman in there. She detachedly noticed that her palms began to sweat at the very idea.

Her eyes widened as the door swung open only a few inches width, her gaze being met by a man. She blinked quickly. Yes, a man with dark eyes, long black hair and human ears, who for all other intents and purposes looked just like Inuyasha.

She was equally as startled when the door slammed shut in her face.

She stood there, staring at the door. Not being one to be deterred, she knocked again.

"Fucking go away!" A voice called back at her.

'Inuyasha's voice…' She said to herself. It was missing some of its deep, characteristic rumbling depth that it usually possessed, but she knew it was his voice, it was simply unmistakable. She rapped again, "I know it's you, Inuyasha, tell me what's going on!"

"It's not me, now get lost!" The voice stubbornly replied.

"You just admitted its you, Inuyasha, you idiot, now open this door!"

When the black haired man again opened the door, Kagome had the chance to get a better look, he had all the same chiseled features of the Inuyasha she knew and… well, knew, anyway, but before she could ponder it anymore, he had grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her into his hallway, shutting the door behind her.

"You gonna stand there and gawk all day?" He barked as she continued to stare at him. He hadn't wanted her to see him like this in the fist place, but now that he had been so foolishly conned into opening the door for a delivery he hadn't even ordered, he knew she would stand out there and bang on his door all night until he let her in, and he wanted to attract that kind of attention even less than he wanted to talk to the woman now standing in front of him.

"I was uh…" Kagome began, feeling rather unwanted as Inuyasha glared at her. "I was worried about you, since Sango and Miroku wouldn't tell me much about why you didn't come by today, so I found your address and decided to stop by…" She trailed off, stuck in his penetrating gaze.

'She was worried about me?' Inuyasha asked himself, amazed at the very thought.

"Inuyasha, what happened to you?" She asked, her hand reaching out, but stopping just short of touching him.

"Keh!" He barked, avoiding the subject and her questioning gaze as they stood in the dimly lit hallway. He led her into the great room of his sparsely decorated, yet nicely appointed apartment. He grabbed a chair from the stainless steel kitchen and plopped it down in front of the solitary white leather couch that faced a plasma tv hung on the wall of the great room, signaling Kagome to take a seat on the couch.

Once she had been seated, her knees clasped nervously together, he walked over to the drape covered windows, peering out through a narrow slit in the thick material. A soft light spilled from the door of what Kagome assumed to be his bedroom, the only light in the spacious apartment, the dark of the evening keeping most of the dwelling cast in shadow.

Finally responding to her question, Inuyasha hesitantly spoke. "Look…every hanyou has one night of each month where he or she reverts to the weaker side of their blood. On that night, I loose all the abilities my Inu-Youkai blood grants me."

Kagome tilted her head, in awe at his answer as she tried to understand. Looking at his human features in the dim light of the room, the shadows covering half of his face, he looked every bit as masculine and attractive as he did with his silver hair, golden eyes, and dog ears. "But, other than being really strong and jumping really far, what other abilities does being part youkai give you?"

"Keh!" Inuyasha exclaimed. Of course as a mere human, she would be clueless. "When I was younger, the world was a much more violent place. Being brought up as a youkai we all learn to defend ourselves, it's a way of life for us. My sword, the Tessaiga, is activated by my youkai blood, so without my weapon and without my claws, I'm defenseless."

"But what do you need to defend yourself against now?" Kagome asked.

She had made a good point, most youkai did not utilize their powers in this day and age. In fact, the last time Inuyasha had to fight another youkai was almost a century ago, and really, his skills were getting rather rusty, the only chance for him to use them was the rare opportunity he and his brother had to spar against each other.

Inuyasha pointedly ignored the voice in the back of his head, the one that told him he no longer needed his powers to defend himself, he needed them to protect the woman in front of him. In fact, he had to protect her from the greatest threat known in the past five hundred years.

He responded with an answer that, although was not a lie, neither was it the reason for his uneasiness. "Once you have the ability to protect yourself from a hoard of youkai with one swing of your sword, or be able to break a spiritual barrier with a single attack, you'd feel pretty vulnerable if you lost that power too, little girl."

"So every month on the new moon this happens to you?" Kagome asked.

Inuyasha looked at her irritably. He had hoped she wouldn't connect tonight with the new moon.

"What?" Kagome asked at his malice.

"No hanyou wants anyone to know what night he's most vulnerable, wench. That's why we go into hiding." Inuyasha mumbled.

"Well ex-cuse me for not knowing about being worried about you, asshole. It wasn't my fault you opened the door." Kagome retorted, crossing her arms over her chest.

Inuyasha returned to peering back out the small opening in the covered window, sighing deeply. "Look, its just that you're the only one who knows about this, other than my pack-" Inuyasha blushed, the pink on his cheeks highlighted by his dark black hair. "I mean, other than my family."

The two eyed each other levelly, both so intense. Inuyasha was tense, wondering what Kagome would do with her newfound knowledge.

Kagome smiled, happy that she knew such an important secret, such a major part of Inuyasha's life, even if it was only by accident. She realized that the hanyou felt vulnerable, no doubt most youkai would exploit a piece of information like that. She wanted to tell Inuyasha how happy she was that he trusted her enough to tell her, but knew the safest course of action would be to let it go. "Well, maybe you'll just have to make me part of your pack now." She said casually.

Inuyasha's jaw dropped. Here was this woman who he had spent two weeks looking for every reason he could to hate her, and she did nothing but continue to get under his skin. Had he still been in his youkai form, she would have been in trouble for saying a phrase like that. Not that she knew any better, but it was not something to be taken lightly for such a dominant female to ask permission to enter a dominant male's pack. It was akin to asking for marriage.

His response of a high pitched "Keh!" and spinning to look away from her did nothing to hide the fact that he was trying to convince himself that he didn't like her proposal. Rather the contrary.

Kagome smiled and shook her head at the shy and emotionally immature hanyou. She pulled her backpack around to her chest and grabbed the bag of rice and the dvd she had brought, showing them to him. "Well, hey, I brought the fixings for okayu and some movies, thinking you might be sick. So…how about dinner and a movie?"

"Keh! Are you asking me out on a date?" Inuyasha asked menacingly, his arms crossed over his chest.

"If you want to call eating porridge, watching a dvd in your apartment, and arguing with each other all night a date, then by all means, be my guest." Kagome said, rolling her eyes.

The two stared each other down, waiting to see who'd back down first. It was two full minutes before Inuyasha finally sucked up his pride and snatched the rice and movie from her hands and stomped into the kitchen.

As the two clattered around the kitchen, they ended up ditching the rice porridge for some instant ramen that Inuyasha seemed to have an endless supply of in his cabinets. Eventually they sat down on opposite ends of the couch, cross legged with the big bowls in their laps, watching The Legend of Speed, some Hong Kong flick featuring Ekin Cheng about import car street racing, a favorite of Kagome's.

When the young woman fell asleep right before the movie ended, curled into her end of the couch, Inuyasha found he had lost interest in the flick, as interesting as it was. For some reason, the small woman so close to him, yet so far away, was much more intriguing.

Once the movie had ended, and the dvd went back to the main menu playing the chorus of the theme song over and over in an endless loop, Inuyasha realized he had been watching Kagome sleep for quite some time. He forcibly shook his head and made himself stand as he turned off the electronics and walked to his bedroom. Pulling the comforter, the only blanket in his sparse apartment, off his bed, he returned to drape it gently over Kagome's body.

Looking down at her fondly one last time, he was sorely tempted to curl up next to her. After a few moments, he thought against it, but was compelled instead to kiss the sleeping woman on the forehead to silently say goodnight. He tentatively lowered his head to her own, his warm lips hovering so close to her forehead. Just before making contact, he abruptly stopped and forced himself to return to his bedroom. He lay on his sheets, not even bothering to get out of his clothes as he stared at the ceiling numbly, not understanding the warring emotions going on in his brain.

She woke up the next morning, draped in an earthly, strangely ancient scent that reminded her of a deep forest. Realizing right away that it was Inuyasha's scent, she bolted upright, sitting tall on the leather couch in the silent apartment. Only a strip of light filtered through the covered windows.

Looking around, she stood to see the time on the clock in the kitchen. Seven in the morning, that would be plenty of time to get home and make sure Souta got out of the house on time. Besides, she guessed Inuyasha would feel awkward waking up to her in his apartment, and besides, her little brother would rib her endlessly for not coming home last night. She looked towards Inuyasha's open bedroom door, finding herself a little reluctant to leave.

Gripping his comforter in her hand, she stuffed her movie in her backpack before she slung her backpack over her shoulder and marched into his bedroom. She was surprised to see his hanyou features had been restored, his silver hair glinting in the dim light. A smile on her face, she draped the comforter over his body.

Not wanting him to think she'd disappeared, she pulled a book from her backpack, her favorite tare panda decorated note pad and a pen. She quickly scribbled a note and left it on his bedside table before quietly walking out of the apartment, holding the doorknob as she silently shut the door behind her.

Once she had left the house, Inuyasha's eyes popped open. His hand shot out to the nightstand and picked up the note, frowning at the overly cute pandas. "Inuyasha, I didn't want you to worry that I was gone, not that I think you would of course, but I've already gone home to make sure Souta gets to school and to get ready for the day. See you soon, Kagome." He grunted, letting the note drop to the floor before snuggling into his comforter, glad to have not only its warmth, but also the mingling scents of both Kagome and himself entwined in its fibers.


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Naraku gripped the phone in his palm tightly, his brow furrowing in frustration. "You did what with the Kawauso account? You offered them two million yen extra because it was the 'right thing to do'?"

The man on the other end of the line protested passionately, his deep voice wavering as it broke. "But Naraku, we basically striped them of their land illegally, they deserve some payment for their loss, even if you won't give them the minimum of what the land is worth!"

Naraku's authoritative voice deepened. "Rouyakan. Do not forget that we are not working with humans here, and my company is not going to bow to the sensitive needs of any youkai clan, whether they are the ancient otter youkai or not. Its survival of the fittest in this age, and if the feral youkai who are still holed up in their dens and their fields in the wild won't integrate into human society, they are just worthless beings residing on land that should belong to me anyway."

The Lord of the Southern Lands chuckled as the foolish Rouyakan noisily hung up on Naraku. The big, dumb, Ookami-Youkai was compassionate and thoughtful, which made him an excellent employee, as he was skilled at understanding what the other party needed in a proposal and convincing them to sign the contract. But it also made him weak.

In this time of struggle, Naraku would not entertain weak.

He picked up the phone again and pressed speed dial.

"Yes, Naraku-sama?" A voice asked him.

"Bankotsu, I want you to… take care of Rouyakan." Naraku responded emotionlessly.

"Understood." The mercenary replied.

Naraku smiled as he hung up the phone, pleased at Bankotsu's obedience and lack of questioning. They should all be like that.

A cool, feminine voice broke his concentration. "Naraku-sama?"

The fearsome Lord looked up from his paper work as Kikyou walked into his office. This woman wasn't even a youkai and yet she knew how to behave herself in the presence of her Lord and Master.

"I bring you the updated proposal for the Higurashi account." She said evenly, meeting his eyes as she gently laid it on his desk.

Naraku examined the closed manila folder. It had been three weeks since he had approached Kagome with his proposal and he had yet to hear back from her. He had sent numerous gifts, some more exquisite than others, from flower arrangements to checks that had never been cashed. One would only assume she was far more enjoying the company of the Inu-Youkai and the Ookami-Youkai who were hanging on her like lost pups. He frowned in disgust.

Despite his efforts to win Kagome over, her shrine had thrived under the tutelage of his rivals not only in matters of the heart, but of business, Inu Properties and Preservation. The amount of visitors and proportionately, the amount of revenue had increased. They had done renovations to a handful of the buildings and even reworked some of the landscaping. Even the Ookami Lord had lent a helping hand to the efforts, apparently trying to win the woman in a different way.

Naraku realized that with the competition of the hormones of youth that Inuyasha and Kouga possessed, he would simply have to find some other way to undermine all the work they had both put forth.

Perusing the new contract, he nodded at the astronomical amount being offered. If that woman were to deny this proposal, she was more stubborn and more stupid than he would have ever imagined.


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"Kagome, we're here!" Sango's voice carried through the house as she opened the front door to let herself, Miroku and Inuyasha in. She tilted sideways to get in through the opening with her hiraikotsu, already dressed in her tight fitting black and pink taiji-ya garb and ready for her first performance of the weekend.

Just from the looks of the visitor attendance outside, it was going to be a busy day. Couples and families lined every inch of grass, and even some on the granite pathways to observe the cherry blossoms. For a moment, Sango realized the past four weeks, an entire month had gone by in a blur since they had met Kagome.

They found the shrine miko sitting at the kitchen table, the newspaper spread out in front of her and a cup of coffee in her hands. Her brother sat across from her, polishing off a bowl of cereal.

Suddenly sensing a presence in the house that he didn't recognize, Inuyasha flexed his claws and sunk into a defensive position, pushing his way past his friends to stand near Kagome as the sound of slow, creaky footsteps were heard on from the stairs in the hallway.

"Someone else is here." He said, his senses alert.

"It's only-" Kagome began.

The Inu-Hanyou tentatively sniffed the air. "It smells…old."

A raspy voice coughed before speaking. "And it's good to see you too, Inuyasha. It's been a long time. I see your manners haven't improved much."

Kagome turned to look at her aunt who had graciously offered to help out during the busy hanami period. "You know him, Kaede-obasan?"

"You could say that child." She answered warmly, distantly remembering meeting the hanyou when he was courting her young sister, Kikyou. Though Kikyou had mostly kept their relationship a secret, and Kaede had rarely met the interesting man, she would never have forgotten him.

Inuyasha's response of "Keh." Was met with him relaxing his stance and walking away like he had never jumped out to protect Kagome from a little old woman that he denied even knowing in the first place. He chalked it up to being jumpy and having woken up only an hour ago.

Ignoring the strange moment, Miroku chose small talk. "Looks like it'll be a busy day, there are already dozens of people laying out their blankets for hanami."

"All the tickets for Sango's performance have been sold out." Souta mentioned, counting a stack of yen on the table.

"The grounds are already cleaned and ready to go." Kaede said.

"I'm ready for the first tour." Miroku chimed in.

"I've got the second." Souta commented.

Kagome was so pleased, she almost had a tear in her eye. "Geeze, guess there's nothing for Inuyasha and I to do then." She chuckled jokingly.

Sango's eyes lit up, mischief sparkling in her brown depths. "You two have worked the hardest to get the publications out, I think you both deserve a break."

Kaede glanced at the hanyou who she knew in her heart had wasted years of his life pining after her corrupted younger sister. He was staring out the kitchen window, but if one were to look hard enough, he wasn't really focusing on the blossoming sakura. Instead, he was watching Kagome out of the corner of his eyes.

'Perhaps this is the Higurashi you were meant to find all along, the one who can heal your heart, Inuyasha. And poor Kagome, who never was interested in Houjo, she deserves someone too. These two would make the perfect couple.' The old woman nodded her approval.

"Between Miroku and Souta running the tours, Sango with her demonstrations, and myself at the gift shop, we are adequately staffed." The old woman said confidently.

Souta's eyebrows rose high onto his brow. "Yeah, sis, you and Inu-kun should go out and have some fun!" He sent a knowing wink in his sister's direction.

Kagome's brows knitted at her little brother's innuendo, but for what reason did she have to say no? She deserved some time away, and some time alone with Inuyasha sounded like more than a good enough reason.

She crossed her arms over her chest and adopted a haughty expression. "Well, I certainly wouldn't want to be a burden on you, Inuyasha."

"Keh, let's go, wench." He retorted, but even Kagome noticed the excited glimmer in his eyes.

Kaede watched as the two walked out of the house, bickering with one another. 'Yes.' She said to herself, smiling as she watched them. 'Both of them have finally found what they're looking for. Whether they know it or not.'


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Kouga climbed the last step of the ridiculously long granite staircase and was amazed at the ridiculous number of people spread out on blankets at the shrine grounds. Families lounged around together, eating from bentou boxes, playing games and having fun. Couples cuddled together, sharing bottles of sake and snacks.

Envying the couples laying together, he was driven that much harder to find Kagome. He walked at a brisk pace, which was really the equivalent of a fast jog, towards the Higurashi home. Bursting through the front door, he exclaimed. "I'm here, Kagome!"

His enthusiastic entrance was met by the questioning looks of Sango, Miroku, Souta, and some old bag.

"She left a little while ago, with Inu-kun." Souta supplied as the old woman did a once over of the young man's shrine outfit.

"Inu-kun?" The name sounded silly coming from Kouga's mouth. "You mean to tell me you guys let Kagome go out by herself with that mutt?"

Kaede fought the urge to chuckle. This certainly was an interesting group of friends Kagome had gotten herself involved in.

"Where did they go?" Kouga questioned insistently. The others only looked at each other and shrugged. "When will they be back?" His second question was again met with another collective shrug. "You guys are useless!" Kouga turned around and stormed down the hallway, but was stopped by the old woman.

"You must be Kouga." She said warmly. "Kagome left a message with me should you come by looking for her." She watched amusedly as the Ookami-Youkai's eyes lit up. "Hmm, what was it she told me to tell you? Oh, yes. 'Please assist Souta, Sango and Miroku should they need help.'"

The Lord of the Northern Lands balked at the message and Souta stifled his giggles at the little lie. Opening the hall closet, he grabbed a straw broom and handed it to the stunned wolf.

"Thanks for your help, Kouga!" Souta exclaimed before walking out of the house, Kaede, Sango, and Miroku following suit.

Kouga shook with frustration, his grip tightening around the bamboo pole. Letting out a long sigh, he forced himself to relax. Though he was tempted to take off running and track them down using his canine sense of smell, he decided his best bet at this point was to just wait for their return, especially since Kagome had instructed as much. Besides, how else to best be able to chew out Inuyasha in front of the woman they were fighting over than by bring right here when he returned?


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Sitting under an umbrella outside a busy sandwich shop, Kagome and Inuyasha leaned back in the warm spring sunlight enjoying an early lunch. As Kagome took tiny bites, Inuyasha devoured his sandwich in quadrants while they enjoyed the companionable silence.

The hanyou took note of the ugly car on the side of the street. Yes, it was the junker they had rode in here on. It really was a disgrace among the other cars parked along the curb.

"Stop making faces at my car or your face will freeze that way." Kagome said coolly.

"Keh!" Inuyasha exclaimed as he inhaled the last section of his sandwich.

Kagome kicked her feet out of her sneakers and stretched her legs out, resting them on top of Inuyasha's knees. He tried brush it off as though it were an annoyance, but didn't succeed. She handed the second half of her sandwich to the hanyou, which he accepted graciously.

"Hungry?" She had asked.

Inuyasha nodded between bites. "Went home last night to check on the family and didn't get to stop and eat."

"You live with your half brother right?" Kagome asked, interested.

He nodded. "And his adopted daughter and my adopted son." He noticed Kagome's questioning look. "It's a long story."

"I'm all ears." Kagome said, eager to hear the hanyou talk about himself for a change as she relaxed further back into the metal chair, a bag of chips in her lap as her foot tapped to an imaginary beat in Inuyasha's lap.

"Well… Sesshomaru, he found this little human girl, Rin, six years ago. Her parents had gotten into a car wreck outside our mansion. She was the only survivor." Kagome's concerned gaze prompted him forward. "The two just… I don't know, bonded, I guess. See, she was very quiet, and he was very cold, but together, they seemed to bring out the best in each other somehow. My brother and I weren't really on speaking terms at the time. He lived in the Western Mansion alone, and I was basically a wanderer. Well, this little eight year old girl just really turned him around and helped him to reach out to me."

Kagome nodded, digesting the amazing story. "Tell me about your…son." Kagome found the word hard to say. Though she knew it was an adopted relationship from a previous conversation they'd shared, she realized it made her think that Inuyasha was already committed to a prior relationship.

"Shippou, that's his name, he was orphaned in the forest surrounding our lands about two years ago. See, he's a young Kitsune-Youkai, and his father was killed off by other youkai, probably in a power struggle over territory. Well, I found the little guy near death, and took him in until he was healed, but Rin made us keep him, so, in a nutshell, the brat became my responsibility. With only Sesshomaru, Rin and I in his family, the little kid has no role models, and he's become a handful, but he's a decent kid."

Aside from the fact the Kagome was glad there was no involvement with other women, she was surprised at the amount of emotion displayed by Inuyasha. His words might not convey how he really felt, but the look in his eyes, the tone of his voice, even the length at which we spoke all contributed to a genuine compassion and caring that one on the outside might think Inuyasha incapable of.

"You big softie." She said quietly, jabbing at him with her toes.

"Am not." He replied gruffly, which was rewarded with a light laugh from Kagome.

Kagome blushed slightly. "I love children, I'd like to meet them some time."

The very idea made Inuyasha's heart swell. It would be nice for Shippou to have a mother. He instantly bit his lip at the thought. 'What the fuck, Taisho, you didn't mean it that way!' He barked at himself before a comfortable silence settled between them.

"Let's go for a drive." Kagome said suddenly.

Inuyasha looked up, painfully aware that he had been massaging her socked feet. She reluctantly slid her feet back into her shoes and tossed Inuyasha the keys to her car.

"I don't know the area too well." Inuyasha said.

"I don't care, just take me somewhere." Kagome replied, tossing him her keys.

As infinite possibilities charged through Inuyasha's mind, he tried to get control of himself. Cracking a smile, he used one hand to swing himself over the wrought iron fence in front of the sandwich shop. From the other side, he offered his hand to Kagome.

Not able to help but smile at the breath of fresh air that was Inuyasha, she slid her hand into his as he helped her over.


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"Oh, Inuyasha, look at that, see that bright blue car out there?" Kagome asked, pointing to something bright blue and box shaped sitting outside a car dealership in the distance.

"What about it?" He asked.

"That's the car of my dreams. It's the Uber Golf, a rare, special edition Volkswagen. Every time I pass by it I can't help but stare. Doesn't it look awesome?" Kagome sighed.

Not being able to resist getting a closer look at the car that had caught her attention, Inuyasha discovered he had to see it up close and personal. Pulling suddenly to the right and taking a side road, the dealership attendants looked at them with amused expressions due to the beaten old car they drove.

"What are you doing?" Kagome asked as Inuyasha parked and got out of the car.

The hanyou went around to her side of the car and opened the door for her. "Don't you want to look at it?" He asked irritably. She looked shocked as he grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her towards the car.

"Golf R32." He said to himself as he examined the sticker taped to the window.

Of course, it had less than half the horsepower and torque of his own car, a top of the line Mercedes SL65 AMG roadster he had left back in Kyoto. This so-called 'Uber Golf' had 240 horsepower and 236 torque, but it did had all wheel drive and a very sporty look. The longer he looked at it, the more it grew on him. It had the same cut lines and angles that all German cars seemed to share, and the dual exhaust in the rear was a nice touch. It was no Mercedes, but he had to admit, it was a pretty nice car.

He looked at the price at the bottom of the sticker. Three million yen. That sounded familiar, in fact, it sounded just like a bet he'd made. Suddenly, he realized that thanks to his big mouth, he'd bet Kagome that exact amount of money that her coffee wasn't as good as Starbucks.

He looked over at the woman walking around the car, her eyes as big as saucers as she soaked in the details of the car. Based solely on what he'd learned of Kagome so far, he was pretty confident that she would never think to hold him to his bet, and perhaps, that's what made his decision that much more enticing.

"You really like this thing?" Inuyasha asked.

"Yeah, an old boyfriend of mine had a regular Golf, and I loved driving that car!" She looked up to Inuyasha and was surprised to find him growling. Realizing she was looking at him strangely, he forced the growl to fade as she continued. "Anyway, I can only imagine how awesome this car would be."

Telling himself he was being driven by pride to honor his bet, he nodded his head. Besides, that old junker she was driving around in was totally unsafe, and it definitely wouldn't be to his advantage were she to kill herself in an accident before he had acquired her land or at least the Shikon no Tama. "Right." He said to himself quietly, as though he were trying to convince himself of a motive that didn't really exist.

Besides, he reluctantly realized he was suddenly driven to one up this old boyfriend she had mentioned.

"Can I help you?" An attendant asked.

"This car, it comes in stick, right?" Inuyasha asked gruffly.

The attendant raised an eyebrow at the clueless customer. "Only comes in stick, sir."

Inuyasha forced himself to ignore the man's cocky attitude. "We'll take it, in this color blue."

Kagome tore her gaze away from the car. "We'll what?!" She exclaimed.

The attendant looked back at the old Accord they had driven in with. Inuyasha rolled his eyes. Of course these Tokyo snobs wouldn't know who he was. He handed the man his driver's license. "Go run the credit check. I can cut you a check right now." He said, pulling his checkbook from his rear pocket.

As the sales representative high tailed it back to the office, Kagome ran around the car. "Are you crazy? I don't have the money for this!"

"Keh, I know you don't. That's why I'm buying it for you." Inuyasha clarified.

Kagome's jaw dropped to its maximum amount of open. "What? Why!?

Inuyasha shrugged at the maniacal woman. Thirty thousand yen was no big deal to him. "Because I can, wench." Kagome's eyes narrowed at the reference. "Kagome." He backpedaled.

"Inuyasha, I couldn't possibly-" Kagome began, worry apparent in her uncomfortable expression.

"I won't take no for an answer." Inuyasha insisted. "I lost your stupid bet over your damn good coffee, think of this as your payment."

"You nut, I bet you twenty thousand yen. I would have only been able to buy a few outfits for that amount of money." Kagome protested.

Inuyasha snorted, annoyed at the back and forth banter. This was the first woman he had ever met who didn't like or want handouts from a rich man. "Well, I bet you more, and I always keep my word, now stop whining."

Kagome's jaw just hung open, not knowing what else to say. "I still can't accept! I don't want you to think that I'm taking advantage-"

Inuyasha suddenly reached out, and put his hand around her small shoulder, his golden eyes capturing Kagome's deep browns. It shook him to his core that in the midst of offering this woman a free car, she was worried about how he'd view her for it. She was thinking of him. "Just say thanks and drop it, would ya?"

"Thank…you." Kagome whispered, in shock.


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As the last rays of the spring sunset poured through the window's sheer curtains, Souta broke the kiss he shared with the white haired girl. "You hear that?"

Kanna lifted her head off his bed, her eyes focused to the left as she listened. "Sounds like a car." She said quietly, shrugging her shoulders as she tried to pull Souta back into her.

Souta instead sat up further, parting the curtains and looked towards the small street behind the house. "Ohmygod!" He exclaimed before vaulting off the bed and sprinting down the stairs three at a time.

Kanna looked out the window at the car that had caused the interruption as her… acquaintance ran through the house. 'I don't have to right to call him my boyfriend.' She told herself sadly, though she knew Souta referred to her as his girlfriend, her guilt wouldn't allow her to accept their bond.

Resignedly, she reached for her purse on the nightstand and pulled out a mirror, concentrating on finding the image of her sister, it was time for a broadcast. She had much new information that her sister was due to report to their master.


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Inuyasha had to pry his fingers from the door handle.

He had been driving since cars had first come to Japan, but he had gotten used to his favorite make, Mercedes. They were known for luxury and speed, but not exactly for driving experience. This little Volkswagen was made for the driver and he was amazed at how Kagome could control the little box on wheels.

She was a good driver, but a damn fast driver. She was very skilled with the clutch, and really excelled in cornering and acceleration, which there was no lack of with the powerful engine that the car possessed. He could positively say that he only hoped he could learn more from her.

Bringing the car to a stop, Kagome cut the engine off and for a moment, they listened to the little pings and pangs the engine made as it tried to cool itself off. Barely able to contain herself, Kagome threw her body across the cabin and swung her arms around Inuyasha's neck. "Thank you so much!" She cried.

Inuyasha tentatively wrapped his arms around the woman's little waist. He couldn't help but notice how small and delicate her body was in proportion to his own. He unconsciously held her tighter to his body.

Eventually pulling away from her, he noticed a tear in her eye. "What happened? Are you okay?" He snapped, checking his claws to make sure they had been retracted when he had returned her embrace.

"Yes, you dummy." She responded. When he furrowed his brows at her, she chuckled. "No one's ever done anything this amazing for me."

"It's just a car." Inuyasha said moodily.

"It's more than that to me." Kagome said honestly.

The two started slowly moving towards each other when a loud knocking against the window stopped them.

'Son of a bitch, what is it with almost kissing her in a car!' Inuyasha asked himself, spinning to see what the distraction was this time.

He instantly got a headache when he saw Kouga standing outside. "Fuck." He muttered.


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A purple and yellow bee squirmed its insectile body through the door of the apartment as it buzzed toward its master.

Naraku rolled over in bed, blinking in the darkness of the early evening dusk. A nap after working a long day was one of his favorite pleasures. Acknowledging the saimyoushou's presence, the two stared at each other, engaging in a form of nonverbal communication. Two plans had been set into place. Things would start to get interesting, now.

Naraku nodded, and the saimyoushou buzzed away.

The evil man commended himself on his decision to move into the Tokyo rental apartment so close to the Higurashi shrine. In fact, if he looked out the southern windows he could just barely make out the shrine grounds from this height.

A smirk pulled at his lips as he covered his naked body with his comforter and spooned himself behind the woman who shared his bed. He thought about another quick romp under the covers, but right now, there were more important matters to be dealt with.

Leaning his head towards the woman's ear, he whispered, "It's time to unleash your hate, Kikyou."

The woman rose silently, silk sheets sliding off her naked body. Wordlessly, she headed for the bathroom.


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'So she can't be won by flowers, but she can be won with a car?' Kouga asked himself, irate that Inuyasha would have stooped so low as to try to purchase Kagome.

Inuyasha slowly got out of the car, knowing the confrontation with Kouga would be inevitable. "Who invited the wolf cub?" He asked casually.

Kagome got out of the car, feeling a fight coming on. "Inuyasha…" Kagome began.

"I like how you try to buy Kagome with expensive gifts." Kouga barked.

"I did no such thing. I had to honor the bet I lost to her over her stupid coffee for the same amount of money, and I had to force her to accept it anyway!" Inuyasha spat.

Burning with anger, Kouga pulled his hand back and clenched his fist. He was feeling threatened by this mutt, and there was no way he was going to lose this woman to such a callous jerk like Inuyasha when he was obviously the better man.

"Kouga-kun?" All heads turned toward Kaede, who came hobbling out of the shrine office. "There's a phone call in the office for you. They said it was important."

The Lord of the Northern Lands frowned and grabbed at his cell phone on his belt. Who ever it was, why would they call him here instead of on his cell phone? He cursed himself as he remembered that he had turned it off before climbing the shrine steps, not wanting to be disturbed during what he had thought might be some alone time for him and his woman.

With unnatural speed, Kouga sprinted into the office to take the call.

"This'd better be good." He growled into the phone.

"Kouga! You have to come back, we need you here!" Ginta's voice shouted from the other end of the phone. In the background, he could hear Hakkaku nervously shouting.

"What? What's going on?" Kouda asked, trying to gain control of the confusing situation.

"There's been an attack on our borders, on your uncle's pack, their land was destroyed, burned to the ground!" Ginta wailed.

Kouga's eyes widened and he dropped the phone on the floor. As it bounced off the hardwood, Ginta's voice called out desperately, "Kouga? Kouga? Are you there?"

"Ookami-kun, are you-" Souta began on his way out of the house, but before he could finish, the wolf youkai was gone in a flash, the leaves of the trees that lined the walkway swaying in the breeze created by his movements. Kagome looked up as a brown streak flashed by the path.

"This isn't over, Inuyasha!" The wolf Lord called out as he left.

"Looks like Kouga had to leave." Inuyasha said flatly, capturing Kagome's confused gaze in Kouga's wake.

"Nice ride, sis!" Souta exclaimed, heedless to the confusion caused by the Northern Lord. He circled the car three times before he asked, "Can I drive it?"

"Get lost. Once you get your license, you get the Accord."

"Nee-chan!" Souta wailed. "You kept that old clunker?"

"Yes, I kept that old clunker!" Kagome exclaimed. "That was your father's car, and it'll be your car just like it was mine."

Miroku sidled up alongside of Inuyasha as the two siblings continued to argue. "Did you check the headlights on that car before you bought it?"

"I said it was a bet didn't I? Stop looking into it, damnit!" Inuyasha said between clenched teeth.

Surprised he had gotten away with only a verbal lashing for the non-discreet innuendo, Miroku held up his hands in submission. He knew when not to push Inuyasha's buttons.

"We've got dinner ready inside." Sango called to the others from inside the house.

"Ah, Sango and Kaede prepared sukiyaki for us all." Miroku said, licking his lips as he turned around and walked towards the house.

"Inu-kun, race you in a match of Gran Turismo before dinner!" Souta challenged the hanyou.

"Keh, you're on, kid." Inuyasha retorted as he chased Souta into the house. At the door, he paused and looked back at Kagome. "You coming?" He asked gently.

She smiled warmly. "Be there in just a minute."

Finally by herself, Kagome walked around her new car, sighing in contentment over the new vehicle. Although she had fought with Inuyasha to try to convince him there was no reason to buy it for her, she couldn't hide her excitement over the first new car she'd ever had.

That Inuyasha thought enough of her to 'honor his bet' amazed her, though she was convinced it must be something more so simple a reason. The smile he had when she accepted, his persistence, the soft tone of his voice when she had told her it was hers. Was all that just honoring a bet? The thought that there might be something more to their business friendship alone made her happy. Yes, things in her life were really beginning to look up for a change.

As she turned to enter the house, she noticed a person reaching the top of the stairs. It was a woman with long black hair and a slim figure dressed in a business suit. She looked so familiar, though Kagome couldn't place why.

The closer the woman approached, the light given off by the solitary street light that shone next to the house began to illuminate her silhouette. Kagome's eyes widened as she suddenly recognized her cousin.

"Kikyou." She whispered.


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Authors Notes:

Man, this is a long chapter, but really, it's just a lot of filler to get us caught up to the fact that Inuyasha and Kagome have known each other for a month now, and they are used to each other personalities, very comfortable with each other, and still outwardly denying any attraction between themselves. I felt it wouldn't be right to split this chapter up into two smaller ones, so sorry for all the winded reading.

On another note, Thirty Million yen is roughly equivalent to $30,000. Now, I don't know how much the R32 went for in Japan, but here in the states, they were around 30k. If you need a visual of this awesome car, check out vw's website and look in the Golf/GTI section.

Also, after four chapters, I must say I expected a few more reviews than I've received. While I'm not a review whore, I'm just wondering if people are actually reading and not responding, or if people aren't reading because either my writing skill or premise doesn't interest them. So, if you are enjoying this story, which, if you're up to chapter 4, I'd assume you have some reason for sticking around, please let me know what you think, and perhaps, what I can improve on.