InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Laying Down the Law ❯ A Day at the Beach ( Chapter 9 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Thanks so much for everyone's support and quick reviewing, I have a few days off from la escuela so I'm gonna try to get a lot of work done. Not to mention clean my room, which is a disaster, lol. I like to think of it as creative chaos, but my mom is like, "um...no." On with the story, much love guys!

Every gang has a hide out, a headquarters, that one sacred place where only the worthy may tread. For the Tarantulas, their hideout was a dirty hovel in the center of the territory, grungy, dark and rank with sin. The Vixens didn't really have a place to call their own and, subsequently, spent most of their time with the Tarantulas in their headquarters. Usage of the "Spider House" didn't come free, however. The Vixens did a few dirty deeds to earn their keep, but no body complained; as long as they weren't out on the street, the Vixen girls couldn't raise a finger in protest.

Today, Naraku was leaning back in a ratty office chair, observing his headquarters with an air of perverse pride. Some of the Tarantulas gave a ragged cry of approval as two top naked Vixens began grinding to an inaudible beat. On the other side of the room, a groan was heard as one of the Vixens provided a Tarantula with truly fantastic head. Kanna, second in command for the Vixens, was laughing cutely at something a Tarantula had just said, preparing to straddle his lap. A rather beautiful girl, wearing nothing but a leather mini skirt and stilletos, clicked her way towards Naraku, mouth twisted in a wicked smirk as she laid eyes on the leader. Yes, Naraku thought as the girl got down on her knees before him, this was truly the perfect life. If only he could have Salter...

The very thought put him in a terrible mood and with a growl, Naraku pushed away the girl, who was beginning to unzip his jeans. The girl gave a small squeak as she toppled over sideways and frowned as Naraku stormed out of the room, withdrawing his cell phone from his pocket as he went. Naraku marched straight towards an inconspicuous door in the corner and slammed it behind him. While the others exchanged glances, no one made a motion to follow him; everyone knew that, when enclosed in that room, Naraku was not to be disturbed, lest you lose your head.

The only furnishings in the room were an old rotting table and a chair, Naraku's thinking hovel where he devised his most dastardly plans. Plopping down in the chair, the boy went down a list in his phone and stopped on one name in particular: Akago. Hitting the send button restlessly, Naraku waited through several rings until a voice answered.

Now, the Sharks had a much more respectable headquarters than the Tarantulas, one in which very little or no lewd behavior went on. Outside of prying eyes, Akago ran a resepctable, friendly gang where everyone was intelligent and collected, just like their leader. The headquarters was actually a group of beach houses on the ocean front and the door were almost always open, allowing the cool breeze to drift through the houses. Akago was currently leaning on the porch banister looking out on the ocean, which reflected the perfect blue skies and brilliant sun. Beside him, his trusted friend Gatenmaru was doing the same, both honoring the silence and its rarities.

Akago looked like anything but a gang member right then, wearing an open-chested white beach shirt and jeans, just a regular person appreciating nature. Gatenmaru smirked a little turning to lean back against the railing. "Sometimes I think you're getting soft," he said simply.

This only provoked a snort from Akago, whose white hair blew back from his face in the wind. "Soft. What is it, really, to be soft? I didn't want any of this when Minamoto promoted me, the women, the law breaking, the bantering back and forth with the South. But how could I say no? A person just doesn't say no to offers like that."

"If that's what you think," came Gatenmaru's vague reply.

Akago hated the way his friend could make him feel so inadequate with words like that, but he had no time to reply. A ringing inside diverted his attention and he pushed away from the banister, walking leisurely inside to answer his cell phone. "Hello?" he asked, not even bothering to look at the number.

"Akago," came a sinister voice.

The Shark leader scowled, realizing he'd just inadvertantly answered Naraku's phone call. He'd made it a habit to ignore those. "Naraku," he said blankly.

"How are you doing, Akago?" came Naraku's sickeningly sweet reply.

Cringing, Akago replied shortly, "Spare me the pleasantries. What do you want?"

"A man who gets straight to the point. That's what I like about you, Akago, you don't mess with unimportant words. In this light, I won't bother you with any. I called to see if you'd changed your mind about taking over Salter, since I certainly haven't."

The change of subject dropped a rock in Akago's gut and his breath escaped in a woosh; of course he still remembered the gang meeting a week or so back, the one where Naraku had proposed this proposterous idea, but who was he to say no? It was Naraku's business after all and, if the Sharks weren't involved, the Tarantulas could do whatever the hell they wanted. But this...

"I'm not in on this, Naraku, and I don't even know why you called since you know I won't be moved on the," matter Akago said cooly.

But this time Naraku had leverage. "Ah yes. But that's because you have nothing to fan you from behind. How about this; do you know who I was looking at mere moments ago?"

Akago rolled his eyes, replying shortly, "No idea."

"Someone who you know quite well. Kanna? She's giving someone in the other room one hell of a blow job right about now."

Wincing slightly, Akago recalled several flashing images of his baby sister when they were younger, dancing around in the play pool, calm and collected like her brother yet with more of a freedom about her. He'd always looked after her, as they were foster children with no real parents to care for them. Certainly, he respected his foster parents, but there was always that gap between them and nothing, not even time, could heal it. His sister was dear to him, even if she'd strayed from the path long ago.

"What of it? You act as though I'm unaware of her behavior," Akago replied casually, knowing Naraku was trying to get a rise out of him.

"Well, if you don't agree to my terms, your sister won't be doing much of anything anymore. It's hard for dead people to 'behave'. But of course the death would be slow; everyone deserves a ceremonious death, don't you think?"

Just the relish in Naraku's voice was enough to make Akago want to vomit. He knew that the Tarantulas could easily take down the Sharks if they wanted to, but did Naraku have to use such dirty tricks to control them? Akago knew it was wrong to lead his gang in such a direction if only for his sister's protection, but what could he do? Naraku was known for his terrible torture tricks and just imagining Kanna chained up against the wall, being touched and whipped...

"God damn you," Akago hissed, glancing up as Gatenmaru strolled in from outside; his friend's gaze was concerned and questioning, but Akago just waved away his worry.

Naraku chuckled darkly. "God will have to get in line. I trust you'll be picking up my phone calls from now on. Now that we're...business partners."

Without another word, the line went dead and Akago found himself frozen for a moment, unable to move or think or even breathe. He didn't want any part of this dastardly plan, but he didn't have a choice any more. Perhaps his sister was beyond saving, but he didn't believe that; in order to help her, however, he'd have to keep her alive. Finally, Akago threw down his cell phone and massaged his temples, pretending as though he couldn't feel Gatenmaru's eyes.

"Who was that?" Gatenmaru asked finally, crossing his muscular arms.

"The devil," came Akago's lifeless reply. "And I've just made a deal with him."

"Transmission?"

"No, I think it's the distributor."

"Bullshit, I just replaced that thing three weeks ago. Try the cams."

"It can't be the cams cause I just replaced those two weeks ago.'

"Um...fuel injection?"

"No, dumbass, you replaced that."

"Oh yeah..."

Over the years, the gangs had made Inuyasha's Lamborghini Diablo their group project, seeing as though no one person could get the car running. Between all of them, the gangs had quite an advanced library of knowledge, yet they couldn't seem to get that car started. Inuyasha had found the dilapidated body and parts at the ripe age of 15, begging his 16 year old brother and friends to help him get it running. No one had quite expected the work it took to tame the car, but this didn't really matter in the end; without the Lamborghini to work on, the boys might've felt purposeless and lost.

Right now, it was nearing noon on a hot June day, a week or so after Shitora's arrival. Everything had settled back down until the gangs were peacefully working on their vehicles. Inuyasha, Sesshomaru, Miroku, Kouga, Hakkaku, Ginta, Ranbou, Bankotsu and Hiten were all gathered around the car's open hood, staring down at the spaghetti mix of parts, all of them smudged with grease and carrying tools. At the moment, they looked, to say the least, absolutely stumped; why wouldn't this damned piece of machinery just get up and go?

Since the boys had emptied the bench of tools, using them all in their efforts to resurrect Inuyasha's car, the girls were sitting there observing the mechanical feat of genius. The girls had already shed their shirts in the unbearable heat and were currently passing around a beer bottle, taking sips and hoping to keep cool. Sango wiped a hand across her brow and began to curl her high ponytail into a bun.

"God, it hasn't been this hot all week, and that's saying something," she moaned.

Ayame cocked an eyebrow and leaned back slightly. "Maybe the heat's gotten to them enough that they'll let us help."

There was a silence between the girls as they exchanged glances, but finally Shitora snorted. "Yeah, it's not that hot."

Kagome sighed, crossing her arms and observing the boys irritatedly. "Can't they just accept someone's help for once?"

After a moment, Shitora gave a growl and leapt off the bench, rolling her lithe shoulders and flexing her claws."You know what, I've had just about enough of these stupid ass men. I'm gonna go help them whether they like it or not."

Before the others could say a word in protest, the white haired girl stormed over towards the crowd of boys and pushed Hiten bodily out of her path. After muscling her way into the circle, Shitora ignored the surprised stares of the boys and allowed her eyes to take in the sight of the Lamborghini's inards.

After a moment she announced boldly, "Gearbox. Replace it and..." Shitora leaned over, running her hands over some of the parts to inspect further. As she bent over, Ranbou felt an odd heat in his lower regions; there weren't many perfect asses in this world, but Shitora's certainly came close.

Kouga, who was observing this scene with mild amusement, glanced over at his brother and noticed the odd flush on his face. Quirking an eyebrow, the younger Ookami caught his brother's attention with a twinkling of his fingers and made an obscene pelvic thrust sort of gesture. This brought a scowl to Ranbou's lips and the elder boy let loose a low growl at the insinuation.

At the sound of the deep rumbling behind her, Shitora rose up and turned to face Ranbou. "What crawled up your ass and died?" she asked haughtily, crossing her arms.

Ignoring his brother's insolent chuckles, Ranbou lowered his eyebrows and replied, "I was just wonderin' where you go off comin' over here and tellin' us how to do our job, Sukini."

"If this is your job, then you must be poor, because surely no one pays you to be an asshole," Shitora retorted smartly, barely even raising her voice. The other boys gave low sounds of approval, clapping a sour Ranbou on the back.

"Oh, shut up, you skinny little bitch," Ranbou bit viciously, a little harsher than he intended.

There was brief silence as the others digested this insult. Rarely did Ranbou and Shitora's little bantering matches escalate into fights, but often the others stopped them before this was possible. Inuyasha's eyes darkened and he stepped forward, taking Ranbou by the shoulder and ushering him away from the circle. "I think you need a drink, man."

Even after Ranbou's departure, the others didn't quite know what to say. Finally, Shitora let out a seemingly carefree laugh. "Huh. Guess I won that round, then."

Another awkward silence followed Shitora's comment and, eventually, Sesshomaru decided that none of this awkwardness was worth the hastle. "I do believe this calls for a break," he said finally, wiping his greasy palms on a nearby rag.

The others gave tired nods, deciding that nothing worthwhile could be accomplished in this unbearable heat. The other girls slid off the work bench, exchanging glances before hurrying over to Shitora; they were prepared for damage control. Kagome reached the white haired girl first and said quickly, "I bet Ranbou was just tired or something."

Shitora cocked and eyebrow and turned haphazardly to Kagome. "We don't need to talk about it or anything. That's what I get for being a bitch to him."

Momentarily stunned into silence, the other girls exchanged more odd glances before shrugging their shoulders and leaving the subject alone. After a small yet awkward silence, Miroku's voice hailed the girls over to the kitchen area where the boys had gathered. Sango walked in the back of the herd on their way towards the couches, trying to convince herself that Miroku didn't look appealing without his shirt on; strangely enough, she was failing.

"You girls wanna go to the beach?" Miroku asked.

The girls couldn't help but be slightly surprised; the workaholic gang boys wanted to go to the beach? Rin cocked an eyebrow and asked tentatively, "The...beach? Why?"

Inuyasha snorted. "To snowboard. Whadya think?"

Sesshomaru dealt his younger brother a swift whack to the chest and replied calmly to his girlfriend's question, "We just thought everyone could used a short break. We're not getting much done in this heat anyway."

While the two leaders were exchanging words, Ranbou glanced up from where he was sitting quietly on the couch. Just through a window in the group, between Inuyasha and Kouga, the wolf demon could make out the thin but appealing form of Shitora. She had her arms crossed, eyes downcast as she toed at some dirt on the floor. He couldn't quite tell, due to the angle of her head, but he could practically feel the upset waves rolling off of her. In truth, Ranbou hadn't meant to call her a bitch and be so short with her; he was just irritated that she knew more about cars than him. Perhaps he was the more knowledgeable mechanic, but she was the better one; she'd always had a good eye and head for puzzles when he was more of the book type. He was jealous of her...and yet he respected her simultaneously. Not that he'd ever tell her that, but he truly did.

Shitora glanced up and noticed Ranbou staring at her, ice blue eyes boring holes in her skull. She quickly looked away again, as though struck by invisible hands. Shitora silently began cursing herself, realizing she must look like a coward, shying away from his gaze. Yet...she couldn't forget that look of pure hatred on his face when he'd denounced her. He seemed to truly...dislike her. The girl didn't know why it bothered her so much, but it did; since when had she cared about what Ranbou thought?

"Sounds great!" Rin said finally, clapping her hands joyfully together. "We'll just go back home for our suits and meet you guys there, okay?"

The others agreed and Kagome placed her hand gently on Shitora's shoulder, getting her attention and ushering her towards the door. Though Kagome said nothing, just her soft reassurance was all the other girl needed; Shitora nodded slightly to herself and jogged after the others, pulling Kagome along towards Rin's convertible. All she had to do was forget about Ranbou; he didn't mean anything to her anyway, right? Right.

"What's wrong with it?"

"My boobs look funny."

"They don't look funny, they look fine. Nice and...round...Actually, they're sticking out at a funny angle; I see your point."

"Okay, yeah, not helping Sango."

Rin turned this way and that, staring at her reflection with the critical eye of a beautiful girl. Kagome and Ayame sat quietly on the bed, observing the goings on with a bitter sort of silent judgement. Shitora, who had no problems speaking her mind, mentioned tactlessly, "Don't complain about huge tits, Rin. They're a blessing."

Turning up her nose, Rin replied, "I wasn't commenting on their size, I just said they looked funny."

Ayame sighed, rolling her eyes towards the ceiling and falling back on the mattress; Rin had been complaining about her skimpy black bikini for the past ten minutes and showed no signs of slowing. Was the girl really that shallow, that she could find one thousand things wrong with the way her breasts sat in a top?

Kagome walked up behind Rin with a purposeful gait, untying the bikini straps and retying them deftly. Within seconds, a smile was gracing Rin's lips. "Oh, there we go!" the Wildcat leader exclaimed jouyfully, turning this way and that in the mirror.

The other girls concealed snorts and hurriedly donned their own bathing suits, throwing on jean shorts and hurrying for the door; the boys were probably waiting restlessly at the water side right that second. The girls piled in the car and Ayame flipped on the radio, throwing her head back as Rin gunned the engine; it felt so good to have the wind in her hair, free and let down in the summer.

The girls laughed and sang along to the radio, driving steadily towards the beach until Rin was forced to stop at a stoplight. Sango glanced to the side only to double-take; a black convertible full of Sharks was sitting beside them, the six boys talking quietly amongst themselves. The girl let out a gasp, gazing at the car above her sunglasses while her friends turned to look. Kagome cocked her head to the side, taking in the sight of those boys; they certainly didn't seem sinister.

"Don't look, Kagome," Rin said calmly, never removing her eyes from the stoplight. "They're not worth it."

At that moment, one of the Sharks glanced over and raised his eyebrows, expression never wavering. "Good afternoon ladies," he said simply, drawing attention to Rin's car.

Under the scrutiny of the Sharks, the girls surprisingly found themselves at ease; there was nothing dasterdly about the situation and, no matter how hard they tried, the girls couldn't feel uncomfortable. "Yeah, hi," Shitora replied dismissively, mustering a tight smile. She felt rather guilty for not feeling any hatred towards the Sharks.

As the light turned green, the Shark driver called, "Have a nice day," before zooming off into the distance. Rin couldn't help but notice that, even though he accelerated quickly, he stopped abruptly at the speed limit, not even straying a mile above. Had she not been the Wildcats leader, Rin might've mistaken those boys for regular everyday citizens and not member of a ruthless drug gang.

"Let's not repeat this to anyone," Ayame said finally, as the girls pulled into the beach parking lot. The others nodded, not even daring to think what the boys would say if they knew of the encounter. Somethings were just better left unsaid and this was definitely one of them.

After making the final turn, Rin pulled the car into a parking space, remaining unsurprised by the lack of cars. This part of the beach, creatively called The Cove, was a well-known hangout for gang members and those protected by rite; normal citizens could tread there if they so desired, but many found it safer just to stay away. The beaches of Tokyo were vast, anyway; why should normal people risk being caught in the midst of gang fire when they could rest peacefully not one mile down the way? Rin killed the engine and stepped out of the car, glancing over her sunglasses at the beachgoers.

From her position, Rin could make out the gleaming silver heads of Inuyasha and Sesshomaru, both shirtless and engaged in a volleyball game with the other boys. Nodding to her girlfriends, the Wildcat leader grinned and gave them a devilish wink.

"Whadya say we go cause some hard-ons, ladies?"

Sango burst out laughing at this ridiculous statement while Ayame rolled her eyes and slung an arm around her best friend's shoulders. "I don't think prancing around in a bikini would give Sesh a hard-on, Rin. Judging from the way he reacts to your everyday wardrobe, I'd say it takes a lot more than simple strings and cloth."

Turning up her nose indignantly, Rin replied, "I can give my man a boner anytime I want. I bet I can do it on command."

Kagome raised an eyebrow and saddled up beside her cousin with a sly smile. "Why Rin, was that a challenge, directed at Ayame?"

Both parties involved in this assumption turned to face Kagome abruptly, appearing as deer in headlights. "Come again?" Ayame asked confusedly.

Grin ever widening, Kagome continued, "That sounded like a challenge to me, Aya. I mean, couldn't you give Kouga a hard-on if you wanted to?"

Before the redhead could even answer, Rin let out a snort and interrupted, "Pssht, Kouga? I bet Kouga's had more girls than beers. It would take more than a peep show to get him boning."

Ayame furrowed her brow, adjusting her bikini strap self conciously. "That's not true, I could do it if I really wanted to."

Yet Rin wouldn't be swayed and only flicked her wrist dismissively. "Please, girl. There's a lot more to being sexy than you know. Mechanics aren't really part of the 'sexy' crowd, anyway."

There was complete and total silence for a moment as Ayame digested this insinuation, ignoring Kagome's expectant face looking pointedly in her direction. Just as the girls were coming within throwing range of the boys, Ayame said suddenly, "Fifty bucks I get Kouga hard before you get Sesshomaru boning."

Grinning cockily, Rin pulled down her sunglasses and didn't even bother glancing in the girl's direction. "Doll, that's like stealing fifty bucks from you. I couldn't do it to a friend."

Sango snorted and leaned down towards Shitora, "Me thinks Rin is getting a big head."

The hanyou shrugged. "She is pretty hot, man. You can't deny that."

"Course not," came Sango's annoyed response as she dug her toes deepers into the warm sand. "But doesn't mean she's gotta act like it, you know?"

After Rin's blatant put down, Ayame wrestled with her inner demons for a few steps. Sure, she was the tomboy mechanic, but she wouldn't be in the Wildcats core if she wasn't good looking. The girl had a typical gang girl body, toned and muscular, yet more defined than your average groupie. All the stretching and heavy lifting she did in the shop gave her quite an appetizing figure, yet she hid it beneath her baggy jeans and overalls. This, however, didn't mean she couldn't be sexy and she was seriously regretting Rin's dismissal of this fact. No matter how demeaning Ayame found slutty attitudes to women, she decided she would have to adopt her tramp face and give her man a day he would never forget, if only to prove a point: mechanics could be sexy if they damn well wanted to.

"You scared I might beat you, Rin?" Ayame challenged a second time.

"Of course n-" Rin began haughtily, only to be cut off again.

"Then prove it," Ayame replied shortly, stopping and turning to face her friend and leader.

The two girls locked eyes for a moment before Rin gave a weary sigh and rolled he eyes to the clouds. "Fine, Ayame, but I'm warning you. I won't go easy on you just cause you're my second."

"I know," Ayame replied flatly, shaking Rin's extended hand to consummate their bet.

Kagome, who was mighty pleased with her handiwork, crossed her arms triumphantly and glanced in Sango's direction. The girl rolled her eyes at her friend's ridiculous idea, yet gave her a thumbs up all the same; this bet would certainly make things a bit more interesting.

"Serve!" Inuyasha shouted, wiping away glistening sweat from his forehead.

The muscular boy tossed the ball up and jumped, bringing it crashing down towards the other team's court. Kouga was crouched down, prepared to dig the ball, but his eyes seemed to magically drift away from the game; as a result, in a small explosion off sand, the ball ricocheted off the boy's head and landed on the ground with a small "plop." His teammates let out sounds of irritation and Hakkaku stepped forward to protest.

"Kouga, what the hell? You were right there!"

Yet Kouga seemed impervious to words, slaps and vulgar insinuations at that moment; his attention was focused elsewwhere. Finally, Miroku had the sense to follow Kouga's gaze and the perverted boy's mouth dropped open in amazement; he'd forgotten how fantastic Sango looked in a bikini. The girls were each wearing their favorite colors, discarding ther jean shorts and helping each other rub on sun tan lotion. Every single boy on the court remained completely motionless as they watched the seemingly oblivious girls in a god-like display of unintended sensuality, rubbing the oil along their glistening bare skin; this was so wrong, yet so right.

Sango hazarded a glance in the boys' direction and said slyly, "Girls, I think we've got an audience."

Kagome, in turn, discreetly followed Sango's gaze to the open mouthed boys. Inuyasha, too, looked as thought he could barely keep the drool inside his mouth and the girl let out a small, barking laugh. "Then let's give them something to look at."

Shitora winked at Kagome and said rather loudly, "Hey, Kags? I can't quite reach this spot right here...can you help me out?"

Kagome returned the wink and replied in the same loud tone, "Sure, Tora, come closer."

With this, Shitora moved towards Kagome and practically hugged the girl, front to front, while Kagome reached around and began massaging tthe sun tan lotion into a portion of skin just above Shitora's bikini bottom. Ranbou and Inuyasha both bit back moans and turned away their heads, wondering if they were actually seeing this. Rin, simultaneously, saddled up beside Sango and began masssaging lotion into the top portion of her breasts, biting her lip cutely as she did so. Sango choked back a laugh and leaned over, completely folded in half, to put the oil on her calves.

Miroku let out a small gasp as Sango's ass came fully into view, practically begging to be groped. The boy's feet began moving unconciously in tthe girls' direction, but Bankotsue and Hiten each grabbed one of his arms, shaking their heads and whispering negative words in his ear; he's made such strides with Sango lately, it would really bite the big one to destroy all that progress for one grope.

Ayame noticed that her friends had already fallen into the pit of feminine wiles and were performing barely appropriate acts in order to put on their suntan lotion. Though she'd made the bet with Rin, Ayame just couldn't bring herself to put on such a disgusting display. Instead, the girl reached back and ran a hand through her hair, licking her lips and beginning to stride purposefully towards Kouga.

As his girlfriend came walking towards him, Kouga could barely keep his tongue inside his mouth; her emerald bikini hugged her curves perfectly, riding low on the bottom and practically constricting her breasts on the top. She was a healthy tan color, which accentuated her bright red hair and glittering green eyes. The way her hips rocked back and forth was enough to send Kouga over the edge, but when she smiled at him, he felt that familiar sense of self control overriding his male urges; just a simple smile from Ayame brought him back down to earth.

"Hey Ko," Ayame said smoothly, smiling as he grinned and wrapped his arms around her waist.

Ayame leaned up and captured his lips, snaking her arms around his neck and pulling him closer. The feeling of Kouga's bare abs against her stomach was enough to get her sexually excited, but she swiftly remembered her bet and grinded her hips into Kouga's. At the sensation, Kouga moaned and pulled Ayame even nearer, ignoring the sounds of disgust from his friends.

Kouga was just imagining the things he could do to Ayame, alone and naked in a bedroom somewhere, when Ranbou yelled, "Hey, cut it out, would ya? I didn't come to the beach to watch my brother tonguing his girlfriend."

This, needless to say, broke the mood, and the two broke apart, exchanging loving yet irritated glances. "You wanna play?" Kouga asked Ayame, obviously referring to the volleyball game.

Mustering a smile, Ayame replied, "Sure."

The other girls had, by this time, wandered over and were talking with the boys, trying to ignore Kouga and Ayame's display. Sesshomaru had already invited the other girls to play, and currently, they were deciding teams. Sesshomaru and Ranbou were captains and immedeately began picking team mates from the large asssortment of friends. Sesshomaru and Ranbou picked teams until only Shitora and Hiten were left. Shitora looked thoroughly pissed and Hiten looked amused at Shitora's irritation.

It was Ranbou's turn and he glanced between the two, smirking and finallly pointing to Hiten. "Get over here, man."

Shitora crossed her arms and lowered her eyebrows dangerously, addressing both Ranbou and her brother. "Why was I picked last?!"

"Because," Ranbou replied cockily, "You're short. Volleyball's for tall people."

"What?!" came Shitora's outraged cry. "That ain't fair!! Rin's short too!"

At this, the white haired girl turned angrily to her older brother, raising an eyebrow as though asking why he hadn't picked her sooner. Sesshomaru only shrugged and replied, "She's my girlfriend."

"But I'm your sister!"

"But...she's my girlfriend."

"Oh, I so hate you right now."

As the two teams passsed each other on their way to the proper sides of the court, Ayame muttered in Ranbou's ear, "You're really in my bad book right now." The girl obviously hadn't forgotten who'd ruined her kiss with Kouga; he'd been deliciously close to boning and Ayame was perfectly aware.

Ranbou, who waas unaware of the bet, grabbed Ayame's arm and asked irritatedly, "Me? What'd I do?"

"I'll tell you later but trust me; you're in for it."

With that, Ayame broke away and jogged underneath the net, joining her team in the hudddle. The team, which consisted of Sesshomaru, Rin, Ayame, Kouga, Shitora, Sango and Miroku all looked to their leader expectantly. Sesshomaru just raised an eyebrow and said, "Don't fuck up."

The others nodded and shouted "break," hurrying to their positions and preparing for Ranbou's serve. The boy leaped high into the air and served the ball, hitting it with tremendous force; the boys watched in horror as the ball came directly towards Rin's face, yet the girls only yelled, "Dig!"

Rin dug the ball easily and popped it up perfectly to Ayame's hands. Ayame set the ball, leaving the outside right to spike it; the boy's let out silent groans as they watched Shitora poised and ready to approach the ball. Though the expected Shitora to be too short for such a feat of athleticism, they were stunned when she leapt high in the air, sending the ball crashing down on the other team's sand faster than anyone could blink. Ranbou made a move to dig it, but just barely missed it; sand exploded in his face as he hit the ground, flying inside his mouth and adding to his irritation.

"Good hit," Ayame, Rin and Sango said menially, slapping hands casually with Shitora as though this were no big deal.

Sesshomaru, Kouga, Miroku and exchanged glances, shrugging and deciding to utilize these obviously talented girls. Meanwhile, on the other side, Bankotsu offered a hand to Ranbou.

"Nice try, dude," the boy said in his light, surfer tone.

"Feh," came Ranbou's irritated grunt as he accepted the boy's hand. "That bitch is goin' down."

Inuyasha nodded grimly. "I can't lose to my little sister; that's just embarassing."

As the others joined the huddle, trying to regroup, Hiten chuckled and crossed his tan arms. "I dunno, you know what they say, Ran: Hell hath no fury like a Shitora scorned. I doubt she'll let you off easy after you talked shit about her."

Kagome grinned as well. "Looks like you've met your match, huh?"

To this bold declaration, Ranbou only scoffed, muttering, "break," and ignoring his rather smug team mates. They could all see the irritation stark through Ranbou's features and knew Shitora was putting him back in his place; the boy had been too cocky for years now.

As Ayame prepared to serve, Rin glanced back at her friend; she certainly hadn't forgotten their bet and was fully prepared to use her superior knowledge about sexiness to win this battle. Furthermore, Rin and Sesshomaru had been going out for almost two years now; this gave Rin an advantage as far as pressure spots went, seeing as though she knew all of her boyfriend's weaknesses.

Grinning to herself, Rin hunkered down and waited until the sound of Ayame's palm hitting the volleyball met her ears. Just as Rin had anticipated, Inuyasha volleyed it easily back over the net and the ball sailed through the air, preparing to land in the space right between Rin and Sesshomaru. Both Rin and Sesshomaru stretched out to get the ball and Sesshomaru managed to hit it with one arm, sending it straight up towards Ayame in the setting position. Meanwhile, Rin came falling down on Sesshomaru's broad chest, letting loose a small squeak of supposed "surprise."

In truth, Rin was preparing to use one of her weapons: Sesshomaru's love for Rin's neck. Now, this may seem like a strange body part to be attracted to, though Rin surmised it had to do with her boyfriend's dog heritage. According to tradition, the neck was where a demon marked his mate and Rin couldn't help but connect them. Sesshomaru certainly spent quite a bit of time perusing the skin on her neck, however.

Rin shifted only slightly so that her neck was place just near Sesshomaru's chin and she laughed as well when she heard him chuckle. "I got that one," he said arrogantly, obviously classifying their stretched for the ball as a battle. Rin didn't care if he'd won that battle, as long as she won the war.

The girl could feel the vibrations in her neck as Sesshomaru chuckled into her skin, beginning to plant kissed up and down the area. She shivered, possibly more turned on than her boyfriend was getting, yet she knew how he responded to her replies. In kind, she groaned and closed her eyes, letting him know the truth: he was pleasing her. Sesshomaru was mere seconds from popping up the pup tent, or so Rin believed, when someone shouted, "Look out!"

The volleyball, which had obviously returned by the other team, came crashing down next to the couple, spraying sand upon them and breaking up their moment. Rin coughed a little, spitting out grit and glaring at the others. "Hey!"

Her friends only laughed at her predicament while Miroku retrieved the ball. "You were the ones making out on the court, not us."

Rin gave a irritated huff, which only served to provoke a chuckle from Sesshomaru. "Don't worry, koi, we'll finish this later," he said soothingly.

At the very idea of "finishing," their little episode, Rin grew rather shaky and excited. "Okay," she all but whispered, smiling lovingly down at him before pushing herself to her feet. Ayame grinned triumphantly from where she was standing, glad the bet wasn't already lost. She would best Rin for sure; Ayame had determination.

"Still standing, Aya?" Rin called sweetly.

"Oh, trucking right along Rin. You still up for the challenge?" Ayame returned, emphasizing the word "up."

"Of course I am! I would never lay down and die when I was so close to victory!" Rin shot back, emphasizing "lay down."

On the other side of the court, Kagome observed the exchange with mild interest; because she knew of the bet, Kagome could safely assume their strategically emphasized words were puns on the situation. Inuyasha, too, seemed to have noticed something strange and leaned over, asking discreetly, "Hey, is something up with them?"

Kagome laughed a little, leaning closer to him. "Yeah, they have a bet to see who can give their boyfriend a boner first." When Inuyasha choked a little, the girl gave him a mock innocent glance. "What's the matter, Yash? Surprised?"

The hanyou snorted, running a hand through his long white hair. "I guess I shouldn't be. Who do ya think's gonna win?"

"Hard to say," Kagome replied casually, breaking away only to volley the ball then returning to the conversation. "Rin's more experienced but Ayame's got the will. Rin's been on her sexual high horse lately, talking smack about giving Sesshomaru the heat all the time and whatever. I guess Ayame was just sick of it and when Aya gets riled, she'll do just about anything."

Nodding slightly, Inuyasha grinned and glanced over at the girl. "I know that's right. You seem to know everybody pretty well even though you've only known em a couple weeks."

Shrugging a little, Kagome adopted a fond look on her pretty face. "Yeah. Well, you've all been so good to me, I guess it's hard not to feel welcome. Almost like I'm part of the gang..." the girl trailed off, reitterating quickly, "I mean not part of the gang gang, just part of...you guys...wait, that's not what I meant, I mean..."

But before she could finish, Inuyasha grabbed her hand with his. "Kagome, I know."

Letting out a small sigh, Kagome offered the boy a half hearted smile; Kagome couldn't lie to anyone else, nor could she lie to herself. After all this time with the Fangs and Wildcats, she was almost upset that they hadn't asked her to be one of the gang members by this time. Sure, they were still getting over the loss of Kikyo, but couldn't they get over it faster? Kagome was becoming restless. Besides that, she felt almost unprotected at the races, as though her unaffiliation with a specific gang could get her killed. Because of this, she tended to stick closely to her friends and no one seemed to mind. They seemed to feel more at ease with her beside them anyhow, as though they too feared for her safety.

Kagome was only broken from her musings when the volleyball seemed to magically appear on the ground between her and Inuyasha with a small "plump." The two glanced blankly down at it, frozen for a moment before Ranbou let out an outraged snarl. "Damnit! All it took was a couple chicks and none of youse can focus! I give up!"

With that, the boy threw up his clawed hands and began stalking away, long hair swinging moodily from side to side. Everyone watched him go with mild amusement, never feeling any insult at his words; they all knew how angry Ranbou could get on a whim. Shitora, however, crossed her arms and cocked an eyebrow. "Hmph. What a hot head."

At this hypocritical statement, the others snorted and turned to go attend to activities elsewhere, leaving Shitora behind. "What?!" she asked obliviously, throwing out her hands.

The others all settled down on towels and began sunbathing, much to Ranbou's disgust. Sure, he'd cut off the volleyball game, but only because those schmucks had been kissing all over each other! It was positively revolting and unsanitary! And there they were, laying out on the sand to do some more of that disgusting behavior! Hakkaku and Ginta were involved in a discussion with Bankotsu and Hiten, comparing the possible routes the gangs could take around the whole Salter street issue.

"I mean, it's not like the Spiders would actually do it, right? I mean, there's no way they could take Salter from the Fangs. Especially not the Fangs," Hakkaku reasoned, cocking his head to the side and off-kiltering his mohawk.

"I wouldn't worry about it," Bankotsu said easily. "I mean, please; it's Sesshomaru, for crying out loud. He's the man and everybody knows it. If the Spiders somehow actually took Salter, they'd have about four hundred angry gang members at the door. It didn't look like the rest of the North was really into his whole domination idea anyway."

Hiten entered in, "Yeah, I heard they all just kinda sat there while Naraku went all Pinky and the Brain, talking about controlling shit and whatever." The boy tilted his head towards the sky, red eyes reflecting the sun as his braid tip nearly touched the sand.

"Pinky and the Brain?" Ginta asked after a while, grinning as Hiten flicked some sand in his direction.

At this moment, Shitora walked up to the boys and plopped down between Bankotsu and Hiten, sighing and adjusting her red bikini strap on her sticky shoulder. "Hey guys."

The boys all said varying version of hello, feeling totally at ease with Shitora's presence. They all knew the girl from way back and considered her one of the guys, even if she had grown breasts in their years apart. They valued her opinion as much as they did one of their guy friends and she appreciated it; in boarding school, no one took her outlandish ideas seriously, passing it off as "girlish fancy." What the hell was girlish fancy anyway?

"Whadya think about Salter?" Bankotsu asked in the girl's direction.

Shitora shrugged, making designs in the sand with her index finger. "I dunno. I don't think Naraku's brave enough to follow through with his threats alone. He'll need backup and he ain't stupid, so they'll be organized. I don't think he'll make his move immedeately, but I don't think he'll let it drop either. If Shomo's smart, he'll start fortifying the barriers, so to speak, getting everyone together and talking about what they'd do if certain scenarios came into play. But that's just me."

The boys nodded at her wise words, silently marveling over her likeness to Sesshomaru. Both of them had the same thoughtful mentality, while she and Inuyasha shared their unpredictable tempers. The siblings' years apart must've been complete and utter hell.

"Sometimes I think we should just assassinate the bastard," Hakkaku said irritably, referring to his gang the Reikons, led by Ranbou and known for their untraceable and ruthless killing skills.

Yet Shitora only laughed a little. "I dunno, Hak. You guys are good, but I don't think the whole lot of you could take down Naraku, what with his guards and his smarts. He may be a bastard, but he's a smart bastard. He wouldn't be leader if he wasn't."

"No way," Ginta argued with a smug expression. "Maybe we couldn't take him down, but Ranbou could do it. If we just sent in Ranbou alone, I bet he could take down that Spider idiot once and for all."

Even though the idea seemed far out, Hiten nodded and agreed. "Can't argue with that; Ran's the best at what he does. Silent, quick and merciless, just the way an assassin should be."

"Huh, he hardly seems the silent and merciless type," Shitora replied dully, continuing to play with the sand.

"You just haven't seen him in action," Bankotsu explained, a look of relish on his face. "It's like art. It's no wonder he's the leader of the Reikons. I don't think anyone could replace him."

"Can't argue with that," Hakkaku said with a shake of his head; after Ranbou's departure, the Reikons just wouldn't be the same.

"I don't know what you guys see in that idiot," Shitora muttered mutinously, practically breaking her fingernails as she dug away at the ground; her eyes were becoming increasingly narrower.

Bankotsu and Hiten exchanged glances, shrugging their shoulders, while Hakkaku and Ginta just sighed. The rivalry between Ranbou and Shitora was simply fated to never die. Before the boys could think any farther on the matter, Shitora rose abruptly and said, "I think I'll go hang with Yash or something. See you guys later."

With that, the girl was gone, hips shaking from side to side as she perused the beach. The four watched her go, letting out a simultaneous breath when she was out of ear-shot. "She and Bou are so much alike; it's no wonder they can't get along," Hiten reasoned.

Bankotsu chuckled. "Don't tell them that, they won't hear tell of the other one. Ranbou still calls her Sukini, for crying out loud."

At this, Hakkaku shook his head. "I don't get it; she isn't even skinny anymore. She kinda...rounded out. You know?"

"Rounded out? Hak, she's just flat out hot," Ginta laughed, raising his eyebrows suggestively.

Laughing, the others turned to watch Shitora's back getting farther and farther away. "Yeah," Hiten murmured, "And it's only a matter of time before Ranbou comes to terms with that."

"Before I come to terms with what?"

The boys were stunned out of their wits as Ranbou came walking up to them, covered in sea water and salt. Hakkaku muttered, "So unfair, getting covered in water so we can't smell him."

"We were just talking about the line-up for the race this Saturday. I know I already told you, but we want to take two drag slots this time. You're just gonna have to come to terms with the fact that we're moving up in the lines; the Cobras are a lot more well respected than we used to be," Bankotsu entered smoothly, covering for their conversation.

Snorting, Ranbou took a seat beside his friends. "You may be more respected, but the Reikons are still better racers. If you really want a spot, go talk to Sesshomaru."

The others let out relieved sighs, seeing as though they hadn't been caught, and Bankotsu decided to conveniently ignore the insult just paid to his gang. The boys sat in silence for a moment before Ranbou asked, "Anyone got a smoke?"

Hiten reached for his pocket, yet hesitated for a moment. "You've been smokin' a lot lately, Bo. Anything up there?" he asked suspiciously.

Yet, for his efforts, the thunder demon only received a snort. Ranbou leaned back on his palms, staring up at the clear blue sky as his claws dug into the sand. "You insinuatin' somethin, Hiten?"

"No," Hiten replied shortly, tossing his friend a cigarette. "Just sayin', is all."

Ranbou grabbed a lighter, which Bankotsu so graciously provided in his outstretched hand, and flicked the wheel. As he inhaled on the cigarette, Ranbou thought back to the past few days. He'd been smoking up a storm, for sure, no matter where he was: working on a car, which was a terrible idea, riding his motorcycle, spending time with his friends, leading the gang. What was wrong with him? Why did he feel this constant nervousness, this constant presence in the back of his mind? Sure, Ranbou had impecable instincts, almost to the point of clairvoyance, but was this normal? He knew this anxiousness surrounded the central point of Naraku; the guy was simply creepy and up to no good. But why did Ranbou get a knot in his gut whenever he imagined Naraku's snarling face?

Before the boy could answer his own immortal questions, he heard a distinct voice chattering lightly away with two deeper tones; it was Shitora, talking to someone near the shore. Lowering his eyebrows, Ranbou turned to face the voices and blinked; Shitora was flirting with two well built guys, flaunting her breasts openly. A sudden boiling anger consumed Ranbou as he watched the display, finally placing those boys' faces: they were Dragons.

Leaping to his feet, Ranbou stormed over in the direction of the three, yelling around his cigarette. "Sukini! What tha hell do ya think yer doin?"

Shitora turned abruptly, lips slightly parted and amber eyes thoroughly confused. "Talking?" she asked confusedly, too stunned by Ranbou's strange outburst to appear angry.

Ranbou snarled, "They ain't worth yer words, Sukini. Those are Dragons."

Shitora whirled on the two boys, who shrugged and exchanged glances; they hadn't thought this would mean much of anything, seeing as though this was just some random girl. Sure, she looked slightly familiar, but the two boys were human and couldn't sense anything amiss. Shitora recalled the face of Ryuukoytsusei and lowered her eyebrows, pretty face contorting in twisted rage.

"You bastards!"

She was about to lash out at them when Ranbou caught her around the waist, trying to ignore the feeling of her bare skin on his as he dragged her backwards. "Sukini, cut it out!" he yelled, hauling her bodily backwards without so much as a second glance at the Dragons. "You two, get outta here," he said dismissively without turning towards them, continuing to tug the girl back with him.

The two boys, a blonde and a brunette, exchanged a second glance before turning to head back towards their friends down the beach. That fiery girl would be of a great interest to Ryuukoytsusei and, as the boys knew, it was best to keep their leader happy. Perhaps this girl would get him out of his long time funk.

Meanwhile, the commotion near the waterfront had alerted the others and they were watching curiously from their towels; all they could see was Ranbou hauling Shitora backwards while the girl yelled obsceneties at two retreating boys. Sesshomaru blinked, sitting up slightly from his position on the ground; Rin was beside him, sleeping soundly as she hugged him around his middle. Truth be told, Sesshomaru had been drifting off when he was awakened by the sound of his sister's yelling.

Inuyasha, who'd been comparing and constrating the Rocky movies with Kagome, glanced up as well. Taking in the scene with narrowed eyes, he muttered, "What the hell," before rising unceremoniously and leaving Kagome behind.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome called after him, sitting up and readjusting her blue bikini strap. "Shit," she murmured, standing to her feet and hurrying after him. "They'll never get along if everyone's constantly mediating their arguments," she complained to herself, putting on an extra burst of speed to keep Inuyasha in line.

"Ranbou!" Inuyasha called, jogging up to his friend. "What the hell's goin on?"

Ranbou, who was still trying to control a wildly flailing Shitora, grunted in response, "Will you calm her down?!"

Inuyasha was about to round on his sister when Kagome came seemingly out of no where, rushing to Inuyasha's aid. "Shitora? Calm down already, your practically kicking Ranbou's face in!"

Yet Shitora only replied in a strained voice, "The bastards! Dragons!"

Inuyasha and Kagome were able to put two and two together as they watched the two boys' retreating backs down the way and Inuyasha snarled, "Lousy assholes, whad they try to do?!"

Before anyone could answer, Shitora stopped flailing her arms and took a deep breath, mentally and spiritually calming herself. Though she and Inuyasha shared the same temper, the younger girl could sometimes control it while Inuyasha could not. Finally, Ranbou felt comfortable enough to release his hold and Shitora steadied herself, contenting her rage by staring after the traitorous boys. "How dare they, acting like some normal kids on the beach. Assholes."

It looked as though the episode was over, yet Ranbou wasn't one to let it slide. "You oughta be more careful, Sukini. You women always get yourselves in trouble cause you ain't paying attention."

One look at Ranbou's smug face and Shitora's anger returned full blast. "We 'women?' What the hell is that supposed to mean?! I was just trying to have a conversation, you know, talking? Oh, sorry, I forgot; you don't talk, you just fuck your dates," the white haired girl said sharply.

"Hey, he's right, you gotta be more careful!" Inuyasha interrupted, saddling up beside Ranbou with his muscular arms crossed commandingly.

"Wait, you mean she can't even flirt a little? Shitora's a grown girl, Inuyasha, I think she knows how to handle herself," Kagome entered in, moving to stand at Shitora's side.

"That's right!" Shitora exclaimed triumphantly, grinning at Kagome.

"No, that's wrong!" Ranbou interrupted. "If you knew how to handle yourself, you wouldn't be turned shit side up by two Dragons!"

"He's right, you can't trust anyone, not when you're a Fang," Inuyasha interjected proudly.

Shitora was practically crawling with ire as she screamed, "What's that got to do with anything?!"

"You got honor to uphold!" Inuyasha returned.

"Inuyasha, that's crap," Kagome said irritatedly. "She's just trying to-"

"That ain't crap and you'd know it if you were actually part of a gang and not just watching from the sidelines!" Inuyasha reversed cruelly, practically spitting out Kagome's biggest insecurity to her face.

At the reminder of her downfall, Kagome felt tears pricking her eyes, yet she refused to cry, not in front of him. "Just when I think you're a great guy, you turn out to be a total asshole!" she shrieked, fists clenched at her sides.

"Isn't that the way with all men!" Shitora agreed loudly, accidentally letting out her claws with a distinctive *chink.* The angrier she became, the less control she had over her faculties.

Ranbou spluttered, "With men? Why I oughta..."

"Bring it on, bastard!"

Hiten, Bankotsu, Hakkaku and Ginta had meanwhile joined Sesshomaru and Rin at their towel site, which was located just adjacent to Kouga and Ayame. The eight were watching the scene farther out on the beach with mild interest, shaking their heads at the stupidity of it all. Inuyasha and Kagome were normally great friends, but one little thing could set them off at each other. As far as Ranbou and Shitora went, general consensus stated that neither were meant to speak to the other. Ever.

"It's times like this when I wonder why we're here on this planet," Ayame said dryly, never removing her eyes from the four yelling gang members.

"How could the higher power make such stupid creatures?" Hiten agreed, shaking his head.

"Oh please," Rin said softly, leaning back against Sesshomaru's strong chest. "They're in love; let it go."

Everyone else just chuckled while Kouga glanced over at Miroku and Sango. He was barely looking for a moment when Miroku tried something a little too daring and *slap* another red mark graced his cheek. Sango's high pitched screeching now added to to the melee of unearthly wails and angry words, which permeated the humid sea air.

"Every day, all of them get together and fight about everything when everyone knows they're just flirting. How fucked up is that?" Hakkaku asked, shaking his head in disbelief.

"That's life," Rin muttered. "I just wish we could help them or something."

There was a silence between the teens before Bankotsu cocked his head to the side and murmured, "Maybe we can..."

Sesshomaru shifted his gaze towards his fellow leader, raising one stately eyebrow. "I trust you aren't suggesting that we play matchmaker, Bankotsu."

"Matchmaker? Us? No way," Bankotsu assured him with his usual carefree smile. "I'm just suggesting that we give them a friendly push in the right direction."

The others exchanged glances, wondering if this idea could really have a basis to it; if they were found out by any of the three couples, they could potentially lose their trust and friendship forever. But, if they somehow succeeded, maybe they could bring the lovers together and stop all this ridiculous fighting once and for all. Besides, with their cunning minds joining together to plan, how could they go wrong?

"But Bank, how would we...go about this?" Ayame asked, slightly confused.

The boy laughed a little, tossing his black braid behind his shoulder. "Easy, girl. We just tell one that the other likes them and then vice versa. Eventually, we have everyone thinking that everyone else likes them, they start being nice to each other and bingo! We have ourselves a big, goopy, steamy, disgusting pile of romance!"

Kouga wrinkled his nose. "You make it sound like a pile of shit or something."

"Less revolting images, please," Rin said irritatedly, rolling her eyes. "Besides, how do we even know that'll work? Why should they believe us?"

Hiten jumped in on his friend's behalf, adopting a smooth smirk. "Because we're their trusted friends and brethren. We're together through thick and thin, right? Why should we lie?"

There was a brief silence as they others dilberated, wondering if using trust and friendship against their comrades was a good idea. But it truly was for their own good, wasn't it? Hakkaku and Ginta exchanged glances as though trying to decide together.

"I dunno, what if they find out?" Hakkaku reasoned, sounding unconvinced.

"Then we deny everything," Bankotsu replied immedeately. "Being in a gang has its perks; we're all great liars, right?"

The others nodded begrudgingly, knowing that everyone in the group could lie their way out of incarceration, prison time, and probably the death penalty. After years of practice, any skill could be seemingly mastered; lying was no different.

"But, I mean, they're no idiots," Rin pointed out, glancing over at her feuding friends several meters away. "Well...okay, we could probably fool Ranbou and Shitora, probably even Inuyasha and Miroku, but Sango and Kagome? C'mon, let's face it; they're smart."

"She's right," Sesshomaru murmured in his deep, soothing voice. "My idiot brother and my idiot friends are easily blind sided. Sango and Kagome, however, are much to clever for such simple tricks."

Bankotsu just grinned maniacally. "That's why we'd whip up a special plan for them. They couldn't just be told; they'd have to feel like they'd found out themsevles. We could expand on that later, though. For now, we just have to make the decision and take the plunge. Who's in?"

He glanced around the circle and the unsure faces, raising his eyebrows. After a moment, Rin stuck in her hand. "I'm in; I want to see them all happy."

At this incentive, Ayame followed suite. "Me too."

Kouga shrugged in a carefree manner, smiling blithely. "As long as I get to have my brother; I want to get him back for years of torture."

Hiten grinned, sticking in his hand as well. "Hey, what the hell, if it'll stop the fighting."

"Amen," Ginta and Hakkaku said in unison, sticking in their hands at the thought of peace and quiet.

After a moment, during which everyone looked at Sesshomaru to gauge his reaction, the stately Fang leader said, "Only because I've nothing better to do."

Bankotsu just grinned at his friend's characteristic response. "Then it's decided; plan 'Hook-up' starts now."

And thus the evil plans of mice and men were laid.

Okay. So I started this chapter...and then I was scared away when I realized how involved it would be. But then I came back and, bit by bit, worked it back up until it included everything I'd planned. I'm one of those people who plans out their chapters before they start, just so I know the plot and everything. Sometimes I don't realize how much the chapter is going to include before I start, woops, my bad. Thanks for not leaving, anyway. To top it all off, some weird things have been going on with school and I have stomach problems and life is taxing, you know? Of course you do; we're writers. That's taxing enough.

KOLU