InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Agency ❯ Chapter 4

Paragorgon: Actually I can't think of any species of turtle that uses poison, but then I can't think of a poisonous dog either (ducks attack from Sesshoumaru). Oh yeah, except that one. ^_^;

To all my wonderful reviewers: I'm glad you are enjoying the story and I hope I continue to please.

The Agency

Chapter 4

Inuyasha tucked the blankets up around Kagome. Her face was burning up but the rest of her body was freezing. She was shaking from head to toe and her eyes were staring up at the ceiling with out really seeing. He was at a loss. They had trained him to deal with many things during his time at the academy, but this was totally new to him. He wiped the sweat from her face with a cloth before reaching for his phone. He hit a button and put it to his ear. It rang once… twice…

"Hello." Miroku's voice answered.

"Miroku, get everyone together and get over here now. Something is really wrong with Kagome and I have no idea what to do!" Inuyasha was staring to panic. It wasn't healthy for her to be this warm, but if he cooled her down the rest of her body would freeze. Miroku must have sensed his distress.

"Ok Inuyasha, we'll be there as soon as we can." Inuyasha dropped the phone to the floor without waiting for good-bye. Running a clawed hand through his hair and tried to calm down. He needed to cool her face. He jumped to his feet and rushed back to his own room. When her returned a moment later he was carrying a portable fan. He plugged it in and set it on her desk, pointing at her face. Next he retrieved a bowl of cool water and a wash cloth. He wet the cloth and wiped her face, letting the water and wind do the work.

When the sound of someone knocking reached his ears he leapt up and rushed to the door. He opened it to find Miroku, Sango, Rin, and Sesshoumaru standing there. Inuyasha didn't bother to invite them in, instead rushed back to Kagome without a word. The others exchanged looks and quickly followed. They found Inuyasha sitting on the edge of Kagome's bed slowly wiping her flushed face with a wet cloth. Sesshoumaru visibly winced at the smell of sickness.

"Move over and let me have a look." Miroku said firmly. Inuyasha obeyed. Miroku may be a lecher but even he wouldn't try anything under these circumstances. He ran a hand over her face, then pulled down the blankets just enough to touch her shoulder. He frowned deeply as he examined her eyes and mouth. Inuyasha paced like a caged tiger as he worked. Sesshoumaru would have poked fun at his younger sibling, had the situation not been so grave. "I've no idea. Best I know, it's some form of poison, but nothing I've ever seen." Miroku announced after a long examination. Inuyasha gave a growl of frustration and anger.

"Sesshoumaru, you know a lot about poison." Inuyasha said turning to his brother.

"What are her symptoms?"

"Hot face, freezing body, she's completely unresponsive since she collapsed." Inuyasha was talking very fast and had yet to stop pacing.

"What proceeded this illness?"

"We had a job. A 1/6 turtle demon highwayman. He got a hold of her neck and punctured the skin at her neck with his claws. I cleaned to wound myself. She took a shower to wash away the blood. Then she came out. Said she didn't feel well and collapsed." Inuyasha had taken to speaking in a half-sentences now. Sesshoumaru rested his chin in his hand as he thought. "WELL!!!" Inuyasha demanded after several minutes of silence.

"I'd say some form of demon poison, but it's hard to tell much else. Perhaps it is a combination of some sort."

"That's doesn't help me damn it!!!" Inuyasha growled. He was pacing faster now. Rin was taking her turn looking over the ailing girl. Sango had taken the job of wiping her face to try and cool her.

"Do you think Tenseiga will help?" Rin asked, looking up from her work. Inuyasha turned a questioning eye to his brother.

"No, I fear not. Tenseiga heals wounds of the flesh, not poisoning of the blood." Sesshoumaru answered with a sad shake of his head. The room lapsed into a thick silence, except for Inuyasha's pacing and growling, as each tried to solve the mystery illness plaguing their newest member.

"KOUGA!" Inuyasha shouted so loudly and suddenly that it made them all jump, "That god damn son of a bitch didn't tell us that damn turtle was poisonous!"

"Then perhaps we should pay your wolf informant a little visit." Sesshoumaru said coolly. "Sango, Rin, stay with Kagome. Miroku, Inuyasha let's go."

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Sesshoumaru had to forcibly wrench the keys from Inuyasha's grasp. He had ridden with his brother before, and doing so when he was this mad would probably be the death of them all. Sesshoumaru took the driver's seat and Miroku the passenger's seat, leaving Inuyasha to get in the back of the Durango. Inuyasha fidgeted and cursed the whole way across town. As soon as they pulled up to the old wear house, the half demon jumped from the car with the others close on his heels.

Kouga leaned back on his nice comfy sofa. The wear house didn't look like much from the outside, but inside it was furnished with a best money could buy. A good bit of that money came from being Inuyasha's informant, but a lot also came from… other places. But his reliability made Inuyasha and his friends turn a blind eye to most of his actions. He glanced around. His close pack was all here. He had other smaller packs holed away all over the city, but this was his main one. It was late and most of his lackeys were curling up for the night. It was then that Kouga's happy little world came crashing down.

The doors to the warehouse came flying across the room. Standing in the doorway, foot still raised from kicking the doors in, was Inuyasha. Sesshoumaru and Miroku stood with him looking none too happy. In a flash Inuyasha crossed the room, grabbed Kouga by the throat and slammed him into the opposite wall. The pack was instantly on it feet growling in low threatening manner. With agile leaps, Sesshoumaru and Miroku took up defensive positions behind Inuyasha and Kouga. The pack backed down and waited for its leader's orders.

"Why didn't you tell me the turtle was poisonous!" Inuyasha yelled. Kouga was struggling to breathe at this point, scratching at Inuyasha's hand and kicking at the air.

"It was… only…1/6. I … didn't think… it would…make a… difference." Kouga choked out. Blood was starting leek from his neck where Inuyasha's claws punctured the skin. "What's wrong… dog breath… not feeling… so good?" Inuyasha growled and slammed Kouga against the wall again, eliciting a whimper of pain and causing spider web cracks in the wall.

"No you dumbass." He growled back, "Kagome is the one who is sick." Kouga looked mildly surprised and guilty. "Now I want to know what's wrong, how to fix it, and I want to know NOW!"

"Can't breath!" Kouga protested. Inuyasha growled and threw him down. Kouga yelped as he bounced slightly. Inuyasha ignored him, pulling out his sword and put it to Kouga's throat.

"Talk!" The dog-demon growled low.

"It's part paralyzing toxin, part digestive toxin. The purpose is to keep the prey from running while starting the digestive process. But since it's a demon poison and Kagome is a miko, she should be able to fight it. There is no cure, the illness will just have to run its course." Kouga coughed out, leaning as far away from the blade as he could manage. Inuyasha suddenly reached down, grabbed Kouga by the front of his shirt, and pulled him up face to face.

"You better pray to all the gods you know she make it through this. If she dies so do you. And it won't be pretty." Kouga nodded and gulped. Inuyasha throw him against the wall again and turned to storm off. The pack closed ranks around the three intruders. Inuyasha brandished his sword, Miroku his staff, and Sesshoumaru his poison whip.

"Stand down." Kouga ordered hoarsely. This pack didn't have enough members to take on three members of the Agency and hope to come out alive, much less win. The pack members growled but parted and let the three pass.

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Kagome found herself in a world she couldn't even describe. Swirls of black, purple, and blood red danced all around her. She felt like she was falling but there was no wind and the speed of her decent was increasing by the second. She tried to cry out, call for help, but the words were extinguished as soon as they passed her lips. The colors were staring to change. The black was fading to bright blue, the purple to violet, and the red to hot pink. They swirled and mingled until she felt the sight would make her sick. She tried to shut her eyes, but they wouldn't cooperate. She tried to cover her ears as an unearthly roar screamed up around her.

Suddenly she came to a stop, everything went black, and all sound ceased. Kagome moved and found that she was submerged in black liquid up to the base of her neck. She could fell some sort of solid ground under her feet. The liquid was freezing. A searing wind rushed over her face as if someone had just opened an oven door. But it didn't stop and seemed to be coming from all directions at once. She tried to duck under the liquid to relieve the burning, but found she could not. Nor could she raise her body from the solution. The combination of hot dry air and freezing fluid was making it hard to breathe.

Desperate to escape, she turned in place to look for a way out. It seemed that the blackness around her was endless. Tears started to form in her eyes, but the heated wind dried them before they could fall.

"Inuyasha…" she whimpered, only to find she couldn't hear her own voice. She turned in place again, her searching becoming more desperate. It felt like she had been here for an eternity. Then she saw it. Far away, a warm, safe, golden light. No more then a pinprick on the horizon. It seemed to call to her. Kagome moved towards it only to find the water seemed to be trying to stop her. It grew colder and seemed to be turning to gelatin. Kagome clenched her jaw and worked harder. There was something about that light that this horrible place was trying to keep from her. She would make it. She had too.

It seemed to take a lifetime to move one step closer to her light, her hope. But slowly, ever so slowly, she pushed towards it. Now she found herself only a few meters away. She coughed violently from heat, cold, and exhaustion. Looking up she saw where the light was coming from. It was a figure, humanoid in shape, standing perched on a small island of land. The light seemed to be coming from all around it and made looking straight into it very painful. Still she looked, squinting against the brightness to see. As if she had made some audible request the light suddenly faded around the figure to show it's true form. It was Inuyasha and he was smiling warmly down at her. He reached out to her. Kagome wanted to run to him, but the liquid had solidified to ice around her, holding her fast. The warm smile never wavered, instead he descend from his patch of land to go to her. The ice before him melted and parted as the Red Sea had done for Moses. She felt surprised when she could hear water move and his footsteps across the dry ground. The hot wind died as he approached her as well. As he reached her, the ice holding her captive melted away to reveal her naked body.

"So… cold…" she whimpered softly. He stepped up and wrapped her in a warm embrace. The heat from his body seeping into her frigid skin. He held her close as if she might disappear if he let go for even a second.

"Come back to me Kagome." He whispered to her. She felt herself nod into his chest and the world around them fade to nothing.

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Inuyasha sat on the edge of her bed slowly wiping the sweat from her brow and trying to find way to warm her body. So far nothing had worked. She had been catatonic for three days now, not even blinking. Breathing seemed to the only thing she was capable of doing, and even then it was labored at best. They had been feeding her hot chicken broth, but she could only take a little at a time - no more then a spoonful. He hadn't left her side since returning from Kouga's. The others had left and come back many times, but he had lost count. They often brought food, but couldn't persuade him to take more then a few bites.

Late last night she started to move as if struggling against an unseen force. He knew, because he had been there. Sitting by her side, not sleeping until she woke. Rin and Sango had offered to stay with her while he slept, but even in his restless slumber he worried too much to make the sleep worth while. He wiped her face again. Her face was getting hotter and her body colder. Suddenly she coughed violently. He jumped in surprise.

"Kagome?" It sounded more like a plea then a question. She lay still and did not reply. Biting his lip he checked her pulse. It was still there, and to his surprise getting stronger. Her pulse hadn't changed in days, always soft, slow, and steady.

"So…cold…" She whispered so softly had he not had demon hearing he would have missed it.

"Come back to me Kagome." He replied. Her head nodded and her eyes closed. He sat frozen, hovering over her. His eyes widened as he watched the flush drain from her face and color return to her shoulders. Her heartbeat became strong again and her breathing deepened. She turned away from him and groaned. He could have shouted with joy. She hadn't moved in so long that he wasn't sure she would ever do so again. Her eyes fluttered open again, but this time they were focused and alert.

"Inuyasha…" She called weakly.

"I'm here." He said softly. She turned to look at him. Bright tears pooled in her eyes. She reached out a hand and touched his face as if she wasn't sure he was real. Her fingers were still freezing and he cupped the tiny frail hand in his larger one to warm it.

"I thought I'd lost you." He whispered, more to himself then her. Tears started to make their way down her pretty face. "Shhh, Kagome. I'm here now." He said softly. She smiled softly before scooting closer and laying her head in his lap. He was a little surprised by the gesture, but just stroked her soft hair and spoke comforts to her as she nodded her head in agreement and sighed softly.

"I'm so cold and hungry." Her voice sounded strained for not being used. "What happened?"

"You got poisoned by that Turtle guy three days ago. You've been completely out of it. You had us all scared." He replied softly. "I'm going to make you some soup. Ok."

"Sure. Just not anything chicken." She replied lifting her head from his lap. He chuckled and got up. Inuyasha looked back at her once more before exiting the room. When he returned he was carrying a tray of tomatoes soup, a small stack of crackers, and a glass of juice on a tray. He placed it before her as she sat up, Sango and Rin had dressed her in an over sized shirt while the boys were 'visiting' Kouga.

"Do you need any help?" He asked. Kagome gave him a strange look and he smiled. Her face suddenly changed to one he had never seen before. "What?" He asked slightly concerned, "Are you ok?"

"Yeah," Kagome replied with a shake of her head, "Just got deja vu."

"Ok." He replied still not convinced, "I'm going to run you a bath."

"Make sure the water is hot." Kagome said quickly.

"…Ok…" He replied, furrowing his brew at her strange behavior. He left the room for the bathroom, leaving the door open. Kagome worked on her soup and crackers as he ran steaming water. On a whim he tossed in some bubble bath. It was something Miroku had recommended and had herbs to help with healing and relaxation. He had double-checked it with Rin to make sure it had no lecherous undertones. Inuyasha watched as thick foam of pink bubbles rose to cover the crystal clear water. Kagome was just finishing up the last of her meal when he returned to her, bath towel in hand. He handed her the towel and gave her his back as she pulled off the shirt and replaced it with the towel.

"Ready." She announced softly. He turned back and helped her out of the bed. After being ice cold and catatonic for nearly three days, she was understandably stiff. He resisted the urge to pick her up and carry her. She needed to stretch her muscles if she wanted to get her strength back. He steadied her by holding her forearms. Slowly and carefully they made their way to the bathroom.

Kagome sat down carefully on the rim of the large bathtub and dipped her hand through the foam to test the water tempter. It was very warm, but not burning. She swung her legs around and dipped her feet in. Her chilled skin got Goosebumps at the sudden warmth. Slowly she slid her legs deeper until the feet met solid ground only two and a half feet down. She glanced over her shoulder to find Inuyasha sitting with his back to her, but his ears focused back. She carefully slid the towel off her body and let it drop to the ground before slipping the rest of the way into her bath.

Inuyasha's eyes opened wide when her heard the towel hit the floor. He had picked up a bathing towel so she could keep it on. Why on earth would she take it off? He heard her shift and settle in the water. It really didn't matter if she wore the towel or not. The water was covered in foam and his back was turned.

"Inuyasha?"

"Yeah?"

" Are you feeling well?"

"You're the one who's sick. Why are you asking?"

"You look pale and tiered."

"I've been taking care of you for three days."

"So what? Did you not eat or sleep the whole time?" Kagome teased. He didn't answer. "Inuyasha?"

"I was worried ok." It came out sharper then he intended. "Sorry."

"I'm glad to have you worry over me." She reassured. They lapsed into a comfortable silence. Just enjoying each other's company. The sound of water moving fill Inuyasha's ears as Kagome shifted to lean over the edge of the tub and look at him. He shifted, not liking the fact he couldn't tell what she was thinking.

"Inuyasha?"

"Hummm?"

&qu ot;Do… do you… do you like me?"

"Of course I like you. What kind of question is that?"

"No, I mean do you Like me like me?" he turned fully around to look at her in surprise. Catching himself he turned back around a heavy blush on his cheeks. He hadn't seen anything because of her position and the bubbles, but the knowledge that she was naked was enough. He really didn't know how to answer her. Yes sounded like a good answer, but at the same time didn't want to scare her. She was still sick, he could smell it. What if she wasn't in her right mind? Unsure he decided his best course was to turn her question back on her.

"Do you like me?" It was Kagome's turn to fall silent.

"I'm…not sure." She replied softly.

"I'm not sure either." He agreed. "You're a very sweet, pretty, girl and a great cook. But I don't want to push you into something you're not ready for. Especially now, with you sick and all."

"I understand. You're sweet too. And I like your ears too." Inuyasha blushed again.

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Inuy asha's ears swiveled. He opened his eyes to meet the darkness. Why had he woken? He glanced at his clock to find it read 1:07 am. Fuck, he was only a couple hours into the first goodnight's sleep he'd had in some time, what could have roused him at this ungodly hour? His ears twitched again, picking up on the faintest sound coming from the bathroom door. Sitting up in bed he looked. Kagome was standing in the doorway, one hand on the doorframe the other holding a blanket tightly around her. She looked pale and scared.

"Kagome…?" he asked sleepily.

"It's so dark." She replied meekly. Inuyasha blinked at her. She was afraid of the dark? Since when? She had been acting very strangely since she 'woke' from her sickness. First she had insisted on a hot bath, as if he would run a cold one with her body already icy. Then she had asked about how he felt towards her. Now she had come into his room in the dead of night because she was afraid of the dark. This was just weird.

Furrowing his brow, Inuyasha got out of bed and crossed to her. As soon as he was only a few feet from her, she suddenly threw her arms around him and held on for dear life. A little surprised, he cautiously closed his arms around her. With out thinking about it he scooped her up bridle style and carried her to sit on his bed, setting her beside him.

"Kagome, are you feeling ok?" He asked carefully. He studied her face through the darkness for signs of a relapse. Her only replied was to shake her head. "What is it? You're acting strange."

"I had a bad dream." Her voice sounded so small, as if she feared what he might say.

"It's only a dream." He replied gently, placing a hand on her shoulder for reassurance. She shook her head again. "Do you want to talk about it?" She bit her lip and looked up at him.

"It… I fell. It was dark and then so bright and loud. Then… I… Landed in something… cold and wet. Everything was black and there was no sound. The… the air was so hot…" Inuyasha blinked and realized this was while she was sick. "Then… there was this light…" she stopped and looked up at him.

"Go on." He urged.

"The stuff…the liquid…it didn't want me to go to the light…It was hard to move... But I wanted to go. So… I worked really hard to get there…The closer I got the colder the water got and the harder it was to move through." She paused again and bit her lip apprehensively. Inuyasha gave her an encouraging look. "When… when I got there… the water turned to ice… so I couldn't get any closer. And…and I looked up… and the light… was… the light was coming from you." She dropped her head and averted her eyes. Inuyasha's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You melted the ice… and made me warm again…Then I woke up and there you were." Kagome finished softly, still not looking at him.

Inuyasha was at a loss for what to say. It all fell into place now. The want for hot water rather then cold, the sudden fear of the dark and being alone there in, and her strange questions about feelings. Kagome was still looking away. Gently he picked her up, causing her to look at him in surprise. He lay her down on the bed and wrapped her in the blanket she still clung to. Then he slipped under the covers and drew as close to her as the separating comforters would allow. Gently he nuzzled her temple.

"I'll always be right beside you." He whispered as he felt her shift into a more comfortable position and drift off to sleep.

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Inuyasha woke to the rousing smell of breakfast. Oh yeah, things were back to normal. Opening his eyes sleepily he sat up. He remembered last night and blushed. It was an awfully bold move, even though it was completely innocent. Looking around he found her blanket abandoned on his bed. He sighed and the smell of chocolate chip pancakes and cake filled his senses. Chocolate? Cake? This early in the morning? Maybe she was still a little sick.

Inuyasha dragged himself out of bed and into the main room. He stopped in the doorway and blinked a few times in surprise. Kagome was bustling about the kitchen hard at work. A large stack of pancakes sat at each place along with butter, syrup, and coffee. What surprised him however, was Kagome. She was usually quiet and composed in the morning. But she currently looked like she had eaten too many chocolate chips while making breakfast.

"Kagome?" He asked as he took his place at the table.

"What kinds of cookies do you like?"

"Umm… white chocolate macadamia nut. Why?"

"I'll make you some ok?" She said brightly.

"Ok…" He replied a little unsure of what else to say.

A few hour later when the others arrived they happened upon a rather interesting scene. Inuyasha was half-sitting half-leaning on the arm of the couch dressed in a crisp red shirt and loose black jeans. He was watching Kagome very intently. Kagome was in a yellow tank top and shorts working her heart out in the kitchen. She was currently icing a three-layer cake with chocolate frosting. Nearby were three different types of cookies and a sheet cake that had already been finished. The oven seemed to on behind her and she was humming happily.

"Well, some one looks like they're feeling better." Sesshoumaru drawled.

"How long has she been at this?" Miroku asked eyeing all the sweets.

"No idea." Inuyasha answered, "She already had one cake finished when I woke up along with all the chocolate chip pancakes I could eat and then some. The cookies appeared after that, then the second cake, now she working on another cake."

"Sounds like Kagome's a stress cooker." Sango answered.

"Stress cooker?" Inuyasha asked.

"She seeks to relieve stress by cooking." Rin answered, "Like when you get mad you practice fighting. Well, she cooks."

"She made you chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast." Miroku whined, "Sango never makes me breakfast."

"I don't see you bouncing out of bed to cook for me either." Sango retorted.

"Who could want to rise when there is such a beauty at my side." Miroku countered with a bright, lecherous grin.

"I have never shared a bed with you!" Sango snapped and hit him in the head. Unseen by the rest a light blush colored Inuyasha's face.

"I was speaking hypothetically." Miroku protested as he nursed his head.

"Harumph!" was Sango's only reply.

"Does she cook for you often little brother?" Sesshoumaru teased.

"Yes, breakfast every morning and lunch if I best her in sword practice, some times dinner too. She is a very good cook." Inuyasha answered without thinking. Miroku and Sesshoumaru gave their respective partners with a 'why-can't-you-do-that' look.

"Hi everyone." Kagome chirped as she pulled the latest cake from the oven. "Inuyasha told me how helpful you all were, so I made you all cake and cookies. There is milk and ice cream in the ice box." Sesshoumaru, Rin, Miroku, and Sango all smiled appreciation, Inuyasha just sighed in relief; grateful that he didn't have to eat it all by himself.