InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Gods' Opinion ❯ Puppy Tales ( Chapter 25 )

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

The Gods' Opinion

Disclaimer: Almost all characters belong to Takahashi Rumiko.

Warning: This is a mature story and I mean that in more than this story only containing sexual situations and bad language. It contains adult themes.

Summary: Kagome is trying hard to have a baby. But when things don't work out, she visits the best fertility doctor in the world. She finds her feelings and beliefs challenged as she struggles to hold onto her dreams.

xxxxx-----xxx-----xxxxx

Chapter Twenty and Five Puppy Tales

“Absolutely, we do that…For which night? Two weeks…Saturday night…Start time? Just around five? Okay. And about how many people do you expect? Oh wow. Guest list? Well, you can just fax it over when it's finalized. Any specific menu items wanted? Oh, sure we can do that. If you have any special requests, requirements, I do ask that you get them to me by next Friday so I can order what I need. Sounds great. Anything else, just give me a call. Al-right then, you have a good day. Bye.”

Kagome hung up the phone before squealing out in delight. She couldn't believe it. K.O.N., one of the top PR firms in Japan had just asked her and her restaurant to host their annual dinner celebration. Talk about publicity. K.O.N. was the most respected firm that businesses and celebrities hired. Its reputation was known world-wide and Kagome started to freak out at that thought.

Two hundred guests, at least for four hours, and it all had to be ready in two weeks. She wondered if maybe she was too excited about the appointment that two weeks might not be enough time to get what she needed to get done. A menu had to be planned, food and drinks ordered and stocked, not to mention all of the other tiny details that she was already starting to worry about.

Her mind was already racing about. Ideas popped into her head and she tried to catch them all. Closing her notebook, she had to get out of this office and go to a place where she could concentrate. First though, she headed up to the bar to find Bankotsu and Jakotsu arguing about lime wedges.

“Hey guys,” Kagome greeted them all too cheerfully.

“Hi Kagome, what's up with you?” Jakotsu asked as he gave her a quick kiss on her cheek. “Girl, you're practically glowing. Did you finally get some?”

Bankotsu slapped his friend across the back of his shoulder. “You can't just go and ask a chick something like that.”

“Watch the Chanel. And of course I can,” Jakotsu countered as he batted his mascara-ed lashes at him.

“You girls really talk to each other like that? Right, well, so, Kagome, what's going on then? You are unusually chipper.”

“Aren't I normally chipper?”

“Not like this.”

“Oh, well, here's what's going on then. K.O.N., the uber-famous PR firm, called and wants us to host their annual dinner.”

“Really? Are there going to be celebrities?” Jakotsu immediately asked growing just as excited as Kagome was about this whole deal.

“I don't know. I don't have the guest list yet. Anyway, we'll need to overstock the bar for that weekend. If you can think of anything special that you think would be good, order it.”

“Sure, it had to be work-related,” Jakotsu whined.

“What?”

“We hardly see you anymore Kagome,” Bankotsu commented as he wiped down the area where he had sliced up the lime wedges.

“Oh…uh…sorry. I don't mean to not be seen.”

“Actually Kags, it's a good thing,” Jakotsu stated. “It means you're finally getting a life. And with that silver-haired stud no less. We're proud of you, honey.”

Kagome blushed. It felt like any moment she wasn't at the restaurant, she was with Inuyasha or one of her friends talking about Inuyasha. She didn't think she was abandoning the restaurant, but it wasn't the first thing she thought about in the morning anymore.

“I can't help it,” she chirped out, giggling. “But, back to this. We'll probably want to schedule all of our staff for that whole day. Bankotsu, work with Shippo on scheduling the chefs. I'll have a menu ready hopefully by next week. We'll order the food and then figure out how to organize the kitchen for it.”

“Sure thing. I'll also take care of advertising that we'll be closed to the public that night.”

“And on supplies, make sure all of the bathrooms have extra toilet paper, that we have extra napkins, that sort of thing.”

“Keep us updated.”

“I will. I'll be out to start on the menu, so, if you need me, call my cell.”

They waved goodbye to each other before she bounded down the stairs and back to her office to gather her notebook and purse. She was off for a field trip to the market. Appetizers, salad, soup, main course and dessert…it was just the beginning of her planning. Two weeks was definitely not enough time. She was already starting to feel stressed out.

Taking several slow and deep breaths, eyes closed, she emptied her mind until she didn't feel so overwhelmed. Opening her eyes, she headed out of the restaurant to do her research.

xxxxx-----One Week Later-----xxxxx

Normally, Kagome sat across from Inuyasha during their lunches together. Today, that was not the case. Kagome warily glanced to her left side where a growling and annoyed inu-hanyou sat. To her right was the one that the inu-hanyou was growling at. How did he know what time and at exactly which table the couple occupied?

“Well, this is a surprise,” Kagome nearly shouted out, chuckling nervously. Oh boy, she thought, this is going to be a disaster. The tension between the half-brothers was suffocating as their youkai clawed violently against each other, trying to establish dominance.

When neither replied, Kagome waved Jakotsu over, afraid to leave the two of them alone, afraid for them, and the status of her restaurant. Kagome whispered orders for everyone and Jakotsu scurried off to fulfill their order. Even Jakotsu knew when to stay away. He returned to set their drinks down in front of Kagome before hurrying away again. He'd let Kagome handle that impending doom.

Kagome slid around glasses of water and cups of green tea to the brothers, and for herself, cherry lemonade. She knew something was up when Sesshoumaru didn't show up at eleven for his usual lunch. Thinking he had a meeting or something, she hadn't expected him to be waiting for Inuyasha at their table in the bar. Rin must've said something because of her little crush on the taiyoukai, giving him free information.

Looking around the bar as a way to pass the awkward silence, she noticed Shippo standing at the top of the steps peering at her and her guests. She waved him over when she noticed the plates of prepared food in his hands. Shippo shook his head at her. As a young youkai, he was scared of the older, more powerful ones and he was sensing their struggles, a struggle he knew not to interfere with. Kagome had no choice but to leave the table.

Shippo met her halfway, handed her the food and then made a hasty retreat back downstairs into the safety of the kitchen. Kagome served the meals, Sesshoumaru's usual and the dinner special for Inuyasha and herself. Neither attempted to touch their meals as their staring contest continued.

Slamming her hands down onto the table, she caused Inuyasha to flinch and Sesshoumaru to quickly dart his eyes in her direction at her outburst. “I've had enough of this. Sesshoumaru obviously you have something to say to Inuyasha, so please remove that icicle that's shoved so far up your butt, it's making your ears pointier than normal. Holding info like this doesn't make you powerful at all.”

She then turned to glare at Inuyasha. “And next time you need to tell him or ask him something, be the top dog I know you are and just do it instead of pouting all of the time.” Having said what she needed, Kagome took a calming breath and replaced her grimace with a sweet smile. “If you feel like eating first, go ahead,” she added with a sweet voice.

Sesshoumaru, moved by Kagome's bold words, cleared his throat as he pushed his meal away. Kagome gasped at his gesture, confused by his meaning. Had she offended him? Looking up at Sesshoumaru, she searched his frosty gold eyes for an explanation. Of course, they gave her nothing, but it hadn't stopped her from trying.

“The hospital has admitted to being the party at fault, guilty of the wrongdoing in the death of the patient.”

Kagome's eyes went wide at Sesshoumaru's confession. Once its meaning quickly settled in, laughing at the outcome she turned to Inuyasha. “Isn't that wonderful?”

Inuyasha didn't show any emotion, not even relief. He stared back at his brother, ignoring Kagome's good cheer. “What was the cause?”

“After several tests, they determined she had a similar, more severe allergic reaction during her recovery at the hospital.”

“I asked about the fuckin' cause.”

“The patient was allergic to the anesthesia, specifically, propofol. After searching her medical history, we found that she never had a reason to be put under and therefore when filling out the medical history forms, she, too, was unaware of her own allergy.”

“How scary,” Kagome softly commented. Immediately, she began to fret about any strange and uncommon allergies she could possibly have.

“So the hospital put her under. What for?”

“They wouldn't elaborate. Finding the information about the propofol was difficult in and of itself. The hospital was not cooperating with us on the manner. Luckily, the coroner owed me a favor.”

“You sneaky son of a bitch.”

“Your complimented is accepted.”

“So, Inuyasha and Miroku…they and the clinic are off the hook?”

“For now. We are waiting to see if the family decides to take this to court. It is likely they would argue that both the clinic and the hospital should've tested for allergies to any substances, metals, and chemicals used in all procedures.”

“Would they have a chance?”

“Not with this bastard in court.”

“We share the same father, whelp. Though, he is correct. We'll try to stop them from suing so that money isn't wasted in a matter that could be dragged through the legal system for years. Most likely, they'll go after the hospital and not the clinic.”

“Thank you for telling this to him in person,” Kagome said to the taiyoukai. She knew Inuyasha would never thank him and she felt that Sesshoumaru deserved it. “Let's celebrate with lunch. Totally my treat.”

Inuyasha was grateful for Kagome's forwardness, for once. He felt so relieved. That and his secret about the new moon was safe from anyone outside of the few that knew about it. His clinic was safe and Miroku was as well. Inuyasha would've left the clinic, sacrificing his career if he had to in order to keep the clinic open. But he was glad he didn't. It was really all he had left of his mother.

Kagome spun her upper body around in her chair. “Jakotsu, two boxes of our finest.”

“Our finest what?”

“Whatever,” Kagome cranked her head around to look at her male guests. “Preferences?”

“I'll trust the lady's instinct,” Sesshoumaru politely replied.

“Keh, whatever,” Inuyasha grumbled knowing Sesshoumaru was trying to keep him riled up. “Nothing fancy or girly.”

“I know that,” Kagome said with a grin. Turning back towards Jakotsu, she yelled, “Male drinks please.”

Sesshoumaru began eating his meal quickly and efficiently, without any acknowledgement of Kagome, nor Inuyasha. Kagome turned to Inuyasha, starting in on her meal and conversing with her hanyou boyfriend like normal.

She explained how well the restaurant's booth did at the hanami festival, how the students fared, and that she still wasn't unable to choose which students to accept for the summer session. She described how there were only five spots available starting in June and having to pick only five out of a class of sixty was not something she was sure she could do. However, she suspected that the school would end up choosing the five from her recommendations.

Inuyasha didn't know how to help her, but he did have some advice to share with her. He just told her to go with her gut instinct. He always went with his and he never regretted any of his decisions.

By then, lunch was over with. Jakotsu had brought the brothers two square bamboo cups of sake which had been finished by the time they were done with their lunch. Sesshoumaru folded his napkin up and placed it next to his empty plate.

“I remind you about the dinner you are expected to attend,” he directed his carefully chosen words at Inuyasha before turning to address Kagome. “Thank you for lunch.”

“Would you like a mid-afternoon dessert?” Kagome asked, feeling as if she personally owed Sesshoumaru something for sharing the good news.

“I must decline. I have appointments to keep. Excuse me.” And before he let her say anything else, he gracefully dashed off toward the exit.

“Well, that was nice of him to stop by to tell you about the outcome of the case personally.”

Inuyasha heard her, but didn't acknowledge it. His half-brother was a pompous, frosty, son of a bitch whose sole reason for this disgusting display was to make Inuyasha look dumb. Inuyasha's hands fisted tightly and then loosened over and over as his blood rose to boiling temperatures.

“I've gotta go,” he quickly rushed out, grabbing his stuff so he could leave.

“Huh?” She looked up at him, her head cocked to the side as she tried to understand what was going on with him. “O-okay.”

“I'll see ya later,” he mumbled out as he bolted out of his chair, practically running toward the spiral staircase.

Kagome shook her head at him. Sometimes she couldn't understand him, or his reasoning for the things he said or did. She just figured he wanted to tell Miroku the good news since they were both being held liable for the safety and, ultimately, the death of that patient. Now, they could continue to help other patients without this black cloud hanging over their heads.

xxxxx-----xxx-----xxxxx

Sesshoumaru was comfortably sitting in his office reviewing some of the messages that he'd collected during his lunch at KenSen. The lawyer who was representing the family of the deceased patient had called requesting a meeting as soon as possible. That was good news. The other messages were normal things he encountered on a daily basis as both the lead lawyer and the president of the board of directors.

His finely tuned, pointed ears could hear voices disagreeing with each other just outside his door. Sesshoumaru sighed as he set his messages aside and turned to his computer to check his e-mail. The program barely opened up on his screen when the door burst wide open, the thick wood slapping against the wall. He raised a brow to the priceless pieces of art rattling in their spots.

“Do not mess with Sesshoumaru-sama's art. It is worth more than your life,” the tiny toad stated bluntly to the hanyou that was charging past him. “Hey, don't ignore me!”

Inuyasha donkey-kicked Jaken in the face, sending him skipping along the carpeted floor until hitting the first object in his path, his very own desk. Inuyasha took that chance to close and lock the door, uninviting the toad from anymore pointless interruptions. Turning to his brother, he pointed a clawed finger at the bastard. “What the fuck was that?” he spat out.

Sesshoumaru continued to check his e-mail. Of course he heard Inuyasha. With the way he always went about yelling, how could he not? With his brother, he could keep his calm, be rational, and could think carefully before saying the right words, or choosing not to say anything at all, while his pathetic excuse of a half-brother ranted about. It was entertaining for a few minutes before it got annoying.

“I'm sorry, you said something,” Sesshoumaru coolly stated, knowing exactly how to press his brother's buttons.

“Don't pull that shit with me.”

“I don't play with shit.”

Inuyasha growled his annoyance. “So, why the grandstanding?”

“Grandstanding? Me?”

“When did you find out the results?”

“This morning,” Sesshoumaru replied as Inuyasha had finally calmed down enough to speak at a normal volume and he took the seat in front of his desk, but he wasn't calmed down enough to keep his nails from rattling against the wooden arms.

“Why didn't….why couldn't you tell me then?”

“I chose not to.”

“You chose not to? What kind of an answer is that?”

“The one I gave you. I had something to attend to and confirm before I could share the news. Forgive me for being thorough.”

“You're ignoring my fuckin' original question.”

“Which was?”

“Why go to the restaurant during my lunch with Kagome?”

“Kagome had a right to know.”

“Damn, I could've told her…You…You don't…” Inuyasha quickly stopped himself from saying it, from even thinking it.

“Miss Higurashi has been a pillar of great support for both you and that pervert of a gynecologist. She sent us food when she knew of the long hours my lawyers were dedicating to this. The foolish woman would not leave me alone about the matter. It was as if she was more worried about the outcome than you were.”

Inuyasha missed Sesshoumaru's change in his use from Kagome's given name to family name. “Keh, stupid wench. I told her not to. It wasn't her problem.”

“She made it her own since it was yours.”

There was an awkward silence as Inuyasha really thought about what Kagome had done, and all behind his back. At first, he was furious with her. He told her not to get involved. It wasn't her problem; she wasn't the one whose patient was sent to the hospital only to die because of something she'd done to the patient. None of her customers had ever gotten sick. But of course, she didn't listen. Now, he felt a bit…betrayed, betrayed that she couldn't tell him that she was in contact with his brother, even providing his legal minions food.

“What is Kagome to you?”

Inuyasha shook his daze off as he glanced over at his brother. “What…”

“Never mind. Are you planning on inviting her to the dinner?”

“Dinner? What dinner?”

Sesshoumaru tossed the beige envelope over to Inuyasha. Inuyasha pulled out the contents and scanned over the writing. He hastily stuffed the paper back inside and tossed the envelope back at this brother.

“I hate those things.”

“It's your clinic,” Sesshoumaru reminded the younger doctor.

“I have assholes like you to go for me.”

“I see. It's your choice. Far be it from me to tell you how to run your own clinic.”

“You fuckin' do.”

“If you don't have anything else to waste my time with, then I suggest that you leave so we both can get back to work, now that you still have a job.”

Inuyasha stared at his brother, dumbfounded by their conversation. It had gone from one thing to another and Inuyasha could vaguely remember it even though it had just ended. He barely caught Sesshoumaru's out of the blue question about Kagome. Again, he started to ponder the thought that…no…it couldn't be. This was his brother for kami's sake, a human-hater club member.

Shaking his head, he quickly shot up out of the chair and headed out, stomping on the green youkai that was sputtering something about an `inconsiderate hanyou.'

So, there was a dinner function he might have to attend to show support for his clinic and the company that did so much for them. He never went to them. Sesshoumaru went since he was a board member. Correction, he basically was the board of directors as nothing happened without his blessing. Inuyasha knew that deep down he couldn't complain; Sesshoumaru handled everything he didn't want to.

As he made his way back to his office, he started to consider the dinner as a potential date with Kagome. She seemed to have an interest in his job. If that was true, if she really wanted to support him, then having her by his side at the function could work. And it would give him an actually good reason to attend that damned thing.

xxxxx-----xxx-----xxxxx

She had a theme. Having a theme made everything so much easier. The menu, the chinaware, ingredients, they all flowed from her theme, and she couldn't stop. The only time she left the kitchen was to have her lunch with Inuyasha, and even then, she spoke little as she scribbled out recipes.

Inuyasha quickly caught on that something was up. She wasn't talking. He didn't want to admit that her concentration and silence actually bothered him. Now, he was unable to just blurt out his question as his own voice would be an intrusion on the still that was becoming common between them that week.

“Uh…Kagome…,” he started, gulping in between the spoken words. How could someone as physically weak as her intimidate him like this?

“Yeah?” she quickly replied without looking up from her work.

It was Wednesday and the dinner was this weekend, and he had yet to ask her to go. “I've got this thing to go to this weekend. Go with me.” Okay, that didn't quite come out the way he had planned it. And he had planned it out a lot. All slightly different. He wanted to be polite and even a little sweeter, softer than his usual gruff self.

“Huh,” Kagome let out as she gazed at her papers. “This weekend?” she asked when she finally looked up at him.

“Keh, that's what I said.”

“This this weekend?”

Inuyasha paused. The way she was questioning him…“What? You got other plans?”

“Actually yeah. I told you about it…briefly…uh…maybe…”

“You didn't say one damn word.”

“Oh, really? I'm sorry. I meant to tell you…I thought I did. I guess I got too caught up in all of the planning.”

“What planning?”

“A buffet for this Saturday.”

“Fuck,” he muttered to what he thought was just himself.

“Something wrong?”

“No.” Actually, yes. He did that RSVP thing and was now expected to show up, though it would be alone.

“Are you sure? We should celebrate the good news since we haven't yet,” Kagome added the last part as more of an afterthought. She'd been so busy with this that a part of her neglected Inuyasha. He hadn't said anything last weekend when she couldn't put aside some of the planning for a little celebratory dinner. Now she felt bad.

“I'll make it up to you. Hmmm?”

It had to be spring fever. It just had to be. He narrowed his eyes at her as he smiled mischievously. “And how do you plan to do that?” He could hope. He wasn't going to use this situation to make her do something she wasn't ready for, plus he had to honor his promise - his stupid promise - about her having control, but…he sighed. A guy could fantasize.

“Not that,” she screeched out, blushing at his unsaid wish. Shaking her head lightly, she giggled softly at herself. “How about I…I cook you dinner?”

“Keh, you've done that before.”

“At your place then.”

Inuyasha froze as he slowly considered her words. That's right, she'd never been inside his place, though he'd been to the Shrine quite a lot. In fact, never had a girl he'd been with been to his place. His apartment was his own private sanctuary that he didn't need others to enter.

“Or not then,” Kagome mumbled when she didn't get an immediate answer from him. She had yet to be invited to his place and she was getting pretty curious. Sango had been to his apartment once and stood only in the entrance, so she could only tell Kagome that he had wooden floors.

Kagome had imagined several times what his apartment could look like. Would it have a rustic, dark wood feel, much like his office, or would it be modern and simple with the barest of necessities? Then she wondered about the colors of the towels, the sheets, the couch…did he even have a couch?

And then she tried to imagine what his kitchen was like. She was sure it only had what came with the apartment and then he probably had a microwave, a teakettle, some dishes, and some silverware. Of course, the microwave was for heating up instant ramen and ramen leftovers.

Did he even have leftovers of ramen?

“The Shrine could work. I mean…I have all of my stuff there,” she quickly put out so that they could move along to a new topic. It was obvious that Inuyasha had an issue with his apartment so she figured that since he didn't push her about sex, that she wouldn't push him about his apartment. No, they could each have their own little fantasies.

“I never said no.”

“But you never said yes, either.”

“Keh, do you always have to assume the negative, wench?”

“What…wench?” Kagome spluttered her words, flabbergasted at his name calling. “I…I…”

“Well, what do you expect?”

“I …I didn't expect for you to call me such a derogatory name.”

“What do you want me to call you?”

“My name.”

“Then the next time don't jump to such a stupid conclusion.”

“So…uh…what was this about again?”

“I was thinking about my schedule next weekend.”

“Oh.”

“Dinner at my place is fine.”

“Really?” Her eyes grew wide. Finally, she was going to get her hands on his kitchen. “Great. If I wasn't working this buffet thing right now…so many meals. Eh, other than the obvious choice, is there anything in particular that you-you would want?”

“Not really.”

“Okay. I do feel bad about not being able to attend your function. I've got a lot riding on this. It's our first official professional catering gig. Oh and guess what, I hear that some famous celebrities might show up.”

“Probably just some punk-ass movie star.”

“Mmmm…yes, he was in a few movies.”

“Who?”

“Fujiwara Tatsuya.”

“Wuss. He gets killed.”

“So. Oh..oh…Fujiki Naohita is rumored to appear.”

“Who the fuck is that?”

“He's a TV drama actor and singer. Though I wish Fukuyama Masahara was going to be there. He was so cute in Bijo ka Yajuu.”

Kagome's voice faded into gibberish as his boiling blood echoed loudly in his sensitive ears. His hands gripped the chair seat as his growing nails drilled crescent-shaped holes into the expensive wood.

He knew who these so-called `men' were. Actors, singers, whatever. Worthless pretty boys is what they really were. They were guys ogled over by giddy, squealing females. All it took was for some guy to tell some girl he was an actor and - BAM - automatic date, or more. He saw Miroku use that tactic a few times, and successfully.

There was only one way to fix this. He had an sneaking suspicion that Fujiwara Tatsuya was a demon, meaning that Inuyasha had to find a clever way to mark Kagome as his so any demon at her buffet thing would know that she was being courted and leave her alone. Sex was out of the question, though he was relying on a scent mark to be his claim.

“Friday night,” he forced out between clenched fangs as he slowly regained control of his raging demon hormones.

“Friday?” she curiously asked, seeing his tensed form.

“Friday night we're going out.”

“Out?” she questioned. “Out?” she repeated a little louder as if she wasn't sure that was what he had actually said. “But…I mean…I…” she sighed when she realized that any argument on her part was futile. With that hard, determined look he was giving her, he wasn't going to take no for an answer.

She kind of liked it.

xxxxx-----xxx-----xxxxx

Kagome's face was on fire. It was as red as the sweet cherry tomatoes that she was slicing into neat little halves. She could feel his intense gaze piercing her back, like two sharp Kryptonite laser beams weakening her strength to even stand up straight. Kagome ceased her cutting, setting the knife on the board, her hand on top of the handle. She took several deep breaths, trying to bleach the scarlet color that had somehow permanently dyed her face.

She felt someone walk up to her, stopping just off to her side. Kagome remained silent as she could sense him sniffing her, causing her to still. Holding her breath, she waited for him to just continue on his way. She didn't need him making strange or embarrassing remarks about the situation.

“Pee-yew Kagome, you stink.”

Kagome's grip onto the handle of the knife tightened. “Shippo,” she growled out low, her only warning to him to keep all other comments to himself.

She couldn't smell it herself, but she had received a lot of disgusted looks on her way to work. So, she might've had to go a little overboard with the perfume. But it wasn't her fault. She had taken a shower, but that was when she thought the night was over. However, someone else had other ideas which left her with no extra time to take that much-needed second shower before heading off to the restaurant to get the buffet organized.

That, and the encore forced her to change the outfit she had planned to wear for tonight. Instead of that cute spring dress she bought when out shopping with Sango and Yuka, she had to go back to her winter dresses for something that covered her up from neck to knee. At least the back was bare, so she could tolerate the warmer weather.

Kagome tugged at the turtleneck of her navy blue dress, the material hiding the `chocolate stains' that marred her neck, shoulder and upper chest. The thought of the fun that caused those markings caused her to stay in a perpetual state of red. But the dress and perfume could only hide so much. To those with a heightened sense of smell, they were not fooled by her alcohol-laced masks, including Shippo.

The young fox demon smelt something different about her right away, crinkling his nose at her several times, with narrowed eyes until they popped open at his epiphany, his mouth falling open as he froze in the midst of roasting nuts. He pointed the spatula at her, causing Kagome to making something of an `eep' noise before scampering off.

It took her all of this to realize what Inuyasha had done to her, and why. He had shown up promptly at 5:30 to pick her up from work, dragging her out of the restaurant with a firm hold on her arm even as she continued to give reminders to any employee within an earshot.

And from that moment on, he never let her go.

Dinner was at the old man's place. They had a simple beef noodle dish. Inuyasha insisted on sitting next to her instead of across from her. And she had to briefly wonder how he managed to eat the dish with one arm wrapped around her and the other hand maneuvering his chopsticks well enough to clean his plate.

After dinner, she was whisked away to some ice cream parlor where they got waffle cones stuffed with their favorite flavors. Kagome told ice cream adventures about herself as a kid as they walked around the city to make it back to Inuyasha's vehicle shortly after both had finished their cones. Talk about perfect timing.

A short drive and they were at the Shrine, sipping tea and sharing small talk with her mother. Kagome was sure that her mother knew what was going on, that she suspected that Inuyasha's hand was not on his lap, but instead caressing her bare skin. The tea was cold compared to how hot Inuyasha was making her.

With Mama clued in on what Inuyasha had in mind, she excused herself for a bath before bed. Inuyasha hauled her up the stairs, over his shoulder, throwing her down softly onto her bed with the door closed and locked behind them. That predatory gaze in his eyes still haunted her, giving her goose bumps over what had happened and what she could only guess was to come.

Inuyasha's touchy-feeliness throughout the whole night didn't settle right for her for some reason as she was sure this was just his way of pressuring her for sex. But the feel of his hands running along her body, his lips on her skin, she soon forgot about that nagging feeling and they spent the whole night experiencing only NC-17 making out.

That was it. She stayed mostly dressed, as did he. Some clothes did end up flung somewhere in her room, but neither ended up with any private parts exposed. He never even tried to push her top up or her underwear down.

She couldn't figure out how the making out ended since they didn't have sex of any kind, but they both ended up asleep, with Inuyasha curled around her all python-like. What she did remember was waking up before Inuyasha and sneaking off to take a shower. It was after a quick breakfast that the make-out session resumed as if it had never ended.

Every inch of her skin was licked, kissed, touched, or sucked on. Now she knew why. Why he kept her busy long enough until she had no time to re-shower. He left her with a satisfied smirk on his boyish face, proud of his accomplishment.

Wait until I see him…

Kagome was steamed over his overactive demon hormones. Here she was, preparing a huge catering job and she was covered in dog slobber. It didn't seem sanitary at all. Plus, Shippo was marking weird faces and remarks about her stench.

Kagome forced her frustrations with Inuyasha into the preparation of the food for tonight's buffet. It was only a few hours away and she was feeling as if she were already behind.

xxxxx-----xxx-----xxxxx

Inuyasha sat in the back of the black luxury vehicle that Sesshoumaru hired to drive both of them to the party. Not only was Sesshoumaru forcing Inuyasha to attend this so-called important function, but he made him dress up for it as well. He hated polyester fabrics. He hated parties and functions. He hated his brother. He hated him for dragging his ass to this thing. Tonight wasn't shaping up to be even remotely bearable.

I feel like a fuckin' Barbie doll.

His honeyed eyes stared out the tinted glass, his unfocused gaze missing all of the other shops, buildings, and cars that passed by. He was trying to come up with a way to get out of this. No way could he feign sickness with his brother around. Heck, even Miroku offered to call him claiming some kind emergency, but they couldn't come up with a plausible emergency and Inuyasha couldn't lie to his brother without the icy bastard immediately catching on to their ploy.

Inuyasha sighed for the umpteenth time, much to the annoyance of Sesshoumaru. He knew why Inuyasha avoided these things, but he would never understand his reason. Sesshoumaru would never admit, even to himself, that Inuyasha had somehow proven himself to the world. That, as a hanyou, he had beaten the odds and succeeded, unlike most pure- blooded demons and powerful humans. It was simply his status as a hanyou that he remained mostly hidden, and it was a place Inuyasha chose to be.

The car pulled to a slow, smooth stop in front of the venue. “We've arrived,” the driver stated to his passengers.

“Inuyasha.”

“You go,” Inuyasha softly said as he stared out at the street. “I'll have the driver take me home.”

Sesshoumaru roughly grabbed Inuyasha by the arm and yanked him out of the back seat, tossing him toward the doors. The driver quickly sped away as soon as Sesshoumaru slammed the door shut. There was no way Inuyasha could use the car as his escape now.

“Why you…” snarled an enraged hanyou.

“Our hosts are waiting.” Sesshoumaru walked up to the glass doors that were opened up for him by a man dressed in a black tuxedo, slightly bowing at the taiyoukai.

“No fucking way,” he softly said to himself in disbelief as he saw where they were actually at. He absentmindedly followed his brother inside the venue. He should've figured.

xxxxx-----xxx-----xxxxx

“Have you seen any of them?”

“Any of who?”

“Those guys I kept telling you about.”

“Um…nope. Sorry Kagome, but, to tell you the truth, I haven't really been looking.”

“What?”

“I'm not really that interested in celebrities.”

“Liar,” Kagome pouted.

“And by the way, aren't you dating Inuyasha, like officially? So you really shouldn't be salivating for these guys.”

“Well yeah, but…celebrities are just unattainable fantasies.”

“Wasn't Inuyasha just a fantasy of yours some time ago?” Rin teased the older girl.

Kagome blushed as she recalled a majority of her fantasies which included the silver-haired hanyou. “It's different. Inuyasha isn't famous.”

“Not with the general female population, but he's the rude and arrogant Dr. McHunky Hanyou whose clinic has ties to major pharmaceutical companies and the such, paving the way in reproductive and conception practices.”

“Rin?” Kagome asked, confused by where the girl got all of that information.

“Yeah?” she smiled a toothy grin at her boss.

“What kind of drugs are you on?”

“None. Why?”

“Oh, nothing. Never mind.” Kagome shook her head. That was just the way Rin was: insightful and a bit spacey at the same time.

“I'm going to go ahead and make my rounds now.”

“Sure.” Kagome watched as Rin sauntered off with her tray to take and deliver drink orders. It was still early for dinner, as per the schedule that was determined by both her and an associate of K.O.N.

Kagome returned to the kitchen to check once again on the progress of all of the food. So far, everything had gone on without any hitches. She hoped the rest of the night went as smoothly. With only a half-hour more until the pre-planned time to serve dinner, Kagome rallied her troops as she went to help them herself with the final preparations.

xxxxx-----xxx-----xxxxx

So, he was a little slow. He didn't even open up his invitation because he wasn't planning on going at all. But his brother knew. Now he understood a little of Sesshoumaru's persistence about getting him into showing up to this thing. Now that he was here, what was he supposed to do?

Sesshoumaru vanished the moment they stepped inside the building. Without having the bastard around, Inuyasha was lost in a sea of strangers. He didn't know where to go or where he wanted to go other than out the exit. But he couldn't do that, not now. He was there, at KenSen, meaning he should probably go look for Kagome and explain why he was there.

It was so easy to find her. He smirked at the scent that radiated from her, proud of the job he did. Now any male with a heightened sense of smell would know that she was his. It wasn't about ownership per se, like owning a pair of shoes, but it was about togetherness. She belonged to him like how a hat belonged on a head. Dumb analogy, but that's how he thought about it. There were some tricky ownership-like laws that existed in youkai groups, but that was for mated and bonded pairs which hardly anyone adhered to in these modern times.

As he approached the kitchen, he could hear her handing out instructions as they finalized the food. Sesshoumaru had mentioned something about the food. Perhaps she had some youkai dishes prepared for the party. That didn't matter to him as he couldn't stomach raw meat. He hoped she had some ramen hidden away in that kitchen of hers.

Kagome glanced up when Shippo whispered `he's here' softly in her ear. She was expecting one of her celebrities, not her boyfriend. Stopping what she was doing, Kagome hurried out of the kitchen, ordering her kitchen staff to be ready in five minutes.

“Inuyasha, what are you doing here? I thought you had that thing tonight.”

“I do. This is it?”

“Your clinic is represented by K.O.N.?”

“I guess,” he shrugged. “I don't handle any of this shit.”

“Well, that's fine and dandy, but you have some explaining to do.”

“What did I do?”

Kagome grabbed him by the tie hanging loosely around his neck and pulled him into her office, closing the door halfway behind her to give them some privacy. Once she was sure no one could hear them, she had to ask.

“Why do I…smell?”

“Keh, you always smell of something.”

“No, I get that. Why do I…stink?”

“Who says you stink?”

“Shippo.”

“He's a fox.”

“I know that. What does that have to do with my new stench?”

“Foxes and dogs normally don't get along.”

“There's more to it than that. If your brother was here, I'm sure he'd agree with Shippo.”

“Probably.”

“And it doesn't bother you?”

“Nope. I think you smell just fine.”

“But I stink because you were jealous.”

“No, it's not like that.”

“Then explain to me how it really is.”

Inuyasha decided not to answer. He turned away with his arms crossed against his chest. Kagome walked around him, wanting him to look in her eyes, forcing him to acknowledge her question and to respond to her. She wanted a straight answer from him.

“I'm waiting,” she sang out as her heeled shoe tapped against the tiled floor.

“Does it really matter?” he asked trying to find a way out.

“Yes, I think it does.”

“Too bad. It's none of your business.”

“Wha…None of my…Of course it is! I'm the one who smells like I got a tongue lashing by a dog.”

“So, you did.”

“But…why?”

“Because…” was his simple reply.

“That is not an answer. If you don't answer I swear, I'll get you back.”

Inuyasha took a step towards her, closing in on her. Before she had the time to retreat, he wrapped an arm around her waist to keep her from escaping. “Is that a promise?” he asked, his voice low, the words rumbling through her body.

Kagome swallowed the lump rising in her throat. “Are you going to answer me or not?”

“Is that a promise?” he asked again, pulling her closer to his body so she could feel each word he spoke.

“You're not that lucky.” She had to try to maintain some composure. There was no way she was going to let him win by being all sexy like that.

“It's not luck,” he assured her.

“I want an answer.”

“We don't always get what we want.”

“I have my ways.”

“I'm up to the challenge.”

“Will you ever answer me?”

“Don't know.”

Somehow, they inched closer together considering how close he held her against his body, their stubbornness clashing against each other in this little battle of theirs.

“Shippo says the food's ready—oh, am I interrupting?”

Kagome pushed herself away, taking a step back from Inuyasha so she could address Rin. “Have them set it up like I told them. I'll be there in a moment.” Rin left, blushing as her glance met Inuyasha's scrutinizing gaze. “Looks like they can't do anything without me around.”

Inuyasha slammed her against his body as his lips found hers, kissing her fiercely, promising her that the challenge was just beginning and that he was the one that was going to win, not her. He ran his claws down her exposed back, goosepimples rising in their wake. “We'll continue this later,” his lips spoke against hers. Stepping away, he smirked at her before leaving her to finish her work. Kagome's eyes remained closed as her red lips parted in his absence.

xxxxx-----xxx-----xxxxx

His clawed hands rested on top of the delicate foot of the champagne glass that he was drinking from. He was bothered by many things, most of which he had no control over. And those things that he did have control over, or that he thought he did, troubled him even more. For the first time he could recall, he was questioning the next step in his life.

The voices of Rin and Kagome reached his sensitive ears, so he turned his head to watch them. Kagome was giving instructions to Rin on how she and the other waitresses were going to serve the food. Rin just nodded her head with her trademark smile. Rin then waved at the chefs who were making their way up the stairs with trays and pans full of food that were going to be served tonight. His intense golden gaze never left the girl he had his eyes on.

When did I start to care about her?

He studied the way Kagome and Rin interacted not only with each other, but also with the other employees, which consisted of a mix of humans and demons. And from that he knew. He knew the exact moment when he saw the world and all of its inhabitants a little bit differently.

Her.

Thoughts of her always made him relive his past—from the time he was born, to all of the choices he made up to her and after her. He hated that she was the one who did this to him. She was nothing, nothing but a weak human female.

His father was the strongest of their kind, a natural leader with a wit and a temper that none could challenge. All of this made him a prime candidate to be mated with the best females, so that they could bear a perfect son. The child would lead the dog demons into the new century, revive the pack, and continue to be the dominant force in the demon world.

All of it was political. He could see that now. His father and mother mated, but never were bonded and never married by the human definition. The only thing that existed that connected his father and mother together was him. His parents lived in the same house during his youth, but as soon as he was of age, she moved out and life as he knew it was revealed to never really exist.

He ended up blaming both of them that he no longer had the ideal life. Perfection came from perfect families. His parents never loved one another and that made him incapable of it as well.

The blame shifted solely on his father the moment he met her. It was some whirlwind affair that ended up with a marriage and a mating that resulted with a permanent mark of their sin. An abomination that blemished the perfect world he was expected to usher in as the new leader of the Western Lands.

The moment his father chose a human female was the day his life was never the same. Those who had power said his father's relationship was simply an act of weakness and he was expected to step up and out from his father's shadow, the only being in the world he was afraid of. But he believed that his father was weakening and action needed to be taken as soon as possible.

No, he wasn't stupid enough to challenge his own father, someone else was though. It took them a while. A few years of constant struggle, an underground battle, and his father finally succumbed to death. Death was the only reason his father would listen to. Death was not his defeat. Leaving the woman he loved and the hanyou son he adored, that was his defeat.

He was still indifferent towards human and hanyou. They were insignificant, annoying creatures that he wouldn't tolerate. As he took a sip of his champagne, he watched the two raven-haired females that were the cause of his exploration of his past. Somehow his father knew. Damn, his father knew and he didn't tell him.

He'd already graduated from the university, as well as law school and was working for a law firm that specialized in youkai cases. He was proving himself to those that had power that he was someone that they should show respect to and fear. And if someone didn't, they would have to pay.

One day, during one of his days off, he heard a knock at his door. He was surprised to find her standing there; tall, proud, and full of courage. Narrowing his eyes at her, he made no attempt to move aside and let her in.

“Don't worry, I don't plan on staying long,” she said, already aware of his feelings for her.

“Izayoi,” he hissed her name, not knowing if it brought her pain or not, but she was the one that was the cause of his imperfect life.

“So, you do know my name. I for sure thought that you would prefer to call me by the other names I am called among both of our kinds.”

“I don't have time for you,” he sneered, starting to close the door on her.

She stopped it with her hand and her foot. “Please,” she pleaded, her strength crumbling, “I don't have much time.”

Her change in demeanor and her scent…why hadn't he noticed her scent before? It was tainted somehow, different. He had meet Izayoi briefly when his father was in the initial stages of courting her. Something about her was off. His curiosity started to get the best of him.

“One minute.”

“Thank you,” she whispered, smiling grimly. “You have a brother, Inuyasha. He's going to be alone in this world and you are all he has. I ask of you, please look after him.”

Her intense gaze bothered him. It was fierce. She was the woman his father loved, not his mother. She was the whore that destroyed any semblance of consistency in his life. And that half-breed piece of shit only remained to remind him that his life wasn't what it was destined to be.

His response was simple. He slammed the door on her face, locked it and walked away. She didn't stand there pounding on the door or crying, but walked away. And that was the last he heard from her. He figured she would be after the inheritance, to give Inuyasha what actually belong to him. All of that was tied up and it'd take an act of the kami for him to ever receive it.

It was no more than three days later he received word of Izayoi's death. Izayoi ended up putting her half-breed son in the care of some old youkai that was a friend of his father. There was a small service on her behalf. Sesshoumaru ended up standing next to her dead body, an overwhelming need to know what killed her. An assassination plot by his kind? It couldn't be, as he had heard nothing. Nothing got past him. No, something else killed her.

He stood over her. It was true that dead people do look like they are just sleeping. Her long raven hair spilt over the white kimono she had been dressed in. But she didn't look peaceful. Of course she didn't. She left behind her only child with no family that would fully accept him.

Her death, actually her cause of death, was what he wanted to know. That smell, the one he scented on her three days ago, he still didn't know what it was. Right now that, that scent, was suffocating him. This wasn't the stench of death permeating from her body. This…it was unfamiliar to him.

“Sorry, I didn't know anyone was here. Izayoi had few friends or family in these final days.” Sesshoumaru turned to see an elderly youkai walking up to the deceased. “I know who you are. I must say that I'm surprised you of all youkai are here.”

“What was her killer?”

“No one knows. The best youkai doctors attended to her out of fear your father would curse them from his place in hell. It wasn't anything they knew of.”

“This human knew she was going to die.”

“Yes. She did. And she knew why.”

“I demand an explanation.”

“Even if I could give you one, I doubt you would understand.”

“Do not presume my capabilities.”

“I can since you have no experience in the manner. However, since you are here…you smell it, don't you? This scent that is similar to despair.” Sesshoumaru nodded just enough for the old man to catch it. “Izayoi was lonely. She lost the mate she had loved more than life itself, and to him she was bonded. She lived as long as she could for Inuyasha, but her love for your father was too much and it was killing her.”

“That's impossible.”

“Of course you don't understand. You've never loved. It was something your father regretted about your upbringing. Raised in a house with no emotions, you've developed none for yourself. Well, except your anger and hatred.”

Sesshoumaru had heard enough of this nonsense. Turning, he left, never to bother with any of it again. Someone dying of a broken heart, it was preposterous. Loneliness wasn't a killer.

The years passed and he heard nothing about Inuyasha. Not that he cared. Not hearing anything about the whelp was the same as denying Inuyasha's existence. He continued to grow in the ranks at the law firm he worked for, living life as he was expected to.

Rumblings about a brilliant and daring hanyou-doctor that challenged any obstacle began to surface. That hanyou was part dog demon, the rumors stated. There was only one that Sesshoumaru knew of. Inuyasha had risen up and was carving his path. Comments about how much they said Inuyasha resembled his father were hard to ignore.

Sesshoumaru couldn't ignore Inuyasha for much longer. The hanyou's research and unorthodox methods gained in popularity with anyone willing to do whatever it took to be blessed with a child. And it wasn't just humans who needed and sought out his help, pure youkai went to him, only as a last resort.

Inuyasha's practice was growing so fast, the hanyou was having a hard time filling much-needed positions to meet the demands of those that needed help. Another lawyer in his firm was thinking about going to work in the new legal department at the Izayoi Clinic. The lawyer was asked if he'd stoop so low to work for a pathetic half-breed.

The lawyer's response was simple and a statement of the times: “What does it matter anymore these days?”

These days were different. There was more tolerance amongst the races, at least on the surface. Some still held onto the grudge from the ancient days when humans and youkai were constantly at war. Battles were now carried out in courtrooms and on the floor of the Diet.

Oh how he hated his cursed curiosity. It was part of his nature to know everything about everything so he could control it all. Leaving his job at the prestigious law firm he started out at, he practically hired himself as the head counsel for Inuyasha's clinic. He would have to admit that the look on Inuyasha's face when he arrived was priceless.

The power he gained at Inuyasha's clinic was greater that what he had earned at the law firm. He was now a part of the legal system, medicine, politics, and scientific research, the driving forces of this new era, the era he was still expected to lead.

Tipping his head back, he took a swing of the last of his champagne. He left the empty glass setting on the bar as he made his way over to the human girl who was challenging his beliefs. Is this what Izayoi did to his father?

xxxxx-----xxx-----xxxxx

Everyone was in their positions. All of the display meals were set up so her patrons could order from those. Kagome was no longer concerned about who was famous, but was completely focused on serving the best food she could. This was a huge opportunity for her and the restaurant, as well as her students and employees.

Once it was announced that food was ready, there was a mad rush to be first in line. Kagome had prepared a Mediterr-Asian-themed feast full of stir fries, soups, salads, and desserts that were an infusion of Mediterranean and Asian ingredients and spices. The smells of the foods were warm and gentle. Everything was colorful and, what Kagome wouldn't openly admit to anyone, healthy.

There were a few tables set up according to food type: appetizers along with the soups and salads for those not ready for a larger meal, the main course, and then dessert. The appetizer table was covered with servings of simple foods that could be a starter, or a full meal, such as Thai fish cakes with a sweet chili sauce and an antipasto platter that was the bulk of the pre-meal eats.

There were two soups to choose from, the two soups she had settled on out of the various choices she had. One was a Spanish broccoli and almond soup and the other was a Tuscan white bean and garlic soup. Kagome decided to serve the broccoli and almond soup chilled to compliment the warmer weather they were having, as summer was quickly advancing upon them.

Lastly for the appetizers were a couple of salads. Kagome had a lot of fun with the salads. She quickly got past the so-called fact that all salads had to contain lettuce. Once she put the lettuce away, she was amazed by the endless possibilities of the salads she could create. The hard part was deciding on just a few.

She selected one salad that was based on the traditional lettuce, which was a pancetta and walnut salad. For some reason, she was going through a `nut' phase. Reports about nuts being full of vital omega-3 fatty acids that didn't take a toll on the environment like consuming fish appealed to her.

The other two salads she decided on were Gado Gado, a decision based solely on its name, and an Asian noodle salad. She wanted to try to appeal to everyone's differing tastes though she knew someone would not be impressed with the lack of choices, but there was nothing she was going to do about it.

The main course table was being headed up by Shippo, who was proud of the turnout of everything. He told Kagome that they had to have curry. And she agreed, allowing him to choose the curry recipe. He came up with two, one with meat and one without. The Thai red chicken curry was his meat dish and he had a lentil, pea, and potato curry for those who decided they didn't want to consume animals.

Kagome chose three more main dishes to finish the course off. There was the honey-lemon chicken with almond stir fry, a Moroccan stew, and, lastly, ginger soy salmon with soba noodles. She figured she needed something that came from Japan for those that were afraid of the more exotic foods.

Rin manned the dessert table, her decision. Kagome thought she'd want to mingle with the guests, clearing up empty plates, but for some reason, she said she didn't feel like it. She had asked to be positioned in one place other than behind the bar. Rin could handle dishing out the two desserts, the mango dish and the yogurt one.

Kagome was polite to everyone who filed through, ignoring any snide comments about the lack of selection. She didn't want to tell them that she was limited to only a few dishes by their hosts.

She got all nervous when Inuyasha made his way to the main course table, which she had to help Shippo with. He had decided to wait until the end, so that it wasn't so crowded. Her face turned red as she averted her eyes to the food in front of her.

“The chicken shit,” he ordered.

Kagome sighed as a smile grew wide on her face. Grabbing a plate, she scooped up a hearty helping of rice, plus some, and dumped it onto the square plate. Then she slopped on the sweet and sour chicken dish, trying to make it look decent.

“Inuyasha…there you are.”

Inuyasha turned around to see the last person he thought he would see here, walking toward him with a friendly smile on her face.

Kagome's mouth dropped, as well as the second helping of stir fry, which fell down the front of her dress and landed with a plop on the top of her shoes. She ignored the mess to make sure Inuyasha's plate was ready first.

“Long time no see,” Kagura greeted the surprised hanyou. “I'm glad you could actually make it. Ah, Miss Higurashi, everything here is perfect. This is my assistant Kanna, the one you talked to on the phone.”

Kagome forced out a small smile at the pale young woman. “I'm glad you approve.” She handed the plate of food to Inuyasha who suddenly barely recognized her existence.

“What do you want?” he tried to politely ask of her.

“Teruo Fujii is here and wants to speak with you about one of the papers you authored.”

“Really? From U. of Tokyo's Institute of Industrial Science?”

“Yes. He's been specifically asking for you.”

“Keh, of course I'll talk to him.”

Kagura wrapped an arm around his and lead Inuyasha away from the food, away from Kagome, without a word. Kanna remained silent as she turned to follow her boss out toward the balcony where this Teruo Fujii was.

“Oh Kagome,” Rin whined as she ran over to help out her boss. “What happened?”

“I…I got distracted,” she replied as she stepped back to inspect the damage.

“Your dress…oh, your shoes…” Rin bent down and wiped up the food Kagome had dropped onto the floor.

“It's okay. I can clean it up later. This is a restaurant after all,” she softly chuckled, trying to hide her true feelings. Kagome glanced up and searched the crowd to seek out Inuyasha. She found him shaking hands and bowing with some guy, Kagura still next to him. Inuyasha and Kagura both sat down across from this Teruo person. She couldn't stop it.

That's her…the really pretty one…I didn't know that this was her party.

Kagome sat down since everyone had passed through to get food and was now sitting down enjoying their meal. She reached over and plucked a piece of the honey-lemon chicken out of the pan and popped it into her mouth.

“Kagome, I'm going to go and get the other pans of the dessert.”

“Sure Rin.”

Kagome looked back outside as Inuyasha enthusiastically conversed with Kagura and Teruo.

I'm probably overreacting, but…

I know he wouldn't. It's just sex…

Why was her head doing this to her? Inuyasha wouldn't be petty like that, leave her because she—they—hadn't had sex yet. She groaned. He scent marked her. She knew his secret. But did he once scent mark Kagura? Did she know his secret?

Kagome couldn't stop eating as her doubts ate at her. This royally sucked. How could this happen? And he ignored her. Didn't say one word to her and instead he let himself be lead off by this woman…this incredibly sexy woman.

“I had assumed the food was for the guests.”

“Oh, Sesshoumaru…Oops. Oh well, there's another pan or so in the kitchen.”

“I figured Inuyasha would still be throwing a tantrum about the lack of ramen at this buffet.”

“No, he's busy.”

“Busy?” That was odd considering Inuyasha didn't want to come in the first place.

“Yeah…there…” Kagome pointed outside. She shivered when she heard a low, frightening growl emanating from the overbearing dog demon. “Is there something wrong?”

“Kagura.”

“That's her name? Oh, I…I didn't know that.”

“As long as she keeps her distance…”

“Her distance? From him? Or from you?”

“That woman is a menace.”

“Really? I don't know her. I've seen her a couple of times, though, at the clinic.”

“Of course. She was trying to goad my brother into doing very illegal things.”

“Il-illegal things?” When was sex with a hanyou illegal? Unless…No, she didn't want to think about that. That was Eri's job. That was what Eri not only thought about, but actually did.

“He hasn't told you?” Sesshoumaru arched a brow at her at this newest bit of information.

“Why would he have?”

That was a good answer. Something they shared, the brothers, a need to not to share anything with anyone else. They both valued their privacy.

“Kagura is the `K' in K.O.N.”

“Wow. I…um…I only talked to her assistant, Kanna, and only on the phone.”

“She represented the clinic.”

“Represented?” Kagome asked, stressing the past tense use of the word.

“K.O.N. is a public relations firm consisting of the three CEO's, Kagura, Onigumo, and Naraku. A ruthless bunch that is the best at spinning anything in your favor as long as the price is paid.”

“I don't really know. The school has its own firm that takes care of that for us.”

“We had a relationship, one that was against the rules of the company…employees dating clients.”

“Wait…you and her dated?”

“Unfortunately.”

“What happened?” she asked, unsure if she was going to get a reply. She was more amazed with how forthcoming he was about all of this. There was no reason for him to tell her who Kagura was and what kind of relationship she had with anyone.

“We were incompatible. She would not submit to me. I terminated our relationship. However, she would not accept her shortcomings or my demands, and tried to use deception to trap me in a relationship. That's when she dragged Inuyasha into the mess.

“Her devious plan included impregnating herself, trying to bind me into a loveless relationship with a child that I was not willing to conceive. She played off bits and pieces of Inuyasha's past that she was aware of to coerce him to use her abilities to make her with child.”

“That's…uh…psychotic…”

“Yes. Somehow, he got her to cease and desist that plot.” Rin walking up to the bar caught his eye. He may have failed once, but not twice. “Excuse me.”

Kagome watched Sesshoumaru dash off. Boy was she way off. How was she supposed to know? At least she had saved herself from the embarrassment of accidentally accusing him of canoodling with his ex, or something along those lines.

She served those that returned for seconds, and even thirds, trying to ignore Kagura hanging all over Inuyasha as he discussed something with that guy. Was Kagura trying to go after Sesshoumaru again?

Their talk ended and Inuyasha returned to the food area where Kagome was sitting next to the window, staring out into the city, never noticing his return. Somehow she got stuck with guard duty while Shippo worked in the kitchen and Rin…well, she didn't know what happened to Rin.

“Oi, anything left?”

“Yeah, there's a little bit of everything,” Kagome replied, turning to face the hanyou.

“The chicken shit is good.”

“Inuyasha, that's not nice,” Kagura purred as she draped herself against his body. “We're paying them good money for this.”

Kagome opened her mouth to make a remark, but quickly closed it. She was right. They were paying damn good money for this party. She scooped up a serving of rice and the `chicken-shit' as he called it onto his plate.

“We've heard nothing but good things about the food Miss Higurashi.”

“Thank you…um…I don't think we were ever properly introduced.”

“I'm Kagura.”

“Ah shit. I forgot to get his e-mail address.” With his plate in hand, he dashed off back out onto the balcony leaving Kagura and Kagome alone.

“I see you and Inuyasha are still together.”

“St-still?”

“I apologize, what is this…a year later, for barging into his office that day. I was too caught up in my own business to realize I was intruding on yours.”

“Um…Inuyasha and I just started dating a little more than a month ago. He was my doctor back then.”

“Huh, I could've sworn that there had to be something going on between the two you back then. Oh well. What do I know? I mean, Inuyasha never hugs his patients. I've tried to get him to do it for show, for the friendly image, but nope.”

“It was a really bad day.”

“Bad day for you, good day for him.”

“What makes you say that?”

Kagura tapped her nose. “I'm a wind demoness and I know an attraction when I see one. The hug was a dead give away Inuyasha was totally head over heels for you.”

“Oh I …I didn't know.”

“I guess it all worked out somehow since you two are together. Well, I need to go and mingle. Kanna will contact you later next week to work out the final bill.”

“Nice meeting you.”

Kagura didn't look back and she started to make her way through the crowd, giggling and flirting with her clients. Inuyasha made his way back to Kagome, the food on his plate halfway eaten. “I can't stand her.”

“Who? Kagura?”

“Yes. She was such a pain in my ass because she couldn't get it through her thick skull.”

“Your brother explained it to me.”

“Good,” Inuyasha replied as he sat down in the empty chair next to Kagome. “Because I didn't want to. It was his problem that got dumped in my lap.”

“Everything seems okay now. They can be in the same room and still be civil.” Kagome scooped herself small servings of the available food as she was famished from being surrounded by the succulent scents all day long.

“That's because Sesshoumaru didn't have time to even acknowledge her. He was busy.”

“Busy? He hung out at the bar for the most part.”

“Keh, you weren't the only one who had to be protected.”

“What? Protected? Against who?”

“Other males.”

“Oh, so you are admitting to something,” Kagome accusingly mocked the hanyou, pointing her fork at him as if he had been busted.

“No. I'm explaining something about my brother.”

“Your brother. Who was he protecting then?”

“Rin.”

“Rin? My Rin?”

“Not yours anymore. She reeked of him. All over. I'm surprised I could keep my food down.” Inuyasha glanced down at his empty plate. Going outside to talk to that professor was a good idea at the time. The smell of his brother on Rin and then Rin being so close to Kagome, he felt nauseated. He secretly took another sniff in Kagome's direction and found that she still had the scent she left the Shrine with this morning, though it had worn off from the hours that had passed.

“So Rin is seeing Sesshoumaru?”

Inuyasha rolled his eyes at her. Sometimes… “Aren't you paying any attention?”

“But he's so…”

“I know.” He closed his eyes and nodded his head at her.

“And she's like…”

“Yup.”

“When?”

Opening his eyes again, he looked over at Kagome, shrugging his shoulders at her. “Fuck if I know. I just know that male inu-youkai scent mark their females during the spring season.”

“Well I know that.”

“What?”

“It's why you wouldn't let me take that second shower this morning.”

“Keh, whatever. I said inu-youkai, not inu-hanyou. Big difference.”

“Oh, and what are these differences?” she teased.

“Don't worry about that. They're subtle.”

“Why won't you tell me about it?”

“I can't.”

“You can't because it's an inu-youkai…eh…inu-hanyou secret or for some other reason?”

“My father wasn't around to teach this stuff to me.” His eyes darted to the ground and then out the window behind him. Talking about this father was a touchy subject for him, though he didn't understand why. He didn't know the guy personally, from what he could remember. The only memories he had of his father were the stories his mother told him. And even then, it was so long ago, how many of those memories his mother shared were even correct.

“Oh, right. I'm sorry.”

“Like you would know.”

“So, basically you really are just going by your instincts.”

“Yeah.”

“Does Rin really smell?”

“Oh yeah.”

Kagome evilly grinned. She was going to get him. Leaning towards him, she whispered, “Who stinks more?”

“She does. You smell pretty good to me though.”

“I think I'm finally getting it.”

“There's nothing to get.”

“Well, I'm new to this whole youkai-hanyou thing…dating one…”

“Keh, didn't think I was that complicated.”

“Kagome. Kagome!”

Kagome gazed around the room, trying to find who it was that was screaming out her name. The way they were yelling it, the worry in their voice, it got Kagome scared. “Rin, what is it? Something happen?”

“Do you need me?”

“D-do I n-need you? Uh…maybe…I think…what?”

“Anymore? The kitchen crew is still here to clean up and stuff.”

“Oh, for tonight. Sure, you can go. Just, uh, let Shippo know you're leaving so he doesn't come whining to me later on.”

“Thank you so much. I'll make it up to you!” She ran off meeting up with Sesshoumaru at the head of the stairs. She beamed at him with that toothy grin of hers, explaining something to him. He nodded at her, placing his hand on the small of her back to escort her down the stairs.

“Wow, they really are together. I wonder what they talk about.”

“Probably impresses her with his knowledge of art and opera.”

“Somehow that doesn't surprise me.”

“Oi, can you leave?”

“Now?”

“No, tomorrow. Yes `now.'”

“Maybe. I should stay…but Shippo did want some practice with responsibility and with Bankotsu still hanging around…Let me go talk to the both of them really quick. I'm sure I can leave.” Kagome bounded out of her chair and headed over to the bar where Bankotsu was working with Jakotsu on keeping the guests liquored up.

Inuyasha couldn't believe it. He couldn't believe that his brother had already fucked Rin. Not that it explained why Sesshoumaru was so calm and he on the other hand was tempted to drink an entire barrel of sake just to pass out and miss the entire spring season. The heat from being in heat was burning him up. He needed relief, but he didn't want to hurt Kagome either. However, he was getting dangerously close to losing it.

xxxxx-----xxx-----xxxxx

roshully's notes: Okay, finished. Wow, this was a strange chapter for me. I really didn't think it would be this long. But I'm not complaining. The Kagura thing is now explained. Also, a little insight into Sesshoumaru and his past, and how he came to be where he is at in Inuyasha's life. And, a little Rin-Sesshoumaru.

I do have a lot to explain regarding this chapter in the ways of defining things. For all of the food mentioned, you can find the recipes already up on my LiveJournal. Mediterr-Asian is a real food category, or at least it's trying to be. With all of the brouhaha about obesity and diseases and how it's important to eat healthy, Mediterr-Asian is a food movement that combines the healthy aspects of Mediterranean and Asian into one category. It looks good. I haven't cooked much of it, yet…If you have any questions about the food, post the question at my LiveJournal, since I have the recipes there.

Propofol is a common type of anesthesia used in hospitals. Anyone gone under general anesthesia was probably injected with this drug.

Inuyasha speaks with a man named Teruo Fujii, who is a real man who works at the University of Tokyo's Institute of Industrial Science. According to the article I am using for this, his team devised a chip that can stimulate the womb environment. How I am referencing it within the story is that Inuyasha wrote a paper theorizing ways to create a better environment for eggs fertilized in a dish. I didn't feel it necessary to include any more than his name within the context of the story.

There are three more Japanese male names mentioned in the chapter. They are real actors. Fujiwara Tatsuya played Light in the Death Note movies. He also appeared in Battle Royale, but I think more people would be familiar with Death Note. The other two actors appeared in Japanese drama shows. Fujiki Naohita played the actor in the show 'Love Revolution' and Fukuyama Masahara starred in 'Bijo ka Yajuu', which translates into 'Beauty or Beast'.

Pancetta is something I don't think is defined within the recipes of my LJ account, so I am putting it here. It's bacon. The bacon we eat in the US is salted and then smoked. Pancetta is Italian bacon that is salt cured and spiced and then it is dried for three months. Yummy.

I've already started working on Chapter 26, but it'll probably be another slow process. I think I'm going to really need to take my time. There's going to be a lot of research for that one. I've got a list of things that I need to look into so that'll probably take me some extra time.

Thank you all so much for your patience as I am basically posting one chapter a month.

roshully

And before I forget…review response…

Jessie Angel - I make myself completely starved by the time I'm done working on parts of the story. I sit here at my computer pouring over recipes. I especially like recipes that come with pictures. Somehow, the food looks tastier with a picture. Your husband should be thanking you for cooking it.

Miss Marilyn69 - Straight porn is okay every once in a while, nothing by sour goodness, but I just can't write like that. No matter how hard I try. Sex is sometimes better after all of the hardships one has to go through to get to it.

December Love 05 - I do update, just not much. Monthly. I guess that's better than never or only once every couple of months. It's strange how one chapter basically represents a month of writing and stuff, among the other things I do. Sometimes it's a wonder my boyfriend is still with me. He'll be like, lets go do this and I'm like `I'm busy writing.'

malitiadixie - Good things come to those who wait. Yeah, jealous Inuyasha is awesome. I think demon Inuyasha is pretty hot, so a jealous, demon Inuyasha is borderline illegal.

unistar - Their relationship is slowly moving forward. I think this chapter has some subtle hints about how their relationship is progressing, even though its spring for them.

Autumn the Reviewer - I didn't draw out the allergen/patient case too much because I have different plot things to work on for the next couple of chapters. I felt like I had dragged it on long enough. What…three, four chapters? Now that it is out of the way, there are other things that they can focus on. Kagome being in Kouga's pack was a totally unexpected plot piece I added right at the end. I can't even explain how it happened, but I'm glad it did. This chapter is long, but I don't think it can really compare with the previous chapter, my opinion though.

cwillia - Yeah, that's what happens when I chose two names that are close in spelling. Though, Miroku running around with bubbles and ribbons…too funny. Spring's gotta suck for the poor hanyou. He is afraid to open up too much. Look how he got with he started going demon in front of Kagome when confronting Kouga, he thought that was the end of it. Also, this chapter explained that Inuyasha never really learned about how to deal with Spring Fever, so he is just going with the flow. All the ladies need to have their men in check. And I'm sure they'll agree with me on that one.

XxSangoxX - I tend to forget about aff.net. It's so hard to post anything there since I type the story in MS Word and it doesn't let me load up word. That's what one gets when they are simple. Oh well. Some people can have sex the first night they meet and others can wait for as long as it needs to be, though Inuyasha is getting to the point where he is having trouble waiting. Poor guy. When you think of what you want to say, pass it along.

axel720 - Inuyasha doesn't seem like the type who'd take Kagome on the lawn. He'd get too embarrassed. The Miroku-Sango oneshot is a work in progress. I've started it and am probably about a third of the way done. I would work on that when my mind shut down on this chapter. And I'll probably work on it while I scribble on Chapter 26. I plan on getting it posted before this story is finished, not that it would matter. It only adds to the story, but the story is fine without it too. We'll see. There was some more casual scenes between Inu and Kag and Chapter 26 will have some more as, yes, they do need to get to know each other better and to get more comfortable with one another.

OrlandoLover - I was debating on whether or not I would have inu-youkai and inu-hanyou get sick from chocolate. I would say Inuyasha could handle it because he is half human, but maybe Sesshoumaru can't afford the luxury.

Sassa - Yeah, I too doubt Inuyasha will prove himself to the pack as he feels that wolves are beneath him. However, he does honor families and if he has to prove himself to anyone, it'll be to Kagome's real family, her mother, brother and grandfather. I'm leaving her father out because he died when Kagome was so young. I drew a lot of Inuyasha's reactions and responses to Kagome's feelings about knowing each other from my own boyfriend. You read in magazines about how either opposites attract or how you want to find a partner that shares a lot of the same ideals that you do and Kagome was going with that. My boytoy will ask me if it matters or whether or not he supports Bush or not will make me love him less. He could care less about the position I would take on a particular topic. There are some things though that we do need to talk about, finances, family, that sort of thing. So Kagome had the right idea, just about the wrong topics. I hope this was worth the wait.

Sunekai - I think Inuyasha would only tolerate Kouga for Kagome's sake because of the history they share. I would hate to see what the girls would do to Inuyasha if he ever hurt Kagome.

Inusbabe - Another month, another chapter, and a little longer…

star555555528 - Patient thing solved. My new job is going good. I am going to be a trainer in my new section and will end up training any new person assigned to that section after the current trainee is trained. There's also talk about me becoming the new supervisor since my current supervisor got promoted. But we'll see…

u ignorant fools - I'm not as impatient. Obviously, since I go this far without having them do the deed. I think even if Kagome and Hojo were to cross paths now, it would go okay. Also, I think the fact that they haven't crossed paths yet goes to show how different they really were. Inuyasha and Hojo have a better chance of running into each other than Kagome and Hojo. Wouldn't that be awkward, Inuyasha and Hojo bumping into each other. Kagome's dreams about children will be brought up later. Some girls can go on and on about children the moment they meet a guy and others like to wait and gauge the relationship first.

Dark Avenger - Thanks. That's totally cool.

Sedona - Yeah, I could tweak it, but, it would still have to have that supernatural element to it. I would think so, with all of the descriptions about sensitive hearing and scents.

antyem13 - I think I've outdone myself with this to. I'll probably suffer the Margaret Mitchell complex. She's the author who penned `Gone with the Wind'. And that was the only book she wrote because she felt that she could never write anything that good again, or anything decent for that matter. I do have other ideas and the such for other works, but I don't know if it'll compare to this. Thanks.

maryaxe - Soon for me has become monthly. Thanks for reading.