InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ To Bear Witness ❯ Cause and Effect ( Chapter 15 )

{Disclaimer: Guess…}

Chapter Fifteen: Cause and Effect

*7:23 AM, Thursday morning*

Kagome yawned, stretched and opened her eyes, glancing at the other occupants of the cave. Sutaasafaia was on one of the fur rugs on the other side of the cave, snoozing lightly. Kouga rested near the cave entrance, his tail twitching delicately in his sleep. Kagome smiled and looked around for Sesshoumaru.

'I wonder where Mr. Takamada is,' she thought as she scanned the back of the cave.

Nothing.

Something tightened around her waist, then a warm breath danced against her lower abdomen. Kagome looked down and nearly gasped. Sesshoumaru slept in her lap, his face pressed against her stomach. Kagome blushed as he rubbed his nose against her. 'Oh great,' she groaned as she attempted to disentangle Sesshoumaru from her. 'Does he have to do this NOW?'

Kagome seemed to have no luck in getting away from him herself, so she settled for waking him up.

"Takamada?" she whispered, tapping on his shoulder. Sesshoumaru didn't respond.

"Takamada?" she whispered again, tapping on the crown of his head.

"Takamada!" Kagome hissed, pulling some hair. Sesshoumaru rubbed his nose against her stomach, then licked her before falling back into his stupor. Kagome blinked, the action slowly reaching her brain, then

"EWWWWWWW! PERVERT!"

>Whap!<

Sutaasafaia and Kouga sat up instantly, as did Sesshoumaru. He yawned, then glared at Kagome as she frantically wiped her stomach.

"What is wrong with you?" he growled, watching her curiously.

"You LICKED me, you sicko!" Kagome cried as she glared back. Kouga shrugged and went back to sleep, but Sutaasafaia decided to stay awake for the mea lee.

Sesshoumaru huffed indignantly. "I did no such thing, woman."

"Yes you did!" Kagome shouted back. Sesshoumaru instantly fell back asleep, his head landing back on her stomach. Kagome groaned, rolled him off her and shoved him away from her with her foot.

Sutaasafaia waited until she and Kagome were out of the cave to burst out laughing. "He's sure attached to you," she said with a giggle. Kagome blushed slightly. "Sure, whatever. You want to do the hunting this morning?"

"Sure!"

They headed off for the forest, leaving a note for the boys before venturing into the unknown.

*

Sesshoumaru and Kouga exited the cave a half an hour later, blinking in the morning sunlight.

"Where did the girls go?" Kouga asked as he prepared another fire.

"I presume they went hunting," Sesshoumaru told him as he leaned against the opening of the cave. Kouga sat up instantly.

"Say what?"

"They went hunting," Sesshoumaru repeated. Kouga paled. "What?" Sesshoumaru asked.

"Kagome's in heat, right?"

Sesshoumaru nodded.

"It's not the best idea for her to be without one of us while she's in heat."

"Why not?" Sesshoumaru grumbled. "There are no youkai around here."

"Well….that's not entirely true."

Sesshoumaru reached across the fire pit and grabbed Kouga by the collar, dragging him through the ashes of last night's fire to him. "What do you mean?" he growled, his fangs lengthening and his eyes glowing amber. Kouga gulped.

"You see," he said with a squeak. "There's a tribe of bear youkai in the woods and if I'm right, Kagome and Sutaasafaia just headed into their territory."

"You incompetent, useless-" was all Kouga heard before Sesshoumaru dropped him like a sack of potatoes and headed in Kagome and Sutaasafaia's direction.

*9: 10 AM, Inuyasha's Room*

Inuyasha stepped out the shower, wrapped himself in one of the fluffy white hotel towels, and used another to dry his hair. As he stood in front of the bathroom mirror, he sighed despondently.

'I wonder what Katrina would say if she saw the real me,' he wondered as he lowered his sealing spell. The black in his hair faded with the violet in his eyes. He watched the transfer until it was finished, with two white puppy ears emerging from his head. His golden eyes stared at his reflection, then turned away and finished drying his hair.

'I want to show her, but I…I can't. She might not understand.' Inuyasha sat down on the edge of the tub and sighed. 'She might call me a freak.'

'But you know she wouldn't do that,' a voice said in his head. Inuyasha shrugged. 'I don't know about that. What if she-'

'Shut up, Inuyasha,' the voice interrupted. 'After all, if she loves you she'll accept you for what you really are. If you love her as much as you say you do, then you'd show her. Stop being such a punk.'

'Geez, what a jerk!' Inuyasha thought as he tossed the towel (the hair towel, perverts!) to the side and stood up. He watched as his ears twitched on his head sporadically, then smiled. 'But I should tell her.' Inuyasha smiled and recast the sealing spell, watching the transformation again before stepping out of the bathroom. 'That's it then,' he decided as he searched his closet for something to wear. 'I'm telling her today.'

*9:15 AM, The Rockies*

"Um, Kagome?"

"Yeah?"

"I think we went a little further than we should have."

Kagome stopped walking and turned to Sutaasafaia, who was staring into a clearing surrounded by trees. "What makes you say that?"

"There's something you should see," Sutaasafaia said as she pointed toward the clearing. Kagome peered over her shoulder and gasped. There, leaning against a tree like an empty soup can, was the back half of the plane. Kagome and Sutaasafaia approached it cautiously, then gazed up at it.

"Do you think it's safe?" Sutaasafaia asked.

"How should I know?"

"You are the big bad marshal," Sutaasafaia said in a huff. Kagome glared back at her, then shrugged. "I don't know. I guess."

"We may as well try," Sutaasafaia concluded. "After all, there could be food up there."

"And a change of clothes!" Kagome exclaimed, disturbing a few birds from their roosts. "Let's go!"

They managed to climb up the tree and shimmy down the length of the plane without injury, climbing over the seats to back of the plane.

"Here we are in the cabin area," Kagome said as she reached for another seat. "Here you'll find wildlife of all kinds, including hard-headed males of every species."

Sutaasafaia giggled as Kagome continued her Jacques Cousteau impression.

"Their ritualistic head butting is a mystery, even to the most studious of scientis-" She slipped and fell down the remaining length of the cabin, landing on the door to the baggage compartment with a thunk.

"Ow!"

"Are you ok?" Sutaasafaia asked as she jumped the rest of the way to Kagome, landing beside her. Kagome groaned and stood up, shaking the twigs out of her hair before nodding.

"Yeah, I'm fine. That's what I get for goofing off. Let's get this over with."

Sutaasafaia nodded in agreement as Kagome opened the baggage door.

Minutes later they emerged from the plane, carrying the spoils of their venture. The clothes that they found were in no condition for wearing, as they all were either burned or smelled like smoke. They did find some TV dinners in the kitchen area though, and a suitcase that wasn't wrecked beyond recognition to put them in.

Sutaasafaia leaped off the last branch in the tree first, then stood by as Kagome jumped down. "Do we have everything?" Sutaasafaia asked as Kagome adjusted the suitcase on her back. Kagome nodded.

"Good. Let's head back."

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" a voice said from the forest around them. Kagome and Sutaasafaia glared around, trying to find the owner.

They glanced up at a rustling of leaves above them as a giant black bear leaped from them to the ground before them. Sutaasafaia stepped in front of Kagome as the bear changed to its humanoid form. He grinned eagerly, his sharp pointed teeth glistening in the sunlight as his long black hair streamed down his back. He circled Kagome and Sutaasafaia warily, sniffing the air every so often.

"Two pretty females, unescorted in my forest? And one is in heat too. Which one is it?" He sniffed again, then sighed as his light brown eyes settled on Kagome.

"Its you…and you're a miko too. How interesting," he purred as he stepped closer to her. Sutaasafaia reached out and backhanded him, sending him flying into a nearby tree. He stood back up as Kagome stared at Sutaasafaia in awe, then smacked her forehead.

"You're a youkai too, aren't you?"

Sutaasafaia gave an apologetic smile, then changed into her humanoid form. Kagome forgot about the bear youkai as large blue streaks emerged in Sutaasafaia's hair and her nails lengthened into sharp claws with a long blonde tail wrapped around her waist. The bear youkai stood up and smiled.

"An inu youkai bitch? This is my lucky day."

Kagome and Sutaasafaia started when more bear youkai rained down from the tree tops, surrounding them as the lead bear youkai grinned at them.

"I think I'll give the bitch-" pointing to Sutaasafaia, who growled in response "to my son as a plaything. You-" pointing to Kagome "will come with me. I think you'll make an excellent 'maid' for myself."

"I'll be damned," Sutaasafaia growled, flexing her claws as the youkai started to circle her and Kagome. Kagome unsnapped her sheath and pulled out three daggers. She fisted them in her hand as the lead youkai tipped his head to the side.

"Don't tell me you're going to try to fight me," he said. He shook his finger at her disapprovingly. "Now now you naughty girls. That's no way to treat your new master. I'll forgive you if you stop right now and bow down before me."

"I bow to no one," Kagome hissed, earning a growl of agreement from Sutaasafaia. The youkai sighed and shrugged.

"Fine, if that's the way you want it." He turned to the other bears. "Beat them, but don't kill them. Anyone who disobeys will pay with his life."

The youkai nodded as one and swarmed Kagome and Sutaasafaia.

Sutaasafaia attacked first, punching one bear in the groin before sweeping its feet out from under it and kicking it in the temple. Kagome back-kicked another bear in the chin, smiling when she heard its teeth click together.

Sutaasafaia charged forward, her claws ripping and tearing through the waves of bears like knives as Kagome punched a youkai in the stomach with the dagger-fisted hand. She jerked her hand free moments later, leaving the youkai to bleed to death as she reached around for another youkai.

*

"What in the world is that?" Kouga asked as the sounds of a struggle resounded in the forest. Sesshoumaru sniffed as Kouga listened, each wondering what was going on. A scream pierced the morning air moments later, followed by a growl. Sesshoumaru, recognizing the scream as Kagome's, gave Kouga the look of death before sprinting toward the sound, leaving Kouga to follow a navy-blue blur.

*

The lead youkai smacked Kagome again, knocking her to the ground as the bear youkai pounced on Sutaasafaia. She growled as they held her down, keeping her still as the lead grabbed Kagome's ponytail and jerked her to her feet. "You gave us quite a fight, miko," he snarled viciously. He jerked Kagome's head to the side, exposing her neck. He watched as her pulse quickened under her skin, the vein jumping as she glared at him.

"Nervermind that. The youkai you killed will be easily replaced and you will help that happen."

"In your dreams," Kagome told him, her voice low in warning. The bear laughed and ran a claw along her neck, giving her something like a paper cut. Sutaasafaia growled from her position on the ground, but the bear paid her no attention as he licked the wound.

"You'll find me a formidable lover, miko. You'll see, and you'll wonder why you fought the idea."

"She'll see no such thing," Kouga snarled as he came into the clearing, with Sesshoumaru close behind. Kagome struggled to turn around as the youkai watched the two newcomers warily.

"Get back Takamada!" Kagome shouted as Sesshoumaru watched from the other side of the clearing. "This isn't a place for you!"

"Let go of the girl Bathshazzar," Kouga warned, his outstretched hand toward he and Kagome. Bathshazzar clutched her tighter, his hold on Kagome's ponytail relentless as he licked her neck again. Kagome glared at him, not realizing that trouble was right behind her…

In the rapidly infuriated Sesshoumaru.

"I don't think so," Bathshazzar grinned, unaware of Sesshoumaru's growing temper. "She's responsible for the deaths of my best men, so she and her companion will replace them."

Kagome opened her mouth to speak, but instantly quieted when she was suddenly jerked from Bathshazzar's arms from behind. She sped across the clearing to Sesshoumaru's waiting arms, feeling a sense of déjà vu as his arms crossed over her chest. Kagome moved to turn around and face him, but Sesshoumaru held her still as he glared into Bathshazzar's eyes, his becoming a blood red as a blue crescent shone on his forehead. Bathshazzar blinked in astonishment, then dropped to his knees, motioning for the others to do the same.

****

SF: Yup, Sesshou's that bad, even in America.

****

"M-m-m-my Lord," he stuttered as Sutaasafaia, Kagome and Kouga looked on. "We didn't mean to t-touch her! We didn't know she was yours! She's not marked!"

"That still doesn't excuse your actions!" Kouga shouted, speaking when Sesshoumaru could not. Kouga gulped when Sesshoumaru's fangs protruded from his mouth, lengthening to his chin as barely visible white fur started to bristle all over his body. Kagome's breath came in short pants as Sesshoumaru bordered on losing his control. She could feel the presence of a youkai, but figured it to be Kouga since it didn't threaten her. It shielded her, somehow healing her various wounds as Kouga returned his attention to Bathshazzar.

"You're forgiven this once, but if it happens again you're lives are over. That goes for all of you!"

"You won't be warned again," Sesshoumaru growled over Kagome's head. The vibrations sent small shocks up and down her form, and she closed her eyes and relaxed against him. Sesshoumaru immediately calmed, slipping back into his human form as he looked down at her. He ran his fingers through her hair possessively, still glaring at Bathshazzar and his youkai as they disappeared into the trees. Kouga released a shaky breath as Sutaasafaia stood up and gathered the disregarded food, then turned back to Sesshoumaru and Kagome.

Kagome blinked, then whirled around and whapped Sesshoumaru on the arm.

"What was that for?" he demanded as Kagome glared at him.

"The next time I say run, could you please do like I say and RUN!! What was going through your head, man?" She tapped the side of his head soundly. "They could have ripped you apart! God, are you really so brash!"

"I saved your life!"

"No you didn't! We had everything under control!"

"Didn't look like that when Kouga and I arrived."

"Agggggggggg!" Kagome growled and stomped away from him. "And another thing," she said as she turned back around. Sesshoumaru flicked a speck of dust from his suit, then raised an inquisitive brow toward her.

"When did you learn to levitate?"

Sutaasafaia and Kouga watched as Sesshoumaru straightened his jacket and looked at her, all the while thinking of what to say. He had an answer in two seconds flat.

"I haven't. One of the other youkai must have tried it. I caught you before you flew past me."

"But-"

"Enough buts Kagome," Kouga said as he settled a hand on her shoulder. "You and Sutaasafaia are ok and that's all that matters. Now can we go back to camp?"

"Sure," Kagome relented, patting his hand. As they walked back to the campsite, Kagome started to giggle. Sesshoumaru and the others stopped, watching her curiously as Kagome leaned against a tree in her glee.

"What's so funny Kagome?" Sutaasafaia asked.

"Ahh…" Kagome breathed, finally getting her laughing fit under control. "With the way that youkai and his tribe acted toward Kouga, you'd think he were lord of the world or something. The look on their faces was priceless!"

Sutaasafaia eyed Sesshoumaru, waiting for him to say something to correct her, but he only nodded and resumed his walk back to camp, leaving Sutaasafaia and Kouga to wonder.

*6:05 PM, Jacksonville FA*

Katrina ran a nervous hand through her hair outside Inuyasha's door, mentally berating herself.

'I can't believe how nice he is,' she thought as she debated whether to ring the doorbell or not. 'Naraku said that he was a jerk, just like his brother but he's so, well, sweet. I don't want to hurt him, but if I don't-' Katrina shuddered, then glanced around the hallway for Sango and Miroku.

'Good, they're not here. I'll just knock him out, then search his room for anything. Then I can get this over with.' She rang the doorbell and waited.

Inuyasha stuck his head out a few minutes later. "Hey, Kitty!" he said as he pulled her into the room.

"Hey yourself," Katrina said uneasily. Inuyasha stopped and turned around, hugging her as he asked "What's wrong?"

"You said you had something to show me."

"Well yeah but it's not the end of the world."

Katrina laughed a little and scratched behind her ear nervously. "Yeah, well I'm not a big fan of surprises."

"Oh." Inuyasha's face fell a little, then perked. "Well let's get this over with then!"

"Get what over with?" Katrina asked as she looked up at him.

"Watch."

Katrina nodded in agreement as Inuyasha closed his eyes. A moment later he opened them as the air around them shimmered. Katrina watched in awe as the black in his hair faded to a silvery white, his eyes as they turned a dark amber and as two white ears peeked from out of his hair. Katrina marveled as she wrapped a strand of his hair around her finger.

"Is it real?" she asked, wonder and amazement in her voice. Inuyasha smiled and nodded. "Yup, its real. This is the real me."

"Why would you show it to me?" she wondered as she reached up and scratched between his ears. Inuyasha closed his eyes and purred, rubbing his head against her hand like a small puppy.

"I showed this to you because I don't want to hide from you," he whispered as he opened his eyes again. Katrina tilted her head to the side as Inuyasha continued with a smile.

"I love you Katrina, and even though we've only known each other for a couple of months, I feel like it's been longer. I wanted you to know the real me because I trust you."

"You…trust me?"

Inuyasha nodded, pulling her closer to him and resting her head against his chest. "Yes, I do."

Katrina smiled and closed her eyes, reveling in the warmth his arms provided as his words circled in her mind.

'I trust you Katrina.'

'I love you.'

'I don't want to hide from you.'

Katrina's eyes snapped open, a tear sliding down her cheek as she remembered what she was supposed to be doing.

'I can't let Naraku hurt him. I just can't! But that means…' She pulled away from Inuyasha slowly, caressing his cheek as another tear fell.

"Katrina…what's wrong?" he asked as a sob escaped her lips. Katrina shook her head, stepping out of his hold as she looked up at him.

'I can never see him again.'

"Katrina wait!" Inuyasha called as she bolted for the door. He changed back to his human form in seconds as she flung the door open and ran down the hallway. She slid into the elevator and pushed the floor for the lobby as Inuyasha ran down the hallway. "What is it?" he yelled as the elevator doors closed.

"I'm sorry," Katrina said as the doors finally shut. Inuyasha stopped before the elevator, disappointment etched in his eyes as he touched his cheek, tracing the path Katrina's fingers went down moments before.

"What did I do?" he whispered as he walked away from the elevator to his room.

*7:43 PM, The Rockies*

"So Kagome," Sutaasafaia said over a bite of TV dinner. "Why aren't you like other mikos?"

"Huh?" Kagome asked as she passed Sesshoumaru one of the dinners.

"Yeah, I've wondered that too," Kouga said as he leaned against one of the rocks. Sesshoumaru watched this from beside Kagome, waiting like the others for her answer.

"What are you guys talking about?" Kagome asked as she sat down.

"Oh, you know," Sutaasafaia began with a flick of her wrist. "Most humans scream at the sight of our true forms, and most miko want to purify us on sight. Yet you've done neither. Why?"

"Oh that." Kagome shrugged, then sighed and leaned against Sesshoumaru's shoulder. "I guess I'm not like other mikos."

"That's for sure," Kouga agreed. "But why?"

Kagome glanced from him to Sutaasafaia, watching as her tail twitched in the breeze. "I guess because I don't believe what all miko are taught."

"That all humans are good and all youkai are bad?" Sutaasafaia asked. Kagome nodded. "That's it."

"Why not?" Sesshoumaru asked, showing the first bit of interest in the conversation.

"Because its impossible for all youkai to be evil, just like its impossible for all humans to be good. After all, when our power breaks into itself, we can injure and heal both youkai and humans."

"But you're too tolerant of us," Kouga said as he waved a hand toward Sutaasafaia. "I mean, you're not even nervous. Why?"

"Because I know you two won't hurt me," Kagome answered as she stood up. "And since Kouga works for Mr. Takamada, I just assumed that he knew about you and felt that you were not a safety hazard for himself and the other humans." She glanced at Sesshoumaru as Sutaasafaia asked her another question.

"But weren't you taught to fear all youkai?"

"I sure was," Kagome said as she stooped down and loosened Sesshoumaru's tie. "I don't see how you can stand this," she told him as she tossed it over his head.

"Hey! That's a $150 tie!"

"You'll be fine without it," she said as she unbuttoned the first two buttons of his shirt. "Back to your question Sutaasafaia. My second in command and I were taught as children in the way of the miko and, in her case, the youkai exterminator. My grandfather used to tell us stories about youkai, especially one in particular."

Kagome shuddered under the memory as a wind blew past her. Sesshoumaru glanced up at her as the others stared. "Oh yeah!" she suddenly said. "Give me this!" In seconds, Sesshoumaru's coat was in her hand. Sesshoumaru blinked as Sutaasafaia and Kouga laughed, watching the look of triumph on Kagome's face as she held it out of his reach.

"As I was saying," Kagome said as she held the jacket on the other side of her. "This one in particular scared the hell out of us," Kagome told them as she swatted Sesshoumaru's hand away. "He was a inu taiyoukai who ruled the western lands."

"Really?" Sutaasafaia exclaimed, watching the drama unfold from across the fire as Kagome stepped away from Sesshoumaru's hands.

"Yeah. Anyway, Grandpa used to tell us stories about him."

"What kind of stories?" Kouga wondered as Sesshoumaru scooted closer to Kagome.

"That he was beautiful," Kagome said wistfully, earning a strange look from the others. Kagome blushed slightly, then continued. "Well, from the way Grandpa described him, he was beautiful. He had long, silver hair, golden eyes and the coolest markings on his face."

"Sounds like a crush," Sutaasafaia sang. Kouga stifled a giggle as Kagome's blush darkened.

"Hardly. It was more like admiration from afar," Kagome said as she swatted Sesshoumaru's hand again. "After what Grandpa said next, I quickly scrapped that idea."

"What do you mean?"

"Grandpa said that he was as clever as he was handsome and hated humans. Any human that trespassed in his lands were instantly exterminated, especially mikos and exterminators. He told us stories about how he used to melt samurai with a mere touch, and how he could blast away a dozen mikos with a single blow."

"Truly not the man with whom to fuck," Kouga grumbled, stealing a glance at Sesshoumaru. Sesshoumaru ignored him, reaching for his jacket yet again.

****

SF: Isn't this the coolest line?

Kouga: It is! It's the best line in the fic!

Sesshou: Whatever. I get the really cool lines. You just get bits and pieces from movies.

Kouga: For real? What movie did that come from?

SF: Alien Resurrection. I love that movie!

****

"Would you stop!" Kagome said to him, missing the giggles from around them. "You know the drill! You're not getting this back until I say so!"

"Um, Kagome," Sutaasafaia called. "You were saying?"

"Right," Kagome said, stepping further away from Sesshoumaru. "As I was saying, he was what you would call a perfect killing machine, but he wasn't mindless. He could defeat even the most powerful of mikos by just watching them and figuring out what made them tick."

Sesshoumaru straightened a little under this, but continued his pursuit of his belongings.

"We were so afraid of him when we were little," Kagome said, holding the jacket over her head. "Grandpa had us thinking that if he saw us, he'd kill us on sight. We were scared to go to sleep!" Kagome shook her head as Sutaasafaia and Kouga burst out laughing. "For real! We slept in shifts the entire time we trained! We just knew that he'd jump into our window and kill us in our sleep!" Kagome scowled as Sutaasafaia and Kouga kept laughing. "It's not funny you two!" She turned to Sesshoumaru and sighed. "At least you're not laughing Takamada."

Sesshoumaru barely heard her. 'As if I would jump through their window,' he grumbled to himself as Sutaasafaia and Kouga calmed down.

"Sorry Kagome," Sutaasafaia wheezed. "Now you said you were afraid of him. What happened?"

"We found a book when I was about 9 years old, written by a monk that served in his court."

'Ah yes,' Sesshoumaru mused. 'Keriyous. I knew having that lecher in my service would come back to haunt me."

"What did it say?" Kouga asked.

"It basically said that the taiyoukai wasn't the way we were taught. He didn't hate humans. As a matter of fact, he could care less about us. He just wanted to protect his lands. And he didn't just look for humans to kill. It was more like they came looking for him."

"Why would they look for him?" Sutaasafaia asked.

"The stronger you are, the more enemies you have," Sesshoumaru said, finally giving up on his jacket for the time being. Kagome smiled down at him, patting his head as she turned back to the others.

"That's it, basically. That's when Sango and I decided it was a waste of time fearing him since he wouldn't kill us as soon as he smelled us. That's when we started to realize that perhaps everything else about youkai might not be what we originally thought. Plus there's Shippou."

"Shippou?"

"Who's Shippou?" Sesshoumaru asked, a hint of jealousy in his voice. Kagome smiled and said "He's our TS."

"You mean the one who called me a fox?" Sutaasafaia asked. Kagome nodded. "Yup, he's a kitsune. He sorta calls me his mother."

"No wonder you call him pup," Sesshoumaru muttered as Kagome yawned.

"Well people, I'm beat. I'm turning in."

"Wait, I'm coming with you!" Sutaasafaia said, jumping up just as Kagome reached the mouth of the cave.

"Oh and Takamada?"

"Yes?"

Kagome tossed his jacket over his head and walked into the cave behind Sutaasafaia. Kouga shook his head as she disappeared from view.

"She's interesting, isn't she?" Kouga said as Sesshoumaru fished his jacket off his head and straightened his hair.

"Yes, she is. You know something Kouga?"

"What?"

Sesshoumaru smiled, a truly evil grin lit up by the fire as he stared Kouga down.

"She's mine."

"We'll see dog breath," Kouga said under his breath. "We'll see."

*8:15 PM, Jacksonville, Katrina's Apartment*

>Smack!<

Katrina fell to the floor of her kitchen, the back of her head thumping against the cold tile. She closed her eyes for a split second, stars dancing behind her closed lids as she opened them and scampered back to the living room.

"I couldn't do it!" she gasped.

>Thump!<

She winced as her assailant kicked her in the side, gasping as three of her ribs cracked. Katrina pressed her back against the living room wall anyway, watching with frightened eyes as Naraku stooped before her.

"Now why couldn't you?" he asked as he pulled a pair of brass knuckles out of his pocket.

Katrina paled. "He doesn't know anything."

>Smack!<

Katrina's head thumped against the wall behind her, and the stars danced again as she turned back to him, tears streaming down her face.

"I swear he doesn't! Why would Takamada give his brother something so important?"

"It's not your job to question me!" Naraku snarled as he kicked her again. "It is your job to do like I say! Now you'd better have something better than 'he doesn't have anything'!"

"But he doesn't!" Katrina persisted, wincing as he kicked her again. "I swear! The only thing he has is a journal in his laptop!"

"A journal?" Naraku repeated, stopping his foot mid-swing. "Really?"

Katrina nodded. Naraku kneeled down before her again, reaching out to caress her cheek.

"Naraku, please…"

"How long has he kept this journal."

"I don't know," Katrina said. "Three, maybe four years."

Naraku nodded, running his fingers through her hair. Katrina turned away, grimacing as Naraku kissed her neck.

"You're beautiful, even covered in bruises."

"Naraku, don't…"

"Get the journal."

"What?" Katrina gasped as Naraku traced her jaw. "I can't! There's nothing on it!"

"Well I want to make sure."

"But…its passcode encrypted! How are you-"

"Don't concern yourself with that my dear. Just get the journal." He fisted his hand in her hair suddenly, jerking her backward as he growled in her face. "Unless you want your father to suffer."

"No!"

"Then get it!"

He released her with a jerk, bumping her head against the wall yet again Katrina waited until he left her apartment to slowly rise from the floor, the various bumps to her head making it swim slightly. She sighed and walked down the hall and into her bathroom. She started the water for a bath, stopping to glance at the large purple bruise on her face.

"I'm so sorry Inuyasha," she whispered as she turned away. She stopped the water and shrugged out of what little remained of her clothes before settling into the water. She scrubbed her skin with vigor, trying to remove Naraku's foul stench as she thought over Naraku's threat.

"I never wanted to hurt you," she said as she stepped out, watching as the water rushed down the drain. Katrina dried herself in a rush then walked out of the bathroom, stopping by the bathroom mirror to check her face.

It was healed, just like her ribs.

*10:16 PM, Inuyasha's Room*

Inuyasha sat on the couch, angrily flipping through the TV channels as he berated himself. 'Why did I do that?' he asked himself for the millionth time that day. 'I mean, what made me think she'd accept me! She was terrified, and that's why she ran!' Inuyasha tossed the remote over the sofa and sighed. 'Who am I kidding? I guess I'm just not meant to be happy.'

The doorbell rang, shaking him out of his pity party.

"Who is it?" he asked as he walked toward the door. It rang again in answer. Inuyasha checked the peephole, thinking it might be Sango or Miroku there to cheer him up. They didn't know about his humanoid form either, but they did know something was wrong and wanted to help.

The figure on the other side wasn't them.

"Who's there?" Inuyasha asked as the doorbell rang again. Whoever it was wore a black trench coat and a black fedora with a long white feather in the brim. Inuyasha opened the door a crack, keeping his weight behind the door as he peered out.

"What?!"

"Hi," Katrina whispered as she looked up at him. Inuyasha blinked, not entirely sure he wasn't seeing things as she smiled up at him.

"Can I come in?"

"Sure," Inuyasha said as he stepped to the side. He closed the door behind her and followed her to the living room. Katrina turned around suddenly and pushed him back onto the couch. She kicked his legs apart and stood between them, a wicked smile on her face as she tossed the fedora to the side. She shook her hair free as it tumbled from under its confinements, watching the sheer amazement on Inuyasha's face as she slowly unbuttoned the trench coat.

"I'm sorry," Katrina whispered as she undid the first button. "I know you think I'm rotten-"

"I don't thing that," Inuyasha told her as he reached to help her. Katrina playfully slapped his hand away as she undid the second button.

"I bet you thought you scared me, right?"

Inuyasha nodded as she undid the third.

"Well understand this Inuyasha: I'll never be afraid of you. Now," she said as she opened the coat, revealing a black lace bra and tap pants. "Let's see the real you."

Inuyasha did so, watching Katrina's face as he reverted to his humanoid form. He waited hesitantly for her to scream, or run away like she did before. Katrina smiled and scratched between his ears again, giggling when he started to purr again.

"Well, are there any perks to being part dog?" she asked. Inuyasha nodded and stood up. He picked her up and headed for his bedroom, slamming the door closed behind him.

-------

{::SF comes flying out of the room, trying to button her jacket back up:: ::Inu-chan follows behind her, smirking::}

SF: {::growling::} I feel like such a slut!

Inu-chan: Well, I enjoyed the show! Thanks for the idea, Miroku.

SF: What……

Miroku: {::stuttering::} W-why, I d-don't know w-what you're talking about In-Inuyasha.

Inu-chan: Of course you do. You said, 'See if SF would strip to make up for frying you to a crisp last week.' Not a bad ide-

SF: You only get to the count of three Miroku. Then I'm going to fillet you like a fish. One…

Miroku: Now now SF-

SF: Two..

Miroku: I'm sure we can-

SF: Three! TIME'S UP!!!!!! {::runs offstage after Miroku::}

Sesshou: I have to agree with you. The monk had a great idea.

>ZAP!<

>ZAP!<

Inu-chan: {::as he and Sesshou cough up smoke::} How did she do that?

Kagome: {::shaking her head::} Falcons have excellent hearing. Duh. The preview is below. Somebody help me keep her from killing Miroku.

Chapter Sixteen: The Tenseiga

"I tire of this. Die," Sesshoumaru said before beginning his own assault……"And?" she said after a minute. "What's so great about a picture of Takamada?" "Which Takamada?" "Excuse me?"….."We never sent you an email. I don't know what to say. If you didn't send that email, then who did?"