InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Torn Apart ❯ Chapter 19

 

Chapter 19:

 

Shippou fought the desire to massage his headache away. The guard in front of him was refusing him entrance into Sesshoumaru's castle when he had been threatened bodily harm if he didn't contain the havoc his offspring were causing the new guards! If only he recognized someone standing outside the front gates that would let him pass…

 

“I'm sorry sir, but you're going to have to turn around and come back at seven when the party starts with your invitation.” The man had a harried look to him and kept repeating himself as he had no doubt done innumerous times during the day.

 

“Sesshoumaru specifically requested my presence to help—”

 

“Like I haven't heard that one before,” snapped the guard. “Just come back later when you're supposed to and leave me alone!”

 

Shippou's jaw dropped. The man had snapped, absolutely cracked. Flicking his eyes away from the frustrated guard, his attention was momentarily caught by one of the caterers unloading boxes from a van. Something just wasn't right…

 

Stifling his laughter, he turned back to the still fuming guard. “I was about to say that I was here under Sesshoumaru's orders to help with your kitsune infestation.”

 

“If you want to help us, then just go away!” He glared at the undisguised kitsune sitting in the car in front of him. He had to give the guy credit though for coming as he was rather then attempting to pass himself off as the mailman, gardener, hair stylist, extra maids and butlers, anything and everything that was needed to throw off a successful party on the scope that Sesshoumaru-sama was hosting. He was just so tired of the hassles he had faced all day long.

 

Shippou sighed and shook his head as a mischievous light glinted in his eyes. “Well, if you don't want my help then I won't tell you that there's a disguised kitsune about to walk into the castle with a fluffy-tailed box in his arms.”

 

The man paled to a deathly shade of white as he threw his clipboard into the air and sprinted after the now fleeing pair of kitsunes and screaming bloody murder over the injustice of his job. Shippou laughed as he put his car into gear and drove over to the garage and parked his car. Still laughing quietly, he returned to the front door intent upon starting there in his search for more of his impatient family.

 

Gazing around him, he noted the busyness of everyday life occurring around him as the castle was brought back from its dormancy into a thriving cesspool of life. It was something Sesshoumaru preferred to keep under taps, expecting complete solitude during his stay at his ancestral home. Only for a few months every quarter century or so was the place really alive with voices.

 

“Hey you!” squealed Kagome causing the kitsune in question to jump and turn to face her. “Get over here and help us move these boxes inside!”

 

Shippou's lips twitched, settling into a lopsided smile. Walking over to the miko-in-disguise, he plucked the heavy box from her arms. “Lead the way wench.”

 

Kagome's lips mirrored his twitch as she sighed and fanned herself with the white frilly, useless maid's apron she had donned. “Why sir, you do know how to talk to a lady!” Grabbing another box, she led the way into the castle and through the maze of corridors to the kitchen where other workers unpacked the boxes and labored over stove and counter to prepare a buffet worthy of Sesshoumaru's status as a Lord.

 

“So why are you dressed as a maid?” asked Shippou curiously, following Kagome back to the half-empty truck.

 

Kagome laughed. “I was tired of sitting around doing nothing so Sango and I decided to help out around the estate. As it is, I'm glad for the disguise since it means I can meet your family without their knowing.” Kagome leaned in closer and whispered conspiratorially. “Besides, imagine their faces when they realize the one who's been bringing them food and water all day is the one they've been sneaking in to see!”

 

Shippou laughed. It would appear that the tables had been turned on his kin as the tricksters became the fools. It was simply priceless.

 

“So do you think you could lead me to these captured fools?” he asked with a slight leer hinting in his voice. “I'd hate for them to think we know each other or anything.”

 

Kagome paused in the hallway and turned to her adopted son. Confusion marred her brow. “What did you have in mind?”

 

Shippou leaned closer and whispered into her ear, watching as delight slowly spread across her features. Barely containing her glee, she grabbed Shippou's paw and ran down the hallway and out to the back of the castle where those who had been caught sneaking onto the grounds were banished.

 

Slowing to a walk, she smoothed the wrinkles out of her skirt with one hand while the other pulled the tie from her hair. With practiced ease, she quickly pulled her hair back into a high ponytail. Content that her appearance was as best as could be expected, she pulled opened the door to Sesshoumaru's dojo. Stepping across the threshold and past the ever vigilant guardsmen, she stood inside the well light room with the kitsune standing close behind her.

 

“Here you are milord,” said Kagome as she batted her eyelids ridiculously up at Shippou.

 

Shippou leered comically at the flirtatious maid. “Thank-you for showing me where to find my missing family. You don't know how much I worried about them. Why, I almost called the police to file missing person reports!”

 

“No, you didn't!” Kagome mock gasped as she clutched her hand to her chest.

 

Shippou nodded sadly as he glared at the moping faces of the twenty or so members of his family that had been found and locked up.

 

Kagome whirled on the skittish gathered. “Shame on you all!” she admonished, stomping her foot in feigned ire while leaving her backside intentionally facing Shippou.

 

Shippou grinned and leered at the fine line of Kagome's back, remembering many a moment when Miroku had done the same. Amusement echoed in every line of his body as he reached a not so innocent hand to Kagome's firm backside.

 

Kagome felt the faintest brush of Shippou's hand as it crept past her shoulder blades. Counting to three, she whirled on the kitsune and slapped him hard. “Hentai!” she screamed, doing a good imitation of Sango. Stomping past the sprawled youkai, she slammed the door. Collapsing against the door to the bemused stare of the guard, she pressed her ear against the hard wood and listened as laughter erupted from the spectators.

 

Muffled curses could be heard as Shippou regained his feet as silence abruptly fell over the room. Faintly, Kagome heard Shippou yell. “I'll get that wench before the night's over with, mark my word!”

 

Kagome laughed as she returned to her self-inflicted duties as general helper. Yep, it was going to be an interesting night when they realized that the woman their grandfather just hit on was none other then their figurative great grandmother.

 

—Kagome's Debut—

 

Kagome peeked into the ballroom through the partially cracked shoji screens. It was filled with over a hundred of Sesshoumaru's, Inuyasha's, and Shippou's extended family and friends. It was almost surreal really. When she first met them, Sesshoumaru had no one but a toad for companionship, Inuyasha was an orphan and pinned to a tree by the woman he thought he loved, and Shippou had just lost his parents. Now, they were neck deep in relatives.

 

“So how many are out there?” asked Sango trying to peek over Kagome's shoulder.

 

Kagome backed away from the screen and let her friend take a look. Hearing a groan come from the demurely dressed Taijiya, she teased, “Can't handle a few guests, Sango?”

 

She turned and glared at the white garbed miko. “Of course I can, but trying to guard you at the same time is going to be more trouble then it's worth!”

 

They both laughed quietly, trying to rid themselves of nervous tension. Unfortunately, the unspoken plan failed miserably. Trailing into silence, Kagome straightened her skirt again. “Do I look all right?”

 

Sango frowned. “If you keep messing with your dress anymore you'll ruin it.” Kagome shuddered and clasped her hands tightly together to keep herself from touching the soft silk again.

 

“Have you talked to Sesshoumaru yet about your decision?” Sango asked quietly. She had been ecstatic when Kagome tumbled out of her room last Wednesday with a dazed expression on her face and a confusing tale of motive and counter motive. But, she had been happy when her best friend finally said that she wanted to see whether a relationship with Sesshoumaru could lead to marriage.

 

Even more of a shock was Inuyasha's reaction. He was delighted that she was going to tackle the hard-headed taiyoukai. A smile flitted across her lips. Inuyasha was smarter then most of them assumed five hundred years ago. He had long ago deduced that Sesshoumaru had fallen hard for the miko and Kagome for the taiyoukai while sitting vigil at the well for six months after their vanishing trick. Her last words had been directed to Sesshoumaru, after all.

 

Inuyasha's main drive in vowing to take no other mate besides Kagome was to ward off unwanted advances until she returned to grant her blessing on one of his choosing. There was something about wanting Kagome to stand as his best man at the ceremony. Sango didn't really understand all the particulars.

 

He had blushed and admitted that if Kagome had chosen him, he would be more then satisfied to care for her for the rest of her days, but it would seem that protecting a possible sister-in-law was enough for him. What surprises the two inu-youkai were. There just appeared to be no ending to them.

 

Kagome blushed and hanged her head low as she started plucking at the white elbow-length gloves covering her arms. “I haven't really had a moment alone with him since I made my decision. He's been so busy driving back and forth between here and Tokyo and taking care of all the party arrangements that I haven't felt like bothering him. He won't like my decision anyways since he keeps trying to send me off to America with Inuyasha.”

 

Sango frowned. “You mean that he's still trying to push you away after he finally admitted his feelings to you?”

 

“Yeah, it's about the only thing he talks to me about anymore besides asking for an update on the arrangements. I almost took a rug beater to him the last time he asked me that!” Kagome emphasized her words with stomp of her two inch white heels.

 

An image of Kagome chasing after Sesshoumaru entered her mind causing her to fall into another fit of laughter. Frustrated at the sight of Sango clutching her sides as she fought to remain standing, Kagome grabbed Sango's arm just as one of the nearby, ever present guards from the Fighting Inu motioned that it was time to make her entrance. Feeling as though a bucket of ice had been stuffed down her dress, Kagome's face paled. She wasn't ready for this.

 

Quickly sizing up the situation, Sango patted Kagome on the arm before gently leading her to stand in front of the large double screens they had peered through earlier. Nervously taking her own place a step behind and to the right of Kagome, she squared her shoulders and waited for her cue. She could only hope Kagome was composed enough to walk down the steps to greet her guests.

 

—\-\-|-/-/—

 

Soft music drifted through the air, a Vivaldi Concerto if Sesshoumaru's memory served him well. He always enjoyed the softer strains of European composers to the hard metal and pop rock the younger generation appeared to delight in today. There was just something soothing about classical music that eased his mind into the finer nuances of law and business.

 

Cracking his knuckles, he plucked a glass of champagne from a passing waiter and surveyed the ballroom. By all appearances, everyone invited had arrived and sorely depleted the buffet table in their nervousness and excitement over meeting the legendary miko who defeated Naraku and pieced back together the scattered shards of the Shikon no Tama. Downing his champagne, he wondered when the waiting would end and yakuza members disrupted the gathering. It was only a matter of time until they struck.

 

Grabbing another glass of champagne, he made his way to the stairs, catching the eye of Inuyasha and Shippou who joined him for the announcement. Clearing his throat and tapping the edge of his glass with a claw, an expectant hush fell over the room. Nodding his head to Shippou, he let the kitsune do the honors since most of those gathered where of his line.

 

A smile cracked over Shippou's face as he turned gleaming eyes to his family, most noticeably those who had tempted Sesshoumaru's patience with early arrivals. “To my friends, I thank you for your patience in waiting to be reacquainted with some old companions. To those friends who were not alive five hundred years ago, we have invited you here to witness the completion of my family. To my kin, I thank some of you for making the lives of the workers who fought to prepare tonight a little easier with your absence.”

 

Pausing, Shippou's eyes hardened with a glare. “And now for those who decided to jump ship and cause havoc all day long, to you, I present a surprise. It will be well appreciated for those who thought to mock me earlier this afternoon.” Nervous laughter sounded from the twenty or so odd members bowing their heads sheepishly.

 

Smiling gleefully, Shippou turned his body to face the opening doors. “Without further fanfare, I present to you miko Higurashi Kagome and her adopted sister, the renowned Taijiya Higurashi Sango!”

 

Awestruck silence fell over the crowd as a breathtaking vision in white walked down the steps with a woman dressed in formal fighting kimono following close behind. As Kagome reached the bottom of the steps, Shippou proudly took her arm and announced for all those bemusedly staring, “Kagome, I present to you my family.”

 

As shocked silence slowly filled with quiet exclamations of disbelief, laughter at last filled the room as they realized that their father had one-upped all their antics once again. As lines eased with the tension reducing amusement, many shot forward, intent on congratulating the pair for a joke well played. Sesshoumaru soon found himself pushed to the outlying edges while Inuyasha and Sango were pushed towards the opposite edge.

 

Sesshoumaru frowned as the distance between himself and the miko widened, causing him to glance sharply around the room, makeing sure the concealed guards were attentive to their surroundings. It did not ease him to find them so. Turning back to face the center of the crowd, he watched as Shippou introduced Kagome to his family, explaining the lineage so she could place each one in an age and time bracket. Growling softly his displeasure, he disregarded those surrounding him who tried to pull him into conversation whilst waiting for their turn to meet the petite beauty.

 

He did not like the attention Kagome was receiving. His choices were to stand on the edge of the gathering and worry about Kagome's lack of protection or throw dignity to the wind and push his way to her side. `To push or not to push…' Gulping down his drink, Sesshoumaru handed it to the nearest person, Kouga's daughter and junior partner in his law-firm. Taking a deep breath, he began his assault on the crowd, glaring at whoever failed to remove themselves from his path while greeting one guest after another, enough warning for those whose backs remained turned to step aside.

 

Minutes later, he captured Kagome's hand and attention while deftly nodding his head to the latest victim of Kagome's naivete, Shippou's son-in-law Keitaro. “Excuse us, but I believe it is time for the dancing to start.”

 

Keitaro supressed his smile and nodded. After his many years and close association to the family, he could easily read the subtle moods of his lord which all pointed to jealous possessiveness. It would not be long before wedding bells chimed in western Japan.

 

Standing next to Shippou, he watched as Sesshoumaru swept Kagome into the middle of the dance floor and motioned for the orchestra to strike up a Venetian waltz. As Sesshoumaru slowly guided his dance partner through the basic steps, he turned to his silent companion. “Care to make a bet?” asked Keitaro slyly.

 

Shippou turned smiling lips to Keitaro. “And just what kind of bet did you have in mind?”

 

They both shared a smirk. “I was thinking we should open the books up and decide on a wedding date between those two. I could sure use some of that money to help with the relief funds.”

 

Shippou laughed. “Anything for a good cause. Let me start the bidding then. I'm going to put three thousand yen on a year from today. Sesshoumaru needs some wearing down before he's husband material.”

 

Keitaro smirked as he pulled his palm pilot from his back pocket. “One year from today it is.” Turning to the interested eavesdroppers around him, he waved the PDA in the air. “Well folks, what's it going to be!”

 

—\-\-|-/-/—

 

Kagome fanned herself as the fifth dance in a row ended. She wasn't used to the physical strain and mental concentration that ballroom dancing required. It was so much different then the R&B styled dancing she had grown to love. Smiling kindly at her latest dance partner, Shippou, she let him lead her off to the side and stand point guard while she regained her breath. Joy gleaming in her eyes, she let them wander over the guests, picking out a few of the newly met.

 

There were so many new names to remember and put to a face that it nearly overwhelmed her. If it hadn't been for the persistence of many of Shippou's kin the prior evening and earlier that day, she wouldn't remember a single one. Still, it was nice seeing a mix of old, middle-aged, and young all having a good time. Shippou had a right to be proud of the somewhat insane family he had made for himself. Kagome had to laugh. There was even a hanyou, if one assumed the ears were a telling sign, perched on his knees in front of Sango and clutching her hands.

 

As mirth shook her frame, Shippou looked quizzically at her. “What's so funny?” he asked.

 

Kagome wiped tears from her eyes. “That kid over there next to Sango reminds me of Kouga. He looks like he's proposing, and they just met!”

 

Shippou looked in the general direction she had pointed in and swore underneath his breath. “C'mon,” he mumbled grabbing her hand and pulling her behind him as he searched the crowd for mangy wolf number one.

 

“Hey!” cried Kagome as she stumbled to keep up in her high heels. “What's going on?”

 

Shippou frowned, still searching. “That is Kouga's great-grandson, and the only one who will be able to get him to behave is Kouga himself. Kappatsu does this all the time. We think he's heard one to many stories of Miroku and his father and has combined the two together for a role model. We've been working on him for the better part of thirty years now.”

 

Kagome blinked. “What!” she cried imagining the persistence of Kouga in a lecher of Miroku's caliber. She shuddered. The image was to close to that of a stalker for her peace of mind.

 

“There he is!” Shippou muttered as he pushed past a few more relatives to stand in front of an arguing Kouga and Inuyasha while his wife, Saiai, looked on with the patience of a martyr.

 

“Why did you have to go and tell all your kids Sango kicked my ass!” yelled Inuyasha into Kouga's face.

 

Kouga growled softly, letting the tip of one fang sparkle in the reflecting light of the chandelier. “It's the truth. Did you expect me to lie when my kids asked me how the training was going?”

 

“Yeah, I did! I thought we were supposed to watch each others backs, keep the masses from ganging up on us and all that garbage!”

 

Kouga huffed and moved another inch closer so their noses nearly touched in hostility. “Mutekai was there, Inubaka! There was no way I could prevent him from spreading tales without bribing him, and I wasn't about to aid him in a belated declaration of war on the paprazzi for Princess Die's death!

 

“It'd probably do them good to be stalked a little bit!” shot back Inuyasha, unmindful of the tittering among the spectators forming a loose circle around him and Kouga.

 

“You may not care if my daughter's brother-in-law gets in jail for assault and battery, but I do. If it wasn't for the fact he was on mission guarding the emperor at the time, I'm sure I wouldn't have been able to prevent his overzealous attitude from getting the better of him.” Kouga glared daggers at his `friend.'

 

Saiai cleared her throat indelicately as she moved behind Kouga. She was used to the antics of her husband and fellow ookami in reference to Inuyasha, but no matter how many times she admonished both of them in private and in public, social events never failed to bring out a new tid-bit of gossip for the rumor mill. Giving an apologetic glance to Kagome and Shippou, she reached out a hand and grabbed Kouga's arm, twirling him around to face the miko.

 

As Kouga screamed an emphatic “What!” to his mate, Shippou pounced on Inuyasha and slipped a token around his neck before scrambling off of him. Smirking, the kitsune used his fox magic to magnify the token into a 500 pound weight, subduing him in a manner reminiscent of his fanged necklace.

 

“Stop acting like a child and be the nearly six hundred year old wolf I know you are and greet your woman! You've only been talking about her since the day we met.” Saiai rolled her eyes.

 

Kouga's face lit up as his eyes landed on the white sheathed woman standing irately in front of him. “Kagome!” he cried sweeping her up into his arms. “So how's my woman been doing without me to protect her from those two inubakas?”

 

Kagome blushed as he set her back down her feet. “Kouga!” she gasped as she tried to extract herself from his grasp. “You shouldn't say that in front of your wife!”

 

Kouga grinned. “Saiai's my mate, but you'll always be my woman.” Detaching one arm from around her waist, he reached behind him to pull the grey-eyed, sable-haired ookami to stand next to him. “Kagome, it is a great pleasure to introduce you to my wife of some four hundred fifty odd years.”

 

Kagome nodded nervously, as she reached out one hand for a hand-shake and trying desperately to ignore the fact that Kouga's other hand was still firmly resting on her hip. “I'm pleased to meet you.”

 

Saiai laughed. “Me as well. Now I can finally put a face to a name and thank-you for keeping Kouga occupied with your memory long enough for us to met. If it wasn't for your everlasting memory, Ayame would have captured his eye long before I migrated from China to Japan.”

 

Lips twitching, Kagome could only imagine by what means the graceful Saiai had to go in order to get the stubborn oaf to pay her any attention. At least once said attention was caught, it stayed caught. “I'm sure those thanks are a two-edged blade.”

 

Ruefully, Saiai nodded her head in agreement. “Yes, a most head-strong individual was never made.” Eyes drawn to the mildly cursing Inuyasha resting at her feet behind her, she added, “Well, besides that one over there.”

 

Shippou rolled his own eyes as Kagome and Saiai shared a laugh. As the merry tones started to die down, he stepped forward and cleared his throat. “Hey, Kouga. Kappatsu's at it again!”

 

Kouga jumped and turned to Shippou, releasing Kagome in the process. “What! Where's that mutt!”

 

Shippou sighed and jerked his thumb in the general direction behind and to the left of himself. “He's standing next to Sango over there making an ass of himself.”

 

Kouga's eyes began to shine with red flecks as his iris dilated in anger. “I told that pea-brained wolf to mind his manners tonight and don't go getting the whole family kicked out for sexual harassment!”

 

Saiai worriedly put a calming hand on his shoulder. “Kouga!” she hissed. “You won't do any better unless you control that temper of yours!”

 

Kouga frowned. “I'll do what I please, even if that includes kicking my great-grandson's sorry ass from here to Okinawa!” Kouga stalked off, leaving a worried Saiai and Kagome to trail behind him. Guests parted and filled in behind them, eager to get front row seats to the entertainment the kitsune clan craved.

 

A muffled yelp was barely heard behind the excited murmuring, catching Shippou's attention. Turning, his eyes were drawn to a straining Inuyasha lying on the floor. “What Inuyasha? Can't get up?” He smirked. His charms were as good as Kagome's `sit' command any day. If only he had figured that out by the one hundredth bop on the head…

 

“Shut-up Shippou and let me up! How dare he propose to Sango when she's barely getting over Miroku. I'm gonna help Kouga kick his ass for his insensitivity!”

 

Shippou thoughtfully tapped his fingers against his hip. Sango and Inuyasha had grown close in the last week or so, and they did have a great respect for each other in the past. Well, intelligence excluded on Inuyasha's part of course. Perhaps there was more to his concern then met the eye?

 

“Fine, just make sure you don't do anything to piss Sesshoumaru off. I don't want the fam to get any more gossip then what's been given already. To much of a good thing makes them difficult to deal with.” Reaching down, he removed the weight as though it weighed nothing at all which, in reality, was true.

 

Inuyasha immediately leapt to his feet and began to push his way through an unforgiving crowd, heading towards the irate voices of the wolf-demon and his hanyou great-grandson. `I'll give that wolf something to propose to,' he thought as he glared daggers at the immobile crowd.

 

“Move!” he cried pushing between two fluffy tailed kitsune girls of about seventy years of age. As giggling filled in behind him, he turned and gave the two girls the finger. They always laughed at his expense.

 

Turning back around, he found others smiling and laughing behind their hands. “Fuck off,” he gritted as he resumed his march through the crowd while Shippou followed a safe distance behind him. At last reaching the small clearing surrounding the object of his offense, he found Kouga holding Kappatsu by the scruff of his neck while Kagome and Saiai futilely fought to loosen his grip. He simply ignored them and continued giving him a tongue lashing worthy of the years of practice.

 

“What have we told you, Kappatsu! Never,” shake, “ever,” shake, “propose to a girl you've just met!” Kouga tossed him away in disgust, letting him skid five feet on the floor into the nearest youkai, a cross between a hawk and a heron with a dash of human mixed in. Somehow, he suspected the rather stiff looking man to have been in the wrong place at the wrong time to have such a coveted view of the spectacle. It was the reason he aimed for the snobbish man's feet.

 

“But pop!” cried the hanyou as he cringed on the floor. “She's just so strong! The pups she'd bare would be an asset to the tribe!”

 

Kouga threw off the restraining hands of his spouse and Kagome, stalking his cowering great-grandson. “You idiot! At least ask the woman if she wants to even go out with you first before you mate with her! It's not the damn feudal ages anymore!”

 

Whimpering, Kappatsu looked up at his idol. “But, pop, you shouldn't say things like that! Our greatest heroes lived five hundred years ago and continue to be our greatest benefactors today. Just look at you and Inuyasha! You've made billions in investments and shared those profits to help the humans fight disease and poverty! Who better to ask to be my woman then one of the two females who helped change your attitudes towards the ningen race?”

 

Kappatsu gulped as Kouga nearly smacked him for the `woman' comment. “Wait! Hear me out! I can't consider Kagome because she's already taken, and, well, Sango here's the better choice anyways.” He turned adoring eyes to the long suffering eyes of his intended. “Just look at her! She has grace, and strength exudes from every line of her body. She's even wearing the formal kimono of her village. How could I not want her to be my woman? She's divine perfection!” He visibly swallowed as his mouth watered at the thought of making her his.

 

“Stop it!” cried Sango. “I'm nobody's woman!” A desperate look overcame her face as she frantically looked for an opening to dash into.

 

Smelling Sango's distress, Inuyasha jumped from the crowd and pounced on the drooling half-wolf. “That's it punk. No one calls my friend theirs!” Wrapping his hands around Kappatsu's neck, Inuyasha flashed his fangs in a cruel smile. “If I have my way, that's the last woman you're going to ever propose to!” An even crueler smile graced his lips as his gaze wandered lower on the unsuspecting wolf. “Hey Kouga! What do you say we geld the boy and end this perversion once and for all!”

 

Gasps and nervous shuffling echoed nearby as the spectators pushed their way backwards while many of the males covered themselves protectively. Before Kouga could respond, Saiai smacked him in the head.

 

“Don't you dare say a word!” she hissed in his ear, “or else you'll be sleeping in the guest bedroom for the next twenty years.” Kouga gulped but kept his mouth shut.

 

“Inuyasha!” cried Kagome. “You take that back!”

 

“Why should I?” he snarled. “The boy fucking deserves it for how he's treated Sango!”

 

“Stop it you two!” yelled Sango again. “He's no worse then Miroku ever was, and from what I've heard, he's got no one to blame but yourself and Kouga for telling him stories!” Grabbing Inuyasha's hand, she began to pry off his fingers. “Just let him go Inuyasha,” she said wearily.

 

“Fine!” he huffed, dropping the boy on his butt. “Take his side and see if I ever help you again!” Miffed, he turned around and sulked. `Why is that every time I try to defend my friends against the mutt face and his family, I'm the one who's blamed!' The more he thought about it, the more irate he became.

 

“It's all your fault, mutt-face, for not being able to control your family.”

 

Inuyasha smirked as Kouga whipped around to face the other accursed hanyou in his life. Sputtering, he took up the challenge. “My fault! If it weren't for your incompetent handling of the Shikon then we wouldn't have any stories about Miroku to corrupt my children with !”

 

“What! I'm not the one who broke the jewel! It's all Kagome's fault!” Inuyasha's hand whipped up to point an accusing finger at the miko. Hurt flickered over her face before anger infused her cheeks with red.

 

“Sit boy!” she automatically said, sending an ill-prepared Inuyasha to the floor. “I can't believe you two are friends. You're the biggest bunch of mealy-mouthed bullies I've ever seen!”

 

Ears perked up all over the place. Apparently, Kagome hadn't heard the story yet. Tentatively, a lithe young lady stepped out of the crowd, one of the twins that had set Inuyasha off earlier. “You mean Shippou hasn't told you about the night when Inuyasha and Kouga got so—“

 

Kouga jumped in between Kagome and Mokusei while blithely tripping the kitsune to prevent her from saying anything else. “You don't want to hear about it, Kagome. It's really nothing.”

 

Kagome frowned. “If it's nothing, you'll let her finish.”

 

“He just doesn't want you to know that he got drunk and decided to visit—“

 

“No!” he cried as he covered Kagome's ears before anything damaging could be said. Sango smirked listening to what the anonymous voice in the crowd divulged.

 

Kagome glared and punched her friend in the stomach, trying to shake his hands off her head at the same time. “Let me go!”

 

Inuyasha pried himself off the floor, freed from the spell at last and gazed in horror at the smiling faces around him. Glancing at Kouga, he took in the swiftly losing battle against the clamoring voices around him.

 

“Damnit!” she said as she ripped Kouga's hands off her ears, leaving tendrils of her hair caught in his claws. “Look at what you've done! You've ruined my hair!”

 

Kouga's face filled with horror. He had broken the unspoken taboo; never, ever mess with a female's grooming. Eyes flickering to his mate, his body drooped. Yep, there was going to be hell to pay when he got home tonight.

 

Shippou took pity on the poor girl and stepped forward to drape a consoling arm around her shoulders. Looking at his kin and friends, he clearly stated, “You can all tell Kagome just how Inuyasha and Kouga embarrassed themselves so they were forced to band together to stop the rumors later. Right now, I'm going to help Kagome get cleaned up.”

 

Turning back to his okaa-san, he whispered softly into her ear, “It's all right Kagome. Let's just take you back to your room, and I'll fix your hair for you.” Leading her away, his quiet voice could still be heard, “You know, I haven't fixed anyone's hair since my daughter passed away. She used to let me do her hair all the time while I told her about Rin and you. It was one of her favorite things to do although, as she grew older, we participated less and less in the tradition…”

 

Many bowed their heads in memory of Mottomokicho as Shippou and Kagome walked away towards the stairs she had descended an hour or so ago. Sighing and sniffling accompanied the heavy silence while an unsuspecting Sango watched her friend's retreating form disappear from sight.

 

“Sango, honey, please reconsider bearing my children and being my woman,” whispered Kappatsu while he watched Inuyasha out of the corner of his eye. He did not want the protective hanyou threatening his lineage again anytime soon. “I can be a good husband if you just give me a chance! We were made for each other.”

 

Sango cleared her throat. “No, I'm not going to bear anyone's children or become anyone's mate!”

 

“But, Sango!” he whined.

 

“No!” Sango's free hand fisted at her side as she fought against the temptation to smack him. He wasn't doing anything wrong per say, but she dearly wanted to teach him a lesson even Miroku wouldn't soon forget.

 

Inuyasha's ear twitched. Turning his heads, he saw Kappatsu still kneeling on the floor and clutching Sango's hand to his chest. “Hey! I told you stop that!”

 

Fear flashed across his face as he dropped Sango's hand to skitter backwards. “Don't, Inuyasha. You saw how upset Kagome got! You don't want to see her get angry again do you?”

 

Inuyasha growled. “Trust you to hide behind a woman's skirt. You aren't worthy to be Sango's mate.” Turning his back to the quickly disappearing half-wolf, he grabbed Sango's hand and began to push his way through the crowd, heading towards the nearest exit which just happened to lead into the gardens. He was going to set the taijiya straight if she even thought about considering Kappatsu's suit.

 

Sango, dazed and confused, blithely followed. She was a little happy to get away from the crowd of well-wishers. She could only handle so much praise and prying about her deeds as a demon exterminator anyways.

 

—\-\-|-/-/—

 

Kagome brushed a few wrinkles from her dress while patting her hair to make sure it was back in place. She still couldn't believe that Kouga and Inuyasha were rude enough to fight in front of her and her guests! How they became friends still eluded her since Shippou refused to divulge any of the details besides saying a different day would be better, one in which neither were around. He had half-mumbled something about not wanting to betray his friend as they walked up the staircase. Instead, he regaled her with stories of his family, especially Roiyaro and Mottomokicho during their first years. It greatly saddened him that she would never meet either one of his children.

 

Gathering up her skirt, she threaded her way through the crowd, stopping here and there to continue getting to know each guest, friend, and sometimes even business associate. She found a special bond with Saiai as the elder woman regaled her with stories of Kouga's possessive behavior and exploits. Smiling kindly, she had attempted to move on, but Kouga followed close behind them, intent on keeping the secret of his friendship with Inuyasha from reaching her eager ears.

 

Rolling her eyes, Kagome finally turned and stomped on Kouga's foot. “Stop following me!” she hissed.

 

Kouga scowled as he attempted not to rub his foot. Heels can do that to a wolf. “I'm not following you.”

 

“Sure you're not,” snorted Kagome. “You just happened to be standing right behind me as I walk around the room.”

 

Kouga smiled. “Of course! If I happen to stand near, it's because I don't want any one else to get the idea they can claim my woman.”

 

“I'm not your woman!” Kagome couldn't believe she was getting into another argument.

 

Kouga flashed his rendition of a debonair smile. He so loved baiting the miko. “Sure you are! I claimed you five hundred years ago, and the claim is still valid today. That makes you my woman. Doesn't matter that I mated with someone else. It's my job to protect you from mutt-face and fleabag.”

 

Kagome shivered. She couldn't imagine Sesshoumaru taking kindly to either name. “I think I can protect myself against those two well enough on my own.”

 

Kouga sighed. “I suppose you can. Although, I wonder if I should ask if mutt-face will be able to protect himself from you. He has been sitting on the veranda an awfully long time with Sango. I guess he's just trying to keep Kappatsu away from her as much as possible…” Kouga watched Kagome out of the corner of his eye as he sighed dramatically. He hoped she'd take the bait. If she was with Inuyasha, then no one would dare tell her about the night him and the mutt drank to much sake and woke up in Sesshoumaru's garden. There was definitely no reason to tell her why they were there in the first place!

 

Kagome groaned listening to Kouga. `I guess that means Sesshouamru's the fleabag then.' Stiffening, she felt a shooting pain in her heart at the mention of Inuyasha and Sango sitting in the garden for the past thirty minutes or so. She knew they were becoming close friends, but it still hurt that her knight in shining armor was protecting someone else from Kouga's over-bearing nature, albeit passed down two generations. Glancing around, the pain deepened as she realized she hadn't seen Sesshoumaru ever since that last dance. He was most likely off attending to business in his office. Excusing herself, Kagome swiftly walked to the nearest door, not realizing it led out to the very veranda Inuyasha and Sango had disappeared across earlier.

 

Stepping across the threshold, she wandered to the closet railing and leaned against its smooth surface. Gazing at the remains of the moon above her, she marveled at how quickly time passed. Soon, Inuyasha would face yet another human night among many already experienced. It was comforting to know that, at least in this time period, he need not worry over his safety as much as he had back then.

”Inuyasha,” whispered Kagome letting the word trail off into softness, a feather light touch on the wind. Gritting her teeth, she fought against tears and the jealousy consuming her heart. She had promised to be there for both Sango and Inuyasha, and she would continue to stand by their side no matter how this relationship grew. It wasn't fair anyways since she had already chosen to see where Sesshoumaru led. Granted, only Sango, Inuyasha, and Shippou knew of her decision, but there was nothing holding them back now. She wanted to hope that a relationship would bloom between the two. They both deserved a happy ever after, even if it did include daily bouts of beating each other up.

 

Didn't they?

 

Kagome sighed. Her heart was so confused. She wanted to tell Sesshoumaru how she felt, but every time she tried, he ran away or made her so mad she fled. She was almost afraid to try again. She could only handle rejection so many times in all honesty. Turning her gaze from the garden and back to the shining door of the ballroom, she almost wished that the yakuza would just attack and get it over with; put an end to her misery. But, she wouldn't wish it on all the lovely people she just met, Sesshoumaru, and truth be told, she didn't wish that in the least. She didn't know what she'd do if she never had a solid chance at trying to break down the taiyoukai's walls.

 

Sighing, again, she slumped further against the stone balustrade, catching the white silk of her dress on the abrasive surface. Rolling her eyes, she stood back up and inspected her dress for tears and dirt in the dim light of the hanging lanterns. Nose nearly touching the raised silk, her eyes widened in surprise. She could almost hear…

 

Ducking her head beneath the veranda, she crept closer to the stairway leading into the gardens, moving as quietly as she could in heels. Every tap echoed loudly as she slunk closer and closer to her goal, stopping every few inches to strain her ears for the voices of her two best friends. Hidden just beyond the stairway, she could just make them out…

 

“So are you going to kick that wolf's ass or not?” Kagome smirked. Trust Inuyasha to still be complaining about Kappatsu an forty-five minutes after the incident.

 

“Why should I? It's not like it's going to stop him from pursuing me. If anything, based on Kouga's reaction to Kagome when they first met, it'll just goad him on.”

 

Kagome's lips twitched with suppressed laughter. It really did sound like Kouga, claiming that she was his woman when he discovered that Shippou had escaped from his den and her part in it. That, and the fact she could see the jewel shards made her an invaluable asset.

 

“I don't care! If you're not going to beat the wolf up, I'll do it! I've been meaning to beat that dirtbag up for ages.” The distinct cracking of knuckles echoed up the stairs.

 

“Inuyasha! I've already told you a hundred times already, I'm not going to let you beat that poor kid up!”

 

“Poor! That kid is older then you are!” Kagome nearly snorted at that one. Based on behavior, anyone would guess that Sango was the eldest in the batch.

 

“And you're acting any better?” Sarcasm infused the taijiya's voice, a habit she acquired within the last year.

 

A snort slipped past Kagome's defenses, causing her to clamp her hands over her mouth in horror. Gulping against the fear of discovery, she strained her ears to the duo somewhere below her.

 

“What was that?” whispered Sango, her voice barely legible over the wind.

 

“I don't know. I can't smell anything.”

 

Kagome cowered, and glanced behind her to safety. If he came up the stairs, she would be caught regardless of if she moved or not. Throwing caution to the winds, she lifted her skirt and ran for the door, slipping across the threshold and into the bright light of the ballroom. Stumbling, she bumped into something short and stocky.

 

“Watch where you're going, you insufferable human!”

 

Kagome frowned, as she blinked trying to adjust her eyes to light again. That high-pitched voice sounded awfully familiar…

 

Looking down, she gasped again. He was green, warty, and wearing brown robes and an odd looking hat. It was as though Jaken had stepped directly from the past to the present. `It just can't be…'

 

“Jaken?” she whispered, unnerved. She thought the toad had gone the way of the dinosaurs and keeled over by now.

 

Large,yellow eyes with beads for a pupil stared into her wide cerulean blue ones. “Lady Kagome?” he breathed in awe. “Why, you haven't aged a day! Amazing! Lord Sesshoumaru will be happy to hear this great news since he'll marry you soon.”

 

Kagome laughed. “Jaken, I've aged two years since I returned to my time period, and me and Sesshoumaru aren't getting married.”

 

Jaken frowned. “The lord will be displeased to hear of this. I've been told that the wedding is to take place in a few weeks. Perhaps he has not yet informed you of the date? It would be like Lord Sesshoumaru to keep his plans to himself. Yes, quite like the master.” Confident that he had stumbled upon the answer, he turned his adoring eyes back up at the bewildered miko. “Have you seen two children about ten and twelve years of age anywhere? They ran off when I was dealing with Taka's newborn.”

 

Kagome frowned. Newborn? Children? Had Jaken turned into a willing nursemaid when she wasn't looking? It couldn't be…surely Rin scarred him for life on rearing children! “No,” she said shakily, trying to make sense of a bizarre conversation. “I haven't seen anyone younger then sixteen.”

 

Jaken wailed. “I hate those pesky children! They're going to get Jaken in trouble with Lord Sesshoumaru and Lord Shippou.” Bobbing his head, he turned around and frantically scanned the room. “I better find them before they pull a prank on Lord Sesshoumaru and his guests. He will surely have my head for that with security on heightened alert and his bride wandering unescorted around the room. If only I had my head of staff, I would stay and protect the Lady Kagome!”

 

The lady in question frowned again as light finally began to clear the cobwebs. “Wait, you mean Sesshoumaru's been patrolling the grounds this whole time we've been here? And why do you keep saying he's going to marry me!”

 

Jaken snapped to attention. “Lord Sesshoumaru has merely been overseeing your protection, lady! It would not do to have the bride damaged before the wedding!”

 

“What wedding? What arrangements? We can't even agree on dating let along marrying!” A headache bloomed, sending shooting pains down her spine.

 

“Well, everyone knows you slept with him once already while in the castle, and your wedding is the talk of the ball. Even this lowly servant has been included in the gossip.” Spine straightening to an even straighter degree, he jerked forward and ran into the crowd as a human seeming boy darted underneath one of the guests in pursuit of his brother. “Stop!” the toad wailed as his body waddled after the fleeing children.

 

Kagome watched as the toad chased the shrieking children around the room, sometimes aided by guests, sometimes hindered by them. It provided amusement, especially to one certain kitsune. Seizing her opportunity, she quickly threaded her way around the spectators to Shippou's side, determined to get to the bottom of this marriage business. If she was getting married, she'd darn well better know about it first!

 

“Shippou,” she stated, drawing his attention away from his great-grand nephews. “I'd like you to be honest with me. Is Sesshoumaru and I supposed to be getting married soon?”

 

Shippou frowned. Who dared to tell her of the bet? Surely no one would be that careless with a possible irate miko hanging in the balance. Sighing, he turned his complete attention towards Kagome. “Yes, the most popular guess is that you'll be married within three months time to Sesshoumaru.”

 

“But, don't I have a say in this!”

 

Kagome looked fragile as the evening's stress finally showed. “Sorry, but everyone pretty much knows that Inuyasha and you aren't really interested. That leaves Sesshoumaru. Besides, he always gets his way.”

 

Kagome fumed. “Well, I'm glad to hear he's changed his mind about sending me to New York with Inuyasha! It would have been nice to be included in that decision. Baka.”

 

“Wait! You've got it all wrong! Sesshoumaru hasn't said anything about marriage; we're just betting on a wedding date. It's just a little fun, and the proceeds are going to a charity of the winner's choice.” Shippou pleaded, his eyes widening in an attempt to appear adorable. Surely she wouldn't lash out at a face like that? Would she?

 

“So,” Kagome sniffed, “Sesshoumaru doesn't want to marry me?” Lips quivering with emotion, eyes watering, and nose sniffling were all signs of a good and heavy bawling about to break loose.

 

Shippou patted her hand gently. “There, there. I'm sure he wants to marry you. You'll just have to get him to admit it to himself.”

 

Kagome took a deep breath, trying to steal her nerves against humiliating herself in front of everyone. “You think—“

 

Kagome frowned. Something was vibrating on her hip. Diverting her attention to her midsection, she felt another shockwave radiating from her side. Smiling tremulously, she reached a hand between the folds of her obi and her dress and plucked her cell phone from its hiding place. Flipping it open, she glanced at the number. Ayumi.

 

Frowning, knowing that the girl knew about the party and had promised to wait until the morning to talk about her latest date, she quickly punched the send button to connect. Covering one ear while holding the phone to the other, she said a questioning, “Hello?”

 

“Kagome!” gasped Ayumi, barely discernable from the background noise on her end of the line. “You've got to help me!”

 

“What's wrong? Where are you?” Kagome couldn't believe Ayumi got herself into trouble again, although she did sound extremely agitated, more so then usual too.

 

“I'm…I'm at the bar, off the west side of downtown Tokyo. The, um, Ichii Chikyuu.”

 

Kagome's mouth dropped. No one, and she meant no one, went there that a decent bone in their body. It was mostly filled with drug lords and gangs setting up deals and planning turf wars. Not a pleasant place to be. “Alright, I'll be there right away. Don't move a muscle!”

 

Snapping her phone shut, she turned to Shippou. “You've got to help me get my friend.”

 

Shippou frowned. He heard most of the conversation and knew the district well. It was not a place he wished Kagome to see. “Why don't I go pick up your friend while you stay here? I don't think Sesshoumaru would like it if you left.”

 

Kagome shook her head emphatically no. “I won't leave Ayumi there all by herself. Besides, she's never met you. In a place like that, I'd scream bloody murder before letting some strange guy pick me up, no offense. So, I'm going with you, and we're leaving right now.”

 

Grabbing his arm, she started marching him out the nearest exit. He shook his head and resigned himself to the inevitable. He could only hope they ran into Sesshoumaru before they got to far.

 

—\-\-|-/-/—

 

Shukaku cackled as he silenced his date's phone. Patting her head patronizingly, “Very good pet, very good indeed. Now we'll just sit tight and wait for Kagome to bring the Shikon to me and hope the kitsune follows her.” His spy cameras blinked across the room, showing Sesshoumaru holed up in his office. It was a safe bet to assume he'd be occupied for a while.

 

Laughter spread through the room as many eyed the captive's lush body, lust shining in their eyes. They hoped their yakuza leader would let them have a little bit of fun regardless of his promise before the real party began.

 

Ayumi sobbed and hoped she hadn't been completely wrong about the man she thought she had fallen in love with. She hoped with all her might that he would not turn her over to the rough crowd surrounding her, suffocating her with their crude innuendos and unwashed flesh. It was the only reason she agreed to his demands and called Kagome. She feared rape almost as much as she feared for her friend's life. Tears leaked from her eyes. `Please forgive me, Kagome.'

 

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