Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Black Widow Miko ❯ New Theories, New Problems ( Chapter 8 )

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

I finally got it all hammered out. It felt like it took me forever, because, -- you’re going to love this, -- I kept ripping out big sections of it. And I never even made it to the big cliffhanger I had planned for this chapter. (So, I threw in a teensy, tiny one instead.) I have to say a huge “thank you” to Sardave -- she wrote the 150th review for this story. And if you haven’t seen it, I urge you to check out the fantastic picture she drew of Hiei and Kagome for my other long fic, “Hentai Bets.” I’ve got it up on my profile, and she’s got it, as well as a lot of other fantastic pieces, (including an awesome one of Youko and Kagome), up on her page. So, look it up and tell her how great it is!

DISCLAIMER: “InuYasha” and “YuYu Hakasho” have brought fame and fortune to their creators/owners, the ever-wonderful Takahashi-san and Togashi-san. The only thing they have brought madmiko-san is a burning desire to somehow merge the two series and play with the characters so Kagome and Hiei can be together like they SO obviously should be.

talking
mental/telepathic conversations - “Hiei” “Kurama” “Youko”
(thoughts to self)
dreams

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Last time:

Masking her aura again, she quickly made her way outside and approached the person who was waiting for her. She wasn’t sure what to expect from this confrontation, but she knew there was no way to avoid it.

“So, you have finally returned. You’re not an easy person to find. I think it’s time we had a talk, don’t you? Woman-to-woman.”

“It’s been a long time, Kagura.”
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The miko and the wind-user stood there in silence for a few minutes before Kagura spoke, “The years have been kind to you. You don’t look a day older than when you defeated Naraku. You carry yourself differently, though. Your years with Sesshoumaru gave you an air of confidence and self-composure you had been lacking before.”

“Arigatou gozaimasu. I would like to think I learned something from each of my mates, -- they enriched my life more than I can say. You look well. As beautiful as ever. I hope you have found some happiness in the last 450 years,” Kagome said.

Kagura’s lips twitched. “Hai, I have. And apparently so have you. Where were you, I wonder that you weren’t in your own room at this time of night? Is your new lover as handsome as Sesshoumaru? I doubt it. I know I have never found another to compare to him.”

“What do you want, Kagura?”

“What I have always wanted, but it seems I will have to put aside my wishes for your death for the time being. Tell me, how is Sesshoumaru’s heir?” she asked.

Kagome stiffened at the mention of her son. “He’s fine.”

Tapping her fan against her chin, Kagura tilted her head and stared intently at her. “I trust he will be seeking to re-claim the Western lands. And Inuyasha’s son will want the Eastern lands.” She searched Kagome’s face for a reaction to her words, but saw none. “I have come to make a deal with you. It is my son, Tobikuma, who holds the Eastern lands now. I will withdraw my petition for your arrest and execution, and Tobikuma will grant your son’s request for a personal challenge. In return, Sesshoumaru’s heir will agree to split the Western lands with his younger brother.”

Now confusion showed plainly on Kagome’s face, and her brows were deeply furrowed as she frowned. Putting aside her surprise at the revelation that the current lord of the Eastern lands was Kagura’s son, she said, “I don’t understand. Why would you want Eishumaru to split the Western lands with Sassouta? He has lands of his own.”

“I’m not referring to your other son. I want Eishumaru to split the lands with his other younger brother, -- my son with Sesshoumaru: Ginjiro.”
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Even though he had certainly been tired enough to sleep, Kagome’s announcement had Hiei lying in bed staring at the ceiling. He had forgotten that they wouldn’t be able to be together for a few days each month so there would be no danger of her becoming pregnant. A few days ago, he would have shrugged his shoulders and assumed that since he had been having his needs taken of quite thoroughly for the past week, that it would be no problem -- maybe that he wouldn’t even care to continue the relationship any more. Ha! He sure as hell knew better than that now. He had been climbing the walls when he thought he couldn’t have her for one night when she had been injured. What the hell had happened to him?

He sat up and shook his head in disgust. How in the world could the thought that he couldn’t have her, -- have sex, for three days make him so irritable? Hell, he’d gone without a whole year once and hadn’t even resorted to jerking himself off. He had that much control over his own body. So why did he have the uncomfortable suspicion that the next three nights were going to going to be spent in cold showers? (I wonder if there’s a damn lake somewhere at that hotel?) If he didn’t know better, he’d think this constant desire he was feeling and this unreasonable fixation on one particular female had to be some horrible stage of hiyoukai sexual development. Maybe that’s what happened to his sire, -- he’d fixated on a Koorime and just couldn’t help himself. Of course, he’d disappeared fast enough after Hina was pregnant, so maybe her pregnancy broke the spell. But that was NOT an option he was willing to try even to rid himself of the need he felt for the onna, -- for having sex with her. He refused to take this disturbing revelation about himself and his weakness any farther, and would not think about what in the hell he was going to do if this damn obsession with her, -- with having sex with her, didn’t go away by the time this assignment was over.

He got up and walked over to the window. There was no hope for it. He wouldn’t be sleeping tonight. Good thing he didn’t need to. (I am going to kill that damn onna!) He couldn’t believe his eyes. There she was. Outside. It had to be almost 4:00 in the morning. And she wasn’t alone, damn it!

“Fox! Get your ass up! There’s a female youkai outside with the miko!” He threw on a pair of pants and rushed out the door.

“What? Damn it, Hiei, what’s she doing up at this time of the morning?” Kurama shook his head to clear it, then jumped out of bed and took off, too. As he ran down the stairs, he heard Yusuke coming.

“Shit! Did Koenma just contact you, too? About the youkai he detected on the grounds here?”

Not pausing in his stride, Kurama told him, “No, Hiei saw her -- she’s out back with Kagome.”

“Her? Oh, fuck! It could be one of those women!”

Behind them on the stairs they could hear Kuwabara. Apparently, Koenma had contacted him, too. Which probably meant Kurama and Hiei’s communicators were going off in their rooms.

As they ran outside, they could see a black blur up ahead of them rapidly approaching two figures who were standing about 10 feet apart, facing each other. The smaller one seemed to stumble back a step.

“What?” Kagome said weakly, stunned to the core by what the wind-user had just said.

“You heard me. I told you I was the one he truly loved. You were forced upon him, and he just tried to make the best of it. But it wasn’t enough,” Kagura purred.

A loud crack echoed in the darkness as Kagome, moving so fast Kurama and the others barely saw her, stepped up and slapped the youkai. “You lie!”

Grabbing the female who had just been knocked back, Hiei demanded, “Who the hell are you?” But the faint smell of salt in the air made him turn and look at Kagome. There were tears streaming down her face and she looked like she was either going to explode or collapse. His grip on the youkai loosened briefly as he wondered what had happened. She hadn’t even seemed quite this upset over the ookami youkai she had killed.

Taking advantage of his momentary distraction, Kagura jerked out of his grasp, and in a flash, she was perched atop a feather high above the ground. “Think about my offer,” she called down, and then she was gone.

“Kagome? Are you okay?” Kuwabara asked. He touched her shoulder and when she looked up at him and he saw her tears, he looked her over anxiously. “Are you hurt?” But she was struggling so hard to compose herself, she couldn’t say anything.

“She’s not injured,” Hiei told him.

Hearing that she hadn’t been physically hurt, the big man pulled her to him and hugged her.

Taking comfort from Kuwabara’s gentle embrace and the genuine concern she heard in his voice, Kagome took a few deep breaths, and wiped her eyes and cheeks with the palms of her hands. Then she stepped back. She looked up at the tall redhead and smiled shakily. “Gomen. I’m fine.”

“Who was that, Kagome?” Kurama asked.

“Her name is Kagura.”

“Can you tell us what she said to upset you so?” the avatar pressed, in a gentle voice.

“I … I really can’t talk about it. Not right now, please,” she pleaded with them.

“What do you mean you can’t talk about it? A youkai who was connected to one of your mates turns up at your supposedly secure location, and you slap her and burst into tears, and you can’t talk about it? Fuck that! How the hell are we supposed to protect you and your boys if you don’t tell us shit like that?” Yusuke yelled.

“Damn it, Urameshi. Will you just shut up? She didn’t say she wouldn’t tell us, -- just not right now,” Kuwabara scowled at him fiercely.

Hiei had heard the very last part of the conversation, and while he could understand her being angry that the other female said she was just an obligation to her mate and that he had loved her instead, he knew she had heard that before, -- it was basically what had been written on that scroll they had found. So her reaction seemed unusual for what he had come to expect from her. Kurama was right, she was good at keeping up appearances and outwardly remaining calm. But she had seemed completely off-balance for a moment there. There was definitely more to it. He was tempted to shake her until she told them. But he had a feeling she was a little too fragile right now, and he sure as hell couldn’t risk her bursting into tears again and collapsing in his arms in front of his teammates, -- he might do something really stupid, like hold her like the idiot had. “It might be more prudent for him to take her back to the house,” he jerked a thumb in Kuwabara’s direction, “while we look around to see if there is a rip in the barrier here.”

Kurama looked at him a bit curiously, but Kuwabara jumped at the chance to get Kagome away from them. “Come on,” he said gently, putting an arm around her shoulders.

When they were gone, Kurama and Yusuke both stared at Hiei. “I heard part of what was said, and it would have served no purpose to browbeat her until after she composes herself.” And he told them how Kagura had taunted her.

“Well, I guess that explains why she would be upset,” Yusuke said. “But, damn. If she’s the one who was all jealous over Sesshoumaru, then that kind of indicates she was most likely the one who killed him rather than that Kagura, doesn’t it?”

“Perhaps,” Kurama said. “I am more interested in what kind of offer Kagura made to her. And in the fact that she knew where to find her, and is powerful enough to have access to a portal, because you know as well as I do that there is no rip in the barrier here. Apparently, this location has been compromised. Those ookami must have told others.”

Hiei frowned. “The ones whose minds I probed hadn’t. So, it would have had to have been some of the ones who were killed.”

“So, we will have to move them now,” Yusuke said.

“I would think so. Come on, we need to see if our widow has calmed down enough to talk,” Kurama said grimly.


When they walked in, they saw that all three of Kagome’s sons and Shippou were sitting with her and Kuwabara. The boys had been excited about the trip and had just barely been dozing, so the sound of Kuwabara’s communicator going off had caught their attention, and they had all gotten up. Their movements had roused Shippou. Kagome had made tea and coffee, and when Kurama, Hiei, and Yusuke came in, she offered them a cup. She was ready to talk now.

“I believe you all must know quite a lot about the rumors surrounding my mates’ deaths to have recognized Kagura’s name,” she began. Shippou glared at the three spirit detectives, while her sons frowned.

Daitano reached out and patted her hand. He told them, “She was the one responsible for the unrest in the Western lands that caused the people and youkai there to revolt. Fifty years after Sesshoumaru otou-san was killed, Kagura took a very rich and powerful lover. Using his influence, she began to publicly accuse okaa-san of his murder. There was a full-scale assault on the castle, and we were forced to flee. That was when we went into hiding with the taijiya. But there wasn’t anyone powerful enough to control the Western lands, and even up until the time we entered the cave, no leader had emerged there. Koenma told us it took the nekos 200 more years to build up enough forces to take control.”

“I can’t believe that bitch had the guts to show up here,” Eishumaru snarled.

“Will you tell us now what she wanted?” Kurama asked Kagome.

“Hai,” she nodded. “She wanted to make a deal with me.” She squeezed Daitano’s hand and caught his gaze. “Her son is Lord Tobikuma, the current ruler of the Eastern lands.” Her sons all looked at her in shock. “She says he will grant Daitano’s petition for a one-on-one challenge, and will withdraw her complaint against me with the Reikai.”

Daitano narrowed his eyes. “And what does she want in return?”

This time, Kagome looked straight at Eishumaru. “She wants Eishumaru to give her other son an important position when he takes back the Western lands.” She smiled at him. “Evidently, she is confident of your chances.”

“Is that all?” Eishumaru asked her suspiciously. “That seems like a one-sided deal, --in our favor.”

“Well, I’m sure there would be details to work out, if we were to accept. And, I believe she and her son, Lord Tobikuma, must be confident that he can beat Daitano.” Now she smiled widely at him. “Of course, we know that isn’t the case.”

“Very interesting. And that was all she wanted? -- To offer you this deal? And to taunt you a little?” Kurama asked.

Her eyes widened a bit, realizing they must have overheard some of what Kagura had said, then she nodded. “Hai.”

“What was she taunting you about, kaa-san?” Sassouta wanted to know.

Kagome fidgeted with her hands in her lap a bit uncomfortably.

“She’s still delusional, isn’t she?” Daitano said, irritably. “She’s still claiming there was something between her and Sesshoumaru otou-san?” At her hesitant nod, Daitano cursed. “Fuck! I can’t believe it! Everyone knows he would never have anything to do with any other female, -- let alone a crazy bitch like her.”

“Daitano, please watch your language,” she admonished him lightly.

“Gomen. But you know Jaken says he never cared for her that way even before you were mates. He just felt sympathy for her plight as Naraku’s puppet,” her son assured her.

“I know,” his mother said quietly. “Well, we will have to do some thinking about her offer and, of course, we need to check to be sure she is telling the truth about Lord Tobikuma. In the meantime, I should go on up and get dressed for the day. Lord Yemon will be up and about soon, I’m sure.” And with those words, she rose to leave.

“If there was nothing between Lord Sesshoumaru and Kagura, then why did she get so upset? There is more to it.” Kurama was convinced Kagome was holding back a vital piece of information.

“I agree.”

Shortly after Kagome left, Eishumaru glanced at the stairs, then he went up, too. Kurama discreetly followed him while Sassouta, Kuwabara, and Yusuke talked about what they would do as soon as they checked into the hotel. Daitano had excused himself to go outside for a bit. He had some thinking to do.

Kurama heard Eishumaru corner his mother at the top of the stairs, so he stayed back and listened.

“Kaa-chan. Why did you lie back there?” the inuyoukai asked.

Heaving a sigh, Kagome reached up and touched her son’s face. “You are as perceptive as your father was. Gomen nasai, Eishu. Hai, there is more to what Kagura had to say. But there is no point in even mentioning it right now. Please trust me. I will tell you after I look into things, when the time is right.”

He searched her eyes for a few minutes, then nodded. “All right. But you know you don’t have to keep things from us to protect us.” He grinned and waggled his eyebrows at her. “Despite appearances, we’re not children.”

“Hmph. Despite your unreasonable height, you’re still my babies,” she told him, hugging him tightly.

“Aw, kaa-chan,” he protested.

“Her son confronted her. Even he knew she was lying. And she admitted there is more to what Kagura said, but she told him she wanted to look into things before she talks to them about it,” Kurama reported.

“I think we should have Koenma send someone to keep an eye on the wind-witch, as well as check into her sons’ situations.”

“Then you are thinking the same thing I am -- that this has something to do with Kagura’s other son. And it doesn’t take too many guesses to figure out what. If Lord Sesshoumaru had a son older than Eishumaru, even if he was not mated to his mother, that son could press a claim on the Western lands, as well. That would certainly give Kagome a motive to kill him if she was afraid her own son might not inherit if her mate chose to acknowledge his other son,” Kurama paused a minute, then continued, “Of course, the other possibility is that Kagura’s son is younger, and that when Kagome found out Kagura was pregnant, she and Lord Sesshoumaru fought and she killed him in a fit of jealousy. But still, … there had to be some premeditation to the murder if she poisoned him to weaken him. Perhaps she had been poisoning him to keep him from going to Kagura,” the avatar mused. “Either way, we are back to the fact that she had more reason to kill him than the other female.”

“Hn.” Hiei was pretty sure Kurama’s second guess was the correct one. From the way the wind-user had taunted her, and judging by how upset she had been, he believed she was claiming to have a younger son by Kagome’s mate. And that was exactly why Hiei believed the other female was lying, which put things in a completely different light. Because having been the recipient of her attentions himself, he was convinced there wasn’t a male anywhere who would leave her bed for another female’s. So, if Kagura was lying about her relationship with Lord Sesshoumaru, then she was the one with the stronger motive. And there was no way he could explain his certainty to the fox without revealing his relationship with Kagome. He would just have to see what other information they could find.
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Two hours later, they were standing in the lobby of the Tokyo Bay Hotel Tokyu at Tokyo Disneyland. One of the newer hotels in the area, Shippou confided that it was one of the many investments they had made with some of the boys’ wealth that had been squirreled away. Possessing a bar, two lounges, 5 restaurants, an arcade, heated indoor and outdoor pools, a photography studio, a beauty shop, and a big, dome-shaped shopping mall all its own, it was like a resort in and of itself. And they had the whole central wing of the top floor reserved.

All of them had dressed casually for the day, and as soon as they put their stuff in their rooms, they were going to hit the park. The plan was to spend a day-and-a-half at Tokyo Disneyland and a day-and-a-half at Tokyo Disney Sea, which, it turned out, was another one of their investments. Kagome was feeling slightly uncomfortable in the faded blue jeans she was wearing, which fit her snugly. She wore a plain, short-sleeved, white knit top. It had an exceedingly modest neckline, -- not even showing a hint of cleavage, but the soft material hugged the curves of her breasts. Around her neck, she wore the pendant made from her chunk of the now-dormant Shikon no Tama, and the unusual pink jewel just seemed to emphasize the fact that even in this extremely plain outfit, she was something out of the ordinary. As if her face and figure weren’t enough to draw admiring and interested glances, her long, ebony tresses flowed around her hips in thick, shiny waves in stark contrast to the majority of other girls and women around who sported the more popular shoulder-length bobs of the day.

Hiei was struck again by how very different she looked in the modern, younger-styled clothing. She looked so much younger and more vulnerable this way, and he really didn’t like it. It made her look like she needed someone to watch over her and protect her. At the same time, she was so damn sexy he was practically gritting his teeth with the effort to control his body. He didn’t have his cloak on to hide the telltale bulge in the front of his pants if he didn’t. If this wasn’t some horrible stage of hiyoukai development, then he was beginning to wonder if Yusuke and Kuwabara weren’t slipping him those little blue pills he’d heard them laughing about once, -- the ones that some ningen men needed to be able to perform. Because he knew that while the other males around him found her attractive, too, she really wasn’t dressed in a manner that should get anyone all hot and bothered. And hard. (And the next damn ningen who approaches her and offers to ‘help her with her luggage to her room’ is going to wake up in the Reikai.)

Lord Yemon had taken up a position right beside her, with Kurama on her other side. But even their presence wasn’t enough to deter a few men from approaching her. The problem was, there seemed to be large groups of high school and college guys who had come here together for Golden Week just to flirt and try to pick up the groups of high school and college girls who had come with their friends. It was because the amusement parks were such a popular attraction for the youth of Japan that Kagome had wanted to bring her boys here. But she looked like she fit right in with this crowd, too, even if she didn’t feel like it. She sure didn’t look like someone’s mother here on a family vacation.

Jaken, Myouga, and Master Zhang had declined to come with them for this part of the trip. They would join them at their next stop, when they would be staying two days and nights at a hot springs resort. When they reached the section where their rooms were located, Kagome sprung a couple of surprises. She opened the door to one of the suites, and inside, along with Yukina, stood her brother Souta, Shizuru, Keiko, and Shuuichi. She touched Yusuke’s arm, and beckoned for him to lean down so she could whisper in his ear. “I am rejecting your suit.” And she winked at him.

His eyes grew as big as saucers, before he grinned and said, “Arigatou,” and hurried over to Keiko.

Eishumaru had quickly stepped up to greet Shizuru. “Well, it certainly is a pleasure to see you again. Every other female I’ve seen around here so far is absurdly short, like kaa-ch -- Kagome,” he quickly covered, remembering Shuuichi’s presence. He and his brothers were going to have to be sure to call her by name, otherwise they were going to get some mighty strange looks from people. “Well, maybe not quite that bad. But you, -- you possess beauty, intelligence, and a reasonable amount of height. Now I know this trip is going to be fun.”

Shizuru looked him up and down. “Kid, you’re way too young for me. I’m 22.”

He leaned down and whispered, “You are only looking on the outside. I may look around 15 years old by ningen standards, but I am 115. I’m past my hundred-years, if you know what I mean?” He waggled his eyebrows at her suggestively.

With his enhanced hearing, Yusuke, who had just greeted Keiko by picking her up and whirling her around, stared at the tall inuyoukai. “Am I hearing things or did he just hit on Shizuru?”

Kuwabara, who was holding Yukina’s hand, raised his eyebrows in disbelief at Yusuke’s words. “He did what?”

Kagome, who had been hugging Souta, and was standing close enough that she had heard his whispered line, turned to Eishumaru. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were Kouga’s son instead of Sesshoumaru’s. Behave!”

“Don’t worry about me, Kagome. I promise to be on my very best behavior. I’m merely offering my services as escort to this lovely lady,” he told her.

Kurama walked over and hugged his step-brother. “This is a surprise,” he said with a smile.

Shuuichi smiled back and pointed to Shippou. “Your boss there came by the house a couple of weeks ago, and told us what a great job you and your friends have been doing for him as consultants, and invited us all to join you as kind of a bonus. Our parents will meet us at the hot springs in a couple of days. And they even let me bring along two of my friends from school.”

Arching a brow as he turned towards Shippou, Kurama said, “Arigatou gozaimasu, boss.”

“It was Kagome’s suggestion,” the kitsune smiled.

Hiei was hard-pressed not to laugh. The onna and Shippou had provided another buffer in the form of the fox’s family to keep him in line. He would have a very difficult time trying to seduce her into his room if he was sharing it with his younger sibling. And yet, it was also a very nice thing to do for him because he really did care for his ningen family. She was really very clever. And as Shippou started handing out room keys so everyone could put away their luggage, she walked over to him and touched his arm. Very quietly, she apologized, “Gomen nasai, Hiei. I was unable to discover anything about your family or I would have invited them, too. I kept an extra suite reserved, though, if you want to contact them.”

He could see in her eyes that she really felt bad she couldn’t surprise him with his family, too. “There isn’t anyone to contact,” he told her. Yukina was already there, even if she was there to be with the idiot. The onna might not know it, but all of the people he cared about in all the three realms were already there, thanks to her and this blasted mission. And the only person he’d like to find waiting in his room to surprise him was her, and that wasn’t going to happen. Damn it.

She took his hand and squeezed it gently for just a second. “I’m very sorry to hear that.”

And looking into her sympathetic blue eyes, he frowned for just a moment, then said something he rarely, if ever, said to anyone, “Arigatou.” When she moved on to put her things in her own room, he saw Kurama looking at him curiously.

“What was that about?”

“Hn. She was apologizing for not being able to find any of my family to invite.”

“It was very thoughtful of her to bring the others along, -- even if she does think she can keep me at bay that way,” he grinned wickedly. “But while I may have a roommate, she does not.” He had already turned away to go to his room, so he missed the fiery glare Hiei shot at him.

Almost everyone had a suite to themselves, except Souta, who Kagome had placed with Sassouta, Shuuichi, who she roomed with Kurama, Ginta and Hakkaku, who preferred to have each other to talk to all the time, and Yukina, who had asked to stay with Keiko. Shuuichi’s two friends, Daichi and Chikao, who were also high school seniors, had a suite together, too. After everyone had been introduced, they decided to head out to the park.

Lord Yemon took advantage of the way Kurama’s attention was divided between trying to charm Kagome and trying to keep an eye on his step-brother and his friends, who were asking him tons of questions since he was something of a legend at their school. Several times, the ookami was successful in separating her from the group to try to do a little wooing in private, but each time he actually managed to get his arms around her, either her oldest son or that kitsune would show up and lead them back to the others.

As for the rest of the group, most of them seemed to be having a great time riding the rides, seeing the sights, and mingling with the huge crowds. Eishumaru continued to stick by Shizuru’s side, which amused her brother and friends no end. So to put them in their place, she winked at Kagome, who grinned and nodded, and grabbed his hand and said, “Come on, handsome,” and pulled him to the front of the group where they led the way.

“I knew you’d come around sooner or later,” he smiled down at her.

“Don’t push it, kid,” she warned him.

“Hey, Kuwabara! Your sister’s robbing the cradle, man,” Yusuke laughed.

“Oh, crap,” the big man blushed in embarrassment. Leave it to his sister to do the unexpected.

“Wow! That tall kid got the hot, older woman,” Daichi whispered loudly to Shuuichi and Chikao.

“Yeah. It must be that American surfer look he’s got going for him with those strange blue eyes and that bleached-out hair. Maybe I’ll get mine bleached,” Chikao mused. “Not that it’d do me any good as long as we’re walking around with Minamino here. He’s still the ultimate girl magnet -- even if his fan club isn’t around.”

And Kurama was attracting quite a bit of female attention. Actually, the whole group was, much to the delight of Sassouta and Souta, as well as the three seniors. Although a lot of the girls were glaring at Kagome enviously for being the obvious center of attention for the three hottest older guys, Kurama, Yemon, and Shippou, along with attracting the attention of many of the groups of guys who were prowling the park.

“So, Shuuichi, what’s the deal with your brother and Kagome? It looks like he’s actually got some competition for her. I never would have thought I’d see the day that the great Minamino had to work to get a girl. How old is she anyway? She looks like she’s about our age,” Chikao rambled on.

“Yeah,” Daichi agreed. “Maybe he’s too old for her. And his boss looks even older than him. So does that other guy. Maybe she’d rather date someone her own age -- like us.”

Shuuichi smacked him in the back of the head. “Yeah, right. Have you looked at her? She’s way out of your league.”

“Hmph. Well, she doesn’t seem to actually be with any of those guys. Not yet, anyway. So she’s fair game.”

Just then, the object of their discussion walked up and put one hand on Shuuichi’s shoulder and the other one on Daichi’s. “Would you guys like to stop here for some ice cream?”

They both just stared at her for a minute. She was smiling at them, and touching them. When they nodded, she walked on past them into the little ice cream shop. “Holy crap, man! Did you see the way she smiled at me?” Daichi exclaimed. And all three boys took off after her.

Kurama rolled his eyes and smirked a bit at his step-brother’s back when the scent of the boys’ arousal drifted to the youkai in the group. He exchanged a glance with Hiei before following them into the shop.

(Hn. Apparently she can get other males all hot and bothered, too, in spite of being dressed so modestly.) So why was it that that knowledge irritated the fire demon more than it reassured him? It was bad enough having to watch that big ape drool all over his sister, without having to watch the fox, the wolf, and every other male in the Ningenkai try to get in her pants at a time when he knew he couldn’t.

As they all sat on the benches provided to eat their ice cream, Shippou commented quietly to Kagome and a few of the others, minus the ningen boys, on a group of foreign tourists walking by who were eating and laughing and spilling popcorn along the sidewalk. “Before they built Tokyo Disneyland, I visited the ones in America to see just how successful an enterprise it was likely to be. It was immediately obvious how very popular the whole theme park idea is with youth and grown-ups alike. But that,” he pointed to the debris on the sidewalk, “is just a small sample of what you will find everywhere throughout the parks there. It is impossible for them to maintain a clean, appealing atmosphere because everyone walks about as they eat. Food, paper, cups, and other things litter the ground.” He paused as three of the park’s “cast” quickly came and swept up the popcorn trail he had been contemplating. “It is much easier to maintain the grounds here, simply due to our cultural etiquette. As a result, we are able to focus our money and our workers’ time into keeping the attractions in prime condition.

I was also surprised to discover that the parks over there contain several more attractions than we had planned here, and on a considerably smaller area of land. I much prefer having them spread out more, and with the extra acreage we are able to handle much larger crowds here. To me, it just made good business sense. And the two parks here have been wildly successful.”

“All of the investments you made for us have been incredibly successful. We were fortunate to have you look out for us while we were gone. Arigatou gozaimasu, Shippou,” Kagome said softly, pulling the kitsune into a hug.

He smiled and a slight tinge of pink crept into his cheeks. “I’m honored you trusted me,” he hugged her back.

“Well, then, if everyone has finished, where to next?” she asked the group.

Having hit the “thrill rides” of Tomorrowland first thing that morning, they ventured to the water for the afternoon. Everyone agreed that the Splash mountain log flume ride was pretty fun, and the guys in particular appreciated the after-effects, since everyone got drenched at the bottom of the drop, -- effectively cooling everyone off until the women’s wet shirts caught their eyes. Shizuru rolled her eyes at Eishumaru’s lascivious compliments and Keiko smacked Yusuke for pointing out her condition to her and trying to get a good grope in.

Yukina and Kagome were both embarrassed by the attention, although Kagome didn’t show it except for the slight tinge of color in her cheeks. So, Hiei inconspicuously stood closer to them and heated the air around them to dry their clothing faster. Kagome realized what he was doing, and turned to thank him. When she looked at him, she noticed he was watching Yukina closely and glaring a bit at Kuwabara, who was trying to shield her from anyone else’s view. Surprised by the warmth in his eyes when he looked at the pretty Koorime, Kagome began to wonder if perhaps she was the reason he always seemed so irritated with Kuwabara. She made a note to herself to observe how the three of them interacted more closely.

She proved herself to be a very adept hostess, even with such a large group in such a boisterous setting. She spent some time with everyone -- both separately, and in the little groups they had formed. And the attention she gave each of them made them all feel comfortable together. As they made their way to Adventureland, Lord Yemon was able to claim her attention for himself once more, and he complimented her on her skill and graciousness. “Although I would much prefer to have you all to myself, I can’t help but notice how you have managed to set everyone at ease with each other. Koenma told me that you will be expected to serve as some sort of liaison to all three realms. Again, while I don’t relish the thought of having to give you up for periods of time once you are my mate, to perform those duties, I can see that you are the perfect choice for such a position.”

“Arigatou gozaimasu, Yemon. Of all the compliments you have given me, that is by far the nicest,” she told him with a warm, genuine smile.

Surprised that she would be more swayed in his favor by a compliment to her diplomatic skill rather than her beauty, Yemon didn’t hesitate to take advantage of the moment, and he swiftly pulled her to him and bent his head to capture her lips. Caught completely off guard, Kagome could only hold onto him while he plundered the sweet recesses of her mouth. When his tongue stroked hers and he tightened his grip on her, she pushed forcefully against his chest. Reluctantly breaking off the embrace, he licked her bottom lip before raising his head. “Delicious.”

Her cheeks stained with color, she whispered harshly, “You can’t do something like that in such a public place -- it’s frowned upon here.”

“Gomen. I just couldn’t resist. But I will be happy to resume at whatever time and place you deem appropriate,” he told her. “And I will look forward to sampling that appealing taste of yours again.”

Kagome quickly stepped away from him and walked over to Daitano and Shippou. Though she smiled pleasantly and continued on as if nothing untoward had occurred, she was extremely agitated. (Damn, damn, damn. Not now. I really don’t need this now.) She hadn’t expected Yemon to be as forward as Kurama. She had congratulated herself on taking care of the threat the avatar posed to her peace of mind these next few days, when she had decided to put his step-brother in his room. She needed to curtail his advances as much as possible. Because when she was at the peak of her fertility, just like when she was pregnant, her hormones had a tendency to go berserk and make her extremely responsive, and even a bit aggressive, -- a condition her mates had loved. And while Yemon’s kiss actually left her cold, the thought of the intimate contact he had initiated was already fluttering about on the edges of her mind. She wasn’t afraid she would actually give in to either Kurama or Yemon, but she was afraid she would go to Hiei.

In the hundred years since Kouga’s death, it hadn’t been much of a problem because she simply didn’t have that kind of contact with any males, so it had lain blissfully dormant, -- manifesting itself only rarely, and then usually in dreams about her mates. Truthfully, she had hoped she had grown out of it. But when her vivid dreams of her mates had returned, and she began her relationship with Hiei, it had brought it all back. She was more aware of her body and its sensitivities than she had been in decades. And she knew the next three nights were not going to be pleasant.. Now, to top it all off, she would have to find a way to keep Yemon at arm’s length. (Damn it.) If all these demons were so enamored with her “taste,” then maybe she would start chewing garlic. She smiled at the thought.

Hiei, however, was not smiling. Not that he had been before, but now he was downright scowling. The onna was sharing his bed. He was the one she had chosen to be the recipient of her favors, and he was becoming well-acquainted with her body and the many pleasures it offered. So why was it that the only thing she had withheld from him was something every ningen, kitsune, and ookami in the three realms thought he could claim? True, it wasn’t something he had thought he would miss, or want, but he did. He wanted to feel those soft, warm lips against his own, to taste that fresh, sweet strawberry flavor, to have her surrender and give that part of herself to him as freely as she did the rest. It bothered him to realize that the idea of kissing her had become so appealing, and he steadfastly refused to even entertain the brief thought that had flickered through his mind -- that if she was his, he wanted all of her. But, if she felt so strongly about the intimacy of kissing that she had kept it out of their relationship, then these bastards sure as hell didn’t have the right to force it on her.

Kagome looked around to make sure everyone was still together, and she was startled when she saw the thunderous look on Hiei’s face. He was staring, with almost murderous intent, at the small group to her right: Yemon, Kazuma, Yukina, and Kurama. Obviously, there was something going on with him and the tall, gentle man over the sweet, little Koorime. She frowned at the slight pang she felt at that thought, but shook it off as empathy for his seemingly unrequited feelings. Love triangles were one form of relationship she was all too familiar with.

From the looks of things, she doubted the female youkai was even aware of his feelings. And even if he couldn’t help but let some of his frustration and anger show, he was careful to keep it from her. He might not be happy about it, but clearly he had stepped aside for his friend. And Kazuma so obviously loved and adored her, and she seemed to return his feelings, that Kagome couldn’t help but be happy for them, but it really pained her to think that Hiei had given her up without a fight and now he was alone.

There was so much underneath that indifferent façade he presented to the world. She admired his honesty and his forthright ways, though he could stand to be a little more tactful and less rude at times. But at least you always knew where you stood with him. He was very loyal to his friends, and dependable, along with being strong and intelligent. Really, he was perfectly suited to this “Spirit Detective” job. She was aware of all these qualities when she had first approached him. It was the others that she was slowly finding out about that made her slightly nervous and uncomfortable. She hadn’t expected him to be considerate, but he had shown concern for her comfort more than once, and he had even taken the time to talk to her and complimented her on the cha-no-yu. Considering the straightforward nature of their arrangement, and the fact that he believed her to be a cold-blooded murderer, she was really confused and unnerved that he would be so kind to her. It made her feel … something. And she didn’t want to. She couldn’t afford to.

“Kagome? Are you all right?” Shippou asked her.

“What? Oh! Hai, I’m fine. Gomen, I was lost in thought for a moment.” And she smiled and took his arm as they hurried to catch up to where the others were waiting. She had been so caught up in her thoughts that she had fallen behind everyone else.

Their next stop was the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse, which was more a play area than a ride, and had very few people milling about as most had gone in search of some dinner. As they climbed and looked around, Kagome told her sons a little about the story. She remembered having to read it for an English class -- the instructor had thought reading examples of English literature would improve their understanding of the language, but a lot of it was rather stilted-sounding and outdated. Still it had been a pretty intriguing adventure story, -- before she began living her own.

Her sons seemed to agree. The four of them let the others go on ahead, though Shippou and Hiei stayed within earshot. “That sounds a little bit like us after we left the Western palace -- especially those times we had to hide out in the forest and mountains,” Sassouta remarked. “And you were able to make it seem like a great adventure, too, like the father in the story, instead of a hardship.”

“Hai. But it sure would have been nice if you could have fashioned stairs like these for us to use to get around through the trees, and all these clever traps and gadgets to spring on our enemies,” Eishumaru teased her.

“Of course, all they had to deal with were some wild animals and pirates -- not hordes of youkai out for their heads,” Daitano said.

Kagome looked at her sons and smiled a bit sadly. “I wish things could have been different. I wish you had never had to go through all that. You should have been able to enjoy your childhoods instead of living in fear and having to constantly prepare for battles you should never have had to face. I wish I could have spared you all that. Gomen nasai.”

Wrapping his arms around her, Daitano growled, “What did I tell you about apologizing to us? I don’t know if you realize it or not, but we’re youkai, so for us, it was a fun and relatively carefree childhood.” He lifted her chin to look in her eyes and grinned. “Really.”

“Yeah, kaa-san,” Sassouta agreed, as he and Eishumaru stepped up to wrap their arms around her, too. “And we weren’t ‘living in fear,’ either. As long as all four of us were together, I knew we’d be all right.”

“And everything is going to turn out just the way it should. You’ll see, kaa-chan. We’ll make you and our otou-sans proud of us,” Eishumaru said.

“We already are, aiji,” she assured them.

And, after giving them another minute, Shippou called out, “Hey! Are you ready to go get something to eat?

“Hai.” And they rejoined the others in their search for food.

After they had eaten, they decided to take a ride on the Western River Railroad, and then to finish up the day with the Jungle Cruise. On the boat, Shippou laughingly commented on the irony of the cruises’ skipper firing a toy gun to scare away the attacking ‘hippos.’ “It’s interesting that they kept this part of the attraction true to the original script, since handguns are illegal here in Japan, -- even though that is obviously a toy, -- when in America, where it’s perfectly legal to own handguns, they’ve done away with that part in the interest of being what they call ‘politically correct.’ I’m not sure which side of that is more amusing.”

In spite of the interesting animatronic scenery, the motion of the boat was slowly lulling Kagome to sleep. She struggled to perk herself up, but ended up leaning forward slightly to rest her arms on the railing and prop her head up with one hand.

“You’re tired.”

Kagome turned to see Hiei standing behind her. “That obvious, huh?” she asked, with a smile.

“Hn. You didn’t get any sleep last night.”

She waved it off. “I’ve gone without sleep before.” When he arched a brow at her statement, she blushed. “I didn’t mean ...” When she saw a hint of a smile tilting the corners of his lips, she stared at him. Was he teasing her? He was! So she took a small step so she was as close as she could get to him without actually touching him, and leaned forward just enough so he could catch her whispered reply, her breath warm against his cheek, “You didn’t get any sleep last night, either.”

He raised his brows at her daring to point that out. When he had seen the color rise in her cheeks, he thought she’d be too flustered to say anything. She had proven him wrong once again, but he had her now. He quickly glanced around to make sure no one would notice as he lightly brushed his cheek against hers and said quietly, “And I’m not likely to the next few nights, but it won’t be nearly as pleasant,” as he stepped past her.

Kagome closed her eyes and a small shiver raced down her spine at the brief contact. “Neither will I,” she said softly, and she walked off to stand with her brother and youngest son, leaving a very surprised fire youkai in her wake.

When they got back to the hotel, the younger crowd wanted to hit the arcade, while Ginta and Hakkaku invited Yemon to join them for a drink in one of the lounges. He tried to get Kagome to come along, but she declined, saying she wanted to make an early night of it. The wolf hesitated, as if contemplating his chances of spending some time alone with her, then went along with the other two. Shizuru offered to keep the kids in line, and Kuwabara assured Kagome he’d keep an eye on her brother and ‘cousins,’ too. Shuuichi and his friends decided to run up to their rooms first to change shirts before heading back down to scope out the girls, so they jumped into the elevator with Kurama, Kagome, Shippou, and Hiei.

Kurama stood next to Kagome and surreptitiously brushed the backs of his fingers against her hip and thigh. He planned to take advantage of the wolf’s absence and invite himself into Kagome’s room. As they reached their floor, Shuuichi asked Kurama for his advice on which shirt he should wear, and he chuckled as he followed the younger boys down the hall, with Shippou walking behind him, wishing he could lock the avatar in his room. He’d seen the look in his eyes.

So had Kagome, and she walked along slowly, dreading having to deal with his advances tonight. The she felt a hand on her back and heard Hiei’s voice in her ear. “I’ll take care of the fox, you get some sleep.”

And as he walked on to catch up with Kurama, she reached out and touched his arm. “Arigatou, Hiei.”
---------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------


When the boys left, Hiei was waiting out in the hall for Kurama. “We should talk to the kitsune while the others are gone.”

Kurama frowned at him. “I had other plans in mind for the night.”

“More important than finding out the truth behind the Taiyoukai’s deaths?” Hiei asked him. “Shippou probably knows more about them, and her,” he indicated Kagome’s door, “and possibly even the other three females, than anyone else, since he was there for it all.”

Sighing, Kurama nodded. “You’re right. We should take advantage of this opportunity. But he isn’t going to be cooperative.”

When they knocked on Shippou’s door, he was surprised to see them. He narrowed his eyes for a moment, then quirked a brow. “So, you still haven’t found enough to take her in, and you thought you’d come to me for more information.” He smirked knowingly at them, and with a flourish, bid them to enter. “Do come in.” Motioning for them to take a seat, he walked over to the kitchen area of his deluxe suite and pulled out some cups. He brought them and an old jug with him and set them down on the small table in the sitting area. Pouring them all a drink, he sat down. “She didn’t do it. Anything else I can help you with?”

Kurama chuckled. “Well, now that we have that settled, I suppose we may as well make our report to Lord Koenma and move on to other, more difficult assignments.”

“Damn kitsunes,” Hiei muttered, not in the least amused by either of them.

“You’ll have to pardon Hiei. He doesn’t have a sense of humor.”

“This isn’t a game.” The fire youkai turned to face Shippou. “Since you are being so blunt, I will be, too. Almost everything we have discovered in the past month and a half points to her guilt. Do you have proof to the contrary?”

“Proof? You have been around her for a month and a half. What more proof do you need? You know how powerful she is, and what she is capable of in battle, and hai, she has killed, -- but she is not a killer. It’s simply not in her. You must know by now that her kind and gentle ways are not an act -- it’s who she is. You cannot doubt her love for her sons, so why do you doubt her love for their fathers?” Shippou asked them.

Deadly serious now, Kurama leaned forward and fixed the other kitsune with a hard stare. “It’s true, I had originally thought she had mated with them and killed them for their power, position, and wealth, but there are other motives. Tell me, why is it that she only ‘fell in love’ with powerful male youkai who already had other females? Was it the rivalry that attracted her? Some females are like that, -- finding value and pleasure in taking something that belongs to someone else.”

“Kagome’s not like that,” Shippou said hotly. “She didn’t even know Inuyasha had a previous relationship with Kikyou when she fell in love with him. And Kouga’s so-called commitment to Ayame was a statement made to a child to calm her fears. As for Kagura and Sesshoumaru, while I cannot say for sure exactly what their relationship was before he mated with Kagome, I can say he made her no promises or commitment. He may have been a lot of things, but he was not a male to go back on his word.”

He sat back in his chair and shook his head in disbelief. “You still don’t know what kind of person she is and what kind of love she is capable of. Do you know that Kikyou tried to kill her? And even after that, and after finding out about Inuyasha’s feelings for her, Kagome still saved her life? Not once, but twice. And both times, there was no one else around who would have known if she had just let her slip away. Do you know how many times she forgave Inuyasha for going to see Kikyou? For the stupid, thoughtless things he said to her when he was trying to deny his feelings? Hell, she forgave him for trying to kill her after she freed him from the spell that had him sealed to the Goshinboku. When he was scorned by youkai and ningen alike for being a hanyou, she accepted him and told him she liked him just the way he was. Her love is boundless and unconditional.

Sesshoumaru tried to kill her, too. More than once. Her and Inuyasha. He was the coldest bastard I ever met, aside from Naraku. But, she stood up to him several times to protect Inuyasha and to encourage the two of them to put aside their hatred and to cooperate, -- not just to defeat Naraku, but to try to become the family she felt both of them so desperately needed. Not only did she forgive him for all he had done against her, but she actually filled his heart and soul with a contentment he had never known before.”

He paused to look at Hiei and Kurama to see if they understood what he was telling them. “Then there’s Kouga, who kidnapped her to use her ability to see the jewel shards. He may not have tried to kill her, but he threatened her and scared her and tried to feed me to his wolves. She risked his wrath to get me away from them. It was her bravery in daring to stand up to him that caused him to first claim her as his woman. He was arrogant and rash and he put her into danger trying to attain his own selfish goals. And after all he had done, she cared for him when he was wounded and helped him escape from Inuyasha to heal up. It was because of her that he forbade his wolves from eating ningen anymore. When his entire pack was slaughtered by Kagura, save for Ginta and Hakkaku, she comforted him. And even though she was already in love with Inuyasha back then, she was always kind to Kouga and tried hard not to hurt his feelings because she loved him as a friend. And later, even after having loved two mates so completely, she was still able to give him her whole heart. She didn’t just love them, … she saved them.”

It was quiet for a few minutes as the two Spirit Detectives thought about what he had said. “She saved you, too, didn’t she?” Kurama asked him.

“Yep,” Shippou grinned. “When I met her, I was bent on revenge. The Thunder Brothers had killed my father and desecrated his pelt. I tricked her and stole her jewel shards so I could try to kill them. She and Inuyasha stopped me and she ended up being kidnapped by them. Inuyasha battled them, and she and I were in the path of one of their attacks. She tried to shield me, and my father’s pelt saved us. Even beyond the realm of the living, he recognized the kind of person she was and he trusted her to take care of me. And she did. She insisted I go with them, even though Inuyasha didn’t want me to. We could sit here all night if I were to tell you about all the people she saved, either by her actions or her gentle acceptance of them, -- youkai, hanyou, and ningen. And she never hesitated to help whenever she could, regardless of the risks or danger to herself..”

He saw the skepticism still in their eyes and sighed. “I know what you’re thinking, -- that I am caught up in some childish hero-worship of the woman who championed and cared for me. Look at me. I’m over 500 years old. I’m not saying she’s perfect. She has a temper, though she’s learned to control it. She feels jealousy and anger and disappointment just like anyone else. Naraku tried to gain control of her through those feelings once, but he couldn’t. Because she recognized them in herself and faced them, and refused to let them control her or change her. She’s not a saint, but almost everything she does is governed by her love for others. That’s why the kami sent her back to us after her soul ascended.” He leaned forward again. “Now, you tell me how and why a person like her would kill her mates,” he challenged them.

“The jealousy you mentioned. The fear that she was losing the males she loved, perhaps. It sounds like her first mate flipped back and forth between her and his first love. Maybe he did it again. And Kagura certainly asserts that she had Sesshoumaru’s love. Maybe Kagome was afraid he would put her aside. Maybe it was out of love for her children and fear that they would not get all she felt they deserved. She is determined that they will all govern the lands of their sires,” Kurama pointed out.

“Hai. She is determined to help her sons regain their rightful inheritance. She feels she owes it to them, and to her mates, for not being strong enough to hold them in the first place. But if you think for even a moment that any of her mates would turn their backs on the kind of love she gave them for whatever else they might have had with anyone else, you’re wrong. Even Inuyasha wasn’t that big a fool once he realized the difference.”

“Then who do you think killed them? And in such a way that it implicated her? Do you think Kikyou, Kagura, and Ayame each killed the male they loved because they couldn’t have him and tried to frame Kagome for revenge on her?” the avatar asked.

Shippou looked startled. He blinked a few times. “You think the killer, or killers, tried to frame her? No one has ever suggested that before. She was suspected simply because of the strange circumstances surrounding Sesshoumaru’s death, and the fact that she lost three mates, who all happened to be powerful Taiyoukai, in such a short time, -- not because the ways they were killed pointed to her.”

Hiei and Kurama exchanged puzzled glances. “Are you saying she wasn’t suspected of Inuyasha’s murder until after Sesshoumaru was killed?” the fire demon asked.

“Actually, I don’t think anyone even suggested it until after Kouga was killed.”

“No one tied her abilities to the methods used to kill the Taiyoukai? The fact that she’s an expert at kyudo and Inuyasha was killed by one of her arrows through his heart didn’t make anyone suspicious? And Kouga was killed by the Death Touch, which she had been taught by Master Zhang, -- didn’t that point to her? Of course, the use of her kaiken against Sesshoumaru apparently did catch peoples’ notice, especially with her being found there and unable to explain away the obvious evidence that she and the Western lord had fought. So, hai, if she didn’t kill them, then I would definitely say whoever did tried to frame her. And yet you’re saying that if she hadn’t been found near Sesshoumaru’s body, she might never have been suspected? How is that possible?” Kurama was stunned.

“I’ve been trying to tell you -- everyone knew how much she loved them. But, in the first place, Inuyasha had many, many enemies, and even though he was a Taiyoukai, many of them still thought they could kill him easily because he was a hanyou. Truthfully, for a long time, everyone thought Kikyou killed him, -- everyone but Kagome,” Shippou explained.

“Wait a minute. Kikyou was also proficient with a bow and arrow?”

“Of course. As for Kouga, how do you know he was killed by the Death Touch?” Shippou asked suspiciously.

“That is an assumption on our part, due to the fact that all reports said there were no discernible marks on his body. Then again, that was before we found out all three of her mates had been poisoned as well. Do you have another explanation?” Kurama asked him.

“No.” He stood up. “I think I hear the others in the hall. I’m going to check on the boys and Souta. You two can show yourselves out, I trust.” And he left them sitting there.

“Well, that was certainly interesting,” Kurama remarked wryly. “I think we should meet with Yusuke and Kuwabara and try to sort through all this.”

“Hn.”


Gathered in Yusuke’s room, Kurama began to tell them what they had found out.

“Man, you guys just don’t give it a rest, do you?” Kuwabara shook his head.

“Be quiet, you fool. You might actually want to hear some of this,” Hiei told him.

Both of his eyebrows raised high on his forehead, Kuwabara looked at Hiei in shock. “You found out she didn’t do it, didn’t you?” He slapped his knee. “I knew it!”

“Not quite, Kuwabara, but we did find out something that supports the possibility that Kikyou may have killed Inuyasha. Apparently, she is also an expert with the bow and arrow, and she was the original suspect for his murder,” Kurama told him.

“If Kikyou killed Inuyasha, then doesn’t that mean the other two women probably killed her other mates?” Yusuke wanted to know.

“Not necessarily, and we aren’t sure that Kikyou did kill him. But, it is possible. Don’t forget, all three of her mates were poisoned, and all three of their souls disappeared. That still points to a single killer.” He stopped and frowned for a minute, and they could tell he was deep in thought.

“What is it, Kurama? Obviously you just thought of something,” Yusuke leaned forward as he asked.

He waved his hand dismissively. “Just a random thought.” At the insistent look on his team leader’s face, he said, “When we were talking with Shippou, I mentioned that if Kagome wasn’t the killer, then whoever it was had tried to frame her for the murders. I just wondered if it were possible the other three women could have worked in concert with each other. Myouga did say that Kagura knew when Inuyasha’s human night was.”

“Well, holy crap! Kuwabara was right!” Yusuke exclaimed.

“Hold on. There are still too many things we can’t explain with that theory. We don’t know if any of the three women know about poisons or how they could have administered it to the Taiyoukai. How could they have destroyed the souls? Did any of the women know snake style kung fu? So far, she is still the only suspect who possesses those abilities. And, there’s still the matter of Kagome having Sesshoumaru’s blood and skin under her nails, and the evidence that he had clawed her as well,” Kurama reminded them.

“But,” he held up his hands in surrender, “I have to confess that the tide seems to be turning in her favor now. Which makes me wonder if she will become a target if she isn’t taken into the Reikai soon. We know that Kagura knows where she is, and it is possible that Ayame will find out if some of those ookami did tell others. There is also the possibility that Prince Yemon may become a target if the killer, or killers, decide to try framing her again.”

“Or they might try to kill you, or Shippou, since you’re courting her, too. Man, I’m glad she rejected my suit already,” Yusuke smiled and nodded.

“Hn. They might not know that, detective,” Hiei pointed out to him, with a smirk.

“Crap.”

“Nice work, guys. I’m going to go to bed now. I’m taking Yukina for an early breakfast in the morning.” And Kuwabara left in a very happy mood.

“Yeah, no offense you two, but get out. I’m tired,” Yusuke said, with a smile. “Keep up the good work. Just let me know when you’ve got this all wrapped up, okay?” And he winked at them as he shut the door.

“They are certainly happy with our findings.”

Kurama rolled his eyes. “Hai. And I was quite serious when I said the tide appears to be turning in her favor, but they really shouldn’t be so quick to celebrate.” He sighed. “And now we have even more questions we need to find the answers to.”

“Like why the other females didn’t simply kill her instead,” Hiei supplied.

“Hai. Or when did they start working together, if they did? While Kikyou and Ayame may have both held grievances against Kagome while she was with Inuyasha, since Kouga was already in love with her then, Kagura shouldn’t have felt threatened by her until Sesshoumaru took her as his mate. So why would she have helped them out? Or did she? Or did she join with them later? Actually, I’m beginning to wonder if the other two women might have killed her other two mates, while she actually killed Sesshoumaru. Again, ‘as far as we know,’ Kagura is the only one who actually claimed her mate was still in love with her after they were mated. And she may have a son by him. It’s entirely possible that Kagome may not be a ‘black widow,’ but she may still be a murderer.” He stopped outside his room. “Well, one thing’s for sure, -- this assignment has been anything but boring. Good night, Hiei.”

“Hn.”
---------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------


Wiping the tears from her face, Kagome untangled herself from the sheets and headed for the bathroom. After a painfully cold shower, she stepped out onto the balcony and stared out into the night. The hotel was sitting right next to Tokyo Bay, and there was a beautiful view as the lights shined out over the water, but she didn’t really see it. She had known she would probably be miserable tonight, but she had hoped her exhaustion would allow her the peace of sleep. No such luck.

She had dreamed of Sesshoumaru. Considering Kagura’s visit, she had expected he would be the one to haunt her dreams tonight. And, as he always was in her dreams, he had been passionate, and tender, and very, very thorough in their lovemaking, just as he had been in real life. And, as always, when the dream had ended, she had found herself alone in a bed that was far too big for just one person.

(Shouldn’t this be easier by now? Will it ever be easier?) Sometimes when she thought about it, she thought it must be some elaborate joke the kami were playing on her. If she had been allowed to die that day alongside Naraku, and stay dead, would Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru, and Kouga still be alive? Would they have sons like the ones they had with her? Would they be happy? Master Zhang was encouraging her to look for another mate because he said her purpose in life was to love, but she wondered if her heart wasn’t being used to paint a target on powerful youkai. Maybe someone, somewhere was afraid they were too powerful, so they had steered her in their direction. Poof! The question was, were they marked for death and she was just the instrument of their destruction, or was she the reason they received a death sentence? Not that it mattered, since it amounted to the same thing. She couldn’t risk taking another mate, even if her heart was capable of that kind of love again. And she wasn’t sure that it was. Some people weren’t fortunate enough to find the kind of love she had experienced, -- not just once, but three times. She had already had more than her fair share.

So, here she was. Looking out into a forever that was even bigger and emptier than her bed.

“Damn it, onna! Why are you never inside where you’re supposed to be?” Not only was she outside, alone, in the middle of the night, but she had failed to sense him or hear him land on her balcony, if the way she jumped when she heard his voice was anything to go by.

“Hiei, what are you doing up?” She quickly wiped her cheeks before turning around to face him.

He didn’t know whether to laugh or groan at her question. What was he doing up? That would be her fault. In more ways than one. He had actually been grateful for the long conversations with Shippou and his teammates, because while his mind had been otherwise occupied, his body had settled down. And he hadn’t been sure it would, after he’d been so stupid and approached her on that boat. It had been bad enough just watching her laugh and interact with everyone all day. Not only had Yemon and Kurama flirted and charmed and touched her every chance they got, but Kurama’s step-brother and his friends had been lusting after her so much he was surprised they didn’t have to go change their pants when they got back to the hotel.

Then there was the way every other blasted ningen male they had passed had looked at her -- like they’d never seen a female before. And even though she was surrounded by powerful males, some of the fools still thought they could approach her, or whistle, or shout propositions. He knew she didn’t know it, but all three of her sons and Shippou had taken turns teaching some of those ningens a lesson when they had been outrageously out of line. Hiei had broken one nose himself after a man had taken advantage of the crowded line they were standing in to grab her ass. But he had followed her sons’ example and quietly whisked him away to the other side of the park to do it, so she wouldn’t see the “poor man” and wonder what had happened to him like she did with the one Shippou had pounded. He knew she had been tempted to heal the bruises, swollen jaw, and already-blackening eyes when she had seen him limp by. That one had rubbed his whole body against her and tried to brush it off as accidental by saying, “Excuse me.” Ha!

He really hadn’t needed that kind of aggravation, when the sight of her thick, wavy black hair swaying around her hips as she walked was already making his pants uncomfortably tight. She might have been dressed modestly, but her body was anything but. And her effect on him showed no signs of lessening yet. So, why the hell he’d been so foolish as to approach her on the boat was a mystery to him. But he had. And he hadn’t meant to comment on how tired she obviously was, and he sure as hell hadn’t meant to tease her about it. And she had teased him back. It was almost like she was flirting with him, and his brain had taken a vacation from his mouth and he had as much as told her he was going to miss their time together these few nights. And before he could even curse himself for it, she had shaken him to the core by admitting she would, too. Hell, it was a wonder he hadn’t had to come back and change his own pants.

But the conversation with Shippou had, thankfully, proved both interesting and distracting. It wasn’t until he was alone in his room that his thoughts turned to the fact that he was alone in his room, and he’d rather not be. That had led to a long, cold shower. Still feeling restless and irritated with pent-up desires, he had exited through his balcony and gone speeding through the night, trying to outrun his wayward thoughts and body. So, when he gets back to the hotel, what should he see, but the very object of his desires -- the bane of his existence -- that blasted onna. (Why am I surprised? Obviously, the kami are all having a good laugh at my expense. And why is she crying?) “Did something happen? Has the wind-user been here?”

“What? Oh, … no. I just couldn’t sleep.” (Why does he always seem to show up when I am already so unsettled? Being around him is unsettling enough, except when we are together at night.)

He seemed to hesitate before he finally asked, “Then what has you so upset now?”

She took a deep breath and slowly let it out before answering, “Just … dreams, … memories.”

“Unpleasant ones?”

“No, … it is the waking that is unpleasant,” she admitted.

(She still dreams about her mates.) He noticed that her hair was damp. (So, that is the source of her distraction. Her desire for them, and her grief, still plague her.) And he couldn’t help but feel just a little envious of those dead Taiyoukai for being able to claim such love and devotion even after all these years. Not many people could claim it even when they were alive. He sure couldn’t. Not that he wanted to.

Shaking off the melancholy mood that had engulfed her, she tilted her head as she looked at the fire youkai. He was doing it again -- showing concern for her, and it made her feel … comforted. And that unnerved her, because he wasn’t supposed to do that. “I couldn’t help but notice that you’re aren’t particularly enjoying the amusement park. Is it this type of activity or the crowds you object to?”

“Both. One is frivolous and the other is irritating.”

She couldn’t help but giggle just a bit at his answer. “Gomen nasai. I hope you will enjoy the next leg of our trip more.”

And again, he just couldn’t help but say, “I’m sure I will,” with a look that left no doubt in her mind exactly what he was referring to.

She blinked a few times. (So much for cooling off.) She was way too attracted to him to be standing out here in her gown and robe if he was going to look at her like that. For a second, her mind had gone blank and she had moved closer to him. “Hiei, … I …”

“You had better go back inside,” he said curtly.

“Hai,” she nodded. She reached out and almost touched his chest, before she curled her fingers up and brought her hand back to her side. “Gomen.” And she quickly turned and went in, closing and locking the sliding glass door behind her.

Hiei stood there for a few minutes with his eyes closed. It was his own damn fault for saying what he had. What the hell was wrong with him? He had known he was in serious trouble the second he had seen her eyes darken. Thank goodness she had stopped right before she touched him, or he wouldn’t have been able to stop himself from peeling that cream-colored gown and robe off of her and burying himself in her heat over and over again until the sun came up. He looked out over the balcony railing. (I wonder how cold Tokyo Bay is?)
-------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------


The next day, they finished seeing the sights at the Disneyland park and went over to DisneySea after eating lunch. This park had only been around since 2001, and there were even more people here than at the other one. Like yesterday, their large group actually consisted of several smaller groups: Ginta and Hakkaku stayed with Sassouta and Souta, Eishumaru insisted on staying beside Shizuru, Shuuichi and his friends hung around Kurama as much as they could -- especially when he had Kagome at his side, Yusuke and Keiko were together, as were Kuwabara and Yukina. Kagome found herself escorted at various times by Kurama, Yemon, Shippou, and Daitano. And Hiei trailed along behind either Kagome or Yukina, every now and then walking along with Kurama.

As they walked around to the various “Ports,” Kagome found herself watching Hiei more and more. Or, to be more precise, watching Hiei watch Yukina and Kazuma. For some reason, the sight bothered her more than she thought it should. She hadn’t been able to get back to sleep at all last night after seeing him on her balcony. So, she had taken another cold shower and spent the rest of the time writing notes and making plans to find out exactly what the situation was with Kagura and her sons. She would be sending Ginta, Hakkaku, Myouga, and Shippou into the Makai as soon as they got home. And she had every intention of staying at that house. She needed to be where Kagura could find her, because they were going to have to do a lot more talking before anything was settled. Which was all fine and good, and made her feel like she was at least being a little productive since sleep wasn’t an option, but her thoughts had kept straying to the fire demon and her strong reaction to him.

She had chosen him because she was attracted to him. And she knew she was more receptive to those kind of attractions right now, but he hadn’t even touched her or made a move towards her last night and she had felt herself growing moist. And she had reached out to touch him -- for no reason. She’s lucky she still had both arms. Thank goodness he had spoken up and sent her in, because she had a feeling all it would take would be one time with him in her fertile state and she’d be shopping for diapers instead of learning the intricacies of the jian with Master Zhang. Then she’d be just as worthless to her sons as she had been over 450 years ago. She refused to even think about the fears the thoughts of another pregnancy instilled in her.


At the Mediterranean Harbor port, most of them decided to take one of the Venetian gondola rides. Ginta and Hakkaku decided to go in search of food instead, leaving 17 of them there, when one gondola holds 16 people. Splitting the rest of the group between two gondolas was actually accomplished rather easily when Shuuichi and his two friends hopped into one with a group of five unattached high school girls. Expecting the rest of them to ride together, Kagome was surprised to find herself maneuvered into a completely separate one. She was further surprised when Kurama managed to get the guide and singer to take off with only the two of them aboard. (Damn kitsune charm.) Well, there was nothing she could do but sit back and try to enjoy the ride. Besides, he couldn’t do anything as they drifted along the waterway for 11 or 12 minutes -- they were in plain sight of at least two other gondolas, and there were two men right there in the boat with them, one in front and one in back.

They had no sooner left the sight of the loading dock, than Kurama sent the man standing behind them to the front of the boat to join the other one, and their boat swerved down a different route than the other two had taken. The men conveniently turned their backs and began singing a rather romantic-sounding Italian ballad.

“I finally have you to myself,” the avatar purred in her ear, as he smoothly lifted her from the seat beside him and settled her in his lap. “Have I mentioned how much I admire your choice of clothing? There’s no denying you are a stunningly beautiful woman in your traditional kimonos, but I think you look much more touchable in a simple pair of blue jeans. And while I think you chose that shirt with its strangely murky shade of dark green to be deliberately dreary, in protest to giving up your mourning colors, I have to tell you that it is delightfully mysterious-looking instead. And I do so appreciate the barest hint of cleavage revealed by that vee neck. No matter how conservative you try to be, you cannot hide your abundant charms.”

“Kurama, what do you think you are doing? We are in a very public place, in broad daylight. You can’t just pull me onto your lap and whisper lavish compliments in my ear.”

“You’re quite right, and that isn’t my intention at all.” And threading one hand into the hair at the nape of her neck, he tilted her head up and covered her lips with his. Tracing the shape of them with his tongue, he nipped her full bottom lip with his teeth to get her to open for him, but she stubbornly refused until the hand that had been resting on her hip moved up to gently squeeze her breast. That move had the double benefit of stopping her from pushing against his chest with both hands as she quickly began trying to pry his hand off of her, and causing her to try to voice her outrage, thus allowing him the access he wanted.

Youko chuckled in his mind. “Why, Red, I had no idea you were so devious and calculating when it came to getting what you want from the opposite sex. There’s hope for you yet.”

Kurama lazily explored her mouth, enjoying the feel of her as much as the taste. He was able to prolong his attentions by firmly plucking her nipple through her shirt and bra which effectively kept her mind off of anything else he was doing by shocking the hell out of her. If he had just fifteen more minutes, he was sure he could have stripped off her jeans and impaled her on his cock right there in the boat. Just tasting her and touching her had him so hard he half-considered telling the guide to turn the boat around and go back the way they came to make the trip twice as long. But he knew he couldn’t do that, and he had to put her down before they came in sight of the departing dock and the rest of their group. The guide whistled at him to signal they were almost there.

It wasn’t until he let go of her that he became aware of the fact that her hands were lightly glowing and the skin on the back of the hand that had been covering her breast was red and hot. She hadn’t actually burned him, but she had been warning him. He was a little disconcerted that he had been so caught up in what he was doing that he hadn’t noticed. She was entirely too intoxicating. Hiei had definitely been right about her -- she was dangerous. And that in itself really did make her twice as enticing.

“Damn it, Youko. You’re starting to rub off on me. I really am going to hate it when Hiei is standing over our body kicking at our exposed intestines and saying ‘I told you so.’ Do me a favor next time and tell me I’m in danger of being purified before it happens.”

“Sorry, Red. I’m afraid I was a bit distracted myself. If you hadn’t had that thought about stripping off her jeans right there in the boat and …”

Kurama groaned quietly. “Don’t remind me. As it is, we may have to excuse ourselves for a little while, -- unless we want to jump in this canal, since there’s no lake to jump into around here.”

When they docked, Kagome looked up and saw the guide and singer grinning widely as they scurried to assist her from the boat. Breathing hard in a mixture of embarrassment and anger, with the color high on her cheeks, she struggled to compose herself. She could already see that her sons were quite agitated. Daitano just stood there with his arms crossed over his chest, while Eishumaru was clenching and unclenching his fists, and Sassouta was pacing around frowning. Taking a deep breath, she released a wave of calming energy. She just wished it would have that effect on her.

Kurama smiled and touched her cheek so she looked up at him. “Arigatou. I would have hated for them to try to whisk me off to the other side of the park for a beating.” And he winked at her. She wasn’t sure what he was talking about, but it didn’t sound like such a bad idea to her.

Even though her powers had the desired calming effect, one look at her flushed face and swollen lips was enough to make Hiei want to dunk the fox in the canal three times and only bring him up twice. (Damn kitsune.) He might have to stand in line for that, though, because the wolf, the other kitsune, and her sons all seemed to be contemplating similar scenarios. But, everyone went on without mishap, -- the only difference being Kurama wasn’t able to get near her again all day.

That night, after having spent the day riding more rides and seeing a few shows, they returned to the Mediterranean Harbor port to watch the fireworks spectacular, “BravisSEAmo!” Rather than being a simple display, this show followed the romantic story of a ‘Spirit of Water’ and a ‘Spirit of Fire’ as they meet over the waters. Yemon, standing right behind Kagome, took advantage of the beauty of the setting to rest his hands on her shoulders proprietarily and leaned down to rub his chin and cheek in her hair. Feeling the effects of her sleepless nights, Kagome unconsciously leaned back against him. “When we return to the hotel, I think we should continue getting better acquainted with each other. After all, you wanted to be sure we will be compatible as mates, did you not? We could begin by seeing how well we fit together,” he murmured. “The sooner my sons are born, the sooner Sassouta can make his challenge.”

That perked her back up and had her stepping away from him. (There’s nothing like a little sweet talk to turn a girl’s head. And ironically enough, tonight would be the perfect time for him to try to sire a son with me, -- if I had any intention of accepting him.) “I think it’s a little soon to be taking that step. And I hope you will excuse me, but I was planning to invite the other ladies to join me for some tea when we get back. I haven’t had many opportunities to spend time with other females lately, so I was hoping to take advantage of this one.”

“That sounds like a great idea, Kagome,” Keiko said.

“Hai, I think I’d like that,” Yukina agreed.

“Absolutely,” Shizuru chimed in. “That way you can tell me the best way to handle this one,” she rolled her eyes and jerked a thumb at Eishumaru, who was standing beside her with an arm casually draped around her shoulders.

And as he opened his mouth to answer back to that comment, his brothers stepped up and smacked him in the back of the head. “Hey! What was that for?”

“For what you were about to say about her handling you,” Sassouta told him.

Yusuke started snickering. “Man, I like your style,” he told the tall inuyoukai. “When we get back, I’m going to have to take you into town more often.”

“Oh, yeah. You’d be a great role model for him,” Keiko said, smacking him in the back of his head. “Sorry, Kagome. I‘m sure you have a hard enough time taking care of your … cousins without these guys’ bad influence.”

Kagome just chuckled. “Don’t worry. They’ve been around much worse. I’ll have to tell you about an old friend of mine, -- Miroku.”

And they all headed back to the hotel.
---------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------


Since the women were gathering in Kagome’s room, the older guys decided to relax in one of the lounges, while the younger ones took advantage of the heated indoor pool. Even though she was tired, Kagome really enjoyed spending some time getting to know the three women associated with the Spirit Detectives. Kazuma had told her a lot about them, -- especially Yukina, -- including how they had rescued her and how she had come to live with Genkai. Kagome was looking forward to meeting the older woman -- she was joining them at the hot springs.

They talked about the two parks, the things they’d like to do and see tomorrow, and giggled about Eishumaru’s infatuation with Shizuru, -- though Kagome felt she had to point out that technically, having past his hundred-years, even Sassouta was considered old enough to take a mate by youkai standards. Keiko’s jaw dropped at this information, and Shizuru chewed her cigarette thoughtfully, but Yukina just nodded. Kagome went on to explain that most youkai don’t consider taking mates until they are at least 200, and many prefer to be 400 - 700 before taking that step, especially those of noble blood.

“So, you’re saying tall, silver, and sexy may look like a boy, but he’s not?” Shizuru asked.

Kagome chuckled. “You’re asking the wrong person -- to me he’s still a little boy. And youkai like Youko, Yemon, Shippou, and even Hiei consider him a youth, but they would not deny he is mature enough for that. Though I must confess I would like to see him, and my other sons, wait until they are older, I think that is just because as their mother, I don’t want to give them up. And I would not deny them my blessing. Inuyasha was just a little older than Daitano when we mated.”

“Gomen, I don’t mean to sound rude, but it is so strange to hear you talk about them like that, and realize you really are their mother. You look a little younger than me,” Keiko commented.

“She does look young, -- she could pass for 18 easy, but you should have seen her when she first came to my beauty parlor -- she was wearing a traditional kimono, like Yukina used to, and she looked every inch the noblewoman. Still young, but matured by responsibility and status. And if you look in her eyes, you can see it,” Shizuru said. “Look at Yukina. No one would ever guess she isn’t your age, either.”

“Do you mind my asking how old you are, Yukina? I’ve never really thought about it since Yusuke is my age, and Kurama is just a year older, and they’re youkai,” Keiko asked politely.

Yukina smiled. “I don’t mind. I’m 284. And Yusuke and Kurama are kind of special cases, -- it’s like they are youkai housed in ningen bodies. When Yusuke’s mazoku blood was dormant, he was ningen. And Kurama is an avatar. Originally, his body was ningen, too, until Youko’s soul began merging with Shuuichi’s, and he began to prefer to be called Kurama as befitting his blended state. Now his body is blended as well, though I think his youkai powers will continue to grow until he has all of Youko’s strength as Kurama. But, because their bodies were ningen, they have aged as ningen so far. I don‘t believe either of them will anymore,” Yukina explained.

“So, if Yusuke doesn’t ask me to be his mate here in the next couple of years, I’m going to start looking older than him?”

“Well, … hai,” Kagome said gently.

“Don’t sweat it, honey. Apparently some of them like older-looking women. Right, shuutome?” Shizuru winked at Kagome, taking a drag on her cigarette. And they all burst out laughing.

When they calmed back down, Kagome told her, “If you knew Kouga, who is the only father Eishumaru knew, you might not laugh so hard. If he starts calling you ‘his woman,’ then you may very well be calling me ‘mother-in-law’ someday.”

Shizuru’s eyes widened and she stubbed out her cigarette. “I think on that note, I’ll call it a day. Arigatou, for the tea.”

“Hai, arigatou, Kagome. We’ll see you in the morning,” Keiko said.

“It was very nice to get to talk with you. I hope we will be able to get together often,” Yukina bowed.

“So do I,” Kagome said, with a smile, as she returned the bow.

It was later than she had thought, and she was exhausted, but she dreaded going to sleep, -- because she knew that once she did, she would have to wake up again.
---------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------


(I am really going to kill that onna. What the hell is wrong with her? How many times do I have to tell her to stop going out alone at night? What do I have to do -- tie her to her bed?) Okay, that bit of imagery did not help his current condition at all. He would have smacked himself in the head if he didn’t already have his hands on her shoulders to give her a good shaking. “You have to be the stupidest onna in all the three realms.”

She grinned at him. “Well, hello to you, too, Hiei. Out for another midnight run?”

“I should just toss you into the bay and save everyone the trouble of having to come through the barrier to kill you.”

“You know, you’re really cute when you’re angry.”

He blinked. He narrowed his eyes and leaned in to sniff her. “Have you been drinking?”

She started chuckling. “No. I am perfectly sober, if somewhat over-tired.” She sighed heavily and closed her eyes. (He really isn’t helping things by standing so close and touching me.)

“Then you should be in bed.” And so help him, he wanted to be in there with her. He looked over the railing. Just how far could he toss her, anyway?

(Oh, sweet kami.) If he didn’t let go of her, she was going to wrap her arms around his neck and beg him to join her there. And then he really would kill her because he’d think she was trying to get pregnant. “Hiei, … you’d better let go of me before I do something we’re both going to regret.”

“Are you threatening me, onna?”

“Just to rip your pants off and throw myself on you.” She opened her eyes and looked at him.

(Well, … fuck.) He pulled his hands away as if he’d been burned and took a couple of steps back. Now he was going to have to toss himself in the bay. He couldn’t help it, -- he started to laugh. It was all just too damn ridiculous for words. How did he get in this mess in the first place?

Kagome’s eyes widened as she stared at him in surprise. “I don’t think I’ve heard you laugh before. It sounds good. You should do it more often, -- just not at my expense.”

“I’m not laughing at you, onna. I’m laughing at fate, or the kamis, or whoever it is that set this whole sorry situation up.”

She smiled at that. “I’m glad I’m not the only one railing at them. But I’m sorry to say, it hasn’t done me any good.” They both relaxed a bit. “If you’re going to be up for a while, would you mind taking a walk with me? It’ll just take me a minute to get dressed.”

“Hn. Do I have a choice? You can’t go wandering around by yourself.”

“Well, if you really don’t want to, I guess I could just go inside and stare at the walls until morning.”

“Just hurry up.”

They walked along the edge of the bay in silence for a long time, both glad for the cold breeze blowing off of the water. Hiei contemplated the woman walking beside him. She really was very complicated. She wasn’t what he had expected when Koenma had first briefed them on this assignment. Oh, he had expected her to be beautiful and charming. How else would she get three Taiyoukai to mate with her? And she had to be powerful and clever to have killed them. What he hadn’t expected was her fierce love and devotion for her sons and her continued kindness and generosity towards the four of them, even when she knew they were trying to find evidence that would most likely get her executed. Most of all, he hadn’t expected her forthrightness about her passions and desires, and he certainly never expected her to be attracted to him. It just didn’t make any sense. Then again, neither did his unreasonable attraction to her.

He watched her out of the corner of his eye for a minute. And here was something else. She was the direct source of all of his physical and mental discomfort, and yet, even though he wanted nothing more than to throw her on the ground and relieve this incessant ache by burying himself in the welcoming heat of her body, he was more at ease being right beside her than he had been when he tried to stay away. It really didn’t make any sense.

And here was the kicker: she might actually be what she seemed to be. It really hadn’t mattered to him one way or another whether she was guilty or not. He didn’t care if she was a killer. He didn’t care, period. But, if it turned out that she wasn’t, then that meant this relationship he was having with her wasn’t going to come to end simply because she had been locked up or executed. So, … there was a possibility this unbearable obsession he had with her was just going to go on. Of course, once her sons had reclaimed their lands, and she didn’t have to focus on her fighting skills, she wouldn’t need to continue their arrangement. He frowned at that. But, would she want to? If they actually proved she was innocent, she would be free to move around in all three realms. She would have youkai and ningen and irritating little demi-gods lusting after her wherever she went. So, she would be able to have her pick of lovers, if she really was determined not to take another mate. A low growl rumbled in his throat, and Kagome stopped and looked at him.

“Is something wrong?” She looked around to see if he had sensed some kind of danger.

“We should head back,” he said tersely.

She touched his shoulder, and searched his face for a sign as to what had disturbed him. She could feel the sudden tension and anger rolling off of him. “Are you sure nothing’s wrong?” Her hand moved from his shoulder to his cheek, forgetting in her concern that she shouldn’t be touching him.

“Onna, …” And he picked her up and sped back to the hotel. A black blur went up the outside of the building, landing on her balcony. He put her down and jumped up on the railing. “Go inside and try to sleep.” And he was gone.
----------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------


The next day, they decided to finish checking out the Disney Sea park, then they were going to split up for the afternoon and meet back at the hotel for dinner. The plan then was to go for an evening swim in the outdoor heated pool before pursuing whatever they wanted for the rest of the night. They would be leaving in the morning to head to the Kusatsu Onsen Resort, where they would meet up with Kagome’s mother and grandfather, Master Zhang, Jaken, Myouga, Genkai, and Kurama’s mother and step-father.

Kagome found herself cornered by Yemon when everyone went their separate ways that afternoon. He told her he wanted to spend some private time with her during the rest of the trip, since he was trying to court her. She ended up setting up “dates” with him, Kurama, and Shippou, -- to start at the hot springs, claiming that these first few days she had wanted to spend with her sons and brother, doing things she knew they would enjoy. At least then she would be past this infuriating fertile period, and hopefully she’d be able to get some sleep. She really didn’t feel up to dealing with them today, and since she didn’t expect to get any sleep tonight, either, she made the first evening’s date for tomorrow night with Shippou.

After dinner that evening, she was tempted to beg off from the swim. In the first place, she was really becoming ridiculously tired, -- so much so that she even considered having Shippou put her out so she could get some sleep. But she knew that was no guarantee that she wouldn’t dream. The other thing that had her hesitating was the bathing suit situation. She hadn’t worn one in 117 years, and she felt terribly conspicuous. Of course, since their next destination was an onsen resort, which had both same sex and co-ed springs, she supposed she would have to face up to it sooner or later.

Hiei, who hadn’t been fit company for anyone today, didn’t feel much like going, either. He had snapped at everyone foolish enough to try talking to him, and had spent the day glaring at Kuwabara and making scathing remarks to him, simply because he was an easy target. The only reason he did go was because he wasn’t about to let Yukina walk around in a bathing suit around all these ningen males with no one but Kuwabara there to keep them away.

When Kagome walked out to the pool with her sons and Souta, Shuuichi, Daichi, and Chikao quickly pointed out a lounging chair she could put her yukata and towel on. Seeing that Keiko, Shizuru, and Yukina were already in the pool, she decided to join them quickly. Not having given the matter much thought, Daitano’s head whipped around when the first scent of arousal hit him. There had already been a hint of it in the air from all the teenage boys around lusting after the teenage girls there, but it suddenly seemed to spike. All of the youkai present turned to find out the cause of the sudden increase, -- all of them except Hiei, who closed his eyes and started cursing to himself. He already knew who they were reacting to, and he was not going to add to it, -- at least, he wasn’t going to let anyone know.

As Kagome started forward to the pool, Daitano stepped in front of her. He might be fine with the fact that two youkai were courting/trying to seduce her, and he might not mind if she took a lover, -- that would be perfectly natural, but he did not like being faced with the obvious evidence that all these males were ogling her and imagining they had a chance of enjoying her favors. That was just a little too much, -- even for a youkai, to have to put up with regarding his own mother. If any of these ningen dared to try to touch her, …

She was wearing the most modest bathing suit she had been able to find, -- a sleek, black, one-piece. But while the front of her torso was completely covered, it clung to her like a second skin, clearly defining her ample bust, tiny waist, and curvy hips. And like all bathing suits, a generous amount of cleavage was exposed, along with the entire length of her toned and shapely legs. With her long hair waving about her, she epitomized the accounts of the legendary celestial maidens. The only difference being, instead of the customary innocence expected of them, she exuded an unconscious and very earthy air of sensuality.

Eishumaru, who had been on his way to join Shizuru, had stepped back to stand next to Daitano. “Well, crap, kaa-, Kagome. You sure know how to make an entrance.”

Sassouta, seeing that his brothers were going to let this agitate them, decided to fix things. He ran forward, grabbed his mother around the waist, and jumped in the pool with her. “Stay low in the water,” he whispered to her when she surfaced and stopped sputtering, “otherwise Daitano and Shu are going to start busting heads.”

She sighed and nodded, then swam over to join the other women. She had come to realize and accept that a lot of males found her attractive ever since her soul had ascended and she had been “blessed” with certain celestial maiden traits. Naturally, only her mates had been aware of all of them, but she knew her skin held a certain glow to it that males seemed to find enticing, along with the extra-silkiness of her hair. All three of her mates had told her that she had always been exceptionally beautiful, even without the added boost to her appearance, but she had never seen it. And she had to admit, she appreciated some of the benefits. She had always been rather curvy, but her pregnancies had enhanced her bust, and she was sure it was the celestial qualities she had been granted that kept them firm and perky, and that had allowed her to regain a trim waist and flat stomach after her sons had been born.

Her mates had helped her become comfortable with and confident of her body, and through the years, she had learned to accept the admiring glances and fulsome compliments with grace and composure. But she had forgotten how much more forward, and even crude, males in this time could be. However, even if they made her feel uncomfortable, she wouldn’t let it show. And if her sons weren’t showing signs of agitation, she wouldn’t bother to “stay low in the water.” But, she didn’t want them to feel like they had to hover over her, so she would visit with the girls a bit and then leave.

After she had chatted a bit, Sassouta and Souta talked her into a game of tag, and soon their whole group had joined in. Except Hiei. And the only one who “tagged” her inappropriately was Chikao. Fortunately for him, none of her sons had noticed. Unfortunately for him, Hiei had, and the water right around him became uncomfortably hot, causing him to get out for a while to cool off. When it started getting dark, Yemon and Kurama both gravitated to her side, and Shippou hadn’t been far behind, so she had encouraged her sons to go have fun. After a few minutes, Kagome had excused herself, saying she needed to pack up to be ready to leave in the morning, and that she wanted to get plenty of rest so they could take advantage of the whole day. All three of them escorted her up to her room. Closing her door, she sighed. It was going to be a long night.
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Hiei watched as she writhed, and tossed and turned. He could testify to the fact that the bay was, indeed, still cold at this time of year. Having just taken a swim in said bay, he had felt compelled to visit her balcony again, -- just to make sure she wasn’t up and out. He had actually been a little surprised when he didn’t see her there, so he had decided to check, just to make sure she was where she was supposed to be. The damn onna might have stayed inside, but she hadn’t bothered to lock the sliding glass door or even draw the curtain. He had stepped just inside the room and had been frozen in place by the sight of her in the bed.

Her midnight-colored hair was streaming wildly across the pillow, and long strands of it were hanging off the side of the bed like an inky waterfall all the way to the floor. The sheets were twisted around her waist and hips, but her legs lay bare where her nightgown had ridden up. In the moonlight that poured in through the balcony door, he could see a thin sheen of sweat glistening on her skin. There was no mistaking the heady scent of her arousal, and he could plainly hear her labored breathing. He was going to have to jump right back into the bay -- if he didn’t come in his pants, which was very likely at this point. Then her hips had lifted off the bed, and she had cried out, leaving no doubt that the memory of her dream lover could still stir her, even if he was no longer able to be with her physically.

Hiei turned to leave, then stopped when he heard her begin to sob softly. Looking back, he saw that she had curled up on her side, and was now clutching a pillow to her chest and face, as if it were one of her mates. He heard her whisper brokenly, “Don’t go.” As she continued to cry, he could tell that she was starting to wake. He quietly walked over to the bed, and straightened the sheets out as best he could without disturbing her. Then, lifting them up, he gently eased the pillow out of her grasp. When she whimpered and reached out for it, he slid into the bed next to her, and pulled her against him. She immediately wrapped her arms around him and snuggled into his chest. “You’re still here.”

“Hai. I’m not going anywhere.”

He closed his eyes as she relaxed. Maybe now she’d actually get some rest. He knew she had barely slept the last two nights, and that it hadn’t been a restful kind of sleep. And she hadn’t slept at all the night before that. Thank goodness this was the last night, and she would be able to come to his room at the hot springs resort. Considering the fact that he was literally in hell right now with the way she was pressed up against him, she really needed to get some sleep, because he was going to make sure she “made it up to him” tomorrow.

When she began to shift against him, he gritted his teeth and tried to soothe her by gently rubbing her back. But instead of calming her, she started rubbing her leg along the outside of his, until she was practically lying on top of him. He was seriously starting to regret slipping into the role of one of her mates for her. The feel of her soft, warm lips trailing along his shoulder and up his neck nearly did him in. He could tell by her breathing that she was actually still asleep at the moment. But, whether she needed the sleep or not, he was going to have to get out of there. There was just no way he could hold out for long when she was doing that. It wouldn’t take much at all to make him throw caution to the winds and …
“I want you, … Hiei.”

His eyes flew open. (Well, … fuck me.)
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Tobikuma - (flying cloud) - Kagura’s younger son, the current ruler of the Eastern lands
Ginjiro - (silver second son) - Kagura’s older son (by Sesshoumaru?)
Daichi - (great land) - one of Shuuichi’s (Kurama’s step-brother) friends
Chikao - (clever, wise) - another of Shuuichi’s friends
Aiji - Kagome called her sons this -- beloved children
Kyudo - the way of the bow
Kaiken - ceremonial dagger, traditionally carried by Japanese brides
Shuutome - Shizuru teased Kagome by calling her this -- mother-in-law

Shippou mentioned how Japanese cultural etiquette made Tokyo Disneyland grounds easier to maintain simply because they believe it’s impolite to eat while you walk. You should see pictures of the grounds there -- they’re spotless and gorgeous. No litter.

Also, Kagome mentioned to Yemon that he shouldn’t kiss her in public because it was frowned upon. You really won’t see many PDA’s in Japan -- more of their cultural etiquette. (Of course, the younger generations are becoming more influenced by Western culture all the time, so you can’t get away from it completely.) In many of the schools, a student could be punished for touching a member of the opposite sex anywhere below the shoulder -- even lower down on the arm. A touch anywhere else is considered an indication of a relationship going on. Only serious couples walk around holding hands.

I had to throw in the bit about the toy gun on the Jungle Cruise -- it really cracks me up that they still do it in Japan, but not here. (And I’m old enough that I remember when they did it here.)

What can I say? I loved, loved, LOVED all the reviews for the last chapter! It’s great to know that so many of you are really into this story, -- especially since it’s been a bit of an obsession with me. (An alarm sounds in our house whenever I’m NOT writing, and the boys and my husband all dash for the chance to use the computer. Heh heh!) Thanks so much for following along with me, and for letting me know what you like, dislike, and what’s driving you crazy about the storyline!

Purplebabe - Well, I think Hiei is definitely starting to realize that this little relationship he entered into is turning into more than he bargained for. Heh heh! A little more info, a little more intrigue, … how’s that working for you?
SKnFS - Thanks so much for the very kind words! I’m glad you enjoy the little bits of Japanese culture I try to throw in. What did you think about Kagura’s bombshell?
Anonymous O - Well, the others are starting to come around to Kuwabara’s way of thinking. You know, I actually thought about throwing in a couple of scenes with Jin, Touya, Chuu, and Rinku, but I’m not comfortable about my ability to portray them very well. So, they probably won’t turn up in this, unless Chuu brings the detectives some news. I’m thinking about it. So, did Hiei cope well with his necessary abstinence? Heh heh!
*Angelwings21* - I just about died when I read your review!! You remember I mentioned ripping out a part of the last chapter because I didn’t want to reveal it yet? Well, um, … it was her story about what happened. *ducks and runs for cover* So, anyway, it’ll be coming up soon. As to why they haven’t asked her yet, -- they thought she was guilty and just assumed she wouldn’t tell them or would lie. Now, THIS little kinda-cliffie wasn’t evil, was it?
Loveinuyasha911 - Oh, they noticed Kagura all right, but Kagome didn’t want to let anyone know what she had said about Sesshoumaru’s other son. What did you think about their new theories?
HeartStar - The woman-to-woman talk didn’t go too well for Kagome. But hey! Now it looks like she may have only killed ONE of her mates, so, that’s good, right? Heh heh!
Kawaii-KeKe-Chan - Kurama’s comment at the cha-no-yu was a reference to the story on the scroll painting. He took it that she was warning them either about their investigation of her OR about his efforts to seduce her that they wouldn’t be able to get her, -- possibly even threatening them with the reminder that she can turn them to ashes. (In the story, the tea master ended up with the assassin’s sword, which was covered in ashes, and he basically offered to “give it back to him after he cleaned the ashes off,” implying he could use it on HIM, cleaning the ashes in his blood.) So, Kurama was telling her he wasn’t going to back down at the threat of a few ashes. Make sense? (Yeah, it was pretty vague, wasn’t it? I should have explained it better. *sigh*) Well, Hiei made it through the three days, -- or did he? Heh heh! And that was a nasty surprise Kagura had for Kagome, wasn’t it?
SadBrokenWings - I’m glad you enjoyed the cha-no-yu last time. There’s actually even more to the ceremony, but I had to condense it. I thought it sounded like the perfect way to start off diplomatic talks, therefore making it perfect for her to use in her new position, -- provided she doesn’t get beheaded, of course. Heh heh!
Drachegirl14 - The evidence the detectives had gathered so far hadn’t been enough to convict her, although for a brief moment they thought it was when they found out that all three of her mates had also been poisoned, therefore linking the crimes even more solidly to a single killer. (Until they found out there really might be a possible scenario where three different women had killed the Taiyoukai. Now they have to either prove or disprove the possibility that they could have done it.) Naturally, since they are investigating murders involving spells and souls that disappeared, etc., etc, they’re not needing to actually find physical evidence to convict her -- they really just need to prove it had to be her because no one else could have done it. What do you think about their new theories? About “Hentai Bets,” I hadn’t planned on doing a sequel, but I won’t say never. If I do, it may just show up as a one-shot or something like that. But, first I will get this story completely out of my head and onto the computer screen. I’m really glad you liked “HB” -- I had a blast writing it!
Youkos Kitsune - Yep. Kagura was definitely there to stir the pot. Did you like her little bombshell? Heh heh! I’m trying to bring Hiei and Kagome along in a fairly believable and reasonable way. But a little abstinence kicked things up a notch. Maybe “absence” really does make the heart grow fonder … Heh heh!
Seiteki Tenshi - The detectives are beginning to have the same thoughts about the three other women. Ah, but I see you are a true believer in Sesshoumaru’s awesome power. Heh heh! (I hope you don’t mind if I twist my non-existent mustache evilly for a moment.) And I got a good giggle out of your reasoning behind Kouga and Inuyasha’s deaths -- I have to confess, you’re right: Kouga does get distracted easily. Still, I feel disloyal giggling about it. Hee hee! How was that for a little woman-to-woman talk? There’s going to be fallout from it later…
Sardave - Woo hoo! You’re my 150th review for this story! Thanks! I don’t know if there were any homeruns in this chapter, but I tried to keep everything moving along. I can’t tell you how many things I had to cut out and backtrack over to try to keep from getting ahead of myself. It’s a lot harder than I thought, and this chapter drove me nuts. The characters kept saying things that led me down roads I didn’t want to travel. I had to duct tape Daitano because he nearly threw any further seduction efforts on Kurama’s part right out the window. And he has to keep after her because, … well, because. ’Nuff said. So, anyway, this chapter took me about 11 days of practically non-stop writing because I probably spent 4 days deleting stuff. Grrrr. Tell me I’m not the only one who does that. Please!
Animeboysrock23 - Your wish is my command!
Bloodbunny - Well, Kagura didn’t kill Kagome -- she just stuck a knife in her heart. It was just a small scene, but there’s going to be fallout from it later.
Selenity potter - Yeah, I kind of liked the idea that they would assume “Lady” Kikyou is a youkai noble. After all, what are the chances another human woman, who is also a miko would fall in love with a hanyou? Right? And I couldn’t resist throwing in a little irony when they found out there really were three different women in love with her mates. (Believe it or not, I had Hiei make that statement about the kamis not having that bizarre a sense of humor in the previous chapter with just that in mind. Heh heh!)
Dadada - I hope you enjoy this chapter, too!
Icywolfflame - Kagura wasn’t very nice to Kagome, was she? You know, I think you’re the first person to mention Naraku. I hope you liked this chapter!
Hentai Vixen - Sorry, no lemons in this one, but just wait til next time!!
Shadeless Night - Yeah, that’s part of the appeal for me, too -- that Koenma (and the others) never even considered Hiei as a possibility for courting Kagome, but he’s the one she’s spending her nights with. Heh heh!
Who Am I? - I have to confess, I’ve been so focused on the time period after the “Great Quest,” when she was with each Taiyoukai and the aftermath of the murders, that I hadn’t really thought about explaining the details of it. I was kind of going with the thought that it was a legend all the youkai know about. But, I may just throw in a little story-telling to cover it. Kuwabara’s just a sweetheart in this one. Loved your thoughts on the three women. As you can see, the detectives are starting to wonder about that possibility, too.
Hawaiianhoney2030 - Well, there was a little more info in this chapter -- just enough to start them thinking about other possibilities. And poor Hiei is starting to have a few unpleasant thought about this relationship he entered into -- like the possibility that she isn’t going to be executed and he might just continue to be plagued with his desire for her -- er, for having sex with her. Heh heh! Thanks so much for the huge vote of confidence!!
HalfBlackWolfDemon - How did Kagome get Sesshoumaru’s blood under her nails? If you only knew how much I want to tell …but not yet. Heh heh! I’m glad you enjoyed a lot of the different stuff in the last chapter, and I hope this one’s okay, too!
*DYQuem* - YOU! You were peeking over my shoulder when I was typing, weren’t you? Because I swear, I had no sooner written the little bit where Hiei was thinking about the fact that he wants to kiss her, than I checked my email, (that’s my favorite stalling tactic), and read your review and what you had to say about it. And yes, I knew that it would seem strange for Kagome, of all people, to enter such an intimate relationship and keep it strictly sex, with no kissing. She did that deliberately, though, because she doesn’t want to start having feelings for him. (And yes, she’s just fooling herself if she thinks she can separate the intimacy from the sex. If she had gone for a one-night fling, then yeah. But a repeated relationship, -- well, the intimacy just grows.) So, you’re right -- when they actually kiss, it’s going to be a real turning point. (And I’ve got a great scene for it, too! Heh heh!) I really, really appreciate you reviewing. And anyone who says, “Mea culpa,” is a friend of mine forever. Before I fell in love with history, I was pre-law.
Beckyducky - Well, Kagura isn’t so good after all. She was rather mean to Kagome, throwing Sesshoumaru’s other son in her face like that. Hmph. And yeah, what’s not to love about Sesshoumaru? *sigh*