Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Hentai Bets ❯ Winning and Losing ( Chapter 21 )

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

I really hope everyone has been enjoying reading this even half as much as I’ve been enjoying writing it. We’re nearing the end of the ride, though, but trust me -- it’s going to go out with a bang. (Or several, if you’ll excuse the crude pun. Heh heh!) As always, I offer my sincere thanks to all of you who read and review. I hope this chapter is to your liking -- it’s super-ultra-tremendously looooong.

SadBrokenWings - I’m glad I was able to surprise you a little. How many times can Hiei lose her and get her back? Let’s count: 1, 2, … 3?
Seiteki_Tenshi - I think this chapter’s ending may be more to your liking. Hiei took care of the problem with her seeing Hojo as him when he had her close her eyes and feel his butt -- she recognized it, and knew it was him, so when she opened her eyes, she saw him as himself. Ah, the power of association. Or maybe just a great ass. Heh heh!
HeartStar- I hope this was soon enough! I try!
Kawaii-KeKe-Chan - I really am flattered you like this so much! I agree -- we IY/YYH fans need to network and promote all the great stories we read. Hmmm. I might have to put together a list. Great idea!
SangoTajiya - Um, … yes? I know I should apologize and swear I’ll never do it again, but, … I just can’t help myself! I love cliffhangers! And, I’m sorry, but there isn’t a lemon in this chapter. However, … prepare to pucker up for the next one -- it’s going to be chock-FULL of lemony goodness! We’ll all need a nap when it’s through.
PureMiko_Kagome69ner - I’m glad you aren’t really feeling sorry for Hojo -- he has at least one more appearance to make. As for Musou, …bah!
Silvermisttaleweaver - Yeah, I kind of giggled at the thought of 1. Anyone calling Sesshoumaru Grandpa, and 2. Him ever willingly babysitting -- especially a bunch of little kitsunes!
Underwater963 - Glad you’re enjoying the suspense! Hope you like this chapter, too!
Purplebabe - I’m glad you liked Hiei’s unique method of helping Kagome recognize him! That’s Hojo down -- time for Musou.
Todavialoca - I’m so glad you’ve been enjoying this story. As of now, I don’t have plans for a sequel, but I will almost immediately start posting a new Hiei/Kag story that’s been on my mind for weeks. (And I’ve got beginning chapters for at least 3 others sitting in my computer.) I just want to finish up “HB” first to set a good precedent for myself.
Halfblackwolfdemon - Thanks for all your kind words! Hope you like this chapter!
Bloodbunny - You want Musou dead? Really? I’ll see what I can do.
Youkos_Kitsune - Another cry for death and destruction? Man, Musou is SO outta there! And it’s time for Kagome to discover the truth, but it’s gonna be painful.
Touketsu _Kaijin - I’m really glad you enjoyed Hojo’s beating! I have to confess, I liked it, too! You’re so right about Hiei being able to call her to him -- that will play a part here.
Dragon Kitsune - I’m glad you can see at lest of the appeal of Hiei/Kag in this. I like Kur/Kag, too.
Bruce n Charlie - Thanks so much for your kind words! It’s true that I definitely had in mind the story I wanted to tell, but I really do try to listen to readers’ input and accommodate them where I can. And I’ve done my best to update as regularly as possible -- thanks for noticing!
Selenitypotter - I think you’ll like this chapter’s ending a little better. (I hope so!)
ChaoticKittiex3 - Thanks for putting away the inflatable hammer -- I don’t think you’ll need it anymore!

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


DISCLAIMER: Only people as intelligent and talented as Takahashi-san and Togashi-san could create the brilliant stories and characters we love in the manga and anime known as “InuYasha” and “YuYu Hakusho.” Plebs like me just amuse ourselves by tinkering around with their worlds -- we never profit from it.

************************************************************** **********
Last time:
Hiei made sure Kagome stood back a few more feet, while he positioned himself in front of her. Kurama put the scroll on the ground and stepped back. He nodded at the monk, and everyone held their breath as he took out an ofuda and sent it towards the scroll. When it touched the parchment, it crackled with a blue light, then the scroll rose and hovered in the air.

“Hiei!”

Everyone turned to see a purple sphere rise from the ground from under Kagome’s feet to encase her within its barrier. Hiei tried to force his way into it, but was thrown back. As he stood to try again, they saw Kagome close her eyes and raise a hand to her shoulder. In a flash, the sphere was gone. The scroll dropped to the ground. Written in bold purple script were three words: “Come to Me.”
************************************************************ ************


“Well, fuck me!” Yusuke yelled. He couldn’t fucking believe it. The bastard got her. They were all standing right there, and he fucking got her! Naraku said he thought Musou had set a trap for her. Kurama warned them about the scroll. Hiei kept Kagome away from it. And the bastard Still. Fucking. Got. Her! What are we -- a bunch of idiots? He looked over at Hiei. He was surprised the fire demon was still standing there -- he would have thought he would have taken off immediately after her. “Hiei? You okay?”

Hiei was struggling to suppress the need to transform and take his female back. He knew they needed to find Musou to end this, and following Kagome to him was their best chance at the moment. But, damn it! How much was a demon supposed to take? In the last 6 hours alone, 1 man had tried to steal his onna using the jewel to make her marry him, another one had made an agreement with youkai to have him killed so he could have her, and now this youkai who had wanted her for centuries had called her to him, and was waiting with the fucking Gem of Desire to make her mate him. After he removed Musou’s head from his shoulders, he just fucking dared anyone else to try to take her from him.

Kurama put his hand on his shoulder. “Well, it looks like he was 2 jumps ahead of us with that move, but we still have our ace in the hole. He doesn’t know you marked her, and he won’t be expecting us to be able to find him so quickly.”

Hiei took a deep breath. “I know. We need to go now, though. We should track them and find a location a little ways away to call her back to. That way he’ll have to come after her and won’t have the advantage of his encampment.”

“Good thinking. Try not to lose us,” Kurama said, stepping back and letting Youko take over so they could travel faster.

“Well, hello, tall, silver, and sexy!” Jakotsu said appreciatively. “I was hoping I’d get to see you again.”

“Jakotsu, we don’t have time for your flirting. You four come with me, -- it’ll be quicker this way,” Naraku ordered. Miroku and Jakotsu quickly stepped next to Naraku, and Kuwabara and Yusuke joined them. Naraku enclosed them all in his sphere and it took off in the direction Hiei, Youko, Shippou, and Kouga went.

As they sped along above the trees, Kuwabara asked, “So, what exactly happened back there with that scroll?”

“Apparently, when Miroku’s ofuda activated Musou’s youki, the words on the scroll cast a spell forming one of his barriers around Kagome, and she was compelled to do as the scroll said. It was rather ingenious, really. In effect, he created a way to call her to him that provided a means for her to get there that we shouldn’t have been able to follow. And if Hiei hadn’t marked her, we wouldn’t be able to. Musou’s barrier masks her scent and aura, and that sphere practically seemed to teleport her away. Even with his speed, the little hybrid would have been left standing in the dust,” Naraku explained.

“You don’t have to sound so impressed by it,” Yusuke grumbled. “That’s your teammate he took with his ‘ingenious’ little trick. Damn. He made us look like a bunch of schoolchildren.”

“Um, I hate to mention it, but even though we know that we can find Kagome, the real problem is, if he called her to him, that means he must know how to use the Gem. And while I, myself, have never been guilty of the practice, I have to point out that he could, conceivably, mate with her in just a few minutes time,” Miroku felt compelled to say. He glanced at Naraku.

“Hai. Under the circumstances, that’s exactly what I would have done,” he confirmed. “I would expect no less from Musou.”

“You’re telling me you really think he’s planning to jump her bones the minute she gets there?” Yusuke asked. “Mate by quickie?”

Naraku quirked a brow at him, “Amusingly crude description, but accurate.”

“Oh, no! Our poor, little Kagome! A girl’s first time should have all the bells and whistles -- wine, candlelight, satin sheets, and cherry-flavored body oil. Not just a big, hulking demon telling her to ‘Come here and jump on my dick,” -- that’s better left for later, like when he jumps out of the closet to surprise her, or it should at least be accompanied by a leather mask and a whip. I don’t suppose Musou is into leather, is he?” Jakotsu wondered out loud. When he saw everyone staring at him, he said, “What?”

“You. Are. Insane! We’re talking about someone forcing Kagome to mate with him, and you’re worried about whether or not he’s wearing leather?!!?” Yusuke threw his hands up in the air.

“Don’t get all pissy just because you think you’re being adventuresome when you roll over on your back -- I’m not saying it’s okay for him to take her, even if he is waiting there with a peacock feather and a pot of warm, melted wax. I just got a little distracted by that train of thought. By the way, I don’t suppose her little fireball owns any leather chaps, does he? Because I guarantee there’s nothing like throwing your loved one a little ‘surprise party’ by popping up out of the clothes hamper wearing nothing but leather chaps, a black cowboy hat and a lasso at your waist. Maybe I’ll suggest that to him …” and Jakotsu’s voice trailed off as he got a faraway look in his eyes.

(Oh. Sweet. Kami.) Yusuke rubbed his eyes to try to get that image out. That was much worse than his nightmare about all the chibi Hieis. (I’ll never put my clothes in the hamper again. Keiko will just have to bitch about them being on the floor.) “Do you mind if we get back to the problem at hand? If you really think Musou is ‘ready and waiting’ for her, why the hell didn’t you tell Hiei to call her back immediately? I know you don’t want to put her through that, and if he gets there mid-fuck, he’s going to go berserk and probably slaughter everyone on the whole damn island!”

“Of course we don’t want anything to happen to her, you fool,” his voice dripping with contempt, Naraku turned to him, “But for now, she’s trapped in that barrier, and your teammate asserted he could help her fight the effects of the Gem.”

The detective looked at him in surprise. “You’re really trusting him to keep her safe, aren’t you?”

“I may not like the sadistic little psycho, but hai, I do trust him to do that. And My Miko is no pushover -- she will see to it that we have time to get there.”

“I hope you’re right.”
********************************************************* ***************


“Has she reached him yet?”

“No, but she’s too damn far ahead of us. At this rate, it’ll take us at least an hour to reach them after she arrives. We’re going to have to find a spot farther away from him than I wanted, to call her back to.”

“Just don’t wait too long. If he uses it like that ningen, it only takes a minute or two to use the Gem. And we all know it would only take him a few minutes after that to bind her to him as his mate -- since she’s not youkai, all that’s needed is his mark at penetration to cement his claim. At least if she was youkai, we’d have more time before the bond was complete since she’d have to also mark him when she climaxed to prove her acceptance of him.”

“Even if she was youkai, do you think I would allow him the opportunity to even begin to form the mating bond? That is not …”

“Hiei? Can you hear me? I can see a camp up ahead. Sweet Kami! There must be close to 500 demons there.”

“We’re about an hour behind you. We’re going to find a place to bring you back to so they’ll have to fight on our terms. Do you see Musou?”

“Not yet. Wait. This sphere is passing over the camp -- there’s a big tent a little ways away from the others at the back. Looks like it’s showtime. Are you ready to use the Jagan?”

“Don’t worry. I’m with you.”

“Fox, she’s there. We’ve got to find a site quick.”

“Shippou! Kouga! Spread out and find an open spot for our battleground -- she’s there!”

Overhead, Naraku saw them split up, and took his sphere higher to give him a better vantage point to look for an appropriate site.

“There! About 10 miles due west,” Kuwabara pointed to a large semi-circular clearing that would serve their purposes nicely. As they signaled the ones on the ground, they quickly headed to their new destination.
********************************************************** **************

“Miko. So nice of you to join me. I have waited for you far too long.”

“Um, Hiei? Are you here? Because I’m still trapped in this barrier, and all Musou is wearing is that watch!”

A deafening roar shattered the peace of the forest.

“Well that’s just great. He’s green again.”

“Something must be happening with Kagome and Musou.”

“Then he should call her back now!”

“I can’t yet, damn it! -- She’s still trapped in his barrier. And the fucking bastard is naked!”

“Wait. You mean he was waiting for her -- naked?”

“Well, shit, boy! The second he drops that barrier, you’d better bring her here!”

“You think I don’t know that?!!?”

As the others all gathered at the site they’d selected, Hiei stood still while the Jagan began to glow. Apparently, he was going to have to be actively controlling and using the Jagan at the same time he concentrated on the youki from his mark to call her. He hadn’t expected to have to do both at once, since calling one’s prospective mate took a lot of focus and ki. He had hoped he’d be able to call her before actually having to try to counter the effects of the Gem. He thought about what she had said. She was on the far side of the camp. So, even when he called her to him, she would have to cut a path through the mass of demons gathered there. (Damn it!) He quickly told Kurama what the situation was, and Shippou ran on towards Musou’s new camp so he could help her make a quicker getaway when she broke free.

Hiei let the Jagan’s power filter through his link with her, and he used it to construct a representational form of himself inside her mind. He summoned a similar form of her, so he could see exactly how she was reacting to what Musou was doing. And from what Musou was saying, he did know exactly how to use the Gem of Desire to best effect, and he wasn’t wasting any time doing it.

“… the saimyoushou showed me his pathetic attempt. But even though he discovered another way to activate a portion of its powers, that foolish ningen was doomed to failure. He focused it on his own desires, making you a passive object of his wishes. To harness the full power of the Gem, I will make my desires yours, and its force will flow through you actively.” And Musou infused the watch with a massive amount of his youki, making it flash purple, then a blinding white. The white light shot out in a beam directly to Kagome, encasing her in its brilliance.

“And now, koiishi, let us focus on your desires. You want to be with me. You need to be with me. Forever. You want to submit to me -- to repress your powers and accept my mark as I claim you for my mate. Nothing is as important as that. Nothing means as much to you as being with me. You want to give yourself to me, … now.”

As Musou spoke, Kagome felt that slight tingling sensation on the back of her neck like she had felt when Hojo had used the Gem, only the sensation intensified tenfold and spread throughout her body, setting her nerve endings on fire, and wrapping her thoughts in haze of fog.

<“Kagome. Don’t listen to him. Focus on me.”>

The low, familiar voice reached her, and caused the representation of her to look around. She was standing in a black void, but she wasn’t alone. <“Hiei? Is that you?”> The youkai with her looked quite a bit like Hiei, -- except he was green and had eyes all over him, and his hair was swept up into two peaks instead of the single one. For a second, she was so startled by his appearance that she completely pulled herself out of the trance the Gem was inducing in order to study him.

Hiei looked down at himself. He had forgotten he had transformed. He concentrated a bit to bring himself back to his normal appearance. <“It’s me. As soon as he drops the barrier, I’ll call you back. We’re waiting in a clearing about 40 minutes away. Shippou is waiting for you nearby.”>

Musou was watching her carefully. He could see that her skin was flushed and her pulse accelerated, but she definitely didn’t seem to be under the Gem’s control. He frowned. He had thought the effects would be immediate. He knew her companions would be looking for her, though he figured they had a few hours before they found them. But, he wanted to get the mating over with so he could enjoy his miko for all eternity without having to worry about someone taking her from him. He knew two of the youkai traveling with her were trying to seduce her. He had seen their attempts through the eyes of the saimyoushou. He would have to hurry this along. He infused the Gem with more of his youki to strengthen the effects of his will on her desires.

Suddenly, in front of the two figures in the void, stood a huge block of blinding white light, swirling with a purple mist. In the mist stood Musou. The Gem was trying to take over her mind. “Can you feel it, miko? The unbearable heat licking its way along your flesh? Teasing and caressing its way down your neck, your collarbone, swirling around your breasts? Then gliding down to pool like molten lava between your legs? I can ease the ache you are feeling. I can give you what you seek. Come to me.” And he reached out a hand to her.

The effects of the jewel coupled with his words were drastic. Her skin took on a fine sheen of sweat, and small, almost imperceptible shivers of need and want shook her frame every few seconds. Hiei stepped up to her and put his hands on her shoulders. <“Focus on me. You don’t want to be controlled by him. You’re doing fine.”>

She looked at him, the beginnings of panic visible in her eyes. <“It’s so hot. And it … hurts. I need …”>

“Why do you fight it? I promise you, you will feel pleasure beyond your imagination. As my mate, you will have everything you have ever wanted. And you will have the relief you seek from the hunger you are feeling.” The light began to spread through the darkness of the void.

She pushed Hiei away, and her fingers began to skim along her flesh. She was irritated by the obstructions they found. She quickly peeled off her shirt and let it drop to the ground at her feet. Her fingers sought the clasp of her bra next, but she hesitated, -- gripping the fabric so firmly that her knuckles turned white. (No, no, no! I don’t want to do this!) <“Hiei!”> She looked around, searching desperately for him. And then he was in front of her.

<“Kagome. Kagome, look at me.”> Hiei turned her away from the vision of Musou to face him. The pupils of her eyes were dilated. Her temperature was elevated. And he didn‘t need his sense of smell to know that she was very, very aroused. Her face was tight with the effort she was making not to give in to the sudden, almost overwhelming feelings of desire that were racing through her. She licked her lips that had gone dry, and shuddered at the sensation. <“Where are we? I need … I need to go somewhere.”>

Musou’s voice boomed through her head. “Give in to me! Give in to yourself!” She doubled over and sank to the ground, wrapping her arms around herself and shivering violently. Hiei dropped to his knees beside her and held her, rocking her gently. <“Hold on. You’re doing fine.”>

<“I can’t … Who …? Hiei?”> The light of the jewel’s powers completely surrounded them now. It’s control was unbelievable -- he could see that not only had it taken possession of her body and mind to bend her to its master’s will, but it was turning her senses against her by making her struggles against it inflict physical pain and mental confusion. And as Hiei looked at the frustration on Musou’s face, he realized he was not going to drop the barrier until she did give in to it. (Damn it, damn it, damn it! This is going to be too close, but there’s no other way.) He was going to have to let her go completely under the thrall of the Gem and then throw all of his concentration and focused ki into calling her away from it. <“Kagome, it’s all right. You can let go, -- but just for a minute. Then you have to listen to me. Understand?”>

She looked at him, and he saw the tears coursing their way down her cheeks. <“No. I can’t let it …”> Another shudder wracked her body, and she moaned.

<“It will be all right, I promise. But you will have to let go. Just answer my call.”>

<“You’re … you’re going to leave, aren’t you?”>

“Miko! Look at me!”

<“Just for a minute. Then you’ll feel my youki surge. Answer it.”>

And at Musou’s command, another burst of light shot out and hit her. “Come to me, NOW!”

And Hiei watched as she stood up and gathered her ki until she was glowing with crackling pink energy. Then she hurled herself through the barrier to Musou, heedless of the amount of force necessary to break through or the consequences to her body. And he realized that had been Musou’s intent all along. He had never intended to drop the barrier, but instead had waited until she breached it herself, -- knowing that would mean she was his completely. He withdrew the Jagan from her mind and came to himself standing with the others in the clearing. “FUCK!” Then he immediately closed his eyes and concentrated on pulling the youki from his mark back to him. “Come to ME!”

Kuwabara and Jakotsu had literally jumped at Hiei’s yell, and Yusuke flinched. “Oh, crap! That can’t be good.”

“Don’t disturb him -- he’s calling her here,” Kurama, back to his usual form, warned them.

Musou was reveling in the attentions of his miko. He had waited so long for this. To have her touch him like this. To feel her soft, warm lips, her tongue seeking and clashing with his. Her hands boldly caressing him, even as he ran his along her sleek, smooth flesh. Her cries of pleasure as he sought out the sensitive skin on her shoulder where his courting mark resided, were music to his ears. It was everything he had dreamed it would be. He lowered her to the ground and covered her body with his own. As he slowly moved from his mark over to her neck to find the spot where he would mark her as his mate for all time, he suddenly stopped and lifted his head. “What is this?”

There, at the base of her neck, was another courting mark. And she suddenly lifted a hand to it. Musou felt a surge of youki, and then his head hit the wall of the tent where he had been thrown back. He shook his head to clear it, and saw that she was gone. “FUCK!” How could this be?!!? He had planned everything so carefully. Hai, that damned mark overrode his, -- if he’d even thought for a second that someone else would mark her, he would have placed his there, but he had wanted to follow traditional customs to show his high regard for her. But how was that mark superseding the power of the Gem of Desire? Just how powerful was the youkai who placed it there? His eyes narrowed in thought. It had to be the small fire demon. He was the one with her most recently. There was no way he could possibly be that powerful, -- something else had to be at work here.

He heard screams and moans coming from outside the tent, and knew the miko was making her way out of the camp. He quickly stood up and ran outside. Sure enough, there were piles of ashes leading through the camp where she had obviously purified everyone in her path. He could also detect blood in the air. Someone had wounded her, though it didn’t seem to be serious. Damn it! He didn’t want her skin marred. He saw that several of the demons were already chasing after her. “I want her taken alive! Anyone who injures her will answer to me!” He knew the Gem would continue to affect her as long as she was within a 5-mile radius of it, and thought that since she was ningen, she wouldn’t be able to get out of range before succumbing to its effects coupled with him tugging on the youki from his own mark on her. Once again, he poured some of his youki into the Gem, then called for her. “Come back to me, miko.” What he hadn’t counted on, was the fact that Shippou had snatched her up as soon as she was beyond the treeline and had taken off back to where the others were waiting.

But when he called to her, and she felt the increased power of the Gem take over again, she had leaped from Shippou’s arms and turned back. “Shit!” And he ran after her and tackled her to the ground.

Feeling his hold on her weaken, Hiei unknowingly echoed Shippou, “Shit!” And the Jagan began to glow again.

“Crap! That’s really not good, is it?” Yusuke said to the others.

“Quiet! Let him focus!” Kurama whispered harshly.

As Shippou tried to pick Kagome up again, her hands started glowing with pink energy. Her single thought was that she had to get to Musou, and nothing would stop her. “Kaa-san, let me help you.” Balls full of purifying power crackled dangerously, and she looked at the youkai who was trying to keep her from the one who could fulfill her desires, and sent the deadly energy his way. “NO!” she yelled.

Hiei materialized inside the blindingly white space that represented the Gem’s complete control over Kagome’s mind. He shielded his eyes with a hand as he looked around, but he didn’t see Kagome. <“Kagome!”> Hearing a ragged sob, he turned and ran toward it. There, in the distance, was a small pink glow. As he approached it, he could see a small figure lying in a heap. He picked her up and cradled her against him. She clutched at his shirt. <“Shippou. I … I almost killed Shippou.”> He smoothed her hair back out of her face. <“But you didn’t, did you? Now let him bring you to me.”> She nodded, and the pink glow intensified, chasing away a little of the white light surrounding them.

Shippou had frozen when he saw her summon her powers to her hands. And he flinched when she released them in his direction. But they had sailed far above his head, -- exploding like fireworks high above the treetops. He breathed a quick sigh of relief before leaning down to the crumpled form of the woman he called mother. Thank the Kamis she loved him, or he’d be toast right now! But he had to get her out of here, and fast! Those flares had given away their position, and he needed to get her farther away from that damn jewel’s influence. His prospective otou-san had better strengthen his focus, damn it! “Kaa-san?” She was shaking.

“Just … hurry, Shippou,” she said weakly. And off they went. To try to buy them some more time before Musou brought the gem within closer range of her, Shippou employed a little kitsune trickery to throw their pursuers off their trail. He wished he had Kurama’s talent for plant manipulation, as his own was paltry in comparison, but he did his best to coax the landscape to cover their tracks. He even set a couple of small fires so the smoke would add to the confusion. It was easy to tell when he had left the others far behind because the small body in his arms practically sagged with relief when the Gem’s effects diminished.

In her mind, Hiei could also tell she was safely away as he felt the tension in her slowly ease, and the light around them went out. He knew he could withdraw the Jagan now, but he was reluctant to let go of her even in this form. So, he sat with her and waited until he felt them approaching. <“You’re almost there.”>

She smiled at him and touched his mark. <“I know. Thanks for helping me.”>

<“Hn. You did most of it yourself.”> And he stood up and faded away.

As Shippou broke into the clearing, Hiei opened his eyes and rushed over to him and snatched Kagome out of his arms. “Yeah, you’re welcome,” the kitsune said mockingly. He watched the apparition walk away with her clasped tightly to his chest. “I really didn’t bring her back just for you, you know.”

Hiei growled, “You’re bleeding.”

“It’s just a scratch -- really,” she told him, right before he claimed her mouth with a fierce possessiveness that left her feeling just a little dizzy. It was a good thing he was carrying her, because she was sure she would have melted into the ground otherwise.

“Hey! The wound is on her back, -- so you don‘t have to keep counting her teeth -- I‘m sure they’re all there,” Shippou called out to them, before chuckling to himself.

“I take it you had a little trouble?” Miroku asked, though it was more a statement than a question.

“Hmph. She took a hit getting out of the camp. It didn’t even faze her -- the midget must put out one helluva call. I think she fried about 20 of the bastards who were standing in her way when she made a beeline out of there. After that, it was mostly smooth sailing, -- unless you call almost being purified by your own mother a little trouble,” he raised his voice to make sure she heard him.

“Gomen, Shippou,” she said contritely, looking over Hiei’s shoulder and blushing just a bit.

Hiei hadn’t bothered to reply to Shippou’s taunting. His relief at having Kagome back where she belonged was too great, and he contented himself by inhaling deeply of her unique scent, (and ignoring Musou’s), and burying his nose in her hair. At least, he was content, until the fact that his hands were actually enjoying the feel of her bare flesh sunk in. “Damnit, onna! Why is it you can’t seem to keep your bra on? I’m going to have to find a sorceress or someone to try to have one made for you out of my youki so no one else can take it off, -- then maybe you’ll stop losing them around all these other males!” He frowned at her.

Amidst the snickers and outright laughter of the others, Kuwabara asked, “Can you really make something like that out of youki?”

“I certainly hope not!” Miroku said in a horrified tone. “That would be all we ningen men need is to have to deal with some kind of youkai chastity belts. Quite unfair.”

“I don’t know. That might not be such a bad idea, after all,” Yusuke said, thinking of Keiko.

“OOOOooooo! You should have some manacles made, too. Just have them attached to your headboard!”

“Jakotsu!”

“What?R 21;

Hiei set Kagome down and pulled his shirt over his head.

“Hiei, we really don’t have time for that,” Yusuke ribbed him, earning himself a cold glare.

“Yeah, if you were thinking of doing that, you should have already been naked when we got here, like Musou was,” Shippou laughed.

“Oh, yes! That would have made the wait here much more pleasant,” Jakotsu added, earning himself a rather scary, heated glare that made him jump behind Miroku.

Hiei put his shirt on Kagome. “Try to keep this on -- at least until I kill that bastard.” And he captured her lips once more, before wrapping an arm around her waist and walking over to join the others.

“Spoilsport. Here I was looking forward to fighting alongside Kagome-sama like one of those bare-breasted Amazon warriors of legend. Where was that island they were supposed to live on? I must visit there someday,” Miroku’s voice trailed off as he became lost in thought.

“Kagome? Are you all right?” Kurama stepped towards her and Hiei. While the others were joking around, he had noticed that she wasn’t saying anything.

Hiei immediately searched her eyes. He could see a white light flickering in them. “He’s coming, isn’t he?”

She licked her lips and nodded. “Hai. But he isn’t calling to me. The gem is definitely getting closer, though. It’s … it’s starting to interfere with my senses. Can any of you feel the demons yet -- there were … hundreds of them. We should be able to feel them before they’re on us.”

Tightening his hold on her, Hiei expanded his senses. Hai. They were almost here. At his nod they began to spread out across the clearing into the positions they had decided on earlier. Miroku ran over to them, causing the fire demon to step in front of Kagome. With a grin at the unconscious action, the monk handed him Kagome’s bow and quiver of arrows. “You’re batting first, Kagome-sama. I’ve got the second wave,” he gave her a jaunty salute. She nodded in agreement, and taking her equipment from Hiei, she stepped up into point position in the middle of the clearing.

“Are you sure she should be out in front?” Kuwabara asked nervously.

Kouga smirked at him. “Oh, yeah. She and Miroku are going to thin the pack Then she can step back behind the line to give her a buffer from that castoff of Naraku’s. But for now, just enjoy the fireworks.”

The Gem was a lot closer now, and Kagome was definitely feeling the effects of it. Again, her temperature was rising, her pulse was quickening, and she was starting to ache with want deep inside. Seeing the tension in her body that had nothing to do with her archer’s stance, Hiei stepped up behind her and put his hand on her shoulder. Her scent was spiking, which was starting to affect the youkai among them. “Are you all right?” he asked quietly. She looked back at him and closed her eyes for a minute. He saw her swallow, then inhale deeply. She opened her eyes and nodded. It was too difficult to try to talk. “Remember, I’m right here with you.” And he stepped back again, but just a few steps.

When the first mass of demons came racing over the treetops at them, Kuwabara and Yusuke couldn’t help but stare. Sure, they all appeared to be low-level, but there were just so damn many of them! And, ew! Were they ever ugly! Kagome rapidly fired off three arrows in quick succession at 45-degree angles. Not having seen the power she could imbue into her hamayas, all 4 of Koenma’s Spirit Detectives watched in awe as the arrows lit up the sky as they cut wide paths through the horde that spread from the direct lines of their trajectories outward, -- each one completely decimating 30-40 demons. Two more shots and she stepped back, stumbling just a bit as she shook her head to clear her vision.

Miroku stepped up next and summoned the wind tunnel into his palm. When he had been revived, the curse had been lifted, but King Enma had decided the kazaana would be a valuable weapon in his work as a Spirit Detective. So, he had devised a limited version of it -- not as powerful, but also not a danger to its bearer. The monk could now summon it at will, but not more than twice in a twenty-four hour period. He had explained how it worked to the other team, but this was their first time seeing it in action. It was amazing the way it pulled in masses of demons -- temporarily clearing the skies. When it had reached its capacity, Miroku closed it and stepped back to retrieve his shakujou.

“Wow! That was awesome!” Kuwabara complimented them.

“Yeah. I can see how you guys survived in the Sengoku Jidai period,” Yusuke added. Hiei and Kurama silently agreed.

And then the battle was joined in earnest, with all of the detectives contributing to great effect with their various skills and abilities. Naraku’s transformation and the effectiveness of his many tentacles was both appreciated and shuddered at, while the wickedness of Jakotsu’s mysterious-looking sword was revealed. He used it alternately to slither its way into the midst of several opponents where the snake-like movements of the attached blades sliced into them indiscriminately, and also to wrap a single opponent up like a python would before pulling it back, resulting in the victim being hacked to bits. Shippou fought using both his foxfire magic and his hand-to-hand combat skills, and Kouga’ speed and powerful claws proved their worth as he took on some of the higher-level demons.

Lord Enmaru’s team was similarly impressed at the evidence of the other Spirit Detectives’ various skills and abilities. Kuwabara’s Spirit Sword cut a shining swath through his opponents, while Yusuke’s Spirit Gun and Spirit Shotgun only added to the show his fighting skills were putting on. Due to the sheer number of demons they were fighting, he even brought forth the Mazoku blood within him, causing Jakotsu to pause in his fight and squeal about wanting to count his markings later. Yusuke seriously considered adding him to the growing number of bodies on the ground.

Kurama used his Rose Whip, quickly and efficiently disabling and killing any and all demons within its range. He also utilized his plant-manipulation skills to impede some of the others around him until he could dispose of them, and had tossed a couple of demon-eating plants into the mix. One of them was particularly nasty, as it sucked all of the youki out of its victims before devouring them.

Hiei was feeling a bit frustrated, and was taking it out on his opponents. He couldn’t afford to use the ki it would take to control the Dragon of Darkness because he knew he would still probably have to call upon the Jagan to help Kagome again. And he wouldn’t let himself rush into the thick of things where he liked to be, because he could feel the inner struggle Kagome was already engaged in, which left her vulnerable to attack. There was no way he was going to move very far from her. His one main goal was to keep her safe, and his one main target had not made an appearance yet. So, to appease the growing bloodlust in himself, he was currently seeing just how many pieces he could chop each demon into, every now and then indulging himself by using just his claws instead of his katana. And then it happened.

She had been desperately fighting the heat and pain that was shooting through her, trying hard to focus on the fight at hand and ignore the needs of her body. But all of the faces around her had started blurring into Musou’s. She dropped to her knees. She wanted to go to him. Her hands glided down her body, trying to relieve the ache that was growing within her. She needed to let his hands soothe the desires of her flesh. She was having a hard time breathing. Hiei’s eyes widened and he turned to her as her scent spiked higher than ever before. Then, every male in the clearing stopped and turned to her. As her blood began to burn, Musou stepped out of the trees behind them, completely surrounded by one of his barriers.

“Do you feel it, miko? Are you ready for me now?”

“Holy Shit! He’s still naked! Yo, Musou! Do you always come to a battle in the buff? Because that could lead to some nasty injuries,” Yusuke yelled.

Musou laughed. “I am not here to battle. I am here to claim my mate.”

“Damn, but he really is fine,” Jakotsu murmured. “I may have to have some fun with him before I kill him.”

“You won’t get a chance before I separate his head from his shoulders,” Hiei said with grim determination. He would have charged right at Musou, but he was trying to stay close to Kagome.

“Honey, you can have everything above his shoulders, -- though he is awfully pretty to look at.”

“I tire of this waiting. Take care of them. Miko, come.” And as he stretched out his hand, Kagome got to her feet and quickly shed Hiei’s shirt. At Musou’s command, the demons around them renewed the fighting. Hiei snarled in anger, trying to make quick work of the 7 demons attacking him so he could keep Kagome away from Musou. If he got her inside his barrier, … well, it just wasn’t going to happen! Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her hook her thumbs in the waistband of her shorts and shimmy out of them.

Miroku, having cleared the area surrounding him of opponents, and being the closest to Hiei and Kagome’s position, ran over to Kagome and threw his arms around her. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, Kagome-sama, but for Buddha’s sake, stop taking your clothes off!”

Kagome threw him away from her with the force of a barrier she threw up between herself and the rest of the clearings’ occupants, leaving her and Musou the only ones on the other side. As she started to run towards him, she was tackled to the ground. As she struggled and turned to face the person keeping her from her savior, -- the male she needed to mate with, -- Hiei saw that that the pupils of her eyes were glowing with that vibrant white light. There wasn’t a trace of blue or even a hint of recognition in them. Knowing she could summon her powers to purify him any second, he did the only thing he could: he punched her in the jaw. He didn’t use enough force to break it, -- just enough to knock her out. As he held her limp form against him, he debated what to do next. Attack Musou and try to break through his barrier so he could KILL HIM, or go ahead and use the Jagan on Kagome. He wasn’t sure how long she would be unconscious.

“So, I was right. You are the one who placed your mark ahead of mine. That’s the only way you could have passed through her barrier. But the only way you will keep her from me is to kill her, and I don’t think you are willing to do that.”

By now, most of the remaining demons were fleeing the clearing. It was obvious their leader had only one goal in mind, and thanks to the miko’s barrier, they weren’t needed to keep the others busy. So, they would wait until he accomplished what he had set out to do and then they would demand their reward -- the ningen women who would mother their army.

“There’s more than one way to get through a barrier!” And Kuwabara ran up and swung his Spirit Sword with all his might. It crashed against the barrier causing sparks to shoot out about 10 feet. He swung again. This time flames crackled all along the barrier. As he focused and forced even more of his ki into the sword, Miroku ran up to him.

“Here! I’ve never seen anyone come closer to breaking one of Kagome’s barriers. Let me add my spiritual powers to yours.” And he took out two ofudas and sent them onto the two sides of the blade. The sword lit up with even more force as blue flames danced along the edges. Kurama, who had been studying the barrier intently, pointed out the spot that appeared the weakest. “Concentrate your strength right here.” Kuwabara reared back and took a mighty swing. “UUUuuunnngggghhhh!!!” And the barrier exploded, knocking everyone to the ground, and leaving a wall of flickering pink flames where it had stood.

Hiei, who had been trying to use the Jagan to combat the Gem in Kagome’s mind, had to sever the link when he moved to protect her from the blast. It was at that moment that Musou called her again, prompting her to consciousness and to take advantage of Hiei’s distraction to try to get away from him. But he held onto her tightly and pulled on his own youki. “Kagome! Stay here with me.”

The surge of his youki in her blood flashed through her, momentarily shaking the Gem’s hold. “Hiei?” She grabbed his arms frantically, and for a split-second her eyes returned to that amazing blue that had captured his attention when they first met. Then they went blank and the color leached out of them again.

Musou was extremely frustrated, and he was about to lose control. (That woman should not be able to resist! Even with his mark, he should not be able to break the Gem’s hold on her. What the hell is going on? I will not lose her like this -- not when I’m so close to having her!) He recklessly filled the Gem with his youki, -- the force of it shooting out to Kagome, making her scream as her body went rigid. She was frighteningly aware of every nerve in her body and it felt like each tiny one had just been hit with thousands of volts of electricity. Tears ran down her face. She couldn’t even see who held her, but somewhere deep inside she knew it was someone she cared about. Her breathing was so shaky, she couldn’t speak. “Let … let … go.” “Don’t make me hurt you.”

He appeared to her then, inside her mind. <“You won’t hurt me.”> He was shocked by the way she looked inside. Her body was covered in pink flames and she was curled up in a ball, digging her fingernails into her own skin. She shook her head. <“You don’t understand. I need to be with him. I … I have to. Every cell in my body is screaming for him. The longer I am without him, the more painful it is. I can’t … I can’t think of anything else. Please, … let go.”> The pink flames died down and slowly went out, and her body went completely limp, right before a flash of white threw Hiei from her mind, and made him lose his grip on her physical body.

That was all it took for her to roll away from him and dash headlong into Musou’s barrier. He clasped her to him and gave a cry of triumph. As the detectives all rushed at them, the spherical barrier lifted off the ground and hovered overhead, out of their reach. Shouts and curses echoed around the clearing. Naraku quickly summoned his own sphere and moved to face Musou, but he knew there was little chance that he could break through his barrier. Musou couldn’t resist taunting them a little, and flaunting the way Kagome was pressed so tightly against him, running her hands all over his sides and back as she kissed his chest. “I don’t know why you were so determined to keep her from me. It’s obvious she is happy here.” And he grabbed a handful of her hair at the nape of her neck and forced her head up so he could take possession of her mouth.

“You bastard! You may think you’ve won, but you haven’t. You want her, but you’ll never have her -- not really. All you have is her body controlled by false desire. The Gem may be able to make her want you, but she loves me!” Hiei forced his way back into her mind, and touched her cheek gently. <“You love me.”>

The pliant, willing body in his arms suddenly went still, and Musou yanked her head back to look at her. Her eyes were closed, and a muscle in her jaw was twitching with her concentration. His eyes widened in disbelief. She was fighting off the effects of the Gem when she was standing right next to it. He was so stunned, he failed to notice the energy gathering in her hands until he felt his flesh burning with purification. He screamed and threw her away from him, and she slumped to the bottom of the sphere as she seemed to lose consciousness. “That’s not possible!” He stared at the miko as her powers crackled and spat pink flames -- all concentrated in a huge mass around one tiny fist, … and then she punched through the barrier, and he found himself falling. For a split-second, Hiei started to go to catch Kagome, but catching Kurama’s eye, he let the pent-up rage he’d been holding back take over, and in his transformed state, he began to tear into Musou before he even hit the ground.

Kurama caught Kagome, and she groaned. She hurt all over, and she had a splitting headache. She blinked a couple of times, and then gave in to the peaceful darkness, sighing at the relief from the unrelenting brightness that had taken her over for what seemed like days, though in actuality it had only been a few hours. Everyone else was silent for a few minutes as they stood back from the horrifying violence taking place nearby. Screams and agonized cries filled the air. Kuwabara had to turn away, and after Yusuke had to duck to avoid being hit by an arm as it was slung through the air, they all backed away. Even Jakotsu’s eyes widened in shock. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone castrated with their own small intestines before, -- I didn’t know the tissue was strong enough to use like string to cut through flesh. Now that had to hurt.”

“You’d better hand her over to her son before he gets done over there. It’s going to take a while for him to regain control of himself.”

Kurama looked down at the woman cradled in his arms, and became aware of the fact that she was clad only in an extremely enticing pair of red panties that tied on the sides with white bows. He sighed. “Well, it was fun while it lasted.” “Shippou, I think you’d better take her now, and I’d recommend covering her up a bit.”

Shippou nodded in understanding and reached for her. Miroku started to take his shirt off to give him for her, but Kouga stopped him. “Uh-uh.” He shook his head. “You don’t want your scent on her when he’s like that.” He looked around and ran over and picked up Hiei’s shirt that she had discarded earlier. Tossing it to Shippou, he glanced back over at the fire demon’s wrath. It was pretty much over. Musou had never stood a chance. The only sounds that could be heard now were Hiei’s snarls, growls, and heavy breathing. Blood and body parts were strewn around in about a 30-foot radius. Kouga looked around at the faces of the others. Kurama, Naraku, Shippou, and even Yusuke and Jakotsu nodded in agreement. Youkai justice. Kuwabara and Miroku might have been a little sickened at the ferocity and violence of it, but they knew he had to be killed. Besides, he had actually hurt Kagome while trying to control her. Finally, Hiei looked up and his eyes searched the figures standing off to the side of the clearing. He tossed the head he was holding to the ground behind him and started stalking over to them.

Shippou quickly stepped away from the others and met him half way. He was a little reluctant to hand his mother over to the apparition at the moment because he was covered in blood, but Hiei snatched her out of his arms. “She’s okay. You will need to clean up soon,” he told him. And in a blur, they were gone. Shippou sighed. “Someone should get that watch, and we should head back to the ningens’ campsite. I assume he’ll be going to the lake there.”

Kouga looked around. “It’s not on this arm. Where’s the other one?”

Kurama nudged an arm with his foot. “It’s not on this one, either.”

“I’ve got it,” Naraku said, picking up a third arm and removing the watch. “You know, I believe he was glad for Musou’s regenerative powers -- otherwise it would have been over too soon for him.”

Kuwabara shuddered. “I don’t think I’m going to tease shorty anymore.”

“Tease him all you want, just don’t touch Kagome,” Yusuke said with a grin.
***************************************************************** *******


A few hours later, after retrieving their things from the campsite, they wondered over to the lake. Sure enough, Hiei was sitting there by the water with Kagome in his lap. He had regained his normal appearance and washed up. He had even managed to clean all the blood he had gotten on her off without waking her. She was clearly exhausted and he didn’t want to disturb her. It had taken a couple of hours before he was able to transform back, and he had just sat there, barely moving, after he had checked her over thoroughly to assure himself she wasn’t hurt, and clutched her closely to him. When he had finally felt reassured enough that no one was going to try to take her away again, he had eased them both into the water after heating it up to a temperature he knew would be soothing to her. When they were both clean, he had walked back out and sat down, warming the air around them and running his fingers through her hair to calm his soul as much as to dry it for her.

“She’s still out?” Miroku asked quietly.

Hiei just nodded and gave them all a warning glance that clearly said, “Don’t wake her or you’ll be sorry.”

“Well, what should we do? It’s mid-morning. Should we go back to the resort and wait for Kouga to return from the Reikai?” Yusuke whispered.

Seeing the fire demon’s arched brow, Kurama told him, “Kouga went ahead and took the Gem of Desire in so they could take care of it, and to report everything that happened.”

“I say we go back and enjoy a nice meal and a relaxing soak in the hot springs, courtesy of the Reikai,” Naraku suggested.

“Good idea!” Jakotsu clapped his hands, making Hiei glare at him. “Oops! Gomen!” he whispered. “I was just thinking that would give me a chance to check on Hideki and see how he’s doing.”

“His name is Masaharu, you idiot,” Naraku hissed at him.

It took them over five hours to get back to the resort. As they headed for their rooms to shower, change, and grab a little sleep, Jakotsu realized he had either just gained another roommate or lost his room. The steely glare sent his way quickly told him that he had lost his room. “Just let me get some of my things so I can clean up, hotstuff, and I’ll be out of your hair. Oh, and if you need oils or lotions, they’re in the top drawer of the nightstand. Handcuffs, blindfolds and rope are in the second drawer. I doubt you’ll want any of the stuff in the closet yet. -- I’m going, I’m going!” And he scampered out of the room.

Hiei slid into the bed that he knew was Kagome’s and let her get comfortable before curling up around her. He expanded his senses to check the area for any sign of threat before allowing himself to settle down to rest. The last few days had been incredibly stressful, but as he lay there with his onna safely in his arms, he felt an unusual sense of peace overcome him, and he gave in to it and fell asleep.

It was already getting dark when Hiei’s eyes snapped open. He sat up and looked around only to see Kurama standing in the doorway. He chuckled at him.

“Damn, boy. You’ve been sleeping all this time? What a waste.” Youko shook his head at him.

“Get out of here.”

“Koenma contacted Yusuke. It looks like we’ll be staying here a few more days. Kouga will be back in just a little while to give us all the details. We’re meeting across the hall for dinner. You should wake her up so she can get dressed -- I doubt she’ll want to sit around in her panties and your shirt.”

“Though it would be fine with me if she does.” Youko just laughed when Hiei growled at him.

After Kurama left, Hiei gently woke her up. “Hiei?” She looked around, wincing just a bit as her muscles protested her movement, and her head still ached. “Where are we?”

He looked at her in concern. “At the hotel. Are you still in pain?”

“Nothing a couple of Tylenol and a soak in a hot bath won’t fix,” she told him. “I take it we got the Gem.”

“Hai.”

“And Musou?”

“Dead.”

She nodded, causing her to put a hand to her head. “Ow. I hope they destroy that damn jewel.”

She started to get up, but Hiei put a hand on her shoulder and pushed her back down. “Wait here.” He got up and started running some bath water for her, then brought her a glass of water and the Tylenol she had mentioned. Then he picked her up and carried her into the bathroom.

She giggled at him. “I’m not an invalid, you know.”

“I know.” He set her down by the bathtub. He looked her in the eyes and then leaned forward to kiss her tenderly. “We’re meeting in your teammates’ room for dinner. If you’re not there in 30 minutes, I’m coming to get you.”

“Okay.”

“And you need to heal the cuts on your back.”

She smiled at him. “Okay.”

“And your jaw,” he said regretfully.

She rubbed it gingerly. “Okay.”

“And put up a barrier.”

“Okay already!”

25 minutes later, she knocked on the door to Miroku and Naruku’s room. As soon as she walked in, Hiei was at her side. He stayed between her and the other detectives, and growled at Yusuke to get off the loveseat so he could sit next to Kagome on it. Shippou just snickered at him.

“He needs to go ahead and mate with her, so he’ll get over this extreme possessiveness.”

“You’re kidding, right? You do know he’s probably going to act like this for years.”

“What? I thought this was his instinctive way of keeping possible rivals away. Once they’re mated he should feel secure that she’s his.”

“How long have you know him? When have you ever known him to relax his vigil around something he cares about? Look at poor Yukina -- she’ll probably be as old as me before he lets Kuwabara kiss her goodnight without him breathing down his neck. Of course, Kuwabara will be long dead by then. But my point is, he’s just going to keep being an insanely jealous little bastard until he’s a grandfather. Heh heh! Just his luck, he picked a woman who’s always going to have males fawning over her, flirting and clamoring for her attention and favor -- regardless of whether or not she’s mated.”

“That’s why we will be living on some isolated mountaintop that’s not even on the Reikai’s maps.”

Kurama blinked as he struggled to hold in a laugh. “Somehow, I don’t see that happening, Hiei.”

“Yeah, good luck trying to get her to agree to that.”

“She doesn’t have to agree. As my mate, she will have to accede to my wishes.”

This time Kurama and Youko both broke out into laughter, causing the others to look at him curiously. He waved it off.

“Hoo hoo! That’s going to go over well!”

“You do know that’s not going to happen, right?”

Hiei looked at the woman sitting beside him talking animatedly with her teammates. His shoulder slumped slightly. “… Hai … but I can hope …”

Kouga arrived, and they all ordered dinner and settled back to hear the news. “They’re not sure what you did to it, Kagome, but they think the Gem of Desire is broken. They were able to remove the spell that had been concealing its power and keeping it undetected, but now they can’t detect anything coming from it. They figure it must have something to do with you breaking its hold -- you burned it out or something like that.”

“Crap! King Enma’s not going to add another hundred years onto my sentence, is he?”

Hiei put his arm around her. “He’d better not.”

“I don’t think so. No one said anything anyway. And I know you were hoping to go home, Yusuke, but Enmaru and Koenma said you guys have to stay here and protect the resort until that group of executives leave Sunday afternoon, because there are still 20-25 demons running around loose on the island. Then you have to either make them go back to the Makai or take care of them,” Kouga told them.

“Damn it! When I get home, that brat had better not try to send me anywhere else for a looong time,” the toushin grumbled.

After they had eaten, Jakotsu said he was going to call it a night. He looked at Hiei to see if he could have his room back, and getting an affirmative tilt of the head, he got up to leave.

“Jakotsu? Are you feeling all right?” Kagome reached out and touched his arm. “You’ve been awfully quiet.”

He patted her hand. “Oh, don’t worry about me, sugar. It’s just that Daichi said he couldn’t see me anymore. I know what happened in the forest was erased from his memory, but he acted almost scared to be around me.”

“Oh! I’m so sorry!” Kagome stood up and hugged him. “He wasn’t good enough for you anyway.”

Jakotsu laughed. “Oh, I know that. But he was pretty fun. So tonight, I’m just going to get some beauty sleep.” And he winked at her and headed for the door.

“He couldn’t have been all that fun since his name was Masaharu, not Daichi. We’ll all know it’s serious if you ever remember one of their names,” Naraku said gruffly.

Jakotsu turned and walked up behind the chair Naraku was sitting in and threw his arms around his neck. “Aw! I knew you cared,” he giggled. And everyone started laughing -- even Hiei snickered.

Hiei looked at Kagome again. She looked … beautiful … incredible … perfect. And she was all his. She had changed into a pair of silky, purple lounging pants that hung low on her hips, with a matching camisole top. The thin string over her shoulder clearly revealed that his courting mark was the only one on her now. And while that gave him great satisfaction in itself, he was impatient to see his mating mark on her. He was glad she was wearing her hair down because he had plans to bury his hands in it at the same time he was buried to the hilt in her. Before he met her, he had never realized how incredibly sensual a woman’s hair could be. She was leaning forward slightly as she listened to Miroku tease Naraku, and some of those soft, dark, wavy strands were brushing her cheek. He reached out and tucked them back over her shoulder, his fingers lingering on her skin there for a few seconds before he stood up and reached for her hand. It was time.

She looked at him questioningly, but let him take her hand and lead her out of the room, through the bedroom, and out onto the balcony without a word. Everyone exchanged knowing glances until they were sure they were gone. “So, … Kagome’s really going to take a mate, isn’t she?” Kouga said. “Funny, but I just imagined things would go on the way they had been forever.”

“Hai, this will definitely change things for all of us. But change can be good. Buddha has certainly seen fit to give us an interesting path to follow so far, -- years of anxiety and uncertainty turned to confidence and optimism. Danger, betrayals and enemies turned to adventure, support, and friends. Whatever is on the horizon, I think we can meet it and know we will come away the better for it. And no one deserves to find the happiness and contentment that only comes from being with one’s soulmate better than Kagome-sama,” Miroku philosophized.

“Yeah, but I don’t think you’re looking ahead far enough,” Yusuke told him. “You guys haven’t been around Hiei -- and before long we’re all going to be running and hiding from a little army of bad-tempered, flame-throwing, smirking chibi fire demons.” His shoulders slumped at the thought.

Kuwabara turned pale. “Oh, no! And they’ll be my sweet Yukina’s family!”

“Ah, but you are overlooking the possibility that they will raise a virtual harem of nubile, blue-eyed, raven-haired beauties -- a possibility that I, for one, eagerly anticipate,” the monk responded.

“He has a point there. And who knows? In 13 or 14 years we may be ready to think about settling down ourselves.”

“If you’re talking about ‘settling down’ with a daughter of Hiei’s, you’d better be thinking more like 19 or 20 years.”

“That sounds about right.”

“You do know there’s no way he’d ever let us near a daughter of his, right?”

“Ah, but that would just add to the fun of the chase.”

“You’re hopeless.”

“And we don’t have anywhere to sleep tonight.”

Kurama looked around to see that Miroku, Naraku, and Kouga all seemed to be lost in their own thoughts about any daughters Kagome and Hiei might produce. “Ahem. Yusuke, I hope you and Kuwabara won’t mind if I sleep on your couch tonight.”
******************************************************* *****************


Once they were on the balcony, Hiei pulled Kagome to him and kissed her passionately. He tilted his head and demanded entry into her sweet mouth by firmly sweeping his tongue along the seam of her lips. She parted them for him eagerly, and even deepened the contact with a hand at the nape of his neck. The desires produced by the gem of desire had been overwhelming and painful, and had drained her of her own will in favor of Musou’s. By contrast, the desires she felt now, for Hiei, were empowering and full of anticipation. Most of all, they were something she embraced with every part of her -- not just her body and a controlled version of her mind, but also with her entire heart.

The warm, comfort of Hiei’s mouth moved across her jaw line, and he briefly raised his head and nuzzled it. The lack of bruising there showed that she had healed it from where he had had to knock her out. “Gomen nasai. I did not want to hurt you, -- it was the only way I could stop you,” he said, his voice full of regret.

“I know. It wasn’t your fault.” It was quiet for a minute as they each thought about what had happened. Hiei’s grip on her tightened. “Arigato. I … I couldn’t have pulled free of his hold without you,” she said quietly.

“Hn. You really did do it yourself. When he had you with him inside his barrier, I couldn’t help you. Even with the Jagan, I was just barely able to force my way into your mind enough to even talk to you -- let alone help you to fight the Gem’s control.”

She smiled and gently caressed his lips with her own. “But you did help me fight it. You woke up my heart. You reminded it that my feelings for you were real and that they were stronger than any physical sensations produced through some kind of magic.” She looked into his eyes and stroked his cheek with her fingertips. “I do love you, Hiei.”

“Kagome, … I … I want you to be my mate. I want you be with me forever.”

She froze. “What?”

He ran his thumb across her lips. “I want you to be my mate.”

She blinked. She knew he cared for her. She knew he wanted her. But it seemed like a sudden leap from being curious and wanting to sleep with someone to wanting to be bonded with them forever. “Is this because of the courting mark? Because you aren’t honor-bound to mate with someone just because you were courting them. And it was pretty much forced on you, anyway. I don’t expect you to abide by courting customs, either. I know you have other matters you need to think through.”

He stared at her. She loved him. She was supposed to smile and say yes, and they were supposed to mate, damn it! “No, this isn’t because of my courting mark. I. Want. You. To. Be. My. Mate.” He said it slowly, carefully emphasizing each word to make sure she understood.

“I think you should take a little more time before you decide that. You need to talk with Kurama.”

“FUCK KURAMA!!”

In the living room, all conversation stopped as everyone turned to look at the bedroom door.

“I must say, I think that’s a very a good suggestion on his part.”

Kurama couldn’t keep himself from yelling out loud, “Youko!”

Yusuke fell off the couch laughing. “Oh, man! I can just guess what that hentai kitsune said!”

Hiei grabbed Kagome’s wrist and marched through the bedroom, dragging her behind him into the living room area. He stopped in front of Kurama. “Tell her that we are not, nor have we ever been, lovers,” he demanded.

Kurama looked her straight in the eyes and said, “We are not, nor have we ever been, lovers.”

Kagome stared at him, then she turned her head and looked at Hiei. She looked back and forth between them a couple of times. “I don’t understand.”

It was so quiet, you could have heard a pin drop. All eyes in the room were glued to the drama unfolding in front of them, and they all suspected it was about to get very, very interesting. Then suddenly they heard a high-pitched, feminine-sounding scream.

“EEEEeeeeeeek!”

Kagome’s head snapped to the door. “Jakotsu?”

They all jumped up.

“HOJO?!!? What are you doing in my bed?!!?”

“Hojo?!!?” a chorus of voices raised in surprise, then they quickly piled out into the hallway and listened, -- Kagome had her ear pressed against the door.

“Gomen nasai, Jakotsu, but ever since I saw you out in the forest with Kagome and your other friends, I haven’t been able to get you out of my mind,” Hojo said in a low, husky voice. “Yoshida Masaharu isn’t good enough for you, so I told him to stay away. I must have you for my own.”

“But, … but what about Kagome?” Jakotsu asked breathlessly.

“We’re just friends. We only dated a few times when we were in school.”

“Oh. Oh! Watch your hands, mister! Give a guy a moment to think. This is so sudden.”

“Not for me it isn’t. I’ve been burning for your touch ever since that first glance,” Hojo insisted.

“Oh, mercy! Stop that! Where are your clothes? Oh, my!”

It was quiet for a minute, then Jakotsu said, “Wait. I’ll … I’ll be right back. Don’t you move.”

And they heard him walking rapidly to the door. He flung it open and gasped at the sight of all of them standing there in the hallway. He stepped out and quickly closed the door. “What are you doing out here?” he hissed at them.

“We heard you scream and came to see if you were all right,” Kagome told him with a smile. To her amazement, he blushed.

“Hai, well. Actually I was just coming to talk to you. You see, …”

“It’s fine with me if you want to be with Hojo, Jakotsu,” she said sincerely.

His eyes lit up. “Really?” he squealed. “Arigato! You know,” he whispered to her confidentially, “I can’t remember the last time I was the chasee, and not the chaser. It’s a little unsettling, but it kind of gives me butterflies in my tummy.” He giggled, and Kagome did, too.

“Go on,” she pushed him gently, “you don’t want to keep your new boyfriend waiting.”

“My dear, anticipation is half the fun,” he winked at her.

“Oh, Jakotsu? Nice nightie, -- it shows off your shoulders perfectly,” she said, gesturing to the extremely short, filmy, cream-colored nightie, with its furry trim at the deep vee-neckline.

He hugged her and went back into their room.

As the rest of them slowly went back into the other room, Miroku commented, “Well, that was certainly unexpected. At least, …” his eyes met Hiei’s, “it was unexpected for most of us. I get the feeling you are not surprised by this interesting turn of events.”

Hiei’s eyes flashed for a second. “Hn.”

Yusuke’s mouth gaped open. “You didn’t!”

Kuwabara started laughing. “He did, didn’t he?”

“You devious little bastard. I thought you let that ningen off a little too easily. Brilliant!”

“I merely found a solution that solved two problems at once. The ningen will be getting just what he deserves in a matter of minutes, …” he paused and smirked, “and he will keep that hentai entertained and out of my hair. Plus, if her friend is happy, Kagome will be happy.”

“I have to hand it to you, that was a stroke of genius. But are you sure Kagome won’t be angry?”

“Hn. You saw how happy she was for that clown. She won’t be angry.”

“Maybe not about that, but you still have to explain to her about her misunderstandings. And I think she’s ready to pick that conversation back up.”

Kagome sat down on the floor in front of the loveseat Kurama was sitting on, and tugged Hiei down next to her. “Well. Now that that’s settled, … I think you two need to explain something to me. And Hiei? I’m not real sure about the moral implications of what you did to Hojo, but I’m glad Jakotsu is happy. So, arigato.”

Yusuke was sitting next to Kurama, and like everyone else, he was anxious to see how this would play out. Shippou stretched out on the floor on the other side of Kagome and leaned back on his elbows. He wanted a good seat for the show. Naraku sat back down in the chair he had been sitting in earlier, and Kuwabara, Kouga, and Miroku shared the couch. No one said a word.

“Well?” Kagome demanded.

“Hn. We already told you.”

“Hai, I know what you said, but I don’t know why you said it. Your relationship is nothing to be ashamed of. We’re all friends here, and everyone accepts you for who you are,” she assured them.

“Kagome,” Kurama began gently, “everyone here except you knows that Hiei and I have never been ‘involved’ that way. Honestly, we’re just friends, and neither of us is interested in males.”

“Well, for the most part, .. though we’re willing to make an exception or two -- especially if it also involves a nubile, limber, beautiful woman as part of the equation.”

“Shut up, Youko.”

“You’re not gay?” she asked, trying to process what he was saying.

Yusuke and Kuwabara were snickering to themselves. “Don’t feel bad, Kagome. You’re not the first person to ever make that assumption.”

Hiei and Kurama both shot him evil glares.

“But, … but I see the way you look at each other. And, what about the way you’ve both been acting so jealous over each other? And what about what happened in the dojo?” She turned to Hiei, her eyes were full of confusion. “You started taking off your clothes,” she turned to Kurama, “and you couldn’t take your eyes off of him. I saw the way you looked at each other. And, …” she started looking all around the room. “They all saw you together. We talked about it.” She was looking to the others to confirm what she was saying.

“At the dojo, when Hiei burst in on us, he stripped off his shirt because he was about to attack me. I didn’t dare take my eyes off of him because he was dangerous. They saw us fighting.”

“You were fighting?”

“Kagome-sama, I am afraid I must confess that when we realized you had misunderstood what was going on between them, we decided not to tell you, thinking they would clear the matter up on their own,” Miroku could tell she was confused and embarrassed, and feeling a little betrayed by their silence when she had confided in them. He looked down at the floor. He was feeling rather ashamed of himself. And he could tell from the uncomfortable silence that had fallen that the others were, too.

“Kaa-san?” Shippou sat up and touched her shoulder. Dark red color stained her cheeks, and her eyes were glistening suspiciously. She felt like a fool. Everybody but her had known what she was thinking, and they let her go right on thinking it. (They must all think I’m a complete idiot. I am a complete idiot. Why didn’t they tell me?)

Hiei was furious. He hated seeing her like this. She looked so uncomfortable and sad. “It doesn’t matter, you know the truth now,” he tried to console her.

But she wouldn’t look at him. She turned to Shippou. “You knew what I was thinking. Why didn’t you tell me? Were you enjoying me making a fool of myself that much?”

“Kaa-san, no! We didn’t think you were foolish at all. The truth is, we thought they were idiots for letting you get that idea in the first place. And we thought if they wanted you, they should be able to make you see that. Gomen.”

She took a shaky-sounding breath and blinked her eyes a few times to suppress the urge she felt to cry. “Why were you fighting?”

Hiei and Kurama looked at each other, then Kurama answered. “Like I said, Hiei burst in on us ready to attack. He was a little out-of-control with his jealousy.”

“A little?!!? You, Red, are the master of understatement.”

Still not raising her head, she asked Hiei, “Why were you jealous?”

Why was he jealous? Why was he jealous?!!? “Because you were with him!” His voice raised in disbelief. How could she not know that? What the hell was she thinking?

“I asked you right from the start about Kurama. I asked you more than once. I was uncomfortable with the idea of dating you both, but you said you were okay with it. Why would you tell me that if you really didn’t want me to be with him?”

“I didn’t have a choice!’ he exploded.

“Oh, Great Holy Hell! Get us out of here! He’s going to tell her!”

“Too late.”

Everybody in the room held their breath.

“Excuse me?” Now she looked at him. “What do you mean you didn’t have a choice?”

Oh, he knew he was in trouble. But he just couldn’t lie to her. “I had to let him have a chance to pursue you, too.”

“Um, … I know you two are friends, but that doesn’t make any sense. Why would you do that if you really wanted me?”

Never in his life had he felt so much like squirming, but he bit the inside of his cheek and blurted it out. “Because of a bet we had going.”

There was dead silence. The only movement in the room was the rapid blinking of Kagome’s eyelids as what he said sank in.

“Exactly what was the bet?”

He couldn’t say it. He just stared straight at her, unable to say another word.

Not breaking eye contact with him for a second, she addressed the roomful of people. “Since everyone here except me seems to know so much about what has been going on, who wants to tell me about this bet?”

(Well, this is painful to watch. Might as well rip that bandaid the rest of the way off and get it over with.) “They made a bet over who could get you to sleep with them first,” Yusuke told her, scooting away from Kurama.

“I … see. Well, … that explains a lot. I suppose my underwear was proof of your progress? -- a way to keep tabs on who was ahead?” She stood up.

“No! It wasn’t like that,” Hiei quickly got to his feet and put his hands on her upper arms, but she brushed him off.

“Kouga. The Western Makai, please.” And the wolf nodded and summoned a portal. In a flash the two of them were gone.

“What the fuck made you tell her about the bet, you idiot?!!?” Yusuke yelled.

“Excuse me, but weren’t you the one who told her about it?” Naraku pointed out.

“I just finished telling her what it was about. She wasn’t going to let it go at that point,” he said defensively.

“Where did she go?” Hiei asked Shippou.

“To Sesshoumaru. When she’s feeling confused or needs to think something over, she sometimes goes to him for advice. They meditate together.”

Well, damn. Now he was jealous of the Western Taiyoukai.

“What are you going to do, Hiei?’ Kurama asked.

“Wait for her to return.”

And so they all sat around and waited. Kuwabara turned the TV on, and Naraku, Miroku, and Shippou played cards. Hiei just stood, staring out the window.

“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry it turned out like this.”

“Hn.”

“< b>Yeah, me, too. I guess I never really thought about it past the actual winning or losing of the bet. I didn’t mean for her feelings to be hurt.”

“I tried to warn you, but you never listen.”

“All right, already!”

“It doesn’t matter. I am to blame for that. Now it is my responsibility to fix it.”

“Well, if there’s anything we can do to help, …”

“Hn.”

Just then, another flash of light announced Kouga’s return. “Shippou! I think you’d better come with me.”

Shippou got up from the table. “What’s going on?”

“She was so mad, Sesshoumaru took her to the dojo. You know how she sometimes uses those relentless attacks like muttbreath used to?” Shippou nodded. “Well, she actually took him down! I think he was so surprised, he forgot to hold back the poison in his claws. He sent Jaken for Tenseiga.”

“Well, shit! Let’s go!” And he jumped through the portal, leaving the others with shocked looks on their faces.

“The Taiyoukai killed her?!!?”

“No fucking way!”

Hiei couldn’t move. He tried to pull on the youki in his mark, but there was no response.

Yet another flash of light heralded another arrival via portal. There, in the center of the room stood the Taiyoukai Sesshoumaru, Lord of the Western Makai. He stood nearly 7 feet tall, wrapped in an aura which easily proclaimed his power and demanded respect. In a deep, commanding voice, he asked, “Where are the two fools whose actions indirectly caused this Sesshoumaru to slay the Junjoukaren no Miko?” As his gaze landed on Hiei and Kurama, he lashed out with his whip, and they both fell to the floor.

“Holy Shit! Are they dead?” Yusuke yelled.

Sparing him a brief glance, Sesshoumaru said, “Quite.”

“Uh, … you are going to revive them, aren’t you?” the toushin asked, hopefully.

Without another look, the Taiyoukai said, “Eventually.” He turned to Naraku and Miroku. “Monk. You have disappointed this Sesshoumaru. It is unlike you to let a situation get so out of hand, particularly one that concerns the miko. You will explain yourself.”

Miroku bowed his head. “Gomen nasai, Lord Sesshoumaru. It all started when …”
******************************************************** ****************


Hiei felt the darkness slowly recede from his mind, and he opened his eyes. He felt like he had been hit by a train. (What the …?) Then he remembered. He sat up and looked around. (Well, obviously the Taiyoukai brought me back.) There, sitting in a chair staring at him was Sesshoumaru himself. The only other occupant of the room seemed to be Kurama, who was also starting to sit up.

“Do you still think to take the miko as your mate?”

(Well, he sure doesn’t mince words.) “If she’ll have me, hai.”

“Then you will please refrain from riling her up so. It is most unsettling to find oneself on the receiving end of a reckless attack from an infuriated female. She will return tomorrow evening.” And he stood to leave.

“She is all right?”

“Of course.” Then he was gone.

“Well. Remind me never to get involved in one of Youko’s harebrained schemes again. Dying is not at all pleasant,” Kurama said as he got up and sat down heavily on the couch.

“You’re telling me?”

“Hn.”

The door opened and the others came back in. “Welcome back, guys! How’d you like ‘the other side’?” Yusuke said cheerfully.

“How long were we dead?” Kurama asked.

Naraku frowned. “Long enough for Sesshoumaru to win 3 pots at poker.”
********************************************************* ***************


The next evening they were all gathered in Yusuke and Kuwabara’s room. Jakotsu and Hojo had been making too much noise at the other end of the hall. It was past dinnertime, and Kagome still wasn’t back yet. The detectives had all spent a rather quiet day, just hanging around the resort, keeping an eye out for rogue demons. But, none had approached the village or hotel. Hiei had gone off into the forest and reported later that there were now 8 less to deal with. Shippou had returned, sporting a black eye. When Miroku had asked him if Kagome did it, he had shaken his head and sheepishly confessed, “Rin. She thought I should have told her they weren’t lovers.” And now they were sitting around again, playing some more cards, while Hiei paced around the room.

There was a knock at the door, and then Jakotsu swept in, wearing nothing but a red, knee-length robe, a feather boa, and a smile. “Tie your robe, you degenerate exhibitionist,” Naraku grumbled.

“That’s funny coming from you, Mr. Flash-and-Dash. You’re just jealous because none of you are getting any,” he replied flippantly. “I came to see if our girl was back yet.”

“Do you see her?”

“I’m sure she’ll be here soon, but I don’t know what kind of a mood she’ll be in,” Shippou warned them. “After Sesshoumaru revived her and left, she made me spar with her.” He rubbed his side. “She kicked my ass three ways to Sunday.” The other occupants of the room winced at this revelation.

When a portal opened a little while later, there were some nervous faces casting anxious looks at the new arrivals. Kouga stepped through, then reached back to assist the woman behind him. As Kagome stepped into the room, both teams of detectives tried to gauge her mood. But it was impossible to do, because one look at her made their minds go blank as their eyes glazed over with pure, unadulterated lust.

“Well, look at you, girlfriend! That’s new,” Jakotsu said admiringly.

She was wearing a long, silky black robe that ended about mid-calf. The robe itself wouldn’t have been so remarkable, but she wore it open, so it served to showcase and frame the sheer, white gown she wore underneath. The neckline dipped low in a deep, wide vee that met right below her breasts, completely exposing every bit of cleavage and the tops of those nicely-rounded mounds not covered by the filmy, black lace bra she had on. The sheerness of the gown allowed them to see that she did, indeed, have on matching black lace panties, which if they weren’t thongs, were awfully darn close! Her hair flowed around her in glossy, jet-black waves, beckoning their eyes to take a second look at her hips and thighs.

The smell of male arousal filled the room, causing Shippou’s eyes to bug out as he demanded, “What the hell are you wearing, kaa-san?!!?”

She merely arched a brow in his direction before turning to Jakotsu. “Oh! The red already?”

Jakotsu’s cheeks turned pink. “Hai. Hojo is surprisingly knowledgeable about, … well, you know,” he lowered his voice.

“Really? Good for you,” she said sincerely. She knew that Jakotsu only broke out the red robe and nightie for someone he deemed ‘worthy’ of it. (Knowing Hojo, he probably did some research as soon as he decided to embrace that lifestyle. Once an overachiever, always an overachiever.)

Hiei was having a really hard time not grabbing her and taking her away from the interested eyes of all the other males in the room. But he knew he was going to have to do this on her terms, if he wanted her. And there was no question of that. But, damn it! Did she have to make this so hard? Did she have to make him so hard?

But, apparently the waiting was over, as she swiftly crossed the room and administered two stinging slaps to Naraku and Miroku. “That’s for not telling me when you knew I was having a hard time dealing with the situation as I saw it.” Then she kissed them each on the cheek. “And that’s for caring enough to want them to prove themselves to me.”

To his credit, Kurama didn’t flinch when she walked up to him next, even though he knew what was going to happen. Sure enough, his left cheek now sported a clearly-defined handprint. He deserved it. But her words surprised him. “I am flattered that you found me ‘worthwhile’ enough to pursue, but to turn your pursuit into a game cheapened the interest you claimed to have in me. If Youko truly values the kind of relationship two lovers can have, he needs to take the other person’s feelings into consideration. Otherwise, he’s still talking about a relationship as empty as the desire produced by that Gem. But, … it was fun and exciting to be on the receiving end of a kitsune’s charm for a little while.” And she stepped up to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down into a heated kiss. Ignoring the low growl coming from the fire demon nearby, Kurama gave in to the kiss and pulled her flush against his body. He was barely conscious of the feeling of silk sliding over his arms as her robe fell from her shoulders and pooled on the floor at their feet. Her lips coaxed and caressed his and he readily let her take control as she explored the contrasting textures of the smoothness of the inside of his mouth with the roughness of his expertly-talented tongue. When she slowly pulled away and their lips parted, she winked at him. “Good luck with your search.”

“I have never been told off that good before.”

“No kidding.”

After the steamy kiss she gave Kurama, every eye in the room was bugging out. Not to mention the fact that she was now clad only in that practically see-through white gown. And yes! That was a lacey black thong she was wearing. They could tell when her hair swayed as she walked, giving them a tantalizing glimpse of her firm, toned, perfectly-rounded buttocks. As she stepped up to Hiei, he tried to control the growl that had been reverberating through his chest and throat ever since she had pulled Kurama into that kiss. He faced her stoically, willing her to deliver the blow he was expecting and hoping he would get to fix things with her instead of getting “kissed off” like Kurama just had. And she didn’t keep him waiting long.

Smack! “I can’t believe you would make a stupid bet like that. You seemed so sincere right from the beginning. You listened to me, and you talked to me, and I knew you weren’t like that with everyone. So, I thought it meant something -- until you told me to go ahead and have a good time with Kurama. That’s what started the whole mess that ended up with me looking like a fool.” He opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off. “No. I don’t want to hear it. Maybe later, but not now. Can you imagine how I felt? I actually fell in love with you, in spite of everything I mistakenly thought was going on, only to find out that the only reason you had even bothered to spend any time with me in the first place, was because you two wanted to one-up each other with bragging rights about your ‘manly prowess.’ Next time, I suggest you skip all the hoopla and just pull out a ruler to measure your dicks.”

A slight pink stain tinged both Hiei and Kurama’s faces, but Youko was howling with laughter. “Oh! She got us there!”

Yusuke and Kuwabara snickered in the background, and Miroku had a minor coughing fit.

“Kaa-san! I don’t think I’ve ever heard you say …”

“Shut up, Shippou,” she said over her shoulder. She turned back to Hiei. “Now. After all that, you asked me to be your mate. I’m not sure if that was prompted by the courting mark or not, but as you can see, and I’m sure feel, I no longer have it, thanks to my untimely meeting with the afterworld courtesy of Sesshoumaru.” Again, Hiei tried to talk, but she covered his mouth with her hand. “Uh-uh. I really am not in the mood to hear anything you’ve got to say right now, -- like I said, maybe later. I’m asking you to respect my wishes in this matter. For now, I’ve said all I want to say about the whole thing.” And she turned away from him and walked across the room.

Hiei was torn. He couldn’t just let her walk away, but … she had asked him to wait. Maybe she needed some more time to get over it all. (Damn it, damn it, damn it! I should have just told her the whole thing a long time ago -- as soon as I knew the bet didn’t mean a thing and that she was the only prize I’ll ever want. She’s the only thing that matters.) He was going to have to go kill every demon left on this island tonight.

The others watched him sympathetically for a minute, then a rustle of clothing caught their attention. Standing in front of the door, with her back to them, Kagome was slowly letting that filmy, white gown slide down her body and onto the floor. “Wha …?” Shippou began. Then without a backwards glance she opened the door and walked out into the hall. There, she paused and looked back over her shoulder. They were all straining their necks to see her. They heard a small ‘click’ and then watched as she apparently opened her bra from the front, and slid the straps down her arms. Still looking over her shoulder, she tossed the lacey, black garment behind her. Then she took a keycard that had been nestled snugly in her cleavage, and opened the door across the hall -- the one to Hiei and Kurama’s room. As she walked through the door, she called out, “Hiei? I said I’m not in the mood to listen to you right now -- I want you to show me.” And she disappeared from view as she walked through the living room and into the bedroom.

Two heartbeats later, a black blur zipped across the hall and slammed the door shut.

The 8 people left in the other room stared at each other in stunned amazement. Whatever they had been expecting, that wasn’t it.

“Well, I’ll be damned. I never would have suspected she would … well, do that,” Yusuke said in awe.

“As I said, My Miko has been just full of surprises on this mission,” Naraku drawled.

“Ha! If I were you, I’d lay off that ‘My Miko’ crap. She’s Hiei’s miko now,” Kuwabara grinned at him.

“I’m curious,” Miroku broke in, “how did she get the key to your room?”

“It must be Hiei’s,” Kurama told him, “because mine is right …” He looked at the card he had just pulled out of his pants pocket. It wasn’t his keycard. It was the Reikai’s Platinum charge card, and there was a note taped to it. It said: “Kurama, you’d better use this to buy yourself some new pajamas and things, because if you try to open the door to your room before noon on Sunday, I’m going to purify your ass. And that goes double for the others.” It was Friday night.

Howls of laughter filled the room and echoed off the walls.

“I can’t believe she picked our pocket.”

“I can’t believe she picked Hiei. Damn rotten, lucky little bastard. Well, she was right about one thing, -- it was fun and exciting.”

“Miroku, quick! The board!” Naraku yelled. And the monk dashed out of the room.

“Where’s he going?” Yusuke asked.

Just a couple of minutes later, he returned carrying a large chalkboard. “All right men. Place your bets.”

“What bets? Haven’t you all learned anything?” Kuwabara scolded them.

“This is different. Let’s start with the things we can confirm ourselves. The first 12 hours: how many times they actually have sex, her climaxes, his climaxes, and how many times they yell each other’s names.”

“What?!!? I can’t believe you guys!!! You can’t DO that!!” Kuwabara shouted.

“How about if Hiei yells “onna” -- does that count?” Yusuke asked.

“No, it has to be her name,” Jakotsu asserted.

“Yusuke!”
****************************** ******************************************

A/N: I do hope this chapter’s ending meets with approval -- instead of the usual cliffhanger, I went with the teaser. I had hoped to post this one yesterday, and thought about ending it in several different places in order to do that, but then I thought, “Naw! Get it to the good stuff!” Thus resulting in my longest chapter yet. I hope it was worth it! And don’t worry, dear readers: the next chapter, “The Payoff” will have Hiei and Kagome swimming in lemonade.