Thank you so much! I just want to say...I love ya all. ::readers back away from her, disgusted:: Ehehheh! And to show you my thanks here's a another chapter hot off the press! ::looks bedraggled and cat scratches all over her face:: I also have five other stories I'm juggling. ::sweatdrops:: And for the reviewers that asked if Kagome was going to be a kid or not, she's not. Where would the romance be? Kagome was in the last chapter, six years old and Sota was two or three. Sess will be in this whether he likes it or not. ::winks::

FieryDemonFox

fallingkag

MrsInuyasha69

Sarcasm Girl8

fallenangel396

Kokuei

spidee

jessie

Deadly Tears

Ami Kuroneko

Lil-Rinny

snowecat

I don't own Inuyasha. I'm still trying to bribe it off of Rumiko though.

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Project: Perfection

Chapter 2-Faint Memories

ennovy-chan

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Nine years later...

"Friggin stupid-"

"Kagome!" Her mother called from the kitchen window, "You can stop gardening now, Tonya's back. She keeps insisting to tend to the garden. So you can come in and eat now."

"Finally," Kagome murmured repulsively, she glowered at her grimey hands, "Yuck."

After rinsing her hands in the sink and changing out of the dirt and plant smudged clothes, she sat down at the table expecting the regular take-out food, but instead found a mouth watering real dinner. That take-out stuff was bland and turning her tastebuds to mush, but perhaps this would heal them! She tore off a leg off the plump chicken in front of her. (With a knife of course.) After putting a healthy dose of mashed potatoes and gravy, she snorted into her food. (You can tell I'm thinking of dinner, Thanksgiving dinner to be exact. It's the fact that I'm STARVING!!)

"Kagome," She glared at the voice's owner, Sota, "It's Dad's birthday, not yours." Kagome jumped, almost choking on her food, and directed an appologetical look to her dad. She swallowed. On birthdays, it was a tradition to let the birthday boy or girl to eat first.

"I'm so sorry Dad, I was just so hungry-and I've been outside all day long without food-that-that-"

"Kagome! You're babbling again. It's okay, we understand your food drive," Kagome flushed with embarassment.

"You can take the first bite then Dad," Kagome said after everyone sat down and served themselves. The phone started to ring.

"Thank-Jun could you get the phone?" his wife got up and answered the phone.

"It's Mr. Naraku from the-you know where...and he says bring them tomorrow," Kagome and Sota watched with interest. They wondered what their parents were talking about. Their mother continued, "...Dinner?...Jon, they want us to go to the banquet tonight...Okay...at 9:30...And bring my father? Okay...Yeah you too. Good bye." She placed the phone in the cradle.

Kagome was confused, Naraku...them, what on earth was she talking about? "You have to go to a banquet? Why?"

Her mother sat down in her chair next to her father, "Business."

That wasn't a good enough answer for Kagome, "Uh huh, what is it you're going to do again?"

Her parents shifted uncomfortably so Grandpa spoke, "We're having an antiques sale. Your parents and I are going to discuss it over at banquet Mr. Naraku's holding, tonight." Her parents smiled at Grandpa, not directly, but grateful.

Something was fishy about this, and her father added, "We have a fund every year, remember? Antiques are really selling this year, so we decided this would be our fund."

"What about your birthday cake? It's like 8:30 right now. You're supposed to dress up all fancy at banquets, right? Aren't you already full?" She flooded them with questions, hoping to trip them if they were lying. Parents were supposed to tell their children the truth and for some odd reason, she had the strangest feeling that there was something that they weren't telling. It was so obvious. As her friends said, Kagome had the knick of finding out the truth. She was like a detective.

"Kagome, Kagome! Not so fast with the questions! Just put the cake in the fridge," her father said.

"But Dad...It's your birthday...Don't those co-workers know that you were taking the day off?"

"Yes honey. But we didn't think the fund was going to be so soon. Last minute, actually," her mother mused, and turned to her husband and father, "I think we should get ready. Come on dear, let's go change. And father? Let me see how you look after you get changed. I don't want you looking scruffy." Grandpa just groaned in frustration, looking quite embarrased as grandpas could get.

"Kagome, be a dear and wash the dishes, Tonya had to leave early for a dentist appointment," Kagome nodded and watched as her parents and grandpa disappeared in their rooms.

"Sota...Do see anything strange with the way they're acting? I mean...They're obviously hiding something," Kagome said, but realized her brother was slumped over sleeping with his head in the comfort of his elbows, "You didn't listen to a word I said, didn't you?"

Sota grumbled something about hamburgers in his sleep and then opened his eyes, "Eh? What didja say?"

She lightly bonked her younger brother on the head, "You really don't pay attention to anything do you? Didn't you hear what Mama and Dad were saying? It's Dad's birthday and some banquet suddenly comes up. And then a funding project tomorrow-hey! Don't you go to sleep!"

"Well, sis, you're rather boring to listen to. I don't think anything was strange. Maybe your 'Detective senses' are tingling. You have been working a little overboard with the 'Buyo incidents' with Tonya. Take a break," Sota responded crudely and then falling asleep again with a thud on the table top.

Kagome sighed, "You're no help Sota. Oh well..." she scooped up the dirty dishes and utensils off the table and brought them into the kitchen to wash them.

"Dad! I told you I'll tie your tie!" Kagome heard her parents and grandpa's voices coming into the dining room.

"Daughter! I don't need any help with tying my own ties, thank you very much!"

"Ah for the love of God-Dad! Just let Jun do it. Give your arthritis a break!"

The elders of her family came in the kitchen to show Kagome their clothes and ask if they looked okay. Her mother was wearing a strapless light steel-blue dress. Her father wore a white tuxedo while her grandpa was clad in a scruffy business suit.

Kagome gasped, "Mama! When did you those? I thought this was a last minute banquet!"

Mama just smiled, "We went out a couple days ago and bought something for this occasion, not knowing it would be so soon!"

Her father and grandfather nodded in unsion. Kagome faked a sniffle, "Then why didn't you bring me shopping too? I'm so jealous!"

"Never mind that, we'll be late if you describe your envy, Kagome. How do we look?"

"You and Mama look fine, but Grandpa? Please wear something else!" Kagome said in a fashion designer's perspective.

The eldest Higurashi groaned, "I am not going to change into that odd looking thing you call a 'tux'! Besides we're leaving right now."

Her father grabbed the car keys off the key rack on the wall, "Yeah, he's right. Just don't have any wild parties while we're gone. And especially no boys!"

Kagome rolled her eyes, "Dad!"

Her dad just pecked her on the forehead and followed the elder Higurashi to the car, while Mama stayed to inform Kagome, "We might not be back until 1 or so. See that Sota goes to bed before 10. And you should sleep too. It's a school night." she gave her daughter a little hug and went outside to get in the car with the rest. Kagome watched as they drove off.

She helped Sota, who was still asleep, to his bed and went back into the kitchen to wash the dishes. After putting all the plates and other things in the racks, she checked the cabnets for dishwashing soap. She finally found the box to find that not one grain of soap was left. Maybe there was a box in the basement? Her parents always shooed her away from the basement when she went down to get stuff. They would insist that they would go downstairs and get whatever she was needing. So this would be the first time she was ever in the basement of their home. Exciting! Exciting as an old basement could get.

Her friends' basements were old dark and damp, leaks from the floor above, probably from broken pipes. Why were her parents so hesitant from letting her go into the basement? Maybe they were genetically cloning floressant rats or crossing cows with frogs to give birth to Frows? She chuckled at her own guess. Her parents weren't genetic engineers! Far from it actually. Her mother was a school teacher at a preschool while her father worked as a bank clerk. No way a teacher or a clerk could do that. She wondered why her track of thinking was even leading that way. She'd been watching way too many sci-fi movies. Maybe the basement was flooded? No that couldn't be the reason.

Kagome continued to think of reasons why her parents wouldn't let her downstairs before opening the door. She stepped down the creaky stairs into the cool damp dark basement. The only source of light was...two tube-like pods with green gas and-two people?!

She approached the pods to examine the people, both were boys without any clothes? The first one was kid maybe around her age. Two dog ears were perched on top of his head, alert and twitching. Maybe her thoughts of genetic engineering were right? His hair was an outright strange color-silver. It cascaded down his back, only a couple shorter locks framing the sides of his face falling onto his shoulders, and she might add nicely tanned skin, taut over firm muscle. And if she looked lower-there was green gas. She coughed politely and shoved her ecchi thoughts aside. It wasn't nice to stare at hot guys while they were asleep. But somehow...she felt she knew him from somewhere, sometime long ago...

And the next boy was maybe a few years younger than Sota, had a scruffy head of red hair. A fluffy tail was coiled around his small body like a kilt. His ears were kind of similar to a regular person's ears, except pointed like an elf's. What on earth was going on here?!

Kagome blinked in confusion. Maybe fatique was catching up to her early. But weren't middle-aged people the only ones that got that? She was halucenating! No...that wasn't it. She was asleep and having a really odd dream of an odd day with a really hot naked guy in front of her-sleeping in a tube with a kid right next to him. Yep, that was it. She was dreaming... Well she may as well play along with this really weird dream since she wasn't waking up.

She suddenly remembered the dishwashing soap. Maybe it was around here somewhere...but hey! This was a dream, right? She could just skip chores if she wanted to!

"Oi...you there," she looked up to see who had spoken. It was the guy. But the younger one was still asleep, soundlessly.

"Yes?"

"Get me out of this damn thing," he commanded.

Something was telling her not to, "Why should I? You might be some dangerous failed experiment!"

The boy glared at her, "Me? A failed experiment? Ha! You got that wrong, pathetic little human bitch."

Was that an insult? Since when did her dreams have such vulgar antagonists? Maybe it was something she ate. But who cares? In dreamland, she could cuss her pretty little head off and not get some unapproving eye! But it just wasn't in her... "A pathetic human bitch?" she repeated.

He looked at her like she was retarded or something, and repeated slowly, "Yes...a...pathetic...human...bitch. Now get me out of this friggin thing!"

She ignored the last part, "Human...Does that mean that you're not human? Are you a clone or an...alien?"

The boy rolled his eyes, "I'm not a fricken alien! I'm a youkai!"

"Actually, you're a hanyou. Jeez Inuyasha! Stop telling the-um...female things..." the two looked at the now awake red-headed boy.

The older boy glared at his companion, "I wasn't aiming to and for the last time! Shut up and go back to sleep! It's a whole bunch peaceful in here when you're sleeping." He turned to Kagome, "Let me out, now."

"No."

"I said, Let me out, NOW!"

"No."

"Fine then! If you don't let me out, I'll kill you."

"But how can you if you're in there?"

"I'll get out of here. And you won't live even a second after-"

The red-head kid interupted, "Stop threatening the female. You're giving me a headache!"

The older boy, Inuyasha, growled, "I'll show you what a headache is!"

The red-haired boy just sniffed sympathetically, "How are you going to do that? Just as the female said, you're stuck in there. She obviously won't help you. So why bother?"

"You actually think I want to stay in this shithole?! I want to be free! Unlike some domestic fluff I know!" Inuyasha shouted.

Kagome was tired of their arguing and decided to intervene, "If you're done arguing, I'll be happy to tell you this is not a 'shithole'!"

"Shut up!"

"No! You! And I would like to ask you something. Even if this is some freakin' retarded dream I'm having," the boys looked at her like she was on something, "Why the hell are you in my basement?!"

"Your basement?!" the boys repeated, utterly amused, "Your basement? This ain't a basement, female."

Kagome rolled her eyes, "Then what is it? Some genetic engineering lab to clone dogs? And to mix deer with rabbits?"

"...I won't say you're exactly wrong. Those humans did create us, but how? Even we don't know...We don't even know what real freedom is," the red-headed boy answered solemnly. Pretty deep for a kid in a dream.

The other boy only muttered something that sounded like, "Poetic sap."

Kagome felt sorry for the boys, naturally because her sisterly instincts, "Aww...You poor things."

Inuyasha hated being pitied, "Shut up! We don't need your sorrowful shit talk!"

Kagome glared at him, "I would let you out, but you're really rude. And you threatened to kill me. But on the other hand, this little guy over here," she gestured to the kid, "Has been nothing, but honest and kind. So he deserves it."

Inuyasha snickered, "Little? Ha! That's funny! It won't be when he gets angry. He is pretty strong for a shrimp. Still one of the weakest (the kid chose to ignore that comment), but a weakling can beat any human."

"I doubt he would attack me, Inuyasha is it?" Inuyasha just snorted a yes at the question of his name, "What an odd name. But I guess it suits you, seeing as you have dog ears. They're kinda cute."

"Shut up. Don't talk about these stupid things. If you continue to, I will be forced to rip them off my head, break out of this damn thing, rip your tongue out and stuff these damn things in your mouth."

Kagome was grossed out, "Eww...That's really disgusting. Just gives me all the reason not to let you out of that God-awful test tube. But I still think, those things are cute."

"Ya know, I'm still here. But forgotten."

Kagome looked up at the little boy, "What's your name?"

The kid tapped his chin thoughtfully, "Well...erm I think it was #00029kit."

Kagome tsked, "No no no! That isn't a name to give such a cute...youkai. How about we call you...hm...this is a tough one...Shippo!"

The kid blinked, "Shippo? Well...I don't really know what good quality names are so...that'll have to stick!" Inuyasha just watched entire thing with his eyebrow raised up to his hairline.

Kagome smiled dubiously, "All right! Shippo is your new name! Congradulations!"

The newly named youkai bounced around his pod happily, "I have a name, not a number!"

Inuyasha just voiced out his thought, sarcastically, "Joy." The happy kid stopped bouncing around, "Shut up. At least I'm actually liked. Unlike you doggy-boy." Inuyasha cringed at his former nickname, "Whatever! Do you think I give a shit if someone likes me or not? Of course I don't! Those humans at that convention are so close-minded. They only have eyes for the youkai that are strong."

Kagome gasped, "You mean there's more of you?"

"Yes," the duo said in unison. Whoa she was Kagome in semi-nightmare land!

"Where?"

"How should we know? We don't know about anywhere except this basement and the convention center!"

That meant, these guys had never even seen the outside of a building in their entire lives! Poor things! "Hey, you guys haven't ever seen the outside huh?"

"No, I think we just told you that like, two times already! Deaf person!" Inuyasha insulted.

"I heard that 'doggy-boy'. Shippo, how would you like to be free?"

"Well, it depends. What does the free world have that this basement not have?" Shippo asked cautiously.

Kagome smiled, "It has all the candy and chocolate you'd never get by being in there," by the confused looks on the two boys' faces, they'd never eaten or seen any chocolate in their entire lifes, "It's a sweet food."

Shippo still looked confused, "What does 'sweet' mean?"

"That you will see, Shippo. So how do I get you out of here?"

"What about me?" Inuyasha demanded.

"What about you?"

"Let me outta here!"

"Fine...but there's a condition."

"What is it?"

"You can't kill me in this dream or anyone else. Understand?" Kagome still believed that this was all just a dream.

"Dream? This ain't no dream," the boy said glowering at the girl like she was a senile old hag.

Kagome huffed, "And that's what they all say."

"Whatever."

Shippo spoke up, "Before you let us out, what is your name?"

Kagome answered, "Kagome. Now where is the open up button on these things?"

Kagome...Where had Inuyasha heard that name before? It was a long time ago. About nine years. He remembered when the girl had snuck in the basement and released him. He being the untrained, weak, but vicious little pup he was, attacked her. But she didn't seem to remember that, nor should she. He decided not to recall that memory or tell the others, the girl was obviously a born arguer, so he'd just try not to get into an arguement over a stupid thing like that. He didn't like to remember the old days that much, either. Them being horrible and such.

The dark-haired girl finally opened Shippo's pod, yanking off her sweater to wrap around the kit to sheild from the cool air. After settng him on a table, she scanned the room for any other clothes or sheets for the hanyou to wear. She didn't need to see-well-that. Aha! She found an old box of linens in a corner of the room. This like some weird lab. Kind of like those Frankenstein labs. She found an old bathrobe and hurried over to Inuyasha's pod. After finding the switch, she released it and handed the boy the bathrobe.

"What is this?"

"It's to...cover up," Kagome said, blushing madly.

"Why do I need to cover up? Sheesh you humans! I don't understand you," he covered up anyway.

"I'll get you some new clothes, but for right now those will have to do," she led the two boys up the stairs.

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TBC...

That's all for now. What will Kagome's parents and grandpa have to say upon finding out their 'funding projects' disappearance? And what will Kagome do with the knowlege of such creatures being created? Will she still think she's just having an odd dream? Find out on the next Project: Perfection! (I used to watch Digimon, you can tell.)

I hope you liked it and I'm hoping to at least get 8 more reviews. Or we could double it? Anyways 8 is the number of reviews I need to go on. Thank you!

A/N: On my other stories. I'm not really sure when they'll be updated. My grandma is dying, it might be any day now. Only so long a person can live without water or food... Anyways I hope you understand the delay of my other fics.