Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or co'.
Nema: If I did, Kagome wouldn't be in love with dog-boy. God, she'd hate him with a fiery passion, which would probably lead her to join up with Naraku, but-
Rhianon: clamps her hand over his mouth Yeah! We won't get into that!
Nema: licks her hand
Rhianon: Ew! glares at Nema What I wouldn't give for prayer beads.
Nema: glares back Why'd you clamp my mouth, human! Nobody stops this Nema from talking!
Rhianon: Rolls her eyes You have an obsession with Sesshy now. You're not 'this Nema'! Honestly, folks! I haven't been able to shut him up since last chapter! It's been 'Sesshy this', and 'Sesshy that', and 'What would Sesshy do?'
Nema: sits cross-legged, mumbling I do not!
Rhianon: You do too. Now, get on with the introduction. Honestly, we can't take all of their precious time.
Nema: clears throat Anyway, back by popular demand-
Rhianon: sniggers
Nema: glares What!
Rhianon: You got three reviews! You just wanted another reason to write about Sesshy!
Nema: sputters ...and Kagome!
Rhianon: nods Yes. We musn't forget about her.
Nema: clears his throat again Anyway, back by three peoples demand, I present a following chapter to Stuck. I will probably be changing the name to something different because this isn't just about Stuck. When I've finally finished Stuck. There will be others. Unless Stuck ends up being a big story. We'll see how many chapters I add. If it's more than two more than I'll just do my series elsewhere.
Rhianon: They sure are lucky you're a softy.
Nema: stung I'm not a softy! I'll have you know I am a fearful, hateful demon!
Rhianon: Yes, in your mind!
Nema: Technically it's your mind you know.
Rhianon: Oh yeah? Well, I know for a fact that Jess and Bfd are starting Lost With no one to Turn To back up again, and they are most definitively planning to kill you. So, ha!
Nema: What! stammers Anyway, here we go. Oh yeah! This chapter is thanks to-Jennylucia, Megan Consoer and SilverDash! (I like that name!) And also, Sesshy might be a little ooc but, I don't care that much. It's just that...Sesshy's kind of...It kills me to say, but he's kind of wooden. If he's kind of ooc, then he becomes more flexible, you know? Anyway here's the new chapter.
Stuck
chapter two
Kagome gazed quizzically up at the lord of the west's majestic face. Why had he helped her? He said his interest was only because he was curious. She smiled. 'Like a cat.' But he was a dog. Well, at least, a dog demon. Why would he be curious? She hurried her pace to keep up with the demon. It sure looked like he walked slow, but when you tried to follow...it was torture.
"Sess...Sesshomaru?" she asked weakly between pants.
The demon lord paused and his cold, stoic voice floated back to her. "If you wish to travel with this one, you must address me as Lord Sesshomaru." He began walking on again, without slowing his pace.
"But...I can't...keep up..." Kagome panted, staring after his retreating back helplessly. "Pl...please..."
Sesshomaru stopped and Kagome swore she heard an exasperated sigh emanate from deep in his chest. He went and lent next to a tree. "You may rest here."
"Thanks." Kagome slid down a treetrunk, and rested gratefully at it's feet. 'He must really despise how humans are so weak.' she thought, grimacing. 'I wish I were a youkai. Then I'd have no trouble whatsoever keeping up with him.' She stared at the ground, tears falling down her cheeks. 'It's always the same. I slow everyone down. The only thing I'm good for is to find the jewel shards, which I broke in the first place! It's all my fault! But what of Sesshomaru? I need not slow him down. He has no interest in the jewel.' She looked up at the man of her thoughts and began slowly, faltingly. "You don't...have to...you know. If I'm slowing you down too much...?"
"You are slowing me down." Sesshomaru stared at the expansive wood they were travelling.
"Oh.." Kagome sniffled as more tears continued to fall.
Sesshomaru sniffed daintily and spun to stare at her. "Are...are you crying?"
Kagome looked away quickly.
"You are, aren't you? What on Earth are you crying about now, Ningen?" Sesshomaru stared at her warily, as if he'd never seen anyone cry before.
"Well...because...I'm...slowing you down..." she looked up at him blearily.
"That's it?" Kagome swore she saw him roll his eyes and mutter 'Ningens!'. "That is nothing to cry about."
"So, you're not gonna discard me because I'm slowing you down?" Kagome dared to hope that he wouldn't abandon her in the middle of the forest of which she would have had no idea how to escape from.
She cowed away from Sesshomaru's cold stare.
"This Sesshomaru said you could travel with him. I am a demon of my word." Sesshomaru snorted and turned away to lean on his tree again.
"Sorry! I didn't mean to offend you Lord Sesshomaru." Kagome managed to get out before she sank to the ground gratefully. "Sheesh! I don't know how that little girl keeps up with you!" she wiped sweat out of her eyes with the back of her equally sweaty hand. "I mean, I always thought I was in pretty good shape just keeping up with Inu--" Her hands twisted themselves into knots. "With the others."
"She rides on Ah-Un, most of the time. Which you shall do when we arrive at camp." Sesshomaru stated airily. He looked to stare at her through the corner of his eye.
"...Few more minutes...I still haven't got my breath back." Kagome tried hard to make her shallow breaths lengthen and deepen into her regular breaths. Finally, she stood up and wiped the leftover detritus that clung to her skirt and legs. She walked over to Sesshomaru and they began walking again.
The air started getting muggy and thick. Droplets of water formed on Kagome's cheeks and decorated her raven hair like jewels. "We're almost there." Sesshomaru said.
"Oh! You camped near a hotspring!" Kagome said excitedly. As an afterthought, she added, "Lord Sesshomaru?"
"My Lord! My Lord!" A squat, green little toad came waddling over at the top of his speed, the staff of two heads nearly tripping him up in his attempts to prostrate himself happily at Sesshomaru's feet. "My Lord, I am so glad you've returned safely!" He started to sweat after he said these words; however, and bowed lower. "Not t-that I f-feared you wouldn't, of course! Any demon you come up against would have been s-slain with ease! Forgive me for my worry, My Lord!" He quivered, but Sesshomaru just stepped over him. Jaken noticed Kagome for the first time. "What is Inuyasha's wench doing here!"
Kagome reddened and she stepped up to him. "I"M NOT HIS WENCH!"
"She will be travelling with us now, Jaken." Sesshomaru said.
Jaken scrambled over to look up at Sesshomaru. "But...My Lord? How can you even consider taking in another ningen woman? Especially this ningen woman! First, you saved that girl; then, you allowed her to travel with us; now, you allow another woman to--Squawk!" Jaken let out a loud cry as Sesshomaru took the staff from his hands and pushed it down into his head.
"Jaken."
Jaken rubbed the lump on his head hesitantly. "Forgive me for questioning you, My Lord."
"Go check on Rin."
Jaken snapped to attention. "Yes, My Lord. Right away!" And he scampered off as fast as his small legs could carry him.
Kagome sat down on the grass. She looked up as the shadow of the taiyoukai loomed over her. "Yes, Lord Sesshomaru?"
"You will take a bath now." Sesshomaru turned to walk away, but her angry voice made him pause.
"How dare you order me about! I mean, I know you're doing me a favor by allowing me to travel with you, and I'm grateful! But I am not your servant and I won't allow myself to be treated as such!" Kagome glared up at him, just a little bit overreactive due to emotional stress.
"They will help soothe your wounds. Now do as this Sesshomaru asks and bathe. The hot springs are this way." He started walking off to the south.
Grumbling, Kagome couldn't find a liable reason not to follow him. She did want a bath, and it would help the cuts on her wrists. 'Still! There was no need for him to tell me with that attitude!' she thought grumpily.
She grinned happily when they came into sight of the springs. It was one of the prettiest hotsprings she'd yet seen. Lush flowers and bushes grew along it's sides and a waterfall of more steaming water poured into the depths. She had to say that Sesshomaru knew how to camp in class. "Thank you, Sess--I mean, Lord Sesshomaru!" she squealed.
Sesshomaru merely turned to walk away. "Don't take too long. This Sesshomaru will be back in fifteen minutes to collect you, wench."
Kagome started to reprimand him, but sighed instead, giving up. Maybe it was a dog thing. "So soon?" she pouted.
"The scent of your blood may attract demons. This one will be back in fifteen minutes." Sesshomaru disappeared into the forest.
Since she had so little time, she quite literally jumped out of her clothes and into the delicious water. She sank low into the water; her nose and eyes the only thing not covered by the massaging water. The waterfall churned the wall, making it swirl roughly against her like a jacuzzi. She sighed, bubbles of air coming out of the water at the same time(her mouth's underwater). 'This is Heaven!' she couldn't imagine how Heaven could be any better than this.
She sat up straight as a bush not far to her right rustled, then sank down lower in the water. Was it Sesshomaru? Sesshomaru wouldn't be hanging out in a bush! Kagome scoffed at herself fearfully. Kagome started to edge towards her clothes, thinking that perhaps she should cut her bath short, when an orange, fluffy thing leaped out of the accused bush; straight for her head!
She let out a short scream, but that was muffled by the young kitsune cuddled into her face. He was quickly snatched off, however, and Kagome looked up to see Sesshomaru holding a struggling Shippou by the scruff of his neck. He brought the young kit up closer to his face to inspect it further. "You are the young one that follows this wench around like you would your mother, are you not?"
"Yes!" Shippou said, his little fists flailing in the air, trying and failing to punch the youkai. "And I demand you release her at once, you meanie!" Realizing it was a hopeless dream to think that he could hurt the taiyoukai with his short, little limbs, Shippou settled for crossing his arms and scowling at the inuyoukai.
"Are you under the impression that this Sesshomaru has kidnapped your wench?" Sesshomaru asked frigidly, although his eyes held the tiniest glimmer of amusement.
"Of course, you did! Why else would she go with you?" Shippou growled juvenilely.
"Shippou... I came here... of my own free will." Kagome murmured gazing sadly up at her adopted son. Most of her was glad that Shippou had found them although confused as to how he had done so, another just wanted to leave that life, and everything in it, far behind her. "But the question why are you here?"
Shippou craned his neck to gaze at her. "Well, I was getting worried about you. You were gone so long. When Inuyasha returned without an irate you, my worries intensified. I followed your scent to the sacred tree just in time to see you leaving with Sesshomaru. Since fox-demons have keener scenting abilities than dogs1, I waited until I thought I was out of smellshot, and followed."
Kagome smiled softly and shook her head. "Oh, Shippou..."
Rhianon:1 I do not know if that's true or not, I just needed something to explain why he could follow without Sesshomaru knowing. Anyway, one more chapter I think until this ?-shot is done. But then again, maybe there'll be more if I get inspired to stretch it out enough.
Nema: Don't forget to review! Catch ya later, suckas!
Rhianon: elbows Nema harshly in the ribs He means lovely, beloved readers!
Nema: What? That just sounds like you're trying to suck up to them!
Rhianon: I'm just trying to correct the damage that came out of that gaping hole in your head. I've been meaning to sow that up, ya know!
Nema: Oh yeah!
continues arguing as scenery fades