Chapter Six:

"Dazed and Amused"

"There is no end to the adventures that we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open."-Jawaharlal Nehru

Chapter 6

Day 3:

"Oh my Kami…Sesshoumaru!"

And for the second time this week, Kagome fainted; falling into darkened oblivion again.

: Her last thoughts were, "Dang it, I have got to stop fainting…"

Sesshoumaru caught her so fast that she didn't have time to make contact with the floor. He held her slight body close to him as he deeply inhaled her freshly showered scent. He knew that he should lay her down on the couch and give her time to recover from her shock, but it seemed that his body had other intentions that ignored the commands of his mind.

: I do not know how I could have forgotten how fragile she can be. It is her fragility that has bound me to her for so long.

He knew she had been afraid of him when she turned around. She clearly hadn't expected to see him and that shock mixed with fear, was most likely the cause of her collapse.

Looking down into her serene features, he couldn't very well pass up this opportunity to hold her close to him and wrap her in his protective embrace. He knew that when she awoke, she would become extremely nervous again and completely on her guard. Holding her bridal style, he loosened his grip so that he could free a hand to cup the softness of her cheek and then run his fingers over her soft lips.

"My Kagome."

How odd that sounded, for he had never uttered those words aloud before. He had always thought of her as "his", for InuYōkai had a rather nasty possessive streak, and yet he knew that he had never properly possessed her as he should. He had been denied.

Compelled to connect with her more intimately and assure himself that she was real, he leaned over and kissed her. Sesshoumaru managed to reign in the insistent urge to crush her mouth to his and claim her mouth in a searing kiss, meant to claim and subdue. Instead, his kiss was light and gentle; almost testing in its brevity.

Straightening up, he was stupefied as her thick lashes—which had once formed an upside-down crescent on the tops of the area under her eyes, began to flutter open.

: Like a human fairytale—she awakens from my kiss…

Sesshoumaru pondered this thought as he gazed into her, now focused, eyes. He felt immediately when she tensed. He was making her uncomfortable and should probably put her down, so that she could fully regain her composure.

Unwillingly, the tightened chords of his muscles loosened their grip on her, as he gently slid her body down his own. He saw that as soon as her feet touched the ground, she took two measured steps back—as if retreating from him.

Normally, this behavior would have left him unsettled and angered. But he understood her discomfort and he knew that he had waited too long for this exact moment, to ruin it with an unnecessary emotion.

"You are recovered then?", he asked stoically, careful to hide his emotions.

Kagome looked up to him as if in a haze and with complete amazement.

: Sesshoumaru is here! He's here in my time and in the flesh, standing before me.

While Kagome pondered over the implications of this very surreal situation, Sesshoumaru in turn appeared to be slightly amused at her confusion. He knew she was shocked beyond belief and he knew that she had wrongly anticipated him sharing those feelings. However, he was not as shocked as she. He knew that he had been waiting for this moment for some time and he didn't waste it on emotions that were unfamiliar to him.

They just stood there watching each other, for what felt like endless moments. Kagome was astounded at how natural he looked in these modern day surroundings. She would never have thought that if Sesshoumaru lived this long, that he would conform to the changes that humans would inevitably thrust upon him and his kind. He looked as if he belonged here, more than she!

: He does look good though. I mean REALLY good…

Kagome remember him being impressive when she had first met him in the Feudal Era. He was something out of science fiction. He looked completely human, minus the claws and the slightly elfin ears. She remembered that he had the same unusual eyes as InuYasha and the same regal hair. What had been really interesting was seeing him turn into a giant and ferocious dog. He would have looked cuddly, had he not been trying to kill both her and InuYasha at the time.

He looked so similar to InuYasha—and yet he was more. His hair had been longer, shinier, and looked more luxurious to the touch. InuYasha's hair had always appeared slightly disarrayed due to constant battle and smelled of sweet smoke and sandalwood. Sesshoumaru was taller as well. His rigid stance only added height to his already elongated limbs. And then there were his eyes. They were the same amber hue, and yet simultaneously stoic and piercing.

Although he had made an impression on her then, nothing compared to him now. She remembered him being the young Lord that ruled over the Western Lands, now; he was a man that ruled everything he pleased. He probably dominated the business world seamlessly and intimidated the hell out of any that opposed him. She could hardly imagine him in a board meeting, filled with stuffy elderly executives.

: Although, I suppose he was used to meeting with his father's old generals, so it had to be about the same…right?

His power emanating from him seemed to be carefully reigned in and hidden under a disguise of potent maleness and civility. Kagome gave herself a mental smile. Sesshoumaru could hardly be defined by the word "civil". She knew better. Sesshoumaru was a predator, a conqueror, a man to appease. Nothing would stand in his way.

And yet, he stood before her now, in a three-button, flat-front charcoal suit. His soft wool suit was complimented with a French-cuff shirt in sky blue, a metallic silver tie, and black shoes that looked to be Kenneth Cole. To sum up, he looked…gorgeous. No man had ever looked more appealing in a suit to Kagome and she had been around plenty of business professionals.

It seemed like it took Kagome forever to study him from the tips of his shoes, to the top of his head. And when she finally got around to looking at his face, she saw that he was amused. Here she was, in a hazy fog, completely dazed by his appearance and he had the overconfidence to be amused!

: I guess I should close my mouth and stop gaping at him, like some fish.

"Sesshoumaru. It's you. You're Mr. Tsukiyomi?"

"I am."

"But how?"

"That is not the question you wish to ask me."

Taking a moment to think over his statement, she replied, "You've been here all this time?"

"Yes and no. I travel a great deal, but my base is here."

"Do you still hate humans?"

Smiling he replied, "No, those sentiments would not serve me well now."

Still nervous, she asked, "Are you going to kill me?"

"No, I have no wish to see you depart from this world."

"Why? I mean I appreciate that you don't want to kill me…anymore, but I thought you hated me. I thought that you hated ALL humans."

"I did not hate you. I was extremely displeased with your disrespect to me and I disapproved of you consorting with my brother. He was certainly not the best example of etiquette and protocol."

Kagome was relieved with his response, but she noted that he hadn't denied that at one point he did hate all humans.

: I wonder what changed his mind?

Sesshoumaru realized then that he was standing in front of his office doors, as if he was attempting to block her exit if she tried to leave. Pulling himself from his guard-like position, he carefully moved to sit in one of his comfortable chairs and motioned for her to do the same.

After taking a seat, Kagome relaxed a little bit more, and continued her line of questioning, "I was looking for a "Mr. Tsukiyomi" but I never imagined that that would be you. Did you know it was me that you'd be meeting with?"

"My PA informed me a school girl 'causing problems' and I must confess that given the time to consider a young girl who would willingly cause me problems, I would conjure your image first. Although, I did not know that you and I had an appointment to meet with each other until this morning and I was not sure that you would be the same Kagome."

"You thought it might be me, and yet you still wanted to meet with me?", she asked.

"I was intrigued…I still am."

"Oh yeah. You're probably wondering how I'm here and still alive, and look relatively the same as I did…"back then"."

"Not particularly."

"Oh?", she replied.

"I have always known that you would be here. I just wondered what you would be like…back where you belonged."

"And?"

"Ms. Tanaka informs me that you are as defiant as I remember."

"Oh goodness! Does she know that you know me and how?"

"No. I believe my longevity and heritage are best kept as secrets for now. I would not want to harm the fragility of the human mind in what they conceive to be reality and make-believe."

Gritting her teeth because she was agitated at his tone, she replied, "You know, WE humans aren't so fragile of the mind! You must have noticed all the cool things we've invented since your time."

"They have not gone unnoticed, I am quiet impressed with how far you all have come. That does not, however, negate the fact that humans in today's society could not handle a being more powerful than themselves, who will likely continue to outlive them. I am not a god but I would surely be received as one."

"That doesn't sound so bad. I know you always thought you were god! You walked over everyone like you were."

"Those were not actions of 'a god', those were actions of a high Lord. Besides, to be thought of as a god would only cause more problems than the so-called-acclaim is worth."

"Well, you can already bring people back from the dead…", she thought out loud.

Sounding haunted, he stated, "I have not used the Tenseiga in centuries and humans expect a god to be able to do more than just bring people back from the dead. They expect a healer, someone to answer prayers, someone to govern their very actions and deem them good or bad, and most of all, they expect a savior. I am none of the above, nor am I willing to act on their behalf."

"I have to disagree, bringing back someone from the dead is a pretty good 'healing' trick.", she joked.

Out of nowhere, Sesshoumaru became angry. She could see it in his eyes and in the tense way that he held his body and clamped his hands on the arms of the chairs. His eyes seem to glaze over, as if he was remembering something important. She had obviously said something wrong to set him off.

Angrily, he replied, "The Tenseiga is NOT infinite! If I can not to get to someone in need, in time, then I loose the window of opportunity to bring them back!"

Realizing that he wasn't angry with her, Kagome softened her words in an attempt to calm him down and lighten the mood of the situation.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know. I guess, I always thought that if someone needed you and you actually cared, that nothing would stop you."

"Know this, I am not infallible. Daiyōkai or not, I am still only a man. I can make mistakes…I have made mistakes…The only thing I can do now, is seek not to repeat those same mistakes again."

"I'm still offering my apology. It was thoughtless of me not to consider that you've survived all these years…and have probably seen all that you care for, cease to exist."

Initially her statement was greeted with silence and she wasn't sure if he was planning on responding to her.

"There is nothing to apologize for, it happened a long time ago.", he said.

Just then, it hit Kagome and she was quickly ashamed for bringing the subject up.

: He must be thinking of Rin. There is no way she could have lived this long, but he must have tried to save her at one point and couldn't…How sad for him…

Realizing the truth he spoke, she agreed, "You're right."

At that statement, Kagome looked over and saw the slight chuckle he held in his eyes to indicate his amusement and amazement at her agreement.

"Don't laugh! I can recognize when I'm wrong and I can accept that you can be right…occasionally."

"See, it is 'that there' which makes you unlike your other human counterparts."

"What? My ability to accept defeat?"

"I have never known you to accept defeat. Even when it put you in direct harms way."

At that statement, Kagome began to laugh. Her laughter was a great release of emotion that she had bottled up ever since she arrived at this building. She laughed at the absurdity of it all. She laughed at her sitting here in Sesshoumaru's office no less, verbally jesting with him and baiting him over topics of society—as if they did this everyday around lunch time.

Sesshoumaru asked, "What is it that you find so amusing?"

"THIS! Us! Right here and right now?", replied Kagome.

: Us. I like the sound of that…

He replied, "Us?"

"Yeah. Here we are sitting here like two old friends seemingly conversing on the pros and cons of our two eras."

"Is it our conversation that amuses you or the idea that we are old friends?"

"Both I suppose. The fact that we can talk like an old couple sounds ridiculous. I also never imagined you not wanting to kill me, much less being able to be considered as your friend and actually have a conversation with you that didn't entail pleading for my life.'

"Well then, I will have to work harder to change your opinion of me this time around."

"Why would you care?", she asked a little perplexed.

Kagome knew that the old Sesshoumaru never cared about what people thought of him and she was almost assured that he was devoid of any emotions. With the exception of the occasional outrage at his father, anger towards InuYasha, and an overall disdain for all humans.

Sesshoumaru took a minute to consider his response. He had enjoyed their banter up to this point and now he was concerned about what to say next. He couldn't reveal too much because her life needed to progress as planned but he loathed the thought of her fearing him and thinking that he didn't care for her. He also couldn't tolerate her low opinion of him.

He was finding it hard to separate the fact that the Sesshoumaru she was familiar with and the Sesshoumaru he was today, were two completely different people; in both attitude and emotion. Granted, he knew that he used to be that Sesshoumaru but he wasn't him anymore. He had changed. She had changed him.

"Kagome. Believe this when I say it to you, for I do not lie and I have no wish to deceive you; I have no desire for you to believe ill of me and I would like us to become…friends."

: We were friends once. We became more than friends…

Kagome was first shocked and then amazed at the warm feeling that enveloped her after his words. This was the first time he had ever said her name. Sesshoumaru had always referred to her as miko, wench, human, or "his baka hanyō brother's mate".

: He must be serious and really want to be friends. He isn't a dishonorable yōkai and he doesn't lie; he believed it to be beneath him to be untruthful.

Smiling back at him, she said, "I would like that very much."

And then she held out her hand. The gesture so surprising, that Sesshoumaru just looked at her and her hand for a moment.

"It's a handshake; something us humans do to confirm something…and it's a way of greeting too!"

"I already know this."

"Oh, uh sorry. I forget, you do know."

"I was just a little taken aback by your use of the gesture. We are not negotiating a business deal, we are affirming a friendship."

Her hand still sticking out, like an offending appendage, she asked "Well, how do you propose we 'seal the deal'?"

"We should seal it properly, between a man and a woman…"

This statement made Kagome gulp hard. He wanted them to seal things like men and women do? A shiver of panic ran up her spine, but was soon doused by heated images brought to her mind.

: Does he want to have sex? I can't have sex with Sesshoumaru…especially not here on his office floor! This is ridiculous! I am being ridiculous…

Sesshoumaru enjoyed teasing her. He could tell exactly when her mind started to wander because her breathing increased and the scent of her arousal was in the air. Determined to make her squirm for just a little longer, he continued.

"We should settle this with a kiss."

In an awkwardly high pitched voice that didn't sound like her own, Kagome squeaked, "A kiss?!"

And before she could react or attempt to talk him out of such nonsense, he grabbed her hand and gave her a very gentlemanly kiss on the back of her outstretched hand. So relieved was Kagome, that she smiled at the kindness in the gesture. But, Sesshoumaru wasn't going for "kindness". So, he turned her hand over, palm up, and placed a light kiss in the center of her palm.

Forgetting his intentions, he began to lightly run his lips over the veins at the base of her palm and then gently made his way back up; making sure to kiss each fingertip. It was as if he was using his lips to read her palm. His lips were trailing kisses of destiny, wrapping her in warmth that erased the unease and solitude.

: Oh my Kami! He's kissing me…he's seducing me? And I don't want him to stop…

Realizing that he was teetering on a razor sharp edge of his control, Sesshoumaru finally released her hand and smiled back at her as if nothing remotely sexy had just occurred. He knew what he made her feel, because he felt it too.

Stuttering, Kagome tried to ask, "H-how…I mean, w-wh-why?"

Smiling broadly he said, "Do not be shy with me Kagome. I did not say where I would kiss you…Besides, it was merely a kiss on the hand."

Kagome remembered his familiar words from her erotic dream of him the day before yesterday: "I did not say where I would kiss you and you will definitely have my mouth..." Those words brought back the shivers to her spine and knew that she would be lost if he did something like that again.

Gazing at the mouth that had just expertly seduced her, with hardly any effort, Kagome was lost for words.

: Is he flirting with me?! I must be imagining things. Sesshoumaru doesn't flirt! At least…I don't think he does…I must admit that I've never seen him be interested in anyone before, so I don't know how he would act if he wanted someone…although, I would hope that it's a lot like this…

Attempting to alleviate the tension that she was feeling, Kagome decided to return to a familiar tactic and ask him more questions. Clearing her suddenly parched throat, she continued.

"How did you become so successful in the area of artifacts?"

"Do you doubt my ability to become successful?"

"No of course not! As a matter of fact, it was your ability to succeed at most things that always kind of worried me. I guess I kind of imagined you eventually taking over the world or conquering something big…you know, something along those lines."

"I was not always so successful. I never did manage to kill InuYasha."

"I'm glad. Although, I don't think you every REALLY wanted to kill him…"

"Is that so?"

"Yeah. I think you wanted to teach him and you did it the only way you knew how."

"Clever, indeed. But, I am no longer so…ambitious. I seek other comforts of life and do not currently wish to kill anyone."

"Well, you've certainly made a name for yourself in this industry."

"How can I not? It is easy for one who actually remembers where the artifacts are hidden."

"I guess you're right."

"Ahh, there it is again."

"What?"

"You agreeing that I am right. I must say, I do enjoy the 'you' of this time. You are way more agreeable and considerably less argumentative."

Smiling and taking a mocking bow, Kagome replied, "Why Lord Sesshoumaru, you always know what to say to make me blush."

Looking deeply into her eyes and sounding more serious than he had before, he responded, "I try."

: Oh man, he is flirting with me! Who would've thought?!

"By the way, what does Katsura-Otoko mean?

Grinning, he understood her change of subject tactic, "It is a joke for myself. It means man of the moon, man on the moon, or man from the moon; choose whatever definition you like."

Gushing Kagome replied, "Oh, how perfect! That is so appropriate. Do many people ask you about it?"

"No. Many have learned to not question me."

Sighing she stated, "I guess you can't teach an old dog new tricks."

Then realizing what she said and who she was speaking to, so she quickly apologized.

He laughed, "Do not apologize. You would not be you if you did not speak your mind forthright."

"Thank you."

An awkward silence gripped Kagome and snapped Kagome out of the complacent reverie she had gotten herself into. She had become so comfortable around Sesshoumaru, that she had forgotten why she had come here in the first place.

"Sesshoumaru…"

"Yes?"

"You know that I have come here about Kusanagi?"

"I am aware that you seek a particular sword."

"Is it real? Can I see it?"

Standing, Sesshoumaru reached out his hand to Kagome to offer her assistance up out of her chair. He liked the feel of her hand in his and he knew that he would never get enough of her touch. Not even if he had to wait another five centuries to feel it.

It was after she stood that he finally spoke, "Kagome, now is not the time for that discussion."

Alarmed she replied, "But that was the whole purpose for this meeting!"

"No, the purpose of this meeting was for reintroductions and we have accomplished that."

"But what about the sword?", she complained.

"Has anyone ever told you that you have a strange affinity for weaponry?"

She countered, "Has anyone ever told you that you're annoying?!"

Shrugging off her childish insult as if she had not spoken, he began, "Meet me here tomorrow evening for dinner…"

She looked up to him expectantly, forgetting that their hands were still entwined.

Sesshoumaru continued, "…and you shall see your sword."

Kagome was instantly intrigued by the possibility of a 'date' with Sesshoumaru, but she didn't like the idea of him making demands on her time. She knew that she received enough of that from InuYasha.

: Looking displeased and a little mortified, she thought, "Goodness, InuYasha! I haven't thought of him since I got here."

"Does the idea of having dinner with me distress you so?", he voiced his concern.

"Oh no! Not that…It's just that InuYasha is expecting me back soon and he may be tempted to come and get me if I don't show up."

Understanding, he replied, "He was always impatient."

"You're probably wondering how InuYasha can come and get me—"

"Not really. I already know that he too can travel through the well.", he cut in.

"But, how do you know?"

Ignoring her question, he countered with one of his own, "So you will be meeting me tomorrow for dinner?"

Kagome noticed that this was the first time he sounded uncertain of something.

"Look, I really want to see this mystical sword, so I will try to be here tomorrow evening!"

"You will try to be here?"

"I'm not making any promises Sesshoumaru. You should know by now, that women of my era aren't as submissive as they used to be and I'm not bending over backwards to make things easy for you."

"You my dear, have never been submissive. And if you ever made things easy for me, I would surely be concerned over your mental well being."

Smiling up at him, she replied, "This encounter wasn't what I imagined it would be."

"You are not disappointed, are you?", he said with laughter in his eyes.

"Quiet the opposite."

And with that, Kagome allowed Sesshoumaru to walk her to his private elevator and to send her down the lift.

Before the doors closed on her, he stated, "Until tomorrow…"

: Thinking to himself, "Be safe for me Kagome."

As the elevator took her to the ground floor of the building, Kagome thought about how glad that she had finally gotten the chance to have a real conversation with him. She no longer saw him as this imposing figure with impenetrable defenses. He was man. Even though he was a yōkai, he was still a being with feelings and emotions…One that could be hurt, if given the right ammunition.

Kagome was disappointed with herself. When had she become so judgmental? Sesshoumaru was the same type of being like InuYasha, or Myoga, or Shippo. It was true that he held his emotions more shielded than most but that didn't mean that he was without feelings, he just never showed them.

: That's no excuse Kagome, you should know better!

Tired from berating herself and just plain tired from her exhausting day, Kagome walked out of the building more than ready to collapse again…but this time, into her bed at home.

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After Kagome had gone, Sesshoumaru stayed in his office until the scent of her that lingered, managed to fade away. He was in no rush to leave the room that held her warmth, and return to the solitude of his penthouse, so he allowed himself a few moments to take in the encounter he had just shared with Kagome.

He was pleased with how things had gone. She was everything he expected her to be and more. She had not lost her resolve or her fiery nature in all those centuries and he was grateful that some things remained the same.

As Sesshoumaru languidly lifted his limbs, he looked down at his clawed hands; the hands that had held Kagome. Just to be able to touch her again, to hear her melodic voice, and to tease her to anger, had made him joyful. It had been a long time, since he had anything to smile about. He was at ease with his life, but he wasn't exactly content.

: That's putting things mildly…

Sesshoumaru took his private lift to his penthouse apartment on the top floors of the Hazuki Nijūhachinichi Building. His mind was weary and he was just ready to rest. His soul felt tired, the very core of him—spent. As he prepared himself for bed, he thought over the things he needed to do. Sesshoumaru knew that his very life depended on the decisions and choices he made from this point forward and he was unwilling to die again.

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Back at the Higurashi Shrine…

Kagome had made it home, and as she walked into their quiet and still house, Kagome blindly made her way upstairs to her room. Gathering a change of clothes, Kagome jumped into the warm shower to ease her tense muscles. Today had been a day of excitement and anticipation, which culminated in surprise. Her body felt beat-up from all the opposing emotions and Kagome wanted nothing more, than to sit on the floor of her shower, and relax as the water cascaded over her tired features.

Kagome thought about how she had made it home, but it was as if she were on "autopilot". She made the correct turns and walked the appropriate streets and yet, Kagome couldn't remember anything of her journey home. It was a good thing that she was in a safe neighborhood and not far from Sesshoumaru's offices or her inattentiveness could have proved foolish and unsafe.

She just couldn't help it though. All she could think about was seeing Sesshoumaru.

Sesshoumaru was certainly the man she remembered him to be, and yet he was different. Time had managed to change and shape those un-weathered planes of his face. The stone-like resolve he'd had, had been rerouted to other issues he found more important. His impenetrable mask had not been destroyed, just uncovered. Kagome was astounded by how many more things she could pick up about him, just from having one conversation with him.

Jumping out of the shower and drying off, Kagome contemplated what other twisted things fate had in-store for her. If she were honest with herself, she had enjoyed talking to Sesshoumaru. It wasn't as bad as she would have imagined. He was surprisingly…pleasant. He didn't try to intimidate her, he didn't speak down to her, and he was almost….delightful?

As many questions as she was able to ask him, she was still left with just as many unanswered questions. For instance, she wanted to know why he wasn't surprised to see her in this era. Kagome knew that if their roles had been reversed, she would have wanted to know how a human could live that long. Kagome was convinced that the only people that new about her time travel and the well were InuYasha and the gang. She knew that Sesshoumaru probably thought that she was a weird female for their time, but she suspected that he didn't think she was more out of the ordinary than normal.

: It was interesting that he made it seem like he'd always known I was from this era or that he was assured that he would see me in this time; but that wouldn't make any sense. I would have had to tell him about myself and the magic of the well, or someone would have had to tell him, or…he could have spied on me while I was at the well.

Even though all those questions seemed plausible, Kagome couldn't figure out what she was missing. She knew she wouldn't volunteer this type of important information to him, and she knew her friends wouldn't tell him either.

: Maybe he was spying on me…But that doesn't seem right. Sesshoumaru would have to care to spy and the Sesshoumaru of the past, doesn't care about humans, much less me!

Of course, Kagome realized that she could have told him herself…

: What would cause me to confide in Sesshoumaru and tell him one of my biggest secrets in the world?

Kagome wasn't sure why he knew that InuYasha could go through the well, either. The only words those two ever seemed to share, were profanities and threats.

Kagome was also confused about him having his arm back. She was happy for him, because she always felt that it was kind of her fault that he lost it in the first place; but she still didn't know how he had managed to get it back. The last she remembered, was that his harm fell to the depths of hell with the So'unga.

: Maybe he just grew his arm back…I suppose it could be done, because yōkai heal differently than humans. I wonder how long that must have taken him?

Kagome knew that she had so many questions to ask him and if she made it to his dinner tomorrow night, she would definitely question him—like a reporter on a hot story. She wanted to know his experiences, where he had been all this time, get some information about the past she had yet to experience, and find out what happened to Rin and Jaken.

Her only problem was InuYasha. Kagome knew how impatient he could be and he might just come and get her.

: Sighing exasperatedly, she thought, "Who am I kidding? Of course he's going to come and get me! And what do I do when he does get here?!

Kagome knew that she was approaching what could be a serious problem. If InuYasha came early, he would just want to follow her and if she didn't tell him where she was going, he would still follow her; but now, it would be under the guise of ensuring her safety. There was also the problem of her smell. Even though he was a hanyō, InuYasha had a great sense of smell and if Kagome smelled like Sesshoumaru, InuYasha would definitely follow her.

: That would be troubling because InuYasha would want to fight him and cause more problems than necessary.

: Still thinking to herself, Kagome thought, "Maybe I should just pop over there and catch InuYasha before he comes here. Then I can explain that I need and extra day, but I didn't want them to worry about me, so I came over to tell them."

Kagome began to like that plan. It would be simple to jump in the well, tell her friends the situation (leaving out Sesshoumaru of course), and then be back in her own era in time to see Sesshoumaru for dinner. This way, InuYasha doesn't interfere and initiate a needless fight and her friends don't have to worry about her.

Confident with her plan of action, Kagome quickly drifted off to sleep. Tomorrow would be another day to conquer the unknown

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