#9. Hrmmm... Did I say that already?


Kagome shivers. How did I get suckered into this? I am not doing this by myself...

"I'm gonna see if Youpai wants to come," the miko says, heading out of the kitchen. Kajina hears the click of a phone receiver being picked up, and smiles to herself before turning to the three boys sitting at the table.

"Did you ever go to the mall when you visited before, Inuyasha?" Kagome's mom asks, placing three plates of bacon and eggs in front of her son and the two demons.

The hanyou shakes his head as he digs into his breakfast. His appetite had mysteriously returned since he and Kagome had started talking to each other again, two weeks before.

"No. I only went to Kagome's school and back," he says, reaching for the pan of biscuits Kajina was placing on the table. The woman smiles and shakes her head before sitting down.

"What?" Inuyasha asks, between mouthfuls of food.

"Nothing," the woman responds, taking a bite out of her own biscuit.

"Is that the place that has all those different little rooms that sell different things?" Shippo asks, also trying to hide his smile at the hanyou's seemingly famished demeanor.

"Yeah. The mall sells all kinds of things: clothes, games, stuff for the house. Everything," Sota says. The boy spreads some grape jelly on his bread before turning to his mother. "Do I have to go mom? I wanted to go over to Sutui's house today; he got the new Zombies game that I've been wanting to play."

Kajina frowns slightly at her son. "Yes, dear. You need some summer clothes, and supplies are on sale for school next year, since classes just let out. Plus, you need to help Inuyasha and Shippo try things on, since Kagome won't be able to, um... show them how everything is supposed to fit."

The older woman blushes as her youngest starts to giggle. The demons just exchange confused glances across the table, wondering what was so funny.

"Youpai said she'd be ready in an hour, and Reni can come along, Sota, if you want him to," Kagome says, coming back into the kitchen and sitting down beside Inuyasha. She glares at him. Her bacon is missing.

"Oooo...ok, sis. Can we go in Sparks before we leave? Please?" Sota asks, giving his sister his best puppy-dog face.

The girl rolls her eyes and turns her glare on her mother. "I cannot believe you talked me into this," she mumbles, snatching a biscuit from Inuyasha and sticking her tongue out at him when he stares at her in shock. "You stole my bacon."

The hanyou glowers, crossing his arms and slumping down in the chair. Kajina grins.

"I'm sorry, dear, but I really need to get some work done today. Tutoring the boys doesn't leave me with a lot of time, even though they're both helping out around here," she says, smiling at the demons. Inuyasha and Shippo blush while the woman continues speaking. "I'm lucky that I have a job where I can work at home, but I do still have to work. You taking them shopping will help out a lot, Kagome."

The young miko looks up at her mother, sighing in defeat. "Alright, mom. But I won't be responsible if I come home with less people than I left with."

Kajina laughs, patting her daughter on the head as she walks to the sink. Sota rolls his eyes, standing from the table and heading upstairs to get ready. Kagome turns to Shippo and Inuyasha, smiling at the confused looks they're giving her before her expression turns serious.

"I need you guys to listen to what I tell you, since this is the first time you've really been away from the shrine," Kagome says, thinking of everything that could possibly go wrong today. "And no arguments, please, Inuyasha," she asks, seeing the hanyou about to speak. The half-demon scowls, and goes back to his slumping posture.

"Will there be a lot of humans?" Shippo asks. He stands and takes the empty plates off the table, carrying them over to the sink to help Kajina with the dishes.

"You have no idea," Kagome mumbles. She rests her head on the table for a minute, staring blankly at the floor. The girl notices her socked feet, then Inuyasha's bare ones. The girl frowns, lifting her head and turning to look at the kitsune. "You guys have to wear shoes."

Both demons turn their heads, surprised. "What?" Inuyasha asks. Kagome thought she heard a hint of fear in his voice.

"The stores won't let you in if you're not wearing shoes."

"You two can borrow some of Kagome's father's. You should all wear about the same size," Kajina says, drying her hands on a towel and leaving the room. She returnes a few minutes later with a pair of sandals in each hand. "These will do for now, but we'd better add 'shoes' to the list, Kagome." The girl nods, watching Inuyasha and Shippo slide the leather-strapped footwear onto their feet.

The hanyou scowls. "I don't think I've ever worn anything on my feet before," he says, wiggling his toes.

Kagome sighs. "You'd better get used to it; you'll have to wear them in school, too."

Inuyasha turns to look at the girl, and sees her frowning at his feet, a slight sadness in her eyes. He reaches over and lays his hand on top of hers, speaking quietly when she looks up at him. "I chose this--remember?" he says, squeezing her fingers.

Kagome feels her cheeks starting to burn, and quickly looks away, avoiding Shippo's and her mother's eyes as well. Everyone in the kitchen knew the difference between what Inuyasha had said, and what the half-demon had actually meant...

-------------------

"Reni! Kagome and the others will be here any minute!"

Youpai walks into her bedroom and grabs her purse before running downstairs and opening the front door. She sees Kajina's van pull up a second later, and Kagome stick her arm out the window, then turn to say something to the other occupants.

"They're here, Reni! Come on!" Youpai's little brother comes bounding down the stairs, mumbling something about having to save his game. The girl rolls her eyes. "We'll be back later this afternoon, mom!" the girl says, hearing a muffled 'Have fun!' from her mother's bedroom as she closes the door.

Reni skips ahead of his sister, his dark hair falling in his eyes each time a foot lands. Youpai sighs. Her mother wanted the boy to get a haircut, and the girl knew she was going to have a problem, especially when he saw Shippo's and Inuyasha's hair.

The girl suddenly frowns, wondering how she was going to explain certain features that the demons had. Her uneasiness is changed to astonishment as she opens the passenger-side door to the van and looks inside, her mouth falling open and her eyes widening.

"What...what...?"

"I'll explain later," Kagome mumbles, motioning for her friend to take the front seat while her brother hops over the older boys to join Sota in the back. Reni stares at the two demons, his eyes wide as he takes in their waist-length hair.

"Your mom lets you grow it that long?" he asks wonderingly.

Shippo grins. "Yep; says it makes me look older," he says, winking at the boy. Reni nods before Sota gets his attention with a video game he had brought along.

Youpai continues to stare as Kagome starts the car and pulls onto the street. "Kitsune magic," the miko whispers, seeing the other girl nods hesitantly out of the corner of her eye. She sighs.

Kagome had been wondering how she was going to keep other humans from noticing certain ... things--mostly Shippo's tail. The boy had asked her what was wrong when she continued to stare at him after breakfast, grinning mischievously when she explained.

Two seconds later, Shippo was a human. Well, he looked human, at least. The fox no longer had his claws, pointed ears, fangs, or tail. He grinned again when the girl's gaze shifted to Inuyasha, and before she could utter a word, the hanyou was in his human form.

"It's just an illusion," he said, when the other boy glared. "You can still see, hear, and smell better than even me, I think," he said. This seemed reasonable to the half-demon, and he hadn't said a word about it since. Kagome, however, had not been happy.

Having to hide who you are, guys? It's not fair. Not...right...

The girl had been disturbed by the idea, but couldn't currently see a way around it. As a priest, her grandfather had a few connections, but none of them had ever mentioned the existence of youkai--even the miko she was now studying under. If demons still existed in her time, Kagome didn't know where they were, or even how she could contact them without exposing them to humans.

The girl sighs, frowning to herself before glancing in the rearview mirror, noticing Inuyasha's dark gaze on hers from the seat behind her. She stares at him for several seconds before switching back to the road. A voice in her ear makes her jump.

"Stop thinking about it."

"About what? And don't do that when I'm driving, Inuyasha. A car wreck is not something we want to be in," she replies, making a turn into the mall parking lot.

"You know what," he growls, keeping his position for a few more seconds.

The boy finds himself staring at Kagome's neck--which is exposed because of the sleeveless shirt she's wearing. Inuyasha suddenly realizes what he's doing and sits back quickly, but not before Shippo gives him a sly grin. The hanyou ignores the fox and stares out the window, his eyes widening.

"That's where we're going?"

-------------------

"Is this the last store?"

"Yeah; I don't think we can fit anymore packages into the car," Kagome says tiredly.

The girl looks down at the dozen bags at her feet, and thinks about the two trips to the car they'd made already. The small group had gotten summer things for Sota and school supplies for all of them, including backpacks for Inuyasha and Shippo. Kagome had almost laughed aloud when they'd argued over which colors they wanted, never in her wildest dreams imagining that she'd be in this position.

The younger boys were now in Sparks, playing video games while the girls waited on the two demons. Sota had shown them how clothing was supposed to fit, while Youpai had dragged her brother to get his hair cut. The boy had put up fuss until his sister promised to get him some ice cream. Kagome had been annoyed, because Sota found out, then he, Shippo, and Inuyasha all wanted some, too.

"Why does your mom want dress kimonos for them?" Youpai asks, leaning against the clothes rack next to Kagome.

The other girl shrugs. "I don't know; she just said to get them some." The girl yawns, glancing at her watch. It's almost 6 o'clock... That means we've been here almost 7 hours... she thinks, resting her head on one hand. A nudge in her ribs makes Kagome turn around, her eyes widening at what she was seeing.

Shippo has exited the dressing rooms, and was now giving smirking glances to a group of giggling girls at the front of the store. The boy was wearing dark green hakamas and a matching haori, which had been left open over a white underkimono. The kitsune looked like he'd just stepped out of Feudal Japan.

"Well? What do you think?" he asks, walking toward Kagome and Youpai and turning in a slow circle.

Kagome gives the fox a smile, then turns to Youpai, trying to hide her laughs when she sees the other girl blushing lightly.

The squeak of a door gets her attention, and Kagome looks past the fox, her mouth dropping open as Inuyasha leaves the dressing room. A low whistle behind the girl tells her that she wasn't the only one admiring what she was seeing.

Inuyasha was wearing crimson hakamas with a matching haori, also with a white underkimono. The outfit was very similar to the boy's Robe of the Fire-Rat, but darker and with a more formal cut. Another nudge in the ribs from Youpai tells Kagome that she still has her mouth open.

Closing it quickly, Kagome tries to hide the warmth creeping into her cheeks as the hanyou walks toward her. "Have a thing for red?" she asks teasingly, hoping that her voice sounded more steady to him than it did inside her head.

Inuyasha narrows his eyes at her for a second before shrugging, his gaze shifting to the rest of the store. He frowns, then turns back to Kagome, eyeing the dozen or so girls gawking at him.

"Why is everyone staring?" he asks, a sudden nervous edge to his voice.

Kagome turns, watching in amusement as the the girls quickly return to their browsing. She eyes the store clerk for a few seconds, frowning slightly at the way the woman was looking at the two demons. Shaking off the feeling, the miko looks back at Inuyasha with a smile.

"They like what they see," she replies, giggling lightly when the half-demon gives her a confused look.

"I'll explain it to him," Shippo says, grinning as he grabs Inuyasha's arm and drags the other boy back to the dressing rooms.

Kagome exchanges an amused glance with Youpai as she gathers their bags and heads toward the checkout counter. The bespeckled woman behind it smiles sweetly. "Just the two formal outfits, then?" she asks.

Kagome nods, then sighs when the woman tells her the price. She hands the clerk the money, watching the woman carefully. Something bothered the girl about the way the woman kept eyeing the dressing rooms, but the boys return before Kagome can figure out why.

"Is this the last store? I'm starting to get hungry...," Inuyasha says, rubbing his stomach absently.

Kagome rolls her eyes. "Yes; I'll call mom and see if she wants us to pick something up."

The boys give her quizzical looks as the clerk bags up their robes. "What does that mean?" Shippo asks. The woman behind the desk raises one brow at the boy, but doesn't say anything.

Kagome glares at the two demons, effectively silencing them with the deadly look. She thanks the woman as she hands them their bags, and the foursome leaves the store, heading for the arcade to pick up the two youngest.

"Do you guys want to come over for dinner?" Kagome asks, glancing back at Youpai, who is walking beside the kitsune. The other girl sighs.

"Maybe some other time, Kagome. Mom's probably wondering where we've been all day."

"I know; I didn't think it would take this long, either," the girl says, stopping before the escalators to let a small, slightly flat-faced man get on before them. The man grins, then nods, tilting his bowler hat up at the girl.

"Where have I seen him?" Shippo asks, leaning forward to whisper in the girl's ear.

"I know; he looks familiar...," Inuyasha adds, eyeing the man as they reach the next floor and step off.

Kagome shakes her head, her eyes following the small man as he heads toward an electronics store. She sighs, wondering if her uneasiness with the clerk and the tiny man was due to the fact that she'd been on her feet all day. Then she laughs, recalling the fact that she used to do be on her feet every day.

"What's so funny?" Inuyasha asks.

Kagome shrugs. "Nothing. Just...remembering...," she says, smiling when the others look at her with concern. "Let's just get Sota and Reni and go home. It's been a long day."

----------------

"No, Inuyasha. You have to subtract what's in the parenthesis before you square it," Kagome says, pointing to the algebra homework her mother had given the two demons.

The boy growls lightly. "Are you really the best one to be explaining this to me, Kagome? Last I checked, you were always having trouble with math yourself," he says, laughing as he dodges the girl's attempt to thump him on the ear.

The girl glares and playfully attempts to wring the boy's neck, chasing him around the living room until he suddenly turns and grabs her wrists, pulling her closer to him.

The pair stares at one another in slight surprise, a slow blush creeping onto both of their cheeks. The sound of Shippo's footsteps breaks the silence, and Inuyasha quickly lets go of the girl.

"I'm gonna...uh, get ready for bed," Kagome says, turning toward the door to the living room as the fox walks in. The boy catches the color on the others faces and grins at the hanyou as the girl heads upstairs.

"What was that?" Shippo asks, smirking at the back of Inuyasha's head as he heads back to his homework. The half-demon chooses to grunt instead of answer properly.

The fox shakes his head, smiling at the insides of the half-demon's ears, which are turning pink. Shippo suddenly frowns, tilting his head to the side as he sees Inuyasha's ears perk up.

"What's that?" he asks, turning back toward the hallway and the front door.

"I...it sounds like..."

Inuyasha doesn't get a chance to finish his sentence, as the front door suddenly bursts open and half-a-dozen men barge in, aiming large, shiny, black things at them. Several popping noises instantly fill the air, and Inuyasha and Shippo gasp as they feel small pinpricks of pain along their chests and necks. Before they can utter a word, both demons drop to the ground, unconscious.

Kagome comes flying out of her bedroom after hearing the commotion downstairs, meeting her mother on the landing. They share a frightened look--turning toward the front door--and the girl's heart leaps into her throat.

Inuyasha and Shippo are being hurried out of the house, carried on the shoulders of men dressed in black fatigues, identical masks covering each of their faces...


La la la...