Hey guys!

So I hope this didn't take too long to come out. Since my computer isn't working the way it is supposed to, this chapter is actually a couple of chapter combined. I work a lot, so I don't have the time to post the separate chapters. I just kinda started and didn't stop until I was satisfied that you guys would have enough to chew on until I can update again.

Thanks to all my reviewers who gave me a suggestion of some sort! It was all really helpful, and I very much appreciate it! gives everyone freshly baked cookies

KACE19

SugarOo

Milana-Despana

Sesshyssister

Hopeless lady dreamer

RainaSukiMiyuki

GurlOfTheNight

Gimlan

Kanae14

Ashdrew27

Missy Misa

Wow that was more than I thought! I luv u guys!

Disclaimer: nope still don't own nuttin'. Oh and I don't own the lyrics either.

No I won't tell you want the lyrics are but they are in italics, so watch for them!

I do own my char Suki and Kokoro! Ha!

Ps. I am trying something new,hints the lyrics, so try and be patient and if it doesn't seem all that great then let me know, k?

Chapter 10: Virus

Last time:

'Hurt…'

'Yes I know she is hurting.'

'Do something.'

'What do you suggest I do? She cowers in my presence. I am here to protect her out of debt, nothing more.'

A low whine escaped his beast. It hated to see women cry. And, to be perfectly honest, he didn't like it either. Sesshomaru just hid it better. He still didn't like this. How was suppose to protect her from herself? He didn't need the miko to go off herself to end her grief. Once more, he didn't do 'nice' that was in any way noticeable, well, excluding Rin.

Now:

Crippling

Numbing

Suffocating

Cold

She was surprised that her miko abilities were still operating. She felt the familiar aura, felt that power crawl under her skin raising goosebumps. Like she needed another reason to shiver… She knew she should be scared, but Kagome couldn't bring herself to care. What did she have to live for anyway? Revenge? Ha. Like she could even get close to that miserable half breed.

'Just give me five minutes with that scum! I'll show him what true torture is!' The miko was surprised at the dark images her mind called up. Good thing that Naraku couldn't get into her head…

"Miko," his voice cut through her thoughts like a razor to a wrist. A cold sting with a rush of relief.

Said miko didn't even look up; whether she didn't want to or couldn't get the strength to, he didn't know.

"Miko," he called louder that the last.

Why couldn't he kill her went she wanted to die?

Finally, she turned to look at him, "what…" Kagome couldn't get her voice to be more than a whisper. Her eyes met with his, and Sesshomaru was shocked, not that he showed it. There was no fire in her eyes, just a strange emptiness. He could just about guess why that bleakness was there; he didn't know how far that would reach. Her eyes, however, there was something happening to them physically. He watched as they swirled a mix of dark brown and light sapphire. What was happening to her?

"You should not have left the campsite-"

She interrupted him, "I don't care."

He stifled a growl and tried again, "Miko, in this state-"

Again, she interrupted, "I don't care."

"Human, it is dangerous. Something could have killed you."

"So? Less for you to worry about."

"I will not have you killed to end your grief. Now, come back to camp." His voice was sharp with his command. The demon lord turned his back on her, expecting her to follow. It was the tone he used to end an argument with others before. It should have worked.

"Why do you care so much anyway?! You wanted to kill me before, well here's your chance!" She pushed herself to her knees, pinning him with a stare that would have sent any other being running. It was lost on him for he didn't see it. Her cackling power on the other hand, that was something that made him turn to face her again.

"You are not allowed to die. My honor will not allow it."

She was on her feet, staring at him incredulously. "Your HONOR?!" She nearly shouted.

"Human," he didn't get a chance to finish.

"So it was honor that led you to nearly kill me for something I didn't know would happen!" She shoved him back. Sesshomaru was surprised that her push actually moved him, quite a bit too. He took a step back to steady himself; his chest tingled with her powers that raged just below her surface.

"Wench-" he was cut off by her push.

"To leave me in the hands of that wretched, foul, disgusting half demon! Was that your honor too? Even though I saved your life from those demons, after you tried to kill me, your honor allowed you to just get up and leave!" She glared up at him with the most resentful look she could muster at that time. Her hands clenched into tight fists; her fingernails bit into her palm.

He settled for glaring at her. What could he say in his defense? She was right, and though he hated it, he would admit to the wrong. It was safe to assume, however, that he shouldn't say he was taking her with him to pay back his debt. She would just love that.

A fist hitting him above his armor on his chest brought him out of his mind and back to the present. It burned slightly, but it was enough to get his attention. He blinked at her as she brought down her fist again as it glowed with purification power.

"Do you- do you even know what he did to me! How much he hurt me?!" her voice cracked as she brought up both fists to hit him on his unprotected chest. "He-he…God. I can't- it hurt- it hurt so much. I- I- I couldn't do anything! And Rin—" her voice broke again as she sobbed almost uncontrollably.

The demon lord used her distraction to grab both wrists in one hand. He brought her hands just above her head. It wasn't to hurt her; it was to keep her from hitting him with purification power.

"Were you even looking for her?!" she thrashed against his hold on her. "She wasn't eating when he brought her to me. Rin, little Rin. She was alone with that hanyou for three weeks." She felt him flinch ever so slightly.

"She was so skinny… at first- at first I wasn't even sure she would have the strength to continue on." She sagged in his grip. "Then, he came into our room again… he went after Rin, and I— and I just couldn't sit there and watch her go through the same torture. I just kept thinking to myself that even though it hurt when he turned on me, at least—at least Rin would be ok…"

Sesshomaru clenched his jaw. She had done so much to ensure Rin's safety. His Rin's safety meant more to him than anything else. He was beginning to wonder if he would ever get out of her debt. He knew the hanyou was, well, extremely wicked, but he didn't think that the half breed would go that low. Forcing oneself on a woman was horrible; forcing oneself on a child was even worse. He didn't want to think about what could have happened to Rin.

"Don't you dare talk to me about honor," her voice was lowered to right above a whisper. "What you did… what you did to me, to her," she shook her head, trying to organize her thoughts through her tears. She looked up to stare him in the eyes, "I have lost all respect for you."

Sesshomaru's castle was not what Kagome was expecting. The palace itself was huge, way bigger than she had imagined it! Surrounding the palace was giant walls that were at least two stories tall. Once inside the walls, Kagome saw that what looked like a small market area with plenty of very sophisticated-looking youkai milling about from one shop to another.

Passing the shops, they finally arrived at the palace doors. The large wooden doors were at least ten feet tall, and they were intricately carved, displaying inu-youkia in their true forms battling in a war setting with the other smaller youkai as the enemies. She stopped for a minute, studying the graceful curves and beautiful coloring of the massive structure. She didn't know what the inside would look like, but she could see herself getting lost in there.

It really was a beautiful castle

Rin ran ahead of them and into the castle. Not long after Jaken's squeal of terror could be heard.

Silently, almost like she didn't exist, Sesshomaru lead the way through the doors. He didn't look back to see if she was following. Swallowing the lump of fear in her throat she followed him into his home. She was unaware of the eyes that followed her into the palace.

I can see you, but you can't see me

I can touch you and you wouldn't even feel me

Wait a second and you'll settle down

I'm just waiting till you really let your guard down

You're relaxed, you're sublime, you're amazing

You don't even know the danger you're facing

If I'm quiet, I'll slide up behind you

And if you hear me, I'll enjoy trying to find you…

He led her through the winding corridors of his home. Kagome knew after the fifth or sixth turn that she would need a guide to navigate through the castle.

'Is he even aware that I am still following him?'

Just as the question floated through her head, he stopped suddenly and opened a painted rice paper door.

"Here is your room." His stoic voice sounded unusually distracted.

Sesshomaru watched her walk into her new room. It was one of his nicest rooms. He hoped it would be to her liking.

His mind wandered in circles trying to come up a solution to his current problem. How was he to repay her when she didn't trust him? He didn't blame her though. He made a horrible decision, and now he was paying for it. Still, trying to find a solution to this perplexing dilemma was a pleasant distraction. That night in the forest haunted him. Never in his long life has he ever seen something quite like that. He was not the demon that got personable with anybody, except Rin…

Grieving was something he thought was a weakness. However, if one could not control oneself then the mourning was to be in private or maybe with a close friend or family. Since he was neither of those to the miko, he was unprepared for how bad her grieving would be…

Strangely, it tugged at his icy heart and frequently entered his mind. No matter what he did, he couldn't get the image out of his head.

Curled up on her side, she clutched her sides with her faced pressed to the ground to muffle the cries coming from her very soul. The sounds she was making, the heart-wrenching sobs tore from her already raspy, raw throat. The entire area was saturated with her sorrow, her grief, and the smell of her salty tears that soak the ground by her face. It was the most pitiful thing he has ever seen in his very long life.

He mentally shook himself to try and rid the image from head. He focused back on the miko. She seemed to like the room; she was smiling as she ran her hand across the different surfaces and textures of the room.

The room itself was bigger than average, and the bed seemed like it could fit two or three people in it. The comforter was a dark red color with gold trimmings. It was centered against the western wall. Opposite of the bed on the eastern wall and closer to the upper corner was a wooden armoire. It was intricately carved with vines and floral patterns on the doors and legs. On the same wall and closer to the lower corner of the room was a vanity with the same carved patterns along the rim of the mirror, drawers, and legs. Even with the vanity on the western wall was a chest. The southern wall was occupied by the door. The northern most wall had a large window that led out onto a balcony. In the center of the room on the floor was a large golden, plush rug. It looked about as comfortable as the bed…

She turned back to Sesshomaru. "Thank you. You didn't have to give me such a nice room…" she nervously twisted her hands behind her back, staring at the ground as she chewed her lower lip, "I kind of feel outta place here."

Sesshomaru slightly shook his head, "You have done much for me. You deserve to have a comfortable place to stay."

"And how long will I be staying here?" Surprised at herself she looked up and quickly spoke to correct herself. "Not like I don't want to stay here. It's a really nice place, and Rin is such a sweet girl-"

"You are allowed to stay as long as you desire, miko." He interrupted her rambling.

"That sounds nice, but," she stopped to collect her thoughts. "I do have to finish collecting the jewel shards. I broke the jewel after all." She looked up at him, "I can't leave the jewel in Naraku's hands. The connection I have with the jewel is…" she shook her head, furrowing her brows as she thought. "Strange. It's like it is still a part of me. I mean it was torn from me, but I can still feel it."

He interrupted her there, "It was torn from you? You were the one that brought the cursed jewel back to this time?"

She flinched slightly, "Yah, but it wasn't my fault! I was grabbed by Mistress Centipede from my time and dragged to this time. She tore the jewel from my side and ate it. That is why I released Inuyasha. She was going to kill me!"

Nodding, he asked, "So you feel the jewel like it is still a part of you?" To say he was curious was an understatement.

"Yah, but it's more than that. When a jewel shard is around, I don't just feel it tug at my senses but at my soul. I can feel it pull for me, like it wants to be with me… I know it sounds strange but that is what it feels like. Most of it is with Naraku, and though it is almost whole, I can still feel it call for me. The jewel is in pain; it's screaming to be healed, to be purified…"

She looked up at him, her eyes swirling with blue again, "Please, I can't defeat Naraku on my own, and I can't leave the jewel. It hurts me to hear and feel it scream for me. Please, you have to help me!"

He nodded; after all here was another way to try to pay back his debt. "I will help you in your quest, miko. But I think that you still require time to mourn for your friends and family. We will have to be on guard if we are to hunt Naraku."

She looked down again and bit her lower lip, "Yah, you're right."

Taking that as his queue to leave, he turned.

"Wait," she called, holding out her hand to touch his arm. "Uh, where's the bathroom? You have a huge palace, and I would get lost if I tried to find it on my own. And I don't want to wander where I am not supp—"

"Miko," he looked over his shoulder to look at her. "I will send a servant to your room. She is to be your personal servant and guide if you need." He walked off to his study to finish the paper work that was left undone. He called for Jaken before he started.

The little toad was before his desk in minutes, "Yes, Milord? You called for me?"

Without looking up, the demon lord answered, "Yes, find Suki and send her to the miko's room." He knew Jaken hated humans, and the toad certainly didn't like having to do anything for them. But, as far as Sesshomaru was concerned Jaken is just going to have to deal with it. He will not tolerate anyone disrespecting the miko, including Jaken.

The moment Sesshomaru left, Kagome felt like she was being watched. The feeling snaked down her spine and left her with the chills. She could feel the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.

'Really now, girl. It is just your imagination. There are lots of youkai around and my senses just haven't adjusted yet.'

Still, she couldn't shake the feeling.

I've been with you all day
I'm trying to stay calm
I'm impatient and it'sReally hard to breathe
I'm going to empty you and
Fill you in with me

Moments later a small knock sounded. Kagome jumped but managed to tell whoever it was to come in. The door opened to reveal a female around her age. Her hair was cut into three distinct layers. The shortest layer was cut to her chin and was a fiery red color. The middle layer hung to the middle of her upper arm. The longest layer stopped at the middle of her back. Both the middle and last layer was jet black.

Her eyes were jade green and had a gentle look in them. Her body was the perfect build, being neither too fat nor too skinny. She wore a simple work yukata.

"Hello," the female smiled. "My name is Suki. Sesshomaru-sama has assigned me to be your personal servant." She bowed.

"Hi. I'm Kagome. It's nice to meet you." Kagome bowed in greeting.

"Well, Kagome-sama, I was informed that you wish to bathe, correct?"

"Yah, I did. And you don't have to use honorifics with me. It's too formal for me. If we are gonna be together for a while then we should be friends, ok, Suki-chan?" Kagome smiled at Suki.

"Friends, that sounds like fun. Ok, lets be friends, Kagome-chan!" Suki smiled at Kagome and continued, "Well, let me show you where the baths are. Sesshomaru-sama instructed me to take you to the private baths. You'll love them! It's a natural hot spring."

"Oh man, that sounds so good right now!" Sighing Kagome thought out loud, "If only I had my back pack…I don't even know what happened to it…"

"Back pack? What's that?" Suki turned to look at her curiously.

"Huh? Oh! Um, a backpack is like a satchel that you can strap to your back. Mine was big and carried all of my supplies in it. Speaking of supplies, do you have anything that I can use for cuts and stuff? My back is still cut up from a recent battle, and I haven't had the chance to rewrap them…"

"You're hurt! Why didn't you tell me? We have to get you to a healer right a way! Humans are so frail, no offense. Sessomaru-sama would kill me if you died in my care!" Suki grabbed her wrist and started off in a different direction.

"Suki-chan, wait!" Somehow Kagome managed to free herself. "Can I please take a bath first? Then we can go to the healer, I promise. Besides the wounds need to be cleaned anyway.

"But-"

"Please, Suki-chan? I'll be fine. You can help me clean them if it will make you feel better."

"Oh, alright. But you are going straight to the healer after!" Suki huffed and continued toward the bathroom.

Soaking in the hot spring was something that Kagome would never take for granite again. It relaxed her aching muscles. She sighed in contentment.

That is until Suki decided it was time to clean those wounds.

"Aw! But it feels too good to move!" the miko complained as the female demon made her sit up.

"No buts! You promised. After I clean the wounds you can relax for a little while longer." Suki soaked a rag in the warm water before gently washing the cuts. She managed to keep her opinions to herself as she worked; however, it wasn't easy. Being one of the only cats in the castle, she was curious by nature.

"These look well taken care of and are already healing. How long have you had these injuries?" The cat demon managed to contain the curiosity in her voice.

"Hm? Oh, yah, I had them for a couple of weeks now. My travels didn't go all that smoothly until I met up with Sesshomaru. I was looking for him because I had found Rin and was returning her." The sleepy miko rested her head on her knees.

Keep the violence down
Not yet-don't make a sound
Oh, God, I'm feeling it
It's reaching fever pitch
My skin is caving in
My heart in driving out
No mercy, no remorse
Let nature take its course

"How did you know Sesshomaru-sama? And how did you find Rin? Milord was depressed for weeks without the little human child…" Rinsing her rag of the blood, she resumed working.

"I used to travel with his half-brother, Inuyasha, and a couple of friends that we picked up along the way. Recently, they d-" she stopped and took a breath to steady herself before she continued, "They were killed by a half-breed named Naraku. I was captured by him. Apparently he had taken Rin as well. He brought her to me because Rin wasn't eating…"

"That is horrible! I have heard of the half demon and all his wickedness. I am so sorry to hear what happened to your friends. If I may ask, why do you not go home now? Surely you have some family you can go to…" Suki trailed off as she heard the human sniffle.

"He- he t-took my family fr-from me the s-s-same day." Kagome started to cry. "I don't have anywhere to go! As it is, I think the only reason I am here is because I saved Rin. I fear I will be thrown out when Sesshomaru thinks he has repaid his debt! Then I'll really be alone!"

Suki turned the miko to face her and hugged her softly. "It's ok. I can tell from the way Rin talks about you that she really likes you." She started, trying to comfort her. "Sesshomaru-sama wouldn't like it if she is sad because he throws you out. He'll do anything to keep that little girl happy."

Kagome looked up at her new found friend, "Do you really think so?"

Smiling she replied, "Yes I do. I also think that it is time to get out and go to the healer now."

Once they arrived at the healer's room, Suki left Kagome to find Sesshomaru. He wasn't hard to find. He always seemed to be in his study with endless amounts of paperwork to do. She had worked for him since he came into power after his father's death. She was the closest thing he had to a friend. She was allowed to talk with him on a personal level with subjects he would not talk to anyone else about.

Odd that a dog could trust a cat, but she worked for it.

She knocked on the door and waited for him to invite her in. Though she was close to him, she was still courteous and respectful.

"Come in, Suki."

"Good evening, my lord." She bowed respectfully.

"No need to be so formal, Suki. Now what is it you needed?" His voice was stoic, but held a kind of warmth in it. Suki guessed that he was in a good mood.

"Just to report some things and ask some things." She replied vaguely.

"Hm?"

"Well, Kagome has some injuries on her back and some almost healed bruising on her shoulder and legs. But it's the wounds on her back that has me curious…" she hedged teasingly. She could tell she hit some sort of spot by the way he stiffened slightly.

"Why?" he never did like it when she would beat around the bush instead of just asking the question.

"The marks look like they were made by a whip," she watched him stiffen again and his hand stopped in mid sentence. "Those wounds wouldn't happen to be caused by you, would they?"

"Suki," he started, his voice going cold. Then he sighed minutely. "What did she tell you?" She was bound to find out anyway.

"She didn't say much on it. Just that she and her friends were in a serious battle, and her friends were lost. And that Naraku had kidnapped her. I had assumed, at first, that the hanyou had done it, but the closer I looked the more then looked like whip marks." She paused for a moment, thinking.

"And you thought of me?"

"Yes, I did. She wouldn't be the reason you had the horrible wound on your face, would it?" He didn't need to answer; his clever little cat friend already figured it all out.

"She did! But how? You never let an enemy so close…"

"The miko didn't do it on purpose. I had upset her, and she hit me. At the time I had just fought an army of youkai sent by Naraku. That is how Rin was captured. I had been poisoned by several higher class youkai. Though I am usually immune to poison, I believe these demons had jewel shards." He watched the different emotions play across the neko's face.

"Ok. So you piss her off. She slaps you. And you get all pissy because she put a hole in your face. Then you…try to kill her with your whip, and it doesn't work." She sat thoughtfully in a chair across from his desk. "I think that you aren't telling me the whole story. So, spill. What happened?" She stared at him expectantly.

'Why did I choose a cat to be my confident?'

In his mind, his inner beast laughed.

Either all youkai are nice or Sesshomaru gave all of them orders to be nice to her. The healer was an owl youkai. She was really sweet to the miko and tended to her carefully.

"Oh, my! How did you receive such wounds and not be in constant pain?" She exclaimed the moment she saw them.

"Well, I had a fairly bad run in with a hanyou named Naraku. And the pain…, well it's not like I haven't had worse…"

"You poor thing!" Obviously, this she-demon had to be a mom. She defiantly had that mother hen quality about her. Kagome couldn't help but smile. She reminded Kagome about her own mother…

"Let me take care of you." She fluttered to a cabinet and pulled out a jar. "This should ease you suffering and help cleanse the wound." With quick and steady hands, she applied the salve to the wounds.

"So, what's your name?" Kagome asked, curiously as the owl youkai grabbed all the essentials for sewing and bandaging wounds.

"Oh! How rude of me! I'm Kokoro. And your name would be?" She asked as she started sewing the larger on the wounds shut.

"I'm Kagome. It's nice to meet you Kokoro-sensei. So, are all youkai nice here? 'Cause so far everyone I met I really nice."

The older female laughed. "Well, Sesshomaru-sama did send a message that you are a special guest here, and he would not tolerate anyone harassing or disrespecting you. You are a lovely girl, and I don't see any reason why anyone would want to be mean to you."

Kagome sagged a little, "So people have to be nice to me. That's kind of a bummer. I don't want people to be nice to me because they were ordered to be nice…"

"Cheer up, little one. He is doing it for your protection. He wants you to feel welcome here. No harm will befall you while you reside here." Kokoro finished the sewing and wrapped the wounds in dry, clean cloths.

"Now, all done! Come now I will show you back to your room and fetch Suki for you. We don't need for you to be lost now." The two females chatted all the way back to Kagome's room. Kagome found that she liked the owl and could learn a lot in the ways of healing. Of course, once she mentioned that she had miko powers and was being taught how to heal before her friends died, the healer got excited. She knew of lots of useful healing remedies. The owl eagerly suggested that she teach the miko the knowledge she knew. She also suggested that Kagome convince Sesshomaru to let her train with another miko.

Kagome agreed just as eagerly.

The miko settled in her room once the healer left. She smiled to herself; it would be fun to have a mentor again…

She laid back on her bed and stared out at the darkening sky. All was quiet, until her stomach growled loudly.

'I guess I am hungry. I haven't eaten all day…I'll ask Suki if I can get something to eat when she gets here.'

For the second time that day, she felt like she was being watched. This time, however, her stalker seemed to have maliciousness to it. It scared her. Who was watching her? What did it want?

Watching- Bring me to my knees
Waiting- I am your disease
Lover- Set my symptom free
Covered- You can't stop me

I'm sweating through my veins
I'm trying to hold on
It's unbearable, it's almost worse for me
I'm gonna tear you apart
And make you see- Make You See!

Watching- Bring me to my knees
Waiting- I am your disease
Lover- Set my symptom free
Covered- You can't stop me

It was suffocating. The malicious presence pushed down on her. It clogged her senses and her powers. Curling around her, it squeezed the breath out of her, choking the air out of her. Her hands desperately clawed at the invisible pressure around her neck. The pressure increased like whatever was holding her was trying to lift her off the ground. She gasped for breath. Something surged into her mouth and down her throat. It was like swallowing fire and acid. She coughed which only added to the pain.

Just as the black spots danced across her vision, the door opened.

Everything stopped. The presence disappeared; the energy vanished. It left her gasping for air, and her throat burning.

"Kagome-chan? Kagome-chan! What happened? What's wrong?" Suki ran to the miko and cradled her head. "Kagome? Talk to me. What happened?"

"I-gasp- don't know. There –pant- was this –gasp- presence. I can't explain it." Kagome struggled through the sentence, nearly hysterical. Her lack of air was apparent as was the rawness in her voice.

This is the virus
the virus of life
It gets inside us
The crisis, the knife
This is the virus
The virus of life
This is inside us
The crisis, the knife

"Ok. It's going to be ok. Come on lets go talk to Sesshomaru-sama. He knows what everyone in the castle in capable of. He'll know who did this." Carefully, Suki led the badly shaken miko through the winding corridors to Sesshomaru's study.

She didn't bother to knock.

"Suki, how many times do I-" he stopped mid sentence when he caught sight of the miko. Her face was ashen, and her eyes were wide. She was panting as though she had been running, and her body was shaking.

"What has happened?" He turned his gaze to Suki.

"I don't know," she replied frantically. The miko wasn't calming down. "I walked in her room, and it looked like she was being choked! She was up on her toes like something was lifting her off the ground! But it only lasted a second, once I saw her, she dropped to the ground."

"Were you able to sense anything in the room, Suki?" Mentally, he was going over anyone in his castle with the ability to do something like this.

"No, I wasn't able to sense anything…" she sat the frightened miko on one of the chairs.

"Miko," the demon lord waited until he had her attention. "What happened?"

"I-I'm not sure. Kokoro-san led me back to my room, and right after she left, I felt this hostile presence. It was suffocating," she stopped for a moment to take a deep breath and swallowing to soothe the fire in her throat, "It felt like it was physically pressing down on me… it really hindered my powers. I couldn't defend myself. It choked me. Something went into my mouth. I could feel it; it was like fire. I think I was going to pass out when Suki walked in. Then it just disappeared…"

Sesshomaru sat down at his desk and pulled open one of the drawers. He pulled out a stack of scrolls and quickly started scanning them. He didn't remember anyone that could do what Kagome was describing, but he did have a lot of people working for him. Perhaps he forgot?

After looking over all the scrolls, the demon lord found nothing. The room was quiet as Sesshomaru thought. That is, until Kagome's stomach growled loudly. She flushed pink and bit her lip.

"Milord, perhaps Kagome-chan could use something to eat?" Suki offered as she could see the cool, calculating demon lord was deep in thought.

"Hn. It would seem. Dinner is being served now." In one graceful movement, Sesshomaru got up and walked out the door. The two women followed.

After eating, Kagome decided that she had had enough for one day and asked Suki if she could show her how to get to her bed room.

Her servant/friend smiled and led the way.

Once in her room, Suki went to the chest and pulled out Kagome's sleeping attire. She even brushed out Kagome's hair, though Kagome said she didn't have to.

"Nonsense. I like your hair. It's soft." Suki smiled at her.

"Yah, but I bet you it is nowhere near as soft as Sesshomaru's hair…" she pouted and Suki laughed.

"Come on you!" she said through her giggles. "Get in bed and go to sleep. If you need me, I'm in the room to the right, ok?"

"Ok. Good-night, Suki-chan."

"Good-night, Kagome-chan."

Surprisingly, Kagome slept well that night. She did however wake early thanks to her 'personal servant,' Suki.

"Rise and shine, Kagome-chan!" Suki tugged the covers off of the sleeping miko.

"Ah! It's cold!" Kagome dived for her warm comforter, but only succeeded in knocking a surprised Suki to the ground. She blinked at Kagome before both bust into laughter.

At that moment, the door opened to reveal a surprised Rin. A broad smile spread across her face, and she jumped onto the two laughing women, giggling herself.

"Rin!" both females cried, laughing uncontrollably now.

Kagome managed to roll off of Suki while holding onto Rin. Once she had Rin pinned to the ground, the miko started to tickle the child mercilessly. Rin squealed and squirmed under the assault.

Suki sat up, laughing at the two. "Ok, Ok, you two. Lets g—"

"Kagome-chan! I can't breathe!" Rin interrupted, thrashing against Kagome's hold.

"Fine," she relented, letting the little girl up. "Lets go to breakfast. I'm starved!"

A few minutes later and all three females were sitting at the table. Rin was excited to spend the day with her secret mother figure. She wanted to show Kagome all of the gardens that she helps to take care of and her room with all the toys her secret father figure gave her.

'With any luck,' thought the little girl. 'Maybe I can have both a mom and a dad!' Needless to say Rin was ecstatic about that idea.

It helped that Kagome was excited about seeing the gardens as well.

"My mother used to have a garden. It wasn't very big, but it was beautiful. She had all different kinds of colorful, fragrant flowers." She shared with the little girl.

"You can help me with my garden if you want to…" Rin said shyly, pushing the food around her plate, nervously.

"That sounds like fun." The miko smiled at the suddenly shy child. "It would remind me of the time I spent with my mom."

Sesshomaru watched the interaction between them. He didn't know that they would bond so quickly. He also didn't know that Rin need some kind of female human interaction. She needed someone that she could talk to that was at least her own species.

Another thought entered his head. What Rin needed was a mother. Maybe if the miko stays long enough, she'll want to be Rin's mom…

That wasn't what he needed to think about now. The priestess was attacked yesterday, and he needed to find out who it was so there won't be a repeat. He was concerned though. After going over all the scrolls of his staff and talking with several youkai in command here at the palace, no one knew of anyone who was able to do what Sesshomaru described. Did he have an intruder in his house? If the alien was able to subdue a miko's power, maybe it was able to infiltrate his home without his notice?

He didn't know, but he had every intention of finding out.

After breakfast, Rin, Kagome, and Suki all went out into Rin's gardens. Always eager, Rin grabbed Kagome's hand and led her through her favorite parts of the garden. The little girl certainly had an eye for color and placement of plants.

"Oh, Rin-chan! All of these flowers are so beautiful!" Kagome exclaimed.

"Thanks! Sesshomaru-sama picked out a lot of the flowers, and I picked where to put them." Rin puffed proudly at the praise.

Most of the afternoon was spent in the gardens. The girls played and enjoyed the beauty of Rin's gardens. Kagome's favorite part was Sesshomaru's private garden. Rin had explained that the demon lord's favorite flower was the moon flower. So Rin embark on a quest, talking to everyone in the castle, to find the flower. Then when Sesshomaru left to patrol the lands, the little girl made a special place in the heart of her garden. All the fragrant flowers were planted around a natural pond. A small stone bench was placed beneath a cherry blossom tree.

It was the most beautiful place the miko has ever seen. It held a certain peace that soothed her spirit. Very refreshing.

Rin was happy to know that her lord visited that place often. She was happy to think that the special place pleased him.

Kagome could only imagine the beauty of the special garden at night, that was when the flowers are in full bloom. She has only encountered the flower once.

It was after one of her silly arguments with Inuyasha. She had stormed off before she 'sat' him to Hell. Now that she though about it, she walked off pretty far before she pushed through the last of the webbed branches. It was a radiant sight.

Every blossom in the small meadow seemed to glow and glitter in the full moon light. A light breeze blew the heavenly sent in her direction, and the flowers rippled like waves in the ocean. Only this ocean was pristine white.

Yes, she definitely had to come back here to night.

It's almost time to play
It's time to be afraid
I can't control the pain
I can't control in vain
Oh God I'm ready now
You're almost ready now

After dinner that night, Kagome returned to her healer friend to get her wounds checked.

"Good evening, Kagome-san. I was wondering when you were going to show yourself." Kokoro teased.

"Sorry, Kokoro-sensei. Rin-chan had me running around all day. I can't complain though; it was fun." She sat down on the raised bed for the owl to check her injuries.

"Well, I hope you didn't stress your body too much. You are still recovering!" the healer began to carefully unwrap the bandages.

"Don't worry, I didn't. My throat is still sore. Do you have anything that could help?"

"You are well on your way to recovering," after reapplying the healing salve, she re-wrapped the wound. "I do believe I have something that could help… Let me look."

The owl fluttered away to one of her cabinets and began searching.

"So," Kagome started, somewhat nervously, "When should I begin training with you?"

She didn't know what to expect. Was learning from a youkai healer different from learning from a human healer? What was the difference? Were the medicines more potent or are there only a few herbs that could work on youkai? She had no clue.

"As soon as you are all healed up. I don't want to put any more stress on your body, ok? One thing at a time, honey. Oh! Here it is!" she returned to Kagome's side and pushed a blue vile at her. "Drink this down and you should feel better in a few minutes."

Obeying, she downed the vile, "Thanks."

"No problem, Kagome-san. Now do you want to return to your room or to the baths, perhaps?" She asked as she helped the miko off the raised bed.

"Actually, I was hoping you would show me to the gardens. I wanted to see the moon flowers in bloom."

"Well, I can, but I can't stay out there with you. I have kids of my own that I need to check on." Kokoro opened the door for her.

"I knew you had kids!" Kagome laughed.

"How's that?" the owl asked as she led the miko to the gardens.

"You just have that motherly caring affection. The I-have-to-take-care-of-all-children-even-if-they-aren't-my-own syndrome." She smiled at her soon to be mentor.

Laughing, she replies, "Is it that obvious? I can't help it. I have three kids. The youngest is just six years old."

"It's not a bad thing. My mom was the same way. You remind me of her a lot." Kagome bit her lip and forced the tears back.

Kokoro noticed. "What happened to her?"

"She died." It was the easiest explanation. She wasn't dead; she wasn't even born yet!

"Oh, I'm sorry!" She hugged the miko. "It must be so hard without her. I depended on my mother a lot. If there is anything I can do for you, just let me know, ok?" she stopped and opened the garden door for Kagome.

"Thanks." Kagome stepped outside into the night. She heard the door close quietly behind her. She wandered through the garden, admiring the look of it during the night. She used to be afraid of the dark, but when you face actual monsters, darkness lost its affect on her.

I'm gonna love you now
I'm gonna break you down
I see you in the dark
I see you all the way
I see you in the light
I see you plain as day

As she wandered into Sesshomaru's garden, she was unaware of the eyes that followed her every move. Nothing gave away her stalker as he lay hidden in the foliage. His eyes greedily drank in her body hidden in the folds of her clothes. Holding his breath he slowly slinked closer to her and used his boosted power to stifle hers. The result is the same that happen to her yesterday.

He watched, mesmerized, as her chest heaved to take in more oxygen. He was glad he waited until she was alone to get her. This was something that he wanted to enjoy, and now he will.

She was helpless, struggling against his unseen bonds. She was beautiful, even more beautiful than some demonesses he knew. And tonight, just like those other demonesses, he was going to have her.

He pushed her to the ground before he lifted his power enough for her to breathe. It was no fun screwing a dead body. It held no warmth. It couldn't scream. But he couldn't have her scream no that would bring unwanted attention. He wanted this to last for a long time.

He pushed her so lie on her back and ripped open the front of her kimono. She started to scream, and he shoved her obi in her mouth to act as a gag. Holding her hands above her head, he admired her naked body. She was lovely. Her body was flushed from her struggling against him. Gathering her hands in one of his, he freed one hand. Roughly, he ran his hand over her smooth skin.

I wanna touch your soul
I wanna wear your face
I wanna burn your soul
watching - Bring me to my knees
waiting - I am your disease
lover - set my sympton free
covered - You can't stop me

She screamed against the gag and thrashed against his hold. Before she could, he pinned her legs down with his knees. He felt the bones groan in her thighs, and with a little more pressure, they snapped. Another muffled scream tore from the miko's throat. It would be so arousing if he could really hear her scream, but for now, a muffled one will have to do.

He leaned down over her and licked away her tears. "Mm. You taste as good as you look." He smiled, a wicked grin.

This is the virus, the virus of life!
This is the virus, the virus of life!
This is the virus, the virus of life!
This is the virus, the virus of life!

Oh, yah, I soo went there!

Lol

Yah I know I'm evil.