Kagome ducked under the bookcase in her path, ignoring the scraping of her knees as she rolled to her feet. "Excuse me!" she dodged another person, scaling the wall beside her and running along the length of the building, taking the turn and flipping to the street.

'Why's home so far from the hospital?' she grunted out an apology, leaping over a civilian and rounding the final corner home. "Inuyasha," she gasped at the man lingering between their houses, kicking the dirt as he waited, "what's the emergency?"

Gold eyes trailed over her carefully, her heavy breathing and light sheen of sweat making him tilt his head, "Sesshoumaru's back."

Ebony hair flew as she whirled her head to the house, eyes widening as she stepped forward. Turning back, she attempted to keep her voice even, "is he okay?"

"Oh yeah, he's fine."

Kagome swatted his chest and stepped closer, "then why did you tell me it was an emergency and to come quick?"

"Because he's got a kid."

"He what? He was gone for three days!"

Inuyasha grinned, tucking her under his arm and guiding her to the house. "So this girl apparently latched onto him; she doesn't talk, moves when he does, she's completely freaked about something. Shikaku and Inoichi are in with her, trying to figure out if she's a threat."

They moved the halls as he explained, peering into the living room. Kagome followed suit, gaze roaming over the other Tashio family members and Shikaku and Inoichi sitting opposite a girl that seemed to tremble slightly under their gaze. "How old is she?"

"No clue."

"Why bring her here?"

"They thought it would get her to talk…" Inuyasha tilted his head closer to hers to keep from being overheard, "because Ibiki would be at the Interrogation room. The Hokage thought Inoichi and Shikaku looked friendlier."

"He's not wrong," she muttered. "He makes grown men cry after all."

"As much as we're enjoying your commentary," Shikaku sighed and tilted his head for the door, "we're trying to get some answers here."

Kagome's face flamed at being overheard, she had thought they were quiet, "sorry." Inuyasha gave a 'keh' and glared, "you should give the kid a break."

"We just have a little—"

"He's right," Kagome delivered an apologetic smile to Inoichi for the interruption. Stepping from the doorframe, her eyes drifted to the girl and back with a shrug, "I don't mean to tell you how to do your jobs but the girl needs a break, she's shaking like a leaf and I'm pretty sure if Sesshoumaru wasn't right there she'd have bolted."

Inoichi and Shikaku shared a glance, turning their eyes to Tōga and back to each other. "You're the resident child expert," Shikaku drawled out, propping his arm on his leg and leaning against the wall, "you good to take 5, Inoichi?"

"I wouldn't mind a break," light green eyes regarded the woman with a smirk, Inoichi turning to look at the girl in front of him with a sigh, "I think she needs it more than us."

The girl's hands tightened in her lap, scrambling to where Sesshoumaru sat stoically and ducking behind him. The man's eyes closed in silent irritation, peeling them open to glare at his brother and Kagome smirking at him, "what brings you by Kagome?"

"Oh uh…" Inuyasha nudged her sharply, urging her to keep quiet about his hand in her being at the house before she fumbled for her pocket. If she was acting she wasn't good at it, he decided with a frown already planning his counterattack for when Sesshoumaru decided later he was ready to teach the younger Tashiō a lesson.

"An appointment reminder for Tōga-sensei, mom was getting tired of rescheduling your physicals." She produced a paper and started forward, it wasn't a lie after all, her mother had given her a handful of notices to hand out to some of the jōnin that refused to come in as Kagome made her way out of the hospital

Her former sensei groaned and took the paper, stuffing it away in his pants and crossing his arms with a defiant look on his face, "yes, yes… I'll see her tomorrow then."

"Today, at one actually." Kagome smirked at his huff, "I'll make sure to send Inei later so you're not late."

"Now that's not necessary."

Kagome laughed and turned to Shikaku as her smile turned apologetic, bowing slightly and straightening. "I had to deliver yours to your wife… mom said you wouldn't come otherwise."

Inoichi laughed at the crestfallen look on his friend's face, he may have been a genius but the man was way too stubborn for his own good. "I told you to go to the last one my friend."

"It's such a drag," he sighed, holding his head dramatically. "Alright, I guess I'll have to go now. Your mother plays dirty."

"I know."

Shikaku waved off her apology, he could appreciate the woman's dedication to the village, making sure the shinobi were at their peak health. "And so do apparently, you're going to be even more successful than she is I can tell."

"Thank you, Shikaku." Kagome inclined her head, that easily had to be the best compliment she had received in a while, "I probably should go and let you guys get back to your… thing." She cast a glance at the girl, she didn't look like a threat, but it wouldn't be the first time an enemy had used a child for infiltration. "Good luck."

"I'll walk you out," Sesshoumaru jerked his shirt free as he stood, vaguely aware of his father grabbing the girl before she could follow and shutting the door behind him. "Inuyasha, of course you're the reason Kagome's here."

"I thought she'd like to see it too, the great Sesshoumaru reduced to nothing more than a baby blanket."

Kagome twisted her face at the comparison, realizing quickly she was between them as if she were a buffer, "fight after I leave."

"We ain't fighting… yet."

"Nothing to worry about betrothed," Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes at his brothers hurried statement, watching Kagome spin ahead of them to walk backwards. "It doesn't work unless moms here… I get a little too much satisfaction watching her eyes light up at the thought that I might 'come to my senses' as she puts it." She turned swiftly and shoved her sandals on her feet, "hey, you two spent a lot of time with Kikyō, did she wear a necklace?"

Two pairs of eyes stared at her with the question, Inuyasha's face scrunching up in thought before shaking his head. "Not that I remember."

"No… she did," Sesshoumaru delivered an accusatory look, how Kikyō's former boyfriend couldn't remember the very necklace he always complimented was beyond him. "The pearl."

Inuyasha snapped and pointed, "yeah I remember now, she got it from your old man."

Sesshoumaru held his hand up to Inuyasha to silence him, "why do you ask?"

Ω"Just curious, I don't remember much since we were so busy—"

"Do you have it?" Sesshoumaru questioned.

Kagome shrugged and bit her lip before giving a nod, if Kikyō wore it around them and it did everything her mother said she would trust them with the knowledge. 'But she wore it around Naraku too,' she ignored the thought and sighed, the Tashō branch had much more loyalty to the family than Naraku had. "But it's just a necklace."

Inuyasha scoffed and crossed his arms, he was either mad she had something of Kikyō' sir mad because Sesshoumaru remembered more than him. "Just be careful with it," he said finally.

"But it's not—"

"Kagome," Sesshoumaru growled her name and drew her attention, "for once I agree with Inuyasha, do not let anything happen to it."

A cold wave of dread washed over the kunoichi at his warning, carefully studying their hard faces before promising she would keep it safe.

"So… you have a kid." The need to change the subject strong in her mind as she forced a smile at the older brother, her stomach churning as the seriousness of the trinket set in. If Inuyasha was serious about something she knew it was something to keep an eye on.

"Shut up," Sesshoumaru hissed quickly, delivering a glare to his brother for bringing Kagome to the house at his expense, "take her Kagome, you're better with children."

"I've got my hands full as it is."

"Besides," Inuyasha jumped from his brother's reaching arm as it swung for him in an effort to wipe the smirk from his face, "people might start seeing you as an actual human if you take her in."

Sesshoumaru growled low in his throat, "I hate children."

"You trained three of them."

"As a favor to you," he ground out, "take the girl, Higurashi."

Kagome pursed her lips and tilted her head as though she were thinking, tapping the side of her chin before straightening. "No…" she drawled, "I think Inuyasha is right about this one and besides, she didn't look like she could be parted from you."

"This is what I get for saving her," Sesshoumaru huffed.

Inuyasha gasped dramatically and clasp his hands over his mouth, "Aw, you saved her."

"I'll kill you."

Kagome laughed and leapt for the roof above them, "I want no part in you two killing each other."

"Kagome—" Sesshoumaru whirled to watch her, molten eyes narrowing.

"Time to grow up, Fluffy." She sang the statement and stood, turning her head in the direction of the hospital, I have to get back to work but you be nice to that girl."

His irritated growl followed her as she moved across the roof and jumped to the ground. She started her trek back to the hospital, waving and smiling at people as they greeted her, her free hand lifting to cup the gem under her shirt as her conversation with Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru played over in her head, if everything her grandfather had believed was true then… she blinked hard and bit her lip, entering the hospital and making her way to the labor and delivery unit.

"Makes sense…" she sighed heavily and dropped her hand from her chest, shaking the limbs out to ease the tension in her muscles. She smiled softly at a passing nurse, finger tapping her hip as she glanced around, Inuyasha's summon had her so worried she cancelled or passed her appointments to other doctors, half expecting to be burying the older man with how frantic the message read.

Rubbing her forehead with a soft groan she made her way to her office, determined to put the conversation with Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha from her head and look over some paperwork.

"They told me you weren't coming back today."

"You're back…" the words danced between them gently, Kagome smiling softly as her eyes drifted between Kakashi and the vase of flowers on her desk. "You brought me flowers?"

"To make up for being so late," he explained carefully. Kakashi drifted past her as she made for the desk, enjoying the smile as she examined the flowers closer and shut the door to her office. "Are you busy tonight?"

Kagome hummed and leaned back from the blooms with a shake of her head, smile fading at the visible part of his face. "What's wrong?"

His eye seemed to refocus on her at the question before drifting from her face again and shaking his head, "dinner at my place?"

Kagome bit back the urge to tease him about the face that he could cook, the vibe he was giving off telling her it wasn't the time and he wouldn't reciprocate. "Sure."

Kakashi nodded and moved forward, grabbing the back of her neck and pressing a masked kiss to her forehead, "I'll see you tonight at 6."