Disclaimer: There is no disclaimer. ...There is no spoon.

AN: Thanks for the reviews so far! I'm so glad I decided to revamp this story... I'm liking it more than ever.

By the way, I'd love for you guys to also read Hanyou on the High Sea, my newest story that I'm having a great time writing. :D

Bag Your Prince~ Chapter 2

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~Now... Let's all fast forward ten years...~

"Hello! How may I help you today?!" Kagome quickly rose to her elbows at the counter and wiped any potential drool on her chin.

...A customer was standing at the counter, staring at her. The buyer was less than three feet tall, and from the looks of it, about the same in age. Kagome quickly glanced around her store, startled from sleep.

Past the boy, she squinted at a wicker basket a little way from the entrance. ...That's odd... Didn't she just fill up the bargain candy bin?

The kid tilted his head, looking around the tiny merchant store, from the empty wares shelves to the empty tip jar, *looking* hopelessly lost. He turned to Kagome, staring at her with very large, sickeningly adorable, shiny blue eyes.

Kagome's head fell to the countertop.

Forcing a smile, she leaned forward. "...May I... help you, little guy?"  The boy blinked at her, then behind her, then at her again. ...Kagome glanced backward to see a half empty jar of butterscotches.

"Can I have some O' those..?" Watery blue eyes with many, many sparkles shone up at her. ...Mildly freaked from their intensity, Kagome cleared her throat and tried giving the chibi another soft smile.

"...Well...you can... for 100 yen each..."

Whoa. Was that... a dark look crossing over his eyes?! Kagome didn't have time to sweatdrop before the boy pulled the very effective sway-lookdown technique. ...He swayed... and looked down.

Sniffling.

Oh, Gods.

...Kagome was not good with children. ...She was worse with crying children. Employing an emergency disaster averting maneuver she grabbed the jar of butterscotches from the high shelf and walked around the counter. The boy now had a tear shining like starlight in eye. Kagome, a little unsure of how to handle this, put a soft hand on his shoulder and held out the bucket, hoping her mother wouldn't happen to walk in right then and there.

"Okay, okay... Don't worry about it. Take one! ...It's on the house."

A white, blinding smile, almost as brilliant as the light spots formerly in his eyes lit up his face. He reached out with one hand towards the jar....

But first, glanced backward. ...To the open door.

Kagome tilted her head. "...Um... kid?"

...He blinked.

...Before you could say, 'five-finger-discount', the midget boy pounced on Kagome, yanking the jar out of her hands roughly. She fell back on her behind, stunned for a split second, and looked up just in time to see the boy round the corner of her shop door, clumsily knocking into the frame. That last blow caused his pockets to explode, and many brightly colored candy wrappers fell in a flurry to the shop entrance like a storm of confetti.

His high, childlike voice could be heard... spewing interesting, colorful curse words that almost made Kagome blush before it disappeared down the street. ...With the candy jar.

Left sprawled on her wooden shop floor, Kagome silently noted between shakes of her head. "...They're getting better."

Footsteps clunked against the wooden boards behind her as someone came in through the back storehouse door. "...Kagome..?" The soft voice asked. "What are you doing..?"

Wryly, Kagome stood up and dusted her skirt. "...That..." Pointing to the spilled wrappers, "...Was just the third one this week, mom."

Ms. Higurashi walked past her with a pad of cheap paper and a quill pen, bending over empty baskets.

"...Third one? Already..? My... they really are getting better."

"You don't say."

A loud gurgle in Kagome's stomach made a badly-timed appearance as she walked over to the register to pick up a broom. Her mother looked up at her, concern suddenly on her face.

"Have you eaten today, Kagome?"

"No, mom."

"We have a few baskets of vegetables left in the storehouse, dear. Promise me you'll go and grab one later... You're looking so awfully thin."

"...But... all we have are rhubarbs."

"Why yes, Kagome... rhubarbs." She looked up for a moment and thought. "I'm sure we have a few yams in there too..."

"I hate rhubarbs."

"Then boil a yam or two."

"...No, it's okay... I think they'll make me hurl..."

...Her mother looked up from the inventory with a pleading look.

"Please, Kagome... Let's try not to make things so difficult. You're already sick of eating the candy and all of the salted meats are gone."

"I'm not hungry... I promise!"

"Nonsense!" Her mother waved. She reached into the folds of her dress and pulled out a small copper coin, and put it into Kagome's hand. "Here... I made this from my deliveries today. ..I want you to go to the bread shop and get us some butter rolls."

Kagome gave her a look of protest, sweeping some littered candy. "But we need this for the move, mo-"

"I said, go."

With an inaudible sigh, Kagome gave her mom a little bow and the broom, then walked out the door, turning in the direction of the bakery.

The woman watched her daughter go with sadness in her face. Picking up the broom, she swept absentmindedly, worrying about many things, but especially about the near future of Kagome and herself.

...So preoccupied was she in her thoughts, that when the door to the shop clicked open five minutes later, she barely noticed.

A cough, then a cheerful greeting from a male voice. "Good evening, Ms Higurashi!"

~*~

"Kagome, my child! How nice to see you again!" The gray-haired lady behind the glass counter wiped some flour off her hand as the girl walked in.

"Hi, Kaede! Same to you." She gave a smile to her old, flour-covered friend. ...She walked up to the counter and placed the copper coin on its surface.

"I'd like all the butter rolls I can afford with this." The warmness of the bakery compared to outside was such a relief!

Kaede took the coin and looked at it with an eye of partial non-surprise and partial concern.

"My dear Kagome... Is this all you're eating tonight?"

"Yeah." She shrugged. "...I'm not in the mood for yams. No, no, wait, wait...I'm lying. Half of it's for my mother."

Kaede shook her head, grabbing a few things from shelves, and handed her a slightly bulging brown bag. ...Kagome peeked inside and found not two butter rolls, (the usual) but four along with a half loaf of bread and a sugary-looking pastry. ...She absently wondered if she was drooling. Shaking it off, she handed the bag back across the counter.

"You know... Kaede... You *really* don't have to-"

"Hush, child! Those are merely leftovers from yesterday's baking. No-one's will be eating them now but rats." She turned, and sent a secret wink her way. "...And it's only two more days until the shop is bought, and you and your mother begin to work at the laundry house."

...Kagome grinned at the old woman's slyness and clutched the sack. She absolutely hated charity and Kaede knew it. These rolls were as fresh as the mouth of her recent baby-faced thief.

"Besides..." Kaede grabbed a mound of dough. "You and your mother can pay me back with slightly whiter underpants."  ...Kagome, smiling again, gave a the baker a low bow and a million thank-you's as the old woman shooed her away from the store, chuckling,

"...Don't think anything of it."

She paused for a moment when Kagome was at the door, a sudden thought lighting her bulb. "...Oh... and Kagome!" She called.

She turned around partially with curious eyes. "...Yeah..?"

"...Watch out for that Hojo punk, dear. ...He wants your skirt and everything in it.  ...And It's always the smiling, polite ones." She turned back to her kneading, muttering to herself.

Kag was left at the doorway with a slightly pink complexion and a few blinks.

~*~

Meanwhile, back at the shop...

*Crash!* That was the sound of a broom hitting the floor. ...In shock.

"Oh... oh my!" Ms. Higurashi gushed. "...Do you... do you really think you can do that?  ...For my Kagome and I? I.. can't even imagine it!"

A tall, distinguished looking gentleman standing before her, handed her the fallen broom was looking rather proud of himself.

He lifted up a hand refusing to accept the woman's river of gratitude...."It was all my pleasure, Ms. Higurashi. I'd hate to see you in the hands of the laundress! ...That evil woman has more rolls than Kaede's bread shop and is probably about as hot-tempered with her employees. ...You and your daughter are much too good of women to be servants in that place."

Ms Higurashi didn't seem to know what to say. Her eyes were almost welled up in tears of happiness at the gentleman standing in front of her. Her hands clasped. The broom crashed again.

"How... How can I ever thank you-"

"...No thanks are necessary, at all.  ...I've been coming to this store for years. Your service surpassed all others, Ms. Higurashi!  It was such a shame to see it deteriorate when your husband passed away. ...So, consider it.... a favor from one friend to another." He seemed very, very proud of himself, face lit up like that.

Ms. Higurashi seemed to be having trouble deciding whether to pounce on the man in joy or bend down humbly and pick up the broom teary-eyed... 

*Click!* the door opened.  ...Well, there went the pouncing.

Kagome walked through the door, and looking like she'd won the baker's lottery. "...Hey mom! I-" She stopped at the picture.

What was this? ...A MAN. Talking to her mother. ...Kagome blinked at the pair. ...Well... She scanned him... He was hot enough... for an old guy.  "Um..." she looked at the gentleman. "...Would you like a shopping basket, sir?"

Her mother finally seemed to burst and ran over to Kagome, taking her into her arms, causing the bag of goods to drop out of her hands.

"Whoa! Dinner mom! Floor! Dinner!"

Her mother wasn't listening, hugging her violently with tears of happiness streaming down her cheeks.

"...Eep! I can't breathe!"

The gentleman behind her gave her a shy smile.

"..Oh, Kagome! Kagome, it's wonderful! Absolutely wonderful!" Her mother squeezed the thin girl's frame.

...We're going to go work at the palace! At the palace, Kagome! ...Can you imagine?"

...

~*~

AN: Whee! Chapter 2! Things will soon start to fall into place. That wasn't too much of a cliffie, was it? :D