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Disclaimer:  I do not own any of the Rumiko Takahashi characters named here, nor do I own the rights to Charlie's Angels.  I also do not own any water taken from Jusenkyo Springs, which is probably a good thing.

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"Is it gone?" a shivering Sango whispered.  "Is the panda gone?"

"I don't hear it anymore," Miroku whispered back.

"The sun's starting to come up.  Maybe it's gone to sleep somewhere or something," Sango said.  She stood up and looked around.  "Hey Miroku, I think I see a village down there."

"Thank heavens, I thought we were going to be wandering around forever," said Miroku fervently.  "I have no - what was that?" he jumped.

A rustling, crunching sound was coming towards them.  Sango yelped and clung to Miroku.  "The panda from hell is back!" she cried.

The sound kept moving in their direction from the bushes.  Sango and Miroku were just about to start running again when through the clearing stepped a dark-haired young man.  He was wearing a printed bandana around his head and carrying a backpack with an umbrella across it. 

"Now where am I?" the young man muttered.  Sango and Miroku stared at him, dumbstruck.

"Hey," the stranger asked them.  "Is this China?"

********

The morning sun was too bright, forcing Sesshomaru to pause and rummage through his handbag.  Where were those damn sunglasses?  Stupid purses, had to carry too much stuff just to look halfway decent out in public…

"Ms. Fluffy?  You haven't seen Ms. Sango by any chance, have you?

Sesshomaru looked up at the sound of the worried voice and tried to place the young woman speaking to him.  Long ebony hair, huge liquid eyes and a bikini that was just short of…oh yes, the girl working in the pageant operations center with Inu-Yasha.  He often ran into her in Ms. Sango's office during the morning break periods.  He frowned, trying to remember her name.  Hakashi?  No.  Higurashi – that was it.

"No Ms. Higurashi, not lately," Sesshomaru told her.  "Should I have?"

"Well, no, it's just that I see you in her office talking to her a lot and I thought maybe the two of you had become friends or something…" she trailed off uncertainly and clutched at her beach towel.

Sesshomaru felt a moment of panic.  This young woman was entirely too observant – what else had she noticed?  He cursed his carelessness in being seen around Ms. Sango's office too much.  He had chosen it as an easy place to do surveillance because the entire world seemed to troop through her doors during the day.  Contestants, guests and staff alike treated the security building as a public gathering place and provided a steady stream of coffee and gossip.

He supposed he should have alternated the surveillance duties with Koga, but the junior agent was better at canvassing the pageant guests than subtly observing the interactions of others.  Koga's rough demeanor combined with smoldering sex appeal caused all kinds of people to share the problems of their troubled hearts with him.  Sesshomaru smiled.  Troubled hearts produced great inside information.  How many times had the big break on an assignment come from some criminal's lover who suddenly decided the water was getting too deep and too hot?

He needed to find out just exactly how much Ms. Higurashi had noticed, Sesshomaru realized.  This girl could be his quick ticket inside the pageant staff affairs, and possibly a lead to Lazy Panda.  Also, she was friends with his brother and might be able to tell him about Inu-Yasha's activities.

"Going my way?" Sesshomaru indicated the path towards the beach.

"Sure," the girl said vaguely.  She was clearly lost in her own thoughts, Sesshomaru observed as they walked in silence to the beach.  He laid his own items next to hers on the sand and began to apply the sunscreen.

"Ms. Higurashi, is something the matter?"  The girl was just sitting on her towel and staring into space.  He placed a soothing hand on her shoulder.  "I realize it's none of my business, dear, but you seem particularly worried this morning.  Is it something I could possibly help you with?"

He could see her visibly unbend at his offer.  "Call me Kagome, please," she requested.  "I shouldn't be worried, but it's just…Ms. Sango hasn't arrived back from her trip yesterday," she confessed.  "She was supposed to be back last night and I'm kind of starting to worry."

 "Sunscreen?" Sesshomaru asked her.  Kagome nodded her assent and stretched out on her stomach.  "Did she take this trip by herself, Ms. Kagome?" Sesshomaru asked as he began to smooth the lotion on her back.  "You don't have a way to contact her?"

"I tried her cell phone, but it's out of service.  She left with this reporter she met; Miroku's his name.  Apparently they were going to visit a friend of his."  Her voice grew quiet with embarrassment.  "I, um, checked her room this morning and she didn't sleep there last night, so I checked Miroku's rooms just in case and they, uh, hadn't stayed there either."

Sesshomaru finished rubbing the lotion and looked at Kagome with growing unease.  "She left by herself yesterday with someone she just met this week?  Ms. Kagome, I would have thought Ms. Sango had more concern for her own safety.  Please tell me she gave you the address of this 'friend' they were going to visit."

A film of moisture sprung to the girl's eyes.  "I know, I know, it all sounds terrible now…but Miroku seemed so nice and Sango's really tough and can handle herself in just about any situation.  I don't know whether to blow this off as two people having fun or to start calling the police."

"The police don't usually trouble themselves over consenting adults who don't come home when they should," Sesshomaru noted.  He wiped his hands on the towel and took a long drink from his water bottle.  "Tell me, Ms. Kagome," Sesshomaru continued a moment later in a low voice.  "You seem to know Ms. Sango rather well.  Have the pair of you worked together before this?"

"Yes," she answered.  He caught the hesitation in her tone.  "We've worked together on projects like this before and became friends."

Harsh breathing and heavy footsteps sounded, and Sesshomaru looked over to see Koga jogging through the waves on the shoreline.  Kagome had tensed and stopped speaking at the approach of his partner, and Sesshomaru decided to let the matter drop for the moment.  He delivered a freezing look to Koga as he approached.  As usual, Koga ignored it.

"You're going to get fat sitting on the beach all day," Koga panted, dropping beside him.

"Better than falling face first into the surf from a heart attack while jogging," Sesshomaru replied.  "Besides, the salt water's too harsh on my skin."

Uh oh.  Koga had caught sight of the bikini-clad Kagome and was looking like a starving wolf ready to pounce on a new lamb.  Sesshomaru cleared his throat lightly.  "Kagome, this is my partner Koga."  He glared at the offending agent.  "Have the two of you been introduced?"

"Hu-high," Koga stammered.  Kagome smiled and responded.

A blush was creeping up Koga's cheeks, Sesshomaru noted with dismay.  Apparently Koga hadn't completely forgotten the part he was playing, but Sesshomaru could tell his mind wasn't fully on it.  Shit.  If this suddenly love-struck idiot blew their cover he was going to strangle him with a pair of pantyhose.

******

"Miroku, I really like you," said Sango, "but you'll have to forgive me because I never want to go anywhere with you again."  She groaned as she climbed from the taxi and tipped the driver.

"Don't worry about it," Miroku replied wearily.  "After this trip, I never want to go anywhere again."  He turned to the young man standing next to them.  "Well Ryoga, here's the resort.  Granted, it's a long way from this Jusenkyo Springs you were trying to get to, but you might find someone to direct you from here."

******

"What do you mean, you lost Sango?" Myoga was yelling at Kagura.  "How did this happen?"

"Keep your mustache on," Kagura said.  "Look, she took the day off yesterday and she probably missed a ferry or something.  I don't think we should panic just yet."

"She took the day off?  We're on a case; she can't take the day off!" Myoga spluttered.

"And just when are we supposed to get free time?" Kagura demanded.  "Naraku has given us back to back assignments for the last six months!  I don't blame Sango a bit; in fact, I'm taking some time off today myself to go shopping."  She stood up and brushed a crease from her linen sundress.  "Rin and I are going to buy some pretty shoes," she told him, smiling.

"You can't do this!" Myoga howled.  "Naraku wants status reports, what am I supposed to tell him?"

"Myoga," said Kagura as she stood in the doorway, "have the Angels ever let you down?"

Myoga just looked at her.

"Okay," responded Kagura, "what about the time before that?"

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A/N:  I really don't stay up late thinking of new ways to torture IY and Company (I think of these things earlier, during the day).  Anyway, thanks for the reviews! * blows kisses* unless you're uncomfortable with that sort of thing in which case *sincerely shakes hands*  :D Lavender