Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha; greatness belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and co. I only own... Well. I own my pants, which is more than I can say for some. n.n Enjoy!

Author's Note: This is a story of mine that I had on a deleted account... So I decided why not post it and see what people think of it? I actually have this story finished and I'm editing and uploading the chapters one by one. Enjoy!

Trapped
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Chapter One: The Mall

Sango raced down the field, soccer ball in hand, feeling that if she didn't make the closing, at least she could make the party. What was she thinking, cutting it so fine? She needed that present for Inuyasha... if she missed his birthday, he would kill her. She smiled at how much he really did depend on his friends, even though he denied outright that he didn't need anyone.

Waiting for the crosswalk's sign to change, she absently looked at her watch and positively screeched with dismay, "Ten minutes! How am I supposed to get him something in ten minutes?"

Seeing that the crosswalk sign had changed, and was about to change back, she ran across like a madwoman on Christmas.

'What am I going to do?' Sango thought to herself.

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He wasn't patient, and this light was killing him. Sesshoumaru didn't even know why he was doing this; he didn't care about the runt, why should he give him a present? But then, Inuyasha's mother had asked him to.
Sesshoumaru turned up the music in his car slightly, wishing he was anywhere else than having to make a mall closing. He stopped in his thoughts as a familiar figure ran by on the crosswalk, almost dropping the soccer ball in her arms.

"Sango." Sesshoumaru said absently.

What was Inuyasha's pathetic friend doing running around at ten o'clock at night in town? He'd be a delinquent someday; Sesshoumaru could tell by the way he acted and the friends he chose. He might as well ask where she was going and see if he could help. If he didn't, she might get mugged, it was so late out.
Pulling around the curb, he caught up to her by a restaurant just closing. He pulled close, and called out to her.

"Do you need a ride?" He asked loudly, making sure she could hear him.

"Huh? Oh. Yeah, if it's not any trouble." Sango said, recognizing who he was. Must've really been a miracle if Sesshoumaru was feeling nice enough to offer her a ride...

"Where are you going?" He asked as she opened the door to the passenger side.

"The mall, I have to make it before it closes." Sango answered breathlessly. Huh... so she was late in gift-finding as well? This was interesting.

Sesshoumaru didn't acknowledge what she had said, but drove towards their destination, seriously rethinking his stability and sanity.

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'Why is he giving me a ride anyway? It's not like he cares if I get a present for Inuyasha.' Sango thought suspiciously as she let the cool waves of his car's air conditioner wash over her, though it was night.

She held the blue and white soccer ball in her lap, rolling it over her knees in the point to distract her mind for the moment.

"Why are you in your soccer uniform?" Sesshoumaru asked, not even glancing over at her.

'Of course he's not going to look at you, you idiot!' Sango berated herself, 'he's driving!' Before answering him, "My coach is having a party for our team's victory tonight, and that's where I'm going after this."

Sesshoumaru merely nodded, keeping his eyes averted from her.

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This was nuts. Him, deemed evil, older half-brother, giving a ride to his ungrateful brother's girlfriend-- absolutely crazy. And the way he was looking at her! Sesshoumaru reprimanded himself violently in his mind; screaming insults at himself that only made him mad.
But he couldn't help noticing her long, lithe, and yet strong legs, indefinitely feminine, but powerful. Or her hair, the ebony ribbons of silk that had managed to worm their way out of her loose ponytail overshadowing her ears and cheeks in tatters, her luscious lips that were so inviting, just waiting to--

'Eyes on the road.' He berated himself yet again in his mind as they turned another corner onto the last stretch of road before the now- empty parking lot of the looming mall.

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Sango didn't know why they were bothering to keep together, although they were probably here for the same thing, it made no sense to shop at the same places. She wanted something unique for Inuyasha... something appreciated that he hadn't been expecting.
Sesshoumaru entered a store that sold antiques. She made to follow him, but decided against it seeing a shop of miscellaneous items across the way. Upon entry, she found it was stuff made to imitate that of the feudal era.

"Wow." Sango murmured, picking up an old, large picture.

It was beautiful. There were seven faces surrounding a glimmering jewel, all resembling themselves so strongly it seemed too good to be true. The one that looked like Inuyasha was a half-demon; there was also one with Sesshoumaru, who was full demon with the shadow of a wolf's head over his own and a brilliant crescent moon on his forehead. Sango's impersonation was a demon-exterminator, with a giant boomerang and a cat-like creature at her shoulder. There was one for Kagome, a pretty miko that looked just the tiniest bit out of place among the others, and an elderly miko with a pirate patch over one eye, who Sango couldn't recognize, a little girl with black hair and warm earthly eyes next to Sesshoumaru, a fox-like creature that was like Miroku's little brother, Shippou, and Miroku as a monk with black and purple robes, also a long gold staff and rosary beads over his left hand.
The jewel itself was breathtaking, but there was something about it that was dangerous. Its pink-rosy glow that waved over just the tips of their faces was illuminating, but gave off a dark shadow. It was round, a bit big, with a necklace hanging off of it.

"I see you've found your present." A voice said over her shoulder.

Sango spun around to see Sesshoumaru holding a long thin box, and in very close proximity to herself, looking at the weird picture.

"I like it, a lot, yes. I don't know if he'll like it, though." Sango said, not worrying over how he knew she was shopping for Inuyasha.

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Why hadn't he just gone and left her there? She knew town well; it's not like he'd be leaving her for dead or anything, just going home... but no. He'd gone over to where he'd seen her looking at a large picture, and he'd gone and talked to her, when he didn't have to.

"What matters is the thought you put into it, not that he's just a complete idiot who doesn't appreciate the works or wonder of art." And he didn't know why he'd said that.

Sango looked stunned to say the least, but smiled warmly, "You're right. I didn't know you liked art."

Sesshoumaru managed a look of indifference and said, "Any man with class appreciates art."

He could still feel the look of her smile, that it even reached her beautiful, wonderful eyes. Sango then went up to the register to pay for her present, and Sesshoumaru followed wordlessly; if he could keep silent, he'd save his dignity and not have to talk about tonight ever again... to anyone.

"That will be twenty-seven dollars and ninety-eight cents, please." Said the cashier, who was eyeing Sesshoumaru with growing interest. She was obviously seventeen, and this was just her side-job, but it made him weary.

Sango handed the money over and waited, but the woman said, "You're a dollar and fifty cents short."

And Sango froze, "What? Oh no..."

Sesshoumaru resisted the urge to sigh heavily, and dished out the money he'd had in his pocket, "You owe me."

Sango looked surprised for a third time tonight, but again smiled, "Thanks, I'll pay you back."

The woman at the counter smiled scantily, but took the money and handed Sango her purchase. Now... why had he done that? Oh. To see Sango's brilliant smile. Sesshoumaru seriously considered a psychiatrist and a strong series of tests. Tonight could only get better, right?

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Sango walked out with him, feeling that she should count her lucky stars that he was in such a good mood tonight, otherwise she might have had to get Inuyasha something at the dollar tree. She abruptly bumped into his back, almost entangling herself in his silvery mane, but avoiding it somehow.

"Sesshoumaru?" She asked curiously.

"Looks like we're taking the stairs." He said simply, and walked towards the emergency stairwell.

Sango took a moment to look back at the elevator, which was sectioned off with two signs and caution tape. 'This town's going to hell in a hand-basket.' She thought to herself as she followed him.
Fifteen minutes later she was mumbling and grumbling about the people who built the mall, feeling that they were crazy for making it five stories, instead of just two or three. They had been on the fourth floor, after all.

"Sango," Sesshoumaru said, not stopping.

"Hn?" She asked, stopping mid-rant.

"Save your rants for later and be quiet."

She blushed, but kept quiet. There was no reason to anger him now.

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Then Sesshoumaru remembered just why he never helped Inuyasha's friends. They were as annoying as his little sister, Rin. She did keep quiet, but it was all he could do to stop her pounding down the stair well. For a woman that could be silent when running full-out in his house with wood floors, she was loud.

'I didn't just call her a woman. Oh gods. Sango's not a woman, she's a teenager. She'll be a delinquent just like Inuyasha.' Sesshoumaru thought to himself.

Reaching the doorway on the bottom floor, he pushed on the door. It didn't budge. He tried again, thinking it was just stuck.

"Hold this." He commanded and handed her his present.

Pushing with all his weight, he tried to force open the door. Still nothing.

"How about I help?" Sango asked, and not waiting for an answer, pushed when he did.

His mind scoffed at a woman having strength at all, but there were way more important things going on right now... like the door!

"Let's go back up. Maybe the elevator's fixed." Sesshoumaru suggested and they made their way back up.

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Sango couldn't believe it. She just couldn't. They'd tried every door up and down this goddamn stairwell. So now she was stuck in a five-story stairwell with Sesshoumaru of all people! For gods only knew how long! They had come to sit somewhere between the fourth and third floors an hour later, after having tried to force the doors open, and finding them to be as cooperative as a brick wall.

How was she supposed to survive the night?!

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Sango: This is stupid. How much are we getting paid again?

Sesshoumaru: We aren't.

Sango: I'm not getting paid for being stuck in a stairwell with you?!

Sesshoumaru: The way you're talking it sounds like you think you'll survive this.