Disclaimer: Inuyasha is soooo not mine.

Chapter 12

No one moved for a whole minute. Inuyasha, who was furious at Sesshoumaru for the possiblity that he could have hurt Kagome and he was furious at Kagome for diving into the fray like that.

He marched up to her, golden eyes blazing with anger and fear. "What the hell did you do that for? And why the hell did you tell that bastard you wouldn't leave his ass?"

Kagome slid Sesshoumaru's head off her lap and got to her feet. It was her turn to glare at Inuyasha, who was breathing hard. "Look," she said, casting a wary glance at the sleeping taiyoukai, "I was just trying to calm him down!"

She grabbed his arm and pulled him away from Sesshoumaru's sleeping body. When they were a seemingly safe distance away, she whirled around to face him. "How was I to know that he really was asleep? He could have faked it and if I had happened to say something he didn't like, how was I to know that he wouldn't reach up and leave me with a gaping hole in my chest?"

Inuyasha said nothing and she went on with her rant.

"I couldn't! Because look at this dress! Could you IMAGINE a huge, gaping whole in this dress? Do you know how much this dress cost me!" she nearly sobbed, looking down at the gown, which thankfully was still perfect.

"Ano...Kagome-chan," Sango broke in politely.

"Do you know how much this dress cost Kouga!" Kagome quickly amended.

Inuyasha frowned. "Damn Kagome, I didn't know that this little piece of...of..."

"VERSACE!" Kagome cried, still in distress.

"Alright, Versace. I didn't realize you thought more of a piece of Versace over your own life." He bent down slightly, putting his hands on her shoulders. "Sesshoumaru could have killed you, Kagome. His youkai was completely in control just now. He could've...I could have lost you." His voice broke and he pulled her roughly into his arms.

Kagome felt her face crushed against his chest. Before she had time to realize that this "tender" action might have a devastating result on her carefully applied makeup, she put her arms around his waist.

"Gomen ne, Inuyasha," she murmured into his evening jacket.

They stayed like that for a moment until Kagome recalled something that occurred the day before.

She wrenched herself out of his startled embrace and took a few steps back. "You! How dare you try to slither up to me like this! Spy!" she shrieked and slapped his face. With that, she turned on her heel and began walking back to the house.

Inuyasha stood for a second, hand to his face, feeling like Miroku after he'd been groping Sango's ass. Then he saw everyone follow Kagome and hurriedly he grabbed Sesshoumaru, hoisting his sleeping form over his shoulder and ran to catch up with Kagome.

"Kagome! Please! Chotto matte!" he called out, huffing beneath his brother's weight. Damn, this fool weighed a freaking ton.

Kagome stopped and looked back over her shoulder.

Staring at her back, Inuyasha waywardly thought that Kagome's backside looked incredible.

"Did you want something, spy?" she snapped.

Inuyasha winced. "Look, I'm sorry. It was mostly Sesshoumaru's idea. I want you to know that."

She continued to glare at him. "Mostly, huh?"

Inuyasha sighed. "The main reason I agreed to 'watch' you, was because I was worried. I just wanted to see for myself that you were okay."

"Oh really," she muttered, dark eyes glittering. They slipped their gaze downwards, looking for something that had caught her eye before she slapped him.

She smiled inwardly. So, he hadn't gotten rid of them, she thought as she stared at the outline of his beads of subjugation.

"Do they still work?" she asked sweetly. Her eyes were now back on Inuyasha's face. Inuyasha, who had seen Kagome look down at his throat. Oh, Kami no! "Kagome..."

She leaned forward and whispered words only he could hear. "If I find out that you are still spying on me or any of us, I will not hesistate to say the "S" word."

Inuyasha watched her walk away, almost giving into the urge to throw his unconscious brother into some bushes and run after her. But, he'd only make his life hell later on. No, it was better to just take the asshole home and then...then what? He watched Kouga easily catch up with her and slip an arm around her waist.

Inuyasha ground his teeth together. He needed to get back in Kagome's good graces. But was it too late for him? He should have marked her when he had the chance...when she desperately wished him too.

He walked around the massive house until he found his car. He ruthlessly tossed Sesshoumaru in the back seat and got behind the wheel. Patting his pockets, he found his phone and dialed Sesshoumaru's driver, telling him that he would be taking his brother home.

On the way back to the city, Inuyasha came to a decision. He would approach Kouga and ask his permission to date Kagome. He frowned at the thought of him having to beg that foul okami to let him be with HIS Kagome, but she was worth it. He had to tell her...he had to let her know that he too, wished to mark her back then.

Inuyasha gave a heavy sigh. But he hadn't the heart to take her when she was in heat. He had wanted to court her properly and mate her when the time was right. The fact was that she had driven his senses crazy and he was terribly afraid he could have killed her while mating her. He was completely surprised that Sesshoumaru's youkai didn't. Then again...Sesshoumaru's youkai seemed alot kinder than its master at times.

Inuyasha looked into his rearview mirror and watched the slumbering taiyoukai that was sprawled across his backseat. How lucky the heavy ass bastard was! No matter how badly he had treated Kagome, she had come to his rescue. Now THAT was the Kagome he remembered, he thought fondly. No matter how much you hurt her, she was always there for you.

Inuyasha turned on the radio and lightly bounced his head to the beat of the song currently on. Yeah, he would go ahead and talk to Kouga. He would do whatever it took to win her back.

Sesshoumaru had felt himself slipping when he saw that filthy, blond man taking Kagome away. His bloodbeast had completely taken over and it had tried to attack the dark haired guy who controlled the winds.

But that damned blond man shot purifying energy at his inu. They were in such horrible pain! It felt like they were on fire, for it burned like nothing else.

All of a sudden, there was a comforting presence. The pain began to subside...oh blessed day! His beast looked up into the face of his beloved, who was taking away his pain. She was there with him, soothing his tortured soul.

Slowly, he felt his youkai subside, happy and content knowing she was there with them.

He realized that she lay his head in her lap and was stroking his hair, speaking softly to him. When his youkai had completely withdrawn, he looked up at her with his own eyes, begging for her not to leave him. She softly agreed that she wouldn't and he was happy.

Now he found himself not in the sweetly scented arms of his love...but slung over the shoulder of his pathetic half-brother like a sack of potatoes.

"What do you think you are doing with this Sesshoumaru?" he asked, stiff with rage. The bloody nerve of the hanyou! He shut his eyes so he wouldn't have to look at Inuyasha's ass. Damn, he still felt weak...

Inuyasha flung Sesshoumaru down on his bed unceremoniously. "You fell asleep, at one of the most exclusive parties in Japan, no less. Shame on you, Sesshoumaru, getting drunk at one of the biggest get-togethers before the real show began. Oh, no, wait...you WERE the real show. Dumb ass." Inuyasha walked out of Sesshoumaru's room, shutting the door behind him.

Sesshoumaru watched Inuyasha leave before laying back on his king-sized bed. Kagome...

He supposed that he would need to talk to Kouga if he wished to court Kagome, seeing as how he placed himself in the role of her protector.

Sesshoumaru growled. This was unacceptable. She needed no protection from him! And why should he, the lord of the Western Lands, be forced to beg and grovel at the feet of some lowly okami youkai? She was HIS mate, for Kami's sake!

He slung an arm over his eyes. Had it come to this then? He wished to win her back but to have to deal with the okami? That just seemed so wrong.

'Anything to get our mate back,' his youkai pressed.

Sesshoumaru nodded and sat up. Yes, he would do anything to get his mate back.

Hiro and Yuki followed Kouga's limo home. Hiro, in his dark green BMW and Yuki on his blood red Honda motorcycle, followed closely behind the long black car. Both were exilerated by the short battle. Well, it wasn't exactly a battle. It really was one-sided, for the taiyoukai proved no match for them.

Hiro was thinking how fortunate that he and Yuki had made it there before Sesshoumaru had done something to Kagome.

Yuki was thinking of Kagome too. But his thoughts were far from clean. He smiled rakishly into the wind. She was very beautiful, especially in the green dress she wore tonight. Too pure and virginal for his tastes, but he entertained thoughts of molding her to his ideals.

Suddenly, a gust of wind hit him hard in the side, forcing him to swerve and nearly run into a car he was just passing. He felt a seething anger in that icy blast of wind.

Yuki glared at the green BMW before giving the driver the finger and speeding off.

Hiro had sensed Yuki's dirty thoughts and punished him for it. How dare he think of things like that about the holy woman they were sworn to protect.