Disclaimer: Don't own them yet. But Christmas will be here in NO time at all!

Ok, finally the plot comes in to play a bit. At least...part of it's mentioned. And yes, Kikyou finally makes her apearance.

Chapter 4-The Girl Next Door

The sun peaked through the window and danced on Kagome's cheek. She woke up and got out of bed. Careful not to wake Shippo up, she slipped out of the white night gown she was wearing. She went to the closet and pulled out the short black dress that she and Sango wore. Their dress was simple, yet somehow, mannerly and sophisticated. Then she buckled the buckle on the black healed shoes they wore to complete their uniforms.

She tiptoed to the door, left, and headed for the kitchen where the other servants were. She sat down and Hojo passed her a mug of coffee.

"Thanks," she said. "When do I take Inuyasha his breakfast?" Miroku took a quick look at his watch. "Ahh...you still have half an hour." Kagome nodded her head once in understanding.

"Ya know Kagome, it's been two years since we've woken up to sunlight." Sango said looking at her reflection in the dark liquid that filled her mug.

"Well, let's go sit outside then. We can finish waking up out on the side patio." He stood up and the others followed him out of a door they hadn't noticed before.

There was a good-sized grill on the cemented area. They sat there for about five minutes; no one said a word. Then someone spoke to them.

"So, your masters have bought two more servants I see." They looked up to see a beautiful young woman. Her long, straight, raven hair was pulled back in a low ponytail, and her brown eyes held a certain sadness and other unreadable emotions. Her posture was one of grace and dignity. Her voice, though it was calm, had shattered their silence.

"Kikyou?" Miroku half stated, half asked. "I thought-"

"We arrived earlier than expected." She answered the question he hadn't had time to ask, then continued. "So, Miroku, have you an answer for me?"

His face suddenly grew pale. "Kikyou, I don't think it the best idea, so I will decline. And I don't want you to mention it to me again." Miroku's usual kindness was not visible in his usual jubilant voice.

Kikyou gave an amused chuckle. "You may have refused, but there are others. In face," she glanced at Kagome, locking eyes with her for a moment, "There is another here now." Question was apparent on the cook's face as his eyebrows furrowed. "Go on." He said.

"This girl," she walked over to Kagome, "also has the gift."

Kagome looked at the two of them. "What gift?" She asked, not having a clue as to what they were speaking of.

"You have spiritual powers. I can sense them. Those powers can be used to help us." Kikyou said as she watched Kagome's expression change.

"Help us? Whada ya mean by that? Help us how?"

A smile graced Kikyou's lips. "Help us...gain our deserved freedom."

"Freedom. How, I still don't get it?" Kagome continued to question the elder girl.

"Our powers; yours, Miroku's and my own, are the only was a mortal can destroy a demon."

Realization hit Kagome like a ton of bricks. "You mean...kill them?" she asked hoarsely.

"Yes." Kikyou simply stated.

"No! No, never! That's uncivil!" Kagome said.

"Uncivil is killing countless innocent people to gain dominance, and then making the physically weaker work to your every demand. That, is uncivil." Kikyou said rather coldly.

"Even still, killing them won't justify what they did to us." Kagome retaliated, equally cold.

"You're right, but freedom isn't won by being fair. Nothing is won that way." Kikyou said as she turned away. "I'll be back later for the children." She walked a ways, then stopped and turned to add, "And if you don't fight with me, you will suffer the same fate as they do." She finished with that and continued towards her master's home.

Sango looked from Miroku to Kagome. "I want my freedom as much as the next servant, but...y'all made the right choice. If she tries anything weird, I'll do what I can to help you guys." She said. She was content with standing by her friends' sides.

"CEREAL!" Hojo said as he jumped up. "Master Inuyasha's cereal!" He grabbed Kagome and pulled her into the kitchen. He pulled the milk out of the refrigerator and put in on the tray that had been prepared earlier.

"Go, or you'll be late! I lost track of the time!" Hojo said, shoving her out of the kitchen.

-----

'He worries too much.' Kagome thought as she walked up the stairs. She passed several doors before coming to Inuyasha's room at the end of the hall. She opened the door and walked in. She set the tray down on his desk by the door. 'Should I wake him up?' She thought while watching him sleep. She looked out of his open window to think about it. 'I just saw this!' She thought, and looked down. The grill, Hojo, and Miroku, all sitting below her head popped out of the window. 'Thankfully he's asleep. If he had heard all that with...Kikyou? Yea, that's her name, he would HATE us!' She set that aside, and decided to think about her current situation.

She walked over to his bed and studied him further. He was sleeping on his stomach; his arms clung to his pillow in which his face was buried deeply. His silver hair thrown all over, and his back...his bare back...his muscular, bare back. 'Hmm...' Kagome thought. 'Miroku said to join the fun of toying with each other. I bet that's what Inuyasha was doing the other day!' A sly grin crossed her face.

She slowly traced her finger down his spine and whispered near his ear, "Oh Master, wake up. I brought your breakfast." He turned his head to the side and opened on eye to look at her. She heard a low grumble in his chest as he stretched.

"Mornin'" He said sleepily.

"Good morning my sunshine. Did you sleep well?" She asked playfully.

"Yea, and all I dreamed about was you." He said.

"Oh, should I be flattered?"

"I was joking." He replied.

"That's a shame." Sango's voice caught the two off guard in the midst of their games.

"Kagome, I was going to help you in the library, but if you're busy..." she said with a laugh.

"Oh, no, I'm coming." Kagome said as she got up. She then looked to Inuyasha, still in a sleepy daze. "We'll be there if you need us."

-----

Kagome was dusting at a table and Sango was picking up stray books. Sango finally broke the silence that blanketed the large room.

"What...what was that about?" She asked with a smile.

Kagome blushed slightly. "We were joking Sango!" she declared.

Sango looked at her younger friend with a knowing smile. "You like him."

"Do not! We're...just friends." Her blush was growing, and her voice sounded nothing but unconvincing.

"Uh-huh. I think you two skipped that part completely. I see the way you two look at each other when you think no one else is looking. And the way you act around him!" Sango said.

"It's nothing. Really!" Kagome said. "And what about you?"

"What about me?" The elder girl asked.

"You and Miroku?" Kagome asked in a girlie voice.

"Nothing to it." She replied in a false convincing tone.

For the rest of the day, the girls gossiped in the library. They may be servants, but this was as good as freedom. Kikyou's words did linger in the back of their minds though. But more ears heard that first thought.

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Ok, that's it for now. You know what to do. Review. Please. I refuse to beg! But I will if it comes to that! And I want everone to know, that I do like Kikyou. In fact, she's one of my favorite characters. It's just that she was the only one that really fit the 'evil person' slot. Hey, it was either her, Kagome, or Miroku. And uh...they aren't ever really percieved as 'evil' people. Kouga comes back next chapter. But he's not there long, but he's needed to make the plot progress.