Author's Note: Yeah...I know I'm lazy and slow but please gimme a break! Please! Okay, you don't have to. Thanks to all my reviewers. I love you guys!

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.

Chapter Twelve

The three of them trudge in silence back to Kagome's house. Surprisingly, Eri hadn't gone and busted their eardrums with her screaming.

"I knew you'd be late," Eri said.

"This time, it really was unintentional," Kagome said.

"That's what you always say," Eri said.

"It's true," Kagome said forcefully.

Sesshoumaru decided to interject into the conversation. "There was an attempt on Kagome's life this evening," he said, his eyes flashing dangerously.

Eri gave a gasp. "W-what? H-how?" she stammered, unable to believe that her friend was almost killed.

"Some guys came up behind the car," Kagome said.

"My poor car," Inuyasha wailed.

"Better the car than Kagome," Sesshoumaru said icily. "Your precious car can be replaced easily enough."

"Bastard, you know how much that car was worth?" Inuyasha asked menacingly.

"It is not worth my time to find out," Sesshoumaru said. He turned back to Eri and Kagome. "There is the matter of Kagome's safety to discuss."

Eri nodded. "Y-you think the guys are going to come back?" she asked, almost afraid of the answer.

"Undoubtedly," Sesshoumaru answer. Eri wanted to wring his neck at how calmly he had answered the question but she was shivering more with the thought that the guys who wanted to murder Kagome were going to come back.

"Why do they want her dead?" Eri asked.

"I have yet to explore this," Sesshoumaru said.

Kagome sat down on the couch, her mind going over every person she knew. She frantically tried to think of any situation that would result in a grudge or something of that sort to be held against her…nothing. She couldn't come up with anything except maybe…

"Akiyo," she whispered.

Sesshoumaru and Eri both turned towards her. "What?" Eri asked.

"I think it was Akiyo," Kagome murmured.

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed. "You are positive?" he asked.

Kagome slowly nodded. "It's the only person I can think of that might…hate me," she said.

"Akiyo?" Inuyasha asked. "Same guy that attacked you?"

Kagome nodded. "Yeah," she said.

"You attract all the wrong men," Inuyasha said.

"I assume you included yourself in that list?" Kagome asked, not bothering to hid her annoyance. This was just a little payback.

Inuyasha stiffened. "Feh," was all he said.

"Enough," Sesshoumaru said. "There is still the issue of Kagome's safety to discuss."

"I'm pretty sure they won't try anything tonight," Kagome said. "After what you guys did, they might lay low for a while."

"Kags," Eri said. "I told you to stay home this morning but did you listen? No!"

Kagome sighed. "Hai, hai Eri-sama," Kagome joked. "I should have listened to you."

"How can you be joking at a time like this?" Eri screamed. "You're in mortal danger!"

Kagome looked at her friend. "Being panicky won't help the situation," Kagome pointed out.

"The last thing we need is a hysterical woman," Inuyasha snorted.

"You will relocate to a safer environment," Sesshoumaru announced.

All heads turned towards him. "What does that mean?" Inuyasha asked, not really wanting to know the answer because it might entail…

"For her safety, it is best one of us will accompany her at all times," Sesshoumaru said. He turned to Eri. "You will relinquish your occupation at your current place of vocation and work for Inuyasha instead."

Eri looked towards the other silver-haired male in the house. A look of shock, and then anger crossed his face. "What the fuck?" he shouted. "How the hell am I supposed to have her work for me? I've got enough employees! No fucking way!"

"If you value your company and your life," Sesshoumaru said, a hint of warning in his voice, "you will take on another employee."

"You threatening me," Inuyasha said incredulously, his eye narrowing. "With my own company."

"I would not stoop to such a level," Sesshoumaru said.

"I have to work for him?" Eri asked, voicing her objections as well.

Sesshoumaru glared at her, almost daring her to challenge him again. Frankly, he had had enough of insubordination for one night. Eri got the message and closed her mouth. She did not want to anger Sesshoumaru. She nodded and dared not look into Sesshoumaru's piercing gold gaze.

Just as Sesshoumaru turned towards Kagome, he sensed something outside. Then something was thrown and it shattered the front window, spraying glass everywhere. Eri screamed and ducked to the floor while Sesshoumaru instinctively went to cover Kagome and tackled her to the ground.

"What the fuck!" Inuyasha exclaimed.

"It's them again!" Kagome screamed. "I know it is…"

Sesshoumaru lifted himself off the floor and went to the window. He stared outside at the ten or so motorcycles that were parked in front of Kagome's house. How could they have located this place? Sesshoumaru thought.

"We know she's in there!" One of the men on the motorcycles yelled out. "The master wants to have a chat wit her. So hand 'er over."

Foolish mortals. Sesshoumaru thought. He was about to blast them into oblivion but forced himself not to. Kagome must not find out the truth before the appropriate time. He clenched his hand into a fist and tore himself away from the window.

"Leave!" he commanded all the occupants inside the house.

Eri was the first to scramble into the kitchen and throw open the door that led into a backyard. "This way," she said.

Sesshoumaru helped Kagome to her feet and guided her out the door, leaving Inuyasha to bring up the rear. The thugs outside called once again as they stole quietly out of the house.

"Oi, we don' have all day, ya know," the man shouted.

"Just bring 'er out and we won't have any problems." Another one said.

They were only met by silence. "Let 'em have it," the leader of the group said.

A barrage of rocks and bullets hit the house, sending splinters flying. Lights from neighbors houses instantly clicked on and heads peeped out of windows to see what all the commotion was about. "You juvenile delinquents!" one elderly lady shouted from her window. "I'm calling the police!" She went back inside to do as she said she would.

Not wanting to get deal with law enforcement, the leader signaled everyone to stop. "Let's get outta here." Noisily, the motorcycle all started and disappeared from the neighborhood. "Boss ain't gonna be happy about this," the leader muttered.

Meanwhile, Kagome, Eri, Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha navigated their way through the city and finally stopped in a small alleyway. Eri and Kagome were gasping for breath while Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru were both breathing normally.

"How'd you… guys not… get winded?" Eri said in between her gasps for air.

Inuyasha looked away. "We're not weak like you," he said.

"We must keep moving," Sesshoumaru said, avoiding the question entirely. He looked at Kagome who was still trying to catch her breath.

"Hold on," she said. "Just need some air."

"We do not have time to waste," Sesshoumaru said.

Kagome nodded and took in a deep breath. "Where are we going?" she asked.

"Back to the mansion," Sesshoumaru answered, beginning a brisk pace.

"Oh hell no," Inuyasha said. You stupid or something? They're gonna find out!> he added in thought speech.

I am well aware of the risks, half breed. Sesshoumaru mentally snarled.

Don't fucking call me that!> Inuyasha snarled back.

She will find out eventually. Sesshoumaru said.

And what are you planning to do once she does?> Inuyasha asked.

Tell her the truth. Sesshoumaru answered simply.

Oh great. Inuyasha said sarcastically. She's going to fucking love the fact that we're both vampires! Just gonna love that!

Sesshoumaru didn't respond. He was well aware that Kagome might leave him if she ever found out that he was a supernatural being. However, if she was anything still like Midoriko, then she wouldn't care. It was because of the fact that Midoriko accepted who he was that he had fallen in love with her. It would not be beneficial to dwell in the past. Sesshoumaru said mentally.

Then he thought. Perhaps the only reason I am willing to save her is because she is the reincarnation of Midoriko. He gave a slight shake of his head. It was foolish of him to think that way. And he also knew that it wasn't true. A familiar tingle ran down his spine and he turned towards the east. The sun would rise soon and he needed to get back to the mansion.

"When does the sun rise?" Sesshoumaru asked.

Both Eri and Kagome looked at each other, the same thought ran through their heads. 'Random question.'

"6:45," Kagome answered.

"The time now," Sesshoumaru said without looking back.

"Way past my bedtime," Kagome joked. "Okay seriously, it's probably close to one in the morning."

Their trek home had taken the good part of three hours because it was a fairly long distance for Kagome to walk. Of course Sesshoumaru could have gotten back much faster but for the sake of secrecy, he endured walking, with Inuyasha, the distance back home. The walk wasn't necessarily pleasant either. Inuyasha complained the whole way about his car and how much he missed it until Sesshoumaru wanted to throttle him.

Sesshoumaru almost smiled at the image of draining Inuyasha of his life force the same way he fed on unsuspecting strangers. Even if Inuyasha was half-vampire, it would have been easy just to behead the nuisance and leave in peace for the rest of eternity. But alas, Sesshoumaru still had uses for his half-brother and it made things easier for Sesshoumaru that Inuyasha could be out in the daytime. Of course that didn't mean Sesshoumaru couldn't. If he really wanted to, he could stay out in the sun, but why cause himself the discomfort, added to the fact that he was not a masochist. Sadistic? Yes. Masochistic. Definitely not.

"Sesshoumaru," Kagome's voice called out.

"Hn," he answered.

"I don't mean to be rude or anything, but why are you doing this?" she asked.

Sesshoumaru stiffened slightly. "Elaborate," he commanded.

"Well, we barely know each other and yet, you save my life and you protect me. Why is that?" Kagome asked.

"Do you not wish for my assistance?" Sesshoumaru asked, making sure his mask of indifference both in his voice and on his face were securely in place.

"No," Kagome said quickly. "I'm grateful but…I was just wondering why."

"My reasons are my own," Sesshoumaru said.

"Quit talking in riddles," Inuyasha said.

Sesshoumaru stopped walking and turned to Inuyasha, his eyes glaring at his half-brother. "It does not concern you," he growled. Do not jeopardize our identities you fool. He added mentally.

Inuyasha just smiled. It was fun to irk Sesshoumaru about this. It was one of the subjects that Sesshoumaru was uncomfortable with and Inuyasha knew it.

Author's Note: I lied. Plain and simple. This chapter was not good. Yeah, so criticize all you want about how the characters are OOC and whatnot. Okay, I'm gonna do better when I actually focus on what I'm writing. Ja ne!

Read and Review. Arigatou!