Woot! Finally! Jeez, this took forever. Five, frikin weeks! Man!.

Okay, sorry this took so long, but I have some very pathetic excuses. First off, I've been busy with a whole bunch of random stuff. I've had work, as well as going to see aliens vs. predator. (It was actually pretty good. Much better than expected, although not as good as the original alien).

Anywho, a whole lot of stuff has kept me busy, along with continual dissatisfaction with my writing quality have led to the long delay wich you have just experienced.

For a while now, I've been sorta blah about how my writing has been going, since I couldn't see much improvement going on. So, with this chapter, I decided that I wasn't posting until I thought it was to my satisfaction. And happily enough, I now belive it is. I'm going to continue doing this from now on, however I'll say that the delays wont be as long anymore, though. Pretty soon schools gonna start again, and I'm not doing soccer, so that gives me spare time after school to work on stuff. I'll try and work faster.

Just a not eon Ayame, She's a little OOC here, because I needed to make her just a little serious for this fight. Thanks to some Info I got, I know pretty well what her personality is going to be like, (Happy and bubbly) but that's just a little hard to do in the middle of a fight, so she's just a ltitle on the serious side in this chapter.

On a happier note, this fic is now as long as two weeks, with half the chapters… and I'm not even half done with it yet… aw crap.

Now, some quick responces.

StormMaker: Thanks very much for the info on Ayame. That was pretty much how I pictured her, but thanks for reassuring me. I'm changing just a bit of her history, for instance, she doesn't actually know koga yet, but for the most part I'm gonna make her happy and bubbly.

Gossa, Kitten-Kisses, Tanwen-Whitefire, TaintedInuShemeeko, and Valese, thanks for all your kind words, and sorry I didn't update sooner. Don't hate me please! ;)

Ozmandius, I maintain that if someone can say 'wenchy' then 'wenchy' is in fact a word.

And finally, Rayame: Thanks for the words, and out of curiousity, are you a Christian? Me too! w00t Was this youth group thing that you went to Kingdom Bound? We might have seen each other!

Anywho, enough of my raving! On with the fic!

---------

Kagome's heart beat hard and heavy in her chest. Oh, god, they had been found!

Her eyes lowly traced from the silver haired hanyou to the crouching wolf youkai.

Ayame scared Kagome just a little. If anything InuYasha had said was true, then this girl was a trained killer, and wouldn't even begin to hesitate to take out anything in her path to get at InuYasha. That knowledge would have a sobering effect on anybody.

InuYasha, on the other hand, scared her a lot. She had seen him cocky going into a fight. She had seen him angry going into a fight. She had seen him determined going into a fight. But she had never seen him like this. Pure, basic, instinctive survival was written all over his face. He was sweating nervously, and his hands were shaking ever so slightly, despite his firm grip on the Tetsusaiga. If InuYasha was scared, then what was going to happen?

"Listen, doggy…" Ayame said, her expression almost friendly. "I'm just here to bring you to Sesshoumaru. I really don't wanna hurt you. So why don't you just go nice and quietly?"

InuYasha growled lowly, a bloodthirsty threat.

Ayame shrugged. "Why do they always do it the hard way?" She asked herself plaintively. She cast the hanyou a wry glance. "Honestly, I hate these 'bring him back alive' jobs." She drew a dagger from her cloak. It was serrated, with a wicked looking hook on the end. "Honestly, does this look like a tool to bring someone back alive?"

Kagome's blood chilled. This girl didn't look older than Kagome herself, but here she was, waving that knife around…

InuYasha drew himself up, and put his sword down in a kendo stance.

Ayame took two quick steps, then leapt at him, her cloak flying out behind her like a comet tail.

InuYasha half sneered, and sidestepped, knocking the dagger to the side with a simple motion of the Tetsusaiga.

Kagome blinked, and her heart began racing even faster. InuYasha was moving really fast… maybe they had a chance after all.

Ayame landed, and leapt again instantly, flying back towards the hanyou.

Once again, InuYasha knocked the dagger aside, then just as quickly brought the hilt of the Tetsusaiga up in a strong clothesline. Ayame's legs kept moving while her head stopped, and she somehow managed to land in an unceremonious heap on the ground.

Kagome smiled lightly, the fear just beginning to subside. Either she wasn't as tough as the other bounty hunters InuYasha knew about, or InuYasha training had really paid off.

InuYasha was starting to figure this out too, apparently, because he leapt back, and propped the Tetsusaiga over his shoulder, smiling lightly. "Hey, I thought that wolves were the strongest dogs…" He said, his voice taking on just a bit of that cocky edge that she loved so much. That was a little comforting, at least.

"Oh, don't worry puppy." Ayame said, struggling to her feet. "I'm not gonna let you get away. We wolves chase our prey for miles."

InuYasha snorted derisively, and suddenly dashed forward himself, lashing out with the Tetsusaiga. This time it was Ayame who parried, and took a swing at his face. Ready, InuYasha dodged under the blow, and threw his shoulder into her stomach.

Another point for their team.

This time, InuYasha actually laughed, jumping away again. Ayame struggled to her feet, and leapt forward, slashing, parrying and kicking. They bashed each other back and forth mercilessly, Kagome gasping with every blow.

Finally, they jumped away again, and began staring each other down, breath hard.

"Very nice, so far, puppy." Ayame muttered, hand resting on her knees. "Sesshoumaru said that you were pathetic in the bounty, but he's apparently underestimated you."

"I'm overjoyed to hear that." InuYasha said sarcastically.

"Just thought you'd like to know that I think you're pretty good before I bring you in." She shrugged. "For a dog, anyway."

"Well, you've been doing a great job so far."

Ayame almost giggled. "You're far too cocky, little doggy." She murmured. "But there's more to fighting than just hitting each other. Look behind…"

InuYasha scoffed. "You expect me to fall for that one?" He laughed. "You better try harder."

Kagome, however, looked for him. There wasn't anything behind him.

Ayame shook her head. "Not behind you… behind me."

Kagome blinked, and looked around. What was behind the wolf? Then it hit her. She was staring at the back of the wolf's head.

Oh, god.

It all happened in a flash.

Kagome only managed a single gasp of air before a hand slammed into her throat, and wrapped around her neck.

Such a strong grip. Feebly, Kagome squirmed in the wolf's grip, and tried to pry at the strong hand at her neck. She couldn't breath! A little whimper escaped from her lips, and she immediately tried to draw the precious air back in, but she couldn't manage.

The wolf slowly turned around, and held Kagome up off her feet, tauntingly.

For a very brief moment, Kagome's eyes met Ayame's and they locked. She had brown eyes too, just like Kagome's. Her mouth was just a slight, tired, wry smile, and she shrugged ever so lightly. Sorry bout this, but money is money.

Smoothly, the wolf transferred her grip from Kagome's throat to the back of her neck, holding her up for InuYasha to see. Kagome gasped a breath of air, relived. Then she saw InuYasha. He was frozen in place, his expression a mix of shock and horror.

"I think that even you can understand the ramifications of our given situation." Ayame remarked, her voice oozing satisfaction.

Slowly, InuYasha's expression melted from one of shock to one of pure brooding rage. "Put her down." He said, slowly.

"Drop your sword, and don't put up a fight, and I will."

InuYasha looked down at the Tetsusaiga, then back up at Kagome. "This doesn't involve her." He protested.

"Yes, but, you see, If I fought you man to man, you would probably hurt me, and I really don't want that."

Kagome clutched desperately at the hand holding her, trying to pry the fingers away from her neck, but wasn't having any luck. If only she could reach one of the arrows on her back… She wrapped her hand around, and began grasping.

Ayame growled softly at her. "Don't try it." He other hand came around, and the hooked tip of the knife lowered dangerously close to her throat.

Kagome let out a little whimper, and InuYasha took an involuntary step forward.

"Now, when we get right down to it, I don't really want to hurt this girl. There's no money in it, and I don't particularly like killing those that don't benefit me. So you can save her really easily, by just giving up."

Kagome struggled again, this time driving her nails into the wolf's hands. "Hey, now." The wolf scolded, and brought the knife down quickly, to one of the hands.

Kagome winced, and instantly her hand jumped away. She could see blood already forming on her finger, and dropping to the ground.

InuYasha's eyes followed the drops as if they were more precious than diamonds, then slowly traced his eyes back to the grinning Ayame. "If you even think of doing that again…" He seethed through clenched teeth, "I will rip your throat out."

Ayame shrugged. "Her fault. She shouldn't have tried to struggle."

Kagome squirmed again, but was careful not to try to flail out with her hands. No telling what would happen next time. It only she could get at her arrows, then she could…

She blinked suddenly in revelation.

Maybe…

"Now, are you going to put down your sword?"

"Like hell I am. Drop her."

Ayame tightened her grip on the back of Kagome's neck, causing the poor girl to writhe in pain. "InuYasha." She managed to squeak. Kagome could see the hanyou's eyes widen as she called his name.

Oh, god… was he really going to surrender?

InuYasha stared at Kagome once more, then looked up. "Put down Kagome, and I'll put down my sword."

Kagome's eyes widened, and she shook her head in the wolves grasp. "No…" She whimpered.

The wolf shook her own head. "No indeed. The second I drop her, you kill me. You drop first."

InuYasha scowled. "No way."

Kagome closed her eyes slowly, and tried to ignore the pain in her neck. This was going to be difficult. Subtly, she snuck her hands up to clawed hand holding her, and wrapped them feebly around it. She could feel the gentle rise and fall of the miko powers in her, and slowly began to sway them back and forth, moving with them, stirring them higher. There… she had it. It was he same feeling she had with a bow in her hands. Slowly, she began to draw the bow back, tighter, and tighter. The power began to flow up through her, up into her arms. The hair on the back of her neck began to stand on end as the bow was drawn even tighter.

"Put down the sword, doggie." She was dimly aware of the barbed knife coming even closer to her. "Or I'll make her bleed even more."

She could feel InuYasha's resolve weakening. He was leaning down now, sliding the sword along the ground.

With an almost relieved sigh, the miko fired the bow.

Kagome could feel the power rush between her hands, crackling into the wolf's slender wrist.

Ayame's eyes widened suddenly, just as InuYasha's grip left the Tetsusaiga, and she screamed, yanking back the hand with the knife, and trying to pull away from the girl.

The waves of power rushing through Kagome finally subsided, and she fell to the ground, panting.

Ayame fell away, clutching at her wrist, swearing wildly.

Kagome quickly, got to her feet, and scrambled over next to InuYasha. The hanyou was staring at her, eyes wide.

"How the hell did you…" He trailed off.

"I don't know…" She said, more than a little shocked herself. She had just tried to focus her power like she did when firing a bow, and… bam, the wolf was screaming.

InuYasha shrugged, and snatched up the Tetsusaiga again, holding it a little more confidently this time. "Find your bow, and stay out of her way." He instructed. "I'll take care of her."

Kagome nodded, trembling, and looked around quickly. Quickly, she spotted the bow, lying close to where the wolf had first grabbed her. She darted over, and quickly had an arrow strung taunt. She whirled around, and began sighting at the wolf.

InuYasha slowly walked towards the wolf, keeping himself closely between her and Kagome.

"Dammit." Ayame was muttering, clasping at her hand. It had dark, painful looking sear marks all along the wrist. "Sesshoumaru, that bastard… he didn't tell me she was a Miko…" She looked up suddenly, staring up at InuYasha. Kagome was shocked to see that tears littered her eyes and cheeks. Her eyes shone with an almost childish resentment, and her mouth was twisted in a pouting scowl.

InuYasha smirked, holding the Tetsusaiga out carefully. "So, the big bad wolf is crying now?" He demanded.

"Don't be so cocky." Ayame muttered, her tone sullen. She held up her good hand, the dagger clasped firmly in it. "I can still fight."

InuYasha chuckled. "Right." He said, sarcastically.

Ayame growled, and rushed forward, thrusting forward. InuYasha smoothly blocked the attack, and countered with his own low slash.

As they fenced back and forth, Kagome began inching to the side, looking for the opportunity to launch an arrow in. The thrumming of the power was going with the clanging of steel on steel now. When the flow of power was fierce like this, it was easy to focus into the arrow. However, at the rate the battle was going, it didn't look like she would need to fire.

InuYasha was now on a heavy offensive, launching blow after stunning blow from the left and the right. Ayame was dodging most of them, and parrying the rest, but she was panting heavily, and stumbling every few steps. It didn't look like she could keep it up much longer.

InuYasha gripped the Tetsusaiga in both hands and slammed it down, knocking Ayame to her knees. The wolf let out a panicked cry, and began scuttling away backwards, holding the knife up in feeble defense.

InuYasha spat on the ground, and brought the slim blade up into a stabbing position, preparing to skewer the wolf. In desperation, Ayame threw herself forward, lashing out at InuYasha legs. The hanyou yelled out in pain, and collapsed to one knee.

Instantly, Kagome had her bow up again, and sited firmly on the wolf. Sending a surge of power into the arrow, she let it fly.

Ayame looked up just in time, and flung herself again to the side, this time falling to her side, and rolling. She stopped just five feet from InuYasha, and slowly sat up, rubbing her dirty face.

Kagome strung another arrow, but stopped just short of firing it. InuYasha was getting up again, clutching one hand around his bleeding leg, and the other firmly around the Tetsusaiga. He stood to his feet, then fell once again to one knee, cursing heavily.

"Not having much luck, huh?" Ayame muttered to him, trying to rise once again to her feet. "I missed your tendons, but you shouldn't be able to walk anyway…"

InuYasha looked up at her. "Shut up, wolf." He snarled, and swung the Tetsusaiga. Ayame fell backwards involuntarily, despite the blade coming a good foot short of her.

"You missed, dog." Ayame muttered.

InuYasha smirked, and swung again. But this time, in the middle of the arc of the swing, the blade of the Tetsusaiga suddenly flared to life, transforming into six feet of solid, deadly fang.

With a sudden shriek of shock, Ayame flung up her hands to protect herself. Somehow, she hit the blade, spinning it wildly. The broad, heavy backside of the sword caught her firmly across the head, and sent her skidding across the dirt, and finally into the thick trunk of an oak. She didn't get up.

Relief rushed over Kagome, and she dashed over to InuYasha's side. Before she could say anything, the hanyou pushed her away lightly. "I'm fine." He said in a ragged voice. "Go check the wolf. I wanna know if she's still alive."

The girl looked at InuYasha's serious face, then nodded. She didn't want to counter his orders when he was like this. Quickly, she walked over to the prone youkai, and looked her over. If she was alive, she gave no sign of it. Her head was hanging at an odd angle, and a trickle of blood was running out of her hair, and down her forehead. Her eyes were open, and Kagome could see that one pupil was dilated far more than the other. If she wasn't dead, she soon would be…

She turned back to InuYasha only to see the hanyou was trying to get up, supporting himself on the Tetsusaiga. "InuYasha!" She cried, running over to him. "You shouldn't be walking!" She quickly got herself under his shoulder, and pushed up, supporting his bad side. "You need to rest!"

InuYasha only snorted. "Is she out?"

Kagome looked at him. "I don't think she's still alive. You hit her pretty hard."

The hanyou almost chuckled. "Damn right I did." He muttered. "Can you help me walk?"

"No way!" Kagome reprimanded. "You're wounded. We need to get you treated right away."

InuYasha scowled at her. "Jeez, Kagome. This ain't near as bad as some of the stuff I've been through, and besides, I don't wanna be around her when anyone finds the wolf."

Kagome blinked. "Why not?"

"Well think about it. She looks about your age, and pretty helpless, right? And I'm not exactly the most innocent looking character. Anyone who walks in on us is gonna immediately assume that I'm the bad guy, and try to kill me or something."

Well, it was a good point. Kagome nodded, finally. "Fine, but only a little ways. Then, we stop for the day."

InuYasha didn't look too angry at the thought of a good nights sleep, but didn't say anything besides a traditional 'feh.'

Slowly, as they traveled, the adrenaline began running out of Kagome's system. She could feel the weight of the hanyou slowly getting heavier. Slowly, they eased along the road, looking occasionally fro a place to stop. After maybe a mile, which took almost thirty minutes of limping, Kagome spotted an area where the trees were a little sparser, and guided the hanyou over to it.

Carefully, InuYasha removed his arm form her shoulder, and leaned up against a tree. Her chuckled lightly. "Well, she wasn't that tough. I dunno what I was so worked up about." He looked up with her, and odd grin on his face. "You okay?"

Kagome blinked. He was asking her if she was okay? "You're the one with the cut up leg." She reminded him.

The hanyou spat on the ground, and suddenly leaned forward, and grabbed her wrist. "Yeah, but I'm a hanyou." He said, and pulled lightly. Kagome almost squeaked as he pulled at her, and she fell right next to him. "You're not."

He deftly opened her hand, and inspected it. Kagome blinked to see blood on her right index finger. That's right… Ayame had stabbed that finger. She had forgotten.
The hanyou scowled at it, and very suddenly brought the finger up to his mouth, and put it to his lips.

Kagome might have yelled if she hadn't been so surprised. A blush spread across her face, and her eyes involuntarily locked with his. He kept his calm, placed gaze firmly fixed on her as he sucked off the blood, and gently rubbed the finger off with his thumb. "Here, this should take care of it." He muttered roughly as he reached into his haori. Deftly, he ripped a piece of the white cloth off, and wrapped it around the finger. "Jeez, you get hurt really easily, don't you? You should stay back, and let me do the fighting from now on."

Kagome blinked, and held the finger in front of her face, staring at it cross eyes. He was being so gentle… what was she supposed to say to that? Not finding any words, she collapsed to his side, leaning against the tree shoulder to shoulder with him.

"Damn…" The hanyou muttered. "I'm sore all over now. Stupid wolf."

"Hey, InuYasha, what exactly do you have against wolves?" Kagome asked curiously.

InuYasha looked slightly perplexed at that question. "What do you mean?"

Kagome shrugged. "Well, you kept on calling her wolf, like it was an insult."

InuYasha scoffed. "Well, yeah." He muttered. "She was a wolf. They're just… wolves. Y'know, they're just bad."

Kagome blinked… then shook her head. That didn't make much sense to her, but whatever.

"So, what was that thing you did, back there?"

"What thing?" Kagome asked, her brain slowly beginning to shut down. It was only beginning to be twilight, but she was tired as all heck.

"You know, when she had you by the neck, and you burned her arm."

Kagome shrugged. "I dunno. I just… focused my mind the same way I would do when I was firing an arrow, but I focused on her arm instead."

"Well, you sure did save the day. Not bad."

Kagome smiled, and blushed at the compliment. "Well, what about you? Two weeks ago, you could never have wielded a sword like that?"

"Yeah, well, this Lled guy knows his stuff, even if he is just an old bum."

"He's the one who you train with at the gym?"

"Yeah. But he's much better than me." InuYasha spat. "He coulda ripped that wolf to sheds before the could have even moved."

"Wow, that good, huh?"

"Yep. But don't worry. I'll keep on practicing, and then I'll be able to kick his butt too."

Kagome laughed, and punched him lightly an the arm. "Oh, really."

"Hell, yeah." InuYasha laughed, mock munching back.

Kagome chuckled, and slouched down just a little, getting herself more comfortable. "InuYasha?"

InuYasha glanced at her. She could tell form his eyes that he was tired too. "Yeah?"

"Would you really have given up to save me?" She asked.

InuYasha snorted. "No." He muttered.

Kagome glanced sharply at him. "But you were halfway to putting down your sword when I broke free!"

InuYasha blinked for a second. "Well, yeah." He muttered, looking put out. "But I was just putting down my sword. That wasn't actually giving up."

Kagome looked at him for a second. "You're a bad liar, you know that?"

The hanyou scowled, crossing his arms. "Feh. Like you know anything."

Kagome elbowed him in the side. "Don't ever give up for me, InuYasha… I'm really not worth it."

InuYasha grinned at her. "You know, you're not too good at lying yourself." He admonished her.

Kagome looked at him sharply. "I'm serious." She insisted. "You shouldn't ever let me get in the way of your survival."

InuYasha scowled. "Kagome, do you remember what you told me, that one night right before we met Vadise?"

Kagome blinked, then blushed bright red. "That night in the cave?"

InuYasha nodded. "You remember?"

"I told you that I'd never leave you."

"Very good." InuYasha muttered sardonically. "And I'm holding you to that promise." Slowly, his arm snuck over her shoulder, and pulled her just a little closer. "I'm never gonna let you leave me, ever. No matter what." He fixed her a long, deep stare, his golden eyes glowing eerily in the fading light. "Get it?"

Kagome gaped just a minute, then nodded slowly, blushing.

"Good," The hanyou muttered, then slowly lowered his chin to his chest. "Now get some sleep. I wanna be able to move again in the morning."

Yeah, right. Like Kagome was getting any sleep now. Slowly, she looked over and inspected his profile. His eyes were already closed, and his mouth was turned up ever so slightly in a smiled.

Slowly, Kagome leaned her head down onto his shoulder, and she sighed, staring out into the twilight, thinking.