A/N: Okay, next bit. As always, thanks so much to everyone for their reviews and patience! I love hearing from you guys. I'm always tempted to do responses, but I figure you'd rather read the story than listen to me go on. So, please enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of Inuyasha.

Chapter 17: Close Encounters of the Kouga Kind

"KAGOME!"

"What?" Kagome poked her head out of the bathroom, alarmed, at Inuyasha's shout. "What's going on?"

"Why is there a brat sitting on the bed, brandishing a pair of scissors at me?"

Following his gaze, the teenager turned her head to her recently vacated bed. Sure enough, Shippo was sitting there, an open pair of what looked like pinking shears in his hands.

He grinned and brought the scissors closed with a snap.

Inuyasha started to growl. Kagome put her toothbrush back in her mouth and tried not to grin.

"He's just sitting there, Inuyasha. Doesn't look like he's doing anything to me." With a wink at Shippo, she retreated back into the bathroom. On the sofa, Inuyasha huffed and crossed his arms, refusing to take his eyes off of the fox boy sitting on the bed.

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

At the same time, though several blocks away, Kouga was rapping sharply on an anonymous hotel room door.

"Guys," he said, hoping his tone didn't sound as whiny as he expected it did, "We need to conference."

For a moment there was silence, then there was a loud squeak, followed by a series of thumps.

"One minute," shouted Miroku in reply, his voice sounding distinctly out of breath.

"Right," said Kouga, flushing slightly as the banging resumed, "I'll just be waiting in my room then."

Inside the room, Sango turned to her mischievous-looking partner. "Okay, I think he got the point," she said. "You can stop jumping on the bed now."

"Ha! He'll think twice about coming down this way again. Bet next time he'll phone."

"Idiot," Sango said fondly, smacking her partner with a still damp towel, "We're two doors down from him. It's not like it's far."

"Yeah, but you haven't seen me when I really get going," Miroku paused to waggle his eyebrows at her, "By the time I'm done with him, his little virgin ears will have separated themselves, screaming, from his head. Trust me, in two days time, he'll be phoning first."

"Oh, and what, exactly, is it that you plan to do?" Sango challenged.

Ten minutes later, Miroku swaggered into his supervisor's room, followed by his rather pink-faced partner.

OOOOOOOOOOOO

What with all the chasing Shippo and the yelling and everything, it was practically noontime by the time Inuyasha and Kagome got below stairs. Hojo was waiting for them in the kitchen. At sight of the shorter boy, Inuyasha rolled his eyes. Hopefully they'd be able to shake him off soon.

"Are you okay?" the brown-haired boy asked, eyes serious. "It sounded like there was a lot of commotion up there."

Kagome cheerfully grabbed a bowl and some cereal before seating herself next to him. "Never better," she said. "Inuyasha and Shippo just got into a little, um, disagreement."

"Ah." He nodded. "So, what're your plans for today?"

"Well, it's Inuyasha's day off, so we were just gonna run a few errands and stuff," she waved a fork at him vaguely, before frowning at it and getting up to get a spoon.

"Of course."

"Wait a minute," Inuyasha turned around, "We aren't going to visit that crazy friend of yours again, are we?"

"No, no," said Kagome, "I just saw her a couple days ago. I think we should go to a hairdresser's for you, though."

"What! Wait a minu…"

"That wouldn't work," interrupted Hojo. "He could never wear a hat at a hairdressers, and if he took it off, well." He finished his sentence with a gesture towards Inuyasha's head.

Kagome looked at him. "How do you know?" she asked slowly.

"I saw him the first day, remember?"

"I mean, why aren't you surprised?"

"Well," Hojo smiled at her, "I do live here, Kagome."

"Yeah, what the fuck's up with that?" Inuyasha was not perhaps as smooth an interrupter as Hojo was. Nevertheless, Kagome had to agree with the sentiment, if not perhaps with his phrasing.

Hojo turned big eyes towards the dogboy. "Well, what with one thing and another, I ended up here. And once here, well, it was obvious."

Kagome narrowed her eyes a little. Well, that hadn't been at all informative. Still, she wasn't inclined to push it. After all, the boy obviously had the trust of Kaede, and he had been fairly harmless in the days when she had known him before.

Inuyasha, on the other hand, was inclined to push it, but in the end even he couldn't learn anything from Hojo's simple, honest, and surprisingly uninformative answers. Anytime Inuyasha asked any sort of detailed questions, he would be faced with a blank stare and a "that's just how it is" sort of remark.

"The boy's an idiot," he muttered as they left the house.

"Inuyasha," Kagome frowned at him.

"What? He is."

"He was always near the top of the class."

"That doesn't mean he isn't as simple as two plus two."

Kagome frowned at him some more. "I think," she said, "That he may have taken a very smart way to avoid your questions."

"So you think he's suspicious? That it takes a special kind of idiot to be that dumb?"

"No!" When had the conversation become turned around like this? "It's just, I think that…Oh, I don't know." She huffed at him. "Come on, let's just enjoy your day off."

Beside her, Inuyasha smirked. Point to him. With the added bonus that maybe now she would be more wary around the other boy.

He swaggered a little as they headed towards the bus stop.

OOOOOOOOOOOO

Kagome was trying to pass the time. Yesterday, she realized with a slight sense of shock, had gone by so quickly. Today was dragging. She and Inuyasha had finished all the errands, leaving her today with nothing to do except her homework, or think about Inuyasha's situation.

It was amazing, she pondered, how quickly they had gotten used to it. In some ways, it was hard to remember that the dogboy was, technically, on the run. With, she reminded herself, numerous government agents out for his blood. If only the damn stubborn fool would let her cut his hair. A scowl flitted across her face. Honestly, she didn't know why he was being so stubborn about it.

Okay, so it was nice hair. He looked good. Still, though, long, silver hair was not exactly inconspicuous.

Maybe if she could get him to dye it, she would let up about the cutting. Hmm. She tried to picture him as a blond and laughed. Definitely not. Maybe some sort of brunet?

But there, she had wandered off track. The problem was that really, she and Inuyasha did not have enough information. Although they had picked up little dribbles here and there, it still seemed like people were keeping things from them. Most important was the question of what the modified humans who were fully integrated in society were doing. As Shippo's existence proved, they were out there. There had to be ways to get in touch with them.

That, she decided, was what they needed to figure out next. With that settled, she turned to the math homework that her teacher had assigned for over break.

OOOOOOOOOOOO

Okay, Kagome was willing to admit that she didn't like math. She was also willing to admit that Inuyasha probably didn't need her to come and pick him up again. However, she was sure he would appreciate the gesture.

"Hello!" said the chipper little man behind the desk. "Here to pick up your friend again?"

"Yep," Kagome smiled at him. "Do you know if he's off yet?"

"Just five more minutes I think. Last I saw, they sent him down to the laundry room." Myouga leaned forward and whispered as if they were two conspirators, "Apparently room 457 was kicking up a fuss about their dinner jackets."

"You don't say?" said Kagome, widening her eyes at him in mock shock, while hiding an inner grin. She was tempted to ask him to teach her the proper ways to carry a suitcase, while she was at it, but suspected that he would decline since she wasn't in the union. Oh well.

As Kagome was fraternizing with Myouga, the elevator door slid open.

"Ah ha! This time I bet you're looking for me!"

Kagome turned around, her eyes widening. There before her was none other than the guy she had run into two days ago. What was his name again? Kou something or other. She almost slapped a hand against her hand. Unbelievable that she would actually run into him again here.

"Oh, you're still staying here?" she decided that a polite but reserved tone was probably the best to go with.

"Indeed I am," Kouga smiled down at her. Hmm. She was wearing jeans again. For a brief moment, he wondered how old she actually was; didn't want to run into trouble in that direction, although for a fully licensed professional, he himself was very young. Probably, he decided, eyes scanning her face, she was only a couple of years younger than him.

"Back for your friend again?"

"Yes," Kagome answered.

"She doesn't seem to be here yet, so why don't you come have that coffee I promised you?"

"Sorry," smiled Kagome, "But he's supposed to be done in just a minute or two."

"You know, you're making this very difficult on fate," Kouga let his voice trail off. The face before him looked slightly puzzled so he decided to elaborate. "After all, it can't be coincidence that we've met here twice now."

Kagome just smiled and was about to reply when the elevator doors opened again. She craned her neck to see beyond Kouga. Maybe it was Inuyasha, come to rescue her from the not-so-subtle and surprisingly persistent advances of the man standing right in front of her.

Instead, she was shocked as Miroku and Sango stepped out onto the polished floor of the lobby. Holy shit, her brain whispered, why were they there?

Miroku and Sango had been arguing in the elevator. Predictable, really, Sango reflected, her attention fully focused on her impossible partner. As she followed him out into the lobby, she noticed his back suddenly stiffen.

"Oh, shit," he whispered. "Why is she here?"

"What is it?" Sango asked, looking to the area where his attention was focused. One of her eyebrows lifted. There was Kagome standing at the desk, talking to Kouga. "Do you think she's looking for us?" she asked.

"Don't know," Miroku answered shortly as he strode towards the desk, his shoes making tapping sounds on the polished marble.

As Sango observed the shocked look on Kagome's face, she felt her heart sink. Somehow it seemed very unlikely that Kagome had come for them. She tried frantically to remember their meeting two days ago. Had they told her where they were staying? She really, really hoped so, because otherwise the alternatives…

OOOOOOOOOOOOOO

There was a moment of silence as Miroku and Sango joined Kagome and Kouga in front of the desk. Miroku glanced at Kagome's face. He could practically see the wheels turning in her head.

"Ah," Kouga turned slightly, "Miroku, Sango, I see you two have come down."

Kagome's eyes, already wide, shot open even more. Oh god. The man she had just been talking to knew Sango and Miroku. He knew them. That could only mean one thing. He must be their…

"On time as requested, sir."

…boss. Shit. Kagome frantically turned to Sango. The older woman staring at her shared the faintly horrified look that she knew must be on her own face.

"Well," Kouga turned back to the young woman in front of him, "Kagome, I'm afraid I will have to leave you now that my subordinates have come." Ha! Subordinates! He was in charge of others, in a position of responsibility, women were always impressed by stuff like that, weren't they?

Not for the first time, Sango thanked whatever gods above for giving her boss the deductive abilities of a piece of chalk.

"O-Oh. Yes," Kagome nodded at him.

"Next time," he winked at her.

"Right," she smiled weakly. Oh god. He was the head of the Inuyasha-chasers! They had to get him out of there immediately. Inuyasha might come out of one of those "employees only" doors any minute. "Well, see you around."

Miroku and Sango exchanged a glance. "You two start without me," the female agent said. "I just remembered that I forgot my compact. I'll catch up with you."

"Okay," Miroku agreed. "We'll wait for you at the car."

"That's okay," said Kouga with a glance at Kagome, "We can wait right here in the lobby."

"No, no," said Miroku, firmly. "We'd better get the engine warmed up." With a firm hand he grabbed his supervisor by the elbow and steered him towards the revolving doors.

"But, hey, hold on a second!" Kouga sputtered, as he found himself being dragged across the floor. Damn floor polish.

Kagome let out a sigh of relief as she saw the two disappear into the revolving doors. It was very short-lived though, as she turned to Sango. "Please, please, tell me that you guys are not staying here."

"Sorry," said Sango with a grimace. "Does this mean that Inuyasha's here?"

Kagome nodded. "He's supposed to be getting off any minute now."

Sango cursed softly. "Dammit. What're the odds?"

"I know."

With a glance towards the check-in desk, which was occupied by a very curious Myouga, Sango steered Kagome a few feet away.

"Alright. Well, this is obviously a problem. If Kouga'd seen him just then, we would've been in huge trouble. He's not always the most perceptive agent, but even he…"

"I know."

Sango sighed. "Well, we'll obviously need to have an emergency meeting about this. I have to go now, 'cause they're waiting for me. But tonight, around nine or ten? We'll stop by Kaede's."

"Sounds good," Kagome agreed.

"Don't worry, we'll work it out. Oh, and wait at least ten minutes before you two leave this hotel, ok?" With a reassuring smile, Sango left the girl and went out to join her associates.

"Lot's of excitement here today."

Kagome looked over to the check-in clerk. "Yeah," she agreed. Crap. He was looking suspiciously bland. But before she could reply, the elevators opened again to reveal a very wet, pissed off Inuyasha.

"Look, old man," he growled, "You need to tell those jackasses to fix those damn machines."

Myouga chuckled. "Have a little trouble in the laundry room?"

"Shut up." Yellow eyes glared at the little clerk for a moment, before shifting towards Kagome. "Oh. Hey, Kagome. You're here again?"

"Yeah," Kagome nodded, still trying to will the blood back up to her head. Unbelievable, the bloody agents were in the same building. And she'd talked with the boss twice already.

"Ok. Let me just go punch out."

"You know," said the clerk as they watched him leave the lobby, "He's actually a very good employee. I'd hate to lose him."

"Yeah," Kagome agreed softly, "Me too."

TBC