Hey all! I've finally finished this one up, I've been on the sickly side and sleep is my number one priority, aside from this of course. Hey! Do you know what would make me feel a whole lot better…REVIEWS! They're sure to get rid of this nasty cough and case of feeling like I weigh a ton (at least that's what I'm going to blame that feeling on J ). It may even make me feel good enough to get the next chapter up faster. So it looks like reviews will make everyone happy!

Chapter Nine

After a silent walk through the woods, both lost in their own thoughts they went back to Kagome's room. Akage left her then to get some food. He would have brought her with him so they could eat somewhere where they were not in such close quarters, just the two of them. To be surrounded by others out in the open is what he wanted. 'That way nothing can happen. I don't know if my will power is up to this kind of challenge.'

" My instincts seem to be gaining the upper hand." He muttered resentfully. 'But being out and about doesn't seem to be a good idea either. After that incident with Akiko I don't know how the others will react. No doubt she's already told Father.' He thought bitterly. With this in mind he tactfully avoided his father, swiftly gathered the food, making a somewhat hasty return to Kagome's room, all the while pondering what the next encounter with his father would be like. Dreading was more like it.

When he came to her door he took a deep breath before entering.

After a somewhat awkward setting out of the food Kagome was surprised at how good it was.

"This is Delicious! What is it?"

Relieved he began telling her about the food.

With the tension broken they talked for a good three hours, most of which were spent teaching her colors. For the next week they spent most of their time together; Akage telling her about himself and his family, what it was like being the prince of the fox youkai tribe, all kinds of things. He also taught her about different things that she couldn't remember and added to the ones that she could. As of late he had decided to teach her some self-defense. 'There's too much hostility towards her more now than before because of Akiko. I don't know if the fact that I'm the prince will keep those who want her dead at bay.'

His father had been informed of Akiko's discovery and was not pleased. After his father nearly bit his head off he interjected with an excellent point:

"If she has such an awesome power wouldn't it be better to have her as an ally than an enemy? She doesn't have any knowledge of her powers and if we were to treat her like shit and send her away to have her then realize them…What do you think she would do? What would you do?" he added knowing exactly what his father would do. 'That shut you up,' he smirked inwardly knowing her had won.

"But if she were to stay, even if she didn't learn about her powers she would have no reason to do us any harm when she did leave. And think about it, if she did tap into them while in our care she may be useful to us in the future."

"You have proved your point. She may stay but she is your responsibility, if anything should happen to her it will be on your head. I won't take part in this matter from this point on.

"I do have some advice that you should take into careful consideration, son. If I learn of anything going on between you and that human I will be stepping in so, keep your demon instincts at bay I warn you. I needn't remind you that you are the prince of the Fox youkai tribe."

His father was dead serious and Akage knew it. 'I won the battle but that bastard won the war.' He swallowed his pride and bowed.

"Argiato Father." His father staring him down, the whole time.

With its desired effect accomplished, Akage left seething. But his embarrassment did the trick. It bought him the time he needed to help her remember.

After a while he came to recognize a look that she got on her face when she seemed to be making some kind of connection between things from the present and her forgotten past. He referred to it as her "I know this" look. Sometimes she told him when it happened but other times she would just keep it to herself. There were a few times when she had become upset. She tried to cover it up by smiling and saying she was tired and wanted to take a nap or something else that required her to be alone. When she did get upset it was usually over something he said or did. She would stop dead in her tracks and look at him, eyes wide with panic. When she gave her excuse he would let her go and didn't press the matter further.

'It must be painful what she's going through." He thought solemnly. 'Teaching her self defense will give her something else to think about.'

She literally jumped at the offer and so the training began the next morning. He chose an area in the forest that had been used for training but was rarely used any more.

"It became too small for group training as the tribe grew, but it'll work for us," he explained with pride at the mention of the extent of the tribe as he led her to the clearing.

"Shut up already and start teaching." She clapped her hands together and bowed. "Please teach me oh Great-one." She peeked at him and started giggling. He was glaring down at her.

"Oh come on. Don't be grumpy. Well. It is kind of early, I guess you didn't get all of your beauty sleep, huh?" she joked. He didn't seem to find it funny.

"Come on. I was just joking." He continued to stand there looking unamused.

Kagome, getting angry at his lack of sense of humor, put her hands on her hips.

"Can't you take a joke!" He didn't even move to make a comeback.

"FINE!" she threw her arms up in frustration. "ARGH!" she flung them back down to her side and started to stomp away.

He grinned then tackled an angry, unsuspecting Kagome to the ground making her yelp in surprise.

He made sure he didn't overly hurt her, setting himself up so he would get the brunt of the fall. They rolled a few times and ended up side by side.

"Rule Number One," he panted from the exertion and trying not to laugh. "Never turn your back on an enemy." He helped her up then snatched her hand away.

"Rule Number Two: Never let your guard down."

Kagome was furious.

"Is that so." She managed through gritted teeth.

"YUP." He stated happily. She grabbed his shoulders and kneed him in the guts. He gasped loudly holding his stomach and, when he could manage, began wheezing.

"You let your guard down," she hissed venomously and huffed away.

The next rule Akage taught her was explained before the lesson.

Kagome was very enthusiastic from the beginning and turned out to be a quick learner. The next three days consisted of steady training and since Akage's father had put him in charge of Kagome, he was excused from many of his duties, so the better half of his time was spent with her.

They would eat a light breakfast in Kagome's room then go to the training grounds where they would train for about three hours. They would eat a packed lunch and rest for about an hour and a half and then continue training for another two. At the end of the lessons Kagome would go take a bath at the fall while Akage retrieved their supper. 'That way I won't be anywhere near her while she's undressed.'

During the training he was becoming ever more aware of her body, 'If that's possible. You've seen her naked more than once.' He thought grimly as he was returning to the fall with that night's meal. With each day of hours of training and constant body contact, it was getting harder and harder to control himself. He had managed to though.

They did have their moments when a hold would turn into something more, or when they would tumble to the ground landing on top of each other, panting and flushed. She didn't always seem to be aware of these intimate mishaps, but when she was her flush would deepen (along with his own), and she would look away, but not fast enough for him to catch the look of guilt that seemed to pass over them. Then the nervous babbling would begin, but her look of guilt was some how different. It was sad, and the fact that he didn't know the reason behind it troubled him.

She was so determined and really enjoyed the training. 'She seems so innocent, and I feel like I'd be taking advantage of her if I let my damn instincts get the better of me. Oh, I don't know what's going on. Why am I even thinking about this?' He had made it to the fall by the time he came out of his muddled thoughts and avoided looking towards the water, just incase.

He laid the blanket that Kagome insisted they bring with them, on the ground before spreading the food out. 'She called this a 'picnic'.' He hadn't thought that there was a word for eating out doors on top of a blanket but she insisted that's what it was. 'She actually got mad at me when I asked her more about it,' he chuckled. 'She gets so angry over such trivial things sometimes.'

He waited for her for a bit longer until he got apprehensive and went over to find her. 'I'll take my chances; she can't still be in the water.' When he saw she wasn't his unease escalated and he started looking for her.

"MIDORI! MIDORI!" with each passing moment of no reply he became more afraid and his calling of her name more frantic.

"MIDORI! ANSWER ME! WHERE ARE YOU!?"

Suddenly he caught her scent and raced off in that direction. She was sitting beside an old well wrapped up in her towel, her knees drawn up to her chin, arms grasped around them.

"Midori, what happened? Are you ok?" he ran and dropped to his knees in front of her, reaching out to her.

"Midori?" she raised her eyes but seemed to look right through him. Her face was contorted in what looked like pain though he could sense no physical injuries; it was in her eyes. He had never seen such a look in her eyes. They were so utterly lost and sad, 'She looks so alone." A fear gripped his heart and it became hard for him to breathe. 'I can't bare to see that look in her eyes. She's not alone! I'm here!'

"Midori," he choked out. She came back to him then and tears sprang to her eyes. She grabbed his kimono frantically clutching at the fabric in a state of panic.

"The Bone Eater's well, the Bone Eater's well!" she repeated over and over again between sobs. He stood up pulling her with him then scooped her up holding her close as he sped off towards her room. By the time they arrived Kagome had stopped crying but was currently shaking. 'She must be in shock.'

He couldn't figure out what had happened. He kicked open the door and took her to the bed, laying her down. He closed the door and looked for an extra blanket. Running back over to her when he found one he wrapped it around her. She was drawing in ragged breaths, her eyes were puffy and red from crying but the shaking had lessened.

"Please stay. Please don't leave me," her voice was strangled with a desperate pleading. He sat beside her.

"I'm here. I'm not going anywhere." His own voice sounding strangled he was so choked with emotion.

She began crying softly, which was all she could manage. Her indecipherable thoughts had her exhausted and the emotions that were hitting her left right and center were causing her something very close to physical pain. But somewhere a single light shone and her abused senses reached for it. It promised protection and care. That's what she needed. But when the promise was made it was wrong, it was always wrong. She didn't know how she knew and at the time wouldn't have been able to question it, but she knew and having that knowledge somehow hurt the most.

'It's not supposed to be him,' always broke through. Even now it was the one comprehendible thought that fought to be recognized. So she cried. She cried because the ghosts of memories were haunting her, because her heart felt as though it had broken and because what should be right was wrong.

Akage lay down beside her giving the warmth and comfort of his body and the safety of his embrace. She stopped crying at some point but he didn't leave. They fell asleep holding each other.

*COUGH, COUGH, REVIEW! COUGH, COUGH*