**********
Prisoners: the Bone Eater's Well
Not What I Expected
**********
Kagome stopped pacing long enough to fluff a pillow on the couch, determined to have everything perfect when Renee came by with her brother in law and his ward. Renee had been good to Kagome, and had promised that she would be treated with respect and dignity by the new masters of the house. "Or else..." the woman had muttered under her breath grimly.
Kagome surveyed the room one last time, pleased. She had taken her charge as interior decorator seriously, and even with Renee's seemingly limitless budget, Kagome had made more than a few trips to thrift stores. She had also been sensitive to the fact that she was a woman, decorating for two males. Now she was surrounded by a room that was rugged without insulting her feminine sensibilities, with natural fibers, all in earth tones.
*****
"This is so stupid," Inu Yasha spat out bitterly, "you should have left everything to do with Kagome up to me, Rin, but no! You had to butt in!"
Walking beside them was a five foot eight man with brown eyes, "I don't see why you're so mad, Inu Yasha. I thought you'd be excited about seeing Kagome again."
"I just wish that this nosy bitch had the good sense to keep out of other people's business!"
"He is excited to see Kagome again... he's just nervous. Kinda cute, really," Rin told the man.
"I am not nervous!"
"Then are you going to ring the doorbell now? We've been standing on the front porch for five minutes," the man reminded him.
Inu Yasha blushed, "Well? It's my house, isn't it? I can just walk right in!" He grabbed the knob and pushed open the door.
"Renee, is that you?" a voice floated to the Hanyou's keen ears and he stopped dead, in the middle of the doorway, "Hang on, I'll be right there!"the voice came again. Inu Yasha closed his eyes, savoring the melodious-
"Oh, for the love of..." the man with brown eyes muttered as he gave Inu Yasha a good shove into the house, putting him chest to nose with the woman that had just come running into the room.
She hopped back a step, "Oops! Sorry about that-" she looked up at his face.
"..."
"..."
"Inu Yasha..." she breathed.
"Kagome..."
"Kagome!!!" the man with brown eyes bolted from behind Inu Yasha to grab the girl in a tight hug.
Kagome was still very dazed, "Uh, who are you, exactly?"
The man let go of her and slapped a hand to his forehead, "Oh, right, the disguise!" there was a puff of pink smoke, which cleared instantly.
"SHIPPO?!?" Kagome grabbed the Kitsune and held him close, "Oh, I've missed you so much!"
"I've missed you too!" Shippo inhaled deeply, "And you smell just the same!"
Kagome patted the youkai's back akwardly, smiling happily, "Thanks...I think..."
"Oh Kagome, you have no idea how long we've been waiting for this moment. Inu Yasha and I-"
"Hang on," Kagome interrupted confused, "have you two been together all this time?"
Shippo nodded, "Yep, he raised me!"
"Really?! That Inu Yasha?!" Kagome pointed at the hanyou disbelievingly.
"You see Kagome," Renee chimed in, "When you left, you were the closest thing Shippo had to a mother, as well as the closest thing Inu Yasha had to a mate; therefor Inu Yasha became the closest thing Shippo had to a father."
"Hey, the place looks great!" Shippo had been viewing the room appreciatively while Rin was explaining things. "Don't you think so, Inu Yasha?"
The half demon had been staring at Kagome, mouth slightly open, ever since he first saw her. "I don't know what his problem is, usually you can't get him to shut up!"
"He's happy to see Kagome again, that's all," Rin confided to the fox demon, who was the only other being in the room not currently comatose.
*The closest thing Inu Yasha had to a mate...* the words replayed themselves in Kagome's mind. "Shippo?" Kagome asked quietly, "Why have you waited until now to see me?"
Shippo snorted, "We wouldn't even be seeing you now, if it hadn't been for Rin here..."
*Rin?* Kagome filed the thought for later investigation.
"She set up this whole deal, and it was like pulling teeth to get Inu Yasha to go through with it."
"Pulling teeth!" Kagome repeated incredulously.
"Wait, it's not what it sounds like..." Inu Yasha said, finally snapping out of it.
"I've been all alone in this time for one year... I would have given anything to see you again..." Kagome's voice was sad and quiet.
"Kagome, listen..." Inu Yasha reached out to her.
"SIT!" Nothing happened. Kagome noticed for the first time that the necklace was gone, and Inu Yasha's face was reddening, "...Where are the prayer beads?!" she asked angrily.
Shippo piped up, "Oh, Kikyo took those things off centuries ago..."
Inu Yasha shot Shippo a death glare as Kagome exploded, "Kikyo!?"
"Yeah she took them off right after she gave him that goodbye kiss..." Shippo recalled.
"Kiss?" Kagome squeaked.
Shippo opened his mouth again, but was cut off before he could do any more damage. "Hey now," Rin stepped between Inu Yasha and Kagome, "aren't we forgetting what's really important here?"
"You mean the last jewel shard?" Shippo asked.
"Shippo! You are no longer allowed in this conversation!" Inu Yasha roared, angry, but glad he had someone to yell at.
"But you said years ago that you thought Kagome had the last of the shikon shards, and that we'd get it back when we saw her again..."
"Shippo, mouth closed, NOW!" Inu Yasha's face was a very unhealthy vermillion by that time, "Besides, that quote was taken WAY out of context..."
"So, you have every jewel shard but one..." Kagome was mentally debating whether or not to give them hers and be done with it.
"Yeah, here," from under his shirt, Inu Yasha presented the shikon jewel. It was completely fused together and looked whole, but on closer inspection there was a little sliver missing from the outside.
"It's fused together... but I was the only one able to do that..."
Inu Yasha stared at the floor, coughed, and muttered something almost indecipherable, "Ahemkikyo..."
"Kikyo..." Kagome repeated, forlorn. She grasped hold of her anger again, "That's it! I'm leaving, and this time I never want to see you again. Ever!"
Now Inu Yasha was mad, "You can't go!"
"Why not?"
"Be...Because I have you under contract for the next month!" Inu Yasha presented the paper that Rin had given him moments earlier.
Rin moaned, "Oh, dog boy, no..."
Kagome's face paled, "Fine! I will be your servant for the next month. After that I'm leaving... forever," she turned to the two onlookers, staring speechlessly, "Good night Renee, you too Shippo. Oh, and Inu Yasha?" she asked, turning back to the hanyou, who had his arms crossed over his chest triumphantly even as his face held disappointment, "Take my advice, and sleep with one eye open tonight."
Kagome turned on her heel and marched to the maid's chamber.
"Well," Shippo observed, "That didn't go well..." he paused in thought, "and who's Renee?"
**********
TBC More on the history of Kikyo and Rin/Renee coming up.
Prisoners: the Bone Eater's Well
Not What I Expected
**********
Kagome stopped pacing long enough to fluff a pillow on the couch, determined to have everything perfect when Renee came by with her brother in law and his ward. Renee had been good to Kagome, and had promised that she would be treated with respect and dignity by the new masters of the house. "Or else..." the woman had muttered under her breath grimly.
Kagome surveyed the room one last time, pleased. She had taken her charge as interior decorator seriously, and even with Renee's seemingly limitless budget, Kagome had made more than a few trips to thrift stores. She had also been sensitive to the fact that she was a woman, decorating for two males. Now she was surrounded by a room that was rugged without insulting her feminine sensibilities, with natural fibers, all in earth tones.
*****
"This is so stupid," Inu Yasha spat out bitterly, "you should have left everything to do with Kagome up to me, Rin, but no! You had to butt in!"
Walking beside them was a five foot eight man with brown eyes, "I don't see why you're so mad, Inu Yasha. I thought you'd be excited about seeing Kagome again."
"I just wish that this nosy bitch had the good sense to keep out of other people's business!"
"He is excited to see Kagome again... he's just nervous. Kinda cute, really," Rin told the man.
"I am not nervous!"
"Then are you going to ring the doorbell now? We've been standing on the front porch for five minutes," the man reminded him.
Inu Yasha blushed, "Well? It's my house, isn't it? I can just walk right in!" He grabbed the knob and pushed open the door.
"Renee, is that you?" a voice floated to the Hanyou's keen ears and he stopped dead, in the middle of the doorway, "Hang on, I'll be right there!"the voice came again. Inu Yasha closed his eyes, savoring the melodious-
"Oh, for the love of..." the man with brown eyes muttered as he gave Inu Yasha a good shove into the house, putting him chest to nose with the woman that had just come running into the room.
She hopped back a step, "Oops! Sorry about that-" she looked up at his face.
"..."
"..."
"Inu Yasha..." she breathed.
"Kagome..."
"Kagome!!!" the man with brown eyes bolted from behind Inu Yasha to grab the girl in a tight hug.
Kagome was still very dazed, "Uh, who are you, exactly?"
The man let go of her and slapped a hand to his forehead, "Oh, right, the disguise!" there was a puff of pink smoke, which cleared instantly.
"SHIPPO?!?" Kagome grabbed the Kitsune and held him close, "Oh, I've missed you so much!"
"I've missed you too!" Shippo inhaled deeply, "And you smell just the same!"
Kagome patted the youkai's back akwardly, smiling happily, "Thanks...I think..."
"Oh Kagome, you have no idea how long we've been waiting for this moment. Inu Yasha and I-"
"Hang on," Kagome interrupted confused, "have you two been together all this time?"
Shippo nodded, "Yep, he raised me!"
"Really?! That Inu Yasha?!" Kagome pointed at the hanyou disbelievingly.
"You see Kagome," Renee chimed in, "When you left, you were the closest thing Shippo had to a mother, as well as the closest thing Inu Yasha had to a mate; therefor Inu Yasha became the closest thing Shippo had to a father."
"Hey, the place looks great!" Shippo had been viewing the room appreciatively while Rin was explaining things. "Don't you think so, Inu Yasha?"
The half demon had been staring at Kagome, mouth slightly open, ever since he first saw her. "I don't know what his problem is, usually you can't get him to shut up!"
"He's happy to see Kagome again, that's all," Rin confided to the fox demon, who was the only other being in the room not currently comatose.
*The closest thing Inu Yasha had to a mate...* the words replayed themselves in Kagome's mind. "Shippo?" Kagome asked quietly, "Why have you waited until now to see me?"
Shippo snorted, "We wouldn't even be seeing you now, if it hadn't been for Rin here..."
*Rin?* Kagome filed the thought for later investigation.
"She set up this whole deal, and it was like pulling teeth to get Inu Yasha to go through with it."
"Pulling teeth!" Kagome repeated incredulously.
"Wait, it's not what it sounds like..." Inu Yasha said, finally snapping out of it.
"I've been all alone in this time for one year... I would have given anything to see you again..." Kagome's voice was sad and quiet.
"Kagome, listen..." Inu Yasha reached out to her.
"SIT!" Nothing happened. Kagome noticed for the first time that the necklace was gone, and Inu Yasha's face was reddening, "...Where are the prayer beads?!" she asked angrily.
Shippo piped up, "Oh, Kikyo took those things off centuries ago..."
Inu Yasha shot Shippo a death glare as Kagome exploded, "Kikyo!?"
"Yeah she took them off right after she gave him that goodbye kiss..." Shippo recalled.
"Kiss?" Kagome squeaked.
Shippo opened his mouth again, but was cut off before he could do any more damage. "Hey now," Rin stepped between Inu Yasha and Kagome, "aren't we forgetting what's really important here?"
"You mean the last jewel shard?" Shippo asked.
"Shippo! You are no longer allowed in this conversation!" Inu Yasha roared, angry, but glad he had someone to yell at.
"But you said years ago that you thought Kagome had the last of the shikon shards, and that we'd get it back when we saw her again..."
"Shippo, mouth closed, NOW!" Inu Yasha's face was a very unhealthy vermillion by that time, "Besides, that quote was taken WAY out of context..."
"So, you have every jewel shard but one..." Kagome was mentally debating whether or not to give them hers and be done with it.
"Yeah, here," from under his shirt, Inu Yasha presented the shikon jewel. It was completely fused together and looked whole, but on closer inspection there was a little sliver missing from the outside.
"It's fused together... but I was the only one able to do that..."
Inu Yasha stared at the floor, coughed, and muttered something almost indecipherable, "Ahemkikyo..."
"Kikyo..." Kagome repeated, forlorn. She grasped hold of her anger again, "That's it! I'm leaving, and this time I never want to see you again. Ever!"
Now Inu Yasha was mad, "You can't go!"
"Why not?"
"Be...Because I have you under contract for the next month!" Inu Yasha presented the paper that Rin had given him moments earlier.
Rin moaned, "Oh, dog boy, no..."
Kagome's face paled, "Fine! I will be your servant for the next month. After that I'm leaving... forever," she turned to the two onlookers, staring speechlessly, "Good night Renee, you too Shippo. Oh, and Inu Yasha?" she asked, turning back to the hanyou, who had his arms crossed over his chest triumphantly even as his face held disappointment, "Take my advice, and sleep with one eye open tonight."
Kagome turned on her heel and marched to the maid's chamber.
"Well," Shippo observed, "That didn't go well..." he paused in thought, "and who's Renee?"
**********
TBC More on the history of Kikyo and Rin/Renee coming up.