To my reviewers: wow, I can't believe the urge to write that your support has fueled in me. Kisses and hugs all around! Thank you thank you thank you!
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Prisoners
On the Prowl
**********
"Damn," the hanyou muttered, "He's in the house."
"Inu Yasha!" the wolf demon yelled again, "Where the hell are you!"
Inu Yasha sighed, "I'll get rid of him. You," he looked pointedly at Kagome, "will stay in here, out of sight."
"No way!" Kagome was nearly yelling, "I'm through with being the one that needs to be protected all the time! Why don't you stay in here and I'll get rid of him. It's just Kouga, for goodness sakes!"
Shippo held Kagome back by placing a hand on her shoulder, "Um, Kagome, do you remember what Kouga was like back in the Feudal era?"
Kagome rolled her eyes, "Of course, but that was five hundred years ago!"
"I can smell you, Dog Turd! You may as well come out of that closet!!" the rampage was continuing upstairs.
"Jeeze, is this guy thick or what?" Inu Yasha grabbed a broom and thumped on the ceiling of the kitchen.
"What is that?! Where the hell are you?!?" Kouga snarled angrily above them.
"Heh heh. Stupid wolf...."
Shippo shook his head at the half demon, "Anyway, Kagome, Kouga was obsessed with you back then, and that feeling of possession has only grown for him over the past five centuries."
"Five centuries, what a loser," Inu Yasha snorted, setting down the broom and folding his arms over his chest. Kagome and Shippo looked at him wryly. "What? That was different! I have a claim on you, You're mine!!"
Kagome felt her fists clench, "Why, you stupid, slimy... SIT!"
Inu Yasha gave a long suffering sigh, "Kagome, have you forgotten that-"
Inu Yasha was silenced by the broom as it was brought down on his head several times. "SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT!!!"
"That's it, Kagome! Fight back!" Kouga had finally found them.
"The brainless wonder returneth," Shippo clasped his hands and bowed his head. Kouga ignored him.
"My poor, brave mate!" Kouga's arms around her forced Kagome to cease her broom beating. "It makes me sick when I think of the horrors that you've had to endure in the grasp of this... hanyou," he made a face.
Kagome began wriggling in his grasp, "Kouga, let go of me!"
The Wolf demon just held her tighter, "Hush, Kagome, he's not worth it! I know you want to make him pay for keeping you locked up here, but now is not-"
"I haven't been keeping her locked up!" Inu Yasha yelled, growling.
"Shut up, Dog Turd! I'm taking Kagome away from here, to somewhere that you'll never be able to harm her again!"
"Damn it, Kouga!" Kagome bit his hand. Kouga dropped her, more out of surprise than pain. She landed unceremoniously on the floor.
"What's wrong, Kagome?" Kouga's brow was furrowed in confusion, "I thought you'd be happy to see me..."
Kagome got to her feet and straightened her clothes. "It's not that I don't want to see you Kouga.... I just think you may have the wrong idea about my reasons for staying here."
Inu Yasha scowled at the softer tone Kagome's voice had taken. "She doesn't want to go with you! She chooses to stay here! You got that, Wimpy Wolf?!"
"At least until my contact is up...." Kagome muttered quietly.
Kouga seemed not to hear her, "Kagome, is what he says true?"
Kagome blushed and wrung her hands together, "In a way...."
Kouga glared darkly, "Fine... I hear and respect your wishes, Kagome." He turned his attention to Shippo for the first time, "As for you, fox, do not think I am finished with you just yet. I will find out what you were doing in my den."
Inu Yasha glanced angrily at Shippo, before turning his attention back to Kouga, "I swear to you, wolf, if you ever touch Kagome or Shippo I'll make sure you live to regret it."
Kouga smiled, "In your own words, 'feh'."
He left the three in the kitchen, speechless.
Inu Yasha was the first to recover. "Shippo, to what was Kouga referring when he mentioned that you were in his den?" he was regarding the younger demon with unwavering calm.
"Uh- I was just- um," Shippo was nearly shaking.
"Why does it matter what he was doing there, Inu Yasha? Shippo's a grown demon, and we have to support him through whatever it is that's bothering him," Kagome jumped in, "Even if he chooses not to tell us right now..."
"You know!" Inu Yasha accused.
"No, but I trust Shippo!"
Inu Yasha ground his teeth together. ".... Fine! But if Wolf Boy is gonna try to kill him over whatever it is, I wanna be told the specifics," he glared at Shippo, "and soon."
He turned on his heel and walked out, leaving Kagome feeling slightly guilty.
"Gee, Kagome," she looked up into Shippo's eyes, which were beaming with gratitude, "You said I could trust you, and I knew I could, but... really, thank you."
Kagome nodded slowly, "Of course, Shippo. Now I think I need to have a little talk with Inu Yasha..."
*****
Running always helped to clear Kouga's mind. Dodging through trees and vaulting over bushes afforded him a serenity which he needed desperately right now. All too soon, though, his run was over, and he could see the rest of his pack lazing quietly at the mouth of their cave.
Unlike some other demons in the past few centuries, Kouga preferred to stick with his most primal instincts, and so he now had his pack living in a rather rugged setting. The only problem was that as a result of the open terrain and the fact that the pack moved so often that it was hard to establish a solid defense system. Kouga stopped to address one of the sentries.
"Are you on duty all night, Hakua?"
The wolf demon nodded curtly, "Yes, my lord, along with Senkai and Kanta."
Kouga nodded slowly, "I fear that the fox demon may try to infiltrate us again, and I want you to see that he does not."
Hakua nodded, "Of course, my lord!"
Kouga was already walking into the cave. In the darkness, completely black but for a small fire Kouga thought. He hadn't moved from his position fifteen minutes later, when he heard the other youkai enter.
"My lord Kouga," he began apprehensively, "I do not mean to intrude, but I thought you were bringing a human mate back with you..."
Kouga looked to Hamari, his most trusted advisor and second in command in the wolf pack, "She's been brainwashed, Hamari. Now, we must plan her rescue from the clutches of that vile hanyou."
*****
Kagome found the Inu Yasha in the living room, reading with his feet up on the table in front of him. "Inu Yasha, may I speak with you for a minute?"
The hanyou looked up from the Tokyo Times, "Feh," he shrugged.
Kagome took that as a yes. "I know that you're angry with Shippo," there was no response so she continued, "and I think that you're angry with me, as well."
Inu Yasha didn't answer, he just continued to stare at her.
"It's all right if you don't want to talk about it, I mean, we can wait until later, if you'd like."
Inu Yasha folded the paper and laid it gently on the coffee table in front of him. "Kagome, do you feel that I've trapped you here?"
The question was sudden, and Kagome wasn't prepared for it, "Huh?"
"You heard me, do you feel that I tricked you into staying unfairly?"
Kagome studied his face. It was thinner than it had been in Feudal Japan, and his nose was longer. He had begun to look a bit like Sessho Maru, she reflected, while still remaining distinctly himself. Not that she had noticed or anything, his smoldering gaze had just distracted her for a moment. She looked down at her hands instead, "Maybe I did at first, a little," she admitted, "but I could always have backed out of the contract, only I didn't want to. I wanted to be around you again, Inu Yasha, I missed you."
Inu Yasha cleared his throat. "Would you like to sit down?" he scooted over on the couch, making room for her. Kagome accepted gratefully and they both sat, not moving, for several moments. "So," Inu Yasha tried, "Um, what do you think of this house, really?"
Kagome shrugged nonchalantly, "It's probably the most beautiful house I've ever seen, much less lived in, and the decorator has excellent taste," Inu Yasha smiled, "Still, I think I'd like it better if it weren't in the middle of a busy city...."
"But your school is here," Inu Yasha reminded her.
"Yeah, so this house works out perfectly for now. I just meant that the house I'd like to be in forever would have to be someplace quieter, more natural."
"I agree, but I guess this is just the place we have to be in right now," Inu Yasha looked into her eyes from under his heavy bangs.
Kagome nodded, "Even though it's not ideal, it's what we have to do before we can get to where we really want to be," she was acutely aware that neither of them were talking about the house any more.
Inu Yasha licked his lips, "Do you really think that there would be any harm in hurrying things along."
Kagome didn't think she could look away from his eyes if she tried, "I guess not, after all it might be just what the situation needs..." Blushing, she reached out to take his hand gently.
Inu Yasha looked down at her hand in his larger one. He reached over with his other hand to pull her closer. "Kagome," he breathed in her scent, "You have no idea how much I've missed you all these years."
Kagome rested her head on his shoulder, "Inu Yasha, there's something I've been meaning to say to you for months...."
"I'm listening."
Instead of saying anything, Kagome looked up into the hanyou's eyes and interlaced her fingers behind his neck. He in turn moved his hands, one to the small of her back, and one to her upper back, pressing her closer. Kagome closed her eyes and let her lips part slightly.
"Inu Yasha..." their lips were going to meet...
"Hey, Inu Yasha!- Hoo boy...." Shippo trailed off at the sight of his two best friends locked in an almost passionate embrace. Their lips were still inches apart.
"Get the hell out of here, brat!" Inu Yasha yelled.
"It isn't Shippo's fault," Kagome protested pushing away from him, "How was he supposed to know?"
"Oh fine, take his side again!"
Kagome stood up, "What do you mean 'again'?!"
Inu Yasha was on his feet now as well, the mood of before dead and gone, "You know exactly what I mean, you always side against me..."
The battle raged on as Shippo stared, not sure what had happened. "Uh, why don't I just leave you two alone," he told the combatants, but doubted they heard him over their own fighting.
*****
Later that night, Kagome was alone in her room. *I was so close today,* she thought as she slid into her nightgown. *I think that if we hadn't been interrupted I would have given him the last shard of the shikon jewel, and I'm still not entirely convinced that his intentions are pure.* Kagome pulled the soapstone box out from under her pillow, and hesitated only a moment before putting it into her yellow school bag. *I can't trust myself with it, first thing tomorrow I'm taking it to the shrine.*
Nodding once in satisfaction, Kagome turned off the light and snuggled down into the covers.
*****
"Then it is decided," Kouga summed up to his assembled pack, "Starting tomorrow, I will keep an eye on Inu Yasha's house. The first time Kagome comes out, I will tail her until I can safely bring her back here for de programming." The assembly nodded or otherwise expressed their assent, "Very good. Dismissed."
**********
TBC when I B TCB, Baby.
...
Please, just ignore me....
Sorry if Kouga is a bit OOC. Just pretend that he got a bit more verbose over the last 500 years. Anyway this chapter is pretty much to set up stuff for the next one. Thanks for reading!
**********
Prisoners
On the Prowl
**********
"Damn," the hanyou muttered, "He's in the house."
"Inu Yasha!" the wolf demon yelled again, "Where the hell are you!"
Inu Yasha sighed, "I'll get rid of him. You," he looked pointedly at Kagome, "will stay in here, out of sight."
"No way!" Kagome was nearly yelling, "I'm through with being the one that needs to be protected all the time! Why don't you stay in here and I'll get rid of him. It's just Kouga, for goodness sakes!"
Shippo held Kagome back by placing a hand on her shoulder, "Um, Kagome, do you remember what Kouga was like back in the Feudal era?"
Kagome rolled her eyes, "Of course, but that was five hundred years ago!"
"I can smell you, Dog Turd! You may as well come out of that closet!!" the rampage was continuing upstairs.
"Jeeze, is this guy thick or what?" Inu Yasha grabbed a broom and thumped on the ceiling of the kitchen.
"What is that?! Where the hell are you?!?" Kouga snarled angrily above them.
"Heh heh. Stupid wolf...."
Shippo shook his head at the half demon, "Anyway, Kagome, Kouga was obsessed with you back then, and that feeling of possession has only grown for him over the past five centuries."
"Five centuries, what a loser," Inu Yasha snorted, setting down the broom and folding his arms over his chest. Kagome and Shippo looked at him wryly. "What? That was different! I have a claim on you, You're mine!!"
Kagome felt her fists clench, "Why, you stupid, slimy... SIT!"
Inu Yasha gave a long suffering sigh, "Kagome, have you forgotten that-"
Inu Yasha was silenced by the broom as it was brought down on his head several times. "SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT!!!"
"That's it, Kagome! Fight back!" Kouga had finally found them.
"The brainless wonder returneth," Shippo clasped his hands and bowed his head. Kouga ignored him.
"My poor, brave mate!" Kouga's arms around her forced Kagome to cease her broom beating. "It makes me sick when I think of the horrors that you've had to endure in the grasp of this... hanyou," he made a face.
Kagome began wriggling in his grasp, "Kouga, let go of me!"
The Wolf demon just held her tighter, "Hush, Kagome, he's not worth it! I know you want to make him pay for keeping you locked up here, but now is not-"
"I haven't been keeping her locked up!" Inu Yasha yelled, growling.
"Shut up, Dog Turd! I'm taking Kagome away from here, to somewhere that you'll never be able to harm her again!"
"Damn it, Kouga!" Kagome bit his hand. Kouga dropped her, more out of surprise than pain. She landed unceremoniously on the floor.
"What's wrong, Kagome?" Kouga's brow was furrowed in confusion, "I thought you'd be happy to see me..."
Kagome got to her feet and straightened her clothes. "It's not that I don't want to see you Kouga.... I just think you may have the wrong idea about my reasons for staying here."
Inu Yasha scowled at the softer tone Kagome's voice had taken. "She doesn't want to go with you! She chooses to stay here! You got that, Wimpy Wolf?!"
"At least until my contact is up...." Kagome muttered quietly.
Kouga seemed not to hear her, "Kagome, is what he says true?"
Kagome blushed and wrung her hands together, "In a way...."
Kouga glared darkly, "Fine... I hear and respect your wishes, Kagome." He turned his attention to Shippo for the first time, "As for you, fox, do not think I am finished with you just yet. I will find out what you were doing in my den."
Inu Yasha glanced angrily at Shippo, before turning his attention back to Kouga, "I swear to you, wolf, if you ever touch Kagome or Shippo I'll make sure you live to regret it."
Kouga smiled, "In your own words, 'feh'."
He left the three in the kitchen, speechless.
Inu Yasha was the first to recover. "Shippo, to what was Kouga referring when he mentioned that you were in his den?" he was regarding the younger demon with unwavering calm.
"Uh- I was just- um," Shippo was nearly shaking.
"Why does it matter what he was doing there, Inu Yasha? Shippo's a grown demon, and we have to support him through whatever it is that's bothering him," Kagome jumped in, "Even if he chooses not to tell us right now..."
"You know!" Inu Yasha accused.
"No, but I trust Shippo!"
Inu Yasha ground his teeth together. ".... Fine! But if Wolf Boy is gonna try to kill him over whatever it is, I wanna be told the specifics," he glared at Shippo, "and soon."
He turned on his heel and walked out, leaving Kagome feeling slightly guilty.
"Gee, Kagome," she looked up into Shippo's eyes, which were beaming with gratitude, "You said I could trust you, and I knew I could, but... really, thank you."
Kagome nodded slowly, "Of course, Shippo. Now I think I need to have a little talk with Inu Yasha..."
*****
Running always helped to clear Kouga's mind. Dodging through trees and vaulting over bushes afforded him a serenity which he needed desperately right now. All too soon, though, his run was over, and he could see the rest of his pack lazing quietly at the mouth of their cave.
Unlike some other demons in the past few centuries, Kouga preferred to stick with his most primal instincts, and so he now had his pack living in a rather rugged setting. The only problem was that as a result of the open terrain and the fact that the pack moved so often that it was hard to establish a solid defense system. Kouga stopped to address one of the sentries.
"Are you on duty all night, Hakua?"
The wolf demon nodded curtly, "Yes, my lord, along with Senkai and Kanta."
Kouga nodded slowly, "I fear that the fox demon may try to infiltrate us again, and I want you to see that he does not."
Hakua nodded, "Of course, my lord!"
Kouga was already walking into the cave. In the darkness, completely black but for a small fire Kouga thought. He hadn't moved from his position fifteen minutes later, when he heard the other youkai enter.
"My lord Kouga," he began apprehensively, "I do not mean to intrude, but I thought you were bringing a human mate back with you..."
Kouga looked to Hamari, his most trusted advisor and second in command in the wolf pack, "She's been brainwashed, Hamari. Now, we must plan her rescue from the clutches of that vile hanyou."
*****
Kagome found the Inu Yasha in the living room, reading with his feet up on the table in front of him. "Inu Yasha, may I speak with you for a minute?"
The hanyou looked up from the Tokyo Times, "Feh," he shrugged.
Kagome took that as a yes. "I know that you're angry with Shippo," there was no response so she continued, "and I think that you're angry with me, as well."
Inu Yasha didn't answer, he just continued to stare at her.
"It's all right if you don't want to talk about it, I mean, we can wait until later, if you'd like."
Inu Yasha folded the paper and laid it gently on the coffee table in front of him. "Kagome, do you feel that I've trapped you here?"
The question was sudden, and Kagome wasn't prepared for it, "Huh?"
"You heard me, do you feel that I tricked you into staying unfairly?"
Kagome studied his face. It was thinner than it had been in Feudal Japan, and his nose was longer. He had begun to look a bit like Sessho Maru, she reflected, while still remaining distinctly himself. Not that she had noticed or anything, his smoldering gaze had just distracted her for a moment. She looked down at her hands instead, "Maybe I did at first, a little," she admitted, "but I could always have backed out of the contract, only I didn't want to. I wanted to be around you again, Inu Yasha, I missed you."
Inu Yasha cleared his throat. "Would you like to sit down?" he scooted over on the couch, making room for her. Kagome accepted gratefully and they both sat, not moving, for several moments. "So," Inu Yasha tried, "Um, what do you think of this house, really?"
Kagome shrugged nonchalantly, "It's probably the most beautiful house I've ever seen, much less lived in, and the decorator has excellent taste," Inu Yasha smiled, "Still, I think I'd like it better if it weren't in the middle of a busy city...."
"But your school is here," Inu Yasha reminded her.
"Yeah, so this house works out perfectly for now. I just meant that the house I'd like to be in forever would have to be someplace quieter, more natural."
"I agree, but I guess this is just the place we have to be in right now," Inu Yasha looked into her eyes from under his heavy bangs.
Kagome nodded, "Even though it's not ideal, it's what we have to do before we can get to where we really want to be," she was acutely aware that neither of them were talking about the house any more.
Inu Yasha licked his lips, "Do you really think that there would be any harm in hurrying things along."
Kagome didn't think she could look away from his eyes if she tried, "I guess not, after all it might be just what the situation needs..." Blushing, she reached out to take his hand gently.
Inu Yasha looked down at her hand in his larger one. He reached over with his other hand to pull her closer. "Kagome," he breathed in her scent, "You have no idea how much I've missed you all these years."
Kagome rested her head on his shoulder, "Inu Yasha, there's something I've been meaning to say to you for months...."
"I'm listening."
Instead of saying anything, Kagome looked up into the hanyou's eyes and interlaced her fingers behind his neck. He in turn moved his hands, one to the small of her back, and one to her upper back, pressing her closer. Kagome closed her eyes and let her lips part slightly.
"Inu Yasha..." their lips were going to meet...
"Hey, Inu Yasha!- Hoo boy...." Shippo trailed off at the sight of his two best friends locked in an almost passionate embrace. Their lips were still inches apart.
"Get the hell out of here, brat!" Inu Yasha yelled.
"It isn't Shippo's fault," Kagome protested pushing away from him, "How was he supposed to know?"
"Oh fine, take his side again!"
Kagome stood up, "What do you mean 'again'?!"
Inu Yasha was on his feet now as well, the mood of before dead and gone, "You know exactly what I mean, you always side against me..."
The battle raged on as Shippo stared, not sure what had happened. "Uh, why don't I just leave you two alone," he told the combatants, but doubted they heard him over their own fighting.
*****
Later that night, Kagome was alone in her room. *I was so close today,* she thought as she slid into her nightgown. *I think that if we hadn't been interrupted I would have given him the last shard of the shikon jewel, and I'm still not entirely convinced that his intentions are pure.* Kagome pulled the soapstone box out from under her pillow, and hesitated only a moment before putting it into her yellow school bag. *I can't trust myself with it, first thing tomorrow I'm taking it to the shrine.*
Nodding once in satisfaction, Kagome turned off the light and snuggled down into the covers.
*****
"Then it is decided," Kouga summed up to his assembled pack, "Starting tomorrow, I will keep an eye on Inu Yasha's house. The first time Kagome comes out, I will tail her until I can safely bring her back here for de programming." The assembly nodded or otherwise expressed their assent, "Very good. Dismissed."
**********
TBC when I B TCB, Baby.
...
Please, just ignore me....
Sorry if Kouga is a bit OOC. Just pretend that he got a bit more verbose over the last 500 years. Anyway this chapter is pretty much to set up stuff for the next one. Thanks for reading!