Chapter 18

Yawning, InuYasha took a deep breath of Kagome's scent, causing him to blink awake, it was still slightly early, and the whole family(s) was still sleeping. The hanyou was about to relax and go back to sleep comfortably next to Kagome, but something caught his attention, he didn't see it, of smell it, of hear it…he just knew it was there, and it did not bode well with him.

Slipping gently away form Kagome, the hanyou got up and explored the house looking for anything suspicious…but found nothing, and that almost bothered him more. He sat down on one of the kitchen chairs, thinking about the previous night.

This was one of the only places that accepted him, Kagome, he got to know others and get close to people, make friends, become part of a family…it was because of her…because she gave him a chance, because she cared, because she didn't let him run away…in the end she had save him…from his worst enemy…himself.

"Hey InuYasha," a voice cut like a knife though his thoughts

The hanyou fell of the chair he was sitting in and landed in a disheveled heap on the floor.

"Ah, you ok?" Robert asked as he knelt down to help the teen.

Scowling, InuYasha almost batted his hand away, but stopped, "I'm fine," he muttered but took Roberts hand, suddenly remembering to bury his ears into his hair. The hanyou froze as the human strolled over to the kitchen sink, 'he didn't see me, at least I don't think he did…Kagome is going to kill me…'

"Hey Yasha"

The hanyou's attention moved to Kagome's uncle at the use of his nickname, "huh?"

"Oh, is that ok? Can I call you that? InuYasha is kinda long and Americans like things short…so can I call you that?"

"Oh…yea sure, I don't really care what you call me…"

"Thanks, I was gonna make breakfast do you want some?"

At that moment, something caught his attention, the same thing that woke him up, that foreboding presence that worried him earlier.

Seeing the silver haired boy go ridged, Robert became concerned…and curious. "Hey, Yasha? Yasha?"

His eyes widening he was brought back to reality, "huh? Oh yea, sure…and could you make some for Kagome too, I'm gonna go wake her up."

"Oh you don't have to do that, we were all going to sleep in today"

"I have to ask her something,"

"It can wait a few hours cant it?"

"I hope it can, but I can't take that chance."

The look on Yasha's face startled Robert, he was serious, this was important, his eyes held wisdom though painful experience and his expression was etched with concern.

Curiosity drove him and Robert crept around the corner to watch the pair of teens.

InuYasha softly padded over to Kagome and gently placed his hand on her shoulder, his eyes worried, his voice apologetic, "Kagome, Kagome, Wake up…"

She groaned softly and her eyes opened reluctantly, as if her eyelids themselves didn't want to move. After attempting to open her eyes a few times she gave up, "mhmmmm what?" she mumbled still tired

"Something is up…I need you to see if you can sense the Shikon jewel around here…" he whispered worriedly.

Suddenly Kagome was really awake, "What? What happened? Is everyone OK? Is-"

InuYasha cut her off, "calm down, everyone is ok…its just…I've been sensing something…and this morning I thought I caught a scent…"

"A-alright.." she closed her eyes and tried to block out all the disturbances around her trying to catch a trace of something…anything…something in his voice made her worry.

An apologetic look occupied her face as she looked back up at him, "no…I couldn't sense anything…"

Letting out an aggravated sigh, InuYasha looked back up to her, "sorry for getting you up…maybe I'm just paranoid…"

"No, no… its fine…I was getting up anyway!" she smiled and tried to reassure him

"Liar…you didn't want to move until I mentioned the jewel…" he shot back flatly.

Sweatdroping she smiled at him…"ok, fine but I'm up now so I might as well get moving…"

"Fine…"

Grabbing some clothes out of her bag she began to walk towards the bathroom to change, "Kagome…" she looked back at him "don't let your guard down…I still think that something is up.." her warned her before turning away and returning to the kitchen leaving Kagome standing in surprise..

'Is he really that worried? What is going on? Why is he telling me to watch out? He is usually so cocky and says he'll handle it…' for a few moments she just stands there contemplating what he just said, before going and getting dressed

InuYasha walked into the kitchen to find Robert pulling some hash browns out of the oven, he had walked back into the room after Kagome had gotten up to get dressed…and although he could not heard all of what they were saying he did catch some of it…"Shikon Jewel, anything happen, sensing, scent, no, sorry, Paranoid….that was about all he got and it confused him, 'what is a Shikon Jewel? Sense? Paranoid? About what?' but the few words he caught were not what made him so curious…it was the look on their faces…they were both so intense, first InuYasha's was more than just concerned…something else was there…Kagome looked surprised if not suddenly very protective…but as they talked there expressions softened…but there was still a very obvious look in both there eyes…and ask InuYasha walked into the room he tried to mask it but it was still there…

"Hey, Robert, when do you think that everyone else will be up?" he asked as Robert as placed another egg onto the frying pan.

"Depends…"

"Ok…so we don't have plans for today?"

"Not really but we can just go out today…that wouldn't hurt…besides I think that Kagome's mom and my wife would like to go shopping…"

"Ok…" he said then looked down…

"What is the matter?" Rob asked the teen

Surprised InuYasha looked back up, his mask was back up…he didn't even think about it…he had had to protect himself for too long…and they were still strangers…he even did it to Mrs. Higurashi sometimes, the only one he didn't do it to without thinking was Kagome…mind you he still did it to her...but she always seemed to see thought it if she wanted to…so there was little point with her… "No-nothing…I'm fine…" she became quiet again.

"Are you sure? Why did you get Kagome up? You looked worried about something…"

"I did?" he pretended to be surprised, "no, I'm fine, I just had to ask her were she put something…"

Robert knew he was lying but he had a feeling that this was not some thing to pry into without being ready to take the consequences of the outcome.

Kagome walked in a little bit later a smile on her face and but it lovered as she watched the 2 males that were in the kitchen, her uncle looked like guilty…like he had done something wrong and her best friend had a mask on his face…she frowned 'when is he going to learn to trust people? We all don't want to hurt him…'

InuYasha looked up at Kagome his face relaxing and a natural expression taking over. "Hey, so far we aren't doing anything but you uncle says that your mom and you aunt want to go shopping…"

She smiled, he had relaxed…"Alright…but I don't think they will be up for awhile…they were up late joking around last night" she mentioned with a giggle and sat down next to the hanyou and taking an egg and hash brown on her plate.

After some small talk, just about everyone was up…a short while later Steven and Souta had gotten up and not very many people can sleep though that…
It was lunch and everyone was at the table eating sandwiches and joking about yesterday when they were playing in the lake. Even InuYasha was enjoying himself…that is until he sensed the demon again, he went stiff and zoned everything else out but his sense of smell and sight…

Kagome noticed this and watched him, realizing he had felt something she did the same and was awarded with a chill running down her spine…something was here

First he smelled it…it was like nothing he had smelled before…but then he saw it…at least part of it…it was fast. He stood up suddenly, his eyes scanning the room, everyone had gotten silent and were watching him, "Inu-" Kai asked, knowing something was wrong. But she stoped as he hurried out of the room with almost a fritened look in his eyes…but it wasn't fear for ones self, it was fear for others. And sputting aside her worry, Kai smiled.

Kagome seeing him stand suddenly became worried, as he began to walk away she quickly bowed to her mother looking her in the eyes asked to be excused, her mother gave a slight movement and Kagome followed on InuYasha's heels.

Once the two left everyone looked around, "did we say something?" Jenny asked concerned

"No" Kai said as she took another bite of her sandwich.

"Huh?" everyone said in unison "what do you mean? What was it?"

"InuYasha was worried…that is all, and Kagome is as well…" her eyes suddenly became ridged and serious, "I just hope they are careful-"

"You don't mean!" Kar asked "no! You can't let them-"

This time it was Kar's turn to get cut off, "but I am…I trust both of them…and so should you…how long have they been doing this?"

Looking down Kar mumbled an incoherent response

"See-"

"I still don't want my granddaughter parading around with that-"

"Kar!" Kai yelled angrily "Kagome trusts InuYasha with her life…and for good reason do not even bring that up you have no right!"

"Yea," Souta helped, "InuYasha is awesome…and he has saved both Kagome and my life…if it wasn't for him we-"

'That's it!" Robert thought, 'that is why they are so close…that is why they relax so much around each other…'

"If it weren't for him you wouldn't have even in that situation!" Kar responded

"No! If it wasn't for him you would be dead too…"

"That is enough…regardless of what you think it is my decision on what I allow and don't allow my daughter to do…this discussion is closed, understand." Kai noticed how close they had come to saying to much for the last time…and she did not like them arguing over whether or not she allowed the pair to do what they would do anyway…

"bu-" Kar started but was stopped by the icy look shot to him by his daughter

The whole family was staring at them, and just then Kagome and InuYasha walked in, both looking curiously at everyone.

"InuYasha!" Kagome whispered fiercely "what is it? I don't sense the jewel, but I did sense something…"

"A demon," he said bluntly

She stopped, "Really? Here?"

"Yea…that is why I'm going to get Tetsuiga, I don't know how strong it is…probably wont be but if there is one…then there is a pretty good chance there are others…"

"Ok…do you think they are after the jewel?" she asked as they walked into the room her mothers things were in and pulled out the sword.

"I hope not…but demons are instinctually drawn to it so it would be safe to assume so…even if they don't know of its existence, they can still sense power…"

"Right, how are you going to carry that around? You can't carry it in plain sight…"

"Then what do we do?

"Here…those pants are big enough you can wear it on the inside of them…"

"What?"

Kagome laughed…"you don't want to leave it right?"

"No" he grumbled and then adjusted it against his leg with some help from Kagome, they ended up tying the bottom of the sheath to his leg as well as the top to get it to stay.

Laughing they finally got it so that it wasn't visible, but then Kagome asked, "is there a way for me to carry my bow?

"Huh?"

"My bow? Is there a way to bring it?"

InuYasha stared off into space trying to think of a way to transport the oversized weapon.

After a few moments, Kagome spoke up, "well I can carry my bow around and say I bought while shopping…or I had to get it restrung or something but we can hid my arrows in my backpack…"

"Will that work?"

"We'll only know if we try"

"Ok…" InuYasha finished and they packed her bag so her arrows were accessible and hidden.

"Well, now that that is done, why done we go see what they are doing downstairs," Kagome suggested, neither of them aware of the argument that had taken place, being so concentrated on the problem at hand.

The two content teens walked into the room blissfully ignorant and stared inquisitively at them, the looks on their faces were confusing to them.

"Ahhh, guys? Are you ok?" Kagome asked

"Huh?" Kar asked and then turned around, Kagome was standing there, Bow over her shoulder and backpack on, and InuYasha standing next to her, patting his leg a few times so that he and Kai got the idea, Kai nodded and smiled while Kar grew aggravated again,

"Young lady…I forbid you to carry that around with you!" he fumed

"Kar" Kai scolded

"Don't worry grandpa, I saw a sports store down in the shopping area and figured I could get it restrung…"

Robert and jenny were both completely lost and looked at them curiously, "Kagome is in the archery club at school and she figured she could get some practice in while she was here" hearing this Robert didn't know what to think…there was something more…but why did it seem so complicated with those two…

"So, is everyone ready to go?" Kagome asked

"Yup" Jenny answered contently, "Why don't we all go shopping, you can all go get souvenirs…"

"Yea!" yelled Souta

With that, they all ran outside while jenny cleaned up the remainders of dinner, all in different moods, Kar was annoyed, Kai content, Souta excited and hoping to get to see his sister shoot, Steven completely lost but in a good mood regardless of all the fighting, Robert suspicious, Jenny curious, Kagome worried, ready, and InuYasha was worried and very protective of his company at the moment, hoping beyond hope he was wrong.

The day had gone rather smoothly, and the argument from earlier was forgotten (by all but Kar) even the paranoid hanyou had relaxed, assuming he was imagined it, they were on their was to eat when they were passing a construction area, "what are they doing here?" Kai asked

"Oh, they are widening the street, and because some buildings were close to the road they are being torn down…do you know…" Jenny commented her voice fading for InuYasha's mind as he suddenly was able to sense the demon again.

He froze, his ears straining, his molten eyes swiftly looking back and forth, scanning the area. Kagome noticed and tried to locate it as well, only to be awarded with a chill down her spine again.

It took the rest of the family, who was deep in conversation, a few more steps to notice the two older children had stopped and gone deadly ridged. Kai saw her daughter and who she thought of as a son, standing there, both pairs of eyes dancing from the streetlights and full of powerful emotions, they seemed to be in perfect sync, as if there were one, and what happened in the next few seconds seemed to be in slow motion as both the teenagers moved at the same exact second.

InuYasha saw the damn thing before he smelled it, it was right behind Kagome's family…looking like they looked as tasty as a turkey on thanksgiving night. Both he and Kagome saw it, at the exact same second, both leaping forward at the same time, Kagome leaping at her family to get them out of the way, while InuYasha leapt at the demon, stopping it from harming the family.

"Move!" Kagome yelled as she jumped upon her brother and mother, pushing them both out of the way and roughly onto the ground.

InuYasha locked claws with the demon, surprising him and knocking him into the construction area, (which is conveniently located right there…) leaping after it, with Kagome close behind him.

The six of them sat dumbly on the sidewalk, not having any idea what had happened, and the street traffic seemed to go on, taking no notice to the event. "w-wh-what was that?" Robert spluttered out.

Kai was still on the ground, breathing shallowly, "Kagome, be carful, don't let InuYasha get into trouble…." She whispered.

"InuYasha!" Souta yelled and squeezed between the fence following his sister and hero.

"Souta!" Steven cried and followed him and the parents followed the kids

Swiping at the demon InuYasha cursed, he was just to fast…there was no way to hit him like this…he began to pull out his sword but a familiar cry stopped him, "you cant use Tetsuiga, InuYasha…it's too dangerous!"

"What!"

"You would hurt too many people!"

"Damnit!" he cursed as the reptilian creature clawed his arm, drawing blood that dripped steadily down his arm, and falling into a pool next to his feet.

The demon chuckled, "I can smell it in you, your dirty blood…we just cant seem to get rid of you…I take it you're not from around here…"

"Huh?" both Kagome and InuYasha asked.

"I would know you if you were…or should I say I would've…half breeds don't last long in this part of town…" the demon chuckled

The hanyou growled, "bastard…"

"Personally, I don't see why demon have anything to do with humans…filthy, stupid creatures…but I guess dirty blood is drawn to dirty blood…"

This just absolutely pissed InuYasha off…" don you EVER say anything like that to Kagome again…you won't live to regret it…"

"Is that so half-breed?"

InuYasha just stared intently into his eyes, "fine then…show me-"

The demon then lunged at InuYasha and he threw his sword up in front of him defending himself and knocking the demon away.

Landing gracefully and standing up the demon continued to talk, "I don't know what it is you have that entices me so but something has drawn me to you…what do you posses that attracted my attention…"

"None of your business!" InuYasha snapped back

"Have it your way…I'll find out in the end anyway…"

"What is going on?"

"How did he jump that high?"

"Where did InuYasha get that sword from?"

"Why is Kagome pointing an arrow at them?"

"What are they saying?" everyone asked at once, so noe of the questions were coherent...and even if they were Kai was not paying attention to her family but to her daughter and InuYasha.

"Shhhh, I can't hear with you talking…"

"He brought Tetsuiga? Awesome!"

"Kagome, InuYasha, you two better be careful…"

"Kai! What is going on!"

"Shhhh, I'll tell you later!"

"Kai!"

"Just watch them…" she wispered more harshly than intended

Blood flew from both opponents, as they two fought, and as they continued to fight the demon hadn't realized Kagome had an arrow pointed at it's head yet…he barely realized she was there…the demon came in again and she released, the arrow glowed and flew gracefully towards it's mark…but a glowing arrow does attract some attention and upon seeing it the demon changed his position as fast as he could, making the hit non-fatal.

"Shit! What the hell was that!" cried the wounded demon surprised

"That…was Kagome" InuYasha smirked, sidestepping to reveal Kagome back into position to shoot another arrow, her face straight, her eyes deadly serious.

"Wha-what! But she's only human! How can she!"

"She's not just any human…she's a Miko…"

The demons eyes widened, "bu-but they all died out hundreds of years ago! Ho-how!"

"You said yourself we aren't from around here…" with that the hanyou jumped up swinging Tetsuiga down on the demon, who quickly dodged it and sped towards Kagome.

"Kagome!" InuYasha yelled and leapt at the demon again knocking him off course, but then he saw the rest of the family and with a sickening smile he changed direction and speed off to attack everyone

"I don't think so!" the hanyou yelled defiantly as he was suddenly in front of the demon protecting Kagome's family, his eyes cold and angry. Then he smirked, and as Kar saw his face a chill went down his spine. The look on his face was not something he wore often and it was strange to see it sitting on his face, but then again Kar had never seen InuYasha fight protectively before.

"Kagome! NOW!" he called and a sacred arrow shot from her bow and struck the demon in the arm fully disintegrating it.

Whirling around enraged, the demon attacked Kagome "Who are you! And what do you posses that gives you such power!" he yelled angrily

"Kagome Higurashi, guardian of the Shikon no Tama" she responded before releasing another arrow

Right before the demon was destroyed with the arrow his eyes widened in shock

Kagome let out a sigh as she lowered her bow, and InuYasha smiled at her as he sheathed his sword and walked over to her. "Nice job…just watch out" inuyasha instructed her in a softer tone "…since we now know they can sense it for sure, we have to be on guard…"

Kagome nodded "alright…here let me fix you up…you took a bit of a beating out there…"

"I'll be fine…"

"I don't care…" she reputed becoming just as stubborn as he

The family stood dumfounded at the fence, not one of them knew what to think…fist they see the two teens with superhuman powers and now they were just attacked...then could have been killed adn then saves by the teens...somthing definatly up and they wanted to know...

"Kai…" jenny threatened, "What aren't you telling us?"

"Well…you see…about that…" Kai sweatdropped "it's kinda a long story…"

Sorry it took so long….grrrrr I cant believe that took so long…between getting sick, confirmations and first holy communions and statewide testing I have had no time to get on the computer let alone type this up…although I knew what I wanted to type I just didn't have the time (and the fact that it is a bit long (12 pages)didn't help…I actually was gonna go longer but I cut a bunch out… ') any thanks guys for reviewing I REALLY appreciate it! and I REALLY, REALLY need review for my sad little once-shot…please review that! Thanks a lot guys!

Lunar kun :)