Well, seeing how it is close to the holidays I wanted to wish everyone a merry Christmas and a happy new year. Consider this an early present. LOL!

Disclaimer: Located at chapter one.

CHAPTER 5: GIVING CHASE

She heard her name being roared across the distance as Kagome made her escape out of the hospital. That made her stomach drop, frightened Kagome took off. Kagome didn't even want to look behind her. She feared that if she looked back he would be even closer than Kagome wished him to be. In front of her, the parking lot was coming to an end, only to reveal a lot of land covered in an orchard of persimmon trees. Gone was the cold cement beneath her feet, only to be replaced with the soft crunch of crisp fall leave. With each step of her flight, Kagome inhale the earth tangy of damp dirt. Kagome pushed her legs to run as fast as she could. All the while ducking and weaving to avoid low hanging branches while she ran.

"STOP!"

Kagome heard to voice again. 'Odd?' she thought. 'That voice sounds like Inuyasha… No. It can't!' Kagome told herself. Then it happened again.

"KAGOME, STOP DAMNIT!"

Kagome then made her mistake, she looked behind her. Her skin tingled as Kagome felt hot breath rolled out in waves that danced across the back of her neck. Then her blue-gray eyes caught a glimmer of silver stands floating near her face. 'No!' she deny vehemently 'It can't be.' That sight stunned Kagome for the slightest moment before strong hands gripped onto her waist like a vice. The air was knocked out of her lungs when her body was propelled forward by her momentum, however; the iron grip of clawed hand held her immobile. Kagome opened her mouth as air rushed past her lips in a stifled yelp, but she could only pray it was loud enough to draw attention.

Inuyasha grabbed hold around her waist and held on to Kagome as if his life depended on it. He didn't want her to get away again. The pain of not knowing, and the thought of another ten years without her, of being apart of her life might break him. "Kagome? Kagome!?" Inuyasha hauled Kagome back against his chest when he felt her fight. He was acutely aware that he felt her heart pounding within her rib cage.

Kagome struggled for what seemed to be and eternity to break free and run, but could not find the strength to do so. What she heard next made her freeze. It was name she painfully longed to hear utter for so long.

"Kagome it's me, Inuyasha." He said softly in her ear.

Kagome craned her head around to look at the face that has haunted her over ten years.
"Inu- yasha?" his name rolled off her lips in a breathy whisper. She turned around to face him.

In the distance, Inuyasha could hear both Miroku and Sango racing toward them at a fast rate, but a feather light touch one his face drew is attention back to the raven hair beauty. Kagome was cupping his cheek tender, but the lock in her tired, frightened eyes mirrored her disbelief. Inuyasha could feel Kagome's body slacking against his, and her hand drop away from his face. Her next words came out in a soft whisp that he barely heard her.

"Am I dreaming? For if I am, I've been waiting ten years to see you again, I don't want to wake up."

After that statement Kagome collapsed against Inuyasha in a dead exhaust. Inuyasha gathered her into his arms and held Kagome tight to his chest.

Romeo laughed silently in the background as he watched the dispute between the two partners. 'Mindless incompetent youkai! You will never know how close I can get to Kagome, and this was only a warning of what I can do.' Deep within him, Romeo could feel the rise of the beast surging within him again. It was become painfully crippling for him, but it only made Romeo smile sadistically from the shadow of the hospital. 'Ah, the beast needs feeding again. Can you hear it Detective Tsuwamono? It's calling. The question is can you stop it before it consumes the one it truly wants?'

And like before, Romeo walked off into the darkness. 'A hunting we will go. A hunting we will go… Oh, hoe! Oh, no. Another one will go.' He sang softly.

The smell of sex on his partner made Inuyasha want to castrate him right then and there. 'That fuckin' dick wad of a wolf was screwing some red headed nurse while that psychotic bastard snuck into Kagome's room!' Inuyasha was seeing red by the time his partner had stepped out of the janitor's closet. And, if it wasn't for Miroku, Kouga would have never been able to reproduce.

Kouga felt himself being thrown painfully into the wall that his bones threatened to break from the impact. It was so hard that it left an indentation in the wall. Then when Kouga tried to take a breathe his airway was painfully constricted by sharp piercing claws around his neck.

Miroku all but put the hanyou in the strongest half nelson he possibly could to prevent his friend from murdering his partner. "Inuyasha, stop! Your actions will prove quite hazardous for him, and think out it. You will loose a partner."

Kouga started coughing violent as he slumped down to the ground, but he was able to wheeze out a foul expletive.

Inuyasha was violently trying to buck Miroku off him all the while growling murderously in his chest. "I never wanted a partner anyway."

"Then think about Kagome. Do something brash and you might jeopardize ever seeing her again." Miroku jerked Inuyasha back from Kouga and shoved him down the hall trying to separate the two.

"What the fucking hell was that all about ass-hole?" Kouga gritted out while he staggered to his feet.

Inuyasha turned back around and charged at Kouga again. But, once again, Miroku stepped in. "You moron! Kouga, for once think with your head instead of your dick." Miroku paused to contain a very agitated Inuyoukai, but was struggling to do so.

"You put Kagome's life in danger, wolf crap!" Inuyasha snarled baring his fangs.

Kouga, then gained an awe struck look on his face as realization sparked within his mind. 'Oh, shit.'

Inuyasha was trying to reign in any remaining self control he had before committed a massacre of the worst sort. His eyes flashed red as he struggled to walk away, Inuyasha's muscles taunt with tension. Right now he had more important thing to focus on. 'Kagome,' Inuyasha's mind spoke longingly. He now had the elusive female in his car, unconscious, with Sango looking over her. Inuyasha needed to think, he needed to get Kagome…

"Detective Tsuwamono." A friendly voiced called out.

Inuyasha stopped walking down the sterile hospital at the voice calling out to him. He turned to the voice and saw Hojo O'ching leaning against a door frame. O'ching worked for the Coroner's division of Tokyo's Police Department.

Mentally Inuyasha groaned. 'Damnit.' With a curt nod of the head Inuyasha continued walking down the wing. He and Hobo, as Inuyasha liked to call him, went to High School together, but that was all Inuyasha would ever admit to or acknowledge about him. Hobo was in a class of his own, a total odd ball, if you will. Inuyasha remembered Hobo to be a strange clingy male, with a tendency to be overtly emotional with people. But, the main thing that Inuyasha thought bizarre with O'ching was that he didn't play sports in high school. Reason being was, because Hobo felt that any competition between people was unhealthy and demoralizing to an individual's sense of self. This only confirmed that they were worlds apart.

Rumor had spread one year that Hobo was queer, a vicious nasty lie that Kikyou had started for fun. But, the truth was that he was obsessed with some chick that was oblivious towards his advances. 'Oblivious or just in no way in hell going for it …Lucky of her,' Inuyasha thought dryly. So, being the very hopeful optimist Hojo was, held sted fast for the girl over the years, but never received any reciprocated feelings. 'Who the hell was the girl anyway?'

Hojo O'ching watched Inuyasha walk away when he realized that was all the acknowledgement he was going to get out of the Detective.

To Inuyasha's disappointment he noticed O'ching was jogging up to catch him.

"Hey, the body we carted off from the University was I.D. Name was Yuri Tuso. Twenty- four years of age…."

Inuyasha interrupted Hobo. "Just deliver the report to my desk later."

Hojo was getting slightly annoyed with the lack of response from Inuyasha. He seemed to be preoccupied with something else. Hojo just nodded in response before continuing in his conversation. "I heard Kagome's in the hospital. I came to see her."

That statement worked. Inuyasha suddenly stopped his hurried pace out of the hospital. He turned to look directly at O'ching giving him a hard glare that could have chilled blood. Inuyasha muttered something inaudible to the annoying man, but after a while he realized what Hobo said struck a nerve. It made Inuyasha wonder, 'How the hell did he find out?! No one was supposed to know the location of Kagome's where abouts!' Inuyasha unconsciously began cracking his knuckles which gave off a sickening sound as it echoed off the walls. "Tell me O'ching how did you know she was here? No one was supposed to know…"

Hojo paled a few shades to almost a milk white for milliseconds, before the color returned. "Ah, well… you see my father is the Chief Surgeon here. He called me with the distressing news."

Inuyasha wasn't totally buying his story that his father would call him to let him know about Kagome. 'Feh, it's more like love and peace boy got down wind that Kagome was involved in this morning homicide, and called daddy dearest.' For if Hobo's father did call him and tell him that Kagome was in the hospital the Chief Surgeon of Tokyo Memorial would be in violation of patient's rights law, a punishable offense. Inuyasha smirked at this last thought before speaking to Hobo. "Well, then, if that is the case I'll have to talk to the board of directors about your father's loose tongue."

That caused the normally calm, friendly Hojo to become flustered and very indigent. "Listen here Detective Tsuwamono! The Higurashis are good 'old' family friends, so..."

"Feh! You listen here O'ching, I don't have time for your mindless prattle. I have a job to do."

Sango sat in the passenger side seat of the Porsche giving fretful glances at her lifeless friend. In this state of unawareness Kagome looked peaceful, almost angelic like, as if nothing could mare such a pure thing.

A deep sigh escaped Sango's lips. The silence in the car was roaring loudly in her ears, and was threatening to wreck havoc on nerves. Just then Sango's cell phone went off, to the tune of I Wanna Be Bad. "Aiiiiiiii!" she screamed. Her hands went to the back pocket of her jeans in search for the cell phone very quickly.

"Hello?"

"Sango! Oh, kami! How is Kagome? Are you at the hospital? There are reporters swamping our dormitory. They haven't found you yet, have they? Sango…"

"Take a breath Rin." On the other side of the phone Sango could hear Rin pause to take a deep volumous breath only to continue speaking. "Oh, Sango, how could I almost forget?"

A sweet voice asked Sango, but really Rin has this habit of speaking her thoughts out loud.

"The President of Tokyo University came to our apartment." Rin said with calm, but on the inside she was beginning to feel her annoyance level rise at the mere mention of President Sesshoumaru Tsuwamono. 'That man is such a pompous, egotistical, arrogant asshole.'

Sango patiently waited for Rin to continue but for some reason the momentary lapse in time caused concern. For one reason or another she felt her heart drop at this news. "Yeah Rin, what did he say?" Sango urged.

Rin was clenching and unclenching her fist while she struggled to tell Sango the bad new. "The President informed me that we are to vacate our apartment by the end of the week."

"WhAt?!" Sango choked out in disbelief. "That's only two days!" Whatever she had been thinking is sure as heck wasn't it.

"Sango, listen to me, he came to our door, knocked once, then barged into our place! Then that mongrel of a dog face had the nerve to tell me that he does not allow hoodlums in his University, and I quote," Rin cleared her voice before she gave her impersonation of the President. "I can not allow ruffians, of this nature, to endanger the lives of others here on campus. Therefore, you are being evicted off the premises!" Rin laughed at the sheer idiocy of it all.

Sango lowered her head to the stirring wheel pressing her forehead down on the plastic wheel and groaned. 'This is so not good?' But, then Sango remembered that in their release for the apartment had a clause that required all evicted tenants to be given 30 days to leave, so how the hell did they get told two? 'Rin.' That was the only logical reason why. Sango gritted her teeth. "Rin? Is their something you're not telling me? Hmm?"

Rin scoffed a little before giving Sango what she had purposely left out. "Awe, Sango! He deserved it!"

"What did you do?"

"Nothing, but give that arrogant el Presidente of this University a piece of my mind!"

"R-IN!" Sango groaned. 'Why does she have to tell off the President of Tokyo University? Why?'

"The nerve of that man! Really Sango, I had not choice. He all but called us losers to my face. I couldn't help myself, and before President Tsuwamono left," Rin grated out. "He walked over to me and sniffed me! Can you believe it?! He sniffed me!"

"Rin what color were his eyes?"

"They were gold, why?" Rin cursed her quick response to that question, but what made her really upset was the way her heart pounded when she thought of Sesshoumaru Tsuwamono. Inuyasha walked out of the police station three hours later with nothing to gain except a pounding head ache. He and Kouga read over the brief from the homicide this morning. It was the same M.O. from all those years back. The autopsy reported that the body had been in rigamortous for twenty-fours, which means someone out there was terrified out of their mind for their daughter, sister, or wife. That was on thing about this job, it always had a painful reminder that no matter what species you were, crimes against humanity could mare the individual soul. That yet while living, death was the great equalizer for all.

There was no evidence giving any hope for a possible break in this case. This Romeo was good. No prints, no hair, no DNA, no warrant! But, there were nuances in this case that made Inuyasha wonder if it wasn't someone he knew, for it seemed that Romeo sure as hell knew him. But that was about to change.

The theme song Bad Boys finally grabbed Inuyasha's attention from his thoughts. He shoved is hand into his pant pocket and pulled out his cell phone. Inuyasha's golden eyes looked at the caller I.D. flashing upon the screen. "Yeah, Miroku."

Inuyasha held Miroku's hesitation. "What is it?"

"Inuyasha, Sango received a phone call from Rin, with the most distressing news." But, there was something about the intonation in Miroku's voice that didn't relay otherwise.

Inuyasha was trying to prepare himself for whatever this 'distressing news,' was that Miroku actually sounded thrilled about.

"Well, it seems that the girls were evicted from the University apartments, by courteous of your brother."

Inuyasha unlocked his Porsche. "You mean half-brother." He growled as he opened the door.

Miroku coughed slightly. "Ah yes, a slip of the tongue, my apology, but that's not what important right now. The girls have nowhere to go, however; I have thought of the perfect solution to this problem."

"What is it Perv?" He asked as he got in the car and started the engine.

"Inuyasha you wound me! What have I done to deserve that name?"

"Feh! What's your solution?"

"The girls should move in with us."

Inuyasha hit speed dial on his cell phone and listen impatiently as it dialed through. "Damnit Sesshoumaru pick up the fucking phone!" he grated out between clenched teeth. Inuyasha didn't have to long to wait before he heard that ever emotionally constipated cold voice answered.

"Hello little brother." Came the mocking voice.

Inuyasha hands clenched, gripping the stirring wheel tighter while trying not to tell the arrogant fluffy-sama off.

"It seems that you have yet to use that pea-on brain of your's Sesshoumaru!" Inuyasha stated in the most claim voice as possible. 'Well, so much for trying not telling him off.' Inuyasha could hear Sesshoumaru growling into the receiver. Inuyasha decided he better not press his luck with his brother right at the moment, for the sole reason he needed his assistance at the moment. "You do realize, don't you, that you just evicted a student that is in the witness protection. Along with her roommates!"

"When an individual's life style threatens the health and welfare of other students on campus it is my responsibility eliminate the hazard."

"You bastard! It's a life style she didn't fucking choose."

"Did you call just to spar with your melodrama words of supposed injustice? If so, I have better things to do with my time."

"Oh no, you don't! Kagome and Sango are out of the dorm and out of harms way, but Rin is still there…" Inuyasha went too continued but was stopped by the sound of Sesshoumaru snorting.

"That hellion!" Sesshoumaru hissed out.

This took Inuyasha off guard for a moment. "You know Rin?"

"If you're implying that I, Sesshoumaru, have had the greatest displeasure to meet such a shrew you're correct in your assumption." Sesshoumaru remembered the stunningly beautiful woman, how could he not? She had the first and only woman to have the nerve to tell him to shove his over bearing egotistical self up his ass. Kami, he couldn't stop thinking of her.

"Sesshoumaru, I need you to go detain her for me."

"No."

"Sesshoumaru, should I remind you that you have a serial murder running around your campus. Students lives are in danger, Rin's more so, because the psychotic bastard might go back to scope out the area for another victim. Plus, Rin's there, probably moving and packing their belongings without any protection.

Romeo watched the small petite girl with streaked shoulder length hair brown-black hair, walk back and forth from the dormitory to the outside porch with large boxes in tow. He could tell she was struggling to hold the boxes piled high, steady in her hold while walking. Romeo smiled as his earth brown eyes followed her every movement. He was so close to her he could smell her perfume, Angel. And yet, she still didn't notice him. Romeo chuckled at the way could hear her muttering dark curses under her breath about a certain youkai. She was Kagome's roommate. 'What is her name? Hmm…. Ah, yes. Rin. Yes, she will do just fine.' Romeo thought darkly as he stepped outside of the shadows and proceeded to walk up to her. Romeo cleared his throat.

Rin didn't hear anyone behind her until they gave an overtly loud cough trying to gain her attention. She whirled around and with a startled look on her young face. The boxes tumbled from her hands onto the ground. Rin took a few steps back while eyeing the somewhat handsome young man.

"You looked like you need some help moving those boxes." Romeo gave her a roguish smile while moving to pick up the fallen boxes.

His smile put Rin at easy while she mumbled a 'thank you,' to the young man who was now picking of the boxes.

"Where do you want these?"

"Outside on the porch with the rest of the boxes." Rin responded watching him settle the cargo on the ground gentle, and then come back. Rin offered her dainty hand out in a friendly gesture. "Hum, my name is Rin. Thanks again for helping me."

Romeo laughed victoriously inside while taking the beautiful looking woman's hand. He brought it up to his lips and brushed a gentle kiss on her knuckles. "I'm at your serve my lady." Romeo let go of Rin's hand before speaking again. "My name's Montague. Please, let me help you."

Rin's face gained a healthy blush to her cheeks. "Su-sure, I'd appreciate the help." She faltered with her world a little and turned around and led him back up stairs to the apartment. Rin didn't give a second thought to possible danger the man could pose to her. It was as if the past morning events were nothing but a bad forgotten dream, and dreams weren't real so they could pose not harm. Could they?

Up in the three bedroom apartment there were more boxes scattered around. It looked as though Rin was in a furious hurry to get out of there and leave. She glanced around the place that felt like home to her, but the chilling reality hit her hard. 'This isn't home any more.'

"So, where do we start?"

The voice snapped Rin out of her quandary. "I packed all my belongings, so that only leave my roommates things. I'll grab a few more remaining things of Sango's first, but if you want, you could start in Kagome's room."

Romeo gave a decepting smile, and nodded. 'Stupid girl.'

A special thank you goes out to Katherine-the-Terrible, Vampire-Elf, Silver Rain Drops, and Addanc-TSC for taking the time to review this humble story. My hat goes off to you, as does this chapter, for which is dedicated to you all.