Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Inuyasha is already owned.

The week past very slowly for everyone. Kagome was finally up and walking, sometimes in pain from where the wound had been. The wound had healed only leaving a bruise behind which will then disappear only leaving behind flawless skin, as if she had never been stabbed by her twin sister. Kagome discovered that her healing power kicked in finally.

School was boring as hell except when Naraku tried to re-match Kagome but even then it was boring for Kagome since her friends had stepped in front of her, protecting her from any more injuries that probably would have happened if they had fought. Every time Naraku tried to re-match Kagome, Kikyo was always there, by his side.

Naraku and Kikyo soon gave up by the end of the week…for now that is. Also during the week, Kagome found out that she now has her demon strength. Everyone all guessed it was because of how serious the wound was so in order for it to go away, her strength and healing had came to the surface.

It was funny how they figure out she finally had her strength. Kagome had just opened the door, pulling it off its hinges as she did. The door then had landed on her since Kagome was in shock which caused her body to weaken. Her friends didn't start laughing until Kagome was out from under the fallen door and uninjured.

Even after that incident many problems occurred which led to the conclusion that her strength has emerged. Inuyasha then promised Kagome that once she recovered and after their vacation, he would train her. Kagome had jumped up happily then wrapped her arms around his neck for a hug. When she realized she was hugging him, she released him, a bright blush on her cheeks.

Seeing how it is now the end of the week and time for their vacation, the gang are now loading the van, well the guys are, while Sango and Kagome watched as they giggled lightly at their attempt to load the car with all there belongings.

"Can you girls shut up and help us!" Inuyasha yelled with sweat rolling down his face not just from packing but also from how hot it was outside. It was about 98 degrees that day and was about to get even hotter.

Kagome stopped giggling with a sigh, rolling her eyes as she walked over to where the guys were trying to shove everything in. When she reached the now pissed off guys, she pushed them out of her way then gave a smirk towards Sango as she rubbed her hands together and shook her butt slightly causing her tail to also slightly sway from side to side. Once finishing with her little "dance", she began to rearrange everything so it could fit into the van Kagome had borrowed from her mother.

"There! Now we can go!" She announced closing the back door then went to the drivers' side. Inuyasha and Miroku gapped after her since it just took her a minute or two to fix what they had been trying to do all morning then glared at Sango when they heard her give a soft chuckle.

"Quit pouting and let's go." Sango said, giggling as she made her way to the van.

"Shot gun!" Miroku yelled as he raced to the passenger seat.

"Hell no!" Sango yelled, grabbing him at his collar then dragged him to the captain's seats of the van, leaving Inuyasha to sit in the passenger's seat.

"Ready to go guys?" Kagome asked as she started the car then began to pull out of the parking lot.

"We don't really have a choice if we are or not since we're already moving." Inuyasha grumbled, slouching in the seat besides Kagome.

"You're so smart Inu sweetie!" Kagome teased, looking around to make sure no one would jump in front of the moving van. Hey, it could happen.

"Stop it!" He growled, his eyes flashing red quickly.

"Aww! I think Inuyasha woke up on the wrong side of the bed." She said as if she was talking to a baby while she pulled onto the highway.

"Knock off wench!"

"All right all right! I'm done annoying you!" Kagome sighed heavily, paying close attention to the road and everything around her. Miroku and Sango soon fell asleep while Inuyasha helped Kagome with directions to the pier.

Every now and then as Kagome drove, she would catch Inuyasha staring at her with sorrow, want, and something she had no clue what emotion it was. Kagome felt guilty but knew she couldn't do anything since she was in love with someone else, a girl as a matter in fact.

Or maybe it's just a phase? Could that be it? Could she now live a normal life with a guy? Could she even love him? Is this what it feels like to fall in love with a guy? Could he love her back? Wait, didn't he already declare his love for her? The day she told him she was into girls...

Kagome sighed heavily, her eyes going to sadness. 'He could never love me even if he did declare his love for me. I'm a no good hanyou with a hard head who is clumsy and stupid. Wait…that made no sense. Grrr! Look at me! I'm having a fight inside my head! I must be really pathetic!

"You okay?" Inuyasha asked softly causing Kagome to jump up in surprise.

"Yeah, just thinking." She said, coming out of her shock.

"About?"

"Um...how we'll have so much fun on the cruise!" She lied in a cheerful voice.

"Liar..."

"So what if I lied? It's not like I need to tell you what I was really thinking about." Kagome snapped as she made a wide turn into the exit.

"It would probably help if you did so you're not killing yourself on the inside." Inuyasha said, moving a bit in his seat to get comfortable. Kagome sighed, gripping the steering wheel a bit harder than usual, causing it to bend slightly.

"Just confused...that's all."

"About?"

"I don't have to tell you."

"It would help, you know." Inuyasha said, his eyebrow raised and arms crossed over his chest.

"You're not going to leave me alone now are you?" Kagome groaned.

"Nope."

"Fine then. I was thinking about my relationship with K--" Kagome began to say but was interrupted by Inuyasha.

"How is that confusing?" Inuyasha asked, raising an eyebrow even more with his head tilted to the side.

"Because I'm thinking that maybe it's just a phase."

"What's a phase?"

"About me liking girls."

"Could be or maybe you're stressed out. Or from the trauma you had experienced as a child. Being raped as a child by a man no less could change your mind about guys so you moved onto girls. It's like a psychological thing."

"I suppose."

"While on the trip, you should think about it okay? Not the whole time of course but to help you get a good idea on which gender you like better."

"Yeah, okay."

They were silent for the rest of the ride to the pier. Inuyasha soon fell asleep leaving Kagome to try to find the place on her own. She got lost about three times causing them to arrive in three and a half hours later, all groggy and unfocused from their naps, well Kagome from driving that long.

"Kagome!" Someone shrieked happily causing everyone to turn and see a female with long red hair, a similar style to Kagome's but a bit longer. From far away you could tell that she was about Inuyasha's height, maybe even taller. She wore a tight black shirt with short black shorts. A skinny tail pooped out from her behind through her shorts and a pair of black fuzzy pink padded ears propped on her head.

Her eyes were a dull cheerful green, yet not cheerful in a way. As she turned to look at everyone else, a spark seemed to appear in an instant but disappear just as it had came only catching Inuyasha's eyes since he was already looking at them to catch anything to make him feel she was not good enough for Kagome.

"Karia!" Kagome shouted while she ran to the red haired demon and embraced her tightly. "I've missed you so much!"

"As did I!" The two nuzzled each others noses then turned to the rest of the group.
"Everyone, this is my girlfriend Karia. Karia, this is Sango, Miroku and Inuyasha." Kagome said, pointing to each person as she said their names.

"Oh my God! He is so cute!" Karia squealed then jumped at Inuyasha, her hands going right to his ears.

"Hey! I have ears like that also you know!" Kagome pouted like a child, her posture also similar to one.

"I know love, but I only get to touch those while we're having s--mph?" Karia looked at the hand that was covering her mouth to its owner who was now blushing a bright red.

"I don't think they would want to know that Karia..."

"Mphm?" Karia muffled, her head tilting to the side in confusion with her eyes innocent.

"What?"

"Maybe it help if you took your hand off her mouth, Kagome, you may be able to understand her." Miroku suggested, nodding towards Karia.

"Thank you um…Miroku right? Why not Kagome?" Karia asked once Kagome's hand was off.

"Because no one would like to know that kind of information."

"Okay. Well, get your luggage and bring it on board!" Karia said in excitement. The gang sighed as they began to bring their things on board. Since Karia's parents owned the ship, Karia was in a suit and since Kagome and her were going out, Kagome also had a suit and since Kagome's friends came along, they had suits too.

"Holy shit, this is huge!" Miroku nearly yelled as he entered his and Inuyasha's suite with the girls behind, their luggage already in their rooms.

"Why can't I stay with you?" Kagome whined. When they received their room numbers, the guys got one suit, Kagome and Sango got the one across from theirs, and Karia her own somewhere else on the cruise.

"Then Sango would be all alone." Karia told her.

"Couldn't three people share a room?"

"Kagome, love, please stop asking questions. It is what it is. Okay?"

" Fine..." Kagome sighed, slouching her shoulders and landing un-gracefully onto the couch. Karia growled and rolled her eyes.

"Well, I must get going. Need to help ma and pa!" She turned around cheerfully and skipped out of the room.

"I thought she going to spend time with me..." Kagome said softly, staring at the floor and acting like a little child.

"It's okay Kagome! You've got me and the guys!" Sango cheerfully said, pulling Kagome to her.

"I know. So, who's up for a swim?"

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"Ahhh, so nice." Kagome cooed, her head against the edge of the hot tub.

"You're telling me." Sango sighed, closing her eyes.

"May we join?" The girls looked up and saw two really hot guys. One had orange hair, a tiger demon and the other had raven hair, a wolf demon.

"It's a public hot tub so you may." Sango said with a smirk and light blush or was that from the heat of the hot tub?

"Aren't you and Miroku going out?" Kagome whispered into Sango's ear, watching the two guys enter the steaming hot water, grinning at them in a seductive kind of manor.

"Yeah, but I'm allowed to have some fun, right?"

"Sure why NOT…!" Kagome screamed when she felt foreign hands touch her behind. She jumped and turned sharply at the orange-haired guy next to her. "Don't touch me you pervert!"

"Who's touching you?" Kagome looked up and spotted Inuyasha and Miroku, who glared down at the two demons who were putting moves on their girlfriend or crush.

"No one." The two demon guys said together and then left quickly when they saw the angry flames surround the hanyou and the ningen(human).

"Stupid perverts." Muttered Kagome, sliding back down into the hot tub as the guys came in with Miroku on Sango's left and Inuyasha on Kagome's right. "So, how long have we been sailing?"

"We un-docked just fifteen minutes ago." Miroku answered, wrapping his arm around Sango's waist under the water.

"So, fifteen minutes and I'm already bored."

"You could always go to the pool and swim." Inuyasha suggested.

"I could, but to go to from the hot tub to the pool would be freezing."

"Hmm...then just relax for today and we'll do something else tomorrow."

"Okay."

Silence

Nodding

Humming

Fidgeting

Whistling

Ten minutes passing

"Hey Inuyasha?" Kagome asked turning to him.

"Hm?"

"Where's Miroku and Sango?"

"Maybe they left?"

"Probably."

"Hmm...maybe to have some fun."

"Eww!I didn't need to know that!" Kagome yelled, wrinkling her nose in disgust.

"That's not what I meant! And don't do that!" Inuyasha snapped.

"Oh, then what do you mean? Don't do what? I didn't do anything wrong."

"Have fun as in tennis or golf or something like that."

"Okay. Now what is it that you don't want me to do anymore?"

"Wrinkle your nose." Inuyasha muttered, turning away from Kagome as a blush began to appear on his cheeks.

"Why? Do I look ugly when I do that?" Kagome asked getting closer to him so she could see his face.

"No..." Inuyasha said slowly.

"Then what is it!" Kagome asked, as her patience began to run thin.

Inuyasha turned back to her, their faces now almost touching each other. If either one of them moved an inch closer, their lips would have touched. Once their position registered in Kagome's brain, she gasped and a red tint began to crawl up her cheeks. Her heart beat quickened causing Inuyasha's ears to twitch. Kagome looked into his eyes seeing an emotion she had only seen from her family. Love. This emotion caused Kagome to become more confused.

"Kagome..." Inuyasha whispered, his breath blowing against her lips lightly.

"Inuyasha." She asked with the same tone he had used.

"Eww! Gross! Are you two going to kiss?" A little boys' voice yelled, interrupting the moment. Inuyasha and Kagome jerked away from each other to look at the little boy who was making a strange face.

"Um, hello. May I ask who you are?" Kagome asked, blushing an un-healthy red.

"I'm Shippou! I'm a fox demon!" The oranged-haired kid yelled in a squeaky voice, as he made to sit on the edge of the hot tub, his feet barely touching the water when he sat down fully.

Kagome smiled, pointing to her then to Inuyasha. "I'm Kagome and this is Inuyasha."

"Are you two going out or something?" Shippo asked, moving his finger to Kagome then Inuyasha a couple times before he kept it pointed in the space between them.

"No, we're just friends." Inuyasha said with a shrug.

"Then why were you two going to kiss?" Shippou asked with his head tilted to the side with a grin.

"It was a misunderstanding kid. I'll see you later, Kagome." Inuyasha said monotonously then stood up, got out of the hot tub and walked away leaving a trail of tension around Kagome.

"What's up his ass?" Shippou muttered under his breath, crossing his arms over his chest and stuck his nose up.

"Are you sure you're a little boy?" Kagome asked skeptically and bewildered with his chose of words.

"No. I'm a chair. Of course I'm a boy, but not a little one. I just turned eleven." Shippou said proudly, puffing his chest out with his hands now on his hips.

"You're almost my brother's age." Kagome told him.

"Who's your brother?" Shippou asked curiously, moving his hands onto his lap.

"His name is Souta. He's all human though because he has a different father."

"Oh. Does he like to color?"

"He sure does." Kagome smiled at Shippou cutely. The other guys around the two were either drooling or looking at her in disgust. 'Wonder if those guys think that Shippo is my son. Do I look like I can be his mother? I hope not. Wait, couldn't the demons smell that I have not er, done it? Guys are so stupid.' Kagome thought as she glared at them.

"Oh! I have to go now! Bye!" Shippou shot up and ran away from Kagome who looked after him with a confused expression. Shrugging her shoulder, she turned around and relaxed until her body became really pruned till she climbed out of the hot tub and back to her place.

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Dimmed.

Too dimmed.

Smokey.

Too smokey.

People.

Too many people.

This was a bar. A bar on a ship. The only difference from the bars on land to bars on ships were the ages. The ages were seventeen and up and they were allowed to drink alcoholic beverages. Yes, it is illegal but no one is stopping them now, are they? There are also strippers in the bar, girls and guys. Dancing on counters with either a pole or with another person that could also be of the same sex.

We now close in on two men and a young cat youkai who is walking towards the two men slowly in a tight red dress that showed off her curves and a lot of cleavage. "Hello father, uncle." She said sweetly, taking a seat across from them.

"Karia! How nice of you to join us." Her uncle cooed.

Behind Karia, two couples looked at each other, then at Karia then back at each other with wide eyes. The male placed his finger to his lips and the girl nodded.

"Well, you did want me to meet you two here didn't you? About Kagome I believe, the little tramp." Karia growled, crossing her legs. The two couple's eyes grew wider, if that was even possible.

"She doesn't suspect anything, does she?" Her father asked, placing his elbows on the table and hands under his chin.

"Of course not! She's so dense!" Karai laughed out just like a school girl.

"Great. Then everything is going to plan." Her father said, taking a sip of his sake.

"Um...why are we doing this again?"

"She has great wealth and potential power."

"Do we have to kill her? Not that I wouldn't mind. She's a real bitch." Karia said angrily.

"Yes and no." Karia's uncle replied.

"No because we can just get rich another way and yes because once we steal her powers she will go blab everything to the police. She's a pretty powerful hanyou. I've never sensed so much power before in my life. She might as well be classified as a full demon from the power I sense coming from her." Her father explained as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"Well, what happened to Naraku? Wasn't he suppose to kill her?" Karia asked, leaning back, crossing her legs the other way which caused her skirt to ride up showing more of her thigh than needed be.

"He was. But he was injured so many timed by that bitch, so he's out."

"Okay. So when do I kill her?"

"Hopefully from now until this trip is over. If it isn't done, you will be executed."

"Yes father. It shall be done. Now I must take my leave. I have to entertain a guest." Karia bowed to her father and uncle then left leaving the two men to whisper amongst themselves once again.

The two couples, who had heard the entire conversation, had quickly stood up and left to find their two friends.

A/N: Like? No Like? Review please!