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Chapter 12: Sit Boy!

Next day at lunch, Kagome told Sango all about her little assignment with a certain hanyou.

"Can you believe it!"

Sango finished gulping down the last bite of her sandwich to answer. "Yeah. Unbelievable." She finished off by drinking in two gulps her whole drink.

"This is serious, Sango! I need your help! Please, help me!" Kagome pleaded with her hands clapped together tightly, her head resting near her friend's cheek, finishing off with a rapid movement of her eyelashes.

Sango sighed. "Okay, okay, alright. I'll help you. But you've got just three minutes 'cause I'm up to my neck with the carnival work."

Kagome laughed joyously. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, Sango! Promise I won't keep you too long!"

"Yeah, yeah. Just tell me what it is you want," she said, rather impatient.

"Well," Kagome began, "It just so happens that we're supposed to make 'gift's' for our 'spouses' and I was wondering just what to give Inuyasha?"

"What? You want it to be extra-special, huh?" Sango teased.

"No, no! Its not that," Kagome said, blushing. "It's just that, well…everyone's going to see it and I don't want to mess it up. Besides, you know him more than I do and seeing he's really picky and all…"

"Well, I really can't say…but…." Sango thought for a moment.

"Yes? Go on, go on…."

"Well…I'm not quiet so sure what it is he likes… you see, on Miroku's last birthday I got him a nice shirt that read 'Women Beware… I'm Contagious'; seeing that that sort of thing was the only thing on his mind, I knew just what to get him. But Inuyasha, on the other hand, well, I barely know him at all, compared to Miroku."

Kagome sighed. "Isn't there something I can do?"

"You can always get him some sort of trinket, I suppose…" The girls turned to the side and found a very dusty, tired monk.

"Miroku, what do you mean by a trinket?"

Miroku cleared his throat. "Well, seeing that in a late battle I…uh…accidentally sucked up something that was dear to him with my wind tunnel and since frankly, he will never get it back, I think that, just possibly, he'd welcome another one. A replacement, if you'd like."

Sango nodded. "Oh! I get it! Get Kikyo to make him another necklace! You know, since Kikyo had made him that last one!"

Miroku sighed. "No, no. You're getting this all wrong."

"…So, what your saying is…?" Miroku then nodded at Kagome, hoping she was thinking just what he was thinking. "That's great! But do you think I can pull it off?"

"Listen, Kagome. If houshi-sama here can pull cleaning our carnival area, you can do anything."

"Well, you see…there's a slight problem with that," Miroku laughed nervously. The hand behind his head and the sweat drop on his forehead spoke a thousand words.

"Don't tell me you messed something up again! Miroku! I swear!" Sango grabbed him by his collar and dragged him away, which was quiet entertaining, since not everyday you saw a monk get dragged by an angry woman. With the exception that you knew Sango and Miroku, that is.

Kagome smiled, knowing what she'd do when she got home. Well, at least try to.

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Kagome couldn't wait till the bell rang. That was the sign that she could get time-off from her hanyou 'husband' for a while, not to mention start working on her new project, which she couldn't keep her mind off the whole day from doing.

She flew home on her bike, ran up the stairs to her room, and shut herself inside to come up with the perfect trinket to give to Inuyasha. She didn't have much money to buy something really good, so she had decided to make it herself, After all, hadn't Kikyo done so herself? If that miko could do it, than this miko might as well, she thought.

But after two hours rummaging through her things, she found herself empty-handed and hating anything she'd begun to make. When dinner was ready, she thought that a nice meal was just what was in order, and came down to eat.

"So, how was your day, dear?"

"Fine, mama," Kagome barely mouthed while munching. Her grandfather and younger brother had yet to return from an outing, and for the moment Kagome was glad they weren't near.

Gulping down her rice, she asked innocently, "Mama? I have this assignment and--"

"Ooh! Is it about your husband," she teased.

"Mama!" Kagome pouted, but let her chopsticks lay on her bowl. She sighed. "Yeah. You see, I'm supposed to make him a necklace, but can't even start on it. It's a lot harder than I thought it would be…"

Mrs. Higurashi smiled and too let her chopsticks down. Looking up to the ceiling, recovering a memory, she started, "Once upon a time I too was in that predicament…your father and I were so in love, but we never seemed to hit it off…you see he was shy, you father…" Kagome shook her head. Inuyasha definitely wasn't like that. At least she didn't know him well enough.

"But on one night, just like this one, I was looking out my window, and you know what I saw?" Kagome shook her head, very much interested. "Falling stars."

Kagome gasped. "Oh, I love falling stars! Did you make a wish, mama?"

"Yes, yes I did. And you know what it was?" she asked, her smile never fading. "I wished that your father and I could be together forever…"

"Aha. Go on, go on," Kagome encouraged her, intrigued.

"Well, you're proof of my wish coming true, dear." That got images in her head, but nonetheless gave Kagome an incredible idea.

She immediately left the table, and ran back up to her room. "Thanks, mom!"

"Dear! Don't you want to finish your food, first?" Mrs. Higurashi laughed, remembering just how it felt being young and in love. "How sweet…this Inuyasha fellow seems to have caught my little girl's heart…"

"Aha!" Kagome lifted up with excitement a small, red, leather bag from out of a drawer. Grinning, she opened it to find that the navy-blue beads and few white tooth-shaped ones inside were still intact, and pretty as ever. Magic always seemed to help one out in need, and these being sacred beads had to account for something. Sango even said so herself when she handed them to her—they were like good luck charms. Kagome didn't know what to do with them before, but she knew now.

She walked up to her window and pushed it open. Laying the small, red bag on the ledge she sat in one of its corners and waited if tonight she had a chance of finding a shooting star. After a while of high hopes and really having no clue to what she was doing or actually going to ask for, she sighed grimly and walked away, leaving the bag behind.

Kaede had said that I was destined to have these beads and that I would know what to do with them once the moment came, but I guess I'll never know when…I thought this could be it…This could have proved to Inuyasha that I care more about him more than just as a fighting partner, but as a friend…Oh well…

Yawning and stretching a bit, the sudden thought of a warm bath was more appealing to her than worrying, so she took one, and when she came back she laid on her bed, forgetting all about her wish and duties.

But outside, an old figure with a sole eye patch watched on curiously at the red bag on the windowsill. Certainly the time had come for her meddling in the student's affairs again, if time were not to repeat itself…

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When time came for Show and Tell in Mankle's class, Kagome was more nervous than she thought she could ever be. Just how did she manage to forget about her homework? Why did she have to fall asleep?

"Very good, Tim. I'm surprised you even knew how to doodle, let alone carve a miniature version of your wife on…what was it again?"

"The bone of an elephant, you're highness, sir," the student bowed in reply.

"Very well then," Mankle snickered. "I'll remember that when I find it in my heart to care and, seeing I don't have one, it'll be most likely never. Now, who's next?"

Kagome looked down, hoping for dear life it wouldn't be her. "Hmm…Higurashi. You're looking quiet disoriented and incompetent as always…you and your mutt are up next."

Kagome swallowed hard and got up after Inuyasha, who preferred to take his anger out on the cat later, in the parking lot, with her car. The two arranged themselves in the front of class, facing one another like everyone else had done before them, and when Kagome wasn't responding, Inuyasha took the initiative and took out a crumbled piece of paper form his school uniform's pocket.

He didn't expect to be nervous, but Kagome hadn't looked at him for a while now, and her staring at the floor made things some what uncomfortable. He opened the note and recalled the moment he had asked for Miroku's help to get the project done. 'A lady always likes a good piece of literature', he had said. 'Why don't you give poetry a chance?'

Inuyasha inhaled deeply, trying not to shake as much as he held his poem upright. This was it. He had spent all night on this, and was not about to give up. So here goes…

"Um…R-roses are red…" Kagome looked up, forgetting about what a disaster she'd be making in a moment, surprised to hear he had actually written a poem—for her!

"Violets are blue…" Sure, it wasn't original, but it was the sweetest thing she could ever expect, coming from him.

"Sugar is sweet…" by now some guys in the class were chuckling softly, the girls all going in awe.

"…And revenge is too." Suddenly Inuyasha didn't seem like the poetic kind. Oh well… Kagome's head slumped down in surrender, her hopes of him having actual good thoughts about her going down the drain.

But after a split second, Inuyasha gave into the original words that Miroku had told him to say, and he said as softly as he could, "Oh…and you're pretty nice, too." No one heard him except Kagome and, at the far back of the room, a certain demon lord. If he were another he'd rolled his eyes at the nonsense his younger brother had gotten himself into, taking the assignment as serious as he had did. Boy did he wish they weren't blood related.

Kagome instantly lifted her head back up, curious if he had just said that. Seeing his face which was to the side and a little blush coming up to his cheeks told her she wasn't to get a reassurance form him, but that that was enough of a sign to be glad that he was really a good guy underneath it all.

"That's…very 'good', hanyou…now, let's get it going, hmm, Higurashi?" Prof, Mankle suggested, all but moved by the poem.

Kagome took out the red pouch and opened it slowly, trying to figure out what to say to Inuyasha that was convincingly enough for him to buy it as a real gift. As her partner looked on curiously to what she was going to do, no one but Sesshomaru smelled the presence of an unexpected visitor that stood on the other side of the room's front door, whose mouth moved silently but with velocity. He couldn't help but wonder just what that one eyed principal of his was up to now.

Just as the bag had been fully opened and Kagome had lost all hopes of getting away with something, the beads magically floated out of the bag, to everyone's amazement, and suddenly jolted toward Inuyasha's neck, creating a circle of lights. Kagome kept blinking, confused as to what she had just done, but Inuyasha suddenly felt attacked and started pulling on the beads.

"Hey! What is this!" As much as he could try, he pulled and yanked, but nothing was coming off. "Kagome! What did you do to me!"

Kagome was at a loss for words. What could she do? "I said, get this damn thing of me, wench!" But surely that was enough to get her thinking about something, though.

"Don't call me names! I don't know what happened!"

"Cute," interrupted Mankle, "but I'm ceasing to be amused. Sit down, the both of you," she said dully.

"Ack! Get this thing off me! Its—argh!" Inuyasha kept fighting with it, and soon the light began burning his fingers a bit, which didn't look good.

"The incantation, Kagome, say the incantation! I believe in ye—your soul knows what to say!"

"Huh?" Thanks to his super hearing Inuyasha too recognized the voice that seemed to come from behind the door. He growled, "Old hag! What are you trying to pull off this time! I swear I'll kill you if you ever--"

"I said, stop calling me names! You're a jerk, Inuyasha, a first-class jerk! And if you think that for one minute I'm going to--"

"I wasn't talking to you, wench, so just shut up! I've had it with your loud mouth! Your stupid voice still rings in my ears!"

With all the commotion, everyone failed to notice that Inuyasha was in fact in trouble.

"Kagome! Ye must say the words now, before the beads of subjugation keep working their powers on Inuyasha and completely destroy him!"

"What?" Inuyasha screamed, scared for his life now, still hearing the voice in his head.

"If you didn't hear me the first time, than I'll say it again!" Kagome stomped her foot on the ground and decided to use her most favorite and often used offense.

"Bad dog, bad dog! Sit boy!" What happened next was a mixture between a light beam and a very confused hanyou.

Thwump!

Inuyasha, meet floor. Floor, Inuyasha.

The room went dead-silent. Kagome, whose finger was still pointing at the hanyou, began to shake. What kind of witch had she become!

Kaede smirked in the hallway. "That's my girl…" She proceeded to hide for a bit, looking on to what would happen next. She knew the pair would be coming for answers soon enough.

Sesshomaru had his eyes wide in surprise and was left pondering a million things in his head, speechless. If only there were a camera around to take this priceless moment...

Two pictures: one of him, wide-eyed, and one of his flat-faced sibling. Wonder how much they'd sell on E-bay?

Mankle's jaw fell open. "Oh my…" After a while, she noticed she'd actually want one of those necklaces for herself as well. She wondered where the girl had got it from.

"Uh," Kagome shivered. "S-sorry…?"

At that, Inuyasha, who'd been kissing dirt for the past ten seconds now, stood up with effort after his ear twitched upon hearing the wench's voice. As soon as he did, though, he felt like regaining lost time and knew that an insult was in order.

"Wha—? What in all the hells…?" He grabbed the necklace that had formed around his neck and attempted at prying it off again. "Grr… Kagome! What did you do to me! Answer me…This isn't funny, you know!"

"I…I," Kagome barely rambled.

"Nice…nice," Mankle voiced. "This must be my favorite gift as of yet." She smirked, licking her lips. "Meow… To have your husband tied to a leash…hmm…very interesting," she pointed out, before laughing maniacally. The students joined her all one-by-one, which irritated the hanyou.

"Grr! It's not funny! Take this thing off, will you, wench!"

"I said, stop calling me wench, you dog!"

"And to think," Mankle managed to say between breaths while whipping a tear from her eye, "that you just commanded him like any other owner would to their a dog and he obeyed! Meow… That is the most amazing thing I have ever seen! To think that a demon dog can be at the mercy of a human girl!"

That's it. This had gone too far! "Kagome, you take this off me or I'll--"

"Sit boy," she said simply, and he went down again as the beam of light seemed to choke him with its intensity.

Thwump!

Kagome held an innocent yet curious finger to her lips. Hey…this is kind of fun…

That got the students laughing even louder and, as if by perfect timing, the bell rang and before you knew it, all the students got up from their desks and ran out the door, some mistakenly stepping on Inuyasha, him complaining every time some one ran over him. "Ow. Ow. Ow."

Sesshomaru walked past his brother out the door, thinking it was beneath him to go so low as to step on him himself, since that was a job only meant for Jaken. Still, he just had to say something, seeing Inuyasha eatin' dirt and all.

"Bone appetite, half breed."

Making his way through the hallway, he heard the voice of the last person he ever wanted to hear again. "Sesshomaru! Uh—I mean, Lord Sesshomaru!" Len got to him sooner than he'd hoped, before he even had a chance to find a way of evading her without raising suspicions about him running away from a human, and he silently grunted, trying his best to restrain from drilling his poison nails into Len's stomach as she came to his side, panting. She spoke looking up at his tall stature as they both walked, side to side.

"Since we didn't have time for our exchange in the Show and Tell, I hoped to give you this before you left."

Sesshomaru stopped instinctively and looked down at the medium-sized bowl she was showing him in her hands, and didn't have to wait till she spoke again to know what it was. "It's a special cake my mom used to make all the time for my dad…" He noticed her voice held a slight mixture of sadness and loss to it, with a weak attempt at covering it up with a hearty smile she had on her face. He didn't give it much thought, though, and just started walking away without saying a word.

Len looked on sadly as he disappeared into the crowd, feeling rejected. "You…don't…like…cake…?" she sniffed. Meep appeared behind her neck and tried to comfort her with a screech.

"Meep!"

B-bump.

Len looked at her sword, which was strapped on her back from a belt, feeling it having pulsed for some reason. "What is it, Keiper?" she called to it.

Kill.

Kill…

She winced and grabbed her stomach, suddenly feeling the same unnerving and dreadful sensation in her insides that she'd always feel at that time; and Meep, who also felt it, began screeching in her ear, concerned for his master.

Kill…

Len decided to walk as fast as she could back to her classroom, where she found Inuyasha whipping off all the shoe-print stains on his clean uniform, yelling at Kagome for what she had done, but receiving another 'sit' from her who had, by now, recognized the connection between the command and making Inuyasha fall flat on his face, believing it to be fun for some reason.

"Um…do you think Inuyasha can give this to Sesshomaru when he gets home? I kind of have an emergency…"

Kagome grabbed the box that Len gave her without replying an answer and saw her run away somewhere, clenching her stomach, throwing back a weak 'thank you'. Dumbfounded, Kagome looked around the box but kept from opening it, knowing all-too-well what her curiosity had gotten her into last time with the rings and all.

Inuyasha muffled another complain from under him and, standing up as slowly as he could as to try to avoid any further aching, was pulled down on the floor again as Kagome tried another 'sit' just for kicks. She had to confirm her hypothesis about it and, proving herself right, she sat Len's box down to go and help Inuyasha get up for once, but not before catching the principle, Kaede, walking down the hall from the corner of her eye.

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