Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha . . .

ROCK ON!

"Name?"

"Higurashi Seiji."

"Just a minute."

The receptionist at the front counter swiveled around in her vinyl chair, her dark brown eyes narrowing as she flipped through various charts on her desk. The phone beside her began to ring, and motioning to the worried two in front of her, moved to answer it.

Inuyasha sighed in exhaustion as he ran a clawed hand through his silver hair. In his right arm Kagome trembled with fear, her face pale and breathing heavy as she rocked back and forth on her heels.

"He'll be okay, I know it."

The young woman looked up, her brown eyes melting into the golden pools of her bodyguard's face. Beneath the cold, glossy exterior she found warmth and comfort in his eyes, as if something was reaching out to her . . .

His soul . . . oh, Inuyasha . . .

"Room 546."

The two broke the gaze, thanked the receptionist quickly, and rushed down the hallway towards room 546, Kagome's heart pounding the whole way.

The room was silent, save for the machine that monitored Seiji's heart. The two arrived in the room breathless, panting slightly as Katsuko rose from the chair near the elder Higurashi to greet them.

"Kagome . . . Inuyasha . . ."

"Mama, what happened?" The young woman rushed into her mother's arms, wincing as she gazed at her grandfather's unconscious state.

"I received a call last night from the hospital . . . apparently he had some food catered to the house, but no one could find a lead on who sent the food."

"Keh, this couldn't have happened from a simple food poisoning," Inuyasha grumbled, looking over the report at the edge of the bed. "According to these charts, there's an unnatural amount of iron in his body, as well as lead found in his blood."

"Yes, I know . . . the doctor explained it to me earlier. The food he had eaten had a strange poison in it, something they had never seen before. As for the lead, the only explanation for it is that someone injected it into him after he had passed out."

"Injected?" Inuyasha asked sharply, "Do they know who it was?"

Katsuko slowly released her daughter, shaking her head and she gave the hospital bed a weary glance. "No, the police have no reason to investigate on the matter since it is just a suspicion. But I can't think of any other way the lead would've entered his blood stream."

"I've been here for over eight hours, and nothing has changed. He's still not responding."

Kagome moved towards the bed, her hand shaking as she picked up her grandfather's hand. "Jii-chan? Jii-chan, it's me, Kagome . . . Jii-chan, I'm here."

The silver-haired young man slowly made his way towards his charge, resting a clawed hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry Kagome," he spoke softly, "We'll find out what's going on."

The older woman watched as Inuyasha whispered into her daughter's ear, her heart calmed and disturbed at the same time.

They've gotten so close in such a short period of time . . .

"Mama?"

The three turned around to see a fourth person enter the room, her black hair swaying back and forth as she held a bouquet of red roses in her arms. Her eyes, so similar yet so different from Kagome's, surveyed the room with a pensive look.

"Mama, I got her as soon as I could."

"Thank goodness you got my message, Kikyou," Katsuko sighed, embracing the elder of the Higurashi girls. "I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to reach you."

"I left the office as soon as I could," she replied, briefly smiling at her adoptive mother before turning her eyes onto the old man. "How is he?"

"Not good," Inuyasha spoke, his low voice nearly a growl. "He's been poisoned, and injected with lead into his blood stream."

Kikyou blinked before turning back to Katsuko. "You never told me that he injected with lead."

"It was a suspicion of the doctor's," the older woman explained, "it was the only plausible reason why there is such a high content of the element in his blood stream."

"So, it's not a fact, but a suspicion," Kikyou turned her eyes towards her younger sister's bodyguard, her eyes cold and unfeeling. "Perhaps you should get your facts straight before blurting out any other 'facts.'"

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth to speak but was pulled back by Kagome. "Inuyasha, Kikyou, please . . . this isn't the time or place to argue about such things. Jii-chan is sick, and—"

"Your sister needs to be informed," Inuyasha growled, ignoring Kagome's pleas. "Your grandfather's situation needs to be carefully inves—"

"Inuyasha, please . . ." the young woman spoke softly, reaching up and turning his face towards her. Her coffee-brown eyes bore into his as she repeated, "Please . . ."

Kikyou frowned as she watched her sister and her bodyguard take on such an intimate position. From the looks on their faces, this relationship was clearly more than platonic.

Fantastic . . . just what I needed . . .

"Kagome," her sister began seriously, "what's going on?"

The younger Higurashi turned, her face full of confusion. "What do you mean?"

"This," Kikyou waved her hand in front of the couple. "You and Inuyasha . . . what's going on?"

The two slightly blushed, Kagome letting her hand fall from Inuyasha's face. "Uh . . . well . . ."

"Mama," Kikyou turned to her mother. "Since Jii-chan is clearly incapable of making any decisions at the moment, all business matters fall to you, does it not?"

"Well, yes, Kikyou, but what does that have to do with anyth—"

"Then Mama, I must suggest something to you." She faced the couple once more, her eyes boring into theirs.

"I must suggest that you replace Inuyasha as Kagome's bodyguard."

The room was silent as the bleep of Seiji's heart monitor resounded in the room.

"Kikyou . . ." Kagome began, her voice trembling, "What do you mean?"

"Clearly, little sister, that this relationship has taken on more than it's original business agreement," Kikyou said coldly. "Your relationship with Inuyasha, though you may not see it now, may blind him from his duties, and endanger your life because of this distraction. He must be replaced."

"I don't get distracted!" Inuyasha exploded, his eyes blazing.

Kikyou smiled a sly smile. "See, Kagome? Your feelings towards him has erased all signs of rationality in him. He explodes from the simplest things."

"But he was always like that!" Kagome protested, her tears threatening to spill out of her eyes. "Mama, please don't listen to her . . . Inuyasha has been doing a fine job of protecting me—"

"Kagome, I think Kikyou is right."

Kagome gaped at her mother, her eyes stern yet uneasy. Katsuko continued, "If this could happen to your Jii-chan, it could most certainly happen to you. And although I don't believe your relationship is a bad thing, it would be a good precautionary to replace Inuyasha for the meantime—"

"I don't believe what I'm hearing," Kagome whispered, her tears falling down her cheeks. "Mama, Inuyasha's the only stable thing I've ever had in my life, and you want to take him away from me?"

"I'm not taking anyone away from you," Katsuko explained gently, "But for your safety—"

"I'm not strong enough for you, Kagome."

The three women turned to the hanyou who had quietly slipped towards the door. "Your mother is right; you need someone who will protect you, and do a good job of it."

"Inuyasha . . ."

"You need someone stronger . . . not a hanyou like me . . ."

"Inuyasha?"

"I'll keep in touch."

"Inuyasha!"

Kikyou watched smugly as her sister ran after Inuyasha through the doorway, her cries echoing throughout the hallways.

Everything is going according to plan . . .

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AN: oh wow . .. it's been awhile, eh? I apologize for the long period of time that has elapsed from the last time I updated . . . school's been hectic! but now that summer's here, i can get more work done . . .

i apologize to all my reviewers and readers . . . but i'm back!

i got a surprise in my email today . . . "Beneath the Tangles" has been nominated for best romance in Moushiyou . . . that was a big surprise!

I'll be updating "Past the Shadows" soon as well . . .