'Oh no! Ichira-san is gonna murder me!'

"Sis, aren't you ready yet!"

"Urasai na baka!" She pivoted on one foot, the other in the air as she yanked on her sock. She wore a pair of black slacks, the waist being held with a simple belt that was hidden under her royal blue blouse. Her hair was in a messy bun, that she had somehow made into a hairstyle worthy of leaving the house. In her mouth was her keys, jingling as she hopped on one foot to her dresser where her purse and flute case sat waiting for her. Along with coffee.

In her mind, it was the drink of the Gods.

"Kagome! Your instructor is gonna skin your sorry..."

"I know Sota!" She finally pulled on her sock and grabbed her belongings before bolting from her room, nearly flattening the cat into a pancake as she slid into the kitchen and grabbed her coat off the rack.

"Sis?"

"Okay, I'll be back by five. Do your homework, wash the dishes..."

"Sis?"

"...feed Yumi, clean your room..."

"Kagome?"

"...call Kaede-mama and check with her about..."

"Oi baka!"

"Nani! I'm not a baka!" She continued to try and put on her coat, also avoiding the spilling of her instrument and purse. As well as the keys that still hung from her mouth.

"Yes you are! If you would've listened I wouldn't have had to say it! I have a date tonight so I won't be back until around eight! Okay!" Kagome didn't even seem to acknowledge him as she finally pulled on her coat and sprinted towards the door.

"Uh huh, I'll remember that! Sayonara Sota!" With that she was out the door with a slam and sprinting down the hall as fast as she could go towards the elevator doors that were already closing with a man inside. "Hey! Hold the lift please!"

The man didn't even seem to hear her and he kept reading the papers in his hands as the doors shut in her face.

"Damn it!" She turned without another thought and slammed open the door to the stairwell and began her descent two or three stairs at a time.

'Kami, what did I do to deserve this! Ichira-san has already warned me twice about being late!' She squealed loudly as she slipped in a small puddle of water that had leaked from the pipes above her. Cursing her luck once more, she set off faster down the stairs until she reached the garage and once again opened the door with a slam. She reached for her keys that were still in her mouth and just as she was about to disengage her alarm, her sprint of madness was cut short when she ran into something very solid, and very much alive.

"Ack!" Kagome felt her body fall backwards, her keys flying off to the side, and she closed her eyes to brace herself for the cold, wet ground below her.

But the ground never came.

"Are you alright?" Instead, a strong arm wrapped itself behind her and caught her at the waist, saving her from a nasty fall. The voice that echoed in her ears was male, and was such a ringing, melodic baritone that she felt her hair stand on end.

"Miss?" She opened her eyes slowly, her breathing erratic from all the running, and had she had enough air in her lungs to do so, she would have gasped at what she saw.

He was a stunning specimen of the male species. His skin was smooth and ivory in color over a noble face with a strong jaw and prominent cheekbones. He had an air of elegance, and it was in every single inch of him. Even his platinum blonde hair that was tied back in a low ponytail, leaving his long, soft bangs to dangle in front of his eyes. And what eyes they were. The most beautiful emerald green she'd ever seen, with flecks of gold seeming to swim in their depths. But the moment was lost when the man blinked, and the heat known as blushing came rushing into Kagome's face, making her abruptly find her footing once again.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't see you! I'm such a clumsy little fool!" Her voice was bright with her embarrassment and she quickly gathered her keys before setting off at a run towards her car, again saying her apologies over her should as she disengaged the alarm with a honk of her horn.

'Crap! First I'm late and then I make a complete ass of myself in front of a guy who definitely fits Sango's criteria for 'Hot Shit on a Plate'! But Kami, he was...ACK! Is that really the time!' Stifling a scream of terror, Kagome shut her car door and abruptly turned on the engine. But alas, Fate was once again against her.

"Kagome!"

"NANI!" Sota hung from the fire escape above the parking lot, a pair of shoes in his hand.

"Forget something baka!" Kagome blinked, obviously too stunned or flabbergasted to do anything else. But suddenly her stunned expression was gone and she slammed on her horn with all she was worth.

"CRAP!"

Across town, a familiar face looked around anxiously as she stood on stage in the large theater. All the other musicians were there, set up and ready to go as they awaited the fill-in for Ichira. Apparently, the old man had gone and broken his leg while trying to fix a leak in his ceiling. But even though the fill-in was late, so was Kagome. Which had Sango chewing her tongue as she tapped her fingers anxiously against the wood of her friend's piano.

"Sango-chan, trying breathing before you fall over." Sango snorted, but let out a deep exhale anyways, not even knowing it had been waiting inside her.

"I can't help it. Kagome's already been warned twice by..."

"Ichira, yeah I know. But Ichira's not here today and the fill-in is late." Sango frowned as she glanced at the red head, who looked like she could used a few more cups of coffee.

"Ayame, that doesn't help. What if the fill-in gets here first? What if..."

"You're gonna kill yourself worrying one of these days Sango. Besides, I have a feeling Kagome's gonna..."

"Damn it, of all days for this to happen." Kagome suddenly walked on stage studying something on her flute as she moved with ease through the orchestra without hitting a single thing.

"Kagome-chan!" Kagome's head snapped up and she glanced around with wide, doe-like eyes before she finally saw her adoptive sister leaning on the piano just a few feet away.

"Sorry to worry you, but once again it seems I'm having on of those days when nothing seems to go right." At this Ayame snorted loudly and leaned back to stretch.

"Tell me about it. I go out to have some fun with the girls last night and the thing I know I'm in the bed of..." But Ayame stopped short as the doors at top of the theater banged open, revealing a tall figure that caused Kagome to suddenly freeze before sliding behind Sango, a muffled gagging sound coming from her.

"Uh, Kags? Are you alright?"

"Is he a stand-in! HIM!" Sango quirked an eyebrow at the blushing girl behind her.

"Kagome, you're acting like you're in grade school still and blushing. What happened?" Kagome gulped before looking around her sister's shoulder at the man who was currently walking down the center isle with enough grace to be a gymnast or dancer.

"I ran into him this morning in the parking lot. I mean really ran into him! Oh Kami Sango, he's like a gift sent from..."

"Take your spots please! We're behind schedule and fools shall not be tolerated!" Kagome "eeped" and walked briskly to her chair, plopping down in it just before Sango sat next to her and took up her own flute.

"My, it seems the fill-in is making you..."

"Nervous, embarrassed, and all of the above? Yeah, pretty much." Sango grinned as she leaned over to whisper in Kagome's ear, blocking out what the man was telling the percussion section.

"Kagome-chan, are you saying you wanna get laid by this guy?"

"No!" She didn't mean to be as loud as she was, but she realized just how loud her retort had been when the man turned and gave her a half smirk that seemed to spell trouble in the worst way possible.

'Oh bloody hell...'

"Now that we've all situated ourselves, I'd like to start with 'The Phantom of the Opera' scores if you please!" The shuffling of papers echoed in the theater as the musicians removed their sheet music from their folders. Most mumbled amongst themselves as was normal, but Kagome clenched her slacks tightly in her fingers as her gut clenched. It only seemed to grow worse as the man put on a pair of reading glasses and glanced at the note left behind on the podium.

"It says here that the flute solo in 'Think of Me' is to be taking by a Ms. Higurashi." He placed the paper upon the podium and glanced around once before speaking again. "Would you please stand so that I may see who you are?"

Kagome felt as though the world was closing on her as she slowly stood with her polished flute in hand, her body numb and her mind racing.

"Ah, there you are. Well, whenever you and the piano player are ready!" His tone was clipped, emotionless, and so serious that Kagome realized this man was all about music. She glanced at Ayame, who tucked a stray lock of her fiery red hair behind her ear before nodding and playing the introduction chords of the song.

Suddenly, it felt as though the man had disappeared along with everyone else in the room but Ayame. Kagome felt her muscles loosen and her mind focus. She felt the world sink away, and all that was left was her, her flute, and Ayame playing softly in the background. Then, she fluidly lifted her instrument before letting the damn on her air break, and the wonderful sound of the flute in her hands echoed in the theater.

'Thank Kami, I thought she was a goner for sure!' Sango sighed with relief as she saw Kagome practically melt into her solo. She didn't look at the music, and her eyes her closed with a peaceful expression on her face as though she were simply dreaming and not playing one of the most beloved scores of all time.

She played on, her body beginning to sway slightly with the music and for the second time in two days, she seemed to captivate everyone in the room as the rest of the orchestra awaited their entrance as they too swayed with the music. The man who was filling in for Ichira smirked as he watched her, the gold flecks in his eyes shining brightly for a few seconds before returning to normal.

'Had I know the little siren was in the orchestra, I would have poisoned the old man before now. It seems as thought Fate smiled upon me for once when the man broken his leg. Pity, he is a rather good instructor.' His skin was once again tingling, and he felt himself becoming lost in this slip of a girl once more. He knew damn well that the girl before him, though plain as she appeared, was going to be enough trouble to last him a lifetime. Or two, depending on if you looked at it from a human perspective. But he also knew she was worth it. Her voice and talent would ignite him like no other and his music would take flight from the pages on which he'd wrote it.

The rest of the orchestra came in, and yet she continued to stand as she played on. But suddenly he felt her aura spike and he concluded she'd felt his stare upon her. His theory was proven correct when her eyes snapped open and she stared straight at him, barely faltering as she continued to play. But her concentration was wavering and he could see her abilities going downhill as she stared at him with wide eyes over her instrument. Then, he simply placed a half smirk on his face and sent a wave of calming youki towards her.

Calm yourself Little Flower, I will not harm you.

Kagome felt her tensing muscles suddenly loosen as a strange feeling of calm came over her. The voice that rang in her head was what kept her from totaling giving into the strange calm.

'If you do not wish to harm me, then why do you look at me in such a way?' The man at the front of the stage let his half smirk fade into a full one as he continued to stare at her.

Simple. You intrigue me. Otherwise you would not have received the gift I left you last night.

'What do you mean by a gift? I didn't see you...' But she had to fight back a gasp as the man's smirk disappeared and his emerald green eyes flashed gold.

That burning gold that reminded her of a thousand sunsets, with such intensity she concluded she would eventually be burned by their gaze. After searching for those eyes of gold, they had found her instead in the strangest of places.

'It's you! You're the guy from...' But suddenly, she and the orchestra were halted to a stop when the doors of the theater once again slammed open, causing the man to frown as his eyes flashed back to emerald green.

"Sesshoumaru!" Kagome blinked when a familiar voice reached her ears, and her level of astonishment seemed to triple when she saw Inuyasha striding down the middle isle wearing a pair of black slacks, a white dress shirt, and a black tie. His jacket was slung over his shoulder and his hair that was flowing freely the night before was now contained in a low ponytail at the base of his skull.

"What is it Inuyasha? Can't handle the company by yourself for a single day? Pity, I had such high expectations for you." Kagome frowned at the man's heavy sarcasm, now knowing his name to be Sesshoumaru, and she slowly sank back down in her chair, earning a curious glance from Sango as she did so.

"Cut the crap asshole!"

"Are your manners so deplorable that you must use such language in a house of music, little brother?" Kagome gasped as she looked up at the man again, seeing only his back as her mind raced.

The musical prodigy of Inuyasha's family, the piano and violin master, stood before her in all his glory and Kagome felt a strange emotion clench in her gut.

"Kagome? Kagome!" She turned to look at Sango, having barely heard the other girl's harsh whisper.

"Huh?"

"Kagome, what's wrong with you today? You're not yourself!" Kagome blinked and shook her head

slightly, her once racing thoughts suddenly slow and barely registering to her.

"I don't know myself. I'm hearing voices and...and...and I think..." But before she could finish, the world seemed to shut itself of to her and her flute rolled from her grasp to the floor with a loud clatter as she too began to fall towards the wood of the stage.

"Kagome!" Sango reached out and caught her sibling before she could join her flute on the floor, and suddenly all eyes were on her as she knelt on the ground and held Kagome gently. Sesshoumaru, who Sango was still trying to figure out, turned to her with slightly widened eyes at the same time as Inuyasha, who's eyes were the widest she'd ever seen them.

"Kagome!" He jogged towards the stage and jumped up next to his brother before quickly walking over and kneeling before Sango reaching for Kagome with concern written clearly on his features.

"I don't know what happened Yash! She was completely normal and the started muttering about hearing voices! Next thing I know she's passed out!" Inuyasha's expression had gone dark and strangely dangerous when she'd reached the part about voices, and when he spoke to her, he turned and glared at the orchestra's fill-in conductor as he too came to inquire about Kagome's sudden lack of consciousness.

"Yeah strange. Call the hospital Sango, I'll take her right now." Sango nodded as he turned back to her and lifted Kagome gently in his arms bridal style. She quickly fished her cell phone from her pocket and dialed the number of the hospital. As she told the woman the other line about her predicament though, she noticed just how protectively Inuyasha held Kagome, his glare set on the instructor with enough fire in it to scorch skin.

"I'm taking Kagome to a doctor." He didn't even wait for a reply before he abruptly leapt from the stage and landed gracefully, barely jostling Kagome as he did so and began walking briskly towards the door, his brother all but forgotten as he stood glaring on the stage.

'You should have learned before not to meddle in my affairs little brother.' He turned abruptly to see Sango flipping her phone shut and gathering her flute, as well as Kagome's, off the stage floor with her lips drawn in a thin line with her worry.

"Right, since we've lost our soloist for this piece, we'll have to skip to the next section! Please flip to 'The Point of No Return' and..." He continued barking orders, his usually calm composure furious at his brother's actions. Sango noticed this, and yet she simply stared at Kagome's flute once she'd sat it upon the fallen girl's chair.

'Oh Kagome...'

Inuyasha glanced into his rear-view mirror for what must have been the tenth time since leaving the theater as he drove on. He'd already narrowly missed two other vehicles and a young student on a bicycle. But none of that mattered, and inwardly he cursed himself for already being so attached to the girl in the back seat of the car.

'Keh, I keep this shit up and everyone's gonna start thinking I'm easy or something.' He sharply took a right, hearing one of his tires squeal in protest.

He could tell she'd somehow had her energy drained from her, the usual rosy tinge of her cheeks gone and leaving behind a pale visage. But he knew she wasn't ill or anything else that normally would cause such things. Inuyasha may have been hard headed at times, and rather unwise in his decisions, but he had seen the look in his half brother's eyes when he'd first seen Kagome.

His brother wanted her. The bastard wanted to use Kagome as his little doll of music. But now, as he took another sharp right, Inuyasha snarled when he realized that was not all. For the first time, he knew Sesshoumaru was lusting after a woman.

'Damn you Sesshoumaru. I'm not going to let you have Kagome so you can play your sick games.' He glanced in his rear view mirror again with a frown, his violet eyes suddenly flashing with gold fire as he did so. 'I won't let him have you Kagome.'

As though she'd somehow heard him, a small frown made its way across her features as she lay there in the back seat, and not for the first time, Inuyasha could've sworn he felt a slight tingle coming from the girl.

Author's Note

Yeah, I know. The chapters have been short as hell for this one. . But this felt like a good place to leave it. Plus, it's around 3 in the morning and I still have yet to get any actual work done like I was supposed to today .

I'm sooooo happy that I've gotten so many views for this story! At first I was thinking the idea was too cliche and many people wouldn't like it. But this is one of the most popular stories I've ever written! dances On another note, I've recently decided I NEED a beta reader. So, from now on, my chapters SHOULD be nicer than usual. The only times they won't be is when (for some odd reason) I don't have good enough net access to contact my beta reader.

For those of you who have reviewed, thank you sooooo much! You people make my day! 3333 Well, I must go for now and possibly get some sleep. (Yes, possibly. I'm still in the mood to write. XD)

Blue

P.S.

I'm afraid I won't be posting anything new after tonight until at least January 5-10 cause I'll be out of town and unfortunately, even though the palce I'm going to rocks, there's no computer at all. So no more writing