A/N: Here's chapter nine! Thanks for the reviews thus far! Keep them coming!

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Where You Are
Chapter Nine: Someone to Watch Over Me

"Mommy, where are we?" Shippo groaned as he woke up. "Mommy?"

"Shippo, shh! Don't talk...I don't know where we are..." Kagome whispered her reply. "Are you all right, Shippo? You're not hurt, are you?"

The small kitsune seemed to think about this. He looked himself over. "No...I'm fine. But...I think I smell blood..."

Kagome sighed. "I'm all right, Shippo. It's just a cut. It will be fine." Kagome shivered. She wasn't sure if what she had told the kitsune was a lie or not, but she held her hands tightly to her bleeding side. There was a good sized gash there, and it was bleeding profusely. As long as the darkness remained in the room, she might be able to divert Shippo's attention from her injury. And hopefully, Inuyasha would be there to help them soon.

"But mommy, I smell..."

"Shippo, for all I know, we could be surrounded by things...so, just try not to think about it, all right?"

He nodded, although he thought he heard Kagome's breath catch in her throat.

"All right, mommy. Do you think Inuyasha will come and help us soon?"

Kagome nodded several times, groaning in pain as she did so. "Of course he will, Shippo. He loves us both very much, and he is going to snap the evil man who hurt us in half..." Kagome pressed her hand more firmly to her side, but that did nothing to stop the flow of blood that was now collecting in a pool below her.

"Inuyasha loves us?" Shippo repeated.

Kagome smiled. "Of course he does, Shippo. You remember what I was talking to you about before we got attacked?"

Shippo racked his small brain, jumped into Kagome's lap, She cringed, but the small fox demon did not notice. He nodded. "I think I do! You were about to ask me something about Inuyasha..."

Kagome sighed. "Inuyasha...Shippo...Inuyasha wants to adopt you..." Kagome managed, although her pain was starting to overwhelm her. She had to keep talking. She had to stay awake so that she didn't alarm Shippo. "He loves you and me very much...and he wants everyone to know it..." she stammered.

Shippo gasped. "Really?" He paused a moment, processing the information. "Are you... serious?"

Kagome nodded, grimacing. "Yes, Shippo. I'm serious." she grinned at him.

Shippo smiled. "Why didn't he talk to me about it?"

Kagome shook her head. "I don't know, Shippo. I think even Inuyasha is scared sometimes..." She groaned.

"Mommy...it's you...I can smell it. You are hurt, aren't you? It's bad...I can tell!" Shippo's eyes widened. "Are you going to be all right?"

"I just...I will be fine, Shippo..."

"Mommy..."

"This is a very interesting situation we find ourselves in, isn't it?" asked a voice from the corner.

Kagome jumped, and yelped in pain. "Who the hell are you?" she demanded, hugging Shippo close to her with her free hand. "What are we doing here?"

"I am the one who brought you here, stupid wench." the man smirked his reply. "I tried to find that stupid jewel...but apparently, you no longer have it..."

"You hurt my mommy?" Shippo screamed. "I'm going to..."

"No, Shippo...I'll be all right..." Kagome warned him. "Stay right here with me..."

The man laughed. "Actually, at the rate at which you are bleeding, you won't be all right. I'd give you until about sundown before you bled to death...and by that time, your Inuyasha should be bursting through the wall to witness your death. Then I will kill the kitsune and take the jewel..."

Kagome shuddered with a small laugh. "Well...it was pretty stupid to bring us here for that. He doesn't have the jewel, you idiot. Only I know where it is."

"Then you will tell me right now!" he demanded.

Kagome shook her head, grimacing in pain. "I will do no such thing."

"Then you will die."

"I will die anyway, from what you say..." Kagome smirked. "Your threats will not change my decision..." She hugged Shippo even close to her.

He whimpered. "But mommy, what about...?" he began.

"No, Shippo. Lesson number one...never give them what they want..." she whispered to him. "Never. No matter what."

He nodded and hugged her.

The man smiled to himself, and took several steps forward. He smiled down at Kagome and Shippo, who, from his position above them, had a very good view of the man, or demon, rather, who had imprisoned them.

"If you will not listen to threats against your own well being, what about the child?" he smirked.

Kagome paled. "You wouldn't! He is just a child!"

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"I don't care what he wants!" Inuyasha growled. "We're following the scent right now. Knowing our luck, he is after the jewel. I thought Kagome had it...but maybe not...?"

Sango shook her head. "She has hidden it away, where Naraku can not find it..."

"It is not Naraku who has taken them. We would all know that scent, demons and humans alike." Sesshoumaru reminded them. "And if it was Naraku, then the bodies of Kagome and the fox child would probably be lying amidst the chaos here..."

"Can we please not make any references like that?" Inuyasha groaned.

Sesshoumaru blinked. "I am sure that they are fine, Inuyasha. The human girl is strong for her species, and she will do well to protect the kit to the best of her ability. I am sure of that."

"So am I." Inuyasha nodded. "That is what I am worried about. If Kagome thought Shippo was in danger..." he allowed his voice to trail off, and shook his head lightly.

Sesshoumaru sighed. "Worry not, Inuyasha. We will find them both soon enough."

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"Don't you threaten him, you son of a..." Kagome snarled at the man, abandoning her side wound and wrapping both of her arms protectively around her adoptive son. "Get away, I swear, I will..." she began.

"I will poke you so full of holes that even Inuyasha will not be able to recognize you, woman! Now, I say again..." Kagome saw the pointing shiny end of his sword and inwardly cringed. "Tell me where the jewel of four souls is hidden, right now, or I will slice the kit in half..."

"No!" Kagome screamed. "I won't tell you!"

"Then you have signed the child's death warrant..."

Shippo whimpered and shrank into Kagome's shirt.

Kagome looked down at her adoptive son and smiled. She stroked his hair and kissed the top of his head, looking up at the demon standing over her.

"Don't hurt him..." she whispered. "You can...you can have me instead...but don't hurt him..." She paused. "It's a trade..."

"A trade?" the demon repeated. "You would trade your life to save this weak kit?"

Sighing, Kagome nodded. Help us, Inuyasha...she pleaded inwardly.

"Fine." he smirked, grabbing her by her hair and jerking her away from Shippo. "You asked for it. I am going to make your death a slow one..."

"No!" Shippo pleaded. "She doesn't have it! I have it! Please!"

--

Inuyasha's eyes widened. They had reached a stream, and he could detect small traces of blood...Kagome's blood. The farther they went downstream, the stronger the scent of her blood got. Inuyasha paled as they advanced downstream. Even Sesshoumaru grimaced at the strong smell of the blood. They were getting closer, and from the scent, it was not hard to tell that the girl was in a great deal of trouble.

"Inuyasha...I don't think..." he began.

He shook his head, the anger welling up in his system. "Whatever you have to say, I do not want to hear it." he snapped.

"I was just going to say that from the looks of things, we need to proceed with caution. This has 'trap' written all over it."

"I don't care!" he yelled. "I have to help them! I love Kagome and Shippo, and protecting them is my job! It's what I do! I wasn't there watching over them like I should have been, and now they are in danger, so drop it! I don't want to hear any of your warnings right now!"

"Inuyasha...calm yourself. Remember what that sword hanging at your waist is for. Control your temper..." Miroku coached him. "You will be of no help to us if you fall into insanity..."

"I know..." he whispered. "I know..."

--

"Let me out of here!" Shippo screamed. "Let me out! Fox fire!" he screamed, sending a small swirl of blue flames at the door. It did nothing. He pounded on it with his small fists until they were red and swollen, but nothing seemed to help. He could hear nothing that was happening beyond the door, but the scent of Kagome's blood was getting stronger, and he knew that someone had to get to her soon. Something had to be done, or he would lose her just as he had lost his real mother and father.

"Open this door! I can take it! Just let me out!" he yelled.

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Inuyasha took a deep breath. "They're here!" he announced.

Sango blinked. "Inuyasha...this is a tree..."

"Only to the untrained eye..." Sesshoumaru nodded. He took a step forward, and a small purple barrier erected itself. He smirked. "Hmm...leading us to the scene of the crime and then trying to keep us out. This is definitely a trap..."

"Stand back, Sesshoumaru..." Inuyasha commanded. "If it's a trap, then so be it...but Kagome and Shippo are in there, and I intend to get them out."

"All right."

The barrier broke easily, slicing a hole into the side of what, on the outside, appeared to be a normal tree. Inuyasha jumped forward. "Kagome! Shippo!" he screamed.

What he saw made his heart sink into his stomach. Sitting in front of a door was Shippo, his hands red and his eyes streaked with tears old and new. He was sitting, defeated, with his head toward the ground.

"Shippo!" Inuyasha yelped. "What has happened? Where is Kagome? I thought she was here?"

Shippo shook his head, and began to sob even harder. "He took her instead of me..." he whispered.

"What do you mean?" Inuyasha paled even more.

"He took her instead of me!" he screamed hysterically. "I told him I could take it. I told him to leave her alone! I tried to get the door to open! I tried, but I couldn't..."

"Calm down, Shippo!" Miroku snapped. "When did this demon take Lady Kagome?"

Shippo choked on his sobs as he answered the monk. "She's been gone with him for an hour! I don't know what to do, daddy...help her, please!" Shippo latched onto Inuyasha's pants leg and cried.

Inuyasha gulped. "Shippo..." he whispered. "It's all right. I'm here now. Kagome is going to be fine..." Shippo's words rang in his ears as he busted the door down. Shippo was depending on him now. Shippo had asked him for help. Shippo had called him 'daddy'...and he didn't intend to let him or Kagome down.

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A/N: Well, that's it for chapter nine! This one will be concluding soon! Please review and let me know what you think:D