-1Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha and his pals. Rumiko Takahashi does.

Chapter 4

Last time:

Inuyasha sat thinking for a while after Kaede returned to check on Rin and Jaken. Kagome's world could be a rather intimidating place with all those awful, nauseating smells and strange devices. Sesshomaru was probably fighting hard to keep his last meal down, if he hadn't lost it already because of his sensitive nose. Inuyasha could just imagine what an ass his big brother would make of himself in the modern world.

For the first time, the thought of Sesshomaru being in Kagome's time actually put a smile on his face.

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Sesshomaru's head felt as though a horde of demons were pounding inside it, and his stomach desperately wanted to empty itself. At least he had finally found a place that was quiet, though the smell of death, humans and that vile spray the miko had tried to poison him with lingered.

He had thought she was unconscious when an overwhelming odor exploded in his face. His nostrils had burned and his vision blurred as the offensive cloud had assaulted his sensitive nose. All he could think was to remove himself from that- that- torture. He had felt himself strike a wall as consciousness threatened to escape him. No, he was a demon lord. He would not be overpowered by a simple stench. Never in all his years had he felt so angry, yet bewildered.

He silently cursed the miko for bringing him to this low. His memory failed him, though he knew that he owed both this woman and his brother a life debt. As lord of the Western Lands, he had prided himself on relying on his own supreme power. Had his father not died defending that mortal woman and Inuyasha, he would have defeated him as well, for he no longer needed his father's power and title to protect him.

And yet again, he found himself in an awkward dilemma because of a mortal woman and that half-breed. Sesshomaru's hatred battled with strange new feelings that his forgotten experience had roused. For the moment he had decided on a truce. Neither of them was worth the loss of his honor, so he would repay his debt. Besides, he could easily kill them later if he felt the need.

He glanced over at the still form of the miko and the woman bent over her. The smell of her tears was adding to the already jumbled smell of the air. Humans were so pathetic, so weak.

"Cease your crying, wench. Enough of that noise," he ordered. "Have I not told you I will not allow her to die?"

Sesshomaru heard a few more strangled sobs, then sweet silence. Ignoring the woman now, he focused on the miko. He did not understand her unusual behavior, though now that he had seen this world, or as her mother had put it their "time," she did not seem quite so strange. Time and time again she defied him, endangering herself by interfering in the battles between himself and the half-breed. Anger boiled within him at the thought of her audacity, yet he could not help the twinge of respect that mingled with it. Few mortals would even have survived the loss of blood she had sustained, yet she had fought her way back to consciousness to defend her pack. Yet even then, she had been reluctant to kill him.

'She has a strength of spirit much like Inuyasha,' he thought to himself, before realizing exactly what such a thought suggested. 'Do I really believe that hanyou has a strength of spirit? Or is it perhaps a result of the miko's recent influence over my emotions?'

Perhaps that influence was why he had not slain the mortal that had dared lay a hand on him while they rode inside the enchanted carriage. He had not been pleased to find he would have to leave the miko in the hands of those mortals, but when her mother had assured him that this other device would allow them to follow, he had consented. Her promise that the "taxi" would smell less, had also been an enticing argument.

Apparently, the woman had no idea of how excellent his sense of smell truly was. Before he had even approached the thing, his nose had told him that these creatures were the source of the smoke-like stench he had detected when he arrived. Sliding inside was like plunging himself into raw sewage. The stink of humans and various things he could not identify filled the air like a tangible cloud. Worse, he found two other humans still inside. It had tested his restraint to its limits to suffer their presence. Even now, the thought still made his stomach turn.

Taking a deep breath, Sesshomaru redirected his focus to the variety of strange objects that filled this tiny room. He had to purge his mind of those recollections to calm his stomach. The walls were mostly bare and sterile. A cabinet hung above a small counter in the far corner. A number of curious metal objects and large, glass jars holding other odd things were stacked neatly on top. Beside it, attached to the wall, was another of the strange voice-producing items like the miko's mother had used to send for the "ambulance."

He lifted one section from the other and studied it closely. A low humming seemed to come from within it, but no voices. On the verge of commanding it to speak, Sesshomaru suddenly smelled a couple of humans just outside the door. In a flash he had positioned himself in front of the miko so that any that dared enter the room would be met first by him.

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Inuyasha returned to the roof of Kaede's hut where he sat staring intensely toward the well. Had there been anyone watching the hanyou, they would have immediately ducked their heads and hurried past for fear of the anger smoldering in his golden eyes. Yet if they were brave enough to watch a little longer, they would have seen faint smiles twist his lips every now and again as though something very pleasing had just crossed his mind.

And in truth, Inuyasha was thinking some very pleasing thoughts, at least for him anyways. It had started with the innocent thought of what would happen if Sesshomaru managed to encounter any cars while in Kagome's time. This led to a delightful image of an especially durable car racing over his smug brother's face. The car became a bus, and then one of those train things Kagome had told him about. He did not allow the vehicles to kill Sesshomaru, however. The delight faded.

That will be Tetsusaiga's pleasure, he thought to himself.

A white haired pup with wide golden eyes and an eager look on his face interrupted Inuyasha's thoughts. The little demon looked up at him, trying to imitate what the hanyou was doing.

Inuyasha growled and shouted out, "Will you go away!"

To his surprise, a voice answered. "Nay, Inuyasha, this is my hut. If ye want to be alone, ye should leave, not I."

"Oh, shut up, you old hag," Inuyasha grumbled. His cheeks nearly matched his fire rat. "I wasn't talking to you."

He heard the old woman sigh as she passed back into her hut. He twitched his ears angrily, and began to bounce his leg with the pent up energy of one who's used to doing things, rather than thinking about them.

"He will come for me, my dear lord. I will not fear, I will not be alone because I have my dear lord, Sesshomaru," a soft, child's voice began to sing. Rin skipped out of Kaede's and began to hop on one foot as she sang a rambling song about how caring and protective Sesshomaru was.

Curious, Inuyasha abandoned his perch and followed the girl. She happily made her way over to his brother's dragon and began to gather tufts of grass which she fed to it as she sang.

Her song ceased as suddenly as it began, and she asked, "Why do you and Sesshomaru-sama not get along?"

"Hmph," Inuyasha replied, folding his hands into the sleeves of his kimono. "Why don't you ask him?"

"Oh, Sesshomaru-sama does not like to talk about you," Rin replied quite pleasantly.

"The bastard doesn't like to talk period. Why do follow him, anyways? You could find a nice, quiet human village to live in?"

"Oh, I could never leave my lord. He takes care of me. And if I were to leave him, then he'd be all alone with Master Jaken again," Rin replied quickly.

Inuyasha had to laugh. His brother did have to have some amount of patience to put up with that annoying imp he called a retainer. He'd take the cowardly Myoga over Jaken any day.

Deciding to try to root out some information on his brother, Inuyasha softened his tone and asked, "So, what were you doing around here? My brother usually doesn't like to hang around one place for very long."

Rin frowned and told him, "I don't know. He went away several days ago and did not come back for almost two days. Since then we have been staying near the forest. Master Jaken complains about smelling you around here so much and has asked to move on several times, but Sesshomaru-sama will not answer him. Then just this morning he told Master Jaken to keep me safe, then disappeared."

"Hmph, you've got guts, kid. You ever think that one of these times he might not come back?" Inuyasha retorted unable to keep the harshness from his voice.

That did not phase Rin. She just smiled and giggled as though he had said the most absurd thing in the world. "Of course not, he'll come, he always comes for me."

Inuyasha just shook his head in wonder. He didn't know what if anything Sesshomaru felt for the pup, but it was obvious she cared a great deal for him.

"Will you play with me, Inuyasha-sama? Let's race back to the village?" Rin suddenly exclaimed.

Inuyasha sniffed, and stuck his nose in the air. "Feh, like you could beat me, you're just a- huh?"

Rin's laughter rang out from a good distance away. She called over her shoulder, "Why are you still standing there, Inuyasha-sama? You're even slower than Master Jaken!"

Inuyasha jumped in mock anger and shook his fist in the air. "Why that's cheating you little pup! You just wait until I catch you!"

Rin only squealed with delight and ran even faster. Inuyasha growled and pounced at her, purposefully missing so she could turn and run laughing to get away from him. By the time Rin was panting for breath, Inuyasha was bubbling with laughter.

She smiled broadly at him then went to sit in front of Kaede's hut. "That was fun, Inuyasha-sama. You are much better than Master Jaken."

Inuyasha beamed at her praise. She wasn't such a bad pup after all. Not to mention she had better manners than Shippo.

"Wait here, I'll be right back," Inuyasha told her then ducked quickly into Kaede's hut and began to rummage through the stack of things Kagome had left for him, Shippo and the others while she was in her own time. Carelessly, he tossed aside colors and papers, some of which bore the little fox demon's crude drawings. His hand lit upon a small paper box.

Triumphantly, he returned to Rin, who to his surprise, had remained exactly where he told her. "This game is one Kagome taught us. Shippo likes it a lot, so I bet a pup like you would also. It's called Go Fish, and I know it sounds strange, but it doesn't involve any fishing at all." He quickly explained the rules as best he could remember and dealt out what he figured was a good number of cards (he had forgotten exactly how many they were supposed to get).

"Now don't feel bad if you don't win at first," Inuyasha warned her. He held his cards expertly in his clawed hands and peeked over the top down at Rin who had a look of serious concentration on her face. "It took me a while to learn the rules, but now I'm pretty good. You'll catch on eventually."

"Okay, Inuyasha-sama," she answered without looking up. "So, do you have any threes?"

Kaede sat inside her hut repairing an old kimono that had been torn. When the sun began to set, she lit a fire to aid her eyes. Jaken lay resting in a corner, clutching his staff like a child's blanket. However her focus was not on the demon, but the hanyou and child playing cards just outside her door. She smiled to herself as she watched their exchange. Inuyasha was apparently not doing so well, because his ears were twitching furiously and she could hear him growling.

Rin's pleasant laughter rang out and she exclaimed happily, "I win again, Inuyash-sama! Now you owe me sixty gold coins, and some of Kagome's candy!"

Inuyasha's temper flared. He jumped up and tossed the cards to the ground like a three-year-old throwing a tantrum. He then pointed a claw at the girl and shouted, "Damn it! You have to be cheating! There's no damn way you could beat me that many times, when I'm the one that taught you how to play the fucking game! I quit!"

"Inuyasha!" Kaede said sharply. "Ye need to mind your foul tongue in the presence of the child. Besides, it is just a game."

"Feh, butt out, old hag," Inuyasha snapped at her. "That pup's the one who's been cheating. Why don't you lecture her?" With that he stormed off into the fields, still grumbling and growling beneath his breath.

"Pay him no heed, Rin. His bark is much worse than his bite, but he is a kind dog," Kaede told the girl who still sat holding her cards.

To Kaede's surprise, Rin looked up at her with a grin on her face. "He is so funny. He is just mad because I won all his money and some of Kagome's candy. I guess I'm pretty good at the fucking game."

Kaede shook her head and thought to herself, Sesshomaru has yet another reason to hate Inuyasha.

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Mrs. Higurashi started at Sesshomaru's sudden movement. One moment he'd been studying the telephone, then the next he's standing between her and the door. All she could see was a curtain of silver hair and the long, fur that the demon wore draped over his shoulder. A second later, she heard the door open and a rather confused voice ask, "Higurashi, Kagome?"

Afraid of what the demon might do to the doctor, she peeked around him and answered, "Yes, doctor, that's my daughter."

What she saw when she moved did not make her feel any better. This doctor, a tall, thin man with hair that was graying around the temples and the stern face of a man who was used to receiving respect, looked down his nose at Sesshomaru wearing a thinly veiled look of disgust. He wore his long, white coat importantly, as though it were a badge of high office.

Sesshomaru did not appear impressed by this. His face did not reflect any emotion at all as his golden gaze met the doctor's without even blinking. At first glance, the demon seemed disinterested, but the quick light of intelligence gleamed in his eyes, a sign that his mind was quickly processing the man before him and establishing his own dominance at the same time.

The doctor shifted uncomfortably, and dropped his gaze to the clipboard. The demon finally blinked. Mrs. Higurashi realized this meant he had taken this gesture as a sign of submission, but she also knew the doctor had no intention of backing down to Sesshomaru yet. The doctor's intimidation had obviously failed, so the next tactic turned out to be ignoring the demon. A nervous knot began to form in the pit of her stomach.

"Of course, well, the paramedics' report says the wounds weren't deep, but they'll need stitching," the doctor began as he quickly sidestepped the demon, and turned his full attention to Kagome and her mother.

Mrs. Higurashi shot a nervous glance at Sesshomaru who apparently gave no more thought to the man, than to an annoying insect. He moved his gaze the nurse who had followed the doctor inside, but he must have found her no threat at all and lost interest almost immediately. Unfortunately, the nurse showed no signs of losing interest in Sesshomaru. Her smile had become much softer and her movements much more flowing and sensual. Mrs. Higurashi even thought she saw her wink at him once.

"Will- will she be okay, doctor?" Kagome's mother asked, quickly trying to draw focus away from the foolish woman.

"Oh, she'll be fine, Mrs. Higurashi," the doctor assured her without looking up from the clipboard. "As long as I stitch her up, and we start a blood transfusion right away. The nurse here has the paperwork for you to sign, and I'll get started."

Mrs. Higurashi was about to nod and had taken the papers from the nurse when Sesshomaru suddenly asked, "What is this 'blood transfusion'?"

The doctor arched an eyebrow at Mrs. Higurashi, then looking back at the demon with a renewed smirk, asked, "Are you serious?"

Sesshomaru said nothing, but stared at the doctor coldly.

A rather smug expression twisted the doctor's features even more and he practically hissed, "Oh, you are serious." He lifted his chin so he could look down his nose at Sesshomaru who stood at equal height, but Sesshomaru gave no visible response other than to flex his claws.

"Well," the doctor continued as though he were addressing a small child. "A blood transfusion involves pumping blood into someone intravenously to replace what they've lost."

Sesshomaru blinked in surprise then said, "So, you would kill one mortal to save another? Interesting. I must see this sacrifice before I deem it worthy to combine its blood with the woman's."

It was the doctor's turn to be surprised, though he did not hide so well as Sesshomaru. "Kill? You have a strange sense of humor. We don't kill anyone. People donate small amounts of their blood and we store it. There's no way to know who the blood belongs to."

The idea did not seem to please Sesshomaru at all. "Unacceptable. I forbid it," he stated flatly. Kagome's mother gasped in horror.

This time the doctor actually laughed. "Is this some kind of a joke? You- forbid it- ha! Who are you to have any say over this girl?" He narrowed his eyes and leaned toward Sesshomaru's face. "You don't look like a relative, and you're definitely no doctor or you'd know that without a transfusion there's a good chance she'll die."

Mrs. Higurashi felt tears forming as she followed this exchange like the ball in a tennis match.

"I will not allow it," Sesshomaru reiterated and he narrowed his eyes at the doctor. Mrs. Higurashi felt chills down her spine, and had to wonder, Not allow what? The transfusion? Or Kagome's death?

Sensing the need to cool the situation, Mrs. Higurashi quickly intervened. "Oh, he's her fiancé. He's an actor, and came straight from a rehearsal to be with her. He can just be a little overprotective."

She thought she heard a disappointed whine from the nurse, but the doctor only insisted, "She must have a transfusion."

"I will not permit you to taint her blood with that of random human filth," Sesshomaru argued. "If you must use blood, take it from someone of her pack. This female is her mother. Her blood is acceptable."

Kagome's mother shook her head sadly and said, "I would, but my blood is not a match."

"The old one, then?"

"No, none of us is a match," she told him, on the verge of tears yet again. Why was he being this way?

Sesshomaru's golden eyes narrowed even further and his flexed his claws as though preparing to attack. Mrs. Higurashi shivered involuntarily. The demon looked angry. She braced herself for the violent attack, but he simply lifted his hand and began to stroke his fur thoughtfully. .

He looked at the doctor and said quietly, "Then she shall take my blood. You will not need much, for mine is very powerful."

"Well, I guess we could test it and see if it is a match, but if it's not, we'll have to use our stores," the doctor replied hesitantly.

"It will more than suffice," Sesshomaru stated.

"Nurse, get me a-" the doctor could not finish his request because Sesshomaru interrupted.

"Test if you will." He extended his palm towards them, and faster than the human eye could follow, he flicked his claw across the pale flesh, opening a crimson gash. Blood began to pool.

"What the hell? Nurse!" the doctor quickly exclaimed when he realized what Sesshomaru had done.

Just as shocked, the nurse scrambled for a vial and held it out. Sesshomaru closed his hand into a fist and turned it so a narrow stream of blood filled the container. Once it was full, he withdrew his hand.

"I'll take this to the lab," the doctor said curtly, snatching the sample from the nurse. "And nurse, bandage his hand, then explain to him how we usually draw blood." The doctor looked at Sesshomaru once more before bowing stiffly and exiting the room.

The nurse retrieved a bandage from the counter and tried to catch Sesshomaru's hand. Jerking way, he said, "I need no human aid, wench."

"Fine," she snapped at him, then turned back to Kagome's mother. "Mrs. Higurashi, you need to fill out that paperwork then turn it in at the main desk." She shot Sesshomaru an affronted glare and added, "Once we've gotten the blood work settled, you'll both need to return to the waiting room. Good day."

Mrs. Higurashi clutched the papers and forms to her chest once she was alone with the demon and an unconscious Kagome again. She could not help but stare at the passionless face of the demon as he watched the door as though he could still see the nurse. Could this be the same demon her daughter and Inuyasha had faced so often? The one that had tried to kill both over a sword?

He lifted his hand and ran his tongue quickly over the slight wound, cleaning the blood from it. She giggled softly, reminded of a puppy licking its paw. Perhaps he was a little more like Inuyasha than she thought. For a moment she had been afraid he would kill the doctor, but he had restrained himself. Then he had offered his own blood to save her daughter. Tears of gratitude moistened her cheeks.

As though he could sense her feelings, the demon glanced at her through the corner of his eyes and said, "Keep your tears to yourself, wench. Do not mistake my actions for compassion."

"But why?" she pressed. "Why did you offer your own blood, to save her if you do not care? Why not let her use what's in the blood bank or die?"

His emotionless response, chilled her. "How would it profit me to allow her to die or her pure spirit to be tainted? What would be the purpose of losing my honor because of a weak mortal? I refuse to be shamed by a pathetic human girl. It would be a pointless waste."

The doctor returned in a short time, his face flushed with excitement that he tried to hide. His haughty demeanor had become rather wheedling and docile. A different nurse followed him this time, carrying the tubes and needles they would need for a transfusion. She eyed Sesshomaru with a hostile wariness that suggested the other nurse had been busily gossiping about the handsome, but rude stranger. A technician pushed another small hospital bed in next to Kagome's, then hurried back out.

"Well, Mr. --" he waited for Sesshomaru to supply his name. Sesshomaru just stared at him. "Well, you were right about your blood, so if I could get you to lie down here next to Kagome, we'll get started." He reached for Tokijin and Tenseiga that hung at the demon's waist as he added. "Um, you might want to remove those props and that costume armor to make yourself more comfortable. We have juice and snacks if you start to feel a little light headed, which I'm sure you will since I take it you've never given blood before."

Faster than any of the humans could see, Sesshomaru had the doctor lifted above his head with his claws pressed against the throbbing point of his pulse. The man choked and gagged as he tried to pry the demon's grip loose. The nurse let out a sharp scream and backed into a corner.

"I have agreed to your transfusion, but do not presume to think you can tell me what to do. Your touch will not defile my Tokijin or my father's fang. I remain dressed as I am. Is this understood?"

The doctor gasped and nodded. Apparently satisfied, Sesshomaru dropped him and moved back beside Kagome, extending his right arm. The doctor rubbed his throat and nodded at the frightened nurse. "Let him do what he wants, just get that iv into them."

Clearly terrified, the nurse's hands were shaking as she put a needle into to Kagome's right arm, taping it in place once she was done. Mrs. Higurashi laid a hand on her and said, "You'll be okay. He won't hurt you. He's just extremely protective."

Sesshomaru seemed unaware of or unconcerned by the fear he had inspired. The nurse quietly moved over to him and asked, "W- would you like to lie down, sir?"

"No, but if it will make you work faster, I shall comply," Sesshomaru told her. He eased himself onto the bed, but did not lay back. His hair spilled over his back and shoulders and his fur trailed to the floor. He extended his right arm again.

The nurse shook her head and reached for his other sleeve as she explained, "We need to use this arm because the tube won't reach- "

She fell silent when her hand found only air. Mrs. Higurashi gasped, as it dawned on her. All this time, he had only used his right arm. When he carried Kagome, it was only with one arm. He had used that fur to hold her when she attacked him because Kagome had been in his right arm. It was as though she were looking at him for the first time. The sleeve of his kimono hung limply like an empty sack as the nurse felt for his arm.

They both gasped, and the doctor looked closely with a renewed interest.

"That discarded arm is no longer of use to any," he told them evenly. He then reached up and slid the sleeve of his kimono from his shoulder, revealing part of the smooth, pale flesh of his chest and the stump that remained of his left arm.

"Oh, my, how did you loose it?" the nurse asked, forgetting her fear out of curiosity. "You poor dear, it doesn't even look like you had it stitched up properly."

Sesshomaru adjusted his sleeve to cover himself and extended his right arm to her again. "I encountered a rogue dog a while ago. Keep your useless pity to yourself and proceed with this 'transfusion'," he told her.

The nurse complied wordlessly. He watched with mild curiosity as the needle went into his arm and she taped it down Then she attached a tubing that connected their arms and started the blood-flow. The three humans watched intrigued by the demon's reaction. Sesshomaru closed his eyes and seemed to be measuring the flow of his own blood. Kagome began to regain color instantly. Only a minute or two later, he lifted the needle and tubing to his mouth and ripped it out with his fangs.

Mrs. Higurashi let out a startled squeak as he did the same to Kagome. She hoped the others had not seen his eyes blazing a fierce red or felt the sudden breeze that swept through the room as his demonic aura flared. The red marks on his cheeks even seemed to grow longer and he kept his fangs bared. He licked the wounds on both their arms, and a low growl rumbled in his chest.

He closed his eyes and he took a few deep breaths before opening them again. When he did, they had returned to their usual amber. The nurse quickly tried to pretend she had not seen anything, and the doctor's face contorted with an excited glee, much a child on Christmas morning.

Mrs. Higurashi studied the demon's face closely. Slight as it was, she caught a look of bewilderment there, as though he did not fully understand his own actions. He looked down at Kagome and said, "This transfusion is complete. You have no more need of my blood, correct?"

The doctor tried to suppress his smile and shook his head. "No, no, young man. It is time to stitch up her wounds then let her rest. I'll let you both know once I'm done so you can see her. For now you, sir, should get some rest in the waiting room." He let out a tense laugh. "Giving blood always makes you a little weaker than you'd think. And Mrs. Higurashi, you'll need to take that paperwork down to the main desk and have your daughter officially admitted."

He turned to the still shaken nurse and ordered, "Nurse, show them to the main desk and tell them how to find the waiting room and the restaurants in case our silver-haired friend here needs to restore his energy."

The nurse bowed and replied, "Yes, doctor." To Sesshomaru and Mrs. Higurashi she said, "Come this way, please."

Mrs. Higurashi had to wonder if the demon was feeling a little light-headed from giving blood because he followed the nurse without a sound of protest. She was even more surprised when she felt his fur brush her side and his hot breath on her ear as he whispered, "The healer lies. I suggest you explain to me exactly what is meant by the testing of blood, those contracts you must sign and what you meant by 'your time,' or I shall have no alternative but to eliminate that deceitful snake."

Mrs. Higurashi considered his words. Summoning her courage, she looked up directly into his stoic face and replied, "I will tell you what I can, but I expect the same from you. How did you get here? What is your interest in my daughter? And why is your honor at stake?"