Okay. I know all of you are going to kill me for taking so long on this, but I hope that you won't since I have finally, finally updated Unforgettable! Seeing as how I found my book again and I have the next two days off to do what I wish, I will probably be working on this story quite a bit. It helps a lot that I actually have a reference for this story, though I generally try to put their conversations into my own words. The only things you will probably see that stay true to the book (besides the plot that is) are the clothes, since I have absolutely no idea what things are called. So I will be following the book cloesly and using the clothes worn in it, though there might be some color changes. I don't know, I'll have to see how it goes. Anyway, I'm sorry I took so long to update (definitely over a year) but I hope this makes up for the long wait.

Disclaimer: This story is not of my own creation. It was written by an author by the name of Madeline Baker and the plot is all her's. I also don't own Kurama, nor Kagome, nor any characters that may show up from either YYH or INU!

The Bodie Bell

Chapter 7

All thoughts of Kurama's eminent demise drifted to the back of her distraught mind, preferring to speculate about her own chances of survival. After all his fate had already been decided…she knew…she'd seen him and there was really nothing she could do to stop the inevitable from happening, much as she would have liked to. Having met the ghost of the very man she was now standing with, Kagome was acutely aware that her heart kept urging her to help him, find someway to help him escape his horrible fate. Absently the girl thought inwardly as she fluffed her skirts subconsciously, wondering if such a thing was even possible. Could she really change history? Could she pull off the impossible and aid a doomed man? Would he even believe her should she be forced to expose him to the disastrous truth? And what would the repercussions be should she succeed in helping this handsome and virile man? Would history be changed so drastically?

"Penny for your thoughts?" Kurama drawled from his seat across from the gorgeous lady, admiring the soft tilt of the woman's head as she sat drifting away in thought. Although Kurama enjoyed seeing her this way, lost in thought and adorably cute, he still had many questions to ask, though the much darker portion of his persona urged him that he simply wanted her attention directed to himself. She was a rather becoming lady and it irked him some what that she had yet to be completely unraveled by his presence like so many of the other women surrounding him.

Kagome's head snapped up with a flourish and moment passed before a flustered blush slid across her already rosy cheeks. "What? Oh nothing I was just, uh, just…." Kagome hurriedly snapped up her menu, eyes moving rapidly over the context. "I was just wondering what kind of pie to order."

"Well," Kurama spoke slowly, tongue in cheek, amusement clear in his deep, hungry eyes, "there are normally only two kinds of pies…apple or apple."

"Well then I guess that's what I'll be ordering," she sniffed daintily, grinning back at him amusingly. He chuckled slightly as their eyes met and held, glad that he finally captured her attention.

Their food came surprisingly fast and Kagome was clearly impressed with Kurama's ability to eat everything the serving ladies threw at him, surprised that he wasn't as fat as a pig with all that he packed away.

"So…are you working the tables tonight?" Kagome asked curiously of the black jack dealer, wondering if he would let her see his old business The Bodie Bell or, more importantly, this mysterious girl, Koharu. After all the only time she'd been inside the saloon was practically 100 years later…better known as yesterday.

"My boss is expecting me around eight at the Queen, I suppose," he answered easily. "Why?"

"Because I'd like to see the Bodie Bell." Kagome's reply was swift and immediate. Kurama raised an eyebrow, wondering what on earth could be so interesting about the Bell. After all, after you've seen one saloon, you've seen them all, right? But he shrugged anyway and agreed to take her there.

"Sure, darlin'"

Kurama paid the bill and was soon leading Kagome towards her destination of choice; the infamous Bodie Bell. Kagome was surprised when her palms began to itch in nervous anticipation of what she may discover tonight and her heart seemed to be beating right out of her chest. What she saw astounded her as soon as she stepped foot in the jam-packed building. The Bodie Bell was decorated with red and black décor. The colors was immaculate and striking, if a little loud and bold, but Kagome figured that was probably the idea. Between the colors and the noise, she was sure no one could fall asleep over their cards.

The place was crowded, as was expected, packed full of miners, saloon girls, and more, but Kagome was most surprised to learn she was almost used to the crowd. Kagome was in the process of hungrily taking in the unbelievable sights, smells, sounds, and people when Kurama spotted an empty table and nabbed it, steering her with him by her elbow. Kagome followed him easily, maneuvering her willowy body between many chairs and still many more people and took the chair provided for her when he reached their table and shoved back her chair. He's such a gentleman, Kagome thought taking a seat graciously and with a smile of thanks, marveling over this enigmatic man. He had been so nice to her, not to mention so accommodating. She knew she would never be able to repay him for all his kindness thus far.

A short time later, a pretty girl with short brown hair and equally doe brown eyes, sporting a short red dress and black stockings, ambled over to their table, practically grinning from ear to ear when she spotted the man on Kagome's right.

"Hey, Kurama!" She called excitedly. "It's been so log since I've seen you. Where have you been?"

"Hello, Keiko. How have you been?" He shot her a wide smile, full of gleaming white teeth.

Kagome noticed the shorter girl slump a bit and start grumbling about her job and how Koharu kept getting on her about stuff. She almost felt sorry for the girl; almost, until she caught the hand situated on Kurama's upper arm.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Miss Keiko," the red head replied, while carefully removing the girl's hand.

The saloon girl shrugged then smiled. "So what will you two be having?"

"The usual," Kurama shrugged carelessly and both turned to Kagome.

"A beer," Kagome replied almost instantly before returning to her thoughts.

Keiko…That had been the name of the girl Kagome remembered reading about in Koharu's journal, the one Kurama's partner had been so desperately jealous of.

Kagome was so into her thoughts that she didn't register anything around her until, Kurama casually brushed her shoulder with one of his finely-boned hands. "Is something the matter, Kagome?" He asked and Kagome found herself wanting to call that hand back to her side, to let those long fingers find their way into her hair, around the back of her neck…and under her clothes.

Kagome's head snapped up, long, inky blue-black hair following the rapid movements and swinging forward to shade the portion of her face currently inflamed. But the pretty woman simply blinked her blue eyes and pushed the long, wayward strands back behind her head, shooting Kurama an innocent smile.

"No. Why?"

Kurama's eyes burned into her own and he frowned suspiciously. "You were looking at her as if you knew her from somewhere."

"Oh!" Kagome cried, startling the man a bit, causing his cowboy hat to fly back a bit and release a few strands of red. For a moment the woman from the future envisioned herself running her hands freely through his hair, but brushed the thought aside when she knew he awaited her answer. "No, I was just…admiring her hair. It's very pretty."

It was a lame excuse. And Kagome wasn't sure, but the man beside her didn't look half as convinced as she would have liked, but she was content with her explanation when he seemed to drop the subject in favor of watching their saloon girl return with their drinks. Indeed Keiko was returning with a shot of whiskey for Kurama and a glass of beer for Kagome. Kagome was almost shocked, but more amused, when the woman leaned forward, showing quite a bit of cleavage, and spoke softly in the dealer's ear. "I'll be home by midnight if you'd like to swing by."

Kurama caught Kagome's wide-eyed ocean blue eyes and somewhat mocking smile and winked as if to say, what can I do?

Kagome opened her mouth to tease him just a little when another woman came storming up to their table, sashaying around other guests, and hurrying towards the group, dark, brown eyes flashing angrily as she took in the sight of the floozy on Kurama's arm. Kagome noticed the woman wore an expensive-looking low-cut wine, red dress and matching slippers on her dainty feet. A gold locket lay nestled in the hollow of her throat and Kagome figured it was probably the one Kurama had given to her for her birthday.

"I'm not paying you to stand around and throw yourself in the customer's arms, Keiko Yukimura!" The woman cried.

All watching spectators raised their eyes a bit while Keiko simply turned to the smoldering woman and sent her a scandalizing smirk. "Funny; I thought you were. Or…perhaps it's only this customer you are referring to."

Kagome thought both ladies were going to explode right through the damn floor or burn the entire place down with all the heat generating between the two. Koharu's face flashed red and she thrust out her hand toward the exit. "That's it! Get out!"

That's when Kurama decided to step in, planting a foot between the two doves. "Now, hold on a minute here ladies-"

"YOU are no longer the boss around here, Kurama!" Koharu interrupted boisterously before turning back to the floozy in the process of getting canned. "Get out, Keiko, and don't come back."

Kurama laid a calming hand on the shaking girl and whispered softly. "Yusuke's looking for girls across the way. Tell him I sent you and he'll accept you right away."

Keiko's anger was instantly forgotten as she smiled gratefully at the handsome, green-eyed devil and then shot her former boss a mocking smile before departing. "See ya' 'round, Koharu…Kurama, honey."

Kurama's lips tightened but he nodded and waited until the other woman had gone before turning back to his old partner. "That was uncalled for," he told the still smoldering Dame.

"And why is that any of your business?" The girl demanded.

Kurama shrugged carelessly, clearly dismissing her. "It's not, good afternoon."

"No wait!" Koharu protested, face white with fear and stress as Kurama got up from his chair and began walking away. "Come on, Kagome," he whispered a breath away from her ear. "We are apparently not welcomed here."

"Kurama!"

Once outside and away from the party, Kurama turned to the woman on his arm and apologized. "I'm sorry about all that."

"It's okay," Kagome shrugged, although it did serve to make her more acutely aware of the red head's affect upon the women of this town. From what she had seen and heard, Koharu was clearly in love with Kurama, though the beautiful male refused to see it. Or perhaps that wasn't it at all. Perhaps he did see it and simply chose to view the younger woman's love as a simple passing fluke, young love or something to that affect.

"No, no, I should have known better than to go in there but I thought…oh, hell, it doesn't matter any more. Come with me and I will walk you back to the hotel." They walked the whole way back in silence, content to simply amble along and let the night breathe around them.

Kagome was left at her door that night and she found herself standing by the window and watching as Shuichi Minamino's back disappeared from radar as shadow erased his body, making it appear as he had simply…disappeared. Sighing tiredly to herself and rubbing the arms of her weary body, Kagome shrugged off the boots and stockings she wore, deciding that they weren't as bad as she first thought. In fact, they were, dare she think it, slightly cute, though a slight pain on her squashed toes. The raven-haired woman giggled to herself as she sat there wiggling her toes, wondering how this all came to pass. She was actually living in the past, breathing in its air, and taking in all the wonders of its people and places. Kagome allowed her body to drift back and fall upon the mattress, closing her blue orbs behind a curtain of satin lashes.

Almost instantaneously, an image of Kurama appeared in her mind. Kami, but he could be a poster boy for all males alive. It was his eyes that captured her attention the most; the way they looked at her as if she were the center of his universe. They were so deep, so dark, so captivating and exhilarating. It was simply amazing to her how after just one dark smoldering look from him was all it took for her to practically melt into a pile of goop. It was those same eyes that made her wonder what sort of secrets he kept, what sort of dark truths he beheld from her and everyone else. Obviously just living the life he led, immersed him in the darker side of life, no doubt he was no stranger to pain or death. But the way he'd kissed her, with such passion, with such promise. Kagome's body shook with the memory of his big hands on her, her dirty mind taking her onto a path she knew she did not wish to travel.

Still, like it or not, she was attracted to him, she could not deny that fact. When she was with him, everything just seemed to fade away. He was far and away too handsome and too charming for his own good…and for hers as well. If she wasn't careful she would end up falling in…

With another exhausted sigh, Kagome turned over onto her side, her head and hair pillowed on her hand. This wasn't fair. She shouldn't be feeling this. And Kurama was just a man, no different from any other…and yet, her mind informed her she was lying to herself. She had never felt anything like this before…not ever for her own husband. She felt shivery and excited, as if something were about to happen…something wildly wonderful or some marvelous discovery.

And yet, Kagome had to wonder; why, of all people, out of all the hundreds of visitors that visit Body every year, why had she been the one to see the ghost of Shuichi Minamino? Why had she been chosen to look into his eyes, feel his hurt…feel his pain? It was as if…he were waiting for her.

And that's it for that chapter. Next chapter should be a little bit more interesting because you'll get to see what Kurama's really like when he's with his buddies...plus you'll get to see how Kagome does dealing with the big boys. That chapter update should be just as long as this one, though I am sorry this isn't as long as some previous chapters. It's a little hard when you're trying to do right by the book. So you have to break some things up to make the story fit right. Anyway, uh I do have to say I've corrected one thing about this story. In the 3rd chapter, I made mention of a woman named Maddie Brown before, but have since changed it yo Keiko's name. Oh, and I'm sorry for making Keiko a floozy...wait, no I'm not! Anyway, I just needed to use characters from YYH and she's the first one I thought of. Hopefully, it won't offend people because I assure you there are more floozies to come. I hope you all like this update, hope to update more for you later. Please remember to read and review and I promise I'll try to get more out tomorrow.

Ja ne.

Kurakitsune