A/N: Sadly, this story's almost over. Next chapter is most likely the last one. But let's not be depressing; so, onward!

Disclaimer: I own nothing. I wish I owned Inuyasha and X-Men, but I don't. I'm borrowing.

Chance Encounters: Chapter 6

Inuyasha woke the next morning just after sunrise, his arms still securely wrapped around Kagome, the fingers of his right hand still tangled in her raven hair. Judging from her scent, she was still asleep. Then he realized that she hadn't had a nightmare the night before; at least not one that frightened her enough to wake him. For some reason, though, that knowledge did very little, if anything, to calm him. I don't know why, but somethin' still don't feel right. Her being nightmare-free might be a bad thing. Just what I don't need. He thought begrudgingly. He briefly considered getting up, but then he thought better of it. He was comfortable, but, more importantly, so was she. So he stayed right where he was until she woke up; nearly two and a half hours later. Surprisingly, he wasn't really bored; he felt...content. Which, of course, he decided to ignore.

Kagome woke slowly around 8:00 am that morning, discovering, much to her surprise, that she was still thoroughly wrapped in Inuyasha's arms. Don't let yourself think too hard about that one, girl. He was just being protective, he does it all the time. He doesn't actually...with a shake of her head, she looked up so she could sort of meet his eyes. "Good morning, Inuyasha. I'm sorry again, about last night."

"Keh. Don't apologize, stupid. So you were upset; ain't like you've got no reason to be afraid. How'd you sleep?"

"Great, actually. I didn't have any nightmares last night. You?"

"Fine." He looked away, his gaze fixing on the ceiling, thoughts returning to his earlier contemplations.

"Inuyasha?"

"It's nothin'." pausing, he added, "We got company again."

"I'll get it; if that's ok." When he nodded, he reluctantly released her and she - equally reluctantly - got up and crossed to the door just as someone knocked softly on it. Behind her, Inuyasha stood and returned the Tetsusaiga to its proper place at his hip, and then he crossed his arms and waited.

Jean was at the door with two more white bath robes and a smile. "Sorry about our intrusion last night; did you sleep well?"

"I slept great, actually; and it's ok, we know you were only worried. I'm sorry I worried you. Thanks so much." She added, taking the robes from Jean once again. Jean nodded, and then finished with a reminder that breakfast would be at 9:30 again, and then she left. Kagome shut and locked the door behind her and turned around, holding a robe out to Inuyasha. He shook his head.

"I don't want to use that 'shower' thing today. If we're still here tomorrow, I'll use it then. You go ahead."

"Suit yourself. I'll be back in a little while; will you still be here when I'm done?" She asked, pausing in the doorway to the bathroom and looking at him over her shoulder.

"Keh, of course I will. Now hurry up." She smiled and shut the door behind her. A few moments later, he heard the water turn on and the 'curtain' being drawn shut. With a sigh of resignation, he plopped down on the floor at the foot of the bed, arms and legs crossed and his eyes shut.

Fifteen minutes later, he heard the water shut off and the 'curtain' open again. His ears twitched at the sounds, and he opened his eyes when he heard the door open. Then he mentally scolded himself; he'd forgotten, somehow, what she'd looked like when she'd come out of the 'shower' the morning before. He did his best to hide the hitch in his breathing when she looked at him with a sweet smile lighting up her face. He stood, arms still crossed, waiting for her to speak first.

"Are you sure you don't want to take a shower? It'll feel good; they're soooo relaxing." She added, talking more to herself than to him. He just shook his head and she shrugged her shoulders in surrender. Then she walked over to the dresser and picked up the brush that had been lent to her by Betsy when they'd gone to sleep the first night. Sitting on the side of the bed, she flipped all her hair onto her left shoulder and began running the brush through it while her thoughts wandered to a hundred different places. Inuyasha was watching her intently, though he was trying not to. He gulped silently when his eyes landed on her exposed neck-line, and he had to take a couple deep breaths. Damn demon instincts. Sometimes they're a real pain. Trying to disguise his discomfort, he leaned 'casually' against the wall on the side of the dresser. She didn't seem to notice, let alone mind, that he couldn't take his eyes off of her.

After a few minutes, she'd thoroughly brushed her hair and made sure that no knots remained, and then she placed the brush back on the dresser. With a soft sigh, she glanced around, finally noticing the half-demon that was watching her. She smiled again, a light blush creeping up, but she chose to ignore it. "Is something bothering you?" She asked sweetly, placing her left hand lightly on his bicep.

"Besides the obvious?"

"Yeah; besides that." She replied, never breaking her gaze. He looked away quickly, and when he spoke, his voice held that tone; the one she never understood, but knew she liked.

"No, nothing." Or everything, however you wanna look at it. DAMNIT! He mentally cursed. Her scent told him that she knew he was lying; that something was bothering him. He also had a hunch that she'd drop it this time, fortunately.

"Ok, fine. Just...if you change your mind, I promise I'll listen, ok?" All he could do was nod; anything more than that and he'd probably break. For some unknown reason, she was really getting to him this morning; more than usual, anyway.

What's wrong with him? He's acting weird this morning. Did I make him uncomfortable last night? I hope not; maybe I should apologize. No, I already did that. But, what then? I wish he'd open up to me more. Inuyasha talk to me, please? She sighed in defeat, knowing full well that that probably wouldn't happen. Reluctantly, she dropped her hand and moved to sit back on the bed, waiting patiently for her clothes to be delivered to her. With nothing else to do, she found herself fidgeting with the hem of her robe, realizing that she was sitting in a white robe with nothing underneath and Inuyasha not two feet away, watching her. Or, at least, he had been last time she'd checked.

They had been sitting in silence for a couple of minutes when Kagome stood and went into the bathroom. She noticed, with mixed feelings, that Inuyasha watched her every step of the way, until she'd shut the door. When she was done, she washed her hands and then glanced in the mirror. She nearly screamed at the reflection she saw behind her; spinning quickly, her hand knocked over the crystal soap holder and it crashed loudly on the floor. Of course, when she turned, there was no one there. She placed her hand over her heart, taking deep breaths to try and steady her breathing. A moment later, the door flew open and Inuyasha was by her side instantly.

"What happened? Are you alright?" He placed a hand on her shoulder and she looked at him, tears in her eyes and still breathing raggedly. She shook her head and he pulled her close again, rubbing her back soothingly and resting his chin on her head again. "What scared you?" He asked softly. He was getting really worried about her.

"I saw...someone else's reflection behind me in the mirror. When I turned, I guess my hand hit the dish. S-sorry I startled you." She explained, not looking at him. She literally felt the protective growl that began in his chest, lightly vibrating her face, which was currently buried in his chest.

"Don't apologize, damnit. Whose reflection did you see?"

Taking a deep breath, knowing he wouldn't like this any more than she did, she told him. "Muso's. Remember, Sinister mentioned him in that nightmare the other night." She felt him tense, the growl intensifying and his arms tightening. A moment later, he had his nose buried once again in the crook of her neck and she felt him take a deep breath, as if trying to calm down. This, of course, thoroughly confused her. "...Inuyasha?" She nearly laughed when his head snapped up so fast he reminded her of child who got caught stealing a cookie after bedtime. Fortunately for him, at precisely that moment, someone knocked on the door, probably with Kagome's clothes.

Inuyasha released her and stalked to the door, yanking it open and trying not to growl at the unsuspecting young woman on the other side. She grinned without a trace of fear; probably used to being growled at in the morning, and held out Kagome's freshly cleaned clothes. "Clothes delivery. Oh, and don't forget, breakfast's in five. See ya then!" Jubilee stated, dumping the clothes in Inuyasha's arms and half jogging away, towards the staircase. He grumbled something and shut the door again. Kagome was standing near the foot of the bed, waiting patiently for her clothes. He handed them to her and then moved to lean against the far wall, never once saying a word. She sighed and shook her head, turning back towards the bathroom. She paused in the doorway.

"Um, Inuyasha, is...is the bathroom...safe?" She asked quietly, trying not to think about Muso's face in the mirror behind her. It occurred to her that, though the face had been Muso's, the look in his eyes had been Naraku's. Great, he really is Naraku reincarnated. Just what we need. She thought. That was when she noticed the moody half-demon standing beside her. She stepped back to allow him to enter first. He inspected the bathroom thoroughly and then turned to her.

"It's clear. Just dress quickly and don't look in the mirror, ok? An' call if you need me." He instructed, walking out and watching her enter.

"Ok. Thanks." She replied, shutting the door; she decided against locking it. She quickly dropped the robe and began to pull her clothes on, avoiding the mirror at all possible opportunities.

A minute later, she exited the bathroom, once again dressed in her school uniform. Inuyasha locked eyes with her and she shook her head, a partly forced smile on her face. He scowled and stood up, but let her out the door first. They descended the stairs in silence, avoiding each other's gaze. What's with him? Or me, for that matter? And why did he bury his nose in my neck - twice? She thought in confusion. It didn't take them too long to reach the kitchen, and they took their seats quickly.

"Mornin', ya'll. Anythin' interestin' happen last night?" Rogue asked curiously as she filled their plates with three eggs and a pile of hash-browns.

"Not...really." Kagome paused, sensing the look Inuyasha was giving her, and added, "But, something...sort of happened this morning." That got everyone's attention. When they were all looking at her expectantly, she finished. "Well, in the bathroom this morning, I would've sworn that I saw Muso's reflection in the mirror. But, when I turned around, the room was empty. I'm afraid I broke the soap-dish, though. I'm sorry."

"Don't be, they're cheap and easy to replace. This man, Muso, he's the one Sinister mentioned in your dream the other night, right?" Jean asked.

"Yes."

"Did you pick up on any strange scents in the bathroom, or bedroom, this mornin'?" Logan interrupted, speaking to Inuyasha.

"No."

"Then it must've been an illusion of some sort. Illyana, child, have you sensed anything? Some form of sorcery, perhaps?" Ororo asked.

Illyana shook her head. "No, but it'll be easier for me to determine if I inspect the bathroom." Then, turning to Inuyasha and Kagome, "Do either of you mind if I take a look around?" When they shook their heads, she concluded. "Ok, then we'll go up after breakfast. That cool with you?" They nodded this time and everyone returned to their food; there was nothing more to be said.

Half an hour later, they'd finished breakfast and Jean and Ororo were beginning clean-up. Illyana turned to Kagome and Inuyasha and smirked. "Ok, guys, lead the way." Kagome turned and began walking towards the stairs, only to stop abruptly when Inuyasha landed in front of her and crossed his arms.

"Ok, fine, you lead the way." Kagome mumbled, slightly aggitated at him.

"Keh." Was all he said. They both ignored Illyana, who was doing her best not to laugh at them, and failing.

A couple of minutes later, they were at the room. Inuyasha opened the door and they walked in. Finding nothing wrong with the scents, he leaned against the far wall and watched. Kagome, wanting to get out of the way, moved and stood next to him. Illyana looked around slowly, eyes focused. She walked into the center of the room, near the foot of the bed and her eyes narrowed slightly. She turned abruptly, as if following something, and slowly walked into the bathroom. She stopped in front of the mirror. She 'hmph'ed and the mirror began glowing. Without looking away, she called out, "Is this Muso?"

Inuyasha was instantly in motion, and he got there in a second. His growl stopped Kagome cold. "Yeah, that's him alright."

Illyana nodded. "Ok. I'll need you and Kagome to go back and sit on the bed, please." They complied; albiet reluctantly on Inuyasha's part. Once they were situated on the bed, Illyana came out of the bathroom and found the spot near the foot of the bed that she'd found earlier. Then she began glowing for a second, and then, suddenly, her left arm was encased in armor, and she was holding a sword. With barely an effort, she swung the sword straight down and they saw something shatter. Smoke drifted up from the spot on the floor where she'd swung her sword, but it soon vanished. Then Magik turned and began swinging her sword as she headed towards the bathroom. When she got to the door, she stopped swinging and walked in, once again facing the mirror. Then, raising her sword, she stated calmly, "Sorry, pal, but you don't put enchantments on my house. Better find a new entry point!" And then she slashed the mirror in half diagonally. Oddly enough, though, the mirror remained intact. Muso's face, however, did cut. And he vanished like the smoke from a moment before. Turning away, Illyana exited the bathroom and placed her other hand on her hip, a victorious smirk on her face. "Ok, room's clean. No more magic interference. Was there anything else?"

Kagome shook her head. "No, I don't think so. Thanks." Illyana shrugged her shoulders and the sword, and armor, vanished in a flash of light.

"No big deal. C'mon, lets go back down stairs." With that, the demonic sorceress exited the room confidently, her blond hair billowing a bit behind her. Inuyasha and Kagome followed a moment later, shutting their door after them.

The others were waiting for them in the living room. Peter stood when they approached and addressed his little sister. "Is everything well, little snowflake?"

"Now it is. But there was something in the room. It was just a simple enchantment; meant to cast illusion on a chosen surface. I destroyed it; the room should be safe from anything like that from now on. If whoever cast it tries something stronger, I'll probably sense it. Either way, we're safe."

"It makes me uneasy anyway. I do not like the idea of our enemies casting spells on our home. Are you certain there is nothing else?" Ororo asked, concern evident in her voice.

Illyana shook her head. "I'm fairly certain that there aren't any other enchantments in the mansion, but the only way to know for sure would be if I inspected every inch of the institute. That would take a while. It's up to you, though, I suppose."

The X-Men's leader shook her head. "No, that will not be necessary. Though I do prefer to be safe, I would hazzard that there are, indeed, no others. We shall be fine. I am afraid, however, that we may be getting closer to a confrontation. I have a feeling that the situation will reach its climax long before our other teammates return home."

"I been gettin' that same feelin' all day, 'ro. Somethin' in the air outside just don't smell right." Logan stated from where he sat on the couch.

Betsy nodded. "Me, too. My instincts have been screaming at me since I went for my morning jog just before breakfast."

"Then we'd best be on our guard, hadn't we? I agree, though. If it's alright with you, Ororo, I think it would be wise if we stayed together. I don't want anyone going anywhere alone until this is sorted out." Jean spoke, in that no-nonsense tone she'd picked up from her husband. Ororo nodded, having nothing to add.

"Um, what if nothing happens today? I mean, most of us don't exactly, y'know, share rooms. Do you want us finding a roommate tonight if nothing happens today?" Jubilee asked hesitantly.

"We will have to deal with that situation when - if - it arises." Ororo decided. Jubilee nodded her head in acceptance. Behind her, Gambit opened his mouth, undoubtedly to make an inappropriate comment that may've gotten him...injured, but his jaw suddenly shut of it's own 'free will' and he decided against it. Fortunately for him, no one else had noticed this.

A couple of hours later, the day thus far had proven uneventful and they were all getting tired of staying inside the mansion. Jubilee decided to point this out. "Y'know, for a mansion, there's, like, nothing to do around here. At least, not when you people don't wanna watch a movie and won't let me 'blade inside."

"All your movie suggestions today are rather unentertaining for those of us who are properly matured. Wait for Robert to return; then you will have company for 'Dude, Where's My Car?'." Betsy commented, not looking up from the latest issue of 'Vogue'.

"You are not allowed to rollerblade indoors because it tears up the carpets, we have explained this to you. Besides, aren't you too old for such...teenage antics?" Ororo added, taking a sip of her iced tea.

"Don't be ridiculous, Storm, I am a teenager! Ok, so I'm legally an adult; I'm still eighteen, y'know."

"Ain't you always tryin' to convince me that you're not a kid anymore?" Logan countered, grinning knowingly. Jubilee shot him a glare that he'd become immune to years ago and slumped in her seat. There was no way she could win this argument with Logan on their side. He heard her mutter something that sounded suspiciously like 'it's not fair', and his grin grew. "You wanna go outside, Jubes? C'mon, then, let's go." He stood and placed his cowboy hat back on his head, striding purposfully towards the door. She followed quickly, nearly skipping in her excitement to get out of the house.

"Logan...?" Jean called.

"Just goin' for a drive, Red. We'll be back in a few, call if ya need us. Gotta get this kid some air 'fore she blows the place sky-high."

The last thing any of them heard as they left was: "Wolvie! I'm not a kid! I'm 18, fer cryin' out loud!"

Logan just chuckled as they hopped on his Harley. He waited until she'd buckled her helmet and then he backed out of the driveway. Turning right on Greymalkin, he sped through town and then took a back road that he often used to get some air and allow himself to think. Jubilee stayed silent behind him, enjoying the ride and the fresh air, like she usually did after she'd been cooped up too long. After a few minutes, he slowed to a stop and parked the motorcycle near a tree. About 25 feet ahead of them was a cliff. It was a popular spot for them to come and relax. Usually. Jubilee got off first and unhooked her helmet, placing it on her seat. Logan placed his beside it and together they walked to the edge of the cliff and sat down. They stayed silent for a bit, until Jubilee couldn't stand it anymore.

"Thanks for gettin' me outta the house, Wolvie." She said it quietly, knowing his enhanced hearing would pick it up easily.

"No problem, darlin'. I know ya don't like spendin' all day inside."

"We'll have to head back soon, though, won't we?" She asked reluctantly, resting her head on his strong shoulder.

"Yeah. But we don't haveta go back just yet." He replied, looping his arm around her companionably.

"Ok." She mumbled. They stayed like that for a while, lost in their own thoughts. A little bit later, Logan noticed a difference in the scent of the area surrounding them. He tensed just enough for the young woman snuggled against his side to notice and glance up at him. She didn't need to speak to know what was wrong. They weren't alone any more. He heard the rustle behind them before she did, so he stood quickly and pulled her to her feet with him. They both spun around, only to find a young boy inspecting Logan's bike. Jubilee shook her head, and was just about to sit back down, when something in Logan's eyes caught her attention. She watched silently as he approached the poor child.

"You got a problem, boy?" Logan asked gruffly. He didn't know why, but something about this 'kid' didn't sit right with him. The boy looked up and backed a few feet away from the expensive bike.

"No, sir. I was just looking at your motorcycle. I've never seen one so cool-looking. My papa has a Honda, but this is way cooler." The child had nearly black eyes and dark brown hair that fell just past his ears; he was in desperate need of a haircut. He also had four scattered freckles across the bridge of his nose. He couldn't be any older than 10 years. He smiled innocently and said, "Oh, by the way, my name's Chris. Who're you?"

"No one you need to know. Go home, Chris." Logan nearly growled, stepping closer to the boy. Chris suddenly looked a little scared and backed up until he bumped into the tree and couldn't back up any further. Jubilee shook her head and grabbed hold of Logan's right bicep firmly. She knew she wasn't as strong, but she only wanted his attention. He shot her a look over his shoulder and stopped. "What?"

"Let it go. So he was curious; I was worse, remember? You're scaring the poor boy, Logan. He can't be older than ten, there's no need to try to intimidate him." Then, turning to Chris, she said kindly, "He's territorial over his bike. You're pretty far from home, don't you think?"

The boy shook his head fiercly. "No, ma'am, why would you think that?"

Jubilee's eyes narrowed slightly. "You shouldn't lie, it's not a good habit to get into. No one lives within at least three miles of here, that's why I 'think that'. You really ought to go home, Chris."

"I-I don't know the way back home, ma'am. I'm sorry I lied. It's just, I'm lost, and Daddy told me that real men don't admit when they're lost." Chris mumbled quietly, shuffling his feet and not meeting her gaze. Jubilee smiled and bit back the sarcastic comment that flashed across her mind. Releasing Logan's arm, she stepped forward and knelt in front of the young boy.

"It takes a bigger man to admit to being lost, trust me. Can you tell me what street you live on? I know this area pretty well, I'm sure I can help you get home." The child locked eyes with her and she smiled sweetly to make him feel better. That's when she heard Wolverine growling audibly behind her.

A moment later, she was wrapped tightly in...some sort of vine that she couldn't name. 'Chris' was smirking and barely restraining his laughter. When he spoke, his voice wasn't that of a child, but that of a full-grown man. A dangerous man. "How naive you humans are. You'll believe just about anything, especially these days. You should have listened to your feral friend, woman; you may have lived longer." And then the 'boy' began glowing. When the light vanished, a healthy-looking man was in his place. This man had longer, brown hair and frightening, dark eyes. Logan's growling finally caught his attention. "Are you growling at me, old man? How insulting. Perhaps I should kill you now? Or should I make you watch as I slay her, instead?"

"You wanna die quick, bub, you'll let her go. You got a problem, take it up with me." Wolverine demanded, fists clenching angrily.

"Don't be absurd. You're in no position to make demands of me." And then the villain had the gall to laugh in the volatile X-Man's face. Which, of course, was rather stupid on his part.

With a roar of fury, Wolverine lunged at the man, popping his adamantium claws and aiming straight for the man's heart. Unfortunately, he never connected. Logan bounced off a barrier that was, until that moment, invisible to all senses. The man inside it laughed again and shook his head. "Stupid little human; you cannot penetrate my barrier. You may slash at it all day long; you will not make any progress, little man."

"You'll eat those words when I'm through with you, bub." Wolverine growled dangerously. The man laughed again and then roots similar to what held Jubilee captive were attempting to wrap around him. Wolverine, of course, destroyed them before they succeeded.

To Be Continued...

A/N: Ooooo, the big fight scene has begun! So, R&R, and then go read chapter 7, ok?