I pause at the bottom of the steps of the Higurashi shrine, already sensing the others' confusion and InuYasha's agitation. Ginta and Hakkaku stop next to me, sharing an uneasy glance.
"You sure about this, boss?" Ginta asks, just quietly enough that the others at the top of the stairs won't hear. Suppressing a sigh, I start the long trek up.
"No turning back now." Their footsteps follow quickly behind me. With each step, I can feel their emotions growing. I tune out their whispers and focus on keeping my own reactions in check, knowing there's going to be a fight when we make it all the way up. Once we reach the top, we find InuYasha waiting with his arms crossed, looking extremely pissed off. He quickly grabs the front of my shirt before slamming me against one of the gate pillars by the stairs, stepping closer to me, snarling, until our faces are only inches apart. I feel my jaw clench from the physical effort it takes not to shove him off of me.
"Why the hell do you smell like her?" He growls, golden eyes shifting across every inch of my face. I hear Ginta and Hakkaku step closer, ready to intervene, and hold up my hand to stop them. When I don't answer quickly enough, he pulls me from the wall and attempts to slam me into the ground, but I manage to slide across the dirt, gripping his wrist so as not to tear my shirt. "Answer me!" He swings his right fist around, aiming for my face. I dodge, grabbing his fist, trying to subdue him without injuring him.
"InuYasha!" I glance over his shoulder where Shippou is standing, a surprised expression on his face even as his nose twitches at the familiar scent in the air. "Let him go!"
"Yes, brother," Sesshomaru's soft voice drawls from under the Goshinboku tree. "Allow the wolf the chance to explain his peculiar scent, without you in his face." After a very tense moment, he releases my shirt, yanking his wrists from my grip, and forces himself to take a few steps back.
"I know what I smell," he mumbles. I take a moment to straighten out my shirt before meeting and holding InuYasha's gaze.
"What you're smelling is my new dog," I stress the last two words, silently willing him not to question it. I watch his face twist in anger at being lied to so blatantly.
"That's bull -"
"Let him speak," Sesshomaru silences him. I nod my head in thanks, taking a few steps closer to Shippou and him.
"I know, it surprised me too," I begin, keeping my tone nonchalant. "But, when she showed up on my doorstep last month I just… let her in." Shippou's eyes widen in understanding as he starts wringing his hands.
"What happened to her?" His voice is so much smaller than his usual, confident self. It reminds me instantly of when he was a kit under Kagome's care. I can't help but notice the tears in his eyes.
"She was wandering the woods around my house after escaping a very bad situation. She's been living with an extremely abusive person for the last six years." Shippou swallows audibly and I force my gaze to meet InuYasha's eyes once again. "A spider apparently got a hold of her." I watch as every muscle in his body stiffens, anger and fear warring in his eyes. Shippou releases a heavy breath, fear rolling off of him in waves. "I'm not sure where it is exactly, but it's definitely somewhere on the mountain. Can't really go searching without putting her or the wolves at risk." I wait, letting the information sink in.
"How is she? Now…" InuYasha's voice is soft, but tight with barely suppressed rage. His entire body is shaking.
"She's safe," I assure them. "Got her eating regularly, putting on weight again. She's still pretty traumatised, understandably given what she's been through, but… we're making progress. I've got some of the wolves keeping her company when I can't be there."
"Are you aware of her previous master's current whereabouts?" Sesshomaru's question is carefully worded, keeping to the story we'd crafted but avoiding words like home or owner.
"No, could be anywhere now. No identification on her collar." He nods his head, understanding. He could be anywhere, listening, and we might not know it. "I promised her I wouldn't be out late, but couldn't mess up tradition." The others nod, Gotta keep up appearances just in case.
"C-could we come see her sometime?" I smirk at Shippou, his voice hopeful.
"Yeah, definitely. I'm still getting her used to being around people again. She's pretty skittish, but we can call when she's ready." Shippou nods his head as he wipes the tears from his eyes before they can fall, smiling gratefully. "How long you in town for this time, kiddo?"
"I'm not going anywhere now," he assures me, "I'll return my ticket and work out the living arrangements tonight."
"Let me get this straight," InuYasha starts, voice taut. "You've had her for a month and didn't think for a second we might want to know?" I force a laugh, scratching the back of my head.
"It's just a dog. I know I haven't exactly been crazy about them in the past, so I wasn't really sure how to tell you guys." He moves to brush passed me and I stick my arm out, effectively blocking his path. He glares up at me with red-tinged eyes. "It is kind of hard to believe, don't ya think?" I notice his upper lip twitch, slightly, as his hands tighten in and out of fists. After a moment, he releases a breath and shoves his hands into his pockets.
"Yeah. You taking something in the nurse it back to health is pretty crazy." His voice is still strained, but it's clear he's trying to assume an air of indifference. "Be nice to see her some time, make sure you are takin' proper care of her." I nod my head, resting a hand on his shoulder.
"When she's ready, you'll be the first person I call," I promise. He looks away, obviously hiding his own tears, and steps back.
"Right, let's get this over with so you can get back to her." He looks over his shoulder at me, sadness pouring out of his eyes. "Dogs like that don't like to be left alone."
Our usual ritual of lighting candles and praying for those we've lost goes a little quicker than usual, a few less stories are shared, but no one seems to mind knowing who's waiting for me at the cabin. I do make sure to include my news about Kagome in my prayers to Sango and Miroku, wanting them to know she's safe. They'd been close and hadn't ever really gotten over her disappearance. Instead of lingering with InuYasha, I leave with Sesshomaru. Ginta and Hakkaku stay behind to make sure the mutt doesn't do anything stupid.
"Safe to assume you aren't too interested in a visit?" I ask when we reach the bottom of the stairs. Sesshomaru raises a hand to his driver, who is already waiting at his open door.
"Not at this time. You may, however, extend my good wishes to your new pup on my behalf." I nod my head, watching as he walks over to his car, stopping just before getting in. "I trust she is not beyond repair?" I manage to breathe out a laugh, shaking my head.
"Nah, it'll take a lot more than a spider to take her out. She's strong. Just needs a little extra care right now." Sesshomaru nods his head, pausing in thought.
"If there is anything I can do to assist in her healing, do not hesitate to call." Unable to keep the shock off my face, I just nod in response, watching as he and his driver get into his car and pull out onto the road.
"Well, I'll be damned," I mutter to myself, shaking my head, before getting into my own car. I drive a little faster than usual to get back, already having stayed longer than I had intended. When I park in the driveway, Minako and Dai are waiting outside. The worry in their scents has my eyebrows lowered in concern and I shut the door a little harder than I meant, trying to get out faster. "What happened?" I ask, already taking long strides to the door, The door that's always been left open for the wolves to come and go. Minako steps in front of me, a stern expression on her face. I feel my eyes narrow in confusion.
"Be gentle," she growls around her teeth. "Jumpier today." I nod my head in understanding and take an extra moment to calm down, breathing deeply a few times before finally opening the door. Despite the extra caution I used to open the door, Kagome still jumps on the couch, head whipping around to face me. I can smell her anxiety and, upon closer inspection, every muscle in her body is tense, as though her fight or flight response has been stuck on. She relaxes a bit at seeing me before her eyes narrow as she looks me up and down, suspicion creeping into her eyes.
"Hey, Kagome," I greet, keeping my voice low and non-threatening. "Whatcha watching?" Her eyebrows lower as she shakes her head, as though just remembering that the tv was on.
"Oh, um…" She watches the screen for a minute, waiting for the commercial to pass and the show to come back on. "Family Guy, guess I needed something kind of mindless." She sounds confused, She doesn't remember turning it on, I realise. Gently, I spread my youki through the room and envelop her in it as though it were a blanket. Slowly, I feel her muscles relax ever so slightly and I caution a few steps into the room. I hear her gentle sigh just before she turns around to face me over the couch. "How'd it go?" She asks, sounding more like herself. I smile, taking off my jacket and hang it on the hook by the door.
"Good, better than expected actually," I admit. She smiles back, just a little, but it's enough to ease some of my concern for now. "Everyone sends their best and hope you get better soon." I lean against the edge of the couch, farthest from her so as to give her her space. "Even the Ice Pop offered his services should we need them." I keep my gaze on the tv screen, but see her brows lower in confusion from the corner of my eye, only for them to shoot back up a second later as she stares at me in shock.
"You mean Sesshomaru?" She asks, incredulously. I couldn't stop my smirk if I'd wanted to.
"The one and only." I hear her breathy chuckle as she processes the information.
"And… InuYasha?" Her voice is hesitant, as though not sure she wants to know the answer.
"He wasn't happy about it being a secret, but I don't think he'll be trying to blow our cover anytime soon." She nods her head, the slightest bit of relief rolling through her. "Shippou's especially excited to see you again." She bites her lip in an attempt to keep her smile in check, a habit I've noticed her doing a lot. "Can't wait to show you everything he's learned since he last saw you." When she looks down at her lap, I glance over at her. Her legs are crossed under her, hands in her lap, and head down. Relief, fear, and excitement fight for dominance in both her scent and aura as she's unsure of how to feel at the moment. "Everyone's agreed to wait until you're ready. Little fox even started looking for an apartment before I even left." She chuckles a bit at that, clearly struggling with the idea of her little kit living on his own.
"Oh, why don't you sit? You must be exhausted." She scoots over, giving me more room than I need, and smiling apologetically. "Could have told me I was in the way," she mumbles as I sit down on the other end of the couch. I roll my eyes, keeping my gaze forward.
"Please, you couldn't be in the way if you tried," I assure her. She looks at me in mild surprise for a moment before returning her own attention to the tv. Not even five minutes later, I notice her nodding off and stand up, wincing as she jumps at my sudden movement. "Come on sleepyhead, let's get you to bed." She hesitates but doesn't argue, letting me help her into bed and under the covers. Not wanting to scare her in her already agitated state, I change clothes and camp out in the living room for the night. Her sleep could hardly be called restful, but it's one of her better nights since coming back. When I hear her starting to stir, I start making waffles to celebrate the small win and hopefully take her mind off of what day it is. Eri, Minako, and Dai are outside, running surveillance since I have the day off and can stay inside with her.
Something is off the minute she wakes up. I can smell her confusion and apprehension. Her fear. So much for distracting her, I can't help but think, more than a little disappointed. Just gotta get her through the day. I hear her slow, hesitant steps as she leaves the bedroom, quietly letting herself into the bathroom, as I take the waffles out of the iron. It's almost like we're back to day one. I keep my back to her as I grab the syrup and chocolate chips from the cupboard above the counter, but when I turn around, I find her eyeing me warily, a pair of scissors in her shaking hand. Slowly, I raise my hands, showing her I'm not holding anything, and keep my presence as calm and non-threatening as possible.
"I'm not falling for it this time," she whispers, fear coating her words. "I know what you're doing."
"Kagome." I keep my voice low, gently guiding my youki around her as I had last night. She flinches at the contact, eyes darting around to find what had touched her, before focusing on me once more. "It's me, Kouga. You've been staying with me, you're safe now." She starts shaking her head, slowly, her breathing coming quicker.
"No," she whispers again, shaking her head with more ferocity as her breaths come in shallow pants, panic taking over. "No! That's a lie, you've done this before!" Her yell rattles the windows a bit, her anger and fear making her powers spike and lash out. Fight or flight.
"Kagome, I promise you, it's me. You escaped about a month ago, do you remember that?" Her eyes narrow, looking down at the floor for just an instant before returning to me. "You thought I was an illusion then too, but I'm not. I'm real." She shakes her head again, hands shaking so much she nearly drops the scissors. I have to get her to calm down before she hurts herself. "We were sitting on the couch and I told you that you were still pack." Her breath catches in her throat as she looks at me in panic. "That you had asked me to watch out for InuYasha -"
"No!" She yells, covering her ears with her hands. "You're lying! You just looked in my head and found that, it isn't real!" Her knees buckle and she drops to the ground with a thud. I take a step to move closer to her only for her to raise the scissors in my direction again. "Kouga would never have told you that, even if you killed him!" She looks at the ground, tears spilling from her eyes, shoulders shaking under the weight of her distress. "He wouldn't…" Carefully, I crouch down in front of her, letting the scissors graze the front of my shirt. She looks up at me in shock, eyes wide with fear.
"You're right," I admit, keeping my voice level and my hands on the ground where she can see them. "I wouldn't tell that monster anything about you. Not your favourite show, what you like for breakfast, or how you saved us all from the birds of prey all those years ago." Her eyes widen further, hope and fear battling in her eyes. "If you really think this is an illusion, that I'm lying to you…" Slowly, I place my hand over hers around the scissors and press it into my chest, not yet drawing blood. She gasps softly, staring at me in disbelief. "Then go ahead and hurt me. I won't move." She looks between me and the scissors, clearly unsure of what to do. Seconds turn to minutes as we sit there, waiting for her to discern real from fake. As promised, I don't move a muscle, letting her sort out her own thoughts. Suddenly, she drops the scissors and falls into my arms, sobbing.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, Kouga," she cries into my chest. I pull her into my lap and lean against the cabinets as I gently run my fingers through her hair. "I… I don't know what happened, I-I woke up and I didn't recognise where I was, I th-thought that he… he…"
"Shh," I whisper, resting my chin on the top of her head. "It's okay, I'm right here. You're safe here. I ain't lettin' anything happen to ya." She grabs my shirt with both hands, pulling herself closer into me, trying to take deep breaths. I wrap her in my youki again, this time with her nuzzling against it, letting it soothe her. "I got ya." We stay like that until she stops crying and her breathing comes easier.
"I'm sorry…" I shake my head, gently tipping her head up to meet my eyes.
"You got nothin' to apologise for." Her eyebrows lower, guiltily.
"But I -"
"Am still recovering from six years of trauma," I finish for her. "It's not going to fix itself overnight. It'll take time. And I'll be here every step of the way," I promise her. Only after she nods her head in acknowledgement do I nod my head at the counter. "Hungry?" Her cheeks tinge pink as she nods her head. I stand up, easily taking her with me, and gently set her on her own two feet. "Good. Go take a seat and I'll bring it over."
"I can -"
"Sit," I order. She offers the smallest of smiles, nods, and goes to her usual seat. "I just want you to take it easy today, alright?" When she doesn't answer, I look up from strategically placing her blueberries. She's chewing on her lower lip, arms crossed, shoulders hunched. "Kagome?" She tenses a bit but doesn't turn around. Sighing, I grab her plate and the syrup and make my way over to the table. I set them down in front of her before crouching down beside her, gently taking one of her hands in mine. "It'll get better," I promise her. "Anniversaries are harder than most days, and this is your first one out. From here on out, it only gets better." Gently, she squeezes my hand, the smell of saltwater permeating the air.
"Are you sure?" She asks in a small voice, raspy from unshed tears. I smile gently, knowing she can't see it, and squeeze her hand back.
"Positive. I've seen it." She glances at me out of the corner of her eye. "Not just with other people, with me too." Her eyes widen, looking at me with immediate worry. I smirk, shrugging, and push her plate closer to her. "You didn't think I made it this long without a few bumps and bruises, did ya?" I reach across the counter to grab my own breakfast and settle into the chair next to her. "I actually went through something kinda similar. No demons though." I reach over to grab the syrup, gesturing for her to eat. "Little after that German kid the boys told you about, soon-to-be chancellor, we knew what was coming. Humans tend to make the same mistakes." I pause, waiting for her to take a bite. After several seconds, she realises why I'd stopped and takes a bite, humming in pleasure at the taste. I smile, happy she likes it, and take a bite of my own. Even cold, still good. "We weren't sure where it would be safest, so we split up for a bit, all agreeing to stay out of the countries participating. I ended up in Oregon, had enough time to get settled before it started getting real nasty over on this side of the world. Then Pearl Harbour happened.
"I was rounded up with a bunch of other Japanese people and thrown in one of those camps for awhile. Wasn't great, but it definitely coulda been worse. Then, they checked my papers and saw when I got to the country and assumed I was a spy, didn't help I came alone. So, their government took me to some secluded location in the mountains to try to get information outta me that I didn't have. Took 'em three years to realise I didn't have anything to do with anything." I glance over to find her staring at me with not only pity in her eyes, but understanding. "I ain't saying our experiences are comparable, much as they tried they couldn't get in my head. But I definitely came out of it about a hundred pounds lighter and a little worse for wear. Took me a while before I realised they weren't gonna come busting down my door again. Eventually, I did though, and soon those nightmares became nearly forgotten memories. Just like everything else I've seen in my life. So, you can trust me when I say it does get better." Slowly, she reaches her hand across the table and rests it over mine.
"Thank you, Kouga. For everything." The corner of my lip twitches upwards and I rest my other hand over hers, squeezing lightly.
"Happy to help. Now, eat up. We got a busy day of nothing to get to." She breathes out a laugh but resumes eating just the same.