AN: Okay, so, good news! Chapter 7 has finally been completely, with an added bonus- a twelve page chapter 8 as well! Chapter 9 has been started, and as long as I have time to write, should be competed not too long from now. As from here, the plot will be developing and more characters will be added to the line up- including the elder human, the little demon, and Inuyasha's worst enemy (beside Naraku). No real mushi will be disclosed just yet, but Kagome will begin to soften, I promise.

Enjoy!

Protect Me

Chapter 5

A Brand New Life

"Would you stop glaring at me?"

Inuyasha snorted, folding his arms over his chest. "Sorry, for some reason, I can't seem to help it. There must be something wrong with me."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "That's obvious."

"I'm afraid I have to agree with Inuyasha, Kagome," Miroku confessed, smiling teasingly. "For some reason, I can't seem to take my eyes off of you."

As quick as lightening, Sango's hand darted out to smack him in the back of the head, ignoring his soft whimpering. "Well, we already know what's wrong with you, pervert," she hissed.

Miroku instantly found something fascinating outside the window, diverting all of his attention to it. Sango sighed, shaking her head disapprovingly.

Kagome couldn't help but giggle. Wouldn't they make the funniest couple? she thought, watching Sango get so agitated over another one of Miroku's failed flirting attempts. Catching the woman's eye, she gave her a sympathetic look which Sango received with an appreciative smile before resigning herself to look out of her own window.

Which meant, of course, that left Kagome with nothing but herself for entertainment. For a brief moment, she thought of turning to the hanyou next to her to try and start a conversation, but quickly dropped the idea. Not only could she tell he was still sore from their confrontation the day before, Kagome couldn't find it in herself to forgive and forget that easily, either. With a quiet hmph, Kagome glanced outside in hopes of finding something more interesting than her less than inviting company.

It had only been an hour since they landed at Newark Airport in Northern New Jersey, yet Kagome and Inuyasha had already managed to squabble over their luggage, where they were going to eat, who was going to summon the taxi, and the choice of music on the radio. Thoroughly exhausted from her arguing, Kagome settled in her seat and waited patiently until they arrived at the town in which she and Inuyasha would be staying for the next few months.

Geez, she thought wearily, glancing at the half-demon from the corner of her eye, I don't even fight with my brother as much as I do with him! It's rather sad to say that Souta's much more mature.

Thinking this, however, Kagome was suddenly overwhelmed with grief. Souta, I wonder how you're doing. I almost forgot that you'd be starting the eighth grade this year. Only a few weeks left, huh? I really wish I could be there to see you off to your first day of school.

Grandpa? How about you? Are you doing well? Summer's over, now, and autumn's already beginning. The trees here are already loosing their leaves, and it's a lot colder than where you are right now. I just hope you take care of yourself, okay? I know how your arthritis always acts up around this time of year, especially with it being so cold out. Just be careful, okay?

Mom... Mom, I miss you so much. All this that's happening... it's kind of overwhelming, you know? Everything's happening so fast... I never imagined when I woke up that morning that in two days, I'd be on the other side of the country leading a completely different life... then again, I never imagined a lot of things happening... like Hojo, for example. God, I miss him. It hurts so much to think of him, knowing that I won't ever see him again. I wish I could at least go to his funeral. I can't imagine what it's like for you, right now, going to my funeral, but I really am sorry. Sorry for all that you're going through, right now. I wish you were here, more than anything else. You always knew the right things to say when I was unsure of what to do. Now, more than ever, I really need you. What do I do, Mom? What can I do?

Kagome blinked, somewhat surprised when she felt a tear slide down her cheek. She glanced quickly at Sango and Miroku, relieved when she was sure they didn't noticed, before she stubbornly wiped it away with her sleeve. Of course, another only replaced it, and soon, an army of salty droplets was cascading down her face. She couldn't control it anymore. Though she refused to make a sound, she merely leaned her forehead against the glass, allowing the tears to slide silently down her face.

"Cut it out."

Frowning, she turned to Inuyasha, prepared to throw another string of insults at him, when her face was suddenly covered with a white cloth. Tearing it away, she glanced at it, then up at Inuyasha suspiciously.

The said hanyou was leaning his chin against his palm, gazing outside at the overcast sky. His amber orbs flicked to her in irritation. "Well? What are you waiting for?" he growled under his breath. "If you think that pathetic attempt is gonna get me to feel sorry for you, you might as well save 'em for someone who cares."

Kagome's brows furrowed, but she didn't say a word. Instead, she took the token and quickly wiped her eyes clean, no longer feeling the desire to cry. When she was finished, silently held out the handkerchief to him.

Inuyasha turned away. "What makes you think I want that, now? Especially when it reeks of your scent. I'm noxious enough just being this close to you without having to carry that thing around, thank you."

If looks could kill, Inuyasha would be tuning his harp strings by now with the ferocity of Kagome's glare. However, instead of attacking him with a barrage of verbal abuse like he had expected, she merely tucked the handkerchief into the breast pocket on her jacket and returned to staring out the window, her head leaned against the pane.

Despite his surprise at what he assumed was a victory, Inuyasha snorted and proceeded with ignoring her.

"Thank you."

His eyes flicked back to her, ears perked, as he studied her. She didn't look like she had moved, but he was positive he hadn't imagined it. Pretending not to care, he acted as if he had heard nothing and continued to wait until they had arrived at their final destination.

"I have to live in here... with him!?"

Miroku grinned. "You could always live with me, Ka-"

Sango didn't even give him time to finish his sentence before smacking the back of his head none too lightly. She turned to the girl, smiling sympathetically. "Come on, Kagome. It's not that bad, is it?"

Kagome frowned and looked at Sango, shaking her head quickly. "No, no, this is fine!" she replied, waving her hand across the room they had ended the apartment tour in. Kagome had slightly exaggerated- the entire apartment itself was more than fine, it was exquisite. It had two spacious bedrooms, each with their own set of hand crafted custom oak furniture, a queen sized bed and private bathrooms. The living room they were currently standing in was warm and inviting, equipped with a rather impressive entertainment center complete with a wall of DVDs and CDs, a massive TV screen, a surround sound stereo system and a desk with a sleek-looking computer already set up. The kitchen was past the living room, next to the hallway that led to the bedrooms. Smooth, marble counters accented the bright white cabinets and machinery, lending to its overall clean and modern atmosphere. Kagome made a mental note to investigate the refrigerator, later. Past that, she noticed a white door that led to a small laundry room.

Kagome sighed as her gaze finally fell on the one downside of the apartment- her roommate. Upon entering, the hanyou favored collapsing on the couch and catching up on the sleep he failed to get on the plane- thanks to Kagome- instead of taking a tour of his new "home".

Sango's eyes followed Kagome's and, spotting Inuyasha on the couch, the woman nodded understandingly. "I see," was all she could think of to say.

Kagome nodded sadly, turning back to Sango. "Not to mention you and Miroku," Miroku perked up when he heard his name, but spun back around quickly enough when Sango glared at him, "or rather, you, Sango, won't even be around to help. I have to deal with him all by myself!"

Sango smiled cheerfully. "And that, my friend, is where you are wrong!" she exclaimed.

Kagome stared at her like she was some sort of alien, her head involuntarily tilting to one side. "What do you mean? Didn't you say Mr. Sesshoumaru said you couldn't stick around cause Naraku would notice?"

"He wouldn't notice if we stuck around here," Sango corrected, throwing an arm around her shoulders amiably. "While Inuyasha's job is to keep you safe from Naraku, my job is to keep you safe from Inuyasha and to give you a girlfriend to talk to! I already have my own place just a few streets away, so it's not like it'd be suspicious if I'm seen around the area. I mentioned the idea myself to Sesshoumaru, and he thought it'd be a good idea."

"Really?" Kagome exclaimed, her spirits instantly lifted. "So I'm not stuck here all by myself?"

"Nope," Sango replied, just as happy as Kagome. "You'll have me."

"And me!" Miroku chipped in.

"You?" Kagome shrieked.

Miroku looked hurt. "Why not me?"

"Be-because!" Kagome sputtered nervously.

"Am I really that bad?" Miroku asked sadly.

Now the soft side of Kagome's heart was reacting to Miroku's helplessness, and she began to feel sorry for him. "Well... no, I didn't exactly mean that..."

"Save your pity," Sango muttered, throwing a firm glare at her partner. "He'll make you do things you really don't want to do if he somehow can gain your sympathy. That's how he got Sesshoumaru to let him stick around, too."

"Miroku got Sesshoumaru to feel sorry for him?" Kagome repeated incredulously, turning wide-eyed toward him.

Miroku's previous puppy dog face was apparently abandoned and he shrugged, giving Sango a lopsided grin. "He's a good hearted guy, underneath it all. I told him I couldn't bare to be away from my dearest partner, so, out of the goodness of his heart, he gave me permission to accompany her."

Sango snorted. "Yeah, right, more like Sesshoumaru got so sick of Miroku's pleading that he finally gave him a vacation, practically shoving him out the door."

Miroku smiled unabashedly, looping his arm around her shoulders. "And, naturally, where on Earth would I want to spend my time other than with you lovely ladies?"

Sango's eyebrow twitched as she quietly peeled Miroku's fingers away from her, trying desperately to restrain herself but giving in to the pleasure of digging her fingernails into the man's skin. His yelp made her smile return. Kagome held back a giggle.

"Anyway," Sango cleared her throat, still not releasing Miroku's hand despite his childish squirming and whining, "now that you guys have your new home, I guess we'll leave you. Kagome, I'll be back in the morning to go over some more stuff, but for now, get some rest. You've had a very long day."

Kagome nodded, but couldn't help but grin when she noticed Sango's lack of attention to Miroku's other hand. "Looks like your day isn't over, Sango."

Sango sported a questioning look. "What do you- AHHH! PERVERT!!!!" she screeched, spinning around to practically pounce on Miroku. Said young man hadn't expected such a violent reaction to such a simply action as rubbing her behind, however, and abruptly went flying into the wall, shaking the few wall hangings in their places. Both agents' faces were red- one from fury and the other from sporting a rather bright handprint on his face. The latter cowered before the woman's wrath, hastily scrambling to his feet and scurrying out of the apartment like a frightened squirrel.

Sango, on the other hand, took his fleeing as a sign of victory and dusted her hands triumphantly, winking knowingly at Kagome. "It's over, now."

Kagome shook her head, laughing. "I don't know. Miroku's pretty stubborn."

Sango smirked. "And so will his pain once I'm through with him!" she replied, stomping through the doorway.

"Bye, Sango!" Kagome called out as she disappeared.

As if remembering, Sango leaning back in the doorway. "Oh yeah, good luck to you." After a second thought, she grinned and called, "Have fun, Charles!"

From his position on the couch, Inuyasha grumbled something incoherent and most likely unpleasant, to which Sango just exchanged exasperated looks with Kagome. To the girl, she waved cheerfully and said, "Good luck dealing with him, Kikyo."

"WHAT DID YOU SAY!?"

At this, both Kagome and Sango jumped a good two feet in the air and whirled around to face a suddenly vertical and very pissed hanyou, glaring down at the two of them like ants.

If Kagome had thought Sango looked mad then Inuyasha must have been a few steps above absolutely livid! His eyes were flashing furiously, and his hands were clenched into fists at his sides. Sharp, white canines glistened threateningly as a low growl emitted from his throat.

A long, tense silence followed that neither girl were willing to break as Inuyasha waited none too patiently, his low growl crescendoeing into a full on snarl as time passed and his questioned went unanswered.

"Well!?" he demanded.

"W-well, w-what?" Kagome squeaked, her former confidence long drained away.

Inuyasha took a deep breath and spoke slowly, grating each word carefully through clenched teeth. "What-did-you-say!?"

Sango frowned. "I said 'Good luck dealing with him, Kikyo.'" Sango didn't notice Inuyasha wince, but Kagome did. "I didn't think it would offend you that much!"

"Why in the bloody hell did you call her that!?" he spat, thrusting a finger at Kagome who involuntarily jumped.

Sango looked from Inuyasha to Kagome, then back to Inuyasha, confused. "Didn't you read her information in your file? That's her new identity. Kikyo Itsumi."

"SHUT UP!!!!" he roared, grabbing the first thing that his hand came into contact with and hurling it at the blank wall above their heads. Both girls were glad it was just a pillow, but Kagome's eyes went wide nonetheless. She had to share an apartment with him?

"What?" Sango exclaimed indignantly. "It's just her name. You might as well get used to it because you're going to have to-"

Inuyasha cut her off with another flying object, this time a cushion from the couch. "There is NO WAY I am using that name for that... WENCH!"

"Why not?" Sango wanted to know, ignoring Kagome's fervent tugging on her shirt and hand gestures to try and get her to stop. She didn't want to know what was bugging him if it was bugging him this much.

"Because!" Inuyasha said a little quieter, losing a little of his momentum but still appearing menacing. As if ending the conversation, the hanyou stormed to the kitchen and grabbed his bag, rummaging through it until he found what he was looking for. "Hey, you, does this patch into the bastard?" he demanded, pointing at his red-covered cell phone, courtesy of said bastard.

Sango frowned, folding her arms over her chest defiantly. She had had enough with just one jerk. She didn't need another to further ruin her day. "'You' has a name, you know. It's Sango!"

"Does it, or not?" Inuyasha asked again impatiently.

"What's the magic word?" Sango cooed.

"Fuck you?" Inuyasha guessed.

"Not quite," she replied dryly.

The young man rolled his eyes, probably thinking up a hundred colorful ways to describe the woman who was currently bugging the hell out of him, but bit them down nonetheless. "Fine, then, Sango," he added a few more words under his breath, but Sango ignored them. "Does this connect to my bastard of a brother or not?"

Sango snorted. "If you're talking about Sesshoumaru, then yes, both yours and Kikyo's do," she replied haughtily, ignoring Inuyasha's ears pressing against his head as the name was spoken. With fire in his eyes, he promptly clenched the phone in his hand and stomped into the bedroom he had apparently claimed as his, slamming the door shut behind him.

Sango shook her head, muttering incomprehensively under her breath. "Sesshoumaru, you have some explaining to do," were among some of them as she quietly made her way to the door, slamming it just as hard as Inuyasha did.

Kagome looked back and forth between the closed doors, completely lost. Okay... what just happened? she wondered as she slowly got to her feet, not even realizing she wasn't on them in the first place. Dusting her skirt off, she looked around at the already disheveled room- a few pillows and cushions lay scattered across the floor from Inuyasha's sudden leap to his feet, not to mention the two at Kagome's feet.

Shaking her head, she picked these up and set them back on the couch, arranging them neatly. Once done, she paused to look around the now empty living room, sighing wistfully.

"Welcome home, Kagome."

AN: So, they're finally home, huh? And you all finally get to find out what Kagome's secret identity name is... and if there are any of you who don't get why Inuyasha is so pissed off at Kagome's new name, why the heck are you reading an Inuyasha fic?

Review Responses:

shadowcat15: Is this soon enough for you?

Berouge: It's not really that I don't like Arnold. On the contrary, I think he's cool... it's just too easy to make fun of him every once in a while... I mean, what other place in the world has a famous action movie star as their leader? Anyway, glad you're enjoying it. And I do agree- Inuyasha as a convict... didn't see that coming, huh?

kyoko-the-lonely-demon626: Thank you so much. I really appreciate it, but nonetheless, if you notice anything doesn't match up or anything doesn't make sense, please tell me, okay?

Next chapter: Kagome gets a job, Inuyasha gets in a fight, a new comer gets inside the team and Sango gets a headache.