Inuyasha leaned against the hood of Kagome's broken-down car, fidgeting and sighing. The streetlight above him hummed and flickered, struggling to illuminate the deserted side street. In front of him, Shippo sat on the curb staring at his phone and shooting occasional glances toward the nearby intersection where, any minute now, they were expecting to see Koga's car. The impending encounter had Inuyasha's instincts begging him to run, disappear before the threat was upon him; he was doing his best to ignore his instincts.

Because now he knew what was in the box. Now he understood Kagome's frantic phone call. Now Kikyo's insistence that Kagome learn to hide her powers made a lot more sense. Now Kagome's life may always be in danger and he was the only one who could protect her. Now he was determined to be by her side at all times so that today never happened again.

She could have died today. Despite what that breezy bitch said, Kagome could have died. And where was he when she needed him? Pacing around, waiting, delaying. Every one of Kagome's injuries weighed heavily on his conscience because he knew he should have been there. He'd do anything to protect her and facing Koga was a small price to pay to make sure he didn't fail her again.

He pushed away from the car and started to pace along the sidewalk behind Shippo. Small hints of Kagome's scent, not yet tainted by the fear and blood from her attack, invaded his senses. His yoki was boiling under his skin, itching to be near her, to confirm that she was alright. He needed to make this meeting quick and get back to her.

As he made another circuit between a utility pole and the front of Kagome's car, his stomach let out an audible rumble. There was a ramen shop nearby and the smell was getting to him. He hadn't eaten since early morning and all the worrying and running and fighting mysterious women in alleys was catching up to him. The woosh of a passing car made Shippo look up then glance over his shoulder at Inuyasha.

"You should eat something. You know she'd scold you for skipping meals," Shippo said, standing up to stretch. "Want me to head to the ramen place while you wait?"

Inuyasha shook his head. "No, I want us both here when he shows up. I'll survive another hour without food."

The flash of a turn signal then the sweep of bright headlights made them both look toward the street corner. A dark sedan made the turn then pulled past Kagome's car and parked against the curb in front of the two waiting men. The engine cut off, the driver's side door opened, and Koga stepped out, eyes immediately focusing on the disguised Inuyasha.

"Mutt," he said, not bothering to hide the scowl.

"Fleabag," Inuyasha returned, the same look mirrored on his face.

"Morons," Shippo said and stepped between the pair. "Let's try to remember why we're here." He looked at Inuyasha who stopped scowling but didn't take his eyes off of Koga.

"Guess I was the only one who had to come alone," Koga said, nodding at Shippo. "You make the charm he's wearing? That level of concealment is a big no-no, though I'm sure you already knew that."

Shippo rolled his eyes. "I'm not obligated to answer that. I'm only here to make sure you two don't spend the entire time fighting. This is about Kagome, not you two idiots."

Koga just shrugged. "Not a cop, don't give two shits about illegal charms. I was just gonna comment on the quality; I can't smell or feel a thing from him. I'd know that scowl anywhere though, disguise or not." He jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "How about we grab some food since you interrupted my dinner, then we can talk."

"We talk while we eat," Inuyasha said, tucking the issue with his concealment away to ask about later. He grabbed Shippo's arm and started hauling him up the sidewalk. He didn't stop to see if Koga was following but footsteps and grumbling confirmed that he was.

They got their ramen to go because their constant bickering was earning odd looks from the employees. They couldn't decide where to hold their clandestine meeting and after much arguing, mostly through bites and sips of ramen, the only thing they could agree on was sitting in a car. Koga's car, specifically, with him in the back so he couldn't just drive off with Inuyasha and Shippo as hostages. They threw away their empty bowls (and chopsticks so nobody ended up with one jammed down their throat) and climbed into the car. Shippo settled in the back with Koga while Inuyasha took the passenger seat in front of Shippo.

"Alright mutt, start talking," Koga said once they were settled. "And for the record, I'm only doing this for Kagome. She doesn't deserve whatever she has to deal with on your behalf."

"For the record," Inuyasha said, grinding his teeth, "you're a fucking asshole. Don't act like you fucking know her."

"Hey, you're the one who called me." Koga leaned back and crossed his arms, looking like a petulant teenager.

They weren't going to get anywhere at this rate so Inuyasha took a deep breath and did his best to start playing nice. "I don't even know where to start this shit," he said under his breath.

"You start with Kagome," Shippo supplied helpfully. "You're doing this for her."

Inuyasha nodded once and started talking. Between him and Shippo, they gave Koga a full account of the day, from their discoveries in the box to Kagome's assault to the woman in the alley. They didn't mention that the box was in the other car, not willing to risk Koga confiscating it. Koga only interrupted a few times to ask questions, mostly interested in the woman Inuyasha encountered in the alley. By the time they finished, the car was getting stuffy and Inuyasha was wrinkling his nose at the overwhelming stench of wolf.

"So why call me?" Koga asked when they were finished. "Pretty bold to ask for help from someone you accused of murder."

Inuyasha dug his nails into his palms, his muscles twitching in an attempt to not gouge Koga's eyes out. "Kagome says you're innocent and I have to consider that she's right," he said, forcing the words out. "Now I need you to figure out that I'm innocent so I can clear my name. I need to be able to move freely to protect her."

Leaning forward a little, Koga gave him an appraising look, his eyes focusing on the charm around Inuyasha's neck. "Answer something for me," he said, raising his gaze to meet Inuyasha's. "Everything else from 50 years ago aside, you had to know what happened to Izayoi. Why the hell did you stay hidden and let her die?"

The only warning Koga had was Inuyasha's growl, low and dangerous. There was no holding back as Inuyasha launched himself between the seats towards his target. Koga was out of the car in a flash, leaving only empty air for Inuyasha to swipe at. Halfway between the seats, Inuyasha jerked his head towards the open door and snarled.

"You leave her out of this." His voice was low and frighteningly calm, rumbling with his fury. "You don't know what you're talking about."

Shippo gripped his shoulder. "This isn't helping," he said, tightening his hold slightly before letting go and sitting back again.

Koga moved a little closer to the car and bent down far enough to see Inuyasha's face. "It's a fair question and you know it."

Inuyasha answered with a question of his own, his anger only growing. "And what the fuck did you do to help her? You were free, you could have stopped it. You claimed to be my parent's friend but you let them take her. You did nothing to save my mother and maybe you didn't kill my father but you were supposed to have his back that day and you didn't. To top it off, you never even bothered to consider that I could have been innocent. You failed all three of us so don't fucking question me about shit."

At his words, Koga dropped to the ground and leaned his back against the side of the car. "You think I don't fucking know I failed? You think I haven't lived with that shit every damn day for almost 50 fucking years?" He slammed a fist down on the asphalt but there was no bite to his words. He sounded...defeated. "I tried to stop them, you know. They wouldn't let me anywhere near her, said she was too valuable to the investigation. Before I knew it, she was gone." He looked up at the two men in the car, shaking his head. "After what you told me today, I don't think it would have mattered. If you hadn't gone into hiding, all three of you would be dead."

A solemn silence fell over them and Inuyasha let himself fall back into his seat. Koga made the whole thing sound like a conspiracy and Inuyasha found that he couldn't discount the possibility. He'd never thought about why his father was murdered, too blinded by his obsession with Koga's betrayal. His anger clouded his judgment and cost him valuable time that he could have been using to figure out the why instead of worrying so much about the who.

"I didn't know," Inuyasha said, breaking the silence. "I didn't know they 'arrested' her until recently. I knew she died but...but I thought she was attacked for letting me go. I let the old man put me under a seal for the last 40 something years so I wouldn't have to deal with their deaths. It was too much."

"A complete seal?" asked Koga. "So you've basically been in a spiritual coma for most of your life?"

Inuyasha nodded. "It didn't help. I still had to deal with everything when I woke up. But at least I had…"

"At least you had what?" Koga asked when Inuyasha paused.

"I had some help dealing with shit." He shook his head and sighed. "And now she's hurt and I feel like it's my fault because I couldn't be with her to protect her."

Koga stood, shutting the back door and opening the front to climb in next to Inuyasha. He draped his wrists over the steering wheel and let his head drop back against the headrest. "Will you let me talk to Kagome and ask her what happened?" he asked, turning his head to look at Inuyasha. "I think it's all connected and if it is, you're both in some serious shit."

Inuyasha glanced back at Shippo who nodded. "Yeah," he said to Koga. "Day after tomorrow. Give her some time to recover."

"Fine. And…" He sighed and gripped the steering wheel. "And I'll start looking into clearing your name."


"It's definitely suspicious, right?" Miroku paced in front of his girlfriend, his feet thumping lightly on the wood floor of the dojo. He looked out of place, still dressed in his suit for work. "Am I being paranoid?" He stopped and looked at Sango.

She shook her head and her ponytail fell over her shoulder. Her fingers toyed with a stray thread that had made its way free from the seam of her leggings. "After the other day, everything feels suspicious." After the box, after what happened to Kagome, after the call from Inuyasha...the world was suddenly a much darker place than it had been two days ago.

Miroku sank down on the wooden bench beside her and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer. She immediately let her head rest against his shoulder and sighed. Miroku's fingers on his free hand brushed against the bulge of the ring box in his pants pocket, a reminder of what he'd been delaying. In an effort to make sure his proposal was perfect, he'd put it off and now...now their friends were in danger and it felt inappropriate. With Kagome injured and Inuyasha facing his past, Miroku's priorities had shifted. And after the incident at work...

He'd been called to his boss's office that morning and given an 'assignment' out of the blue. Onigumo wanted him to campaign (there wasn't an election coming up) at the very edges of their district (where only about 2% of votes came from). It was a two-week job that would take him to some very remote locations and required travel on dangerous and deserted mountain roads. And the expenses and travel were already arranged...for two people...him and his girlfriend.

It was suspicious as hell.

"We should go see Kagome now, try to get there before Koga does," Sango said but made no move to get up. "But I don't think we should tell her about today. She's got enough on her plate."

Miroku laid his head on top of hers and tightened his arm around her. "I agree. Just, a minute before we go." Inappropriate or not, bad timing or not, he'd waited too long already. If they were in danger, if something happened to him or Sango (though he would die before he let anything happen to her), he didn't want to have any regrets. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the black velvet box.

"Sango," he started, pulling away so he could face her, "this may not seem like the right time to do this but I feel I've waited long enough." He held the open ring box between them, the round cut diamond sparkling brightly and surrounded by a ring of smaller but no less brilliant gems. "Would you…?" His heart sped up to a frantic pace as he watched her reaction.

Sango's eyes widened and her mouth fell open. Her gaze flickered between his face and the ring a few times before locking eyes with him. "Why now?" she asked.

His heart skipped a beat as his mouth went dry. "B-because, I just-" He didn't know what to say that wouldn't ruin the mood; not that there was much of a mood to begin with. "There's so much happening and you...I've been planning this for a while, Sango. You are my entire world and not a day goes by that I don't see a future spent with you and only you. I love you so much and if things take a turn or if something happens then I want you to know just how much you mean to me."

"Oh Miroku," she said, shaking her head. "You didn't need to propose for that but...but yes, you inappropriate idiot with the worst timing. Yes, I'll marry you."

Their celebration was subdued but happy, a few tears rolling down both their cheeks as they embraced. Whatever happened from here, Miroku would have no regrets. He only hoped Kagome and Inuyasha understood his desire to propose and share the news, despite the turmoil their lives were in currently.

"I think it's about time we got out of here," Sango said, sniffling a little.

Miroku nodded and reluctantly pulled away. "We should get cleaned up first. Though I'm sure there will be more tears today."

Sango hummed in agreement and they both stood, sharing a quick kiss before parting to get ready.


They were all staring at her and it was making her uncomfortable. No, she couldn't explain why her reiki didn't zap the assholes that assaulted her. No, she didn't know their names. No, she never actually saw the one who grabbed her, held her, and kicked her repeatedly. No, she didn't want to talk about it anymore. No, three days to recover wasn't enough to deal with this interrogation.

But yes, she would recognize their voices if she heard them again. Yes, they were asking about Kikyo. Yes, it was a planned attack. Yes, the one she saw had a spider tattoo. And yes, she did burn the hell out of it, thank you very much.

Inuyasha, ever the worrier, hadn't left her side since she woke up the day before. It was sweet and endearing and she wanted to shock him with her reiki just to get a minute to think dammit. She understood, she really did. Her body still hurt, though all but her major injuries were healed, her reiki was still recovering, and she saw horrible things when she closed her eyes. It was an unpleasant experience at the best of times and her boyfriend, whom she loved dearly, was just worried.

But she needed some space to process and instead, she was stuck in this stupid bed...and she had an audience. Miroku, Sango, Kikyo, Shippo, her mother...Koga! How had that even happened? Why weren't he and Inuyasha trying to kill each other?

Kami, she needed a minute and she wasn't going to get it, was she?

Koga stood from his spot sitting against the back of the sofa. "Can I see what was in the box?" He asked, looking over at Kikyo.

She nodded and motioned for him to follow her. "I have some other documents in my office that could use a fresh pair of eyes." Their voices trailed off as Koga followed her down the hallway.

And now they trusted Koga with sensitive information. Perfect. Amazing. When had that happened? Why tell her anything at this point?

Inuyasha sighed beside her, his hand gripping hers a little tighter. Sango and Miroku, who'd been sitting together on the sofa, came over to join them. They looked nervous and Kagome didn't miss the way they kept gazing at each other or the way Sango was holding her left hand, still tangled with Miroku's right, slightly behind herself.

Miroku cleared his throat. "We, uh, have some good news." He sounded hesitant, probably worried about the poor timing of his announcement.

Sango held up her hand, finally untangling her fingers from Miroku's. Her ring gleamed prettily and she blushed, the corners of her mouth twitching. "I said yes," she said and looked at Kagome expectantly.

Did they think she wouldn't be happy for them?

Kagome grabbed her hand and pulled her into a light hug (because her ribs still hurt like a bitch). "I'm so happy for you two," she said and gave Miroku a thumbs up over Sango's shoulder.

Shippo came over and the group of friends had a subdued celebration of sorts. Hugs were shared, tears were shed, and promises for a more appropriate celebration were made. Inuyasha even joined in, having grown closer to everyone over the last few weeks.

Kagome was quick to wave them all away, insisting that they go enjoy the rest of their day. There wasn't much else to do until Kagome was healed anyway. Finally, the only people left in the room were her, Inuyasha, and her mother.

"I have to head back to the shrine to grab you some things," her mother said, coming over to gingerly hug Kagome. "I'll be back later tonight."

"Alright. Thanks, mama."

Before they realized it, Inuyasha and Kagome were alone and Kagome realized she didn't want that minute to herself anymore. "Inuyasha, could you take me out to the garden?" she asked, doing her best to pull off puppy dog eyes.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and started to pick her up gently, even as he protested. "You know it's chilly. The last thing you need is to get sick while you're recovering."

She snuggled into his chest and gripped the front of his shirt, taking in his woodsy scent. "I'm sure you'll keep me warm. Besides, the fresh air will be good for me."

"Keh."

He took them to a more secluded part of the garden, past the little archway so they couldn't be seen from the house. Kagome's continued insistence that her legs worked perfectly fine was ignored as he plopped down on the ground with her sideways in his lap. A small breeze curled wisps of their hair together and Kagome shivered.

"I knew you'd be cold," Inuyasha said and wrapped his arms completely around her, curling his body around hers.

Kagome felt warm and safe. "And I knew you'd protect me from the cold," she said into his chest. She was still sore and she was still tired but none of that mattered when she was in his arms. Goons with spider tattoos and menacing voices couldn't hurt her now. She let her mind drift as the soothing sound of trickling water and the high tinkle of a wind chime lulled her into peace.

Inuyasha nuzzled the top of her head and placed a gentle kiss there, sighing. One hand rested on her waist while the other traced a pattern on her arm from her shoulder to her elbow. They stayed like that for a few minutes before Inuyasha spoke. "I'm sorry, Kagome. I...I should have been there to protect you."

This wasn't the first time they'd had this conversation and she had a feeling it wouldn't be the last. "Stop apologizing," she said, looking up and tugging on a lock of his hair. "We've talked about this. You couldn't-"

"But I could have," he said, interrupting her. "I could have left to find you at any point. I could have met you at Miroku's. I could have stayed on the phone with you while you drove. I did everything wrong and look what happened."

"And I could have called you when my car broke down," she said, suddenly angry at the whole situation. "I could have had my car repaired. I could have called a tow truck and stayed with the car. I could have called literally any of my friends for a ride." She cupped his cheek and turned his face towards her. "It's my own stupid fault so please, stop blaming yourself."

He gripped her wrist and pressed her hand more firmly against his skin, closing his eyes and resting his forehead against hers. "I know, I just...what if they...fuck, they could have taken you or…" He knew he was rambling and not making sense but the words he wanted to say just wouldn't come. "I can't lose you. I can't lose anyone else I...I...dammit." His hand moved up her arm, past her elbow to her shoulder, his fingers lightly ghosting over her skin. A light touch tickled her neck then his hand was in her hair and holding the back of her head so he could tilt her face up.

She followed his motions eagerly and sighed when she found his lips. The gentle press turned into a series of soft pecks on and around her mouth, her chin, her nose. She giggled when he playfully licked the tip of her nose then moaned softly when she thought of other places his tongue could go. Her moan must have been a cue because he moved to her neck, peppering her tender skin with feather-light kisses and more licks.

A soft rumble drew her hands to his chest and down to the hard plains of his stomach to play with the hem of his shirt. She wanted to feel his skin, feel the vibrations of that rumble under her fingers, feel his muscles twitch as she explored. She drew in a harsh breath when he nipped her ear and her ribs protested the strain, reminding her that this wasn't the time.

Inuyasha pulled back and mumbled an apology. "Sorry, got a little carried away."

"S'ok," she said, her mind a little hazy. "I didn't mind."

"Kagome, I-" he stopped, locking eyes with her. "From now on I'll always be there to protect you, with my life if it comes to it."

"Inuyasha, that's not-"

He shook his head. "I know but I can't let this happen again." His face softened and he brushed her hair over her shoulder. He met her gaze and knew what he had to say. "I need to know that you'll be safe. I need...I need you, Kagome. I just...I love you, so much. I can't lose you too."

Kagome gasped and placed a hand over her rapidly beating heart. A light dusting of pink highlighted Inuyasha's cheeks and nose but his eyes never wavered from hers. Her vision blurred and she blinked to clear it. "I love you too, stupid," she said and buried her face in his chest so he couldn't see her tears.

"Oi, that's not nice. And you know I can tell you're crying." He breathed a sigh of relief, his heart feeling lighter than it had in days. He wrapped his arms around her and placed a lingering kiss on the crown of her head. "We're in this together," he whispered into her hair. "No matter what."


"Well that could have gone better," Koga mumbled as he wandered back into Kikyo's living room and plopped down in a chair. He went to put his feet up on the coffee table but a withering glare from Kikyo stopped him. Instead, he leaned back in the chair and crossed his ankle over his knee. "I knew he wasn't going to like being kept out of the loop for so long."

"Tough shit," Inuyasha said from his place on the sofa next to Kagome. "He's all caught up now so he can get over it."

Kagome elbowed him lightly. "Be nice. He sided with Koga and now they're both trying to prove you're innocent. That's what you wanted, wasn't it?"

"Keh. Whatever."

Koga rolled his eyes and glanced down at his phone. He had several messages he needed to check from his two assistants and he was waiting on a few from Sesshomaru. They'd arranged a meeting in a week's time between Koga, Sesshomaru, Inuyasha, and Kagome to lay everything on the table and get everyone on the same page.

"Did he...Did he mention my parent's estate? The house?" Inuyasha asked, his ears turned toward Koga.

Koga nodded. "Give him a few weeks and you can have full access."

Inuyasha heaved a sigh and sat back, wrapping an arm around a smiling Kagome. She leaned into his side and kissed him on the cheek.

The longer Koga spent watching and talking to Inuyasha the more he realized how blinded he'd become that day in the woods. He'd spent so long with this image in his head of Inuyasha as a cold-blooded killer that it was difficult to see anything past the end of his own nose. Slowly though, that image was being replaced by the memory of the stubborn teenager who'd adored his mother and idolized his father. He'd known Inuyasha when he was just a kid, had babysat him on a few occasions for Toga and Izayoi. Sure, he was stubborn and a little spoiled, but a murderer? Fuck, how had he gotten everything so wrong for so damn long?

Maybe he'd just needed to put a face to his anger. Maybe he'd needed someone to blame for his failure. Maybe his rage made him take the easy route to find some sense of justice as quickly as possible. Inuyasha was right there, front and center, easy to hit with all the blame. And it just built over time. Year after year of searching, blaming, and hating had turned him into a man on a misguided mission.

Hell, maybe he was just fucking incompetent.

At least Sesshomaru had the excuse of never being around the mutt. It was easy for the stoic asshole to blame a teenager he hadn't seen since he was in diapers. He also hated just about everyone that wasn't himself and still held onto the long-dead notion that 'half-breeds' were somehow inferior to full yokai. It was a ridiculous opinion but Koga knew what they said about old dogs and new tricks. Having a hanyo brother probably didn't help Sesshomaru's attitude.

And now, as he watched Inuyasha lean down to nuzzle Kagome's neck (those two needed a fuking room), he realized that Sesshomaru may end up with another 'half-breed' in the family at some point. Which made him realize something else and raised a question he probably shouldn't ask.

"Hey, dog-breath." But he was going to anyway.

Inuyasha scowled at him. "Fucking what?"

"Calm down, fuck-face. I just wanna ask a question."

"Then drop the fucking pet names and ask it, asshole."

He may not be a murderer, but Koga still wanted to punch him. "What happens if you two lovebirds try to have a kid?"

There were two gasps, a growl, and some embarrassed stuttering in response to his question. Kagome and Inuyasha had both turned interesting shades of red and were avoiding eye contact with one another. Mrs. Higurashi's eyes were wide and, in Koga's opinion, hopeful as she looked over at her daughter and Inuyasha. Kikyo was giving him a flat look and shaking her head.

Koga just shrugged. "It's a fair question. Never heard of a miko and a yokai getting on well enough to wanna make a baby."

"Must you be so crass?" Kikyo glared at him then sighed. "Although I must admit, it is a good question. In all my research, I've never seen a baby born between someone with yoki and someone with reiki."

"We are not having this conversation," Kagome said, seemingly recovered from her initial embarrassment. "We, as in Inuyasha and myself, will worry about that when we need to."

Looking absolutely mortified at this point, Inuyasha turned wide eyes towards Kagome. His expression softened and a small smile formed as he locked eyes with his miko. Koga supposed the wonder in Inuyasha's eyes made sense. Given his circumstances, Inuyasha probably never imagined he could have a relationship, let alone start a family. If he'd had any lingering doubts regarding 50 years ago, Koga banished them right then. He still wanted to punch the stupid mutt in his stupid face but he also planned to make it his personal mission to clear Inuyasha's name so he and the strange miko he was obviously in love with could have their damn happy ending.

Kikyo cleared her throat, drawing everyone's attention. "As enlightening as this has been, it's getting late and Kagome needs more rest. I suggest you all leave her be for a while so she can heal without any added stress."

Koga looked around at Inuyasha, Kagome, and Kagome's mother then back up at Kikyo. "Ya know, you can just tell me to leave. It's not like the other two are going anywhere."

Kikyo drew her lips to a line before responding. "I was just trying to be polite." She hesitated and glanced over at Kagome who gave her a quick thumbs up. "Alright Koga, take your...behind and go home."

Kagome giggled, Inuyasha snorted, and Mrs. Higurashi could be seen covering her smile. Even Kikyo looked like she was trying not to let the corners of her mouth twitch. What a fucking group they all made. He'd take them over the dog and the frog any day.

"Alright, alright. I know when I've overstayed my welcome." He stood and stretched, heading to the genkan to put to his shoes. "I'll keep you all in the loop until next week. See ya." He gave everyone a quick wave as he made his way out the door.