Heeling Spirit

Sorry this was REALLY late. Busy 2016. I went from Miss cakeiton to Mrs. cakeiton :D

I don't own anything Inuyasha.

…

A calamity of yips greeted Kagome each morning, and eager claws dug at kennel doors as she walked by. During the last two weeks the ruckus had evolved from surprisingly energizing, to annoying, to the norm. Now she found herself brightly expecting such a welcome to her clinic each day.

"Ohiyo, inu-yakuza," she teased the pack as they barked chaotically. Her keys still jingled from her grip as she unhooked the kennel latches and released them into the yard, taking the time to pat a few on the head before they rushed off. She shrugged off her coat then headed to her office, thumbing through yesterday's mail, and greeted the rest of her canine charges.

"Good morning, Sesshoumaru. How is our Nami today?"

His large head lifted from his curled position to reveal the small black puppy biting at the secured cast around her leg.

Kagome click her tongue and kneeled by the obstinate pup. "She is supposed to keep the cone on. If she manages to tear through her cast, the leg won't heal properly." Sesshoumaru huffed dismissively, which blew back her bangs. She shook her head and reattached the cone around Nami's neck, berating the pair a little more. Kagome could not know if he fully understood what she was saying, but found comfort in talking to him all the same. It was also somewhat cathartic to be snarky towards him without fearing for her life.

Little Nami whined and shook her head in an attempt to fling off the cone, hitting her alpha in the face several times. Kagome giggled and scratched behind her ear. "Good dog."

The front door's bell chimed as her assistant came in for the day. Sesshoumaru's ears perked, then he yawned and stretched his massive body. The early morning always betrayed how old he really was. His bones creaked and joints tensed as he guided Nami to the yard with the rest of his makeshift family. Kagome worried that his less magical form might be giving out, but his health was off the charts according to traditional standards. Either there was something she didn't fully understand, or the great taiyoukai just wasn't a morning person.

An image of his former self with mussed hair, dried drool on the corner of his mouth, and a coffee mug stating, "Will Kill Indiscriminately Before My First Cup" made her laugh to herself.

"You seemed to be in a better mood than last night."

Kagome gasped as she turned quickly towards the speaker. "Shuji! What the- You surprised me."

Her boyfriend grinned and revealed a small bouquet of tulips. "That was the idea."

Still catching her breath, she forced a smile and accepted the flowers. "This is lovely! And I'm sorry about last night. I was… distracted."

Shuji's grin was also forced, but she could tell his sentiment was genuine. The last two weeks had stressed the cracks that had been forming in their relationship. Most of the time their shared company was amicable, yet Kagome could feel something dying. She enjoyed Shuji. He was funny, smart, and respectable, but he was also safe. It wasn't his fault she saw this as a flaw. Kagome was well aware how messed up it was, but she couldn't help it. She still craved adventure.

The sudden scream and quiet curse from her assistant Yuri broke through the tension. Shuji started, but Kagome only giggled. "What was that all about?" he asked.

"She was just startled by one of the dogs. It happens every other day."

His confusion twisted his face. "That's odd. Shouldn't she be used to dogs by now?"

She smiled warmly. "I got one in who's really special."

A memory of Sesshoumaru standing strong and ready to face a thousand enemies flashed through her mind. Yuri was lucky he only like hiding behind corners to scare her.

Shuji shook his head, directing the conversation back to them. "Anyways, I came to see if you would like to have lunch later today."

"Oooo, I can't," she apologized, "The pack's adoption starts today. I have to update the website, interview potentials, and I still have appointments booked."

The disappointment darkened his eyes and he grew defensive. "You know, you seem to forget anything that isn't solely about you."

Kagome started. "What?"

"Lately," he began to explain, crossing his arms, "It seems everything has been about you. Your work, your time, your dogs. Why can't the adoption wait another day?"

Her stance strengthened. "Why can't lunch?"

His face became indignant. "See what I mean!? What is so important about these stup-"

The growl seemed to blanket the room and suck the air out from both of them. Shuji turned towards the imposing form blocking his only escape and the color drained from his face.

"Is that a dog!? What are you doing with…" Shuji silenced again as Sesshoumaru began walking towards him.

Kagome was afraid to move. Since the pack had been brought to her clinic no one had been hurt, but she hadn't seen his hackles this raised since that first night. Red was even beginning to bleed into the gold of his eyes. The purity glowed within her, though she did not know what she was supposed to do with it.

If only he knew how to sit like Inuyasha…

Sesshomaru approached uncomfortably close to the man, staring into his eyes, and began to sniff his person. Kagome reached out slowly with a glowing hand. Thankfully, Shuji was not sensitive to reiki, so he did not see the brilliant pink encasing her shaking fingers. After a long moment, they rested on the top of the large dog's head.

He startled and the growling stopped as he turned his head towards Kagome. "Easy, now. Come here." Her hand moved down to his neck, gently brushing down the white fur and trying to calm him with her spirit. His body seemed to absorb her purity instead of lash out against it and, after another tense minute, Sesshoumaru sat down, his big, dog eyes no longer feral, and both humans began to breathe again.

"What have you gotten yourself into, Kagome?" Shuji accused, his voice unstable.

She shook her head and continued to pat Sesshoumaru. "I know you don't understand, but this is important to me."

"How am I supposed to understand when you aren't telling me everything?"

That was fair. She looked deep into the alpha's eyes, speaking to the intelligence she knew was there. "Go to Nami."

In response, the dog turned and stalked out, glancing over at Shuji one last time before disappearing into the hallway.

"Do you really think it is self-centered of me to want to help-" Sesshoumaru "-these dogs?"

The awkward pause that followed told Kagome his answer.

"I just think," be backpedaled, "that it shouldn't be the center of your universe."

"No," she replied, closing her eyes and trying to shut out the pain of saying goodbye. "You are just upset that I am not centered on you."

She had once given everything she had for love. To this day, she did not regret a moment. But, she also was no longer the fifteen year old girl who believed sacrifices for love was a good enough reason for her happiness to come second. Kagome had realized that mutual contentment was not only possible, but necessary.

Shuji took her hand gently, trying to hold on to the last six months they had together. "I need you to be centered on us."

"You want me to be predictable."

His brow rose. "Is there something wrong with expecting you to be reliable?"

Kagome huffed, but did not let go of his hand. "But reliability isn't the issue! I am dependable, but I am not the type who wants to be home by five-thirty every night with no room for… whatever might come along."

"Hoarding thirty or so dogs in the middle of the night is not an interesting distraction- it's a headache."

"This work isn't just a distraction, it's what I enjoy, Shuji. I want to help, and I want to heal, and I don't necessarily want to know what is going to happen to me every day for the rest of my life."

As soon as she stopped Kagome saw the fight in his eyes leave. "I see," was all he said.

"I'm sorry."

He shook his head, displacing the blame she set on herself, and squeezed her hand. The gesture softened the blow of knowing they probably won't touch again.

"Try to be safe, okay?"

Kagome nodded and gave his hand a kiss before letting go.

Shuji never looked back up from the floor as he walked out.

He did not visit her office much, but now that he never would again the space felt empty. The chime of the door down the hall as he left rang like a dull thud and a tickle trailed over her cheek. Kagome reached up to brush it away and felt the tear. Another one followed it and her heart began to hurt.

Had she made a mistake? Shuji was nice. He was sweet and gentle. They had fun. She was the one getting in their way. Why did she always push everyone away?

She rushed to the door.

So they argued about work. What couple didn't? He just wanted her around more. There was no crime in that. Why was she being unreasonable?

Kagome turned through the hallway and was forced to stop short. She had almost tripped over Nami sprawled out on the cool linoleum, angrily attempting to tear away at the protective cone around her neck. The small grunts and snarls resounded in the tight space and Kagome's tears slowed. She knelt down and rubbed Nami's bottom jaw, coaxing her to give up on ripping the plastic barrier away.

"It's frustrating now," she explained to herself more than the dog that wouldn't understand, "but it's so you can feel better later. You want to heal properly, don't you?"

The little dog's eyes were on hers now. Kagome sighed and continued, not noticing Sesshoumaru approaching her from behind.

"It sucks, but it's for the best. It's okay to be this sad now than not fully happy ever," her voice choked as she felt like she was going to cry again, "Right?"

Without warning, she was almost toppled over when a warm hand nudged her back. She gasped, embarrassed to be caught crying while sitting on the floor in her hallway, and turned to face whoever pushed her.

But it wasn't a hand at all. Sesshoumaru's large head had nuzzled against her back and now he sat behind her, his head tilted to the side, and waited.

Had he… comforted her?

Nami yipped, startling them both, and clumsily jumped to Sesshoumaru. Kagome smiled and ran her hand down the soft, fluffy fur of his neck down his back. She expected he might balk or huff and turn away, but instead he knelt closer to her, lying down at her side and resting his head in her lap.

It was close to opening, and soon she would have clients to attend to and potential adopters to interview, but Kagome was content, at the moment, to alight her fingertips with reiki and stroke his long white fur. It seemed soothing for them both and after a minute she felt ready to face the day.

Once Kagome was calm, she noticed how much space Sesshoumaru was taking up in the hallway. Her brow furrowed. "Is it just me, or have you gotten bigger?"

He lifted his head and look disapprovingly at her.

After some coaxing, she persuaded him to stand on a large metal panel set into the floor of a clinic room. Kagome clicked her tongue and shook her head admonishingly down at him. "You have gained twenty pounds since you've been here! Someone is going on a diet."

Sesshoumaru huffed and walked away, but Kagome swore his tail was slightly between his legs.

.

She knelt down and laced her fingers into the fur of his neck, a habit they were getting used to, and gently said, "It's time, Sesshoumaru."

The first of his pack was to be adopted out the day. She tried to explain to him that he had done a fantastic job caring for each of them, that the loving homes she had tirelessly found would be what was best for them, and that she would remain their veterinarian so it wasn't a permanent goodbye, but Kagome knew in her heart he did not fully understand. All he felt was her anxiety.

The red sheep dog went first. Unsure of his reaction, Kagome kept Sesshoumaru in the yard, though he stayed in the small section that faced the front parking lot. She guided the red puppy towards the fence so they could say goodbye. Sesshoumaru whined, and pawed at the chain link, but made no serious attempt to free himself or, thankfully, attack the people taking part of his pack away.

His stress seemed to increase with every dog that went home with their new families. When he wasn't stalking the fence, he was in the yard surrounded by the pack he had left as they dwindled.

With his reaction now, Kagome wondered how he had dealt with the loss of his small pack from centuries ago. The dragon, Jaken…

Rin…

She looked over to the small black puppy on her table and got the crushing feeling that, even with this cold, stoic mystique, he probably did not take it very well at all.

And she was doing it to him all over again.

She sighed and proceeded to cut away the cast from Nami's leg. The puppy was eager to get out and run without the cumbrance, so she made her inspection as quick and thorough as possible before sending her back to Sesshoumaru. The guilt dropped heavy in her heart.

Tomorrow, Kimiko and Nathan were taking Nami, the last one, home.

.

"I'm sorry, Sesshoumaru."

Nami wiggled playfully in Kimiko's arms and the couple laughed. Kagome did not have the heart to keep Sesshoumaru in the yard for this farewell and did not know what to expect, but his calm acquiescence was a surprise. He sat calmly at Kagome's side, staring at the little black-haired orphan who found a loving home… away from him.

Kagome began to pet his neck, but he leaned away from her touch for the first time since she found him in the warehouse. Her heart sank.

Nami yipped and turned towards her alpha, panting happily. Kimiko put her down so she could get close, afraid to go anywhere near Sesshoumaru herself. The puppy trotted up to him, her leg as good as new, and craned her neck trying to reach his face. His looked down until their noses were touching and she licked him twice, as if to say, "Thank you." Then, she turned and ran back to Kimiko.

Sesshoumaru didn't stay until Nami was completely gone. Instead, he huffed and turned around to escape back inside the clinic.

Kagome hurriedly said her own goodbyes before rushing inside to find him. He wasn't in the yard, or the kennels. She couldn't find him by the back exit or in any other the clinic rooms.

Finally, she found him behind her desk in the office. From the looks of it, it seemed like he tried to fit underneath it to escape.

She sat down a short distance away from him and tried to get him to look at her.

"They are good homes. I promise. I personally screened and interviewed everyone."

Sesshoumaru was dejected. He groaned and turned his attention to the other side of the room in obstinacy. She couldn't bear to think of him alone like this all night and suddenly she realized it had never really occurred to her to find a home for Sesshoumaru, whether it was because the thought of someone owning him felt wrong, or because she had already known where he was going all along.

"Hey, why don't you come home with me?"

Finally, he glanced over to meet her eyes.

…

A/N: Thanks for reading/reviewing :]

There are probably errors :/