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Ayame and Hampton were all smiles as they sat at a table in the food court. It was always fun going shopping together after following up on some leads. Debriefing was always easier to do when there was food, clothes and games stores nearby. Their arms were already full of bags. One of Ayame's favorite stores was having a clearance sell and everything was 40% off. While game stop was having a cell on used games buy one get one free. They were too ecstatic and ended up spending most of the money they brought with them in one place.

Aymae laughed, " Did you get the new Halo, I heard it was bomb."

Hampton patted the bags in his arms, " It's in here somewhere."

Souta walked over with Rin and Connie after grabbing a burger from one of the stands. The teen boy was all smiles, glancing over to his still girlfriend wearing her new rose necklace Rin picked out. He sat down with a shake of his head at the tiger, " No matter how much you practice you're not gonna beat me in Madden."

Hampton rolled his eyes, " That's cuz you cheat."

Everyone laughed, Rin too busy biting into her food to actually care to comment. She hasn't a burger in years.

Ayame just grinned, " Where is Kagome, she should be here by now."

Souta glanced to the watch on his arm, " She texted me about 30 minutes ago." he mumbled, pulling out his cellphone. Clicking her name, he pressed the device to his ear, after two rings someone answered, " Yo."

Souta blinked, " Where you at woman?"

" I'm walking into the food court now, where are you?"

Souta stood and looked around, " By the smoothie bar." his eyes kept glancing until he saw his sister step off the escalator. She wore a black tight crop tight showing her tattoo, her black cargo pants with many pockets, black combat boots up to her shins. Holsters safely secured, handguns and daggers in each slot, badge on her belt. Her hair was pulled back into a bun, diamond studs in her ears.

Her dark blue eyes glanced around for a moment before spotting her family. They all watched as she walked over, Rin grinned she was such a bad ass.

Souta blinked as his sister stopped in front of him, " Where you coming from?"

Kagome just smirked, waving him off as she took a seat at the table, " I got my hands on a bear."

Ayame and Hampton laughed, Kagome leaned over and ran a hand through Rin's bangs, " He treating you okay kid?"

Rin smiled, she liked the affection Kagome showed her, " Your brother is pretty cool."

Kagome just nodded, " He gets it from me." she could feel his aura ciphering from hers, she ignored the stinging, looking to her team, " You got anything good."

Ayame grinned, " Oh yeah, got a couple of locations out of some dealers you busted."

Hampton agreed, " Found a truck load of those guns, got local PD disposing of it now." He grinned, " Some lieutenant is not too happy with you by the way."

Kagome laughed, " Hojo just won't get over it." blue eyes glanced over to the silent female beside her brother, " I like your necklace, Connie."

The young girl smiled, touching the rose pendant her boyfriend gave her, " Thank you."

She smirked, looking to her best friend, " Souta's in love yall."

The teen rolled his eyes with a soft blush, " Shut up."

Everyone laughed, Rin grinned, " I picked it out."

Kagome smirked, looking to her brother, " Told you she'll help."

Souta smiled, winking at the little girl, " She's a keeper."

Rin beamed at the praise, being accepted by Kagome's brother meant something to her for some reason. Hampton watched the small girl for a moment, " What happened to your parents Rin?"

Ayame frowned, " Idiot, insensitive much,"

Rin smiled, shaking her head, " No its fine." she put her burger down, " Um, you guys remember that fire on Rosedale st a few years ago, four house went up in flames?"

The adults around the table nodded as Connie and Souta stared, Rin shrugged a shoulder, " My house was the second one to catch fire, my parents couldn't get out, I jumped out the window of my bedroom to a tree."

Kagome changed the subject, " This girl got mad skills when it comes to climbing too."

Connie raised a brow, " Is that how you got through my window at the dorm?"

Rin just shrugged, " Free climbing is my thing."

Ayame raised a brow, " Hey kid I'm the free climber in this group."

Rin smirked, " Challenge accepted."

Everyone laughed again, Kagome looked at her watch, they had time before they had to get back to the office. Blue eyes glanced to similar blue eyes, " What you about to do C?"

He smiled, " I'mma take Connie to... the spot."

Her brow went up, " Oh really, you ready for that?"

Souta nodded, " I'm sure."

Kagome made a face, her mind thinking over what her sibling just said, she leaned back in her seat with a frown, " Maybe I should bring Ses there." she mumbled.

Hampton raised a brow, " What's the spot?"

Twin blue eyes glanced over, " Its a family thing." they said in union.

Everyone laughed, Kagome and Souta just pounded fist with a smile. Kagome felt her brother's aura sap more from her from the contact, but she ignored the sting. It wasn't much and she can handle the small pain. She raised a brow at the black eyes of the part fairy who was looking between the two with a raised brow as well. Could she feel it? No one was able to tell when Souta took from her, but Connie was looking at them as if she can sense it. " You okay Connie?"

The teen just nodded, sitting back in her seat, " Uh, yeah, just wondering what this spot is and if I'm dressed appropriately."

Souta smiled, " You look great."

Hampton perked up, " Speaking of looking great, a new club just opened on the strip."

Ayame raised a brow, the only male on this team was always trying to party, " We're in the middle of an investigation."

His tangy orange eyes winked, " Doesn't mean we can't have a little fun."

Kagome laughed, " Yeah, if we can find the time." which remembered her, they needed to get back to the office soon. Gruff wanted them debriefed way before the council arrived. Keeping them on a need-to-know basis would be best for them and the tension they always caused.

" We should probably get going." she said, " I wanna see my hubby naked one more time before tonight."

Everyone at the table laughed, Kagome suddenly blinked, " No fucking way."

Ayame turned, " What?"

Everyone looked, Hampton frowned, seeing what had Kagome so stunned. Right before their eyes was Kagura. She was walking into the food court with a plastic bag in her hand. Kagome immediately stood, " C, take Rin to the palace."

Souta nodded, not one to question his sister, he stood, grabbing the young girl's arm, " Let's go. Come on Connie."

" T. Hampton, push her towards the back parking lot." Kagome said, already moving across the court. They nodded, standing, leaving their bags under the table, circling their pray like a pack of lioness.

Kagura was drunk, she didn't care, her usual pain killers weren't working, and she still couldn't sit down without a cushion for her backside. That bear did a number on her, and it was taking her longer than expected to heal completely. The wounds were gone but the damage was done. The Russian had her in every position known to man and demons and some she was positive he was making up on the spot. Plus, he liked whips, chains and pain far too much. She took a long drink out of her McDonald's cup that was filled with iced tea and vodka. She wanted to forget so bad.

She was betraying her master, disobeying a direct order of coming straight home from her snatch and grab job, but deceit has gone unnoticed. She had stopped at the mall because of the liquor depo they had inside, and hopefully Naraku will never find out about it. She bought herself a window of about an hour or two tops. She was clever in the way she played it out. She played immensely bored when she contacted Naraku to inform him she was done with her the latest target she was sent to kill and was on her way home to him, she was deceiving careless when she confirmed the accountant was indeed dead after he handed over all the money. She was carefully nonchalant when she mentioned the old perv was a sleezeball and probably withheld funds for himself. She forced a frown when Naraku demanded her to count the money herself to confirm it was all there. She had rolled her eyes and huffed in annoyance, stating it would take a few hours to count all this by hand. She had stomped her foot and snapped her fan closed when he stated she should get to work, and she would not be disturbed until its done. She damn near leaped for joy when he hung up the phone.

With her window in place, she had just enough time to drown herself in her own misery. She was risking a lot, but she had to take this chance, she had to take the risk, she had to... her senses sparked at the last second... familiar blue eyes were heading towards.

She spun, clutching her bag and made a run for the nearest exit. She frowned seeing the tiger already had it blocked. Crimson eyes turned and seen the wolf and miko were closing in, she frowned, " I am not attacking you!" she yelled in hopes the team would just leave her alone.

Kagome pulled out her gun, " Don't move!" she yelled back, pointing her weapon.

Kagura snapped opened her fan, blasting a tornado of air towards the two females, " I don't have time for this!"

Ayame took most of the hit as Kagome managed to leap out the way. The wind demoness screamed, sending her attack towards the tiger blocking her exit. " Dance of blades!"

Hampton scrambled to avoid the attack, pulling out his own gun and started firing at the woman. Kagura was getting more and more frustrated, she didn't have the time to waste, she had a window that was closing every second she spent outside of the hanyou's gaze. She was supposed to get drunk and kill herself, not fight with these damn people that won't mind they damn business. She just wanted to get drunk and die already! She dodged more bullets and fell through the doors of the mall, finally outside, she screamed in aggravation, " Would you just leave me alone!"

Kagome frowned at the demoness, " You should have left me alone all those years ago! You had to come in my house, you had to help Naraku!"

A hand swiped at her bangs in anger, " I did not help Naraku! I am a slave to Naraku!"

Ayame blinked, lowering her weapon, surprise on her face, " What?"

Kagura just shook her head, " I don't have time for you, my only way out is if I die! Just let me die already!"

That definitely caught Kagome's attention, " Wait a second..."

But Kagura just rolled her eyes, her window was closing, she touched a feather in her hair and leaped into the sky. Kagome shook her head at the woman trying to escape, not this time she thought with a frown.

" Biscuit, toss me!" she yelled, running towards the tiger that was ahead of her in the parking lot.

Hampton nodded, bending, his eyes flashing red as he called to his demon strength. Just as Kagome leaped in the air, he stood, his hand palm up on her stomach. He propelled her forward like a paper plane, she tightened her arms at her side for less drag. Ayame and Hampton watched as she flew at the escaping feather like a bullet until they collided.

Both females fell out the sky, fighting each other in midair. An anger washed over Kagura, crimson eyes locked with the bitch that ruined her only chance of freedom. She screamed, a desperate, pain filled sound, swinging her fist as they fell headfirst towards the ground.

Kagome blocked the wild attacks, she didn't know the woman personally, but she knew pain when she heard it. They twisted and tumbled, punching and kicking at each other during the aerial assault. The ground was enclosing fast, Kagome knew if she made impact, she would surely die but she couldn't get the wind demoness to let go of her neck. She was crazed and enraged, not caring they were approaching ground at over 80 miles an hour. She was really trying to kill herself and her as well.

Something hard suddenly collided into her, knocking the air out of her lungs. Ayame had literally tackled them both out of the sky. They hit the pavement with a heavy impact, rolling for a moment.

Kagome coughed, trying to regain her breathing as Ayame groaned from taking most of the impact to protect her friend. Kagura staggered to her feet, holding her side, knowing she had some broken ribs. Kagome grunted, getting to her knees, not able to stand just yet.

Kagura just stared at the woman, " I tried to save you." she hissed, " All those years ago, I tried to warn you."

Kagome shook her head, getting one of her legs underneath her, struggling to stand, " You led him right to me."

Kagura frowned, " He will have you; he always gets what he wants."

Kagome took a sharp breath and clutched her side at the pain, " Help me stop him."

Kagura just shook her head, this was a mistake, she should have known it was not going to be this easy to escape, " There is no stopping him." she mumbled, again touching her ponytail for a feather and taking off into the air.

Kagome watched her go for a moment before collapsing to the ground. Ayame struggled to her feet, leaning on to Hampton for support. " Kags you good?"

Kagome just nodded, she had fought many demons before and like to think she had a good understanding of them. And in the beginning of this fight, she was accurate in her assumptions of the wind sorceress attacks. But then she snapped, and she wasn't fighting like a demon anymore. She was fighting more like a human. She was fighting purely on emotion. She was fighting like a woman. A woman desperate for freedom. She knew the eyes of a slave when she saw them.

Hampton frowned, bending next to his partner, " If I knew you were going to hurt yourself like this, I wouldn't have tossed you."

Kagome grinned, " Do you really think I would fall out the sky with no motive." she pulled a device out her leg pocket and clicked it on, " I put a tracker on her."

Hampton grinned, " That's my girl." he scooped her up bridal style, knowing she wasn't able to stand, " Let's get you to a doctor before someone put this on the news."

Ayame nodded, staggering after the two, " Lord Sesshomaru is going to be pissed."

Kagome tried to agree but unconsciousness was already pulling her into a dreamless sleep. Good thing too, the adrenaline was wearing off and every muscle in her body was aching.

more to come