To Be Different Than Expected

A/N- Hey! Sorry about the very and I mean very long wait on this chapt, but finally I have finished the next chapt, took me long enough huh?

Disclaimer- InuYasha is Rumiko Takahashi's property and I am merely borrowing it for my own entertainment, so no suing peeps!!

Anyway, I am sorry again for the wait and I hope you enjoy the new chapt!

'Thoughts'

'Youkai Thoughts/Speaking'

Chapter 5: Laying Down the Facts, Wolf Style

Sidestepping a kick from Kouga, Ayame head butted him, causing the wolf to go flying and come to a sliding stop a few feet away. Gritting her teeth at the pain coming from her forehead, Ayame turned on InuYasha and smirked at seeing his shocked face.

"Your turn…" tensing her leg muscles, Ayame leapt at InuYasha and just as he started to dodge her kick, she twisted her body and let her other leg knock the hanyou's feet right out from under him.

InuYasha only had time for his eyes to widen in surprise before he was face planting again, only this time it was via Ayame.

Cracking her knuckles, Ayame let out a breath as she smirked over at the now wide eyed Kagome and Shippou. 'It seems this is working out better than I thought it would, now I just need to get the facts through InuYasha and Kouga's thick skulls, then everything will be perfect.'

"Now boys, there are some things that need to be laid out for you both, so just sit back and listen…unless you'd like another ass kicking?" Raising her eyebrow, Ayame glanced between the two scowling males that sat on either side of her.

Kouga just narrowed his eyes up at her as he got to his feet, whipping at the blood coming from his split lip. Rolling her eyes at his still immature behavior, Ayame looked down at InuYasha.

He had rolled over and was now kneeling, his eyes were hard as he looked up at her as well, "just tell us already!" Sighing, Ayame shook her head, "first of all, stop acting like you both own Kagome…she is a person and it's up to her who she wants to be with, alright?"

InuYasha sent her a glare that would rival that of his brothers, but Ayame merely ignored it as she turned towards Kouga. He was growling low in his throat in a threatening manner and if Ayame was any lesser of a person, she would have been on her knees and begging forgiveness, but where was the fun in that?

Instead, Ayame rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms over her chest, "Grrr to you too buddy. Really, can you two be any less mature? I've seen pups with more manners than either of you...its really pitiful..."

Sighing, Ayame kicked at a stone that was next to her foot, 'this is just too much...why do I have to deal with the two biggest morons that ever were? How is this fair? Oh well, might as well just make the best of this...'

"Second, stop fighting already. I mean come on. What are you two fighting over anyway that is worth dying for?" Seeing that InuYasha was about to open his mouth to speak, Ayame lifted her hand in the air, stopping him from continuing.

"Don't go telling me it's because of Kagome, because I know better. Neither one of you have placed a claim of any kind upon her and besides. Since you two have been fighting, you guys haven't so much as warned anyone to get out of the way."

Waving her hand towards where Kagome and Shippou were, Ayame raised one of her eyebrows in questioning, "I've seen enough territory fights to know that if you're fighting over a person or a thing, your first priority is to make sure it's safe, but did you guys? Heh, nope. All you two did was immediately jump to fight each other, what if Kagome had gotten hurt as you two fought? Or did either of you even think of that?"

InuYasha's ears flattened to his skull as he looked away, unable to maintain eye contact any longer, Kouga on the other hand just crossed his arms and continued to glare at Ayame. Narrowing her eyes, Ayame glared right back, "lastly, have either of you even asked Kagome what she wants? Or have you both just trying to bully her into this without fully committing yourselves?"

She could see InuYasha jerk and pressed two finger's to her temple, 'good grief, I mean come on...doesn't this Hanyou know anything about demon customs?' Her eyes then turned to regard Kouga who hadn't moved even the slightest bit, 'and why doesn't he realize that if he wanted her, he could have had her already? I mean, what kind of wolf demon doesn't know this?'

Shaking her head, Ayame dropped her hand to her hip and walked over to where Kagome was sitting, placing a hand gently upon her shoulder. "Do either of you truly love Kagome? We are youkai, we mate for life and if you don't one hundred percent love the person you're mating, then what is the point in living?"

Seeing Kagome look up at her in shock and confusion, Ayame decided to elaborate further. "Both of you should know these things, yet here you are, fighting over her like she was a scrap of meat. Kagome is not a possession and neither of you have the right to so much as look at her, let alone become her mate."

It seemed those were the words needed to trigger Kouga's anger. Snarling viscously, Kouga extended his claws as he stalked towards her. Narrowing her eyes, Ayame growled low in her throat before stepping forwards to stand before Kagome and Shippou.

Miharu, who had stayed back and out of the frey, stood strong and tall at Ayame's side. Her hackles began to rise as she gnashed her jaws fiercely, warning Kouga that if he even so much as tried to harm her mistress then he was dead meat.

Ayame would have smiled if it had been any other situation, but it wasn't. "Miharu, protect the miko and the kit. This is my battle." Miharu merely snorted her assent before backing up, blocking any path to where Kagome and Shippou sat upon the ground.

Happy to see that no bystanders would get in the way, Ayame let her growl deepen into a snarl, one that effectively matched Kouga's. She knew that a fight was about to ensue between the two of them, but she had a point to make and would beat it into Kouga's silly head if need be.

"I warn you now, I will not go easy on you just because you are a female." Snorting at Kouga's words, Ayame bared her fangs threateningly, "I do not need your warning, I can take care of myself. You should worry about yourself though, not one of the males in my pack has beaten me and neither will you."

Surprise seemed to flash through Kouga's eyes for a moment before they were replaced with smug aloofness, "feh, I bet they all were going easy on you, not wishing to hurt daddy's little girl." The mocking tone in Kouga's voice is what triggered Ayame's next move.

Before he could blink, let alone think, Ayame's foot connected soundly with his face. A dull cracking noise filled the air as his head was snapped completely to one side, his eyes were wide with shock as his befuddled mind tried to register what had just happened.

Landing three feet away upon nimble feet, Ayame struggled to keep her inner youkai at bay. 'Punish male, he insult us, he die!' 'Shut up! I get the point already! He'll get his just deserts, trust me.'

When he had finally come out of his daze, he mutely realized two things. One his face hurt like hell and two, a female had caught him completely by surprise. Feeling a small pang of shame for being so distracted, Kouga growled and whipped away the blood that had been dripping from his mouth as he shoved that feeling back, replacing it with anger and the promise of a swift retribution.

Getting to his feet swiftly, he turned to face Ayame once again, "you should know your place, you are a female and have no right to command, let alone educate me. This is the last warning that I shall give you, back down, or you won't live to regret it."

Ayame merely took up a fighting position as she glared right back at Kouga again, "we'll see about that..."

A/N- And here's where this chapt ends...sorry, I just didn't want to get too carried away, after all, it's taken me a while just to write this let alone do anything else.

Anyway, the next chapt is now underway, and I'll try to get it up soon, the whole two month thing hasn't really been working out lately...

Well, that's it for now, till next time!

Ja Ne!