Chapter 8: It's been a Looooooooong Day!

Problem: X+4 to the 3X-54th power / 2a to the 5X+76th power cube rooted multiplied by 89X+130 squared + 1000a-6000 squared ?

Kagome's answer: I don't know nor do I even give a rat's ass!

At least that is what Kagome wanted her answer to be. Unfortunately she did care; thanks to college she was forced to care if she wanted to graduate. When the in "real world" will students actually have to use Calculus anyway?

She sighed as she threw down her pencil in frustration on the silk bed spread that she was currently sitting on, desiring to do nothing short of throwing the damnable text book against the wall. When she graduated high school, she should have just taken the year off like her mother said but no:

"Mom, college is different from high school. I don't actually have to attend the classes! I just have to go the first week, get the syllabus and books and then do the work while I travel. As long as I turn in the important work on time and study for the finals, I should be just fine."

Oh what a fantasy she had been living in when she had said that! It was Tokyo University she was supposed to be attending after all; she was still surprised that they accepted her with all her absences and dropping grades, though she had to admit she kicked some major ass on the entrance test thanks to weeks of long days and sleepless nights. As expected of the toughest college around, not only did she find it hard to do all the work they gave her, much less turn it in on time, the finals are coming up and she had no idea what would be on it nor did she understand the material.

Peachy. Just peachy. I'm going to flunk out of college like I almost did high school. Thanks a lot Inuyasha. I am eternally in your debt.

Kagome flopped down from her sitting position to her back on the evaluated floor pallet, its fur covers caressing her skin as she sighed again, using one hand to grasp a watch on the nightstand that read 8:32 PM (good thing she had brought a battery powered lamp to work by) while using two fingers on the other to try to rub the tension headache she always got when dealing with difficult math homework and stubborn Hanyous though she was lacking the latter.

She had to admit though: hunting jewel shards with Inuyasha was certainly more fun than math homework or being held hostage by the "Lord Sesshomaru of the Western Lands".

She looked around the room, still wondering if she was actually in the Feudal Era or in some fancy hotel that mocked it. She had to give Sesshomaru this; he definitely had an expensively comfortable taste when it came to his home.

The room's floor and walls were made of polished wood that practically radiated with the scent of old oak (it was strange how smells seemed to jump out at her now) while the bed spread she was currently on was soft black fur that was probably a bear pelt and Kagome felt a surge of pity flow through her as she though of the animal that used to wear it; it must have been a truly beautiful creature. Next to her bed was a low oak nightstand that was now cluttered with all her books and things from her own time while in the corner was a wardrobe, much like Rin's, that she could only imagine to be filled with more clothes that were appropriate for this era. She sighed. She much rather be wearing her own clothes; at least she knew she would wreck those without worrying about paying some sort of price, probably her welfare.

However, her favorite feature was the huge window, only partly covered with deep blue silk curtains that revealed a land of snow and ice. She was on the second floor so she could see for miles as the slowly drifting snow blanketed the landscape. She wasn't fond of the cold; she liked Spring and Summer much better but it didn't mean she couldn't be awed by the beauty if nature in all its phases.

Plus, only a mad person would hate snow.

And last but not least, above her sliding door hung a tapestry; it was beautifully done, the workmanship obviously done by demon hands and with much skill and patience. It was simple: a crescent moon with sakuras in a wreath at its base, no doubt Sesshomaru's crest. It kind of made her wonder about how that sort of thing was done; do they simply take the crest of their father's or do they make their own when they come to rule? And if they did make their own, why did Sesshomaru chose this one?

She rolled her eyes at her own thoughts. She shouldn't be giving herself a migraine thinking about things that didn't matter.

Granted her room wasn't as nice as Rin's and she could only mentally picture what his must look like, she had to appreciate that he gave her such a fabulous room to stay in, instead of the dungeon she had half-expected to be thrown into.

Good things about Sesshomaru: one. Bad things about Sesshomaru….she had lost count a loooooooong time ago.

She wiggled on the bed covers, feeling cold despite her red pajamas but not wanting to rise so she could crawl underneath them while she reached for her portable CD player, wanting some music to relax her mind and relieve the ache that settled between her eyes. She feared that if she did climb into bed, she would go to sleep and slumber right through the opening of her escape attempt around midnight.

She flipped through her CD book and took out My Chemical Romance: Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge to shove into her CD player, putting on the head phones and nodding her head as the first song "Hellena" came on, one of her favorites. She yawned widely and felt the American rock music somewhat revive her though she could probably use a coke right about now for the caffeine rush. Today had been tiring…

It was strange feeling so exhausted after only one day of being here: she began to wonder idly if it was because she had not done anything for a whole week or that Rin was the most energetic girl she had ever encountered.

After the whole stair sliding incident with Sesshomaru and they had a snack, Rin didn't hesitate to demand that Kagome commence with the torture of entertaining her. Rin was adorable and Kagome usually loved playing with little kids but the girl didn't know the meaning of the phrase "I'm tired. Can we do this later?"

They played practically all day: drawing, coloring, tag, hide and go seek (Kagome had gotten lost in the huge castle…) and pretty much everything else one could think of. The girl had amazing stamina! Kagome was exhausted merely chasing her around the castle, trying to prevent the girl from causing as much trouble as she could. As much as she was now fond of the girl, Rin was spoiled. She didn't listen to any one but Sesshomaru; not even Jaken could control her!

Kagome had also noticed that Sesshomaru really wasn't around much. He was always patrolling his boarders, in his study or the library and even when he was around he was so serious, barley speaking at all. Every time he came about, Rin was so excited so Kagome just guessed he didn't hang out much but he was the only father figure Rin has ever had so she just guessed Rin got used to it.

Though he was barely around, Kagome still thought it was too much! Just thinking about him made her want to pull her hair and scream in frustration and anger.

Sesshomaru was really starting to get under her skin. He made her so mad! She hated the way he stared at her with his cold emotionless eyes; the way his handsome face was always so calm, showing no emotion; his conceited and superior air as he walks and commands. At first she tried to not pay him any attention, hoping that if she ignored him, he would ignore her.

As if.

It seemed that her little ploy only succeeded in having him focus more on her. Mostly he was silent but when he did speak, it was always a command or an insult or a correction and if that weren't enough, he never once directly used Kagome's name.

Human… yes, hanyou… sometimes, wench… of course, Kagome… NO!

And the way he was always RIGHT! Even about the most trifle things he had to be right and it was only made worse with that he really was always right! His lack of emotion and caring about the feelings of others was really getting on Kagome's last nerve!

Kagome's anger subsided as she remembered the soften looks he gives Rin. Around her he seems to let his guard down, letting flickers of affection appear in his eyes when he thinks no one is looking. Those little moments shared between Sesshomaru and Rin made Kagome forgive him and knowing he was capable of feeling something made him bearable.

Kagome had even gone so far as to unpack her bag and show Rin all the things from her time, in hopes they will capture her attention for a while so that she could rest. She had Rin listen to the CD player, play the game boy she had brought for Shippo (she had Mario Brothers 3), let Rin play with all her modern clothes (they were a little big for her) and make up, and such. Unfortunately, Rin was like an A.D.D. child: as soon as Kagome had her situated with an activity and had laid down to take a nap, Rin would burst into the room, wanting Kagome to share the joy that she was experiencing. Especially the game boy! Kagome made a mental note to claim that the batteries in that infernal thing had died… there was only so much "Look! Look!" she could take.

Though these things only held her attention for a short time, Rin truly enjoyed herself and was extremely happy. Kagome knew that Rin hadn't had that much fun in a long time if ever and she was positive that she didn't get to have many friends, which was probably why she had commanded Kagome's attention all day. She had almost been thankful when Jaken had come to escort the girl to her studies in the late afternoon, for she had been purposely neglecting them, and Kagome took no time at all to eat a heavy, early dinner before retiring to her room to sleep and do homework.

The girl had so much energy that she was wearing Kagome out and it had only been a day! She lazily glanced out the window at the white wonderland and sighed for like the hundredth time that day. There had been an awful storm earlier, with half-frozen rain, lightning and furious winds. That's one reason Kagome hated the winter: besides it being cold and dead, they couldn't play outside very much with all the storms this time of year. If only they had nicer weather then Kagome could take her outside! Have her do a couple laps around the castle or something…

What they needed was a nice indoor project, like redecorating the house or something.

She giggled, momentarily thinking what Sesshomaru would do if they found a way to paint Rin's room to her "liking". She would guess and say he would strangle her, short of killing her, for defacing his ancestral home.

She grimaced at her books, based on subjects from math to literary interpretations spread about her on the floor bed so commonly associated with the Feudal Era. Though she was training to be a doctor, these were the basic subjects that she was required to take before she could really move on to her medical studies, doing every thing from English Compositions and Calculus to Anatomy and Ancient Japanese Civilization and taking the finals over them. At least she felt could rightfully say that she will more than likely ace the history final on the 22nd.

What day is it, anyway?

She pulled out her planner. According to Sesshy-sama (she giggled. It was still funny to refer to him as that, even if it was only in her mind), she has been out for a week and he had made the compromise of the two-week thing with Inuyasha today and if she left to go home on the 8th that would make today the 15th…

Crap! Christmas is 10 days away!

Not to mention the family reunion, all her friends' parties, the Annual Christmas party her mom hosts, Christmas Day, Winter Semester tests…

She clinched her fists. Damn. If she didn't manage to escape, Sesshomaru would never let her leave to go back to her time! Her mom was depending on her help with the family and those tests are vital to her future in modern Japan!

She punched the big, silk pillow with a clawed fist and a hole appeared with feathers flying all about like snowflakes. She looked at her claws and touched the mark that had been burned into her forehead. How will she hide her new "condition" from the family anyway? Her mom's gonna freak!

"DAMN INUYASHA AND HIS STUBBORNESS!" she screamed in outrage, feeling that if he had half a brain she would not be in this predicament.

She almost jumped as she heard the door burst open. She turned to the intruder, expecting to see Sesshomaru, who would no doubt yell at her for all her racket but was surprised as Rin bolted into her room with Jaken hot on her heels, grasping a pink bundle closely and screaming while he tried in vain to catch the faster girl. Rin ran to the bed furs and behind Kagome, as if to use her as a shield to protect her from whatever torture Jaken was about to put her through. Kagome, of course, could only stare in bewilderment while wondering what this was all about.

"I don't need a bath Jaken! I haven't done anything all day!" the girl protested loudly from behind Kagome's shoulder. Kagome saw Jaken sigh wearily, thinking without doubt that this same battle must resume every night. Rin was sweet but when she didn't want to do something, you have a better chance of picking up a car than changing her mind.

Poor Jaken. Kagome didn't even have to feel to exhaustion in his aura to know that he was about to collapse. His yellow bug eyes where blood shot and his shoulders were slouched in weariness as he leaned on his staff for support; he didn't even try to mask it in front of her and Kagome knew demons had this thing about displaying weakness in front of anyone, friend or foe. What task did Sesshomaru give him to wear him out like this?

"Jaken, I'll take it over from here."

Jaken gawked at her and Kagome thought he was going to deny her offer but he sighed again, leaving the bundle that he was carrying on the floor, obviously Rin's bathing things before he exited the room. Kagome had no doubts that he would go straight to his room to go to sleep. She turned to the little girl, who had forced her features into an adorable pout, as if its charm could convince Kagome not to drag her to the bathing house. Kagome laughed, ruffling her hair before going to her yellow bag she had thrown by the wardrobe to get her own bathing things.

"Sorry Rin. That look won't work on me!"

Rin's face fell in defeat and Kagome giggled, remembering how her own mother used to tell her the same thing when she was young.

Sesshomaru sat at his desk, putting his signature on all the paper work he was required to sign before tomorrow so that it could be sent off. There was one bonus to the human's presence here: he could now force Jaken to go through the bulk of it without himself having to paw through it for hours on end.

Thank Kami for vassals!

But there was a damn boat load on his desk: he felt as if he had signed a hundred or so documents and was only halfway through the pile that Jaken had completed and that was only half of the bigger pile. He threw down the ink brush in frustration, feeling the tension headache starting to form that was usually associated with paper work and, quite recently, with hanyous… women hanyous.

Just thinking about her made him want to bash in a wall!

Now that Jaken was doing most the paper work, Sesshomaru had used his free time to "check-up" on the humans, though it was more of ensuring the wench didn't corrupt Rin or try to sneak out. He was more and more anxious about the fact the Rin could escape the castle quite easily and would even teach her new friend her secret. In fact if Sesshomaru had bothered with it before hand, he would have discovered the clever girl's secret a long time ago and found a solution but that can't be helped now.

Well anyway, during his "check ups", Rin had accepted his unusual frequent visits with open arms, for he never really saw her throughout the day until it was her dinner/ bed time; the wench, however, hardly seemed warm to him. Every time he was in her presence, she tensed and tried to ignore him, which of course Sesshomaru was not used to. He always commanded attention, no matter what he was doing. Because of that, he would purposely do things that would get on her nerves like correct her and call her names that she thought where insulting but that he only believed to be befitting, like his personal favorite "human". He always got an amusing reaction for that one, though he used the term lightly, for she technically wasn't a human anymore; she was hanyou but it was entertaining to say it nonetheless.

But she was always undermining him! He would give her an order and she would either do it in the most horrible fashion imaginable or simply say, "I'll do it later, Lord Sesshomaru," with as much sarcasm and mockery as she could muster and then never do what he asked just to spite him.

Not to mention that it seemed every time he turned his back to her, she would make funny faces or mock him because Rin would burst out laughing but when he looked back to confront her, she merely smiled at him innocently: a smile that Sesshomaru was learning to be wary of.

She certainly was something different. Out of all the females he had every encountered of any race, none of them have ever treated him as disrespectfully as this hanyou was capable of. Youkai women usually throw themselves at him, hoping to be Lady of the Western Lands or trying to get close to him so they could slay him for some family member he had maimed or killed, and human women just do what they are supposed to: scream and run in fear before he struck them down. That is how is should be but this woman was breaking all the rules: she was actually showing something that he had coined "human defiance". She was purposely but subtly opposing him, more content to defy him then to out right fight him. Inuyasha used to do the same thing though no quite as masterfully as this woman-child was able to. It was as if she had been trained in the art of driving people superior to her utterly insane!

And she was doing a good job too. Even when she was hallways away, he was still able to think about her! Nobody could even mention the words "wolf", "woman", "human", or the like without his thoughts turning to her! Not that they were good thoughts, mostly of him wringing her slender neck but they invaded his mind anyway. The girl sure did know how to take over one's mind and it had only been a day!

He groaned. Only 13 more to go…

"DAMN INUYASHA AND HIS STUBBORNESS!"

Right on time. Although he ultimately agreed with her outburst, Sesshomaru made a note that if he did want peace and quiet around his home, he best not think of her too much because it seemed that every time he did, something happened, mostly caused by or involving her. Just like the whole stair well incident this afternoon: if Jaken hadn't brought her up, he never would have thought about her and… who was he kidding? The wench was going to cause mischief whether he thought about her not, even if it wasn't intentional on her part. It was a human trait. Rin was the same way, all but tearing up the castle in an attempt to amuse herself.

Humans were becoming more trouble then they were worth.

He lazy glanced down at an old book lying down on the corner of the desk next to his ink brush. It was an ancient tome, brought over from the European countries during his grandfather's time for his deceased relative always had this fascination about other places, often traveling to them to satisfy his curiosity. Personally, Sesshomaru couldn't see himself traveling across the ocean just to experience other cultures but it was interesting to read about them: the way other people lived, died, what they did and their beliefs. Like China for instance; they had built a huge wall that snaked its way on the border of their continent, not only to hold enemies at bay but they believed that demons always walked in a straight line, never turning or changing direction so a curvy wall would prove to be the ultimate defense against them. The very idea! As if a queer wall could stop him the slightest bit!

Anyway the leather binding of the book was slowly crumbling and some pages were loose but all together it was intact. He must have read it twice this week at least but it was important information about his new "guest". The script did take a bit of time to read; it was done in Japanese but the letters were slightly faded and, of course, calligraphy had altered after so much time but he had done it.

He was still debating on whether he should give it her or not. It was about werewolves, though it was based more on legends than actual evidence. Apparently, the European countries were believed to be infested with them though Sesshomaru had his doubts. Humans were more often then not just imagining things.

Still, the information presented in this book was the best that he had in his library and a lot of it made sense if nothing else. The girl would probably learn a lot about herself if she read it and it would most likey cut down on her question outtake, which was an anticipated bonus.

Then again, if she stopped asking questions, he would actually have to start eating again at meals for Rin's sake. He shuddered. He had already skipped out on dinner with the excuse that he had too much imaginary work to attend to which had stressed the little girl so much that she actually had food sent to him while he was in his study, reading.

He supposed would just have to rely on the fact the humans were curious and obnoxious, thus causing the woman to inquire about other subjects so he would respond to her while they ate.

There was no escaping it so he might as well embrace it.

He gracefully used his arm to push himself out of his comfortable nest of pillows, grabbing the book balanced on the corner as he made his way around the desk.

He crept across the study, careful not to rustle any of the paper that might cause the stacks to fall as he opened the slide door and stepped out into the hallway just in time to see Jaken at the other end creeping into his own sleeping quarters, hunched over like an old man.

Where is Jaken going? Wasn't it time for Rin's bath right about now?

His mind scraped for an answer and it came up with the only possible conclusion: the wench was taking charge of Rin's care for tonight, no doubt out of pity for Jaken. Sesshomaru smiled, more of twitch at the corner of his mouth than anything else. He knew how his little Rin felt about bathing rituals. He might have been tempted to watch how the human handled Rin during her "bath tantrums" if not for the fact that they would most likely be naked.

Not that nudity really bothered Sesshomaru. He grew up in a noble house and had seen some of the most beautiful female demons with little or no clothing on and had even caressed their skin with his claws, but seeing Inuyasha's wench in such a state would probably cause physiological problems, if not blindness. It wasn't that she wasn't appealing; it was just the fact that she was hanyou and Inuyasha's lover that made that scene appalling.

No matter. He had to pass the bathing house to get to the girl's room anyway; he was positive that he would be able to hear the entertainment and still get a laugh out of it even though he can't see it. He could usually hear Rin and Jaken across the castle and he had no doubts in his mind that the girl who be as unrelenting to the other girl as she was to her retainer when it came to forcing her to do something. One of the perks of her listening to him and him alone.

Set with his plan in mind, he turned his heel and began to stride down the hallways of his home, walking with boredom and determination though inside he couldn't wait to listen as his ward humiliated his new "guest".