Yusuke was there waiting for her when she returned.

Kagome looked up at the proffered hand in surprise, accepting it with no small measure of gratefulness. It was such a pain to pull herself up out of the well each time she returned home sans-Inuyasha; Gramps had placed a small ladder there, which certainly helped somewhat, but at the end of her travels it was not a climb she enjoyed.

"Oh you're-" she grunted as she swung up the yellow bag that was still crowded with supplies "-here! Hello!"

The detective took her backpack from her, easily swinging it over his shoulder, a relaxed grin on his face. Kagome would've been a bit bitter about the show of strength, but she was too thankful to finally be rid of the thing. Besides, it gave her the opportunity to clear the rim of the well and step outside into the sunshine.

"Hey." Yusuke greeted.

She took in his position with a wavering smile. "Are you guys are waiting for me here now?"

She was accepting the new mother-hen role of the Spirit Detectives in good form, accommodating them as the new constant in her modern life. Kagome happened to like people, and she loved making new friends regardless of the circumstances. But to have the detectives play watchdog for her return implied a lack of trust on Koenma's part, and it put her distinctively outside of her comfort zone.

Yusuke shrugged off her question. "Koenma's been trying out ways to track when the portal here activates. He was working on it the last time you left too, but he figured you'd be back earlier that time."

That explained the worried phone calls then. "That's a little unnecessary. But…nice I suppose. It seems to be working now at least?"

Kagome slowed down so that she walking in step with Yusuke, her face tilted upwards. Did she mention that this was the first time in over a week that she had been one hundred percent dampness-free? It had done nothing but rain in the Feudal Era! Oh the sun was so nice.

Yusuke shook his head, a deadpanned expression on his face. "No, not really. This is the third time I've been here this week. Even then, I've been here for a while now - I only caught ya 'cause I felt the well start up. That stuff's powerful magic."

"Oh no!" she exclaimed. "I'm sorry to cut in on so much of your time!"

He shrugged again. "No worries. It's either run over here each time the brat thinks you're home, or run around in the Makai and keep order there."

"Well...okay then." Kagome trailed off doubtfully.

Yusuke adjusted the straps of the rather bright monstrosity on his back, shooting the priestess a worried glance. "Hey, look..."

When Kagome brought her eyes to his, confirming his suspicions, Yusuke stopped walking. "No really." He insisted, staring down the uncertainty in the girl's face. "The brat just idolizes ya, and he can't help himself from tryin' to fix a problem that ain't happened yet. It's actually a praise, if you can manage to see it that way."

Personally, Yusuke agreed with Kagome. Being this helpful was just a bit too much. Besides, she seemed trustworthy enough, or at least hadn't done anything to say otherwise, and she could damn well just contact them on her own. His boss however was insistent on lending her as much protection as possible, even if she hadn't asked for it. Which apparently included tracking her movements in case help was needed.

From the way the toddler carried on, Yusuke half expected to see Kagome's bloody body lying at the bottom of the well one of these trips.

Thankfully her emotions were as quick to turn as Keiko's were, for she smiled up at him. "I know. It's just a lot to take in right away."

Ah. "Rough trip?"

Kagome nodded, gesturing vaguely to the grounds around her. "It poured all week, and we couldn't find anything, even if we had known where to look."

Upon closer inspection, Yusuke could make out the dark bruises under her eyes. "That's not normal?" He asked.

She didn't follow. "What isn't?"

"Not finding anything. From the way you explained it with the brat, I thought most of your time was spent travellin' in circles."

He hadn't meant for the sentence to come out so rudely, but Kagome didn't seem to notice. She leaned back on her heels absent mindedly. "It wasn't when we started."

Before he had the chance to even think up more small talk, the priestess was herding him forward towards the house. "I am so looking forward to a hot bath!" She exclaimed, stretching her arms above her back as she did so. It was unwittingly provocative, but Yusuke held his tongue. Just because he had the thoughts didn't mean he had to get in trouble for speakin' 'em out loud.

A brief silence settled over the two as they walked towards the main house, and a thought finally occurred to Kagome. "Yusuke?"

"Yeah?"

"Why are you here still?" She turned to pin inquisitive eyes on the man. "You said you'd been waiting for a while?"

"Er…" He scratched the back of his head embarrassedly, squinting forwards towards the house. "Well your mom spotted me the second time I came over, and I couldn't let her think I was some stranger lurkin' about. It might scare her, y'know?"

She groaned at his confession. "Oh no, Mama caught you? I'm sorry, she just loves to hear about my life, and I'm never around to tell her."

"Nah, it's cool. Besides, I think she just wanted to hear you were safe." Besides, not that Yusuke would ever admit it out loud, but he happened to like the motherly attention. It was a big part of his life that was lacking, and Kagome's mom made it real easy to forget that. Plus, she'd seemed so much more interested in his job working for the Reikai and how he balanced it all, rather than the whole demon, brought-back-to-life (multiple times), defender of the free world thing.

He frowned to himself. Did Kagome tell her mother everything?

Apparently so, because Kagome immediately cringed. "Uh-oh. I know that silence.And that look. She asked you about your life, didn't she? Oh I knew that she would jump on the first supernatural thing to show up in this time-"

Yusuke laughed. "No! Well, I mean yeah, she did, but I don't mind. Your family's nice."

She nodded, although her cheeks kept a small dusting of pink. "Yeah, I'm lucky. And I'm sorry too. I love them to pieces, but Mama can be so curious."

A far better quality, he thought, than wanting to know nothing about your child.

"Oh," Kagome continued, striding forward to get to the front door first "well if you've been here for a while already, you'll have to stay for dinner."

She said it matter-of-factly, which was the only part that really caught Yusuke off guard. "Uhm…"

"She's definitely already made an extra portion for you, and I'm the one who'll get in trouble if you don't come. It'll be fun!" She rushed to add, as the detective's face had gone decidedly pale. "You can catch me up on what's happened while I was gone."

She glanced past his shoulder, noting how late in the sky the sun was already. Despite the warmth of the afternoon, it was fast approaching fall and the days were quite a bit shorter – it'd be dark soon, and she couldn't bear to think of letting him head home this late in the day without visiting first. Maybe I can even convince him to just crash here tonight…walking home in the evening would just be too much.

When she looked back, Yusuke was giving her a long and steady look, still holding the heavy bag over his shoulder. Kagome's smile faltered a little. "Unless you already have plans of course…"

Yusuke faced immeasurable danger at the hesitating look on the young woman's face. Damnit. "Nah, I've got nothin' going on. Thanks."

Better this than another evening fending for myself I suppose.

"Awesome!" She smiled brightly again, grabbing his hand to lead him through the door. "Well come on in then. Inuyasha had us on rations, and I am dying for some real food!"

. . .

She prodded the lump gently at first, eliciting only a half-hearted groan and some sort of shuffling. Kagome's next poke was much harder – not that it did her any good. The mass of limbs and blankets merely let out another garbled noise, flopped off of the couch, and continued to snore.

She sighed. Oh well. She had given him fair warning. The third nudge was accompanied by a small spark of priestess energy. Yusuke snarled, frightening absolutely no one, and shot out from under the cover of warmth.

"Oi!" He growled, sounding appropriately like Inuyasha – not that Kagome ever had a chance to catch the hanyou sleeping – before bleary eyes recognized who they stared at. His expression muted slightly, but the grumbling persisted.

"You didn't hav'ta get so rough right away." He said with a grin, leaning back into the pile of blankets. Said pile protested again, before another swath of black hair emerged.

Souta yawned deeply, running a hand through his hair. "Mornin' sis."

"Good morning Souta." She greeted politely.

"Morning Yusuke!" He said, with much more enthusiasm this time. Kagome sighed again. He was practically drooling when he found out I knew the Yusuke Urameshi.

"Mornin' kiddo. You get to that final level last night?"

"No, the boss was really-"

Before either of the boys could get started in another fantasy game rant, Kagome cut in. "Hey now, there's this tremendous thing called school today, and I was thinking it'd be really awesome if we all went. What do you think?"

The two guys shared a look, before turning back to her with a simultaneous "Nah."

It only took another threatening glare and a pink spark before Yusuke was up on his feet. "C'mon kid," he said, hoisting up Souta and tossing him over his shoulder with a grin "the boss says it's time to get ready."

Her brother laughed. "Aye aye!"

Yusuke shot Kagome another jaunty look, walking casually away with Souta still slung over his shoulder, and she couldn't help but laugh. "And hurry!" She called after them.

She had corralled Yusuke into staying the night that first day, after her had filled himself to the brim with the huge meat dish Mama had made. True to form, when her mother had heard that Kagome was back and Yusuke had gone to retrieve her, she had pulled out the big guns – without the detective's help, Kagome was positive they'd be taking baths in gravy. After that it was easy enough to tempt Yusuke back over, with the promise of good food and some video games that Souta had dug up. The kid was living the high life right now, finally having another enthusiast in the house to pull all-nighters with and beat stuff up on the screen.

Truthfully, Kagome was just happy it wasn't her getting shanghaied into playing them. Souta was on the cusp of teenagehood, and it appeared to be accompanied by an even more intense frenzy of gaming, and oddly enough the violence in the video games made her squeamish.

She walked into the kitchen, spotting her third head of black hair bent over the stove. "What're you making for them now?"

Mrs Higuarshi smile back at her daughter. "Just a few things, nothing fancy."

"You're too kind." Kagome said, hearing a large thump come from upstairs, followed by a series of muffled shouts.

"Well, they are growing boys dear, they need the sustenance."

Kagome laughed. "Alright Mama, if you say so."

"I do. Do you hear where that boss of his sends him?" Her mother frowned, placing a worried hand on her cheek. "The least I could do is give him something good to start the day with."

Indeed, she had hear more tidbits of Yusuke's story these last few days, supplemented by the ones that Koenma had already told her. The number of times that boy had been nearly or actually killed was astounding! Kagome had thought her life was complicated to explain, but it did not appear she was the only one.

Plus, the reiki powers he possessed? Totally cool.

"I know. He told me he might be sent off to the Makai in a few weeks, for a patrol mission."

Since Kagome was adamant on attending school as much as possible during her free time back, Yusuke was obliged to go with her in his official capacity as 'Legendary Priestess Watchdog' – as he called it. It allowed for her to get to know the young man, beyond someone who reminded her strongly of another, and to hear a bit more about what he did for Koenma. Apparently, whatever it was, he had wrangled the young demigod into paying him, so the detective didn't mind the work so much.

"Oh my. And you're leaving around then as well?" Mama asked.

"Yup!" Kagome said. "End of next week. We didn't find much last time, and I have exams. Inuyasha was nice enough to let study for them here."

Well, it had taken a lot of wrangling from Miroku, who valued the education, and Shippo, who was all too willing to bite onto Inuyasha's ear and hang on until he'd agreed, but he had. The hanyou trusted her a lot more these last few years, and despite the big show he put on Kagome knew there was no way he'd deny her a chance at a future. Especially since they didn't know what would happen after the shikon was put back together, if she'd have the opportunity to choose which world to stay in, or if the timeline would force her home. Either way, the path that was opened up by not failing high school was one she was keen to keep.

"Souta will be sad to have both of you gone."

"I know," Kagome said "but we'll both be back before knows it."

Just as she said this a large thunk was heard and Souta skidded into the room. "I win!" He shouted behind him.

Yusuke walked in. "Yeah, yeah, alright."

"That means you've gotta come with me today!"

"Pardon?"

Yusuke grinned at her. "Well I promised the runt that I'd be his escort today."

"Oh so you're bailing out on me?" She teased.

The slow shake of his head confused her. "You're not bailing out on me?"

"Well no," he admitted, his smile only growing wider "Kurama's going to meet up with us. The both of us."

Souta threw his hands up in a cheer. "Yeah! We're both getting escorted!"

"Well I mean, it's just as well. Your sister needs all the protection she can get." Yusuke quip, with a poke and prod of his own.

Kagome's following groan interrupted the two. "Wait, does that mean we're even later than before?"

Souta's school was adjacent to Kagome's, so technically he was on the way that the two older kids walked. The only reason he never left with them was because the middle school began half an hour earlier – meaning they'd have to leave thirty minutes earlier.

Yusuke grinned. "Absolutely!"

. . . .

The detective's word proved right, and five minutes later the trio was rushed out of the front door by a harried Kagome. At the bottom of the shrine steps waited the only punctual one of the lot.

"Hey there!" She called, pausing in her pace just enough to pull the confused red head along with her. Despite not being the one running late herself, she was still a ways ahead of the other two, who lagged behind swapping jokes and masculinity. And probably gaming tricks.

"Good morning." Kurama greeted, easily keeping up with her quick strides – as he should, since the red head pretty much towered over her. Geeze, these boys and their heights. How's a girl supposed to get a leg up?

Kagome giggled at herself, finding it in her to slow down. She let out a breath she knew she had been holding and began the mental list of everything she had likely forgotten at home in her haste.

"I would think you'd be used to getting up early. From what you said early your friend Inuyasha is quite motivated." He pointed out.

It was a polite way of saying the hanyou was a slave-driver, and she thanked him silently for trying. "Actually, I find it a lot easier to get up when we're travelling. I don't know if it's the sleeping on the floor thing, or the fact that I know it's coming, but I kind of got over it the first couple of weeks I was with Inuyasha."

"Ah. Home comforts allow for a bit of well-needed lounging then."

"Exactly!" She exclaimed. "Oh dear, I am so sorry though if we made you get up earlier than you'd like! You probably want to lounge about a bit as well."

Kurama shook his head. Behind them he could hear the ease of conversation between Yusuke and Kagome's brother, and had to admit a little bit of jealousy into his next sentence. "I had my fair share in the length of your absence."

Kagome chuckled good-naturedly. "Man, is watching after me the only mission Koenma sends you on?"

She found it easier to joke about this after a lengthy chat with Yusuke about the intricacies of Koenma's paranoia. After a few hours of well-placed assurances and gruff compliments, she was much more comfortable in her new role as prize-piece.

"It differs for each of us." Kurama admitted. "Yusuke plans on picking it up as a job once his schooling has ended, so he is a far bit busier than I or Kuwabara, who are aiming for other plans."

"Ooh, like what? Higher education?"

He was pleased with her curiosity. "While I can't speak for the others that is most definitely the path I would like to be on."

She tilted her head so that she was looking at him more fully as they walked. "That's really impressive. If it's you, I'm sure you can get into any field you want."

She said it so simply, so very straightforwardly, that Kurama knew she had not necessarily been trying to overtly praise him. "And you?" He asked. "Do you have any plans for after this year?"

"Honestly, I'll be happy if I just make it through this year." She confessed. Schooling was a bit of a sore spot for her. "And I find it kind of pointless to plan for something I'm not sure I'll have."

Ah. And on that note… "How were your travels this time?"

"A bit boring really."

"Oh?"

She could hear the questions in his tone, and so, Kagome launched into another in-depth explanation of the futility and the rain that made up her last week of travel. She hadn't seen the kitsune since getting home, and if he was willing and wanting to hear out, she was all too happy to vent. And while Kagome worked at trying to imbue in her tale as much optimism and cheer as she could, Kurama used the chance to study her, his head tilted to the side as he attempted to pick through her rambling ease. Thick black hair was tied up in a ponytail, tiny curls casually framing her face, and he had to imagine for a moment what it must be like to travel with her, surrounded by wilderness and danger and this fearless bravado that she always exuded.

The illusion was thankfully dispelled by a well-placed expletive and the thought that perhaps Kagome was less of the elegant and calm priestess variety and more of the type to pick up her companions more brash traits.

At the end of her story – the furtive retelling of the group's latest demonic encounter – Kurama affirmed his beliefs. "I believe your idea of a dull week is vastly at odds with most people."

She grinned. "Probably."

Her proclamation was echoed by a young laugh, and Kagome allowed a moment of silence for a wary glance behind her. It wasn't that Yusuke was in any way a bad influence…just that two roguish heads together were far worse than one.

"Honestly, I am glad to have you back in our time, despite its comparative dullness." Kurama was all too keen to draw her attention back.

"Oh yeah?"

"Mhmm," He confirmed "because while you were off facing rampant youkai–"

"Just a few." Kagome interjected.

"Right." He amended. "While you were off facing a few rampant youkai, I spent my week with nothing to do but think up all of the many varied aspects of missing pieces in your story."

She took this in stride. "Man, you really would have nothing else to do if it weren't for protecting me."

His ensuing smile, tight across his face, made Kagome giggle. "No, no, I'm sorry. I know what you meant. You have something you want to ask me?"

"An official start to our game." He nodded, his grin easing into pleasure.

"Excellent." She turned to him, blue eyes bright and trusting and just begging to be asked. "Shoot!"

He had been turning this over in his mind for a while, longer than just the days between when he had last asked and when she had begrudgingly sidestepped. It was only fitting that his first question be in line with the one he was most eager to know about. "I thought to start with one about the beginning of your journey." She looked at him oddly but he went on. "Why did you never consider staying in this time? At the very start of everything, when you first arrived back and you had just witnessed what others would deem unbelievable, why did you ever return to the past? It is my understanding that you returned home relatively soon after your first trip."

"You want to know why I went back?"

"Essentially, yes."

"And why I kept going back?"

"Yes." He nodded, hands buried deep in his pockets. She was trying very hard to grasp the crux of what he wanted to know, the question of what exactly made this girl so different from the rest. He appreciated the effort, and her commitment to the integrity of their game, but she was unwittingly drawing him in with a prolonged gaze. She considered both him and the question carefully.

Kagome tapped her chin, drawing him out of these thoughts. "Hmm…well, I never really had a chance to. By the time I really understood the dangers, it was too late. I'd been there too long and there was no way I could turn my back on everyone."

Hmm. "So it never crossed your mind, not even in the beginning?"

She laughed. "Oh that's not really true either. It crossed my mind a lot. I thought Inuyasha was such a jerk then, and I used to get mad all the time at the way he talked to me or treated me. I've never been so vindictively happy about subjugating someone before!"

"I imagine that was not favorable with your hanyou friend?" He asked.

"Doing exactly what Kikyo had done to him?" Kagome shook her head good humoredly. "No, he did not enjoy it either."

"But, if you're wondering about the first time I came back...hmm. Oh!" She exclaimed, turning to Kurama, "Yura – that was the demon's name – followed us back through the well. I mean, her hair did at least. The only way I could keep my family safe was to go back and fight. After that it was just a matter of whether or not I wanted to face the ramifications of what I had done. I essentially had gone into the past and mucked it up, and what it really comes down to is whether or not I was okay with leaving that mess for someone else to deal with, when it was in my power to at least try and fix it."

So even back then her sense of responsibility was so strong as to compel her into innumerable dangers. To fix what she had broke…what simplistic reasoning, for such drastic consequences. "That is…enlightening."

"Is it?" She asked. "I was just so guilty, I had to do something. And even then I could tell Inuyasha was on the good side – he saved my life so many times those first months! So of course I went back. I think anyone would've."

"In that I believe you are quite wrong Kagome."

She did not ask him why he thought so, for which Kurama was grateful. It wasn't like him to spout of anything but well-backed theories and factual data, and he would not have had anything but a good cover-up if she had the idea to wonder what gave him such an impression.

"And you? Did you find the time to ponder a question of your own?" He switched tracks, steering the conversation to safer waters.

She smiled up at him, sufficiently distracted. "I do actually."

"Well then please, go ahead."

She'd been sitting on her questions for him from the moment she'd met the kitsune, so it wasn't as if she had needed the time. Still, it was difficult to begin with just one inquiry and she settled on one with reluctance. "Do you remember everything about your er…other life?"

When his eyes betrayed his surprise, Kagome canted her head back towards where Souta and Yusuke lingered. "I was filled in on the basics of your team – nothing gossip worthy, I assure you."

Ah. Kurama nodded slowly, processing this new piece of information. Kagome was accepting of his dual nomenclature easily enough, even when the team had insisted that she use his human one only when in ear shot of other 'civilians', as Kuwabara had put it. He had been wondering how long her curiosity would allow the gloss over of knowledge.

"Well, I suppose the simple answer would be yes, all of it, but that isn't what you're looking for right?"

He didn't have to look up from his wayward gaze to see the shake of her head. "Nah, I was kinda hoping for a few more details."

"Well, that is fair. Not just by the rules of the game, but also in a sense of honour – I know much more about your background than I imagine you're comfortable with."

Kagome waved off his statement with a breezy shrug. "I didn't particularly mind. But you're right, I would like to know more about my new friends."

She was laughing to herself by the end of this little assertion, and it was the self-conscious admission that won him over. He explained gently. "Well, I'm essentially the result of two souls in one body. You typically interact with the more humanoid aspect of me, but it wouldn't be correct to say I am the human half. I'm neither Youko nor Suichi, yet I am also both."

"That's…complicated."

"Very."

It was actually a funny reversal of Kagome's own situation with her previous self. They had one soul between the two of them, yet each person was a seemingly distinct entity. Kurama was the blending of two separate souls into one commandeering individual.

She seemed to toy with an idea for a moment, before chancing another thought. "So…it isn't like a dream? You can remember things just as clearly as if you'd lived them?"

Before he could interject, she smiled up at him, blue eyes twinkling over her blush. "Just for clarification, of course."

Kurama laughed. "Of course."

"Yes," he continued "it's as familiar to me as if it was this body that went through them. Although I must admit to the typical failings of time on my memory."

Kagome giggled. "Just how old are you?"

"Ah ah." Kurama chastised. "That is officially two questions, and I believe it is my turn once more."

"That's true." She conceded with a graceful tilt of her head.

And since he was positively brimming with questions, he found himself unable to wait any longer for her answers. Gratefully, she seemed all too willing to give him what he needed.

. . . .

"I think we should have a get-together."

He turned his head so it lolled over the back of the couch. "A what now?"

"A get-together." Kagome declared. When Yusuke finally righted his body he was met with the serious face of the priestess. "You know, so we can start on friendlier terms?"

Uhm… "I thought we already were on friendly terms?"

The tentative question had no effect on her, except to cause a dismissive shake of the head. They were relaxing at her house, after what Yusuke considered a full day of uselessness, where he attended school to please his girlfriend, and Kagome attempted to detangle the mess of schoolwork she persisted in claiming. He found himself at the Higurashi household now almost every day, having no real excuse to turn down the constant offer of friendly faces and a warm atmosphere.

"We're all forced together. But I hardly know anything about you!"

He held back the first insistence, that indeed she knew more about them than most, since he understood what she meant. "We're friends."

"We're allies. It's different." Kagome sidestepped the couch that Yusuke was hanging over, neatly plopping herself down next to him with a disgruntled sigh.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." She nodded. "I mean…I know it's your job to watch out for me, and I respect that, but it's kind of disappointing to have this chance and not at least try to make the most of it."

Yusuke wanted to write this off as a woman thing, but even with the interspersed knowledge he had of her, he knew it was definitely a Kagome thing. And she was bound to have her way. "Well we are friends." He insisted once more, and gestured between them.

She brightened at his words, a smile his only warning before she courted victory. "Alright! And friends have get-togethers."

Upstairs he could hear the gentle footsteps of her mother, folding away laundry while humming a soft tune. Nearby, Souta was muttering over some homework – math, if he had to guess, since that particular problem ran in the family. The cat was outside, basking in the setting sun of an early autumn. The only reason he couldn't hear her grandfather was because the geezer was away for the week, and even then Yusuke wasn't certain the distance could stop him. Every sense of his body spoke of his reality – he wasn't human, nowhere near normal, and the little brat knew he hadn't a clue what friends in this world really entailed. He'd been a delinquent before he'd become a spirit detective!

Wait a minute… "How do you know that? You don't have time for get togethers either!"

He grinned and gloated until she shrugged off his concerns with a flippant wave of her hand. "Just because I haven't had any close friends on this side of the well since I first travelled doesn't mean I was always a loner. I happen to like people."

He grumbled. "What does a get-together mean exactly?"

Kagome turned, tucking her knees under so that she could face Yusuke fully. "People come over. They have fun, maybe even bond a little. You can stay the night! There'd be food." She added at his reluctant look.

He nodded. "I like food."

"And you like your friends."

"Sometimes."

"And you know, aki matsuri is coming up…we could hold it after I get back, and it'd be a great reason to celebrate and eat some food and get together."

Yusuke scowled and simpered and sulked. It wasn't that he disliked seeing his team. They just didn't really do much hanging out when there weren't missions involved. Large social events weren't his thing.

But big blue eyes peered up at him, and damn it if he wasn't a sucker for that sorta trust. "Fine." He grumbled "I'll come over."

"Great!" Kagome said, the end note of her cheer peaking suspiciously. Yusuke eyed the priestess with immeasurable hesitance.

"And…?"

"And," she drawled, stretching out the vowel nervously "if you could also ask everyone? I can talk to the rest of your team, but I thought it'd be nice if there were more faces."

She was leaning forwards now, her fists resting on top of her knees as she peered up at him wistfully. "Everyone who?"

"Oh, you know, Botan, Koenma, Keiko, maybe even that Yukina I'm always hearing about…Genkai too. Just because I haven't met them yet doesn't mean I wouldn't like to! Everyone's welcome!"

"You're inviting the toddler?"

"No," Kagome corrected "you are."

And of course, because Yusuke was gullible and naïve and hadn't thought up an appropriate plan to disengage her, he suddenly found himself agreeing. "I'm inviting the toddler?"

She squealed. "Awesome! You're the best."

She tackled him with a forceful hug, and even the human part of Yusuke could tell how happy she was.

"Wait a minute I never said yes –"

"But you will!" She announced, with a smile full of smugness. "It'll be so much fun!"

As if. He frowned at her, but it was weak and tinged with humour. "You are a lot of work for someone bargaining for new friends."

She sat back, with a chuckle as his only response, and a very self-satisfied smile.

I'm so going to regret this.

. . . .

The next few days passed in this manner, with Kagome pulling whoever she could along with her into house and home, swapping questions with Kurama and humor infused insults with Yusuke. School was attended with begrudging deference, and plans were made for a future outing with all of the joy she felt was stamped out of her by mandatory education. This was all furthered by the fact that she had her very first 'friendly' introduction with Hiei, who sussed her out with nothing less than hostile respect.

When she had the first hint that it was indeed the remarkable little youkai who was approaching her shrine gates, she forced herself to wait outside the front steps so that he could approach her. She greeted him first with honor – a short bow and a humble lowering of the eyes – and then with warmth. "Why hello there Hiei. Are you to be my escort for the day?"

Yusuke had spent the last few nights at his own place, using the excuse of dates with Kieko and catching up on 'real work' to pry himself away from Mama's insistence of a warm meal, and as such wasn't there to act as her usual bodyguard. In all honesty she had been expecting Kuwabara perhaps, who had developed a fondness for telling her stories of demon lore from the past.

"Hn." Hiei agreed.

"Alrighty then!" She said cheerfully. "Well would you like any breakfast first? We make an excellent omelet-"

"Woman." He declared brusquely, which Kagome took to mean a no. She just shrugged and grabbed her pack, trying her best to sidle up next to the demon with ease. For whatever reason she couldn't shake the feeling that he was looking over her very closely.

The walk to school was spent in one-sided conversation, for Hiei refused to answer any of her questions in anything but a neutral grunt, but Kagome had no trouble keeping up a constant stream of inane chattering. After all, it wasn't like she led a boring life.

When the two did finally make it to the school grounds, Kagome made to head to class. "Well thanks for that enlightening speech, I really think I've gotten to know you much better–"

He stopped her with a glare. "Your babbling is annoying. I do not see how you fit into the legend at all. But your reiki responds appropriately."

It was the most he had said, and Kagome was conflicted on how she felt about it. "Uhm…okay?"

Hiei nodded. "Hn." And then he was gone.

According to Kurama, who Kagome had later grilled under the assumption that he actually knew what had happen, that was a very good sign. He tried to explain it to her in simple terms, that her aura did not lash out at demons like most purity-prone individuals, but she was merely content to know that there was a chance she could sway the last member of the team into coming over for the autumn celebration. For the first time in a long while Kagome actually had something to look forward to on this side of the well. Her family provided the usual amount of joy, while school proved a necessary trouble, but now there was a party happening. It was exciting and couldn't come any sooner, for she was interrupted from such happy thoughts by a very sudden arrival.

And like with most things, it only took a moment for everything to change.

. . . .

She had finally convinced Yusuke to come back over, permitting he dragged Keiko along with him. Since Mama was treating the boy as her second son – he had been over an awful lot in Kagome's absence – it was only fair that she too be in on the lovely woman who was in the detective's heart. Kagome made no apologies, for it wasn't like she too wasn't the least bit curious about the girl.

Besides, if they were going to be friends, it was only fair that she be allowed to pry into his life in equal volumes.

There were still a couple of days before she was expected to return to her friends from the past, so it was with total curiosity that she watched Yusuke stand from his seat on the couch, staring off pointedly into the distance.

"What is it Yusuke dear?" Mama asked. She was sitting near Keiko, having already had the pleasure of being introduced, and matched the rest of the group's surprised looks.

He favored Kagome with a meaningful glance. "Your portal is activating."

"The well is?" She asked, at the same time that Souta shot up from his position in front of the TV and declared, "Inuyasha's back!"

Yusuke cocked his head to the side. "Yeah it's him alright…he seems agitated."

Agitated? Kagome didn't have the time to ask him why he thought so, for soon enough the hanyou was leaping through the side window with all of the rashness he was known for. It was especially concerning given that she had proved to him countless times before that the front door was a viable option.

Taking in the consternation etched across his face, Kagome skipped the niceties and rushed over to her friend's side. "Inuyasha what's wrong?"

The dog-demon spared no time to greet her mother, or to ask what the hell another male was doing in her home, immediately zeroing in on her. "You gotta come with Kagome."

"What's happened?"

"C'mon, there's no time. I wouldn't get ya if I didn't have to, but we can't locate him through the fog and he's attacking the village, but there's his shards–"

She pieced it together. "His shards? Is it…"

He nodded absently, sniffing the air and finally managing a wavering smile for the group he found greeting him. "It's Naraku."

There was a dull roar in her ears, and Kagome's heartbeat quickened until it leapt at her throat. She shook her head, but all she said was, "Just let me go grab my arrows."

As she hurried upstairs competing thoughts filtered slowly through her mind. They hadn't hear from Naraku since the incident had happened, and all of a sudden he was attacking them? Had he recovered so soon? They were going to lose the advantage this way, the element of surprise, the ability to amass more allies. There hadn't been enough time and-

She found her weapons where she had left them, casually strewn in the corner of her room, and the sight of them filled her with resolve and slowed the panic in her chest. Of course, the why's and the how's didn't matter. There was a problem, and they were going to face it.

Running down the stairs, she was greeted halfway by Inuyasha. "Ready?" He asked.

She nodded her head. Now wasn't the time for careful goodbye's, and yet…

With the hanyou at her back she ran into the foyer and gave her mother a resolute smile. "See you guys soon." She said, proud that her voice only wobbled near the end.

Yusuke gazed at her solemnly, but true to form Mama matched her for a smile of her own. "Alright dear."

Inuyasha was at her elbow. "Kagome…"

She looked up at him with grim determination. It was time.

. . . .

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

She woke to the sentient world gradually and painfully. Moments fluttered underneath her eyelids, moving to the slow and steady rhythm of falling water.

Inuyasha, coming to get her. Worried faces surrounding her on all sides, Mama trying to put on a brave face, unable to see past the future in the hanyou's eyes.

She groaned…her head throbbed with each small step towards consciousness. She tried to bring a hand forward, to cradle the pain in her skull, but something was preventing her.

The blue magic of the well. Wind in her hair, running towards the screaming. Youkai. Youkai everywhere, all over the village. Why was there so much screaming?

Oh right. The villagers.

Her head hurt so much. There was an uncomfortable weight against her shoulders, and a nagging feeling in the back of her head – the pain blocked any clarity out.

Naraku. Blood and guts and oh god it was Naraku. That's right, Inuyasha had said Naraku. Red eyes and a positively pleased grin. Zeroed in on her – he was looking right at her!

With a sudden jolt Kagome's eyes shot open. She turned to her side, struggling to bring her arm close to her. She couldn't – she was stuck oh god she couldn't move her arm why couldn't she move her arm – only to find it was bound against the wall.

The wall?! She blinked slowly, trying to focus. She was somewhere dark, only a small torchlight lighting her way. Jerking her other arm a slow realization came upon her.

She was chained.

A tentacle, always a tentacle, chasing after her, no matter where she went. Vaulting over Inuyasha's shoulder. Pain blossoming at the base of her neck. Vision fading, fading on the one thing she most wanted to rid herself of.

Eyes. Red eyes. And a maniacal smile that was getting closer…and closer…

And then darkness.

Panic overcame her. A scream tore itself up through her throat but died on her lips, a breathless cry. There was so much pain and her wrists were burning and oh where was Inuyasha.

The sudden thought that her friends were not here, might not be okay, brought a sick taste to Kagome's mouth. Copper and something earthier and oh she was going to hurl.

A deep chuckle, anchored to reality, focused her panic. Her gaze shot up and all she could see was red.

"Where am I?" She cried, shamed to find herself so pitiable.

"You are rather a sorry sight for someone so revered." Naraku said, stepping forward into the small bit of light available. It brought him into an unfortunately close proximity to Kagome, and she deliberately swallowed the next whimper.

"Where am I?" She repeated, trying to tune out the pain and the memories and the worry and fear.

Inuyasha wouldn't have been afraid. Channel Inuyasha.

Naraku shrugged nonplussed. "Somewhere no one will ever find you. And even if they found this place, well…let's just say, you won't be here."

Her head was slowly clearing up, and the last few moments of the battle were filtering back through her mind. "You…took me?"

Inuyasha would've hurled at least a dozen insults by now. Yusuke maybe twenty. Hell, even polite Kurama would have found a way to make the bastard feel some semblance of annoyance at this point.

The difference is, they all happen to have a huge amount of power backing them up.

"I want what belongs to me. You're standing in the way."

She could feel him approach her, leaning down to brush a firm hand across her chest. It felt gross and awful and made all the worse when he confirmed her worst fears. "The shikon jewel is mine you deplorable wench."

Kagome strained against her restraints, snarling at the demon before her. "Well too fucking bad you cowardly piece of –"

Pain exploded across her cheek. Her eyes rolled back, head cracking against the wall she was slumped down next to. Several moments passed and Kagome tasted blood in her mouth. Channeling them hurts.

His touch brought her back, fingers grazing her temple, and she knew oh gods he's right there. Purposely, Kagome kept her eyes shut.

"Priestess," he purred "I already have what I want."

His hand drifted down her cheek, caressing the chafe skin he had backhanded, and then further down to her shoulders. He must be kneeling next to me. Sharp pain forced her eyes open and she tore them down to where his claws were piercing the junction between shoulder and neck.

"And I will have so much fun finding out just how much the shikon will put you through before I tear it out of your cold, dead, flesh."

With a calculated twist of his wrist, a chunk of her skin tore out and Naraku stood back up. Pain. Ugh. OhmygodIcan'tdothis.

Kagome tried, oh how she tried, but she could not keep in the next scream, not with the promise of many more to follow. Blissfully, the darkness came back, and she sunk back into it, vision fading, fading, and gone.

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

AN:Hello there everyone! Long time no see...er...sorry?

Pleasant news! I got a new laptop! Now I know, you're shaking your head at this going, "well that's all fine and dandy for you but how does that make up for the insufferably long wait you have put us through?". WELL I'm here to tell you that's exactly why you should be pleased (and if you don't want to know why, please skip this next paragraph).

So as it goes with me and technology I've had a lot of issues with it. If any of you follow my other story Struggle you'll see that quite often I'm complaining about what have you in regards to technology (okay, and school and work and even Thanksgiving...I complain more than I'd like, but it's all in good-humour). This is because me and technology are not the best of friends. Case in point: I bought a new laptop and put my nice official paid for Office 365 on it, just to have the program mysteriously disappear days later, along with my access to every WIP/RoughDraft/NextScene I had created for this chapter (that is btw what I'm blaming any choppiness you may find reading this chapter on...ahah). Fret not! Apparently it's an easy enough fix BUT THE POINT (I digress) is that I bought a laptop, to avoid the problems I'm having with my computer and printing in just colour (which is a total waste when your notes are printed in black background), and I take it with my to university to write my notes on, and I happen to have very long breaks in between classes and on the bus to and from school, so you will likely find me updating (ie. avoiding all of my studying) a little bit more! So I am sorry about the wait but I hope it will only be followed by quicker releases.

TL;DR-I bought a new laptop. It has Word on it. Expect a few more updates that usual!

As for this chapter...what can I say, I love a good cliff-hanger! What will happen to our dear Kagome? I fear you should fret for her livelihood, because this can't be good. Where oh where is her dashing Inuyasha!

Love you all so much, and hopefully we'll talk again soon ;)