Quick note before the story continues: Thank you to everyone who reviewed! I apologize for the paragraph problem in the last chapter.

For some reason, the spaces I had didn't show up. I'll try to fix it if possible. Inuyasha hugs all the reviewers and slinks away

Anyways, onto the second chapter!

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Chapter 2: A Chance Meeting

Outside, rain had begun to fall heavily. The large eucalyptus and palm trees that surrounded my home shook as the harsh wind whipped through them. Across from my back porch, a four-stall, indoor barn stood, closed up completely against the weather.

'I've gotta get Sea Hawk and Boomer inside,' I thought, taking a right and heading towards a large turn-out area among a clump of trees. Waiting at the gate where my two boys, both soaked. Boomer nickered and shook himself, sending droplets of water everywhere.

I smiled and patted him on the head.

"Sorry, boys. I didn't know it was gonna rain on you." I reached for their halters and unlatched the gate to go inside. Sea Hawk pranced around anxiously, tossing his head and snorting. Boomer came right to me and, lowering his head, pushed his nose into the noseband of his halter. I giggled.

"Good boy, Boomer! You're getting pretty good at that." I fastened the halter's latch and turned to Sea Hawk. He was now racing around wilding, bucking and crow-hopping as the lightning overhead flashed.

"Easy, boy. Calm down, Sea Hawk," I crooned, stepping towards him carefully. He stopped and stared at me, the whites of his eyes showing stark against his black coat. He snorted repeatedly, shaking uncontrollably. Suddenly, thunder crashed overhead and I heard the crackle of lightning as it made contact with earth. Without warning, Sea Hawk suddenly launched himself forward, heading straight toward me. He pinned his ears and bared his teeth as he tore toward me. I quickly ducked toward Boomer, who scooted away as Sea Hawk roared past us and shoved his way out the gate.

"Crap!" I yelled, smacking myself. I watched as Sea Hawk made a sharp right and headed through the trees towards the beach. I sighed, irritated. I looked up at Boomer. The paint gelding was watching the retreating form of Sea Hawk very intently, but he quickly averted his gaze down towards me.

"Feel like going for a sprint?" I asked, tying the free end of the lead rope to the other side of his halter. The gray and white gelding bobbed his head and moved closer to me. I hopped gracefully up onto his back and took the make-shift reins in my hands.

"Let's go, boy," I said, nudging him with my heels. Boomer leapt forward, galloping out the gate and towards the path leading toward

the beach. We quickly left the trees behind, weaving through the sand dunes and finally out onto the white, sand beach. I pulled up Boomer and glanced around. Large waves were ravishing the shores as sheets of rain began to pour down. I pulled the hood of my jacket over my head and tightened it.

"This is miserable," I murmured, looked around again. Down the beach to my left, I could see the small, dark form of Sea Hawk jumping wildly around in the sand. I quickly turned Boomer left and he immediately jumped into a gallop. The salty sea wind whipped my face, making my cheeks burn and my eyes water. I navigated Boomer over scattered pieces of driftwood and seaweed. Ahead, Sea Hawk had suddenly veered off to the left, into a clump of palms and bushes. Boomer and I followed suit, dodging through the brush. I slowed Boomer to a slow jog as we came to a small clearing. Just inside of it, Sea Hawk stood, shaking and staring intently and something in the bushes. I stopped Boomer, dismounted and called softly to Sea Hawk.

"Easy boy. What is it?" I whispered, walking around so he could see me. One of Sea Hawks ears twitched in my direction and I approached him cautiously. He didn't even look at me as I quickly placed his halter on him and latched it. Then, I turned my attention to the bush he was staring at. I couldn't see anything, but I had a feeling something was inside it. It twitched and shook a little and a small cream and black cat appeared. It sat down and stared at us for a second; it's big, orange eyes questioning us. It mewed then, maybe more of a trill and took a step toward us. Sea Hawk spooked, rearing up and snorting. I hauled down on the lead rope and cursed.

"Calm down, boy. It's just a cat," I hissed. Sea Hawk shook his head and stood still. I tied him to a nearby tree and looked back at the cat. She was disappearing back into the bush. I jogged over and crouched down to peer inside. A pair of orange eyes were staring back at me. The cat mewed and took off out the other side of the bush. I hurried after her.

"Wait! Please, I won't hurt you!" I jogged after her.

'God, she looks just like...?' I suddenly stopped. The little cat had led me to another clearing. She was now sitting in front of a group of people, all of whom were unconscious. I stepped cautiously towards the little cat.

"Kirara?" I asked, crouching down. The little cat mewed happily and turned to look at the group she was with. I stood up and took in a sharp breath.

"Oh...dear god..." I breathed, keeping myself steady. I looked carefully at each figure. Two lay together, one was dressed in all red and had silver hair. A small pair of dog ears poked out from his mane. The other was a girl, dressed in a school uniform, her black hair now littered with sand.

"Okay...that's Inuyasha and Kagome," I said. I could also clearly see Miroku, Sango and Shippo. Near the far edge of the clearing lay the figure of Kouga, propped up on his side. Near him, the form of a little girl was visible.

"Rin..." I breathed, "And...Jaken?" I asked, spotting a little green toad-like lump near her. I slowly approached the figures of Inuyasha and Kagome, crouching down to peer more closely.

"So," I said to myself, "are they alive?" I reached forward and brushed the curtain of silver hair from the hanyou's face. He looked so peaceful, and he was breathing evenly. I smiled, but then I began to wonder.

'What are they doing here?' I thought, standing up. I looked over at the limp figure of Rin, then something else made me panic.

'If Rin AND Jaken are here," I thought, looking around nervously, 'Then, where's Sesshomaru!' I quickly glanced around. There was no sign of the youkai lord anywhere. Kirara suddenly bristled, hissing loudly and dashing for a clump of bushes. My pulse quickened and I began to panic again. I only barely noticed that the wind had seemed to die down, but the rain continued to fall. Then, out of nowhere, a sudden streak of white blurred my vision and I soon found myself staring into the golden eyes of Sesshomaru. His hands gripped my shoulders tightly as he held me at eye level, studying my face. I was petrified. I stared wide-eyed back at the youkai, fear silencing the scream I wanted to let out. My lungs refused to let me breathe, for fear he might ripe me apart if I did. His cold stare softened, but only for a moment, then he spoke.

"Who are you and where am I?" He asked, shifting slightly. I couldn't answer him. I could only stare back into those stunning gold eyes. He was so much more beautiful in person. His long, silver hair flowed over his shoulder and down his back. It looked so fine and soft; I wanted to reach a hand up and run my fingers through it. I was brought back to reality when the demon suddenly dug his claws into my shoulders, sending a shock through my whole body.

"AIYEEEEE! That hurts!" I yelled, squirming in his grasp.

"Sesshomaru, leave her alone," someone growled, and we both turned to see who it was. Inuyasha was now on his feet, brushing sand from his robes and glaring angrily at his brother. I noticed that the others were also in the process of waking up. Rin was shaking Jaken, pleading for him to get up. Kouga shook himself and immediately turned his attention to Kagome, who was sitting near Inuyasha's feet. Sango had already retrieved Kirara from her hiding spot, while Miroku held Shippo, who was shivering in the cold rain. Very slowly, Sesshomaru lowered me to the ground and turned to his brother.

"Inuyasha, what do you propose we do then? You don't even know where we are." Inuyasha glared back at his brother.

"I know that!" he yelled, pausing for a moment and considering his surroundings before continuing.

"Hey, Kagome, do you know where we are?" Kagome was standing just behind Inuyasha, trying to ward off Kouga. She looked at me for a second and then all around the clearing.

"I have no clue where we are, but we're not in Fuedal Japan anymore," she said, looking nervous. Then she turned her attention to me.

"Ummm...are we in Japan at all?" she asked stepping forward to stand next to Inuyasha. I looked back at her and, finding my vocal chords finally, began to speak.

"No, you're not in Japan. You're in the United States. California, to be exact," I said, grinning nervously. Kagome returned the smile. A sudden rush of wind caught me by surprise and I looked back in the direction of Boomer and Sea Hawk. The rain was still coming down relentlessly. I looked back at the group and sighed. Rin had finally woken Jaken and she was now she was cuddling up to Sesshomaru's pelt. Kagome turned to Inuyasha and clung to his robes. Everyone was cold and soaked. I needed to do something.

"If you'd like," I started, "My home isn't far from here. You're more than welcome to stay." Everyone turned and stared at me. I felt a little uneasy, but I shook it off.

"I've got two horses with me too, so most of you don't have to walk." I said, turning. "I'll be right back!" I dashed through the trees and underbrush and found myself back in the original clearing. Waiting patiently, Boomer and Sea Hawk were cuddled together to keep warm. I smiled.

"Come one, boys. We're gonna have company." I untied Sea Hawk and led both horses back to group. None of them had moved much.

Inuyasha was now using his body like a shield against the rain for Kagome. Miroku also stood between Sango and the attacking weather. Rin was cuddling with Jaken behind Sesshomaru and Kouga was leaning against a tree, watching everything. I helped Kagome, Sango and Rin onto Boomer, showing them how to swing up onto the horse. Inuyasha and Kouga insisted on walking. I offered Sea Hawk to Sesshomaru, who shook his head and stepped away. Miroku, Shippo and Jaken agreed to ride

Sea Hawk and soon we were all ready to go. I headed back the way I'd come, leading Boomer and Sea Hawk on foot. Once we were back on the beach, the storm seemed to increase its intensity, and I found myself fighting against the wind. Kouga, Inuyasha and Sesshomaru stayed among the trees. I kept the horses as close to the tree line as possible, taking the majority of the wind and rain myself. We trudged on and I continued looking for the path back to the house. I went down a few times, my body seeming to give out under the harshness of the weather. Each time, either Inuyasha or Kouga helped me up, making sure I was okay before returning to the tree line. Finally, I spotted the way back to the house and felt relief wash over me. I asked Boomer and Sea Hawk for a jog and quickened my pace. I turned the horses to the right and started jogging down the well defined trail towards the grove of trees that protected me house. Once I felt the familiar crunch of gravel under my feet, I returned to a walk and steered the horses for the barn. Stopping at the door, I unlatched it and, sliding it open, took everyone inside.

Once I had closed the door, the air around me suddenly seemed a lot warmer. The soft lighting in the barn made it a little hard to see, but I could tell that my company was relieved to be out of the storm. I turned my attention to Boomer and Sea Hawk, who were shivering slightly. I opened the door to my tack room and grabbed two large towel. I started drying Boomer off, wiping away all the excess water and rubbing vigorously to chase away the chill. Once I had repeated this with Sea Hawk, I retreated back into the tack room and reemerged with two think winter horse blankets. I slid them onto Boomer and Sea Hawk and fastened all the little clasps. Then, I place both horses in their stalls. Once the gates were closed and locked, I turned to look at the little group still standing near the barn entrance.

"I need to feed the four of them and I promise, I'll hurry," I said, smiling. Kagome nodded.

"Don't rush because of us. We'll wait," she replied. I nodded and grabbed four large flakes of hay from a nearby bale. All four horses nickered anxiously as I dropped the alfalfa flakes into their feeders. I then gave each one a large scoop of grain. Last but not least, I opened the gate to Sakura's stall and went inside. She was munching away happily on her hay, her oversized belly twitching slightly.

"How are we coming along, girly?" I asked, rubbing her belly and glancing over at her. She turned to look at me and nickered. I smiled, then leaned down to check her udder.

"Still nothing..." I whispered, feeling concerned. I stood back up and rubbed the mare's withers.

"Still no milk, mama?" I asked, putting a playful tone in my voice. Sakura snorted and shook her head before turning to me and giving the pocket of my jeans a nibble. I laughed.

"No, no more treats for you today," I said, patting her and then heading out of her stall. I closed the stall door and latched it. Turning around

I glanced over at the party of cartoon characters. They were all staring at me, looking quite puzzled by my actions with the mare. I giggle.

"Sorry about that. She's pregnant and I was just checking to see if she was getting close to foaling time," I said, walking towards them.

"Now..." started, walking past the group and stopping at the door," Let's get you all inside and dried off."

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THAT...was a lot of writing. Just to fill you guys in, since I haven't put a description of Vicki in the story, she's about 5'8" tall and a medium build. She has blond-ish brunette hair and hazel eyes and she's sorta tanned. I hope you guys liked the chapter. It was a lot of details, but there will be more character-to-character interaction soon, I promise. This is pretty much the boring part. So please, R&R and let me know what you think! Thanks guys! Oh! And all good reviewers get a cookie!