A/N: A couple of notes, here, guys. First, any dialogue within parenthesis is being whispered. Also there will be some dangerous behavior in this chapter and I will discuss it further at the author's note at the end. Please read these notes before getting upset with me, k? Thanks. .

Before you ask, this is not the last chapter. It would have been waaaaay too long and I want to be able to really savor the ending, don't you? So, with that said, please sit back, relax, and enjoy!

Staring out at the sprawling city beneath, the demon lord Sesshoumaru found himself in an oddly pensive mood. Most casual onlookers would assume he was always in a pensive mood--but those were the fools who dared to assume they understood this ancient and powerful demon. He was watching the lights of the cars passing one another slowly on the choked city streets and once more felt a wave of disgust. The human race was nothing more than some weak and parasitic beings that happened to out number their superiors. In passing he wondered what his own father had seen in them and for the millionth time he bitterly wondered why his father had betrayed their blood and mated with a human bitch.

"Lord Sesshoumaru!"

The great Inu Youkai felt his eye twitch involuntarily. The voice of his ever-perky receptionist blared through the speaker at his desk, disturbing his thoughts and the chill calm with which he usually surrounded himself. Again, the saccharine-sweet voice chirped, "Lord Sessssssssshoumaaaaaaaaaru!" Although he did not bother to voice it, he had often thought to himself that she seemed to take a certain, sick, pleasure in this chosen tone of voice. He heard her inhaling deeply, prepping the next, higher-pitched onslaught, and pushed the button before she could rupture his ear drums. "What?" he said, trying to sound bored, rather than betray his irritation.

At her desk, Rin smiled privately at her employer's response. She put another tally on a small post-it note with the day's date on it. She giggled wickedly as she congratulated herself. Eight-teen tallies today; a new record. She had been with Lord Sesshoumaru since she was a little girl--taken on as his ward after a tragedy had claimed the life of her human family and nearly her own life as well. At first every one in the household seemed to be waiting for their master to tire of this strange girl but she would just smile at them, not caring what they thought. From the moment she first met him, Rin knew that there would be nothing else in life for her but him. She had been born to meet and to stand beside this complex man. Well, he was a demon, technically. He was undeniably and incredibly beautiful--even for a man. Tall and toned, his icy eyes held only contempt for all they beheld. Most people seemed to be terrified of him. For some reason, though, Rin found the idea of Lord Sesshoumaru being frightening as ridiculous as the idea of Jakken being intimidating.

As such, she spent most of her free time trying to come up with new ways to tease her lord. Most would probably think her sadistic or ungrateful; but they were the ones who did not understand. She didn't care in the least what anyone thought of her. For whatever reason, the great inu youkai Lord Sesshoumaru had chosen to take her into his care. As such, she was determined to bring as much joy to his life as possible: whether he liked it or not. Sure, he seemed annoyed with her antics, but, hey, she was still here! Deep down, Rin was convinced that if he didn't worry about his image so much, the high-and-mighty Sesshoumaru would laugh at her more outrageous ploys.

Putting away her score sheet, Rin hopped up, taking the files and her notepad with her and entered his office with a triumphant little smirk. He didn't look at her when she entered, as usual, and she waited patiently while he tried to pretend he was too busy for his secretary. After a few minutes, he seemed to have decided that she was not in fact going to take the hint and finally asked her what was so important.

"Hai!" "Yes!" She smiled again and approached his desk without any hesitations. She laid upon his desk the plane tickets and reservations. He never really cared about the details but she knew he had to maintain at least the semblance of control over his life. "Sir! We have confirmed that Inu Yasha has checked into a hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada and has made a significant withdrawal from his now open account. I took the liberty to arrange transportation. All the preparations are complete for our 10:00 departure!" She threw the corresponding documents into the growing pile in front of the cold demon. She waited for him to comment before proceeding.

"Interesting. He finally made a mistake. The mutt must think that he is safe if he is willing to flaunt his location this much," he mused quietly. Rin bopped her head in agreement. "Mmm-hmm! That's what I thought, too! But why would he?" She put a finger to her chin and tilted her head in bemusement.

"Obviously he went there with something in mind. Or perhaps someone..." His eyes narrowed as he thought. "Rin." She snapped to attention, her body stiffening and her right hand forming a smart salute. He hated it when she did that.

"Sir! Yes, sir! I will immediately commence a search of prominent figures in the Vegas area with any connections to your half-brother!" she said deliberately. Lord Sesshoumaru did not like to be reminded of his involuntary relationship with Inu Yasha. He let it slide. "Rin, see that we are ready to depart immediately." He stood gracefully and his face twisted into the closest thing to a smile she'd seen. It was the cold smile of a dog who'd caught scent of its prey. "I will have my father's sword this night or there will be blood."

"Very good, sir!" She chirped in response.

--

Sango's hands were trembling as she looked at the online statement of recent bank transactions. Her face had gone from exultant to shocked to enraged. 15,000 for a dress?! 3,000 for limo rental? 10,000 for a tux? What the hell was going on here? The only good news was that now they knew where to find Kagome and Inu Yasha. It was a shame that she was going to have to murder them on sight, she reflected. All the previous charges were obviously for survival; bare essentials like cheap motels and gas stations. It looked like they went to a restaurant only once and even then they didn't spend over twenty bucks. As soon as she'd confirmed where they were, she set the boys to finding the cheapest plane tickets that they could to get them to Las Vegas as fast as they could. This had gone on for long enough.

Hojo called them all over, he'd found a direct flight to Vegas that would leave in an hour. It would be close, but if they could find enough seats, they'd get pretty good rates.

After a brief huddle, they all decided to go for it--it was now or never. "Alrighty, boys," Sango announced. "We're going to make it on the 10:00 out of New York, non-stop to Vegas. If we make this flight, we should have Kagome back by midnight!"

Hojo looked confused. "I thought it would take longer to get there, Sango-san." Her expression was withering. Koga smacked him upside the head, gently, "Dumb-ass. Ever hear of time zones? By the time we get there, we'll have gained two hours. It's mountain time there, not eastern." Hojo thought about this for a moment. "Wait. So when you say we'll have her back, do you mean back as in here, in New York or just back, as in with us?"

No one objected as Koga locked his arm around Hojo's neck, effectively dragging him along. "Don't worry about it, kid. Let's just go."

--

Kagome was not accustomed to being stared at. Then again, it wasn't everyday that she was wearing an incredible evening gown and draped on the arm of a devastatingly handsome hanyou in a tux at the grand opening of the newest casino on the Las Vegas strip. It was a little fun, though, to see people gaping at her, she had to admit. It started to get old really fast, though, she noted. Pulling up to the casino in a limo was a bit much, though. She had refused to even get in, at first. This was going too far! She objected to using Sango's credit card for this kind of stuff but he assured her that it was all a part of his 'plan'.

Inside the casino, Kagome was overwhelmed by the sensory overload. The hotel's theme was appropriate, considering that Sin City was built on the back of mobsters, as everything was done in a 1920s motif. The waitresses were dressed like flappers, the bartender, the man on the piano--everyone was in period costumes. It was a surreal combination, the people and the building stuck in the 1920s while loud slot machines of the twenty-first century whirred and blinked invitingly.

Inu Yasha kept a firm but casual-seeming hand on her arm from the moment they entered the lavish doors. She felt foolish for having thought that she would be able to really help him. She was a fish out of water here while he was a shark in a silk tux. It took her a moment to realize they had been checking in with the 'comps' people, as Inu Yasha had explained them. In theory, by letting the casino track how much they were winning or losing, they could get things for free--complementary--comps. This was the key to their plan. If they couldn't garner the attention of the casino, they were totally sunk. It seemed appropriate, though, to be taking such a big gamble at a casino.

The first time that security approached them, Kagome was sure she was going to faint. She'd never been a good liar--especially under pressure. The guard, however, seemed about to speak when he stopped and looked closely at Kagome's face. He studied it closely and then gradually let his eyes drift to what was below her face. She began to turn red when Inu Yasha cleared his throat menacingly. The guard snapped back to attention and seemed embarrassed by his lack of professionalism. He nodded curtly to them and passed without saying a word. Kagome wanted to say something to Inu Yasha about the strange encounter but he was already moving on, heading straight for the high-limit roulette table.

One thing Kagome had been rather firm on was that she did not want to gamble. Even if she was a citizen, it was still not legal for her to be gambling here in America--she wasn't 21 years old. The legal implications of being caught gambling illegally weren't exactly crystal clear, but they were definitely not good. Thus, it was decided early on that she would be there for moral support and, as he had put it, to "look pretty." While she found this to be moderately degrading and extremely condescending, she couldn't help the small blush creeping across her cheeks. That was technically a compliment, she told herself. A back-handed compliment, but one none-the-less.

They found an opening at a table and Kagome tried not to choke as Inu Yasha calmly asked for a hundred and fifty thousand in chips. He threw her a quick wink before turning his attention to the table, effectively forcing her to wait quietly while he played. She turned from the game and took to an old past time of hers: people watching. Las Vegas is also known as Sin City. Looking around, Kagome adjusted her thoughts around this preconception. To her, "Sin City" meant dirty and ragged. After surveying the teeming casino floor, though, she realized that this level of sin was far beyond what she had imagined.

"Excuse me." A high-pitched woman's voice drawled in a horrible attempt at a flapper dialect. "Champagne?" the cocktail waitress offered her.

Kagome's initial reaction was to say no thanks. She knew she'd bumped her head earlier and that alcohol was probably not a good idea right now. As she began her polite smile, however, Inu Yasha laughed roughly and leaned over to the waitress. He took a hundred dollar chip and casually flipped it next to the glass of champagne. He winked at the surprised woman and said, "Don't worry about her," sticking his thumb at Kagome, "she can barely hold down a wine cooler, much less alcohol," and he quite deliberately reached between the two women to grab the champagne flute for himself.

Knowing a challenge, Kagome roughly grabbed the flute first and chugged it all in one long gulp. The cocky grin on his face immediately fell and was replaced by a look of panic and frustration. He seemed to catch himself, though, and quickly pasted on another cocky, but impressed grin. He looked back to the waitress and winked. "Well, now. I guess she showed me. Why don't you just keep 'em coming, sweetcheeks?" he gave her another wink and another chip. She smiled brightly at them both, smelling a big-tipper and a competition at play here. "Cwoitanly! My name is Sunshine, and I'll take care of you," she bobbed her agreement. She looked to Kagome appraising. "Now, a lady like you shouldn't be satisfied with just champagne, right?"

Kagome swallowed hard. Crap. I am such an idiot! Stupid Inu Yasha, why did I fall for such a stupid trick? And what is he thinking, anyway? He knows I hit my head--I swear if something goes wrong tonight and I die, I am so haunting him!

Forcing a pleasant smile, Kagome said, "Oh, I don't know! I'm really not much of a drinker..."

Sunshine didn't take the bait, though. "Pish-posh! I saw you and that champagne! You must have been a fish in another life!" she laughed at the joke for a moment, before letting it slowly and uncomfortably die under Kagome's 'I-am-not-amused' stare. Clearing her throat, Sunshine tried a new tack. "You just wait here, honey. I've got just the thing for you!" She winked at Inu Yasha and bounced off before they could stop her. As soon as she was safely out of sight, the couple turned on each other in furious whispers.

("What the hell were you thinking?") Inu Yasha grated at her.

("ME? What about you, you asshole!") she retorted hotly. Such language was usually reserved strictly for her inner dialogue, but it seemed that the champagne was already taking effect. Inu Yasha took an offended expression.

("WHAT? What do you mean what about me? I was trying to give you an easy out--but no-ooo--you couldn't take a clue!")

("What clue?! You start flirting with that skanky waitress and tell her that I can't hold a drink, what do you think I'm going to do, giggle and agree with you?") she threw him a mocking vapid and adoring look, ("Oh, darling, you say the funniest things!")

He shuddered. ("You do that too well. And what do you mean, flirting?")

("Don't change the subject.")

("Look, just don't drink anything else she brings you, okay? People with concussions should not drink alcohol, idiot. Despite how I seem, I do not want you dead, do you understand?")

Her eyes softened. "Really?" she said normally. She searched his eyes for any traces of contradiction. He held her gaze firmly, challenging her to find any.

"Really. Now if you'll excuse me, dear lady," he said extravagantly, "I've got a hot table here. I'm loosing money by the buckets," he smiled impudently, holding her gaze until she smiled again. "That's better. I don't want anyone thinking I'm so pathetic that I can't keep my woman happy." He winked and quickly turned around again before she could trap him again.

Feeling a warmth not exclusively from the champagne, Kagome fervently thanked whatever gods or demons brought her here tonight.

--

The flight had not been an easy one for Sesshoumaru. His eternally-perky secretary was usually enough to tire him. Somehow, however, his private jet was out of commission, forcing them to rely instead upon commercial airlines for transportation. Flying first class was an enormous step down for him. Add to that the under booking of their flight and the subsequent free upgrades from coach to first class and you had one very displeased youkai. There were only about 15 passengers total, and about 25 seats in first class, offering little chance of escape from close human proximity. The mighty inu youkai therefore chose the more subtle escape, by pulling on the obnoxious pink-laced sleep mask which Rin had packed--accidentally, of course.

He had forgotten, however, that his secretary was still a human and a rather chatty human at that. It came to pass then, that she had found the one human on the face of the earth whom loved to talk as much as she did yet seemed to be completely without a shred of intelligence.

Rin was holding the hands of this idiotic stranger and they were both crying as he relayed the story of his lost love. With a loud sniffle, she emphatically told the young man, "That is the sweetest thing I have ever heard!"

He lifted his face, taking an expression of a romantic martyr. "Yes. I may not have been there for her in the past, but I can't fail her now! I will find Higurashi-san and save her from this evil hanyou!"

Sesshomaru's ears perked. He literally couldn't help but hear this loud and emotional converstation. Hanyou? He didn't even bother pretending to wake up or to lift the frilly eye mask he was wearing. He turned unerringly towards the source of the male voice and asked in a tone as un-intimidating as he could manage, "Did you mention... an evil hanyou?"

The poor man, however, obviously misunderstood the motives behind the demon's question. He saw the pointed ears and heard the quiet voice and immediately thought he had offended the demon. A wave of fear rose from where the human was, informing Sesshomaru of the misunderstanding. He lifted the mask from his eyes and looked at the human. "Please don't misunderstand, boy. I have met many untrustworthy hanyou in my long lifetime. I have heard your story and am quite sympathetic to your cause." He said in a neutral tone. Honest compassion was quite impossible for the demon lord, so the best he could manage was to not be openly hostile. The young man smiled nervously and the scent of fear gradually began to fade. An idea suddenly came to him.

"I am sorry to intrude upon a private matter, but tell me, do you have a plan for when we land? What I mean is, is there any way I can help?" he inquired. Rin shot him a suspicious glance before catching herself. She knew him well enough to know he was up to something.

The man looked surprised, then abashed. "Wow. Well, actually I'm not sure. Wait a moment, I'll ask my friends to come over!" he sounded like this was a PJ party, Sesshomaru thought disgustedly. A moment later, three more came back with the original man. He was grinning broadly and the inu youkai noted that the smile was dangerously and painfully devoid of thought.

"These are my friends, Sango-san, Miroku-san and Koga-kun," he gestured to the two humans and the wolf youkai with him. "My name is Hojo. It is very nice to meet you!" He bowed sharply and promptly hit his head on the luggage rack. It was only years of discipline that keep his eyes from rolling.

--

"Changing a hundred!" the casino employee called over his shoulder. Inu Yasha had been loosing money left and right. He tipped outrageously and bet on the worst odds. Kagome was starting to feel a little bit better, now. Things didn't seem as bad as they had a few mintues ago, actually. She had been worried about 'Sunshine' and what concoctions she would try to force on Kagome. When the cocktail waitress did return, however, she carried only a single martini glass with a champagne colored drink in it. There was what looked like cinnamon and sugar on the rim and a decorative curl of orange peel drapped over the edge to dangle invitingly inside the liquid.

She forced a smile and was forming a polite, "no thanks" when Sunshine cut her off by grabbing her hand and placing the glass in it. "Trust me, just try it. This is our house drink, the Cable Car. I think you'll like it," she winked at Kagome and left before the stunned girl could object further. Curiously, she sniffed the drink. It didn't reek of alcohol, like she expected... She carefully lifted the glass to her lips and took a tiny sip.

"Can you believe they only fit three sips in this cup?!" she slurred at Sunshine when she returned. Kagome had finished the drink and was licking the remaining sugar off the rim by the time the waitress had come back with a new drink. Even Sunshine was impressed. "Lady, I've only been gone for a minute!" she smiled wickedly. "That's ma-girl!" She took the empty glass forcibly from Kagome and placed a new, longer glass into her wobbly hands. "Have you ever had a Long-Island Ice Tea?" she asked innocently.

--

Inu Yasha couldn't believe it. Everything was going smoothly and then this idiot goes and gets roaring drunk. Did she have a death wish or something? He berated himself for not keeping a better eye on her. I should have locked her in the damn hotel room. The idiot's been walking around with a concussion and now she's plastered.

He'd just lost a spectacular bet when he turned around to share the joy with Kagome, only to find her chugging some martini-like drinks from a grinning Sunshine's loaded tray. From the looks of it, Kagome had already finished two and still had three more on the tray to go. Griting his teeth together, he forced a smile. He took Kagome's arm carefully and pried the glass away from her. He set it on the tray and sprinkled four or five hundred-dollar chips on top. Looking meaninfully at Sunshine, he suggested that the lady was done for the evening and that perhaps Sunshine had better find another customer.

Not missing the thinly veiled threat, Sunshine made a hasty retreat as Kagome sang out "Bu-byeeeeeeee" to the waitress.

He gently turned the laughing Kagome to face him and held her by the arms. It took a bit to make her focus on him and he swore quietly to himself when he saw how dialated her eyes were. She was roaring drunk.

Speaking quietly and slowly, Inu Yasha tried to ask her how much she'd had to drink in the last fifteen minutes. It took a few tries for her to realize he was talking to her and she kept staring greedily at his ears, before he gave up. Gotta rap this up and quick.Kagome was whining that she wanted to play, too. Sighing heavily, he guided her back to the roulette table.

"C'mon, ya lush. You can help me pick my numbers."

"Yippe-skippy!"

"...shit..."

--

Kagura stood on top of the hotel's neon sign, invisible to the throngs on the street below. "You have humiliated me for the last time, puppy. Tonight all accounts are to be settled."

With that vicious promise, Kagura of the wind began to plan her attack.

--

A/N: Alrighty. First, I want to say that I DO NOT condone or advocate under-aged drinking. Obviously this is just a story, but I just want to be clear that the law is there to protect and I agree with it.

Second, please, please DO NOT think that it is a good idea in any way to drink if you've had a head injury. I did some research and every place I looked says not to consume alcohol within 24 hours of sustaining a concussion. Just consuming it does not necessarily cause further injury, but it GREATLY increases your chances of getting hurt even more.

There will be one more long chapter to follow and and epilogue after that. This is it, guys! XP