I'm back! Sorry it took so long! Prom, school and life came up! ^^;;;
Good news! I just graduated so hell to the yah! (Got my high school diploma Tuesday! XD) Anyways, I'm so happy so I wanted to announce that! Hehe!
That, and I'm free until fall semester of college starts up! Lol.
Oh, and excuse any mistakes (there's probably a lot of them! ^^;) This chapter isn't exactly beta'd, I don't think lol.
Read, Review, and as always, ENJOY! XDD
Disclaimer- As much as I wish I did, I DO NOT own Inuyasha or NCIS, just the plot of this story and any OC's that happen to pop up! XD
-Reality and Truth-
Previously;
They stared at each other, gazes locking for a moment. "I am coming with you."
Her comment sparked some emotion behind those green eyes - shock? Surprise? Horror? It couldn't be told.. "No, you're not. Absolutely not," he retorted back, tone so serious it left no room for argument. "Hell no," he added for good measure when seeing her determined face. He didn't want her to see him like this, like a monster.
Like the reason demons were ever deemed monsters in the first place.
Too bad Ziva was stubborn like a damn jaguar with its jaws locked on prey. "Kagome was my friend too," she reminded him, her cocoa eyes showing she felt the loss as much as he did.
For a moment, Shippo didn't move, didn't say a thing. "You're not going to stop me from killing them, if it comes to that." It wasn't a question.
Ziva held her head up high, her gaze never wavering from his. "I would not think of it."
—A Curious Thing, How Tragedy Brings People Closer...—
Once again they were trudging through the forest, but this time both were in high alert, their trained bodies tensed, as if waiting for something to come out and strike.
Flicking a wary glance to the demon beside her, Ziva spoke. "So, who will we be visiting first?" she murmured softly.
Shippo never once took his emerald orbs off the terrain before them, scoping out for anything strange, or a trap maybe. "You remember Jinenji mentioning a Rei? A tiger demon?"
He waited until the woman nodded before continuing. "Well, he's the one that told Kagome about the warehouse – the rigged one." His lips thinned, "I figured he's probably the leader."
Ziva's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "Because he was the one who lied?"
Shippo shrugged, "That, and Tai was a complete wimp," he muttered wryly. Ziva snorted amusedly. "That leaves Raito and Rei to be the leader. Since tiger demons are more aggressive, and usually more powerful at that compared to puppeteer demons, Rei ought to be it," he explained levelly.
Lips pursing in thought, Ziva peered over to Shippo. "So we will go to Raito first," she deducted.
Shippo nodded shortly, and the corners of his lips pulled into a devious smirk. "I'm saving the big Kahuna for last," and he cracked his knuckles menacingly.
—o—o—o—o—
After almost twenty minutes of venturing through thick vegetation, Shippo was sure they were getting close.
There were little signs of life other than animals. He could smell the blood of caught prey, both fresh and stale. While that may not be unusual, for the scent to be that strong meant something else was doing some hunting.
Or better yet, someone else...
There were also the trees – some branches were missing, looking more sawed off rather than broken naturally. And then there were certain berries and plants that were missing, more than that should be. It started sparsely, but became more concentrated as they trudged closer and closer.
Then suddenly, something tripped his demonic senses, giving it a slight twinge that he would have missed if he wasn't paying close attention.
Shippo's eyes narrowed sharply, his body going rigid and his senses more alert. His eyes slid to the human beside him, and his calculating mind turned as he thought of a way to handle this…
—o—o—o—o—
A dark feeling was eating at Ziva, but she didn't know what. The unmistakable feeling of someone watching her was almost palpable. "I do not think we are alone," she hissed urgently under her breath.
But there was no answer back.
Blinking, she looked beside her where Shippo was.
Or, at least, where he should have been…
But the fox demon himself was missing, and Ziva froze. "Shippo?" she whispered at first, casting a glance around the silent forest.
Nothing answered. Just silence.
Actually…
Ziva's eyes narrowed, her body unconsciously slipping into a defensive stance.
It was too quiet for a forest infested with various critters and littered with noisy debris …
Something was wrong…
With all the possibilities of the kinds of things that were out there, being silent wasn't a chance she was going to take. From what she knew of demons, they could smell and sense her regardless of noise.
"Shippo?" Ziva called out, wondering where he went. Her heart beat faster and her senses went on high alert, waiting for someone, or something to come at her.
For a moment, nothing came. Everything was still, and the silence bore down heavily on her shoulders. She forced her breathing to stay calm and even, resisting the urge to hyperventilate. Her trained instincts came in, locking away her emotions leaving her mind free to think clearly.
Then, she felt something brush against her leg and her insides went cold. She jumped, turning, whipping out her Sig to shoot.
She unconsciously cocked and aimed for the ground and froze when she realized what her gun had pointed to, her chest still heaving.
A fox?
It was tiny like a dachshund, with a fiery auburn coat and white tipping at its paws, ears, and tail.
Ziva's body went rigid, ready to shoot the animal if needed, but reluctant to do so to such a magnificent creature. She swallowed thickly, letting out a somewhat relieved breath.
At least it wasn't a demon…
She returned her attention back to the fox, unsure of what to do next.
Maybe if she just stood still, it would leave her alone...?
It stared up at her with apple green eyes, oddly familiar, but it didn't bare its teeth or snarl, nor did it look threatening. Instead, it moved slowly, deliberately, reaching out to sniff at her.
"Shoo!" Ziva whispered sharply, annoyance running through her veins when it just ignored her.
She went stiff when it brushed against her leg again, rubbing its furry body against her. As if it was like a...cat?
And then…what was that noise?
Cocoa eyes widened in incredulity, staring at the animal with disbelief.
It was…purring?
"What the…" she muttered, taking a step away from the furry creature, but stopped soon after as it snapped its head up at her.
The way its green eyes were boring into her… and they looked like they were dancing…
She jumped, more inconspicuous this time as it let out a little yip, waving its tail playfully in the air. Then it butted its nose against her shoe, wiggling as if it wanted to be…petted?
Ziva was torn about what to do.
For one, this animal could snap at her and who knew if it had rabies or some other kind of disease. And another, she was in a forest, seemingly alone if you didn't count the evil thing that was out there.
And then there was the fact that somehow Shippo disappeared. He could be in trouble, or worst – injured or even dead. Trapped somewhere maybe.
And if it wasn't any of those, then she would skin his demonic ass alive…
Another nudge garnered her attention, and she looked down to see the fox implore a questioning and yet pleading gaze in her direction.
She looked at the forest's depths and back to the fox, torn, before letting out a tired sigh. If it would get her on her way faster, then she had no choice…
She bent down, and she swore she saw the fox's eyes light up with glee as she reached over to scratch at its head. Inside, and she'd kill someone before admitting it, she swooned as the fox's fluttered close, reduced to peering at her through lidded eyes.
And then the unbelievably astonishing thing happened, dumbfounding her.
A bright blue light, almost akin to fire, burst up, blinding her for a moment.
Then the next thing she knew, she blinked open her eyes to see Shippo.
And a naked Shippo at that…
She stared, eyes wide like saucers. She couldn't help it, really. Any healthy heterosexual woman – or homosexual man at that – would stare.
The alluring lightly tanned glow to his skin captivated her. Her eyes followed the defined lines of his lean, yet very muscular arms. Then her eyes stared at his chest – and stayed there for a good moment. Her eyes trailed down his torso, taking in the defined lines that made up the planes of his chest, then down his very, very sculptured abdominals and she almost melted.
Her throat went dry as her eyes caught a bit fluff at the bottom of his stomach, and discovered – and quite pleasantly at that– that it was a trail that lead to a…package of treasure…
She followed the trail, as if her eyes had a mind of their own – not that she particularly minded really…
And then she gaped a bit, eyebrows raised in pleasant surprise.
Well, well…
Her intense stare broke when she heard someone sniggering, and her eyes snapped up to Shippo's face…
…Which was where she saw his mega-watt shit-eating grin directed right at her. Dread filled every inch of her body when she realized what just happened…
Heat crept up her neck and dusted her cheeks.
Shippo snickered once more. "Heheh, like what you see, huh?" he murmured deeply before smirking, his eyebrows waggling and his tails twitching, moving over to trace against Ziva's skin in a purposely sensual manner.
Ziva froze, and Shippo did a mental victory dance. Here beholds the moment where Ziva David lost her composure. His grin turned into a wide smirk.
The 'victory' didn't last long. Ten seconds later and she whacked him - hard, "You are ridiculous..." she muttered and straightened. Then, she fixed him with a questioning stare. "If you are going to stay that way, please do us both a favor and put on some pants at least?" she remarked nonchalantly, wounding his pride.
Suddenly, Ziva was reminded of the time the team was stuck in the meeting for sexual harassment, and her licking Tony to scare him.
Talk about karma biting you back in the ass.
Shippo blinked, shocked. S-she-!
And then, the smirk slowly returned. Oooh, he definitely liked her. She was a challenge, and a hard, puzzling one at that.
And damn, did he love puzzles.
Feigning hurt, he splayed a hand across his heart and faked a wounded expression. "My love, you hurt me with your lies. Surely you meant a shirt, or maybe socks? Because pants should be the last thing you want me to put on right now…" He sent her a lewd wink. "We both know it. You don't have to be ashamed…"
Ziva snorted, jutting her chin out stubbornly. "There is only one person here who should be ashamed of anything," and her eyes drifted down swiftly before returning to eye the kitsune, her gaze dancing. "And it certainly is not me."
But Shippo only laughed loudly, "Ouch…" he drawled out, very amused, but then a shimmering image appeared, and now he was back in his clothes nonetheless. "Deadly with both weapons and words… Is there anything else that sharp tongue of yours can do?" he teased, a flirty edge to his baritone voice.
Ziva countered it with a slyly cocked eyebrow. "Maybe there is, but you will never find out…"
Shippo chuckled. "And the burns continue," he drawled out, grinning.
Ziva shook her head, tendrils of curly dark brown hair that had escaped from her ponytail whipping about. Her eyes suddenly narrowed, getting back to the task at hand. "And they will become even more scalding if you do not tell me where you were," she bit out at him. "You left me," she said, voice dripping with accusation.
Shippo only waved a hand in the air in a dismissive manner. "Technically I didn't leave you. I was still here, just…not in my usual form…" he said cheekily.
The irritation in her stare remained.
His lips twitched, but her gestured over to the ground, where she would have eventually stepped if he hadn't had stopped her.
The NCIS agent blinked. "What?" she muttered, not understanding.
Shippo sent a side glance her way. "Trap," was all he said before moving over and holding out a hand. Ziva's eyes widened when blue fire suddenly shot out from his hand, but narrowed soon enough when she noticed something suspicious.
There was something in the way of the fire, thin but noticeable.
"What is that…" she breathed out.
Shippo stood up, straightening. "Some kind of trip wire." When Ziva turned back to stare at him, a more grateful light in her gaze, he continued. "A different kind of tripwire. We're getting close." He walked over by a tree to grab his duffle and then made his way back to her.
He pinned her with a serious stare. "I want you to walk behind me at all times, understand?"
Ziva went rigid, not used to taking orders, especially not from him. But nodded, albeit reluctantly.
He knew what he was doing, and she was at a disadvantage.
And then Shippo grinned, back to his more laidback self. "Besides, it won't be so horrible. You'll have a great view the rest of the way." Another flirty wink.
Ziva rolled her eyes and shoved him. "Just walk..."
—o—o—o—o—
As the pair trekked on towards Raito's home, Shippo managed to successfully evade all the traps that were in their way.
All except one, that is.
Ziva, while she possessed balance at a caliber above normal humans, was nowhere near up to par as Shippo. Her attention was too spread out, carefully taking note of her surroundings up close and far away.
As she stepped through the uneven terrain, she stepped on unleveled ground and stumbled. She tried to right herself, but not without brushing against a branch.
Which had one of those tripwires tied to it.
Shippo's eyes clenched shut and he cursed. "Fuck me, he knows we're here."
Ziva winced, sending him an apologetic glance. "I am sorry," she whispered quickly.
But Shippo, his body rigid as he scanned the area shook his head sharply. "Don't apologize, just get ready for the fireworks."
Ziva stiffened, and grabbed her gun. "What should I do?" she asked quietly, knowing her gun wouldn't do much good against demons.
Shippo eyed her gun. "First off, put that away," he ordered sharply. "The only person it'll hurt is you,"
Ziva shot him a dark glance.
He ignored it, and looked around, "Second…" he began, and Ziva had to keep down a yelp as she was suddenly being pulled by him. Shippo lifted her up with ease when she was too surprised to comply.
He ran towards a dense bush, composed of more leaves than woody branches and gently pushing her towards it as he tossed his bag beside it. "I want you to hide, until I say otherwise,"
Ziva sent him an incredulous glance. "I will not just hide while you are fighting! I am not a child!" she exclaimed in a indignant whisper.
Shippo snorted. "Sweetcheeks, compared to me, you're a baby, and I ain't talking bout the hot kind."
Ziva's eyes narrowed brutally. "Will you stop with the nicknames? Now is not the time!"
Shippo scowled. "Then hide," and promptly shoved her into the bush, ignoring the angry incredulous yelp that followed. He glared into the foliage. "They already killed Kagome, I'm not letting them get you too," he told her and spun towards the bag.
Swiftly, he zipped it open, pulling out a long katana and tied it to his waist. Then he reached in, grabbing a pair of knifes, and held it out to her. "I have a feeling you're adept at using these."
Ziva sniffed, the sound muffled behind the leaves. "No thank you, I have my own." Her voice was curt.
Shippo rolled his eyes, and just tossed it in instead, knowing she'd catch it. "These are better; sharper as well as enchanted. If he notices you, then you have something to defend yourself with. Take these as well," he said suddenly, tossing in a two red spheres and a black one.
"What are these?" Ziva asked curiously, eyeing them warily.
"Bombs," he answered nonchalantly, oblivious to the way she stiffened. "Not harmful to you in the slightest, so don't worry. But do be careful where you toss them, I'm not immune either. Black for smokescreen, red for an explosion of poison. A nasty concoction, it makes me proud."
Ziva opened her mouth to speak, but Shippo's hushed voice interrupted her. "He's almost here. Don't make a sound," he ordered quickly and he stepped away. "I put an illusion of sorts over the bush. He'll see the bush, but not you. I made sure he can't scent you either."
"Be careful," she whispered, knowing he would hear her. Shippo's step faltered for a moment, and somehow the wind carried his whisper to her ears.
"Thanks... You too..."
—o—o—o—o—
When Raito arrived, he found Shippo leaning against a tree, arms crossed, acting casual.
Raito came running in, prepared to strike, but skidded to a stop at the sight of Shippo. He blinked, purple eyes round with recognition, shock, and something else - something deeper that piqued Shippo's interest.
Shippo offered a cheeky smile, wiggling his fingers in an obnoxious wave. His other hand, however, slid over to rest on his katana in a more serious manner of greeting, and that's what caught Raito's eyes. There was also something feral behind the cheery facade in his emerald eyes. "Well, well Raito. Long time no see."
"What are you doing here?" the demon asked instead, voice containing a nervous edge that was almost hard to detect. "Is there something you need?"
Shippo feinted a thoughtful look before dipping his head. "I do happen to have some questions in dire need of answering..." he murmured nonchalantly.
Raito's body tensed the slightest bit, but it was noticeable enough that Shippo saw it. He smirked mentally. "What kind of questions?" Raito asked calmly.
Shippo shrugged. "Hmm, how about for starters the marine killings in the D.C. Area?"
Raito's adam's apple bobbled somewhat. "I haven't heard anything of the sort," he told Shippo, almost apologetically. His voice a just a smidge tight too.
'Oh, he's gonna be sorry. I'll make sure of that...' Shippo thought angrily. But he was the epitome of calm and collected on the outside. "Huh, alright. Then what about the warehouse blowing up, down in Fredericksburg last night? Heard anything 'bout that?" he asked, pushing up from his spot against the tree. He peered over at Raito from the corner of his gaze as he eyed his claws.
Now that made Raito stiffen. "There was an explosion?" he asked, trying to cover his reaction with surprise.
Shippo put his hands down, looking over at Raito with a frown. "Yes, as a matter of fact there was," he said solemnly, nodding.
Raito shifted his weight from foot to foot. "Well, I'm sorry I can't help or anything -"
"Funny," Shippo said suddenly, and Raito went rigid instantly.
"What is...?" the puppet demon asked warily.
Shippo raised an eyebrow, eyes narrowing slyly. "You never asked if someone got hurt. That's the usual reaction someone gets after hearing that kind of question."
Raito's eyes widened. "I-" but her stopped short, and scowled.
Shippo smirked at the slip, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. '"Awh, what, no more foreplay?" he asked with mock disappointment. "And it's my favorite part too..." he added a little pout for emphasis.
From her spot hidden in the bush, Ziva had to choke back a snort. Her eyes rolled in exasperation.
Raito growled. "Fuck it. I'm done playing your games, kitsune," he spat. "It's pointless when you obviously already know," and he sneered.
Shippo chuckled, a different kind of sound that Ziva had yet to hear from him. It was lined with a dark edge, predatory even and it shot chills down her spine.
The strange part was the mixed kind of chills, both cold and hot...
"It's a hobby of mine, fucking with people," Shippo remarked cheekily. Then his whole cheery facade did a sudden 180 as he slowly began stalking towards the puppeteer demon, eyes narrowing into slits and his features going more bestial.
The color drained from Raito's already pale face, and he took a wary step back.
"So how are we gonna do this?" Shippo wondered, his voice turning guttural. "Easy way or hard?" His hand lifted, glowing as his claws grew sharper, and cracked his knuckles ominously.
Raito snorted, his eyes narrowing as an invisible wind began whipping around him. His features changed, more structural than plain, his eyes a demonic, fluorescent red with white pupils. His clothes shifted from ordinary citizen clothes to those more suitable for fighting, training hakamas and a haiori, yet modernized and practical.
"You already know," Raito began, his voice a notably deeper timbre. "That I am not like that spineless twit Tai. I will not back down without a fight, like a coward," he spat harshly.
Shippo's smirk merely widened, eyes gaining a wild glint. "That, is exactly what I wanted to hear," he drawled out slowly, and then growled, "You will pay for what you've done!" he roared out, and charged. The sharp hiss of a sword being drawn cut through the clearing.
With lightning speed, Shippo leaped at Raito, swinging with graceful, swift finesse. One swung again and again, a wide arc here, and sharp, quick lunge and jab there.
Raito was quick to dodge, but not without close calls. He was quickly littered with shallow cuts as Shippo swiped relentlessly. but as a demon it didn't matter much.
Ziva watched the proceedings stock-still, eyes wide in apt fascination. The transformation Shippo underwent was unfathomable - how did the easygoing, perverted fox turn into such a serious, fierce fighter...?
The two broke away from each other in a momentary pause, harsh breaths filling the otherwise silent forest.
Any other animal or being had the sense enough to get far away as possible.
Raito swallowed thickly, glaring at Shippo. A taunting look crossed his face, and he slowly withdrew a device, similar to a comb but more crude and with wider individual teeth to it.
"What, did killing your little human master strike a nerve?" he jibed, smirking darkly at Shippo's otherwise tense form. "I'm sorry - I should have slit her pretty little throat instead of blowing her up into little itsy, bitsy pieces like that. That way, you'd have something to say goodbye to," he said mockingly, a fake, sympathetic smile slapped across his face.
It made Shippo shake with barely contained rage.
Raito wasn't done yet. "How inconsiderate of me," he went on crudely, "I'd say I'll remember that next time, but -" and he gave a little, nonchalant shrug. "She's already dead,"
The sound that ripped out of Shippo's mouth, a cross between a roar and a snarl, was so powerful it shook the forest around them. "You bastard! I'll kill you!" His eyes flashed red as he snapped, unleashing all his limits. The air around him whipped, and his features went jagged and furry - tails, hands, feet, face, ears. His eyes glowed an eerie, hypnotizing red.
All breath was stolen from Ziva - she was absolutely floored. It was no doubt fear that spiked within her, she had never seen something so fearsome in her life.
But gruesome was one thing – this, this was on a whole other level entirely. Awe found it's way to mingle with the fear.
He was animalistic in almost every way possible, but there was a certain beauty there as well. Like mother nature at its worst; despite its ability to destroy, there was a beauty, you just had to know where to look.
It was absolutely striking.
Shippo struck. With even more speed, he lunged, abandoning his sword in favor of a more, hands on approach.
Raito didn't know what hit him as he was knocked clear across fifteen feet until hitting the trunk of a tree. He screamed in agony as Shippo's claws tore into him.
Through the horrible, excruciating pain, Raito managed to pour power into his control, and twitched it.
Shippo let out a yowl as wires suddenly began wrapping around him, yanking him off.
He stumbled and scrabbled, yanking at the binds. When they would give, his claws gained a blue glow and he pulled his hands together with all his strength, and gave out a roar as he slashed at the wires, melting through them. His body jerked as the sudden loss, and he twisted to do the same to the wires wrapped around his waist.
"You're gonna have to do better than that," Shippo bit out roughly, and went at him again as Raito scrambled back.
He swiped with his claws, but narrowly missed as another wire wrapped and tugged on that wrist. He tried again with his other hand, but a wire found its way around that one as well. Not one to be deterred, he used the wires and his momentum to flip forward, drop kicking Raito.
Shippo's heel slammed into the top of Raito's skull, and the sheer force slammed the demon to the ground, face first.
Black flooded Raito's vision, his grip on the control loosening. The wires binding Shippo slackened, and he easily slipped out of them.
In a flash, he was in front of the demon. Grabbing his collar roughly, Shippo yanked the puppet demon up and shoved him into the nearest tree.
"Now tell me," Shippo snarled out in a low, threatening whisper. "Where the fuck is that tiger bastard?" he demanded slowly, his emerald eyes bleeding red.
Raito groaned a little, the agonizing pain racking his body relentlessly. When he didn't answer immediately, Shippo shook him harshly against the tree's rough bark. Raito's head bobbed up and down, and the demon struggled to stop his head from spinning.
He pinned Shippo with a venomous gaze, "Fuck off you human humping traitor," he spat, ignoring how Shippo shook even more, almost violently, with barely contained rage. "You'll never get anything out of me." And with that, Raito hacked and spit.
Shippo froze almost automatically as blood and saliva dribbled down his cheek.
From her spot hiding in the bush, Ziva watched with stunned, shocked eyes with her jaw dropped.
Shippo's eyes narrowed so much he almost went cross-eyed.
Next thing anyone knew, Raito was suddenly thirty feet away on the ground, groaning in pain.
A line of broken trees left was left in his path.
The puppet demon laid there, unmoving.
Everything became still for a moment. The demon seemed to be knocked out, Shippo was frozen in his fit of rage, and Ziva hadn't the slightest idea of what to do.
Was it safe to come out or not?
After another couple of minutes of no one making a move, she decided it was indeed safe.
The shrubs rustled as Ziva carefully climbed out, the duffle slung across her back.
She wasn't even out for a second when a harsh voice hissed out a reprimand. "You idiot - no!"
Ziva's head snapped up at Shippo's voice; shocked, confused, and alarmed. "Huh?" she blurted out at the kitsune more than forty feet away from her.
Two other words had her freezing. "Behind you!"
Realization struck. Raito was tossed just ten feet away from her...
Her hand automatically dropped to clutch the knife he'd given her. Cursing herself, she whipped around, blade positioned in front of her, just as searing hot pain ripped through her bicep.
The scent of her blood hit the kitsune like a semi."Ziva?" Shippo roared, sprinting over to the two.
A stream of blood washed over her hands.
Blood not her own.
Ziva slowly lift her head up, her gaze trailing over the knife her hands were still clutching, to the stomach it was impaled into, up and up to the pair of red fluorescent eyes with stark white pupils glaring back down at her hatefully.
The strike of sharp fear couldn't be helped, and Ziva swallowed softly at the close proximity she was in with such a dangerous, powerful person. His hand was still wrapped around her bicep, she could feel it, like it burned her skin without doing any damage.
"Fuck!" A snarl to her right caught her attention, and Ziva whipped her head to see Shippo once again bound by wires. This time though, the lines glowed an ominous deep purple, and Shippo's body arched, shaking violently as if he was in some unbearable pain as the glow washed over him.
Her stomach dropped, and she couldn't help but glance down at Raito's other hand.
In it, he clutched the control like a life line.
"Ziva! R-run!" Shippo gritted out through the agony.
The hand around her arm tightened painfully before she could even think to do that.
Ziva let out a sharp gasp as Raito gripped her arm with inhuman strength. Pain shot through her arm, weakening her knees. She buckled under the sharp shoots of pain.
It was as if he was trying to literally break her arm...
One glance at his sadistic, triumphant face told her that's exactly what he wanted to do – that, and more...
Instinct took over and the hand still clutching the knife Shippo gave her twisted the hilt, sending the demon howling in pain as the blade itself glowed an eerie neon green, sending shocks of demonic energy throughout Raito, bringing him to his knees.
The grip on her arm loosened just enough for her to rip out of it. She stumbled back once free from the once ironclad lock on her arm.
Raito writhed in agony on the forest floor, the blade still glowing green.
Taking initiative, Ziva stepped forward and stomped on Raito's wrist, and his palm sprang open. She bent, snatching the control from his grip and ran towards Shippo, taking the blade with her along the way.
Once the control changed hands, Shippo was finally released. He sagged to his knees in relief, chest heaving.
A howl of agony and rage followed as Ziva ripped out the knife, and Raito jumped up, stumbling, but intent on killing her where she stood.
"Ziva! Watch your six!" Shippo warned as he began frantically ripping off the wires twined around him.
Not breaking stride, Ziva reached into the duffle looking for the bombs and grabbed the first spherical object her fingers came in contact with and threw it behind her.
A hissing sound cut through the air as it made contact to the ground, and Raito stopped in his tracks, eyes bulging out as he clutched his throat. Tears flooded his eyes unbidden.
Must have been the poisonous one then...
With Raito was distracted, Ziva ran towards Shippo, tugging at the wires. Her breathing came in harsh, rapid huffs.
Once free, Shippo grabbed her unmarked arm, stopping her. "You okay?" he whispered urgently, concern flooding his ragged tone. He could scent the fear laced with her own unique one, and he'd be stupid to think it wasn't partly from him.
Ziva looked up to see his reddened eyes gazing at her. She nodded breathlessly.
Shippo sighed in relief, and then pushed her behind him as the poison cloud began to clear. "You did good. Now, stay alert. Now that he knows you're with me, he won't hesitate to hurt you."
Ziva nodded, not bothering to argue.
Shippo smirked darkly. "Good..." he murmured, and sprinted away once the cloud disappeared.
He carried out a drill of punches on Raito, driving him back stumbling with each punch. Finally, he kicked at Raito, sending him farther into the forest as well as further away from Ziva.
Shippo stalked towards him, intent on causing even more pain.
The demon groaned, and blinked confused and pained eyes up at the kitsune. "It won't matter," he mumbled. "You might as well kill me, because I am not going to talk," he slurred out, and managed a weak,ugly smirk. "And you ain't ever gonna find Rei. Knowing him, he's long gone after the miko bitch got herself blown up."
A dangerous glint entered Shippo's eyes, and he pushed down the rage that threatened to rise at his other remark. "Oh, why kill you, when I can get the information out of you in much more, entertaining ways..." he drawled out slyly.
Raito, practically hanging on his last thread of consciousness, managed to muster up a sneer. "You're funeral. Or rather..." he trailed of suggestively and leered over at Ziva. "Hers." He raised his voice, just so she could hear as well. "Can't wait to sink my claws into you, you sweet little thing..."
Ziva glared at him murderously.
It wiped the smirk of Shippo's face, replacing it with a vicious scowl. A furious snarl was ripped from his throat, and with another swift kick, Raito was finally knocked unconscious.
"You won't be alive nearly long enough to touch her again," he vowed vehemently.
He'll leave the bastard there where he laid to pick him up after they went and check if Rei did leave or not.
He wouldn't be waking up anytime soon...
Soft footsteps echoed behind him, getting louder and louder with each one.
"I thought I told you to stay hidden until I said otherwise," Shippo began deliberately, voice sharp.
The footsteps behind him paused, hesitant. It was a moment before she actually spoke, choosing her words carefully. "I had believed he was unconscious."
Shippo's jaw clenched, images of her dead and bloody coming to mind unbidden. "You assumed," he countered, voice a mere whisper, so close to a hiss.
Ziva's eyes narrowed at the back of his mane of fiery orange hair. Her lips pursed, and her chin tilted up stubbornly. "Maybe," she relented curtly. "But with the way your emotions are boiling right to edge of you snapping, you can hardly blame me after I waited for five minutes," she countered confidently.
An uneasy silence settled between them, and Shippo slowly went to cast a look at her from over his shoulder.
The moment she saw movement she stiffened, anxious.
"Don't ever do that again," he told her quietly, and she was struck by the sincere concern in his voice.
Unsure whether she should argue or not, tell him she was a grown woman and he could not order her around like some insubordinate child, she merely nodded shortly. "I will try... but I will not make any promises," she told him upfront.
Shippo sighed at her answer, but couldn't help the way his lips twitched in amusement, despite the situation. "Guess that's the best I'll get, huh?"
Not waiting for an answer, he turned around to approach her, taking in her rigid stance. He could practically smell the adrenaline still pumping through her veins.
He eyed her wounded arm, taking in the trail of blood. The sweet scent of it filled the clearing, and without another thought, he stepped forward and grasped it lightly, but firm.
A sharp intake of breath told him it was unexpected, and he would have flashed her one of his disarming smiles if he didn't still have the bestial features of his kitsune form apparent.
If anything, it'd just spark the fear even more-so with his obviously longer fangs peeking out, and his reddened eyes gazing at her.
Not bothering to make eye contact, in fear of frightening her even more, he spoke as gently as his ragged voice could manage. "I'm sorry," he murmured, gently trailing around the gouges of claws marring her tanned, olive skin.
Ziva gazed up at him, awed at the stark contrast before her. Like a classic Disney movie, here was the beast acting like the beauty within – a paradox within his own right. "It is not your fault," she mumbled.
And it wasn't. Not completely anyways. If it was anyone's fault, she had to partake in it too.
Two 'riiiip'ing sounds filled the air, causing Ziva to start, so quick it took a moment for her to register it.
Slight aching in her bicep caused her to look down, and she watched as calloused, large, tanned hands with unnaturally long 'nails' gently blot at the blood around her wounds with a strip of cloth none other from his clothes.
Her cocoa eyes flickered between Shippo's face and his animistic features, and the gentle ministrations as he methodically cleaned it as best as he could in their present situation, before wrapping the other cloth around her arm, tying it firmly, but not too tight.
She took in the scene before her with acute and aware eyes, but what she really zeroed in on was the tenderness and determination in his gaze as he worked on her wound.
A paradox indeed...
Words- 6,085
And the angst rollercoaster resumes... but with a ass kicking twist to it this time lol, and a more close up look into Shippo and Ziva. And before you go saying their relationship is going too fast, it's just some heavy flirting coming from a deep attraction ;p
I liked this chapter, because it gives some insight into Ziva and Shippo, instead of mainly focusing on Tony and Kagome. It's a welcome change.
But next chapter it'll start getting back to normal of course lol. Well, as normal can be, considering what's happening heheh.
Another shout out to the lovely ArmyWife22079 for her influence in this chapter. She inspired the 'Shippo goes beast' scene with Ziva. XD
Thank you soooo much for all your feedback!
Till next time!
RainLily^^
—Reviews—
I really mean when it I say thank you guys, it's because of all of your encouragement and help that I keep on writing. Not to mention, some of your reviews crack me up sooo much and get me grinning like a crazy person! I LOVE it!
Again, thank you SO much! You all ROCK! XD
A big huge honking thanks to these awesome reviewers!
fierynightangel, ayjah, Addict to Fanfics, Azumigurl, Athena Sapphire Night, MoonPrincess1989, Ichigo Mirai, Reads-way2-much, blackdove1265, sakura-moka, phantomgirl21, maxeyn
rspringb- Hmm, well... I do like cyber cookies... I'll think about bringing her back ;)
Taisho Samara- Shh! Don't tell people that! I'm trying to go for angst-y dramatic and suspenseful here yah know! ;D Heheh, I like you, and you make very good points. Hmm, I'll tell you this, you're partially right about what happened when the warehouse went boom, but, of course, that's not all ^^ That's coming in the next couple of chappies! XD Glad you liked it, and hope you enjoyed this one. Hope to hear from you soon! ^^ Thanks!
Kedakumi- Lmaooo! Hahah, that would be something I'd like to see heheh! ^^
Pyromanic Teabag- Awhhhh! Thank you so much! That's really nice of you to say, I'm glad you've enjoyed this fic so much! Hope you loved this chapter just as much, or even more!
Valleygoat- Lol, it was a good twist, wasn't it? ;) Oh, I spelled Ziva, Ziver cause that's Gibbs nickname for her ^^ And I would have used Jenny too, but she's kinda still alive ^^;; lol, sorry that the nightmare isn't just over yet, but thank you! Hope you enjoy this!
Silver Miko667- Heheh, well, on one count, that's good to hear haha! I know what you mean! This is why I don't check my email till I get home – just in case I don't have an outburst in the middle of class or something haha!
Bishonen'sFoxyMiko- XD Awhh, thanks! Mission accomplished! Heheh, hope you liked this chapter just as much!
love story- Lol, thank you! I already had everything planned out a long time ago though... I'll tell you this, it's uncanny how we think so much alike ;)
VirusYoukaiChild- My eyes nearly bugged out at your review, you know that? Lmao, and jumped for joy heheh! Thank you so, so, so very much! All those things, they are exactly what I was aiming for when I was writing this story! And it's absolutely awesome to hear that I actually managed to do it! And about the NCIS series, I was the same way at first, but to be honest, that was when they still had Kate. I mean, I liked Kate, but NCIS really did it, really perfected it, when they brought Ziva in. It's what she adds to the dynamic of the group that makes it so addicting (to me anyway). And then there's the possibility of a Tony/Ziva romance. XD I loved the ideas you came up with, and to be honest, some are partially right ;) And I'll let you in on something, I've had the epic kiss scene written since forever, the question was just, when to use it? Now that I think about it, it might be sooner than later heheh! Thank you so much for reviewing! Reading it always brings a grin to my face!
GeneralTao01- Lol, well, I'm honored that you liked my fic then! XD And yeah, I know what you mean! I had no idea that it would turn out so well and have this kind of feedback – it was just an unusual idea that I wanted to try out. I think that since NCIS and Inuyasha are two of my favorite shows, it was easy for me to get really into this and do my best at writing this. ^^ As for your question, yes, I'm definitely planning bringing Sesshomaru to the States, just not so soon though. Thank you for your kind review! ^_^