Get ready folks, as I present you with the long awaited chapter - for reasons you will soon find out hehe. And ooh! This is a pretty long one too, so yay! :)
Oh, btw, excuse any mistakes since I proofread this myself. My awesomelicious beta is short one internet connection lol, so yeah. Hopefully there aren't many mistakes - but this is a pretty longish chapter so you've been warned ^^;
Anyways, 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;
The jewel lifted up from his nightstand, levitating, moving away from the furniture to the open space beside Tony's bed.
The light was still growing brighter, and wisps of light shot out and curled unbidden, reaching out and enveloping the room. Then, the wisps came together to the center, swirling around and around as the light became even more concentrated. And then, as if it reached it's limit, it exploded suddenly in a burst of silent light.
As the light began to dim, only a figure was left standing in its wake.
–Arise From the Ashes–
What light that managed to slip through the cracks of the blinds offered a skim source of illumination. Clad in torn up clothes far beyond worse for wear stood the figure, its curves the only indication of its gender.
Her eyes fluttered shut as she took deep, steadying breaths, gathering herself.
As she opened her eyes only bright yet weary sapphire eyes stared out, contrasting deeply against the dark shadows cast, gleaming.
Confusion flooded her gaze and she blinked, her dark eyebrows furrowing as she carefully took in her unfamiliar surroundings. Her eyes roamed over the unlighted room, straining to see through the darkness as she stood there tense and wary.
They flickered from one pile of mess to another, clothes and shoes and other things scattered about. Various things were knocked over as well; frames, another lamp, other miscellaneous items - the list went on.
Her nose crinkled lightly at the mess. 'Now where the hell am I...?' she thought silently with a hint of anxiety.
It wasn't until her gaze flickered over a unidentifiable form on the bed across from her that she stopped short. Carefully she tiptoed to the slumbering figure, creeping closer and closer, mindful not the kick anything littering the floor until she finally reached the side of the bed.
The confusion practically melted off her face at the sight of a ragged, yet slumbering Tony entering her vision. The breath was knocked out of her at how peaceful he looked, lost in his dreams. She blinked in wonder.
The peace didn't last for long. She froze as a groan escaped from him, his forehead wrinkling and his eyes clenching shut. He curled within himself, as if unconsciously to protect himself from what could only be nightmares.
She frowned and reached out, her hand cupping his cheek gently, her thumb sweeping across his skin lightly. "Oh, Tony..." she breathed out in a soft, tired whisper.
Her voice seemed to be the cure, as the man instantly relaxed slightly, some of the tension leaving him. He uncurled, and his face smoothed out. As if he could sense her presence, he spoke in a sleepy mumble. "Ka-Kagome..."
Kagome's lips curled into a small smile, and she leaned over. She planted her lips on his forehead, kissing him gently. She leaned away, stepping back and gazing at him softly. With that she left, tossing only one more soft smile over her shoulder as she looked back before closing the door behind her with a muted 'click'.
-o-o-o-o-
After using DC's back alleyways to maneuver through, Kagome silently entered her hotel room with adept stealth a couple hours later, sneaking in with her bed as the only goal in her mind. Her aura was suppressed and hidden, as well as her scent and any other indicators of her existence.
It wouldn't do to let her enemies know she was still alive...
Sadly, there was a consequence she forgot to account for.
While she was able to hide her existence, there was only so much she could do. The noise she made as she opened and closed the door – the clicks of the locks, the groans of the hinges, and the muffled thuds as she stepped inside couldn't be helped.
As a result, a deep growl was her only warning before she was tackled to the floor.
She breathed sharply as the air was knocked out from her, and she froze as her attacker roughly grabbed her wrists, pinning them above her as they hovered over her. She started at the guttural snarl that flooded her ears. "Who the fuck do you think you are, intruder!"
Kagome gasped, searching for his eyes in the darkness, her own widening when she found bright red orbs glaring down at her. "Shippo!" she exclaimed wildly in a hushed whisper.
The kitsune froze at the familiar voice, so shocked his eyes flashed back to wide, emerald ones. "K-Kagome...?" he practically whimpered.
Kagome ached to reach out and grab him, hug him, but with her arms otherwise occupied she went for the next best. She nodded, speaking gently, comfortingly to him. "It's me Shippo, it's Kagome."
The tension left his body, and his grip on her wrists loosened. "Kagome... is it really you?"
She let out a breath of relief, relaxing. "Yeah..."
Shippo sucked in a sharp breath, amazed, before freezing. His eyes narrowed suddenly, his nose twitching in the pitch darkness, and before Kagome knew it the grip on her wrists tightened even more so this time, his claws pricking her skin.
Kagome squeaked as Shippo's eyes flashed a ruby red once more. "Trickster!" he hissed in her ear, mentally cursing himself for being so easily fooled by a mere voice. Furious, he slammed her wrists against the floor.
Her eyes widened even more as his you-ki flared around her. "Wait! Wait! Wait!" she rambled, struggling. "It's really me!" she exclaimed, and promptly released her aura and scent.
It was like a dam breaking, the scents and power flooding his senses. Her faint aura encased the room, and seemed to wrap around him comfortingly, familiarly, lovingly. Her scent of a stormy day and vanilla filled the room. He abruptly released Kagome's wrists and launched himself back, stunned speechless.
He took this time to really get a good look at her, taking in her fatigued appearance and burnt, mangled clothes with the help of his demonic eyes. Aside from that, she was otherwise unharmed.
Shippo's eyes clenched at the wave emotion that slammed him, "Thank Kami," he breathed out before jumping up and promptly pulling her up into a tight bear hug. "I-I thought I lost you..." he choked out.
Kagome closed her eyes, patting her adoptive son's back soothingly. "You didn't... I'm here..."
The sound of a door closing interrupted their moment, and the lights flicked on. A stricken whisper floated in the air.
"...Kagome?"
The pair turned to see a harried Inuyasha, face drained of any color, golden eyes bugging out, looking like a complete mess with his hair tossed about as he must have raced there to investigate.
Kagome gave a watery smile and Shippo sniffled just a little, faint moisture marking the corners of his eyes. "She's back Inuyasha... she's really back..." the kitsune said thickly.
Maybe it was the trick of the lights, but it seemed as if Inuyasha's own eyes were a little glossier than normal...
Kagome silently extended an arm out, and without another word or provocation, Inuyasha bounded forward to join the hug.
Tuesday: 0600
'buuzzzz' 'buuzzzz' 'buuzzzz'
A tanned, muscular arm shot out and slammed the alarm clock, effectively shutting it off. Tony let out a miserable groan as he stretched in his bed. His eyes fluttered open, only for him to squint as the dawns morning light slipped through cracks of his blinds and filled the room.
Tony blinked though, a strange feeling filling him. Sitting up, he yawned and just sat there for a minute, waiting as the grogginess left him. His light brown eyebrows furrowed as he realized something... He felt more content than he did this whole week.
But he shrugged it off soon enough, chalking it up to the fact that he must have had a better nights sleep this time.
Stretching once more, the Italian man dragged himself out of bed, swinging his legs over the edge. Slowly, he rose. Rubbing his eyes, he made his away over to the closet, halfheartedly picking and matching the clothes he would wear to work for the day. Tossing them on his bed, he head over to the bathroom to take care of business as well as shower.
Twenty minutes later and he was out. He dressed slowly, feeling no need to rush. Once done he made his way to his nightstand, strapping on his gun and slipping his wallet, badge, cell phone, and keys into his pockets.
Tony reached out to grab one more thing on his nightstand before heading out, but froze as his fingertips brushed against bare wood.
He looked up at his nightstand to see it bare save for his lamp and clock. Tony's eyes narrowed as he stepped back to look on the floor, but what he was looking for wasn't there.
Now his eyes widened, growing frantic. "Where the hell is it," he muttered under his breath as he began grabbing things and tossing them out of his way.
Tony worked his way from around his nightstand out, tossing everything around, looking under the nightstand, his bed, and even his drawers when it came to it, basically tearing up the room.
He looked in the pants he wore the night before only to find them empty save for some receipts, a few empty gum wrappers, and a couple of dollars.
By now fifteen minutes passed and his search went on to no avail.
The jewel was nowhere to be found.
Casting a stray glance to the clock, Tony cursed loudly at the time. He was going to be late if he didn't leave soon.
He shifted from foot to foot, fidgeting as he debated whether to leave or not. As the clock continued to tick on, he cursed once more and made his decision.
Reluctantly he strode out of the room, grabbing socks and his shoes on the way out, casting only one more glance behind him before closing the door.
He was the only one the Jewel would let touch it, so it should be safe in his room, wherever it was.
At least, he hoped it would be...
NCIS HQ
Tuesday: 1300
At NCIS Headquarters, an elevator parted open with a small 'ding' to reveal a petite, lean adult woman in her late twenties, looking fatigued but yet, refreshed. The wonders a nice, relaxing bath and a few hours nap did for a person.
So much like her first day, it was nostalgic... she was even dressed similarly, going casual with a tank, jacket, cargo pants, and work boots. Her tattoo was clearly visible at the base of where the curve of her neck and shoulder met.
The woman stepped out into the squad room, her sapphire eyes lighting up wonderfully when her gaze came across the four wonderful people she'd come to know over the past couple of months. A mischievous smile spread across her face as she strode towards them.
Those that recognized her stopped and stared, gaping somewhat as she passed by offering them only a smile. Silence began encasing the room, save for the three before her.
As she approached she heard a dry, almost harsh scoff followed by an accented female voice. It was irritated and filled with exasperation.
"Look Tony, at least I am trying," she snapped, glaring at him. "I do not see you contributing any theories. Instead, you are sulking like a child whose favorite toy was confiscated," Ziva retorted, gesturing wildly.
Tony snorted, rolling his eyes. "You would get that right, wouldn't you?" he muttered under his breath.
Ziva's eyes narrowed on the dot, voice teetering on dangerous thinking he just insulted her. "What did you say?"
Tony just made a face at her and scowled.
Kagome ducked her head to hide the amused grin fighting to show itself as she leaned against the wall next to the windows, her arms crossed under her chest. She couldn't help the soft snickers though.
Tony caught the movement from the corner of his eyes, the light snickers catching his attention even more so, and he looked over. Just like their first day, Tony's mouth opened in a slight 'o' as the eyes locked on each others, blue vs. blue-green.
Kagome's head tilted to the side and she offered him a gentle smile in hello.
Tony froze, eyes widening. Then suddenly he slapped a hand across his face, making a show as he threw himself back into his chair and slumped down with a loud groan.
"Holy shit... now I'm seeing things. I'm gonna be shipped off to the loony bin..." he moaned pitifully.
His teammates stilled at his outburst, and slowly turned to face him once his words finally registered. They looked at him, incredulous and confused.
Ziva eyed him warily. "Tony, what are you talkingabout..?" she asked slowly.
Tony let out a bitter scoff. Seriously thinking he really was seeing things, he just waved over to the windows, "I'm hallucinating Kagome standing by the window, like on her first day..." he said bitterly, not even caring what they would think. "This is just getting fucking ridiculous..." he spat, fists clenching tightly.
Silence only greeted his statement.
As the team followed his gesture they froze, eyes so wide, faces so pale, it looked as if they saw a ghost...
And for once, the expression rang true.
Kagome's lips curled up into an impish grin at their expressions.
Tony just shook his head, jaws clenching tightly.
It was ten seconds later when McGee broke the silence. "Uh... Tony...?" he breathed out in disbelief. "I – I don't think you're going crazy..." he stammered out, not taking his eyes off the miko.
'Bang!'
Tony's hands slammed onto his desk, startling them all save Gibbs. Tony rounded on McGee, brimming with anger. "What the hell are you talking about McGee?" he exclaimed wildly.
"He means," came a quiet, soothing, and hauntingly familiar voice. Tony froze, his face instantly draining of any color.
Was he hearing things, too...?
Slowly, Tony turned towards the voice, and all breath was stripped from his lungs as his jaw dropped. "Oh God..." he breathed out, stricken.
Kagome smiled softly at him, waving, "No, not really actually," she remarked offhandedly. "But thanks for the compliment," she teased, before continuing. "I believe Timmy means that it isn't possible for you all to hallucinate the same thing. Ergo, you're not going crazy," she told him gently.
McGee nodded, dumbfounded. "Yeah..."
Tony just stared at her dumbly. "K-Kagome?" he whispered, disbelief coating his tone. "I-is that really you?" His voice mimicked a plea, for her to say yes.
Kagome nodded, murmuring, "Yeah, it is..." Stepping closer, she made a point to look them all in the eye. "It really is..." she assured them.
'Screech'
Tony shoved his chair back roughly and jumped up, scrambling around his desk to make his way over.
He stopped a mere five inches from her person, his hand stretched out as if to touch her, but hesitant, as if he wasn't sure she was really there.
Kagome smiled sadly at him, and closed the distance he was too afraid to cross. She wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly. "Oh, Tony... I'm so sorry," she apologized deeply. Water began building up in her eyes, and she clenched them tightly.
The solidity of her had realization hitting him like a ton of bricks. "K-Kagome," he choked out, and returned the embrace with ten times the strength. He held her tightly, close, like a lifeline. "I-I thought you were dead," he mumbled out, stammering. "H-how-?"
Kagome smiled gently, rubbing his back comfortingly. She ignored his question, instead saying, "Thank you, for taking care of me..."
Tony blinked, thoroughly confused. He loosened his hold and leaned back to stare down at her, puzzled. "What?"
But she just smiled, a hint of coyness evident as she peered up at him. "I don't think I could've been kept in better hands..."
Tony jerked in shock. "That jewel," he breathed out in wonder as it started to fall into place. "That's why it - it felt like you..." He let out a sharp breath, "That's why I couldn't find it this morning!"
Tony looked down at her, casting an accusing look. "Why didn't you come earlier!"
Kagome's smile turned sheepish. "I had things to take care of first. And you needed your sleep, anyone could tell that by looking at you," '
'As well as I...' she added silently. The few hours she took to rest managed to take the edge off her fatigue, but it was still there. Sadly, there was still things that needed to be done, this at the top her list.
As Tony scowled down at her, obviously not agreeing with her that his sleep was more important than knowing she was alive, Kagome's eyes narrowed then. Reaching out to cup his cheek, brushing a thumb against the dark stubble on his face, she spoke before he could get a word out. "And a shave." Her tone was blunt.
Her eyes turned dangerous at his faint gaunt-like features and the pale pallor of his skin. "And a good meal. It looks like you're one step from passing out in exhaustion and starvation," she remarked sharply.
Tony twitched, staring at her dryly. "Yeah, well, it's been a trying week," he drawled out sarcastically.
Kagome sighed, glancing away guiltily. "I know, and for that I'm sorry." Then, like a switch was flicked, she rounded on him hotly. "But it doesn't give you permission to go off the deep end! I warned you of the possibility of this happening to someone," she reminded him, eyes blazing as she scolded him.
Tony growled, incredulous and frustrated that she was actually berating him. "But not to you!" he shot back.
Kagome's eyes fluttered closed, and she shook her head slowly. "Especially me..." she murmured somberly, and when she open her eyes back, Tony was taken aback by the haunted look in her eyes. "I was lucky this time, Tony. Really lucky..." she said seriously, voice severe.
Tony remained silent, listening.
"But," Kagome relented, dipping her head. "I am sorry I worried you so much," she said deeply.
The man sighed, relaxing. "You're alive," he murmured, reaching over to push back a strand of hair, tucking it behind her ears. "That's all that matters..." he said, trailing off.
Kagome was acutely aware of him coming closer, his head lowering. Instinctively, she tilted her head up and moved closer as well, as if some unseen force was pulling them closer.
"What happened? How did you survive?" he asked softly, and the husky, breathy tenor in his voice sent shivers up her spine.
Kagome opened her mouth to answer, somewhat dazed. "I-"
"Tony." Gibbs' sharp voice interrupted them, freezing them all from the scene before them that mimicked once off a soap opera.
Wide-eyed, Tony stumbled back, releasing Kagome as he turned to face the older man. "Yeah boss?"
"Go to this address. See what you can find," he ordered him, handing him a small slip of paper.
Tony blinked, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "Uh, what?" he said blankly, the older male's words not yet quite registering.
Gibbs only raised an eyebrow, eyes a steely ice blue.
Tony's eyes widened when it clicked. "B-but Boss-!" he shot a incredulous glance towards Kagome, who was watching Gibbs with an intense expression. She had just came back from the dead, and the man wants him to go check out an address?
Now Gibbs' eyes narrowed sharply. "No 'buts', Tony. Now - it's an order." His tone dared Tony to challenge his word.
As Tony still continued to stare blatantly, Gibbs turned to Ziva. "Go with him."
She hesitated at first, but relented at how serious his glare was. "Got it."
Finally, Kagome sighed turned to Tony. "Tony, just go. We'll talk later," she assured him, and when he looked like he was about to argue, she waved him off urgently. "Go."
His jaw clenched, but he reluctantly nodded. Moving, he went over to his desk to grab his gear and began to follow Ziva who was already ready to leave. "You better be here when I get back," he said under his breath, voice a mix of demanding and hope.
Kagome nodded shortly.
He eyed her, unsure, but nodded back as well, turning to Ziva. "Let's go," he muttered crossly before going over to he elevators.
Ziva nodded curtly, and stepped away from her desk, already having grabbed her gear. As she reached Kagome, she stopped, and in an uncharacteristic Ziva move, she darted over and gave her friend a firm hug.
Kagome blinked, surprised, but returned it with as much fervor and smiled gently. "Ziva..." she murmured.
Ziva leaned back and released Kagome abruptly, staring at her almost awkwardly. "I am glad you are back safe, in one piece, friend," she said suddenly, softly, her voice shaking to a point it was almost imperceptible. Her cocoa eyes showed how much torment she felt over her 'death'. It was she that brought Kagome to DC in the first place...
Kagome sent her a reassuring smile, a cocky lilt to her voice. "And leave this unfinished, with you guys left to do it alone? Not a chance," she murmured wryly.
A hint of a smile crossed Ziva's face, and with that she turned on her heel to go to the elevator.
Gibbs turned to McGee. "Go to Abs, give her an update and see if she has anything yet,"
Not even bothering to pause, McGee nodded readily and stood. "Got it Boss," he mumbled. The only time he paused was right at the end of the bull pen, and only to give a meaningful nod to the miko, giving her a serious look. "It's good to see you again, Kagome. Alive."
Kagome smiled softly at him, nodding. "Good to be alive too, Tim," she murmured wryly, winking.
Tim smiled, before nodding hurriedly and making his way to the other elevator at Gibbs' sharp stare.
Once the team disappeared behind the elevator doors, Kagome turned to stare at Gibbs and raised an eyebrow, staring at him curiously.
The man merely remained silent, mimicking her with a cocked eyebrow of his own. Kagome's eyebrows furrowed thoughtfully but she relaxed, letting it go. For now.
Instead, her lips curled softly into a slight smile. "Good too see you too, Gibbs," she said softly, stepping forward. "I apologize for the scare, and the trouble it caused," she told him sincerely.
Gibbs regarded her, eyeing her analytically for a moment, before he nodded. "Don't apologize – sign of weakness," he told her gruffly, but there was a hint of fondness that softened the edge, indicating that he was affected by her apparent 'death' just as the others were.
Kagome stared at him blankly, almost incredulously, before laughing as she nodded as well. It was just like Gibbs to say that. "A little weakness isn't always a bad thing, is it?" she remarked wisely, and offered a little shrug.
Gibbs lips twitched. The look in his gaze said he didn't disagree completely.
Shaking her head, Kagome took a step back, glancing at the elevator. "If you don't need anything from me, I should probably get back..." she said suggestively.
Gibbs just shook his head negatively, "Go ahead," he murmured as he turned back to his desk.
Kagome smiled, and sent him a nod of farewell.
As she was walking away, Gibbs looked up to watch her leave, a thoughtful expression on his aged face. His eyes narrowed, and he caved in. "Kagome, wait," he called out gruffly, leaving his desk.
Kagome turned just as the elevator doors opened for her. Sticking a foot in to block it in case it closed, she waited. "Yes?"
Gibbs strode up silently, and paused, looking down at her.
Kagome looked up, looking him straight in the eye, and waited patiently.
Finally, Gibbs moved, reaching out to grab her shoulder. "It's good to have you back here, with us," he told her gruffly, and offered an affectionate squeeze before letting go.
What could he say? The girl grew on him over the weeks.
Kagome brightly smiled back at him. "Awh, thanks Gibbs. I didn't know you cared so much," she said teasingly.
Gibbs chuckled under his breath, shaking his head, and then straightened. "I'll be seein' you later, right? We need you to explain a few things," he said wryly, an eyebrow raised.
Kagome rubbed her neck sheepishly. "Yeah, why not? I just gotta do a few things, but I oughta be done within the hour..."
Gibbs nodded, pleased. "Tony and Ziva should be back by then too," he remarked thoughtfully.
The miko's head tilted in thought. "Mind meeting up at my place?" she requested suggestively, eyeing the area meaningfully.
NCIS HQ wasn't exactly the most secure place to go about spilling secrets and what not...
Smirking wryly, Gibbs merely nodded before stepping back as Kagome boarded the elevator with a wave of farewell.
Kagome was sitting in the living room area of the hotel room, surrounded by Shippo and Inuyasha.
When she came back that morning, they had briefed each other on their respective stories. Now all they had to do was figure what they needed to do next.
But, first things first...
Kagome pinned the boys with a look. "Did any of you tell Sesshomaru?"
At the question they froze, eyes widening. Inuyasha cursed under his breath.
Shippo groaned, face-palming. "No we didn't... with everything happening, we kinda..." he trailed off, moaning.
Kagome's lips twitched despite the situation. "Forgot?" she supplied, thoroughly amused.
Inuyasha growled at her. "Yea, laugh it up. It ain't your ass he'll be kickin' when he finds out,"
Kagome rolled her eyes. "Why does he have to find out?" she retorted wryly. "No, this is good. If he doesn't know, then he won't have any reason to come out here and yell at us in person. I'll just call him up later, let him know everything's okay,"
Relief was pretty much plastered across the males' faces.
Kagome shook her head. "Moving on," she continued, "We gotta figure out our plan now. They don't know I'm alive yet, so we'll use it to our advantage. But first we need some information..." she trailed off thoughtfully.
"We still haven't investigated that one guy, our mole," Inuyasha offered.
Kagome blinked, sending him a weird look. "Why not?"
Inuyasha matched it with a dry one of his own as Shippo turned slowly to look at her. "You died." The hanyou's voice was as blunt as it ever could be.
Shippo snorted.
Kagome straightened, clearing her throat sheepishly. "Right..." she said, scratching the back of her neck. "Okay then, interrogation time."
"There's also Raito to deal with," Shippo added, and bit his lip. "Well, whenever he wakes up..."
Inuyasha shot him an accusatory look, as if to say 'And whose fault is that?'.
Kagome elbowed him, and spoke, ignoring his glare. "Yeah, we'll figure out a way to deal with that. What about Rei? Were there any leads where he might have gone?"
Shippo scratched the back of his head nervously. "I didn't really bother to look..." he admitted guiltily.
But Kagome waved it off. "We'll check it out later then. After all this, I'll check out that other warehouse."
The miko didn't notice the way the two men stiffened.
When silence followed her statement, she looked up at them, oblivious. She blinked at their death glares. "What?"
Inuyasha snorted. "There ain't no fuckin' way you're goin' to another stupid warehouse," he told her sharply, tone leaving no room for argument.
Kagome drew herself up, about to argue.
Shippo spoke before she could get a word in. "What if it's another trap?" he pointed out angrily, though his eyes shone with worry for her.
Kagome stopped for a moment, thinking. When she began speaking, her voice was final. "I'm going to that warehouse – that stupid tiger might be there and I want his head on a silver freaking platter," As the two demon's expressions grew thunderous, Kagome held up a hand to stop them from arguing. "I just won't go in alone."
The two stopped short, thinking. It seemed they were at least considering it by the way the tension began melting off of them.
Sharing a look, the two males decided. "Fine," Inuyasha bit out, reluctant.
"But it has to be one of us," Shippo emphasized, knowing how Kagome went about things. "And," he added just as Kagome went to speak, "We're not doing anything, even the interrogations, until after your fully rested and recuperated," he warned her, eyes pinning her with an irrefutable stare.
Kagome rolled her eyes at the two demons worrying over her, "Of course," she assured them, "But it'll probably be a week until I'm back to a hundred percent. The warehouse can wait that long, the interrogations can't," she said, absolution in her tone. She was not taking a whole week off when there was so much to be done.
The two males relaxed at that though...
As long as she wouldn't try for the warehouse until after she fully recovered was what mattered the most. Inuyasha nodded shortly. "Alright," he agreed and Shippo nodded.
Kagome smiled, a little smugly if you looked closely, before she got serious again. "But the NCIS team – they're going too, to the warehouse," she added determinedly.
...Only to go rigid once more.
"Oh hell no!" Inuyasha practically roared at her.
Kagome merely raised an eyebrow.
Shippo sent her a pleading look. "C'mon Kagome, that's just putting them in unnecessary danger," he tried persuading her.
But Kagome shook her head stubbornly. "They're already involved Shippo. Why else would they kill marines and navy men, and drop a meat puzzle on their front door?"
Inuyasha scoffed. "That stunt at NCIS was directed at you Kags, when they found out you were here," he shot back.
Shippo became pensive, casting an uncertain look at their hanyou friend. "She has a point though..." he admitted reluctantly. "We still haven't figured out why they specifically targeted their people."
With the way Inuyasha relented, he didn't disagree completely.
Kagome nodded. "There's still so much we need to figure out. And it's better for them to be by us, where they're better protected, then off on their own."
Inuyasha snorted under his breath, cocking a silver eyebrow. "And here I thought you kept 'em close 'cause you made friends," he drawled sarcastically.
Kagome pinned him a sharp look. "That's exactly why I want them close to us. I don't like my friends dying."
Inuyasha just huffed, but backed down nonetheless.
Kagome shook her head, looking away. "Besides, someone's keeping tabs on them... or Tony, at least."
Their heads snapped towards her, eyes narrowing. "What do you mean?" Inuyasha demanded impatiently.
Kagome looked up at them, pensive. "I mean, when I left Tony's apartment last night, I could sense something demonic circling around his building..." she told them quietly.
Shippo inhaled sharply. "Are you sure?"
Kagome nodded, eyes dark. "I waited half an hour before leaving. It just kept on circling and circling. Sometimes it would venture away and closer to his building, but it always went back to its usual routine."
"They're monitoring him..." Inuyasha breathed out.
Kagome nodded, looking at them. "That's what I thought. I had enough energy left to put up an invisible barrier around his building nonetheless before sneaking past them, until I have enough to strengthen it. It's weak, but if they passe, we'll know it. I figured since he was with me when we questioned Rei, that's why."
Kagome glanced over at Shippo, who had stiffened. "But now that you told me you took Ziva with you last week, it's probably the same deal for her." Shippo slumped in his spot on the couch.
"Ah, crap..." Shippo groaned – he didn't even bother to look around Rei's or Raito's for any signs that they were being monitored or watched.
Kagome nodded, and sighed. "Hell, all of them could be monitored for all we know. We need to watch them somehow too make sure that's all that's happening."
Inuyasha nodded slowly. "I doubt anything will happen to them durin' the day, as long as they ain't investigating too deep and stay in public... I can assign some of our people to go on watch for 'em at night."
Kagome nodded, grateful. "That's about all we can do without anyone getting suspicious."
Shippo furrowed his eyebrows. "You gonna tell them?"
Her lips thinned at the question. "I'm haven't decided yet, I don't want to cause unnecessary worry. Besides, we only know so far that they're monitoring Tony. I'll wait until we find out about everyone else..."
-o-o-o-o-
The trio talked more until an hour had almost passed since she first left the NCIS HQ. Figuring it was best for her to explain by herself, seeing as the boys didn't need to hear the story twice, she sent them off on errands and preparations.
The first one to come knocking was a certain forensic scientist and her usual partner in crime.
Kagome didn't know what hit her at first the moment she opened the door the slightest bit.
The miko stumbled back as the door was pushed in with a surprisingly large force. Sapphire eyes widened when a black blur tackled her in a bear hug.
A fierce whisper flooded her ears. "Oh thank goodness!" Abby breathed out, tears building at the corner of her eyes. "W-when Timmy told me I couldn't believe it – I had to see for myself!" she gasped out with a frantic mix of relief and fear, hugging Kagome tightly as McGee let himself in before softly closing the door behind him.
Recognizing her 'assailant' Kagome relaxed and her eyes softened. She returned the hug with just as much vigor, patting the Goth's back comfortingly when she thought she heard a few sniffles.
As they stayed like that for a moment, Kagome's eyes flickered to McGee's shining green eyes, happy that Abby was happy and no longer grieving. The pair shared a soft smile.
Kagome's eyes widened once more as Abby abruptly broke the hug as she grasped Kagome's shoulders with a firm grip and held her back as she fixed the miko with a stern, albeit harried, gaze. "Don't you ever scare me like that again!" she scolded.
Kagome would have laughed a little, amused at the comical scene they were sure to make, but decided against it considering the situation. "I can't really promise you, considering the line of business I'm in..." she tried breaking to her gently.
Abby pouted, forehead wrinkled. Hurt shone lightly in her brilliant apple green eyes at the thought of Kagome getting hurt again.
Kagome shifted nervously. "But, I can promise you to try my best...I guess..." she relented.
All negative emotions fled from her face as Abby grinned. "Good!" Then she realized something as she eyed Kagome with a scrutinizing gaze. "You're really not hurt, or anything?" she asked, concern creeping into her tone.
Kagome shook her head, smiling. "Yep, good as ever!" she told her. "If not tired as hell," she chuckled, just as a yawn hit her and Abby nodded in understanding.
With Abby rest assured, they three moved into the living room to wait and talk until the rest of the team arrived.
Gibbs was the next to come, greeting Kagome with a gruff "They'll be here in five," before he make headway to the kitchen, intent on a cup of coffee.
Lord knows he'd need it to get through her story...
Kagome merely sweatdropped, but called out to him. "Mind pouring me one?" she asked, and she took his grunt as a yes - it was her coffee anyways... "Just black straight up." she added after a moment. Usually she added cream and sugar, but strong was what she needed right now.
True to Gibbs' word, the last two came knocking no later than five minutes.
With everyone situated on the couches, practically on the edge of their seat from anticipation, especially Tony, Kagome wasted no time in diving into the her story after a long sip of coffee.
"Well, I'm sure Tony already filled you in on what happened that night, right?" she began, peering at them.
With their nods, she went on. "Well, it was a trap, obviously. I opened the door to the next room, and realized too late there was a kind of clear trip wire behind the door that if you opened it too wide, it triggered," she explained.
Silence filled the room, Tony remembering the night, the explosion: the deafening sound, the rocking vibrations, the scorching heat of the fire, the despair, denial, and desperation he felt as he ran in, in search of her.
The rest of them remembered different scenarios. The phone call, the anxiety, getting to the warehouse. The news that hit them all like a semi-truck, all but knocking them off their feet.
And no one could forget the dark week that followed.
Gibbs finally broke the silence. "So what happened to you? How did you manage to survive?" he said quietly.
Kagome peered over at Tony. "Do you remember that jewel?"
The man nodded, eyebrows furrowing at the random question.
Kagome looked away, peering out the window nearby. "Obviously, the little bauble is anything but that. It's powerful, and dangerous as well."
Kagome sighed, and looked back at them through hooded eyes. "Long story short, it's a part of me, and has extremely strong powers. It got a little fuzzy when the bomb went off, but I know I didn't escape damage – I did get really hurt. My own abilities didn't have enough time to kick in. So, thinking that I was about to die, the jewel took me in, to let me heal."
"But," Ziva interjected, confused. "What about the body?"
Kagome blinked over at her, equally puzzled. "Huh? Body? What body?"
Tony answered this time, his voice stricken, "The body I found when I... I thought it was you," he said thickly.
Kagome gazed at him remorsefully. "I don't know what to say, really. I don't remember seeing anything, but then again, I didn't really look in the other room so it could have blown in from there?" she theorized uncertainly.
Once more silence ensued as the room's occupants were struck dumb.
"So, basically," Abby began tentatively. "This past week you've been recuperating?" she asked, slowly grasping it.
Kagome nodded. "Basically," she answered with a shrug.
Tony, as did the rest of them, had a weird look on his face. "How does that even work? The thing has a mind of its own? And where is it?" he asked, completely lost.
Kagome bit her lip from smiling. "Actually it does. It's a..." she trailed off, grimacing. "Well, it's a really complicated – and long – story..." she told him. "Like I said, it's very powerful and has abilities of its own."
Then her head tilted. "It's kinda like limbo there – like time stopped, and with that, so did everything else. My wounds stopped bleeding and worsening, and in short terms, I stopped dying. So I was able to take time to slowly heal myself." Then she patted her hip. "As for where it went, well, it's literally a part of me," she said, smiling wryly now.
Tony blinked and opened his mouth to ask another question, but Ziva cut him off with an exasperated groan. "What she is trying to say is that jewel has very strong powers. When it felt its guardian's life was threatened, it pulled her in for protection and to let her heal. Once finished, she was released."
Tony's mouth shut with a 'click' and he swung a hard glare her way. Ziva just brushed it off, unfazed.
"Yes, exactly," Kagome went on before an argument started, rubbing her forehead tiredly.
While she was free from any injuries, it took a lot out of her to reach that point. Her energy was really low, and technically she hadn't slept for a week, and now it was really hitting her. The coffee barely made a difference. "Anyways, that's how it happened. I really regret worrying you guys so much,"
McGee gave her a boyish smile. "Just be more careful next time, alright? And no more sneaking into abandoned warehouses by yourself."
Kagome laughed lightly. "I'll try my best," she said, not really promising anything. "I was talking with Shippo and Inuyasha – we should really go to base, find out some information out from Raito, that mole, and not to mention that one demon," she said before yawning suddenly.
Seeing how tired she looked, Gibbs nodded and stood. "Not today though," he muttered, gesturing the rest of them to follow suit. "Take the rest of the day to rest up. You look dead on your feet and you're no use to us like that. We'll pick up in a couple of days."
Kagome wasn't going to fight him on it. Nodding, she yawned again. "Right, it's really just hitting me now. I'll just go take a nap for now. I still have to organize some things later..."
The team left then, leaving her to herself. But as they did, Tony, who was the last one to walk out the door, looked over his shoulder to shoot her a meaningful look that said 'we need to talk later'.
Kagome nodded , catching on.
They would talk later, but first things first – she really needed that nap...
It took her less than a minute to find some pajama shorts and a baggy shirt to wear before climbing into bed and passing out.
-o-o-o-o-
'brrriiiiiiing' 'brrriiiiiiing' 'brrriiiiiiing'
Kagome rolled over, letting out a loud groan. The insistent ringing wouldn't stop, and the woman opened bleary eyes to glare at the source of the noise.
It took her a while though to figure what it was.
Kagome blinked confusingly in front of her at first, before she realized it was actually the hotel's phone.
Her eyes narrowed, irritated. 'Who the hell is calling me through the hotel line...?'
Letting out another groan, she reached out to snatch up the receiver, if only to shut it up. All she said through it was a groggy, mumbled "'Ello?"
There was a pause, and Kagome was about to hang up before a hesitant voice spoke up. "Kagome?"
Said person blinked. "Er, yeah?"
A somewhat relieved sigh filled her ears. "Oh good. It's Tony,"
Kagome blinked and she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. What was he...
Her eyes widened as realization dawned in her tired eyes. That's right, her phone didn't make the blast...
Shaking her head, Kagome answered after her momentary pause. "Oh, hey Tony. What's up?" she mumbled, curling in her sheets and snuggling into her pillow.
A soft chuckled filled her ears, before there was another hesitant pause. "Were you sleeping?" he asked suddenly.
It made Kagome blink. "Oh, yeah..." she murmured.
Tony made a soft noise Kagome couldn't quite decipher, "Oh, crap, I'm sorry Kagome! I didn't know you were still sleeping!" he apologized, sounding genuinely sorry.
Glancing at the clock nearby, she saw it was a little after eight and Kagome made a murmur of disagreement, "No, I'm glad you did. I wanted to wake up sooner, so I'm glad you called," she told him. "By the way, did you need something?" she asked, wondering why he called in the fist place.
"Oh, I was wondering if you wanted some company?"
Kagome's eyebrows furrowed, thinking with her still sleep muddled mind, and when she didn't answer right away Tony stammered. "I mean to talk – about the case. Help figure out what to do next, since you have to do it anyways."
Kagome couldn't help but smile at his flustered voice. "Alright, that sounds nice... sorry I'm still half asleep right now, so I'm a little slow..." she murmured.
Tony snorted, and quick to bounce back to his normal self as always, his teasing voice sounded. "Really? I didn't notice..."
She rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "Very cute. So I'll see you soon then?"
"Yeah, I'm almost to your door now."
Kagome froze, confused, and somewhat incredulous. "What? You're already here? What if I said no? What if I never answered?"
Tony laughed. "You didn't."
Kagome silently cursed, muttering a "I hate you," to the man before promptly hanging up on him, twitching at the laugh she heard just before doing so.
Rolling out of bed, she looked down at herself, and her lips twitched. Pajama shorts and a baggy shirt wasn't exactly cute, but it couldn't be helped.
Walking to the bathroom, she freshened up, splashing her face with water. As she was patting it dry, a knock sounded in the other room. She mumbled, "Coming," which was way too soft for anyone to hear as she padded back through her room.
Running her fingers through her hair to fix it, she opened the door to reveal a grinning Tony, whose grin only widened at the sight of a disheveled Kagome. His eyes roamed her form, taking the shirt that was three times her size and almost covered the plaid shorts she adorned, her sleepy face, and her messy hair.
While she might not think so, Tony thought she made an adorable sight.
As he let out a low chuckle Kagome rolled her eyes before her nose started twitching, smelling something. Looking, she noticed that his hands were behind his back.
Silently, she raised an eyebrow, provoking another chuckle. Tony grinned even wider, "I come bearing gifts." Stepping back, he presented a box of none other than pizza.
Kagome laughed, shaking her head. "Smells delicious," she commented as she stepped back to let him in.
He grinned again as he came in, and they walked over to the couch, "Tastes delicious too, trust me," he replied cheekily, setting it down.
Just then, Kagome's stomach grumbled and she ducked her head, blushing. Coughing sheepishly, she mumbled. "Good thing I'm hungry..."
Tony laughed. "Can't work on a empty stomach," he told her, winking.
He opened the box, revealing a regular, greasy as ever, cheese pizza. "Ladies first," he said smoothly.
Kagome smiled wryly, "Such a gentleman," she murmured, going in to take a slice. She sat back onto the couch, settling in at the corner with her legs crisscrossed as Tony took a slice for himself.
He leaned back, watching as Kagome took a bite and as her eyes fluttered in bliss, before taking a bite himself. "I was right, wasn't I?" he mumbled as he chewed.
Kagome snorted at him, but nodded. After swallowing, she spoke. "It is, thank you."
Tony just shrugged it off and they continued to eat in silence. After the first couple of slices, Tony spoke. "So, what's first on the agenda?"
Kagome paused, holding her slice away from her as she thought. "Well, I need to call my boss for sure, make up an excuse that everything's okay,"
Tony's eyebrows furrowed. "How would he know anyways?"
Kagome pursed her lips, "Honesty, I haven't the slightest clue!" she exclaimed. "He just always knows when something's up - he's an extremely powerful demon, one of the strongest and oldest around, so that might have something to do with it." Her eyes narrowed in though, "Besides, he has bases everywhere, monitoring things, so someone probably reported to him."
Tony nodded, understanding, before his head tilted curiously. "I remember Inuyasha saying he couldn't feel you through the link you guys shared, after you disappeared in the jewel. You don't have one with your boss?"
Kagome stopped short, staring at him blankly. "Our link?" she said dumbly. "We don't have a link..."
Tony blinked, and shrugged. "Oh, well that's what I remember Inuyasha saying, I think... maybe I was wrong..."
Kagome sat there in thought, before shaking her head. "Hmm, I'll ask him about it later, I guess..." she muttered and took another bite of her slice. "Anyways, we have a busy day Thursday..."
Tony peered over at her. "I thought we just had the interrogations,"
Kagome nodded. "We do, but last week, when we were questioning the contacts?" Tony nodded for her to continue. "Well, there's another warehouse apparently, from what Shippo and Ziva found out about."
Tony just let out a interested murmur as he chewed his food and Kagome went on.
"I need to go there soon, find out what they're doing. Maybe we can get something out of Raito, and then start preparing since we have a week or so,"
At that, Tony froze.
"There's a good chance they still think I'm dead, so they probably didn't move." Kagome bit her lip in thought, oblivious to the ticking time bomb next to her.
Slowly, Tony turned to her, face darkly growing incredulous. "You're kidding me, right?" he asked, thinking there was no way she was serious.
Not after what happened. Not after everything everyone went through...
She shot him a weird look in response. "Of course I'm not kidding you. We need to finish this Tony." A scowl crossed her face. "And I'm gonna kill that damn tiger demon for trying to blow me up..." she muttered crossly.
Tony's face however, grew murderous. "You just came back from recovering your last trip to a warehouse, and you want to waltz right into another one?" he exclaimed, furious. "What if that's a trap too?"
Kagome just shrugged though, already have gone through the same argument with Shippo and Inuyasha, "I'll be more careful this time. I can't just not check it out," she tried to reason with him. "I won't be alone either, Shippo and Inuyasha are coming too."
The man just stared at her, now astonished.
When it was obvious he wouldn't understand, she shook her head and rose, placing her half-eaten slice in the box. "I'm gonna grab something to drink - want anything?" she asked him, making her way to the kitchen.
Her indifference made Tony snap.
Jumping up, he roughly grabbed Kagome, leaning in quickly so that their noses were touching. "This is your life we're talking about Kagome! Not something to be so flippant about!" he gritted out, glaring at her.
But Kagome rolled her eyes at him. "You're just like Inuyasha and Shippo," she muttered under her breath. "Worrying too much..."
His grip on her shoulders tightened heavily, so much to the point where he was unconsciously shaking her a bit. "This is not a game Kagome!" he shouted deeply, his eyes wide as he stared at her crazily.
Kagome met his gaze confidently, her eyes churning with emotion. She spoke softly, so soft that somewhere in the back of his mind he was amazed that he could catch it. "Whoever said it was, Tony…?" her tone, it seemed so tired, so sad… "There's a sick fuck out there killing people, and we need to stop it. What else am I supposed to do?" she asked him pleadingly, to give her another way.
Tony breathed in and out deeply, his chest heaving harshly. His breath - his sweet, cinnamon breath blew in her face and Kagome inhaled deeply, taking solace.
Tony's blue eyes dropped to her inviting lips. He wanted to accept, to do the deed he'd been wanting to - aching to do for so damn long.
Will he…?
His eyes flickered up to meet the sapphire blue orbs that belonged to the woman he had just realized he'd fallen for… when, he didn't exactly know…
Nor did he exactly care either…
They bored into him with such emotion…
He couldn't help it; he was completely rendered useless, hypnotized by the intensity of emotion churning in her eyes.
He leaned in, and watched with intense observation as her pupils contracted and took pleasure in the way her eyes slowly fluttered closed.
Their lips connected in a searing passionate kiss, filled with raw unheeded emotion that had built up during their time together, all those months dancing around, toeing the line but never crossing it. Their lips were roughly pressed together as his hands trailed over her body, one slinking around her waist as the other ran along her jaw to cup along the back of her neck. He felt a spark run down his spine as he felt her hands graze across his shoulders, arms looping along his neck as her fingers ran through his hair.
There's no way he'd let a chance like this slip away.
He put in all that he felt when he saw, felt the explosion; the shock and surprise, the foreboding despair…
The emotions that flooded him like a tsunami when he couldn't find her… her body… and came to the horrifying conclusion that she was… that she was…; the loss that rushed at him, the anguish…
And then, the overpowering feelings he felt as reality sunk in… the urge that bubbled up in him to find her killer and conduct the most slow, painful, excruciating way to end. Their. Life; the anger, the fury…
…He put everything and anything into it...
It was amazing how you can convert thoughts into a simple thing such as a kiss.
Then again, this wasn't just any simple kiss…
Words- 8,846
I'll be honest - I loved this chapter. It's one of my favorites so far.
So you all those cliffies I left you at, and those 'almost kisses'? Hopefully this makes up for it hahahh.
Though, they're not outta the woods and in a relationship just yet - no, that'll be too easy for them lol. And I'll leave it at that ;) Hehe.
Anyways, you have to tell me what you think? I had that kiss scene in my back pocket from the beginning, and I've just been waiting for the opportune moment to pull it out. Hope you enjoyed it! ;) And of course I hope you enjoyed the rest of the chapter too!
So tell me whatchya think! Review! Review! Review! XD
Till laters!
-RainLily^^
P.S. - There's this site up now, called Flawless Addiction. It's a site solely for Inuyasha crossovers of all kinds with Kagome as the main character. It's pretty awesome - a little like facebook with the fact you can make a profile, make friends, comment on each other's profiles but with the added benefits of participating in challenges and contests, chat in forums, and (what I like the most) a recommendation section to find awesome fics with a specific pairing from various categories.
Mind you, it's pretty new, so things are still getting set up. For now, it's strictly an award site, contest, and an Crossover appreciation site. BUT! Go there now and register. Once it's up and running, I think it'll be pretty epic!
I'll post a link on my profile later, but the web address is: www(dot)flawless-addiction(dot)webs(dot)com, except you know, replace it with actual dots. Or google it, that'll work lol.
And don't forget to friend me if you do check it out and join! ;)
—Reviews—
Well, damn. I haven't had this many reviews in a while hahahh! Thank you so much for the amazing (and hilarious) feedback! Sorry if it was lagging, with all that filler and all.
Again, thank you SO much! You all ROCK! XD
A big huge honking thanks to these awesome reviewers!
ShiTsukisama, MoonPrincess1989, Reads-way-2-much, Rhinanna224, ladyyuuki16, Kira Kyuu, Ayjah, kakashixangela, MidnightReader1, Star Moon Fox, SweetHunniiBunnii, Azumigurl,
Violet Shadow Kurayami- Lol, thank you! And ohh, really? I never knew that! Then again, I didn't watch NCIS when Kate was there as much as I do now that Ziva is here lol. Liked her and all, of course, but Ziva is so awesome haha! Thanks again!
maxeyn- Hahah, she's back! ;D
MoonlitCries- Lol, Kagome's back and ready to kick some demon ass - after Tony and her get a little closer of course hahah! Lol, as for the Gibbs/Kags and McGee/Kags fics - of course I'm gonna finish them! Lol, it's just a matter of when... ^^; I've worked a bit on the McGee/Kags one, not so much as the other. I've been focusing on this one and a few others, cause teh muse is very giving for these fics and I'm gonna milk the sucker dry before moving on to other fics hahah! Thank fore reviewing! ;)
Bishonen'sFoxyMiko- Hahah, thank you! Glad you enjoyed it so much! ^^ Oooh, that arguement was fun to write, especially the blasting Shippo into the wall and the when they play hot potato with the jewel lol. Hope you loved this chapter too! XD
Bunny.W.K.- Hahah, why thank you! I really appreciate that! To be honest, I wasn't expecting to go so heavy on the angst and drama when I first started writing this - now its just flowing out, but eh, I ain't complaining! Lol, it's panning out pretty well hehe. Awh, I know! I felt bad for Shippo writing that, and the chapter before during the fight with all those emotional scenes. Hahahh, never heard someone saying they liked a cliff hanger before! ^^ Glad you did though! XD Really happy you're enjoying this by the way! Hope you loved this update and those to come! Thank you!
ArmyWife22079- Meh, it's fine! :) Re-reading a few chapters won't kill me (yet) lol. What I hate is not being able to beta the dbz yet! Lol, ah but only a few more weeks though, and you can always point out the glaring mistakes when I send you chapters over email so it's all good!
Fenix of the light- Lol, yes, yes I know ;) Oohh, shit, that would be something if I did that huh? You know, I would have loved to actually do that, just to see everyone's reaction lmaoo, buuuut, I can't be that evil. No Kagome in the last few chapters? I had to bring her back, or people might starting hunting me down and threatening me lol ^^ Hahahh, you mean in NCIS? This takes place third season, after Paula dies but before Tony goes undercover. As for Inuyasha, this is AU/continuation. You'll see why it's AU later, but it's ten years after the final battle. I have seen part of the final episodes of Inuyasha, the Final Act, but I never got to see right to the end. I need to go check on youtube and find them lol. Thanks for reviewing!
VirusYoukaiChild- Well shit. I absolutely love your reviews, you know that? Lmao, thank you soooo freaking much for your awesomely amazing review! I loved reading it, and thank you so much for the compliments! I'm glad you liked the chapters so much! So, as for the puppet demon, I'll be going into more detail about him next chapter, in the interrogation. Oooh, and that battle - I loved writing it, I got so into it, it was awesome! So I'm really happy you liked it! I was really wondering how to involve Ziva so she didn't just sit there, cause that's not her. She has to get involved when a fight goes on. And she never does take orders well lol, and I'm relieved I did good writing that part. Hmm, pacing... If I'm right, it was actually Tony that was pacing outside in the hall, waiting for them as Shippo and Ziva got to their specific floor. Shippo ran and opened the door to the hotel room, letting them in so they didn't start yelling about demons in public. That would be bad lol. Sorry for the confusion! Lol, glad you liked the little 'argument' too, that little drama when Shippo gets tossed into the wall was my fav to write. After that idea came, it all just came flowing out. Lol, I love your ideas! There were so many scenarios on how I could take that scene when Kagome comes back - sadly I had all of this written and waiting for it's final refinement. And hey! You got your epic kiss! XDD Hope you enjoyed that haha! I already have Sesshy's appearance planned out, and (sadly) it's not coming just yet - but soon! It's definitely coming soon, well, soon-ish lol. Oh, and Ziva definitely reminds me of Sango, just more... sly/coy/sensual/foxy I guess, which makes her perfect for Shippo. When the banter turns dirty, she doesn't back down lol. And hmm, I'll see if I can slip more Jinengi scenes later on ;) Ooh, you know I actually wasn't going to include a wedding at first in the epilogue, but now that you mention it, hmm... ;) Lmaoo, I love your excitement! And I loved your review - most definitely one of my favorites I've ever received! Thank you so, so, so very much! Hope you have a great summer too, and I hope you absolutely loved this chapter! XD
VB- Lol, well, there's a few reasons Sesshy's not here yet. Let's just say their link is meant to be vague - Sesshomaru knows something's up, but not what exactly. He's not coming right now because he doesn't feel like he needs to. No one's called him and for all he knows, Kagome could be undercover and hiding her aura. It's only been a week since she last talked to him. Since she's his second-in-command, he's giving her free reign on this case.
Rspringb- Awhh, thank you! I really appreciate that! ^^
Valleygoat- Lol, yep, you are precisely correct! And hahah, it is hard to catch if you're not paying attention, I know lol. Oh god, movie references for Tony and idioms for Ziva is so hard for me to figure out! (Which is why you barely see any... ^^;) And nice! Yeah, most of my chapters are rough scenes I jotted down at random times and connected haha! Actually, that's pretty much how I write all my stories lmao! It gets confusion if you're not careful ^^; But I can't wait to read it! Thanks!
AzalynAngel- Hahahh, I love you review – made me crack up! :) Thank you for that hehe!
MyukiSun- Lol, sooo, is two days soon enough? ;) Thank you, and I hope you love this chapter!