DISCLAIMER: All Inuyasha goodness belongs to the amazing Takahashi-san!

Empty Threats

By MissKatt

Nothing is What it Seems

Two weeks had passed since the Moon Bandits had arrived in their town and things had started to go bad. Kagome could not help but listen to the murmurs of the house wives as they walked arm-in-arm with each other down the dusk-lit streets, gossiping with one another about what their husbands had told them in secret.

"My husband dun said he heard that their heads were cut clean off their bodies!"

"No! How vile! How can someone do somethin' like that?"

"I dun know, but they say a witness gone and said he saw a man with long black hair leaving the scene!"

That was when Kagome decided to speak up. "Long black hair, yah say?" She asked.

Instantly, both woman stopped and sized her up and down. They took in her dark blue and black pin-striped swooped skirts, each side slit up so that her black pants peeked out a little if she shuffled just right. They instantly knew this was so she could ride 'man-style' on a horse, it also made her more of a tomboy and practically screamed that she were unmarried. If her slit skirts were not enough to get their disapproving glares, it was her torso that made them hate her. They all but glared at her tight black corset and the low cut neck of the top of her dress. The low cut of the dark blue fabric practically screamed that she was a saloon girl. It was a sale marketing trick Myouga used to lure men into the saloon after seeing the girls on the street.

"What does it concern yah, Saloon Rat?" One asked, standing taller when the other girl laughed.

Kagome flushed with irritation. "I was simply askin' yah a question. No need to become as snarky as a wet cat." She pushed a loose strand of black hair back to her dark blue hat and tugged her black gloves up higher onto her wrists. "Really, if I had wanted to ask a bitch a question, I would have gone and spoken to my dog."

They both gasped in shock. "Mind yer place, Saloon Rat!"

"Really! It's no wonder yah ain't got no husband!"

The saloon girl waved her hand in front of her face. "Is that the best y'all can come up with? If it is, then I am done with this conversation for I have to get to the bank. Good day." She walked away from them, leaving them to sputter in their place as she headed towards the bank to deposit Myouga's money. He had been so drunk from the night before that he had demanded she take the money for him. She had no problem doing it; she was already so used to the judging stares.

She replayed in her mind what the girls had said about the witness saying the suspect had long black hair. It reminded her of the Moon Bandits and when Ms. Izayoi came to see her after her shift at the saloon. Naturally, due to her debt, she lived in the top part of the saloon with Sango and the other saloon girls, so she didn't often have visitors so she was more than surprised when Izayoi came to see her.

"Ms. Izayoi, good evenin'. What can I do for yah?" Kagome asked, opening the door to her room.

The woman looked around the room behind her before asking if she could come in. Once the younger woman let her in, she turned to speak with her. "I don't have much time, but I needed to speak with yah urgently. It will only take a sec'."

"A'right." She nodded for her to continue.

"I know yah know about the Moon Bandits," She began and quickly continued when she saw the girl tense and look around nervously. "No, no, don't yah worry, they be my family." At Kagome's surprised look, she continued. "They aren't bad folks, I promise. They are just 'ere to do some business and visit me. Please, help me keep 'em a secret from the Sheriff."

She stared at the woman in front of her. Not quite knowing what to say. After all, what did she know of the Moon Bandits? Nothing, except their reputation. If someone as nice as Ms. Izayoi could be related to them, then perhaps they weren't so bad after all. "What are they 'ere to do?" She asked.

Izayoi sighed. "I can't go into detail, but it's to save a lot of people," The woman's gloved hands grabbed Kagome's bare hands. "Please, Miss. Kagome, please don't go 'nd tell the Sheriff about my husband and sons."

Blue eyes widened. She always thought Ms. Izayoi was a widow! "Husband? Sons?" When she nodded, her eyes filling with unshed tears, she folded. "A'right, Ms. Izayoi. I'll help any way I can."

The woman leaned forward and pressed a kiss to the girl's cheek. "Ah! Thank yah so much, Miss. Kagome! I will make it up to yah in some way!"

She shook her head. "That won't be necessary." She really didn't need Izayoi to pay her back and perhaps she felt that way because of her own selfish reason for deciding to help the woman. She was very interested in the three men, especially Sesshoumaru. She had never seen such a powerful man and had never felt such a longing for one before.

Kagome sighed as she remembered the short encounter. Since then, she had been discreetly ripping their posters off walls and posts, taking them with her to hide under her bed until they were gone. She couldn't just throw them away in fear of being seen. Heck, she was even terrified to get caught taking their posters down. She could only imagine the trouble she would get in.

Noticing the sun was setting further, she gathered her skirts and hurried the rest of the way to the bank. Once she arrived, she frowned to see it was locked already. That was strange; Mr. Naraku didn't normally close up the bank until night fall. With a sigh, and the knowledge that she would get a lashing for not doing as Myouga asked, she turned to head back to the saloon across town. Hearing a gurgling noise from the alley next to the bank, she curiously walked towards it. She gasped slightly, raising her hand to cover her mouth, as she saw a man at the mercy of another.

"Where is he?" The man with silver white hair asked, his amber eyes flashing dangerously.

A smaller man, who she recognized as Mr. Hakudoushi, winced when the man's hand tightened around his neck. "I'll never tell yah! He will be victorious!"

"Not if I have anything to say about it." He growled and raised his clawed hand to slice open the man's neck, but paused when a familiar fruity scent entered his nose. Looking up towards the alleyway entrance, he saw the defiant saloon girl. What in the hell was she doing there? Surely she would report such an act the Sheriff, but then again, would she even recognize him?

Seeing his tormentor was caught off guard, Hakudoushi kicked the demon hard and made a break towards the exit. "Move, wench!" He shouted at the girl.

Kagome gasped as she saw the bank teller coming towards her. She quickly stepped aside to let him pass and then turned to see a very pissed off man. As his angry honey eyes met hers, she knew instantly who he was, despite the silver hair and markings on his face. "Mr. Sesshoumaru…?"

He didn't know if he should be surprised or upset that she recognized him, so he was strange mixture between the two. "You have let my prey escape me, Harlot." He growled.

"It is yah!" She said with wonder, even though she had already known. "Why do yah look so different?"

"I owe you no explanation." How did she recognize him? Why did she not fear his changes? Couldn't she see he was not human?

"What were yah doin' to Mr. Hakudoushi? He is a nice man, if not a lil' arrogant."

"Keep your nose in your own affairs. Do not concern yourself with what I do." He stated and made his way towards the street.

"Does this got anythin' to do with what yer mama said yer 'ere to do?" She asked quietly.

He quickly glanced around to see if there was anyone around before looking back at her. "You are the one she spoke to about us." He realized. He recalled his father mentioning his step-mother had gotten them an ally of sorts while they were there.

"Yes," She agreed and gave him a small smile. "Seems I won't be turnin' yah in to the Sheriff, now will I?" She added with a wink and a soft laugh.

Sesshoumaru let the gentle tune of her laugh sooth his irritation. Why was that? "So it seems. I suppose you will stop with your empty threats then?"

"Who says they be empty?"

"So then you will call the Sheriff?"

"I won't," She put her gloved hands on her hips and gave him a devious smirk. "As long as yah pay yer tab right next time."

His eyes flashed as he realized she was playing with him. Why was this woman so alluring to him all of a sudden? No, he realized, it was not sudden. His interest had been sparked when she stood up to him twice before, he just ignored it. He had always found a woman who did not submit quite tempting.

"And if I do not?" He questioned, playing her little game and taking a step towards her.

She stood tall, holding her head up high even as his predatory gaze made her knees shake. "I think yah already know."

"Do I?" He questioned, moving closer to her. Why did it seem like his body was moving on his own? Why did he want to be closer to her?

"Indeed." Daring to be bold with the man in front of her, she reached up and grasped his silky hair in her small, gloved hand, running her fingers through the strands. "It's a shame yah gotta hide yer hair. I love its natural color."

He looked down at her curiously. "You are not afraid of my appearance." It was not a question.

"No," She confirmed, meeting his golden eyes. "I may not know what yer 'ere to do or what yah are, but I don't think I really have a reason to fear yah."

Sesshoumaru leaned his face in closer to hers. "Do not be so quick to trust people, Harlot." He said and then took her hand in his, freeing his hair from her grasp. "There are things in the world you cannot even begin to comprehend."

"What kind of things?" She asked, tilting her head a little. "Evil things?"

His eyes narrowed a little. "Indeed." He was a demon so naturally he would be considered evil to humans.

Sapphire blue blinked before looking at his hold on her hand. "I don't think yer evil, Mr. Sesshoumaru."

He was taken off guard by her statement. "You do not know me."

She raised her head back up to smile at him. "I can jus' tell. Yer a force to be reckoned with, that be true, but yah ain't evil. I don't think you'd hurt me."

With a glare, he lifted her wrist up to his face and tugged down the hem of her glove. He grazed his fang over the soft, forbidden skin of her exposed wrist, giving just enough pressure to cause a faint line of red to mar the creamy white flesh. He felt a growl rise in his chest at her sharp inhale as well as the scent of her blood. Not trusting himself with the tempting scent of the girl before him, he dropped her wrist and stepped away.

"As I said, do not trust people, Harlot." He turned from her, his hair turning black as his eyes turned green once again. He walked over to his discarded hat and placed it back on his head before making his way out of the alleyway.

She was slightly confused as to what just happened. She cradled her wrist to her chest as she watched him begin to leave. "W-wait!" She called, stepping towards him. When he paused his walk to glance over his shoulder at her, she continued. "My name is Kagome. Kagome Higurashi."

"I will remember it." He tipped his hat at her. "Have a pleasant evening, Harlot."

She pursed her lips together in irritation at the nickname as she watched him disappear down the dark street. Once he was out of her sight, she looked back down at her wrist and at the faint red line there. She flushed a little as the memory of the feel of his bottom lip against her skin before he nipped her. Had he been trying to prove a point with her? If so, it didn't work. If anything, she was more intrigued by him. Realizing how late it was, and with a slight blush, she pulled her glove back up her wrist and gathered her skirts before running towards the saloon.

A/N: :)