Disclaimer: Inuyasha is sooo not mine.
Chapter 7
oooooooooooooooooooooooo
Two weeks after she and Akira were carried back to the present time, Kagome found herself sitting at the bedside of the youngest Yamadera, holding his hand and watching him sleep. She had only been just released a couple of days earlier from her stint in the hospital. Her body had healed rapidly, although she still felt tenderness every now and again.
A counselor was assigned to her, but Kagome knew that she wouldn't be able to say outright exactly why her being raped did not affect her as it would any other woman. She couldn't very well say that she was used to it. That would be preposterous. Instead, she played along with the kindly, middle-aged woman who took her in hand and spoke to her very gently and sent her reassuring little glances every so often.
Poor Akira had not been nearly as fortunate as she, who only escaped with physical injuries. His was much worse. Akira had a large tumor in his brain.
She had still been in the hospital when his brothers broke the news to her and even now, as she sat, his hand clasped in hers, the news still shattered her.
The doctors had done all they could to try to remove it, but in the end they were forced to leave a portion of it behind because it would have killed him outright to do so. Medication and a bit of good old elven magic had shrunk the remaining part of the tumor, but he remained asleep, much to the consternation of all. But Akira's elven physician had been optimistic and told them not to worry so. Elves, he reminded them, were strong creatures and a little thing like a tumor would not kill Akira. Even so, Kagome, Yuki and Hiro could not help but worry.
Kagome sighed and gently squeezed Akira's hand. At least his career was not entirely in jeopardy. The powers that be had decided that if he should recover he would be allowed to remain a slayer, providing, of course, that he made a full recovery. This was one of the doctors' concerns. The chance that he may not be the same mentally was slim, but it was still a risk. She hoped that he would wake up and everything would be alright.
But in truth, everything would not be the same. No... when Akira woke up, he would find that his world had altered...
She recalled a few days earlier when she'd awoken and found herself in a hospital room. Yuki was seated next to her, comfortably ensconced in an armchair, fast asleep, one of his hands clasping hers. The moment she stirred he instantly came awake and asked if she was alright. She'd answered in the affirmative and smiled at him. He was so beautiful, so incredibly gorgeous, even though his fair hair was stuck up in all directions on his head and his clothing was rumpled.
It was the look on his angel's face and in his sinfully green eyes that completely took her breath away. Her heart seemed to beat faster in her chest the longer he studied her.
"Are you sure you're okay?" he'd asked, leaning forward as though to get a closer look at her.
She'd nodded, mouth going dry. It was then that he had closed the gap between them, his arms going around her, his lips claiming hers. She could not help but cling to him as wave upon wave of ecstasy washed over her.
"I love you," he whispered against her mouth. "I love you so much, Kagome." Yuki pulled his mouth away slightly, only to relocate his lips against her earlobe. "I was so terrified that I would lose you..." He sighed and the sensation of his warm breath against her ear sent shivers down her spine.
His lips trailed kisses along her cheek until he came to rest against her lips once more, where he gave her another scorching kiss. That kiss was burned forever in her memory, which was a good thing she supposed, since only a few minutes later her newfound happiness would be shattered when Hiro came in with some food and opened his big mouth...
"Well, there you are, Yuki. I should have known you couldn't have kept your hands to yourself. Kagome darling, I'm glad to see you up finally. We were pretty worried about you for a moment there. All of us were. You know, if I hadn't met Inuyasha at your house, I never would have put two and two together." He clicked his tongue reproachfully, arranging the food he'd brought for her on her overbed. "You were very naughty to take off like that. The least you could have done was told us what you were up to."
She hung her head ashamedly. "I know, Hiro and I'm very sorry about not telling you. I should never have gone off like that. I just- I just wanted to finish it off once and for all, you know? I thought I could handle him all by myself. Boy, was I wrong."
"Wait a minute." Yuki's voice was deathly quiet. When Kagome looked up, she found him staring hard at her. "Are you saying that you never stayed to visit with your pals after all?"
The air in the room grew heavy and Kagome was filled with unease. She eyed the blond elf nervously. "N-no."
"So you lied to us." His body was tensing and that began to frighten Kagome. Rarely was she treated to the extreme end of his fiery temper, but she had a sickening feeling that she was about to get a huge dose of it now. "Silly me. And here I was thinking you got kidnapped or some shit like that."
"I'm sorry, Yuki. Like I said, I just wanted to put an end to the whole affair." She frowned. "I thought Hiro would have told you this already."
The blond elf's green eyes glittered with suppressed fury. "No. It would seem he neglected to inform us of that," he growled, turning furious eyes on his brother. All of a sudden, he whipped around so fast that she could not help but flinch. His face was contorted with rage as he shouted at her, "What the fuck were you thinking, going off like that on your own? Again! Shit, woman, how many goddamn times do I have to fucking tell you to stop running off and playing the superhero?"
His outburst left Kagome completely dumbfounded. Only a moment ago he was professing his love for her and now...
"Yuki, I-"
He snorted with disgust. "Look, I may be wrong here, but for the past few years I was under the impression that we were a fucking team. A team, goddamn it!" He leaned forward, his green eyes boring into her. "You very nearly got yourself killed! Do you realize how much we've worried about you since we found you? And what about Akira?" Yuki jabbed a finger hard into his chest. "My baby brother nearly died trying to save your ass from what has to be the stupidest move you've ever fucking made!"
Hiro moved forward to grasp Yuki's shoulder, but the elder elf shoved him away, his green eyes never leaving Kagome's shocked, pale face.
"If he dies, because of you, so help me I'll-"
"Stop it, damn it," hissed the younger elf.
But Yuki only snarled at him. "I'm... not... done..." he ground out and returned to the attack.
As the horrible words flew from his lips, Kagome felt time slow. All at once, her head, chest and heart all felt heavy, as though they were being weighted down. She watched as he continued to yell at her, and after a moment her mind took her back in time seven years earlier. In her mind's eye, she watched with heart-wrenching agony as Yuki's blond hair turned white; his green eyes to a furious gold...
"You are so goddamned useless! I've protected your worthless ass so many times and I ask for your help this one time with something really important... and this is how you repay me? You aren't even trying are you?"
"Inu-yasha…. please... help me…"
"Hell no! Never again, you pathetic loser!"
Hiro, who was attempting to get his elder brother to cease his tirade, noticed the far-away look in Kagome's eyes and instantly he knew where her mind had gone. A cold fear filled him. That look on her face was all too telling… and all too familiar. "Stop it, Yuki!" Hiro cried frantically and yanked Yuki back, away from Kagome's bed. "Just get out of here and cool off!"
"With pleasure." Yuki moved away towards the door, but stopped and turned around. "I can't do this anymore," he told her calmly. "What the hell am I supposed to do the next time you decide to lie to us and run off to do something dangerous on your own? I can't handle it, Kagome, I just can't. So the next time you want to play superwoman and try to get yourself killed, please, by all means do. You being dead will suit me better anyway. I can't stand being on this bloody emotional rollercoaster." Turning on his heel, he left the room.
The moment he was gone, Hiro rushed to Kagome's side and shook her. "Kagome! Baby, don't you even think about it. You hear me?" The wretched, heartbroken expression in her brown eyes terrified him down to the core, for he still vividly recalled the time she told him of her suicide attempts. The calmness of the tone of her voice as she had spoken of slicing her wrists open had frightened him like nothing else.
At long last, her eyes focused on him. "Hiro?"
"Kagome," he asked quietly, "are you alright?"
She gazed up at him with those misery-filled eyes. "He hates me," she whispered. Her lower lip trembled slightly and Hiro, with a groan, pulled her against him and cradled her to his chest. "He... he wants me dead."
"Baby, he doesn't hate you and he definitely doesn't want you dead! Yuki loves you more than anything and his reaction just now... well, it was a bit overboard, but you need to understand that he was absolutely terrified for you when we found you. We all were. You were so battered and bloody that we were certain that you were going to die."
"I should have died," she whispered, pulling away from him. "I should have died over there. You never should have come back for me, Hiro. I really wish you hadn't."
The elf reached for her, but she pulled away from him. He sat there on her hospital bed, dark eyes wide with disbelief. "No. Don't you dare say that-"
Kagome lifted her head and stared dully at him. "Please go, Hiro. I need to be alone now. Thank you for coming and... thank you for caring." She gave him a wan smile and lay down on the bed on her side, her back to him.
Without another word, he was gone.
ooo
Kagome squeezed Akira's hand once more and rose to her feet. It would probably be the last she'd see of him for a long time. She bent down to kiss his cheek and quickly left the room. Nearly two hours later she was entering the double doors of the International Slayer Corp headquarters in downtown Tokyo, where she had an appointment to see her commanding officer.
Colonel Watanabe Takehito was waiting for her in his office and rose when she entered. "Higurashi, come in, come in! Glad to see you again!" He came forward to take her hand. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm just fine, thank you sir," she replied gratefully. "Thank you for seeing me today."
He waved a dismissive hand. "Not at all. Please take a seat." When they were both seated, he leaned back in his chair and smiled at her. "I have, of course, been apprised of your... situation. I'm very sorry that happened to you, Higurashi."
Kagome nodded. "Yes sir, I am too."
Watanabe looked down at his desk at some papers that lay before him. "I see here that you wish to go back out into the field again." His eyes skimmed over the print then he glanced up at her. "I suppose that would be alright, but you won't have a team."
"Sir?"
He leaned forward, bringing his arms up to rest on his desk. "The Yamaderas are unavailable for any field assignments at present. Hiro, who I know is very close to you, is taking care of Akira. His doctors are not entirely positive that he will ever make a full recovery, but we have high hopes for him. As for Yuki-" Watanabe's dark eyes filled with compassion. "He has flatly stated that he refuses to work with you again."
Even though this news came as no surprise, the effect of his words was like a sledgehammer being slammed into Kagome's gut. "What?" Her voice was soft, full of pain. So he had been speaking the truth when he said he was finished with her.
"I'm sorry, Higurashi. He says that you take too many unnecessary risks. He will not work with someone who has no regard for the feelings of the other team members."
For a long moment, Kagome shut her eyes and took deep, calming breaths. She wanted to cry, sob, scream out... but she refused to break down. Not here; not in front of Colonel Watanabe. When she spoke again, her voice was steady. "I see. Is there any position for me as a single slayer?" She could see him hesitate and before she could stop herself, she blurted out, "I have no objections to suicide missions, sir!"
Watanabe's eyes hardened. "Have you lost your mind, Higurashi? Do you honestly believe that I would send one of my best slayers on a suicide mission? You must be joking!"
"But isn't there anything for me?" Panic filled her and she jumped to her feet. "I may no longer have my holy powers, but I'm still useful! I'll go anywhere! Send me back to South America!"
"Why are you shouting at me, Higurashi?" he asked softly, leaning back in his chair again. "Return to your seat, slayer, and calm down or I'll have you removed from my office." She did as he ordered and he nodded. "That's better. Now then, as I was about to tell you before I was rudely interrupted..."
"Excuse me, sir."
He nodded again and once more regarded the papers before him. "There is an assignment that I feel would be perfect for someone with your level of experience. In the south of England, there is a small village called Horningsham. It is located in the county of Wiltshire and has a population of just over 400 people." Watanabe looked up at her. "It is a quiet country village by day, but at night, it is overrun with youkai. Our scientists have been unable to discern why this phenomenon occurs."
Kagome felt her heart and spirits lift at such an enticing prospect. It would be the start of a new beginning and besides, she'd always wanted to visit England. "Will it just be me, sir?"
Watanabe frowned. "No, of course not. Don't be ridiculous. Five regular slayers are stationed there at present, but two are leaving for South America, one of whom is a Major Simon Melton. In their place, you will be sent nine slayers fresh from boot camp."
"Nine? But sir, why are they all being sent there? Aren't there other places in the world where slayers are needed?"
The colonel chuckled. "Yes, but, these are not fit to be called slayers. At least, not yet. They have all managed to squeak by, but they ranked so low that no one wants to work with them, and even if they were assigned to a squadron, they wouldn't stand a chance out in the field." He smiled at Kagome. "That is where you come in, Higurashi. I am placing you in charge of all these ne'er-do-well slayers. You have six months to polish them up or they will be dismissed from service."
"Ne'er-do-well?"
"That's what I said." He leaned forward and opened a manila folder that sat on his desk. His eyes skimmed over the top sheet of paper. "One of them, a Giles Marsten from London, was a juvenile criminal. In his teens, he was arrested quite a few times for loitering, petty theft, and breaking and entering. Shame, really. His parents have plenty of money; his father is a wealthy London financier and travels quite a bit. Marsten could have gone to university and become anything he wanted. Same goes for most of these misfits." He reached into his desk, pulled out a thick file and handed it to Kagome. "Read up on them. Most of them have wealthy parents who paid their way into the Slayer Corp. These kids have no real interest in being here; they are only here to add prestige to their family names. Funny though, they all have potential to be good slayers, seeing as how they managed to survive boot camp." He paused a moment, then said, "Ah yes, there is one more thing. You have been promoted to Lieutenant. This means that from the moment Major Melton leaves for South Am, you will be in command."
A sense of giddiness washed over her. Lieutenant? She was a Lieutenant! "Yes, sir! Thank you, sir! When do I leave?"
"In one month. I trust this will not be a problem for you?"
"No sir."
"Excellent." Watanabe stood and bowed to Kagome. "I am entrusting these individuals' futures with the Corp in your hands, Lieutenant Higurashi. I know you will not let me down."
"I will do my very best sir," she replied, bowing to him in return. With file in hand, she exited his office.
A month later, Kagome was comfortably seated on the plane bound for England. She leaned back in her first class seat and took out the manila folder she had been studying since she had received it. She opened it and looked over the first page, which was a list of her charges:
Cameron Bottello
Robert Freemont
Gareth Halliday
Regina Hunt
Giles Marsten
Angela Morris
Jack Salgado
Lauren Spivey
Stephen Wilkes
Marsten, Morris, Wilkes, Halliday and Freemont were from England; Hunt, Salgado, Bottello and Spivey hailed from the United States. The eldest of the group was Marsten at the ripe old age of twenty eight; the youngest was Gareth Halliday, who had only just turned nineteen.
Twenty-four year old Lauren Spivey was the daughter of a well-known lingerie designer in New York. Regina Hunt, 21, and Jack Salgado, 20, were both from Texas. Neither had well-to-do parents, but instead came from humble backgrounds. They were in the service, the file explained, because of a judge's order. Like Marsten, they too had had run-ins with the law.
Angela Morris, 23, and Gareth Halliday came from old aristocratic English families; Robert Freemont, 20, had a father was financial advisor in London. Cameron Bottello, 25, was born and raised in Los Angeles, and was the son of successful real estate agent parents.
Nestled between the pages in the file were snapshots of the each of the nine slayers. The girls looked as though they were taking glamour pictures, while the men looked appeared to be posing for mug shots. One picture caught Kagome's eye and held her gaze for a long time. It was the one of Giles Marsten. At first glance, he appeared to be an average guy with average looks. However, the longer she stared at his photo, the harder it was to look away. This was curious, for she could not see what it was about him that held her interest.
Marsten had mussed, dirty blond hair, a spray of faint freckles sprinkled along the bridge of his nose and across his cheeks, and a pair of cool grey eyes that regarded the camera with complete disinterest. If this picture was anything to go by, he wasn't really much to look at. He was nothing like... well, like Yuki or Akira, who both possessed extraordinarily handsome faces.
The thought of the elves sent the tears spilling down her cheeks, but she quickly wiped them away. She scolded herself for feeling weakness; that part of her life was over. A new beginning was right before her.
Even so, it was an effort to look away from the photo, but she finally managed to put the picture of Giles Marsten back into the folder. She sighed and closed the file before tucking it between her thigh and the arm of her seat. Hopefully, she thought as she shut her eyes and lay back against her seat, these people wouldn't be too much trouble. They wouldn't like it very much if she went drill instructor on them.
ooooooooo
At last, her plane landed at Heathrow Airport in London and coming out of the gate, she was met by Major Simon Melton, who the escorted her to an awaiting car. They left London and headed for the county of Wiltshire. When they finally arrived at the sleepy little village of Horningsham, the sun hovered a little ways above the horizon. As the major pulled up to the house she would be living in for her stay, he said, "Well, here we are, Lieutenant. I hope you find it comfortable enough." He shut the ignition off, alighted from the vehicle and assisted Kagome with her bags.
"I'm sure I will, sir," Kagome murmured gratefully as he led her up path to the front door. It was a charming building, small, yet quite cozy from what she could tell as they stood outside. The front yard was fenced in by a wooden picket fence and it was ablaze with color. Flowers bloomed everywhere and ivy climbed up the house's stone walls.
The major set down her bags, pulled a key from his front pocket and quickly unlocked the door. "There you go, Lieutenant," he said and handed her the key. "It's all yours." He grinned at her and motioned her to enter before him.
Kagome walked inside and set down her baggage, her eyes taking in the interior. It was as nice and neat as the exterior, she thought warmly. Whoever had prepared the cottage for her certainly took great care in doing so. "It's lovely," she said gratefully, turning to the major.
He smiled kindly at her. "I'm glad it's to your liking, now I suggest that you get some rest, Lieutenant. I have to get to the station and get ready for work. I've got about two days left here, you know. Off to South Am on Thursday." Major Melton extended his hand to her. "It was a pleasure to meet you Lieutenant Higurashi. From what I've heard of from your commanding officer, I will rest easy knowing you are here looking out for my hometown."
"Of course." Kagome took his hand and shook it. "Sir? Excuse me, but if you don't mind, I'd very much like to help out tonight."
Major Melton's eyes widened with surprise. "Well! I must say, Lieutenant Higurashi, you certainly are dedicated to your job, aren't you?" Kagome nodded and the major sighed. "Alright, if you insist. I can take you about and show you all the hot spots." He chuckled and winked at her. "I just hope you're not too fatigued from your journey. There are some nights when not much goes on, but for the most part, it can be pretty grueling."
"I am more than capable of handling tough situations, sir," she informed him solemnly. "Please wait a moment while I get ready." She grabbed one of her suitcases and headed for the only bedroom, which was located at the back of the little house. Several minutes later, she emerged, fully clad in her uniform. Her trusty Glocks were strapped as usual to her thighs. In her hands, she held her swords.
"Two swords, Lieutenant?" inquired the major as he waited for her to lock up after they stepped back outside. "Most slayers possess only one."
Kagome said nothing until she had climbed back into the major's car. "One is mine, the other belonged to a friend of mine." She showed him the second sword, Sango's sword, which Hiro had received from Inuyasha for her while she was in the hospital. "She gave it to me and told me she didn't need it anymore."
The major examined it and when he was done, gave a low, appreciative whistle. "Whoa, that's a very pretty piece of weaponry. Quite old too, if I'm not mistaken. I hope you're taking great care of that antique sword." He started the ignition and the car pulled away from the curb.
"Yes sir, I am," murmured Kagome. She looked out her window at the scenery as they sped along. As lovely as the English countryside was, at the moment it was unable to hold her attention, for a deep sadness filled her. Sadness was her constant companion these past few weeks; it never let her be. Her mind always wandered off and kept running things over and over again. Things like... Yuki, Hiro, Akira. She was always wondering how Akira was faring, and if Hiro was lonely and if Yuki...
She took a deep breath and squeezed her eyes shut. There was no need to ask how Yuki was doing, for she knew already. He was doing well and he was far from lonely. Those words... those loving words he had whispered to her that last day she had laid eyes on him. It was pretty apparent that they had held no meaning for him. She wondered if any of the words he'd spoken to her had. Of course they hadn't. To think otherwise was absurd; she had been deluding herself the entire time. She had allowed herself to weaken, to drop the barrier she'd built around her heart and looking back, she knew that had been the most foolish thing she had ever done. She should never have let him in.
With that thought came a promise to herself. A promise that she would never allow herself to be open and vulnerable to a man ever again, for in the end, it would only bring her pain. Hopefully this time, she would adhere to her decision. After the incident with Inuyasha, she ought to have learned from that experience, but no, she had been a fool over a man yet again.
On the airplane ride to England, she'd thought long and hard about the men in her life and now with the promise to herself, came a decision. Men were liars. Yes, they were all liars. They had pretended to like her, to treat her as though she were something special, when the entire time all they wanted was fuck with her head. Yuki and Inuyasha had both accomplished that, and in spades. As for Akira, well, he most likely only thought of her as a surrogate mother or as a sister, but certainly nothing more than that. He'd certainly never told her to her face that she meant anything to him. Then there was Hiro. Ah, her sweet Hiro! He, she told herself, was probably the only one to have actually given a damn about her. He had wanted to be her friend from the very first day they had met. Therefore, she concluded, he was the only one she could trust.
The car rolled to a stop. "Well, here we are."
Kagome's eyes flew open and looked over at the major, who was just shutting of the ignition.
He smiled at her. "Come, Lieutenant, let me show you around."
oooo
Kagome was introduced to the other four slayers that were assigned to the village. Other than Major Melton, there was Sergeant Thomas Blair, Sergeant Blake Devere, Corporal Amelia Janison and Corporal Samuel Meyers. Corporal Janison was the other slayer being sent to South America with Major Melton, so Kagome set about becoming acquainted with Sergeants Blair and Devere and Corporal Meyers. They were all friendly men and appeared to be extremely grateful to have her on board. Thankfully for Kagome, they were all married, and happily so. Single males were a bane to her very existence.
"I hate to admit that I was rather annoyed when I heard a lieutenant was coming to take charge here," Sergeant Blair confided to her right before they set out on patrol, "because I'd hoped that I would a get a promotion. But when I found out just who our lieutenant would be-"
Corporal Meyers gave a hearty laugh. "Yeah, then you were all for it!" He leaned over and whispered in Kagome's ear, "Tom's got a crush on you, Lieutenant. He has ever since basic training."
"Shut your trap, Sam," the sergeant grunted good-naturedly. "I do admit that I admire you greatly, Lieutenant. As a matter of fact, my eldest daughter wants to follow in your footsteps. She's read every single magazine article on you and I swear that girl knows you inside and out." He winked at her. "My little Jennie would be so jealous if she knew I got to work with you."
Meyers chortled. "Are you sure it would be just Jennie getting jealous there, Tom? Olivia wouldn't like it much either."
"Oh, for pity's sake, man! Will you drop it?" complained an exasperated Tom. "My wife is not jealous, so shut your trap!"
Sam laughed again. The two continued to rib each other and Kagome held back her stride. She had been worried about not being able to fit in, seeing as how she, a complete stranger and a foreigner to boot, was instantly put given command of the slayers here. She felt that they would resent her, but she was glad that she had been proven wrong. A crush from one of her fellow officers was something that she hadn't expected, but seeing as how he looked as she saw the blissful expression on his face when he spoke of his wife and children... There was no reason to worry about him. It was nothing more than admiration; that was all.
Perhaps she might grow to love it here.
ooo
Her first night in Horningsham started off well. While Sergeant Devere remained at the station, she, Tom and Sam made a couple of kills and none of the village, people or otherwise, were hurt or damaged. Around ten later that evening, she and the two men went off to the local pub for a drink. When Kagome expressed concern over this, Sergeant Blair explained to her that they often did this because sometimes the bigger, more dangerous demons wouldn't show up until the dead of night.
Blair looked down at his watch. "That's at least a good two, three hours from now. The command post will alert us to any demonic activity should there be any and besides, I'm thirsty," he said and raised his pint of lager to her. "Cheers."
The corporal did the same and Kagome looked woefully down at her own glass, which was as yet untouched. The sergeant had a point, she told herself, and reached for her drink. After all, he and Sam knew far more about the place than she. Why not have a drink and relax for a bit?
Two hours later, as they were leaving the pub, a call came in from Major Melton at the command center. On the west side of the village, they'd spotted two large demons and several smaller demons. Kagome and her new partners ran off into the night to take care of business.
ooo
Just after sunrise, Kagome found herself back at the station in the locker room bathroom, washing her hands. When she emerged, she found Sergeants Blair and Devere talking quietly in front of what she supposed were their lockers. They turned to look at her when she came out of the bathroom and each gave her a warm smile.
Tom held out his hand to her and shook her hand firmly. "May I say, Lieutenant, that I had the most agreeable time last night. I could hardly believe I was watching you in action. My Jennie will be positively enthralled when I tell her all that you did."
A flush crept onto Kagome's cheeks. "I didn't do all that much, Sergeant Blair. I only did what was expected of me. Besides, you and Corporal Meyers were there as well. I didn't do it all myself."
The sergeant waved a dismissive hand. "Yes, but we're not world famous, now are we?" His light brown eyes glittered with excitement and to Kagome he looked like a little boy who'd just witnessed something amazing. "I have never seen anyone move as fast as you. The way you handled your swords simply took my breath away. Your control is amazing. It was like watching a graceful dance, it was." He lowered his voice. "You're not human, are you?"
Her gaze slid from his handsome face, to Sergeant Devere's face, then down to floor. "I'm afraid, Sergeant Blair, that I am all too human." She turned to go, but Tom's hand shot out and caught her arm in a gentle grip. His action startled her and forced her to stare up at him. The excitement that had sparkled in his eyes was gone, only to be replaced by remorseful concern. She also noticed that Devere had slipped away and was already on his way out of the locker room.
"You're fighting more than one kind of demon, aren't you?" he asked in a quiet voice. There was a tinge of sadness in his voice that made Kagome tremble slightly. "I know about what happened to you, and I know about that bloke that in your last squad. A right bastard, he is. If I had been in his shoes, I'd never have let you go." Tom tipped her head up and peered into her face. "You're something special, Lieutenant Higurashi, and don't you forget it. Yamadera was a downright fool, because now someone else is going to snap you up and I daresay he won't like it much when it's all said and done."
Kagome shook her head. "He won't care," she whispered sadly. "He was only too happy to see me gone."
Tom grinned at her. "He won't feel that way when you end up in charge of another squadron. I mean after all, without you, he and his brothers would never have been rocketed to fame in the slayer world without you."
"But I wouldn't be there either without them," Kagome protested feebly.
The sergeant chuckled and shook his head. "Yes, but they weren't the reason women began to take more than a passing interest in the Slayer corp. There was a boom of female slayers soon after you appeared in that first magazine article, and every female slayer I've ever met has said it was because of you that they were a slayer in the first place. And just look at my Jennie! She's absolutely gung-ho about going in. Now go on home, young lady. Get some sleep."
"Alright," murmured Kagome and watched him go. What he'd just said stunned her. Was she really as important as all that?
oooo
The next afternoon when Kagome arrived at the station, she found Major Melton addressing a group of people outside, in front of the station. While they stood at attention, listening to the major, she studied them. These were the nine slayers that had been sent to receive further training under her.
Almost as if her eyes had a mind of their own, they searched for and settled on the tall figure of Giles Marsten. Standing at six feet five inches, he made an imposing figure that easily dwarfed the other male slayers that stood near him.
"Ah, Higurashi, there you are! And now, I would like to introduce you to your commanding officer. Lieutenant, please step forward."
Kagome went to stand beside the major.
"Privates, this is Lieutenant Higurashi. She will be taking over the moment Corporal Janison and I leave tomorrow. You will obey her every command; but I think I don't need to remind you of that." He turned to her and gave her a wink. "They're all yours, Lieutenant." With a salute, he went inside the station.
And just like that, she was handed the reins. Kagome turned to the slayers and said, "Welcome to Horningsham. I hope that all of you will learn from your experience here and put it to good use when you are in the field. I expect you to give it all you have and I expect you to be on time or I will not be pleased. If you do not wish to do extra P.T., then do not disobey my orders." She went on to outline their training schedules for the next few weeks, but as she was doing so, a young man of medium height and slicked back black hair raised his hand.
"Yes, Private Bottello?"
"I thought we were through with training, ma'am," he said and she could instant tell he was a bit irritated. "Why do we have to do this again? It's not right."
She frowned. This guy sounded like a petulant child. "I prefer that you call me sir, not ma'am. As to your question, you would have been sent out on field assignment by now, except that all of you have been rejected by every single field commander due to your poor performance in basic training. No one will take you on until you have proven yourselves worthy of wearing that uniform."
"But we passed!" whined the skinny, blond Angela Morris. "This isn't fair!" All the slayers, save Marsten, chimed in on the unfairness of their situation.
Kagome marched up to Private Morris and eyed the girl squarely. Much to her satisfaction, the private looked extremely uncomfortable, but did not move. "The world isn't supposed to be fair, Private," snapped Kagome acidly. "I actually got through boot camp with flying colors despite the fact that I didn't have the advantage of my way being paved by a rich mommy and daddy."
Shocked, Angela opened her mouth to say something, but Kagome snatched her by her blond locks and flung her on the ground. The girl began to shriek and flailed her arms in the air, in an attempt to hit at Kagome's legs, but Kagome stepped easily out of arm's reach. "Do you see why no one wants you? If you had actually learned something in basic, you wouldn't have let me be able to grab you by the hair, you stupid twit!" Kagome roared down at her.
Her head came up and glared at the rest of the slayers, a few who looked rather green in the face. "If any of you, and I mean any... of... you... behave like a whiny little bitch, I will fuck you up. Got it? Demon slaying is not as an easy job, nor is it a safe one because every time you go on the hunt you put your life on the line. Demons only live to do two things: eat and kill. That's it. They do not care if your family lineage goes back to royalty, they do not care if your parents are rich, and they do not care if you think you're the shit. All they know is that you look like walking food."
The group of privates stood there, staring at Kagome without emotion, save Angela and Lauren. They had both turned a ghostly white.
Kagome straightened her clothing. "Now then, if you think this is going to be easy, then you have another think coming. I went on patrol last night and I know that the strength of the demons we encountered will be too much for you as you are now. That is why I am putting you on a training sche-"
"How do you know they'll be too strong for us?" piped up Private Wilkes bravely. He was a tall, lanky Brit with very fine ash blond hair and pale gray eyes. "We might be more than a match-"
"But you are not. None of you are." Kagome was thoroughly irritated now. "I have read the comments of your commanders in basic. All of you, with the exception of one, are considered too incompetent. Understand? For those of you who don't have the mental capacity to understand big words: you suck. No one wants you on their team; no one wants to work with you. If you went out on assignment now, just as you are, there is a very high probability that you will not return alive."
"If you don't mind me asking, who is the one exception, Lieutenant?" asked Private Hunt. Regina Hunt was a tall, pretty young woman of mixed origin, curvaceous and buxom. To Kagome's relief, Regina appeared to be the most intelligent of the three females standing before her.
Kagome looked over at Giles. "Private Marsten is the exception. He is only here because he cold cocked a corporal. Am I correct, private?"
Giles stared coolly back at her. "Yes, sir, lieutenant sir," he admitted unabashedly. Instead of looking away from her, he continued to watch her.
This man was seriously beginning to unnerve her, she thought, and managed a nod in his direction. "Then I will expect that you continue your explemplary service to the Corp and manage to not punch anyone else in the chops." But even as she looked away, she could feel his gaze on her.
"In regards to this evening, you will, of course, be required to bring your sword as you will be fighting. And please do not forget your Cat Cons. If you, for some ungodly reason, are not in possession of at least one pair, then you will tell Sergeant Blair so that we may get them ordered for you as soon as possible."
Angela Morris raised a timid hand. "Excuse me, lieutenant, but what are those?"
One of Kagome's eyebrows twitched slightly. "You're kidding me, right?" She sighed heavily. "Can anyone tell Private Morris what Cat Cons are?"
Gil stepped forward and said aloud, "Cat Cons are specially made eye contacts that enable the wearer to see in the dark for use in night time slaying missions."
Kagome nodded approval. Angela mumbled a quiet, "Oh," and bowed her head.
This one, thought Kagome with a tinge of malice, will require quite a bit of work. She spoke a moment longer then dismissed them, informing them that were to report at the station at sunset. That night, they would be evaluated so that Kagome, Sergeant Devere and Sergeant Blair could see where their strengths and weaknesses lay.
As the group moved sullenly off towards their lodgings, Kagome called Private Marsten back. "If you don't mind me asking, I would like to know the reason why you punched the corporal. According to your file, you didn't give a reason as to why you did what you did."
Marsten was silent for a moment then answered quietly, "The corporal made a vulgar comment about someone I admire very much. I told him to take it back, but he only continued his crude remarks. That was when I hit him."
The softness of his voice sent shivers down her spine; the gentleness of it when he'd spoken of his special someone saddened her for a moment. At one time, she'd wanted to hear someone talk of her that way. "This person that has garnered such admiration from you must be someone very special indeed if you are willing to knock someone out cold just for talking smack. But I trust you will refrain from causing bodily harm to anyone during your stay here."
"Yes sir." He gave her a stiff, perfectly executed salute.
"Dismissed."
Marsten nodded and walked away after the others. Kagome watched him go. He was taller than Yuki, she thought vaguely before entering the station.
oooo
The nine slayers were duly evaluated and after a week had passed, they were finally divided up into groups of three between Kagome and the two sergeants, according to level of their fighting skills. This meant that Tom Blair took Halliday, Morris and Freemont; Blake Devere was in charge of Wilkes, Bottello and Spivey. Since Kagome was the ranking officer and also the best fighter amongst them all, she was teamed up with Hunt, Salgado and Marsten, the three who had scored highest on the evaluations.
As for Corporal Meyers, he was left to man the command post and did not take part in their nighttime activities, since the poor man had gotten into a car accident that resulted in one of his legs being broken.
Once in their little groups, they waited until dark before they set out. While they were walking through the center of the village, Kagome turned to her team members after ascertaining that the others were not within in earshot. Automatically, they stiffened to attention, their eyes staring straight ahead.
She raised her hand. "At ease, privates. When I go on the hunt, I like my team to be on equal footing. So for the duration of our time together, you will be allowed to call me by name and I shall do the same with you. I feel that a team works better if there is a casual atmosphere." Putting out a hand, she turned to Private Salgado first. "Hello, my name is Kagome."
Salgado grinned and took her proffered hand. "Very nice to meet you, Kagome. I'm Jack," he said pleasantly and Kagome found herself taking an enormous liking to him. Possessed of jet black hair and flashing black eyes, Jack Salgado came across as very friendly person. He wasn't very tall, but he was well built and the way he carried himself more than made up for his lack of height.
"Nice to meet you, Jack." Kagome nodded solemnly and looked over at Private Hunt. "Hello, Regina." Again, she offered her hand.
The female slayer took Kagome's hand and shook it with a sweet smile. "Hi. But I'd rather go by Gina, if you don't mind."
Another nod. "Certainly. Duly noted." Kagome turned again and came face to face with Marsten. She thought it was strange that her heart should quake so. What the hell was wrong with her?
Thankfully, it was Marsten who made the first move. "Hello there, Kagome. The name's Giles, but I answer to Gil." His hand was out before she could reply. He grabbed her hand and shook it gently.
"Hello, Gil," she said faintly as he continued grasping onto her hand. His voice was doing odd things to her insides. It was deep and smooth as silk, his words tinted by a very refined British accent. When she dared to look up at him, she saw that half his face was in shadow, but by the light of the streetlamp, the semi-darkness only served to accentuate his perfectly sculptured cheekbones and nose, as well as the curves of his lips and neck. And for the first time, she noticed that he had a cleft in his well-shaped chin. Oh gods, she didn't need another handsome man in her life! The last three had been quite enough.
Her mind went back to the first time she laid eyes on his photograph. Why hadn't they taped his voice too, for pity's sake! They ought to have warned her not to be deceived by a poorly taken picture. Gil Marsten was downright sexy.
"Right," she said, sharply pulling herself together and deftly extricating her hand from his, "let's move out."
ooo
A couple of hours later, Kagome and her team were walking through a section of forest on the north side of the village. All in all, it was a lovely summer night with a cool breeze that blew through every so often. The chirping of many crickets could be heard all around them. Pale light from a waxing quarter moon filtered down through the canopy of trees above them.
"Excuse me? Kagome? May I ask you a question?" It was Gina, who had just pulled up alongside Kagome as they walked through the forest.
"Certainly," Kagome replied briskly. "What is it?"
"Well," began Gina a trifle nervously, "I wanted to know why you had to pull Angela's hair like that. It's pretty obvious she's a weakling-"
Kagome frowned. "It's far too obvious." She stopped walking and turned to Gina. "What was the first thing you were taught in basic?"
From behind her, a deep voice said softly, "Self-defense."
Ignoring the shivers that ran up and down her spine at the sound of Gil's obscenely beautiful voice, Kagome nodded. "Right. Self-defense is the most important thing when you're out in the field. From what I read in her file, she's decent with a blade, but the fact is, just being decent isn't enough. Look at me. I'm at least a couple of inches shorter than Private Morris. If she wasn't able to keep me from throwing her to the ground, what the hell do you think a demon twice my size is going to do to her?"
"Have skinny blonde chick for lunch?" Jack quipped lightly.
Gina laughed and Kagome nodded again. "Yes, something like that. Knowing how to defend yourself is important to survival in the field." She tilted her head to the side and asked, "Why do you care what I do to her?"
"I don't care, actually," Gina admitted. "I hate the bitch. She gets on my damned nerves. No, I only asked because I didn't want you to do the same to me." She patted her hair gingerly. "I'd hate to get my weave pulled out, especially since I just got it put in."
"Oh." Kagome began walking again and dipped in her vest pocket for her pack of smokes and a lighter. "Want one?" she asked, proffering her pack to the other three. To her inner amusement, her companions looked surprised for a split second. All three took her up on her offer, and waited politely as she lit hers.
"I didn't know you indulged in such a filthy habit," murmured Jack around his cigarette. He accepted her lighter and lit his cig quickly before passing the lighter to Gil.
With a shrug, Kagome exhaled. "We all have our vices," she replied reflectively. Yuki's face flashed in her mind and she looked down at the ground. "This just so happens to be one of mine," she added quietly, but she was not referring to the cigarette burning slowly between her fingers. "I've tried to give it up, but it's rather... difficult to let go."
"Yeah, I know what you mean," Gina said, handing the lighter back to Kagome. "Jack and I want to quit too, but it's so damn hard."
Kagome nodded and looked up. She had a feeling that Gil was staring at her... and she found that indeed, he was. Beneath the pale rays of the waxing moon she could just make out his steady gaze on her, and she knew that he knew exactly what she was speaking of. Or rather, of whom.
"You know," Gina said, breaking the silence and the spell that Gil's piercing stare had weaved around Kagome, "I'm really rather honored to be here." When Kagome looked at her curiously, Gina went on. "Well, not many people can say they've worked with you, Kagome. You're like, famous."
Kagome blinked then bowed her head. "Am I, indeed," she mumbled, taking a drag.
Gina came forward and put her hand on Kagome's shoulder. "Oh, but you are! Most of the female slayers at basic were there because of you. You've totally inspired so many women to do this kind of job. Until I went in I'd never heard of you, but when I got there, I found that you were a major topic of discussion among all the girls."
Jack winked at Kagome's stunned face. "And among the guys too," he added with a grin. "Especially after that fashion magazine came out with you in that spread." He frowned slightly and scratched his head. "Can't recall the name of the magazine, but I saw the pictures and nice ones they were, too. It was the second or third time you'd graced their covers... Anyway, I think as many guys as girls bought that issue, but the guys tore out the pictures and hung them up in their lockers." Jack chuckled. "I was one of them, I'm afraid."
"You were a popular pin-up girl," Gil put in unnecessarily, as smoke curled delicately around his head.
After sending Gil a glare, Kagome looked over at Gina. "I haven't done anything more or less than what a seasoned veteran slayer has done and I certainly didn't do that article for fame. I'm nothing special, but I've worked hard to get where I am. That's all." She dropped her gaze down to her cigarette, which had nearly burned down to the filter and regarded it absently. "But if that's what it takes to get people interested in what we do, then I'm for it. We can always use the help." She dropped the butt on the ground and stamped it out with the heel of her boot. "It's time we got moving."
ooo
The next afternoon, Kagome was sitting at her desk in her office. She'd been catching up on her paperwork for the past two hours and was just about to leave to take a short break. Laying down her pen, she raised her arms above her head, stretched mightily, and yawned in the process. A succession of little pops ran down her spine, which made her feel immensely better. Now all she needed was to get a cup of tea from that delightful little tea shop just down the road. A cup of sweet, milky tea was what she needed right now.
She was upset. Before she'd started on her paperwork, Kagome had decided to check her email. She'd written Hiro the day previously and wanted to see if he'd replied. No such luck. This perturbed Kagome, for Hiro always answered her emails. A wrenching thought hit her and she quickly logged out. What if Yuki had gotten Hiro to come over to his side and totally dismiss her? Surely not, but then why hadn't Hiro written her? Perhaps he was busy taking care of Akira? Yes, that must be it.
There was a knock on her door and she bade the knocker enter. It was none other than Gil Marsten. He came forward into the room and set down a steaming cup of tea down in front of her. Kagome stared up at him in confusion. "What's this?" she asked lamely, knowing full well what it was.
"Tea," he said simply, "from the tea shop down the street. Thought you might want one."
"But how-?" She picked up the cup and sipped it. To her utter surprise, it was exactly how she liked her tea; lightly sweetened with plenty of milk. Again she shot the man a startled look. "How on earth did you know how I liked my tea?" she demanded.
The tall man shrugged. "I didn't know. I guessed. Good afternoon, Lieutenant." He executed a neat bow and retreated from her office.
Kagome sat quite still for some moments, wondering just what the hell had happened. How did he know how she took her tea? Had he seen her at the tea shop? No, she could swear they never met at the tea shop. At least, she never saw him in the shop during the times she was there. It was nothing, she decided at last and attacked her tea with gusto. He had merely watched her pour out her tea and add the ingredients, taking notice of her actions while she performed them.
What puzzled her was, if that was the case, why should he bother making a study of how she preferred her tea?
ooo
But as time went on, she grew even more puzzled by the strange Gil Marsten. The tea, she came to realize, was only the beginning of his puzzling guesswork. Time after time, he managed to somehow miraculously anticipate her every need and want, knowing exactly what she needed when she needed it. It was quite unnerving, to say the least.
She came to the conclusion that the infernal man must be a mind-reader and decided to test her theory. One afternoon, instead of ordinary tea, she thought of a nice, cold, sweet glass of honeydew bubble tea with black pearls. There was no way Marsten could manage that, she thought with smug satisfaction. No one in this village sold, or even knew about bubble teas.
However, nearly a half hour later, in walked Gil Marsten, holding a clear, plastic glass full of pale green liquid with black pearls sitting comfortably at the bottom of the cup. As she stared, dumbfounded, up at him, he came forward and set the cup down in front of her.
"No way," she whispered, staring with horrified eyes at the bubble tea before her. She looked up at him and saw, with great irritation filling her soul, a look of smug satisfaction on his handsome face. Her hand itched to slap the infuriating expression off of him. Could he get any more annoying, for crying out loud?
"I adore a good bubble tea now and then, but you can't always find someone who makes them just right," he explained. "So I learned how a few years ago. I'm very good at making them, by the way. Enjoy." He left.
Kagome's initial reaction was to pick up the glass and hurl it at his retreating back, but the voice of reason eventually fought the anger back down and she decided to taste the concoction. It was sweet and cold and absolutely the best honeydew bubble tea she'd ever had, damn him.
ooo
It was nearing the end of the six months and Kagome still hadn't heard from Hiro. But by then, she had come to the conclusion that Hiro wanted nothing to do with her either and with this realization, was finally able to move on. They'd had a great run together, but all good things don't last forever and it was time that she accepted that.
Still, it was hard to take that stance, but there was nothing she could do. She didn't know which was harder, moving on from Hiro, her best friend, or letting go of Yuki, the man she loved. For she did love him. Very much so, despite of how he had treated her.
But she kept in mind of the memory of their last meeting. He had turned from tender lover to a cold, angry stranger in no time at all, spewing hurtful, angry words at her...
Kagome, who was sitting at her desk, leaned back and stared absently out of the window. It was a beautiful day in rural England, bright and sunny. People strolled down the street, a few cars passed by and one or two men on horseback rode through as well. This was her new home, she reminded herself, and reprimanded herself severely when a pang of homesickness shot through her. If she can squash the feelings she felt for Yuki, then homesickness would be a piece of cake. There was no way she could allow her emotions to take over her life.
She shook her head slowly. "I will never go back," she announced quietly to the room around her. "I... couldn't bear to go back."
A tall man was jogging slowly up the street towards the station and Kagome knew instantly who it was. The recently promoted Corporal Marsten was taking his daily run through the village and was now heading back to the station for a quick shower and a change of clothes.
As he approached, Kagome leaned forward in her chair to get a better look at him. Gods, he was an incredible chunk of male flesh! His hair gleamed gold in the bright sunlight and his golden tanned skin (the parts that were visible) were covered with sweat.
With a frustrated groan, Kagome jumped up and quickly shut the blinds, effectively hiding the enticing sight from her. No more men, she scolded herself harshly. The silly creatures were more trouble than they were worth. As beautiful as Gil was, she couldn't afford to lose her heart to yet another man. Even so, something deep inside her told her that there was something quite different about Gil, but she refused to pay that voice any mind. She refused to take any more chances again. She would not be reckless with her heart.
Yes, she would stop being so reckless...
Returning to her work, Kagome smiled grimly. Funny. Yuki would have approved of that.