Disclaimer: Inuyasha is sooo not mine.

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Shadow: You asked me why I don't reply to my reviewers. Well, I do reply to them, usually when I have the chance. I don't reply to those of you who are anonymous simply because when I get your review, there's no link to which I can instantly reply to you. I prefer to send my replies via private message anyway. My email address is . You're more than welcome to contact me whenever. ^^

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Chapter 11

Gil had left his cousins' house in a blind rage and drove around town for nearly two hours. By the time he had returned to the Higurashi shrine, he had cooled down considerably, but he remained thoroughly peeved. He still couldn't believe what he'd heard.

Of all the people to fall for his woman, it had to be his manga nerd cousin? He wanted to go up to Akira and say, "Et tu, Brutè?" Furthermore,Akira had already confessed his intention of making her his lifelong partner. Gil couldn't help but feel a little betrayed. And what was that about the Elven High Council? Why should they have to be dragged into this in order to decide who gets to be with Kagome? She was a human, for pity's sake, not a she-elf.

Such upsetting thoughts had rung in his head during the entire drive back to the shrine. Why hadn't his mum told him anything about this? He felt so cheated. Cheated and betrayed. What a way to start off a day.

Another thought struck him and he scowled. Just who the hell was this Kouga person anyway? Damn it, if he ever got his hands on the guy, he'd fucking kill him! Yuki, Gil had told himself, was in no way an obstacle because that low down son-of-bitch would never lay his filthy hands on Kagome again. Gil would make sure of that.

When he finally pulled up to the house, Gil shut off the engine and heaved a frustrated sigh. As much as he hated to admit it, there were a lot of things that Kagome had obviously neglected to tell him. He wanted to be angry at her for leaving out the part where Akira had found her and that Kouga person in the woods as they were about to get it on, but he couldn't. Really, he had no right to be angry at her if she did not want to tell him something like that. Besides, that was all in the past, right? After all, if she didn't love him she wouldn't have agreed to be his wife.

He got out of the car and as he walked towards her house, he paused for a moment. A stunning red and black motorcycle was parked in front and its owner sat astride it, his dark head turning every so often to look in the direction of the front door. His body appeared to be hunched up, but upon further inspection Gil realized that he was leaning forward on his handle bars. Gil walked over to him to see what he wanted.

The man on the motorcycle must have heard Gil coming up behind him, for his body stiffened and he turned, getting off the bike as he did so. "Kagome, please forgive me. I never meant… oh. Sorry." He eyed Gil with some surprise. "I thought you were someone else."

Anger drew Gil's eyebrows downwards in a dark scowl. "Who the hell are you and what is it that you want my fiancé to forgive you for?" Gil asked the man sharply. He was in no mood for any more unpleasant surprises. Besides, he didn't like the look of this guy. There was something not quite right with his appearance. With his luck, this fucker might be a demon. But Gil swiftly put an end to that disturbing thought. No way would his sweet young woman be involved with lowly demon scum.

Running one large hand through his short, jet-black hair, the guy shook his head. "Not to be rude, but that's really none of your business," was his frank reply. "This is a private matter between Kagome and me."

"Look, Kagome's about to become my wife, alright?" Gil said with a trace of hostility in his voice. "So whatever matters concern her, concerns me as well."

"Wow, you two aren't even married and already you're overbearing and controlling," the dark-haired stranger retorted. "I don't think so, pal. She's allowed to have her privacy, you know. That has always been a big thing with her. I mean, as her intended husband, you should know that, right?"

The man's words struck a chord with Gil. In response, he lifted his chin in a haughty manner. That was what Hiro had said about Kagome as well, that she prized her privacy greatly. But damn it, this fool could have put it more tactfully! "So I've heard," he muttered a little petulantly.

He glanced over at the man and eyed him up and down. The man before him was tall and powerfully built even though it was concealed well. He had a sleek, streamlined, well-muscled figure that filled his clothes perfectly and Gil had to subdue a tiny spark of jealousy. If he were honest with himself, Gil would say that the guy was really rather quite handsome. He wasn't up to par with Yuki's stunning beauty in the looks department but then, what male had ever been as physically blessed as Yuki? The man's jet black hair was cut short in the back and kept slightly longer in the front. A large tanned hand reached up and shoved the obsidian-spun bangs out of his eyes, which were a frosty shade of blue.

Gil no longer disliked the guy; he downright loathed him.

A black eyebrow arched upwards. "Whatcha staring at?" the man asked derisively, his lips curling up into mocking smile. "See something you like?"

But Gil did not answer right away. His attention was now on the man's mouth and he knew instantly what it was about this man that he did not like. Just beneath his upper lip, Gil caught a glimpse of sharp, white fang. "You're a demon," he pointed out accusingly.

The smile widened, exposing the other fang. "Wow, you're good. However did you guess?" was Kouga's sarcastic reply.

Gil ignored him. "Kagome never mentioned that she was acquainted with your kind," he said, glaring at the black-haired youkai. Dear gods, was she friends with these animals? If this guy was speaking the truth, she would have some serious explaining to do.

"My kind, eh?" Kouga, for his part, was far from impressed with Kagome's betrothed. It was pretty obvious that the man was prejudiced against youkai. In fact, he sounded just like his cousin, Yuki. How sad. What she saw in Gil, Kouga could only guess, but this presented a good opportunity to possibly get rid of him. She could do a lot better than a half-human, half-elf bigot. "You make it sound as though I'm not good enough to black your boots, much less be friends with a human female."

"You aren't," Gil shot back. "Demons will never be good enough. Humans and elves should never lower themselves to associate with them. It's not right. I mean, you're nothing but a bunch of bloodthirsty monsters, behaving the way you do. You don't hear of elves or humans running around murdering innocent people and eating them, do you? Demons are good for nothing but killing."

Kouga had come across all kinds of people during the past several centuries, but Gil had to be one of the most ignorant people he'd ever met. "You must have blinders on when it comes to humans then, for your knowledge of their history is sadly lacking," he said coldly. "Humans are not exactly the epitome of perfection, either. They slaughter their fellow man mercilessly all in the name of politics, religions, and so on. Demons have not done that."

"No. They prefer to slaughter humans."

"The lower, simpler forms of my kind do, yes," Kouga admitted. "But youkai like me don't do that. We have no need for human flesh." He paused then added thoughtfully, "It's sort of like humans who hunt for sport. In reality, they have no need to kill animals. Indeed, the need to hunt has, for the most part, died out in the human race, but a few continue to do so simply for the thrill of tracking some poor animal in order to shoot it and take its head for a trophy, as well as its flesh and hide. How is that different?"

Gil gave Kouga a freezing look and the latter savored the thrill of this small jab.

"It just is," Gil said angrily. "Look, your kind is inferior to the elven and human races. I mean, you probably lived in a cave and ran around with wild animals until only recently."

Nonplussed, Kouga chuckled. "Well, you're only partly right there. As a matter of fact, I did live in a cave and run around with wild animals, but that was centuries ago."

"You see! I was right!"

"But yet again, your lack of historical knowledge is showing through. If you recall, humans lived in caves and ran around with wild animals too," Kouga pointed out.

The look on Gil's face was priceless. "Well… that was hundreds of thousands of years ago!" he sputtered, his temper flaring. "If you haven't noticed, we have evolved a quite a bit since then. We're more civilized now."

"Yes, and so are youkai," the wolf said reasonably. "Humans have slipped up a bit now and then in the civilized department." He sent Gil a toothy grin. "Wouldn't you agree?"

"I refuse to believe that Kagome would have anything to do with someone like you," Gil snapped. "You're an aggravating know-it-all and—"

"Then you don't know her very well," Kouga interjected smugly, crossing his arms over his chest. "I can see there's a lot about Kagome that you're unaware of. This might come as a surprise to you, so hold on to your trousers. She's not just acquainted with my kind; she's friends with us."

The fair haired man stared incredulously at Kouga. "You're lying," he replied tightly.

Kouga shook his head. "No, I'm not. Has she ever told you about her life before she entered the Corp?"

Gil shrugged. "Yes, of course she did. She met some interesting characters while in high school, one of whom she fell in love with. Some guy called Inuyasha, I think. The bastard broke her heart. Anyway, she battled depression for a bit before joining the Slayer Corp. where she met up with my three cousins."

The other male smirked. "I hate to break it to you, but you only know half the story and the version you do know is only half-true. For instance, did you know that Inuyasha is a hanyou?"

This was news to Gil. Rather unpleasant news. So unpleasant, in fact, that he did not bother to hide his disgust. "Oh, god no," he remarked disdainfully. "She never said anything about that." He moved forward and asked in a low voice, "What else do you know?"

Ice blue eyes studied him for a long moment, as though deciding whether or not to reveal anything further. At last, Kouga turned his head and gazed over his left shoulder. "You see that little building over there?" he asked with a jerk of his head, indicating the area he was referring to.

Gil stared at the building for a moment. "That little wooden hut over by the big tree, you mean? Yeah. What about it?"

"C'mon." Kouga began walking towards it. Gil followed closely behind. When they reached it, Kouga slid the door open. "It's the shrine's well house," he explained and descended the steps into the stuffy darkness.

"I can see that," Gil muttered and wrinkled his nose. "It's a bit close in here."

Kouga leaned over and peered down into the well's inky blackness. "Once, this was a portal between this time and five hundred years into the past."

Gil didn't know whether to tell his guide to shut the fuck up or laugh. He opted for the latter. His hearty laughter reverberated around the interior of the hut. "What absolute rubbish!" he chortled, holding his stomach in his mirth. "I've never heard of such utter horse shi-"

"This portal was a passageway to the Sengoku Jidai," interrupted Kouga, his voice serious. "That was where Kagome met Inuyasha... and me."

Gil's laughed again, even louder this time. "Now I know you're insane! I'm getting the fuck out of here." He started back up the steps.

"By the way," Kouga muttered softly at Gil's back, "I loved her first."

Gil's feet stopped in mid-step and he turned around slowly to stare disbelievingly at Kouga. "What did you just say?"

Even before Kouga answered, he felt the air in the hut grow taut with tension. It seemed to vibrate all around them. "You heard me. I... loved... her... first." He carefully annunciated each word.

Gil took a menacing step downward. "What?"

"I fell in love with her long before you were even born," Kouga replied.

"How the hell is that even possible? She's a couple of years younger than me," said Gil with a snarl. "You're nuts, you know that? Prove to me that what you're saying is true, alright, mate? Then maybe we'll have a nice cozy chat. But in the meantime, bugger off and stay away from my woman!" Again he turned to go.

Kouga scowled. Gil was proving himself to be a real jerk and something of a simpleton. He disliked him for being Kagome's intended, but he really despised him for not showing Kagome his true colors. "Prove it? Okay, I'll prove it," Kouga said and followed Gil up the steps. The other started violently but allowed to Kouga pass him on the way up.

"What did you say?"

"I said okay, I'll prove it," he finished loudly and slowly as though speaking to a person who was hard of hearing. An impudent grin lit up Kouga's face. "Let's go ask Kagome, shall we? I mean, you'd believe her word over mine, right?" He turned and began walking away when he felt a hand on his arm, holding him back. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Gil watching him with a dark countenance. "What's the matter with you?"

"Just who the fuck are you? How do you know Kagome so well?" Unconsciously, Gil's grip on Kouga's arm tightened. He wanted to see if he could peer into his mind, to see what secrets he may be keeping. But he saw nothing.

The memory of Lady Miranda touching his hands and his forehead made Kouga realize what Gil was doing, and he chuckled. "Not trying to glean my secrets, are you?" he asked, removing Gil's hand from his person gently. "I'm afraid that I know Kagome a far sight better than you, my friend." He held up a hand when he saw Gil's mouth open, quite possibly to give him an earful. "Hey now, don't get pissed off at me. I know her better simply because I've known her longer."

Gil shut his mouth, but continued to glare at the man, whose name he still didn't know. He said roughly, "Don't get angry at you? How can I not? You just told me that you loved her first. That's not a cool thing to say about a bloke's woman. Are you trying to warn me off?"

"I'm just stating a fact, that's all." Nonchalantly, Kouga leaned back against the wall of the hut and stared at Gil through narrowed lids. "Is that a problem for you?" It was taking all his self-control not to beat this guy to a bloody pulp. Listening to Gil state over and over again that Kagome was his woman, was pure torture to Kouga's ears. She wasn't Gil's woman. She never had been. Kagome belonged to Kouga, just as he belonged to her.

"Yes, it is, actually." Gil straightened his huge frame to make himself as tall and intimidating as possible. "If you think you're going to insinuate yourself back into her life, you've got another think coming. I won't stand back and let you take her from me."

Kouga gave him a self-deprecating smile. "In all honesty, I tried. But she wouldn't have me."

With a guttural growl, Gil grabbed Kouga by the collar of his shirt and slammed him into the wall. "When was this? When did you try to take her? Just now before I came up the drive? Or while I was gone?" To Gil's surprise and dismay, his captive began to laugh. "What the hell's so fucking funny to you?" he demanded furiously.

"You're not very bright, are you?" Kouga chuckled. He grabbed hold of Gil's wrists and shoved him away. "As much as it pains me to say this, she chose you. You! You're getting yourself all worked up for nothing."

Gil's face flamed a violent shade of red. "What do you mean, for nothing? You forced yourself on her! How is that nothing?"

"Who said I forced myself on her? I would never do such a thing to Kagome!" Kouga glared at his rival, who stood before him, broad chest heaving. "But since you're just itching for a fight, I will let you in on a little secret. Despite the fact that she rejected me, she still loves me."

"What? Kagome loves a demon? Yeah, right," snorted Gil, who stared hard at Kouga. Kouga stared solemnly back at him. There was no lie emanating from the male standing before him. Suddenly, he was fighting back the violent urge to kill the black-haired demon... "First, there was Yuki, then Akira, and now you? Why? Why won't you guys move on and just leave her alone? She's with me, damn it! Me!"

Leaning back against the hut once more, Kouga studied Gil. "Well, I'm sorry, but I'm only telling you like it is. Look, you're not the only man in her life, my boy. You weren't the first, you certainly won't be the last and the sooner you get that through your head, the better off you'll be. If you keep blowing your top every time you hear that someone has a thing for her, you'll end up having a stroke." Kouga paused a moment then added coolly, "It sounds to me like you don't trust Kagome."

The tall man puffed up like an angry hen. "That's a ridiculous notion! Of course I trust Kagome! I wouldn't plan on marrying her if I didn't."

"But you don't trust her. That's my point. You feel threatened even though she's engaged to you, even though I admitted to you that she chose you over me." Stepping away from the wall, Kouga moved forward towards Gil. "Yes, I admit that I came to see Kagome while you were gone."

"Oh no," breathed Gil, his face turning pale. "I knew it. So what happened? What the hell did you do to her, you filthy demon?"

A soft footfall come up the path made them turn. Kagome came towards them, her eyes dark with anxiety. Kouga could smell her unease and mentally cursed himself for opening his big mouth and by doing so, had managed to upset her life. He could give a shit about Gil's feelings; hell, he hoped that Gil would leave and never come back. But there were Kagome's feelings to consider and he felt guilty for not taking them into account. In his defense, however, Kouga felt that Gil was bad news. The guy was as prejudiced as they come and would likely as not force her to stay away from her youkai friends. That thought really burned Kouga, because he could not imagine his life without her in it. At any rate, he knew that she would be better off without Gil in the long run. He only hoped that she would see it that way too... in time.

"What are you doing here?" she asked nervously, looking from one to the other.

Kouga opened his mouth to speak, but Gil burst out, "This guy told me something rather unsettling, babe. He said that he'd made a move on you while I was gone. It can't be true, right? I mean, come on! The guy's a bloody demon! You'd never allow a filthy creature like him to touch you. Right, babe?" He paused and when Kagome's face showed signs of hesitation, his heart sank. "It's true then, isn't it?"

Kagome's face blanched slightly. She hated the fact that Gil was so biased against youkai. "Yes, it's true," she whispered guiltily.

"Did you... did you do anything?" Gil's voice shook. "I mean, did you and he... uh..." He trailed off and stared at his betrothed with a disgusted expression. "Kagome? Please tell me you didn't let some demon put his paws all over you."

She faced Gil squarely, pointedly ignoring Kouga's piercing gaze. There was a silent message there, she could feel it. "I pushed him away, Gil. Head butted, punched, and then kicked him, if you want to get technical."

"Good. That's an excellent way to keep demon scum away." Gil looked quite satisfied and shot a smug look at Kouga, who only had eyes for Kagome. "I knew you'd never willingly allow a despicable creature like him to lay a hand on you." To Kouga, he said, "I hardly need to tell you to stay away from my woman from now on. Alright?" He glanced back at Kagome, and then recoiled. She was glaring daggers at him. "What?" he asked.

"Demon... scum?" Kagome's voice was tight with anger. "Just who the fuck do you think you're talking to, Gil?"

Gil's brow knitted at the accusatory sound of her voice. "That thing standing right there," he spat, pointing at Kouga. "What else would I be talking about?"

But Kagome stepped in front of Kouga, shielding him from Gil's pointing finger. "He isn't a thing, Gil. He is a person like you and me-"

"He's a fucking demon!" Gil burst out. He was puzzled as to why Kagome was defending such a creature, but he was already pushed to the limit. "We're slayers, Kagome. We're being paid to slay them, not befriend them, for god's sake!"

Kagome stepped forward and slapped Gil's hand away. "Yes, he is a youkai, but he is also my friend. I won't stand here and listen to you insult him."

From behind her, Kouga touched her shoulder. "Please don't do this," he murmured soothingly. "You don't need to defend me from him."

She shooed him back. "Be quiet! I can't stand by and listen to him speak to you that way, Kouga."

Kouga! Gil's vision narrowed and his entire world turned red. "I fucking knew it! The moment I laid eyes on you I knew you were trouble! You're the one Akira tried to kill in the forest that night, aren't you?" His smoky grey eyes jumped from Kouga to Kagome and back again. "Oh my god," he groaned, openly staring at them with revulsion. "You were making love with... with... that?" he sputtered and gagged. "Did you kiss him? Did you like feeling his fangs on you? To think that you let me sleep with you and all this time you never told me that you'd fucked a demon!"

Both Kouga and Kagome looked startled. "How did you find out about that?" Kouga asked calmly and placed a restraining hand on Kagome's arm. She was beside herself with rage and he could sense that she was more than ready to let Gil have the ass whooping of a lifetime.

"Does it matter?" Gil shot back angrily. "The point is that I found out about your fetish for those creatures before I married you. Thank you both for opening my eyes. A horrible mistake has just been averted!"

A horrible mistake. Kagome felt her world begin to tilt strangely. She had become another man's mistake, she thought and felt her body sway slightly. She would have fallen over, except for a large, warm hand that pressed itself flat against her back for support. It steadied her and somehow, that gave her the strength to pull herself together enough to remove the engagement ring from her finger...

"No," she said quite calmly despite the whirlwind of emotion raging inside her, "I'm the one who nearly made a horrible mistake. I never thought you capable of being so hateful, Giles Marsten, but you're no different from Yuki. You may have been the man I was to marry, but Kouga was my friend long before I ever met you. I would give my life for his because he is a loving, caring person; far more so than you could ever be. Tell your mother I'm sorry, but I refuse to marry a man who's so filled with hate and prejudice that he can't see straight." Raising her hand, she tossed the ring at Gil, who caught it easily.

Gracing her with one of the coldest looks she'd ever seen, Gil turned on his heel and headed back into the house. A few minutes later, he had his luggage and throwing them into his rental car, drove away, tires squealing.

She and Kouga stood quite still for a long moment. The only sounds around them were of birds twittering happily in the trees and the whisper of the wind in the leaves of those trees.

With a pained expression, Kagome turned to Kouga and looked up at him. "I cannot tell you how sorry I am for his behavior. I never thought that… well, that you two would ever meet. Actually, I never thought that I would ever see you again. I had hoped that you two would never meet at all because I know how he is." She shook her head and then lifted an unsteady hand to her temple. "He's hateful towards youkai just as much as Yuki is. I can't believe that I thought I could spend a lifetime with a man like him." Kagome hung her head with shame. "I thought I loved him, Kouga. What the hell is wrong with me?"

"There's nothing is wrong with you," Kouga told her gently. "He just didn't deserve you, that's all. Don't beat yourself up for his sake, okay?" Grabbing her hands, he brought them up to his lips and kissed them tenderly. "Thank you for standing up for me, Kagome. I really appreciate it. It's comforting to know that I have you in my corner and at my back when I need it. You're my hero." He smiled down into her face.

Kagome shook her head. "I'm nothing special, Kouga. But I'm glad to be there for you. That's what friends do, right?"

He agreed and escorted her back to her house. When they walked to her front door, Kagome turned around and asked, "Why are you still here, anyway?"

"I wanted to apologize for my behavior earlier," he told her solemnly. "You were right to push me away like that. I'm afraid I wasn't about to take no for answer." He paused. "Are you certain you won't change your mind about leaving? If Naraku is on the loose, I'd much prefer to have you close at hand so I can keep an eye on you. So, how about it?"

"You mean, you want to be my bodyguard, is that it?" She turned away from him when he nodded. "No, I'm sorry, Kouga. I have no need of a bodyguard, thank you." Her hand reached out for the door knob and rested on it just as Kouga's own hand settled itself on hers.

"It would put my mind at ease if you had someone with you at all times," he said, his voice quietly pleading. "Let me come with you, then. I'll stay out of your way, I promise."

Gently, but firmly, Kagome refused his request. "I'm sorry, Kouga. But I don't need someone in my back pocket at all times. I can take care of myself." With a sad smile, she reached up and pressed a kiss on his cheek. "But thanks for the offer. I'll see you around, okay?" Ignoring his protestations, Kagome slipped inside the house and locked the door behind her.

ooooooooooooooooo

She had returned to England, sans Gil, and headed back to Horningsham. When she arrived at the station the day after she came back, she was informed by Sergeant Blair that Sergeant Marsten had taken several more days off. Kagome shrugged and went into her office.

That night, she went on patrol alone and that was fine with her. She preferred to work alone anyway, and besides, it gave her time to think. Sergeants Blair and Devere were out with their groups, while Jack and Gina had taken off and had gone up to London for the weekend. Kagome had a sneaking suspicion they had gone to visit Gil. After all, why shouldn't they? They were friends with him, too. She just hoped that Gil wouldn't speak ill of her.

But that was a week ago. This afternoon, Kagome was in the office catching up on some paperwork.

The buzzer on her desk phone bleated softly. Kagome looked up from her paperwork and pressed the button. "Yes?"

"Lieutenant, you have a visitor," Corporal Meyers said quietly and Kagome fancied that his voice shook with what she could swear was fear.

"Send them in," she replied with a confused frown. She picked up a file from off her desk and took it over to the filing cabinet by the window. As she was replacing the folder and retrieving another, there was a soft knock on the door. "Come in," she called out over shoulder. The door opened and she turned to see who it was, manila folder in her hands.

She took one look at the man's face and she opened her mouth in order to reprimand him for being here. The next minute her eyes dropped down to his neck where, on his collar, sat five highly polished gold stars in a row. Further down on his chest were pinned numerous medals on his neat, royal blue uniform blazer.

The blood drained from Kagome's face. The folder slipped soundlessly from her suddenly nerveless fingers and her right arm came up in a perfectly executed salute. "Sir! Excuse my manners, sir! I did not realize who was in my presence, sir! Do I have permission to pick up my papers, sir?"

"You may do so, lieutenant," Kouga, said softly, albeit firmly. He turned to look back into the office where the remainder of the station's staff stood stiffly at attention. "As you were," he told them, giving them a brisk nod. The slayers in the outer office instantly relaxed and resumed their duties. He nodded again and shut the office door behind him.

Kagome felt faint. She'd had no earthly idea that Kouga was a five-star general! As she sank to the floor to retrieve the scattered papers with trembling hands, she fought the urge to weep. She'd hit him! Oh gods, of all the foolish things she'd ever done, she had punched a general in the face! As images of her being court-martialed began to parade through her head, a couple of tears slid down her pale cheeks.

As she was desperately thinking of ways to apologize to him without losing too much of her dignity, a pair of large hands came into her line of sight and took the papers she'd already gathered up. When she dared to look up, she saw that Kouga had gotten down on his knees as well and was picking up the remainder of the papers off the floor.

Another wave of faintness washed over her. This did not look good. Even though a familiar, friendly face was attached to those five gold stars, the fact remained that a highly decorated general was on his knees on the floor of her office, calmly cleaning up the mess she had made. He looked up at her and she could not help but flinch from him.

She grabbed the collected papers from him, shoved them into the file and set them on top of the filing cabinet. "Th-thank you, sir," she choked, backing slowly away from him. "I'm just... Your visit was unexpected and I... I'm afraid I'm rather clumsy at times."

"Kagome," Kouga whispered, holding out his hands to her in a pleading gesture. "It's just me. I'm sorry I had to turn up like this, but if I tried to see you in anything other than my uniform, you would have refused to see me."

That was quite true, she thought to herself, and looked away from him in order to hide the look of guilt that she knew was showing. "Please, have a seat," she said, indicating that he take her chair behind the desk. She herself took a seat in a chair in front of her desk and bowed her head.

There was a tense silence for a moment, and then Kouga took her hand, led her to the couch and made her sit down beside him. "I won't take your seat," he told her, retaining his hold on her hand. "Look at me, Kagome." When she refused, he said dropped her hand and said sharply, "Look at me, lieutenant!" Her gaze flew up to interlock with his and he took her hand once more. "Please don't push me away, Kagome. I don't like it when you do that."

"Well then, maybe you shouldn't get too close," she told him crisply. "Why are you here?"

Seeing that she was not being receptive to his advances, Kouga decided to come right to the point of his visit. "The real reason I'm here," he began and reached into his blazer to retrieve a slim white envelope from the left inner breast pocket, "is in here. Even when its business, I keep you close to my heart," he quipped lightly but handed the envelope to Kagome with a serious expression. "You're not going like what this has to say, I'm afraid. But orders are orders and these come from the Commander himself."

Kagome's eyes opened very wide. "The Commander? You mean, as in, the head of Slayer Corp.?" She opened the envelope's flap and removed the letter within. Kagome unfolded the single sheet of paper and read it. Her eyes opened even wider, along with her mouth, which dropped open as she read the letter. When she had finished, she lifted her head slowly to gape up at Kouga. "What the fuck is this?" she hissed at him.

"Now wait a minute," Kouga begged. He put up his hands and took a couple of steps back. "This was the Commander's idea. I'm only here to follow his orders."

She gave him a dark look. "He thinks I need a babysitter?" she snapped and waved the letter in the air. "Or is this a bald-faced attempt to get me in your bed, Kouga? If I'm stuck with you day in and day out, then eventually I will succumb to your charms? Give me a fucking break."

Kouga winced inwardly. That had actually been part of the reason why he had agreed to take on this assignment. But he couldn't very well let her know that. Instead, he said, "No, no, not at all! Kagome, sweetheart, listen to me, okay? No, don't get up. I really don't want to get hit again," pleaded the wolf youkai. "There really is a perfectly good explanation for this, if you'll just hear me out."

"There'd fucking better be!" Kagome balled up her fists. "Because right now, I could give a rat's ass if you're a general! I will knock you into next week!"

Kouga moved suddenly and put a chair between him and the irate woman. "Look, I'm not going to be your babysitter, Kagome. I believe the correct word is 'bodyguard'." His face was instantly serious. "The reason the Commander wishes for you to have protection is because... well, we've received new information regarding Naraku."

The anger drained from Kagome's face. "You found him?" she asked in a fearful whisper, as though he might be listening. Disregarding his personal safety, Kouga went the couch and sat down on it, pulling her down on it to sit beside him.

"Well, sort of. I tried telling you about it when I was at your house, but you didn't want to listen," he told her reproachfully. "Our sources say that he is currently in Tokyo. Unfortunately, we haven't been able to get a visual confirmation. His energy has popped up in odd places, sort of like a blip on a radar screen. It comes and goes quickly, but it's there nonetheless. We've had operatives scattered all over Tokyo searching for him, but in all honesty, none of us know what he looks like now. He's had five centuries to alter his appearance. Doubtless he's had a complete makeover. He may not even appear Japanese anymore. But what we do know is that he's been in Tokyo for the past several years."

"What?" Kagome's face had turned completely white. "You mean... he's been there while I lived there? Oh gods, I never knew..."

Kouga nodded. "Yes. It's strange though; he has never made any effort to contact you during that period, assuming, of course, that he even remembers who he is and who you are. Yes, we have been keeping tabs on him for some time now. At least, we have been since he'd first put in an appearance. That was, oh, well over a decade ago. He would be felt for a few days or a week, and then he would disappear for a few months only to return again. The patterns were irregular and that seemed to suggest that perhaps he is disguised as a traveler in this lifetime." Kouga gazed absently out of Kagome's office window. "Maybe he's been reborn but has no clue as to who he was. That would explain why he has made no effort to get in touch with you. At least, that's the current theory among the generals and the commander." He blinked suddenly and turned to look at Kagome, who had been staring at him as though he were some strange creature. "You think I'm crazy."

"I don't really know," Kagome confessed. "But I would much rather he have been reborn as someone else. If that were the case, perhaps he would be a more reasonable person in this life."

The wolf youkai leaned back against the sofa and nodded thoughtfully. "Perhaps," he agreed. "After all, he hasn't done anything yet."

Kagome shivered. "Yet," she repeated softly. "But he will. He's already contacted me, hasn't he." It wasn't a question.

"You don't know that for certain, Kagome," he reassured her. "He probably doesn't even know who he is."

But Kagome shook her head adamantly. "I do know that for certain, Kouga, just as I know that it was he who whispered to me that day in Tokyo Bay. Despite that he and I have been reincarnated into different people, the fact remains that the person I was and the person he was were twins. Twins have a strange connection to each other, don't they? They just know."

Kouga appeared to think this over and Kagome went on. "I could feel him when he whispered to me. I could sense his gaze on me. He was watching me, Kouga!"

"All the more reason to keep you in our sights," Kouga said, his voice gentle. He wanted to kiss her, hell, make love to her, but he didn't dare. He had told the Commander that she would be far from pleased by such an arrangement, but he had been overruled by the other generals as well as the Commander himself. They all felt that she needed to be protected and since he was very close to her, he should be the one dispatched to fulfill that mission.

She was silent a moment. When she turned to look at him at last, she sent him an indignant look. "I see. I am no longer trusted."

"What!"

"If I am in need of a watchdog, then I am not fit for duty. How can I take charge of this place when I have someone breathing down my neck all the time? So tell me, Kouga. When will I be relieved of my duties? Huh?"

"You've got this all wrong, Kagome! You are a highly valued part of our organization, you know. We would be fools to allow something to happen to someone with your skills. But it's not just your personal safety that we care about." Kouga lowered his gaze to Kagome's chest. "You are still in possession of that," he said, pointing at her bosom.

Kagome's hand flew to her chest, where the Shikon no Tama rested against her skin beneath her clothes. "Don't be ridiculous," she retorted sharply, "the damned thing doesn't even work anymore."

"We are not willing to take that chance," Kouga replied grimly. "You know as well as I do that, in the wrong hands, the Shikon can become a lethal weapon. If he gets a hold of it-"

"He won't." She lifted her arms and pulled the gold chain over her head. The Shikon no Tama dangled on the end of it, its translucent, rose-tinted glass surface twinkled at him. "If this is what is keeping you here, then please, take it. I have no use for it." When he made no move to take it from her, she lay it down on his lap. "There, now you won't have to bore yourself to tears in this place. It was nice seeing you," she said and began to rise from the sofa.

Setting the jewel quickly aside, Kouga grabbed her arm and forced her back down. "The jewel isn't what's keeping me here," he said, wrapping his arms around her. She gave him a triumphant look and he returned it with a sheepish one of his own. "Yes, I admit that part of the reason I came here was simply to be close to you. Honestly, when they chose me to be the one to be with you, I rejected the idea. I predicted exactly how you would react to my being here, but I was overruled." He smiled at her, then leaned forward and brushed her cheek with his lips. "I'm glad I came."

Kagome tugged ineffectually to loosen herself from his grip. "Stop this, Kouga! I can't do this and you know it. You're a general, for heaven's sake! This isn't appropriate."

"I could care less," he murmured and lifted her hand to press a warm kiss on the underside of her wrist.

She snatched her arm from him and got up from the couch in a hurry. "Well, I do care," she told him and went over to the window. "You're an important person, Kouga. You can't just go around kissing and flirting with all the lower ranking officers."

Not surprisingly, when Kagome turned around she found him standing directly behind her. He had removed his blazer and was now in the process of loosening his tie. "I don't go around kissing and flirting with all the lower ranking officers," he told her, his blue eyes twinkling merrily. "I kiss and flirt only with you. Besides, you rank higher than Sergeant Marsten and you saw nothing inappropriate about that relationship."

"That's different," she retorted defensively, her gaze cool. "I'm only one rank above him. You, on the other hand, are at the top of the totem pole. I am just a lowly lieutenant kneeling at your feet, at the mercy of your every command."

When she tried to skirt past him, he caught her in his arms and held her to him for a moment before he ushered her back to the couch. "Let me make one thing clear to you," he said, interlocking their fingers, "I am painfully aware of the gulf between our ranks. But when the day is through and we've shed our uniforms in favor of street clothes, I am the one who is at your command. I am the one who kneels at your feet." He suited the action to the words, much to Kagome's dismay. "I worship you, Kagome," he whispered passionately, kissing the palms of her hands. Sinfully long black lashes slid downwards and hid his bright blue eyes from her sight. He pressed one of her hands against his face so that it cupped his cheek and sighed contentedly. "My lady... my goddess..." His eyes opened and he gazed, love struck, at her.

My goddess...

The two simple words jolted her out of the spell that Kouga had masterfully wrapped around her. Her body stiffened, and Kouga took notice. He glanced into her face, a look of confusion on his own. "What's wrong?"

With Kouga now nearly forgotten, Kagome squeezed her eyes shut as the memories flooded her brain. How many times had Thanos whispered those words to her? How many times had he knelt before her as Kouga was doing now? He had tried stealing kisses from her and attempted to elicit responses from her. How many times had she pushed him away, telling him that she wanted nothing to do with him...?

Thanos— who possessed deep, dark eyes, wild, raven tresses and a beautifully cruel mouth from which poured the foulest obscenities ever to have graced her ears… were mixed with passionate endearments and promises of his eternal love –

How many times had carried her off to her room where took her again and again? So many, so many!

Nearly every time when this would happen, her bed had been turned into a battlefield where she inevitably ended up the loser. Her tears had mixed with the sweat that dripped from his face as he loomed over her, her small wrists crushed by his huge hands as he pinned her ruthlessly down to the bed; her cries of terror had mingled with and were finally drowned out by his roars of domination. She could easily recall how they had echoed around her room, and even after he had either fallen asleep on top of her or had returned to his own bed, she could still hear it for hours afterwards. It seemed to mock her as she lay on her bed, her bruised body left in agonizing pain by his violence.

Her head began to spin and she grew suddenly nauseous. "Don't touch me!" she whimpered weakly. She drew away from the hands which tried to grasp at her. "Leave me alone, Thanos! I don't want you!" Then just as suddenly, the dizziness and nausea vanished and her world mercifully went black.

ooo

Someone was calling her name. It seemed as though the speaker was a long ways off. They were calling her name again. Was she in a tunnel? There was a tiny speck of light in the distance. She contemplated on whether or not to go towards it...

Time passed, but how much, she had no idea. The voice came again, but she didn't want to go towards it. It was a voice she knew; it was gentle and kind and she wanted to run to that voice for there was no doubt that the owner of the voice loved her and would never hurt her. But— if she left the safety of her dark little world, he would find her and he would hurt her again. So there she stayed, safe and hidden.

"Kagome!" It was the kind voice again, only this time it was full of anxiety. "Please wake up! Sweetheart, are you alright?"

The voice was worried for her, thought Kagome. She dared to move from her hiding place and glanced down the tunnel. The light was still there, but it seemed further away this time. 'No, don't leave me!' she thought frantically and began to make her way towards the light. 'Wait for me!'

The closer she came to the light, the more she was convinced that she could see someone looking in through the tunnel back at her. When she got close enough to see details, she froze and very nearly ran back the way she came. The person waiting for her at the end of the tunnel had black hair! But upon closer inspection, she saw that it wasn't him but someone else entirely. Someone she knew and trusted. With a giggle, she ran the rest of the way towards him.

Kagome blinked as her eyes came into focus. She frowned when she realized that she was lying, stretched out on her sofa. Kneeling beside her was Kouga, his face fraught with worry. "Kouga? Were you calling my name just now?"

The worry was immediately replaced by a relieved grin. "Yes! Damn, girl, you gave me such a scare when you passed out on me like that!" He pulled her into a hearty embrace. "If I did or said anything to upset you, I'm sorry. That's the last thing I'd ever want to do to you."

An image of Thanos flashed in her mind and she returned Kouga's hug fiercely. She felt safe with Kouga. His arms were a haven of peace and sanity. "It wasn't you," she whispered against his shoulder. "I... I saw Thanos and... I remembered what he used to do to me." In a halting, broken voice, Kagome told Kouga of the horrors she had relived through her memories.

Kouga said nothing for a long time; indeed, it was all he could to hold his tongue. He wanted to yell and scream and tear Naraku to pieces. But he did nothing except hold her. There was no doubt that Kagome spoke the truth. The way she recounted the incidents told Kouga that she had indeed experienced them first-hand. It made him loathe Naraku even more than ever, for he remembered that night when they had found Kagome in Kuranoske's castle, with Naraku on top of her, like a tiger about to devour its prey.

When the sobbing ceased, Kagome pulled away from him and looked up into his eyes. "I don't repulse you, do I?" she asked with a little hiccupping cough. "You know, because of... I mean..." She paused. "You see, I couldn't tell Gil anything about this because I was afraid he'd be disgusted with me. Of course, he was, as we both found out. I don't know what I'd do if you ever turned from me like that, Kouga."

Taking her face in his hands, Kouga kissed her forehead. "You don't have to explain anything to me. Okay? And there is nothing in this world that would make me turn my back on you, you got that?" His kisses trailed down the bridge of her nose and ended at her lips. "How could I even dream of doing that, when I want you as my mate?" he whispered before slanting his mouth over her own.

She sighed into his mouth as his arms went around her and crushed her to him. Her eyes slid closed and she leaned into his kiss.

How lovely his arms felt around her! How warm his body was against hers! She adored everything about this man. Everything! The way he looked, the way he smelt, the way he smiled at her as though no other woman in the world existed. The looks he gave her were hot, passionate, filled with promises of sensual delights. And he would delight her, she thought as he pressed her toward the back of the sofa.

The door to her office opened abruptly and the two on the sofa broke apart. Kagome jumped to her feet. "Gil!" she cried.