Disclaimer: Inuyasha is sooo not mine.

Chapter 15

Slowly, Kagome moved her arm away from her face and stared up at him with narrowed eyes. "Go on."

Hiro glanced over at Kouga, who watched them sullenly. "What about him?" he asked with a small jerk of his head. Kagome nearly smiled. That little gesture reminded her of both Yuki and Gil. Then she remembered that both Yuki and Gil were first class morons and grade A assholes. Needless to say, that made it easier to suppress the smile.

"What about me?" Kouga demanded angrily and would have leapt at Hiro, if Kagome had not raised a hand to stop him.

"Kouga can stay. I have nothing to hide from him. He already knows about that subject. Now what about Timeus?"

Kouga interrupted before Hiro could reply. "Look, you two go ahead and talk. I'll go downstairs and keep your brothers company." He nodded at Kagome before exiting the room, shutting the door behind him as he went.

"What about Timeus?" Kagome asked again the moment Kouga had shut her bedroom door.

Hiro turned an earnest face to her. "I know you never really wanted to talk about these visions -- uh, memories if, you will-- that you see in your dreams, but I have reason to believe that Timeus didn't die after all."

Kagome's face froze. "What are you talking about, Hiro? Of course he died! I saw him lying there on the ground at Thanos' feet! Believe me, I've never seen anyone look deader!" She paused and tilted her head to the side, giving him a thoughtful look. "Are you calling me a liar?"

"No, no, I'm certainly not doing that," Hiro hastily assured her. "Of course I wouldn't do that, Kagome. I'd believe you if you swore up and down that you stood next to Elvis while he attempted to buy a glittery pink bra with Monopoly money in a leopard print Speedo. It's just that... Well, at first I felt your dreams were just dreams and not based in reality. I mean, it's about Greek gods, which are clearly not real. But my father told me a very interesting story that concerned my great-grandfather and a human male named Cho. It seemed to prove what you've told me." He recounted the tale to Kagome and when he was finished, he studied her. "Well? What do you think of that?"

"Again I ask you, are you calling me a liar? I appreciate your great-grandfather's tale, but he wasn't there just after... after Timeus was murdered. I know what I saw, Hiro. Timeus did not survive--" Her face whitened instantly. Kagome turned over on her side and buried her face in her pillow. "His blood was all over me. God, I can still... still smell it..." Her body jerked and quickly, she leaned over the side of the mattress and retched helplessly for several minutes.

After darting into the bathroom for a towel, Hiro rushed back into the room only to find Kouga already there, holding her hair back from her face. The wolf held his hand out for the towel, which Hiro readily gave him and quickly wiped Kagome's mouth and then the floor. "What have you done to my mate?" he demanded quietly, staring down at Kagome as she lay back against the pillows. Her face was an alarming shade of white against the black halo of her hair. With a gentle hand, Kouga stroked her hair back from her face.

"Nothing! We were just talking." Hiro flinched when Kouga shot him a disbelieving glare. "That's all we were doing, I swear."

"He's telling the truth," Kagome murmured weakly. "I was suddenly overcome with nausea. I'm okay," she reassured her worried mate with a weak smile. "Let me get some rest. I'll be alright."

Kouga studied his beloved's face for a moment before he nodded and left. Hiro trotted along behind him. They came to a halt on the landing and Kouga turned on Hiro. "How long are you and your brothers planning to be here? I don't want any of you upsetting my mate. Especially the blond one. He's going to be the first to go if he tries anything with her, got it?"

Coming to his brother's defense Hiro said, "You may not believe this, Kouga, but Yuki has actually managed to evolve a little bit. He's no longer the uncouth barbarian Kagome remembers him to be." Mentally, however, Hiro crossed his fingers. Yuki would never change; Hiro knew that all too well. Hell, most people who knew Yuki would know that, but Hiro was glad that Kouga never really got acquainted with him. He only hoped that Kouga wouldn't know the difference.

But Kouga shook his head sadly. "I can't believe you would underestimate my intelligence, Hiro. Did you actually think that I would fall for that steaming pile of bovine fecal matter you threw at me just now? Yuki is not allowed to be near Kagome without supervision," the wolf said decisively. "He is a player and I will be damned if I let him be alone with her for any amount of time. I don't care how housebroken or "evolved" you claim him to be. I will never believe that of him. Men like him don't change." Hiro did not reply immediately and Kouga went on, more gently this time, "He hurt my girl, Hiro. I cannot forgive him for that."

"Yuki can't forgive himself for that either," Hiro said quietly. "He's missed her every day since he walked out of her room at the hospital and he regrets everything he's done to distance us from her. All he wants is her forgiveness."

Kouga's eyes narrowed. "You mean all he wants is to try to seduce her away from me. Well, that is not going to happen."

Sensing that an argument with the irritated wolf youkai would be rather unwise, Hiro nodded. "You're right, Kouga. It's not going to happen. At any rate, we hadn't planned on staying past tomorrow. We'll leave in the morning."

"That's fine. Kagome and I usually leave for the station around five in the afternoon and we don't get back until early morning. Listen, if you guys want to tag along tonight you're more than welcome to join us. It's a busy part of the year and we could use the extra hands, especially since we've got a lot of rookies out there."

Hiro mulled over the offer and at last, nodded. "Sure, sounds great. Just let us know when and where."

The tenseness that had Kouga's body in its grip earlier eased away and he gave Hiro a warm smile. "Thanks a bunch, man. Well, I'm going to bed now. If you guys need anything, Daisy will get it for you. The poor girl gets bored in the house while Kagome and I are snoozing away like a couple of vampires. See you later, okay?"

"Yeah, sure, thanks." Hiro grinned back at Kouga as the latter returned to the bedroom he and Kagome shared. "Good night."

Kouga waved at him and disappeared into the bedroom, leaving Hiro standing on the landing, looking rather thoughtful.

ooooooo

The night began without incident between Kouga and two of the Yamadera brothers, which brought considerable relief to Hiro and Kagome. Other than an occasional cool glance and uncomfortable silences, their evening started off rather amicably. The troupe of still- undeveloped slayers was awestruck seeing Lieutenant Higurashi's squadron all together. A few even asked for autographs which seemed to lessen the tension between Akira, Yuki and Kouga.

All the attention brought out the flamboyant, movie star-like qualities in Yuki, who soaked up the rapturous devotion of his young fans like a sponge. Naturally, the females gravitated to the golden-haired elf and flirted outrageously with him. And naturally, Yuki did not hesitate to return the favor and flirted back, which considerably assuaged Kouga's jealousy. But he did not need to worry on that score; Kagome seldom looked in Yuki's direction and when she did, she did not appear to care what he was doing. At one point, Kouga caught Yuki casting a longing glance at Kagome and to the wolf youkai; it appeared that the elf was trying to gain her attention. When the elf realized that Kouga was glaring at him, he abruptly turned away.

While Kagome and Sergeants Blair and Devere divvied up the rookies, Hiro stuck close to Akira, whose body language told him that he was ready to flee from all the excessive attention. The youngest Yamadera held his polite smile in place as long as he could before he turned to Hiro. "Get me out of here!" he hissed in Hiro's ear. "I feel as though I'm about to go insane."

Hiro nodded and whistled to get Kagome's attention. With an indicative nod at Akira, he got his message across to Kagome, who sharply pulled the slayers in line.

There was an undercurrent of disappointment as Kagome read out the groups for that night's patrol. None of the slayers got the opportunity to work with the Yamaderas. The girls were especially unhappy with the arrangement. All of them cast their eyes adoring over at the blond elf, who returned their downcast looks with a reassuring smile and a bold wink.

The lot of them, save Gina, Jack and Sam trooped out into the early spring evening. Soon they went their separate ways, spreading out through the village like an army of ants until they disappeared into the surrounding forest.

As Hiro, Kouga and Yuki fell into step and began making small talk, Kagome slowed her steps to match Akira's much slower gait as he brought up the rear. His sullen expression spoke of his feelings at that moment louder than his words ever could. Akira's green eyes glittered with anger in the light of the setting sun.

"Akira, please don't be angry with me."

His jaw tightened but he refused to look at her. "How can I not? You're with another man. How do you expect me to feel? Pleased? Overjoyed?"

"There's no need for sarcasm. Look, I know you're hurt and I'm sorry about that. But I can't help how things turned out, now can I? Hiro said that he brought up the possibility that I had found someone before you all left Japan..."

Akira waited until the other three disappeared from sight before grabbing Kagome by the arm. He swung her around to face him. "Yes, but you didn't have to turn to Kouga so soon after you dumped my cousin!" he hissed at her. "Do you know how that looks?"

Stung by his words, Kagome snatched her arm away from him. "I see," she said coldly. "So that's how you truly think of me. Well, if that's the case, I fail to see why you are so upset that I'm taken. I should have thought that would be a good thing, Kouga making an honest woman out of me."

A horrified look crossed Akira's face. "No, Kagome, that's not what I meant--"

"But that is what it sounded like," she snapped at him before turning on her heel and stormed away in the opposite direction the others had gone.

With a muffled curse, Akira ran after Kagome. His hands grabbed her and spun her around as his body pinned her against the trunk of a large oak tree. "Don't go! Please don't run from me, Kagome. Please? I need you." He dipped his head wearily down to rest against the curve of her shoulder. "I'm sorry for saying such things to you. Forgive me."

"There was no need to liken me to a whore," she whispered angrily at him, but did not push him away.

"You aren't any such thing," he told her as he turned his face in towards her neck. "You are the most wonderful woman I have ever met. Do you know how I long I have worshipped at your feet?"

His words were beginning to make her a little uncomfortable. "Akira, don't--"

Akira lifted his head slightly only to press his lips against hers. She struggled against him but after a few frenzied moments, he managed to triumph over her. His arms slid around her limp, complacent body as he deepened the kiss. Several minutes passed before he raised his head and gently kissed her forehead. "I love you," he told her quietly. "I love you as I have never loved anyone before in my life, not even my brothers."

Kagome remained still and silent in his embrace. She felt little, save the tears the streaked her cheeks and the frenzied beating of her heart. Kouga was bound to sense this; it was only a matter of time when he would detect someone encroaching upon his mate and come to investigate. As Akira tilted her head back, she fought the urge to tell him, to beg him to stop. Didn't he know that she was the mate of a powerful youkai? Friend or foe, Kouga would want to kill Akira for touching her. But worse than that, she knew that Akira would have the upper hand in a fight. A telekinetic foe would be nearly impossible to beat. Kouga's super speed would be no match for Akira's mental powers.

She struggled against him in vain, but to no avail. Like all elves, Akira possessed great physical strength and at that moment, he did not hesitate to use it to keep her from trying to escape him. After a few moments he grew weary of her resistance and he placed his hand against her chest. In an instant, Kagome felt her entire body grow still, her arms dropping uselessly to her sides and her head lolled limply forward against his chest as though she were a ragdoll. Her legs could no longer hold her weight and she would have dropped to the ground like a stone, had not Akira put his arms around her to hold her body to his.

He tipped her head back to watch her stunned face as they sank down to the forest floor together. "Don't be frightened, Kagome. Did you think I would allow you to fall?" he asked gently as he laid her on her back. "I will always be there to catch you."

"What are you going to do to me?" whispered the captive, her eyes wide with uncertainty and a little fear.

For a second, Akira looked hurt. "I'm not going to hurt you, if that's what you mean. I could never bring myself to do such a thing to you." He lay down beside her on the ground and pulled her into his arms so that her head rested on his shoulder. "You have no idea how long I've wanted to do this," he told her in a hushed voice. "You torture me, Kagome. Just being near you drives me mad. Not being able to hold you the way I want, not being able to touch you, kiss you… It's unbearable. But deep down, I always knew you were meant for me."

Kagome could do nothing but stare helplessly up at him. His expression was so tender, so dreamlike. But as she watched him, that tender look hardened. "Then I find out about these three men who want you as well. Father meant well, but he accidentally let slip your engagement to Gil, and Hiro told me about Yuki. Then of course I find out about Kouga--"

There was a pause then he shook her. When she let loose a whimper he stopped immediately, a look of guilt crossing his face. "But why did you have to off and mate with him? That… that youkai? Why couldn't you have waited for me, Kagome? You knew I loved you. I know you did! So, why did you do it? Why?"

Akira dipped his head to brush his lips over hers in the lightest of kisses. "Leave him, Kagome. Leave him and come to me. If you become my lifelong mate, you will bestow the greatest happiness on me. I will give you anything you desire, my love. All that I want in return is your love and for you to bear my children. Don't worry about that youkai. The laws of his kind are not the laws of my kind. There is no law against my taking his mate for my own, so there would be nothing to stand in our way."

Kagome shook her head. "You did not take one thing into account. There is something in the way, Akira and it is my love for that youkai, as you put it. I'm in love with him and I am glad things turned out the way they did because I ended up with him. I love you, Akira, but not the way I love Kouga. You need to understand that."

The elf was in no mood to listen to her plea and instead, kissed her rather brutally despite the fact she was still quite helpless. He raised his head when he tasted her blood. "I'm sorry, but I can't accept your answer. To just walk away from you and allow you to be with him would destroy me. Is that what you want, Kagome? To destroy me?"

"No, Akira, that's not fair. Don't you dare put something like that on my conscience."

"But that is what would happen and you know it. Let me tell you something, Kagome. One day several months ago, I managed to overhear my doctor and Hiro talking. Do you know what the doctor told my brother? That it was a miracle I managed to survive as long as I have. He said there was a time during the surgery to remove my tumor when he felt all was hopeless, that he wouldn't be able to save me. At that moment, in my anesthetized state, I uttered one word. Do you know what word it was?"

"No," Kagome whispered, her eyes wide.

A tender smile curved Akira's lips. "The word I said was 'Kagome'. Naturally, my doctor was startled but it gave him an idea. He asked one of the attending nurses to whisper to me, telling me to hold on, that Kagome was waiting for me." He chuckled and kissed Kagome on the forehead. "After that, the doctor told Hiro, he felt energy surge through me and he was able to complete the surgery. Well, all except for a piece of the tumor that was unable to be removed."

"That's--"

"You saved me, Kagome. Even though you weren't there, you saved me. I am alive today because of you. Now do you still doubt that you were meant for me? I mean, even in my unconscious state I thought of you."

"I'm… very flattered, Akira, but--"

His warm mouth covered hers in soft, deep kiss, muffling her voice. "I won't let you go again, don't you see? You're mine."

A low, guttural growl came from behind Akira. "She's yours? Yeah, in your dreams, pal." Kouga, his broad chest heaving, stood behind them, his eyes glowing with hate. "Ya know, I never thought it'd be your mouth I'd find all over my mate, elf. I naturally assumed it would be your pervert brother who would be the one to attempt to seduce her. But I have to hand it to you; you really threw me off, Akira. I never even suspected that you even possessed the stones to pull some shit like this." Kouga's eyes glowed in the growing darkness. "Now give me one reason not to rip your fucking head off."

The elf got slowly to his feet and turned to face the youkai. "I wouldn't give you the chance to touch me, youkai. You'd be dead before you could lay a finger on me."

On the ground behind Akira, Kagome lay helpless on the ground and willing her body to move. But it did not respond to her commands. She began to panic as the tension grew thicker between Kouga and Akira. "Stop it! Please stop this!" she cried. "Akira, let me up."

Kouga's scowl deepened. "You're holding my mate hostage?!" he demanded savagely. "Now I'm definitely going to kill you!" With a roar, he lunged at Akira, his claws aiming straight for the elf.

At that moment, Akira released Kagome from her invisible bonds and she leapt to her feet, quickly inserting herself between the two men. Kouga saw this but couldn't stop his momentum in time. One of his clawed hands, which was already on its way towards Akira's neck, swung outwards and sliced Kagome's arm, cutting through the sleeve of her shirt. She cried out in pain and stumbled backwards against Akira, who steadied her.

A deafening silence hung in the forest around them and Kagome was suddenly very frightened for her mate. She looked up at Kouga, a pleading, frantic look in her eyes. "No," she whispered as she felt Akira's hands tighten around her waist.

"You…" Akira murmured faintly, "You hurt Kagome." His deathly quiet voice held a hint of surprise.

As for the youkai, he stood staring, wide-eyed, at Kagome. He held his bloody hand out in front of him, as though he could not believe that appendage belonged to him. "Kagome, I… I'm sorry! I… You got in the way…"

Tearing the lower part of her shirt off, Kagome gripped at her injured arm with the cloth to stem the bleeding. "It's alright, Kouga. There is no need for violence. Both of you please understand that I couldn't allow this to go any further."

"He threatened me," Akira grumbled from behind her.

"You threatened each other," she corrected, shooting a dark look over her shoulder at him. "Now back off, Akira." Though she shook nervously inwardly, she pushed herself away from Akira's arms. What else could possibly go wrong? Kouga had caused her to bleed and she knew that Akira took personal offense to anyone unwitting enough to injure her and draw blood. Mentally, she prayed that nothing further would happen. At the very least, she was thankful to be conscious and could tell Akira that she was alright. There were a few instances where Yuki and Hiro regaled her with tales of how Akira went ballistic on a youkai that had managed to render her unconscious. Kagome hoped that Kouga would not share the same fate tonight.

The elf's hard gaze slid over to where Kouga stood, quite still, watching him steadily. Unbeknownst to the other two, Akira's rage was growing. What a fool the youkai was! Did Kouga have any idea of the amount of havoc he could wreak with a mere thought? Did this fool of a youkai have any concept of just how vulnerable he truly was at this very moment? Akira could simply end his life right now, but that would mean Kagome would want nothing more to do with him and he couldn't allow that to happen.

But then again, Kagome's precious blood stained the youkai's clawed hand. The sight of it disturbed him exceedingly and Akira knew he would not be able to contain his growing wrath. Even now it clawed its fiery way up his into his belly…

"What are you thinking over there, elf?" Kouga's eyes never left Akira's face despite the fact that the last of the sun's rays had already departed. "You're a little too quiet."

Kagome, who had just finished tying the strip of bloody shirt around her arm in a makeshift bandage, lifted her head and once more stared up into the dark canopy of trees above their heads. No sound reached her ears, not even the sound of the wind whispering through the leaves. The cold hand of fear gripped her throat. She knew the reason Nature had grown silent. "Kouga, run," she pleaded in a frantic whisper.

A steel-like grip closed around her and Kagome found herself pinned against a rock hard body. The lenses of her Cat Cons came to life and she was treated to the horrifying sight of Kouga lunging at them then flung backwards with great force into the trunk of an oak tree.

"No!" shrieked Kagome. Desperate to go to the aid of her beloved, Kagome surged forward but the arms that entrapped her refused to budge. "Akira, stop it! Please stop!"

The elf only tightened his grip on her as Kouga's body was flung again at the tree, causing Kagome to cry out. "Oh god, stop it! Please, Akira! Don't kill him, please don't kill him!" she pleaded, weeping violently.

Akira's answer was to slam Kouga into yet another tree before her horrified eyes. She wanted to fight him, to somehow stop him, but she was paralyzed with fear. She knew that Akira was just tormenting Kouga, playing with him as a cat plays with its tiny mouse prey before it tires of the game and devours the little creature. One false move on her part and Akira might finish the job within the space of a heartbeat. As it was, all she could really do was cry and beg for Kouga's life to be spared. All her begging and pleading was fruitless; Akira was paying her no mind.

A shout broke through Kagome's sobs and she felt immediate relief. She felt Akira's body tense against her back. Yuki and Hiro were running towards them, both of them yelling at the top of their lungs for Akira to stop. Akira responded by flinging out a hand in the direction his brothers, palm out. Yuki and Hiro appeared to crash into an invisible barrier and both were thrown back. That was when Kagome knew she was the one who had to stop Akira. The two older elves were useless in this fight.

Before she could decide exactly what she should do, Akira turned his attention back on Kouga, who was getting woozily to his knees, trying to stand with the aid of the tree trunk. He had just gotten to his feet when he screamed, his hands flying up to clutch at his head.

With tears of helplessness streaking down her cheeks, Kagome managed to turn around in Akira's vise-like embrace. Once she faced him, she pulled his head down to hers and kissed him.

She did not want to kiss Akira. She had no desire whatsoever to feel his lips upon hers. But to save the life of the man she loved, she would do anything, anything, even if it meant pressing flesh with another man right in front of him.

When Akira lifted his head and stared disbelievingly down at her, Kagome turned her face up to his. "I'll do anything you want, just pl-please don't kill him. Please."

His eyes flickered. "Anything?" he asked suspiciously.

Kagome nodded, hoping that she had hidden her hesitation from his sharp eyes. "Yes. Anything. I promise."

The elf shook his head cautiously. "How do I know you're not saying this just to please me? How do I know that you're telling me the truth?"

From behind her, Kagome could hear Kouga's pain-wracked cries. Anger and frustration flared in her. Did Akira actually doubt her? In desperation that verged upon madness, Kagome gathered her strength and wrenched herself away from him, her hand grabbing the Glock that rested on her right thigh. Her finger flicked off the safety and held the business end of her gun to her temple with a steady hand. "I said let him go, goddamn it, or I blow my fucking brains out!"

"Kagome!" Hiro and Yuki screamed together.

"What's it gonna be, Akira? Huh? What's it gonna fucking be?!" she finished on a roar.

"Kagome?" Akira was dumbfounded. "What are you doing?!"

She growled at Akira. "What does it look like? It's simple, Akira. Very, very simple. You see, if you kill Kouga… then I kill myself. Do you get it now? I offered myself to you in exchange for his life and you didn't believe me. But you can believe this. I will not hesitate to pull this fucking trigger if you don't let him go."

Her body throbbed with energy. The adrenaline pumped madly in her veins. And yet she felt completely, unnaturally calm. The only thought that ran through her head was saving Kouga's life. But Akira was being stubborn. That was fine. She could play the blame game just as well as he could. "If you kill him, then you will be completely responsible for my death. Is that what you want, Akira? Do you want to be responsible for my death? Because if I die, it will be as if you yourself pulled the trigger of this gun. If I die, my brains will be splattered all over the ground and then you will be responsible. My blood will be on your hands."

Almost instantly, Kouga's screams ceased. The shocked look on Akira's face tore at Kagome's heart, but she stood firm. He had brought this on himself.

"N-no, Kagome. I don't want that. I didn't… I didn't mean…" His eyes were wide and unblinking behind his wire frame glasses. "Please put that gun away. I won't do anything more, I swear, just put your gun away."

Chest heaving with raw emotion, Kagome backed slowly away from Akira but she did not dare put her gun down. She kept it jammed against her temple as she bent carefully down to help Kouga to his feet. Off to her left she saw Hiro and Yuki getting ready to pounce on Akira in case he should attempt anything. But Akira did nothing. He merely stood quite still, watching with a confused, heartbroken expression as Kagome led Kouga away into the forest.

The two of them remained in the forest until dawn before they returned to their house. The elves had departed by then, much to Kouga's relief. Kagome helped her weakened mate up to their bedroom where they cleaned up and collapsed into bed together.

Kouga lay with his head resting on his mate's shoulder, his arms wrapped wearily around her. "You are the bravest, most beautiful creature alive," he murmured against her breast. "If I hadn't been in so much pain, I would have wept tears of joy hearing you tell him what you did." He tipped his head up and stared at her with loving blue eyes. "I adore you, my brave, wonderful little goddess."

She smiled at him with tears in her own eyes. "Did you think I could live without you, Kouga? I can't envision my life without you in it. You are such a big part of me… I would not wish to go on if you died." Her lips began to tremble and she turned her face away from him.

He smiled his sexy, wolfish smile and after kissing her tears away, stripped her naked and made love to her.

ooooooooooooooooooo

Three weeks later, Kagome went to the doctor for a routine checkup. She hadn't been feeling well lately and of course, she wanted to see if anything was wrong. The next day at work, she received a phone call from her doctor's office. She hung up the phone with a bewildered expression.

"Kouga?"

Kouga, who was again sitting comfortably on her couch in her office and reading, looked quizzically up from his book. "Yes, darling?"

"Do you remember my doctor visit yesterday?"

He nodded. "Yes. What about it? Is anything wrong?"

Her cheeks flushed. "Well, no, it's just that… that…" She took a deep breath. "Kouga, I'm pregnant."

Her mate stared at her for a moment then grinned broadly at her. "Honey, you didn't have to go the doctor to learn that. I've known since you conceived."

"Wha-?"

Kouga jumped up, went over to Kagome and pulled her into his arms. "I'm a youkai, honey. Remember? Pointy ears and sharp fangs? Amazing sense of smell, sight and hearing? Of course I would know. The moment you conceived, your body smelled different to me." Bowing his head, he sniffed her neck. "Like right now, I can tell that you're getting turned on knowing you're pregnant with my child."

"Kouga!" She laughed and smacked his chest. "I'll have you know that's very unnerving, knowing you can tell my emotions by the way I smell."

"Well," Kouga murmured against her throat, "humans are rather simple creatures. It's so easy to detect your emotions. I have to admit that we youkai enjoy toying with your kind. It's fun."

She laughed and bit his neck. "Shut up, idiot," she chuckled.

Kagome was so happy; so very happy. She had a great job that she loved, was mated to a wonderful man and now she was expecting his child. Life was good now. Very, very good.

oooooooo

In late May, Kouga received a communication from Sesshoumaru. In the letter, Sesshoumaru explained that a powerful youkai presence had been detected in London and would Kouga go check it out? Of course Kouga complied with his commander's request and left for London immediately.

When he reached London, Kouga drove to an address that had been enclosed in the letter. According to Slayer Corp. intelligence, the letter stated, the youkai presence had been pinpointed to this location. Kouga stared at the townhouse for a moment then got out and headed for the front door. When he reached the door, he noticed that it was open slightly. He backed away and reached for his cell phone.

"Hello?"

"Sesshoumaru, I got your letter and I'm here at the address you sent me to. Could you send me some back up?"

There was silence on Sesshoumaru's end of the phone. "Letter? What letter are you talking about? I never sent you a letter."

Dread filled Kouga's soul. "But… I received a letter from you today telling me to come to London to check out an address where a strong youkai presence had been detected."

"You left Kagome alone?!" The sound of a chair falling to the floor could be heard. "Where are you exactly? What address had you been given?"

Kouga told Sesshoumaru the address and the taiyoukai roared in Kouga's ear. "Naraku! That bastard! Get in that house, Kouga! Backup's coming, do you understand? We'll be right there!"

After Sesshoumaru hung up the phone, Kouga drew his gun and cautiously advanced into the house. It was eerily quiet, but he kept his keen ears pricked to any sound. His nose already detected a strong odor of blood even though none was visible. He checked all the rooms on the lower floor before advancing up the stairs. Halfway up the flight of stairs, he caught the sound of a low moan from the floor above. Carefully, he ascended the staircase. When he got to the landing, the moan came again and the scent of blood grew stronger. He turned and looked down the hallway. A slight figure lay crumpled on the ground in front of an open doorway. Blood was splattered on the wall opposite the door.

A quick search of the rooms in the hallway told him that no one was there. Putting away his gun, he knelt down to help the blood-covered woman. To his surprise and horror, he saw that it was none other than Lady Miranda.

"My lady! Are you alright? Can you hear me?"

Miranda frowned and slowly opened her eyes. "Sess- sho--"

"He's coming," Kouga quickly reassured the injured she-elf.

Her eyes focused on Kouga's face and she gasped when she realized who he was. Frantically she grabbed at his hands. "Kagome! Hurry! Please hurry!"

Before Kouga could reply, a bright flash of light could be seen downstairs and a moment later, the sound of running feet could be heard pounding up the stairs. Sesshoumaru was the first to reach the top of the stairs, followed by Inuyasha, Ginta, and Hakkaku. When Sesshoumaru reached Miranda and Kouga, he took the she-elf in his arms and held her to him.

"Forgive me, my love," he said brokenly, cradling her gently to his chest. "I should have been here--"

But Miranda would not be coddled. She pushed at him weakly and stared up at him with pain-filled blue eyes. "I know who Naraku is, Sess. Dear gods, after all this time… and I never even suspected…" She covered her face with her hands and began to cry.

When she finished telling the youkai around her what had happened to her that day, Sesshoumaru stared grimly up at Kouga. "We need to get to Horningsham right now. This was obviously a clever ruse to get you away from Kagome. Goddamn Naraku! I never even saw this coming. We should have been better prepared."

Miranda took her beloved's face in her hands and kissed his chin. "He is a clever creature, a careful planner and very patient. He has waited for years to get to her, but if all of you work together, you can protect her. Now hurry! Call my nephews to aid you, but hurry!"

With a solemn nod and a quick kiss on her lips, Sesshoumaru left her to the care of Ginta and Hakkaku. Kouga, Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru left the house and took off in Kouga's car.

"Why can't we just use the Elven Realm to get there faster?" grumbled Inuyasha impatiently. "This will take hours! Hell, the sun's already starting to set! She'll be going on patrol soon."

"Don't be stupid, Inu," retorted Kouga, who was already extremely worried about his mate. "You need an elf to open a portal and as you can plainly see, none of us are elves. Lady Miranda was far too weak to open one, that's why she wanted us to get her nephews to help us." He cast a worried glance at Sesshoumaru, who sat beside him in the passenger seat and frowned. "Miranda will be alright, Sess. We got to her in time."

"That doesn't matter. She still got hurt because of me." Sesshoumaru growled low in his throat. "And now he's gunning for Kagome. That bastard! I want to tear his pitiful hide to pieces with my bare hands." He stared out through the windshield for a long moment before grabbing his phone and dialing a number. "Hiro, this is Sesshoumaru. I need your assistance."

ooooooooooo

Kagome sighed and shrugged on her protective vest. The sun was beginning to set and there was still no sign or word from Kouga. It felt strange being without him. The two of them had rarely been apart since he'd been sent to her two months ago. How she wanted him back home with her!

An hour later she set out on her own. Her sergeants remained at the station this time; Jack and Gina were off duty. Tonight, Corporal Meyers would be in charge of the rookie slayers. His youthful face shone with pride as they trooped out after him and into the early evening. Kagome watched the entire group move off into the dying light with a strange pang in her chest. For a moment, she had the feeling that she should call them back, that they could take the night off. But that was silly. They were there to learn to be better slayers. They could take time off when they were through with their time here.

She meandered through the village and out into the surrounding forest. She was relaxed, calm, but alert to her surroundings at the same time. But by the time the sun had completely disappeared below the horizon, she began to feel less calm. It was not so much that she was alone, so much as there were absolutely no signs of youkai anywhere. It was as if they had all gone into hiding. That was very odd, seeing how this was mating season for youkai.

It was just before nine when she wandered into a clearing. The moon had been hidden behind some clouds and right when she stepped into the break in the trees, the clouds slid back. The landscape around her was instantly illuminated by bright, milky moonlight. Tree shadows were in stark contrast to the ground, which was brightly lit and…

She paused. There were oddly shaped lumps everywhere. Rocks?

Her heart began to pound with terror.

No… not rocks….

She walked over to one of the strange lumps…

The moonlight was very bright that night. Too bright. Bright enough to see all too clearly the look of indescribable horror that was still stamped onto the fixed face… a face that stared up at her with sightless eyes. A face that only a couple of hours before had been filled with pride as he went out the door of the station…

Lead filled Kagome's belly as she tried to count the bodies, but she did not need to finish counting. She knew that all of the young slayers were accounted for here in this place that was bathed in moonlight. Even if she wanted to count them, she could not. Tears had filled her eyes and blurred her vision.

Don't panic, she told herself sternly. Don't panic! Don't panic!

Taking a deep breath, she reached up to her earpiece with a shaky hand. "Devere. Blair. Come in please."

"Blair here. How's it going, Lieutenant?" His voice was light, happy, as though he and Devere had just been having an amusing conversation, and the thought made Kagome angry. How dare they laugh! How dare they laugh and have a good time! Didn't they know their friend lay dead out here in the moonlight, slaughtered like an animal?

"I… I need…" Her voice, already tenuous from the stress of discovering the massacre, was low. That was something she had not thought about; what had killed them and where was the murderer now?

"Yes? You need--?" Blair's voice sharpened. "Lieutenant? What's wrong?"

Damn it, Kouga! Where were you? "Dead," she whispered into the night. Her voice died completely away when she saw that one of the larger lumps began to move and a tall figure rose. Her hands automatically went to her swords and drew them. "Who's there? Who are you?"

Her lenses clicked on and the figure's face appeared. She staggered back and tripped over a dead body.

"Mr… Mr. Marsten?"

Jason Marsten lifted a hand and swiped the back of it along his blood-stained mouth. His lips curled up in a hideous smile. "So coy, as always, my dear. But that's one thing I love about you… Niobe…"

Kagome could not hold back a terrified scream as his features altered before her eyes. Thanos! He had found her!

"Stay away from me!" she cried as he advanced steadily upon her. She kept coming in contact with corpses and their placement slowed her escape. When she finally managed to regain her feet, she whirled around to face him. "Why won't you let me go? Why must you torment me this way?"

Thanos' smile grew even broader. "Why must you ask me such silly questions? You already know the answer, beloved." He dashed forward and grabbed her before she could evade him. "Will you cease resisting me? It really is a rather futile effort, for I shall never relinquish you." He lowered his head to kiss her. Kagome squeezed her eyes shut.

But his repulsive mouth never reached her. Instead, a great force slammed into Thanos, knocking him away from her. Next, she felt a large hand that grabbed her and pulled her back. She opened her eyes and saw a tall figure standing before her, shielding her from Thanos' sight.

"Hello, dad."

Thanos chuckled. "Hello, son. Fancy seeing you here."

Gil scowled. "Fuck the pleasantries. Who the hell are you really?" He glanced perfunctorily around at the bodies scattered all over the clearing. "You did this, didn't you? I always knew something was off about you, I just didn't know what. Now I know. You're a fucking homicidal maniac!"

"Now, Gil, such vulgar language! And in the presence of a lady, too! You ought to know better than that."

"Shut up, prick!" Gil roared, his fists clenching at his sides. "You goddamn monster! I saw what you did to my mum! You tried to kill my mum!"

Kagome peeked cautiously around Gil's right arm and was just in time to see Thanos look more evil than she remembered.

"Miranda has always been too inquisitive for her own good. When I found out she was dating that fool Sesshoumaru, I figured he was on to me so I visited her for lunch today to see how much she knew. To my relief she was as clueless as I'd hoped and I would have gotten away without her being any the wiser if she hadn't seen the real me appear in the bathroom mirror." He sighed heavily. "You have no idea how much I loathe this body. It may surprise you, son, but this is not my original body. Kagome knows that already, don't you my dear?" Thanos leaned to the left and smiled at her.

Revulsion filled Gil's face. "Oh my god," he whispered hoarsely.

Thanos laughed with delight. "Miranda never bothered to tell you how I met her, did she? Well, I have no such reservations and I shall tell you. A long time ago, while occupying another body, I chanced to find the body of a dying boy that lay on the side of a deserted country road. Well, the body I inhabited at the time was getting old and rather unreliable, so I left it there and entered the body of that boy. It just so happened that a golden-haired she-elf found the child and took pity on him. I was taken to the Elven Realm where she nursed me… I mean, the boy's body… back to health. It was rather advantageous, since Elven medicine tends to extend a human's lifespan. Did you know that? I often wondered what would have happened to me if they knew I was a hanyou in disguise. One day, I realized that the she-elf looked very like the elves that had come to Kagome's aid that night. You remember that night, don't you Kagome? We were reunited… but never mind about that. I bided my time. Miranda practically raised me as her own but when my human body reached adulthood, I asked her to marry me. Not because I loved her, you understand, but because I knew our future offspring would be connected to Kagome."

"You married mum just to get to Kagome?" Gil demanded roughly. "How… how could you be so callous, you bastard?"

Thanos rolled his eyes. "That doesn't matter anymore, does it? I was completely wrong in my calculations. When her twin sister gave birth to Yuki, I knew I had chosen the wrong sister." His face twisted into a momentary look of annoyance, but that soon gave way to another bright smile. "Imagine my surprise when my only child announces his engagement to Kagome. That was some good work there, son. You beat out Yuki for her hand. I never saw that coming."

A growl erupted from Gil and he lunged forward, only to be held back by Kagome. "Don't!" she begged. "He'll kill you!"

"That reminds me," Thanos began thoughtfully, "How did you manage to find me, Gil? Seeing you here puts a dampener on my plans." He heaved a tragic sigh.

Gil frowned. "Mum called me and asked me to come over to her house as soon as you invited yourself over for lunch. She said she felt uneasy about your visit and did not want to be alone with you. We figured that was best, that you wouldn't try to harm us if we were together. I found her in the hallway and she begged me to go after you, to get to Kagome before you did. How could you hurt her like that? She was your wife!"

Kagome almost laughed aloud at Gil's naiveté while Thanos shook his head incredulously at his son. "That makes no difference to me, my boy. I have no problem killing either you or your mother. You were right about me, you know. I never did love you or the beautiful Miranda. I had but one goal: to find my beloved Niobe."

"Niobe? Who the hell is that?" Gil choked back his tears. Hearing such words from his father had hurt like nothing else even though he had figured it out many years earlier. "You said you were trying to get to-- oh my god." He turned to look at Kagome, who unblinkingly watched his father, her hands clutching her swords.

"Get… out…" she hissed at him. "Get out of here, Gil. Run away while you still can."

"But I can't leave you--"

Her gaze shot to his face and he was hit with such a look of despair that he took a step back. Two tears slid down either side of her nose. "You don't understand! That man before you will not hesitate to murder you in cold blood! He has no concept of mercy! Now please, please get away from here! All he wants is me and no one else. Go, Gil! Go and don't turn back!" Her gaze returned to Thanos and remained there. "Leave him alone, Thanos. He is innocent in this."

Thanos threw his head back and laughed. "My sweetest love, you ought to know me better than that! Innocent or not, he now knows my secret. I cannot allow him to live."

Kagome shoved Gil away from her. "Do as I say! Get the hell out of here!" she cried over Thanos' crazed laughter.

But Gil stood his ground. Calmly he regarded her, then the man he knew as father, before returning his gaze to Kagome's sweet face. "No. I won't leave you to face him alone. It seems as though my day has come. It was the day that mum said when I would protect a beautiful young woman from a horrible creature. I had no idea that the horrible creature would be my own father," he said sadly.

"Gil, no," Kagome whispered, her eyes growing wide in her face. "Please no!"

He smiled at her and turned around to face his father. "I won't allow you to hurt Kagome," he said firmly, picking up a sword from the ground that had lain beside the body of a slain slayer.

"Please. As if you could stop me," Thanos shot back. His body began to tremble as he spoke, then the outline of his body began to change before their eyes, and suddenly slimy black tentacles shot outwards. One of the nasty appendages headed straight for Gil, who fended off the attack easily.

But Gil never even saw the other tentacle that had slid along the ground towards him. It jumped off the ground and slammed straight into his chest, punching through to the other side.

Kagome, who was standing behind him, caught the full blast of Gil's blood in her face, stunning her. In silent horror, she watched as Thanos, who was now in the guise of Naraku, ripped the tentacle from Gil's body. Gil dropped to the ground, his eyes staring blindly up at the night sky, a huge gaping hole in his chest where his heart should have been…

Her mind shut off and all she could do was stand in place, her swords hanging uselessly at her sides. She did nothing as he advanced towards her, a gleeful, sadistic smile on his lips. Even as his tentacles wrapped their slippery selves around her, she did nothing, nothing…

It was then that she saw another of Naraku's oily-looking feelers raise up and hand something to him. He grinned with satisfaction and began eating it. Blood trickled down Naraku's chin…

A new feeling of horror washed over Kagome and she began to scream horrible, ghastly, bloodcurdling screams that rent the night air. What she had seen Naraku devour… had been Gil's heart.

When she felt that she was on the verge of losing her sanity, a large ball of fire slammed into and engulfed Naraku. The hanyou shouted and released her, his remaining tentacles attempting to bat out the flames. Another fire ball hit him and he backed hurriedly away, which soon turned into a run. He dashed away into the night.

Her throat sore from screaming, Kagome sank to her knees and watched as first Yuki went past, then Sesshoumaru, followed by Inuyasha and Akira. A gentle pair of hands touched her, causing her to jump with a shriek.

"Kagome! It's okay, baby! It's just me!" It was Kouga, his eyes wide with regret. "Oh god honey, I'm so sorry I left you!"

Hiro's grim face appeared in her line of sight. "Are you okay? Are you hurt in any way?"

She stared dumbly at them both. Her chest, her head felt heavy, leaden. Her entire being felt numb, disjointed, as though she didn't belong in her own body. They were talking and Kouga was wiping her face and shaking his head. Was something wrong with her face? Did she have anything on it?

Tentatively, she reached up and touched her face. It felt sticky and wet… and then she remembered. The jolt of Gil's body as it absorbed a great shock, the explosion of warm, wet liquid onto her face…

Her eyes flew open wide and she began to scream those dreadful, shrill screams again. Her hands went to her face…

Her face was covered with that horrid, sticky substance… it was everywhere! Everywhere!

Unable to stop herself, she hooked her fingers and dragged them down her cheeks, letting her nails scratch at her face. All she knew was that she had to remove the blood-- Gil's blood -- from her face.

There was a prick in her arm and she whirled around to see Hiro pulling back, a syringe in his hand. A moment later, the screams ceased and her mind calmed. She fell backwards into the arms of her mate and closed her eyes…

ooooooooooooooooooooo

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

A/N: I couldn't hit 10,000 words. Ah, well. Maybe next chapter! ^_^ Hope you enjoyed the chapter!

RSB