A/N: Thanks again to ananova for putting this new story in your community. And thanks to metalcherry and Crazy With Happiness for the reviews. Also thanks to LogicalGoth who put the story on his/her favorites list and to all those who've set up a story alert (I've lost track of whom I've sent a PM of thanks to). I have to give credit to where credit is due: metalcherry is responsible for me bringing back "future Kirara." Until it was suggested, I hadn't thought about keeping her in the story, so thanks!
Disclaimer: I do not own the Inuyasha characters, manga, anime, movies, etc. They belong by copyright laws to Rumiko Takahashi et. al.
Her Knight
Ch. 4
Kagome was over the embarrassment of the morning by the time afternoon rolled around. Inuyasha had forgiven Souta for his outburst with only a growl of warning not to do it again. For her part, Mama had seemed disappointed that all they'd done was sleep in each other's arms. Grandpa hadn't been told as usual, to keep the peace. Heaven only knew what he'd have done and said had he heard his grandson's proclamation.
The young priestess now sat at the table looking at her homework while Inuyasha rested upstairs still. Both teens had been uncomfortable with just how comfortable they had been upon waking. Blanket cushions aside, his hand had been under her nightshirt and her hand had been inside his kosode. They'd quickly broken apart. Spending some time apart seemed to be a good idea at the moment.
A knock on the outside door roused her from her thoughts and Kagome slowly made her way towards the foyer. Her ribs and stomach still hurt from the beating and her wrist ached from the slight sprain she had. Pulling open the door, she was surprised to her three school friends on the other side. "It's true!" Eri cried, rushing forward to gently and yet enthusiastically embrace her friend.
"We heard what happened, Kagome. Mom went to the bakery and Aite-san told her because he knew we were friends and she told me. I called Eri and Ayumi." Yuka paused for breath and then continued. "We rushed right over."
"Thank you," she said, touched. Her friends might miss the subtle hints that she didn't want to date Hojo but they genuinely cared.
"Oh, Kagome, we're so sorry. Mom offered to drive us home but I thought we'd be safe."
"We should have been. It's good that you weren't with me. I told them I was a miko-in-training and it saved me from anything more than a beating. If you'd been with me, I don't think the leader would have believed me. Since I was walking towards the shrine, I guess it made sense."
Kagome hugged each girl in turn and looked through the open door to the shrine courtyard. A young man carrying a familiar gift basket was coming their way. "Guys… Please, tell me that isn't Hojo."
"Well, he called me and it sort of slipped out," Eri confessed.
"Inuyasha's going to be angry he's here." They had met the half demon before and thought him a cool person despite what she'd told them about him previously. Luckily they didn't know he was anything other than a teenager of two races.
"He's being possessive again, huh?"
"No, he's here," she replied urgently as a menacing growl ripped through the second floor of the house and came down the stairs. She prayed her normally oblivious friends wouldn't hear it but this would be one of the times that they were observant.
"Was that him?" Yuka asked just as Hojo reached them. Inuyasha joined them just as her four classmates were putting house slippers on.
"Kagome," he grated out, his breathing not as even as it should have been. She worried about his apparent lack of healing. His youki had dropped as the afternoon waned. If he wasn't any better by nightfall, a trip to the hospital was surely on the agenda.
"Aite-san told Yuka's mother and she told Yuka who told the others. They're my friends, Inuyasha." He trailed behind the group of five, not liking the crowd. It was getting too close to sundown.
They sat uncomfortably in the living room, Inuyasha taking a proprietary position next to Kagome. His blood beast didn't like the presence of the other male. His leg protested its bending but he refused to make it obvious that he was hurt. Mama must have heard the exchange because she came in with a tray of tea. "Inuyasha, dear, you should be in bed."
"Keh, I'll be fine, Higurashi-san."
"Well, if you start feeling bad, straight upstairs, young man. We don't want that trip to the hospital."
"Yes, ma'am, no ma'am," he agreed. She gave his forehead a quick feel for fever and then left the six children alone.
"You're staying here?" Hojo asked in disapproval. Kagome shifted uneasily, not liking his tone.
"Inuyasha rescued me last night. He got hurt and is staying here to recover. His brother is away on business and asked Mama to take care of him." The miko laid a hand on the half-demon's arm to show that they were a team. She had no idea where today's Sesshoumaru was but it was clear that the two would not get along enough for Inuyasha to heal.
"You're so brave, Inuyasha-san!" The three girls sighed in unison while Inuyasha looked at them like they were crazy and Hojo took the opportunity to study the other boy. The boy's hair was unnaturally white in color and the gold eyes seemed to glow with an ethereal light. He was certainly Japanese for he spoke it perfectly, even if his diction was a bit old fashion.
The girls chatted animatedly for several minutes while the boys drank their tea and pretended to ignore each other. Kagome paused in her discussion to check the clock. She was just about to suggest that Inuyasha go up to her room when the first pulse of power indicating his change occurred. She heard his sharp intake of breath and his involuntary groan.
"Inuyasha?" she asked in concern as his youki took a sudden dip. His face reflected the pain he was really in as his demon blood went dormant for the night. "Mama, Inuyasha needs help!" Ignoring her friends in favor of tending to the half-demon, Kagome struggled to get him out of the room before he completely changed. There was no way she could explain away an instantaneous dye job and different color eyes. She met her mother in the kitchen, Inuyasha now coughing up blood.
"Sit, dear. Ayumi, call for an ambulance, please," Mama asked the girl hovering in the doorway. "I'm afraid your visit with Kagome will have to wait until another time." The others nodded and left before they heard the wailing of the ambulance siren. Once Ayumi left, she turned her attention solely on her daughter's protector. His hair had changed to midnight black while his normally amber gaze was now similar to the violet Miroku sported.
The two women piled into the ambulance beside the medic, hoping to keep the half-demon turned human from panicking. Anything that frightened him or seemed a threat could easily worsen his condition. Mama spoke urgently with the EMT while Kagome held Inuyasha's hand. She had seen him poisoned on his human night and full of holes but those incidents did had not worried her like this did. She knew the internal damage bullets could cause. Bleeding around a major organ was a definite possibility.
"S'alright, wench." He gave her a weak smile.
"It better be," she warned. "I'll you-know-what you every day for a whole month if you're not."
"Keh," was all he said.
Inuyasha was taken immediately into a trauma room where he was examined by the Dr. Kintaro Kirara had given Mama as a physician who treated youkai and hanyou. Kagome paced, biting her lower lip. Her stomach protested the sharp movements until a jabbing pain brought her to her knees. "Kagome!" her mother cried, just as a doctor came by. Mama watched helplessly as her daughter was taken into the room next to Inuyasha and they were both examined. A nurse tried to steer her away from the teens but gave up when she saw that the distraught mother wasn't going anywhere.
"Is there someone we can call for you?"
"Inuyasha's brother. I have an emergency number for him. If he complains, tell him that everything is in danger of changing. That should get him home fast enough. I'm not leaving my children."
A slim cell phone was placed in a pants pocket and its owner turned to view the nekomata standing in one corner. Her tails swished in agitation, knowing in her gut the reason for the call. "You were right, Kirara. The whelp has landed himself in the hospital."
"You are going." It wasn't a question.
"Do I have a choice? Higurashi-san made it quite clear that I was to present myself at the earliest possible moment. I do believe she threatened me." Amusement colored the speaker's voice until he noticed the sharp claws held up for his inspection.
"I'd be quite happy to be the instrument of her wrath, pup. Get going. I've interfered enough, it's your turn. Just stay out of sight of your brother and Kagome."
"Hn, ridiculous," was the uttered comment as the inu taiyoukai walked out the door.
"Disrespectful pup."
