16: Unsure Intentions

"I never could have done what I have done without the habits of punctuality, order, and diligence, without the determination to concentrate myself on one subject at a time..."

-Charles Dickens

Nemu was always such a proper woman. Eyes downcast, hands politely folded in front of her, one ankle settled behind another, back straight and silent after the presentation she had been ordered to give by Captain Kurotsuchi. Settled across from a suited Sesshomaru, the demon lord watching the presumptuous creature across from him. She was here by someone else's orders but it still didn't make the request any less insulting.

"Allow myself to become a test subject? What exactly do these spirits think they are dealing with?" Sesshomaru resisted his first urge to simply ignore the woman. He doubted ignoring them would mean much.

"If I refuse this man's request?" Sesshomaru asked, it couldn't hurt to query after all. The worst that happened was the woman lied and he'd gotten good at detecting the various signs that accompanied such things with mortals when he liked.

"He will hunt you out." Nemu answered honestly, head still down submissively. "He has not had such a new fascination with a subject in some time and is not in the habit of ignoring that which interests him."

She smelled a bit like ozone, there was an electricity to these 'soul reapers' that he could pick up in the strange mortal forms they took on. It reminded him vaguely of the events when Naraku used the jewel to animate the dead - though the soul reapers smelled better than the grave soil at least. He didn't detect a lie from her, such a comment did seem like it would be a pointless falsehood anyway.

"Then you should tell him if he wishes to do so that he should come himself as opposed to sending a woman to speak for him." Sesshomaru looked back toward the paperwork on his desk, he really had too much to deal with to bother with some fool looking to challenge him. "I however will not react well…I grow tired of pests. Get out."

"I will take your message to him." Nemu commented, rising at the dismissal and bowing before leaving the office to move back to an area where she could take a gateway to return to soul society.

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After offering strict orders to prepare Kagome's clothing and giving a few of the staff some select words Byakuya had settled himself to actually get some rest. Though sleep had failed to be the release that Byakuya was hoping for. It had only served to further haunt his mind with disjointed images of when he actually enjoyed his life. He was relieved when the shrill ringing of the alarm signaled the end of a torturous night, allowing him the chance of a quick shower as the busyness of everyday preparation took over his concentration.

The new day would be much more acceptable, he would have to mostly ignore the spiritually powered mortals in the school again, though he had offered a small bit of consideration to Kagome's request of a story to give people. For her social interaction seemed very important so he would let her mostly tell the truth; he was a tutor for her. It better explained why he would be in such a class anyway. It was quite the gift - at least as far as the captain of the sixth squad was concerned.

He moved from his room with purpose, dressed down in the uniform for the school as he moved down, wanting to take his breakfast as he looked over paperwork as he always did; in his den. When he walked into the room he realized that it was going to be another bad day for him. Fate and his servants were out to get him.

Kagome had been reading until late in the night, she had gotten started and then grown interested in the novel she'd been assigned to report. It was an older translation of a British novel by Charles Dicken's; 'Great Expectations' and it had been so complex she lost complete track of time and she had fallen asleep close to end of the 59th and final chapter…having not realized she'd worked on it so late.

She was still in the stunning gown and diamond necklace, her hair was a little wild but had dried long before she'd actually fallen to sleep so it didn't look overly ridiculous. Though overall she still made quite the picture, one side of the gown had folded up a little as she slept and left very little of her shapely legs to be imaged with as high as it had drifted.

Byakuya sighed and turned around directly to seek out the head butler of his servants, he had never liked the cheery man - someone that had been working for them sense the days of his grandfather. Someone he was about to replace if there wasn't a good excuse…

Though he didn't have to go far, the older man was approaching with a small cart with two breakfast trays. "Good morning Lord Kuchiki."

"I told you to have the woman out of here last night when her clothing was prepared. What is the meaning of her slumbering in my den?" Byakuya was obviously not pleased and he wasn't taking a great amount of effort to cover his irritation.

"My apologies Lord Kuchiki but the machines were not working as they should and by the time they were repaired and her clothing was ready she had fallen asleep. Being only a few hours before you would get up I thought it would be best to let her rest. I had planned to wake her before you entered the den but you are always a step ahead." He explained with a small smile. "She would have ended up with almost no rest at all if we had woken her up to take her home."

"My orders are to be followed in the future regardless of other issues." Byakuya resisted the urge to snap at him. "My grandfather will not be with us to speak for you forever."

"Breakfast is ready for you and Ms. Kagome." The servant said kindly, as if he hadn't heard the threat to end his job. "Would you prefer I take it to the den as usual?"

"No." Byakuya shook his head, there was no point in arguing further with the man. "Have her prepare herself in her uniform and join me in the dining room."

"Yes Lord Kuchiki, I believe she heard you." The servant gestured at the recent arrived Kagome. "I will prepare the same room I did yesterday for you miss."

He walked off then, taking the lovely smelling breakfast with him.

"I didn't mean to fall asleep." Kagome offered tiredly, a bit sheepish. "I just got really busy with my homework and…"

"Don't be concerned with it." He shook his head, interrupting her and not looking at her. "I'll wait for you at the dining table. Try not to tally long."

"Okay…" She didn't get much of a chance to reply before he was gone.

"I think those fast people vanish like that just cause they can!" Then she smiled a little. "Guess I shouldn't complain too much, I would too. I wonder what's bothering Byakuya though?"

She took the stairs two at a time, making sure to use the correct room as opposed to his this time. The door she was suppose to take the night before leading directly to a large but more public bathroom instead of his bedroom. Her uniform was freshly pressed and hung near a shower with her other things folded nearby. She began to get ready as she pondered his reactions.

"I could have really alienated him with my yelling at him yesterday afternoon." She pondered as she shampooed up her hair. "Not that he didn't deserve it, he was being a complete jerk! But…that's probably not it…he didn't start acting weird until after he walked in on me naked."

"Oh god, I'd almost forgotten." She was blushing again then even while she showered at that dreadfully embarrassing moment. "How could he not act weird after something stupid like that? Maybe he thought I was trying to sleep with him! Oh lord…what did I do? No wonder he's acting so bizarre…he had to teach me and he thinks I have a thing for him."

"Well okay, I do have a little crush on him." She admitted to herself with a sigh, putting her face in her hands. "He is so…but I don't wanna just jump into his pants! Dear god, please stop punishing me for what I don't know what I did wrong."

She tried to hurry despite the awkward situation she'd managed to get herself in. Drying off quickly and almost tossing on her uniform, things would work out… "I could just try to explain but I think that might make it worse…if that's not what's wrong…then it would become an issue. Yeah I can't talk to him about it…he might not think that…but what is the matter?"

She didn't have nearly enough time to start figuring out the complicated man that was Byakuya, moving back downstairs as she buttoned up her shirt, not realizing she still had the necklace settled underneath it, it was just comfortable enough she'd never noted to take it off and return it to the strange bag that had been attached to the dress. She dashed down the steps and over to the den to gather her books again before running into the dining room and pausing to straighten her skirt and slow down so she could sit and eat.

Byakuya had been reading a newspaper - a bit weird but she didn't say anything about it, smiling to him. "Good morning. I'll need to call my mom and let her know what happened…she'll probably be worried."

"No need Ms. Kagome." The servant that Byakuya seemed angry with earlier was settling juice down on the table between them. "I called her last night and let her know what occurred and that you would be riding with Byakuya this morning to the school. She said to tell you that she was leaving today with your little brother to go to some sort of event out of the country for two weeks that his school was having and would be disappointed if you didn't visit them before they left."

"Oh." Kagome had a light bulb go off. "I thought that wasn't until next week…so much has been going on. I'll have to spare some time to visit them before they take the trip to America. They'll be gone for so long with the exchange program. It's nice that mom arranged it so she could teach while she was there and still get paid."

"It sounds like it will be fun for them." The servant agreed, though after another short glance/glare from his master he nodded to her and excused himself to let them eat.

She chewed on some eggs, enjoying the simple breakfast for actual food for the first time in a while - she didn't know if it would be her only meal of the day. "Do you mind if I take an hour or so to see them off?"

"You did work quite late last night from what I understand so I believe you've already made up any time you might have lost." He said, his cool expression back, eyes occasionally looking at her again.

"Maybe I'm just crazy and was too tired." She pondered as she sipped at her orange juice. "He seems fine now."

"If you will be able to finish your book report and other homework then by the weekend we should be able to move onto your other studies again. Try not to forget that there are other things you need to accomplish." He was always so overbearing.

"I bet your mom was just like Miss Havisham." Kagome muttered to herself softly, the book she'd read still stuck on her mind.

"What was that?" he raised a brow, not completely sure what the teenager was muttering about.

"Oh, nothing…you just…sorta remind me of one of the characters in the book I was assigned to read." She commented, raising her hands a little. "It's nothing. I'm a blabbermouth in the morning."

"Just in the morning?" He commented, though got up before she could protest the insult. "We should be going if we don't wish to be late. Come."

And off he went.

"Sure thing Estelle." She muttered to herself, using the comparison to make herself feel a little better. "Long as that doesn't make me Pip."

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"So…wait a second." Ichigo commented, thinking to himself. "You're telling me this Kagsomethingorother girl is some sort of soul society spiritual leader? She's a female priest?"

"Not exactly." Rukia frowned as Ichigo assumed priestess meant the mortal equivalent. "They were once leaders of soul society as a whole - their direct descendants make up the king's of our world. It was believed that people with such powers died out many hundreds of years ago."

"That is why she commented that she might be related to the Quincy." Orihime put a fist into her other hand as she added up what Ichida had told her and what Rukia told her now. "That must be why she asked Ichida to borrow a bow."

Rukia blinked at the red-haired woman as she made the announcement.

"So…wouldn't that mean if the enemy finds out they'll go after her?" Chad asked, he could catch on fast - his size didn't mean he wasn't intelligent. "That's why they have your brother here looking after her."

"Oh!" Ichigo frowned then. "That's still not very safe…why don't they take her to soul society like they did with Orihime?"

"She is still learning about her own powers and right now we aren't sure if soul society would be any safer than here for her. At least, that's what a lot of us think is the reason. They're trying to keep her existence quiet but as you can see, that's not working."

"Never does." Chad shrugged a little.

"Why wouldn't Byakuya just tell us?" Ichigo asked with a frown. "We've protected the city and the people that live here a bunch of times…it wouldn't be any different now."

"Do you think he would ask you for help?" Rukia asked in a superior tone of voice. "Didn't you learn anything in your trip to soul society."

"I think it would be neat to work with Byakuya." Orihime commented cheerfully, drawing confused looks from everyone. "Well he's a noble right? It's probably like studying with a prince! I bet he has pretty horses and dances and teas and stuff!"

"Er…I doubt it's that grand Orihime." Ichigo commented, considering the picture of Byakuya on a horse before shaking it from his mind - it didn't fit together. "I feel a little sorry for her."

"Hey. What's that suppose to mean!" Rukia smacked her red-headed friend and grabbed his collar.

"What was that for!" He pushed Rukia away and rubbed his head. "I'm just saying, he's not the friendliest guy in the world."

"And I wonder if he dresses in all that old pomp and circumstance…" Orihime was still going on. "Maybe he has one of those white wigs! I bet he'd look silly though."

"Anyway." Rukia decided to drop the subject of her brother in such a poor presentation. "I think you shouldn't try to talk to her or him too much about it. We're still looking for where Aizen ran off to, and we think he has some folks that are on his side still working in soul society. It's still very dangerous."

"Well, things here are much the same." Orihime shrugged a little, smiling. "I'm glad to be back, I missed school and everyone. You going to come back to us Rukia?"

"I've been assigned to keep watching over the city so yeah." Rukia smiled a bit at that, glad to feel welcome somewhere. "Though…I just wanted to warn you guys to keep an eye out."

"Sure thing." Ichigo shrugged a little as the warning bell rang after lunch. He and Rukia both pausing to look at each other when they felt energy nearby, then Rukia's phone started to beep - a hollow had appeared nearby.

End Chapter

This was another hard chapter but whew, I got it finished. It was hard to do as I haven't actually been watching any bleach or Inuyasha lately gasp. My favorite part was having Orihime go on about Byakuya - it made me giggle. Reviews are nifty btw.

-Aura

P.S. At the moment I'm keeping other characters from Inuyasha to just Sesshomaru. I haven't completely decided if I'll use other ones, but at this time I'd say probably not.