34: Let Me Protect You

Mystery and disappointment are not absolutely indispensable to the growth of love, but they are, very often, its powerful auxiliaries.

-Charles Dickens, Nicholas Nickleby

It was hard to concentrate on studies when pondering the joy of going home and enjoying the holiday season. Though as Kagome noticed the dark look she was receiving from Byakuya's she blinked and blushed some, muttering an apology as she tried to pay attention better.

"You didn't hear a word I said." The soul reaper observed, shaking his head. "You are welcome to go and prepare for our trip."

Kagome jumped up at the release and dashed out the door, leaving the nobleman to consider after her and then eye the lesson of the different levels of royalty and nobility along with the four noble houses before rolling back up the scroll carefully. It had been ages sense he had studied all of this himself, it seemed so strange to be teaching it to someone else.

She was getting better at controlling her magic for a longer time when they tried but it still ended up warping beyond her control before too long. She hadn't held control of a single spell and when he'd tried to teach her destructive magic it was a disaster…

Two days earlier…(A day after their return from the 'date' weekend.)

"Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of man! Inferno and Pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, on to the south!" Kagome called out the Incantation for the kido, holding out her hand in the correct manner as she tried to aim at the target. "Shot of Red Fire!"

The shot however leveled the target and half of the back of the training field, if it hadn't been for all the snow on the ground likely she would have started another fire…

And back…

She remained incapable of controlling her spiritual energy once it was called on. It started out the way it was suppose to, but then always warped into some sort of destructive force. Usually fire, to the unfortunate end of part of his estate. He was downright unwilling to teach her any sort of binding magic until she had her issue with controlling her powers in check. She'd probably break someone into pieces if gauging her studies of destructive magic was any clue.

He put the scrolls away, glad that the royals had allowed them to pass through the gates and back into the real world for the girl, even if it had been distracting her for the whole day. They were to leave later this evening and he still had some of his own preparations to take…to include speaking with his Lieutenant and giving out orders to his grandfather as to how the house was to be run in his absence.

Though a third order of business was making him consider things outside his normal duties as well…Ukitake, the meddlesome sickly fellow he was, had reminded him that the holiday in Kagome's world meant the exchanging of gifts. Though he normally didn't give gifts on such days he knew that if he failed to offer her at least something she would likely have another fit. So he was a tad preoccupied himself with his pondering of what it was he could purchase for his lively student.

He didn't have too long to browse the local market before he would need to be back at the estate and with all his other needed meetings his flash steps would be getting some practice…

ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo ooooo

The trip back had been simple, though Byakuya was starting to ponder the wisdom of requesting the trip with the way Kagome's mother sent him looks like he had kidnapped her. He couldn't blame the woman but he still didn't like the constant reminder. It seemed they wouldn't be traveling to the other side of Tokyo until the following day and that left him looking forward to a whole evening of the veiled glares.

Though her younger brother seemed absolutely fascinated with him, and after harassing him with a long series of insulting questions as to him putting his hair up 'like a girl' and 'with barrettes'. Kagome had saved him from the experience but he was now remaining quiet as the rest of the family chatted and he sipped his tea, doing his best to ignore the hostility he was being offered. Though his best was perfectly fine and he was sitting and seeming much as he would any other time.

"One of the students at your school came by." Kagome's mother did her best just to concentrate on her daughter, not much liking this man that had pulled her from this world yet again. "They said that a Mister Sesshomaru something was looking for you and left a contact number for you. Is everything okay?"

"Oh yeah." Kagome blinked a little. "It's for a extra credit project I agreed to do. I should probably call and see if I can set something up before we leave tomorrow."

"Okay, just be careful Kagome." Her mom offered, as much as she didn't really like all of this she trusted her daughter to do the right thing. If Kagome wanted to pursue all this and learn more about the part of her that was reborn from the old times her mom didn't feel she should stop her. "Try not to be back too late, I'd like to leave fairly early tomorrow."

The mom nodded and went off to help get Kagome's younger brother to get homework done.

"Why is Sesshomaru checking up on me anyway?"

It was the first real reminder she'd had of it lately, and definitely there were a lot of distractions to contend with. He had mentioned he would check in on her…but why? It wasn't as if they had ever been close during her visits to the feudal era…he'd almost killed her the first time they met.

Byakuya meanwhile was both irritated and thought it might be a good thing. As much as the thought of this creature bothered him, it was a way for Kagome to escape the trap that the royals of soul society had placed on her.

"You wanna come right?" Kagome was hesitant to put Byakuya and Sesshomaru next to each other - it seemed like a really bad idea. "You aren't going to start being all weird are you?"

"All weird?" He glanced to her, resisting the urge to frown. He knew she thought more of this creature than he already, but having it tossed in his face was a sting even to the ego the size of Byakuya's. "Why do you think he wishes to see you?"

"Well, I did say I wanted to know more about my friends from the feudal era…but I guess the best way to find out would be to call." Kagome answered, patting his leg and getting up. "I'll be back, I'm gonna give him a call."

Byakuya blinked some and considered where she patted him on the leg. "Have we become so informal without me realizing it? She's always doing these little things…it seems like it's just in her nature…but am I so ready to part with them?"

"Yes." He immediately admonished himself for thinking otherwise. "I have to be. I won't let any selfish thoughts destroy what little chance there is to save her from whatever other ignoble plans the royals might have for her."

Meanwhile…

"Hello, Sesshomaru?" Kagome wasn't really sure how to talk on the phone, for all the things she'd been through, talking to the demon lord of the west on a telephone was a whole different level of bizarre that threatened to break what little sense of logic her poor stressed brain had left.

"Kagome?" He seemed surprised at first. "Are you all right? I thought they were holding you in soul society."

"Um…not really…sorta." Kagome murmured, not sure what to say about it. "You contacted my school about me?"

"Yes, I was contacted by a concerned third party. Did they forcibly engage you to one of the Captain's there?" Sesshomaru would have rather not asked on the phone, but until he could get his car to Kagome's residence, it seemed prudent to keep in contact with her.

Kagome wasn't sure what to say, it seemed dangerous to get the demon lord involved and for some reason he seemed intent on protecting her. "Maybe I hit my head and this is all some hallucination."

"Kagome? Is that a yes?" Sesshomaru wasn't a fool, he had years of looking after women that got quiet when they'd rather not answer. He was more perceptive than Kagome knew.

"Um, well…kind of…but I like Byakuya…and it's not his fault really." Kagome was flustered, she didn't know what the hell else she could say about it. "He thought if we played along it would be safer…I mean, he's doing a lot to help me cause they're forcing him too."

Sesshomaru noted her words, considering a moment himself before replying again. "What did he tell you they wanted once you were married?"

"Oh god, how much does he know? How the hell does Sesshomaru know about all this!?" Kagome was blushing horribly, wishing she could hang up the phone and go die somewhere as she answered. "He said they wanted me to produce an heir."

"God, kill me."

That gave Sesshomaru another moment of pause, if this fellow wasn't against it as Kagome already said he'd have to kill him. However, as he seemed as displeased by the whole thing as Kagome Sesshomaru was wondering what else the green eyed freak had told him was a lie.

"Kagome. This is important." Sesshomaru hoped she wouldn't overreact when he said it. "I was told that when you married him they planned to kill your human body and take your soul fully into soul society. Do you know anything about that?"

The girl had gone quiet…blinking a few times while Sesshomaru repeated her name on the other line…hanging up the phone on him and looking back toward the living room.

"That's why he's so guilty…" Kagome was in shock. "How else could I have a kid anyway…unless I was really there…how does a spirit have a baby? He never cared about me, he was guilty because he knew what they were planning…"

Kagome ran out of the kitchen through the back door then, she needed to get away, from everyone and everything. She wanted the feudal era back, even Inuyasha had never hidden something like this from her…she wanted to get away from all this supernatural stuff.

"Why did I have to be the damn incarnation of Kikyo anyway!" Tears started to fall as she ran. "It's just brought me pain, I hate it…I'm not some special priestess, I'm not just a reincarnation! I'm me, I'm Kagome! I don't want to be seen as anything else anymore!"

Kagome came to a screeching halt and fell underneath the outstretched arm of a wicked looking hollow. A dark grin on the creatures mask as she luckily managed to dodge him, having slipped on some ice on the street - it wasn't from any real effort on her part but that seemed to be a common event for the lucky priestess.

However, she was aware of the danger now and turned around to face the creature, getting knocked backward by one of it's arms as she did. Her back sending daggers of pain to her brain when she stopped on an uneven surface and bounced back, barely managing to keep her feet.

"I can't use magic." She noted, eyeing the creature warily. "If I let it kill me that solves everything doesn't it? They can just do whatever they want with me…my soul won't even be mine in the next life…nothing new."

It however, was drooling lightly as it watched her back. Growling in excitement. "Keep running, keep fighting…it makes the meal all the better little girl. The better you make the fight, the faster I'll make the kill."

Kagome was shoved backward by another hit, more pain arching through her body as it bounced back and hit grass at least that time. "It could have killed me last time…it wants to torture me. What's wrong with me, I don't want to die. Screw feeling sorry for myself…I gotta get away from this thing!"

Then she felt spiritual energy released around her and the pressure didn't let her push up beyond her knees, her breath coming in shallow as she blinked at the blanket of pink covering the hollow. "Byakuya…he followed me…" she realized, lowering to laying on the grass as the pressure continued around her, she thought if it wasn't for the earth she might fall forever. "…is this him? It's like when he attacked that creature that Sesshomaru couldn't see. No…it's worse now…heavier…was he holding back then?"

She was dizzy with the disorienting effect, and by the time she realized she could breath again and was gulping in air the soul reaper was kneeling next to her. "You have to stop running off Kagome, are you okay?"

"You…Is…Are…" She tried to catch her breath to form a more complete question, still wanting to cry just thinking about it but to tired to form the tears or give the breath. "Soul society, they want to kill me, is that it? Take my soul so there is no connection for me to this mortal life."

"Do you think so little of me?" He replied, standing back up when she could speak and looking around as Senbonzakura danced around him in the air. "I would not let them harm you Kagome. Even if it costs me my life, I will protect you. Though no, there is no such plot…they don't need to kill your mortal body for your soul to exist in soul society, you've already experienced that."

"Shut up and let me protect you!"

"I'm an idiot." She thought before laughing out loud. "I should start listening to you more Byakuya."

She pushed herself up, noting that he still seemed defensive. But she had to admire him with his sword dancing around him and the wind catching his hair. He didn't look down at her when he spoke. "I keep telling you that."

Kagome was still dizzy too, and didn't trust herself to stand without stumbling, she wanted to say so much, but the chance passed her…it always seemed to do so…

"Kagome." Sesshomaru's voice drew her from the soul reaper and to the approaching demon lord. He wasn't in his full kimono or armor anymore, instead in a more modern suit yet again. "Are you all right?"

Unlike Byakuya, he offered her a hand up, the soul reaper gathered his multiple blades back into a single one and put it away, thought watched the exchange warily. Kagome accepted the help up and blinked at the old demon in the attire again. "Sesshomaru…"

"You hung up before you answered or before I could tell you it was just something told to me by someone I wouldn't necessarily trust." He admonished. "Why is it young girls are always so dramatic?"

"I just…I'm sorry." She mumbled. "Why are you here? Why do you even care? I appreciate the help and all but it's not like we were…close."

"You are Rin's descendant." Sesshomaru answered honestly. "I have been watching over her family for ages, I watched over your father for a time but when after he died there were issues I needed to deal with before I could look in on you and your brother. Though it seems you are more drawn to trouble than your brother is."

That made Kagome blink, frown, blink again. "Just another wanting to know me cause of someone else, I should have figured. Does anyone just want to know me for me?"

"There are others of your friends in that time that have descendants, though I have someone looking into it I don't have the information back yet." Sesshomaru answered previous questioned she'd mentioned having. "What is it you want out of this soul society nonsense? If you wish to be free of them, I will take you from them."

"But just because I'm distantly related to Rin…"

Byakuya seemed about to reply but Kagome shook her head negatively. "I can't do that. I won't do that to Byakuya, he's done a lot for me. He's saved me so many times, again just now. I dunno if that will change…but he's protected me, so if me playing along with this will protect him. I want to do that."

The head of the Kuchiki clan was surprised at the girl's comments. "Just stay with her for the holiday, spend time with her like she wanted you too. Let her go, the way you should have let go of Hisana before the stress of the noble life killed her…"

His honor wouldn't let him though, not thinking about Hisana, he couldn't let any other women he cared about suffer for him. The nobleman spoke up then. "Kagome, you should go with him. He can protect you, he's able to offer you the life here on earth that you want."

"But…your family…you, you'll get into trouble." Kagome blinked, shocked at the comments she was hearing. "We agreed…"

Byakuya shook his head. "No, it is not your problem, you saved me in that alley when we met. Let me save you Kagome."

End Chapter

Aw, that's so sickeningly cute I could puke. I need more action…damn I can't find a reason for Byakuya and Sesshy to fight - albeit I have no idea who I would have win either…I like them both way too much to make that decision for myself! Gah! So torn! This chapter isn't nearly as long as I wanted but dammit, ending it there fit way too much to continue. Sorry. I want there to be a Christmas-y chapter but at the rate it's going it might come out more as a new years gift. I am trying though.

-Aura

P.S. Woot reviews. I luvs them.

S.T. Nick - hehe Sesshy showed him up by offering her a hand to stand. But then Byakuya was all awesome and cute.

Sk8r - yeah, teenage girls seem to be full of angst…this chapter I suppose is another good example

Boundbydeath - heh it's cool, I'm a bleach nerd, though the anime series is now longer than Inuyasha was, the manga is not.

Neo-crystal - he twas just a plot to try to get sesshy to be stupid - but he's not

Motif - still not sure on the mental instruction thing, I think they're actually gonna decide not to do it…but not positive yet